Post by thetruth on Dec 19, 2010 10:40:29 GMT -5
This is it. The game that will likely decide NFC East supremacy is expected to be played on a gusty, wintery day in North Jersey and the Eagles and Giants couldn't be more revved up. The 9-4 Eagles come will travel up I-95 looking to extend their five-game winning streak over the Giants, including playoffs, and are poised to culminate the season of Vick with Andy Reid's first division trophy since 2006. Meanwhile, the likewise 9-4 Giants will have revenge on their mind and are aiming to give the Eagles a rude welcome to the New Meadowlands. While the winner of Sunday's big-time matchup won't clinch anything, the victor will have a very inside track for an NFC East crown – something that's even more important because of a muddled wildcard picture. Put simply, this is the biggest game of the year.
While the defense has delivered when called upon, the calling card of this Eagles team is certainly the explosive offense. Michael Vick has only lost one game he's completed as starter and is currently the league's second-rated passer. LeSean McCoy is one of only four rushers in the league with over 900 rushing yards and a per-carry average of 5.0 or better, and he leads all running backs with 70 receptions. On top of that, in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin the Eagles have two receivers on pace to top 1,000 yards receiving.
To counteract the Eagles' 28.8 scoring average, the Giants will rely on their formidable pass rush, which boasts 39 sacks, tied for best in the league. But the best thing going for the Giants at the moment is the return to health of some of their key players, namely wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith. After a whirlwind trip for a road game against the Vikings in Detroit – yes, you read that right – the Giants, like Dorothy, are likely to be saying "There's no place like home." In this case, the yellow brick road leads to the playoffs.
Last Time They Met
November 21, 2010 – Lincoln Financial Field
Eagles 27, Giants 17
The Eagles first home game under the lights in 2010 was billed as an NFC East heavyweight matchup – and it lived up to the hype. The Giants landed in Philadelphia as winners of five of their last six games, and were looking to upset the Eagles on the road to take sole possession of first place in the division. The Eagles, however, had other ideas. Fresh off an historic Monday night game in Washington, a win over the Giants would be the Eagles third in a row after the bye week – something quarterback Michael Vick was determined to achieve. And after his first introduction to the Lincoln Financial Field crowd as the team's starting quarterback, Vick outmatched a tough Giants defense and came out on top.
But the game wasn't without its fair share of drama. An Eli Manning touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter put the Giants on top 17-16, after the Eagles failed to capitalize in the red zone for much of the night (David Akers had three field goals under 40 yards in the first half). After both teams exchanged punts, the Eagles had their next drive stall at the 50-yard-line with under five minutes to play. Head coach Andy Reid decided to forego the punt and go for it on fourth down; a decision that more-than paid off. LeSean McCoy took a Vick pitch fifty yards for the touchdown, and the Eagles gained sole possession of first place in the NFC East.
When The Eagles Have The Ball
Despite the best efforts from a tremendous Giants front four, the Eagles still scored 27 points against one of the league's top defenses when these two teams squared off back in November. The Eagles gained 392 yards of offense against the Giants, but there were two things to note. First and foremost, the Eagles must be sharper in the red zone. Yes, David Akers came through with four field goals and that's because the Eagles only scored a touchdown on one of five trips to the red zone. The other stat to watch is third-down conversion percentage. Last week against Dallas, the Eagles started slow but got the first downs late when it mattered. Against the Giants, the Eagles were able to get a first down on just 3-of-14 third-down opportunities.
The play of the game from the first meeting was LeSean McCoy's 50-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter on fourth down. McCoy took a pitch from Michael Vick and ran down the left side of the field goe the score. McCoy finished with 111 yards and a touchdown. The star wide receiver in that game was Jeremy Maclin, who had 120 yards. The Giants pressured Vick all game long with a variety of blitzes from the secondary to augment an already strong front four anchored by ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. The injury to watch for the Eagles this week is whether Winston Justice will come back to man the right tackle position. King Dunlap started last week for Justice against the Cowboys, who were able to apply pressure using a lot of delayed pressures.
