The New York Giants will travel to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in a prime time showdown. This game between the 3-2 Giants and the 4-1 Eagles has enormous division implications, as the winner of this game will likely take first place in the division, barring an unlikely Dallas Cowboys victory in Seattle.
The Giants and Eagles split the series last year 1-1, as the Giants won in Philadelphia and the Eagles won in New Jersey.
The past week has brought a litany of trash talk from both teams, which is what makes this rivalry so very special. It started when Prince Amukamara and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie helped famous Giants fan Joe ‘License Plate Guy’ Ruback pose for a picture mocking the Eagles’ inability to win a Super Bowl. This caused the Eagles to fire back. “Did Prince win a Super Bowl? I know DRC didn’t,” Eagles running back LeSean McCoy said to the media. Fellow Eagles teammate Jeremy Maclin offered his two cents about the members of the Giants’ secondary by telling the media that safety Antrel Rolle, “talks too much.”
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Rolle is never shy about sharing his opinion, and earlier this week he claimed the Eagles’ division championship last year was not legitimate. “I don’t feel like there was much to really battle with in our division last year,” Rolle said. “I felt like it was a weak division last year, I feel like this year it’s definitely up and rising. We didn’t get a lot of credit in the preseason in our division, but I think now the tables are starting to turn a little bit.” While that statement is true, the Giants were one of those teams in that ‘weak’ division, and they were deplorable to start the season.
The Eagles’ defenders looked to one-up the G-Men, as they posted a video of Eli ‘lil’ Eli’ Manning getting scared by the Eagles.
The #Eagles defense gives Eli Manning a proper #BlackSunday welcome to Philadelphia for Sunday Night Football.https://t.co/Nw49tKVOaf
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 10, 2014
Trash talk is great and all, but I’m slightly more interested with the game. And Sunday night should be a nasty, intense, physical game of football.
Eli Manning and the Giants have been riding a wave of momentum coming off their third straight victory, but the Eagles will be the toughest opponent they’ve faced. It’s crazy to say, but Eli has been incredibly accurate over the past four games. Manning has posted a 115.2 quarterback rating over the last three weeks, according to NFL.com, and he’s no longer forcing balls into the slimmest of windows. The Eagles are ranked 29th in total pass defense by NFL.com, and they’ve given up 13 touchdowns and only recorded three interceptions.
Manning now has a plethora of weapons. Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle, Preston Parker, Odell Beckham Jr. and Larry Donnell make up the options for Eli Manning. Eagles head coach Chip Kelly talked about stopping Big Blue’s offense. “I think everything is different,” Kelly said to the media. “All five guys (Cruz, Randle, Parker, Beckham Jr. and Donnell) are live. One week, their tight end had a big game against Washington. The next week it goes to Victor Cruz, and the next week it goes to Rueben Randle… everyone is a viable option.”
While Kelly’s comments are not false, it is not like the Eagles are devoid of play makers.
Jeremy Maclin, Riley Cooper, Jordan Matthews, Brent Celek and Zach Ertz are all dangerous in their own right. Maclin is having a great year after suffering a torn ACL last year, and Cooper will always cause a mismatch. Ertz is having a breakout year, as he has 16 receptions for 269 yards, according to NFL.com.
Bradley Fletcher, Cary Williams and Malcolm Jenkins will be the leading candidates to put a stop to Eli’s success. Though not the best group in the league, Philadelphia’s secondary will not back down from a competition.
Manning is 6-3 in his career when playing at Lincoln Financial Field, and 30-7 in the month of October.
Although the offense will be without the NFL’s fourth leading rusher Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams will prove to be a viable option for Big Blue. Williams has a punishing running style, and he’s exactly the type of runner Tom Coughlin likes. Furthermore, the Giants’ offense will have Odell Beckham Jr. for the second straight week. This offense could thrive against an Eagles unit that has struggled.
However, although the Eagles’ defense has given up a lot of yards and points, the defense has also helped close out games late in the fourth quarter. It’s a stingy group that plays with a chip on its shoulder. The pass rush is very underrated, and they will look to terrorize Eli Manning. Although the Giants’ offensive line has played much better than expected, expect a physical game in the trenches that could favor the Eagles.
