For the New York Giants, who have long been bitter rivals of the Eagles, they will be playing in one of their final games at Giants Stadium, for the organization is planning on opening a new home for the 2010 campaign. And of course, because of this, the Birds are licking their chops at the chance to crash the stadium farewell party a little early, by coming to East Rutherford, New Jersey and leaving with a win. Lately, the Eagles have looked extremely convincing, knocking off the injury-rattled Falcons by a lopsided score and coming from behind to defeat both the Bears and Redskins. However, they will need to continue their balance on offense and success on the defensive side of the ball against a playoff team in the Giants tomorrow to come out of the contest victorious. New York’s shining moments have hinged on QB Eli Manning’s consistency, and to the happiness of the Eagles, their staff, and their fan base, the passer is still dealing with foot pain, and is likely to be playing with at least a bit of caution. Nevertheless, this Week 14 showdown between two strong, competing NFC squads is sure to be a must-see performance.

Week 14 Opponent: New York Giants

2008 Record: 12-4 (0-1 playoffs)

Last Meeting Between Teams: Week 8, 2009. PHI-40 NYG-17

Game Location: Giants Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)

Evaluation: If there is one word that best fits the New York Giants in regards to their display of football over the last few seasons, it is: enigma. Basically, that means they have been a mystery, or a hard-to-figure-out franchise. Of course, they were the best team in the league in 2007 when they captured the Super Bowl title over the seemingly unstoppable New England Patriots, but since then they’ve been up and down at a rapid pace. Last year, the “Big Blue” began with an 11-1 record in their first 12 games, but fell apart in the final 4, losing 3 and then crumbling to our beloved Eagles in the divisional round of the postseason. And thus far this season, the Giants have gone from a perfect 5-0 start to a 4-game losing streak, and are now fighting to stay alive in both the NFC East division as well as the playoff picture. With what has been dubbed a surprisingly powerful, but inconsistent offensive unit and a similarly up-and-down defense that has been depleted some by injuries, the Giants are certainly not one of the NFL’s finest, but will definitely fight hard and make their opponents earn a win.

Key Matchups:

• DE Trent Cole (PHI) vs. OT David Diehl (NYG): Cole has undoubtedly been one of the Eagles’ most consistent and dominant players of the entire season, and his 9.5 sacks (good for 3rd in the conference) tell most of the tale. However, when the Giants last met with the Birds, Diehl was able to contain the aggressive rush of the Defensive End. The two will likely play in a key battle that will have a lot to do with New York’s offensive success. The Giants are one of only a trio of clubs that have kept Cole from recording at least a half a sack this year, and will look to continue their streak against him. For the defensive lineman, though, he is hungry to get his hands on QB Eli Manning and boost his sack total to a double digit total.
• MLB Jeremiah Trotter (PHI) vs. RB Brandon Jacobs (NYG): Just thinking about this matchup has to get your intensity level churning. Sure, Trotter isn’t likely to get the official start, nor is he as exciting as he once was on the field, but the veteran remains a tough defender and will be faced primarily with the Giants’ hard-nosed, power RB Brandon Jacobs, who has amassed nearly 900 yards from scrimmage this season, to go along with 5 total touchdowns. Although young Joe Mays is expected to man the Middle Linebacker spot for the majority of the game, and Jacobs is due to split carries with speedy Ahmad Bradshaw, this matchup will be key nonetheless, and it will also be one of the best to watch, for sure. Both players bring an emotional and passionate sense to the game, and that’s exactly why these two will provide for an even better rivalry.
• FB Leonard Weaver (PHI) vs. MLB Chase Blackburn (NYG): Weaver, who hasn’t been used each and every week as a big part of the offense but is an explosive weapon nonetheless, had a great game versus the Giants earlier in the season, in which he rushed for 75 yards and a score, and will now face a different opponent in the middle of the Giants’ defense. Because starter Antonio Pierce was placed on the Injured Reserve list with a neck injury, Blackburn now owns the position, and is likely to be the key player responsible for containing Weaver, should the versatile Fullback receive a fair share of carries. If Weaver is able to elude the grasp of Blackburn, he is sure to take the ball down the field against what is a depleted New York secondary, so this player battle might be more important than what it appears to be.
• OLB Akeem Jordan, CB Joselio Hanson (PHI) vs. TE Kevin Boss (NYG): Both Hanson and Jordan are returning to the Eagles’ defensive lineup after missing the last four games due to individual reasons (Hanson was serving a suspension, Jordan was nursing a knee injury). The two are the most likely to be covering New York’s under-rated weapon, Boss. The 3rd-year Tight End has quietly been a clutch receiver for the Giants, and has hauled in 27 passes for 391 yards and 4 TDs on the year. With Jordan’s coverage ability in question–at least for this week–because of his previous knee pain–and Hanson’s playing time expected to be limited because of his 4-game absence, Boss may come out the winner of this battle, especially since the Eagles have had trouble containing opposing teams’ TEs for most of the season. Hopefully, though, Philadelphia is able to make the proper adjustments to “show Boss who’s boss”.

What to Watch For…

• DeSean Jackson, barring a sudden pre-game headache or serious head complications, is going to suit up this week after sitting out Week 13 with a concussion. The explosive 2nd-year star said on a local radio show earlier in the week that he is definitely going to be playing, and that’s a good thing for the Eagles’ offense, no question about it. Look out for #10 on the field, and how many times the Birds look his way for production, both because he is their “big-play guy” and is coming off an injury.
• Backup QB Michael Vick was unleashed last weekend, and obviously because he was facing his former team in his former home of Georgia. The athletic passer threw for a touchdown and ran for another, and with his big performance, is expected to be incorporated into the offensive picture on a larger and more consistent basis. With the Giants struggling to find a constant plan for their defense, Vick may once again receive a large role, so be sure to keep your eye out for the former Falcon in tomorrow afternoon’s matchup.
• WR Kevin Curtis may see his first action since Week 2 of the season after participating in some of this week’s practice routines. The veteran backup is a solid contributor when healthy, but has been troubled with a knee injury and surgical rehabilitation for most of the season, hence his prolonged absence from the team’s schedule. Should Curtis return, it will be interesting to see how often and in what way the Birds will utilize him, especially against a damaged secondary like New York’s.

Injury Report (Eagles):

RB Brian Westbrook (concussion) Out

WR DeSean Jackson (concussion) Probable

WR Jason Avant (slightly strained hamstring) Probable

WR Jeremy Maclin (reoccurring foot pain, plantar faciitis) Questionable

WR Kevin Curtis (surgery; sprained knee) Questionable

TE Brent Celek (sprained thumb) Probable

OT Jason Peters (strained shoulder, head pain) Probable

OG Nick Cole (knee pain) Probable

OG Todd Herremans (shoulder pain) Probable

DE Victor Abiamiri (sprained knee) Probable

DT Mike Patterson (bruised wrist) Probable

DT Trevor Laws (hip pain) Probable

OLB Akeem Jordan (hyper-extended knee) Probable

OLB Tracy White (strained shoulder muscle) Probable

MLB Joe Mays (illness) Probable

Projected Team Lineups:

It’s Eagles vs. Giants! The rivalry will be renewed tomorrow, and–as stated in the title–the Eagles will hopefully crash New York’s stadium farewell party a few weeks earlier…with a big win!

(picture source)