Five Keys to a New York Giants Win Over Philadelphia Eagles

This Sunday, it will be a battle of NFC East rivals between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Stadium.

The Giants are looking to get their first win of the season. The Eagles are looking to remain in first place in the division. Something has got to give.

1. Give Ereck Flowers Help on the Left Side of the Line

It was the quote heard around the world, “Ereck Flowers is absolutely our left tackle.” Those seven words set NFL analysts, Giants reporters, and NFL fans into a confused rage.  The Flowers experiment is going to continue, for better or worse. Head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese believe that he can break out of his slump.

If the Giants want to keep Flowers on the field, then they will have to give him some help. Prime candidates on the “Left Side Rescue Team,” will likely include tight end Rhett Ellison and fullback Shane Smith. This support for Flowers can help protect the left side of the offensive line. As a result, quarterback Eli Manning will have more than two seconds to get rid of the ball. Not only that, but that will lead to key #2.

New York will need to compensate for Flowers as they go up against an Eagles defense that is tied for fourth-most sacks in the league (8.0).

2. Get the Running Game Going

The running game has been relatively non-existent through the first two games of the season. That is attributed to the lack of holes the offensive line is providing the backs. So far, the Giants have gained only 97 rushing yards on 30 carries. That is not going to get the job done.

New York is going to have to get the running game going, as it will help alleviate the pressure from Manning. That will even get the passing game out of its rut as well.

3. Give Play Calling Duties to Mike Sullivan

Let’s be honest. McAdoo’s ability as play caller has been questionable at best. He’s continuously called running plays where they run the ball up the middle. They throw short passes on third-and-long situations. McAdoo’s play calling is not working, so the Giants will have to resort to a method they used in the preseason. That method is to give the play-calling duties back to offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan.

McAdoo has made a name for himself as an “offensive guru,” during his time with the Green Bay Packers. In 2015,  the Giants offense was one of the league’s best. From 2016 to now, the offense has declined, to say the least.

Sullivan called the offensive plays during the preseason finale against the New England Patriots, and the offense looked phenomenal. The Giants had 483 yards of offense in that game (342 passing/141 rushing) and put up 40 points on the board. What happened after that game? McAdoo took the playbook from Sullivan, and you see the results.

If the Giants want to rejuvenate the offense, then McAdoo must relinquish the playbook back to Sullivan.

4. Get Rid of the Snap Count for Beckham

Odell Beckham Jr made his return this past Monday night against the Detroit Lions. However, Beckham was limited throughout the game, as he was essentially a backup wide receiver. Beckham was at about 60-70 percent entering that game, as it was no surprise that New York did not want to risk further injury.

Now that Beckham has finally gotten back onto the field, the fourth-year receiver should have the limited snap counts disappear. The Philadelphia Eagles have an average pass defense in terms of passing yards per game (216.0 yards/game), which is 16th in the league. With this statistic alone, a Beckham healthy can take advantage. Although, the first three keys have to be fulfilled.

5. No Changes for the Defense

The bright point of the Giants has been the defense. The scores allowed through the first two weeks of the season could have been a lot worse, without the stout defensive effort from New York. The Giants are ranked 11th in passing yards allowed per game (191.0 yards/game). On the flip side, the Giants are the fifth worst in rushing yards allowed (133.5 yards/game). That can be attributed to the offense’s inability to stay on the field. Eventually, the defense can only stop so much, as fatigue kicks in.

However, the defense is dealing with injuries to starting cornerback Janoris Jenkins and starting middle linebacker B.J. Goodson. The depth on the Giants defense is so deep, that their absences last week was not too much of a hindrance.

The Giants front seven will have one game plan, which will not be a difficult one to come by. That is getting to Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. Through the first two weeks, Wentz was hit 18 times, which is the most out of any quarterback in the league. Just last week, Wentz was sacked six times, which played a key factor in the Eagles loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

With the stout defense that the Giants possess, getting to Wentz shouldn’t be too much of an issue. If they can, then a victory for the Giants can be attainable.