Giants vs. Eagles -- the way it should be
by Ed Valentine on Jan 5, 2009 7:33 AM EST
in New York Giants News
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So, it will be our New York Giants against the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday at the Meadowlands as the Giants begin defense of their Super Bowl title.
As Giants' fans didn't we know it would fall this way? The Eagles sure did. Check out this quote from defensive back Sheldon Brown.
I would never want to disrespect the Vikings by looking past them... but I kinda knew, we all did that it would come down to a rematch with the Giants
Of course we knew, even if we might not want to admit it. I know most of you rooted for the Vikings Sunday since, theoretically, that would have given the Giants an easier path to the NFC Championship Game.
But, c'mon! Did you really think a team with Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback and no big-play threats on the outside was going to stand up to the Eagles' defense?
Besides, would you really want this any other way? I wouldn't.
For two seasons now, nothing has been easy for the Giants. Last year's Super Bowl run, remember, was accomplished despite being on the road in every game.
This season the Giants went 12-4 despite a brutal schedule that saw them play 10 straight games against teams with winning records, and win six straight when it really mattered.
This team has always brought its best when the challenges were the biggest. So, why wouldn't we want to see Philadelphia Sunday at the Meadowlands?
I'm looking forward to it.
Other playoff Games
Chargers 23, Colts 17: Like Derrick Ward against Carolina, Darren Sproles earned himself a boatload of money with his 328 yards of total offense Saturday. That was a back-and-forth, entertaining as hell game. Too bad Peyton Manning never got to take his baseball off in overtime. So much for that Manning vs. Manning Super Bowl.
Ravens 27, Dolphins 9: The one thing I did not expect in this game was for Miami quarterback Chad Pennington to morph into a turnover machine. Looking intimidated by the Baltimore defense, Pennington threw four interceptions and Miami never had a chance.
Arizona 30, Atlanta 24: I still don't believe the Cardinals can run the football like they did Saturday against really good defenses, but I should have known Arizona was capable of one very good football game. After all, this was the Cards' first home playoff victory since 1947. The Falcons were a nice story, but a team with a bad defense.
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Amen bro
To all you guys who were “scared” of this team and that team, well, now they’re here. And are ya scairt now? I didn’t think so. You’re amped, I’m amped, and obviously Ed is amped to make some scrambles Eggles. It looks like the Eggs were the best NFC team to play this past weekend — although that’s not saying much — and so I say bring’em on. We missed out on the opportunity to crush Dallas back-to-back years, so the Eggs will have to stand in.
BY THE WAY, adding to my perception of the Eggs as some of the ugliest cheap-shot artists in the league: On the play that had AP out for a few seconds, I saw in the instant replay that AP was on his knees headed for the turf, when Brian Dawkins decided to go all out, diving, body off the ground, full extension, helmet spear into AP’s face. What a dirty player who doesn’t deserve to win anything in his life.
Sorry Eggs, this ain’t your year. Better luck with Kolb next year as the rebuild begins…
I am really looking forward to seeing a full-strength Giants team on the field Sunday. I’m waiting for the injury report Wed. to see where a lot of these guys stand… any advance notice, Ed, would be great on Ross, Boss, McKenzie, Jacobs, Robbins, Hixon…
You play to win the game!
I have
A student who is an Eagles fan. I’m sure there will be a lot of trash talking all week. I think before vacation, I said if the eagles knock out the Giants I’ll give the class an extra credit assignment.
Trash talking
Of course there will be. As always, though, whether you are here or over at ‘Bleeding Green’ let’ keep it friendly.
