Giants vs Eagles: Week 6 Round Up

Could use some juice from this guy tonight

Football is a hell of a drug, but man, when the Giants lose a game like they did in New Orleans last week, it really makes the most loyal of fans rethink their love for this team. And it doesn't get any easier, as the Philadelphia Eagles roll into town for a tough match up tonight.

Jaxson Dart and co. will need to play the cleanest game of their lives, or this one will be over early. I'll be switching things up in my review this week; instead of an in-depth analysis on three things to watch for, will be pivoting to 7 quick hitters that will define this matchup.

Quick hitters

(1) The Giants' wide receiver room is a disaster

• Disaster might be an understatement. With Darius Slayton ruled out, it will be Wan'Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt, Beaux Collins, and most likely Lil'Jordan Humphrey as the top four wide receivers for this one. Look for the Eagles to try and take advantage of this mismatch all game.

(2) Turnovers lead to opponent opportunities

• This was a theme in Week 5 for the Giants, as they turned the ball over 5 times against the Saints. Three of them were charged to Jaxson Dart, and that alone needs to be more buttoned up from the rookie starting quarterback. To win this game against an Eagles team that is arguably better than the Giants in every category, there must be an emphasis on minimizing offensive turnovers.

(3) Can they stop Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley?

• The easy and simple answer is that you can't, but alas, they can't be avoided. Barkley is coming into this one with a questionable tag, and his numbers haven't jumped off the page like last year as the Eagles deal with offensive line woes. Hurts is having trouble getting the passing game going, and AJ Brown is back to posting cryptic messages on social media, so there may be a shot. Per NFL Pro, Hurts has the 7th-lowest success rate amongst qualified quarterbacks this season when pressured, so it feels like the perfect time for (1), the run defense to keep trending in the right direction after keeping the Saints under 100 yards last week, and (2), for that vaunted pass rush to get to Hurts after they posted a goose egg in Week 5.

(4) Giants O line vs Eagles D line

• The offensive line has been serviceable this year and is not the glaring problem that it has been in years past. I think they can hold up against a Philly D line that is middle of the pack in pressure % and 26th in the league in sacks, per Pro Football Reference. If there is one area of this game the Giants could win, it seems to be this one. Give Jaxson Dart time to let it fly.

(5) Tyrone Tracy Jr. return

• Tracy is officially back after missing the past two games with a shoulder injury. I wasn't expecting him back until at least next week or the week after, so this is perfect timing as the Giants will need every playmaker they can get on the field. What do you say, Mike Kafka? Let's see him line up in the slot a little bit and contribute to the passing game. He was a wide receiver during his four years at Iowa, so why not?

(6) Discipline

• 8 penalties for 95 yards in New Orleans. In three of five games, the Giants have racked up 80+ yards of penalties. They are undisciplined and it shows. To beat really good teams like the Eagles, they must play clean football. A guy like Deonte Banks, who shouldn't even be on the field, committed four penalties on minimal snaps last week. It almost feels like the players aren't held accountable for their actions and the same mistakes keep popping up. There needs to be discipline for the Giants to have a shot at winning this one.

(7) Primetime woes

• You know it and I know it. The Giants shrink in primetime. They do not win games after 8pm almost ever. Even at home, they find ways to beat themselves. Case in point Sunday Night Football a few weeks ago against the Chiefs where Russell Wilson basically lost them that game with his poor play. It helps that Jaxson Dart is under center, but knowing their recent struggles in playing in front of a national audience and a 1-7 record against the Eagles in their last eight matchups, I just don't know what to expect.

Rounding it all up

The Giants are 1-4, and coming off a really brutal loss in New Orleans where they held a 14-3 lead in the first quarter, and then allowed the Saints to put 23 on the board leading to a 26-14 loss. There were a ton of turnovers and penalties; again, signs of an undisciplined team. Something has to give in Week 6, or they will be looking down the barrel of 1-5 and calls for Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen to get the hook will grow louder and louder.

The Eagles are 4-1 and coming off a tough loss in Week 5. They are a really good team and the Giants will have their hands full from the jump. They are offensively and defensively sound, run the ball well, and don't commit costly penalties. Remember, they won the Super Bowl 8 months ago. This will be a really tough matchup.

I'm always somewhat of an optimist going into Giants games, because anything is possible. This will be their toughest test yet against one of the better teams in the NFL. Hopefully, some of their glaring weaknesses will be kept at bay and the energy of going against their rival with a rookie quarterback who is capable of making big plays will swing this one their way. Kickoff is at 8:15pm from good ol' MetLife Stadium.