Watch: Giants-Eagles delayed for hilariously weird reason in first quarter
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 21: Xavier McKinney #29, Jarrad Davis #57 and Aaron Robinson #33 of the New York Giants tackle Dallas Goedert #88 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 21, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
On the same day when the Giants had no water at their hotel, more mishaps in Philadelphia went down with an early game delay against the Eagles.
It was quite a day for the New York Giants as they were on the road for the Divisional Round of the 2023 NFL Playoffs. Things began at the team’s hotel in Philadelphia which had no water due to an issue with a pipe when the players and coaches woke up on Saturday. That was eventually resolved.
But if you think it was going to stop getting weird in Philly, you were wrong. Not even the opening kickoff of the matchup between NFC East rival Giants and Eagles could make that happen.
After Philadelphia drove quickly down the field to take a 7-0 lead, the Giants got four yards on a first down play early in the first quarter. Then came the announcement that the game would be delayed briefly. Why? The reason is about as weird as it gets.
Broken chain delays Giants-Eagles in first quarter
The officials announced an “administrative stoppage” because the chain on the sideline measuring crew’s device had broken. You can’t even make that type of thing up.
Thankfully, something so silly only caused a few-minute delay for the Eagles and Giants. But if New York had any momentum prior to that, it was definitely ruined.
On the rest of the series, the Giants couldn’t get the ball moving and Daniel Jones ended up taking sacks on third and fourth down to end the drive and set the Eagles up for another easy drive to take a 14-0 lead.
If things continue in that trajectory, you can already bet that we’ll hear plenty of New York-flavored voices harping on the hotel water and broken chain as reasons for the loss.
