EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A few thoughts on the Philadelphia Eagles' 34-26 win against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium:
What it means: Very little, and that was evident in the feel of the game from the beginning. It felt like an exhibition, or maybe a Pro Bowl, with players avoiding harm's way and trying to get to the offseason in one piece. For the Eagles, a win meant matching last season's 10-6 record and avoiding a step backward. It also meant avoiding a four-game losing streak to end the season. That just sounds bad. Still, there's no getting past the fact the Eagles lost three in a row at the worst possible time, dropping out of the playoff race after a 9-3 start.
Stock watch: Kicker Cody Parkey finished his rookie season on an upswing. A week after missing two field goals in the loss at Washington, Parkey kicked two field goals and three extra points to break the NFL rookie scoring record of 144, held since 1985 by Chicago Bears kicker Kevin Butler. Parkey's 149 points also broke the Eagles' franchise scoring record of 144, set by David Akers in 2008.
Return to sender: The Eagles got their 11th return touchdown of the season in the third quarter. Tight end James Casey broke through the center of the line and blocked a Steve Weatherford punt. The ball traveled past the line of scrimmage, where Bryan Braman tried to pick it up. He couldn't get a handle on it, but Trey Burton scooped the ball up and ran down the sideline 27 yards for the score. The Eagles' seven special teams touchdowns this season are the most since the 2007 Chicago Bears had seven. Their 11 return touchdowns are the third-most in NFL history. Seattle holds the NFL record with 13 return touchdowns in 1998.
Game ball: For the season, it goes to wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. He was the most consistent player on an up-and-down offense, and continually produced despite the change at quarterback. Maclin's career-best numbers -- 85 catches, 1,318 yards, 10 touchdowns -- spared the Eagles a lot of grief about the release of DeSean Jackson.
What's next: The Eagles go into the offseason a little worse off than they were last year at this time. Chip Kelly's first season felt hopeful, and ended with a division title and a playoff appearance. His second ended with that three-game losing streak and serious questions about the quarterback position. Kelly has his work cut out for him this offseason.
