New York is Comin’ to Town — Giants-Eagles Preview

At 4:30 P.M. on Christmas Day 2023, the New York Giants are comin’ to Philadelphia to take on a frustrated Eagles squad.

The Birds are on a 3 game losing skid and Jalen Hurts continues to struggle as he has played on a much lower level than he usually does. Hurts went from leading Philadelphia to a league-best 10-1 record to throwing only 1 passing touchdown and throwing 2 interceptions in just 3 weeks. He was a perennial MVP candidate but now has fallen below the likes of 49ers QB Brock Purdy, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, as well as Dak Prescott and Christian McCaffery. Chances are Hurts won’t win MVP, but it is known that this is not his goal. His goal is to turn this team back in the right direction and he has a chance to do that on Monday.

Philadelphia and Christmas have a lot of history. In the only 2 games where the Eagles played on the 25th of December, they took down both the then-Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys. In 2017, the Raiders traveled to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Eagles, and in an incredibly bad showing of offense from the Birds, scoring only one touchdown with 216 total yards, they found a way to beat Oakland 19-10. In 2006 when the Eagles played Dallas, they had a much better offensive showing. Jeff Garcia threw for 238 yards and a touchdown, while Brian Westbrook ran for a staggering 122 yards and Correll Buckhalter ran for a touchdown. Philadelphia legend David Akers drilled 3 field goals and the Eagles went on to beat Dallas 23-7. Philly is notorious for their rowdy fans and is well known for their 1968 snowball incident with Santa Claus.

Must-Win Game

The Eagles are at the point where each game is a must-win game. This matchup is no different. The 10-4 Eagles are over their rough 7-week stretch where they took on the Cowboys twice, Kansas City, Buffalo, the 49ers, Seattle, and the Miami Dolphins. Philly went a decent 4-3 in those games, yet they still get discredited for all the good they did in their 4 wins. In order to prove they are not fraudulent, Philadelphia must get their act together and not only beat New York but destroy them. This game cannot be close. The Eagles are still eyeing the top seed in the NFC, and while that does seem like a tough task to achieve, it is not impossible by any means, as San Francisco has to take on the Dolphins on Christmas Night. What’s more realistic is Philadelphia snagging the NFC East title. Currently, Dallas holds a 10-4 record and the top seed in the NFC East, but if the Eagles win out they can still become the number 1 team. This game against the Giants is crucial to not only showing that they are not frauds but also maintaining a fight for home-field advantage in the playoffs, which all Philly fans know could be a massive advantage if it comes to us.

Philly Has The Edge

To put it simply, the Philadelphia Eagles are just better than the New York Giants. The Eagles have one of the best records in the NFL at 10-4 and the Giants are just simply bad with just a 5-9 record. According to Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia, New York ranks 31st in yards per game, 31st in points per game, last in passing offense, last in sacks allowed, 31st in first downs, 31st in third down conversions, as well as 30th in the red zone. Frank also states that the Giants defense is ranked 24th in yards allowed, 24th in rushing yards allowed, 30th in sacks, 24th in first downs allowed, and 25th in points allowed. This is downright awful. As bad as the Eagles have been recently, this is a whole new level of bad. The Eagles have the upper hand against the Giants, and if everything goes somewhat smoothly then Philadelphia will blow out New York.

The Philadelphia Eagles are in dire need of getting back on track and they are hoping to give their fans their very own Christmas gift, a win. If all goes as it should, the Birds should be 11-4 after Monday, but knowing their recent struggles, we shall see if all actually will go as it should.