The New York Giants wide receivers have been decimated with injuries. Quarterback Eli Manning is coming off of a year when he led the NFL in throwing interceptions, so passing the football hasn’t been an easy thing for the Giants to do of late and it doesn’t look to get any easier this weekend against the Eagles.
The Birds have one of the best pass rushes in the league led by Trent Cole, Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins. In addition, they have three Pro Bowl cornerbacks, Asante Samuel, Nmandi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to match up against the Giants depleted wide receivers.
Starting New York wide out Mario Manningham suffered a concussion on Monday night against the St. Louis Rams. He hasn’t practiced yet this week and his chances of playing on Sunday are very slim.
The Giants third wide receiver Dominic Hixon made a brilliant touchdown catch on Monday night against the Rams. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL while making that catch and is done for the season. This is the second-year in a row that Hixon has gone down with an ACL tear.
Manning has one talented and experienced wide receiver in the prime of his career and that’s Hakeem Nicks. Nicks has great size and playmaking ability. He’s extremely tough in the red zone. The former North Carolina Tar Heel 
has huge hands and can make the unbelievable catch. Asomugha is the perfect matchup for him.
Joining Nicks in the New York receiver corps will be 35-year old Brandon Stokely, who has been in the league for more than a decade and was signed a week ago to give the Giants some wide receiver depth. Stokely has good speed although he’s slowed down as the years have gone by. He’s capable of making big plays and seems most effective when working out of the slot.
The Giants also have the inexperienced Victor Cruz, who has caught a grand total of two passes in his NFL career. The other receivers on the New York roster are Devin Thomas, who was drafted by the Redskins in the second round and failed to live up to his billing. Rookie Jerrel Jernigan is also on the roster.
The more you look at the situation the more it would make sense for the Giants to the put the ball on the ground and try running the ball down the Eagles throats.
They have a power back in Brandon Jacobs, who is a big 265-pounds hard-charging ball carrier. He’s had some good days against the Birds and I could see Tom Coughlin giving Jacobs the chance to attack the middle of the Eagles defense.
Jacobs is paired with Ahmad Bradshaw, who is a speed back, who has great vision and cutting ability. Bradshaw can make the big run and does a great job of hitting the holes quickly. He’s got the big play speed and can take the ball the distance every time he gets his hands on it.
Both Jacobs and Bradshaw have demonstrated that they have the ability to take over a game and dominate it. Expect the Giants to come out pounding the ball in between the tackles, then if they have some success they will put in the air with safe play action passes.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they attempt some screens and short throws to the backs and tight ends. The interception-prone Manning will want nothing to do with the likes of Samuel, Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie.
Of course the Eagles explosive offense could force the Giants out of their game plan by putting some early points on the board.
I think the Eagles need to come up and put eight men in the box. Either Kurt Coleman or Jarrad Page should be lining up by the line of scrimmage and dare Manning to throw the football. At times I would like to see the Birds move Cullen Jenkins outside to the left defensive end position, so that they can get bigger up front.
Running the football effectively is the only way the New York offense can move the football. Their defense must keep the Eagles out of the end zone and they must force a turnover or two.
The Eagles should be able to win this football game, if they can do a decent job of stopping the New York running attack and stay away from turnovers.
anybody think Matthews will attempt a solo tackle on Jacobs?
Matthews spends the whole day spinning around like a ballerina or on his rear end, Jacobs is going to run him over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over. Matthews does not know how to get himself into a leverage position, he is very good at giving up the leverage, maybe they should send him to JuJitsu or Judo school to learn how to use leverage (I am not kidding) it has worked for other players. On the defensive side of the ball Trent Cole uses leverage to dominate, as did Dawkins, Celek and McCoy did not know how to use leverage when they got here, now by all accounts both are devistating using leverage and use leverage to put people on their rears for the most part or at least are highly effective, get Matthews in the program. Yes, I realize that I gave defensive and offensive player examples, the subject is use of leverage, it works on either side of the ball and that is what Matthews lacks, and he needs a compass to find the field of play, he gets lost out there. LOL (Sorry Casey, last week you looked totally lost in the 4th quarter and it was just too easy to take the shot at you, welcome to Philly, get your SH&$*T together quickly)
ED, MMA training is perfect training for him! It also makes your core extremely powerful! I’ve been doing it for 14 months now, i’m stronger than I was 15 years ago & I gained 20 lbs of good muscle! No PED’s are necessary.
All Mathews has to do is show up. His name is Mathews. Don’t you guys know that means he’s going to be great?? Runt of the litter. I will keep calling him that until he shows he can man up. How about just runt for short?
