Eagles-Giants was a reasonably good rivalry again within the day. Buddy Ryan vs Invoice Parcells, Jon Runyan vs Michael Strahan, Eli Manning’s intentional groundings not being referred to as, Miracles at numerous Meadowlands. Now, no a lot.
The final time the Eagles and Giants each completed with a successful document was 2010, when the Eagles swept the Giants to edged them out for the division title on a tiebreaker, and the 2011 season was a 3 method “combat” to win the division with a 9-7 document. However for the reason that downfall of the Andy Reid period neither staff has actually challenged the opposite, the 2 franchises haven’t been aggressive on the identical time. That’s principally because of the Giants being horrible over the previous decade, solely two successful seasons since 2011.
This matchup simply hasn’t had the juice for some time, and given the trajectory of each groups, it is perhaps some time earlier than it will get it once more. The Giants might simply be going from a 6-1 begin to lacking the playoffs, and their participant to construct the franchise round is subsequent yr’s draft decide, in the event that they’re fortunate. And Brian Daboll and Nick Sirianni are buddies, Daboll taking Sirianni below his wing when they were on the Chiefs staff in 2012 together. We are able to’t even get a coach spat out of this matchup.
Eagles-Cowboys will at all times have juice, and the Commanders discover methods to make issues fascinating. The Giants alternatively…
The Giants are bland
The Giants have given us some leisure through the years. Tom Coughlin having his staff stand on the Eagles brand throughout heat ups after which getting shut out. Ben McAdoo benching Eli Manning after which getting fired for it. Pat Shurmur current. Joe Decide operating a Nathan Fielder comedic operation. Dave Gettleman memes. However nothing steady or that provides to the legend.
And now it appears they’ve adults operating the staff, GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have introduced a way of competency to the Giants. Competency is an enormous improve from taking a RB 2nd general when groups had been calling about buying and selling up. Competency is an enormous improve from a coach who requires a QB sneak on third and 9 to arrange a punt.
Competency can be one other phrase for boring. The Giants are boring. The place is the enjoyable in that? Now, don’t confuse being competent with being good. Regardless of a successful record-currently-the Giants are nonetheless a great distance from good. It is a staff that gave away James Bradberry for nothing. Which might be affordable in the event that they went with a burn-it-all-down youth motion, however they didn’t. They signed seven gamers who will finish the season of their 30s, 5 of them are on one yr offers, a sixth is their backup QB. The Eagles, a staff attempting to win, signed only one exterior 30+ free agent within the offseason, and he didn’t even make the staff (Jaquiski Tartt).
For all of the offseason speak about how sensible a QB guru Brian Daboll is, which was laughable on the time (Andy Reid is the one precise QB guru, and Daboll’s resume previous to Josh Allen exploding in 2020 was indistinguishable from a humdrum offensive coordinator) Daniel Jones is just marginally improved below Daboll, which might most likely be fully attributed to him throwing lower than he ever has.
And in what might be a should win sport in opposition to the Commanders final week… they tied. Tied! That’s the form of hilarious incompetency we’ve got come to count on. Possibly they’re not fairly so bland in any case?
Jalen Hurts’ Candy 16s
There’s an outdated lawyer saying: If the info are in opposition to you, argue the regulation. If the regulation is in opposition to you, argue the info. If the regulation and the info are in opposition to you, pound the desk and yell like hell.
This works in sports activities, for those who don’t have the attention take a look at/tape or the numbers, simply yell lots. You may make a profession out of it.
We all know simply how a lot Jalen Hurts has improved, we’ve bought the attention take a look at on our facet and we’ve bought the numbers on our facet. Together with the playoffs, Jalen Hurts has began 32 video games. That properly divides into 16 video games. #math
In his first 16 begins Hurts tried 496 passes, and in his final 16 he’s tried an virtually equivalent 498 passes. In his first 16 video games he had a passer ranking of 84.3, and accomplished 58.3% of his passes. In his final 16 video games, he had a passer ranking of 101.0, and accomplished 66.3% of his passes.
If these splits had been a rookie final yr (this isn’t to say that Hurts’s 2021 ought to have been handled as a rookie-like season, as a result of it wasn’t), that participant would have gone from twenty seventh in passer ranking final yr to seventh this yr, and from thirty first in completion proportion to twelfth. If that was an actual participant they’d be talked about like a Subsequent Massive Factor.
Which come to consider it’s form of how Jalen Hurts is being talked about.
The Executioners!
Constructing off a motivational and focusing software that Nick Sirianni makes use of, the Eagles have made boxing as a theme for this season, treating each sport like a special spherical. With Philadelphia’s wealthy historical past with boxing, it’s an excellent theme. I most likely would have used it subsequent yr although, when the Super Bowl is in Vegas. Aim for subsequent yr: get Eagles fan Michael Buffer to introduce the staff after they take the sector on the Tremendous Bowl.
Anyway, I’ve good and unhealthy information for the Eagles and their boxing theme.
The excellent news is their 12 spherical scorecard is laughably absurd. I’ve bought them successful 119-104, a dominating win, or an in depth Canelo combat. The Vikings, first Commanders sport, and Steelers had been 10-8 rounds, the Titans was a 10-7 twelfth spherical contemplating they fired their GM after it. If this had been really boxing, the ref would have stopped the combat, and I assume you possibly can say the Titans threw within the towel.
The unhealthy information is that the NFL season is 17+ video games however title fights are 12 rounds. You need to return to love the World Battle I period for fights that went so lengthy. Spherical 20 will look form of foolish as a advertising graphic, nevertheless it’ll really feel actually good.
Stat of the Week That Might Solely Curiosity Me
Jalen Hurts and Miles Sanders each have 9 dashing TDs, which individually is greater than two groups and mixed is greater than 20 groups… final season.
High 5 Late Addition Eagles
Any checklist of greatest free agent signings for this season has to incorporate James Bradberry, who was signed in Might. The Eagles have had some wonderful late additions through the years.
1. Merrill Reese
This one is unhappy, however we will’t go away Merrill out. Reese took over play by play duties in December of 1977 after Charlie Swift took his personal life.
2. Reggie White
Moved from the USFL after the 1985 season had already began.
3. Norm Van Brocklin
Retired in January 1958, unretired in Might 1959 to be traded to the Eagles.
4. Invoice Bergey
Signed with the WFL in April of 1974 for the 1975 season, so the Bengals traded him to the Eagles in July. After all he by no means performed within the WFL.
5. Michael Vick
They introduced the then-controversial signing the identical day as a pre-season sport in 2009.
