‘We just have to come out and attack’ – Giants defensive stars reveal what must happen to upset the Eagles this Thursday
The New York Giants defense must be prepared to slow down the Philadelphia Eagles run game this Thursday
The New York Giants face a complex challenge, coming off a brutal loss to the New Orleans Saints. This Thursday, they have a chance to stymie a struggling Philadelphia Eagles offense.
The Eagles are currently enduring issues offensively despite having one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. When talking to the media today, rookie pass rusher Abdul Carter didn’t hold back on what the defense needs to do to win.
“Yeah, they’ve got a good front, but so do we,” Carter told reporters, “So, we just have to come out and attack. That’s what we’ve been doing. I don’t think it’s much into it. As long as we come out and play our game, we should be good.”
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Since Jalen Hurts took over as the Eagles’ starting quarterback, they’ve consistently won by overpowering their opponents on the ground. It’s a tough challenge trying to slow down their rushing attack, but Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has confidence in his unit.
“We’ve really got to do well at stopping the run first, and I think everything comes off of that,” Lawrence told the media, “That’s how they win games. So, the most important thing is stopping the run and the shots after that. On third down, stopping Jalen [Hurts] from using his legs and things like that, so that’s just what it is.”
This season, the Eagles have not had the same level of success as they usually do running the football. Right now, they’re 25th in rush yards per game and 29th in rush yards per play. Interestingly, the Eagles are 4th in the NFL in the rate at which they see stacked boxes, which has led to them being 25th in team run stuff rate. Clearly, they’re struggling to counter aggressive defenses.
The Eagles’ first loss of the season to the Denver Broncos last week is a perfect example of how to slow them down. Star running back Saquon Barkley only had six rushing attempts for 30 yards because they abandoned the run game early. Despite the Giants being challenged with slowing down Barkley, Lawrence shared how the defense can attack him.
“Just got to do well to attack [Barkley’s] O-line, not let him get on our DBs, and stay disciplined in your run lanes, and I think we’ll have a good day.”
According to NFL Pro, Barkley hasn’t been as dominant in the open field as he once was. Last season, he led all running backs with 829 yards before contact, and he has plummeted to only 47 yards through five games.
It’s going to take a lot from the Giants 26th 26th-ranked rushing defense to halt the Eagles’ run game. While New York has an opportunity to catch a reeling Eagles team off guard, this could end up being a get-right spot for Philadelphia. They’ll need Lawrence to have a huge game and potentially more from budding rookie Darius Alexander.
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