You guys are awesome over here, and even with all the inevitable trash talking, I think that more than anything it’s a sign of respect for one another. When you play the Lions or the Rams, I don’t think you end up trash talking with them, it’s only with the teams that you respect.
trash talking the Lions
would just be downright unkind. You almost feel you should offer them words of encouragement before the game. Here’s to Lions fans. They are really earning their stripes right now
You play to win the game!
by Simms-McConkey on Jan 5, 2009 11:10 AM EST up reply actions
I agree
We are awesome
Giants fan from the womb to the tomb
by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jan 5, 2009 1:58 PM EST up reply actions
All I know is
If Me-shaun Jackson comes onto the Giants sidelines and taunts Tom Coughlin the way he did Brad Childress last night, Diehl or Seubert or someone better make sure he leaves with his nose on backwards, ala Daffy Duck.
Giants fan from the womb to the tomb
by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jan 5, 2009 8:53 AM EST reply actions
You know he's going to end up on the sideline
because based on yesterday he’s not going to allow himself to be hit, even by the kicker.
PS, as it stands now....
Weather will not be a factor, temps in the 30’s and Sunny is the current forecast.
Giants fan from the womb to the tomb
by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jan 5, 2009 8:56 AM EST reply actions
Sproles is a wonder.
He’s a bit shorter and lighter than Joe Morris, seems slipperier, but not as powerful. It makes me wonder, outside of Buddy Young, who was the best short back ever? I’d never call any of those guys small, although Sproles looks kind of small out there. Buddy was 5’4" (5’3" according to Gino Marchetti) 164 (154, Marchetti said) and ran a 9.4 one hundred. They didn’t track the forty in those days. He’s an HOFer. I saw a game between the Yankees and Browns where Buddy stopped Marion Motley (who was Brandon Jacobs before Brandon Jacobs) in a head on collision.
I'm not going to be talking any trash this week
But i am super excited for this game. Frankly I’m really happy that the Giants are the 1 seed because if the Eagles are going to move on, i’d rather have to face the Giants this week and not in the NFC Championship.
While I obviously think the Eagles will win, i know that it will be a major slug fest…. but seriously guys, those of you who think the Giants will “KILL THE EAGLES” are off base. Stop throwing around the “well you guys tied the bengals, or got blown out by the ravens”… because the giants got beat pretty handily by the Browns, and lost to the Eagles at home.
Key to the game… Can the Eagles stop Brandon Jacobs? If they can, i like our chances.
If you can't sell out a playoff game, should you lose the right to have a home game?
Ditto Westbrook!
Both are a lot easier to say from the comfort of the chair.
We're only gonna score 17 points?
by big blue wrecking crew on Jan 5, 2009 12:51 PM EST up reply actions
I'm kind of thinking Mcnabb
the same way I felt about last years Superbowl loser. He’s just due for a stinker! Not meant to be disrespectful, the Eagles can beat any team in the league on any given….. Their Defense is respected , not feared, I just think that historically it’s inevitable. Let’s hope this is the week.
We're only gonna score 17 points?
by big blue wrecking crew on Jan 5, 2009 12:49 PM EST reply actions
TRUTH!!!!!!!!!
all of eagles nation will gladly jump on board with that statement!
If you can't sell out a playoff game, should you lose the right to have a home game?
I have never talked trash. Ever.
So lemme just add one more thing b/c I just found out the NY Daily News is all about the Eggs are the ‘07 Giants bandwagon as well. And because moronic sports media is obsessed with corny story lines instead of insightful analysis, this is going to be their corny story of the week. SO:
The ’07 Giants clinched IN WEEK 16 at 10-5. Then they ended the season with a hard-fough loss. And Eli was never benched to turn the season around.
The Eggs, going into week 17, needed losses in the 1:00 games by the heavily favored Bucs and Bears. Check and Check. Then, they needed to beat the imploding Cowgirls, and did so, ending the season on an easy win.
Mirror image? Hardly.
Here’s a question for anyone who buys into the soap opera being perpetuated by sports media: If you took these Eggs and put them on our ’07 road (08) through the playoffs, would they have beaten TB, DAL, GB, and NE? Ignore the hype. win or lose this game, there is little similarity between the teams.
You play to win the game!
