The New York Giants (9-6-1) and Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) will square off on Sunday afternoon in a Week 18 matchup at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Buy Giants TicketsThe Giants opened the week as 13.5-road home underdogs and that has moved to +16 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 have lost back-to-back games without Jalen Hurts. Is that solely a product of him being out or is there more to it?
Erby: The consecutive losses are about 75% lack of Jalen Hurts and 25% lack of a winning scheme from offensive coordinator Shane Steichen. Hurts is the system, but Philadelphia did nothing to put Gardner Minshew in a position to be successful, abandoning the running game at times, while failing to give Jack Driscoll adequate help at right tackle during the loss to New Orleans.
Will the Eagles give any consideration to resting injured players with the Giants likely to sit most of their starters?
With two consecutive losses and the No. 1 seed on the line, Philadelphia will play any and all available starters on Sunday. The need team needs to regain their groove on offense, and Sunday allows Jalen Hurts, and other injured Eagles who are returning an opportunity to develop some confidence heading into the bye week, or the Wild Card round if the wheels totally fall off. If Philadelphia gets up big on the scoreboard, you’ll only see starters and key guys rest then.
Is there anyone in the NFC Playoffs who you feel are a legitimate threat to the Eagles at this point?
Four weeks ago, I would have said just the 49ers, but after watching the team struggle in pass coverage without Avonte Maddox and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, you have to believe that San Francisco, Dallas, Minnesota, and a veteran Tampa Bay squad all pose different types of credible threats. The 49ers and Cowboys can both physically compete with the Eagles, while the Vikings can get hot, and the Buccaneers have the GOAT.
How do the Eagles look in terms of salary cap health for next season?
Philadelphia will have about $15 million in cap space and the team could have 15+ free agents heading into the offseason. The team wants to sign Jalen Hurts to a new deal, while players like C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Javon Hargrave, and James Bradberry will all be big-money free agents. There are about a dozen tough decisions to be made.
How do you see this Week 18 game playing out and who wins?
Philadelphia badly needs the win and they need the rest as well. Crazier things have happened, but it is hard to envision Giants’ reserves and backups defeating a motivated potential No. 1 seed on the road. The ideal scenario would be for the Eagles to dominate early as they did in Week 14, gain a comfortable lead heading into the third quarter and potentially start pulling guys.
Philadelphia wins 28-10.
