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

After enjoying their opening-round bye, the top-seeded Eagles will host their first playoff game on Saturday night, when they welcome the sixth-seeded New York Giants to Lincoln Financial Field.

The Eagles handled the Giants twice in the regular season, 48-22 and 22-16. The first contest resulted in New York’s most lopsided loss of the season, while the Eagles squeaked past the Giants reserves in the regular-season finale.

Now, Round 3 between the Eagles (14-3) and Giants (10-7-1) is presented in a win-or-go-home setting in the NFC divisional round.

Here’s a position-by-position breakdown with analysis on both team’s rosters.

Eagles: Jalen Hurts, Gardner Minshew, Ian Book

Giants: Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor

In his second year as the full-time starter, Hurts emerged as a candidate for league MVP. Over 15 games, he registered multiple career highs, completing 66.5% of his throws for 3,701 passing yards with 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Hurts also rushed for 760 yards with a franchise-record 13 rushing touchdowns across 165 attempts (4.61 average). The 24-year-old Hurts injured his throwing shoulder on Dec. 18 at Chicago and missed the next two games — both losses — before returning for the regular-season finale against the Giants. Hurts was limited as a rusher in that game, and his health will be a key factor in whether the Eagles will be able to fully deploy him as a pure dual threat.

Meanwhile, Jones showed improvement in his Year 4, and his first year under rookie head coach Brian Daboll. Jones collected 3,913 combined yards with 22 total touchdowns, five interceptions, and three lost fumbles. The Eagles sacked Jones and Taylor a combined seven times during the first game on Dec. 11. Jones completed 18 of 27 passes for 169 yards with one touchdown. He also rushed four times for 26 yards and a touchdown. Hurts registered 294 total yards with three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in that game.

Advantage: Eagles

» READ MORE: Eagles open up as a sizable favorite for playoff opener vs. Giants

Eagles: Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott, Trey Sermon

Giants: Saquon Barkley, Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell, Jashaun Corbin

Sanders and Barkley represent two of the three NFC Pro Bowl running backs. Which of the two former Penn State teammates will reign victorious after this weekend? Sanders enjoyed the best year of his career. It was the first time he stayed healthy all season as he rushed for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns. He prioritized his health and ball security, and did not surrender his first fumble until Week 15. Sanders stumbled a bit near the finish line. He did not record a rushing touchdown over the final four weeks of the regular season. The last time Sanders scored? Twice against the Giants on Dec. 11.

The Giants elected to rush Barkley just nine times during their wild-card victory over the Vikings, but Barkley was more than effective. Despite the lack of touches, he finished with 53 rushing yards (5.9 average) and two touchdowns. Jones actually finished as the game’s leading rusher with 17 carries for 78 yards. The Eagles will be tasked with containing both playmakers, and that could present issues for a defense that has struggled to stop the run.

Advantage: Giants

Eagles: Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra, Jack Stoll

Giants: Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager, Nick Vannett, Chris Myarick

Despite missing five games on injured reserve, Goedert still finished with more receiving yards (702) than Bellinger, Cager, Vannett, and Myarick combined (493). The Eagles enjoy prioritizing Goedert in the screen game, and he’s most dangerous after the catch. Considering his size and athleticism, Goedert is a tough target to bring down in the open field. He’s also a key cog in the running game — both as a lead blocker and a mauler behind Hurts in QB sneak scenarios.

Advantage: Eagles

Eagles: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, Zach Pascal, Britain Covey

Giants: Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, Richie James, Kenny Golladay, Marcus Johnson, Kalil Pimpleton

The Eagles have a clear leg up here thanks to Brown and Smith, who became the first WR duo in franchise history to each record 1,000-plus receiving yards. The offense runs through Nos. 11 and 6, and play caller Shane Steichen will need to continue to prioritize his top targets, along with Goedert, in the postseason.

Don’t sleep on the Giants’ skill group, though. Hodgins, Slayton, and James found the soft spots in Minnesota’s shell defense, with the trio combining for 16 catches, 224 receiving yards, and one touchdown. Luckily for the Eagles, they possess one of the league’s best cornerback duos in Darius Slay and James Bradberry.

Advantage: Eagles

» READ MORE: Three quick thoughts on the Eagles versus the Giants in the NFC divisional playoffs

Eagles: LT Jordan Mailata, LG Landon Dickerson, C Jason Kelce, RG Isaac Seumalo, RT Lane Johnson; reserves Jack Driscoll, Andre Dillard, Cam Jurgens, Josh Sills

Giants: LT Andrew Thomas, LG Nick Gates, C Jon Feliciano, RG Mark Glowinski, RT Evan Neal; reserves Matt Peart, Ben Bredeson, Jack Anderson, Tyre Phillips, Wyatt Davis

The Eagles boast the league’s best pass-block win rating, 83.2, according to Pro Football Focus. A lot of the unit’s success hinges on Johnson’s health. The All-Pro right tackle missed the final two regular-season games after he suffered a torn tendon in his groin. Johnson’s pain tolerance will be a key factor when measuring his effectiveness throughout the postseason. When healthy, Johnson has been one of the league’s best offensive linemen; he hasn’t allowed a sack in 28 games. Kelce, a five-time All-Pro selection, seems Canton-bound whenever he decides to hang up his cleats.

