NEW YORK GIANTS
THURSDAY 8:25 Lincoln Financial Field, PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania
NEEDS TO STEP UP:
RB Byron Marshall: Even before RB Wendell Smallwood was injured, he looked decidedly ordinary. If there was a Hall of Fame for unremarkable players, Smallwood would be a first ballot inductee. So with Smallwood being hurt, RB Kenjon Barner being hurt, and RB Darren Sproles coming back from being hurt, the primary back-up to RB Ryan Mathews this week should be Marshall.
Marshall should get ample opportunity to show that last weeks game (9 – 22 – 2.4 – 0 – 0) was just first game jitters. He didn’t exactly look like a man possessed of RB instincts last week, so this week he needs to do as much as he can to show that he belongs in the NFL. Otherwise he’d better start practicing the phrase “Do you want fries with that?”
WE MUST CONTAIN:
The giants run game: The giants are 30th in the NFL in rushing, averaging 81.2 yards per game. We don’t need to do anything amazing, just don’t get embarrassed by a team doing something they suck at. Not that it matters to the final score, but as a measure of pride…it’d be nice to see some.
EAGLES STORY LINE:
RT Lane Johnson returns this week. It’ll be nice to see him get to work shoulder to shoulder with RG Brandon Brooks so they can work on their chemistry and communication during a live game, and get a jump on next year. (Unless of course, the plan is to move Johnson to LT next year.)
BOTTOM LINE:
I don’t want to be swept by the giants, but we have to keep our eyes on the prize.
PREDICTION:
Eagles 16 – Giants 28
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