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    5 Giants vs. Eagles Takeaways: Jalen Hurts Looks Plenty Healthy in Divisional Round Domination

    Saturday's Divisional Round action concluded with Giants vs. Eagles. Here are five takeaways from Philadelphia's rout of New York.

    The Philadelphia Eagles are headed to the NFC Championship Game after defeating the New York Giants for the third time this season. The Eagles jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead, then cooled down in the second half before walking away with a 38-7 win.

    Here are five takeaways from the Eagles’ victory at Lincoln Financial Field as Nick Sirianni’s team awaits their NFC title game opponent.

    5 Takeaways From Giants vs. Eagles

    No Issues With Jalen Hurts’ Shoulder

    Before tonight’s game, Jalen Hurts told FOX’s Pam Oliver that he isn’t fully healthy as he continues to recover from the shoulder sprain he suffered in Week 14.

    “I am nowhere near 100%, but I just gotta go out there and still get it done,” Hurts said.

    The shoulder problem didn’t appear to bother him against the Giants, as Hurts was nearly flawless in the Eagles’ authoritative victory. He went 16 of 24 with two touchdowns in the passing game, but perhaps more importantly, he didn’t show any qualms about running the ball. Hurts rushed nine times for 34 yards and a score, and while he often did a good job of avoiding contact, he broke through several tacklers without issue.

    Hurts will face a much more difficult defensive test in the NFC Championship when Philadelphia faces either San Francisco or Dallas, but he looked like his old self against the Giants. Hurts, who might have won the MVP award had he not missed two starts, generated 0.360 expected points added (EPA) per play against the Giants, better than Patrick Mahomes’ season-leading mark of .302.

    Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon Pad Their Résumés

    Both Eagles’ coordinators are up for head coaching jobs this offseason, and tonight’s performance will only buoy their cases.

    On offense, Shane Steichen once again honed in on his opponent’s weakness and relentlessly exploited it. The Giants are dead last in DVOA against the run, so Steichen used his NFL-best offensive line to attack New York’s weak front en route to 44 carries for 268 yards, an average of 6.1 yards per tote.

    MORE: Philadelphia Eagles Playoff History

    Steichen, who’s interviewed with the Colts, Texans, and Panthers, guided Philadelphia’s offense to 18 first downs in the first half while the Birds controlled the ball for more than 20 minutes. The Eagles were also well-coached in situational football, as they went 10-of-14 on third down and 4-of-5 in the red zone.

    Gannon, who met with the Texans last week, was just as impressive on the defensive side of the ball. Here’s how the Giants’ five first-half drives went: turnover on downs, interception, three-and-out, three-and-out, and three-and-out. All told, New York only got into Philadelphia territory on two of its nine possessions.

    Eagles’ Offseason Acquisitions Continue To Pay Off

    Howie Roseman will likely win the NFL’s Executive of the Year Award, and a few of the Eagles’ general manager’s free agent pickups shined against the Giants.

    The most notable was edge rusher Haason Reddick, whom Philadelphia inked to a three-year, $45 million deal last spring. After finishing with 16 sacks and ranking second in pass-rush win rate during the regular season, Reddick balled out against New York, posting 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hits, and a tackle for loss.

    Meanwhile, the Giants had to release cornerback James Bradberry last year in order to become salary cap compliant, and their loss has been the Eagles’ gain. In a revenge game against his old team, Bradberry’s outstanding vision and closing speed were on full display as he picked off Daniel Jones in the first quarter.

    And we haven’t even mentioned other crucial 2022 Philadelphia acquisitions like A.J. Brown, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Kyzir White, and Linval Joseph. Roseman and the rest of the Eagles’ front office won the offseason — now they’ll see if that run of success can continue through the Super Bowl.

    Boston Scott Owns the Giants

    Boston Scott must hold a personal grudge against the Giants — or at least, that’s how he plays.

    Scott managed yet another touchdown against Big Blue on Saturday night and has now scored 11 of his 19 career TDs against New York. It’s the highest percentage of a player’s touchdowns against one team in NFL history.

    Scott has scored at least once in all nine of his career games against the Giants. He’s now tied with Ezekiel Elliott and Santana Moss for the most touchdowns against New York since 1970.

    Giants’ Cinderella Season Ends

    The Giants’ miracle season is over, and the 2022 campaign has to be considered a magnificent success for Brian Daboll and Co. No one expected New York to make the playoffs. Few might have projected them to win more than six games, so a postseason run that ends in the Divisional Round is an outcome the club’s decision-makers will heartily accept.

    MORE: Should Brian Daboll Win Coach of the Year Award?

    There will be plenty of work for general manager Joe Schoen to do in the offseason. He’ll have to make calls on big-ticket items like Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley, and he’ll also need to find more talent along the offensive line, at wide receiver, and nearly everywhere on defense. With more than $54 million in available 2023 cap space (third-most in the NFL), the Giants will have the resources to make headway in the coming months.

    The NFC East doesn’t figure to get any easier, but the Giants built a reliable foundation in one calendar year. With another offseason ahead of them, New York can reflect on their underdog run before getting back to upgrading their roster.

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