Three Weeks After Their First Meeting, Eagles and Giants Look a Bit Different

Here are some ways in which both teams aren't what they were when Philly beat New York, 22-21 on Oct. 22

It’s hard to believe it will only be three weeks since the Eagles and Giants last met, mainly because they both look a bit different now from that 22-21 Eagles win on Oct. 22.

The two will battle again on Sunday (1 p.m.) at MetLife Stadium, with New York looking to finish a game they controlled for three-and-a-half quarters in their first get-together.

“One thing, going on my fifth year that I have learned about this division, regardless of who’s more dominant than the other team - it doesn’t matter,” said safety Jalen Mills. “This division plays hard. It doesn’t matter with the record. That’s just how it is … everyone is going to play each other hard.

“And then on top of that, I think just us as a team, we know the mistakes that we made. It’s a good thing that we’re playing them immediately because we have certain guys, even myself, I have plays that I feel like I left out there. Now I can kind of redo that. And our goal is to win the division.”

The Giants’ goal is no less than that as well. Even at 2-7, they are in the hunt but need a win to stay in the thick of things against the 3-4-1 Eagles.

What are some differences in both teams three weeks later?

Let’s take a look:

GIANTS

Newfound running game. Quarterback Daniel Jones is still their top rusher with 320 yards, including the 92 he had against the Eagles, including an 80-yard burst, but Wayne Gallman and Alfred Morris have given the Giants some punch without Devonta Freeman.

Freeman injured an ankle against the Eagles and could return on Sunday.

In last week’s 23-20 win over Washington, the Giants ran for 166 yards, a touchdown and a 4.7 yards per carry average with Gallman getting 68 yards, Morris 67, and five others netting 31.

EAGLES

Personnel. Several key players did not play in the first meeting who are expected to play on Sunday. They are receiver Jalen Reagor, running back Miles Sanders, tight end Dallas Goedert, defensive tackle Malik Jackson, linebacker T.J. Edwards, and maybe left guard Isaac Seumalo.

Reagor scored his first NFL touchdown in his return from a five-game absence against Dallas, Goedert had only one catch in his return vs. the Cowboys but looked like he wasn’t quite 100 percent from a broken ankle that kept him out of five games, and Sanders has 434 yards rushing despite missing three of the first eight games.

“Miles is definitely a great player, man,” said his backup, Boston Scott. “We’re excited to get him back. Y’all see the productivity. Y’all see what he can do with the ball in his hands, so I’m excited to have that guy back, man. He’s a pleasure to work with, a pleasure to be around, and I’m looking forward to continue to work with him.”

GIANTS

Improved Jones. The quarterback is coming off his fist turnover-free game of the season and just the second of his career. In the Week 7 matchup in Philadelphia, Jones completed 20 passes to five different receivers for 187 yards.

In the two games since, the Giants' passing game has seemingly made a stronger effort to get the ball into the hands of more players with nine different guys catching at least one pass in the team's loss to the Buccaneers in Week 8, including five with at least two receptions.

Against Washington, 10 different players were among Jones’ 23 completions.

“I mean, he’s a first-round pick,” said Jackson. “Any guy who’s a first-round pick, I expect to go out there and do something great. I think he shocked all of us with his speed. I’m glad he fell down. 

"I think he has great management of the game, and I think he has a good long ball, and he knows where he wants to go with the ball. I think the only down thing for that kid are the interceptions and fumbles. But I think at everything else, he’s killing it. We really gotta watch out for that guy because he can really beat us."

EAGLES

Pass defense and linebacker play. Steadily climbing the ranks in defending the pass, the Eagles are now fourth in that category in the NFL, giving up 209.4 yards per game through the air.

A secondary led by shutdown corner Darius Slay is a reason for that, but so is the pass rush. The Eagles are fourth in the league sacks with 28, led by Brandon Graham’s seven.

As for the secondary, the Eagles’ defense has given up just 18 passes of 20-plus yards this year. Only the Rams have surrendered fewer.

As for the linebacking operation, the Eagles top three tacklers against the Cowboys were from that unit – Edwards with 13, which includes a strip-sack fumble, Alex Singleton and Duke Riley.

Edwards’ star could be about to ascend in a big way, especially with Nate Gerry on IR.

“I think that’s one of the strongest things about my game, I feel that I’m always finding a way to be around the ball,” said Edwards. “I think that comes from experience in college with all those snaps played and all those different situations and things like that. Then coming here and being able to watch some of the vets last year and how they do things and how they see things and do it my way this year and figure it out for myself.”

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