A preview of Thursday night’s Giants-Eagles NFL Week 6 game at MetLife Stadium:
marquee match
Eagles CB Cooper DeJean vs. Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson
As a 2024 rookie, DeJean quickly established himself as one of the best nickel backs in the NFL and continued on to Super Bowl heroics.
Robinson primarily works out of the slot, and that’s where DeJean excels.
Robinson has a team-leading 23 receptions for 267 yards and a touchdown and is the last man standing, with Malik Nabers out for the season and Darius Slayton this game with a hamstring strain.
Robinson is the only proven wide receiver the Giants will put on the field.
Four downs
The birds chirp: For a team that has won four of its first five games, there are some strangely non-harmonic sounds emanating from Philadelphia about the struggles of the Eagles’ offense.
This unit is 30th overall, 31st in passing, 25th in rushing and 12th in scoring.
Unlike the Giants, the Eagles are not accustomed to any of these failures.
“Thank God it’s a short week…a tough week in my house,” quarterback Jalen Hurts said.
Three key players on offense – Hurts, Saquon Barkley and AJ Brown – met this week to discuss their lack of production.
“The focus was on the team,” Barkley said. “I think it was a good thing.”
Double the problem: The Giants were considering a split backfield, with second-year Tyrone Tracy Jr. and rookie Cam Skattebo as the running back tandem.
That duo never really took off, and then Tracy missed two games with a partially dislocated shoulder.
Tracy returns for this match and maybe he can give Skattebo’s muscles a flash.
“When you look at my game, I have power in my game too, but I’m more of a slasher, outside the zone, on the edges, stuff like that,” Tracy said. “With him, he’s a powerful running back and obviously that’s how he plays. It’s very obvious. You definitely see how we can be a good one-two punch, that’s for sure.
Hold it: Hurts holds the ball in the pocket longer than most quarterbacks — an NFL-high 2.6 seconds from snap to throw, by some measures.
This is why he was sacked 15 times despite his elusiveness.
“You definitely see it,” tackle Dexter Lawrence said. “It forces you to be even more disciplined in your running lanes because he’s looking for a place to escape or he’s looking for a shot down the court. Don’t just stand there, have a motor, let that motor run the whole play.”
Hurts has 182 yards rushing and has 20 first downs with his legs.
Bark with bite: There’s no doubt that Barkley is more prepared than most for this game.
He hasn’t gained much yardage this season (267 rushing yards) after his record-setting 2024 blowout.
A new documentary scheduled for release on the day he faces his former team sheds even more dirt on the Giants.
Barkley’s return to MetLife Stadium last season resulted in a 176-yard jaunt.
“Super tough runner, always moving his feet,” safety Tyler Nubin told The Post. “Great contact balance, so we’re going to have to push our feet on our tackles. I can’t tackle with my arms, I can’t get in there and just try to wrap him up because he’s going to go through that.” Barkley will be without starting guard Landon Dickerson with an ankle injury.
Paul’s choice
At some point the Giants are going to stop being everyone’s get-well game, right?
The Eagles are coming off their first loss of the season and they won’t be in the mood to mess around here.
Jaxson Dart doesn’t have much to work with in the passing game. Jalen Hurts can be hit, but the Giants’ defensive front is often hit or miss.
Saquon Barkley’s engine will run, that’s for sure.
Eagles 27, Giants 13.
