Eagles grades: Jalen Hurts’ second-half struggles continue, defense can’t contain Jaxson Dart in loss to Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Instant grades on the Eagles’ performance in their 34-17 loss at the New York Giants:

Jalen Hurts didn’t play well for the third straight second half. The Eagles’ worst loss since their 2023 season-ending slide wasn’t all on the quarterback. But Hurts had another costly late-game turnover at MetLife Stadium.

He threw a devastating interception — his first of the season — in the red zone in the fourth quarter. Giants cornerback Car’Dale Flott jumped Jahan Dotson’s out route and went 68 yards the other way. Earlier, Hurts overthrew a wide-open DeVonta Smith to open the second half after a blown Giants coverage.

Hurts was mostly good as a passer in the first half as the Giants surprisingly opted to play a lot of man coverage. He completed 14 of 18 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown.

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The quarterback kept his poise in the pocket when the offensive line gave him 5-plus seconds to find tight end Dallas Goedert for a 23-yard completion in the first quarter. He did the same, although he eventually had to leave the pocket, when he found Dotson for 17 yards in the second quarter.

He struggled again with a four-man exchange pressure on the Eagles’ second possession and was sacked on third down in the first quarter.

Saquon Barkley had his most productive game of the season, but the Eagles’ run game remained inconsistent. He rushed 12 times for 58 yards and 4.8 average. Barkley and the ground game came out firing with the running back’s longest run of the season to that point — 18 yards — and a 13-yarder on the next play. But he gained just 27 yards on his final 10 carries.

AJ Dillon rushed once for 2 yards and had some decent blitz pickup moments. His late fumble was brutal, but the Eagles were probably going to lose anyway.

Wide receiver A.J. Brown got the offense going with a ridiculous one-handed catch for 30 yards on a back shoulder pass in the first quarter. He had other standout moments, but finished with just six catches on nine targets for 80 yards.

Smith converted a second-quarter third down with a 16-yard crosser. He drew a pass interference penalty in the fourth quarter.

Goedert was Hurts’ primary target in the first half, catching 6 of 7 throws for 50 yards and a score. He stayed with his route on the deep 23-yarder over the middle. A few plays later, he muscled into the end zone on a shovel screen pass for his fifth touchdown of the season. He had some decent blocks in the run game, but got mauled late in the third quarter. He finished as the team’s leading receiver with 110 yards on nine catches.

Dotson has struggled at times in the scramble drill, but came back to help Hurts on the 17-yard catch.

With Grant Calcaterra (oblique) sidelined, Kylen Granson and Cameron Latu moved up the depth chart at tight end. Latu was late to block on a split zone inside run in the second quarter, although it was a tough ask. He, along with Goedert, got good push on a Barkley 6-yard run to open the second half.

Hurts often had tons of time in the pocket — a credit to the big boys up front, especially Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. The Eagles tackles kept the Giants’ dangerous trio of edge rushers — Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux — in check for the most part.

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But when Hurts kept dropping back, it made it easier for the Giants to pin their ears back. Brett Toth, who was starting for the injured Landon Dickerson (ankle) at left guard, struggled with a third-quarter Burns stunt that resulted in a third-down sack.

The Eagles had success on the ground the few times they ran it through the first 2½ quarters, but like last week, they struggled to get Barkley going in the second half. It was tough to assign much blame to the offensive line with the Giants picking up on the Eagles’ calls.

There were some good early moments. Center Cam Jurgens had a key block on Barkley’s first 18-yard scamper. The Eagles went with four straight Tush Pushes for the first time in the play’s history. And it worked. They were denied on their first attempt, but converted on fourth down. And with the goal line 2 yards away, they did it two more times until Hurts got into the end zone.

Jaxson Dart escaped countless times, but the Eagles’ defensive line could have done a better job of containing the rookie quarterback in its pass rush. The unit was dealt a blow when defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who injured his heel on Wednesday, was held out.

Moro Ojomo and Jordan Davis were the primary defensive tackles to pick up Carter’s slack. Davis notched his second sack of the season in the first quarter. Ojomo had several hurries. But they didn’t finish, and neither did most of the D-line for that matter.

Outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt had good coverage when he dropped on the Giants’ first possession, but he couldn’t secure a Dart pass that went through his hands. Hunt stayed home and kept Dart from scrambling for a first down in the third quarter.