When The Giants Have The Ball
The Eagles defense has thrived off turnovers all season long, and will look to keep the trend going Sunday at New York. The likely return of Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel will aid in that effort. The eight-year veteran still leads the NFL in interceptions (7) despite missing five games this season due to injury. The Eagles defense has the NFL's top-ranked interception rate, and will look to capitalize on a mistake-prone Giants offense. Eli Manning has thrown more interceptions (19) than any other quarterback in the league, and the 33 turnovers committed by the Giants offense are the most of any team. For the Eagles, to win the turnover battle is key: only once this season have the Eagles won the turnover battle and lost the game, while on the flip side, the Eagles have lost the turnover battle in all but one of their losses.
On the defensive line, Juqua Parker is fully recovered from his hip flexor injury while Brandon Graham is lost for the season with a torn ACL. Returning to the nest, however, is defensive end Derrick Burgess (who signed a 2-year deal with the Eagles on Tuesday to replace Graham). If you recall, it was Burgess who was tagged with the responsibility of containing Michael Vick when the Eagles played the Falcons in the 2004 NFC Championship game – a task he achieved so convincingly it earned him a large contract with the Oakland Raiders. The defensive line is faced with the challenge of getting pressure on Eli Manning, who has only been sacked twice in the last seven weeks.
Quarterbacking one of the most balanced offenses in all of football, Eli Manning will look to get his seventh career win against the Eagles on Sunday afternoon in New York. That task may be more difficult, however, if Manning is without the services of half his receiving corps. Steve Smith returned to action Monday night after missing four games with a partially torn pectoral muscle, but left the game early with an injured hamstring. Likewise, Mario Manningham failed to finish the game Monday night due to a hip flexor injury. The status of both receivers is certainly questionable ahead of Sunday's NFC East battle. The Giants ground game, however, seems to be operating on all cylinders. Running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs have combined for 419 yards and six touchdowns over the past two games, as the health of the Giants offensive line continues to improve. Starting left tackle David Diehl returned to action Monday night after being sidelined with a hamstring injury, and center Shaun O'Hara is close to returning from an injured foot. Even with a slew of injuries, the Giants have racked up over 385 yards of offense per game (4th in the NFL), and will be a significant challenge for the Eagles defense.
Key Matchups
WR Jeremy Maclin vs. CB Corey Webster
Sure, DeSean Jackson is coming off of his amazing 210-yard performance against the Cowboys on Sunday night. But it was Jeremy Maclin who shined in the first meeting against the Giants earlier this season with a career-high nine catches for 120 yards. Maclin is fast, physical and has very good hands. He is effective in his ability to move the chains or stretch the field.
Eagles Offensive Tackles vs. Giants Defensive Ends
The Giants were very creative with their game plan for attacking quarterback Michael Vick mixing in blitzing and utilizing the talents of Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck. It remains to be seen whether Winston Justice will be back from his knee injury, but if not King Dunlap will have to be ready. The Cowboys got a lot of hits on Michael Vick on Sunday night with delayed blitzes and certainly the Giants will try to match that.
LB Jamar Chaney vs. RB Brandon Jacobs
Chaney will likely make his first-career start in the biggest game of the season. Chaney subbed for Stewart Bradley after Bradley suffered the dislocated elbow and Chaney handled the middle linebacker duties well helping contain the Cowboys ground attack. Brandon Jacobs is now the starter for the Giants and at 6-4, 264 pounds is a load to bring down. Plus, the Giants offensive line is getting healthy with the return of David Diehl and Shaun O'Hara.
Players To Watch
QB Eli Manning
In terms of protecting the ball, it's been a two-sided coin for Eli Manning in 2010. On one hand, he leads the league with 19 interceptions – something Asante Samuel knows very well. And yes, some of those picks have been dropped balls by his receivers, but Eli's penchant for turning the ball over is a large part of why the Giants lead the league with 33 giveaways. On the other hand though, the Giants offensive line has done a great job of protecting Manning. He's only been sacked 13 times this season, the fewest sacks taken by any quarterback in the top 25 of passes attempted. So the Eagles will have their hands full creating pressure on Manning – especially without Brandon Graham – but once the ball is in the air, it could be on the secondary to make a game-changing play.
