The Giants are dealing with their best-case scenario heading into a Week 18 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s also one virtually nobody expected them to be in.
After beating the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17, New York is in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. And there is no final positioning that needs to be determined for Big Blue. They’re locked into the NFC’s sixth seed.
The Eagles still have something to play for with the top NFC seed on the line. Will the Giants enter this game resting any of their starters, though? That’s certainly possible, but we won’t know what Brian Daboll and Co. decide to do until later this week.
While this matchup has no particular bearing on what happens for Big Blue moving forward, it’d still be nice to close out a surprisingly successful regular season with a win. Especially since winning in Philadelphia is something New York hasn’t done in just about a decade.
The #Giants have not won in Philadelphia since Week 8 in 2013: a 15-7 win
– Matt Barkley played the majority of QB snaps for the #Eagles
– Peyton Hillis was the Giants leading rusher
– NY kicked 5 field goals to win
Unfortunately, it has been that bad in recent memory.
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) January 4, 2023
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There were chances for the Giants to break this streak in recent years, too. In true fashion during the past regime, they found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory:
The #Giants had chances to win at the Link
Acc. to ESPN, late in 4th Q, NY had a 95.9% chance (2020) and 90.3% (2019) to win games
The Engram drop and the blown 17-3 OT L
Also had a blown 19-3 lead ended 25-22 L off 43 yd FG (2018) and who could forget the 61 yd FG (2017) 🫠
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) January 4, 2023
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Wink Martindale’s defense could use a breather before jumping into the playoffs. It’ll be interesting to see what happens there with Philly quarterback Jalen Hurts expected to play after being sidelined with a shoulder injury.
On offense, the two players who are probably most likely to get some rest are running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Daniel Jones. They’ve been two of the squad’s most valuable players all year long, so it’s necessary to ensure they’re rested and healthy for Wild Card weekend.
You’d think a Giants loss is the more likely outcome, given the situation. The Eagles just torched New York recently at MetLife Stadium, Philly will have its starting quarterback on the field, and Big Blue doesn’t have anything to gain by going all out (other than spoiling things for a division rival).
Finishing off a surprisingly good regular-season performance by breaking this decade-long drought would be icing on the cake, though. That’s for sure.
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
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