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Giants - Eagles
Game 8 preview
 

Sun Oct 29, 4:00 pm (Fox) - Eagles at Giants

The Series.
The Met fans know that the Mets are a great baseball team. No one is arguing. The Yankees might have won the series 4-1, but look at the scores. Game 1: Yankees 4, Mets 3 (12 innings) Game 2: Yankees 6, Mets 5 Game 3: Mets 4, Yankees 2 Game 4: Yankees 3, Mets 2 Game 5: Yankees 4, Mets 2. Each game was a close battle with one team being just a bit better this year. Well, the baseball season is over for now and things do change. Amidst the shouts of "Wait until next year.", it's time to put the focus back on football, where the Giants are going into the second game of their yearly "series" with the Eagles. The Giants were the better team when they faced Philadelphia in their first encounter, coming away with a 33-18 win, and even beating the Eagles in their own town, same as the Yankees winning it at Shea. Football fans, however, don't have to wait until next year, and the big question for this week is who is the better team right now? Since that loss to the Giants, the Eagles have gone on to win 4 of 6, with their defense not allowing any opponent more than 17 points.

Some Stats.
By the way Met fans, the deck was stacked against you from the start. In the last 11 World Series where NY teams went up against each other, the Yankees had won 10 of them. This last one makes it 11 of the last 12. We present the total record of all games, mostly because it's so amazing (no pun). One thing you'll notice is that the Yankees lost the first two of these things, and maybe that's where the current Mets team is now. Getting their feet wet in these NY World Series battles before they embark on their own amazing dynasty.

Results of the 14 World Series games between New York teams:
1921: Giants 5, Yankees 3
1922: Giants 4, Yankees 0, 1 tie
1923: Yankees 4, Giants 2
1936: Yankees 4, Giants 2
1937: Yankees 4, Giants 1
1941: Yankees 4, Dodgers 1
1947: Yankees 4, Dodgers 3
1949: Yankees 4, Dodgers 1
1951: Yankees 4, Giants 2
1952: Yankees 4, Dodgers 3
1953: Yankees 4, Dodgers 2
1955: Dodgers 4, Yankees 3
1956: Yankees 4, Dodgers 3
2000: Yankees 4, Mets 1

Giants stats.
The amazing stat that Giants fans are looking at right now, is that the Giants have won 7 straight games against the Eagles. It's the longest winning streak the Giants have had against the Eagles since winning 9 in a row from them in the 1938 to 1942 years. There is also the amazing bye week stat. The Giants hold the best record going into it, (11-1) and the worst, in the week following it (2-9). Head coach Jim Fassel (0-3 after bye weeks), decided to do something in practice to get his team going for this week's game. "We put the pads on and came back strong Monday. I increased the intensity." Fassel said.

How Jim Fassel is sort of like Al Gore.
Just as the VP running for president, has promised to put Social Security in a "lockbox", to insure that the country will have it down the line when we need it, the coach has put Joe Montgomery in a "lockbox" in case he needs his services down the line. The running back the Giants used as their main man last year, is fine and healthy but hasn't played in even one game so far. Joe is so far removed from playing, that he's only been activated and suited up for one game to date. Fassel says that they can't find a way to get him on the field in any other capacity, like special teams or subbing for anyone or being used as a blocker for the running game. They feel he's not good in those areas, and others are.
There is this other thing. Joe has this history of getting hurt a lot. If they do let him on the field and he gets hurt, there goes their backup plan. You see, if Ron Dayne or Tiki Barber get hurt, they'll make do for that game, and then activate Joe for the next one. They must really believe in this, because they could have traded Joe before the trading deadline, but chose not to.

Jack in the box. Wait, we mean Joe in the box.
You can guess that Joe Montgomery is not the happiest player on this team right now. Being preserved for some future use while everyone else around you gets to play, is not the ideal situation for a football player to be in. Some of this frustration might be showing up in practice.
Joe Montgomery, working with the scout team, was involved in two minor scuffles this week. On Monday, after he was flung aside by defensive end Michael Strahan, he turned around and fired the football back at the defensive group. Ryan Hale got hit, and he went after Montgomery. On Thursday Joe and safety Shaun Williams tumbled to the ground along the sidelines and began fighting after Shaun tried to strip him of the ball. Jim Fassel came over and ordered them to cut it out. Effectively, Jim Fassel has Joe in a lockbox, and he seems to be trying to pop out in any way he can.

The kickers on this team are in and out of Fassel's lockbox every other week, as they duel it out in practice for the start. This week Jaret Holmes is nursing a soreness in his right ankle, and consequently didn't kick for two straight days. This should make Brad Daluiso a 'shoe-in' for this Sunday's game against the Eagles. Holmes could be the successor to Brad Daluiso if Brad, after eight seasons with the team, decides not to re-sign as a free agent after this season.

Also in the lockbox is Mike Cherry. Remember him? He's the No. 3 quarterback on this team, and will also be a free agent after this season. Maybe he will have to look elsewhere for a chance to actually play in a game.

