29. That is the number of points Eli Manning and the New York Giants put up on the Eagles in Week 3. It was a number large enough to end the Birds’ six- game win streak against Big Blue. It was also the second of what would become four consecutive losses for the Birds. But it really should not have happened. The Eagles threw and ran for more yards and had more first downs, but New York got the victory.
The reason? Well there are the same reasons that have plagued this team all year. Coincidentally, the reasons for the loss also provide the blueprint on how to slow down the NFL’s eleventh-ranked offense. If Juan Castillo and the defense can get pressure on Manning, prevent big plays, and cover running backs out of the backfield, look for the Birds to be in a winnable game.
Getting Pressure on Manning
The easiest way to slow down the G-Men is by pressuring their mistake-prone signal caller. Manning led the league in interceptions thrown last year and has eight in nine games this season. He has only been sacked sixteen times all year and is on pace for the best statistical season of his career. In the last two weeks, though, Manning has had two of his three lowest passer ratings of the 2011 season. Make no mistake; wreaking havoc on the Ole Miss product is the key to winning this game.
In the Week 3 matchup, the Eagles sacked Manning twice, but failed to consistently produce pressure. Defensive ends Trent Cole and Jason Babin had a sack a piece, but got no help elsewhere. Castillo’s group allowed the Super Bowl champion to throw for over 250 yards and four touchdowns. They also failed to create any turnovers, while committing three themselves.
This time around, the coordinator should dial up blitzes in order to frustrate the quarterback. In stark contrast to years past, the Eagles are one of the league’s least-blitzing teams. Several well-designed blitzes could be a great opportunity to fluster Manning and make a big play on defense. If the Birds are able to get to Manning on Sunday, it will make the job of the secondary much easier and give the team a great chance at winning.
Preventing Big Plays
If the Eagles did not allow the Giants big play after big play in their first matchup, the outcome would have been much different. Big Blue jumped out to a 14-0 lead on touchdown passes of 40 and 74 yards to Brandon Jacobs and Victor Cruz, respectively. The plays happened due to a combination of blown coverages, missed tackles, and matchup problems. Castillo must make sure his squad limits these types of plays that can change the game in a heartbeat. He needs to take after his boss and put his players in a better position to make plays.
In order to keep the Giants’ explosive offense at bay, the Eagles must tackle. As simple as it sounds, anyone who has watched this team knows it can come and go. On Cruz’s 74-yard scoring strike, inexcusable missed tackles by both safety Kurt Coleman and cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha allowed the wide receiver to run untouched into the end zone. After a week of watching game film of these mistakes, the hope is that the team will come into this game ready to hit.
Covering Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw
The Giants took advantage of inexperienced Eagles linebackers in the first matchup by using their running backs as receivers. Jacobs, who is 6’4’’ and 240 pounds, started off the scoring with a 40-yard touchdown catch. Rookie Casey Matthews, who is no longer in the starting lineup, was burned on the play. New York’s other running back, Ahmad Bradshaw, lit up the Eagles with five receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown.
With a new line backing corps and more experience, look for the defense to be much better prepared to deal with Jacobs and Bradshaw coming out of the backfield. Brian Rolle and Akeem Jordan, who were not in the lineup Week 3, should improve the coverage ability of the linebackers and help the Birds take these dangerous backs out of the game. By eliminating Manning’s security blankets, it gives the defensive line more time to put pressure on the gunslinger and take over the game.
Although the Eagles’ season seems to be coming to an unbelievably early end, the team must put together one last stand against their division rivals. Following an embarrassing loss to the Cardinals last week, look for the defense to set the tone on Sunday night. Every key to shutting down the Giants is related to one another. Taking the team’s running backs out of the game allows the defensive line to get more pressure. If Trent Cole and the defensive line get after Manning, Asante Samuel and the secondary can prevent big plays.
If the Eagles finally step up and play up to the level of their talent, they should win this game and keep their faint hopes of a meaningful season alive. But if you think the team is done no matter what, just remember one thing. It always feels darn good to beat the New York Giants.
Who is going to cover and stop WR Victor Cruz, plus they have big WR H Nicks comng back too… Giants 31 – Eagles 16 …
LMFAO. Are you being serious? Have you not been watching Manning torch the secondary off the blitz? Like the handful of elite QB’s out there, Eli wants you to blitz him. Then he’s got man to man. He makes those throws too. First, unlike Vick, Manning can actually read the defense. Second, he’ll hit his receiver. If the DC takes this dumb as bricks analyses to heart, I will break my remote.
