Eagles Fly Off With Giants Mojo

Tiki Barber swung his arm like a baseball bat, while leaping and lunging at the same time, in a flailing attempt to prevent an interception. Tiki whiffed, actually missing the fluttering duck completely, his arm passing over the ball like a baseball player swinging right through a nasty breaking ball. Eagles defensive end Trent Cole grabbed the interception and pranced 19 yards for the game-ending, Giant-deflating TD. Strike three on Tiki and the Giants. Looking stiff and uncoordinated, Tiki, fittingly, could not prevent NY’s demise to a squad of Eagles with more heart and guts. Although both offenses showed a willingness to go 12 rounds, it was Philly’s veteran toughness on D which grabbed them an insurmountable four turnovers, and had the Eagles licking the Blue blood off their feathers back at the nest later.

In a game where momentum seemed to trade off one possession at a time, Giants got out of the box first with a rare Tiki touchdown. If the sight of the grinning Tiki getting mounted by Jeremy Shockey in celebration got Giants feeling positive out of the gate, a capable and efficient drive from Eagles QB Jeff Garcia took some of those early smiles away, tying the game 7-7. Eli and the Giants got the ball back and started off on a drive when Jeremy Shockey could be seen pointing to his head in reaction to a late hit by Eagles LB Dhani Jones. Which is ridiculously comic when you think about it since Shockey’s brain is probably the last organ anyone should emulate. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Shockey was earning a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct of his own. Which makes me think maybe the finger point at Jones was telling him: “you just acted as stupidly as me!”

The Giants drive, sailing along with 10-yard Tiki scampers, capsized moments after Shockey’s cranial indication, on the first of three huge plays by Eagles veteran Safety Brian Dawkins. Brandon Jacobs, rambling into the secondary, appeared to go extra low in anticipation of the contact with Dawkins. Dawkins, much smaller and nimbler than Jacobs, went even lower. The resulting sharp shoulder from Dawkins rippled Jacobs body and the ball oozed out like toothpaste from a tube that had just been pounded by a fist. Despite a 55 pound weight difference somehow Dawkins crushed him. Momentum Eagles.

Later Giants seem to have momentum again with a 29-yard arcing arrow from Eli to Plaxico. Then Eli, who had gone back to back games with no INTs, throws a bullet into the head of an Eagle, bouncing it high in the air. So high in fact that Fox announcer Joe Buck had enough time to inform the viewers “this ball is up for grabs” before it gently fluttered into the waiting arms of that Dawkins guy again. Leaving Philly in great field position for another drive, mostly running with Westbrook, and touchdown. Momentum Eagles.

But Giants again rise from the mat of defeat and turn the tables with some fiery play. Safety Will Demps ran right through Garcia like a mean kid trashing another kid’s sand castle, and the ball, like that beach kid’s plastic pail, was tossed aside for the G-men to pounce upon. Shortly thereafter the Giants drive was capped by their third straight field goal and suddenly its 16-14 Giants. Momentum Big Blue.

Eagles jump right back with a 64 yard kickoff return and a 28 yard Westbrook draw play through the hyper-blitzing Giants D for a touchdown. Then, as the Giants attempt to answer on the following drive, it’s that Dawkins guy again. This time as backup TE Visanthe Shiancoe rumbled forward after picking up a first down, the sneaky Dawkins slipped his hand up underneath his arm like a master pickpocket, poking the ball right out. Looked at that moment like the momentum had shifted to the Eagles for good.

Only then Jeff Garcia’s loss of concentration just HANDED the momentum back to Big Blue. Following a 10 yard first down scamper Garcia felt the need to spike the ball at the sprawled Giants defenders, earning him a 15 yard penalty for what the ref described as an “unsportsmanlike taunt.” Moments later the flustered Garcia was flinging the ball into the waiting hands of Demps. Giants were in great position after the interception and runback, including dangerous lateral to McQuarters, and quickly turned the opportunity into a Jacobs TD, and a 22-21 advantage. Momentum Giants.

The next Eagles drive, however, could only be described as effortless, as the tired Giants D returned the momentum like an unwanted Xmas gift. Eagles didn’t even need to make use of the third down, as their productive use of first and second downs had them sailing down the field, capped by a 27 yard strike to a rambling LJ Smith. Suddenly its 29-22 Eagles, but wait, Eli prepares to take the ball again on one final game shifting drive. Only problem is, first pass is batted into the air, Tiki whiffs, Trent Cole prances. 36-22 Eagles. Match Momentum Philly.

That the Giants missed so many opportunities is frustrating. That they allowed themselves to get goaded into a shootout was disappointing. Most valuable player on the field was Dawkins, whose veteran reactions netted three turnovers, and whose veteran leadership set the tone for a Philly team that had more continuity and cohesion than the Giants. While the Giants have pointed a lot of fingers this year, Shockey finally pointed the right way towards his own dome.