Game Preview
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants
sunday, december 7, 2008 - 1:00 pm
*Giants aim to wrap up NFC East title*
Philadelphia (6-5-1) at NY Giants (11-1), 1:00 pm EST
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- It may be a foregone conclusion, but the New York Giants can officially become the first NFC team to clinch their division this weekend.
Riding a seven-game winning streak and showing no signs of letting up, the reigning Super Bowl champions can seal their first NFC East title since 2005 when they host to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon. With a win, New York would not only clinch the division, but earn a first-round bye as well.
Of course, the Giants will have to do so without one of the key players from last season's title run. Plaxico Burress was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list on Tuesday, bringing an end to what has been a tumultuous 2008 campaign for the controversial wide receiver.
Burress, who caught the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl in February, was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a Manhattan nightclub the previous weekend. He had already missed some time this season due to injuries and drew a one-game suspension for missing a team meeting.
However, the Giants have continued to roll with or without him. Last weekend, they dispatched of another division rival, throwing a kink into the Washington Redskins' postseason plans with a 23-7 victory at FedEx Field. Eli Manning had no trouble leading the offense without his biggest and most reliable receiver, as three players caught five passes apiece and the Super Bowl MVP posted his first 300-yard game of 2008.
Manning found veteran Amani Toomer for a 40-yard touchdown strike on the Giants' first possession and finished 21-for-34 for 305 yards. After the Redskins pulled to within 13-7, New York pulled away on Brandon Jacobs' 1-yard scoring plunge and Aaron Ross' interception of Jason Campbell on Washington's next possession.
Next up for the Giants are the Eagles, whom they held off last month, 36-31, in Philadelphia. While the Giants are working on wrapping up the division, the Eagles are just trying to hang on in the playoff race. One more loss and that might do it for Philadelphia, which came into the season with a lot of hype and lofty aspirations.
The Eagles, who are in danger of missing the postseason in consecutive years for the first time since 1997-99, suffered through a three-game winless streak in November that included a 13-13 tie with the lowly Cincinnati Bengals.
However, they rebounded on Thanksgiving, jumping all over the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals en route to a 48-20 win. Brian Westbrook scored four touchdowns and embattled quarterback Donovan McNabb recovered from two miserable showings to lead the team to its biggest offensive output of the season.
While the Eagles wouldn't be officially ousted from the playoff race with a loss, they enter Week 14 in last place in the NFC East - 1 1/2 games behind the Dallas Cowboys and a half-game back of Washington. Outside the division, they are competing for the wild card with the likes of Tampa Bay (9-3) and Carolina (9-3) - who are tied atop the NFC South - as well as Atlanta (8-4), New Orleans (6-6) and Chicago (6-6).
While the Giants control their own destiny, they would also clinch the division if Dallas loses to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.