It’s hard to believe, but the Eagles (3-2) play their first divisional game here in Week 7 as they visit the New York Giants (2-4) this Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Philadelphia is coming of a 20-16 win last week at home where they had to sneak by the lowly Cleveland Browns and now, they have another opponent that is near the bottom in key metrics across the league. Will this be another nailbiter? Or will the Eagles finally put it all together and turn in a dominant performance against the inferior Giants?
Here are five matchups that could determine what the answer to that question will be.
A.J. Brown vs. Deonte Banks
It was a welcoming sight to have Brown back on the field last week after missing three weeks due to a hamstring injury. The Hurts and Brown connection took a little while to get going, but once it did, it was one of the most productive QB-WR combos in Week 6. Brown hauled in six catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in the win.
He will draw the attention of Giants’ cornerback Deonte Banks who has lined up against nearly every top wideout the Giants have faced this season. The 24th overall pick out of Maryland in the 2023 Draft has had a season with peaks and valleys so far. Here’s how he’s matched up against other number one wide receivers in the game:
- Justin Jefferson — 4 REC, 59 YDS, TD
- Terry McLaurin — 6 REC, 22 YDS
- Amari Cooper — 7 REC, 86 YDS, 2 TD
- CeeDee Lamb — 7 REC, 98 YDS, TD
- D.K. Metcalf — 4 REC, 55 YDS
- Tee Higgins — 7 REC, 77 YDS
Brown is in the same echelon, if not even slightly above Jefferson and Lamb. Expect Brown to still put up his typical numbers so long as Hurts has time in the pocket and can deliver accurate throws to his favorite target.
Eagles Offense vs. First Quarter
A bit tongue and cheek here, but the Eagles’ offense has done zilch in terms of scoring points in the opening quarter. Literally. They are the only team to not score points in the first 15 minutes of a game this season. The slow starts have been frustrating, especially with this offense, and this week’s matchup against the Giants might be another week where that trend continues.
Despite the Giants being two games below .500, the defensive unit has been quite solid. They do allow nearly a touchdown per first quarter at 6.3 points, which is 27th in the NFL, but they rank rather well in other metrics which we will get to. The first offensive series for the Eagles in every game this year have been abysmal.
Week 1: Green Bay — 3 plays, drive ends with interception
Week 2: Atlanta – 4 plays, one first down, punt
Week 3: New Orleans – 3 and out
Week 4: Tampa Bay – 3 and out
Week 6: Cleveland – 3 and out
Fred Johnson vs. Brian Burns
Playing games for the foreseeable future without All-Pro left tackle Jordan Mailata will be difficult waters to navigate for the Eagles. Fred Johnson will take that spot on the offensive line and there might not be a drastic drop off in protection on the blindside of Hurts.
Johnson will have to deal with Giants EDGE Brian Burns who was the 16th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by Carolina. He was traded to the Giants this season and New York inked him to a five-year, $141 million contract with $87.5 million guaranteed. Burns is currently dealing with a groin injury, but he was a menace last week against the Bengals.
Jalen Hurts/O-Line vs. Giants Front Seven
We mentioned the slow start for the offense plus the injury to Mailata and the Eagles will need to overcome both if they want to win this game on the road. This Giants defense is very solid and the best in the league in sacking the quarterback, owning the highest sack percentage at 12.32% and lead the NFL with 4.3 sack per game. New York is tied for the 9th fewest points given up per game, surrendering 20.2 on the season.
They aren’t losing games because of their defense, that’s for sure. They gave up just 17 points to the Bengals on Monday Night Football and have given up 21 points or fewer in five of their six games this season with the lone outlier being 28 against the Vikings in the season opener.
Hurts is going to have to play another clean game like he did last week against Cleveland and handle the pressure that surely will be coming.
Darius Slay vs. Malik Nabers
Both of these players have been banged up. Slay injured his knee in the Cleveland win and was a limited participant in practice Wednesday and Thursday. Nabers has missed two games due to a concussion but is expected to play this week.
The playmaking rookie wide receiver has been the pinnacle of the struggling Giants offense. A unit that is averaging under 10 points per game at home and the fourth-fewest overall at 16.0 per contest. Nabers is one of the lone bright spots and threats this offense has. Nabers is 7th in the league with 35 catches and 14th in receiving yards with 386 and again, that’s after missing the last two games of the season. He has put up a pair of 100+ yards receiving games this season.
He plays the left wideout position 44% of the time while Slay has lined up as the left cornerback every snap. So, the wily veteran will have his hands full against the suave youngster with the speed and catch ability Nabers brings on a weekly basis.
The Eagles and Giants kickoff at 1 p.m. at MetLife Stadium this Sunday.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
