What We Learned in New York Giants' Loss to the Philadelphia Eagles

Losing hurts. Losing your best player hurts more. Sunday night against the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants lost both.

Victor Cruz injured his right knee on a throw from Eli Manning early in the third quarter Sunday in a 27-0 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. It would end up being Cruz’s final play of the season.

The official diagnosis came later, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter knew the injury was serious as soon as Cruz was carted off the field.

Prior to Sunday’s game, Cruz was responsible for 27.3 percent of the team’s total receiving yards. In 2013, Cruz and then-teammate Hakeem Nicks accounted for just under 49 percent of the team’s receiving output. Nicks now plays for the Indianapolis Colts.

That means someone else will have to pick up the slack. "Everyone’s got to step up," Giants receiver Rueben Randle said after the game, per the New York Daily News. "Everyone’s got to step into a bigger role to help fill that void."

With Cruz down for the count, Eli Manning will have to target Randle, Odell Beckham Jr. and tight end Larry Donnell on a more consistent basis.

Of course, that’s assuming the offensive line can keep Manning upright, which wasn’t the case on Sunday night. Manning was sacked seven times before Ryan Nassib replaced him in the fourth quarter.

Second-year right tackle Justin Pugh was not at his best on Sunday. In fact, the New York Daily News' Ralph Vacchiano said it’s the worst he’s seen him play.

Pugh had difficulty picking up the blitz and was helpless against Eagles outside linebacker Connor Barwin. Barwin sacked Manning three times on Sunday, doubling his season total. 

Pugh acknowledged his poor performance after the game, via the NFL Network's Albert Breer:

Putting up a goose egg is never a good look. With that said, New York’s anemic offense shouldn’t shoulder all of the blame for Sunday’s loss.

The defensive line let LeSean McCoy run wild, ending the star halfback’s season-long slump. McCoy was averaging just 2.9 yards per carry before Sunday’s 149-yard explosion.

The Giants’ pass rush, usually one of the team’s biggest strengths, was nonexistent on Sunday. Eagles quarterback Nick Foles was hit just once on 35 passing plays and had all kinds of time in the pocket.

As a team, the Giants are now on pace for 29 sacks this season. That would be their lowest total since 1995, according to ESPN.com.

In hindsight, it looks like the Giants made a mistake by letting Justin Tuck walk away in free agency. He led the team with 11 sacks in 2013 before joining the Oakland Raiders this past offseason.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Giants, who have to play Dallas, Indianapolis, Seattle and San Francisco in their next four games. Those teams carry a combined .682 winning percentage.

In the surprisingly difficult NFC East, the 3-3 G-Men sit in third place. With a tough upcoming schedule and Cruz done for the year, a repeat of last season’s 7-9 record may be the best Giants fans can hope for.