Eagles grades: Tanner McKee answers call vs. Giants; Nick Sirianni gets backups to play tough, smart football

Instant grades on the Eagles’ performance in a 20-13 win over the Giants:

Tanner McKee got his first career NFL start with the Eagles resting most of their starters. Jalen Hurts couldn’t have played either way as he has yet to clear concussion protocol. Kenny Pickett, who got the NFC East-clinching win a week ago, dressed as an emergency, but a rib injury kept him from playing.

So McKee got the call and he answered it. He executed the offense efficiently in the first half and completed 17 of 26 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown before the half. He wasn’t as sharp after the break, but a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end EJ Jenkins gave the Eagles all the points they would need.

McKee did well on drops in which he was rolled out and given quick reads. He wasn’t as productive when he tried second-level throws from the pocket. But he showed that he can operate at the position.

He displayed quick thinking at times. He was nearly sacked late in the second quarter, but he got the ball out to running back Will Shipley, who picked up a first down.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Eagles give him the No. 2 job next season or try and swing a trade since he should have more value on the market.

Kenneth Gainwell got the start. Rookie Will Shipley logged more time in the middle of the game. But with the outcome still in doubt, Gainwell returned.

It was tough going on the ground for most of the day. Gainwell gained just 14 yards on 11 carries before getting the hook. Shipley rushed 10 times for 32 yards.

Shipley had more success as a receiver. He caught a 14-yard pass on a Texas route out of the backfield in the second quarter. A play later, Shipley caught a short pass from McKee and made a defender miss in the open field before gaining 13 yards.

Saquon Barkley, as expected, did not dress.

Under normal circumstances, Dallas Goedert would have been one of the starters to rest. But the tight end came off injured reserve after missing four games to a knee injury and the Eagles wanted to knock off some rust ahead of the playoffs. McKee’s first two passes went to Goedert for 16- and 17-yard completions. He caught two more of four targets — there was a drop in there — and finished with four receptions for 55 yards before an early departure.

With top receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith inactive, Jahan Dotson became the go-to receiver for McKee. He spent most of the season with little to show for his efforts, but delivered when called upon on Sunday. He finished with seven catches on 11 targets for 94 yards. Dotson’s longest gain — a 19-yarder — came on a nicely run out route in the second quarter.

Johnny Wilson started alongside Dotson. He pulled in three passes for 24 yards. Ainias Smith caught his first career touchdown — a 15-yarder on the Eagles’ opening possession. He converted a third down on a jet sweep. He had a couple of other tough grabs over the middle. Smith did miss a run block that resulted in Shipley getting cut down near the line.

Tight end Grant Calcaterra played a fair amount even though he has logged starter’s snaps in Goedert’s absences this season. He had two grabs for 10 yards. Jenkins, the third tight end, caught the Eagles' second touchdown — a 7-yarder that was his first NFL reception.

With the entire starting offensive line given the day off, the second unit O-line — from left to right: Fred Johnson, Tyler Steen, Nick Gates, Jack Driscoll, and Darian Kinnard — got the assignment.

The group struggled to open holes in the ground game, both on inside and outside runs. Johnson had a tough assignment at left tackle vs. Giants outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux. He mostly kept him from blowing up the game. Thibodeaux did get to McKee in the third quarter.

Kinnard had to contend with Brian Burns on the other flank. He acquitted himself well against one of the better edge rushers in the league.

Gates had some issues at center, the most obvious a snap he fired over McKee’s head that resulted in a 14-yard loss in the second quarter. He got twisted around a few times as both a run and pass blocker.

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Steen held up before making way at left guard for rookie Trevor Keegan, who was active for the first time in his career. Driscoll was at right guard and he had his ups and downs. A film review will yield a better evaluation of the O-line’s output.

Regulars like Jordan Davis and Milton Williams played up front out of necessity, but that shouldn’t taken away from how well the defensive line performed. Davis was particularly active early. He snuffed out a screen that netted only a yard and a drive later he cleaned up a dump pass to the running back.

