NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia Eagles will face their division rivals, the New York Giants this Sunday in a must-win game for the Birds. Well, it seems every game is a must-win for them nowadays. The Eagles are coming off a win against the Cleveland Browns while the Giants are coming off a defeat at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals. Which team needs this win more?
The Eagles have their receivers back but lost TE Dallas Goedert last week. This is being billed as a revenge game for RB Saquon Barkley but the Eagles cannot afford to go into this game with that in mind. This has to be a balanced attack. As for the defense, after getting to QB Deshaun Watson last week, the Eagles’ pass rush will look to capitalize on their newly-found sack progress.
Here are 3 keys to victory for the Philadelphia Eagles against the New York Giants.
Stick To The Game Plan
This is not a revenge game for Saquon Barkley no matter what the media may think. We all know what happened between Barkley and the Giants during the offseason but this is not the game when Barkley should look to win the Rushing Title. Yes, it all sounds fun, and being a division game, Barkley is needed. But attacking the game with this mindset is not going to help a team that’s dealing with a ton of inner issues themselves. Nick Sirianni has to make sure his team has their heads on straight and wants to win for the right reasons.
Injuries have plagued this team, especially on the offensive side of the ball lately, and with Godert out, the Eagles’ offense still won’t be at full strength. However, it’s time for Kellen Moore to put his stamp on the Eagles season. Jalen Hurts had his best performance last week but Barkley did not. Is this the week where everything comes together for the offense?
Get To Jones
The Eagles have struggled to get after opposing QB all season but their game against the Cleveland Browns proved they can actually sack a QB. The Eagles pressured Watson numerous times while registering 5 sacks on the QB. While Jones is more mobile than Watson, the Eagles still have the players to cause havoc in the backfield.
Vic Fangio should blitz more. He dialed up a few against the Browns and they paid off. The Giants are not the best at pass protection and if the DL can continue to beat their men, Jones could be in for a long day. Jones has been sacked 14 times this year and if the Eagles have any chance to come out for this game victorious, they will need to get to Jones at least 3-4 times this Sunday.
Use Play-Action
Where are all the pre-motion snaps that fans have been expecting since the news dropped about the hiring of OC Kellen Moore? For some reason, the Eagles look as if they are still using the Nick Sirianna playbook instead of Moore’s. If that’s the case, that would explain why the offense is in such a slump outside of the injuries. Well, with the Eagles having their receivers back, minus the injury to Goedert, it’s time to dial up some magic.
With Barkley in the backfield, the Philadelphia Eagles should be one of the best teams in terms of utilizing play-action. And yet, that’s something they rarely do. What’s the catch here? The Giants get after the QB and they do so often. They will blitz when they see the opportunity and with Hurts not as accurate, the Giants’ defense could feast. A way to slow that pass rush down is to use play-action.
