Eagles grades vs. Giants: New quarterback, same bad offense; secondary has several coverage busts in 19-11 loss

Instant grades on the Eagles’ performance in their 19-11 loss to the New York Giants:

Joe Milton simply didn’t have the goods to elevate a struggling offense, but he was handicapped by a poor scheme, play calling, execution, and injuries. He may have added an element with his mobility, but he was pressured as much as Tanner McKee and Jalen Hurts before him. The Eagles offense is broken beyond repair.

Milton didn’t help matters with his arm, either. He had some wild misses, which is why he was on the Cowboys’ practice squad three weeks ago. He completed just 18 of 34 passes for 169 yards and finished with 64 rushing yards that came mostly on scrambles. Milton had a rough start with a false start and a pass thrown behind receiver Darius Cooper. But it wasn’t all bad. Milton darted 17 yards on third-and-6 in the first quarter. He also hooked up with receiver Makai Lemon for 17 and 15 yards and later completed a 20-yard pass to Cooper.

The benched McKee was the backup despite being questionable with a rib injury. Rookie Cole Payton also dressed and was active as the emergency third quarterback.

Jim Brown wouldn’t have looked good in the Eagles’ run offense. Saquon Barkley continued to play through hamstring and back injuries. He didn’t look explosive, but also had nowhere to run in one of the worst run schemes in the NFL. Barkley was held to just 1.7 yards per carry on 13 rushes. He did have a touchdown when he ran through a blocked-up hole from 3 yards out.

Elijah Mitchell was the second tailback and didn’t have much success on the ground, either. He managed just 6 yards on three totes.

The Eagles’ pass offense was short-handed once again with starters DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) out for a third straight game. The porous pass protection and Milton’s inaccuracy didn’t help matters. Lemon was Milton’s No. 1 target. He caught six passes on nine targets for 61 yards. He found soft spots in zone coverage and showed some toughness after the catch. He also dropped a pass in the second quarter and couldn’t complete a late heave that could have given the Eagles a shot.

Cooper drew a 30-yard pass interference penalty on a third-down fade into the end zone in the first quarter. The receiver pulled in a 20-yard pass on a second-quarter stop route. Receiver Hollywood Brown didn’t have a reception until a he snagged 16-yard attempt late in the game.

Dallas Goedert had a 12-yard grab on a blitz pickup in the first quarter. His 19-yard reception later came on a hi-lo route concept. Tight ends Johnny Mundt, Grant Calcaterra, and Goedert were no better as run blockers.

Protection issues vs. the blitz remained a problem. Milton fumbled when Giants rookie linebacker Arvell Reese went unblocked and blindsided the quarterback in the second quarter. There were far too many moments when the protection broke down, some of which can be blamed on the quarterback’s pre-snap protection calls. The run blocking was mostly abysmal.

Markel Bell had another rough day. The rookie right tackle seemed confused by some of his protections responsibilities. He allowed an early pressure to Kayvon Thibodeaux that resulted in a sack. Landon Dickerson wasn’t much better. Milton threw an errant pass when Dickerson gave up inside pressure on a second-quarter third down. He got pushed back on the failed fourth-and-1 in which Barkley ran into a wall up the middle in the second quarter. Dickerson got roasted by Reese in a one-on-one block situation late and Milton was sacked again.

Drew Kendall’s holding penalty in the third quarter brought back a Milton 9-yard zone read keep. A few plays later, the center struggled vs. a cross dog blitz from Reese and Milton was sacked. Tyler Steen pulled as the lead blocker on Barkley’s 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Left tackle Jordan Mailata was again the most productive of the O-linemen, but one strong link wasn’t enough.

This unit might have had its best outing of the season. They won up front against a depleted Giants run game and held running back Devin Singletary to under 1.5 yards a carry. Four of the Eagles’ six sacks came from the front four. They kept starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy in check, but didn’t rise to the occasion when backup Jameis Winston was forced into the lineup for a couple of series in the third quarter.

Outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard notched his first sack as an Eagle on a first-quarter third down. McCarthy turned into Greenard, who used an outside speed rush to get by left tackle Andrew Thomas, but it was a sack nonetheless. He had two other QB hits.

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter strip-sacked McCarthy in the second quarter, although a Giants O-lineman recovered the fumble. Jordan Davis had his best run stopping performance in weeks. He jumped the snap and had an early run tackle for loss. For the second time in the last month, Davis committed a roughing-the-passer penalty when he hit the quarterback up high. He rebounded with a sack before the half after Carter first hit McCarthy.

