Arvell Reese's 3 Sacks Lead Giants Past Eagles 19-11 for First Win in Philadelphia Since 2013

Arvell Reese needed 2.29 seconds to get to Joe Milton III, and Philadelphia never really recovered from the jolt. The rookie linebacker came through the line untouched, ripped the ball loose on the fastest sack in the NFL this season according to Next Gen Stats, and then spent the rest of Sunday afternoon setting up residence in the Eagles' backfield.

It set the tone for a 19-11 win by the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field, the franchise's first victory in Philadelphia since Oct. 27, 2013. Reese finished with 12 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble, the defense piled up seven sacks, Jameis Winston came off the bench to throw the only Giants touchdown, and rookie kicker Dominic Zvada went 4 for 4 on field goals. New York improves to 5-2-1 and keeps its grip on first place in the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles fall to 2-7 with a seventh straight loss.

Field Goals, a Two-Point Plunge and a Muff

J.J. McCarthy opened the day by converting two third-and-longs on the first drive, a 27-yard strike to Isaiah Likely and a 17-yarder to Darnell Mooney, before Zack Baun sacked him and Zvada settled for a 53-yard field goal. After a Philadelphia three-and-out, Jonathan Greenard got to McCarthy as well, and Zvada answered from 49. The Giants led 6-0 without finding the end zone, a theme that would stick around all afternoon.

Milton, making his first NFL start as Philadelphia's third starting quarterback of the season, then delivered the Eagles' best drive of the day. He scrambled 19 yards on third-and-6, a 30-yard pass interference flag on Deonte Banks moved the chains in a hurry, and Saquon Barkley punched in a 3-yard touchdown run against his old team with 2:09 left in the first quarter. A Giants penalty on the point-after try nudged the Eagles into going for two, and Milton ran it in himself for an 8-6 lead.

The second quarter opened with a gift. Charlie Jones muffed a Braden Mann punt and Rocco Underwood recovered for Philadelphia at the New York 47. A few snaps later, Reese handed the favor right back with his strip-sack, and Micah McFadden fell on the ball at midfield. Neither offense did much with the rest of the half. The Giants ran 10 times for 16 yards before the break, and the Eagles carried their 8-6 lead into the locker room.

Winston Off the Bench, Again

The game turned early in the third quarter, and not in a way New York drew up. McCarthy kept the ball on a zone read, absorbed a hard hit from Baun and went down with a hip injury. Baun also left with a back injury from the same collision.

In came Winston, and the Giants finished a 14-play, 76-yard march that chewed up 7:56. Winston found Malik Nabers for gains of 16 and 14, Mooney added a 27-yard catch, and on second-and-goal from the 5, Winston hit Likely up the seam for the touchdown. Zvada's extra point made it 13-8 with 2:25 left in the third quarter. Winston finished 6 of 8 for 71 yards and the score, plus 11 rushing yards on two carries.

McCarthy returned to start the fourth quarter and finished 12 of 19 for 127 yards with 22 rushing yards. Harbaugh said the trainers and doctors cleared him, adding that McCarthy "said he was ready to go."

From there, the Giants leaned on their kicker. Nabers dropped a potential touchdown on a third down, and Zvada cleaned up with a 38-yarder for 16-8 and a 49-yarder for 19-8. Milton, who ran for 64 yards on nine carries, kept Philadelphia breathing with a 24-yard scramble on third-and-8, and Jake Elliott's 45-yard field goal made it 19-11 with 1:56 left. The Giants recovered the onside kick, the Eagles got one final possession anyway, and Darius Alexander ended it by sacking Milton on the last snap.

Reese Plays Like a Ten-Year Veteran

Reese's stat line reads like a misprint for a first-year player: 12 tackles (10 solo), three sacks, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and the forced fumble. Per the Giants, Reese is only the second rookie in franchise history with three or more sacks in a game since sacks became official in 1982, joining B.J. Hill in 2018. Reese is also the only NFL rookie since 2000 with at least 12 tackles and three sacks in the same game.

John Harbaugh, in his first season running the Giants, was happy to sing the praises. "He's a great young man, he's humble, he's very tough, he works really hard, he's very coachable," Harbaugh said. On how Reese landed in New York, Harbaugh added, "That's what we hoped for and he fell to us."

McFadden, starting in place of the injured Tremaine Edmunds, posted nine tackles, a sack and the fumble recovery. DJ Reader got to Milton for a first sack of the season and added two tackles for loss. Punter Jordan Stout quietly won the field-position battle, averaging 52.3 yards on six punts and pinning five inside the 20.

The Turning Point

The strip-sack swung momentum, but the quarterback change is where this game was decided. Philadelphia led 8-6, the Giants' run game was stuck in the mud, and the starting quarterback was headed to the locker room. Instead of folding, New York produced its longest drive of the afternoon behind a backup, and the Eagles never led again. Harbaugh summed it up afterward: "Found a way to win the game in all three phases, especially starting with the defense."

The Numbers Behind It

• 7 sacks, the most by the Giants in a game since they had seven at Seattle on Oct. 6, 2024.
• 5 of 18 on third down for Philadelphia.
• 220 total yards allowed by the New York defense.
• 28 rushing yards on 16 carries for Barkley and Elijah Mitchell combined.
• 6 field goals of 50 or more yards this season for Zvada, who now has 64 points as a rookie.
• 80 rushing yards on 31 carries for the Giants, with Devin Singletary (21 for 31) starting for an inactive Cam Skattebo (hamstring).

What It Means

The Giants are 5-2-1 and own the NFC East lead heading into a short week. They host Washington on Thursday night, Nov. 12, a rematch of the 27-27 tie in Week 5. "Now he's going to have to fight to get ready to play on Thursday," Harbaugh said of McCarthy. Likely is up to 46 catches and six touchdowns through eight games as a Giant, already past the career high of 42 receptions set in 2024 and tied for his best touchdown total.

For Philadelphia, the losing streak has reached seven and the quarterback carousel keeps spinning. Milton finished 18 of 34 for 169 yards in the debut, and Baun's back injury is one more thing to watch. The Eagles have their bye in Week 10, then host Pittsburgh on Nov. 22.

Nineteen Years in the Making

Harbaugh spent the early years of his NFL coaching career on the Eagles' staff before taking over in Baltimore in 2008, so this rivalry looks a little different from the visiting sideline. "Really amazing, amazing rivalry. It's been 19 years," Harbaugh said. Harbaugh also admitted not knowing about the Giants' 13-game losing streak in Philadelphia, though it was clearly "hovering."

Ownership felt it, too. According to Harbaugh, Giants executive Chris Mara relayed what owner John Mara had been up to all afternoon: "John's been texting me the whole game, the whole game, but you don't want to know what he's been saying." After 13 years, the postgame texts are probably safe to read aloud.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN and theScore. Postgame quotes as reported by Giants.com. Additional reporting from Giants.com, PhiladelphiaEagles.com and Sports Illustrated.