Matching Up with the G-Men

Even though many of us still haven't come down from the high of that masterful performance on Monday night, we have a huge game coming up, and it's time we start breaking it down:

EAGLES OFFENSE VS. GIANTS DEFENSE

I'm sure at least a few Giants players and coaches were watching MNF, and I'm sure they didn't like what they saw out of Mike Vick and the rest of the Eagles' offense.  The O accounted for 52 points and almost 600 total yards, and we currently rank third in the league in total yards per game with 400.2  Now, the Giants have a defense that is far superior to the Redskins' (in fact, they're first in total defense), but it still has to make them nervous.  Giants defenders have made a reputation for themselves this season; they are known for putting the other team's quarterback out of the game.  They took out the Lions' Shaun Hill, gave the Bears a double whammy by knocking out Jay Cutler and Todd Collins, flattened the Panthers' Matt Moore, and of course, effectively ended Tony Romo's season.  Considering Vick has already spent about a month on the disabled list after being sandwiched in the first Redskins game, I'm a little wary, especially given Vick's maddening tendency to remain upright going into tackles.  Andy, Marty, and QB coach James Urban have to make it clear to Vick that he can't do the same against this defense.  He HAS to learn to slide in this game. 

As far as the passing game is concerned, I like our chances against their secondary, even though it's improved.  DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin against Terrell Thomas and Corey Webster is a mismatch in our favor, but the Giants have two very talented safeties in Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle.  The unit as a whole has done an excellent job of defending the pass this season; they rank fourth in the league with an average of 186.9 pass yards allowed per game.  

Unfortunately, the Giants D is even better against the run; they rank third in the league with 83.3 yards per game allowed.  BUT, we rank third in the NFL with 151.1 yards per game, and we now appear to have a three-headed monster in terms of rushing ability; LeSean McCoy has been very good this season, Jerome Harrison has shown he can contribute significantly, and of course, there's the little matter of the fastest, most electrifying QB in the game that the Giants must attend to.  The Giants arguably have the league's best defense right now (they are the league's best in terms of yards allowed per game), but curiously, they are middling in terms of points allowed; at 21.4 points, they rank fourteenth in the NFL.  That's good news for an offense that can score from anywhere on the field at any time (we rank second in the NFL in points scored at 257) and that has not given the ball up easily this season.  Vick has yet to throw an interception, and fumbles from offensive players really haven't been an issue.

The thing about their defense that gives me serious pause is their front four; Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck are the best defensive end tandem in the league right now, and the interior of Barry Cofield and Chris Canty are among the better defensive tackles in the game today.  Our offensive line has to be at its very best on Sunday night; Vick can make magic happen with his legs and feet, but he can't be running for his life all game long.  This is one area where we are outmatched, so I'm willing to bet that Andy and Marty are going to be dialing up pass plays that are designed for Vick to get rid of the ball quickly.  This isn't going to be one of those games where he can settle into the pocket and have all day for plays to develop.

Brent Celek, where have you gone?  He's been making some good blocks, but if we expect to contend for a Super Bowl, we'll need the Celek of '09 and '08 back.  Time to have a breakout game, Brent.  I think you can handle their linebackers, but their safeties may be an issue.

EAGLES DEFENSE VS. GIANTS OFFENSE

You can bet that Tom Coughlin wishes he had WR Steve Smith and C Shaun O'Hara back for this game.  Without Smith, it will be easier for the Eagles to attempt to shut down Hakeem Nicks, and after him, I'm not too scared of any other receivers they have.  Mario Manningham is good, but he's not THAT good, so if we can effectively limit Nicks' ability to make plays, we'll have a much easier time of it. 

Not having O'Hara really hurts the Giants' o-line; much like Jamaal Jackson was for us, he is the line's anchor, and his absence (as well as the loss of backup center Adam Koets for the season) has forced Rich Seubert to slide over from his natural position at guard.  Kevin Boothe, having just come off the disabled list, replaces Seubert, and it was he that was called for a crucial holding penalty last Sunday that negated a 48-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Nicks.  Oh, and before I forget, Shawn Andrews is their new starting left tackle.  He's been playing well, but I suspect Andy wants a little payback for that fat baby's act over the past couple years.  Shawn Andrews, this is Trent Cole.  I believe you two have met.  How well their o-line plays may well determine the outcome of this game.

