Philadelphia needs a change, and a visit from an NFC East rival offers another chance to stop a season from slipping further away. The Eagles enter their Week 9 matchup against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field with a 2-6 record and six consecutive losses, turning to Joe Milton at quarterback as they search for an offensive spark.
New York arrives from the opposite direction. At 4-2-1 and atop the division, the Giants have found success under John Harbaugh, with a disruptive defense and an offense featuring Malik Nabers. J.J. McCarthy’s encouraging early work at quarterback has added another layer of intrigue, although the bigger picture at that position deserves a closer look.
To examine the matchup, we went Behind Enemy Lines with
Giants Wire’s Dan Benton. He discussed McCarthy’s place in New York’s plans, the secondary’s resurgence under defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, and why Philadelphia’s running game could create problems. Despite the teams’ contrasting records, Benton sees an opportunity for an Eagles upset.
1. What has changed for J.J. McCarthy, and could he become the Giants’ quarterback of the future?
Benton: I think the J.J. McCarthy hype has gotten off the rails after just five quarters. The staff has been very careful not to overload him, while allowing him to let it rip in certain situations. The fresh start has helped, but the sample size is entirely too small to view this as anything more than it has been: A good five quarters where sloppy footwork has still shown up. The luxury of McCarthy is that he allows Matt Nagy to install the remainder of the playbook that was lost when Jaxson Dart went down. If McCarthy continues to play well this season, all the better. But come Week 1 of next season, Dart is still the guy.
2. What makes Malik Nabers so difficult to defend, and how has his role changed with McCarthy?
Benton: What you see is what you get with Nabers. He’s an elite all-around receiver who runs crisp routes, high-points the ball, and uses top-tier footwork to create separation. Even when separation is limited, he’s capable of winning one-on-one with good body control and strong hands. He’s the kind of guy you can just throw the ball up to and trust if he’s not double-covered, and sometimes even when he is. The only thing that has really changed since McCarthy took over is that Nabers has demanded more targets and received them.
3. What has Dennard Wilson changed defensively, and where can Joe Milton and the Eagles attack?
Benton: Controlled chaos. Dennard Wilson plays perfectly into the strength of his players, and we’ve seen that with cornerback Deonte Banks, who has gone from all-time bust to Pro Bowl-caliber in seven games. The corners are great in man, allowing Abdul Carter & Co. to generate pressure and make opposing quarterbacks release the ball earlier than desired. Wilson is also willing to self-critique and change things on the fly without damaging his own ego. Those in-game adjustments have allowed the Giants to do more of what’s working and less of what’s not. The players all buy in, and that’s made it look like a well-oiled machine. However, they remain inconsistent against the run, and sometimes their tackling suffers a bit. Joe Milton has the advantage of being mobile, which is something the Giants struggle with at times. It will be an important day for Kayvon Thibodeaux, who is the best edge-setter on the team. The Giants can’t allow Milton to run all over the field.
4. What has been John Harbaugh’s biggest impact on the Giants’ culture and preparation?
Benton: Good coaches know how to get the best out of their players, and Harbaugh has proven that in spades. He’s taken talent many have failed with or given up on (even in other organizations), broken them down into a mold, and rebuilt them entirely. I mentioned Banks earlier, and he’s the prime example. Harbaugh runs tough practices and demands excellence from his players without being overbearing. It’s a fine line, but he walks it well, and the players have clearly responded. You can see it going up and down the roster from rookie long-snapper Ben Mann all the way up to the aforementioned Banks. Bottom line under Harbaugh: If you’re not willing to practice hard, aren’t willing to take coaching, and don’t give every play 100 percent, you won’t be on the field.
5. Who is an overlooked Giants player to watch, and which matchup gives New York an advantage?
Benton: I feel like a broken record at this point, but I feel like the Giants’ cornerbacks can match up with any wide receiver man-on-man in football and win. The Eagles are banged up at the position, while New York’s secondary is only getting better week in and week out. No matter who ultimately suits up for Philly, they are in for a tough time against Banks and Greg Newsome, who is arguably the under-the-radar player you were seeking. Talk about turning a career back around. Both he and Banks have been so much better than anyone in East Rutherford (other than Harbaugh and Wilson) could have dreamed.
6. What concerns you about the Eagles, and what is your final score prediction?
Benton: It’s a divisional matchup. All the stats and analytics can get completely thrown out the window because they don’t matter. Ditto losing streaks, whether it’s Philly’s or the Giants’ 13-game skid against the Eagles on the road. It’s a new day, two entirely different teams, and anything is possible when NFC East teams clash, especially for the Giants in a hostile environment. The combination of Milton’s leg and Saquon Barkley (healthy or not) is a bad matchup for the Giants. If the Eagles can establish the run and control the clock, it may be doomsday for the Giants. Ultimately, I think the Eagles win, 23-21. Probably on some sort of last-second 63-yard field goal…because that would fit.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Giants-Eagles preview: Five questions breaking down New York’s resurgence
