NYG Roundtable: Top Secret Eagle's Scouting Reports; Week 10 Edition

I would like to welcome all of you who are reading this into the first ever scouting report done by four of the top writers in the New York Giants community.

The purpose of this article is to give fans like us an insight as to who they might want to look out for this Sunday night when the G-Men take on the Philadelphia Eagles.

If you have any interest as to how to become a contributor then look no further! All you have to do is write a piece of your own. Maybe you have different views than one of us, or maybe you would like to highlight a key player we may have missed.

Keep in mind we could have very easily chosen one format that we could have all followed, but I feel that by letting us all pick our own style, it gives the reader's a great opportunity to see how the top community members make their magic work.

For now however, let's take a closer look as to who Big Blue may have a little trouble with on Sunday.

The Reports

Scouting Report No.5DM: Donovan McNabb, Quarterback Extraordinaire
Author: Travis Rand

Let's not beat around the bush here... McNabb, when he is on point, is just plain scary. We know the Eagles will show up on Sunday just like the Giants will, but they have just a little bit more to play for. If Philly loses, they lose significant ground on the rest of the NFC East, which would be terrible especially when two of the teams are on bye.

Now down to the facts. Number five's stats should say enough about how he has performed thus far. He has ranked up 10 touchdowns and only four interceptions, and that was with number one and two targets, Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis out for the first half of the season. Both will suit up on Sunday night.

A key advantage in this match-up is having the opportunity to play on home turf, something Philly will enjoy. McNabb has won three out of the four games they have played there this year and surprisingly, he hasn't had to play well to pick up the W.

In his four home games, number five has four touchdowns through the air, and one on the ground. Surprisingly however, in two of those games, McNabb has not scored at all, and the Eagles are 1-1 in those contests.

So what is the "Key Matchup"? It's all in the pass rush. Tuck and Kiwi need to force McNabb to hurry his throws and force him into bad situations, which is something they are both extremely capable of.

They way to contain McNabb is for the Giants to do exactly what they have been doing all year...Forcing him to throw by stuffing the run. I think we bring the pressure all day and the outcome will be the same as the last three regular season contests, a big Giants win.

Scouting Report No.36BW: Brian Westbrook, Mr. Everything
Author: David Geller

During a segment on ESPN discussing fear, Lawrence Taylor cracked a smile and said, “I loved it when quarterbacks used to look around, trying to find out where the hell I was."

The same goes for defensive coordinators and Brian Westbrook.

The “Where’s Waldo?” reference Ron Jaworski used in chronicling how teams defend Brian Westbrook is a perfect fit. Arguably the best dual threat at running back in the game, Andy Reid positions him differently virtually every play and gives opposing defenses headaches.

The Giants are the ones faced with a killer headache this week. They can minimize the effects by a) bringing a lot of Advil, or b) stopping him. Here’s how they do the latter.

Number Crunching

Westbrook dispelled the myth that he can’t stay healthy last year by touching the ball 350 times and compiling over 2000 total yards. While Donovan McNabb struggled returning from ACL surgery, Westbrook flourished when everyone knew he was getting the ball.

Westbrook hasn’t been able to build on his 2007 campaign but he is still putting together a strong season. 600 yards of total offense while missing two games, but only two performances producing over 100 total yards of offense. His impact has still been felt, as the Eagles rank sixth in total offense, including third in passing. All of this coming despite missing their top two receivers for the bulk of the first half, and their anchor on the offensive line (Shawn Andrews).

Hist last game against the Giants was a tremendous one. He had 120 yards on the ground including the Eagles lone touchdown on the first drive. The Giants were able to hold the Eagles to 13 points because McNabb had a shaky game, but if Westbrook is able to have that much success this time around things could be a lot different.

How to Stop Brian Westbrook

You can’t stop Brian Westbrook…you can only hope to contain him. Forgive me for my misleading headline.

We all know about his unbelievable ability in the open field. When he gets to the second level, he can put his head down and bounce off a defensive back or he can use his speed and slip right by him. His instincts make that skillset even deadlier. He can read the mind of the DB and if he thinks they are expecting him to lower his shoulder, he’ll run around him, and vice-versa.

There will be times where he gets to that second level, and at that point the Giants defenders just have to run to the ball and get him down. But they will have to limit those events that he does break through.

How do they do that? First and foremost is gap discipline. This goes for you Fred Robbins. He’s putting together a stellar 2008 campaign, one that warrants a Pro Bowl berth. But the Eagles are going to try to turn his strength into the Giants kryptonite on Sunday night.

There are times where Robbins tries to shoot the gap to get to the quarterback, and blows right by the guard. If it is a pass the quarterback has no chance. However, if it is a draw, then the Giants are in trouble. Robbins would essentially take himself out of the play with this tactic and leave Westbrook the entire middle of the field to work with. Want to contain a dangerous back? Don’t give him that type of advantage half a second into the play.

Robbins is one of the more astute linemen in the league so I have faith he won’t be guilty of that too often. But he better be self-conscious of it in certain situations. It will be appropriate to use that move on third and 12…not so much on second and four.