The Giants ran the ball a lot early on with Drew Lock at quarterback and the Eagles were mostly stout. Davis had several involvements in stopping the run, as did Williams. The latter had a third-down run stop on the Giants’ second series.

Reserve defensive tackles Moro Ojomo and Thomas Booker chipped in. Ojomo had a third-down tackle in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles were unable to get to Lock through the first three quarters, but many of his drops were short and the ball was out quick. It didn’t help that defensive tackle Jalen Carter and edge rushers Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith didn’t play.

Defensive end Bryce Huff was still working off the rust that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said he showed in his return off injured reserve last week. He had a nice inside rush in the fourth quarter and assisted on a few run tackles. Rookie Jalyx Hunt played, but not much. Charles Harris, elevated from the practice squad, looked better than he had in his few previous turns. He had a run stuff near the line on the Giants’ first drive.

Oren Burks and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. filled in for the resting Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean. Baun dressed but didn’t see the field. Dean was inactive. He has an abdomen injury, but could have played if necessary.

Burks and Trotter led the Eagles in tackles, much like Baun and Dean had throughout the season. Each finished with double digits in total stops — 17 for Burks and 11 for Trotter — and had solo tackles in the open field.

On the Giants' second series, Trotter came up and tripped up a running back in the “A” gap. Burks did well to clean up when Lock scrambled on a botched snap.

Kelee Ringo and Isaiah Rodgers started on the outside with Darius Slay and Quinyon Mitchell sidelined. Lock didn’t test the corners much with deep throws, but a lot of his hesitancy came from their coverage. Dangerous Giants receiver Malik Nabers caught just 4 of 7 targets for 19 yards before he sprung free for a 45-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Ringo and Rodgers, it could be argued, could start for a number of other defenses. Ringo had a fourth-down pass breakup on the Giants’ first drive. Both he and Rodgers came up to make tackles on throws underneath.

Avonte Maddox was the slot cornerback in nickel personnel. He also played safety in base. Maddox lost the slot job to Cooper DeJean earlier in the season, but he played well against New York.

Eli Ricks played some in the secondary.

Maddox had risen ahead of Tristin McCollum on the safety depth chart and was called upon last week when C.J. Gardner-Johnson left with an injury. McCollum‘s play on Sunday, at times, showed why. He struggled on the back end in coverage and in tackling in the open field. He failed to bring Nabers down on his touchdown. He did make some key stops and finished with nine tackles.

Sydney Brown took Maddox’s spot in nickel. He broke up a deep pass on fourth down from the post in which he nearly ran over Rodgers. He flew around in the secondary, and notched the game-ending interception.

Michael Clay’s unit got off to a shaky start, which could be of concern because most of the regulars played. Kicker Jake Elliott hooked a 39-yard field goal wide left in the second quarter. It was windy out, but Elliott is normally automatic from that distance. He made a 24-yarder just before the half, a 32-yarder in the final minute, and both of his extra points.

Braden Mann handled kickoffs at the start. His first try rolled into the end zone for a touchback, but his second went out of bounds for a penalty. Elliott had recently been given back the job in light of Mann’s struggles. He took the third kickoff and sent it out of the end zone for a touchback.

Mann had a 59-yard punt that Ringo assisted on with a great tackle as the gunner. But the punter averaged just 38.3 net yards on three boots. The Eagles' punt coverage group got caught by a fake punt the Giants converted in the second quarter.

In terms of returns, Rodgers opened the second half with a 51-yard return. He had great blocking off his right side. Dotson got the nod over Ainias Smith on punt returns but made fair catches on his attempts.

Nick Sirianni’s decision to rest his starters was the correct one even if getting Barkley the NFL rushing record could have added more good vibes heading into the postseason. There was just too much to be lost in playing key guys, especially veterans who benefited from a week off.

Nevertheless, Sirianni got his backups to play tough, smart football in the victory.

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore dialed up a sensible game plan for McKee. He moved him out of the pocket and gave him makeable reads early on to give him confidence.

Vic Fangio’s defense was dynamite again. He had more regulars than Moore, but that shouldn’t take away from how they did against a first-unit offense.