The only reason I preferred the Cardinals
to any other team is b/c the Cardinals don’t have Westbrook, Adrian Peterson, Michael Turner, or DeAngelo Williams to blow by Antonio Pierce. That said, if the Giants come to play Giant football, they will win this game. Eagles fans can talk all the crap they want, but the Giants are 26-10 since the start of last season, earning some bling along the way, while the Eagles are 18-15-1 over that same span. To say the Eagles are better than the Giants would be like saying the ‘02 Giants were better than the ’02 Eagles. The Eagles may win, b/c NFC East games are crapshoots, and any team can win on any given Sunday (we know that better than most), but the Giants ARE the better team. I wish we still had Plax, but even without him, we saw what the Giants offense can do in the game against the Panthers. I’m not predicting this, but if the Giants play as well as they did in that game, they win by 2 scores.
with the way the Cards played on the East Coast this season
they might as well have cancelled that game and given the Giants a bye into the NFC Championship game.
by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Jan 5, 2009 10:27 PM EST up reply actions
Cards
Seeing as how the Giants have routinely played to the level of their competition all year, I almost feel like the GMen will be that much MORE focused and that much MORE sharp against the ’Birds. ie the ’Birds will bring out the best in the Giants. If it was the Cards, EVERYONE would predict a blowout victory for NY and the Giants might even start to believe some of their own hype. In this situation though, everyone knows this game will be a complete dogfight and that the Giants simply MUST bring their “A” game.
From a “skills” perspective, I think that the Cards are an easier matchup than the Eagles. But it doesn’t matter, I’d simply rather play the best and beat the best so there’s no asterisk behind anything.
And I think we’ll definitely see the Safeties giving much more support to AP on covering BW. I’d rather take my chances with single coverage on the Eagles WR’s and let a safety cover BW.
It’s really all about the NYG pass rush. If the Giants can get an effective rush on McNabb and not let him sit back and pick the D apart…look out. However, if McNabb has time to set his feet and make accurate throws, NYG is in for a long day.
very good point
about the competition. In fact, I have a feeling a lot of people will be picking the Eagles to win this one, based on them being hot and winning the last matchup. Could be great poster board material for the GMen, who we know thrive on that stuff.
"being hot"
I love that, the media talks about how “hot” the Eagles are, with that scorching 2 game win streak.
Giants fan from the womb to the tomb
by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jan 5, 2009 2:00 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah they weren't so hot after losing to Washington
and praying for the Raiders to beat the Bucs to give them a shot.
Save the neck for me, Clark.
but 5 out of 6 isnt that bad
especially considering we knocked off you guys, obliterated Dallas and beat a (at the time) pretty decent cardinals team by 20+ points
If you can't sell out a playoff game, should you lose the right to have a home game?
On 2 and a half days rest
and coming off a brutal pounding from the Champs, the Cards didn’t stand a chance against you guys in that game.
Giants fan from the womb to the tomb
by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jan 5, 2009 3:10 PM EST up reply actions
and the other two games?
If you can't sell out a playoff game, should you lose the right to have a home game?
Right, Cody,
given time, McNabb is as anyone.
Hot?????????
Where the Eagles that Hot against Dallas or was Dallas that Bad? I believe Dallas forgot to show up for that game. Yes the Eagles beat the Vikings, but i wasn’t impressed with the way the y played. The Eagles will have to bring there “A” game this weekend, they will face a Healthier and a non-distracted Giants Team….
"18-1, Write that Book"
yes hot...
i think winning 5 of 6 is pretty “hot” considering our season. I think that most of our season was “luke warm,” so the play that we have now is hot. It may not have been the prettiest of ways to get into the playoffs, but it sure beats being a Cowboys or Redskins fan!
by GreenInBaltimore on Jan 5, 2009 3:18 PM EST up reply actions
Hot or Not
its a game against a division rival.
Giants were 11-1 going into their last game against Philly at home. they were hot. they lost.
