For part two of our analysis, we’ll take a look at how the Eagles defense matches up against the Giants offense.
If you listen to the talk coming out of the likes of WIP, you would be fooled into thinking that the Eagles late-season surge is solely because of a sudden Andy Reid epiphany to run the ball. And while that has played a role in the recent string of success, the primary reason has been the play of the defense. The Eagles defense has been nasty in the last six weeks. A strong case could be made that no other defense in the NFL is playing at the same level. That being said-this defense needs to be better than it was last week.
I know what you are probably thinking: they turned in a solid effort in limiting the Vikes to 14 points and bottling up Adrian Peterson for the majority of the game. But if you take a closer look, the Vikings were consistently converting third downs in the first half and were able to move the ball relatively effectively. Against a better team like the Giants, the Eagles may have quickly found themselves in a hole.
The Giants offense should benefit significantly from the extra week of rest, as it will allow Brandon Jacobs to get back to full speed. Jacobs is an imposing physical presence that wreaks havoc on defenses. The Eagles number-one priority should be to slow Jacobs down. If they are able to limit his production, the defense will be in good shape. Like last week, I expect to see the Eagles play a lot of sets with eight in the box. They are able to do this because without Plaxico in the lineup, they won’t need over the top help from a safety. Taking away the ground game should, and will be, priority number one for the Eagles. But the Giants ground game does not end with Jacobs. They have two other solid backs in Ward and Bradshaw that each offer a change of pace from the bruising Jacobs. They tend to mix Ward in throughout the game and get Bradshaw in once the second half is underway. While every back is a capable receiver, Ward and Bradshaw are very attractive options in the screen game. The Birds, particularly the linebackers, will need to be up to the task.
If the Giants running game is contained, they become very defensible. The Eagles’ corners have very favorable matchups against these receivers and should be able to lock them down in one-on-one situations. At the same time, Kevin Boss has gone from an afterthought to start the season to a very capable receiver and dangerous red zone target. Defending tight ends in the middle of the field was the primary weakness of this Eagles defense early in the season but they seem to have overcome those problems. Quintin Mikell should be able to limit Kevin Boss’ success through the air-especially in blitz packages where Eli Manning will look his way as a safety valve. In passing situations, the Eagles need to get to Manning. He has a tendency to throw off his back foot when pressure is coming and can be forced into mistakes. If the Eagles are able to bring pressure on a consistent basis, Manning could be in for a long day.
To sum it up, the Giants are a balanced offense that can beat you through the air and on the ground. But since the departure of Plaxico Burress, they have become a bit easier to game plan for. If the Eagles contain Brandon Jacobs, they will win this game. While Manning has a Super Bowl victory on his resume, he still has to be the player that beats you as opposed to the ground attack. I expect the Eagles to limit Jacobs’ production and force at least one turnover.
ADVANTAGE: EAGLES
Good article, well written. Should be a great game. I think the Eagles will come up short against the well rested defending champs.
Thanks for checking in Rob.
It will definetly be a hard-fought game with no love lost between these two teams. I won’t tip my hand as to which way I think the game will go until my Saturday post, but suffice it to say I think this game can swing either way with a play or two being the deciding factor.
Nice post Chris. I’m going back and forth on this game. I haven’t made my final picks yet, but I’m leaning toward the Eagles to upset the Giants. In fact, I may actually pick another 6 seed to upset the #1 in the AFC, with Baltimore over the Titans.
Has that ever happened before in the NFL?
That’s a good question Greg. I did a bit of digging but couldn’t come up with the answer. You haven’t heard much talk about the Ravens, but they are about as dangerous as any team in the playoffs right now. In a perfect scenario, I would love to see the Ravens play the Eagles in the Super Bowl and have Donovan get his vindication against the team that caused his benching.