With no playoff games to look forward to, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants will draw motivation to win this matchup from their want to beat the hell out of their division rival. Will the Eagles sweep their regular season series with New York? Or will the Giants bid this disappointing chapter of the franchise with a win?
For more Week 17 game previews, you can also read our breakdown of Titans vs. Colts.
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Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants Preview and Prediction
[sc:NFL250 ]Chip Kelly’s series of experiments in the offseason ultimately gave the Eagles…nothing.
Once expected to rule the NFC East, the Eagles were sent crashing out of playoff contention when they lost to Washington on Saturday, 38-24. With their fans obviously frustrated, the least the Eagles could do is to win their last assignment of the season against the Giants on the road.
Philadelphia had an ugly 27-7 win over the Giants back in Week 6. Sam Bradford passed for 280 yards and a touchdown on 24 of 38 completions, but also threw three picks. Luckily for the Eagles, their defense brought its A-game, as they held New York down to only 247 total yards.
The Eagles’ loss to Washington, however, came at a time when neither their offense nor defense played like it was composed of professionals. Bradford passed for 380 yards and a touchdown, but was sacked five times, while DeMarco Murray added to his forgettable season with just 27 rushing yards, albeit with a score, on five touches. Murray can have more success next Sunday, though, against a Giants defense he carved up for 112 rushing yards and a touchdown on 21 carries in their previous meeting.
After letting Kirk Cousins dissect their defense with a 365 passing-yard, four-touchdown game, the Eagles are looking to get it right on defense this time against the Giants. Philadelphia is 29th on scoring defense (26.7 points allowed per game) and 30th in total defense (394.9 yards).
The Eagles are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games in East Rutherford.
There’s no other person Eli Manning wanted to see more on the field last Sunday when the Giants were taking a beating at the hands of Minnesota than Odell Beckham Jr. Not his mother, not dad Archie, not big brother Peyton, but Odell Beckham Jr.
Playing minus his top target, Manning had an awful night, passing for 234 yards (most of which he garnered during garbage time) with a touchdown and three interceptions in New York’s soul-crushing 49-17 loss to the Vikings.
While the Giants’ offense simply had no chance against Minnesota’s elite defense, Manning and company should have a much better showing next game against Philly’s on-and-off stop unit. The return of Beckham from a one-game suspension is going to be a big lift for the Giants. Beckham had 61 yards and a touchdown on seven catches against the Eagles in the two teams’ previous matchup.
The first meeting with the Eagles was a nightmare for Manning, as he passed for only 189 yards with two interceptions—a performance largely caused by a lackluster offensive line that surrendered three sacks to Philadelphia. That said, New York’s O-line is normally one of the best in quarterback protection with 25 sacks allowed entering Week 16.
Speaking of sacks, the Giants need to apply more pressure on Bradford, whom they sacked just once in Week 6.
The Giants are 3-1 ATS in their last four home games.
