Final
Giants bracing for familiar foe
Jan 11, 2009 - 2:35 PM Philadelphia (10-6-1) at NY Giants (12-4), 1:00 p.m. ESTEAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- The New York Giants will be staring at a familiar opponent this weekend - and not just because it's a division rival.
When the Philadelphia Eagles invade Giants Stadium on Sunday for an NFC divisional round matchup, they will be looking to win the second of three straight road games to reach the Super Bowl - eerily similar to the path taken by New York last season.
Like the Giants of 2007, the Eagles played perhaps their best game in the season finale and carried the momentum into the postseason.
Philadelphia grinded out a 26-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in last weekend's wild-card round to earn a third matchup with their bitter NFC East rival this season.
The teams split the first two meetings this season, with each winning on the other's home field. New York won a 36-31 slugfest on November 9, but the Eagles avenged it four weeks later with a 20-14 victory that was not as close as the score indicated.
It also marked the lone home defeat of the season for New York, which was its first game following the accidental shooting and subsequent suspension of star wide receiver Plaxico Burress.
"I think they are about as dangerous as all four teams that are left in the playoffs," Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "I think everybody has the same opportunity to win the game regardless of how hot you played in December and how well you played yesterday and Saturday. For us it is just about going out there and executing.
"We are playing a team that knows us very well and that we know very well."
Philadelphia has won five of its last six games, including a 44-6 shellacking of the Dallas Cowboys that enabled it to snatch the final playoff berth in the NFC.
"They may be the sixth seed, but they sure aren't playing like it," Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said. "We know them well, which is a good thing, but they know us well, too."
A resurgent defense has triggered the revival for Philadelphia, which has not allowed more than 14 points in each of the last five games.
Asante Samuel returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown before Brian Westbrook turned out the lights on Minnesota by turning a short screen pass into a 71-yard touchdown.
"That's the biggest time, that's what it's all about, the postseason and trying to get that big win," said Samuel, who set a league postseason record with his fourth career pick for a touchdown.
Westbrook, who was held to 38 yards on 20 carries against the Vikings' top-ranked rushing defense, usually determines the outcome of a Giants-Eagles matchup.
New York held Westbrook to 26 yards on 13 carries in its win at Philadelphia, but in the rematch at the Meadowlands on December 9, the two-time Pro Bowler shredded the Giants' defense for 131 yards and a touchdown while catching six passes for 72 yards.
"He is a guy on everyone's list in terms of what you have to do to try to prevent him from getting the ball in the end zone," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "You saw Minnesota do a pretty good job against them in the run game, but he broke out with the 71-yard screen. He is an excellent pass receiver."
While the Giants lost three of their last four regular-season contests, the reigning Super Bowl champs won the game that counted - beating the Carolina Panthers, 34-28, in overtime in Week 16 to secure the No. 1 seed, home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and an extra week's rest.
New York hopes to have a healthy Brandon Jacobs back in the lineup. The 265-pound battering ram rushed for 1,089 yards and 15 touchdowns despite sitting out three of the final six games with separate knee injuries.
Jacobs rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns when the Giants beat the Eagles. Eli Manning tossed two touchdown passes in that game but has not passed for more than 191 yards since Burress' suspension.
"We have been cast into a situation where we had the bye," Coughlin said. "You heard me say that I thought the bye was good for our team. I don't know that I would necessarily say that every year. In this case, I thought it was."
New York, which will be looking to become just the fourth top seed in the NFC to advance to Super Bowl, won 11 of its first 12 games and seven straight before the loss to the Eagles.
- DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
PHILADELPHIA 7 3 3 10 23
NY GIANTS 3 5 3 0 11 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: NYG - FG, JOHN CARNEY 22 YD, 5:01. Drive: 9
plays, 31 yards in 5:01. Key plays:
Bradshaw 65-yard kick return to
Philadelphia 35; Jacobs 3-yard run
on
Jan 11 4:19 PM - DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
FG PHI
DAVID AKERS 20 YD
PHILADELPHIA 23
NY GIANTS 11 3:58 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Eagles 23, Giants 11 4th - 3:58Jan 11 4:04 PM
TD PHI BRENT CELEK 1 YD PASS FROM DONOVAN MCNABB (DAVID AKERS KICK)
Eagles 20, Giants 11 4th - 14:56Jan 11 3:38 PM
TD PHI BRENT CELEK 1 YD PASS FROM DONOVAN MCNABB (DAVID AKERS KICK)
Eagles 20, Giants 11 4th - 14:56Jan 11 3:38 PM
TD PHI BRENT CELEK 1 YD PASS FROM DONOVAN MCNABB (DAVID AKERS KICK)
Eagles 20, Giants 11 4th - 14:56Jan 11 3:38 PM- DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
TD PHI
BRENT CELEK 1 YD PASS FROM DONOVAN MCNABB
(DAVID AKERS KICK)
PHILADELPHIA 20
NY GIANTS 11 14:56 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Eagles 20, Giants 11 4th - 14:56Jan 11 3:38 PM - DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
END, 3RD QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
PHILADELPHIA 7 3 3 13
NY GIANTS 3 5 3 11 END, 3RD QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: NYG - FG, JOHN CARNEY 22 YD, 5:01. Drive: 9
plays, 31 yards in 5:01. Key plays:
Bradshaw 65-yard kick return to
Philadelphia 35; Jacobs 3-yard
Jan 11 3:34 PM - DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
FG PHI
DAVID AKERS 35 YD
PHILADELPHIA 13
NY GIANTS 11 7:45 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Eagles 13, Giants 11 3rd - 7:45Jan 11 3:15 PM - DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
FG NYG
JOHN CARNEY 35 YD
PHILADELPHIA 10
NY GIANTS 11 12:33 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Eagles 10, Giants 11 3rd - 12:33Jan 11 2:56 PM - DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
FG PHI
DAVID AKERS 25 YD
PHILADELPHIA 10
NY GIANTS 8 0:00 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Eagles 10, Giants 8 HalfJan 11 2:36 PM - DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
FG NYG
JOHN CARNEY 35 YD
PHILADELPHIA 7
NY GIANTS 8 1:33 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Eagles 7, Giants 8 2nd - 1:33Jan 11 2:26 PM - DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
SAFETY NYG
PENALTY ON DONOVAN MCNABB IN END ZONE
PHILADELPHIA 7
NY GIANTS 5 12:34 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Eagles 7, Giants 5 2nd - 12:34Jan 11 1:53 PM - DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
END, 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
PHILADELPHIA 7 7
NY GIANTS 3 3 END, 1ST QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: NYG - FG, JOHN CARNEY 22 YD, 5:01. Drive: 9
plays, 31 yards in 5:01. Key plays:
Bradshaw 65-yard kick return to
Philadelphia 35; Jacobs 3-yard
Jan 11 1:44 PM - DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
NFL PLAYOFFS
PHILADELPHIA 7
NY GIANTS 3 5:52 LEFT, 1ST QTR
NYG BALL ON NYG 21 YD LINE
1ST AND 10
Eagles 7, Giants 3 1st - 5:52Jan 11 1:32 PM - DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
FG NYG
JOHN CARNEY 22 YD
PHILADELPHIA 0
NY GIANTS 3 9:59 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Eagles 0, Giants 3 1st - 9:59Jan 11 1:13 PM
Related News
- Giants Decline to Franchise Tag Saquon Barkley Mar 5
- Russell Wilson, Jason Kelce, and Drake Maye Highlight Sports Illustrated Today Mar 5
- Saquon Barkley Speaks on Future With New York Giants Feb 22
- Eagles' Jason Kelce Gifts Signed Jersey to Favorite McDonald’s Employee Jan 17
- Saquon Barkley and Tommy Devito Talk Giants and NFL Playoffs Jan 17
- Baker Mayfield Moves on with Bucs as Browns Were Ousted Jan 16
- Jason Kelce Reportedly Tells Eagles Teammates He's Retiring Jan 16
- Giants-Eagles: 5 impactful plays from the Christmas game Dec 26
- Nick Sirianni said it “feels good” to get the Eagles back on the winning side of things Dec 26
- Taylor Swift Has Competition for NFL Social Media MVP Dec 26
- Giants-Eagles ‘Kudos & Wet Willies’: Almost a miracle edition Dec 26