After finally picking up their first conference win in Week 5, the Eagles go for their first division win in Week 6 when they host the Giants on Monday Night Football.
This is a crucial, crucial game for the 2-3 Eagles, who have lost division games to the Cowboys and Redskins. Both of those teams are also 2-3, while the Giants currently lead the division at 3-2 after three straight wins.
With the Cowboys off and the Redskins playing a rested Jets team, a win for the Eagles could put them in first place after six weeks despite how poorly they've played to this point.
Here's what to expect Monday night:
When the Eagles have the ball
Sam Bradford overcame two terrible early turnovers against the Saints to turn in another dominant second-half performance. And after facing porous pass defenses in the Redskins and Saints, he'll take on another suspect secondary Monday night.
The Giants have allowed 304.2 pass yards per game. That's the most in the NFL, and they're the only team averaging 300-plus pass yards allowed.
Things are likely to get even worse for the Giants' secondary with top cornerback Prince Amukamara out approximately one month with a pectoral injury.
NFL
The flipside is the Giants have allowed the second-fewest rush yards per game, 80.6. They did, however, allow San Francisco's Carlos Hyde to rush 21 times for 93 yards and a TD in last Sunday night's last-minute win.
Stopping the run is the Giants' defensive line's saving grace because they can't rush the passer even a little bit. Jonathan Hankins and Kerry Wynn are far from household names, but they've done a great job of disrupting runs at the line of scrimmage.
Without Jason Pierre-Paul, the Giants are sorely lacking defenders who can get to the quarterback. They have just seven sacks in five games. So if the Eagles' offensive line can play as well as it did against New Orleans, Bradford should again have time to stand in the pocket, survey the field and find open men.
Last week, most of those open receivers were over the middle of the field. Of Bradford's 32 completions, 19 went to tight ends and running backs. Even WR Josh Huff's 41-yard touchdown came on a play action pass that sent most of the Saints' front seven to the right while Bradford rolled out to his left and found Huff over the middle with enough time for him to make a move and get upfield.
The Giants, like the Saints, have really struggled to cover tight ends. New York has allowed TEs 37 catches for 410 yards and four TDs this season, which averages out to 7.4 catches and 82 yards per game. The Giants just don't have the speed at linebacker or the playmaking ability at safety to stay with tight ends.
With Amukamara out, the Giants are relying on former Eagle Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to have a strong showing. DRC has allowed just nine catches for 96 yards this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Slot corner Trumaine McBride was finally benched in Week 5 against the 49ers after another poor showing, but his replacement, Trevin Wade, didn't play particularly well, either. McBride has been targeted 28 times this season and allowed 22 catches for 233 yards. Wade over his last two games has allowed seven catches on eight targets for 103 yards. With Amukamara out, both could see ample playing time.
Look for the Eagles to attack the Giants over the middle. Could mean good things for Jordan Matthews, Darren Sproles and Zach Ertz.
The Eagles' running game finally got on track against the Saints and Chip Kelly will surely try to set the tone in that way again. DeMarco Murray had 120 total yards last Sunday, but the film showed that he was hesitant, missed some holes and left plenty of yards on the field (see All-22). Murray touched the ball 27 times and Ryan Mathews had eight carries and three catches. If Mathews outshines Murray again and is the more decisive runner, that split could be more even on Monday night.
When the Giants have the ball
Odell Beckham Jr. is obviously Eli Manning's favorite target, but as the league has adjusted to that duo, Beckham hasn't been the complete monster he was last season.
As a rookie, Beckham averaged eight catches, 109 yards and a touchdown per game. Insane production, and it wasn't just the result of volume, it was the result of game-breaking speed and maybe the best hands in the NFL.
This season, Beckham has exceeded 80 receiving yards just twice, going 7-146-TD against the Falcons in Week 2 and 7-121-TD last Sunday night against the Niners. The Cowboys and Bills both shut him down.
But even with Beckham's production slipping a bit, Manning has still been fantastic. He's completed 66.5 percent of his passes, averaged 283 pass yards per game and thrown 10 touchdowns to two interceptions. He also led an impressive, game-winning TD drive in the closing seconds against San Fran.
Beckham is banged-up (hamstring), and Victor Cruz is still out, but the Giants are getting more out of Rueben Randle, who had been an extreme disappointment to this point in his career.
The Giants also added a pass-catching element out of the backfield by signing former Patriots RB Shane Vereen. Vereen is third on the team in receptions and receiving yards, and last Sunday caught eight passes for 86 yards and a TD. The Eagles did a good job eliminating the Saints' pass-catching backs in Week 5 and will look to do the same against Vereen.
Tight end Larry Donnell poses some matchup problems. It was his catch in double-coverage in the end zone that defeated the 49ers.
As for the Giants' RBs, the tandem of Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams has been grounded. The duo is averaging just 3.2 yards per carry.
Special teams
The Giants added former Cowboys return man Dwayne Harris this past offseason. He's averaging 30 yards per kick return, and has returned 13 punts for an average of 9.1 yards. He's one of the top returners in the league and the Eagles know that all too well.
The Giants' opponents have had 17 kick return opportunities this season, so don't expect to see all touchbacks. Huff and Sproles could make some hay in the return game.
Prediction
I expect another difference-making effort from the Eagles' defense. Manning is turnover-prone and the Eagles are excelling at forcing takeaways. Plus, the Giants don't have a strong enough offensive line or running game to keep this D off balance.
The key is obviously preventing Beckham from making too many X-plays. He's expected to play despite the hamstring tweak. If the Eagles can cover him better than they covered Julio Jones in Week 1, this should be a win.
Eagles 30, Giants 20