(Sports Network) – The key to New York’s recent success can be attributed to both Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw punishing opposing defenses. Bradshaw (1,116 rushing yards, 8 TD) has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in rushing for the first time in his career and fumbling has been his only weakness. He has already lost five this season after losing just two in his previous three as a pro. The Giants are fourth in the NFL with 148.3 rushing yards per game and probably can’t wait to sink their teeth into Philadelphia’s walking wounded on the defensive side. The Eagles are 11th against the run this season, yielding an average of 103.5 yards per contest. New York rushed for 213 yards against the Vikings, the team’s highest total on the ground since posting 220 yards versus Oakland on Oct. 11, 2009. It was only the second time in history the Giants had two running backs eclipse the century mark in rushing yards in one game, with Jacobs and Bradshaw doing it back in 2007. The Giants are 7-0 when Bradshaw hits the 100-yard mark in rushing.
Eli Manning (3,169 passing yards, 24 TD, 19 INT) started his 100th consecutive regular season game on Monday and suffered a huge loss when wideout Steve Smith (48 receptions, 3 TD) was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury this week. Smith will undergo surgery, leaving Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and Kevin Boss as the primary targets.
The Eagles registered just one sack in last week’s win, as defensive end Darryl Tapp (18 tackles, 3 sacks) posted his third of 201. Tapp is expected to see more time with rookie end Brandon Graham out for the year with a torn ACL in his knee. As an insurance policy, the Eagles brought back former defensive end Derrick Burgess, who was selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2001 draft and spent four seasons there, this week. During his time in Philadelphia, the 32-year-old appeared in 29 games with 15 starts and helped the Eagles reach the Super Bowl in 2004, where they eventually lost to New England. Burgess signed with Oakland as a free agent the following offseason and started six of 16 games for New England in 2009, registering five sacks and 35 total tackles.
While Andy Reid may not be concerned about the inexperience of Jamar Chaney (19 tackles), he may feel a bit apprehensive with the health status of cornerback Asante Samuel (23 tackles), who has missed three straight games since a knee injury suffered versus the Giants last month. He had two picks and a fumble recovery in that meeting. Samuel, who leads the NFL with seven interceptions, was back at practice this week, however, and is expected to play.