A short turnaround for the Eagles sees them playing the New York Giants on Thursday in their penultimate game of the season. The game may lack playoff consequences for the birds, but ending a winless streak against divisional opponents will be at the forefront of the objectives at Lincoln Financial Field tomorrow.
Going 21/55 this season so far on Bold predictions, we’re running out of time to salvage what’s really been a disappointing series in comparison to last season. So it’s time to look into our Midnight Green crystal ball and try to predict just how the Eagles are going to fare.
Mills Mountain:
Jalen Mills is no stranger to Odell Beckham Jr, nor to the pressure of big games. His evolution under Jim Schwartz has been one of the most exciting aspects of the 2016 season and his progress was on show against the Ravens.
Mills will once again face off against his former teammate, who just so happens to be one of the most explosive wideouts in the NFL. Mills found success early on against the Giants in their first meeting..but this time, the confidence should be oozing with a passionate Philly crows behind him.
Our first bold prediction is for the rookie out of LSU to record his first interception of the season.
(And we’re definitely going to trademark the term Mills Mountain for whenever the Green Goblin thrives against a receiver who just can’t climb it)
Agholor’s resurgence:
Since returning from a week away from the action, you can’t fault Agholor’s effort. The second-year receiver has shown tremendous drive in pushing for extra yards, even if his play doesn’t reflect it. But against a Giants Secondary that could be without Janoris Jenkins, Agholor may have one trick left up his sleeve.
We’re predicting Agholor to rebound from a game in which he caught just one pass for nine yards, to have his best game of the season: receiving for 60 yards and a touchdown.
Johnson’s angry return:
The Eagles finally have a healthy Offensive line again and with it comes the addition of Lane Johnson, who had previously been absent due to a ten-game suspension. The Eagles production without Johnson has been inconsistent and it’s clear how much impact he has on keeping Wentz upright and opening the outside run game.
The Giants pass rush may be wounded, with JPP missing and a potential lack of linebacker Jonathan Casillas, but that won’t stop Lane Johnson from playing with an almighty chip on his shoulder. In his mind, the NFLPA cost him ten games..and that has made for one very unhappy 6’6, 317lbs tackle.
My third prediction for tomorrow’s game is for Johnson to have a huge night, limiting the Giants to under 3 quarterback hits and not allowing a single sack, while helping the rushing attack to amass 100 total yards.
Wentz thrives in the lights:
With Lane Johnson back and a home-field advantage, Carson Wentz is in the best spot he’s been in for quite some time. After his best game of the year against the Redskins, Wentz come up big once again on Sunday as he led the Offense down the field in crunch time, eventually rushing in for a touchdown with 2 seconds left on the clock.
The Eagles quarterback now has his Franchise RT in front of him and both lead running backs behind. This should be an ideal opportunity to balance the Offense and unleash a quarterback who has hit a hot run of form given the circumstance.
Wentz will throw for 250+ yards, 2TD’s and record less than two turnovers in our penultimate prediction.
Curry finds confidence:
One man who has been quiet this season is DE Vinny Curry. After signing a large extension, Vinny Curry has struggled in such a crowded spot, picking up just four tackles in his last 3 games.
Doug Pederson has tilted toward playing the younger guys, which bodes very well for a hungry edge-rusher striving to make an impact under Jim Schwartz. Against a very one-dimensional Giants Offense that is now missing Shane Vereen, we’re predicting Curry to record his second sack of the season and record three tackles.
