Dissecting Most Crucial Matchups in Philadelphia Eagles Matchup vs. NY Giants

The Philadelphia Eagles may have won their contest against the St. Louis Rams last week, but the outcome revealed some serious flaws in Chip Kelly’s team. The offense never got in sync under quarterback Nick Foles, and LeSean McCoy still hasn’t regained the All-Pro form he’s displayed in previous seasons.

Fortunately, the defense and special teams each scored a touchdown—giving the Eagles an almost unsustainable level of scoring prowess from these two units—because Rams quarterback Austin Davis came scarily close to leading a 27-point comeback.

The Eagles are still 4-1 and tied for the NFL’s best record, but they face a tough Sunday night matchup with the surging New York Giants. The Giants may have been written off by many following their 0-2 start, but they’ve rebounded to win three straight, averaging 35 points per game.

Quarterback play is obviously huge in determining the outcome of this game. If the Eagles get the Foles of 2013, they should win this with ease, but if they get the Foles that has struggled mightily each of the past two weeks, it could be a Giants win.

Aside from just the quarterback, there are a handful of other positions that are worth watching. Eagles-Giants games have historically featured good warfare in the trenches, dating back to the classic Jon Runyan vs. Michael Strahan battles. With Odell Beckham’s long-awaited NFL debut, the Giants now have three talented receivers for Philadelphia to try to cover, and don’t forget about up-and-coming tight end Larry Donnell.

The following three matchups are key for the game’s outcome, and winning these should assure Philadelphia a win.

LT Jason Peters vs. RDE Jason Pierre-Paul

Remember three years ago when Jason Pierre-Paul was that incredibly dominant defensive end who racked up 16.5 sacks? Following a slew of back surgeries and a long recovery time, that player, unfortunately for Philadelphia Eagles fans, is back.

Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), JPP has been the NFL’s best 4-3 end in 2014, grading out just above Miami’s Pro Bowl pass-rusher, Cameron Wake. Pierre-Paul has gone up against some quality left tackles as well—Duane Brown, Trent Williams and Riley Reiff—and he’s more than held his own.

Last week against rookie Jake Matthews, Pierre-Paul absolutely terrorized him for 60 minutes, racking up two tackles, two quarterback hits, three pressures and a batted pass (stats per PFF). This Sunday will feature JPP vs. six-time Pro Bowler Jason Peters, who, at age 32, is making a strong case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Like JPP, Peters has undergone an injury recently; he suffered a devastating Achilles injury in spring 2012 and missed the entire season. He returned strong in ’13, and he’s been better than ever through five games this year.

Peters’ value to the Eagles can’t be understated, given that both Evan Mathis and Jason Kelce are out for extended time, and right tackle Lane Johnson was suspended for the season’s first four games. Per PFF, Peters has been the NFL’s fifth-best offensive tackle, a season after finishing fourth in the rankings.

Like Pierre-Paul, Peters is coming off one of his best performances. In a 34-28 win over the St. Louis Rams, Peters held All-Pro pass-rusher Robert Quinn to no sacks and just one quarterback pressure in 76 snaps. Peters has allowed only one sack this year, and he’s given up just one hurry in the last three games.

So who wins this one?

History may suggest Peters will win. Last year, Peters held JPP to no sacks and four total quarterback pressures in their two meetings; the Eagles split those games. In 2012, Peters was injured and did not play, but 2011 may provide the best example, as both were playing at an elite level.

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

In their first matchup, JPP did beat Peters for a sack, but that was the only hurry he recorded as well. In the rematch, Pierre-Paul played more sparingly as a situational pass-rusher, and his lone sack came against right tackle Todd Herremans. Meanwhile, Peters graded out extremely well in PFF’s game grades, yielding just one pressure while paving the way for a 113-yard day from McCoy.

Peters has exceptionally quick feet for a man of his size, and offensive tackles don’t typically display his raw athleticism. Kelly loves to utilize Peters at multiple spots on the line, in fact, last week, lining up Peters on the right side of right tackle Johnson. The result was a 19-yard run for McCoy.

Johnson is also a rare athlete for his size, and while he’s a dynamic run-blocker, he struggles in pass protection. Last year, PFF charged Johnson with having surrendered 10 sacks, making him one of just eight offensive tackles to hit the double-digit mark. Johnson has played just one game since his activation from the suspension, so the Giants may try to expose him in the passing game by putting JPP on his side for some plays.

JPP is also flanked by second-year defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, a promising player who is quietly undergoing a breakout season. Veteran end Mathias Kiwanuka and former Eagles defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins hold down the other starting spots on a tough four-man front that could spell trouble for both Foles and McCoy.

The war in the trenches will start with the Peters vs. Pierre-Paul matchup, and there’s a good chance the team that wins this one also wins the game.

S Nate Allen vs. TE Larry Donnell

The New York Giants entered the season unsure whether they would get much production from the tight end position, and now it’s looking as if Donnell is a dangerous weapon in the offense. Donnell broke onto the national spotlight with a three-touchdown performance against the Washington Redskins in Week 5, and he’s fifth among all tight ends with 25 receptions this season.

