The New York Giants (5-9) and Philadelphia Eagles (10-4) will square off on Monday afternoon in a Week 16 matchup at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Giants opened the week as 10.5-point home underdogs and that spread has worsened slightly with New York listed at +13.5 as of this writing.
With this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with Eagles Wire managing editor Glenn Erby.
The Eagles started 10-1 but have now dropped three straight. What changed that led to such a sudden drop-off?
Erby: Philadelphia has dealt with elite competition in losses to San Francisco and Dallas, coupled with poor play and execution in the upset loss to Seattle. The Eagles are an outstanding football when everything is going well. Still, QB Jalen Hurts is among the league leaders in turnovers. OC Brian Johnson has struggled to maintain an excellent run-pass ratio, and Sean Desai’s defense seemed a bit complicated for a veteran defensive unit. James Bradberry has regressed at cornerback, while Avonte Maddox’s injury at slot CB was more significant than anyone could have imagined.
How has (and how will) the defense change with Matt Patricia handling play-calling duties?
Darius Slay spoke on Friday about Matt Patricia “simplifying the scheme” while letting personnel know their jobs, matchups, and roles on each set play. The long-time veteran assistant will look to enhance Sean Desai’s defense while being more efficient with his scheme and more consistent on third downs.
Jalen Hurts currently leads the NFL in turnovers (17). What has led to him giving the ball away at such a robust clip?
Hurts has been loose with the football regarding fumbles, and a good amount of his interceptions come from the All-Pro looking to make too many explosive or big plays in the downfield passing game rather than taking what the defense offers.
Why do you think the Eagles have been so dominant against the Giants for more than a decade?
It has to be the decline at the quarterback position for the Giants, coupled with Eagles GM Howie Roseman outperforming executives Jerry Reese and Dave Gettleman before Joe Schoen arrived alongside head coach Brian Daboll.
Let's hear some predictions -- even though we know where this is going. Who wins, what's the score and how do you see the game playing out?
The Eagles haven’t been dominant in weeks, but they’re the better team and still aim to defend their NFC East title, and a win over the Giants would allow that to happen still, regardless of what the Cowboys do down the stretch. The Giants keep it close for three quarters, but Jalen Hurts makes enough plays to give Philadelphia a 31-20 home win.
Follow the Giants Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts
