Thumbs up or down: Eagles beat writers weigh in on the matchup with the Giants

The New York Giants’ road upset of the Vikings wasn’t the result I predicted, but it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone who’s watched both teams closely this season. For one, Minnesota needed a last-second 61-yard field goal at U.S. Bank Stadium just a month ago to defeat the same team. The Vikings may have won 13 games in the regular season, but they were often skating on thin ice with a defense that ranked near the bottom of many categories in the league. The same could be said about the Giants. But despite having on paper less talent overall, their offensive staff out-coached Minnesota’s defensive coaches and that, to me, was the deciding factor in the Giants’ 31-24 win on Sunday.

Should that concern the Eagles, who swept the season series with their division rivals? Sure. Vikings defensive coordinator Ed Donatell runs a scheme similar to that of Jonathan Gannon, and Giants coach Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator and play caller Mike Kafka, and quarterback Daniel Jones kept finding ways to get receivers open vs. zone-heavy coverages. Donatell’s and Gannon’s Vic Fangio-based systems aren’t the problem, per se. No scheme is perfect. Give me some Jimmys and Joes over Xs and Os. But did the Giants, who struggled to move the ball against the Eagles in a 48-22 loss in December, unlock the code to passing against that type of defense?

It’s hard to place any emphasis on their rematch in the season finale earlier this month. Quarterback Jalen Hurts wasn’t 100 percent and neither was the Eagles offense in terms of its play-calling capabilities. Right tackle Lane Johnson was also missing and he’ll be back. The same goes for a Giants offense that started third stringer Davis Webb at quarterback with other key starters resting. But if we’re using the first meeting as an exemplar, it should be noted that New York running back Saquon Barkley wasn’t completely healthy. And the Eagles team that clinched a playoff spot that day hasn’t been the same team since.

But the Giants, all things being equal, are still a team that has holes, particularly at the offensive skill position spots and on the O-line. The Vikings struggled to apply much pressure on Jones, and I don’t see that being the case with an Eagles pass defense that recorded an astounding 70 sacks this season. On the other side, the Giants are stout up the middle with Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams. But the Eagles interior O-line strength with center Jason Kelce and Co. should offset their effectiveness to some degree.

I never really entertained a matchup vs. the Seahawks, who got trounced by the 49ers on Saturday. The Giants have a little momentum, but they’ll be playing on a short week against the rested Eagles. The same would have applied if Monday night’s Cowboys-Bucs winner were the opponent. But the Cowboys, despite their inconsistency, posed a greater threat to the Eagles having beaten them last month. And even though Tampa was a shade of the team that downed the Eagles a year ago in the playoffs, I don’t think you ever want to see Tom Brady in the postseason. So a devil-you-know Giants squad that you know how to handle is probably the best-case scenario for Nick Sirianni and his troops.

» READ MORE: Breaking down the playoff rosters: Where the Eagles and Giants hold the edge

There’s no such thing as an easy draw once you’re in the playoffs, but this is quite a favorable outcome for the Eagles.

Throwing out the regular-season finale because of the Giants’ prioritization of rest and the Eagles’ preoccupation with keeping Hurts out of harm’s way, these teams’ first matchup in Week 14 was as convincing a win as any of the Eagles’ 13 others. The Eagles ran all over the Giants and the defense was stifling against Jones and Barkley.

The Giants have gotten better and, more importantly, healthier since then. Barkley is no longer nursing a neck injury that made him a game-time decision in the first meeting and Xavier McKinney has returned off the non-football injury list after recovering from a hand injury. This will certainly make the upcoming matchup tougher, especially considering how the Giants successfully contained Justin Jefferson, generated steady pressure on Kirk Cousins, and got excellent play out of Jones. Daboll and Kafka will be well-prepared to attack the Eagles’ secondary, especially after facing a similar scheme on Sunday.

All that said, the Eagles still have a decided talent advantage and match up well against New York. Again, there are no easy draws at this point in the season. Hurts’ health will be an important factor to monitor, but the Eagles should be able to put up points and neutralize a talented interior rushing duo in Lawrence and Williams.

Not convinced the alternatives weren’t better? Consider Dak Prescott’s statline against the Eagles on Christmas Eve: 27-for-35 for 347 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Consider the stress of watching Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence against a banged-up Lane Johnson admirably attempting to play through a torn adductor near his hip. Hurts’ shoulder casts some doubt on whether the Eagles can keep up in a shootout. I like the Eagles’ chances against the Giants and their grounded offensive attack better.

Tampa would have been the other option. The Eagles had a talent advantage there as well, but the ghosts of last year’s wild-card clunker are there. Brady isn’t what he once was, but there’s still a sliver of doubt that creeps in when going against the greatest quarterback of all time when the games really count. Besides, the Eagles’ past success against the Giants in Week 14 is reason for confidence.