Philadelphia Eagles vs. NY Giants: Breaking Down New York's Game Plan

The calendar says it is Week 17, which, of course, means it is the end of the annual NFL regular-season campaign.

But don’t tell that to the New York Giants, who, this week, host the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium.

No, for the Giants, this isn’t the end; rather, it’s just the beginning.

While it’s true that by this time next week, the Giants players will have scattered around the country, with members of the coaching staff perhaps awaiting word on their fate for 2015, the Giants are hoping to end the season with a win because it’s something they feel they can build on for 2015.

How is that possible, when the roster is almost certain to undergo a transition? The one silver lining to all the injuries the Giants suffered this year is that it expedited the growth and development of several key young players, such as defensive end Kerry Wynn, linebacker Devon Kennard, running back Orleans Darkwa, running back Andre Williams and, yes, even receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

The talent shown by these youngsters has been off the charts in the wins, even if the victories have come against lesser talents.

However, seeing what they have, at what was once the lower part of the depth chart, will go a long way toward helping the front office reshape the roster—a roster that doesn’t need as major of an overhaul as perhaps initially thought—for the future.

Is such a concept of being able to carry over the good that has come in this final month of the 2014 season realistic?

“I don’t think it is hard to carry over,” linebacker Jameel McClain told reporters.

“In my experience, from what I’ve seen, I have seen it transition. I have seen seasons in my experience where we have lost in the AFC Championship Game and came back the next year and went to the Super Bowl.”

The key, according to McClain, is to learn from the mistakes made earlier in the season, which he believes the team has done a good job of in these final weeks, and building off that moving forward. 

“Gradually, slowly but surely, we have learned from our mistakes and not made those same mistakes,” he said. “If you can take that into the next season with the talent that we have, the upside is amazing.” 

Let’s raise a cup of holiday eggnog to that!

The Series

This will be the 160th regular-season meeting. The Giants lead the series, 82-75-2, and will be looking to split the season series with the Eagles for the third year in a row.

Unit	Eagles	Giants
Quarterback		X
Running Backs	X
Receivers		X
Tight Ends	X
Offensive Line		X
Defensive Line		X
Linebackers	X
Defensive Backs		X
Special Teams	X

The Game Plan

Giants on Offense

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

Say it with me now: Odell Beckham Jr. 

That’s right, until further notice, Beckham is the Giants offense, a dynamic receiver with the speed to get behind the Eagles’ struggling defensive secondary and make the kind of plays that have dazzled the NFL since the rookie returned from an extended absence due to a strained hamstring. 

The first time Beckham faced the Eagles, he didn’t make much of a dent on the stat sheet, finishing with two receptions for a human-like 28 yards and a ho-hum long reception of 14 yards.

Since then, Beckham’s play has suggested that he is not human, as certainly not many humans—if any—can make the kind of one-handed receptions that this kid makes look so easy.

Beckham, by the way, is in hot pursuit of the Cowboys’ Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin’s record of nine straight games with at least 90 receiving yards—and wouldn’t that be a nice cherry on top of the cake if Beckham can pull off that feat?

So how much of a thorn in the Eagles defense’s side can Beckham truly be this time around?

According to the various NFL game books, the Eagles have allowed at least one receiver from each of their last four opponents to record at least 90 receiving yards, those being Doug Baldwin of the Seahawks (97), Dez Bryant of the Cowboys (114) and DeSean Jackson of Washington (126).

Two of those four receivers, Bryan and Baldwin, combined for four touchdowns against the Eagles secondary.

Knowing what kind of damage Beckham can do to a defense, the question now is how does a defensive coordinator stop him?

Eagles cornerback Nolan Carroll told Adam Hermann for the team’s official website that they think they have the answer.

"

It’s really just mirroring the receiver’s hips. That's all it is, it’s always a hip battle out there. If you can match their hips, and try to get them off their routes ... it’s all about timing in this league. If you can get his timing wrong, the quarterback’s going to look at somebody else. That’s what it’s all about.

"

It might not be that simple, however. Beckham has shown that he can handle single coverage against some of the best cornerbacks in the league, such as Seattle’s Richard Sherman, who had his struggles in defending the rookie when they met earlier in the season.

The Eagles don’t exactly have a cornerback of Sherman’s caliber on their roster, so they might just be better off choosing their poison when it comes to defending Beckham.

If, for instance, the Eagles opt to bracket Beckham, that is going to do two things. First, it will remove an extra man from the box, which, in turn, should open things up for the running game and the intermediate pass patterns.

Second, it will put the other receivers, such as Rueben Randle, who is looking to build on his best game as a pro last week, in single coverage—again not a promising development for an Eagles secondary that has had its share of issues with the big plays.

However you slice it, Beckham has the potential to create a long afternoon for the Eagles.

