NFL Week 3 Keys to an Eagles' Victory against New York

The Eagles will play their second division game of the season when the New York Giants head into town this Sunday afternoon in a 1 p.m. kickoff at the Linc in Philadelphia’s home opener. The Birds upended Washington 31-17 at FedEx Field in Week 1 before a late-game rally came up short against Kansas City on the road last week in a 27-20 loss.

Each week of the season, I will be posting my keys to victory on offense, defense and special teams and below is this week’s to-do list to keep the Giants winless on the year.

Offense

The Eagles are going to have to find a way to run the ball against New York. Through the first two weeks of the season, the Giants are ranked 28th in the league against the run with an average of 133.5 rushing yards allowed. As far as the Eagles’ ground game, they have racked up an average of 82.5 yards per game, which is ranked 20th. LeGarrette Blount was a no-show against the Chiefs last week and Carson Wentz was the team’s leading rusher with 55 yards. Look for Darren Sproles to be the lead back against New York, but do not be surprised if Wendell Smallwood plays a bigger role in the ground game this Sunday afternoon.

Defense

My Week 1 key against the Redskins on defense was to keep constant pressure on quarterback Kirk Cousins with just the front four and the Eagles executed the plan to near perfection. Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham combined for three sacks and Cox’s touchdown on a forced fumble by Cousins late in the fourth quarter sealed the win. The Giants have no running game to speak of with a total of just 97 yards on the ground in two games, so making life miserable for Eli Manning all day long should be a very achievable goal.

Special Teams

I have got such a good feeling that Darren Sproles is going to have a big day against New York that I have him in my starting fantasy football lineup. As mentioned, he appears to be the primary option for running the ball on offense, but I also expect him to do some damage returning punts. Field position is always a big part of the game, but it actually becomes even more important in head-to-head division matchups given just how well each team knows one another.