Eagles-Giants scouting report
Recent history: The Giants won both games last season and lead the series, 81-68-2.
Offense
Eagles: 368.4 yards per game (6th)
Giants: 371.4 yards per game (5th)
Quarterback
Eagles: Donovan McNabb struggled against the Giants last season, throwing one touchdown and averaging only 5.20 yards per attempt, though he spent the first meeting running/limping for his life. He's regained most of his mobility, which will allow him to extend plays and put pressure on the secondary.
Giants: Eli Manning has become a much more efficient passer than he was at this point last year. His yards per attempt are up (from 6.31 to 6.94), his completion percentage is up (from .561 to .612) and his interceptions are down (from 1 every 26.4 attempts to 1 every 50).
PICK: EAGLES
Running back
Eagles: The Giants have not had much success neutralizing Brian Westbrook. In his last four games against them, he's averaged 142 yards from scrimmage and 5.4 yards per rushing attempt. The Giants will try to hold up Westbrook when he releases out of the backfield and becomes a receiver.
Giants: Using a three-headed rushing attack headed by 264-pound Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward, the Giants have morphed into the Steelers. In the last five games, they've averaged 32.4 rushing attempts to 28.8 passing attempts. Jacobs (5.2 yards per carry) is the truck, Ward (6.1) the sports car.
PICK: EAGLES
Receiver
Eagles: Eagles wide receivers have 102 receptions in eight games, but just four TDs, which is only two more than Correll Buckhalter and Todd Herremans. Kevin Curtis has played 118 of 144 offensive snaps in the two games since his return from a sports hernia. He's got nine catches for 128 yards.
Giants: The Giants' potent ground game is going to have the Eagles' LBs in attack mode, which could leave them susceptible to play-action passes to the tight end. TE Kevin Boss has seven catches in the last two games, but injured his ankle vs. Cowboys. WR Plaxico Burress has been a matchup nightmare for the Eagles.
PICK: GIANTS
Offensive line
Eagles: Donovan McNabb has been sacked just 13 times in 288 attempts, or once every 22.2 attempts. That's far and away the best attempts-per-sack ratio of his career. The line has committed just nine penalties in the first eight games, and just three in the last four. They've only been flagged for holding three times.
Giants: This group has developed into one of the best all-around blocking units - pass protection and run-blocking - in the league. Any doubts about David Diehl's ability to move from LG to LT were long ago erased. Giants are second in the league in rushing and Eli Manning has been sacked just 10 times.
PICK: GIANTS
