After the defense got ‘out-physicaled,’ Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean believes ‘you can fix anything’
In 2024, a bye-week reset changed the course of the Eagles' season. Could another "reality check," in Zack Baun's words, be on tap with nine days before they take the field again?
Cooper DeJean and the Eagles defense were bullied by a pair of rookies Thursday night in East Rutherford, N.J.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — There was a sequence near the midpoint of the third quarter that defined the night for the Eagles’ defense.
Jaxson Dart took a shotgun snap on a second-and-10 from the Eagles’ 13-yard line, his Giants already up by three. Dart turned around and pitched the ball to Cam Skattebo, who started up the right side of the field. Out ahead, Giants tight end Theo Johnson tossed Drew Mukuba. As Skattebo neared the first-down marker, he lowered his shoulder into Zack Baun and caused the All-Pro linebacker to almost levitate.
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On the next play, Dart handed to Skattebo for a 1-yard score. The call on the field wasn’t instantly a touchdown, and after Dart pleaded with one official near the goal line, the quarterback playfully gave him a high-five to his elevated hand. After the score was confirmed, Skattebo did a standing backflip.
The Eagles were bullied Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, punked by two rookies. They allowed 34 points to the 28th-ranked scoring offense, which entered Thursday scoring half the amount they scored Thursday night.
The Eagles were down multiple starters. Jalen Carter, who entered the day questionable with a heel injury, was inactive. Nolan Smith remains on injured reserve with a triceps injury. Quinyon Mitchell went down in the first half with a hamstring injury and did not return.
Baun said the injuries were no excuse. “We got enough guys on this team to play good football and we just didn’t do that tonight,” he said.
The Eagles, Baun said, “came out flat,” in the 34-17 loss, and he couldn’t explain why.
The Eagles pride themselves on physicality on both sides of the ball. Granted, Carter and Smith are two key parts of the Eagles’ ability to play physical football on defense, but the Eagles didn’t have an answer for a 1-4 team’s physicality.
“We talk about it all the time,” Cooper DeJean said of playing physical. “We talk about it, but we got to go out there and be about it and do it on the field. They out-physicaled us in moments tonight. That’s just not us. That’s not our brand of football, and we got to fix that.”
The Eagles were one of the better third-down defenses in the NFL last season. They are in the bottom half of the league early on in 2025, and they allowed the Giants to convert on 11 of 16 third downs Thursday, many of them coming on third-and-short situations because the Eagles struggled so much on first and second downs.
Skattebo carried 19 times for 98 yards. Dart added 10 non-kneel rushes for 60 yards and threw for 195 yards while completing 17 of his 25 passes despite being down his top two receiving targets.
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper Dejean walks off the field after the Eagles lost the game against the Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. The final score was 34-17 to the Giants.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who was inactive for the game, walks off the field after the game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. Eagles lose 34-17 to the Giants.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (left) and New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (right) talk after the game at MetLife Stadium.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba hits New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo in the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Taunting was called on Skattebo after the play.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles fans react after the New York Giants score again in the fourth quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles fans react after the New York Giants score in the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is on the bench in the fourth quarter after the New York Giants recovered the ball.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
New York Giants cornerback Cordale Flott intercepts a pass from Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in the fourth quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
New York Giants cornerback Cordale Flott intercepts a pass intended for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jahan Dotson in the fourth quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
New York Giants defenders surround Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley after he makes a short catch in the fourth quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson flies through the air after getting stopped by Philadelphia Eagles safety Marcus Epps in the third quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was sacked by Brian Burns in the third quarter. Eagles punt the ball.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
The ball pops out, but the referees rule that New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo made the score in the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun tries to keep New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo out of the end zone and fails in the third quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Adoree' Jackson reaches for the ball, but New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo gets into the end zone for a touchdown in the third quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
An overthrown ball to Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Devonta Smith in the third quarter against the New York Giants.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
New York Giants inside linebacker Bobby Okereke tackles Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley in the third quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni watches the third quarter against the New York Giants.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown's reception for a first down in the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. New York Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo is defending.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scrambles and throws an incomplete pass in the second quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Adoree' Jackson and Philadelphia Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba break up a pass intended for Lil'Jordan Humphrey.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart scrambles in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell reaches for New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt tries to bring down New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo on a running play.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Adoree' Jackson and Philadelphia Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba break up a pass intended for Lil'Jordan Humphrey.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Devonta Smith signals a touchdown as Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts comes up with the touchdown in the second quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Devonta Smith helps Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts up after Hurts scores a touchdown in the second quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scores a touchdown on a tush push play in the second quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
New York Giants cornerback Art Green tackles Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert in the second quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts tries the tush push but does not succeed. Several pushes later, the Eagles score.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
New York Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo tackles Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jahan Dotson in the second quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown tries to fight off a tackle attempt from New York Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo in the second quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts carries with no gain on the play in the second quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert got a touchdown in the first quarter against the New York Giants.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
New York Giants inside linebacker Bobby Okereke lands on Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Devonta Smith's foot in the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs on first down against the New York Giants.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was sacked by Brian Burns.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson stopped by Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Kelee Ringo tries to defend New York Giants wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey in the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott kicks a field goal in the first quarter against the New York Giants.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart slides away from a sack attempt by Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Moro Ojomo in the first quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart slips by a one-armed tackle attempt by Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Ty Robinson and scores in the first quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter on the sideline during the first quarter of the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. He is inactive for tonight’s game.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (right) joins his team as the players are introduced before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Thursday’s performance came after the Eagles’ defense allowed 18 points in the fourth quarter Sunday in a loss to Denver. Part of that problem, and part of the ongoing problem, is that the offense too often went three-and-out and forced the Eagles’ defense back onto the field. Sunday marked consecutive games in which the Eagles had 70 or more defensive snaps. They had just three such occasions in 2024. The Giants ran 67 offensive plays Thursday.
Last year’s defense, the top unit in the league, was deeper. This year’s doesn’t seem built to withstand injuries to its top players. With Mitchell out, the Eagles were forced into situations in which their outside corner combination was Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson. Ringo started Thursday opposite Mitchell, but was benched for Jackson before Mitchell went down. So Jackson was in for Ringo, and Ringo was in for Mitchell. It was like musical chairs with no seats left.
Ringo at one point allowed a catch in his area and then forgot to touch Wan’Dale Robinson while he was on the ground.
Darius Slay and Isaiah Rodgers aren’t walking through that door.
Only five teams entered Thursday allowing more sacks than the Giants’ offense. The Eagles’ lifeless pass rush got to Dart for a sack for a loss just once.
Josh Sweat and Milton Williams aren’t walking through that door.
“You can fix anything,” DeJean said. “We just got to have the will and the want to to go out there and fix the things we need to fix and have it show up on Sunday.”
Baun said he would draw on his experience from last season. The Eagles were at a similar juncture when they were 2-2 last season leaving Tampa Bay and heading to their bye. They have lost two straight for the first time since the 2023 season. They have a mini-bye of sorts this weekend before playing again next Sunday in Minneapolis. Then they host the Giants before their regular bye in Week 9.
Last season’s restart helped the Eagles change course and find an identity.
“We needed a reality check then, and maybe that’s what we needed now,” Baun said. “We’ll get on the same page and correct the things we need to correct.”
