Behind Enemy Lines: Insider Analysis on the Philadelphia Eagles

SI/Fan Nation's Eagle Maven Publisher Ed Kracz offers some additional insight into the Philadelphia Eagles, who host the Giants in Week 16.

SI/Fan Nation's Eagle Maven Team Publisher Ed Kracz gives us an insiders look into the Philadelphia Eales, who are looking for their eight straight home game win against the Giants.

Visit Eagle Maven for more information about the New York Giants' Week 16 opponent.

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These two teams only saw each other about a month ago. What has been the biggest change, for better or worse, in the Eagles since then?

The Giants are the only team standing between the Eagles and a five-game winning streak. Philadelphia won two games in a row heading into their Nov. 28 matchup in New York and have won two in a row since to position themselves, at 7-7, for a return to the playoffs after a one-year absence.

I’m not sure how much has changed since then. The Eagles will try to run the ball to get to the pass.

Perhaps one thing that may change – and it’s probably a stretch - is the extra motivation Jalen Hurts will have after playing his worst game of the season in the first matchup in which he threw three interceptions and led an offense that had scored 30-plus points in six games this year to only one touchdown.

The running game has rushed for 100+ yards in four of its last six games. Besides the backs themselves, what has been the biggest source behind that surge?

It all starts with the offensive line, which may be the best in the NFL from the starting five through the depth. The Eagles were down to their fifth and sixth guards against Washington last week – Sua Opeta and Nate Herbig after losing Brandon Brooks, Isaac Seumalo, Jack Driscoll for the season, and rookie Landon Dickerson (COVID list). Yet the run game did not skip a beat, putting up 238 years on the ground against a Washington team that owned the fifth-best run defense in the league.

A lot of credit goes to O-line coach Jeff Stoutland, who may be the best in the business, after developing Jordan Mailata, a former Australian rugby star who never played a down of football into one of the top left tackles in the game.

It's the line that has allowed the Eagles to run for more than 175 yards in seven straight games, which is the longest streak in the NFL since the 1985 Chicago Bears, led by Walter Payton, did it. They have run for more than 200 yards in four of their last five games and five times already this season and own the top-ranked running offense in the NFL.

While Jalen Hurts’ ability to make plays with his legs cannot be overlooked – he leads the team in rushing with 733 yards – they are doing it by committee, with Miles Sanders (709 yards), Jordan Howard (343 in just five games), and, sometimes, rookie Kenny Gainwell (209).

How the Giants Can Slow Down the Eagles Rushing Attack / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Eagles ran the ball for 208 yards against the Giants, a season-high allowed by the Giants defense. Coach Gene Clemons takes a look at how the Giants can prevent a repeat from that kind of performance this weekend.

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Giants Injury Report: Kadarius Toney, Two Others Activated Off COVID-19 List :: Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Giants are slowly inching back to having a healthier roster, as three players come off the COVID-19 list.

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New York Giants Week 16 Opponent First Look: Eagles Offense / Jerry Habraken via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Not much has changed since the Giants last saw the Philadelphia Eagles, other than the fact the Eagles have won two in a row since the Giants beat them in Week 12. Let's take a look at the Eagles offense.

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New York Giants Week 16 Opponent First Look: Eagles Defense / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Let's check in on the Eagles defensive personnel.

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New York Giants - Week 16 Storylines to Watch / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants head down to Philadelphia this weekend to face an Eagles team that has won its last seven home games against the Giants.

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Giants Joe Judge: No Decision Yet on Starting Quarterback :: Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Giants head coach Joe Judge said they'll go through the week before deciding on a starting quarterback for Sunday's game versus the Eagles.

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Giants Dilemma: What to Do With Daniel Jones's Fifth-year Option / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Daniel Jones's career durability issues raises a question about whether the Giants would be better off declining his fifth-year option. Some thoughts.

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Given Hurts’s success of late, is it no longer a valid assumption to think that making him throw the ball will lead to the easier path to victory in that he’ll make a mistake?

The Giants did a nice job confusing Hurts in their first game, playing seven in pass defense and giving him some looks he hadn’t seen. I still think the best way to beat the Eagles is to make Hurts throw the ball, something he hasn’t been consistent with thus far in his career.

However, his ability to run was taken away during the previous game between the two teams after he suffered an ankle sprain midway through. An ankle sprain caused Hurts to miss the following week’s game against the Jets. The injury didn’t affect him in his return after 23 days vs. Washington, but he didn’t seem to run as much as usual.

What has Jason Kelce meant to this Eagles team? Kelce will make his 120th straight start when these two teams meet on Sunday. He has missed just a handful of snaps due to in-game injury this season. He came out against the Giants in the first matchup this year, but after leaving in the first half, he came back midway through the second half.

At 34, he is the anchor of this team’s O-line, was just named to his third straight Pro Bowl and fifth overall, and is the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nomination.

There are whispers that he may retire at the end of this season, and the clock will begin to tick toward what should eventually be a Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. When his retirement does happen, it will be a big loss for this franchise as it tries to find his replacement.

How much do you anticipate the Eagles changing things against the Giants since they recently saw each other?

As Joe Judge pointed out on a conference call during the week, you can’t just Xerox the same script, so I would expect the Eagles to do some things differently. That will likely be finding a way to get tight end Dallas Goedert and rookie WR DeVonta Smith more involved. Smith had just two catches for 22 yards, and Goedert only one catch for zero yards.

It will be interesting to see how the offense runs if Nick Sirianni cannot be on the sidelines after entering COVID protocols on Wednesday. Offensive coordinator Shane Steichen will call the plays if Sirianni cannot return.

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