The Eagles are hoping to finish their 2023 regular season on a high note against the Giants on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Philadelphia has won five straight games and 13 of the last 15 against New York, including last season’s 38-7 win in the Divisional Round, so there is no question the Eagles have the momentum in this series.
We know the biggest storyline: The Eagles need to beat New York and hope Washington defeats Dallas at FedEx Field in a 4:25 PM kickoff to win its second consecutive NFC East title. Otherwise, the Eagles will have the fifth seed in the conference playoffs with a date at the NFC South Division Champions on Wild Card Weekend.
There are others, so let’s take a look under the hood at the 11-5 Eagles playing at the 5-11 Giants on Sunday at MetLife Stadium …
- No DeVonta Smith in the Eagles’ lineup
There is no player tougher than DeVonta Smith, who is going to miss the first game of his three-season NFL career. He finishes the regular season with 81 receptions, 1,066 yards, and 7 touchdowns. How do the Eagles adjust without Smith, who teams so well with A.J. Brown and presents such problems for defensive backfields? That’s the big question for an Eagles offense that moved the ball extremely well against the Giants two weeks ago, including Smith’s 4 receptions for 79 yards, including a 36-yard catch and run for a touchdown. Julio Jones is coming off a two-touchdown game against Arizona. Quez Watkins has the speed to play outside and make the defense respect his deep-threat ability. Olamide Zaccheaus has been a reliable target this season. The Eagles have options. It’s just going to be … different without one of the best receivers in the NFL.
- The run defense faces a test
It isn’t just about this game for the run defense, it’s about turning things around for the postseason. New York averages 110 yards per game on the ground, in the middle of the NFL pack. But Saquon Barkley is a star running back and the Eagles have had their challenges on the ground lately and New York likely wants to shorten the game and run the football, so it boils down to this: The Eagles need to win against the New York running game. No matter what it takes, the Eagles need to win in the trenches. It will help having linebacker Zach Cunningham back in the lineup – he has been inactive for the last three games and in four of the last five games – but it’s also going to come down to some one-on-one matchups at the…
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