Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants: Complete Week 17 Preview for New York
Can the New York Giants end an overall disappointing 2014 season with another win?
If they do, it'll be New York's fourth victory in a row. In one fell swoop, the Giants (6-9) can also deliver the Philadelphia Eagles (9-6) their fourth consecutive loss.
Talk about a win-win.
Read about the latest news, injury updates, matchups to watch and more in the slides to follow.
Week 16 Recap
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The Giants traveled to St. Louis last weekend and took down a rowdy St. Louis Rams team by a score of 37-27.
First Quarter
10:41—Josh Brown kicks off the scoring with a 29-yard field goal on the game's opening drive. Rueben Randle had the first big play of the game, catching a 49-yard bomb down the middle of the field to set the Giants up in scoring position.
8:24—Odell Beckham's big day begins with a nine-yard touchdown catch. He is penalized for taunting in the end zone, spurring frustration among the St. Louis defenders.
4:52—The Rams finally answer New York's 10-0 run to start the game with a 51-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein.
Giants 10, Rams 3
Second Quarter
12:39—Brown adds his second field goal of the game, a 37-yarder that restored the 10-point cushion New York would eventually finish with.
4:49—Orleans Darkwa is trusted with a couple of carries, and it pays off, as the former Miami Dolphins practice-squad member breaks a couple of tackles on his way to a 12-yard score. Andre Williams would carry the load from here on out, though.
2:18—The Rams find some room to run with Tre Mason, who breaks free for a 10-yard score around the left edge. New York is lucky St. Louis never has a chance to establish the run because Mason would go on to finish with an average of 5.8 yards per carry.
0:00—After a brawl on the sidelines, St. Louis is showing signs of life. Another Zuerlein field goal—this one a 20-yarder as the half expires—reduces New York's lead to just a touchdown.
Giants 20, Rams 13 (Half)
Third Quarter
7:29—The Giants respond to the Rams' surge to end the first half, as Randle stretches in for a seven-yard score. It's his first touchdown since Week 5 versus the Atlanta Falcons.
1:44—The Rams won't go away, though. Mark Herzlich gets beat in coverage by St. Louis' Lance Kendricks, who finds himself on the receiving end of a 23-yard scoring strike from Shaun Hill.
0:45—Beckham blows the top off the Rams defense with an 80-yard touchdown. It's New York's longest offensive play of the season and a back-breaker for St. Louis.
Giants 34, Rams 20
Fourth Quarter
8:29—Not to be outdone by Beckham's long score, Brown ties his season-long record with a 52-yard field goal. Later in the quarter, he has a kick blocked—only his second failed attempt of the season (20-of-22).
3:56—The Rams take advantage of a breakdown in the Giants secondary, giving Chris Givens a clear path to a 47-yard touchdown. New York clamps down from there, effectively preserving the remaining 10 points separating the two teams.
Giants 37, Rams 27 (Final)
News and Notes
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Six Giants Fined After Rams Fiasco
The Rams game last weekend got out of hand in the first half, as Odell Beckham Jr. was able to psyche out his opponents with both his play and his celebrations. St. Louis was determined to shut the rookie up, even if it meant knocking him out of the game with rough play.
At one point, a full-scale brawl broke out after Beckham was taken down out of bounds by Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree. Two Giants who came to Beckham's defense, receiver Preston Parker and D-end Damontre Moore, were ejected from the game and fined $15,000 apiece, per The Associated Press.
Beckham was fined $10,000 for kicking Ogletree just before the brawl began. Similarly, Josh Brown was fined $8,200 for mule-kicking a Ram during a pile-on after a kick return. Long snapper Zak DeOssie was fined the same amount for a late hit out of bounds on a Tavon Austin punt return.
Cullen Jenkins was hit with the hardest fine, a $16,000 penalty for hitting Rams quarterback Shaun Hill.
New York Sends No One To Pro Bowl
Not a single Giant was impressive enough to make the Pro Bowl this season. That's what happens when the team posts back-to-back losing seasons and a bunch of the biggest stars are on injured reserve.
The Pro Bowl is a glorified popularity contest, but it still means something to be selected. When Hall of Fame nominees are named each year, the three most-analyzed factors are always statistics, Super Bowl victories and Pro Bowl appearances.
When you realize the longterm implications of being snubbed from the Pro Bowl, it can be a bit frustrating. Nick Powell of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com thinks three Giants—Odell Beckham Jr., Jason Pierre-Paul and Johnathan Hankins—got the short end of the stick in this year's selection, and he has the statistics to prove his argument.
Devon Kennard's Father Blazed Professional Path
Devon Kennard is a first-year pro, but he doesn't play like a rookie. That could have something to do with his upbringing, since Kennard's father, Derek, was a Super Bowl champion for the dynastic Dallas Cowboys of the early 1990s.
The elder Kennard told Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post that he never pushed his son into football; he, instead, encouraged his kids to "do whatever it was they wanted to do."
Luckily for New York, Devon wanted to be an NFL linebacker. The fifth-round pick is a quality tackler for the Giants, and his future looks bright. So long as his father keeps him on the professional track, Kennard will remain one of New York's best defensive playmakers for the foreseeable future.
