The Fumble. Herm Edwards. DeSean Jackson and Matt Dodge. Brian Dawkins. Brian Westbrook. Donovan McNabb and David Akers. Nate Sudfeld.
No true Giants fan may attain this second paragraph with out their blood boiling over their hated NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles.
“This division is an unbelievable division with a lot of history and certainly huge competition between these teams,” head coach Brian Daboll stated Monday. “I’ve been in college where there’s some pretty big rivalries, but this one is near the top here.”
“We’re excited,” quarterback Daniel Jones stated Sunday.
It’s inconceivable to not be.
The Giants, with the pent-up frustration of a franchise that has run by 4 head coaches in six years, have a chance to exorcise a thousand demons if they will upset the NFC’s No. 1-seed Eagles Saturday night time on their house Lincoln Financial Field.
They hate the Eagles. And lately, they’ve change into their little I-95 brother. Enough is sufficient.
“They’re a great team,” edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux stated Sunday. “They’ve done it all. They have the players. But it’s the playoffs, so we’re going to have to come with everything.”
The Giants have 4 Super Bowls. The Eagles solely have one. But Philadelphia has received extra lately in 2017, with Nick Foles butting into Eli Manning’s crowning achievements of defeating Tom Brady in a championship recreation.
And the Birds have battered Big Blue in recent times, profitable 11 of their final 13 conferences. The Giants haven’t received at Lincoln Financial Field since 2013.
That is the place they’ll play within the NFC Divisional Round on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET (FOX).
“Of course it’s Philly, so it’s going to be another hostile environment,” Saquon Barkley stated. “They got us the first two times.”
They did, and the primary time, they poured it on. They embarrassed the Giants, 48-22, on Dec. 11 at MetLife Stadium. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni left Jalen Hurts in deep right into a blowout.
Giants gamers admitted their crew was inferior that day like they by no means have earlier than after a loss to an NFC East rival. Barkley stated “we got our ass whooped” and Jones stated “we could see today we aren’t where we need to be yet.”
That was a month in the past. And although the Giants’ backups gave the Eagles’ first-stringers a recreation in Week 18, in a 22-16 defeat in South Philadelphia on Jan. 8, they’re effectively conscious that MVP candidate Hurts and the well-rested Birds will likely be out for blood.
“They have the threat of Jalen Hurts with the quarterback run, and they’ve got big playmakers on the outside with a great run game,” stated Giants nook Nick McCloud, who has performed 132 defensive snaps on this season’s two conferences. “That’s every level of offense for the makeup of a great offense. It’s a great offense. It’s a great team. They’re the number one seed for a reason.”
Former Giants head coach Joe Judge is liable for the one two Giants wins over the Eagles of their final 13 conferences: one in 2020 and one in 2021, each at house.
The all-time playoff sequence is tied at two apiece.
The Giants beat the Eagles, 27-21, at Veterans Stadium in an NFC Wild Card in 1981. Then they took down Philly, 20-10, at Giants Stadium within the 2000 divisional spherical.
The Eagles, nevertheless, have received the final two: 23-20 in a 2006 NFC Wild Card recreation at Lincoln Financial Field on a 38-yard Akers subject objective; then a 23-11 Eagles win at Giants Stadium within the 2008 divisional spherical.
The Birds additionally tanked their last recreation of the 2020 common season in opposition to Washington, maintaining Judge’s rookie yr Giants crew out of the playoffs.
And then Eagles GM Howie Roseman pantsed the Giants within the 2021 NFL Draft by buying and selling over them to draft large receiver DeVonta Smith.
That prompted the Giants to commerce again and take Kadarius Toney, then use their newly acquired 2022 first-rounder on deal with Evan Neal.
This model of the rivalry could have new names and faces. Former Giants nook James Bradberry, launched within the offseason by the brand new Giants’ regime, will likely be out for revenge.
Giant killing Eagles working again Boston Scott will likely be sniffing for a landing.
But Jones, Barkley, Dexter Lawrence, Andrew Thomas and the Giants don’t contemplate this a repeat of earlier failures. They’re decided to make sure this end result will likely be totally different.
“This is a pretty big one,” Daboll stated.
He can say that once more.
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com
