Jacobs and Bradshaw Vs. Eagles Front Seven

Added on Dec 15, 2010 by Scott in

NFL

The NFC East is on the line this Sunday when the Eagles travel to the Meadowlands to wage a gridiron war with the Giants. One of the best things about heated division rivalries is the familiarity both teams have for one another. There won’t be many surprises, tricks or gadgets employed in this one. The Giants will look to establish a ground attack and the Eagles will scheme to stop it. Whichever side wins this crucial matchup will likely leave with a victory and sole possession of first place. So, who has the edge? Let’s take a look.

The Giants rank fourth in the league in rushing. The deadly duo of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs have combined for 1809 yards and 16 scores. Since losing to the Eagles in Week 11 — when they were held to 39 yards on 17 carries — the pair has gained 555 yards and scored six touchdowns. More importantly, Big Blue is 3-0 in those games.

With injuries to starting wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith, head coach Tom Coughlin turned to his bruising backs to carry the offense and they have delivered. Nicks is back, but Smith has a strained hamstring and Mario Manningham is dealing with a hip flexor. If either or both are unable to play on Sunday, expect more from Bradshaw and Jacobs. If it ain’t broke, no reason to monkey with it. The return of left tackle David Diehl, who missed the first meeting, will also help.

As for the Eagles, they currently rank 11th versus the run and are yielding about 104 yards per game. They have held Maurice Jones-Drew, Frank Gore, Michael Turner, Chris Johnson and Arian Foster all under 100 yards thus far. Only Matt Forte has topped the century mark (117). However, gang green’s success was with starting linebacker Stewart Bradley manning the middle.

Bradley will miss Sunday’s game (and possibly the rest of the season) with a dislocated elbow. The last time he was out of the lineup was Week 2 when Lions rookie Jahvid Best rumbled for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Without Bradley for all of 2009, the Eagles struggled mightily against the run. Replacing Stew will be rookie Jamar Chaney, who is four inches shorter and twenty pounds lighter.

Chaney is a step faster, but his lack of bulk and experience will be tested by Bradshaw and Jacobs. To be fair, Bradley isn’t the only reason for the improved run defense. Defensive tackle Antonio Dixon and linebacker Moise Fokou have made significant contributions since moving into the starting lineup. And Mike Patterson, Trent Cole and Quintin Mikell have provided consistent support.

The Giants must do a better job of establishing the line of scrimmage early. Look for them to attack the aggressive Eagles front by running on the edges and right at Chaney. If the Birds don’t take proper angles and tackle well, it will be a long afternoon.

The return of cornerback Asante Samuel is key. If he can play, defensive coordinator Sean McDermott can bring the safeties into the box for assistance. If Samuel can’t go, committing extra guys could prove costly when the Giants utilize play-action to hit Nicks and tight end Kevin Boss.

The Giants are healthy along the offensive line and are rotating Bradshaw and Jacobs perfectly. If the Eagles can prevent backbreaking runs and force third and longs, they’ll be in good shape. That being said, the loss of Bradley came at the absolute worst time. His ability to penetrate into the backfield will be sorely missed. The Birds are usually good at making adjustments, but edge still goes to the G-Men.