The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles meet Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Here are three keys for the Giants to a game that will feature two potentially explosive offenses.
1. Don’t turn the ball over
Coaches preach this every week, and yet turnovers decide the outcome of games in the NFL each and every week. The Giants, despite their 6-3 record, have been careless in this regard and are -5 in turnovers for the year. Giants coach Tom Coughlin bluntly said “I don’t want to turn the ball over any more. I’m tired of that stuff,” during a press conference earlier this week. The Giants can go up-and-down the field with the high-flying Eagles, as long as they don’t shoot themselves in the foot along the way.
2. Prevent the big play
This means keeping explosive wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin in front of the safeties. It means keeping eyes on Michael Vick so that defenders at least know when he decided to run. It means not giving up big gains against the run. It means the kickoff and punt coverage teams, which have been erratic, need to be effective.
3. Win at the line of scrimmage
The Giants need to get pressure on Vick, and they will need to do it most of the time with four rushers. That means the defensive line must be better than it was last Sunday against Dalla. Offensively, the beaten-up offensive line must find a way to open holes in the running game, something it failed to do at key times last week. Also, eliminate the penalties that were so costly against Dallas.