10 Reasons Philadelphia Eagles' Season Saved by Win Over Giants

On Sunday Night Football, the Philadelphia Eagles (4-6) kept their season alive for at least one more week with a 17-10 victory over the division-rival New York Giants (6-4).

With the Giants in first place in the tight NFC East and the Eagles owning a 3-6 record coming into the game, the outlook seemed grim for Philadelphia— and the Eagles were missing both quarterback Michael Vick and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

However, Philly prevailed and temporarily saved their season.

Let's take a look at how they saved their 2011 season.

Divisional Record

The Eagles now boast the best divisional record in the NFC East with a 3-1 record against the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins.

Philadelphia's lone loss came against the Giants at home, in a fourth-quarter collapse after Michael Vick left with an injury.

Should the Eagles end the season tied with someone else in the division, Philly is in prime position to win the tiebreaker.

Defense Made Key Stops

Defensive end Jason Babin may have just proved his worth in the win over the Giants. 

Babin had three tackles with a sack but most importantly, a forced fumble on that sack.

With 1:17 left to go in the game, the Giants had the ball down by seven. When quarterback Eli Manning dropped back to take his final shots at the end zone, he was instead met by Babin who got the ball loose.

On top of that, the Eagles let the Giants only convert 35 percent of their plays on third down.

If Philly can keep up this shutdown defense, they will have some hope.

Cohesive Backup Offensive Unit

With quarterback Michael Vick out, Vince Young (pictured) made his first start for the squad he dubbed the "dream team" in the summer. Many people thought it would be a disaster because his one pass attempt in 2011 was an interception.

But Young proved the haters wrong. 

While he did throw three interceptions, he looked much more integrated in the offense than expected.

With Jeremy Maclin out, most of the wide receivers that Young was targeting were his regular targets on the second-string offense. He looked very comfortable and threw two touchdowns—one to Steve Smith and the other to Riley Cooper.

If the second unit can look this good, it provides a viable option for when the first team is playing badly.

Late Offensive Drives

For one of the first times this season, the Eagles put together a solid drive late in a game and won because of it; far too many times has Philadelphia been on the wrong end of that.

Vince Young looked very poised during that drive—one that required six first downs en route to the game-winning touchdown by Riley Cooper.

Despite having thrown three interceptions, Young looked confident in the pocket and put the ball where he needed to.

Could this mean a benching of Michael Vick when he returns? 

Strong Response

The Eagles knew that this was a must-win game. The Giants knew it too.

Everyone remotely involved in the NFL knew that.

And in arguably the most pressure-packed game all season that the Eagles have played in, they responded.

Every week from here on out is a must-win for Philly. And if they can stay this calm, they can do something with the rest of 2011.

Path to Success

Coming off a huge win like this against a divisional rival, the Eagles put themselves in a much better position for next weekend's home matchup against the New England Patriots.

The fans will not only be excited to be coming off a huge win but also because they will be playing the Patriots—the team that beat them in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Eagles fans will be sure to let New England know that they are not welcome in the City of Brotherly Love.

Focus Shifts Back to the Field

Now the Eagles can get back to focusing on football.

After losing two in a row, including one to a terrible Arizona Cardinals team, the heat cranked up considerably on the seats of head coach Andy Reid (pictured) and defensive coordinator Juan Castillo.

But following a big win against the Giants, focus will return back to the players, what they did right and how to improve.

DeSean Played Well

Much like the Andy Reid and Juan Castillo scenario, wide receiver DeSean Jackson played well, and that will help his off-field issues.

When Jackson plays well, there's less talk about his contract or his suspension last weekend. The distractions are gone, and everything goes back to football.

DeSean plays his best when he has a chip on his shoulder, and his suspension against the Cardinals did exactly that. It reignited a fire in him, and that will be key down the stretch.

Game Control

The Eagles did something they hadn't done since October 30th, when they dismantled the Dallas Cowboys 34-7—control the game clock.

In fact, except for in two games, the Eagles have won in every game where they controlled the game clock. In each of the two losses, Philadelphia had late leads but squandered both after Michael Vick left each game with various injuries.

If the Eagles can get into an offensive groove like they did against New York, they will have a much better shot at making the playoffs.

Divisional Matchups

While the Eagles don't have a cakewalk to finish the season, they have comparable schedules with the Giants or Cowboys.

The Giants have to face teams with a combined 37 wins including the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints.

The Cowboys, on the other hand, only have to face 26 combined wins. 

If the Eagles win out, the Giants lose to the Packers and Saints and the Cowboys lose at least once to the Giants, then the Eagles could make it to the playoffs.

The road won't be easy to get Philadelphia into the playoffs—they will likely have to win all of their games the rest of the way. But tonight was a huge first step to doing so. It saved the Eagles' season and let them live to see another day.