Philadelphia Eagles (3-6) at New York Giants (6-3) at the
Meadowlands, 8:20 p.m. on Sunday night
NBC Images
By Ben Kelly - InReeseWeTrust.com 11/20/11
What happened last week?
Philadelphia stumbled to another fourth-quarter defeat at
home against Arizona. Second-year Cardinals quarterback John Skelton marched
down the field in the fourth quarter, drawing up 87 and 89 yard drives
sandwiched around an interception. The loss was Philadelphia’s fifth blown
fourth quarter lead this season. The Cardinals also managed to knock out two of
the Eagles’ top playmakers; Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin are both officially
ruled out for this Sunday’s game. Vick broke two ribs on the second play
against Arizona, and Maclin is hampered by hamstring and shoulder injuries.
Vince Young at quarterback
Vince Young gets the nod over third-stringer Mike Kafka.
Young himself has been banged up this season, and has thrown only one pass to
Kafka’s sixteen, a very underthrown interception against Washington. But Young’s
career hasn’t been about big numbers. His career starting record of 30-17 isn’t
reflected in his modest 75.3 passer rating through five seasons in Tennessee,
and his 2006 rookie campaign earned him Rookie of the Year for numerous late
game heroics. Five of his twelve career comeback victories came in his rookie season.
He led the Titans to seven fourth quarter comebacks and twelve game-winning
drives in forty-seven starts. Young just may find himself in another
fourth-quarter game-saving situation this Sunday in the 160th
matchup between New York and Philly.
How about that Eagle defense?
The Juan Castillo experiment has proven to be a flop in
Philadelphia. In an offseason full of lockout turmoil and shortened preseason
programs, the Eagles loaded up on free agents and handed them to a newly
promoted defensive coordinator… who’s last defensive coaching gig was at a high
school in 1989! The heavy burden of coaching Philadelphia’s defense- held to
such high standards throughout the late Jim Johnson’s tenure- was only
expounded upon by the addition of mega free agents Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason
Babin, Cullen Jenkins and others, and forcing them to mesh in a shortened
offseason under an inexperienced coordinator. Castillo’s defense has played
well at times this season but the inexperience of the current crop of players
and coaches with each other has proven costly in fourth quarters this season.
Philadelphia has been outscored 24-7 in their last two fourth quarters, home
losses to Chicago and Arizona. Both Chicago and Arizona outgained the
Philadelphia offense with much of the dirty work coming through the air in the
fourth quarter. Philadelphia minus Vick means less offense, placing the pressure
squarely on Castillo’s defense to play big.
Predictions
If there ever were a must-win game in the season’s eleventh
week, this would be it for the Giants. With looming matchups against the past
two Super Bowl champions New Orleans and Green Bay, a loss to a 3-6 team would
be a disaster. The Eagles aren’t your average 3-6 team. They are, after all,
New York’s biggest rival and have had the Giants number as of late. The G-Men
snapped a six game losing streak to Philly in week three this season, but the
Eagles would love nothing more than to embarrass the Giants in front of a
national audience on Sunday night. New York really must keep pace with the
Cowboys, who stand in second place at 5-4 and ought to be 8-4 by the time they
face the Giants in week fourteen. New York needs to win at least two out of the
next three to keep pace. Beating Philadelphia and stealing a win from either
the Packers or Saints will set the stage for an epic showdown in Dallas in
three weeks. But first, the Giants need to bury the Eagles from playoff
contention and hand them their seventh loss. With Vince Young in the lineup,
New York should capitalize on the inconsistencies of a backup quarterback and a
defense that is struggling with its identity. Giants will win, 21-17.
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