This weekend, the Philadelphia Eagles are heading up the turnpike to play NFC East rival, the New York Giants. With two consecutive wins under their belt, Philadelphia is looking for a third, launching them one step closer to the playoffs.
The Giants, on the other hand, are now 3-7 and recently fired their offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. With a play-calling replacement, New York will try to take advantage of the situation to throw off the Birds.
As for the winner — fans on both sides of the state line know that anything can come out of Sunday’s game.
EAGLES VS. GIANTS PREDICTIONS
Alicia’s Pick: Eagles, 31-17
Dare I say that the Eagles are on a roll?
In the past four weeks, Philadelphia has been averaging 34.5 points and 217.5 rushing yards per game. They started this season as one of the worst teams in the league and are now ranked No. 8 in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. That’s insane.
Sunday’s game will be another win for the rush offense as “The Giants Killer,” Boston Scott, should continue to live up to his name. Over the last two seasons, Scott has tormented the Giants’ defense, and with the recent injury of Jordan Howard, Scott and Sanders will work in tandem.
Given the Eagles’ recent run to take control of the rush game, it’s obvious the Giants will be anticipating this, so it’s likely we’ll see a stronger pass performance.
I can’t say anything bad about Philadelphia’s offensive line. They’ve done more than enough all season and have been giving Jalen Hurts ample time to sit in the pocket to make throws. With an improved skillset from Hurts over the last few weeks, he’s given the city confidence that he’s here for the long haul.
The Eagles’ defense should also see huge plays this weekend. The Giants have only scored 30 points or more once in 26 games under head coach Joe Judge. New York lacks an offensive scheme, and top playmaker Saquon Barkley continues to suffer from knee issues. Their offensive line is shotty, and with the number of turnovers quarterback Daniel Jones has produced, players like Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave should come out on top.
After Sunday’s game, the Eagles will be 6-6 heading into another New York game before their long-awaited bye week.
Drew’s Pick: Eagles 27-14
Since 2014, the Giants are 3-12 against the Eagles, and 6-21 since 2008. That’s an utterly insane record for the Eagles, to the point where it’s not exactly even a real rivalry.
The team is rolling on all cylinders – Jalen Hurts is making plays happen with his legs and arm, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert have become two reliable targets, and the running game is outstanding, although it remains to be seen how the loss of Jordan Howard will suddenly impact the group.
The Giants are as underwhelming as ever, with their main contributors — Barkley, Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard — are either suffering injuries or simply being unproductive. New York just fired OC Jason Garrett, so their offense will look different from the past week fews – but changes simply don’t happen overnight.
All signs point to a dominating Eagles victory. BUT… are we in for a letdown loss? Right now, I don’t think so. The Eagles are on too good of a roll to drop this game. However, I’m hesitant to say they won’t suffer a surprise loss or two in the final stretch, but that’s another discussion for another day. Right now, enjoy an upcoming Birds win.
