As far as their luck in the NFC goes, the Eagles are hoping the third time's the charm.
In paying a visit to the Giants (4-3) on Sunday, the Eagles (4-3) will be going for their first divisional win as they complete their first of two go-rounds in the NFC East. A blown 10-point, fourth-quarter lead that resulted in a 29-23 overtime loss to the Cowboys last week dropped the Eagles to 0-2 in the division.
The Giants, winners of two straight, are 1-1 in the NFC East and will be the third consecutive team coming off a bye that the Eagles will face.
To get a better handle on where the Giants currently stand, here's what they're saying about the Eagles' Week 9 opponent.
Depth receivers need to step up
Save for his eight-catch, 222-yard and two touchdown performance against the Ravens in Week 6, Odell Beckham Jr. has accumulated 32 catches for 408 yards and one touchdown in the Giants' six other games.
But while Beckham hasn't consistently exploded like years past, he's still as dangerous as they come on the outside. He's sure to draw a lot of attention from the Eagles' defense and, according to Dan Duggan of NJ.com, the Giants will need the likes of Victor Cruz and Sterling Shepard to step up if the Eagles decide to send extra defenders Beckham's way.
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"It's highly unlikely that the Eagles will try to cover Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. 1-on-1. So with extra attention focused on Beckham, the Giants' other wide receivers will need to step up," Duggan wrote. "There should be opportunities for Shepard and Cruz on Sunday. The Giants need them to capitalize."
Favorable matchup for Giants' secondary
You may have heard the Eagles have some pressing issues at the wide receiver position. Drops and lack of seperation continued to plague the receiving corps against the Cowboys, as Carson Wentz averaged just 6.3 yards passing across 32 completions.
Things didn't get any better during the week either, as Josh Huff was arrested and subsequently released and the league's trade deadline passed without thewide receiver position being upgraded.
The Giants will roll out a pass defense that ranks 22nd in the league, but New York has dealt with a number of injuries in its talented secondary to this point in the season. New York is expected to be back to near strength on Sunday and, according to James Kratch of NJ.com, that healthy Giants' secondary will have a favorable matchup in front of them.
"The Giants are giving up a bunch of passing yards this year on average. But Janarois Jenkins and Landon Collins are playing at Pro Bowl levels, and Eli Apple and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie should be close to full health after a week off," Kratch wrote. "This is an extremely favorable matchup for them against an Eagles' lackluster receiving corps, which starts dropping the ball the minute it gets off the bus."
Giants need to flip script against Eagles
Since Eli Manning took the reigns of the Giants' offense back in 2005, New York is 109-92 with him behind center.
But the Eagles have consistently given Manning and the Giants problems during their two Super Bowl era. The Giants have dropped 13 of 16 overall to the Eagles and Manning is 9-17 over his career against Philadelphia.
According to Steve Politi of NJ.com, if the Giants are going to make a serious run at the playoffs this season, it starts with breaking their losing trend against the Eagles on Sunday.
"The Giants have spent a much of the season making the case that they are much different — and much better — than the teams that missed the playoffs the previous four years, and there is evidence to support that during their 4-3 start to the season," Politi wrote. "But if we're really going to expect a different result come January, they finally need to beat the Eagles."
Predictions
The Eagles and Giants are as even as they come head-to-head with both teams standing at 4-3 and the Giants being favored by three points at home. But the Giants received a slight edge in this week's predictions roundup.
ESPN: Six of nine experts picked the Giants
CBS Sports: Five of eight experts picked the Eagles
FOX Sports: Three of five experts picked the Giants
