The (7-4-1) New York Giants will face their toughest test of the season when they host the (11-1) Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
New York enters this contest as a seven-point underdog, and it’s with good reason. The Eagles have the best record in the NFL, and they’ve won eight out of their last ten meetings with their division rival.
But Giants head coach Brian Daboll was not part of those prior matchups, and he’s preparing his team to pull off their biggest upset of the season as they continue to make their push toward the playoffs.
On Wednesday, Daboll was asked how he presents the challenge to his locker room, knowing they’re facing an 11-1 team.
“The same way I present every team. Here’s things that we’ve got to make sure we handle on our end. It’s always about us first, and then he’s tendencies or here’s key players, or key situations that we’ve got to be dialed into. Consistency, I would say whether you’re playing Philadelphia or last week Washington or earlier in the year. You’re pretty consistent with your approach, really the whole week.”
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll on his approach to coaching
New York is going to have to play their best game of the season on both sides of the ball on Sunday if they’re going to have any chance of winning. In addition, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will have to dial up some elaborate schemes to surprise Philadelphia.
Here are three bold predictions for the Giants against the Eagles.
Related: NFL Power Rankings Week 14: Where do the Eagles and Giants rank?
Saquon Barkley will have over 100 yards receiving
Over the first nine games of the season, Saquon Barkley was one of the favorites to win Offensive Player of the Year, as he was averaging 103 yards rushing per game.
But with Big Blue not having a true No. 1 receiving threat on the outside, teams are making the necessary adjustments and shutting down the superstar running back. In the last three games, Barkley is averaging just 41 yards on the ground and averaging just 2.8 yards per carry.
Philadelphia’s front seven did an outstanding job last week, holding Titans star running back Derrick Henry to just 30 yards on 11 carries. Fletcher Cox and the rest of Philly’s defense are poised to repeat this feat against Barkley. This is why the Giants need to utilize their best player in the passing game.
It’s time for the Giants to take advantage of Barkley’s versatility and get him involved in the screen game, and for Daniel Jones to get the ball to his running back when a linebacker is matched up on him.
Barkley will once again be the focal point of New York’s offense, but this time it will be as a pass catcher as he’ll lead the team in receptions, and he will have over 100 receiving yards on Sunday.
Related: 2022 NFL offense rankings: Top units and stats leaders ahead of Week 14
New York Giants will intercept Jalen Hurts at least twice
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is one of the favorites to win league MVP, as he’s thrown for 20 touchdowns to just three interceptions. He’s also gained 609 yards on the ground with nine rushing touchdowns.
The expectation is that the Eagles’ passing game will overwhelm New York’s secondary as Hurts has two dynamic receivers in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and the Giants are expected to once again be without their top corner Adoree’ Jackson. In addition, the Giants’ defense has only been able to register four interceptions on the season.
But despite being undermanned, New York’s defense will force uncharacteristic mistakes from Hurts, and as a result, they will intercept him twice.
Related: NFL QB Rankings: See where Daniel Jones and Jalen Hurts rank ahead of their matchup
New York’s defense will have more sacks than Philadelphia’s on Sunday
The return of Azeez Ojulari gave the Giants’ pass rush a must-needed boost last week against Washington. He had a strip sack in his return, and his presence on the field helped New York take down Taylor Heinicke five times.
The Eagles have one of the best defenses in the league as they’re second in total defense, giving up 296 yards per game, and are second in the league in sacks with 42. That number will surely rise on Sunday as New York’s offensive line has given up 37 sacks on the season.
The Giants have just 25 sacks on the season, but their pass rush will be more efficient now that Ojulari is playing on the other side of Kayvon Thibodeaux. In addition, this will allow Wink Martindale to be more creative now that he has his top two rushers on the field. As result, Big Blue’s defense will sack Jalen Hurts more than the Eagles will sack Daniel Jones.
Related: 2022 NFL defense rankings: Week 14 fantasy defense rankings, NFL defensive stats