Za’Darius Smith and Joshua Uche had relatively quiet nights pass rushing. Azeez Ojulari let Dart slip through his hands for what would have been a sack on the Giants’ first series. Outside linebacker Patrick Johnson sacked Dart — the first of his career — and knocked him out of the game briefly in the third quarter.

Defensive tackle Byron Young had a hold of Dart before Davis picked up his sack. He had a costly face mask penalty in the third quarter. Rookie defensive tackle Ty Robinson got a few snaps and tipped a third-down pass incomplete in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles failed to match the physicality of rookie running back Cam Skattebo. There was plenty of blame to sprinkle around, but off-ball linebackers Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell struggled to get off blocks.

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Skattebo dragged Baun into the end zone on his second touchdown in the third quarter. Campbell tightened the hatches with a run stop near the line in the fourth quarter, but Skattebo iced the game with an 18-yard bolt off tackle. Early in the game, Baun got crossed up by Dart in the open field on his 20-yard scramble for a touchdown.

Nakobe Dean returned for his first game since suffering a season-ending knee injury in January. He played exclusively on special teams.

Kelee Ringo got the nod ahead of Adoree’ Jackson for a second straight game. He had a rough night. He got boxed out by receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey for a 34-yard jump ball reception on the Giants’ first third-down attempt. He got beat by receiver Wan’Dale Robinson on the next drive and then didn’t touch him down before the receiver picked up 26 yards. Jackson was credited with a third-down breakup in the third quarter.

Ringo committed an illegal contact penalty in the third quarter. And his pass interference in the end zone a quarter later essentially sealed the outcome.

Quinyon Mitchell took a long visit to the medical tent in the second quarter and never returned after a hamstring injury. Jackson took his place. He lined up too far off when receiver Jalin Hyatt converted a third-and-4 in the second quarter.

Cooper DeJean was one of the few Eagles defenders to show up and gave up little in the passing game. He was part of the run defense malaise, though.

Drew Mukuba showed his inexperience often. He was late to Robinson during a Dart scramble and missed the tackle on what would become a 35-yard touchdown in the first quarter. He had a breakup on a throw in the end zone in the second quarter. He made a stop when Giants running back Tyrone Tracy tried to bump a third-quarter run outside.

Mukuba got blown up by a lead block on a Skattebo 12-yard outside run in the third quarter. He got toasted on a third-down crosser for 22 yards in the third quarter.

Reed Blankenship delivered a pop to the physical Skattebo in the third quarter. Blankenship left the game later after he collided with DeJean and was replaced by Marcus Epps. The Giants promptly went at Epps on third down and hit for 15 yards. Blankenship returned on the same drive.

Tank Bigsby bobbled a late second-quarter kick and gained only 4 yards. He was benched for Dillon on the next Giants kickoff, but Dillon later muffed a fourth-quarter kick out of bounds at the 5-yard line.

The Eagles’ kickoff unit allowed a 37-yarder on the Giants’ first return, but mostly handled its job.

Gunner Sydney Brown whiffed as the first man down on the Giants’ 15-yard punt return. He took an unnecessary roughness personal foul on a Dotson fair catch in the third quarter. Kicker Jake Elliott booted an early 42-yard field goal and made both of his extra points. His kickoffs were solid. Punter Braden Mann was a lone highlight. He finished with a 53.5-yard average on four punts. Mann angled a 52-yard boot near the sideline that netted no return in the third quarter.

Dotson fair caught 2 of 4 punts and had two returns for an 8-yard average.

The Eagles lost two straight for the first time since their epic collapse in 2023. That it came against the lowly 1-4 Giants made it near inexcusable. Coach Nick Sirianni must own it. His team was entirely unprepared in all phases. The 34-17 loss proved that outside concerns despite a 4-0 start were justified.

Vic Fangio had probably his worst game since becoming the Eagles’ defensive coordinator. His unit was sloppy in its tackling to start and never had an answer for Dart, Skattebo, and a ragtag group of Giants offensive players.

There were countless times that Fangio had the wrong call dialed up. He got caught with the wrong grouping when the Giants spread the Eagles out on Skattebo’s 4-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo may have been behind Sirianni and Fangio in terms of incompetence, but he delivered another discontented play-calling performance. The Eagles moved the ball because the Giants insisted on playing man, but when they went zone, he again failed to adjust.

Patullo’s unit showed poor situational awareness when the Eagles had a chance to get some points before the half.