The Giants offense, unfortunately, outmatches our pass coverage and run-stopping abilities, but there's one major advantage we'll have against them, and that is our ability to create turnovers.  We're currently first in the NFL in interceptions, and our turnover differential of +12 is also tops in the league.  So far this season, Eli has thrown only 6 more touchdowns (19) than interceptions (13).  That bodes well for a defensive unit that has 16 interceptions thus far.  If our front four can keep their o-line on their heels, we should not only force Eli to make bad throws, but also plant him in the turf a few times.  Once Eli's confidence and rhythm are disrupted, he tends to get discouraged and make mistakes.

The linebackers have to show up for this game; they can't allow themselves to get burned by TE Kevin Boss the way they got burned by Brandon Pettigrew, Vernon Davis and Jacob Tamme.  Stewart Bradley's cover skills have to improve, and Ernie Sims can't continue to overpursue his opponent. 

The front four and the backers will have their hands full with Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs; they need to be shut down early so we can force Eli to challenge our secondary.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Eagles special teams have significantly improved on kickoff coverage, but outside of DeSean Jackson, whom I'm sure Andy doesn't want to risk getting injured, we really don't have a solid return man.  Jorrick Calvin had a rough time of it against the Redskins, fumbling once (though he recovered it), and getting rocked on a couple of returns.  He can't afford to tank against the Giants, we'll need all the good starting field position we can get.  In the kicking game, David Akers is 16 for 20 so far, which is pretty good.  He's had one bad game this season, but he's in a rhythm right now.  Sav Rocca is, well, Sav Rocca.  It's always fun to guess whether he'll uncork a rainmaking punt to pin the other team behind their own 10, or send it wobbling out of bounds for a net gain of 20 yards.

Like us, the Giants had issues with their special teams in the early going.  Like us, it remains possibly their weakest point.  DeSean could be useful here; I'd like to see him finally break one on a return this season.  It could mean the difference in the game.  Kicker Lawrence Tynes is 11 of 14 on the year, and he is 7 for 9 lifetime against the Eagles.  Punter Matt Dodge had an awful start to the season, so bad that Giants fans were chanting for the ancient Jeff Feagles to return.  He's been improving, but if he kicks to DeSean at any point, he's going to be nervous.

INTANGIBLES

This isn't just a battle to see who is the Beast of the East; this is a fight for NFC playoff supremacy.  Whatever happens down the stretch, it looks as though the Eagles and Giants will be in the thick of it, so they're definitely going to want to limit each other's playoff capabilities.  The Eagles will be looking to demoralize and expose the Giants with their explosive offense and high-octane quarterback, and the Giants will want to use brute force to try to render Mike Vick ineffective; in other words, they'll be looking to injure him.  Believe it.  I expect a lot of chippy play and violent hits in this game.

Right now, the momentum is clearly with the Eagles; confidence is at a season-high after the Monday Night Massacre.  The Giants are left scartching their heads and probably wondering if they're really as good as everyone said they were prior to their embarassing loss to the woeful 1-7 Cowboys.  The Eagles also have more quality wins than the Giants do; both teams lost to the Titans, but the Eagles beat the Colts, whereas the Giants were manhandled by them.  You could make the argument that the Giants got Indy before they were hit with the injury bug, but Peyton Manning is still Peyton Manning, and where we completely shut Dwight Freeney down, he completely owned New York's offensive line.  Also, of the Giants' six wins, they have beaten two teams that currently have a record of .500 or better: the Bears, who are 6-3 because their opponents have a combined record of 15-39, and the Seahawks, who play in the nauseating NFC West.  The Eagles, besides the Colts, soundly beat the team with the NFC's best record (the Falcons, who are currently 7-2).

The magnitude of this game's importance cannot be understated; the wins over Indianapolis and Washington were statements, but with a win over the Giants, the Eagles can stake their claim as the NFC's best team.