NFC Divisional Playoff
(6) New York Giants at (1) Philadelphia Eagles
Giants: (Stands up and gives them some applause). That’s exactly what I did after watching them handle their business in the Wild Card round against the Minnesota Vikings. Now, I will be the first to admit to you that I did have Minnesota winning the game because I thought their offensive firepower would carry them. However, when I was on the “Sports Cubicle”, Paul Chivari asked me which home team in the Wild Card round was on upset alert and without hesitation, I said the Minnesota Vikings. Sunday was their first playoff win since Super Bowl 46 when they beat the Patriots again. This was also the best performance of the season from the Giants and Brian Daboll should be a proud coach. Coming into the game, I said Saquon needed to be great and Daniel Jones needed to be in control of the football game and that’s exactly what happened! Daniel was able to impact the game with his arm and legs, then Saquon was Saquon. You can’t ask for more than that. What impressed me was their defense and Wink Martindale’s gameplan worked to perfection. When the Giants played Minnesota back on Christmas Eve, Justin Jefferson had himself a day. Weeks later, adjustments were made, and they played coverage underneath with that single high safety over the top. Anytime he caught the ball, he was stopped immediately. What a gritty win on the road. Here’s what’s crazy. Joe Judge had the bulk of this roster when he was the Head Coach and couldn’t do a thing. Brian inherited the team and look at them now. Once again, coaching does indeed make a difference. They continue their “revenge tour” on Saturday night.
Eagles: It’s been a strong season for them. They elected to give Jalen Hurts the chance to be the starting Quarterback and it’s paid off for them. Also, he’s been placed in the position to succeed and that’s what happens when you decide to build around your Quarterback and look what’s happened. He’s become an MVP candidate and put together the best season of his young career. The NFC East was never close for most of the year because the Eagles got off to such a strong start and kept chugging along. The only time the division was ever in question was when the Cowboys beat them on Christmas Eve and when they lost to the New Orleans Saints, both games in which Jalen didn’t play. You see the difference when he plays compared to when he doesn’t. The Eagles have won 14 games which is a franchise record for them. I expected them to be good and win the division, but not this strong one bit. If Jalen didn’t miss those two games, they’d be sitting at 15 wins possibly. For as strong as the Eagles have been this year, they haven’t been their dominant selves in recent weeks. They beat the Chicago Bears by five points, dropped consecutive games to the Cowboys and Saints, and closed out the regular season squeaking by the Giants in a six-point win. Injuries have decimated this team. I get it happens, but who isn’t hurt during this time of the year? It’s a long season in an extremely physical sport. They have locked up the top seed in the NFC for the first time since 2017, the magical year when they finally bought a Super Bowl to South Philadelphia. The bye week is over, and they will battle in a divisional rematch at the Linc on Saturday night.
Giants X-Factor: Kayvon Thibodeaux– He’s already having an impact. If you look back to those Giants teams back in 2007 and 2011 when they won the Super Bowl, the Defensive Lines were strong and the engine to that entire defense. Kayvon has been showing why he was a top five draft pick and a highly sought out NFL prospect in coverage. He can impact a game. How about asking the Washington Commanders about that? He has the quickness to come around the edge and get home to the passer. How Philly decides to play him will be very interesting.
Eagles X-Factor: Dallas Goedert– He’s one of the three weapons Jalen can get the ball too with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith being the other two. Dallas is the reason why Zach Ertz was traded because he made him expendable. Dallas can do it all. He has a wide catch radius, runs the route tree consistently and he can move the chains. He’s that safety valve that every Quarterback needs. Dallas gets a ton of looks in the red zone.
Final Thoughts: There’s nothing like a divisional showdown in the playoffs, especially when it’s a rivalry. The Eagles swept the season series. Both teams are different. When they first played, the Eagles dominated the game and won by 26, while the second battle was a bit closer in the regular season as the Eagles won by six. If you ask me, there’s more pressure on the home team than there is the visitor. They handled business last week on the road. Remember the Giants game plan defensively in Minnesota? They will need to bracket A.J. Brown wherever he is which will be much easier said than done. The Giants must rely on the run defense, feed Saquon Barkley the football early on to control the clock and the defense must get off the field on third down. The Eagles relied on the running game in the first meeting and that’s the key to defeating the Giants defense because they struggle to stop a consistent rushing attack. Philly should also get some key reinforcements back for this game off the injured list.
Prediction: Eagles 26, Giants 20