@Mark Coyle Hazlett in the immortal words of Ray Didinger
“REALITY CHECK” !
I admire the bleed green but fuck this team and coaches, not to be confused with butt fuck this team. 🙂
The Giants are going to eat our lunch
Not to be confused with eating our lunch
Eagles will win and the media will be writing about how “the season maybe saved with help”
Unless they change their defensive gameplan, I don’t see how this can be anything but a loss. If they end up in zone, then he Giants WRs will go off if Jacobs doesn’t run it down the defenses throat.
Paulman…You took the words right out of my keyboard. The Eagles deserve no credit for their “potential” and talent on paper at this point. To quote the Tuna: You are what your record says you are and ours says we stink. We should be 24. By the way, you seem to have excellent knowledge and I have a question that always confuses me that you may be able to help me out with. What are the tie breakers on draft picks and where do the Eagles stand right now in accordance with those tie breakers?
Quick comment in regard to the Colts. Miami or Washington will be willing to give up their own top ten pick next year in addition to their first rounder in 2013 for Luck. The Colts still have a QB that can probably play another five years so they will be listening intently to any and all offers and trying to establish a bidding war. Snyder will meddle heavily and demand Shanny give the earth, moon and stars for Luck. It will be very interesting. Yet another reason these could be dark days ahead for the Birds in the NFC East.
I was totally fooled after that Dallas game! I will not be fooled again. This team has too many flaws to win week in week out. I am anxious to see what players will have the heart to fight now! Whoever the new coach is will be watching the film!
There is no conceivable way I see this team beating the Giants. I am “all in” at this point for the draft. That means just lose baby! Just lose! I can’t wait to watch us somehow end up with a pick in the upper teens because we do just enough to fuck that up too! Sickening! Last time we were 6-10 we ended up with the 14th pick. We have to do better than that this time.
The article was about the formula to stop Eli and the Giants. I do not necessarily think they will be able to do it. But thanks for the feedback, always appreciated.Hopefully this team shows they have a little pride. Either way, go birds.
To Jbird,
Thnx for the kind words, as far as deciding between Teams who have the same record on who Drafts where, I am pretty sure that they go by the “Strength of Schedule #” which is given out the beginning of the year based on teams opponent’s cumulative won-Loss record from the Season before.
As an example if the Eagles and Cardinals both finished at 6-10 but the Eagles had a higher “Strength of Schedule” than the Cardinals, then the Eagles would select before the Cardinals..
Sorry Mark,
Good article by the way and yuo must be reltively new since most threads rarely follow the article as we go off on tangents, especially with this years team.. but keep up the good work..
Eli will look like Joe Motana on “Roids” against our bum ass safeties. The Most we can hope for this year is the Kurt Coleman gets another multiple interception game so we can sell another bum ass multiple “player of the week” to a team for a high pick or player.
Mark….I think we have clearly seen that this team has no pride, no heart, no guts, no grit and no balls. Especially on defense! To that effect I believe we will see more of the same. They are obviously a collection of individuals that does not play together, do not have any team unity and do not play for each other. And despite all of their lip service they don’t play for their coaches either. I mean really? What player ever stands up and says, “Yeah the coach has lost the locker room.” We are never going to hear that from the players but it is obvious in the way they play.
I agree for the most part. But some players, particularly Celek, have shown plenty of heart. On defense it hasn’t been the same since Dawkins left and hopefully somebody will eventually mold into a leader. And thanks Paul I’m just a Syracuse student trying to keep my ties with the Birds strong. Keep the comments coming I love talking about my squad.
Is there’s a safety on our team better than dawk?
Songs….No there isn’t.
Mark….Here’s a question. How come Trent Cole isn’t a leader. Because he is sofffft. Thats why. I have no problem with the FO letting him go in 2013. He will want top five money anyway and he is not a top five pass rusher. Top five players hassle the QB and/or make sacks when the game is on the line. Cole is nowhere to be found. Seriously, I ask anybody if they would take Cole over J Allen, Ware, Woodley, Harrison, Freeney, Peppers, Piere-Paul?? No way anybody would. Not top five. Barely top ten and his career fourth quarter stats are atrocious.
Speaking of Pierre-Paul…
Is Graham ass or what?
another undersized bum!
