Powered by Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, G-Men send defending champions to second straight defeat.
A month ago, the Super Bowl 59 champion Philadelphia Eagles still officially ruled the NFL, while the New York Giants – saddled with the league’s toughest schedule (in terms of opponents’ aggregate .574 2024 winning percentage) – were widely projected as a league-wide cellar dweller.
As the teams kicked off Week 6 of the 2025 season Thursday night, both had only slightly regressed toward the mean in the interim – but now suddenly appear to be on something of a collision course following the Giants’ 34-17 upset of their bitter NFC East rivals, Philly losing consecutive games for the first time since the end of the 2023 season.
But there was a lot more going on at MetLife Stadium than the final result on the scoreboard. So let’s spell out Thursday’s ancillary winners and losers:
WINNERS
The rematch
At a time when the Eagles are fresh off capturing their second Lombardi Trophy and the Giants have rarely been relevant since they last won the Super Bowl nearly 14 years ago, it appears like these teams might finally have some new bile in their rivalry. If you missed Thursday night's ambush of the champs, they'll quickly get another shot at the Giants when they come to Philly in Week 8.
Giants rookies
After the G-Men became the first team to lose this year to the New Orleans Saints, they rebounded in a big way − powered by rookies responsible for taking the Eagles to the woodshed. First-round QB Jaxson Dart, making his third NFL start, passed for 195 yards and touchdown and ran for 58 more and another score. Fourth-round RB Cam Skattebo rushed 19 times for 98 yards and three TDs. And after the duo combined for four of New York's five turnovers in the loss at New Orleans, they didn't commit one Thursday.
‘Tush Push’
As long as it remains legal, the Eagles will apparently continue leveraging their signature offensive play to the max. That included running four straight times, starting from the 3-yard line, for their second-quarter touchdown after they’d used a variant of the formation in the passing game – which they also utilized in Tampa two weeks ago – on TE Dallas Goedert’s 3-yard TD catch in the opening period.
Saquon Barkley?
The former Giants star and 2024 NFL Offensive Player of the Year broke off an 18-yard run on the game’s first play from scrimmage – his longest of the season. Barkley also made a (temporarily) touchdown-saving tackle after a Jalen Hurts interception in the fourth quarter, though the Giants scored a few plays later. Finally, Prime Video also rolled out its newest NFL documentary – "SAQUON" – Thursday, so it was an eventful day for Barkley regardless of the loss and his modest production.
LOSERS
Saquon Barkley?
The former Giants star and 2024 NFL Offensive Player of the Year had 17 runs of at least 20 yards last season – basically one per game during the regular season, when he rushed for a league-high and career-best 2,005 yards. After a 58-yard night Thursday, he's on pace for 921 this season.
Russell Wilson
“Mr. Unlimited” was limited to two plays late in the third quarter when Dart absorbed a body blow on a run and had to go into the blue medical tent. Wilson handed off once and threw an ugly (and incomplete) pass on third down, forcing a Giants punt and earning another serenade of boos from the Big Blue crowd. Free Jameis, Coach Daboll.
Eagles defense
The league’s top-ranked unit during Philly’s run to last season's crown, it surrendered a season-high 34 points – obviously undermined by the absence of inactive DT Jalen Carter (heel) and top CB Quinyon Mitchell, who left the game early with a hamstring injury.
Philadelphia explosiveness
In addition to Barkley's run to start the game, the Eagles had three completions over 20 yards, the longest a 36-yarder to TE Dallas Goedert when the game was out of reach. Not nearly enough. Hurts missed a wide-open DeVonta Smith early in the third quarter for what likely would have been a game-altering 89-yard TD.
AJ Dillon
Barkley’s backup served an ugly reminder to why that’s his role. After the Giants went up by 17 points with nearly 10 minutes left to play, Dillon muffed the subsequent kickoff, relegating Philly to its own 5-yard line. He truly put the game on ice seven snaps later, fumbling on the Giants’ 25-yard line on the play after Goedert’s 36-yard catch. Game, set, match.
Jalen Hurts
In addition to missing Smith, he found Giants CB Cor'Dale Flott in the fourth quarter for his first interception in 305 regular-season passes − ending the league's longest active clean sheet ... and, effectively, this game.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jaxson Dart, Saquon Barkley among winners, losers of Giants' upset win
Category: Football
