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 seven storylines to watch.
1. Third time is a charm
The Saturday night matchup on FOX will be the third time the NFC East rivals have met this season.
Philadelphia won both of the earlier meetings – a Week 14 48-22 win at MetLife Stadium and a Week 18 22-16 victory at Lincoln Financial Field.
New York and Philadelphia have split four previous postseason meetings, with the Eagles winning the most recent game, 23-11 at Giants Stadium on January 11, 2009.
2. Familiar faces all the way around
The six degrees of separation theory is in full effect for this matchup with several players and coaches having prior relationships or acquaintances in common.
Brian Daboll and Nick Sirianni work co-workers with the Chiefs before Andy Reid arrived. Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders were teammates at Penn State.
Brian Daboll coached Eagles All-Pro quarterback Jalen Hurts during his short stint at Alabama.
3. Boston Scott comes up big
If everything else fails on offense, the Eagles can always rely on running back Boston Scott to produce big numbers against the Giants.
In eight career games against the Giants, Scott has 414 rushing yards on 86 carries and 10 touchdowns.
Two of Scott’s three touchdowns this season have come against the Giants and he’s scored in both meetings.
4. Budding QB Rivalry?
Both players have been doubted at times in their careers, and there’s no doubt that the team with the best production at quarterback on Saturday night will likely end up victorious.
In his last three games, Jones has completed 72.3 percent of his passes (73 of 101) for 812 yards, five touchdowns, and just one interception. He’s most dangerous as a runner, similar to the Eagles All-Pro quarterback.
5. Eagles can't afford to be rusty
Philadelphia clinched a playoff spot prior to their Week 15 win over the Bears, but they didn’t clinch the No. 1 overall seed until Week 18.
The Eagles have been hyped for much of the season, but the postseason is a different monster, and most important, it is a one-and-done scenario.
In the Week 14 win, Philadelphia scored on their first three possessions and jumped on the Giants before winning 48-22.
The Eagles can ill-afford a slow start or choppy play on both sides of the football.
6. James Bradberry is Biggie Smalls
Angry about the way he was handled during the 2022 NFL offseason, cornerback James Bradberry literally gets “One More Chance” to break his former team’s heart.
In two games this season, Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor, and Davis Webb were 4-of-8 passing, for 45 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, and a 67.2 rating
Daniel Jones was 1-of-2 for 7 yards targeting Bradberry in the Week 14 matchup.
7. Pave the Lane
All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson returned to practice on Friday and was hopeful about having a “normal” week ahead of Saturday night’s game.
Johnson has gone almost two years without allowing a sack or quarterback hit and his presence will be needed against a Giants defensive front that harassed Kirk Cousins last Sunday.
