The New York Giants received some coal in their stocking on Christmas day, falling to the Philadelphia Eagles, 33-25, at Lincoln Financial Field.
The loss officially eliminates the Giants from playoff contention and locks in a season with double-digit losses. In the process, they also benched rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito, bringing to an end the only remotely entertaining thing the organization has served up all year.
Still, the Giants deserve credit for keeping pace with the Eagles until the bitter end. Although they were unable to overcome some self-inflicted wounds and atrocious officiating, they had an opportunity to tie things up as time expired.
One of the most notable performers on the night was running back Saquon Barkley, who gained 84 total yards (80 rushing, four receiving) on the day, scoring one key touchdown.
Although Barkley averaged just 3.5 yards per carry, he converted on several key fourth downs to keep the chains moving and used his powerful lower body to muscle in for an early score.
Following the Week 16 performance, Barkley now has 877 yards rushing on the season and should be able to eclipse 1,000 yards for the fourth time in his career.
Unfortunately for Barkley, there will be no playoff appearance which means he won’t be hitting any of the escalators that were added to his one-year deal prior to the regular season.
