NFL Divisional Round Playoffs/Giants vs. Eagles
The New York Giants have already lost two games to the Philadelphia Eagles this season, suffering a 48-22 blowout at home in December before dropping the last game of the season 22-16 in a throwaway matchup with playoff seeding already settled.
They aren’t expected to buck that trend in the Divisional Round this weekend, as New York’s BetMGM sportsbook favors the Eagles by more than a touchdown (-7.5). At +275, Vegas gives the Giants a roughly 25% chance of winning on Saturday night in Philadelphia.
The Season in Review
The Giants have been in this situation all year. Before the season started the G-Men were expected to have just a 30% chance at making the playoffs.
Who could blame anyone for thinking that? Adding a rookie head coach and general manager to a team with next to no cap space that hadn’t played meaningful football in January since the 2016 season isn’t exactly a recipe for success.
There was cause for hope, however, as head coach Brian Daboll made a name for himself by turning around the career of Josh Allen, now a superstar quarterback Buffalo Bills.
Daboll did much the same with Giants’ signal caller Daniel Jones, coaching him to one of the best seasons of his young career by utilizing Jones’ two way ability as a runner. Armed with two draft picks in the top ten, general manager Joe Schoen—also a part of that Buffalo staff—had the weapons needed to overhaul the roster on a tight budget.
New York leapt out to a 6-1 record, but many didn’t believe in them: as the Giants eked out one score wins over middling teams, NFL fans ridiculed the team for being frauds, watching with bated breath to see the team collapse as the season stretched on.
The naysayers were nearly right: the Giants did cool off significantly down the stretch, going 3-6-1 over their final ten games and barely sneaking into the playoffs as the sixth seed.
Flipping the Script?
As the old adage goes, the playoffs are a brand new season. Few know that better than New York fans, who saw the 2007 Giants take down the 18-0 Patriots as a Wild Card team in the Super Bowl. They saw the 2011 Giants do it again, taking down New England with a pitiful 9-7 record and the No. 27 defense. While it’s a totally different regime from the Giants teams of yore, one can’t help but notice the similarities. This year, the Giants weren’t expected to win on the road in their Wild Card Weekend matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. They certainly aren’t expected to beat the Eagles, but that’s why you play the games.
Scouting the Opponent
Starting quarterback Jalen Hurts has carried the Eagles all season: Philadelphia went 14-1 in games the Alabama product started this season, losing both the matchups he missed due to a shoulder injury.
The Eagles earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC, their 14-3 record tied for best in the NFL, and with it came a first round bye. The off week gave Hurts valuable time to fully heal the injury to his throwing shoulder, and he was listed as a full participant in practice this week.
With weapons like A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith and Dallas Goedert, the Eagles’ passing attack could wreak havoc on a shaky Giants’ secondary. It also opens up space for their run game which, in the teams’ first meeting gashed the Giants for 254 yards, four touchdowns and nearly 8.5 yards per tote.
The Giants have played conservatively on offense this season, which could help them shorten the game and keep pace with Philadelphia’s multi-faceted approach. If the Eagles score early, however, it could spell doom for a New York team reluctant to take shots downfield.