Game Preview:
The New York Giants take on their division rival Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. in Philadelphia. This game marks the 168th regular season meeting between the two teams.
The teams last met in Week 6 on Oct. 11 in MetLife Stadium, when the Giants lost, 34-13. A win on Sunday would improve the Giants all-time regular-season record vs. the Eagles to 84-82-2, including 38-44-1 on the road.
Series Meetings: 167
Overall Record: 83-82-2
Home: 46-38-1
Away: 37-44-1
Injury Report:
The following players were listed on Friday’s injury report:
GIANTS: DL Kerry Wynn (out; concussion)
EAGLES: LB Jordan Hicks (out; calf), CB Sidney Jones (out;
hamstring), CB Avonte Maddox (out; knee/ankle), CB Jalen
Mills (out; foot), RB Darren Sproles (out; hamstring), CB Rasul
Douglas (questionable; knee/ankle).
The Giants return to Philadelphia on Sunday to play the struggling defending Super Bowl Champion Eagles. This will mark the first time Big Blue returns to Lincoln Financial Field since their 27-24 loss on a 61 yard field goal heard round the world by rookie Jake Elliot. Though this time the scene is a little different.
The defending champions have struggled since Carson Weintz returned from his season ending injury. Weintz’s injury opened the door for Nick Foles to step in to fill in and lead the Eagles to their first championship. The Eagles (4-7) see their repeat for not only a championship but a playoff birth slipping away due to injuries and inconsistent play.
Giants Wide Receiver Odell Beckham was asked about the amazing kick that basically ended their 2017 playoff contention,and was brutally honest as always. “He made a 63-yard field goal. You can’t do nothing but tip your hat to him. As I was standing there, I was watching, I was like, oh yeah it’s over.”
“We understand that, and we’ve got to be our best each week.” Says Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson The injuries have piled up, and it’s been a little harder. It’s been a little more difficult, but again, we don’t have the excuses, and we got to continue to play each game.”
When Coach Pederson was asked about the struggles of trying to repeat and fight for a playoff spot. He stated that he knew that the team had a target on their back. “I think our team, as part of my messaging early in the season, teams are going to be coming after us soon. I can remember a year ago saying the same things. If you want to be the best, you got to beat the best, when we’re playing playoff-type teams. I’m assuming teams are doing the same thing when they’re playing the Eagles.”
“We just have to come to work ready and practice, and prepare, and as they say, try to go 1-0 each week.” Says Pederson. “It’s a division game, Giants game. You can take records and where teams are at this stage of the season and kind of toss them aside and go play. So, it’s definitely a 60-minute game.”
Beckham notices the rivalry has been one sided since he arrived in 2014. ” It’s Philly and they’ve been beating us. I don’t like losing, period. It doesn’t matter who it is. The nature of it – Philly, Giants. It can’t go on forever.”
Giants Quarterback Eli Manning summed it up best. “They’ve been good teams and obviously hey, every time you play, you got an opportunity. It’s just about what matters is this game and this opportunity to go out there and get a win.”
Giants Head Coach Pat Shurmer was asked about the success Philadelphia has had against New York and broke down the previous meeting from October. “I know exactly why they beat us. We didn’t do anything that you need to do against any type of team to win. We turned the ball over, we gave them big plays, we just didn’t play well enough to beat any team, so we have to fix that. That’s more about us. Going back to it, we can’t turn the ball over, pick six early in the game. We did a lot of things where you go, ‘Ugh, now I see why we didn’t (win).” That’s more about us and less about them”
The Giants do not have a life jacket for the rest of the season. After winning their last two games against the Buccs and the 49ers, the door is open a crack to possibly compete for the division. With six games remaining with three being in the division, the Giants play as the underdog knowing that the margin of error is razor thin.
Odell Beckham was quoted a few weeks back that the team is treating the remainder of the season with the one game at a time mentality. When asked abut the running the table comment he made the team intentions very clear. “My exact words weren’t run the table, but it was win eight games in a row and that’s the goal. Regardless, I don’t care who beat who yesterday, if we don’t handle our business, none of it matters. We need the Cowboys, the Redskins, and the Eagles to lose all their games for the rest of the season and we need to win all of ours for the rest of the season, but at the end of the day, if we don’t handle our business, it doesn’t matter what anybody else is doing. Our focus is us and beating the Eagles this week. ”
Kick Off is Sunday at 1pm est on FOX.
Check out tomorrow’s Big Blue Report for more on the Division Rivalry!!
