3 Stats That Made the Difference in NY Giants Win Over Eagles

The New York Giants won their second game of the season Thursday night, knocking off the Eagles 34-17 in dominating fashion.

The Giants rushed 39 times for 172 yards and four touchdowns. The last time a Giants team rushed for 170+ yards and 4+ touchdowns was vs. Washington on 12/5/10. The defense, meanwhile, shut out the Eagles in the second half.

After a mistake-filled loss to the Saints, both sides of the ball bounced back against Philadelphia. While a lot went into the Giants' inspiring mid-week victory, here are three stats that played a major role.

Giants Win on 3rd Down

Games are won and lost on third down. On Thursday, a big part of the Giants’ victory was their ability to prevent the Eagles from converting third downs, holding Philadelphia to just one of nine.

In comparison, the Giants went 11-of-16 on third down. They were able to hold the ball for the final 6:50 of the game, with a pair of third-down conversions helping them do so.

The Eagles' 11% conversion rate on third down was their lowest of the season. Meanwhile, the Giants' 68% conversion rate was their best so far this year.

Oct 9, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) carries the ball defended by New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) and safety Tyler Nubin (27) during the first quarter of the game at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Giants limited the Eagles' rushing attack, severely hampering their third-down game plan.

Running back Saquon Barkley was held to just 58 yards on 12 carries, while quarterback Jalen Hurts had seven rushes for 13 yards and a touchdown. As a whole, the Eagles averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, the second-lowest total allowed by the Giants this season.

With the Giants limiting the Eagles on the ground, as well as providing an effective pass rush, Philadelphia’s third-down offense was limited.

Although the Eagles converted both of their fourth-down attempts thanks to the controversial “tush push,” the Giants' consistency in stopping them on third down played a big part in the victory.

Giants go 3-3 in Red Zone

A big part of the Giants' overall offensive inconsistency this season has been their struggles in the red zone.

Coming into the game, the Giants were 6-of-19 in the red zone this season, which left far too many potential points on the board. That wasn’t the case on Thursday, as the Giants were perfect in the red zone, 3-of-3, with three touchdowns.

Running back Cam Skattebo was a big part of the Giants’ success in the red zone, as all three of his touchdowns came from inside the 5-yard line. Skattebo has given the Giants' offense a physical running style to cash in on the goal line.

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo (44) scores a touchdown in the second quarter during a Thursday Night Football game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Oct. 9, 2025. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Giants were the first team all season to go perfect in the red zone against the Eagles. Although the Eagles started 4-0, they weren’t dominating teams in the way they did last year.

While they weren’t overpowering, their red-zone defense helped them win games; however, the Giants' offense was able to crack the code.

Jaxson Dart was also able to run in a touchdown from 20 yards out, which wasn’t counted into the red zone statistics, but gives an example of the versatility the Giants will use to try to score from close distance.

If the Giants can continue to get physical running from both Skattebo and Dart, they could build on their red-zone success as the season goes on.

Giants win turnover battle 2-0

Less than seven days after the Giants lost the turnover battle 5-0 to the Saints, they won it 2-0 against the Eagles.

Thursday night’s game was just the second time this season the Giants won the turnover battle, with Week 2 against Kansas City being the only other. As for the Eagles, the Giants were the first opponent to win the turnover battle against them this season.

The turnovers were critical to the Giants' success, both coming in the fourth quarter. The first was when the Eagles were trailing by 10 in the 4th quarter and looking to cut the deficit to one score.

Oct 9, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants cornerback Cor'Dale Flott (28) intercepts the pass intended for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jahan Dotson (2) during the fourth quarter of the game at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Cornerback Cor’Dale Flott had different plans, as on 2nd-and-10 from the Giants' 15-yard line, he jumped a pass intended for receiver Jahan Dotson, intercepted it, and returned it 68 yards to the Eagles’ 23-yard line.

The Giants turned that interception into a Skattebo rushing touchdown, and on the next defensive drive, they forced their second turnover. The Eagles were once again past midfield, looking for a response; however, Dane Belton punched the ball away from AJ Dillon, and Dru Phillips recovered it at the Giants' 25.

Not only did the offense not give the ball away, but the defense created takeaways that allowed the Giants to clinch the game in the fourth quarter. Flott’s interception was the first one that Jalen Hurts has thrown all season.

When it looked like the Eagles were cruising for a late scoring drive to retake momentum, Flott and the Giants' defense stymied them for the first time all year.

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Giants Win on 3rd Down

Giants go 3-3 in Red Zone

Giants win turnover battle 2-0

More New York Giants Coverage