Game Overview ::
By mike johnson >>
- The Eagles are currently the No. 5 seed in the NFC and would need to win and have the Cowboys lose to have a chance at changing that.
- The Giants looked good in Tyrod Taylor’s return to the starting quarterback position, nearly defeating the Rams in Week 17.
- Saquon Barkley’s uncertain status with the Giants in 2024 leaves some questions around his workload for the final week of the year.
- Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has mentioned the possibility of resting players this week prior to the playoffs, so you will want to make sure you stay up to date with any news around that.
How philadelphia Will Try To Win ::
The Eagles are in a unique position in Week 18 that adds uncertainty to how they will approach this game and how that approach may change in the middle of things. After an upset loss to the Cardinals in Week 17, the Eagles are now in line for the No. 5 seed in the NFC and a road playoff game just a week from now against whoever emerges as the NFC South champion. The Eagles will either be the No. 2 seed or the No. 5 seed, with their only path to No. 2 being through a win and a Cowboys loss. The Cowboys are facing a downtrodden Commanders team who they beat by five touchdowns just a few weeks ago and are two-touchdown favorites against. Meanwhile, Sirianni hinted early this week at the possibility of resting key players heading into the playoffs. While we don’t have any specifics on it at this point, the mere fact that this has already been discussed means that we must acknowledge the uncertainty around this spot. The reality of this situation is that the Eagles have to at least enter Week 18 with the intention of trying to get the No. 2 seed as it is just too valuable to let slip away in the event Dallas slips up. That being said, if the Cowboys (who play simultaneously to the Eagles) jump out to a big early lead, it wouldn’t be surprising for Philly to pull the plug early on their key players and simply look towards next week and try to get out of there in one piece.
As for how Philadelphia will try to win, its offense really hasn’t been the problem recently. They rank in the top 7 in the NFL in DVOA via both the pass and the run. Their elite offensive line creates running lanes for their backs, led by D’Andre Swift, and Jalen Hurts makes plays with his legs on designed runs and scrambles. The passing game has not been exceptionally explosive of late, but it still gets the job done. A.J. Brown set an NFL record with six straight games of 125 or more receiving yards earlier this season, but he has failed to reach that mark in eight games since, has failed to score a touchdown in his last five games and has only two games where he has more than 80 receiving yards during that stretch. DeVonta Smith is the Eagles clear No. 2 option in the passing game, but he he has yet to practice this week and seems unlikely to play or to have limited effectiveness if he does play. Tight end Dallas Goedert has had two consecutive quality games, and if Smith does indeed miss this game, then Goedert will likely become a focal point of the offense. Finally, Julio Jones broke out for a two-touchdown game last week, and given his talent and skill set, he should at least draw some attention going forward after proving he still has something left in the tank.
The Eagles will enter this game trying to win and will take their usual approach to doing so with long drives. New York’s defense is unlikely to shut down the Eagles running game, and just two weeks ago, these teams faced off with Philadelphia racking up 5.0 yards per carry en route to 170+ rushing yards. The Eagles are so good in short yardage (thanks, Tush Push) that they have become far more conservative the last few weeks offensively. Basically, the idea that they can simply get eight or nine yards over the course of three plays and be nearly guaranteed a first down has enabled them to take the easy way out and removed the need to push the ball downfield or take chances. Their defense’s struggles have almost certainly contributed to this as well, as they can’t take as many chances with their possessions when their defense is giving up more yards and points. Eagles drives are full of 10-15 play drives and the Philadelphia offense has been good, but not elite, at finishing off drives with touchdowns this year, ranking 11th in red-zone TD percentage in 2023 after finishing third in the same category in 2022. The Eagles’ approach here should be pretty straightforward, with a methodical offensive attack that leans heavily on the run and has a relatively condensed target tree that will likely keep Brown and Goedert very busy. The Eagles should have offensive success and move the ball, but their playing style will likely limit overall first-half possessions and the potential of a Dallas blowout adds some risk to what Eagles team we will see in the second half.
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