The Giants defense plays the screens as well as any defense in the league, and that is Westbrook’s bread and butter. Odds are they’ll run that to the more inexperienced side of the Giants defensive line, so watch out Mathias Kiwanuka. If you see a clear path to the quarterback and catch a No.36 creeping behind you, drop back in coverage.

The Giants have been playing the sweeps off the corner outstanding for a year now. With a speedy back like Westbrook, the Eagles will be trying that often. Once again that goes along the lines of gap discipline. The linebackers stationed towards the middle have to stay there to take away the cut back lane, while the safeties and corners fly in to bust up the play. I have confidence they’ll be fine in that regard.

They’ll know when they’re in trouble if Westbrook is…

Getting 4-5 yards a carry, and the Eagles offensive line is getting a push early on. If he’s running strong up the middle and the Giants aren’t touching him until he is 2-3 yards down the field, it will be a long night. That’s what Jamal Lewis was doing early in the Monday Night debacle, and it wore out the Giants.

Except for Westbrook early success between the tackles opens up the entire field for him. Not only will they have to account for the outside where he is most dangerous, but up the middle too. With McNabb playing as well as he has been this season, this would allow them to move the ball at will the whole night.

Scouting Report No.10DS: DeSean Jackson, Rookie Spark-Plug
Author: David Brodian

DeSean Jackson vs Aaron Ross, Corey Webster, or any Giants corner.  To me, as a Giants fan, this is the match up that scares me most for Sunday night.  Not Brian Westbrook.

Although DeSean Jackson has not been a very consistent source of offense for the Eagles week in and week out, his lightning quick speed gives him the capability to break a huge play at any point of a game.

I have faith that the Giants front seven can hold Brian Westbrook in check.  Why?  They’ve already faced some of the league’s best rushers. Here are a few examples— Week One: Clinton Portis—23 carries for 84 yards.  Week Two: Steven Jackson—13 carries for 53 yards. 

However, the Giants secondary is what scares me.  Aaron Ross, the Giants fastest corner, was torched so badly by Braylon Edwards that he was benched during the game.  Additionally, he was burnt numerous times by 49ers rookie, Josh Morgan.

As far as putting another corner on Jackson, I am not sure that Corey Webster has enough speed to keep up with him.

So, what are the Giants to do?  Here are my keys to stopping DeSean Jackson.

1. The Three P’s. Pressure, pressure, and pressure.  The front seven MUST get to Donovan McNabb.  If he has time to throw I’m not sure the Giants will be able to contain Jackson.  However, if he is on the run out of the pocket or flat on his back, the Giants corners will have a much easier job.
2. Safety help.  This will be huge for the Giants.  Kenny Phillips has been great so far this year.  He is big, fast, and has maybe the best closing speed in the NFL at the safety position.  If he hits Jackson, DeSean might not get back up.
3. Zone coverage.  Like I’ve been saying, I’m not sure the Giants corners can cover Jackson.  Thus, man-to-man coverage will leave them exposed for a deep pass.
4. Stop the run.  Yes, stop the run.  This will greatly limit DeSean Jackson because the Giants will be able to use more zone coverage, if they know the ball will not be in Westbrook’s hands.

This will be the stiffest test the Giants face on Sunday.  Let’s hope the secondary is up for it and gives a much better performance than they have against similar receivers to DeSean Jackson.

Scouting Report No.58TC: Trent Cole, Part-Time Manning Hunter
Author: Alex McVeigh

Trent Cole probably can't wait to play the Giants. His first career
interception and touchdown came at the Meadowlands, where he helped
the McNabb-less Eagles defeat Big Blue.

Now, he has a chance to make a big difference in this game.

The reason Eli Manning has been so effective this year is that he's
finally had some time to make his decisions, and when you team up
time, a laser-rocket arm, and as many weapons as New York has, that's
how he beats you.

Because, let's face it: Eli Manning is still Eli Manning. He might
have the confidence that only a Super Bowl ring can get you, but he
still is the same person. And who's to say he won't get rattled and
throw stupid picks if the pressure is on?

So the defensive line is huge for the Eagles, and with every action,
there is a reaction. The Giants must account for Cole. This could mean
doubling him with some combination of Kevin Boss and David
Diehl/Kareem McKenzie.

However, putting Kevin Boss on pass protection takes away from what he
offers on the receiving end, especially in the red zone. And red zone
offense has proven to separate the men from the boys in the NFC East;
just ask the 'Skins.

If th G-Men want to have a chance against this monster, as well as
against the Eagles in general, they need to establish the run. That
way, the defense is worn down, and they've got three running backs in
which to play with.

Can Trent Cole be stopped? Absolutely. Whether he will be is another
story entirely.

The Final Word

First off, let me thank the three men who I had the honor of working with, and without them, this article would be next to nothing. They all have fantastic writing skills and I am happy to be part of this roundtable, and look forward to writing for it week in and week out.

I hope this gives you a great insight on who the Giants need to key in on this Sunday night at Philly.

'Til next time...GO BIG BLUE!

This article was Written By, Edited By, and Developed by Travis Rand, David Geller, David Broadian, and Alex McVeigh, all of whom are extremely dedicated to writing for New York Giants Football!