I’m going to try a different format for the Eagles game. It’s a bit more in-depth and if I did one in the old format again, it would be pretty much the same as the last one I did against the Giants. This is more matchup based. If it says “Push” after the matchup that means it’s even. If I have one star, that matchup is slightly in favor of the team I list. If I have two stars, that matchup is heavily in favor of the team I list. Here we go.
The Philadelphia Eagles (10-6), returning to the playoffs after a one year absence, will host the New York Giants (8-8), who are looking to improve on their miserable showing from last season. The game will be at Lincoln Financial Field, broadcast on FOX at 4:30 PM on Sunday, with Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver making the call.
Jeff Garcia vs. Giants’ defense- Since filling in for Donovan McNabb, Jeff Garcia, in addition to improved defense and an emphasis on the run, has led the Eagles back into the playoff race and got the team their 5th division title in six years. With a 5:1 TD:INT ratio, a 60+ completion percentage and decent yards per attempt, Garcia has kept the passing game playing at a high level. This season, the Giants’ D has been getting beat up through the year, and are among the league’s worst in passing touchdowns allowed and passing yards allowed. Throw in an already weak pass rush missing their best player in Michael Strahan, Garcia should have lots of time to find open receivers downfield, even though one of his worst games came against this same team earlier this month. Eagles **
Brian Westbrook vs. Giants’ front seven- Westbrook had a career year this season and was snubbed in the Pro Bowl selections. He set a career high in rushing yards, yards from scrimmage and tied his career high in touchdowns, and figures once again to be a big part of the gameplan against the Giants. Westbrook has averaged 25 touches per game against
Eagles’ WR/TE vs. Giants’ secondary- Despite the player moving onto
Eagles’ Offensive Line vs. Giants’ Defensive Line- The Eagles are building one of the best lines in the league, while their counterparts are thinning out and weren’t strong up the middle to begin with. All five of the Eagle starters had legitimate Pro Bowl seasons, but only the Big Kid was honored. In the last meeting, the interior had a great game driving the Giant tackles back and getting to the second level to block Linebackers. Westbrook and Buckhalter gouged the middle of the Giant defense all day to the tune of 145 yards, and look to have the same success as last time. In pass protection, the Eagles gave up just two sacks, to a Linebacker and Safety. A little film study should help them pick up the blitz packages better and improve on that. On the Giants side, Osi needs to improve his technique if he wants to beat Tra Thomas to get to Garcia. In the first meeting, he flew upfield and took himself out of the play several times. He needs to get to the inside quicker and get to the Quarterback if he wants to be an impact pass rusher. The Giants need to continue to use Kiwanuka to rush the passer from several different places to create different looks and try to confuse the offense, although Strahan’s injury limits their flexibility. Eagles **
Eagles’ defense vs. Eli Manning- The Eagles have seen the best and worst from Eli. In the big comeback victory in September, Eli had a career game, throwing for over 370 yards and 3 TD, and only turning the ball over once (despite being sacked a ridiculous amount of times.) In December, it was a slightly different story. He was only sacked once, but was under a large amount of pressure. He committed two key turnovers, and was not able to throw any touchdowns on a day where the running game was for the most part, a non factor. Eli has to step up now. He has to shake off the choker label and play big in a big game. He can’t fade away when the pressure’s on, and he has to make this the game that defines his career and gets him on track. If he can get rid of the ball quickly and find Plaxico, who has been dominant in the series this season, he could have a big game, but the pass rush might be too much to overcome. Eagles *
Eagles’ front seven vs. Tiki Barber- Although the Eagles have just about dominated him all season long, they can’t count on being able to do it a third time. Barber has always demolished the Eagles, and his past performances should be in the back of the mind of every Eagle player. The Eagles defense has had an awful time trying to stop the run this season, but they’ve been getting better as of late. The key for the Eagles is to continue to get penetration from the interior, which they’ve done a great job of doing in the series so far, and bring run blitzes to eliminate gaps. They have to tackle well, and especially when Jacobs is in, go low, gang tackle and try to strip the football. The Giants need to lean on Tiki and Jacobs to win this game. The game cannot be in Eli’s hands. We’ll see if Tiki goes out with a bang, or if he’s still lacking focus and finishes his career with a dud. He’s always ready for Eagle week though, so this game should be no different. Giants *
Eagles’ secondary vs. Giants’ WR/TE- Plaxico Burress. This guy is not an elite receiver. He’s not Canton-bound. Hell, he wouldn’t even make the satirical Hall-of-Very Good. Yet for whatever reason, he dominates the Eagles. Dominates. He matches up well against the Eagle corners because of his size and his ability to win jump balls, but he beats them on any route at any position on the field. It doesn’t hurt that he gets every call in his favor, and he’s also a Pro-Bowl whiner who has his way with officials. However besides Burress, who will once again be a huge factor, the Giants don’t have many weapons. Shockey is a playmaking Tight End, but he may not be too effective with the injury. He was involved in the game early and often last meeting, but he also dropped a critical pass in the second half. Besides those two, the Giants are pretty thinned out. Shiancoe is not useful in the passing game, and after Toomer’s injury, Carter, Moss and Tyree have had trouble stepping in and filling the void. If the Eagles can somehow manage to take Burress out of the game, the Giants’ passing game will be a non factor. Giants *
