Skip to main content

RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE: GIANTS VS. EAGLES PREVIEW

EAGLES (10-6-1) @ GIANTS (12-4): Oh! So now after an unimpressive victory against the Vikings, the Eagles are suddenly this year's version of the 2007 New York Giants. Nothing could be more ridiculous.

Sure there are some parallels: Coach Andy Ried has come under fire for his teams under achieving performances, just like Tom Coughlin did a year ago. Philadelphia fans are ready to run Donavan McNabb out of town, just the way Giant fans were ready to run Eli Manning out of town a year ago before winning the Super Bowl. But to go so far as to claim that an Eagles team that lost to the Redskins three weeks ago, an Eagles team that forgot the overtime rules in a tie against the Bengals at mid-season, an Eagles team that allowed a bad Minnesota Viking team to hang around for three and a half quarters of last weeks wild card game is as hot as the Giants were last year is a total joke. The Eagles are playing good football, but they are not the hottest team in the NFL, that distinction belongs to the San Diego Chargers.

The Eagles have been playing well, mostly because of the superior play of the Eagles defense, and the inspired play of Brian Westbrook. Westbrook rushed for 936 yards in the regular season, had 402 yards receiving this year for a grand total of 14 touchdowns. He has been great and is the main reason that the Eagles are here today.

Defensively, the Eagles were third in the NFL in total defense, allowing only 274.3 yards per game, and have allowed their opponents to convert only 32 percent of their third downs. That is a deadly proposition for Eagle opponents, especially teams that have to rely on the running game like the Giants.

A silent weapon that the Giants will have to keep track of is receiver DeSean Jackson, who led the team with 912 yards receiving and 440 yards on punt returns. He is very fast, and would create a huge field position advantage for Philadelphia if he is allowed to. Expect Giants punter Jeff Feagles to punt away from Jackson.

For the Giants to have success they have to exercise some recent demons. The Giants offense has been exposed because of the loss of Plaxico Burress, and have had no choice but to rely more on the legs of Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward. Against Carolina in week 16, the pair rushed for over 250 yards as the Giants came back to beat the Panthers. The Giants will have to hope that Jacobs and Ward will have similar success against the Eagles tough defense. If their running game is nutrilized by Philadelphia it will be a long day for Eli Manning.

Defensively, expect the Giants to go hard after McNabb. McNabb does not run as well as he used to; he is a bit overweight and is really a pocket passer now as a result. If the Giants can get in his face like they did in a 2007 game when the sacked McNabb nine times in a game, the Giants should be ok.

Expect to see a heavy dose of Brandon Jacobs in this game. He is healthy now, after taking the last two weeks off, so his legs should be fresh. If Jacobs gets going in this game, the Eagles will be cooked. Don't be suprised if the Giants come up with something to corrale Westbrook. Maybe the Giants put an extra man in the box up front, or even put a spy on him. Remember the Eagles have been playing well, but they are not the hottest team in the league. PICK: GIANTS 24, EAGLES 10.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jets, Dolphins and Patriots Playoff Breakdown

Here are the formuli that could get the Jets into and out of the playoff party this season: 1) If the Jets win against Seattle and Miami, they win the AFC East based on a better conference record (8-4) than the New England Patriots, even if New England wins out as well. 2) If the Patriots win out and the Dolphins win out and finish at 11-5, the Jets would be 10-6, or 9-7, and probably out of the playoffs. Both New England and Miami would make the playoffs, with the Dolphins as a divison winner and the Patriots as a wild card. The Patriots make the postseason if Baltimore loses one of its final two games. 3) If the Patriots win out and the Dolphins and Jets split, then the Patriots win the AFC East. The Jets will have to hope that they beat Miami to win that tie-breaker and, further, hope that they have a better conference record than the Baltimore Ravens in order to clinch the sixth seed. 4) If the Patriots and Ravens win out and the Dolphins and Jets split their final two games, then ...
8 comments
Read more

Is Aaron Glenn in Danger of Getting Fired?

 According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio there is a "chance"   that Jets head coach Aaron Glenn could be fired at seasons end.  While Florio doesn't site any sources, the rumor has caught fire the last two days. The question is would it make sense? Let's examine this for a second?  Why it Makes Sense:  Glenn has not been great in his first year as Head Coach of this team. The talent has taken a major step backwards, granted two of those talented players were traded away in Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis and Quinnen Williams to Dallas.  The decision he and GM Darren Mougey made to give Justin Fields a two year deal proved to be a horrible mistake, and Glenn stuck with Fields for far too long before pulling the plug following the Jets loss to the Patriots on a Thursday night in mid November.  Glenn gave now former Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks too much power to run the defense, and the players couldn't stand Wilks. Reports indicated this week af...
Post a Comment
Read more

Same Ol' Jets! Gang Green Dropped by Ravens

 RAVENS 24 - JETS 9  In short the opener to the 2022 season for the New York Jets was a complete and utter disaster.  A team that came into the season with the promise of better days ahead, a team that had taken on so many kudos in the off-season for what so many in the media had claimed was an impeccable off-season and draft, came out flat as a pancake when it mattered the most.  If this was a debut of what is to come for the Jets in 2022, you better start preparing your 2023 draft boards.  Sunday's 24-9 loss wasn't just a defeat at the hands of a better team, it was a total indictment of the Jets current predicament.  The Jets offensive line, which has been battered and beaten this summer with the losses of Meckhi Becton and Duane Brown looked like a sieve on Sunday. Joe Flacco, who is not exactly fleet of foot, was under siege all afternoon. The fact he came out of Sunday's game having been sacked only three times was a miracle in itself.  George Fa...
Post a Comment
Read more