NY Giants-Philadelphia Eagles: By the Numbers in 2009

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But he can’t do it alone. Hixon made some nice strides but he’s not a No. 1 receiver. He can stretch the field, but needs to be more consistent.

Moss, Manningham and Nicks...not healthy, not reliable and not known. It will be interesting. If TE Kevin Boss or Ramses Barden, the 6’6 second-round draft pick, can take over for the Giants in the red-zone for a jump ball, Big Blue might draw this position competition to even.

D-line: edge—Giants

Giants—can you say oh my god! This d-line will most likely will lead the NFL or come in the top 3 in sacks. This unit was already real good, but with the addition of Chris Canty (Cowboys) and Rocky Benard (Seahawks), the men in the trenches look really scary. 

Justin Tuck is one of the NFL’s most dominant players, and big Fred Robbins in the middle will be joined by Canty & Benard. Ball carriers, beware! Speed rusher DE Dave Tollefson is great off the bench and now with DE Kiwanuka wearing #94 and Pro Bowler Osi Umenyora back, this line is the most complete in football.

Eagles—This unit is a bit undersized and it shows throughout the season as their star DE #58 Trent Cole usually disappears round game 9.   Patterson & Bunkley are solid in the middle and have improved there run game defense dramatically but there overall production is somewhat below average when it comes to sacks. 

In 2008 they had 2.5 sacks between them.  In 2008 Robbins and Cofield had 8.8 between them.

Line backers: Eagles

Giants—The weakest unit on the team!  Pro-bowl linebacker Antonio Pierce had somewhat of a down year for one of the smartest middle linebackers in the game, partly because Kawika Mitchell moved on. AP struggled without a run stuffer next to him.  During the 2008, No. 57 Chase Blackburn became the weak side linebacker and was also named a 1st alternate to the NFC Pro Bowl team. He was by far the Giants' biggest surprise of the year.  

No. 53 Kehl is developing into a nice player who contributed last year in a big way after bring drafted from BYU. but needs to improve rapidly with Boley out for 10 weeks with a hip injury.  No. 55 Danny Clark lacks big play ability.

Eagles—No. 55 Stewart Bradley is a pure stud—leaps and bounds better than most middle linebackers. He will become a multi-time Pro Bowler, and can run sideline to sideline with the best of them. 

No. 57 Chris Gocong, clearly is younger and stronger than Clark and was probably the most improved player on the defense.  No. 56 Akeem Jordan is young and raw. No. 96 Omar Gaither lost his starting job mid way through the season. Some say it was because he did not want to sign the Eagles extension.

Still...this group is strong and can play fast and furious.         

Defensive Backs: edge—Even

Giants—the most improved unit on the team.  The light bulb has gone on for No. 23 Corey Webster, for he has played two years of great football. His coverage skills dramatically improved, and his ball skills have been exceptional as Webster has made some really big INTs!   He has a way to go if he was ever to be considered a shut down corner like Brown or Samuels.

Aaron Ross, the Giants No. 1 draft pick in 2007, also became a great cover corner, and even better, a superb open field tackler. Ross has great speed and is used frequently on the safety blitz. 

The safeties are under a bit of construction, but the ’08 first-round draft pick, No. 21 Kenny Phillips from Miami

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