Eagles clinch NFCs top seed, home-field advantage throughout postseason with win over Giants

March 2024 · 3 minute read

The Eagles secured a 22-16 win over the Giants on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field to clinch the NFC’s No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Here’s what you need to know:

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Philadelphia gets the job done

Unless you thought style points mattered, the Eagles accomplished what they needed to do Sunday: they clinched the NFC East title and the No. 1 seed and first-round bye in the process. The path to the NFC crown now goes through Philadelphia and the Eagles benefit from one fewer game to reach the Super Bowl. It’s also valuable time for key players to recover from injuries.

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Lane Johnson delayed groin surgery to play in the postseason. Josh Sweat left last week’s game on a stretcher because of a neck injury. And if you haven’t heard, Hurts returned on Sunday from a sprained shoulder suffered on Dec. 18. The win over the Giants wasn’t a spectacular performance, especially considering the Giants rested key players, but it was what the Eagles needed. They finished the regular season with the best record in the NFL and the most wins in franchise history. — Berman

How Hurts looked in his return

Hurts started Sunday after missing the past two games with a sprained right shoulder. He won his 13th of 14 starts this season, although he did not necessarily return to the MVP form at which he’s played most of the year. Some of that could have been expected, considering Hurts had only been a limited participant in practice and played more cautiously than usual. There were fewer running plays (he had six non-kneeldown carries) and he was quick to try to throw the ball away. He actually had a touchdown come off the board because of a penalty, and then he threw an interception the next play. It was his first red-zone turnover of the season. But his presence mattered, the Eagles accomplished what they needed, and a healthier Hurts will be critical for the team’s Super Bowl hopes. — Berman

Highlight of the game

Losing count of Boston Scott touchdowns against the Giants.

📺: #NYGvsPHI on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/W32lU4mm7c pic.twitter.com/H8UD3obVVM

— NFL (@NFL) January 8, 2023

Key stat

The Eagles close the regular season with a franchise-record 14 wins.

Required reading

(Photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty)

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