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Eagles prep for dual-headed engine at heart of Giants’ rushing attack

'Flexibility' key as Eagles set sights on Draft Weekend


It has answered every challenge in this 2022 regular season, and now as the stretch run arrives, the Eagles’ defense has more to come: Sunday at MetLife Stadium, the Giants offer a unique approach with a combination of physical offensive line play and a creative run scheme that features quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.

This is what Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon is focused on – a multi-pronged run game that hits a defense in every which way.

“Brian Daboll (Giants head coach) and Mike Kafka (Giants offensive coordinator) know what they’re doing,” Gannon said on Tuesday at his weekly press conference at the NovaCare Complex. “Bobby Johnson is the O-line coach; I was with Bobby for a little bit, and he knows what he’s doing. They know how to use, to maximize their quarterback skill set in a way that makes it very challenging for the defense because it challenges your rules and your structures, and they find their matchups, their one-on-one matchups, because of the quarterback skill set. So, we’ve got a big-time challenge ahead of us, and we’ve got to be on it. It’s a game where you can’t just line up and play your stuff, or you will get gashed. We’ve got a big-time challenge ahead of us.”

The Eagles are familiar with Jones, having seen him through the years, and they are well aware of his running skills – both improvisational and designed. Four times this season, Jones has carried the ball 10 times or more, and in Sunday’s 20-20 tie with Washington, he ran 12 times for 71 yards.

In four games against the Eagles dating back to 2019, Jones has 215 yards and a touchdown on 25 attempts, an average of 8.5 yards a carry. He is big and strong and fast, and the Giants are going to use him in tandem with Barkley, a standout back who is in prime form again after two seasons riddled with injury.

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