Five Giants to Watch in Divisional Playoff Round

With the New York Giants coming out on top of the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round, 31-24, it's on to Philadelphia, a team the Giants haven't beaten on the road since 2013.

Of late, the Giants have been playings some solid ball, going on something of a run at just the right time. And if the Giants want to continue that run, here is a look at five players/units who can help make that happen.

Giants Defensive Backs

One of the biggest success stories from the Wild Card game was how well the Giants defensive secondary limited receiver Justin Jefferson to just seven receptions for 47 yards and no touchdowns.

That said, there were some struggles in the defensive secondary regarding getting pass breakups. Darnay Holmes allowed all seven targets against him to be caught for 47 yards. Adoree’ Jackson conceded all five of his targets for 32 yards, and Tony Jefferson allowed all four of his targets to be caught for 39 yards.

Because the yardage totals per defender were relatively low, the magnitude of this concern isn’t as bad as it looks. That said, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 79.5 percent of his 39 pass attempts for 273 yards and two touchdowns, connecting most with tight end T.J. Hockenson, who caught 10 of his 11 targets for 129 yards.

The Eagles, who were third in passing yards per play this season (7.66) and ninth in passing yards per game (241.5), come with a receiver trio that has proven to be very difficult to slow down all season: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert.

Brown, who was elected to his second Pro Bowl this season, had a team-high 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns; Smith followed in second with 1,196 yards and seven touchdowns but did lead the team in receptions (95); and Goedert finished in third with 702 yards and three touchdowns.

The Giants likely won't be able to stop all of the Eagles' receiving weapons, but if they can limit them, it will certainly help the cause. 

RT Evan Neal

Over the last six weeks of the regular season and into the Wild Card round, rookie Evan Neal has struggled against opposing pass rushers. Neal finished the regular season leading all Giants offensive linemen who recorded at least 360 snaps in pressures (39), hits (10), and sacks (7).

What’s concerning for Neal is that his struggles have continued. In 46 pass-blocking snaps last week against the Vikings, he conceded a team-high eight pressures, which included the offensive line's only sack on the day.

To be fair, Neal hasn't looked the same since returning from a sprained MCL suffered in Week 7 that cost him multiple weeks. There have been numerous times where he has bent at the waist rather than the knees, and in doing so, that's affected his anchor and leverage.

Neal has insisted that he's as healthy as he can be given this point in the season as he continues to push through.

“I’m here to go out there and compete and give everything I have; empty everything I have in the tank,” said Neal when asked how eager he is to redeem himself following the Giants Week 14 loss against the Eagles. “And at the end of the game, whatever the outcome is, I want to look at myself in the mirror and know I gave it my all.”

Against that pass rush--Brandon Graham, who recorded three sacks against the Giants in Week 14, and Haason Reddick, who finished second in the NFL in sacks (16), tied in eighth in pressures (68), and tied in first in forced fumbles (5) in a Pro Bowl season--Neal will need to be on his A-game regardless of who lines up across from him.

Giants Pass Rush

Last Sunday, the Giants' pass rush mustered 19 pressures against Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, ten of which were hits. Both Dexter Lawrence II and Leonard Williams led the charge with seven pressures each, while Kayvon Thibodeaux came away with three, and Azeez Ojulari and Jihad Ward each had one--this despite the Giants blitzing less than usual.

This weekend, the Giants pass rush will face one of the best pass-blocking offensive lines in the NFL. The Eagles allowed the fewest sacks (11) and were second in pass-blocking efficiency (89.7) and hits conceded (9), and fourth in pressures (118). From five-time All-Pro center Jason Kelce to two-time All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson to first-time Pro Bowler in left guard Landon Dickerson, the Eagles' offensive line could make things very difficult on the Giants' pass rush.

Aside from the strength of the offensive line, the Giants' pass rush will also have to contend with the sharp mobility and speed that comes with Pro Bowl Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. 

Hurts, who comes with great pocket awareness, isn’t afraid to use his legs and had tremendous success using them all season. Hurts was fourth amongst all NFL quarterbacks in total rushing yards (760) and tied in second amongst all rushers for touchdowns as well (13).

Giants Run Game

The Eagles have proven that they can be run against this season. And good thing for the Giants, whose strength on offense just so happens to be the running game.

The Eagles finished the season 16th in rushing yards allowed per game (121.6) and were also 24th in rushing yards per play (4.64), conceding 15 rushing touchdowns. In their last meeting against the Giants, the Eagles gave up 129 yards rushing on 21 attempts.

This is a big opportunity for the Giants, who, despite the recent success through the air, finished fourth in rushing yards per game (148.2). 

Leading the way has been Giants Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley, who, on just nine carries last week, ran for 53 yards and secured two big touchdowns. But the biggest marvel of the Giants run game is quarterback Daniel Jones, who ran for a career-high 17 times for 78 yards last week.

Running with the football could very well be their best strategy offensively heading back into Philadelphia to face an Eagles defense that’s well-rested and healthy. And considering how the Giants have been integrating Jones’ mobility, the run game might be the key to the Giants' offense unlocking a few points. 

Giants Run Defense

The Giants run defense this season was, at times, problematic. They finished the season 27th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game (144.2), were 31st in rushing yards allowed per play (5.23), and allowed 16 rushing touchdowns.

On the contrary, the Eagles were stellar on the ground. Over the 2022 campaign, the Eagles finished fifth in the NFL in rushing yards per game (147.6) and were first in rushing touchdowns (32). 

From their first-time Pro Bowl running back Miles Sanders, who rushed for a career-high 1,296 yards and 11 touchdowns, to their elusive quarterback, that had 13 rushing touchdowns, to the shifty Boston Scott, who did well against the Giants this season (15 carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns in two games), the Eagles are dangerous with their run game and can penetrate defenses in several ways with it.

The good news for the Giants, is that their run defense has been playing well of late. Last week, the Giants held the Vikings to 16 carries for 61 yards and just one touchdown (a sneak by Cousins). In addition, the Eagles are prone to fumbles and were tied for fourth in the NFL with 17 this season.

On the other hand, the Giants were one of the best teams with securing rushing fumbles and knocked out 16 during the regular season. Though the Eagles will test this group’s resiliency on the ground, the Giants run defense still has what it takes to slow them down. They will need an even better performance than they had against the Vikings last week.