Key divisional game in the NFC East , the Giants will be 1-5 if they lose, 0-2 in the division and 0-3 at home, that would be pretty much it ,in terms of making the post seaon. Recent history suggests that it will be anyway, this was the 5th time in six years that they have started 0-2, in the previous four they missed out on the post season and in two they went 0-5 and 0-6, the latter was last season and my feeling is that they have carried that form into this season. Since the start of 2017 they are 4-17, with nine double digit defeats and for those who like spread stats, they are 1-9 ATS in games where the line is set at 4 points or less, like today. They have "superstar" wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr back this season and he had 8 catches for 131 yards and a TD and also THREW a 57 yard pass for a TD last weekend, but they still lost at the Panthers. OBJ has been very outspoken about his veteran QB Eli Manning and the rest of his offensive team mates and that doesn't help anyone, it should always be done in house. As good as OBJ is, he is not a team player and feels like a disruptive influence. His long pass doesn't overly help the ill feeling with Manning who, despite being four years younger than Tom Brady, feels like a different generation to his fellow Giants.  This season Eli has had more offensive options than for 2017 including Beckham Jr and talented first-round pick Saquon Barkley , but his stats have remained remarkably similar, last season through five starts : 1,338 yards, 67.8 completion rate, 8 TDs, 5 INTs, 13 sacks, this time round: 1,381 yards, 71.7 completion rate, 6 TDs, 3 INTs, 3 fumbles, 16 sacks . It is hard to get away from the feeling that he is in decline and no signs that there will be any upturn on the horizon and alongside OBJ's huge and aggressive personality, this seems a recipe for disaster.

 

H2h numbers do not make great reading for NY, Eagles have won 7/8 and 16/20 , the last five have all been decided by 3-5 points which is more along the lines of what you would expect from a big traditional divisional match up, but four were by exactly five and of the last 11 meetings only that single game was won by less than five. Here in New Jersey the stats are even gloomier for Giants fans, with Philly going 9-2 straight up and 8-3 ATS.

 

Philadelphia would themselves be 2-4 should they lose today, only one Super Bowl champions in the last 20 years has followed the title with a losing next season and that was Tampa Bay in 2002, the 14 subsequent teams have averaged 11.3 wins and it will be very difficult for the Eagles to come close without winning today.

 

They are coming off a 23-21 loss to the Vikings in Philly where we sided with the visitors.............

 

The Eagles destroyed the Vikings in the Championship game here at Lincoln Financial Field back in January, but both look to have gone backwards and suffered some set backs . However, unlike the Rams where I see that late season match up with the Seahawks having a big bearing on today, I see the loss being more of a motivating factor for the Vikings. Also, we have two different quarterbacks and Kirk Cousins has a pretty solid record here in Philadelphia, so will not arrive with any of that baggage. He is 2-2 in Philly, winning 2 of the last three, putting up 24-38 points each time, with a 12-3 record ( touchdowns to interceptions) and averaging 332 passing yards. He has two of the best receivers in football (maybe the best duo ?) now in in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs and the Eagles secondary and especially the cornerbacks have issues and right now, Philly's  best outside pass rusher, Derek Barnett, is out also and this all looks like a bit of a mismatch. I was with the Eagles all the way last post season, but had my doubts coming into 2018 and their Week 1 showing against Atlanta aside, their almighty 2017 defense has been poor (ranked 24 th for the other 3 games), special teams are 26th, offense 24th and their schedule has been easy (5th easiest). We have to try and forget that horror show against the Bills for Minnesota, but they have put up 31 points on the road to the Rams and 29 in Green Bay and anything even close to those numbers should be enough today and I feel any value is with them.

 

Philly lost running back Jay Ajayi for the season, but he was starting to get very outspoken too and not producing and for now, that might be a blessing in disguise. Four players returned to full practice on Tuesday: Derek Barnett (see above), Corey Clement, Sidney Jones, and Jason Peters. Barnett and Clement return to action this week. Barnett's pass rushing skills (Eagles are 18-4 when he plays) could be key against a porous Giants offensive line, Philly are 4-0 when young RB Clement has 10 carries or more as he surely will without Ajayi and he is an asset in pass protection and had ten post season receptions last year.I spoke last early season about how the Eagles were trying to limit the number of times QB Carson Wentz was throwing, especially when Jason Peters was sidelined, the pair have won 10/12 when in tandem, both admit to being rusty after missing a lot of games and much of pre season for the QB, but they should be more in sync from here on in. Eagles were way off in the first half against the Vikings, when they were 0-4 on 3rd down, Minnesota 3-7, but they restricted the Vikings to 1-4 after that and it does feel like things are coming together, albeit slowly. Infact, if we take away that those FH numbers, Eagles are the best defensively on third downs in terms of % completed, all small margins and I think Philly will start to improve.