By Michael Stewart @TheTruthNYG
The New York Giants have now gone 3 games without a win (0-2-1) and now face the 11-1 Philadelphia Eagles who are currently favored by seven points. Based on the performances by these two teams over the course of the season, this game could be over by half time. The Eagles have excelled on both sides of the ball scoring 27.5 points per game while surrendering only 19.6. With their playoff hopes slowing dwindling, the Giants must find a way and a secure a win against their division rival. Here are my top 3 ways the Giants could win:
- Battle of the Trenches: Winning in the trenches has been a formula for success since the beginning in the NFL and it’s no secret that if you dominate the line of scrimmage, you have a very good chance of winning the game. For the Giants, this will be no easy tasks as the Eagles offensively possess a potent offense led by QB Jalen Hurts. On defense, the Eagles have a solid group of defenders who can alter the game and shutdown any offense in the NFL.
- Time of Possession: Against the Commanders, the Giants were totally outplayed in Time of Possession and are very fortunate they didn’t lose the game. Against the Eagles, the Giants must win this category and keep the ball away from the Eagles offense. Based on the Giants previous performances offensively over the last 3 games, not sure they can with this battle.
- Limit Big Plays: The Giants have a serious issue with big play potential as they rank near the bottom in the NFL in this category. This is not a recipe for success against an Eagle team that is loaded with players who can make big plays at any moment. The top 4 players to keep an eye on are Wide Receivers A.J Brown, DeVonta Smith, Tight End Dallas Goedert and Running Back Miles Sanders. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is having an MVP season partly due to these four players. Add to this the Giants secondary or lack of a secondary that features waiver wires and practice squad players. The Giants must find a way to limit the Eagles big plays in this game or it will be a very long day.
Final Thoughts: The Giants are still in the playoff picture, but the percentages are diminishing with each loss. The Eagles are soaring, and the Giants are staying afloat, so can the Giants change their fortune and pull off their biggest upset of the season? This game will feature lots of emotion and the physicality will be a typical Giants/Eagles matchup. Unfortunately, there’s no way of sugar coating this as the Giants will continue their winless ways against the Eagles and face a must win showdown on December 18, at Washington. Final Score: Eagles-27/Giants-16