Why the Giants Will Beat the Eagles, Why They Won't, and a Prediction
Let's make this very simple.
The Philadelphia Eagles, who have clinched a playoff berth, aim to end a three-game losing streak and get back on track to secure the No. 1 playoff seed in the postseason tournament.
The New York Giants, while still mathematically alive for a playoff berth, are playing their jobs for next year as they look to close out what has been one of the most disappointing seasons in a sea of disappointments in this franchise's history.
We all pretty much can guess how this one is going to turn out, but the game still needs to be played because, well, stranger things have happened.
And hey, wouldn't it be nice if the Giants delivered a Christmas miracle to their fans by beating the Eagles in Philly for the first time since 2013?
Why The Giants Will Beat the Eagles
Believe it or not, there is a path, albeit a slim one, for the Giants to fill off the upset that doesn't involve padlocking the door to the Eagles locker room before kickoff.
Simply put, that path rests on "Tommy Cutlets"--quarterback Tommy DeVito. Say what you want about Rao's new pitchman. Still, since taking over the quarterback duties, DeVito has galvanized the Giant's offense and has played well for the most part, as evidenced by his eight touchdowns to three interceptions over seven games, five of which have been starts.
DeVito and the Giants offense, which seems to be the healthier of the two sides (more on that in a moment), are going up against an Eagles defense that has been struggling so much that head coach Nick Sirianni made the bold move to change play callers last week, "benching" defensive coordinator Sean Desai for Matt Patricia. The Eagles' biggest struggles have come against the pass, where they've allowed 255.4 yards per game (28th).
Tight end Darren Waller played on a pitch count last week, but the hope is he'll be more available this week and have a better showing. If the Giants can get their passing game going against the Eagles, the final score could be much closer than the 13.5-point spread favoring the Eagles indicates it will be.
Why the Giants Will Loseto the Eagles
New York is banged up on their defensive line. Defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches (knee) has been declared out, and Dexter Lawrence and A'Shawn Robinson are both questionable with hamstring and back ailments, respectively.
That's not good news when facing an Eagles rushing attack ranked eighth in the league (128.3 yards/game) as led by quarterback Jalen Hurts, who has a career-high 14 rushing touchdowns, or noted Giant killer Boston Scott, who always seems to thrive whenever he sees that "NY" logo on the helmets across from them.
The Giants' run defense has allowed the fourth-most rushing yards (131.6) and is averaging 1.4 rushing touchdowns allowed to opponents per game, tied for third-most in the league.
As elementary as it sounds, if the Giants can't stop the run and force the Eagles into third and long situations, their goose is cooked. Philadelphia, as is well-known, thrives on the "tush push" play when facing short yardage, where this season, they have converted 72.7 percent of their fourth down attempts (first in the league) and 48.4 percent of their third-down attempts (third in the league).
Put the Eagles in long-yardage situations, and those rates drop to under 50 percent. So the Giants' defensive objective is simple: Don't let the Eagles enjoy shorty yardage if you want to give yourself a fighting chance.
Prediction
One day, the Giants will be in a position to not only compete with the Eagles but also beat them. That day, though, probably won't be Monday, as much as the thought of a Christmas Day miracle in which they beat the big green Grinch would warm the hearts of Giants fans everywhere.
Eagles 28, Giants 17
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