This Sunday the Eagles (11-1) will face the New York Football Giants in a NFC East matchup.
Big Blue has played much better under new head coach Brian Daball that many observers and their fans expected.
The Giants come in sporting a 7-4-1 record, settling for a 20-20 tie with the Washington Commanders last week at MetLife Stadium where Sunday’s game is to be played (1:00 PM FOX).
The Eagles dominated the Tennessee Titans last week 35-10 at the Linc.
While the head coach and record are new, the Eagles will face two familiar faces in
running back Saquon Barkley, now in his fifth season out of Penn State and quarterback Danny Jones, now in fourth campaign out of Duke, lead and offense that produces 330.1 yards per game and 20.4 points on average per game.
Barkley enters the game with 1,055 yards on 242 carries (4.4 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns.
Jones is 229 of 347 for 2,365 passing yards and 11 touchdown passes against four interceptions. Jones has rushed for 552 yards and four touchdowns.
Last week the Birds kept All Pro running back Derrick Henry to just 30 yards rushing on 11 carries.
Except for Detroit’s D’Andre Swift and Houston’s Dameon Pierce, the Eagles have kept some of the league’s top running backs in check this season including Dallas’ Tony Pollard & Ezekiel Elliott, Vikings Delvin Cook, Green Bay’s Aaron Jones & AJ Dillon plus Colts star Jonathan Taylor.
Barkley is just as special as any back in the NFL.
Eagles’ strong side linebacker Haason Reddick talked about the similarities and differences between Henry and Barkley.
“They are different runners, both are great runners,” Reddick said at his locker the Wednesday before the Giants game. “They do some things differently. Saquon is more elusive. But I feel like it’s the same as last week. Gap integrity and swarming to the ball (are important).
“Last week it was having more than one guy at the ball because Derrick Henry was a bigger back. He was hard to take down with just one guy.
“For Saquon, it would be more guys getting there, having a lot of guys to the ball because he’s elusive and he makes a guy miss…get a bunch of yards after that…so, the backs are different, but I think the goal is still the same.”
Reddick admits Jones has played much better under the coaching of Daball and his staff.
“It’s always a challenge,” said Reddick, who has 33 total tackles (23 solo) and nine sacks after 12 games. “Case in point, you see how Jalen Hurts affects opposing defenses with the way he’s a threat to throw it and run. I think it’s the same things with Daniel Jones. You have to be a little more sound in your technique.
"You have to be a little bit more in sound making sure that you’re in your area and where you’re supposed to be instead of chasing plays because of a guy like that.
“If there’s an opening and someone is not where they’re supposed to be, he taking off. There you go, you’ve got a 10- 15- 20-yard gain just like that.”
This is an NFC East game against longtime rivals. The Eagles only loss this season is to the Washington Commanders who came to Lincoln Financial field with a 4-5 record.
The Commanders handed the Birds their first and only loss of the season. Washington is 3-1-1 since knocking off the Birds.
Reddick talked about the intensity of division matchups.
He knows, team are going to give them their best shot, bur with a division rival, the temperature is at a boil.
“Exactly,” Reddick said. “When it’s a division game, you’re always going to get somebody’s best shot. The game is that much more important when you’re trying to be on top of the division and stay there.” *
Email Al Thompson at al.thompson@footballstories.com
Stats from espn.com and NFL Communications.