The Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants will be one of a few division matchups in week seven. Malik Nabers will be making his return after a scary concussion he suffered two weeks ago on Thursday Night against the Cowboys. Nabers was on pace for the most prolific rookie receiver season ever, even better than Puka Nacua’s 2023. The Giants also have several bright spots on defense, with Dexter Lawerence and Brian Burns dominating offensive lines. However, they are both questionable heading into the contest. With Jordan Mailata’s recent placement on IR, Brian Burns could have a big day against a backup tackle if he were to play. The Giants will also be missing their starting left tackle after Andrew Thomas’s foot injury ended his season. The biggest matchup of the game will come against two highly prolific rookies, both of whom have had great seasons to date.
Stopping Malik Nabers
It is no secret that stopping Nabers is a big proponent of stopping the Giants’ offense. In the two games without him, they posted their highest and second-lowest point totals in a game. Their best offensive showing did come against Seattle, where they scored 29 points. Seattle is giving up the ninth most points per game in the NFL. However, they could not succeed, scoring only seven points against a middle-of-the-road Bengals unit carved up by teams like the Commanders, Ravens, and Panthers.
So, there was a mixed bag of results. However, the Bengals are on the upswing, while the Seahawks are going the other way. With Nabers back, the marquee matchup will be with Quinyon Mitchell across from him. Mitchell has been exceptional in his first season with the Eagles. The rookie corner has the 32nd-highest grade at his position among all players. He is also tied for the fourth most pass breakups at the position with six. The rookie has been an absolute stud through the first five games of his career.
Now, he will draw his most challenging test yet, and that is saying something, as he has already played against Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Drake London, and others. Teams know that Malik Nabers is getting the ball, which does not matter. Nabers has the fourth-highest yards per route run against man (3.82) and the seventh-highest against zone (2.48) (min of ten targets). So it doesn’t matter what coverage teams are running or who’s covering him; he’s getting the ball and excelling with it.
Mitchell will have his hands full, but he’s proven that no challenge is too big for him. He posted his highest PFF coverage grade against the Browns with an 80.1. That was the 12th-highest grade in week six. Look for this matchup on Sunday, as it will likely drastically swing the outcome of the matchup.
Saquon’s Return
Saquon Barkley has had this matchup circled this on the calendar for a long time. He is returning to New York, where he played his first seven years. The fans in New York will be meeting him with loud boos. However, it feels like Saquon made the right choice in how he performed in his first five games with the team. Yes, the game against Cleveland was a down one, but still, he’s been stellar to start the season. The Giants rank 15th in rushing yards allowed and recently struggled against the Bengals and Chase Brown. Seeing the team’s approach with Saquon against his former team will be interesting. He will get plenty of opportunities to show the Giants that they should have extended him.
Eagles vs. Giants Game Prediction
The Eagles vs. Giants will be a close contest. The Giants will come into this matchup better than many make them out to be. They have several strong pieces on the offense and defense. Daniel Jones has had a noticeably stronger start to the year. The team is 2-4, but any of those games besides the one against the Vikings could have gone their way. Especially with Malik Nabers back, this is not a team to overlook.
Even with the Eagles’ struggles, the key receivers being back will be enough to get past the Giants. The loss of Mailata will hurt, but the team is good enough to deal with the loss of a premier left tackle and still win football games. This team should beat the Giants as long as everyone is on the same page. However, you can never know if that is the case. They struggled last week, and the Giants are tougher competition than the Browns.
They will still win, but they won’t find it easy with a score of 23-16, and of course, one of those scores is a Saquon touchdown. This team needs to get going early. They have been unable to score in the first quarter this entire season. It would be paramount to see the Eagles get on the board early and build some confidence as we advance for the franchise and the fans.
