Les Bowen: Eagles vs. Giants: The pick

ALL WEEK, I've been fighting an itchy suspicion the Eagles are going to win this game, because they need it more, because they tend to play nail-biters here against the G-men, and because the Birds are a better team than they've showed so far. But then yesterday I got my allergy medication refilled, and the itchiness subsided.

To make this leap, I'd need to have seen a little more from these guys, mostly from the offense - authoritative short-yardage running, efficient red-zone performance, more overall explosiveness. Maybe this is the week they show all that, but I'm not ready to make that call. It's much more likely the Eagles will play reasonably well, misfire at some crucial juncture, and lose their eighth in a row in prime time, setting the table for a lot of talk locally about how close they were to winning. The talk nationally would be of how the Giants have separated themselves from the pack.

Giants 16, Eagles 15.

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