Page 20 - aruba-today-24dec-2016

A20 SPORTS
Saturday 24 december 2016
Eagles prevent Giants from clinching playoff spot, 24-19

BY BARRY WILNER consistent with his throws all tied his career high of 96 re-
AP PRO FOOTBALL WRITER night. On Jenkins’ second ceptions in a season.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- If the interception, the throw was “We’ve been in a slide and
New York Giants continue woefully short. “We got in things haven’t been go-
to play this way, they won’t scoring position a bunch ing our way,” Jenkins said,
have much of an impact and got too many field “so we wanted to show up
even if they make the play- goals. We got off to a bad and compete. A lot of guys
offs. start and spotted them 14 stepped up. We came up
Malcolm Jenkins had the points.” with big stops. It was a huge
second two-interception Indeed, the Giants came win for us. Guys showed up
game of his eight-year ca- up short because they fell today.”
reer, returning one for a behind early and didn’t Gould’s 35-yard field goal
touchdown, and the Phila- catch up. brought the Giants closer.
delphia Eagles snapped a Right tackle Lane Johnson’s Then Wentz found the sel-
five-game slide by beating return from a 10-game sus- dom-used Agholor wide
the Giants 24-19 on Thurs- pension paid dividends open for a 40-yard touch-
day night. The loss pre- immediately. Twice John- down and a 21-6 edge.
vented New York from ad- son wiped out the left side Manning, who was not
vancing to the playoffs and of New York’s defensive sacked all night, finally
handed Dallas the NFC line, with his block helping
East title - and home-field spring Darren Sproles for a found his touch on the last
advantage throughout the 25-yard touchdown run for drive of the half, with a gor-
conference playoffs. a 7-0 lead. geous 29-yard connection
It also put the Giants (10-5) It was 14-0 1:28 later when to Victor Cruz keying an 84-
in a more difficult spot for New York Giants’ Odell Beckham (13) is sent flying after a hit Manning’s short pass to Will yard mark. Shepard slipped
ending their four-season by Philadelphia Eagles’ Leodis McKelvin (21) during the second Tye was way too soft. Jen- past Jenkins’ bump at the
playoff drought. They still half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016, in Phila- kins cut in front of the tight line to score from 13 yards
delphia.
own the top wild-card po- Associated Press end, then romped down for a 21-13 deficit.
sition heading into their fi- the right side for a 34-yard It was all field goals in the
nale at Washington. loses. The Giants got the ball score. second half - and some
“We’re disappointed right Carson Wentz threw a back with 1:31 left and Ter- The current Giants’ offense more imprecise throws by
now in the way we played touchdown pass to Nel- rence Brooks intercepted isn’t built for big come- Manning.
tonight,” said Eli Manning, son Agholor, then returned to clinch it with 5 seconds backs, and now New York AGHOLOR EMERGES
who threw a career-high from being examined for to go. needed one. Manning hit Agholor, the Eagles’ first-
63 times, completing 38 for a concussion in the fourth “I knew they were going Odell Beckham Jr. on a 30- round draft pick last year
356 yards, but was picked quarter to guide a drive to to come at me because yard play that highlighted who had only 57 catches
off three times. “We know Caleb Sturgis’ 41-yard field I just came in the game,” an 80-yard drive to Gould’s in 26 career games, scored
we can bounce back next goal. After New York’s Rob- said Brooks, a third-stringer. 35-yard field goal. But Man- his first touchdown this sea-
week and still get a win and bie Gould made his fourth “I made them pay. I was ning also made two inac- son and third of his career
get in the playoffs.” field goal, Philadelphia (6- waiting on it.” curate throws in that series. with the 40-yarder in the
New York can still get in this 9) held on downs with just “We expect as an offense It was that way all night, second period. He had
weekend if Detroit, Green under two minutes remain- to scored touchdowns,” though Beckham made 11 not reached the end zone
Bay, Tampa Bay or Atlanta ing. said Manning, who was in- catches for 150 yards and since the season opener. q

Jets coach Bowles hospitalized,

doesn’t travel with team

BY DENNIS WASZAK JR. has remained in constant son as coach of the Jets.
AP SPORTS WRITER contact with Bowles, who He got his tenure off to a
NEW YORK (AP) -- New wants to coach the game promising start with a 10-6
York Jets coach Todd but will need to be cleared season that finished a win
Bowles was hospitalized by doctors. shy of a playoff appear-
Friday with what the team If Bowles is unavailable ance.
called an “undisclosed ill- to coach, assistant head But New York has struggled
ness,” and he did not trav- coach Mike Caldwell will to a 4-10 mark this season,
el for the game at New fill in against the Patriots. prompting questions about
England on Saturday. Caldwell, who played line- Bowles’ future as coach
In a statement posted on backer for 11 seasons in as the Jets failed to make
the team’s website , the the NFL, also serves as New the postseason for the sixth
Jets said Bowles was in York’s inside linebackers straight year. In this Oct. 30, 2016, file photo, New York Jets coach Todd
stable condition, but it was coach. Bowles has maintained a Bowles stands on the sideline during the team’s NFL football
game against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland
uncertain if he would even- Caldwell ran the Jets’ walk- low-key, even-keeled ap- Associated Press
tually join the team in time through practice while proach in public despite
for the game. Bowles was hospitalized. some fans and media earlier this month. “I’m go- ing to the Jets. In February,
The 53-year-old Bowles fell He was informed during calling for his job in recent ing to do the same thing he had a benign golf ball-
ill early Friday afternoon the team’s flight to the Bos- weeks. and keep grinding like I al- sized mass removed from
and was taken to the hos- ton area that he would be “When I signed the con- ways do.” his throat that was initially
pital, where general man- the head coach if Bowles tract, I knew what my job This is the second health- discovered during the sea-
ager Mike Maccagnan can’t make it to the game. status was and I’m not wor- related situation Bowles son and didn’t require any
visited him. Maccagnan Bowles is in his second sea- ried about that,” he said has dealt with since com- additional surgery.q