Eagles Beat Giants With Backup at Quarterback

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Nick Foles replaced the injured Carson Wentz, and nothing really changed for the Philadelphia Eagles.

They got four touchdown passes from their quarterback, as they did a week ago, and won again to secure a first-round playoff bye.

Another ho-hum day for the best team in the N.F.C. and the champion of the N.F.C. East.

Foles hit four different receivers on touchdown passes ranging from 3 to 13 yards in his first start, and the Eagles (12-2) rallied from an early 14-point deficit to defeat the surprising Giants, 34-29, on Sunday.

“I thought he played well,” Eagles Coach Doug Pederson said of Foles. “There are some things he would like to do over. Every game is going be that way. I thought he handled himself extremely well, a lot of poise. He did a nice job.”

There was speculation that the Eagles would rely on their running game this week against the Giants (2-12) to give Foles time to adjust to the offense. Pederson ruled that out.

“With him coming out and saying he’s not changing anything, it says a lot about his confidence in me and his confidence in the players in the offense,” said Foles, who completed 24 of 38 passes for 237 yards.

Foles clearly is no Wentz. He is more a pocket passer, and there were times in the game when Wentz clearly would have been scrambling for a first down. Foles carried twice for zero yards.

The Eagles made a late stand on first-and-goal in the final minute in edging the Giants for the second time this season. Philadelphia spoiled Eli Manning’s ninth 400-yard game: He threw for 434 yards and three touchdowns.

“We know what he’s capable of, and that showed today,” said Steve Spagnuolo, the Giants’ interim coach.

Manning, who threw for 366 yards earlier this year against the Eagles, said the Giants had a good game plan.

“We got the ball out quickly, playing fast with some tempo stuff,” said Manning, who finished 37 of 57. “I think that confused them a little bit.”

Foles hit Alshon Jeffery, Zach Ertz, Trey Burton and Nelson Agholor on scoring passes ranging from 3 to 13 yards in filling in for Wentz, who tore an anterior cruciate ligament last week and was lost for the season after a brilliant year.

The Eagles also got two field goals from Jake Elliott, and their special teams blocked three kicks, which foiled an extra point, a punt and field goal. The blocked punt set up a touchdown.

Philadelphia will play its final two regular-season game at home and then wait for the conference semifinal.

“It’s obviously something great,” Foles said of the bye. “I was fortunate to be a part of it last year in Kansas City. We still have a lot of work to do this season. The big thing is, you let your body recover.”

With 3 minutes 56 seconds to play, Manning drove the Giants from their 25 to the Eagles’ 9 with about a minute to go. A 2-yard loss on a pass to Shepard, an incompletion in the end zone and 5-yard run by Shane Vereen put the Giants on the Philadelphia 6 with 48 seconds to play. Right tackle Bobby Hart had a procedure penalty on fourth down, putting the ball at the 11.

Manning then threw a pass to the rookie tight end Evan Engram at the back of the end zone that was high and incomplete. The Giants complained bitterly after the play that Eagles safety Corey Graham had held Engram’s left arm and should have been called for pass interference.

“I definitely thought it was defensive pass interference,” Engram said. “Fourth down. It was really obvious, but no call.”