CB Asante Samuel
Will he play? It's a hugely important question as the Eagles and Giants prepare for their second matchup of the season, especially after Samuel played such a big role in the first game. Samuel has picked off the Manning brothers a combined four times this year, but he hasn't played a game since the last Giants game when he suffered an MCL sprain. Head coach Andy Reid has indicated that he expects Samuel to be back in the lineup this week, but with the Giants' receivers returning to health, Samuel's presence will be a big factor. Joselio Hanson and Trevard Lindley did a noble job filling in for Samuel, but there's nothing quite like having the league's interception leader – he's best in the NFL with seven picks despite having missed four games – in your secondary when it's all on the line.
While the defense has delivered when called upon, the calling card of this Eagles team is certainly the explosive offense. Michael Vick has only lost one game he's completed as starter and is currently the league's second-rated passer. LeSean McCoy is one of only four rushers in the league with over 900 rushing yards and a per-carry average of 5.0 or better, and he leads all running backs with 70 receptions. On top of that, in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin the Eagles have two receivers on pace to top 1,000 yards receiving.
To counteract the Eagles' 28.8 scoring average, the Giants will rely on their formidable pass rush, which boasts 39 sacks, tied for best in the league. But the best thing going for the Giants at the moment is the return to health of some of their key players, namely wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith. After a whirlwind trip for a road game against the Vikings in Detroit – yes, you read that right – the Giants, like Dorothy, are likely to be saying "There's no place like home." In this case, the yellow brick road leads to the playoffs.
Last Time They Met
November 21, 2010 – Lincoln Financial Field
Eagles 27, Giants 17
The Eagles first home game under the lights in 2010 was billed as an NFC East heavyweight matchup – and it lived up to the hype. The Giants landed in Philadelphia as winners of five of their last six games, and were looking to upset the Eagles on the road to take sole possession of first place in the division. The Eagles, however, had other ideas. Fresh off an historic Monday night game in Washington, a win over the Giants would be the Eagles third in a row after the bye week – something quarterback Michael Vick was determined to achieve. And after his first introduction to the Lincoln Financial Field crowd as the team's starting quarterback, Vick outmatched a tough Giants defense and came out on top.
But the game wasn't without its fair share of drama. An Eli Manning touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter put the Giants on top 17-16, after the Eagles failed to capitalize in the red zone for much of the night (David Akers had three field goals under 40 yards in the first half). After both teams exchanged punts, the Eagles had their next drive stall at the 50-yard-line with under five minutes to play. Head coach Andy Reid decided to forego the punt and go for it on fourth down; a decision that more-than paid off. LeSean McCoy took a Vick pitch fifty yards for the touchdown, and the Eagles gained sole possession of first place in the NFC East.
When The Eagles Have The Ball
Despite the best efforts from a tremendous Giants front four, the Eagles still scored 27 points against one of the league's top defenses when these two teams squared off back in November. The Eagles gained 392 yards of offense against the Giants, but there were two things to note. First and foremost, the Eagles must be sharper in the red zone. Yes, David Akers came through with four field goals and that's because the Eagles only scored a touchdown on one of five trips to the red zone. The other stat to watch is third-down conversion percentage. Last week against Dallas, the Eagles started slow but got the first downs late when it mattered. Against the Giants, the Eagles were able to get a first down on just 3-of-14 third-down opportunities.
The play of the game from the first meeting was LeSean McCoy's 50-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter on fourth down. McCoy took a pitch from Michael Vick and ran down the left side of the field goe the score. McCoy finished with 111 yards and a touchdown. The star wide receiver in that game was Jeremy Maclin, who had 120 yards. The Giants pressured Vick all game long with a variety of blitzes from the secondary to augment an already strong front four anchored by ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. The injury to watch for the Eagles this week is whether Winston Justice will come back to man the right tackle position. King Dunlap started last week for Justice against the Cowboys, who were able to apply pressure using a lot of delayed pressures.
When The Giants Have The Ball
The Eagles defense has thrived off turnovers all season long, and will look to keep the trend going Sunday at New York. The likely return of Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel will aid in that effort. The eight-year veteran still leads the NFL in interceptions (7) despite missing five games this season due to injury. The Eagles defense has the NFL's top-ranked interception rate, and will look to capitalize on a mistake-prone Giants offense. Eli Manning has thrown more interceptions (19) than any other quarterback in the league, and the 33 turnovers committed by the Giants offense are the most of any team. For the Eagles, to win the turnover battle is key: only once this season have the Eagles won the turnover battle and lost the game, while on the flip side, the Eagles have lost the turnover battle in all but one of their losses.