Thomas is as disciplined as they come; he committed just two penalties throughout the regular season. However, Neal struggled mightily against the Eagles’ vaunted pass rush in both previous meetings. The Eagles will look to prioritize that matchup with Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat likely lining up over Neal.

Advantage: Eagles

Eagles: Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, Linval Joseph, Ndamukong Suh

Giants: Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Justin Ellis, Ryder Anderson, Henry Mondeaux

This position group is somewhat of a toss-up. The Eagles have the edge in depth and veteran leadership, but Lawrence represents a one-man wrecking crew. Leonard Williams is no slouch, either. Offensive line coach and run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland will likely have Lawrence — a second-team All-Pro selection — and Williams circled on every play, while Hurts also needs to account for their presence.

The Eagles have generated plenty of pressure from the interior defensive line, but this group’s main priority on Saturday could be preventing Barkley from reaching the second level. If that’s the case, it might be a postseason coming-out party for first-round pick Davis. Additionally, Milton Williams has noticeably improved over the second half of the season. The second-year defensive lineman continues to maximize his limited reps.

Advantage: Eagles

Eagles: Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, Robert Quinn, Patrick Johnson, Kyron Johnson

Giants: Azeez Ojulari, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Jihan Ward, Oshane Ximines, Tomon Fox

Thibodeaux is an emerging rookie, but the Giants don’t have a pure force on the edge like the Eagles do in Reddick, Sweat, and Graham. The Eagles would welcome more productivity from in-season acquisition Quinn, but the top trio has done more than enough to disrupt the backfield en route to a franchise-record 70 sacks. The pass rush will be looking to turn it up another notch in the postseason.

Advantage: Eagles

Eagles: T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White, Nakobe Dean, Christian Elliss

Giants: Jaylon Smith, Jarrad Davis, Landon Collins, Micah McFadden, Carter Coughlin, Cam Brown

Smith ranks 54th in PFF’s position rankings, while Edwards and White are second and 41st, respectively. The Eagles had issues defending the middle parts of the field toward the end of the season, but Avonte Maddox’s absence must be considered in that regard. White will need to shore up in coverage, especially when tasked with defending slot wide receivers and tight ends. Edwards serves as the defensive communicator for a unit that finished with the third-best turnover differential in the league.

Advantage: Eagles

» READ MORE: Former Eagles QB Josh McCown saw Hurts on the rise three years ago

Eagles: Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox, Josiah Scott, Zech McPhearson, Josh Jobe

Giants: Adoree’ Jackson, Fabian Moreau, Darnay Holmes, Nick McCloud, Cor’Dale Flott, Rodarius Williams

Maddox’s status is currently unknown. The Eagles’ starting slot cornerback has been sidelined with a toe injury. The secondary is still solid, but Maddox’s experience has been a noticeable upgrade over his main replacement in Scott. If Maddox misses the divisional round, the Eagles could turn to C.J. Gardner-Johnson at nickel, similar to how they did at times during their Week 18 matchup, with rookie Reed Blankenship filling in at Gardner-Johnson’s safety spot.

Even without Maddox, the Eagles still possess an elite CB duo in Slay and Bradberry. Slay might be feeling extra motivated after he was left off the All-Pro teams; Bradberry was a second-team All-Pro selection. The Eagles didn’t throw much in Week 14, but Smith and Brown overwhelmed the Giants secondary on a majority of their reps.

Advantage: Eagles

Eagles: Marcus Epps, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Reed Blankenship, K’Von Wallace

Giants: Julian Love, Xavier McKinney, Tony Jefferson, Jason Pinnock, Dane Belton

McKinney missed the first showdown between the Eagles and Giants with a broken hand that he suffered while riding an ATV during New York’s bye week. As silly as his injury sounds, McKinney is one of the better safeties in the league and now he’s back in the fold for the postseason. McKinney executed a perfect open-field tackle and halted Vikings T.J. Hockenson short of the first-down marker on fourth-and-8 in the game’s final minutes to seal the Giants’ victory on Sunday.

Despite missing five games with a lacerated kidney, Gardner-Johnson still finished tied for the most interceptions in the NFL with six. Gardner-Johnson and Epps are playing on expiring contracts, and both players will be looking to increase their free-agent prices in prime time. Blankenship has been fine in his limited role, but he left a lasting impression when Giants third-string quarterback Davis Webb trucked over him en route to a rushing touchdown on Jan. 8. Thanks to Gardner-Johnson’s playmaking ability, the home team gets the slight edge.

Advantage: Eagles

Eagles: Kicker Jake Elliott, punter/holder Brett Kern, long snapper Rick Lovato, punt returner Britain Covey, kickoff returner Boston Scott

Giants: Kicker Graham Gano, punter/holder Jamie Gillan, long snapper Casey Kreiter, punt returner Richie James, kickoff returner Gary Brightwell

Gano and Elliott missed just three field goals each this season. Eagles punter Arryn Siposs remains sidelined with an ankle injury. His status will be worth monitoring. Since his emergency signing, Kern has been mostly disappointing. He’s punted 10 times with a career-low average of 40.8 yards and just one punt landing inside the 20. Covey also has been underwhelming throughout his rookie season, but he has been a more secure option compared to his predecessor, Jalen Reagor. The Eagles aren’t afraid to switch from Covey to Smith if there’s a scenario in which they’re confident there will be ample space for a potentially explosive return. Scott’s kickoff return average of 27.1 yards is more than 5 yards better than Brightwell’s 21.4 average.

Advantage: Eagles