"

It's not just TDs for Larry Donnell. He leads the NFL with 18 catches for first downs. This guy is good.

— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) September 27, 2014"

Aside from a zero-catch output last week that appears to be just a fluke, Donnell has caught at least five balls in every contest in 2014. He’s a big red-zone target at 6’6”, 270 pounds, and the Philadelphia Eagles will have to figure out a way to cover him, considering athletic inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks very likely won’t suit up again.

That will make fifth-year strong safety Nate Allen the primary man to cover Donnell, although Billy Davis will rotate his defenders around to match up with Donnell.

Against the St. Louis Rams last week, tight end Jared Cook was targeted eight times—Allen was in coverage twice, as was inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans, while the other four players to help out were linebacker Casey Matthews, cornerbacks Cary Williams and Nolan Carroll, and safety Malcolm Jenkins. (PFF link)

The Atlanta Falcons’ game plan last week was to essentially eliminate Donnell from the Giants’ game plan, which would force Eli Manning to throw to his receivers instead. The problem is that Beckham Jr. made his much-awaited debut, and he, Victor Cruz, and Rueben Randle are a dynamic trio. The result was a 30-20 Giants win, with Manning tossing 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns against no interceptions.

Al Bello/Getty Images

The Eagles have had fairly good success in stopping opposing tight ends this season. Per ESPN, Philadelphia has allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends, and only one tight end has reached the end zone.

As a whole, though, that does not signify a tough Philly defense; the secondary ranks 21st, per Cold Hard Football Facts, in passer rating allowed, and the Eagles are last in having surrendered 13 touchdowns through the air.

In all, this matchup certainly presents a problem for Eagles coordinator Davis. Having Allen on Donnell certainly swings it in New York’s favor, especially considering Allen has not exactly been lighting it up in pass coverage in 2014. PFF rates Allen second-to-last among qualifying safeties in passer rating allowed, and with no Kendricks on defense, the Eagles may be in trouble here.

The best bet is that Manning gets a little erratic as he’s been known to do, and Allen (or safety partner Jenkins) comes down with an interception.

WR Jeremy Maclin vs. CB Prince Amukamara/Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

Kelly’s shocking decision to release DeSean Jackson this past offseason looks a lot better considering the fine all-around play of sixth-year wide receiver, Jeremy Maclin. Maclin is coming off a torn ACL, but he’s stepped into the No. 1 receiver role nicely (for the first time in his career), and he’s on pace to finish right around Jackson’s Pro Bowl numbers from 2013.

Through five games, Maclin is at 25 catches, 429 yards and four touchdowns.

He’s caught a touchdown in four of the five contests this season, and if not for Foles’ erratic passing on deep balls, Maclin’s numbers would be significantly better.

"

Nick Foles has completed 25 of 57 passes to Jeremy Maclin. That's 43.8 percent. How unstoppable will Mac be when Foles gets accuracy back?

— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) October 6, 2014"

Maclin is tied for the NFL lead with 55 targets, which shows both Foles’ trust in him and the importance of his role in the offense.

Al Bello/Getty Images

Maclin gets a tough matchup when he faces the New York Giants’ underrated cornerback tandem of Prince Amukamara and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The duo are thriving in the back part of New York’s defense—Amukamara is finally living up to his potential as a former first-round pick, while DRC, whose effort doesn’t always seem to be there, is on track for a Pro Bowl season.

Per PFF Gold (subscription required), Maclin lines up on the right side of the field 65 percent of the time. Meanwhile, the Giants typically play Rodgers-Cromartie on the left side 58 percent of the time. Basically, Maclin will line up on both sides, and he’ll face both corners.

PFF reveals that both Amuakamra and Rodgers-Cromartie are having strong campaigns as cover corners. On 26 pass attempts, Amukamara hasn’t allowed a touchdown, and he’s limited opposing quarterbacks to a 47.0 passer rating, sixth-best among 102 qualifying cornerbacks.

DRC has top-notch speed and the ability to shut down even the best wide receivers when he’s on his game. He’s held opposing quarterbacks to a 47.1 completion percentage on 34 attempts, and his 64.0 passer rating allowed ranks 21st among 102 qualifiers.

Nickel corner Trumaine McBride is another solid player, although he likely won’t be matched up with Maclin too many times.

Kelly’s offense has a unique way of maximizing matchups, so Maclin should assuredly be open enough times to rack up yards. The key will be whether Foles continues to throw up erratic passes. The biggest problem has been deep balls; a year after throwing 14 touchdowns to just one interception, Foles is at five touchdowns to four interceptions, and his completion percentage is down as well.

The Maclin vs. Amukamara/DRC matchup will almost come down to Foles more than Maclin; Maclin’s shown an impressive ability to get open this year, and Foles just has to hit him in stride for the Eagles to win this game.