Sat Dec. 28, 1:30 pm (FOX) - Eagles at Giants
And now the Eagles.
The Eagles have won six straight games, and taken the NFC East Championship title even without Donovan McNabb, but look
at how the Giants are playing. Take last week when they racked up 469 yards and 24 first downs against a defense run by Tony Dungy. They scored the most points by a Giants team in 14 years,
and everyone chipped in.
Marcellus Rivers blocked a punt and set up a 20-yard Matt Bryant field goal. An interception by linebacker Dhani Jones led to the first of Tiki Barber's two touchdowns, and it put the Giants
up 10-0 with 12:42 still left in the first half. On the first play of the second half, Collins handed off to Barber, who ran, stopped and lateraled back to Collins, who then threw deep to
Amani Toomer. He caught the pass on the run and scored an 82-yard touchdown that made the score 17-3. The next four Giants possessions ended in touchdowns, with Collins passing 18 yards to
Charles Stackhouse, 21 yards to Toomer and 27 yards to Toomer and Barber running for a 1-yard touchdown.
The defense held the Colts to just 5 first downs in their first seven
possessions, and they managed just two field goals through the first three quarters, with one coming only after they recovered a fumble by Tiki Barber at the New York 6.
The Giants were winning 30-6 in the fourth quarter before letting up, and allowed Peyten Manning and the Colts to put 21 mostly garbage-time points up on the board, while they continued to
score 14 more of their own.
That's the attitude.
How did the players react to this 44-27 win over a respected team like the Colts? They know there's a bit more work to do before they can celebrate. And
in the locker room after the game? "It doesn't matter if we don't win [Saturday against the Eagles], that was the reaction," defensive end Michael Strahan said. "We weren't in here popping
champagne and pouring Gatorade on anyone."
Strahan's right. The Giants have one big task left on the regular season agenda, and that's beating the Eagles who already have tied a franchise record for
victories, and set a record for most points scored (408) in a season. If the Eagles can go on to finish first in the conference, teams will have to come to Veterans Stadium for the playoffs,
and the Giants are in the way of their plans.
The Eagles can lose to the Giants and still lock up the NFC's top seed, but then only if Green Bay loses to the New York Jets on Sunday. Of course, the Eagles would rather settle this matter
on their own.
Donovan McNabb.
When Donovan McNabb first broke his ankle five weeks ago, it was thought he might make it back for this game against the Giants. Now, the Eagles (12-3) have won
five straight without McNabb, (six in a row overall), and the thought is to save McNabb for the playoffs. This is a big break for the Giants. In the 17-3 loss at Philadelphia on Oct. 28, they
were still learning how to play the defense without big run-stopping defensive tackle Keith Hamilton, who was lost for the season. McNabb scrambled seven times for 111 yards, including a sensational
40-yard touchdown run.
Michael Strahan said the Eagles offense "is a lot different" without McNabb. "But it's amazing to see those guys play
now, and they're playing really well. The quarterbacks they plug in there are playing well." That's all good talk from Strahan, but when it comes to scrambling, and keeping opposing defenses
off balance, their is no replacement for Donovan McNabb.
A. J. Feeley.
Eagles coach Andy Reid said that A. J. Feeley will start the final regular-season game against the New York Giants, with Koy Detmer as the backup. Detmer
won his only start at San Francisco, before dislocating his left elbow late in the third quarter of that game, and has backed up Feeley the last two games,
and been the holder on kicks. Feeley has led the Eagles to four straight victories.
Feeley has rushed 9 times for a total of 5 yards. His average of 0.6 yards-per-rush doesn't compare to McNabb's 7.3. Feeley has completed 73
of 129 passes for 861 yards, and has six touchdowns and four interceptions. He has been sacked six times and holds a passer rating of 79.6. The Eagles defense has certainly done their part,
coming up with 14 turnovers in the past four games for Feeley.
Eagles look out.
You might think that the Giants are just waking up now, but look at their record dating back to November 3. They have won six of their last eight games, and the two they lost were just by
2 and 3 points. In both those games, the Giants were ahead at the half, and also led in the fourth quarter.
In the last three weeks, the offense has averaged 36 points, and the defense has created 10 turnovers - five fumble recoveries and five interceptions. Previously, the Giants had forced only
14 turnovers in their first 12 games. The Giants' turnover ratio the last three games is plus 7, compared to the minus 6 they had 12 weeks into the season. In those three games they've produced
11 sacks, and the five interceptions they've had match the number they had in the first twelve.
Giants on offense.
