After stunning the world with their 31-24 victory over the Vikings in the Wild Card Round, the NY Giants enter the divisional round set to face off against the Philadelphia Eagles, arguably their biggest rivals.
While the regular season did not go as planned for the Giants when they played Philly, there is still a very good chance we see the Giants surprise the NFL world once again by taking down the powerhouse in Philadelphia and move on to the NFC Championship Game. Here’s four reasons why we think Big Blue can pull this off:
4. Adoree’ Jackson and Xavier McKinney will continue to show their impact
Following a knee injury he suffered in Week 11, NY Giants cornerback Adoree’ Jackson would miss the rest of the regular season and it was very clear that New York’s defense needed his abilities. However, in just one game against the Minnesota Vikings, Jackson showed how great of a player he is with his play against Justin Jefferson.
Jackson allowed just five receptions for 32 yards when matched up against Jefferson, which when you consider just how good Jefferson has been this season, that is incredibly impressive. The last time the Giants played Minnesota without Jackson, Jefferson caught 12 passes for 133 yards and a TD.
Entering the Giants Divisional Round matchup against the Eagles, Jackson will most likely be matched up against A.J Brown, who, like Jefferson, is among the best receivers in the league. Brown may be a bit more physically dominant than Jefferson is, but we are still pretty confident that Jackson will make things difficult for him. Brown caught eight passes for 165 yards and a TD in two games against the Giants during the regular season.
By the chance that Jackson isn’t able to hang with Brown, the Giants will also have Xavier McKinney this game, who will do an incredible job at limiting big-time plays like when on the field. This is what McKinney does best – he may not have the crazy interception numbers like last season, but this is because NFL offenses are more aware of his abilities and don’t look to throw his way. Regardless, these two will be key.