3 things to know as Eagles host Giants in Week 7 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
After two straight losses to tough AFC playoff teams, the Eagles have a chance to pick up a win in their division against the Giants on Thursday Night Football.
The Eagles are 1-4-1 but are favored against the 1-5 Giants, who are coming off their only win of the season.
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And here are three important things to know:
1. Carson Wentz’s numbers weren’t great last week but the numbers don’t really tell the whole story. By the time the Ravens game ended, Wentz was one of just two original starters left on the offensive side of the ball and he still brought the Eagles back from a 17-point deficit and nearly tied the game late in the fourth quarter. It was a gutty performance and Wentz’s best of the season.
So who does he have available four days later?
Well, Wentz will get DeSean Jackson and Lane Johnson back. Both of them will help immensely.
The problem is that the Eagles will be without Miles Sanders and Zach Ertz, who were both hurt in the Ravens game. Add them to Dallas Goedert, Jalen Reagor, Alshon Jeffery and several offensive linemen and you realize how light the Eagles are on offense.
But they’ll have Travis Fulgham, Greg Ward, Boston Scott, Richard Rodgers and several more players they never thought they’d have to rely on this year. If the Eagles win this game, it’ll be because Wentz plays another good game.
Remember, in two games against the Giants last year, Scott had 266 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. He was the NFC Offensive Player of the Week in the regular season finale against the Giants in 2019.
2. With a win over the Giants, the Eagles would move into first place in the NFC East. Yes, they’d be in first with a 2-4-1 record. Meanwhile, the Cowboys (2-4) play Washington (1-5) this week. So there’s at least guaranteed to be two wins in the division this week … unless there’s a tie … which you probably shouldn’t rule out.
The NFC East is the worst division in football right now and it’s not even close. Every other division in the NFL has at least two teams with winning records and this division doesn’t even have one.
The Eagles play the Giants, Cowboys and then Giants again in their next three games. If they win these three, they’d be in the driver’s seat.
3. After being at least touchdown underdogs in three straight games, the Eagles are finally favorites again against the Giants. The Eagles are 4.5-point home favorites, according to PointsBet.
According to our own Michael Gatti, the Eagles are 0-2-1 and 0-3 against the spread this season as favorites. But in their last five games on Thursday Night Football, the Eagles are 5-0 straight up and against the spread.