Eagles’ Defensive Line vs. Giants’ Offensive Line- For some reason, the Eagles’ DTs, particularly Darin Walker, seem to have success against the Giants. I’m not sure if it’s necessarily personnel on the Giants’ side, because O’Hara, Diehl and Snee are good players. The Giants made an improvement on their line in the last week by benching Bob Whitfield and inserting Grey Ruegamer in at LT. This can only be a positive, even though Grey has not played much over the past few seasons. Whitfield is a revolving door in pass protection, took dumb penalties and was prone to false starts, something the Giants can’t have if they want to win a playoff game. Overall, the Giants O-Line is a mediocre unit and against an above average unit that seems to burn them every time. In the first meeting, not only could the Giants not establish any sort of running game, Eli was sacked a ridiculous amount of times. Instead of being a complete liability the second meeting, they cut down on their poor pass protection and held the Eagles to just one sack, but still couldn’t open any holes for Barber. I don’t see them getting any better, they’re just not good. Eagles *
Eagles’ Homefield Advantage vs. Giants- It’s a pretty lame matchup to talk about, but I think the Linc could play a part in this game. The Giants are frequently penalized and are prone to false starts. The noise should help affect that. Eli seems to get worse under pressure, and a tough environment could help rattle him. And no, I’m not just saying this to pump up the Eagles’ chances of winning, it can go both ways. If the Giants score early, the crowd can easily be deflated. It has happened before, and it’ll probably happen again. The Eagles can’t fall behind early, or there will be no advantage, and the Giants will have momentum. Eagles *
So with all of that, I think the Eagles have the advtange. Right now, they’re playing better football, they’re at home, and the Giants are in complete disarray. They may have quit on their coach, they’re not focused, they backed their way into the playoffs and have a ton of injuries. However, it’s still the third meeting between these teams. They know each other very well, and the Giants are as prepared to stop the Eagles as anyone. However, my prediction is Eagles 27, Giants 20
From the RCA Dome in
The Chiefs won and got a little help in Week 17 to make the playoffs, despite losing 3 of their last 5. Despite being the lowest seed against a perennial AFC power, the Chiefs match up very well against the Colts. Hoping that Larry Johnson is not worn out after setting the single season record for most carries, the Chiefs will look to ride their workhorse one more time to extend their season against one of the worst run defenses in NFL history. The Colts are getting gouged to the tune of 5.3 yards a carry, and a league worst 173 yards per game, 28 yards worse than their closest competitor. However, if they get into a shootout and have to get away from the run a little bit, the Chiefs could be in trouble. Trent Green has been inconsistent at best since returning from his injury, and he cannot be relied on to win a playoff game.
The Colts, no longer the AFC favorites will look to finally reach the promised land from the underdog role. They have a tall task ahead of them on Wild Card Weekend, and they have to shut down a premier back in the league. They have to find some way to hold LJ down to like, 6 yards a carry. He can’t control the clock. The Colts need to get on offense, put up points and make KC light up the scoreboard with them. They can’t do it. No team can put up points with the Colts. Peyton Manning had one of his best years becoming only the second Quarterback to throw for 30+ touchdowns and fewer than 10 INTs (9, a career low). Harrison and Wayne each had stellar seasons, and even Addai ran for 1000 yards and took over the starting job. The offense is possibly the best in the league, and if the defense somehow manages to put together a good game, they can beat any team. However, since that’s so rare, they’re unlikely to make a run.
The Bottom Line- The Chiefs won’t be able to keep up with the Colts, and lose a high scoring game, like last time in the playoffs. Colts 35, Chiefs 31
From Qwest Field in
The Cowboys threw away a chance to lock up the division, and back their way into the playoffs after losing to the hated Eagles at home on Christmas, and following that up with a loss to the lowly Lions at home in Week 17. The offense is strong, but Tony Romo has struggled as of late. After getting off to a great start, he’s hit a wall, and is not as effective as he was in November. TO is dropping passes, and Glenn almost seems uninvolved, and hasn’t seen as many passes come his way since the QB switch. Despite the drops, TO still caught his passes, got his yards and found the endzone, more than any other receiver in the league. However, he clearly loses focus at some times and that could cost the Cowboys. Their offense will lean on a solid running game from Jones and Barber, who will be relied on to wear down a
The Seahawks aren’t looking too powerful either, but they still won their division to earn a home game. Although they struggled against divisional opponents down the stretch, they took care of business and locked things up. Suffering from numerous injuries all around, the Seahawks hope that Hasselbeck and Alexander, two experienced playoff competitors can put up the points they need to win. Against an up and down
The Bottom Line-
From Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms call CBS’ wild card game at 1 PM on Sunday.
The Jets made a miracle return to the playoffs under new head coach Eric Mangini. After being riddled with injuries and poor play all around, the Jets went 4-1 under former head man Herm Edwards. Mangini made it a priority to improve the offensive line and did so by investing two first round choices in D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold. Although
Although they lost for the first time last season, the Brady and Belichick postseason magic could still be there. Brady has not been himself this season because of an ongoing injury, but he still leads a solid
The Bottom Line- Despite losing at home to these same Jets earlier this year, the Patriots take care of business in the playoffs, period. Patriots 20, Jets 10
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