NFL Predictions Week 3: New York Giants Will Run Wild over Philadelphia Eagles

When the Philadelphia Eagles were busy constructing their dream team during the NFL's abbreviated offseason, there's one thing that they forgot to account for.

Namely, just how the heck they were going to stop the run in 2011.

Through two games, that question has yet to be answered. The Eagles gave up 154 yards rushing to the St. Louis Rams and another 138 yards rushing to the Atlanta Falcons, and they currently rank as one of the worse teams in the league in terms of stuffing the run.

People have certainly noticed that this is an area in which the Eagles are lacking. Personally, I like what Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer had to say about the Eagles defense, as he called it "a defense that likes to say it can-too stop the run when necessary, but has far from proved it yet."

This is going to be a problem for the Eagles in their next conquest against the New York Giants. They have a pair of good running backs in Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, and you can rest assured that Tom Coughlin is going to turn them loose against the Eagles.

True, the Giants' running game has yet to get on track this season. They have just 194 rushing yards in two games and have been held to an average of 3.3 yards per carry. But the bright side, I think, is that the Giants have at least been trying to establish the run. Only a handful of teams have more rushing attempts than their 58.

Besides, the heavier side of the equation here is how well the Eagles defend the run, and it's something they don't do well at all. It would be one thing if all the rushing yards amassed against them came on a lot of carries, but the Eagles have allowed 5.3 yards per carry.

That's a figure that is second only to the Oakland Raiders (surprise surprise).

Additionally, the key to the Eagles' demise against the run on Sunday may lie not with the defense, but with the offense. Whether or not Michael Vick's concussion will allow him to play is very much up in the air. And if he cannot, the Giants are not going to be in danger of having to use Eli Manning's arm to keep pace (which is a considerable danger).

Coughlin will instead be free to keep pounding away with the run, especially if the Giants have a lead that needs protecting in the second half.

In all likelihood, this is a problem that is going to plague the Eagles all season long. They'll be good enough to overcome it as long as Vick is healthy, but he's just not healthy at the moment.

Prediction: Giants rush for 200 yards and win, 20-17.

Note: I reserve the right to amend my prediction if Vick is proclaimed good to go.