It all looked so promising for the Giants and David Wilson when he scored on a 5-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter and punctuated the play with not one but two backflips in the end zone.
It was 7-0 Giants and Wilson finally had his first touchdown of the season.
There wasn’t much else for Wilson after that in the Giants’ 36-21 loss to the Eagles. He was thrown down by defensive end Cedric Thornton for a 3-yard loss on the last play of the first quarter and never returned to the game because of a neck injury. He went into the locker room, returned to the sideline and put his helmet on, but then was told he wasn’t going back in the game. Brandon Jacobs took over at running back and gained 37 yards on 11 rushing attempts.
“I’m sure there will be a bunch of tests run,’’ coach Tom Coughlin said of Wilson.
With the next game coming Thursday in Chicago, there isn’t much healing time available for Wilson.
Wilson, about three hours after the game, wrote on Twitter “I feel good. Passed all tests. The doctor just taking extra precaution. Be back next week.’’
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Coughlin made a few strange calls. In the first quarter, the Eagles had a fourth-and-4 from the Giants 47-yard line but Coughlin accepted a 10-yard holding penalty on center Jason Kelce. That made it third-and-20 and Michael Vick scrambled for 34 yards, setting the Eagles up for their first field goal.
“There was no question in our minds they would go for it,’’ Coughlin said, certain Eagles coach Chip Kelly would not punt on fourth down.
In the third quarter, on an 11-yard pass to LeSean McCoy tip-toeing the right sideline, Coughlin was hesitant to throw the challenge flag and as a result the Giants called a timeout. When Coughlin lost the challenge, the Giants were charged a second timeout.
“We were very sure at the top that play would be reversed,’’ Coughlin said. “I was shocked when we didn’t get it.’’
He wasn’t alone. Mike Pereira, the former NFL official who now works for Fox, strongly disagreed with the ruling on the field McCoy caught the pass.
“That pass was clearly incomplete,’’ Pereira tweeted. “That’s a mistake by the ref and replay official.’’
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This is the first time Coughlin has ever been 0-5 as NFL head coach, including his 1995 expansion Jaguars. … Of Rueben Randle’s five career touchdowns, four have come against the Eagles. He had two in last season’s finale.
CB Trumaine McBride in his first start for the Giants somehow failed to intercept a Nick Foles pass that became a 56-yard reception for DeSean Jackson. … Safety Will Hill in his season debut after sitting out his four-game suspension had 11 tackles, but was called for a 15-yard penalty for hitting WR Riley Cooper helmet to helmet. … Safety Antrel Rolle picked up his duel with TE Brent Celek by getting hit with a 15-yard penalty for tipping off Celek’s helmet.