Edge Jalyx Hunt registered a quarterback hit outside the pocket on the Giants’ opening drive. Counterpart Nolan Smith pickled up his fifth sack of the season by taking down Winston in the third quarter. Moro Ojomo led the calvary on a tackle for loss near the goal line in the third quarter.

Zack Baun was maybe the Eagles’ best defender until he got hurt. He popped the running McCarthy and knocked him out of the game for a period with a hip injury early in the second half. But Baun also injured his back and left the game. He had a monster first half. Baun recorded two sacks, a tackle for loss, six stops total, and drew a holding penalty on a Giants run play. Smael Mondon was Baun’s replacement.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. got his second straight start in place of the injured Jihaad Campbell (hamstring/shoulder). He delivered the axe with a run stop in the backfield in the third quarter and led the Eagles in tackles.

Quinyon Mitchell mostly followed the dangerous Malik Nabers and was excellent. The Giants’ leading receiver caught only a few short passes vs. the cornerback. Mitchell had a pass breakup in the fourth quarter. He did miss a run tackle attempt in the third quarter.

Riq Woolen struggled with Mitchell blanketing his man. He appeared to be most responsible on an early coverage bust in which tight end Isaiah Likely caught a 27-yard pass on third down. But Woolen had a pass breakup later on the drive. He struggled to flip his hips when receiver Malachi Fields caught a 16-yard pass on third-and-15 in the third quarter. Cooper DeJean shot into the backfield for a tackle for loss in the third quarter. DeJean was in coverage a play later, though, when Darnell Mooney reeled in a 27-yard pass on a crossing route.

Andrew Mukuba is still young, but he has been a disappointment this season. He was part of multiple coverage busts. McCarthy threw in between him and DeJean when he converted a third-and-12 with a 17-yard pass to Mooney in the “turkey hole” of a Cover 6 zone. The safety was involved in another busted coverage when no one covered Likely on his 5-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter.

Marcus Epps moved back into the first unit in nickel personnel, but still split time with Kenny Moore. Epps was more consistent on the back end and assisted in run support. Moore got beat by Nabers for 22 yards on third-and-5 in the first quarter. Michael Carter II was out after reaggravating an abdomen injury last week.

Braden Mann was excellent until he boggled a snap late in the game. There was also an early errant punt, but he didn’t seem most responsible. Mann was often the Eagles’ best offense and flipped the field on multiple occasions. He averaged 44.9 net yards on eight punts.

Michael Clay’s unit had rough early in the first half. Calcaterra missed a block on one of Jaydon Blue’s short returns. Kelee Ringo was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for not returning immediately inbounds on punt coverage. Woolen had an illegal block in the back on a DeJean return. And Mann shanked a punt for just 17 yards when the Giants’ rush got push up the middle.

Mann bounced back (pun intended) with a booming punt that took a fortuitous kick and traveled 86 (!) yards before the half. He then opened the second half with 60- and 54-yard boots that were both fair caught.

DeJean filled in again for the injured Britain Covey (knee) and averaged seven yards on three punt returns. Blue wasn’t effective on kick returns. Long snapper Rocco Underwood hustled down a pounced on a muffed punt in the second quarter.

Nick Sirianni’s team lost its seventh straight and may be all but done. There was some fight, especially from the defense, but the offense couldn’t beat a top college program at this point. Injuries are part of the equation, but that excuse loses merit with each feeble performance on offense. General manager Howie Roseman will probably be more inclined to sell before Tuesday’s trade deadline. It could speak volumes about Sirianni’s future.

Sean Mannion’s offense didn’t look much better with Milton at the controls. It’s not like the Giants defense have been giant slayers this season. But the same issues existed with poor run schemes, shaky route concepts and some of the worst protection looks in the league. He gets some benefit of the doubt because of all the injuries, but Mannion hasn’t been close to the “evil genius” Mailata described him as in the spring.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s unit had its best showing in weeks. But it just wasn’t enough. It’s hard to be critical when the offense scores just 11 points. Fangio had a few questionable calls. He dialed up a zero blitz on third-and-5 in the fourth quarter and McCarthy hit Nabers for a first down with Mukuba not close to him in man coverage. Fangio’s defense set the tone early by giving little space to a Giants ground game that was without running back Cam Skattebo. And Fangio got his beleaguered pass rush to deliver consistent pressure.