Giants on Defense

The last time these two teams met, the Eagles gashed the Giants’ run defense to the tune of 203 yards on the ground, exposing what would become a season-long Achilles' heel for the defense in the process.

The biggest problem with the Giants’ run defense in that game was on the edges. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the Eagles finished with 134 of their 203 team rushing yards running to the ends.

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

The good news for the Giants’ run defense is that they have done a much better job in setting the edges. Jason Pierre-Paul has played the run well in two of his last three games, the exception being in last week’s contest vs. the Rams, per PFF.

On the other side, rookie defensive end Kerry Wynn has really opened up a few eyes with his play against the run. 

While his stat totals don’t exactly reflect his production, per PFF, he’s made nine defensive stops against the offense (for zero or negative yardage) in 157 snaps played.

Take away the edges from the Eagles’ rushing duo of LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles, and chances are very good that you’ll have success in limiting their damage.

That is an approach that Seattle took to hold McCoy to 50 yards on 17 carries.

What about the Eagles’ passing game, which features receivers Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin, as well as tight ends Zack Ertz and Brent Celek?

Let’s start with the tight ends.

According to the NFL game books, the Giants have clamped down on opposing tight ends in the passing game, not allowing anyone more than 50 receiving yards since allowing Coby Fleener of the Colts to run wild for 77 yards.

The Giants have also allowed just two touchdowns to opposing tight ends in their last four games, those to Jason Witten of Dallas and Jared Cook of St. Louis.

Part of this improved play has been the presence of rookie Devon Kennard, who has looked surprisingly well in pass coverage.

Of course, with Kennard currently nursing a sore toe, it remains to be seen if the Eagles don’t try to exploit this injury if the rookie plays.

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

The receivers? You will notice that cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie isn’t on this week’s injury report, and he hasn’t been for a couple of weeks.

That’s just one of the many reasons that, with the exception of Kenny Britt of the Rams (103 yards) last weekend, no opposing receiver has had more than 90 receiving yards since Dez Bryant recorded 152 in the first meeting against the Cowboys earlier in the season.

That’s also a big reason that, with the exception of Bryant and Detroit’s Calvin Johnson, each of whom had two touchdowns apiece in games against the Giants, no other opposing receiver has managed to record more than one touchdown in a game versus New York.

Eagles	Giants
QB Nick Foles (collarbone)—Out	LB Devon Kennard (toe)—DNP
LB Casey Matthews (not injury related)—DNP	LB Jameel McClain (knee)—Limited
LB Bradley Fletcher (hip)—Limited	RB Rashad Jennings (ankle)—Limited
DT Beau Allen (shoulder)—Full Practice	RB Andre Williams (shoulder)—Limited
DE Brandon Bair (knee)—Full Practice	LB Paul Hazel (hamstring)—Limited
TE Trey Burton (back)—Full Practice
LB Trent Cole (hand)—Full Practice
S Chris Maragos (hamstring)—Full Practice
WR Jordan Matthews (knee)—Full Practice

Key Giants Injury: LB Devon Kennard

The last time the Giants played the Eagles, they were gashed on the edges by the running game to the tune of 203 yards on 36 carries.

Uncredited/Associated Press

Part of the reason that the Eagles were so successful in running the ball was that they were able to gash the Giants on the edges.

Since Kennard was inserted into the starting lineup (against San Francisco in Week 11), the hemorrhaging has improved, with opponents averaging 111 on the ground (down from the 144.7 yards per game they were allowing previously).

If Kennard, who, as of Wednesday, hadn’t practiced, can’t play on Sunday, the Giants will probably move Mark Herzlich to the strong side and insert Spencer Paysinger on the weak side in the base defense.

Prediction 

Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

There might not technically be anything to play for on either side, but don’t tell that to the Giants, who, in looking at the glass as being half full, see this as yet another stepping stone in an opportunity to build toward next year. 

The Eagles, who are reeling a bit from three straight losses, including two in the division, haven’t really been in this position before under head coach Chip Kelly.

However, it needs to be noted that in those losses, they have still scratched and clawed their way, losing none of those three games by more than 10 points.

So why go with the Giants?

Linebacker Jameel McClain, who spoke to reporters on Wednesday, noted that one of the key differences between the Giants team that faced the Eagles earlier in the season and the one that will face them on Sunday is significant.

“I think we have learned to trust each other better than we had in the beginning of the season. I think we understand the idea of fundamentals and understanding the idea of the scheme, and with that, we become a different team from what you have seen before.”

Giants fans can only hope he is right and that the trust he spoke of translates into a well-oiled machine that makes the Eagles pay for their early-season bullying.

Giants 30, Eagles 23

2014 Season Prediction Record: 9-6

Patricia Traina covers the New York Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and The Sports Xchange. All quotes and information obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced. Game statistics obtained from official NFL game books unless otherwise sourced. Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.