December 08, 2022
Week 14 brings a divisional matchup that could have a huge impact on the playoff picture.
The Eagles have kept on rolling as the NFC's top seed and show no signs of slowing down, definitely not after the past two wins over the Packers and Titans.
While the Giants, after a surprisingly great start, are banged up and seemed to have finally hit a wall. They still hold a playoff spot for now, but the grip on it isn't all that tight.
So Sunday, as a continued show of dominance and a critical blow to an NFC East rival, could be a huge statement for the Eagles.
Here's how our writers think it's going to go...
TV: FOX (Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston, Pam Oliver)
RADIO: 94.1 WIP (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick)
| Book | Spread | Money Line | Total (O/U) |
| DraftKings | PHI -6.5 | PHI -300 NYG +250 | 45 |
| FanDuel | PHI -6.5 | PHI -290 NYG +235 | 45.5 |
| BetMGM | PHI -7 | PHI -300 NYG +240 | 45.5 |
| UniBet | PHI -7 | PHI -315 NYG +245 | 45.5 |
| PointsBet | PHI -7 | PHI -300 NYG +240 | 45.5 |
All season long, the Giants have been thought of as the overachievers of the NFL, or less kindly, the team that is not as good as their record would indicate. They got out to an impressive 7-2 start, but have since fallen to 7-4-1, as injuries have taken a toll on their roster. For example:
Beyond the injury woes, the Giants have other concerns surrounding some of their best players, such as:
The Giants have asked a lot of the few good players they have on their roster, and we may see them tire out down the stretch.
The Eagles have the better quarterback, the better overall rushing attack, the better passing attack, the better pass rush, and the better secondary. But other than that...
A few weeks ago I had this game circled on the schedule as the Eagles' biggest test of the season. It was before the Cowboys emerged as a true contender, and the prospect of having to face Saquon Barkley and a potent Giants team felt like it might be a tough one for the Birds to kick off a three-game road trip.
Things have changed since then. The Giants are back to being their mediocre selves, injuries and all, and the Eagles have emerged even stronger from wins over teams that looked like touch schedule opponents in the Titans and Packers. Philly should really dominate this one, especially after they showed they can stop the run (and Derrick Henry) last week.
No miracles will be needed on Sunday. The Eagles have put up back-to-back dominant offensive performances. Their win over Green Bay looked like a 1943 rushing attack that pulverized the Packers. Jalen Hurts' passing performance against Tennessee looked like he was quarterbacking in 2032.
The Brian Daboll hire was a smart move for the Giants, but this team is sinking fast after their surprising 7-2 start and they feel likely to fall out of the playoff race entirely.
If the Eagles defense can stop Derrick Henry and force Ryan Tannehill to beat them, the same plan can be replicated with an increasingly worn-down Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones.
Easy win for the Birds that includes a pick-6 from former New York cornerback James Bradberry. Revenge game!
I feel like my picks and write-ups are basically on autopilot at this point. The Eagles have the superior team and the superior quarterback. They’re going to win the football game.
Remember that clunker in the Meadowlands right after that massive win over the Saints last season? Yeah, I don't see that happening again.
The Giants are too banged up and look they finally hit a wall. The Eagles, even with some notable injuries, just keep on going.
I don't know how the offense is going to do it this week – run, pass, a bit of both – but my growing sense as we get closer to Sunday is that this one just isn't going to be pretty for New York.
I also suspect that the defense will be able to put a lock on Saquon Barkley just like it did Derrick Henry, which will force Daniel Jones to throw, probably to either Darius Slay or James Bradberry.
The Eagles finally put together their first true complete game of the year. They saw Jalen Hurts destroy a team with his arm after doing the same with his legs the previous week. This all lines up for an absolute smashing of the New York Football Giants. Philadelphia is playing through some injuries on defense and didn’t look lost by any means while stopping the Titans.
The only question is just how emotional last week was for the entire team. It’s hard to keep up that level of intensity backed or fueled by a revenge game. The Giants are also an enigma wrapped in a gas station burrito. Somehow they are winning or tying games despite having no real recognizable skill player outside of Saquon Barkley.
Yes, the Giants will try and run, and yes Barkley may break a couple, but the Eagles are ultimately just better than the Giants. Even if it takes the entire game to prove it.
A dreamlike 6-1 start has settled into reality for the talent-deficient New York Giants, who have won just once since Oct. 23 and now stand at 7-4-1, hoping to finish an unlikely run to the postseason with a schedule that has them facing the two top teams in the NFC – Philadelphia and Minnesota – three times over the final five regular-season games.
It all starts Sunday at MetLife Stadium when the Eagles visit. At 11-1, Philadelphia will arrive with the NFL's best record, the No. 3 offense, and the No. 2 defense to face a Giants team with limited weapons offensively and a gimmicky defense that relies on Wink Martindale's blitz-heavy look to mask some of the personnel deficiencies.
The Giants are headed in the right direction, though, with head coach Brian Daboll after years of churning their wheels. A Nick Sirianni mentor, Daboll is one of the sharpest offensive minds in football and will give Philadelphia a taste of its own medicine with heavy RPO looks built around the lone true difference-maker the Giants have, Saquon Barkley, and athletic quarterback Daniel Jones.
The path to an upset by New York lies in the Eagles' locker room, however, because even with all the intangible tropes of division games, Jalen Hurts' struggles in North Jersey last season, and Barkley magically dominating the game, the only way Philadelphia has a bad trip back down the Jersey Turnpike is by beating themselves.
If the Eagles play a clean game, the Giants don't have the horses to compete and the market correction for a team expected to be in rebuilding mode at the start of the season will continue.
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