*Giants.com assesses the state of the team following Sunday's 28-23 win: *
Coming off their bye week, the Giants stressed the importance of playing complementary football down the stretch.
With two interceptions, three stops on fourth down, four touchdown passes and a blocked field goal to top it off, the team accomplished its mission in a 28-23 victory over the rival Eagles. Sunday's win snapped a four-game losing streak to Philadelphia, which had won 13 of the previous 17 meetings.
"We're finding ways to win close games and tough games," said quarterback Eli Manning, whose team has now won three in a row following a three-game skid. "And that's what you have to do in this league."
IT WAS OVER WHEN
With the Eagles attempting a fourth-down conversion for the fourth time in the game, rookie quarterback Carson Wentz threw an incomplete pass from the Giants' 17 that was intended for Jordan Matthews in the end zone. Manning and the Giants took over with 1:23 to play and were able to take two kneel-downs for the victory.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Take your pick from Odell Beckham Jr.'s two touchdowns. On the first one, the two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver took a short pass from Manning and turned it into a 26-yard score as he weaved through Philadelphia's secondary.
On the second, he timed his leap over Eagles cornerback Leodis McKelvin perfectly for a one-yard touchdown. Beckham now has 30 touchdowns in 35 career games. "I couldn't get a better present," said Beckham, who turned 24 on Saturday.
KEY STAT
Coach Doug Pederson kept his offense on the field four times on fourth down, but the Eagles were unsuccessful three times deep in Giants territory. Did that surprise the defense? "No, not at all," defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said. "[Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo] has been preaching that they will go for it on fourth down, and we were ready for it."
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
Q: "Great game today, Shep. How does it feel to get back in the end zone? I know it has been tough, but you found a way to do it. It was a phenomenal catch."
A: "Yeah, it was great, man. I had to fight through the contact and we got in there, but I am not going to take any more questions from you. Thank you." – rookie wide receiver Sterling Shepard answering a question from Odell Beckham Jr., who was standing in the pool of reporters. The second-round draft choice led the team with 50 yards on three receptions, including a 32-yard touchdown.
WHAT THE WIN MEANS FOR THE GIANTS
The NFC East entered Week 9 as the only division in the NFL with all four of its teams above .500, but that had to change on Sunday when the 4-3 Giants played the 4-3 Eagles. With their third consecutive win, the Giants improved to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in the division. They now have sole possession of second place in the division as Dallas continues to set the pace for the conference at 7-1 following a 35-10 victory at Cleveland. The Cowboys' only loss was to the Giants in the season opener. The Giants remain at home in Week 10 with a visit from the Bengals (3-4-1) on Monday night.
"I think we're rolling right now," linebacker and defensive captain Jonathan Casillas said. "We have a tough game coming off a tough game. We have an extra day to rest. I think it's in our favor. Everything is still in front of us."
WHAT THE LOSS MEANS FOR THE EAGLES
The Eagles, who have lost four of their last five games, dropped to 4-4 overall and 0-3 in the NFC East. While the Redskins were idle in Week 9 at 4-3-1, Philadelphia dropped to fourth in the division at the midway point of the schedule. The Eagles host the 6-3 Falcons next Sunday.
"Right now, obviously, the feeling is very disappointed," said Doug Pederson, who started his first season as head coach with three straight wins. "We feel like we've had an opportunity in a couple of these ballgames to pull them out. It's still a lot of season left, obviously. I feel like we're learning. We're working through a lot of things. We've got some young guys on offense, obviously. We're working through and we're learning how to execute and finish and do all of the things we need to do to win these games. I could sit up here and say it'd be great to be 6-2 or 5-3, but we're not. We're 4-4. There's a lot of football left. This is a good football team. I believe in these guys. We come to work for another game next week."
