Eagles 11, Giants 19 — Week 9: Seven Sacks, Seventh Loss

Philadelphia lost 19-11 at home to the Giants on Sunday, its seventh straight loss, and fell to 2-7. Joe Milton III played quarterback in his first appearance of the season. The Eagles led 8-6 late in the first quarter, on Saquon Barkley's 3-yard touchdown and Milton's two-point run, and did not score again until Jake Elliott's 45-yard field goal with 2:00 left. 13 drives produced one touchdown, one field goal, six three-and-outs, a lost fumble and two turnovers on downs.

The passing game was Muffed, and total expected points added (EPA), what a play is worth given down, distance and field position against what the situation was already worth, measures it: 40 pass plays worth -16.7, -0.42 a play against -0.14 through Week 8. Seven sacks, the most the Eagles have taken this season, account for -11.8 of that; the other 33 came to -0.15 a play, close to the season standard. Milton completed 18 of 34 for 169 yards with no touchdown or interception. Makai Lemon caught 6 of 9 targets for 61 yards and Dallas Goedert 5 of 6 for 50.

The run game came in a little under its season, and success rate, the share of plays that gained what the situation asked for, shows the shortfall: 24% of 25 rush plays, for 92 yards. They were worth -3.3 EPA, -0.13 a play against -0.10 through Week 8. Barkley ran 13 times for 22 yards. Milton ran 9 times for 64, including scrambles of 19 and 24 yards on third down.

The pass defense played above its standard, and success rate allowed is the clearest read: only 33.3% of New York's 33 pass plays succeeded. They were worth +0.08 a play, against +0.135 allowed through Week 8; on defense a positive number is bad, and this one was smaller than usual. Zack Baun had two of the six sacks, and Jonathan Greenard, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Nolan Smith one each. The breakdown came on the Giants' go-ahead drive in the third: Jameis Winston hit Malachi Fields for 16 yards on third and 15, then Darnell Mooney for 27 on second and 11.

The run defense Smashed, and EPA per play allowed shows by how much: the Giants' 30 rush plays were worth -0.23 apiece, against +0.065 allowed through Week 8. Here negative is good. They gained 81 yards, and only 26.7% succeeded. Devin Singletary ran 21 times for 31 yards, and 3 of those carries succeeded. The stand that held a short field came midway through the fourth. Down 16-8, the Eagles gave New York the ball at their own 35 after a punt went wrong. On first and 10, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. dropped Singletary for a 2-yard loss, -1.1 EPA. Singletary gained 3 on second and 12 and 3 more on third and 9, and the Giants settled for a 49-yard field goal and 19-8. Earlier, at first and goal from the 2 in the third, Moro Ojomo and Trotter stopped Singletary for a 3-yard loss, though Winston threw the touchdown on the next snap.

The game turned early in the second quarter, in three snaps. Up 8-6, Charlie Jones muffed Braden Mann's punt and the Eagles recovered at the New York 47, 10.4 points of win probability, the estimate of each side's chance to win, in their favor. On third and 5 at the 42, Arvell Reese sacked Milton for an 8-yard loss and forced a fumble, and Micah McFadden recovered at midfield: -4.6 EPA and 15.2 points of win probability, the largest swing of the game. With 2:00 left in the half, on fourth and 1 at the New York 40, Barkley was stopped for a 1-yard loss, -2.9 EPA. The offense converted 5 of 17 third downs; the defense stopped 11 of New York's 17.

Last week's episode asked whether a passing game that gave back -10.1 EPA on five sacks could keep Tanner McKee upright. McKee did not play, and the answer did not change with the quarterback: Milton was sacked seven times for -11.8 EPA. The one to watch next: whether the Eagles' quarterback, Milton or another, takes fewer than the 12 sacks of the last two weeks.

That's your Eagles, every game, by the numbers. Muffed does the same deep dive for all 32 teams. Follow the Eagles on Muffed and next week's episode is waiting the moment it's out. No theater. Just the football.

_Data via nflverse._