On the defensive line, Juqua Parker is fully recovered from his hip flexor injury while Brandon Graham is lost for the season with a torn ACL. Returning to the nest, however, is defensive end Derrick Burgess (who signed a 2-year deal with the Eagles on Tuesday to replace Graham). If you recall, it was Burgess who was tagged with the responsibility of containing Michael Vick when the Eagles played the Falcons in the 2004 NFC Championship game – a task he achieved so convincingly it earned him a large contract with the Oakland Raiders. The defensive line is faced with the challenge of getting pressure on Eli Manning, who has only been sacked twice in the last seven weeks.
Quarterbacking one of the most balanced offenses in all of football, Eli Manning will look to get his seventh career win against the Eagles on Sunday afternoon in New York. That task may be more difficult, however, if Manning is without the services of half his receiving corps. Steve Smith returned to action Monday night after missing four games with a partially torn pectoral muscle, but left the game early with an injured hamstring. Likewise, Mario Manningham failed to finish the game Monday night due to a hip flexor injury. The status of both receivers is certainly questionable ahead of Sunday's NFC East battle. The Giants ground game, however, seems to be operating on all cylinders. Running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs have combined for 419 yards and six touchdowns over the past two games, as the health of the Giants offensive line continues to improve. Starting left tackle David Diehl returned to action Monday night after being sidelined with a hamstring injury, and center Shaun O'Hara is close to returning from an injured foot. Even with a slew of injuries, the Giants have racked up over 385 yards of offense per game (4th in the NFL), and will be a significant challenge for the Eagles defense.
Key Matchups
WR Jeremy Maclin vs. CB Corey Webster
Sure, DeSean Jackson is coming off of his amazing 210-yard performance against the Cowboys on Sunday night. But it was Jeremy Maclin who shined in the first meeting against the Giants earlier this season with a career-high nine catches for 120 yards. Maclin is fast, physical and has very good hands. He is effective in his ability to move the chains or stretch the field.
Eagles Offensive Tackles vs. Giants Defensive Ends
The Giants were very creative with their game plan for attacking quarterback Michael Vick mixing in blitzing and utilizing the talents of Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck. It remains to be seen whether Winston Justice will be back from his knee injury, but if not King Dunlap will have to be ready. The Cowboys got a lot of hits on Michael Vick on Sunday night with delayed blitzes and certainly the Giants will try to match that.
LB Jamar Chaney vs. RB Brandon Jacobs
Chaney will likely make his first-career start in the biggest game of the season. Chaney subbed for Stewart Bradley after Bradley suffered the dislocated elbow and Chaney handled the middle linebacker duties well helping contain the Cowboys ground attack. Brandon Jacobs is now the starter for the Giants and at 6-4, 264 pounds is a load to bring down. Plus, the Giants offensive line is getting healthy with the return of David Diehl and Shaun O'Hara.
Players To Watch
QB Eli Manning
In terms of protecting the ball, it's been a two-sided coin for Eli Manning in 2010. On one hand, he leads the league with 19 interceptions – something Asante Samuel knows very well. And yes, some of those picks have been dropped balls by his receivers, but Eli's penchant for turning the ball over is a large part of why the Giants lead the league with 33 giveaways. On the other hand though, the Giants offensive line has done a great job of protecting Manning. He's only been sacked 13 times this season, the fewest sacks taken by any quarterback in the top 25 of passes attempted. So the Eagles will have their hands full creating pressure on Manning – especially without Brandon Graham – but once the ball is in the air, it could be on the secondary to make a game-changing play.
CB Asante Samuel
Will he play? It's a hugely important question as the Eagles and Giants prepare for their second matchup of the season, especially after Samuel played such a big role in the first game. Samuel has picked off the Manning brothers a combined four times this year, but he hasn't played a game since the last Giants game when he suffered an MCL sprain. Head coach Andy Reid has indicated that he expects Samuel to be back in the lineup this week, but with the Giants' receivers returning to health, Samuel's presence will be a big factor. Joselio Hanson and Trevard Lindley did a noble job filling in for Samuel, but there's nothing quite like having the league's interception leader – he's best in the NFL with seven picks despite having missed four games – in your secondary when it's all on the line.