Eagles were on a three-game win streak going into their home game against the Giants earlier in the year. they were hot. they lost.
throw all this shit out the window.
by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Jan 5, 2009 10:30 PM EST up reply actions
I think the matchup to watch is your running game vs. our run d. i think that will tell tale. call everything else a wash. i truly believe that the winner of this battle, wins this game.
by GreenInBaltimore on Jan 5, 2009 2:54 PM EST reply actions
I'm just hoping that 58 gets stuck covering Bwest again
If you can't sell out a playoff game, should you lose the right to have a home game?
Does Everyone Agree...
that HOT = Confindent? Maybe we havent won 9 in a row like INDY cough cough but we are a confident team right now. I think a team can be confident and considered to be hot if they upend a team the way we did Dallas, and then follow it up with a road victory over the NFL Rushing Leader and #1 run stopping team. I doubt that you guys were refuting last years Giants team being “hot” once they beat the heavily favored Cowboys…
by GreenInBaltimore on Jan 5, 2009 3:31 PM EST reply actions
Giants have won 16 of their last 20
That’s hot too.
Giants fan from the womb to the tomb
by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jan 5, 2009 3:35 PM EST up reply actions
maybe i should restate the way i said my comment.....
i completely agree that you guys are on a tear. I am not disagreeing with you on this….but playing at that level for that long gets you overlooked for being “hot.” At that point, you’re just “good.”
by GreenInBaltimore on Jan 5, 2009 3:52 PM EST up reply actions
I love this.
So we’re still no good for beating Dallas and winning 3 out of 4. But you guys are just sizzling winning 1 out of the last 4 and every other loss has some excuse.
You get beat in overtime by Minn. – Eh, the starters weren’t in so that game doesn’t count
You get pounded by Dallas. – Injuries man, lots and lots of injuries.
You get handled by Philly – It was windy dude. and did I mention injuries lots of injuries.
Before the game: Plax doesn’t matter, we’ve got Hixon. After: We lost because we didn’t have him and that drama that we didn’t say was going to affect us – it did
Before the game: We have 3 great running backs and will win with or without Jacobs. After: Dude, you guys won because Jacobs was injured if we had him then we would have won.
Even in the first Eagles-Giants game, you all said, “It would have been a blowout if X, Y, and Z didn’t happen.” Please.
Every time you lose, there’s an excuse. But you always preach how your this amazing team playing Giants football. That’s right, we play Giants football and if we come out and play Giants football then we’re unstoppable….
….Unless you hold our featured backs to less than 100 yds (which we did, Jacobs 52, Ward 39, Bradshaw 9)
…Or unless one or two of our guys are injured – because Giants football requires all hands and the loss of one guy is crucial…unless we win, then it’s all about depth.
This game is simple, your Defense is good, our defense is good (actually better given DVOA statitistics). We create more big plays, you grind out your scores. If we score first we win. If we have to play “catch up” we lose. But don’t give me this nonsense about how amazing your Running game is or how you’re unstoppable, because you’re not. We shut your running game down and forced you to pass, it wasn’t just easy to say from an armchair, it actually happened.
We’ve gotten “hot” at just the right time, we convert on 3rd and short and have been putting up points on both sides of the ball. I think we’re going to own you. I think you’re going to come out looking towards that Carolina game whether Mr. Jacobs will admit it or not. I would be surprised if you manage 100 yds on the ground against this Eagle defense, we’ve done it before, and we’ll probably do it to you again.
But if you lose this game, please don’t lay it on one or two players being injured, or the weather, or because of dropped passes. You win as a team and you lose as a team. And you’ve dumped 3 out of the last 4 as a team. And I’m thinking you’re due for a “stinker”.
Go Eagles.
This reminds me of that great scene from My Cousin Vinny.
