17-11-2023,
The list of ways in which the are better than the is long and comprehensive and there's not really a counterargument that makes much sense ahead of Saturday's NFC Divisional Round showdown ( ).They're better at quarterback, with ' body of work stronger than that of , despite the latter's impre sive end to the year and rather triumphant display in his first ever playoff game last weekend.They're monumentally better at receiver, with their group among the best in the entire league, as takes steps toward superstardom and reels in catch after catch.Tight end goes Philly's way too, as does the offensive line, the defensive line and cornerback, where slays, and released by the Giants and picked up by the Eagles is right there with him.Philadelphia won both regular season-meetings at a canter, is a 7.5-point favorite per FOX Bet and faces a Giants team that is the lowest remaining seed in the postseason, having eliminated the last weekend.Sounds Mark Bavaro Jersey like everything is lining up for a special Philly run at the Super Bowl, bouncing off a 14-3 campaign and an extra week of rest for capturing the NFC's No. 1 seed, right?Yeah. But .What about Hurts' injury, a sprain in the SC joint of his shoulder sustained a month ago, and with a lingering layer of mystery hanging over it, even as the third-year QB was not listed on the injury report this week? Hurts has played just one game (against the Giants on Jan. 8) since mid-December, and he didn't Carl Banks Jersey look especially good in it. As our Ralph Vacchiano wrote yesterday, What about the divisional factors at play, and the reality that it's really freaking hard to beat the same team three times in a single season? The Giants got shellacked twice 48-22 and 22-16 and yes, it is po sible for 22-16 to be a shellacking. Go remind yourself by watching a replay if you need to.However, history states that in playoff meetings between divisional rivals, the 0-2 team wins a surprisingly high 37.5% of the time (nine out of 24).What if the NFC's top seed is historically cursed? Fine, that's laying on the drama a little thick, but numbers and precedent don't smile kindly upon the teams that have shined brightest in the conference during the regular season. Dating back 20 years, only three times has the NFC's No. 1 team lifted the Vince Lombardi Trophy, the most recent instance being when the Eagles themselves did it at the end of the 2017 season, a sisted by Doug Pederson having nerves of steel and (who knew?) po se sing hands of diamond.Twice B.J. Hill Jersey as often, the top seed has crashed out in its very first game, a six-chapter tale of woe, starring unfortunate luminaries such as (twice), , , Tony Romo and Eli Manning. The Giants were also twice the underdog doing the upsetting and in the 2011 season knocked off No. 1 Green Bay en route to a Super Bowl triumph.There are few things more wince-inducing in football than a glorious regular season being followed by an immediate elimination at the playoff's first hurdle. All that lost potential, the sense that it was ultimately for nothing, despite all the good vibes through the autumn.That's the greatest fear for the Eagles just now, but the overall topic of pain is front of mind. The Giants want to inflict some and know their best chance is Deandre Baker Jersey if things get rugged.Hurts has been hurting and knows that his opponents will be lining up his shoulder for some special treatment."It's football," he told reporters. "I've got a bounty on me every week I go out there on the field. So, I'm going to go out there and just play my game, and whatever happens, happens."The atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field promises to be ferocious; so much so that New York defensive lineman told his mother to stay home."Hostile," head coach Brian Daboll said, when asked what he was expecting. "I don't have good adjectives other than that."For the Giants, this has been a rare diversion from years of suffering under the thumbscrews, a campaign that has delivered the double-whammy of fun right now and the tease of more enjoyment to come.This wasn't supposed to be the time for a run like this, Daboll wasn't supposed to have this kind of immediate impact after coming in as head coach. Jones wasn't supposed to be much of a QB at all. The Lawrence Taylor Jersey NFC East was supposed to be one of the weakest divisions in football.All of that got flipped, and here is Big Blue, with a glorious opportunity few saw coming. In a cauldron of noise, against a higher seed and a better team, that it's already lost to, twice.What if?Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider newsletter. Follow him on Twitter and .Top stories from FOX Sports: NFL trending in this topic
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