January 06, 2024
Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles have let a lot get away from them.
The Eagles are down to their final week, with the shot at the No.1/No. 2 seed in the playoffs having slipped away and their chance at the NFC East now at the mercy of Dallas.
Their defense is in total disarray, their offensive scheme under heavy scrutiny, and with only one remaining regular season game against an underachieving Giants team on Sunday to show Philadelphia that they won't be completely burnt out for the playoffs.
But easier said than done at this rate. The Eagles are extremely vulnerable and the whole league knows it.
Here are our thoughts about Sunday's regular season finale...
TV: CBS (Ian Eagle, Charles Davis, Evan Washburn)
RADIO: 94.1 WIP (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick)
| Sportsbook | Spread | Money Line | Total O/U |
| DraftKings | PHI -5 | PHI -230 NYG +190 | 42 |
| FanDuel | PHI -5.5 | PHI -235 NYG +194 | 41.5 |
| BetMGM | PHI -4.5 | PHI -250 NYG +200 | 42 |
| UniBet | PHI -5 | PHI -235 NYG +190 | 42 |
| PointsBet | PHI -5 | PHI -240 NYG +190 | 42 |
The Eagles can still win the NFC East with a win over the Giants and a Cowboys loss. That's a longshot. This game for the Eagles is more about trying to right the ship before the start of the playoffs than it is about any hopes of winning the division. And so, they'll play their starters.
In Week 16 against the Giants, the Eagles probably would have won in a blowout if not for a Dallas Goedert slip that led to a Giants pick-six and a weird special teams play in which Olamide Zaccheaus jacked up Boston Scott, eventually leading to an easy Giants TD. They won anyway, but it was closer than it should have been.
It's hard to feel confident in any way about this Eagles team at the moment, but the Giants have almost nothing going for them whatsoever. The Eagles should win. To be determined if it's hope-inspiring in any way. (I doubt it.).
I have zero confidence in this pick, because the result might be irrelevant if the Cowboys jump ahead against the Commanders in their game. And if they do, I suggest strongly that Nick Sirianni pull his starters so avoid any unnecessary injuries before the Wild Card round. However, I think the Eagles will have pride on their mind, and I am going to try taking the Eagles against a lesser opponent one more time.
Your guess is as good as mine at this point.
I don't trust this defense to stop anyone right now, and I don't trust the offensive playcalling to produce points if it's close – and unfortunately, I do expect this game to be close when it really doesn't have any reason to be.
After last week, this game feels like a coin flip, but if it comes down to the wire again, I don't think the Eagles bail themselves out – again.
They're spiraling, and a stubborn commitment QB draws and delayed RPOs in crucial situations aren't going to stop that.
The Eagles need a "get right" game more than any team in the NFL. They face the Giants for the second time in three weeks, after barely holding on to the first game. New York simply isn’t good enough on paper to compete with the Eagles, but neither were the Cardinals. Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni headline a group of people inside this organization who continue to preach the same clichés, loss after loss. They do have one thing working in their favor – they are now desperate.
At no point in the season were the Eagles this desperate; truly in need of a win. They have no other choice but to take a full step back and get back to basics before the playoffs. They may not win pretty, but they certainly will win this game. Don’t bet it whatever you do, but feel better about an Eagles win.
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