NFL Divisional Playoff Preview: Eagles vs. NY Giants

Two great defenses and very different runners lead their teams into the toughest playoff matchup yet.

Eagles vs. NY Giants Overview:
The NFC East lived up to its billing as the best division in the NFL as four top-tier teams went at it game after game. Though the Dallas Cowboys were supposed to rival the New York Giants for supremacy, America’s Team choked and opened the door for the hungry and down-right angry Philadelphia Eagles. The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles have each won a game against the other this year and the rubber match has classic potential. Fans with NFL playoffs tickets will see a true rivalry rage in the chilly confines of the Meadowlands.

Philadelphia Eagles Offense:
Running back Brian Westbrook is the motor under the hood of the Philadelphia Eagles offense, and fans with Philadelphia Eagles playoffs tickets should be building shrines for No. 36. Able to pound the ball, catch the pass, and burn defenses in the open field, no player is more dangerous or more important to their team than Brian Westbrook. QB Donovan McNabb continues to laugh in the face of critics as he brings down team after team with his veteran play and leadership. Tiny WR DeSean Jackson is the fire the Philadelphia Eagles have needed for years.

Philadelphia Eagles Defense:
Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson would blitz an opposing QB in a supermarket three days after the game if he could. While most defenses start their success up front, the No. 3 defense in the NFL starts at the secondary and works its way down. Safeties Brian Dawkins and Quintin Mikell allow the whole blitz storm to function as they blitz or provide umbrella protection on the back end. Without a doubt, CBs Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown form the best tandem in football. DEs Darren Howard and Trent Cole are great pass-rush specialists in the rotating front seven.

New York Giants Offense:
While Brian Westbrook does it all for the Philadelphia Eagles, the No. 1 rushing offense of the New York Giants relies on a trio of runners. Like the proverbial bull in a china shop, 260-pound RB Brandon Jacobs runs out of control and smashes anything in his path. Quick Derrick Ward and fiery Ahmad Bradshaw round out the rotation that fans with New York Giants playoff tickets know as “Earth, Wind, and Fire”. QB Eli Manning is a quiet man, but the sharp leader has made the best with receiving weapons like Kevin Boss, Steve Smith, and Domenik Hixon.

New York Giants Defense:
The New York Giants defense is run by Steve Spagnulo, a disciple of Jim Johnson, but instead of a blitzing storm, he relies on a series of stunts with his talented defensive linemen. DE Justin Tuck leads the squad of QB hunters along with bookend partner Mathias Kiwanuka. With countless DL rotating in as the game progresses, opposing blockers can never get into a steady rhythm. Safeties Michael Johnson and James Butler are a finesse tandem compared to their counterparts from Philadelphia but excel at picking the pass more than the blitz.

Philadelphia Eagles Keys to Victory:
Fans with Philadelphia Eagles playoff tickets love to place the blame on Donavan McNabb for every offensive shortcoming, but when RB Brian Westbrook plays poorly, the entire team does. In their first meeting, the New York Giants took away Brian Westbrook and stomped the Philadelphia Eagles. In contrast, Brian Westbrook got it going and carried his team to victory in the second game. Whether it is on the screen, draw, toss, or dive Brian Westbrook has to have a money game. Donavan McNabb must stay aware in the pocket and be prepared to be hit often.

The New York Giants live and die with their running game as well, and taking away the three-headed monster is the key to victory. The first order of business will be chopping down the redwood that is Brandon Jacobs, which causes all the other dominoes to fall with him. The New York Giants will have to crowd the box and the play of safeties Brian Dawkins and Quintin Mikell will be the most important defensive factor to stamping the Philadelphia Eagles playoff tickets.

New York Giants Keys to Victory:
As the No. 1 rushing team in the NFL, fans with NFL playoffs tickets can expect to see Earth, Wind, and Fire put on a show. As tough as they are, the safeties of the Philadelphia Eagles want no part of RB Brandon Jacobs in the open field as he will crush them like bugs. The enormous DTs of the Philadelphia Eagles are a different matter, and they must be pushed back into the linebacking corps to open the lanes and confound the blitz. With the talent at CB and the safeties in the box, TE Kevin Boss could be the go-to guy for QB Eli Manning in clutch situations.

The New York Giants defense will have to both surround and hound Brian Westbrook on every play. Backside contain and staying at home are two things that must be preached in the film room all week. Fans with New York Giants playoff tickets may not see the maximum pass rush they are used to, but the G-Men cannot afford to leave lanes open. WR DeSean Jackson is a threat, but the Philadelphia Eagles have little else in the form of game breakers to the outside. If Brian Westbrook can be contained, then the New York Giants can punish Donovan McNabb on every drop back.

Eagles vs. NY Giants Outlook:
This time last year, the New York Giants were a comeback team making an improbable playoff push thanks to a stifling defense, good running-back play, and a clutch QB. The Philadelphia Eagles are in this role now, and they face an NFC East rival in the Divisional Playoffs who is loaded with accolades and Super Bowl hype. Fans with New York Giants playoff tickets are sure to make Giant Stadium a very hostile environment. It will not be a totally biased crowd, however, as fans with Philadelphia Eagles playoff tickets come up the turnpike to see history.

Playing at home is a huge advantage for the New York Giants. This is not only because of the screaming fans with New York Giants playoff tickets. The swirling winds of Giant Stadium are an opponent all their own to quarterbacks and kickers and only those of the G-Men know how to truly navigate these invisible deathtraps. With two solidly even teams, special teams are a factor, and the wind will be a specter over the Philadelphia Eagles. Fans with NFL playoffs tickets better bundle up and get ready for a game that should come down to one or two heart-stopping plays.