The Eagles’ best unit this year has been its special teams. Philadelphia has a punt return for a touchdown, a kickoff return for a touchdown, two blocked punts for a touchdown and three defensive touchdowns. Special teams play has helped the Eagles overcome deficits and remain in the game.
The Giants have always had issues on special teams, and the Eagles will be looking for their third blocked punt of the season. New York is notorious for their abysmal special teams play, including the infamous ‘Miracle at the New Meadowlands.’
While the special teams unit has been stellar for the Eagles, Philadelphia’s offense has been a major, major disappointment.
Last year’s leader in rushing yards has only amassed 273 yards rushing and one touchdown. McCoy has yet to have a 100 yard game, but he could be primed to breakout against the Giants. Shady McCoy has 788 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games against the Giants. However, last year McCoy was held under 50 yards in both games against the Giants. Inside linebacker Jon Beason was undoubtedly a factor in containing Shady. Beason has been out with an injury, but he will likely play on Sunday.
The biggest X-factor of the game will be Darren Sproles. Sproles possesses speed and agility that will give any defense issues, and I don’t think the Giants will be able to do much to contain him. While Sproles might not have the best numbers on the ground, his contributions in the passing game should have the Giants worried. When he gets into open field he’s very, very hard to stop.
The Eagles have also struggled through the air, although it’s not as surprising as McCoy’s ineffectiveness. Nick Foles is certainly still a good quarterback, but the absence of DeSean Jackson has hindered the offense. The passing game lacks explosiveness. NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks recently examined what is plaguing Philadelphia’s offense. NFL.com also noted that the Eagles are the only team in the NFL to not have a single third down conversion in the red zone.
Despite the struggles, the offense still remains very dangerous. Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper are good receivers, and rookie Jordan Matthews has seen extended targets. Matthews could have a big game with DRC and Amukamara shadowing Cooper and Maclin. Matthews will likely be seeing a lot of Trumaine McBride, which could help him see more opportunities. I’m interested to see how the Giants will align themselves on defense. Obviously they have to pay attention to McCoy, but that might free up Foles and the passing game.
While the offensive line has been in flux recently, the group gets starting right tackle Lane Johnson back, which will help Nick Foles stay upright. The Giants’ defensive line has been a lot more active than they were last year, and the battle in the trenches will be fun to watch.
Players to Watch:
Eli Manning:
Manning has been Mr. October for the Giants, and he needs to play well for the Giants to win the game, especially with Rashad Jennings out.
LeSean McCoy:
Although McCoy was held in check last year by the Giants, Shady is the most elusive back in the NFL, and he’s a nightmare in the open field. He has also been a nightmare for the Giants to contain.
Jon Beason:
Beason will likely be back after missing three straight games. Beason’s presence will help the defense, but it will be interesting to see is Beason is limited at all.
Eagles’ Defensive Backs:
The Eagles’ secondary has gotten burned this year, and they face a tough challenge against the Giants. New York has a bevy of options for Eli Manning, and this unit needs to play well to keep the Giants honest on offense.
Antrel Rolle:
For Rolle, it’s time to put up or shut up. After talking trash all week, he needs to deliver against the Eagles, especially as a defensive captain.
Darren Sproles:
As previously mentioned, Sproles will be the biggest X-factor of this game. His unique blend of speed, agility and elusiveness make him a terror in the open field.
Final Prediction:
The New York Giants win 35-30. Over the last three weeks the Giants have played better football than the Philadelphia Eagles. I expect the Giants pass rush to have a big night against an Eagles offensive line that is in flux. With a Giants win, there will likely be a three-way tie for first place in the NFC East. Following Sunday night’s game the Eagles will embark on a two game road trip, while the G-Men prepare for a subsequent divisional game as they play the Dallas Cowboys.
Bold Predictions:
* Odell Beckham Jr. will catch his second NFL touchdown.
* Darren Sproles will have over 200 total yards from scrimmage.
* Jason Pierre-Paul will have two sacks.
* Eli throws for 350 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Foles throws 320, two touchdowns and two picks.