This is the game that could define the Eagles’ (1-1) going forward in 2017, barring catastrophic injury losses…
You’re a little banged up for Game 3, but the Giants (0-2) are even worse off in terms of key injury questions. Our O-Line is being questioned in performance, but the Giants’ O-Line has already been sent to the Shed by the majority of their fans. Our head coach is getting a light toasting by Philly fans and media, but the Giants’ head coach McAdoo is getting torched by Big Blue fans and media.
Problem is, we are going to play against a team with its back to the wall. There will be no room for overconfidence in this one. Every play, every rep will be contested as if jobs were on the line. That goes for both teams.
You have to know Eli Manning is going to go after our hamstring-depleted secondary. The only question is will we give him enough time to set up and throw? That’s on our pass rush unit, and equally upon the struggling offensive tackles and guards of the New York football Giants.
On the Eagles’ official injury report, safety Corey Graham
and cornerback/safety Jaylen Watkins are listed as “out” for Sunday, both because of hamstring injuries. Rodney McLeod, who also has a hamstring injury that knocked him from the game in Kansas City, is listed as questionable.
McLeod went through a limited portion of Friday’s practice, the individual period, and “things felt fine,” he said afterward. Whether McLeod is OK to play on Sunday is one thing. That he was able to practice and progress as he’s done since suffering the hamstring injury last Sunday in the second quarter of the 27-20 loss at Kansas City is encouraging.
“I’m just taking it one day at a time,” McLeod said. “The trainers have been doing a good job and we’re working extra hard to get back and I did something today and it’s a good sign. We’ll just see what happens on Sunday.
“The goal was to take it day to day and that’s what I’ve been doing. It’s been improving and we’ll just see what happens Sunday in the pregame (warmups).”
McLeod believes he has healed more quickly than originally anticipated, which is why he has a chance, however realistic, to play against the Giants. McLeod said he was “frustrated” walking off the field in Kansas City with the kind of injury he hadn’t had since his high school days.
“Things have been on the upside this week,” McLeod said.
Meh. Don’t count on that…
Trae Elston was claimed off of waivers from Buffalo and joined the team at the NovaCare Complex on Thursday. He’s likely to be active after practicing for two days with the defense. Don’t count on him. either.
As for the Giants?
Their offense is a mess right now. Go check the numbers, any number. They’ve scored 13 points in two games. They’ve run for less than 100 yards. They’ve allowed eight sacks. They’re averaging just over 5 yards per passing play.
None of this is good for the G-Men, and most of these are problems that stretch back to last year. The Giants have now gone eight straight games without reaching 20 points. Their problems from last year apparently haven’t been fixed, beginning with their leaky offensive line.
The Giants apparently can’t protect their quarterback off the edges. Left tackle Ereck Flowers has already allowed four sacks and been flagged for a holding penalty in the two losses. Right tackle Bobby Hart has been dealing with ankle problems and missed most of Monday night’s matchup with the Lions. The Giants could be slapping a new offensive line combination together for Sunday afternoon.
All of which adds up to this Big Blue team with its back to the wall is unpredictable…and dangerous.
I’ve seen Eli Manning in situations like this before. You think he’s dead to rights and completely immobilized and then suddenly he rejuvenates.
His offensive line may stink and his running game evaporates, then he turns into the Crawling King Snake and dominates the den. I don’t get it, but that is what we’re up against.
If somehow the Eagles can ignite some kind of a run game, it sure would help in keeping the Crawling King Snake and Odell Beckham Jr. off the field…
And we need to keep the Giants’ defense on the field and tire them out… The Giants held Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to 122 yards passing. Ross Cockrell did well in coverage against rookie Kenny Golladay. It was in the run game where injured Janoris Jenkins was sorely missed. Cockrell and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie combined to miss a handful of tackles on the edges. Two of those turned into long runs of over 20 yards. Jenkins is among the best cover and tackling cornerbacks in the league. Those plays wouldn’t have happened if he were in the lineup.
Jenkins is listed as “questionable” against the Eagles this Sunday.
For these and a variety of other reasons, I will be holding my breath until the final gun on Sunday.
This little ditty will have to stand on its own through the game weekend. I will not be able to update until Monday morning. I have to make another trip to Smith Island this weekend to finalize tropical storm repairs due to mercifully less-than-expected Irma blowback. Unfortunately, there is still no Wi-Fi on Smith Island.
I note with some surprise that PE.com has just switched to the same Facebook Comments engine we are stuck with here. Can you believe that? This means that if you were banned before from PE.com, you now have a clean slate via Facebook identity!! Souffy, Beans, GK, Swoop, you have just been emancipated!! Maybe this is the sign from the heavens that we are finally free to go HOME!!!??
Perhaps my work here is done now? We shall see… until then, I remain your voluntary John the Baptist, preparing the way for the Word Made Flesh…
- * * * * * * * * * *
If you want an alternative “Live Thread” to this game on Sunday, please join us on a site called discord.com.
Our regular commentator and home-run king Ryan Lubrich (aka The Lubricator, aka GSXR Mustang) has created an alternative chat forum for in-game real-time conversation.
Here’s a link to his interesting new talk machine if you wish to give it a look:
As Ryan explains, it’s like a chat channel, primarily used by like-gamers who stream on Twitch, but he figured we might be able to use it for gameday chats. I have found it to be very functional and very entertaining. It took me a few minutes to get the hang of some of the buttons and bells, but after a short while I was zooming along with the other EYE guys and Bored members there talking Eagles football.
I really like Ryan’s real-time talk mechanism. I will miss it very much while I’m stuck on Smith Island this weekend. I just hope I can find some kind of AM-radio game feed while toiling on the island. Maybe a New York station will somehow bleed into my reception radius. If not, I’ll be reading about the game on Monday morning whilst perusing the Philadelphia newspapers at the Royal Farms gas-stop in Delaware.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