Last week, Kerry Collins didn't miss many passes, completing 23 of 29 for 366 yards and four touchdowns. Amani Toomer
caught 10 of them for 204 yards and three touchdowns, including the gimmick play to start the second half, where Kerry Collins handed off to Tiki Barber, who pitched it back to the quarterback.
The ball spent the next 55 yards in the air before Toomer pulled it in. The 82-yard touchdown put the Giants ahead 17-3. Collins was very accurate with his passes. 17 of those completions
went to Amani Toomer and Jeremy Shockey, the two players the Colts' defense was keying on the whole game.
Left tackle Luke Petitgout did a great job against defensive end rookie star Dwight Freeney. Collins threw 29 times, and Freeney had no sacks, and was held to two tackles. Thanks to the work
of the offensive line, Collins was not sacked or intercepted as he completed touchdown passes of 82, 18, 21 and 27 yards against a Colts defense that entered the game ranked second against
the pass.
Amani Toomer doing the job.
Toomer was presented with the game ball for his efforts which resulted in three touchdowns against the Colts. Aside
from having a great game last week, Toomer is having a great season as well. He's caught 80 passes so far, breaking the team mark of 79 he set himself in 1999. Toomer caught 78 passes in 2000,
so he has the three highest one-year totals in Giants history. The previous record holder was Earnest Gray when he had 78 catches in 1983. Toomer has 1,286 receiving yards this year, breaking
the mark of 1,209 yards set by Homer Jones in 1967. Toomer also has the third-highest total with 1,183 yards in 1999.
Amani Toomer was presented with the game ball last Monday the next day for his efforts which resulted in three touchdowns against the Colts.
Cincinnati and New Orleans and the Panthers.
The Giants are in the position to control their own fate, because the Cincinnati Bengals with their last-ranked scoring defense, managed to stop the New Orleans Saints number two ranked scoring
offense. Nicolas Luchey scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to lead the Bengals to a 20-13 comeback win over Saints, as Cincinnati (2-13) snapped a six-game losing streak.
Now the Saints (9-6) have lost two straight games to non-contending teams and have dropped four of their last six games. For the Saints to make it to the post-season, they must beat the Carolina
Panthers in New Orleans and hope that either the Giants or Atlanta Falcons (at Cleveland) lose.
If the Giants win and the Falcons lose, the Giants will be the fifth seed and will visit the 49ers in the wild-card round. If the Giants lose to the Eagles, the only way they can get in is
if the Saints lose to the Panthers, coached by former Giants defensive coordinator John Fox. Under those circumstances, they would be the sixth seed and visit either the Packers or Bucs, because
if the Eagles win Saturday, they will be the NFC's No. 1 seed and get a first-round bye.
Notes:
Kerry Collins, with his 23-for-39, 366-yard, 4 touchdown performance in the Giants' 44-27 win last Sunday was perfect as far as quarterback ratings
are tallied.
Collins' QB rating for the game was 158.3 - the highest rating a QB can achieve.
Kerry Collins, in seven career regular-season games against the Eagles, has thrown 218 passes and no interceptions, which is an NFL record for passes by a QB
against an opponent without an interception.
Jeremy Shockey has 64 catches, two shy of Mark Bavaro's 1986 record for receptions by a tight end.
His 796 receiving yards are the most by a Giants tight end since Bavaro had 867 yards in 1987.
Head coach Jim Fassel in six years is 18-5 for the month of December.
Giants, with a victory over the Eagles tomorrow, would advance to the NFC playoffs for the third time in Fassel's six seasons.
Giants, in the nine games since the loss to the Eagles, have not allowed a first-quarter point.
They haven't given up a first-quarter touchdown all season, but the Eagles were the last team to get on the board at all in the first quarter when David Akers' 27-yard field goal gave them
a 3-0 lead.
Giants have allowed only nine points in the first period this season.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is:
the fewest points the Giants have allowed in any quarter since giving up seven points in the fourth period in 1944.
the fewest points they have allowed in the first period since giving up seven in 1935.
the fewest points allowed by any team in any quarter since the 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers gave up six in the first quarter.
Eagles had the most players selected to the Pro Bowl with seven, including three-fourths of their secondary.
Eagles last won 12 games in 1980, when they reached Super Bowl XV.
Eagles recorded 7 sacks and held the Cowboys to 146 total yards on Saturday.
Eagles are 11-0 against NFC teams this year.
Next Game
If the Giants make the playoffs and play the 49ers in the first round, the game will be next Sunday, Jan 5.
If the Giants make the playoffs and play the Buccaneers, the game will be next Saturday, Jan
4.
Last Week's review, game 15 - Giants 44 - Colts 27
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