There are few rivalries in the NFL whose intensity matches that of the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. While Philadelphia fans yearn for the playoff success of their northern neighbors, they can take solace in the fact that Andy Reid’s squad has dominated this series recently.
The Eagles have won seven of their last eight meetings with New York and the last four games all featured fourth-quarter game-winning drives. Last season, Victor Cruz’s breakout game led the Giants to a Week 3 upset in Philadelphia, but backup Vince Young staged a shocker of his own at MetLife Stadium eight weeks later. When these two teams meet, throw out the injury reports and predictions, and prepare for a thrilling finish.
The Giants enter this game after dismantling the upstart Carolina Panthers in every facet of the game in a 36-7 victory last Thursday night. The Eagles were on the receiving end of a similarly one-sided match, as the Arizona Cardinals harassed Michael Vick in a 27-6 rout. With both teams coming in with a 2-1 record, the magnitude of this early-season NFC East showdown is certainly not lost on Osi Umenyiora and LeSean McCoy. Let’s leave the talk of Twitter gangsters and ballerinas to the professionals, and instead look at three matchups to focus on this Sunday night.
Giants Rushers vs. Michael Vick
Over the last two seasons, New York defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has not been shy about using different strategies to pressure Vick. In their two 2010 meetings, Fewell blitzed Michael Boley, Antrelle Rolle, and Deon Grant early and often against the Eagles' QB. But the Giants coordinator wasn’t nearly as aggressive last season, possibly because he trusted emerging sophomore Jason Pierre-Paul to cause enough havoc on his own. Go back to Week 3 of 2011, at the 2:53 mark of the first quarter, to see the kind of trouble that ‘The Haitian Sensation' can give Philadelphia. On a three-man rush, Pierre-Paul beat both left tackle Jason Peters and a chipping McCoy to the outside on a speed rush. Even though Vick dodged his first tackle, Pierre-Paul’s hustle got him back in the play for a drive-killing sack. JPP compiled two sacks and three hurries in that game, his only meeting with Vick last season.
So far this year, Eagles center Dallas Reynolds (-1.4) and left tackle Demetress Bell (-7.4) have struggled to replace injured starters Jason Peters and Jason Kelce. However, Giants pass rushers Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Mathias Kiwanuka have combined for just seven total QB pressures in three games. If New York’s front four can’t capitalize against the Philadelphia’s depleted offensive line, Fewell may again deploy his linebackers and safeties to get after Vick.
Eagles Defensive Ends vs. Giants Offensive Tackles
We've long wondered why the Giants continue to put their trust in offensive lineman David Diehl, and the performance of New York’s tackles last week simply bolstered our argument. William Beatty earned a +5.4 grade against the Panthers and Sean Locklear put up a +1.3 mark on the right side. However, they both will be severely tested this week against Philadelphia’s dangerous defensive end rotation. Trent Cole (+4.9) and Jason Babin (+10.5) have been among the league’s best pass rushers the past two seasons, and now backups Brandon Graham (+6.4) and Darryl Tapp (+2.7) are following in their footsteps. They were a rare bright spot in Philly’s loss to the Cardinals, compiling 13 of the Eagles’ 18 QB pressures. Beatty has had particular trouble against Cole, as his two worst grades of 2011 both came against the Eagles. This is where a healthy Ahmad Bradshaw will come in handy, as his +3.7 pass block grade in 2011 was second among all running backs. Nevertheless, Diehl or no Diehl, containing the Eagles’ edge rush is a very tall order for the Giants' tackles.
Eli Manning vs. Nnamdi Asomugha
In their two matchups last season, there was no Eagles cornerback who Eli Manning targeted more than Nnamdi Asomugha. The Giants' QB completed 5-of-9 passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns when he threw in Asomugha’s direction, good for a 125.9 passer rating. The star cornerback had particular trouble with Cruz, who caught both of those touchdowns and broke an Asomugha tackle on a third. The Eagles' CB is off to a much better start this season, with a league-best 37.0 Coverage Snaps per Reception. Manning doesn’t discriminate when looking for holes in a defense, but it will be interesting to how often, and with what success, he challenges Asomugha.
Follow Pete on Twitter @PFF_Pete
© 2025 PFF - all rights reserved.