3 Takeaways from Eagles' Week 18 Win vs. Giants

It took a lot longer than most expected, but the Philadelphia Eagles finally locked up the NFC's No. 1 seed on Sunday.

The Eagles have been playoff-bound since clinching a berth back in Week 14 (coincidentally, with a win over New York). However, Philadelphia went 1-2 in its next three games and played two without star quarterback Jalen Hurts due to a shoulder injury.

Because of this, a loss on Sunday would have allowed the San Francisco 49ers to take over the top seed and the coveted first-round bye.

Aided by Hurts' return—and the Giants' decision to rest multiple starters—the Eagles outlasted New York and captured a 22-16 victory. They'll now have a week off before facing the lowest-seeded team in the NFC to reach the divisional round.

Here are our three biggest takeaways from the Eagles' Week 18 win against the Giants.

Hurts Is Back but Not to 100 Percent

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Jalen Hurts

Philadelphia fans certainly won't complain about having Hurts back in the starting lineup. The third-year quarterback has proven himself to be an elite playmaker when healthy, as evidenced by the 104.6 passer rating and Pro Bowl nod he carried into Week 18.

However, Hurts neither looked nor played like that elite playmaker against the Giants. He finished 20-of-35 for 229 yards and an interception. He had just 13 rushing yards, as the Eagles employed a conservative approach and steered away from designed QB runs.

This was unsurprising, of course. Philadelphia made it clear heading into the game that Hurts wasn't healthy enough to be a lock to start.

"It's trending in the right direction," head coach Nick Sirianni said, per ESPN's Tim McManus. "We feel good about it, but we've got to see how [Friday] goes."

The Eagles can't feel good about the way Hurts performed or the vanilla offense they were forced to run in order to protect his shoulder. Hurts is special because of his dual-threat ability. With rushing prowess taken out of the equation, Philly's offense is much less threatening.

If Hurts can't get extremely close to being 100 percent over the next two weeks, the Eagles' promising campaign could end in early postseason disappointment.

The Run Defense Is Still a Concern as the Regular Season Ends

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Giants RB Gary Brightwell jumps over K'Von Wallace.

Having Hurts back in the lineup was a welcome development for the Eagles. Philadelphia's inconsistency against the run is an old problem that was largely overlooked during the team's 13-1 start to the season.

It was overlooked because it rarely mattered. With Hurts, A.J. Brown—who set a franchise receiving record on Sunday—DeVonta Smith and Miles Sanders reliably racking up the points, opponents' ability to find yards on the ground didn't seem like a huge problem.

Philadelphia came into Sunday ranked 24th in yards per carry allowed (4.6).

This was a glaring issue on Sunday, as the Eagles surrendered 129 rushing yards and 4.5 yards per carry. We'll reiterate that the Giants rested starters like quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley against the Eagles.

Instead of Jones and Barkley, it was Davis Webb (41 yards, 1 TD) and Gary Brightwell (60 yards) gashing the Eagles on the ground. Their ability to do so kept New York's B-Team in the game against a Philly squad desperately needing a win.

This is a major concern for the Eagles heading into the playoffs because teams like New York, San Francisco and the Dallas Cowboys run the football well. The Eagles' inability to stop the run consistently is a potentially fatal flaw that could keep them from winning the conference if they don't find answers immediately.

Earning the First-Round Bye Was Vital

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Eagles coach Nick Sirianni

Sunday's win was important for two reasons. For one, it gave Philadelphia just a little momentum heading into the playoffs after two straight losses sapped plenty of it. The 49ers, not the Eagles, go in as the NFC's hottest team.

More importantly, the Eagles desperately need the bye. They need it in order for defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon to uncover ways to improve the run defense. Philadelphia now has surrendered more than 110 rushing yards in five straight games.

They need it in order to get Hurts healthier before playing again.

"For him to play through what he fought through to get back," Sirianni said, per Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports. "...There was no more risk, but he was hurting. He was hurting bad."

The Eagles need the bye to get other players healthier too.

Safety/slot corner C.J. Gardner-Johnson (lacerated kidney) and edge-rusher Robert Quinn (knee) were both activated off of injured reserve to face the Giants. Having those two healthy should boost an Eagles defense that came into Week 18 ranked joint eighth in points allowed but has allowed 96 points over the past four weeks.

The Eagles defense has been solid for most of the season, but it is not great enough to guarantee wins against talented teams in the postseason. Hurts' injury only compounds the problem.

Philadelphia may have the NFC's best record, but the Eagles team we saw on Sunday—and really, over the past month—has looked nothing like the conference's best. The good news is that the Eagles now have two weeks to resolve the issues that have emerged down the stretch in the regular season.