Eagles vs Giants: Position by position

The Eagles and Giants are two of the best teams in the NFC every year. They play in the same division, they play twice and sometimes even three times a year. This is one of the biggest rivalries in sports.

In 2008, the Eagles were the better team. They won two of the three games. Eagles and Giants fans hate each other, and they are always talking trash and arguing over who is better. I decided to end the argument.

The Coaches

Head Coach

Andy Reid is the most successful coach in Eagles' history. He has been to five NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl. He doesn't have any rings yet though.

Tom Coughlin had a few rough years in New York, but the last couple years he has been very successful. The only thing he has the Reid doesn't is a Super Bowl ring.

Both coaches have been scrutinized and almost run out of New York.

Both are great coaches, you can't say one is better than the other.

Offensive Coordinator

Marty Mornhinweg has produced a high powered offense since taking over for Brad Childress. Reid is responsible for a lot of Mornhinweg's success.

Kevin Gilbride is going into his third season as the Giants offensive coordinator. Since taking over the Giants have had a top offense and a great running game.

Again it's hard to say who's better.

Defensive Coordinator

Jim Johnson is the second best defensive coordinator in the NFL behind Dick Lebeau. His schemes and blitz packages are amazing. Johnson is somewhat responsible for the Giants good defense last year. He taught former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo everything he knows.

New Giants Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan should be a good coordinator, but he will not be near as good as Jim Johnson.

Offense

Quarterback

Donovan Mcnabb is a top five QB whether anyone wants to admit it or not. He has one of the best win percentages among active QBs and hes been to five Pro Bowls in his 10 seasons. Three of his 10 seasons he has suffered season ending injuries.

Eli manning has been a pretty successful quarterback the least few years. However, last season, after losing Plaxico Burress, Manning really struggled and looked like he didn't know what he was doing.

Better QB? Mcnabb: Eagles

Fullback

Leonard Weaver. The Eagles picked up Weaver in free agency. He is a very good runner and blocker, and he can catch out of the backfield as well.

Weaver was a Pro Bowl alternate last season, when he played for the Seahhawks. Seattle and Philly run the same type of offense so Weaver should pick up where he left off with no problems.

Madison Hedgecock is strictly a blocking fullback. He has only three rushing attempts and 31 receptions in 5 years with the giants. He is a good lead blocker but is nothing to worry about for opposing defenses.

Better fullback? Weaver: Eagles

Halfback

Brian westbrook has been a top 3 running back up until last year. In 2008 Westbrook battled knee, ankle, and rib injuies and still set a career high with 14 touchdowns. 2nd round pick Lesean Mccoy will back up Westbrook.

Brandon Jacobs is a very good powerback. He is hugh and still has good speed. He went over 1000 yards last year. Jacobs is a great back but he is basicly one dementional. Ahmad Bradshaw will backup jacobs.

Better Back? Westbrook/Mccoy-Eagles

Left Tackle

The Eagles acquired Jason Peters in the offseason who is arguably the best left tackle in football. With one of the best O line coaches in the NFL, Juan Castillo, Peters can only get better.

David Diehl is a great left tackle. He has started every game for the Giants the last six years.

Better Left Tackle? Peters-Eagles

Left Guard

Todd Herremans is a very good young left guard. In 2008 Herremans had the best year of any eagles offensive lineman. Expect to see Todd in the Probowl soon

Rich Seubert is a good left guard playing in 74 regular season games but only starting 58 of them. He can also play center.

Better Left Guard? Herremans-Eagles

Center

Jamal jackson has started 56 consecutive games at center. That is the 4th most by all active centers in the league. He has been voted as a probowl alternate and SI first team all pro.

Shaun O'Hara is a very good center. He made the pro bowl as a backup in 2009.

The two centers are evenly matched. Its hard to say who is better, But we will go ahead and give the giants one since the Eagles have dominated so far.

Better Center? O'Hara-Giants

Right Guard

The Eagles Acquired Stacy Andrews through free agency in the offseason. Stacy played in Cincinatti last year where he started 15 games at right tackle. He is Huge. Now he moves to RG.

