The Eagles and Giants rivalry is one of the prolific in the NFC if not the NFL. With the Monday Night Lights shining down on Lincoln Financial field, the Philadelphia Eagles will be looking for their second win in a row against the worst past Defense in the NFL and a weakened receiving core. Here are the three players who could well send the team on their way to a historic #BlackMonday win.
Josh Huff:
Huff is coming off of a huge game against the New Orleans Saints. After scoring his first ever non-special teams touchdown in an Eagles uniform and receiving for 78 yards, the speedster is almost primed for a big game against a similarly run down Secondary. Not only that but with the Eagles in desperate need of a wideout who doesn’t drop passes, Huff caught four of five on the day. He’s quick, has great physicality and has shown consistency in route running. He was able to leap over and make some big catches against the Saints as well as block for the running backs..we’re expecting Josh Huff to rapidly become one of Bradford’s favourite targets and it all starts on Monday night.
DeMarco Murray
Whether it’s through the ground or through the air, DeMarco Murray is going to have a big game. With Mathews listed as doubtful it’s almost certain that the former Cowboy is going to get more touches. The Giants run Defense is ranked third in the NFL. If the Eagles can find a way to utilise Murray on the ground then it won’t be a few short yard runs..it will be play after play after play because the will of the Defense would have been broken. However if the Giants run Defense holds strong, Murray received for close to 40 yards against the Saints and is starting to show signs of adaptation.
The hustle from side to side, the decision making and quick feet are beginning to shine in Murray’s game. Beforehand he would dive for the first hole and if it wasn’t there, take the hit. But now we have signs of progress. The Giants can’t stop the pass and Murray has one of the best completion rates among any Eagles player. The Giants can’t burst with speed and if Murray can get open, we could see a Ryan Mathews wheel route scenario become deadly. He’s going to factor one way or another and it’s going to be big…the question is, which one will it be?
Fletcher Cox
The NFC Defensive player of the week is going to be huge in this game. Manning has only been sacked four times this season but he’s coming up against one of the top Defensive lines in the conference. The problem for Manning is that the Giants are rapidly becoming one dimensional..and that dimension is fading. Beckham is doubtful, no Randle or Cruz, the Giants are going to struggle and if they can’t run the ball against a similarly talented Defensive Line then Manning is going to need a LOT more time in the pocket to throw. When there’s more time, there’s more chance of being hit.
Fletcher Cox had six tackles and two forced fumbles…oh did we mention three sacks? The man became a beast against the Saints who have also struggled with the running game. Cox i going to be prominent in dictating the pace of this game and if last year’s showdown is anything to go by..Eli Manning could be in for a long, long night.
