Eagles ready for first divisional game
The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are bumbling and stumbling along with a 2-3 record and losers of two straight games for the first time since December of 2016.
Thing is, though, the NFC East isn’t exactly a powerhouse division so far this year. The four teams combined to go 0-4 this past weekend, and the Washington Redskins stunk up the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Monday night, losing to the New Orleans Saints, 43-19. There isn’t a team above .500 in the division.
So here are the Eagles, who lost by two points to the Vikings last Sunday and by three points in overtime to the Tennessee Titans in the previous week’s game playing a team in the New York Giants on Thursday night in the Meadowlands that lost to the Carolina Panthers on a 63-yard field goal. Both teams have every reason to feel good about themselves heading into this pivotal clash inside the division.
“We’re excited mainly because it’s a divisional opponent,” said Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. “It’s the next opponent, but it’s a divisional game and we know where the division is sitting right now and it’s really wide open. We really want to get off on the right start in our division.”
The Giants have already lost once inside the NFC East, dropping a game to the Dallas Cowboys. This is the first division test for the Eagles.
One of these teams will be in deep trouble with a loss.
“We got a big one against the Giants,” said right tackle Lane Johnson. “As early as it is, we must win against the Giants.”
The Giants are 1-4, but they halted their streak of 37 straight games without scoring at least 30 points in a game when they put up 31 in Carolina. That it wasn’t enough to win didn’t seem to matter to some of the players and coaches judging by some of their comments this week.
“Even though it was in a losing effort, it was obviously our best performance in terms of scoring points,” said New York head coach Pat Shurmur. “Obviously the quarterback is a big piece to that.”
Eli Manning played perhaps his best game of the season. Aside from two interceptions, he threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Wentz has thrown for over 300 yards in the last two games, though the team has lost both of them. He has completed 65 percent of his passes in those two losses as well. Since returning from offseason knee reconstruction, he has thrown five touchdowns to only one interception in three starts.
“A lot of familiar faces over there,” said Wentz. “Personnel-wise, it seems we know each other really well. With their new scheme it will be interesting to see what they like, what their deal is against us this week. I’m sure they’ll bring something new. It seems like something every team has done against us, but we’re excited about the matchup for sure.”
SERIES HISTORY: 167th regular-season meeting. Giants lead series, 83-81-2. The Eagles have owned the series lately, winning their last three games against the Giants and seven of eight overall.