Chris Snee was on of the best right guards in the NFL in 2009. He was selected to his first pro bowl.

Better Right Guard? Snee-Giants

Right Tackle

Shawn Andrews is big, very powerfull, and has some of the best technique in the NFL. He has been to two probowls playing at right guard, but now he moves out to play tackle where he played in college. Shawn is a great run blocker and is more than athletic enough to play in space.

Kareem Kckenzie has started 109 career games at tackle. McKenzie has blocked for 4 NFL running backs who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season – Curtis Martin with the Jets and Tiki Barber, Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward with the Giants.

Better Right Tackle? Shawn Andrews-Eagles

Tight End

Brent Celek is a very good young player with great work ethic. Celek in his 2nd season took over as the stater late in the year in 2008. He led the Eagles in recieving in the post season with 19 receptions and 3 TDs. Since the offseason began hes packed on 15 pounds of extra muscle, and worked very hard to improve his blocking.

Kevin Boss is almost the exact same player as Celek. He is a very good recieving threat and has show consistent improvement in his blocking. Since Jeremy Shockey got traded Boss has been one of Eli's favorite targets.

The edge goes to the Eagles here because they also have Cornelius Ingram, who can creat matchup nightmares for any defense.

Better Tight End? Celek/Ingram-Eagles

Recievers

Desean Jackson is a very explosive reciever and looks to be developing into a great number 2 reciever. Jackson is clearly better than the Giants Steve Smith.

Kevin Curtis is blazing fast has great hands and runs good routes. Domenik Hixon posted good numbers last year with almost 600 yards but Curtis is the better reciever.

Jason Avant is one of the best third down recievers in the NFL. Last season he had 15 catches on third down and 13 of them went for firsts. His former Michigan teammate Mario Manningham hasnt really done much since being drafted. Avant is by far the better of the two.

Jeremy Maclin and Hakeem Nicks both havent proved anything in the NFL yet. All we know is Maclin was rated as the number two reciever in the class of 2009 and Nicks was the number five.

Ramses Barden will be a great red zone target for Eli. Hank Baskett is an inch shoter than Barden, but ,as a state champion high jumper, he can jump much higher. Baskett is also slightly faster. For now i would have to go with Baskett.

Better Recievers? Clearly Eagles

So on offense the Eagles won 12-2

Defense

Right Defensive End

Trent Cole is a beast and a pass rush specialist. In 2008, he posted 9 sacks while facing double teams almost constantly. In 2007 he had 12.5 sacks.

Osi Umenyiora did not play in 2008 due to a knee injury, but had 13 sacks in the previous year. Osi is a premier DE but he will be rusty and it's had for big guys to recover from injuries like that.

Better Right Defensive End? Cole-Eagles

Right Defensive Tackle

Brodrick Bunkley is one of the best young tackles in the game. He is a great run stopper and an unmovable force in the middle. He was the biggest part of the Eagles stopping the Giants on two 4th-and-1 plays in their playoff game.

This offseason, the Giants acquired Chris Canty from the Dallas Cowboys. Canty is still young and is a very good DT. He doesn't generate anlot of sacks but he his size enables him to easily plug up the middle. It will be interesting to see how he plays in a new defensive scheme, going from the 3-4 to 4-3.

Better Right Defensive Tackle? Bunkley-Eagles

Left Defensive Tackle

Mike Patterson is another young talented DT. He is a great run stopping tackle but he only had half a sack in 2008.

Rocky Bernard is another new addition to the Giants Defensive line. Bernard had one of his best seasons last year with the Seahawks recording 55 tackles and four sacks.

Better Left Defensive End? Bernard-Giants

Left Defensive End

Last season the Eagles had Jaqua Parker and Darren Howard playing the spot. Parker recorded five sacks and a pick six, while Howard had 10 sacks.

Justin Tuck emerged last season as a great pass rusher. Tuck shined in Umenyiora's absence, recording 12 sacks and an interception.

