Football Friday: Predicting Eagles v. Giants

The Philadelphia Eagles face off against the New York Giants in a must win divisional matchup on Monday Night Football. Simply put, it doesn't get much better than this. Our Eagledelphia writers break down the prime time matchup for you including their prediction on who will win.

Michael Malia, on Twitter @Michael_Malia

The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to get their first divisional victory of the season against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. The Eagles are coming off of their best overall team performance, after beating the New Orleans Saints by the score of 39-17. On the other hand, the Giants are riding a three-game winning streak into Lincoln Financial Field. Eli Manning is playing well with 10 touchdown passes and two interceptions, with a quarterback rating of 100.2. I suggest that the Eagles defensive line, anchored by Fletcher Cox, will force Manning into a couple of turnovers.

Eagles 27, Giants 17

Pete Visalli, on Twitter @PHL24x7Pete

I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but this week is tough to call again. It's been a very up and down season so far, but I see a win this week. The Giants have a few key injuries that could work in the Eagles favor. Prince Amukamara will be out which will certainly help the Eagles WR's give Sam Bradford a target to throw to. Victor Cruz is still not cleared to practice and Odell Beckham Jr is listed day to day with a hamstring issue. These are some key injuries on both sides of the ball that the Eagles have to expose. It's going to be Black Monday at the Linc hoping to have a similar result to last seasons 27-0 shut out Black Sunday game. On offense look for the birds to get the ball moving through the Giants secondary with Amukamara out. On defense the Eagles will be stingy as they have been to keep the scoring to a minimum with some key turnovers and keeping the pressure on Eli.

Eagles 31, Giants 16

Ryan Gertsel, on Twitter @TheRyanGertsel

Here's my prediction: In what is undoubtedly the biggest game of 2015 to date, the Eagles face the Giants under the lights at Lincoln Financial Field in their all black uniforms on Monday Night Football. For the Eagles, this match up could not come at a better time. The team's coming off a dominating performance against the Saints and the Giants, while coming off three-straight wins, are quite literally limping into this contest. Their top two offensive weapons in Rueben Randle and Odell Beckham Jr. are each nursing hamstring injuries and Victor Cruz will remain sidelined with a nagging calf strain. On defense, the Giants' league-worst secondary will be without their best corner, Prince Amukamara, due to a pectoral strain. Simply put, this has to be the game where Sam Bradford breaks and shows the world what he's capable of. He's coming off a game where he bounced back from two bad red zone interceptions to complete 71.1 percent of his passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns. The Giants have been awful against the pass this season, allowing a league-worst 304.2 yards per game through the air. It'll be up to Bradford to get into a rhythm early to help open some holes for the running backs against a stingy Giants run defense that has allowed just 3.5 yards per attempt. The Eagles' defense needs to continue to shut down the running game and force Eli Manning to air it out to his banged up receivers. Manning has thrown just two picks this season and has protected the ball well, but I see that changing against the Eagles' ball-hawking secondary. Last week's win against the Saints provided the Eagles with a much needed confidence boost, and I believe that confidence carries over into this prime time match up against their NFC East rivals. This game won't be as lopsided as last year's dominating shutout, but I see the Eagles outplaying the Giants on both sides of the football en route to a crucial win and sole possession of first place in the NFC East.

Eagles: 31 Giants: 20

Patrick Causey, on Twitter @IsdeTheHuddle

This is the third week in a row that the Eagles face a must win game. Such is life when you are 2-3 and 0-2 in your division. The Eagles best chance at beating the Giants is through the air, where the Giants rank dead last in passing yards allowed, and 20th overall in Football Outsiders DVOA rankings. Sam Bradford has been the model of inconsistency so far this season: with 524 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions and a 65.6 quarterback rating in the first half, compared to 753 yards, six touchdowns, three interceptions and a 102 quarterback rating in the second. He needs to play a complete game this week, and has the perfect opportunity coming off two solid games in a row, and facing an incompetent and banged up secondary. The Eagles could struggle to run the ball, however, as the Giants have one of the best run defenses in the NFL by any statistical measure (4th in yards allowed, 2nd in DVOA). On the flip side, Eli Manning comes in red hot, throwing for 1,412 yards, 10 touchdowns, two interceptions and a 100.2 quarterback rating. But his top three wideouts in Odell Beckham, Jr., Ruben Randall and Victor Cruz are all in doubt for the game. But if you think the Eagles struggle to run the ball, the Giants are actually worse, ranking 25th in the NFL in total rushing yards (the Eagles rank 23). In other words, expect a pass heavy, high scoring affair in this game, with both teams struggling to run the ball. 

Eagles 27, Giants 24

Michael Coggin, on Twitter @MQCoggin

Finally, a win. Mercifully, a win. To save the season, a win. Nope: not talking about the Eagles here. Talking about me.  After incorrectly picking the Eagles games the first month of the season, I got one right in week 5. God bless the Bayou Blunders. Despite going into the half trailing by just a field goal, the Saints were overmatched in the second half. The Eagles had to have that game and they played like it.  The defensive line was swarming; the secondary, stifling. The offensive line was authoritative: moving the line of scrimmage at will. The rushing attack, accordingly, flourished. Even Josh Huff made plays. It was a complete team win.

So why don’t I feel better? Because the Saints are a bad team. They’re 1-4 for a reason.  They’re winless on the road for a reason. Even the Eagles—one of the larger disappointments of this early NFL season—managed to win at the Jets. The Giants, though they have flaws, are infinitely better than the Saints right now. The offense is explosive & balanced. Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, Reuben Randle: if two-thirds of those guys are healthy on Monday night, this could be a long game for the Eagles defense. The Giants, defensively, may lack a pass rush but they stuff the run. This game could be a shootout. If it is, who do you like more right now: Manning or Bradford? 

But those are me problems…and I’m just 1-4 at this nonsense. So go with Vegas:

Eagles 31, Giants 27

Kevin Durso, on Twitter @Kevin_Durso

I haven't been right yet, so I'm playing the closest game possible. Truth is, I don't really know what to expect. I want to believe that the Eagles team that showed up in the second half against New Orleans is what this team can really be. That said, I haven't seen that yet in a divisional game. After having a win in Washington snatched away in the closing seconds, the Eagles should want it more, but the Giants have surprisingly been a fairly solid team to this point, all injuries aside. But we know the Giants history too, especially against the Eagles.So I'm picking the Giants, with the hopes of being wrong again, but I'm not surprised if the Eagles come out on the winning side.
 
Eagles 23, Giants 24
 

Name

Record

Michael Malia

2-3

Ryan Gerstel

2-3

Brian Startare

1-4

Pete Visalli

1-4

Michael Coggin

1-4

Patrick Causey

1-4

Kevin Durso

0-5

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