The New York Giants closed out the regular season with a wildly unexpected drubbing of the Philadelphia Eagles — something they hadn’t done to such a degree since 2012.
The game was over by halftime with the Giants leading 24-0 and the Eagles waiving the white flag. Head coach Nick Sirianni began pulling his starters, acknowledging they could no longer compete with Big Blue.
Although the game itself meant nothing to the Giants in terms of playoff seeding, it was significant in the sense that it ended Philly’s dominant reign.
Here is a look at some of the studs and duds (and studly duds) from the Week 18 victory.
STUD: S Xavier McKinney
Headed into free agency, safety Xavier McKinney put on a show against the Eagles. He was all over the field, recording five tackles (three solo), three passes defensed, and two interceptions. His first INT was a thing of beauty as he toe-tapped the line and somehow managed to keep his feet in.
DUD: QB Tommy DeVIto
There weren’t many negatives for the Giants on the day so filling out the “duds” section requires some creativity. Unfortunately for Tommy DeVito, that means his short and non-productive stint in the game lands him here. He completed two passes for 14 yards, took a sack, and left the game limping only to briefly return later.
STUD: LB Bobby Okereke
Veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke may have started the season slowly, but he sure finished strong. Like McKinney, he was all over the field on Sunday and made an impact in a multitude of ways. He finished the game with eight tackles (five solo, one for a loss), one pass defensed, one QB hit, and one sack.
DUD: WR Jalin Hyatt
It’s difficult to criticize a player due to injury but rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt saw his season come to an unceremonious end for that exact season. He capped things off with one reception for five yards and made no impact whatsoever. Hyatt did have one chance on a deep ball but wasn’t able to win the contested catch.
STUD: WR Wan'Dale Robinson
Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson flashed repeatedly over the final weeks of the season and that includes Sunday’s win over the Eagles. The second-year soon-to-be star hauled in five receptions for 85 yards, many of those coming after the catch. He likely would have put up better numbers but the Giants desperately tried to get Sterling Shepard involved late.
DUD: CB Tre Hawkins
With injuries mounting in the secondary, Wink Martindale turned to rookie cornerback Tre Hawkins for the first time in quite a while. The result was not what the Giants had hoped as Hawkins struggled, missing a couple of tackles and then surrendering a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
STUDLY DUD: QB Tyrod Taylor
It was a strange day for Tyrod Taylor, who exited the game on two separate occasions due to different injuries. But with DeVito also banged up, he ended up toughing it out and finishing with 297 yards passing, 38 yards rushing, one touchdown, one interception, and one fumble. He also repeatedly held the ball too long, leading to some unnecessary hits.
Other STUDS:
- RB Saquon Barkley
- WR Gunner Olszewski
- P Jamie Gillan
- S Dane Belton
Other DUDS:
- K Mason Crosby
