Brian Daboll
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants are in the midst of a tough NFC Wild Card race. They’re currently the six seed, with the Seahawks and Commanders breathing down their neck and a difficult schedule ahead.

With five games remaining, the Giants are desperate for their first victory since Nov. 13. And because they can’t ever catch a break, the NFL’s top team comes to town this Sunday.

Jalen Hurts and the 11-1 Eagles will visit MetLife Stadium for these teams’ first of two meetings (the next being the season finale).

After suffering their first loss of the year back in Week 10, the Eagles have rattled off three straight wins and just defeated the Titans by 25 points. Philly sports a top-three offense and Hurts is having an MVP-caliber season.

Meanwhile, the Giants are hampered by injuries and haven’t been able to establish the run game (one of their lone strengths) in weeks.

An uphill battle awaits — head coach Brian Daboll will need to put on a flawless performance if the Giants are going to pull off the upset.

Giants vs. Eagles

When: Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022.
Where: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET.
TV: FOX.
Radio: WFAN.

Giants’ keys to victory

Strong front-seven play. The Eagles enter this game as the fifth-best rushing team in the NFL. Running back Miles Sanders is sixth in the league in rushing with 924 yards. Hurts is third amongst quarterbacks with 609 yards.

If the Giants’ defense is going to get off the field, this front seven will need to contain the run and force Philly to win through the air.

Strong WR play. The Giants are dealing with injuries on the offensive line and running back Saquon Barkley is questionable with a neck injury. Big Blue may need to rely on the passing game more often than not — Darius Slayton, (potentially) Kenny Golladay, and the receiving corps need to step up against this top-ranked Philly secondary.

OL masterclass. But for the passing game to even come to fruition, this offensive line must protect quarterback Daniel Jones. According to ESPN, the Eagles are second in the league with a 52% pass rush win rate. Any slip-up on the offensive line against a strong Philly front will cost the Giants.

X-factor

Julian Love is going to be our X-factor for the week.

The Giants’ defense will have its toughest matchup of the year going against this powerful Eagles offense. They’ll need to get off the field early and often to take pressure off a weak Giants offense. Falling behind early would not fare well for Big Blue.

Without safety Xavier McKinney, cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, and possibly defensive lineman Leonard Williams (doubtful), Love will need to step up and be a true leader of this defense like he’s been all year.

Did you know?

The Giants have two big matchups with the Eagles before the season ends. It’s tough to imagine them winning both (to be honest, it’s tough to imagine anyone beating Philly twice).

But if the Giants were to sweep their division rivals, it would be their first time doing so since the Super Bowl-winning 2007 season.

During that year, the Giants defeated the Eagles 16-3 in a late-September game that saw Osi Umenyiora record six sacks for Big Blue. The Giants then defeated the Eagles 16-13 in December when Philly’s David Akers bounced a game-tying 57-yard field goal attempt off the upright in the waning seconds.

Since that season, the Giants are 7-22 against the Eagles.

The pick

The Giants haven’t won a game since their Nov. 13 victory over Houston. Their injury list is still pretty lengthy. The run game has failed to find a spark and the offensive line is struggling.

And they need to face the best team in football along with an MVP candidate in Hurts.

Needless to say, don’t expect Daboll and the Giants to finally return to the win column.

The Giants will at least be competitive (like they’ve been all year) against an NFC East rival. However, the numbers don’t lie. The Giants are the 28th-best passing offense and the Eagles are No. 1 in the league against the pass. The Eagles are 5th in rushing; the Giants are 26th against the run.

Philly is the healthier, more talented team right now. It could be close for much of 60 minutes, but expect the above discrepancies to play crucial roles in another Eagles win. Eagles 27, Giants 17.

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Ryan Honey is a staff writer and host of the Wide Right Podcast.