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Instant Analysis

Instant Analysis: Giants lose season finale to Eagles, 34-17

AT A GLANCE: The Giants entered MetLife Stadium on Sunday with a chance to play spoiler, but the Eagles left with the NFC East title. Big Blue fell to the division rivals, 34-17, to end the year with a 4-12 record. Philadelphia needed a win or tie (or a Dallas loss or tie) to clinch the crown.

UP NEXT: The Giants' season will not extend past Week 17 for the seventh time in eight years. They will hold a top-six draft pick for the third consecutive year.

WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE OFFENSE:

*A week after setting the franchise's single-game yards from scrimmage record, Saquon Barkley was limited to just five carries for three yards in the first half. He had just 10 yards on 11 attempts until he broke a 68-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. Once he hit the Eagles' 40-yard line, Barkley knew he had no one between him and the end zone and raised his hand in celebration. With 95 yards on the ground, Barkley became the first Giants player to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons.

*Three rookie quarterbacks – New York Giants' Daniel Jones, Jacksonville's Gardner Minshew and Arizona's Kyler Murray – each passed for at least 20 touchdowns this season, marking the second season in league annals in which at least three rookie quarterbacks each passed for at least 20 touchdowns (2012 – Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck And Russell Wilson).

Jones led all rookie quarterbacks with 24 touchdown passes in 2019, the fourth-most by a rookie quarterback in a single season in NFL history. Only Baker Mayfield (27 in 2018), Peyton Manning (26 in 1998) and Russell Wilson (26 in 2012) had more.

*The deciding play came on second-and-eight from the Giants' 22-yard line with 13:12 left in the game. In wet conditions, Jones mishandled a shotgun snap, briefly gained possession but then had it stripped by Malcolm Jenkins. With the ball bouncing toward the Giants' end zone, Fletcher Cox jumped on it at the two-yard line. One play later, Boston Scott ran in his second touchdown of the game to extend the Eagles' lead to 10 points.

*The Giants allowed four sacks, their most since giving up six to the Jets in Week 10.

*Tight end Kaden Smith, who caught two touchdowns last week, including the winner in overtime, led the team with 98 yards on eight catches.

*Nick Gates started at right tackle in place of Mike Remmers, who was ruled out with a concussion. Gates also played for him in Week 9 in addition to another start at right guard for an injured Kevin Zeitler. Gates originally made the team last season as an undrafted prospect out of Nebraska but did not make his NFL debut in 2019. He played all 16 games this season and made three starts.

WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE DEFENSE:

*The Giants didn't have an answer for Scott, a 5-foot-6 former sixth-round draft choice who rushed for three touchdowns in addition to catching four passes for 84 yards.

*Despite playing without wide receiver Nelson Agholor and tight end Zach Ertz, the Eagles had four difference receivers with catches of at least 20 yards.

*Leonard Williams combined with David Mayo to sack Carson Wentz. It was Williams' first of the season, including seven games with the Jets.

INJURY REPORT: NYG – FB Eli Penny (back). PHI – G Brandon Brooks (shoulder), RB Miles Sanders (ankle).

INACTIVES: NYG – QB Alex Tanney, RB Wayne Gallman, CB Sam Beal (shoulder), G Chad Slade, OT Mike Remmers (concussion), WR David Sills, DL Chris Slayton. PHI – QB Nate Sudfeld, WR Nelson Agholor (knee), CB Jalen Mills (ankle), DE Shareef Miller, OT Lane Johnson (ankle), G Sua Opeta, TE Zach Ertz (ribs/back).

LINEUP CHANGES: NYG – Nick Gates for Remmers at RT; Garrett Dickerson for Ellison at TE; Antonio Hamilton for Beal at RCB. PHI – Dallas Goedert for Ertz at TE; Robert Davis for Agholor at WR; Halapoulivaati Vaitai for Johnson at RT; Sidney Jones for Mills at CB.

View the best photos from the Giants season finale at MetLife Stadium

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