After taking down the Minnesota Vikings on the road in Week 7, the Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) returned home on Sunday to face the New York Giants (2-5).
These two teams just played each other in Week 6, where the Giants outplayed the Eagles, en route to a 34-17 win. As you can imagine, the Eagles wanted to get their revenge on their division rival before heading into the Week 9 bye. Philadelphia did just that, jumping out to a 21-10 halftime lead and ultimately winning, 38-20.
The top story from Sunday’s win was the performance of the Eagles’ rushing attack, which looked outstanding, thanks to the play of Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby. Philadelphia needed its ground game with no A.J. Brown, who was out with a hamstring injury.
On the other side of the ball, the Eagles’ defense finally got some consistent pressure from their front four, which has been a huge issue through the first seven weeks of the season. Below, we’ll talk more about Philadelphia’s defense, along with a couple of other things that caught my attention from the Week 8 win.
Philadelphia now heads into the bye week still in first place in the NFC East, and with the second-best record in the NFC.
1. Jalen Hurts needs to be in the MVP conversation
The Super Bowl 59 MVP didn’t put up gaudy passing numbers against the Giants’ defense, but he was efficient and did not turn over the ball, which was an issue in their Week 6 loss.
Hurts completed 15-of-20 passes for 179 yards and four touchdowns, while also possessing a 141.5 quarterback rating. It was the third time this season that the veteran QB has thrown at least three touchdowns in a game.
Now, it wasn’t all easy for Hurts, as he was sacked four times in Sunday’s win. The dual-threat QB has been sacked at least three times in four consecutive games.
If you’re Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, you want to see that get cleaned up before their next game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 10.
Jalen Hurts passing last 2 games:
179 yards, 4 TDs
326 yards, 3 TDsCareer first back-to-back games with 3+ passing TDs.
— NFL Daily News (@fantasynflnews.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 3:51 PM
However, despite those sacks, Hurts continued to make plays and be efficient inside the red zone. He found tight end Dallas Goedert for two scores, and then hit wide receiver Jahan Dotson for a 40-yard TD catch to put the final stamp on the game.
Heading into the bye week, the veteran signal caller has completed 70.2% of his passes for 1,677 yards, 15 touchdowns, and an interception. He’s also added 207 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Hurts doesn’t have a large amount of passing yards, but there’s something to be said for having 20 total touchdowns and one interception.
2. Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby reignite Eagles’ ground attack
We alluded to it earlier, but the Eagles’ ground game finally had that breakout game that everyone has been waiting for. Saquon Barkley was the star of the show as he opened the game with an electrifying 65-yard touchdown run. He finished the game with 150 yards on 14 carries. In the Eagles’ first meeting against the Giants, Barkley only had 58 yards on 12 carries.
SAQUON HOUSES HIS FIRST TOUCH
— NFL Daily News (@fantasynflnews.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Barkley was also a factor in the passing game, racking up four receptions (five targets) for 24 yards and a touchdown. It was his first 100-yard rushing game this season.
However, Barkley didn’t do it alone against his former team. Bigsby, who struggled on kick returns over the last few games, showed the Eagles why he might deserve to be the RB2.
The 23-year-old running back displayed his burst and ran with a purpose to the tune of 104 yards on nine carries. His best run of the game happened in the fourth quarter on a 2nd and 26, where Bigsby weaved through the Giants’ defense for 29 yards to capture a first down.
Tank Bigsby picks up the first down on 2nd & 31
— NFL Daily News (@fantasynflnews.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Heading into Sunday’s game, the Eagles’ ground attack was averaging a dismal 88.1 yards per game (30th in the NFL). With their star-studded performance against New York, Philly now has the 19th-best rushing attack (111.6). For the Eagles to get where they want to go, they’ll need their offensive line to continue to assert itself and open up the running lanes for Barkley and Co.
3. Eagles’ defensive line finally shows signs of life
For most of the regular season, the conversation surrounding the Eagles’ defense has been their lack of a pass rush and the CB2 spot. Two spots the team could look to address in the days leading up to the Nov. 4 trade deadline.
On Sunday afternoon, Philadelphia’s defense got after Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart, posting seven tackles for loss, six QB hits, and five sacks. In fact, four of the Eagles’ five sacks came from Moro Ojomo, Jalyx Hunt, Jordan Davis, and Jalen Carter.
If you’re an Eagles fan, you love to see the interior defensive line continuing to eat, which has been one of the constants this season. However, seeing Hunt get his first sack and Josh Uche create pressure is a good sign for this unit.
The Eagles hope to have beloved fan favorite Brandon Graham, who returned for his 16th season earlier this week, back on the field after the bye. Graham should give Philly another option off the edge, but it still shouldn’t stop them from adding a pass rusher by the deadline.