Vinny Gambini: I object to this witness being called at this time. We’ve been given no prior notice he would testify. No discovery of any tests he’s conducted or reports he’s prepared. And as the court is aware, the defense is entitled to advance notice of all witness who will testify, particularly those who will give scientific evidence, so that we can properly prepare for cross-examination, as well as give the defense an opportunity to have his reports reviewed by a defense expert, who might then be in a position to contradict the veracity of his conclusions.
Judge Chamberlain Haller: Mr. Gambini?
Vinny Gambini: Yes, sir?
Judge Chamberlain Haller: That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out objection.
Vinny Gambini: Thank you, sir.
Judge Chamberlain Haller: Overruled.
Save the neck for me, Clark.
+1
Love the quote… BTW Andy Reid’s biological clock is ticking
here's the thing
as Ed has said, going into the last Eagles game, the Giants had just beaten 6 straight winning teams, which only 2 other teams in NFL history have done. Plaxico had shot himself in the leg 9 days earlier, and Antonio Pierce was being investigated by police. Jacobs was hurting going into the game, and was taken out halfway through (and he was running very well against you, if you don’t remember – 10 carries, 52 yards…of course it’s convenient that you forget that, fits your “facts” better). The Giants needed only 1 win in their last 4 to clinch the NFC East and a bye. That game was the classic let-down game, and it showed, they played like absolute crap (why it carried over to the Cowboys game the next week, I’m not sure and won’t try to excuse away.)
True, going into that game we didn’t think the Plax thing was a big deal, b/c we played great against the Redskins a week earlier without him. We were wrong, though the team seems to have recovered from that at this point. We thought we would be fine w/o Jacobs, b/c in the past we had been. We were wrong about that too, though I think it was more the combination of no Jacobs AND no Plax that did us in (imagine how well you guys would do w/o Westbrook AND McNabb).
None of that changes the fact that the Giants are a better football team than the Eagles, and you’d have to be a total homer not to see it. Again, the Giants are 26-10 over the past 18 months, the Eagles are 18-15-1. The Giants are 12-4 this year, the Eagles 9-7-1. The Giants dominated most of the season, the Eagles are lucky to even be in the playoffs. None of that means the Giants are guaranteed to win this game, it doesn’t, but I have full confidence that they can and should, as long as they play as well as they are capable of playing. And “hot” and “cold” don’t exist in football. Just ask the Colts, who had won 9 in a row, or, better yet, ask last years Patriots, who had won 18 in a row.
CJMulrain
I think you are bucking for my job, friend! Awesome summary, awesome facts, well thought out argument. That’s the stuff I love. And, yes, if you don’t understand that the Giants are the better team you are wearing blinders. As we know, though, that guarantees nothing. If the Giants don’t play well Sunday, Steve Spagnuolo will have lots and lots of time to interview for head-coaching jobs. But, if both teams play their absolute best games the Giants win.
"I think we’re going to own you"
darn, and i thought your other posts were pretty insightful.
once you go into disgruntled 12-year old superfan mode, everyone here will disregard whatever you say.
“my dad can beat up your dad!”
shut up.
by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Jan 5, 2009 10:33 PM EST up reply actions
There's no such thing as hot
in football. Any team can win on any given Sunday. If there was ever a time I doubted that, Super Bowl XLII proved it to me. It’s hard to be much “hotter” than those Patriots, winning 18 in a row, and yet the Giants beat them. Are the Eagles playing better now than they were 2 months ago? Sure, except for 2 weeks ago in Washington. Are the Giants playing worse now than they were 2 months ago? Sure, except 2 weeks ago against Carolina. None of it will matter come Sunday.
Hmm
I have to imagine the Panthers also think their season will come down to a rematch with the Giants after that classic in week 16. Hopefully they’ll get their chance for that rematch too.
thballs
thballs sez: “We shut your running game down”
the stats sez: Giants averaged 157.5 yards rushing in the 2 games (215, 100.)
stats also sez: Eagles rushed for 106 yds/game this year, the 22nd best in the NFL
and: Giants average rush over 16 games: 157.4
You play to win the game!
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