Eagles-Giants: Behind Enemy Lines With New York Beat Writer

As far as rivalries close, this one is close between the Eagles and Giants, with the Eagles holding a slim 94-89-2 overall record including the postseason.

Sunday’s game (1 p.m./FOX) will be a regular-season tilt. Whenever they seem to play, they always seem larger than most other games, and this one is no different with the Giants (2-4) trying keep the Eagles (3-2) from forging ahead by three games in the standings.

This week we went behind enemy lines with longtime Giants beat writer and the publisher/writer for Giants on SI, Patricia Traina. Here are five questions I asked her during the week with her answers:

Q: The Giants are 24th in rushing. How much do they miss Saquon Barkley?

A: I’m not going to say that they don’t miss Saquon Barkley – he’s an outstanding player who still has a bit of juice left in him. But you have to put the Giants rushing ranking into perspective. The Giants have run the ball 164 times this season, and of those rushing attempts, 114 have been by their three running backs (Devin Singletary, Tyrone Tracy, Jr., and Eric Gray). 

The Giants have attempted passing the ball 220 times, often because they were playing from behind. So, I don’t necessarily think the Giants ranking has anything to do with missing Barkley, as much as it does with how the Giants have approached the games.

Q: Thoughts on Barkley leaving, which angered Giants fans, and what do you think of what he has done for the Eagles?

A: I am not going to lie. I saw this coming when they didn’t get a long-term deal done before the 2023 season. Barkley just seemed to harbor some bitterness about it, as did general manager Joe Schoen, and I think that was made worse when Schoen failed to assign a value to Barkley’s services, in essence almost daring him to go out there and get a deal and then give him a chance to match it. Good for Saquon for getting his payday. He deserves it and to run behind a decent offensive line, something he has never done here in New York.

Q: Malik Nabers is one of the top rookies in the league. What are your impressions of him early on, and are you surprised how quickly he has made an impact?

A: As advertised. He’s fast, can separate, fights for the ball, and is also mature for a 21-year-old. I don’t detect any diva qualities in him. And I’m not surprised at the impact he’s made so far. We saw that in the OTAs and summer, so it was nice to see. And the coaches just so happen to believe that Nabers can get even better, so we’ll see how that transpires once he returns from his concussion.

Q: The Giants’ defense has been terrific, and they are ranked 10th in the league overall. Dexter Lawrence has been a force, but what are some reasons this D looks like the real deal?

A: I think you have to start with defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. He came to the Giants as having a reputation of not being a blitzer, but I think this year he’s done an outstanding job of mixing that up, depending on the opponent. And when he does bring the blitz, it’s being disguised well.

I also think, although the numbers don’t show it, Brian Burns has been very solid despite a groin issue. Azeez Ojulari has also stepped up, especially with Kayvon Thibodeaux, who had played well before breaking his wrist sidelined him.

The defensive secondary, which was a huge concern entering the season, has come along nicely. The unit is still the weakest link on the team, but it hasn’t been as disastrous as I thought it might be.

Q: Why do you think the Giants have found it difficult to right their ship with six losing seasons in the last seven years and possibly heading toward seven of the last eight?

A: I think it’s a combination of things. First, start with the coaching turnover. I’m sorry, but you just cannot change coaching staffs every two years and expect results. You bring in a new coaching staff, and they’re going to want their own guys, and then it takes forever to weed out the guys from the previous regime and replace them.

That said, I think the coaching hires before Daboll left much to be desired. You had Ben McAdoo, who had only really worked under Mike McCarthy and didn’t know any other way.

You had Pat Shurmur, who couldn’t cut it in Cleveland—why anyone thought he’d cut it in New York is a mystery. Then you have Joe Judge, who, like McAdoo, came from the same system (Nick Sabana/Bill Belichick). Daboll, at least, has been exposed to different systems and has an understanding of what works and what doesn’t.

And speaking of coaching, look no further than the development of some of these younger players. I always go back to last year with the Giants offensive line and how they had all these young players who didn’t take a step forward in their development. When it’s one player, you say, okay, it’s the player, but when it’s a cluster, you have to look at the coaching staff.

The other thing I’ll point to is the quarterback. This is Year 6 of the Daniel Jones era. At this point, he is what he is – and what he ain’t is a top-tier starting quarterback. I’m sorry, Jones supporters, but he throws with no anticipation, he can’t improvise, he bird dogs receivers, and if you force him off his first read, he’s toast. 

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