Eagles need to climb out of hole
Champs on verge of becoming an afterthought before December begins
PHILADELPHIA — No question the Philadelphia Eagles (4-6) know what’s at stake when they meet the New York Giants (3-7) at home today (1 p.m., FOX).
Nothing else about this NFC East matchup is very clear.
Yes, the Giants have won two in a row, something the freefalling Eagles haven’t managed since last year’s playoffs. But are they really a hot team or just surviving against a weak stretch of their schedule?
With all the injuries that have hit their defense, do the Eagles have a realistic chance of holding the Giants and their prodigious weapons (Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham, Sterling Shepard) under 30 points?
Will the Eagles ever get their offense, held to a season-low seven points by the New Orleans Saints a week ago, untracked?
Everyone knows what happened in their first meeting, a 34-13 Eagles romp on Oct. 11.
However, the personnel on both sides has changed dramatically since.
Gone from the Giants defense are tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison and cornerback Eli Apple. Their offensive line has been renovated too, with Jamon Brown replacing struggling Patrick Omameh, who was eventually cut; and Spencer Pulley replacing John Greco at center.
The Eagles likely will feature a defense that has six different starters — most of them downgrades — than the lineup they threw at the Giants just last month.
Gone from the active roster are DE Derek Barnett (injured reserve), DT Destiny Vaeao (waived/injured) and CB Ronald Darby (injured reserve). Unlikely to play because of injuries
are LB Jordan Hicks and CBs Avonte Maddox, Jalen Mills, Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas.
The Giants have improved since their changes. The Eagles have regressed since their changes.
So now how does this compromised defense stop Barkley and Beckham?
Battering quarterback Eli
Manning would be a start. In fact, it’s absolutely essential. But again, the Giants’ pass protection has improved since the last meeting, while the Eagles’ pass rush has slipped.
A big part of that is because, as defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said again on Tuesday, the front end is affected by the back end, which now features the likes of Cre’Von LeBlanc, Chandon Sullivan, De’Vante Bausby and Tre Sullivan.
So depleted are the Eagles at cornerback that they’ve used receivers on the scout team
during practice.
“That doesn’t always give us the look we want,” coach Doug Pederson said on Friday.
Furthermore, when the Eagles have to go to their base 4-3, they count on linebacker Nate Gerry, a converted safety, to fortify the run defense.
“Since we played them last they had a bye and they’ve come back with a couple wins,” Schwartz said. “They’re leaning more — and we probably opened this box — but leaning more on Barkley not only catching the ball, which he was early
on in the season, but running the ball and really pounding it on inside runs.
“So I think that’s probably the biggest difference. They got [TE Evan] Engram back, but even getting him back they still have a lot of two-back sets, two-tightend sets, and try to be a little bit more of a power running team. Quite honestly, that’s what I would do against us right now. We’re going to have to be ready for it.”
Added defensive tackle Fletcher Cox: “They’re running the football really good. And
lately we haven’t been able to stop the run, and that’s a problem, because we know they’re going to come in, they’re going to hand 26 the ball.”
There’s no evidence lately that the Eagles can stop the run or match the 34 points they scored against the Giants in the first meeting.
In the games that followed, the Eagles scored 17, 24, 20 and 7 points.
The players believe that a play or two here and there, they could easily be 7-3 instead of 4-6. But it works the other way too. A
play or two made by Atlanta or Indianapolis, both denied scores in the closing seconds, and the Eagles would be 2-8.
Incredibly, the Eagles and Giants are still in the hunt for the NFC East title, and both will be after today’s game as well.
Worst to first to worst is their division trajectory from 2016 to the present, and a win against the Giants may not be enough to prevent that from happening.
nfierro@mcall.com Twitter @nickfierro 610-778-2243