Saturday night’s Eagles, Giants playoff game will be the third meeting this season between the two. The Eagles won the first two and the worry warts are out in force, because it’s supposedly difficult to defeat a good team three times in a season.
Fact: Since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, teams who have won the first two games are 15-9 in the third game.
Opinion: There’s plenty to worry about regarding the Giants but don’t concern yourself because it’s the third meeting.
The teams are familiar with each other. Linemen have battered each other for eight quarters. Defenders have seen the plays and patterns of skill players. They have a sense of what to expect. Some plays worked, some did not.
Eagles left guard Landon Dickerson said he’s noticed the Giants making changes to how they attack the Eagles.
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“Anytime you’re playing a team multiple times a year, they obviously get a taste for what we do and our answers to things they bring,” Dickerson said.
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“It goes back and forth. They kinda figure out what we do in certain situations and they’re going to bring a counter to that … They changed things up even in the second game and I know they’ll change stuff again for this one.
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“It’s how every game goes. They’re going to give a problem, we come up with a solution and it’s a back-and-forth battle. Any good team is going to do that.”
‘IT’S A PHILLY THING’
Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts wore apparel the other day saying: It’s a Philly thing.
- “It’s a swagger,” Hurts said about the team’s playoff slogan. “When you talk about the passion in this city, the support in this city, the love for the Philadelphia Eagles in this city. It’s truly a Philly thing.”
RELYING ON CONSISTENCY
Hurts has been the center of attention because of his recovery from an SC joint sprain in his right shoulder. He has been a full participant in practice this week.
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“Regardless of the magnitude of the game publicly, we know what we’ve worked for, we know that we put ourselves in this position by what we did all season,” Hurts said.
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“The consistency we had all season. The focus we had all season. The preparation and the work we put in all season — and before the season started in the offseason.
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“I don’t think anything changes in terms of the process. The process remains the same through everything but the standard rises. We want to lean on the things that got us here.”
MOCK DRAFTS
The NFL Draft is April 27-29 in Kansas City. Over the next three months, there will be plenty of mock drafts as well as 2023 NFL Draft betting odds.
At Iggles.com, we have our own excellent 2023 Eagles mock draft.
Here is who The Athletic’s Dane Brugler thinks the Eagles will select in the first round:
At No. 10, cornerback Joey Porter Jr., of Penn State.
- Brugler’s comments: “With James Bradberry likely to get paid elsewhere this offseason, the Eagles will be looking to address the cornerback position. Joey Porter Jr., the son of a former Pro Bowler, is a long and physical (sometimes, too physical) athlete with the cover skills that might land him in the top 10.”
At No. 32, running back Bijan Robinson, of Texas.
- Brugler’s comments: “The last time the Eagles drafted a running back in the first round, Ron Jaworski was Philadelphia’s starting quarterback. But Bijan Robinson is one of the best talents in this draft class and would be a bargain with the final pick of Round 1. The Texas running back has no business falling this far. There just aren’t too many clear landing spots within the top 30 picks.”
In the CBS Sports mock draft …
At No. 10, offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr., of Ohio State.
- Comments: “Johnson Jr., who played left tackle for the Buckeyes this season, also has experience on the interior; either way, he is a Day 1 starter, which in Philly could be at guard early in his career before moving to tackle when Lane Johnson decides to hang them up.”
At No. 32, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, of Alabama.
- Comments: “The Eagles haven’t taken a RB in the first round since 1986 (!) but we said the same thing about Andy Reid and RBs right until the moment he selected Clyde Edwards-Helaire a few years ago. And while CEH may not be the best example of why Philly might consider a back here, Gibbs has drawn comparisons to Dalvin Cook and Alvin Kamara as both a runner and a receiver. He essentially [would] be yet another weapon for Jalen Hurts in this offense.”
EAGLES’ GAME IN GERMANY?
The Eagles could play in Germany next season.
The NFL announced its five teams to play in Europe on Thursday. The Chiefs and Patriots will play in Germany and the Eagles are scheduled to play road games against both teams in 2023.
The Bills, Titans and Jaguars will play in the United Kingdom.
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