The New York Giants host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, their third divisional game of the season and first against the Eagles.
After losing Saquon Barkley to the Eagles during free agency, this is the first time the Giants see him on the opposite side of the field. In his place, the Giants have Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy to pick up the slack, and they’ll be needed this week against the Eagles.
Daniel Jones will have to work on his timing and make faster decisions with Andrew Thomas done for the season, the improvement we’ve seen along the offensive line will not look the same without him.
The 3-2 Eagles rank second in the division, and a win would go a long way toward improving the Giants locker room morale, especially with the injuries piling up. There are six things the Giants must do to secure a win over the Eagles on Sunday.
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Even with the return of Malik Nabers, Daniel Jones still needs to spread the love with the football. Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson have both played well in his absence, providing Jones with the outlets he’s needed in crucial moments. There’s no reason to force passes to Nabers, especially with him coming off of concussion protocol. Using Slayton, Robinson, and Theo Johnson will open up the field and allow the offense to make more productive plays.
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Devin Singletary injured his groin at the end of September and hasn’t seen the field since the Giants faced the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. Since then, rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. has kept the ground game afloat. Even if Singletary returns, there’s no reason to keep Tracy out of the game. He is a dynamic back who can also catch the ball, making him a mega mismatch against the Eagles this week.
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What a novel idea, right? Making field goals helps a team win games. It’s a crazy thought, we know. Greg Joseph has to do better, but that also means that Matt Haack has to do better as a holder. The ball needs to be in place and ready to go when Joseph gets to it, otherwise that missed field goal is on Haack, even though it goes against the kicker. Joseph is 8-for-11 on field goals, the three he missed were all longer than 40-yard attempts.
Against the Eagles, the Giants won’t be able to get closer on certain drives, so the holder and kicker have to do better at making those longer attempts.
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As well as Saquon Barkley knows the Giants, the Giants know him, too. Letting Barkley get into open space is a really bad idea when he’s on the opposing team. He has to be stopped at the line of scrimmage, or at least before he hits the second level. The Giants have to put bodies on Barkley, especially if Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns are unable to play, someone has to step up and be ready to stop Barkley as soon as he hits the line of scrimmage. Flock to the ball.
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The Giants’ offensive line has looked largely improved this season over last season with some of the additions made during free agency. Unfortunately, losing starting left tackle Andrew Thomas for the season nearly wipes out that improvement. The Giants don’t have a good option to replace him, but Joshua Ezeudu is getting the nod this week. Jermaine Eluemunor and Evan Neal are alternate options.
In the absence of Thomas, the offensive line still has to hold strong. Neither Daniel Jones, Tyrone Tracy, nor Devin Singletary will be very productive without that line holding up. Without them, the ball doesn’t move down the field and points don’t get scored. This is, perhaps, the most important factor on Sunday.
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The Giants cannot forget that Jalen Hurts is actually capable of throwing the ball, and he has some serious weapons in DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, Dallas Goedert, and even Barkley can catch the ball. If Goedert doesn’t play, the Eagles’ backup tight end Grant Calcaterra is a solid option as well. He caught four passes for 67 yards against the Browns last week.
Big Blue’s secondary has to be ready for these players. Tyler Nubin, Jason Pinnock, Deonte Banks, Cor’Dale Flott, and Nick McCloud all have to be at the top of their games. Dru Phillips, Isaiah Simmons, and Dane Belton need to be ready to step in when called upon. The defensive line and linebackers need to focus on stopping Barkley at the line of scrimmage, and the secondary needs to focus on guarding Hurts’ receiving outlets.
