PHILADELPHIA − It’s interesting to see how the Giants are doing what the Eagles have done so well in the past, a sign of two franchises headed in opposite directions.
When Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury, the Giants, unwilling to give up on the season, traded for J.J. McCarthy, the former first-round pick who was languishing on the Vikings‘ bench as the No. 3 QB.
Advertisement
They were buyers, and they still might be as they’re rumored to be in the running for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor by the Nov. 10 deadline.
Buy Philadelphia Eagles tickets
Contrast that to when Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was presumably lost for the season due to blood clots. The Eagles turned the position over to their No. 3 QB (at the start of the season) in Tanner McKee, to mixed results.
And it’s believed that they’re sellers at the deadline after already trading A.J. Brown and Cam Jurgens for future draft picks.
As for the Giants, who are in first place in the NFC East at 4-2-1, McCarthy has shined in his five quarters of action. He threw for 252 yards in a 27-21 overtime win over the Texans in Houston on Oct. 25. The week before, McCarthy nearly led a comeback against the Saints when he replaced Jameis Winston and threw for 243 yards in the fourth quarter.
McCarthy has thrown for 495 yards, completed 63.3% of his passes and has a passer rating of 95.2. McKee has started three games since Hurts went on IR. He has thrown for 638 yards, completed 63.2% of his passes and has a rating of 76.6.
Advertisement
McCarthy has a star receiver to throw to in Malik Nabers, who has 608 yards receiving through seven games and four straight games with at least 100 yards. McKee, meanwhile, hasn’t had the Eagles’ top two receivers in DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks for the past two games because of injuries.
“They’ve got a really good offense,” Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said about the Giants. “They’ve got it going right now. They’ve got good wideouts, good tight ends, two good backs. The quarterback has come in, in a short period of time, and really done a nice job. For them to get him for a sixth-round pick is a steal.”
That helps explain why the Giants are in the top-15 in the NFL in all of the major offensive categories, with a chance to get even better, while the Eagles are either at the bottom (yards per game) or close to it (rushing offense 27th, passing offense 27th and points per game 30th), and trending in the wrong direction.
Here’s how we see the game going:
Our prognosticators are Martin Frank (Eagles beat writer/columnist, Delawareonline.com), Greg Giesen (sports strategist, Delawareonline.com), Tom McGurk (sports editor, Courierpostonline.com), Tom Moore (sports columnist, Phillyburbs.com), Bob Jordan (sports editor, app.com), Bert Bainbridge (sports trending reporter & columnist, Northjersey.com), Tom Haines (Pennsylvania state planning), Kevin Tresolini, (college sports reporter, Delawareonline.com), Michelle Ganassi (audience director & die-hard Steelers fan, Delawareonline.com), Tom Rimback (sports writer, Courierpostonline.com), Brandon Holveck (high school sports reporter, Delawareonline.com)
Advertisement
The Eagles’ plan for the season is clear now after their sixth straight loss − play the young guys, take their lumps and get the best draft pick possible. As of right now, the Eagles have the No. 5 pick. Why stop there? The Giants haven’t won at the Linc since 2013, and John Harbaugh is 15-3 coming off a bye from his years with the Ravens.
The pick: Giants 29, Eagles 17
“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” Those were the words on the Gate of Hell in Dante’s poem “The Divine Comedy.” One could easily say those words should be etched on Lincoln Financial Field. I wrote earlier in this losing streak that the Eagles may not win another game this season, and the Birds are making me look like Nostradamus. Without a functioning offense, the defense will get gassed. Those elements will make the Giants look like the G-Men of the 1980s and early 1990s.
Advertisement
The pick: Giants 27, Eagles 12
The Giants come into the Linc and hand the Birds their seventh straight setback.
The pick: Giants 27, Eagles 13
The Giants’ offense now coordinated by former University of Delaware QB Matt Nagy benefitted from his switch to recently acquired J.J. McCarthy at quarterback while the Eagles’ offense appears quite limited with Tanner McKee at the helm.
The pick: Giants 20, Eagles 13
Believe the Eagles aren’t thinking about the bye week ahead? Fuhgeddaboudit! Get ready for a big beatdown by Big Blue with the hope that things may rebound for the Birds after a week away from football.
Advertisement
The pick: Giants 28, Eagles 12
John Harbaugh is making good in his inaugural season heading up the first-place Giants, but are the G-Men really that good? They have a plus-2 point differential and recently promoted J.J. McCarthy to starter in a quarterback shuffle after losing Jaxon Dart for the season. You might expect the Eagles to roll over once again after consecutive 17-point losses to division foes. But I’m calling for a defensive battle with a heartbreak ending for the hometown team.
The pick: Giants 16, Eagles 13
Barring any huge trades, the Eagles should be able to get back onto the winning track against the resurgent Giants. Sadly, for our North Jersey brethren, Bill Parcells isn’t walking through the stadium doors anytime soon.
Advertisement
The pick: Giants 23, Eagles 22
No one thought this would be the reality at the midway point of the season with the Giants in the driver seat in the NFC East and the Eagles in free fall mode. Fresh off a bye, the G-Men defeat the Birds at Lincoln Financial Field for the first time in 13 years.
The pick: Giants 30, Eagles 17
J.J. McCarthy may not be Y.A. Tittle but doesn’t have to be with Harbaugh’s spiffy after-a-bye record (15–3, best among modern era head coaches with at least 10 games).
The pick: Giants 22, Eagles 19
8-0: Bainbridge
7-1: Giesen, McGurk,
Advertisement
6-2: Moore, Tresolini
5-3: Haines, Holveck
4-4: Frank, Rimback
3-3: Ganassi
3-5: Jordan
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Sign up for the “Eye On The Eagles” newsletter, emailed to your inbox every Friday morning. Read his coverage of the Eagles‘ championship season in “Flying High,” a hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Will Eagles stop surging Giants’ QB? Our experts score predictions
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
