It’s a clash of NFC East forces as The Philadelphia Eagles head to the Meadowlands to take on the New York Giants.
The latest NFL odds show the Giants (+3.5) as home underdogs. New York fell to 3-7 after a loss to Tampa Monday Night. Meanwhile, Philadelphia has won three of their last four games and has vaulted back into contention in the NFC wild-card race.
Can the Giants keep pace with the high-flying Eagles and spoil their playoff chances?
Here are some trends to watch heading into Sunday:
Daniel Jones At Home
Daniel Jones enters Week 12 with a career record of 11-26. He is 6-12 in his career at home, including 2-3 this year.
Historically, Jones has had much better road statistics. In 19 career road starts, Jones has thrown for 28 touchdowns and ten interceptions, compared with 16 touchdowns and 19 interceptions in 18 home starts.
Despite this alarming split, Jones has progressed in his last two home starts with wins over Carolina and Las Vegas. In both games, Jones was able to limit his mistakes with zero interceptions.
In their last two home wins, the Giants were able to get their run game going, eclipsing 100 yards on the ground both times. This allowed them to keep the play calling conservative and lean on the defense. The Giants’ defense allowed an average of 9.5 points per game in the two wins.
Establishing the run and getting a solid defensive effort has been the recipe for home wins. But, if the Giants cover the spread on Sunday, this will likely be key again.
The Eagles Offense is Rolling
Over the last four games, The Eagles have averaged 34.5 points per game. Jalen Hurts and his tandem of running backs are firing on all cylinders at the moment behind some tremendous offensive line play.
Philadelphia’s run game has been nearly unstoppable, averaging 217 yards per game over the last month. On the season, The Eagles are second in total team rushing yards (1,687) and tied for first with 17 rushing touchdowns.
For the Giants to keep pace, it will be crucial to slow the running game down and make Jalen Hurts throw more. If the Giants can limit the run and get key stops on third down, it will help keep their offense off the sidelines.
Regardless, the Giants may need to dial up some more aggressive play-calling on offense if they want to keep pace with this potent Philly attack.
New York Giants Shake Things Up
After their Week 11 loss, the Giants announced the firing of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
It will be interesting to watch how this impacts the offense moving forward. Will we immediately see some more aggressive play-calling on Sunday, or will the offense take a couple of weeks to adjust?
Despite inconsistencies on offense this season, New York still has dangerous offensive weapons. Can they get playmakers like Saquon Barkley, Kadarius Toney, and Kenny Golladay more involved this week?
Philadelphia’s defense is currently ranked 19th in average points allowed (23.6). This means there should be opportunities for Daniel Jones and the offense to put up points.
Keep an eye out for a more aggressive Giants attack against a vulnerable Eagles defense.
Can the Giants Cover?
The New York Giants will have a tough task on Sunday. However, if they can build on their recent home success and find a way to slow down the Eagles’ rushing attack, they should remain competitive in this game.
I believe that the Giants will take a more aggressive approach this weekend. This makes New York an intriguing candidate for BetMGM’s King of the Weekend promo. Sign up for an account today and pick the six teams you think will score the most points for your chance at $50,000.
