The Giants will look to avenge regular season losses in back-to-back weeks with then travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in an NFC Divisional Round matchup.
After an upset win over the Vikings in the Wild Card round, the Giants will look to avenge both regular season losses to Philadelphia during the regular season.
The Eagles defeated the Giants 22-16 in Week 18, and they dominated their rivals in a Week 14 matchup at MetLife Stadium.
With preparation underway for both teams, here are five adjustments Giants coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will on Saturday night.
1. Wink Martindale and the Giants won't play man to man
With Adoree’ Jackson returning to the lineup, the Giants held Vikings All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson to seven catches for 47 yards and no touchdowns in the second half after catching six passes for 43 yards in the first two quarters.
Jalen Hurts had the best QBR in football this year vs Cover 1–in part because he killed teams with go balls to AJ Brown and Devonta Smith.
The Giants played a lot of cover 1 in week 14 and got punished for it. pic.twitter.com/EfQJSR8tbC
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) January 18, 2023
With Philadelphia having A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert as dominant pass catchers, expect the Giants’ defensive coordinator to pull back and rival Jonathan Gannon’s keep-everything-in-front approach.
Daboll will turn Daniel Jones into Jalen Hurts
In the first matchup, a 48-22 loss in Week 14, Daniel Jones carried the football four times for 26 yards.
That output will certainly change in the divisional round matchup, and whether it’s the Eagles’ pass rush or designed play calls, Jones will likely carry the football 11+ times on Saturday night.
According to Touchdown Wire, Jones has amassed a total EPA of 34.54 on the ground in the 2022 NFL season, which ranks third-best among all players in the league.
His 0.25 EPA per attempt is tied for second-best, behind only Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, his 137 rushing attempts ranks third in the league, his 786 rushing yards ranks second, his 238 yards after contact ranks fourth, his seven rushing touchdowns is tied for third-most with Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, and his five runs of 15 or more yards is tied for third-best behind Lamar Jackson and Justin Fields.
3. Brian Daboll will make Saquon Barkley a featured receiver
In the first matchup, Barkley had nine carries, two catches, and 11 total touches in the 48-22 loss.
That won’t be the case on Saturday night and look for Barkley to get 9+ targets as the Giants work to exploit the Eagles’ pass defense via one on one matchups with Kyzir White.
4. Wink Martindale will play man on man in the trenches
Look for the Giants to play less man-to-man and blitz less, with the idea of forcing Jalen Hurts to take what the defense offers.
With Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Azeez Ojulari, and Kayvon Thibodeau all prepared to be in the lineup, the Giants defensive coordinator could pivot to a gameplan where his talented defensive front gets busy with Jeff Stoutland’s crew in a bit of trench warfare with Isaac Seumalo as the wild card.
5. Brian Daboll will feature air attack
With Jones coming off a 300+ yard passing and 70-yard rushing performance against the Vikings, Brian Daboll could look to overwhelm the Eagles through the air.
If the Giants feel Philadelphia is vulnerable without Avonte Maddox, the Giants could try to win schemed matchups against the Eagles’ secondary with Isaiah Hodgins, Kenny Golladay, Richie James, and Darius Slayton.