Quote of the Week
Wide receiver Victor Cruz on his recovery from a torn patellar tendon (via Steve Serby, New York Post):
"There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll return to form, and I’ll return to the type of player that I was in years past. I’ve overcome a lot of obstacles, and I feel like this is just another one that’s come across that I have to conquer it and move forward, so I’m excited for this opportunity.
But there isn’t a doubt in my mind that I’ll be back playing, and playing like myself again.
"
Injury Report
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Here's the Giants injury report, courtesy of NFL.com:
| Player | Injury | Practice | Game |
| LB Devon Kennard | Toe | DNP | OUT |
| LB Paul Hazel | Hamstring | Limited | Probable |
| RB Rashad Jennings | Ankle | Limited | Probable |
| LB Jameel McClain | Knee | Limited | Probable |
| RB Andre Williams | Shoulder | Limited | Questionable |
Rashad Jennings and Jameel McClain have been injured all season. Jennings has been hampered by his leg ailments, especially late in the season. Since Week 14, he has carried the ball only three times for eight yards. McClain, however, has been able to play through his pain.
A couple of new additions to the list are rookies Devon Kennard and Andre Williams. Kennard was invisible last week, making no plays behind the line of scrimmage against the Rams, maybe because of that bum toe. Williams has taken a beating this season, and he may finally be wearing down a bit. We'll see if he can continue to carry the load through Week 17.
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Matchups to Watch and X-Factor
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Odell Beckham Jr. vs. Cary Williams
Much like the last eight teams to face the Giants, the Eagles don't have a player who can cover Odell Beckham Jr.
Philadelphia's biggest weakness has been its secondary. The Eagles rank 25th in the league against the pass after surrendering 3,809 yards through the air this season. The Giants should look to exploit this unit with its most dangerous weapon: OBJ.
Last week, St. Louis threw everything it had at Beckham to no avail. If ball hawk Janoris Jenkins and the rest of the Rams defense couldn't stop him, there's no way Cary Williams—or, better yet, Bradley Fletcher—sticks with Beckham in coverage.
Justin Pugh vs. Connor Barwin
The last time these two teams met, at Philadelphia in Week 6, Connor Barwin took Justin Pugh to school. The former Houston Texans outside linebacker led the Eagles pass rush that Sunday night with three of his team's eight sacks.
The great thing about NFC East rivalries is the chance for redemption, since each team plays the other three teams two times each. Just look at the Eagles-Cowboys series this year: Philadelphia smoked Dallas, 33-10, on Thanksgiving Day only to lose, 38-27, to the same team two weeks later.
Now, in the last week of the season, Pugh can redeem himself for his worst performance of the year. The Giants' right tackle is coming off a strong performance in St. Louis, where he limited Chris Long to a tackle and no sacks. Barwin, a recent Pro Bowl selection, on the other hand, was shut out last week by the Washington Redskins.
Kerry Wynn vs. Lane Johnson
Be sure to keep an eye on this one: Kerry Wynn is coming off his best outing of the season by far, while Lane Johnson may have just suffered through his worst.
Wynn has come out of nowhere, making the team as an undrafted rookie and only gaining significant reps after Mathias Kiwanuka and Robert Ayers Jr. were placed on injured reserve. Last week, with Damontre Moore ejected, Wynn was the unquestioned star of the defense. The end collected an interception, a sack and a fumble recovery against the Rams.
Johnson, Philadelphia's right tackle, struggled with Washington's Ryan Kerrigan last week, allowing a sack. The Giants may give Moore, a 2013 third-rounder, the first run at Johnson, but Wynn is showing more potential as a pass-rusher off the bench.
X-Factor of the Week: Jason Pierre-Paul and Antrel Rolle
Two defensive players fighting for new contracts, end Jason Pierre-Paul and safety Antrel Rolle, have one last chance to prove their worth to the Giants. Pierre-Paul has found a groove in recent weeks, collecting seven of his 10.5 sacks this season in the last four games. Conversely, Rolle hasn't impressed much since early in this season, when he snagged three interceptions through the first six games.
Predictions
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Behold, Boilard's Bullet-Point Predictions:
- 150. Odell Beckham Jr. will top 150 receiving yards in the season finale, as he toasts Cary Williams for two touchdown.
- 68. Andre Williams will lead the team with 68 yards on 34 carries, a paltry average of 2.0 yards per carry.
- 4. Eli Manning will be sacked four times by the Eagles, half as many times as he was brought down in the first meeting.
- Touchdown! Orleans Darkwa scores his second career touchdown, this one from less than 10 yards out—again on a draw play.
- 2. Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez will throw at least two interceptions; one will be caught by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
- 2.0. Jason Pierre-Paul will lead the team with 2.0 sacks. Johnathan Hankins and Kerry Wynn will each record one.
- WOW! Odell Beckham Jr. returns a punt for a touchdown, becoming the first Giant to do so since Domenik Hixon did it in 2009.
Don't forget to include your own predictions, including final score, in the comment section below.
My prediction: Giants 28, Eagles 17
*Statistics courtesy of NFL.com.
Kevin Boilard writes about the New York Giants at Bleacher Report.
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