Paulman…thanks for the answer. Because in ’05 it seems I remember the Eagles losing to a team that had the same record and they picked before us so now it makes more sense. So based on that we should be pretty good in relation to other teams because our schedule has been pretty damn tough. However, can you answer the second part of the question? What is our draft position currently? From what I see we are tied with four teams for sixth.
Enough with the Dawk B.S…..Dawk in his prime was getting abused by WR’s
And Jerry Reese Wanted Grham but settled for JPP…LUCK OF THE DRAFT
Songs, what games are you watching? It seemed like Graham was the only D-Lineman getting continous pressure on Skelton whenever he was in the game.
I will reserve my judgement of Graham after this season……I’ll give him a preliminary grade. Then next year, we can determine if he was a bust or not. Then again, it took Babin 7 years.
Its amazing to me how some of you turn on our players so quickly. Cole will get six sacks on Sunday night and all of you will be all over his jock.
Sometimes I wonder why some of you are fans when all I hearing is bitching.
Birdo…I have consistently questioned Cole’s over ratedness and lack of leadership. And tell me you would not take five other pass rushers over him. He is also totally not clutch so if he did get six sacks they would all be in the first forty minutes of the game and he will be getting stone walled by the great Will Beatty while Eli drove the Gianst down for the win in the last five minutes of the game.
Also Birdo, Babin is a bust. He produced nothing for six years as a first round pick. Thats a bust. So there is no such thing as taking seven years. If you take seven years your a bust. If Graham doesn’t produce next year he’s a bust.
LOL – real talk @ Birdo!
I understand when some cats get on here and vent, with a few comments, but to keep going on and on. Every day of the week…? Most of these cats started the week miserable and still are, seems like most of these cats simply want company.
WHY,WHY,WHY write this?
The only way we (the Fans) WIN is if the eagles continue to LOSE.
This season IS O.V.E.R. OVER!!!
The question was posed as to why some Eagles fans just get on here and complain and vent, with the underlying theme being were just miserable people. I think its safe to say life goes on whether or not the Eagles win or lose. Although, its more fun to talk about a winning team during the week than the shleck weve seen from this squad this year. I think that fans come on here and vent because they care about the Eagles and want to see them win. After 13 years, I speak for myself, but think an overwhelming number of Eagles fans would agree that they don’t believe that this team as constructed, coached, run, and managed can win a superbowl. We’ve watched years of poor clock management, lack of in game adjustments, neglect of certain areas of the football team altogether and a philosophy on both sides of the ball that doesn’t work. Now, since I’m certain most fans don’t have the means to contact J. Banner, J. Lurie, H. Roseman or A. Reid personally, this forum serves as a healthy outlet for that frustration. I’m sure fans of other NFL teams could point out similar shortcomings of their teams front office, coaching etc., but I don’t care because I don’t root for any other NFL team.
Getting Pressure on Manning; Preventing Big Plays; Covering Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. WOW, that was great game planing. That is the game plan of every team, every week. How ingenious. LMFAO!!! Come on dude, what a way to state the obvious! That haven’t been able to do that, consistently all year. What in their play, makes you think it is going to happen now! Who gives a f^#@!? They stink, they’re done, & Reid & his @$$clown brigade, all need to be fired, ASAP!!!!!! Stop writing these meaningless, idiotic articles.
@DCar, just because it is obvious doesn’t mean it’s not right. And it is the blueprint to stop the Giants offense, not my prediction on the game. But thanks for reading buddy! Appreciate it!
the gameplan is simple….
run the ball on offense, control the clock
on defense, blitz the hell out of Eli..
this is another problem with the Castillo defense… he rushes 4 and they get zero pressure…. blitz the linebackers and safeties and let the corners cover man up.
I think Vince Young makes enough plays to keep the game close, but the Eagles defense blows it again late in the game … Giants 20, Eagles 17
I think the Eagles play well the 1st half and keep the game close,
The Giants pull away in the 4th and win going away 31-16…
I really don’t see the Secondary matching up well at all with the Giants WR’s, a healthy Nick’s, Cruz,Manningham and Barsden and QB Manning..
The Eagles allowed 300 Yards to Cardnials QB Skelton and basically 1 WR (Fitz), the Eagles will have their hands full …Watch for Back-up RB Ware also coming out of the backfield.. A tough hard tough RB who is the type that gives the Eagles Fits ..