Week 15 begins with a game with major playoff implications, all concerning the New York Giants (10-4). If the Giants win, they instantly reserve at least a wild card spot. If they lose to the Philadelphia Eagles (5-9), they’ll still be in the wild card driver’s seat, but the Cowboys will be the NFC East champions two days early.
The Game: New York Giants at Philadelphia (-1.5)
The Giants on Offense
Eli Manning runs the show in New York as good as any QB in the league. That’s right. Any quarterback. He’s putting up another elite season and the entire team is peaking at the right time. Odell Beckham Jr. is the best wide receiver in football and seems more impossible to defend each passing week. With Victor Cruz and Sterling Shepard added in to the mix, Manning has playmaking options every time he drops back to pass. New York is lacking at running back, but as the team continues to find ways to put rookie Paul Perkins on the field, that spot improves by the week.
The Eagles on Offense
Carson Wentz has been solid in his rookie season, though his stats (and the team’s wins) took a dip in the second half of the season. It was to be expected as this is a young offensive team all around, with wide receiver Jordan Matthews Wentz’s best weapon and he’s just in his third season, but he’s questionable tonight. There’s room to grow here and the Eagles are still a constant danger to put points on the board with tight end Zach Ertz and running backs Ryan Matthews and Darren Sproles.
The Giants on Defense
New York took a hit a few weeks ago when defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul went down with a season-ending injury. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins is questionable tonight too and a game-time decision. The Giants still have Olivier Vernon, who probably should have made the Pro Bowl and some decent back up defensive ends that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo knows how to rotate. Landon Collins is having a break out season at safety and could nab a few contract incentives tonight against a rookie quarterback. If Jenkins doesn’t play, Eli Apple should get plenty of reps. The rookie corner’s performance has been on a steady uptick in the second half of the season.
The Eagles on Defense
Unlike the Giants, the Eagles come in healthy on defense with their best player on that side of the ball, Fletcher Cox, preparing to harass Eli Manning right in his face all night. This is a solid group all around, but the strength is up front with Brandon Graham and Connor Barwin rushing on the outside with Cox penetrating in the middle. In the defensive backfield, the Eagles are decent, but don’t match up well with the Giants. Leodis McKelvin will probably shadow OBJ most of the night and he should. The other Eagles’ DBs won’t stand a chance against Beckham.
The Coaches
Doug Pederson was one of the best hires of the entire NFL offseason and has the Eagles on the right track for future contention. The NFC East may have been the best division in football this year and it’s only getting more competitive next year. The Giants’ Ben McAdoo was on the ropes early this year, even spending some time on my Coach Ineptitude Rankings. He’s off them now and has his team rolling into the postseason. This is a close one, but I give the advantage to Pederson.
The Pick
The line for this game shocked me when I saw it. The Giants are coming off two significant wins, they’ve already won 10 games and they’re a cold-weather team. The Eagles are playing out the stretch and should already be prepping for a busy offseason to fill holes in their roster. This is Eli Manning’s time of year. It may not be this close. Giants 27, Eagles 20
Last Week
Straight up: 13-3
Against the spread: 6-10
Season
Straight up: 139-83-2
Against the spread: 110-110
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