After a 24-6 loss to the Saints last week, the NY Giants season is all but over. They're still mathematically alive for the playoffs, but the odds are stacked even more against them now. Sitting at 5-9 with three games left in the season, the road doesn't get any easier.
It starts this week in Philadelphia, as the Giants take on the Eagles for a Christmas Day showdown. Lincoln Financial Field has been a house of horrors for the Giants over the last decade, having not won there since the 2013 season. The Eagles have simply owned the Giants, beating them three times last season, including a 38-7 beatdown in the Divisional Round.
Besides praying, here's four ways the Giants could potentially pull off a massive upset in Philadelphia on Monday:
4. Make them respect the passing game
We see this too often when teams play the Giants: they simply don't respect or fear the passing attack. That's what happened in New Orleans last week. The Saints stacked the box many times, basically shutting down the run game.
Saquon Barkley had just 14 yards on nine carries, as the Saints clogged up running lanes all day, with the offensive line regressing immensely from their performance against the Packers a week before. There's obviously no scary receiving threat on the Giants at the moment. Darren Waller being back helps, but teams still aren't worried about the passing game.
As we saw on Monday night, the Eagles secondary is vulnerable, especially former Giant cornerback James Bradberry. Bradberry allowed every completion on the Seahawks' game-winning drive. Attack their weak points and get the passing game going.