New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Top 5 matchups to watch
By Henry Buggy
The New York Giants may be 1-4 but a win against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football will have them right back in the NFC East picture.
New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur isn’t worried about the division standings entering Thursday’s matchup. His top concern is getting a win, via New York’s team website.
"“I was made aware that everybody in our division lost, that really has no effect on us right now. We have to go out and win a game. That is what it is, but it’s just another indication and I’ve been saying it all along, you just keep playing. You never know. I think the last two times that the Giants made the (playoffs), I think they were 9-7, so we’ve just got to keep playing. These guys love to play the game, it’s their livelihood, but they certainly play it with great emotion and great passion and they just keep playing.”"
The G-Men are coming off a devastating loss against the Carolina Panthers in Week 5 and are hungry to get their first divisional win of the season. The Eagles are also desperate, riding a two-game losing streaking into Thursday’s game.
Both teams will be without key players. Giants tight end Evan Engram will miss his third straight start with a knee injury, and his backup, Rhett Ellison, is listed as questionable due to a foot injury. The Eagles will be without defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (calf) and safety Corey Graham (hamstring), and right tackle Lane Johnson was added to the injury report on Thursday with a high-ankle sprain.
More on #Eagles OT Lane Johnson: My understanding is this high-ankle sprain he was battling is something that will make it difficult for him to play. He’s going to do everything he can and will test it pre-game. But he has an uphill battle. Halapoulivaati Vaitai is his backup.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 11, 2018
There’s no shortage of intriguing matchups to watch in this NFC East showdown. Here’s a look at the top five matchups that will have a significant impact on the outcome of Thursday’s game.