When the New York Giants handily defeated the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football, it felt like an inflection point for the NFC East.
Coming off a commanding Super Bowl win where Vic Fangio didn't send a single blitzer after Patrick Mahomes, the Eagles lost a close game to the Denver Broncos at home before taking the short trip up I-95 for Thursday Night Football, where they looked thoroughly lost against Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, and company. Down Quinyon Mitchell and Jalen Carter with an offensive line dealing with a string of injuries, the Eagles threw the ball more than in any other game up to that point, but barely got anything going with the uptick in opportunities, forcing the defense to be increasingly stressed by Brian Daboll's offensive attack.
For the home team, the dynamic duo of Dart and Skattebo absolutely cooked against Fangio's defense, running wild on a defensive front that is usually pretty good against the run while hitting just enough shots down the field to pretty much do whatever they wanted on the way to one of the biggest Giants wins in recent memory.
Suddenly, the Giants were next, and the Eagles were old news, with the former looking to capture momentum against the Broncos as Philadelphia was being predicted to lose a third straight game, this time to Carson Wentz and the Minnesota Vikings, as pundits smelled blood in the water.
Fast forward to Week 9, the Eagles are coming off their best game of the season, with Jalen Hurts throwing for 326 yards and three touchdowns on the way to a perfect passer rating. The Giants, by contrast, suffered one of the most demoralizing losses in NFL history, allowing the Broncos to put up 33 points in the fourth quarter while New York watched now-former kicker Jude McAtamney miss two extra points to drop the game 33-32.
Can the Giants rebound in Week 8 like the Eagles in Week 7 and go 2-0 against the Super Bowl champs? Or will the Eagles prove that Thursday Night Football was a fluke and they are still the NFC's premier team?
The Eagles stick to their new-look play-action attack
When Cam Jurgens left the game for the Eagles in Week 8, it looked like Brian Flores' defense was about to absolutely feast on Hurts.
Turning to veteran journeyman Bret Toth, who played in relief of Landon Dickerson at left guard earlier in the month, the Army product immediately had fans in their feeling, shooting off errant shotgun snaps to Hurts that Jurgens would never dream of.
A disastrous turn? It certainly looked like it, but in a true twist of football irony, Toth's issues with shotgun snaps turned into a surprising benefit, with the Eagles calling more play-action passes and Hurts connecting with DeVonta Smith and company on some major strikes down the field. Suddenly, the threat of Saquon Barkley running the ball, which he hasn't done effectively all season long, was drawing defenders in like it did last season, and all Hurts had to do was make the right decision with the ball in his hands, something he's among the best at in the entire NFL.
With Jurgens still not practicing ahead of Week 8, it's unclear who will play where for the Eagles against the Giants on Sunday, with Dickerson and Toth both having experience playing center, while rookie sixth-round pick Drew Kendall is still on the 53-man roster. What shouldn't be a question, however, is whether the Eagles should call more play action against the Giants in Week 8, as that seems like a fantastic way to attack a defense that ranks 26th against the pass and 25th against the run so far this season.
Brandon Graham doesn't impact Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo
The other big storyline heading into Week 8 surrounding the Giants and Eagles revolves around the return of noted NY killer Brandon Graham, who officially announced his un-retirement to fill the shoes of Za'Darius Smith, who rode off into the sunset earlier in the month.
Boasting a 19-5 record against the G-Men according to Statmuse, Graham has consistently found ways to impact games against New York over his soon-to-be 16-year NFL career, amassing 54 tackles, eight sacks, and four forced fumbles over his illustrious career against the red, white, and blue.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, it's hard to imagine Graham will be altering the games of Dart or Skattebo in a major way in Week 8, as it's unlikely he'll be on the field long enough to impact the game one way or another.
With Graham slowly working his way back to the field, Nolan Smith still on IR, and Azeez Ojulari doubtful with a hamstring injury, the Eagles will have to rely heavily on Josh Uche, ex-Giant Patrick Johnson, and Week 8 hero Jalyx Hunt to get after the Giants' backfield. On paper, that isn't a great rotation, and in Week 6, as the Giants were able to operate as they pleased, surrendering just two sacks and a tackle for loss in the game, so even with BG back, it's unlikely he'll make much of a difference.
The Eagles get revenge – and an even record – against the Giants
If the Eagles and Giants played back-to-back in Week 7 and Week 8, New York would absolutely be favored to win this game. They'd have won two of their last three games, while the Eagles were 1-2, and would have had the momentum firmly at their backs on their way to a dark-horse bid to win the NFC East.
Instead, the Eagles secured a massive win that looked better than any they've recorded in the 2025 NFL season so far, while the Giants fell apart defensively and on special teams to the point where they released their kicker as Graham Gano prepares to return from injury. The narrative has shifted, and now, ESPN has given the Eagles a 64.9 percent chance of securing the win at 1 PM EST.
Could that change? Is there a world where the Giants secure another commanding win and find themselves right back in the race for the NFC East? Sure, as it's hard to put a ceiling on Dart while he continues to ascend up the NFL ranks, but considering where both teams are heading into Week 8, this feels like a perfect chance for the Eagles to get revenge and a 1-1 record against the Giants for the season.
