Jeff McLane’s keys to Eagles vs. Giants in Week 9 and a game prediction
Joe Milton gets a shot at quarterback after Tanner McKee was benched. Can he prove himself and get the Eagles' sluggish offense moving?
The Eagles will host the New York Giants at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:
When the Eagles have the ball: It’s Joe Milton time! Who? Just three weeks after he was plucked off the Cowboys’ practice squad, the quarterback will start for the Eagles after Tanner McKee was benched. McKee couldn’t elevate a terrible offense in his three starts, but it seems his demotion was borne more out what he can’t do vs. what Milton can. And that has as much to do with a porous offensive line as anything. McKee often looked like his feet were stuck in cement, while the more athletic Milton should conceivably do better when under pressure. And it’s quite possible he could be running for his life against a Giants defense that has explosive edge rushers and a potent blitz. There are obviously other reasons for going to Milton. He may give the Eagles’ run game a little jolt on designed runs and the pass game some explosive throws with a cannon for an arm. But there are reasons why he lost the No. 2 job to former Eagles backup Sam Howell in Dallas and wasn’t claimed by other teams.
Milton just hasn’t been an accurate passer when given the chance. He can miss wildly and throw unforced interceptions. He also just doesn’t have a great feel for the position, which could spell trouble in a scheme that has had trouble solving the blitz. Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson sends extra rushers at quarterbacks 42% of the time, which is third most in the league. Can offensive coordinator Sean Mannion and Co. actually devise a way to decrease the Eagles’ league-high rate of unblocked pressures? The anticipation is palpable. Moving the mobile Milton out of the pocket with boots and rollouts could offset the issues with pre-snap calls.
» READ MORE: Why did the Eagles make the quarterback change to Joe Milton? Nick Sirianni explains.
The Eagles are slated to have the same five up front for a third consecutive game. But they need to be aware of Abdul Carter. His time to pressure (2.46 seconds) is the fastest among NFL edge rushers. He bounces back and forth, but it’s likely right tackle Markel Bell will need some help when Carter lines up on the left side. The Giants lost Brian Burns, their best pass rusher, to a season-ending ACL tear in Week 4. But Kayvon Thibodeaux is a solid replacement and rookie linebacker Arvell Reese is a weapon when he blitzes. Veteran DJ Reader is probably the Giants’ best interior rusher, but he may be more pivotal as the nose tackle against the run. He’s playing some of his best football in Wilson’s 1-½-gap scheme 3-4 front.
Wilson’s run defense is solid, if unspectacular. The Giants have allowed 4.8 yards per rush with a fourth-worst-in-the-league yards over expected. That suggests the tackling isn’t sound, which is confirmed by the film. Saquon Barkley (hamstring/back) is cleared to play, but playing through injury may have caught up to him last week. Perhaps Milton as a plus-one factor in the run game can take some of the load off Barkley. But it’s not as if Mannion took advantage of Jalen Hurts’ running ability when he was healthy. The Giants miss a lot of tackles after the catch, too. Jevon Holland is a good cover safety, but Mannion may want to get the ball into the hands of receiver Makai Lemon or Dallas Goedert in space against Holland. The Eagles will be without receivers DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks for a third straight week. The offense, which is last in the league in explosive play rate, needs to stretch defenses if its going to have any chance.
When the Giants have the ball: Like the Eagles, the Giants are onto their third starting quarterback after Jaxon Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury and veteran backup Jameson Winston confirmed he was still a turnover machine. J.J. McCarthy struggled in his first start against the Saints after getting acquired from the Vikings just the week prior, but he rebounded in the following game vs. the Texans. He wasn’t shy about throwing into tight windows downfield and was rewarded a few times. It’s just a small sample, but a change of scenery and working with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy may unlock his potential. He just has to get through his reads quicker.
McCarthy has a true No. 1 receiver in Malik Nabers, who can run the entire route tree. Eagles cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Riq Woolen have mostly played sides this season, but defensive coordinator Vic Fangio may consider having the former follow Nabers in certain sets. The Giants’ next best outside receiver is third-round rookie Malachi Fields. Tight end Isaiah Likely is the No. 2 in the receiving peking order. He has 41 catches for 395 yards. Two of his five touchdowns have come on seam routes into the end zone. As Fangio said earlier in the week, a lot of the passing concepts come from Nagy’s time working under Andy Reid.
The run game, as Fangio also noted, is rooted in senior assistant Greg Roman’s heavy power gap scheme system. But Nagy also utilizes a lot of zone scheme stuff he used under Reid. Coach John Harbaugh is inherently a run-the-ball, play-sound-defense old schooler. He’s not going to abandon the ground game unless forced. But also like the Eagles, he’s down a number of tailbacks. Najee Harris was released after he complained about touches. Tyrone Tracey is on IR. And No. 1 back Cam Skattebo is doubtful to play with a hamstring injury. That leaves just Devin Singletary, who didn’t make the game day roster for three straight weeks earlier in the season. Singletary did run for the game-winning touchdown in overtime against Houston.
» READ MORE: Wideouts DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks will miss Giants game; Saquon Barkley on track to play
The Giants offensive line may not be as substandard as it once was, but it still has liabilities in the interior. Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter should have the advantage if isolated against right guard Francis Mauigoa. Fangio needs more push up the middle from Carter, Moro Ojomo and Jordan Davis because his edge rushers have been invisible. Nolan Smith gets effort sacks, but Jonathan Greenard and Jalyx Hunt — who are playing hurt —have yet to take down a quarterback this season. Giants tackles Andrew Thomas (groin) and rookie Jermaine Eluemunor (calf) were limited at practice this week, but both will be in the lineup.
Extra points: The Giants have one of the better special teams units in the NFL, which shouldn’t come as a surprise with Harbaugh at the helm. He spent nine seasons in Philly as Eagles special teams coordinator. His cover units are especially efficient. Punter Jordan Stout has a strong leg. Dominic Zvada drops 5.6% of his kickoffs inside the 20. The Eagles’ return game has been besieged by injuries. Cooper DeJean is handling punts with Britain Covey (knee) out, and Jaydon Blue was the primary kick returner last week with so many others unavailable. He did OK.
For the second straight week, the Eagles face an opponent coming off a bye. The Giants may lead the NFC East, but they’re certainly not world beaters. Harbaugh is still in the first year of a rebuild and his roster is still lacking in key spots along both fronts. The Eagles can win, particularly if Fangio can get his defensive line to finally perform up to expectations. McCarthy can scramble, but if contained, he’ll take bad sacks.
That’s a big if, of course. The Eagles have fundamental issues on both sides of the ball. Maybe Milton provides a spark. There may be a scent of desperation in him starting, but what does Nick Sirianni have to lose (aside from his job)? I don’t think he’s lost the locker room yet, and I think the Eagles will battle. But they just can’t seem to get out of their own way, while Harbaugh’s Giants have played with more precision.
Prediction: Giants, 23-20.
With the Eagles’ season gradually going up in flames, there’s been plenty of external fingerpointing. The offense, specifically the line, has drawn considerable ire, especially in light of the Eagles parting ways with longtime, beloved assistant coach Jeff Stoutland. Stoutland’s track record on the offensive line is Hall of Fame-worthy. This year, with Chris Kuper as Stoutland’s replacement, the line has regressed.
Should Kuper shoulder most of the blame? What really happened between Stoutland and the Eagles that caused their relationship to fall apart? The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane dives deeper into one of the biggest “what ifs” from a frustrating season, framing Stoutland’s exit around four key questions. Listen here.
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