Better Left End? Tuck-Giants

Left Outside Linebacker

Chris Gocong is a run stopping force. In his second year as a starter he played the run very well and also recorded 2 sacks and a touchdown. He is a very good young linebacker on the rise.

Danny Clark had a pretty good year recording 70 total tackles. Going into his 10th season don't expect too much from him

Better Left Outside Linebacker? Gocong-Eagles

Middle Linebacker

Stewart Bradley, in his first season as the starter, Bradley posted great numbers, 108 tackles, a sack, and an interception. He has been described as Brian Urlacher but more athletic. With Dawkins gone, he should be the new defensive captain, and he will be recognized as the best MLB in the division.

Antonio Pierce is the Giants best linebacker. He is a very good veteran linebacker, but he gets burnt by running backs.

In 2009, there will only be a few Middle linebackers better than Bradley.

Better Middle Linebacker? Bradley-Eagles

Right Outside Linebacker

Last year the Eagles started Omar Gaither for 10 games and Akeem Jordan for six. They both had 60 tackles, but Gaither's came with two-and-a-half sacks. Whoever starts will be a solid linebacker at the position.

In the offseason, the Giants also got a new linebacker. Michael Boley is now in his fifth year and on a new team. In 2007, he showed the potential to be a Pro Bowl caliber player.

Gaither will more than likely win the job. Last year, Gaither produced just as well as Boley while playing in six less games.

Better Right Outside Linebacker? Gaither-Eagles

Right Cornerback

Sheldon Brown is a veteran shutdown corner and a big hitter. He didn't allow any touchdowns in the regular season in 2008.

Corey Webster is a good young corner who is starting to develop well. He had three interceptions in '08.

Better Right Corner? Brown-Eagles

Free Safety

With Brian Dawkins gone, Quentin Demps will take over. Demps is big, fast and has great ball skills. It's only his second season so he hasn't proven anything yet.

Kenny Phillips was one of the top safeties of his class and should develop into a very good pro. He had a good year in 2008 with 67 tackles and a one interception.

He should only get better.

Better Free Safety? Phillips-Giants

Strong Safety

Since taking over the strong safety spot Quentin Mikell has played like a Pro Bowler. With Dawkins gone he will finally be noticed and you may see him in Hawaii.

Michael Johnson is his first full season as the starter Johnson had a nice year. He's developing well along with the rest of the Giants young DBs.

Better Strong Safety? Mikell-Eagles

Left Corner

Asante Samuel is arguably the best corner in the NFL. With another year in Jim Johnson's scheme he should have an even better year.

Aaron Ross is another one of those young DBs. He is big for a corner,very fast and has good instincts. Expect him to have a big year in 2009.

Better Left Corner? Asante Samuel-Eagles

On defense, the Eagles win 8-3.

Special Teams

Punt Returner

Desean Jackson is one of the best punt returners in the league. Anytime he touches the ball he can take it to the house.

Jeremy Maclin may also return punts this year. Either way opposing teams should just punt it out of bounds every time.

Domenik Hixon is a good punt returner but no one can argue that he is better than Jackson or Maclin.

Better Punt Returner? Jackson/Maclin-Eagles

Kick Returner

Quentin Demps did a very good job last year returning kicks. They also have Maclin and Ellis Hobbs in the draft, both who are great at returning kicks.

Ahmad Bradshaw returned kicks great last year ranking atop the return statistics.

Better Kick Returner? We can go off last year and say Bradshaw-Giants

Kicker

David Akers has been regarded as one of the most accurate kickers in the NFL for quite sometime. He is one of the best kickers in Eagles history.

Lawrence Tynes only kicked one field goal last year so who knows what to expect from him.

Better Kicker? Akers-Eagles

Punter

Sav Rocca is slightly better than 43-year-old Jeff Feagles.

Better Punter? Rocca-Eagles

Eagles win special teams as well, 3-1.

The Eagles Win

So the Eagles are clearly the better team...On paper. Last year the Eagles won two of the three games,one of them knocking the Giants out of the playoffs. This article suggests that the Eagles are the better team, but we'll just wait to see.