Eagles talking points
1. From Wentz it Came: Protected well both times, Carson Wentz threw interceptions on his second and third attempts of the game, both the result of poor footwork and sailing passes, which led to two Giants TDs in the 28-23 loss . . . He missed Jordan Mathews for what would have been a 27-yard TD. He regrouped with his tight ends and hit Bryce Treggs for a 58-yard bomb on a day when he acted out of character and let loose the deep ball, with six completions of at least 20 yards. He wisely threw the ball away in the first quarter that preserved a field-goal try, but later took a 5-yard sack when he ran out of bounds on the sideline. He's a work in progress: 24-for-47, 364 yards, no touchdowns, the two interceptions.
2. Doug E. Fresh: Late play calls at Detroit and baffling late strategy at Dallas shined a light on rookie head coach Doug Pederson's play-calling, which will suffer further scrutiny now that he took six points off the board in a five-point loss when he went for it twice on fourth down and failed. Trailing, 14-3, early in the second quarter, Pederson called a quarterback run from a shotgun formation on fourth-and-2 from the Giants' 23. It lost 4 yards and cost them a likely field goal. Later, on fourth-and-1 from the Giants' 6, Darren Sproles got stuffed and cost the Eagles three more points. He did choose a field goal later, and punted on fourth-and-2 near midfield in the fourth quarter . . . then went for it, and got it, on fourth-and-9 near midfield with just over 6 minutes to play. Also, in the third quarter, Pederson wasted a challenge and a timeout when he questioned an obvious incompletion call.
3. OBJ (Not LBJ. Or ODB): On the Giants' first possession, Odell Beckham, Jr. caught a 26-yard pass for a touchdown on which he ran past the tackle attempt of Rodney McLeod. He drew a pass interference penalty on Nolan Carroll in the second quarter that framed his second TD catch, 1 yard, over Leodis McKelvin. Carroll ripped a pass from Beckham's grasp in the fourth quarter for an interception. Beckham finished with four catches for 46 yards but opened the field for his teammates and he had the two scores.
4. Not so special: Big returns from Wendell Smallwood, Josh Huff and Darren Sproles have served to mask other special-teams issues: A blocked field goal against the Giants and a 30-yard fake punt allowed at Dallas a week before.
5. Bryce, in a Trice: After moldering on the inactive list the first seven games, speedy rookie free-agent Bryce Treggs caught passes of 11 and 58 yards and was open deep at least one other time in the first half. However, his inclusion seemed to dwindle after the first quarter. He finished with two catches and 69 yards.
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