Amazing Quarterback
The Eagles have won four of six games since playing the Giants, and they lost those two games by just three points to Green Bay and Washington. Donovan McNabb has been coming along strong since that first game, where the Giants defense hit him with a variety of blitz packages he had never seen before. He'll be ready for the Giants this time. Also without cornerback Jason Sehorn in the secondary the Giants won't be able to do the things they did so well in that first game. The Giants pass defense that has allowed an average of 237 yards per game, with cornerback Jason Sehorn playing. Emmanuel McDaniel, starting for Sehorn is only 5-9, and he will have to defend against 6-3 receiver Torrance Small. That could spell trouble.
Also, McNabb can really scramble. R
unning back Duce Staley is out for the season with a broken foot, and McNabb has become a team leader in rushing as well. The elusive quarterback has carried the ball 43 times and gained 277 yards ( 6.4 per carry) and has scored 3 TDs, including the first allowed this season rushing by the Giants. The Eagles have won two of three games since losing Duce Staley, showing they can do it using running back Darnell Autry, but he has averaged just 2.8 yards per carry in his three starts and fumbled twice last week. Stanley Pritchett, has 50 yards on 10 carries over the past two weeks and might get some more time this week.

Amazing Quarterback
In that first Eagles game, quarterback Kerry Collins completed 21 of 29 passes for 220 yards, 2 TDs and no INTs for a rating of 117.0. The Giants since beating the Eagles 33-18
at Veterans Stadium, have averaged just 13.2 points in their last five games. Collins hasn't passed for 200 yards in any of the last three games, his TD-INT ratio has dropped to 8-7. He owns a completion rate of 59 percent, and his passer rating is just 73.9.
One help for Collins could be wide receiver Amani Toomer who had his best practice in a month on Thursday, making several outstanding grabs. If Toomer is completely over his foot injury which resulted in some missed practices, he could be a big boost for the offense. Ike Hilliard could lend an assist here as well. Both he and Toomer caught deep touchdown passes in that first game. They also have to work on the red zone plays. In 20 drives inside the opponents' 20-yard line, the Giants have scored nine touchdowns and have settled for eight field goals.
Collins will also have to watch out for Eagles DE Hugh Douglas, who leads the NFL with 11 sacks. He's up against the Giants LT Lomas Brown, who allowed one sack to Douglas early on in their first meeting, but held him for the rest of the game.

Coverage against the Eagles.
Cornerback Reggie Stephens turned in a solid performance, filling in for an injured Jason Sehorn against the Cowboys two weeks ago, but he hasn't practiced this week because of a bruised left heel. That means that Andre Weathers will make his debut this season, most likely as the nickel cornerback. Weathers made a dramatic impact when in his first NFL game he turned an interception of Trent Dilfer into a game winning touchdown return in Tampa. Andre tore the ACL in his left knee against the Colts last November and that spelled the end of his rookie season. He's spent much of this season rehabbing his left knee, after undergoing surgery last December. Andre didn't recover enough to make it into any of the preseason games, but has shown strong steady improvement in the practice games.
Emmanuel McDaniel will start in place of Jason Sehorn (fractured rib) at right corner.

Injuries: GIANTS: OUT: CB Jason Sehorn (rib). QUESTIONABLE: LB Brandon Short (ankle). PROBABLE: DT Cornelius Griffin (concussion); CB Reggie Stephens (ankle).
Philadelphia: OUT: S Rashard Cook (concussion). QUESTIONABLE: DT Paul Grasmanis (back); DE Mike Mamula (foot); DT Corey Simon (knee). PROBABLE: RB Darnell Autry (calf); LB Carlos Emmons (thigh); QB Donovan McNabb (forearm).


Notes
A win gives the Giants a 6-1 conference record, and puts them at 4-1 in the NFC East, which will help for tie-breaking purposes. A loss sends them into third place. Fans can watch the Washing Redskins play against the Tennessee Titans on Monday night. If the Giants win and the Redskins lose, the Giants regain a tie for first in the NFC East.

Head coach Jim Fassel has never lost against the Eagles.

Giants have won seven straight over the Eagles.

Giants offensive coordinator Sean Payton once worked for the Eagles.

Eagles offensive coordinator Rod Dowhower once worked for the Giants.

RB Ron Dayne is coming off a career-best 108-yard game against the Cowboys prior to the bye week.

Last Game - Sept. 10, Giants 33-18. At Philadelphia, Collins passed for 220 yards and 2 TDs.

Next Game
Nov 5, Giants at Cleveland, 1PM FOX

For those very organized fans.
If you use a Palm Pilot and want to keep the Giants schedule, and actually, the whole NFL schedule on it, there is a free download available here at PFL.

Last Week's review, Giants Bye Week Stuff

NFC East - after Week 8
Team W L T PCT PF PA Home Road AFC NFC DIV Streak
Washington 6 2 0 .750 149 115 3 - 1 3 - 1 2-0 4 - 2 2 - 1 W5
Giants 5 2 0 .714 120 105 2 - 1 3 - 1 0-1 5 - 1 3 - 1 W2
Philadelphia 5 3 0 .625 181 110 2 - 2 3 - 1 0-0 5 - 3 2 - 2 W2
Dallas 3 4 0 .429 174 174 1 - 2 2 - 2 0-0 3 - 4 2 - 3 W1
Arizona 2 5 0 .286 121 210 2 - 2 0 - 3 1-0 1 - 5 1 - 3 L2

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