Sports Network – Though Michael Vick (2193 passing yards, 11 TD, 11 INT) is unquestionably an essential part of a dangerous Philadelphia offense that’s third in the NFL in total yards (418.2 ypg), the team may not be in dire straits if Vince Young is forced to take the snaps on Sunday, provided he’s now got a grasp on Reid’s West Coast scheme after joining the Eagles in the offseason. The athletic six-year pro compiled an impressive 30-17 record as a starter in Tennessee and also led the Titans to wins in both of his previous appearances against the Giants, one of which came at MetLife Stadium last season. He’s not as polished a passer as Vick, however, and almost certainly won’t have the benefit of the reliable Jeremy Maclin running routes due to his shoulder woes. The Eagles will be counting on ex-Giant Steve Smith (10 receptions), who hasn’t been much of a factor since leaving his former club for its hated rival over the summer, and seldom-used sophomore Riley Cooper to fill the void alongside steady slot man Jason Avant (34 receptions) and Jackson (29 receptions, 503 yards, 2 TD), one of the game’s premier deep threats who was held to just 30 yards on two grabs in Philly’s Week 3 clash with New York. They’ll also be relying heavily once again on standout running back LeSean McCoy (906 rushing yards, 31 receptions, 12 total TD), the league’s second-leading rusher who burned the G-Men for 128 yards and a touchdown back in September. The elusive 23-year-old has eclipsed the 120- yard mark four times this season and has found the end zone in all nine games thus far, a big reason why the Eagles boast the top ground attack in the NFL (171.6 ypg) at the moment.
The Giants surrendered 177 rushing yards total to Philadelphia in the teams’ earlier meeting and have been hit-or-miss in stopping the run this year. New York is allowing mediocre averages of 121.6 rushing yards per week (20th overall) and 4.6 yards per attempt, but did limit San Francisco’s quality ground game to a harmless 77 yards this past Sunday. The team may have to make do without its best linebacker this week, however, with rangy weakside starter Michael Boley (59 tackles, 1 sack) a question mark due to a hamstring strain he sustained against the 49ers. If the Giants are able to keep LeSean McCoy under wraps and contain either Vick or Young, both of whom are incredibly mobile signal- callers, they’ll be able to unleash a furious pass rush that’s accounted for a league-high 30 sacks through the first nine games. Ends Justin Tuck (10 tackles, 2 sacks) and Osi Umenyiora (19 tackles, 7 sacks) have each recorded double-digit sack totals multiple times over their careers, while 2010 first- round pick Jason Pierre Paul (40 tackles) is on his way towards one after amassing a team-best 9 1/2 quarterback takedowns for the year. The secondary has also gotten solid cornerback play from the duo of Corey Webster (31 tackles, 4 INT, 11 PD) and Aaron Ross (30 tackles, 3 INT, 8 PD), who came up with a career-best three interceptions in the Week 3 win over the Eagles.