The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles will face off in their first of two meetings this season when the Giants will welcome Saquon Barkley back to MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Giants were four-point home underdogs when the line opened up earlier this week.
The Eagles are not the powerhouse many expected entering the season. Last week, although Philly did end up winning, they struggled mightily against the Cleveland Browns. Meanwhile, the Giants lost to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football, putting up just seven points on the night.
The Giants will be short-handed in the trenches this week. This will be their first game without left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot) and their second without edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (IR).
Here are three reasons for optimism ahead of Sunday’s game.
The return of Malik Nabers
After missing two games with a concussion, rookie sensation Malik Nabers is set to return Sunday after clearing protocol late on Thursday.
Nabers had proven in his first four games that he could be a game-changer. He has quickly become the team’s top weapon to run the offense around and Daniel Jones seems to have trust in throwing the ball in Nabers’ direction.
The Giants defensive front
The Giants’ defensive front took a hit last week when they lost Kayvon Thibodeaux. Azeez Ojulari stepped up big time in the absence of Thibodeaux and the defensive line was on fire again.
With the offensive weapons the Eagles have on the field, the more pressure the Giants are able to get on Jalen Hurts, the better.
The Giants’ rushing attack
The Giants have found a spark plug in rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. He has been quite the talent, getting the bulk of the work over the last two weeks with Devin Singletary out.
The Eagles defense is ranked 25th in the league in yards per rush. This could be something the Giants may focus on going into Sunday.
