By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Cam Skattebo ran for three touchdowns as he and fellow rookie Jaxson Dart shined in prime time, and the New York Giants defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 34-17, on Thursday night to hand the defending Super Bowl champions their second consecutive loss.
Skattebo bulldozed his way into the end zone from 4 yards out and twice from the 1-yard line. Dart scampered in untouched on his 20-yard TD run and connected with Wan’Dale Robinson on a 35-yard catch-and-run to the end zone.
The rookies, who each fumbled on Sunday in a turnover-heavy loss at New Orleans, responded the way Coach Brian Daboll expected. Dart finished 17 of 25 for 195 yards passing to go with 13 carries for 58 yards rushing after getting a concussion test following a big hit, while Skattebo rushed 19 times for a career-high 98 yards.
The Giants (2-4) also sacked Jalen Hurts three times and intercepted him. Brian Burns got to the Eagles quarterback twice to tie for the NFL lead in sacks this season with seven.
Hurts overthrew a wide-open DeVonta Smith on a play in the third quarter almost certainly would have been a touchdown if it was on the mark and in the fourth was intercepted by Cor’Dale Flott, who returned it 68 yards. It was Hurts’ first interception of the season and just his second, the other being in the Super Bowl, over his past 15 games.
The Eagles (4-2) ran the tush push four consecutive times in the second quarter, with Hurts scoring on the final try, and he had a shovel-pass touchdown to Dallas Goedert. But Hurts’ miscues combined with the defense faltering contributed to their first back-to-back losses since three in a row to end the 2023 regular season, then eliminate them from the playoffs.
That stretch from Dec. 31, 2023-Jan. 15, 2024 also included the only time New York beat Philadelphia over the NFC East rivals’ seven previous meetings. This was just the Giants’ fourth victory in their past 18 games against the Eagles.
INJURIES
Eagles: Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell left in the second quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return … Defensive tackle Jalen Carter was inactive with a heel injury that popped up on the practice participation report Wednesday.
Giants: Center John Michael Schmitz injured his nose and was concussed on a collision in the third. … Defensive tackle D.J. Davidson injured his right knee on Hurts’ tush push touchdown. … Wide receiver Darius Slayton did not play because of a hamstring injury.
UP NEXT
The Eagles visit Minnesota on Oct. 19.
The Giants visit Denver on Oct. 19.
More to come on this story.