Having already played once this season at the Meadowlands, the Giants face their division rivals under a very different circumstance. One team is fighting for a win to make sure they have a chance at clenching the division. The other is fighting for a win to avoid total embarrassment after the worst start to a season since 1993.
History
Record since 2000
Eagles wins against the Giants- 18
Giants wins against the Eagles- 12
The Eagles vs Giants rivalry has been nothing short of extraordinary when you think of the amount of moments the teams have shared. The oldest rivalry in the NFC East will always be known as one of Footballs greatest rivalries. The Miracle in the Meadowlands has echoed through the ages and was repeated back in 2010 where DeSean Jackson made a memorable punt return, securing the Eagles a win as the clock hit 0. But this week, the game is played at Lincoln Financial Field, a venue in which the home team has not won since September 30th 2012. Ironically, that victory was
against the very team they face this Sunday, the New York Giants.
Eagles
With Michael Vick expected to start on Sunday after a two week hiatus suffering a hamstring injury, the Eagles offence is almost back to full force. Nick Foles took the reigns whilst Vick watched from the sideline in two and a half games, sending the Eagles to a further two wins and a loss. The loss came against the Cowboys where Nick looked like a shadow of the man that had played just a week previously.
A wobbly 3-4 start to the season sees the Birds looking to turn their record into a .500 one once again. But as this is the first season under new head coach Chip Kelly, the record is respectable to say the least.
Key Players
LeSean McCoy-
There is no doubting that Shady is one of the best Running backs in the NFL this season and is the game changer in this years Eagles Offence. McCoy is well on par to break 2000 yards this season averaging close to 100 yards per game and almost 5 yards per carry. It's not his sheer speed or agility that makes him so threatening, but his ability to shed tackles. He cuts in and out of Defenders so easily it almost resembles something you would see in Madden!
So what happens when you take the Defense who are ranked 31st in the NFL and add one of the most explosive running backs in the game. The answer, potentially his best game of the season so far. The Giants did well to hold LeSean to just 46 yards at the Meadowlands, but never underestimate how mu
ch of an impact McCoy can have.
DeSean Jackson-
Arguably the biggest weapon in this Philadelphia Offense, Jackson has had one of his best ever seasons so far and in my opinion, a season better than his two Pro Bowl seasons in 2009 and 2010. With Jeremy Maclin on the sidelines, Jackson had to step up this year and he has outperformed everyone's expectations. He has the capability to make huge plays out of nothing. When there is a gain of 3-5 yards on a quick pass, Jackson will turn it into a 13-25 yard gain. Not forgetting that it was Jackson who sealed that fateful win back in 2010. It would only be fitting that the first home victory in over a year would come from the last team the Eagles beat at home, scored by the man who made that final play in one of the greatest comebacks in history.
Michael Vick-
If Vick doesn't start this Saturday then the Eagles may be in trouble. The number 7 said that he doesn't want to start until he can run the 100 yard sprint despite taking all the reps for the team in practice. Nick Foles has been confirmed as out for this game and the team will count on rookie Matt Barkley as a backup. If Vick is back to his best then we could see another huge scoring game for the Birds. Whilst Foles can run an offense and has proven that he can stand tall in the pocket to make throws and even run through a hole, he lacks the mobility and unpredictability that Vick has. If no player is open, the pride of Virginia Tech can still outrun a lot of the players in the NFL despite his age. 1,185 yards, 5 touchdowns and
2 interceptions in the first 5 games of the season saw Vick make a statement. He is not ready to leave Philadelphia just yet, and he will be looking to further prove why Kelly should keep him this weekend.
Giants-
After finally picking up their first win last week against a struggling Minnesota Vikings side, the Giants look to make it two in a row at Lincoln Financial Field against an Eagles side coming fresh off of losing to division leaders Dallas. The Giants, now 1-6 need to win this week if they have any chance whatsoever of catching Washington and saving what has been an abysmal start to the season. The win over the Vikings was by no means a convincing one, and the Big Blue will need to pull off a Big performance to halt this fast paced offence.
Key Players-
Eli Manning- Seven games, fifteen interceptions. No that's not some sort of dodgy online movie but the statistic which haunts Superbowl MVP Eli Manning going into week 8. But the 10 year veteran is coming off of his first interception free game of the year which may slide momentum just slightly in his favor. It's very easy to see that Manning has not been performing to the standard he should be, not by a long shot. A two time Superbowl Champion who has taken the Giants through so many heroic moments should not have a 54% completion rate and a 66 passer rating. But on the flip side, it just takes one game, one play, one big pass which could re-ignite his form. If this happens, The Eagles may have a tough game on their hands.
Justin Tuck- Jason Pierre-Paul has not been the same player since his surgery,and Kiwanuka has not made the impact he should be making on the opposing offense. But over the last few games the defensive line has been solid, mainly because of a reformed Justin Tuck. The veteran defensive end has 5.5 sacks in his last seven contests against the Eagles. In a rivalry where miracles happen on a regular basis, a player with this reputation against your opponent will be one to watch out for.
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