Eagles-N.Y. Giants: What Did We Learn?

Despite winning four of their first five games, the Eagles never came close to delivering a complete effort. Special teams had played at a high level week-in and week-out, but the defense was inconsistent and Chip Kelly's offense was a shade of its former self. But the Eagles dominated the New York Giants in all three phases in Sunday night's 27-0 win and enter the bye week on a 5-1 high. Here's what we learned:

1. LeSean McCoy has still got it. From his first carry – OK, his second carry – McCoy looked different than he had in the first five games. The Eagles ran a sweep and as McCoy tried to turn the corner it looked as if he didn't have a lane to run through, but he remained patient, waited for a hole, and shot through it for 12 yards. A play later, the Eagles ran a split zone play and McCoy zoomed through a gap after Zach Ertz took out Jason Pierre-Paul with a backside block. And then it was off to the races as McCoy gained 149 yards on 22 carries for the game. His 6.8-yard average far exceeded his 2.9-yard avg. coming in. McCoy ran if he had something prove – I was told he used recent doubts about his effectiveness as motivation – but mostly the Eagles just executed better than the Giants defense. The offensive line and tight ends held their blocks longer, McCoy was less hesitant and Kelly called a great game. Speaking of which …

2. Chip Kelly called his best game of the season. I'm not entirely sure what Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell was thinking keeping his nickel personnel on the field for so many plays. There were some extenuating circumstances with linebacker Jon Beason less than 100 percent, but the Eagles took advantage against a smaller package after they had seen an inordinate amount of base defense in their first five games. Kelly, though, dictated the pace with some of his most inventive play calling of the season. Nick Foles took the snap under center far more than usual. Center David Molk said it was partially used to counter the effectiveness the Giants linemen had running "nut" stunts last season against the Eagles' inside zone runs. As Kelly said after the game, it adjusted the "path of the back," meaning the paths McCoy and Darren Sproles were to run out of certain sets were less predictable. The Eagles were thus able to get some positive inside runs, and after they hit the Giants in the gut, they ran a boatload of successful sweeps and outside zones. McCoy and Sproles ran eight times for 81 yards (10.1 avg.) off the right edge and seven times for 52 yards off the left (7.4 avg.). Once the Eagles established the run they were able to catch the Giants with play-action, the best example coming when James Casey (typically a run blocker) caught a 26-yard pass after the play fake to the running back.

3. Connor Barwin is the Eagles' most indispensible defender. In the rash of free agent signings the Eagles made in March 2013, the last key acquisition was Barwin. I can remember Howie Roseman coming down to talk to reporters afterward and saying that the deal they had negotiated was too good to pass up. And what a deal it ended up being. Barwin was arguably the Eagles' best defender last season, but now that he's getting to the quarterback with more regularity I don't think it's close. You could make the argument that Malcolm Jenkins or Fletcher Cox or DeMeco Ryans was more indispensible, but Barwin is the more irreplaceable because he's Bill Davis' most versatile defender. He's the Eagles' best outside linebacker in coverage and at setting the edge, and he's been just as effective a pass rusher as Trent Cole and Brandon Graham through six games. Barwin leads the Eagles with six sacks – all in the last three games – and has already exceeded last season's total of five.

4. Zach Ertz is still being underutilized. It may sound like nit-picking, but the Eagles failed to capitalize on a number of mismatches Ertz had exploited after the first quarter. He caught three passes for 47 yards and a touchdown on the Eagles' first two possessions and wasn't targeted again until the fourth quarter. Ertz played 30 of 64 snaps (42 percent), which was more than last week, but not enough in my estimation. His run blocking still needs work, and that certainly explains why he wasn't on the field as often, but there isn't a receiver on the Eagles that is as dangerous right now. His diving 15-yard touchdown catch against cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was a thing of beauty.

5. Brent Celek can't be written off. To be fair, the Eagles can't afford to keep Celek off the field for too long. He has been quiet as a pass catcher and struggled as a run blocker in the early season, but Celek is getting into a groove. He had as much to do with the Eagles' success on the ground as any of the offensive linemen. The Eagles pounded the Giants on the ground outside and Celek didn't suffer one breakdown as far as I could tell. He also had his best game as a receiver this season, catching four passes for 45 yards. "I love the way he approaches everything," Kelly said. "He's got the right demeanor. He's everything you want. He's totally selfless. He's exactly what you want. When you talk about what a Philadelphia Eagle looks like, Brent Celek is what a Philadelphia Eagle looks like." When you talk about what a Chip Kelly player looks like, Celek is what a Chip Kelly player looks like.

