Big Blue View
The New York Giants will play the Philadelphia Eagles for the second time in three weeks on Sunday.
Week 8’s road game in Philadelphia has a ton of context for the Giants. First and foremost, the Giants are coming off of a heart wrenching loss to the Denver Broncos. On one hand, the Giants’ offense scored five touchdowns against a defense that held the Eagles to 17 points and is arguably the best defense in the NFL. That’s obviously fantastic and something the Giants should be thrilled over.
On the other hand, however, the Giants’ defense allowed the Broncos to score 33 points in the fourth quarter and squandered a lead that has, historically, been insurmountable.
And now the Giants go on the road to face a division rival.
It’s generally considered difficult to beat a team twice. The Giants will attempt to do so while the previous game is fresh in their opponent’s mind, as well as overcome their own recent collapse.
What can we expect from the Giants’ defense in the rematch against the Eagles?
The two teams’ respective injury reports will likely have a profound impact on the game. The Giants’ 34-17 win over the Eagles in Week 6 was fantastic, but it’s worth remembering that the Eagles were without key linemen in guard Landon Dickerson and defensive lineman Jalen Carter.
Those two are among the Eagles’ best players and are definite difference makers in their respective units.
At the same time, the Giants came out of their loss to the Denver Broncos with more than just frustration. Cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland both left the game against the Broncos with knee injuries, while edge Brian Burns suffered a hip injury.
Each of those players were key in the Giants suffocating the Eagles’ offense in Week 6, and their absence or limitation would really impact how the Giants are able to defend the Eagles.
I’ve previously detailed how the Giants stifled the Eagles’ offense, and I’ll refer you back to that for the details, but the Giants’ injury report could impact each of the tentpoles of the Giants’ defense from the first game.
Not having a healthy Burns would impact both the Giants’ run defense as well as the disciplined aggression of their pass rush.
Abdul Carter would be the starting edge across from Kayvon Thibodeaux and would likely create a target for the Eagles’ run game. Carter is incredibly athletic and an instinctive rusher, but he’s also inexperienced as an edge defender with less than two seasons at the position. Likewise, he doesn’t have the same level of play strength as Burns. Strength was a question on his scouting report, and even elite athletes need time to make significant strength gains as they get more advanced. Burns is 27 years old and has been in the NFL since 2019, yet he is only now adding a truly impactful power aspect to his game.
Attacking into the backfield...
