Game previews,
THURSDAY, 8:25 P.M., LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD, PHILADELPHIA uTV: NBC, NFL NETWORK
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Heather Cox About the Giants: If defense wins championships, the Giants could have big things ahead of them after winning eight of their last nine games. Indeed, the New York defense has looked title-ready for some time, but never so much as in the last two weeks, when in backto-back games it held the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions — both division leaders — to an average of 292 yards and a total of 13 points. The production hasn’t only come from the big-money big names on defense. Two backups — undrafted rookie DE Romeo Okwara, filling in for injured Jason Pierre-Paul, and CB Leon Hall, forced into action Sunday when Janoris Jenkins went down — have contributed solid performances and big plays.
About the Eagles: This officially has become a lost season for Philadelphia, which has dropped five consecutive games. The most recent — Sunday’s defeat at the Baltimore Ravens — eliminated the Eagles from playoff contention. A team that opened the season with a 3-0 start built on promising, poised rookie QB Carson Wentz and an opportunistic, playmaking defense has watched both of those assets take several steps backward. In the last four weeks, Wentz has thrown two touchdown passes and six interceptions. The defense, which has given up at least 26 points in the last five games, allowed 151 rushing yards and 6.3 yards a carry Sunday to the Ravens, who rank 28th in the NFL in rushing. Matchup to watch: Giants DT Damon Harrison vs. Eagles RG Brandon Brooks.
Brooks, who has missed two of the last four games as he battles what has been diagnosed as an anxiety disorder, returned to the lineup last week with a strong outing against a rugged Baltimore defense. This week’s assignment gives him plenty to worry about. Harrison, who weighs 350 pounds and is affectionately known as “Snacks,” is one of the league’s top run stoppers. Player to watch: Giants DE Olivier
Vernon. Signing the athletic pass rusher was the biggest of New York’s many offseason coups, and it is paying off in a big way. Vernon has been a dominant presence all season, producing not only against the pass (81⁄ sacks, 2 21 quarterback hits), but against the run. He’s tied for the league lead with 16 tackles for loss.
Number crunching: 80/1,000/10. Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. is the first player in NFL history to record 80 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons and only the third to catch 10 touchdown passes in each of his first three years.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Grind it out: In an outdoor December game with their young quarterback sagging and an uninspiring corps of receivers facing a hot Giants secondary, the Eagles are likely to stick to Sunday’s game plan and pound on the ground. At Baltimore, RB Ryan Mathews powered for 128 yards against the league’s No. 2 rush defense, and RT Lane Johnson returns from a 10-game suspension to end the revolving door at that key position.
2. Take care of the ball: The Giants defense, led by S Landon Collins (five interceptions, one fumble recovery) has been terrific at taking the ball away, but the Giants are minus 3 for the season because the offense has given it away 24 times.
3. Rattle the QB: It’s a given that the Giants will go after struggling Wentz and try to get in the rookie’s head. The key is whether the Eagles will be able to do the same to 13year veteran Eli Manning, who has had an up-and-down season, thanks in part to shaky protection.