6. Bill Davis' defense of his cornerbacks paid off. Calls for Davis' head have been misguided. He is a good defensive coordinator coaching just OK players. I have been vocal about wanting to see Brandon Boykin start on the outside in the place of Bradley Fletcher – and I'm not sure Fletcher did anything on Sunday night to shoot down that belief – but Davis has stood behind his corners and they repaid him with a solid effort against the Giants. Cary Williams had his best game of the season. Many fans don't like him because he can get mouthy, but Williams is far less a problem than Fletcher, who lacks the necessary athleticism to cover top outside receivers. Eli Manning kept going to Fletcher's side on comeback or back shoulder routes and the corner could do little to counter the throws. To his credit, he didn't let anyone get behind him. The Eagles denied the Giants the big play and those had been hurting Davis' defense in recent weeks. I should also point out that Boykin kept Victor Cruz in check until his injury. Manning completed only one pass for three yards when targeting the slot corner.

7. The backup offensive linemen aren't as much a downgrade as originally thought. Matt Tobin's struggles continued, but he didn't suffer as many breakdowns in pass protection as he had in previous weeks. He's still learning. But Molk was stout at center. He had ample push up the middle. He seemed more comfortable run blocking with Foles under him pre-snap rather than in the shotgun. The coaches film will reveal more, but he had some key second level blocks and pull blocks on some of McCoy's big gainers. The Eagles have two more games until Jason Kelce and Evan Mathis are expected to return from injuries. The Cardinals are tough up front, but they'll be without defensive end Calais Campbell. There isn't an the offensive lineman in the league right now that can stop Texans end J.J. Watt one-on-one, but there are ways to limit his effectiveness. But that's for a later date.

8. Darren Sproles' injury could lead to Matthew Tucker promotion. Sproles had an MRI this morning on his left knee. The extent of his injury was unknown, but Kelly said on WIP this morning that Sproles told him after the game that he was OK (for whatever that is worth). It doesn't sound season-ending. The bye will certainly help in his recovery and Sproles has proven to be resilient over his career. He missed all of his second season in the NFL with a broken ankle, but has missed consecutive games only once in the next eight seasons. When Sproles left in the second half, Trey Burton was pressed into duty. He ran five times for ten yards. The tight end by trade can handle the chores, but the Eagles may want to sign Tucker off the practice squad if Sproles' injury is significant and if Chris Polk is out with a hamstring any longer. Polk has indicated that he should be back after the bye, but he hasn't been reliable.

9. It's the Eagles and Cowboys at the top and then a significant drop off. We're still a ways from drawing conclusions about the NFC East, but after six games it's apparent that the 5-1 Eagles and Cowboys are legit playoff contenders. Dallas went into Seattle and beat the defending Super Bowl champs, 30-23, on Sunday. I'm not sure how the Cowboys are getting it done on defense with a no-name unit, but coordinator Rod Marinelli deserves kudos for getting his players to play team defense. But the story of the Cowboys has been their offensive line. It's as good as there is in the NFL. The Eagles were the decided divisional favorites before the season, and it may be a tad premature to give Dallas the nod yet, but their two meetings in a 17-day span in late November and early December will likely go a long way in deciding who claims the NFC East. Mark those dates on your calendar if you haven't already – Nov. 27 in Dallas and Dec. 14 at the Linc in prime time.

10. And a few quick notes... If there was any negative to take from the game it was Foles' two interceptions. They were inexcusable. It's a shame because he really was otherwise sharp. His corner fade TD toss to Ertz was well placed. He had other strong tosses. Foles just needed to toss the ball away in both situations. The Eagles were comfortably ahead both times. He really didn't have open receivers. Luckily for the Eagles, the picks never cost them. … Dave Fipp's special teams units were once again flawless. They didn't produce a touchdown, but that's getting greedy. Sproles had a 43-yard punt return with a key block from Burton. Cody Parkey kicked two field goals, including a 45-yarder, and had four touchbacks on six kickoffs. And Donnie Jones dropped five of six punts inside the 20. … Riley Cooper had a solid first 30 minutes. He caught five passes for 59 yards and did much of his damage across the middle on crossing routes. … Jordan Matthews continued to impress. The rookie receiver finished with four catches for 50 yards.