The New York Giants will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Giants are in desperate need of a win sitting at 2-4 on the season and having already dropped their first two games against divisional opponents on the year.
Despite the fact that the Eagles seem much more flawed than the teams the Giants have seen in recent years, Big Blue opened up as 4-point home underdogs earlier this week. With plenty of Eagles fans making the trip to MetLife stadium, it will be a much more mixed crowd.
The Giants are, of course, coming off of their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football. Meanwhile, the Eagles won a tight game against a spiraling Cleveland Browns team on Sunday that ended with head coach Nick Sirianni yelling at some displeased Eagles fans in the stands.
This is a game the Giants would love to win for a number of reasons.
Here are three causes for concern ahead of Sunday’s NFC East matchup.
Return of Saquon Barkley
Undoubtedly, this is the number one storyline ahead of Sunday. Saquon Barkley was one of the most popular players among Giant fans in recent history. Although he does not expect boos in his direction Sunday, Barkley may not have a full grasp of the level of hate between the two franchises.
The bigger concern is less about the emotions of Barkley’s move to the Giants’ biggest rival and more about his level of play so far this season.
Barkley has been impressive in his first five games with the Eagles and the Giants will have their hands full on Sunday.
No matter how much Barkley tries to downplay it, he is going to have extra motivation to have a big game against his former team. After all, he has shown resentment toward the Giants since his departure saying he felt disrespected by Big Blue and that leaving the franchise that drafted him was a blessing.
Injuries are beginning to pile up
It has been a true breath of fresh air watching the Giants’ offensive line this year, working as the cohesive unit that fans have been asking for for nearly a decade. However, New York’s offensive line took the biggest possible hit this week with star Left Tackle Andrew Thomas now out for the season following Lisfranc surgery.
The Thomas injury will be very tough to overcome as finding a replacement creates a real challenge and you can be sure the Eagles will look to expose the Giants’ O-line shuffle on Sunday.
The loss of Thomas is a massive concern but is one of a handful of injuries. Running Back Devin Singletary and rookie Malik Nabers have missed the last two games but the team seems optimistic that both will suit up Sunday.
There was some concern surrounding Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns, but both insist they will play after missing practice on Wednesday.
The Giants will also be without Kayvon Thibodeaux for the second consecutive game after being placed on injured reserve (wrist) last week.
Recent history
We all know how poorly the Giants have played against both the Dallas Cowboys and Eagles over the better part of the last decade. The Giants will be hoping to overcome that history and start to turn the page on Sunday.
This is most certainly not the same powerhouse Philadelphia team the Giants have gotten used to seeing in recent years, however. The Giants will have their hands full, especially with the weapons on the Eagles’ offense, which now includes Barkley. However, this game is very winnable and the small spread certainly supports that.