Stop picking on Matthews.. Jon Hart said the Eagles would Draft him, Start him and Mold him in a impact player and we all know that Jon Hart is never wrong about anything,,, (like the LeBron Bomb & the Heat beating the Mavs for the NBA Title)
On stopping the run. Let’s see if Castillo has any brains at all. First they have to run they ball. There is no way they can pass on us. Their line can’t protect and they have no receivers. So they will absolutely run, run, run. Here’s a thought. The wide nine is for pass rush. Let’s make that a narrow nine on first downs and short yardage. Let them try to pass on first down if we squeeze our line in a little bit. Its not like we can’t pressure them if we are not wide. And they won’t do it because they can’t pass. We can still line up wide on obvious passing situations. And by that I mean obvious. Don’t think 3rd and four will necessarily be a passing situation for them. Next, start Jenkins at LDE where he has plenty of experience and Dixon at RDT and get some beef on that D line to limit what our LBs have to do. Chaney in the middle will help I hope. But right now I’m not convinced this guy was not a total flash in the pan last year that is turning out to be a big flop this year. We counted on him a lot and he hasn’t delivered. Have to wonder why the fastest LB at the combine fell to the seventh round. A lot of people obviously saw things they didn’t like.
Great idea JBird
I also suggest that the Eagles play a 5-2-4 Scheme on Running downs ,,,
That’s 5 DL across the front line (Cole,Dixon,Jenkins,Patterson,Babin)
2 LBs Chaney and Fokou and bring a Safety (Coleman) in the Box
Let the CB’s Asmo & Samuel take the Giant Receivers 1 on 1 and have Safety Page or Allen play deep centerfield…
The Giants are really hurting on Offense all around but have 2 players that can hurt the Eagles and that’s RB Bradshaw or RB Jacobs, If the Eagles stuff the line of scrimmage, they should dominant this Giants weak Offensive/Line all game long.. I would use this 5-2-4 on obvious rushing down and then bring DCR in on obvious passing situations..
The Giants WR Crops will be Nicks (who is not 100%) Victor Cruz and Brandon Stokley (who they just signed off the streets) I believe Manningham is out with injury, and of course WR D Hixon tore an ACL and is out for the Season.. Their Te’s are Travis Beckham and Bear Pasco who have a combined 15 catchers for in their lackluster careers… If the Eagles give up more than 13-14 points to this GIants group, they are in some serious trouble once they play the rest of their schedule..
Pman….I agree. If the Giants break twenty points it will be because of turnovers. But they can do two things. Run and rush. Unfortunately that is what our weaknesses are. We need to max protect on offense and just put three guys in a route. They can’t cover. If we pick up our blocking assignments, Vick should be able to pick them apart.
Agreed Jbird… keep Celek in to block and let Maclin, D-Jax and Smith tear up that hobbled secondary. McCoy should have a big day out of the backfield too.
What do you guys think of having King Dunlap come in and line up as LT and shift Jason Peters out next to him as the TE but to stay in a block on 3rd and Long..
Eagles could still have 3 WR’s or 2 use WR and TE Celek to go out on pass plays..
what else is new? we play the giants and the plan is to run the ball.
no news here. i expect to win this convincingly for our 7th consecutive victory against the g-men, thats all to it
Until the Eagles prevent a team from breaking a 40 plus yard run, they will be tested by every and any team with the run, no matter who the running back is…
@Paulman
I think you apply more pressure on the defense by having your TE in there, espeically on a 3rd and long…just more of the field the D has to be concerned with…even if the lineman is an eligible receiver, throwing his way, with his speed won’t amount to much..I would not be opposed to see this near the goal line, or for that 1st down on short yardage…
I hear you Real Talk
I suggest this alignment on 3rd and long where Pass Protection is a premium.
If Celek is going to stay in and be used as a blocker anyways, I would rather have Dunlap in to handle the Giants DE’s or blitzing LB’s
With the shape of the Giants Secondary and in particular with their CB’s, the Eagles WR’s should have a field day on them if VIck has good protection
The eagles need to call up daniel te nosham and have him go back to linebacker which i said from day one and was ripped for. We need linebacker not friggin DE’s
I know the GMen will run!
any place Matthews is lined up!
Watch….this is the game that get Matthews benched..
And after we drop 2 games ..the questions will begin.
Was Matthews groth or lack thereof worth 2 games?
Is 2 games worth giving a 4th rounder time?
Songs, does it matter if we bench Mattews! All of the LB’s are interchangeable, right!? Ritalin boy, Reid puppet, Castillo says so!