Philadelphia vs New York (PHI -3 , 42.5)
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Eagles vs. Giants | Sunday, October 20, 2024
Just when we started to think the New York Giants' offense was rounding into form, they put up seven points against the woeful Cincinnati Bengals' defense. Daniel Jones came back to earth a bit, and he won’t be helped moving forward by the fact that his stud left tackle, Andrew Thomas, is set for a long stint on the sidelines due to injury. It’s not all bad news, though. Tyrone Tracy continued his breakout with another game with over 100 yards from scrimmage, while also punching in his first career touchdown. With Malik Nabers due to return from concussion, Jones does at least have two exciting young playmakers to utilize.
This week, he will be going up against a Philadelphia Eagles defense that is struggling, despite its big names along the defensive line. They apply pressure on just 17.1% of dropbacks, which is the seventh-worst pressure rate in the NFL, amounting to just 11 sacks, which is also bottom 10. Because of this, the Eagles are giving up 218 passing yards per game, which is 21st in the NFL, and also not ranking that highly when it comes to stopping the run, with the 123 yards conceded on the ground per game landing them middle of the pack. All of this tells the story of a defense that is very beatable in both phases of the game, but the Giants haven’t exactly been firing on offense this year.
In what is very likely to be Daniel Jones’s last season in New York, he is leading an offense that is racking up just 16 points per game, which is 29th in the NFL. They have not been helped by the absence of Nabers, who was frankly the entire offense before he got injured. His 35 receptions are only two receptions behind slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, which is crazy, considering Nabers has played two fewer games because of injury. He still leads the team comfortably with 386 receiving yards and three touchdowns, and his return to the lineup will come as a great relief to both Jones and Giants fans. The key now will be to not rely on him quite so often, perhaps utilizing Tracy a bit more in the passing game.
For Philly, they benefited hugely from the return of AJ Brown last week, who reminded us just how influential he is. His 116 yards against the Cleveland Browns included two huge catches, which proved to be the difference in what ended up being a narrow 20-16 victory. Brown’s quality certainly helps make up for some of the deficiencies we are seeing from Jalen Hurts, who has a PFF passer rating of just 53.5, largely thanks to his 11 turnover-worthy plays on the year.
The hero of the Eagles' season so far has undoubtedly been Saquon Barkley, who has already amassed almost 500 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground, along with 92 yards and another score through the air. In the same way that big plays from AJ Brown helped swing the Browns game in Philadelphia’s favor, Saquon Barkley has been having a similar impact on the ground. With his ability to take any play to the house, he is genuinely one of the most dangerous weapons in the entire NFL.
It won’t be easy for the Eagles to move the ball this weekend, though, with the New York Giants boasting a surprisingly sturdy defense this year. They are top 10 in both points and yards conceded per game, helped massively by having one of the most dominant defensive lines in the NFL. Dexter Lawrence is putting together a Defensive Player of the Year-worthy campaign, thanks to his seven sacks already, and Brian Burns has been useful with three of his own. They will be without Kayvon Thibodeaux this weekend, but they should still fancy their chances.
This is a juicy NFC East clash, in which the Philadelphia Eagles should be on high alert.
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