Daddy's Home

Philadelphia Eagles 22

New York Giants 21

Existential bliss flows as you run freely through the house in your pyjamas, toys strewn down the hallway and joyous laughter cackles from deep within your being. It's been many full moons since you've felt as carefree as you do in this moment and you know this strange euphoria will come to an end eventually, enjoy it while you can... Right on cue, headlights flood your bedroom. The babysitter exits the bathroom, makeup staining her cheeks as she marches past you. The front door flies open, it's dad, and he's not happy to be home early from the pub. He pays the baby sitter and apologises for any discrepancies perpetrated by his son tonight. Within a second he's snapped his belt from his waist and grips it tightly in his right hand, "Daddy's home, son".

A week of unexpected joy was cut short Thursday night for the New York Giants when the Philadelphia Eagles came to their senses and decided the reassert themselves as the father figure in this lopsided relationship. If Washington was the innocent babysitter trying to make some cash before realising their true career calling, then Philadelphia was the problem drinking father with a child that was given too much leash and had to be reigned in. The Giants, always the child, almost got away with it, but a whipped ass is a whipped ass no matter how you look at it.

Up 21 - 10 having just completed a 97 yard, 15 play, seven minute and 50 second drive with five minutes left in regulation, not one Giants fan was convinced this game was over. Of course, it was not. Within two minutes, the Eagles had scored and the Giants were already game-planning the most predictably distasteful way to allow an eighth consecutive win. With just over two minutes remaining, on a third and seven, Evan Engram broke free down the left sideline, Daniel Jones floated him a beautifully placed touch-pass and Engram had already clapped his hands together before the ball arrived, allowing it to fall peaceful to the turf. A myriad of plays followed that could have saved this game for the Giants, but any fan who watched this game will point to this drop as the point that this game and probably this season was over.

Philadelphia's offense did not look competent outside of their last five minute soiree with success. Injuries and inexperience has held this team to limited achievements, but getting these close games secured within the division is potentially all they need to do to win a home playoff game. Travis Fulgham looks like a roster lock moving forward, Boston Scott only seems to exist for the soul purpose of crushing the Giants and Carson Wentz gets enough done most weeks to make you feel as though he'll be quarterbacking the Eagles for the next 10 years, buying his defense deservingly more expensive dinners each week in a complicated friendship.

In a year as strange as the NFC East is having, this game feels that little bit extra depressing. Having the worst record in football the last three years it still feels like poor form to complain too much about these New York Football Giants, given their previous success and years of encouraging competence. Hopefully a U-turn bay is approaching on the highway to Browns - Jets territory, but when a child is driving the car, just be happy all four wheels remain on the ground and they're tall enough to see over the wheel.

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Noteworthy Notes:

- Daniel Jones broke off the longest and fastest QB run in recent years and somehow looking like a newly born foal learning to walk seems like the natural conclusion of said run.

- Even with his incredibly frustrating drop in everyone's foresight, it seems reckless to demand Evan Engram be traded from the team immediately. Even after his first drop popped up in the air and causing an interception. Even after he chose to leapfrog two defenders 3 yards short of a first down, plummeting back to earth with a lung deflating thump. Even with Kaden Smith looking like a more reliable, consistent understudy waiting in the wings. When's the trade deadline, again?

- Golden Tate sauntering backwards into the endzone any chance he gets is high-stakes showmanship I will endorse until it blows up in his face.

- James Bradberry's search for a Pro-Bowl selection continued on schedule with another impressive interception. Only the smoke from this tyre fire of a team will block him from voters view.

- The Giants are now blessed with a visit from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on nationally televised Monday Night Football. If the G-Men perform as anything more then a speed bump, consider me surprised.