The New York Giants will travel down the New Jersey Turnpike on Sunday to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in their regular-season finale.
For the Giants, the sixth seed has already been secured and there is nothing for them to gain from winning the game, which has led to the question of whether or not they should play their starters.
Philadelphia, on the other hand, has plenty to play for in terms of playoff seeding.
The Giants haven’t played well against the Eagles in recent years and when the teams met in Week 14, things did not go particularly well. Oddsmakers expect a similar outcome on Sunday.
Headed into the division battle, here are three causes for concern.
Postseason implications
Jalen Hurts has missed the last two games with an injury to his throwing shoulder. He is expected to be back in the saddle for Philadelphia on Sunday.
The Eagles will likely play with a sense of urgency as they can secure the NFC East division title, a first-round bye, and the No. 1 seed in the NFC in the postseason.
Even if the Giants send their starters out at kickoff, depending on how the game plays out, head coach Brian Daboll may pull them at some point.
The Eagles passing attack
Adoree’ Jackson has missed the last six games due to injury and even if he returns this week, it’s unclear how much he’ll be able to play. The Giants may elect to give him an extra week’s rest with nothing to be gained from winning Sunday.
The Eagles have one of the best wide receiver duos in the league led by DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. Both rank in the top 10 in the league in receiving yards.
The Eagles also rank second in the league in yards per catch, as well as passing plays of both 20-plus yards and 40-plus yards.
The Eagles’ air attack is a big reason why they have the record they do and the Giants’ will certainly have their hands full trying to slow it down on Sunday.
Pass protection
The Eagles have 68 sacks on the year, the most in the NFL, and currently 17 more than the next team. They can flat-out get to the quarterback and the last time the two teams met, Daniel Jones was sacked four times.
The Giants’ offensive line has been wildly inconsistent all season but has played well as of late.
Going against the No. 1 pass rush in the league is something the Giants will certainly have to game plan against, whether the starters play or not.
