NFL-Giants: NY Giants football news

I recently had a chance to talk with Jason who has an Eagles blog. He keeps it updated so go check it out for the latest on our upcoming opponent and for my answers to his questions. Below are his answers to my questions:

1. As we near the end of the season, how healthy / beat up is this Eagles team?

They’re relatively healthy. Other than the obvious players that have gone down for the year(McNabb & Kearse) everyone should be good to go. They have no injuries that I know of coming out of last week, although you never know what the Thursday injury report will bring…

2. Which Eagles players from the 2006 draft should Giants fans expect to be impressed with on Sunday?

Well really only one. Omar Gaither, who has stepped in to start at WILL LB in place of the smaler, quicker Matt McCoy. He’s done a much better job getting off blocks and bringing down the ball carrier at the point of attack. Plus, he got his first NFL pick last Sunday against the Skins. You may also see undrafted rookie WR Hank Baskett make some plays as he’s done this year. He’s a big WR that has shown alot of promise but has also been very inconsistent.

Otherwise, the 06 draft class is pretty nonexistent. First round pick DT Broderick Bunkley has inexplicably been in the coaches’ doghouse and has barely played the past few weeks, 2nd round pick Winston Justice has not dressed for a single game this year, WR Jason Avant has only been activated for a few games, and 2 other guys(KR/PR Bloom & SAM Gocong) are both on IR.

3. Statistically, the Giants pass protection is improving. How will the Eagles generate pressure on Manning?

They’ll blitz him. That’s defense coordinator Jim Johnson’s trademark. He likes to bring blitzes from all over and from lots of different people. He’ll have LBs, Safeties, & corners coming at him every which way. Early in the season the Eagles blitzed alot less because they were getting so much pressure with their front four, however since the Kearse injury the front 4 have gotten less and less pressure.

4. Which back (Tiki Barber or Brandon Jacobs) will be more difficult for the Eagles to stop?

Well considering the Eagles run defense lately it’s been tough for them to stop anyone… But clearly Tiki is the key to that Giants team in my opinion. If the Eagles stop him they win this game. I think Brandon Jacobs is a good back that has really imnproved from last year, but I don’t see him as the kind of game changer that Tiki is.

5. Are the Eagles still a pass-first team and is the offense becoming more balanced?

They’re still a pass first team for sure, but they’ve certainly become more balanced since McNabb went down. They’ve done a better job controlling the clock on the ground at the end of games, Brian Westbrook has rushed for a 100 yards 3 of the last 4 games if I remember correctly. They’re certainly not quite as balanced as Eagles fans would like, but it’s gotten alot better.

Bonus: There are some Eagles players that Giants fans hate, but which Giants players do Eagles fans hate and why?

Well… Shockey is an easy one. He’s just a guy that everyone loves to hate, not just Eagles fans. So specifically for Eagles fans, I suppose I’d have to say Strahan. Mostly because he’s had so much success against us.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 13th, 2006 at 2:26 am and is filed under NFC East. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.