Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) crosses the goal line for at touchdown against New York Giants cornerback Jason Pinnock (27) during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J.
The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New York Giants in week 18 to clinch the No. 1 seed and home field advantage throughout the NFL playoffs. The Giants have lingered like a bad smell, having upset the Minnesota Vikings, and are now preparing to lock horns with their divisional rival for the third time this season.
What: Giants vs Eagles
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
When: Saturday January 21st, 8:15 p.m. eastern
How: FOX, NFL Gamepass
The NFC Championship runs through Philadelphia and those pesky New York Giants are back for a third shot at beating the Eagles. They were unable to do so in what turned out to be a 48-22 demolition job on the first time of asking, and in week 18, Jalen Hurts returned to drag his team over the finish line to cement the No. 1 seed. It’s worth noting that the Birds jumped out to a 24-7 lead before starters were pulled and the game tightened up.
Despite the seasonal sweep, the game promises to be an intense matchup. When the two divisional rivals last clashed in the playoffs back in 2008, the Eagles won 23-16 in the Meadowlands. This will be the fifth postseason clash between the two teams, with the series tied at 2-2.
For the Eagles, this is a must-win game. They’re the better team on paper and have earned the reputation as the pride of the NFC. New York have been underdogs who have massively exceeded expectations all year long. With a one-possession spread for this game, there is at lease some reason to look into backing the Giants as a bettor.
One of the big question marks coming into this game is whether or not the Eagles can contain Saquon Barkley. The local hero has over 1,300 rushing yards to his name this season and ranks 5th in scrimmage yards. His two touchdowns were vital in the win over Minnesota, but against the Eagles, he has often struggled. He’s amassed only 489 yards in 7 games against the Birds. That’s an average of 69 yards per game. With Philly’s revamped run defense allowing 121 yards on the ground per matchup, stopping Saquon will be key if they want to knock Daniel Jones off his perch.
Speaking of Jones, he’s been red hot in recent weeks. There is some speculation over his long-term future, but if he can carve up the Vikings in the biggest game of his life, that’s one way to make a case. In doing so, he became the only QB in NFL history to have 300 passing yards, 75 rushing yards, and 2 passing touchdowns in a playoff game.
He will now be facing an Eagles defense that amassed 70 sacks this season, the third most of ANY team in NFL history. Haason Reddick will absolutely have his eyes fixed on Daniel Jones, having racked up 4 QB hits in the two games against the G-Men so far.
For the Eagles, all eyes will be on Jalen Hurts, who still may not be 100% after suffering a shoulder injury a few weeks ago. That didn’t stop him from defeating the Giants in week 18 and fans will be hoping it doesn’t stop him from sending the Eagles to an NFC Championship game.
Hurts has had an MVP-caliber season and has elevated this offense to an entirely new level. Both A.J Brown and DeVonta Smith passed the 1,000-yard mark and even Miles Sanders did the same on the ground. All 3 players will be pivotal to taking down a defense that ranks 18th in opposing points per game, and dead last in interceptions per game. Jalen Hurts has been very protective of the rock this year and I wouldn’t expect that to change on Saturday in Giants vs Eagles Episode III.
Giants vs Eagles is likely going to be tighter than a 7-point spread, but we’ve seen the Eagles jump out to significant first-half leads in both clashes with the G-Men this season. I’ll be backing the Eagles -3.5 in the first half at -120.
Philadelphia’s tourism bureau is partnering with TED to host a multi-year speaker series leading up…
By MICHAEL R. SISAK, JAKE OFFENHARTZ, JILL COLVIN and COLLEEN LONG Associated Press Donald Trump's…
By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press The Biden administration said Tuesday it is releasing 1 million…
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press Drexel University threatened to clear an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters…
By CHRISTINE FERNANDO Associated Press Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he was open…
Per Tom Bogert of The Athletic, the Philadelphia Union and star goalkeeper Andre Blake have…
This website uses cookies.