Game Preview – PHI at NYG

Win and you’re in. Lose and you need help from the Skins, the 3-12 Skins who will be missing key players. So yeah, the Eagles better win.

The headlines are all about Carson Wentz being hot, Zach Ertz being out, Miles Sanders being special and Jordan Howard being back. Funny enough, I think the key to this game is going to be the Eagles defense.

Eagles defense has biggest disparity in NFL home vs road

At home Eagles D giving up 16.8 points/game. They’ve given up the fewest points at home in NFL over last 6 games

But Eagles D giving up 29 points on road. They need to be better Sunday#Eagles pic.twitter.com/G4na7ey5jv

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) December 27, 2019

The Eagles limited the Giants to 17 points in the first meeting, but that was at The Linc. Sunday’s game will be in New Jersey. Can Jim Schwartz get his guys to play to the same level on the road? That hasn’t been the case for most of the year.

Then again, this is a different type of game. This isn’t just a game in Atlanta or Minnesota. This is a game with specific consequences. The Eagles must win to go to the playoffs. That should bring out the best in the players. The defense should play with energy and emotion. If you can’t get up for this game, what’s the point of even making the playoffs?

The Eagles limited Saquon Barkley to 67 yards on 20 touches in the first game. That was outstanding defense. Barkley is fully healthy now and on a tear. He has more than 420 total yards and 4 TDs in the last two games combined. He is on a different level right now and the Eagles need to be ready for that.

One of the things that stood out last week was the Eagles tackling. They were good in traffic and in space. They were good vs WR and RBs. They need a repeat performance. If Slayton or Barkley gets loose in space, that will turn into a big play.

Daniel Jones had a great game last week, but it helped that he was playing a terrible secondary. The Skins could not cover anyone. He is a talented passer and dangerous runner. The Eagles have to put together a smart plan for dealing with him. One bit of good news. Jones will hold the ball. Part of that is him being a rookie, but it was also a bad habit at Duke.

Jones also will turn the ball over. He has thrown 11 picks and has 16 fumbles. He didn’t lose all of them, but you get the point. There will be chances for the Eagles to make plays.

RT Mike Remmers will be out for the Giants. This would be an ideal time for Brandon Graham to have a huge game.

Now what about the Eagles offense. I’m guessing Doug Pederson comes out throwing the ball. He’ll be without Ertz, but Pederson isn’t one to run from injuries. He will want to attack the Giants secondary, which isn’t good.

Expect Dallas Goedert to be a key target. Greg Ward will need to come up big once again. JJ Arcega-Whiteside and Robert Davis will need to make plays as well.

The key skill players will once again be the RBs. Sanders, Scott and Howard need to combine for at least 30 touches. The Giants just saw the Eagles screen game up close a few weeks back. It will be interesting to see if the Eagles can come up with wrinkles to keep the screens effective. This is now a critical part of the offense.

Carson Wentz has been great in recent weeks and needs to keep up his level of play.

Rain could be a factor. It is hard to say who that might favor.

One of the key factors in this game will be the mindset of the teams. The Eagles are playing for a division title, but they also could be dealing with a Dallas hangover. And they are playing the 4-11 Giants. If the Eagles forget about Dallas, focus on the task at hand and think of the Giants as a team on a two-game winning streak, they’ll be fine.

The Giants are a loose, confident team. They should be excited for Sunday. Then again, they know this is it. Some teams will mentally check out in a meaningless game. Rumors of a coaching change can also be a factor in that regard.

I expect the Eagles to be focused and ready. I think the Giants will be too.

I would love to see an Eagles blowout, but I tend to think this is going to be a tough game. We’ll have to see if the Eagles can make enough plays to pull it out.

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