An inside have a look at Sunday’s Giants-Eagles Week 18 matchup at MetLife Stadium.
Marquee matchup
Eagles RT Lane Johnson vs. Giants OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux
Little known fact: Kayvon Thibodeaux, still early in his NFL profession, has played a complete of seven games against the Cowboys and Eagles, and he doesn’t have a single sack in those games.
He must do more against the higher teams.
Johnson, among the finest within the league, handled Thibodeaux in last 12 months’s NFC divisional playoff game and two weeks ago held Thibodeaux with out a single tackle or sack.
With a team-leading 11.5 sacks, Thibodeaux is closing out a powerful second season.
But he will not be ending strong, with no sacks in his past three games and just two half-sacks in his past five games.
Paul’s pick
Gauging incentive this time of 12 months is all the time tricky.
In fact the Giants wish to win, but nobody desires to get hurt in Week 18 and spend the offseason rehabbing an injury.
It is a final tuneup for the Eagles before a playoff game the following week, and so they wish to be sharp but additionally remain healthy.
It will be nice if Sterling Shepard can get a catch or two in his last game with the team.
Eagles 27, Giants 13
4 downs
Goal in sight: Sure, it might mean something to Saquon Barkley if he can reach 1,000 rushing yards for the fourth time in his six seasons.
He’s sitting at 916, so he needs 84 more yards. He ran for 80 yards on the Eagles on Christmas Day. Despite missing three games early within the season with a high ankle sprain, Barkley has shown durability, playing in the ultimate 12 games and carrying a heavy load. To be honest, I feel good, I feel really good,’’ Barkley said. “Just a tricky 12 months. Tough 12 months for people, a tricky 12 months as a team, as an offense.
“There are a variety of excuses and a variety of things I can say, but for me, I feel like, finish this game off on a high note, come out of it healthy, and get back to the drafting board.’’
Recent lesson plan: Let Dexter Lawrence, the perfect defensive player the Giants employ and their only Pro Bowler, express his feelings about the opportunity of playing in 2024 not for Wink Martindale but for a special defensive coordinator: “It sucks learning a latest scheme, if that’s what happens,’’ Lawrence said. “In order that probably can be probably the most heartbreaking thing, truthfully, and him being just a great leader of men. Things like that might probably be the toughest thing to go about.’’
There’s some friction between Martindale and head coach Brian Daboll that should be smoothed over before Lawrence gets his wish.
Bird watching: So, what’s up with the Eagles?
They were riding high at 10-1, then were grounded, losing 4 of their past five games and not control their destiny, so far as winning the NFC East title it looks like they’ve blown.
This past week, star receiver A.J. Brown got here to the defense of head coach Nick Sirianni, who suddenly is under some pressure after leading the Eagles into the Super Bowl last season.
“They got good players, good coaches,’’ Daboll said. “Everybody goes through stuff through the season. That’s a good-ass football team.’’
Isn’t that special? It was too turbulent of a season for special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey.
The Giants struggled to seek out a punt returner out of the gate then got on what McGaughey called “the kicker train” — going through 4 of them, which is fairly unheard of.
“I believe we were up and down,’’ McGaughey said of his group. “We didn’t start fast like we desired to. Last 12 months, we had some pretty big splash plays early within the 12 months, and clearly, this 12 months was the alternative. I believe we got higher because the 12 months went on, however the continuity was there a bit bit more towards the tip.’’ McGaughey singled out punter Jamie Gillan for praise.
An inside have a look at Sunday’s Giants-Eagles Week 18 matchup at MetLife Stadium.
Marquee matchup
Eagles RT Lane Johnson vs. Giants OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux
Little known fact: Kayvon Thibodeaux, still early in his NFL profession, has played a complete of seven games against the Cowboys and Eagles, and he doesn’t have a single sack in those games.
He must do more against the higher teams.
Johnson, among the finest within the league, handled Thibodeaux in last 12 months’s NFC divisional playoff game and two weeks ago held Thibodeaux with out a single tackle or sack.
With a team-leading 11.5 sacks, Thibodeaux is closing out a powerful second season.
But he will not be ending strong, with no sacks in his past three games and just two half-sacks in his past five games.
Paul’s pick
Gauging incentive this time of 12 months is all the time tricky.
In fact the Giants wish to win, but nobody desires to get hurt in Week 18 and spend the offseason rehabbing an injury.
It is a final tuneup for the Eagles before a playoff game the following week, and so they wish to be sharp but additionally remain healthy.
It will be nice if Sterling Shepard can get a catch or two in his last game with the team.
Eagles 27, Giants 13
4 downs
Goal in sight: Sure, it might mean something to Saquon Barkley if he can reach 1,000 rushing yards for the fourth time in his six seasons.
He’s sitting at 916, so he needs 84 more yards. He ran for 80 yards on the Eagles on Christmas Day. Despite missing three games early within the season with a high ankle sprain, Barkley has shown durability, playing in the ultimate 12 games and carrying a heavy load. To be honest, I feel good, I feel really good,’’ Barkley said. “Just a tricky 12 months. Tough 12 months for people, a tricky 12 months as a team, as an offense.
“There are a variety of excuses and a variety of things I can say, but for me, I feel like, finish this game off on a high note, come out of it healthy, and get back to the drafting board.’’
Recent lesson plan: Let Dexter Lawrence, the perfect defensive player the Giants employ and their only Pro Bowler, express his feelings about the opportunity of playing in 2024 not for Wink Martindale but for a special defensive coordinator: “It sucks learning a latest scheme, if that’s what happens,’’ Lawrence said. “In order that probably can be probably the most heartbreaking thing, truthfully, and him being just a great leader of men. Things like that might probably be the toughest thing to go about.’’
There’s some friction between Martindale and head coach Brian Daboll that should be smoothed over before Lawrence gets his wish.
Bird watching: So, what’s up with the Eagles?
They were riding high at 10-1, then were grounded, losing 4 of their past five games and not control their destiny, so far as winning the NFC East title it looks like they’ve blown.
This past week, star receiver A.J. Brown got here to the defense of head coach Nick Sirianni, who suddenly is under some pressure after leading the Eagles into the Super Bowl last season.
“They got good players, good coaches,’’ Daboll said. “Everybody goes through stuff through the season. That’s a good-ass football team.’’
Isn’t that special? It was too turbulent of a season for special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey.
The Giants struggled to seek out a punt returner out of the gate then got on what McGaughey called “the kicker train” — going through 4 of them, which is fairly unheard of.
“I believe we were up and down,’’ McGaughey said of his group. “We didn’t start fast like we desired to. Last 12 months, we had some pretty big splash plays early within the 12 months, and clearly, this 12 months was the alternative. I believe we got higher because the 12 months went on, however the continuity was there a bit bit more towards the tip.’’ McGaughey singled out punter Jamie Gillan for praise.
