Eagles Notebook: Britain Covey’s early spark helped start offense toward productive day

PHILADELPHIA — No Eagles unit has been more consistent this season than the Eagles’ special teams.

Until Monday.

Britain Covey jumpstarted the Eagles with a career-long 54-yard punt return to the 13-yard line that set up a one-yard Jalen Hurts scoring run to give the Eagles the early lead in what became a 33-25 win over the Giants at Lincoln Financial Field.

Amazing considering Covey had his iPad out showing practice squad promotion Tristin McCollum where to line up all the way up to the opening kickoff. McCollum made a key block to help spring Covey.

The return energized the crowd as well as Hurts.

“My goal every week on punt return is, especially in those first few reps, to just give a spark,” Covey said. “Give us some confidence.”

Covey started left, avoided a couple of would-be tacklers, cut to the right and tight roped down the sideline until being gang tackled at the 13. D’Andre Swift, who rushed for 92 yards, twisted 12 yards to set up Hurts. Swift needs a dozen yards to post his first 1,000-yard season.

At the start of the second half, however, Olamide Zaccheaus, made a huge blunder.

Zaccheaus had trucked cornerback Adoree Jackson into oblivion to spring DeVonta Smith for a 36-yard catch-and-run score in the second quarter. But on the opening kickoff of the second half, Zacchaeus turned just as kickoff returner Boston Scott was barreling up the middle, the two colliding so hard that the ball popped loose for the Giants to recover at the 14.

The Giants scored three plays later to get within 10 points.

“That was my fault,” Zaccheaus said.

It was one of a handful of gaffes that gave the lowly Giants a chance to hang around.

The good news is that the Eagles opened up the offense slightly before reverting to the run game that was their staple last season. Thirteen different players touched the football, including Covey, who had his first NFL catch, and tight end Grant Calcaterra, who matched his career-high with two receptions.

Covey gained seven yards on a screen that would have gone for more had Jordan Mailata gotten out of the way.

“I hope it’s the first of many,” said Covey, who ranks among the league leaders in punt returns. “I’ve always idolized guys like Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola. I feel like if I could pick a career path, it would be like Danny Amendola. Started on the Rams primarily as a punt returner and then switched to primarily a receiver.”

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Smith caught four passes for 79 yards including a 36-yard touchdown that gave the Eagles a 17-3 lead in the first half.

The scoring reception put Smith over the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight season.

Smith and A.J. Brown are the first players in franchise history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in consecutive seasons. Smith has a receiving TD in straight home games.

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Linebacker Nick Morrow (abdomen) was scratched, leaving the Eagles with just Shaq Leonard and Ben VanSumeren, one of their best special teams players.

The Eagles played a lot of five-man lines on third down, holding the Giants to just 4 of 14 (28.8 percent) conversions on third down.

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NOTES >> Including the playoffs, the Eagles (11-4) have beaten the Giants (5-10) in 11 straight games at the Linc, and five in a row overall. The Eagles are 17-3 (.850) in their last 20 games against the Giants. … The Eagles gained 465 yards, Jalen Hurts passing for 301 and the ground game producing 170. That is topped only by a 472-yard game this season in a win at Tampa Bay. … Hurts set an NFL record for a quarterback with his 15th rushing TD of the season, breaking Cam Newton’s mark in 2011. With his 20th TD pass, Hurts has accounted for 35 scores, tying him with Randall Cunningham (1990) for the Eagles’ single-season record.