Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Giant opportunity for the Eages
START OF DIVISION PLAY BRINGS MUST-WIN AFFAIR
From a mistakefilled two-game losing streak to fruitless lineup changes, from Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley to the rest of the New York Giants, the Eagles have had a lot on their minds.
It all has to clear before the Eagles oppose the Giants in the rain showers forecast for Thursday night (8:20 p.m., FOX 29, NFLN) at MetLife Stadium.
This is the start of NFC East division play for the Eagles (2-3). It’s a chance to forget that they’ve already matched last year’s loss total and move forward like the defending division champs they are.
“It’s a great opportunity to start with the division opponent and try to capture that because you know if you win your division, good things happen later in the season,” Doug Pederson said Wednesday. “So, it’s obviously part of our focus and one of our goals each season.”
The Eagles are three-point favorites over the Giants (1-4), who hit the 30-point mark for the first time in 38 games last week in Carolina ... and still lost, 33-31, to the Panthers. Graham Gano dropped a 63-yard field goal on them with one second left.
The good news for the Eagles is that the Giants still haven’t learned how to win regularly under new head coach Pat Shurmur, the Philly offensive coordinator for three years ending with the 2015 season. Shurmur, as interim head coach when Chip Kelly was fired, guided the Eagles to victory over the Giants in the regular season finale.
The Giants have played a tougher schedule than the Eagles. Jacksonville, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans and the Panthers are a collective 14-10 (.583). The Eagles’ opponents are 9-14-1 (.379). And, all together now, the Eagles lost to the only teams that have lost to Buffalo (Indianapolis, Minnesota).
The Eagles have been unable to start well, other than the opening coin toss. They’ve prevailed in all five flips and elected to defer their choice to receive until the second half. They’ve been outscored, 23-7, in the first quarter.
The injuries to running backs Darren Sproles, out for another game, and Jay Ajayi, gone for the season, are only part of the problem. The Eagles are more run-pass balanced when they get the lead, and they’ve barely done that this season. The change at left guard from Stefen Wisniewski to Isaac Seumalo did nothing for the offense last week. It helped the Vikings defense, as Seumalo should have tackled defensive tackle Linval Joseph, the ex-Giant who caught a fumble and ran 64 yards for a touchdown in what became a 23-21 defeat.
Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson at least took responsibility for giving up the sack of Carson Wentz that created that fumble.
“As bad as it is, we’ve got a big one against the Giants,” Johnson said. “As ugly as it is, we’ve got a must-win against the Giants coming up.”
Another loss could trigger further changes. Reports indicate that the Eagles asked the Bills what it would take to get running back LeSean McCoy, who they took off the board in the second round of the 2009 draft. The 30-year-old McCoy most recently has been accused of domestic abuse in a lawsuit by an exgirlfriend, according to reports. It’s another strange accusation in an off-the-field resume that doesn’t quit.
McCoy allegedly had a woman thrown off a party bus, left a 20-cent tip at a Philly restaurant to make an example out of the service he received, and, after he was traded to the Bills, was part of a group at an after-hours Philly club that allegedly roughed up two offduty Philadelphia policemen. McCoy wasn’t charged in any of those alleged matters.
Pederson says he’s happy with his healthy running back rotation of Corey Clement, Wendell Smallwood and rookie Josh Adams. But he conceded there could be an addition, which makes sense because the Eagles just opened up significant salary cap space by reworking the long-term deal given to defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.
“Well, I’m sure that is a possibility,” Pederson said. “It’s just seeing if that person and if that player, at any position, is a fit to our team. A culture fit, athlete fit. In this case if it’s a runner, does he fit in the room? There’s a lot of variables there. So, Duce (Staley) and I would definitely be in that conversation.”
There is no question that the Eagles need help. The offense lacks a touchdown-maker. The defense is giving up too many big passing plays. The Eagles could use experienced, reliable help in the secondary.
The Giants need help, too. The offensive line remains a mess, the defense doesn’t have much of a rush and the tackling has been atrocious.
Like the Eagles, the Giants have everything to play for in their division opener.
“I think the biggest thing for us right now is we’ve got to win games,” Cox said. “We’re coming off two losses.”