The Philadelphia Eagles own the New York Giants. They’ve beaten New York four straight times, winning by an average margin of 22 points. They’re 25-7 against Big Blue since 2008, marking fifteen years of dominance. With how both teams have looked this season, Philly should have a good opportunity to continue that.
With the Giants sitting at 5-9 and starting an undrafted rookie at quarterback, the Eagles are heavy favorites for their Christmas Day matchup versus New York. It should be a critical get-right matchup for a slumping Philly. They are currently riding a three-game losing streak, but lost to three teams currently in playoff position. The Giants are a clearly inferior opponent who will have to travel into a hostile environment to pull out the upset. After a poor showing in New Orleans, the odds of that aren’t particularly high. The Eagles big four on offense of Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and D’Andre Swift should see touches early and often, but a less heralded weapon could have his best Christmas ever.
The Giant Killer: Boston Scott
Boston Scott generally may not be much more than a depth running back, but against the Giants, he is much more. He has utterly dominated the franchise every opportunity he’s gotten. In nine games against them, he’s totaled eleven touchdowns and 668 total yards. These numbers are good for just over half of his career touchdowns and 1/3 of his career yards. He’s appeared in 79 games, making his nine against the G-Men total out as less than 12% of his total appearances.
His efficiency and dominance are almost unexplainable, but Scott has made it work over four seasons now. The Giants have had three different head coaches, and none have been able to figure him out. In a game that’s widely expected to be a blowout, Scott should have more chances to spell the starters and carry the ball. There’s no reason to expect him to stop owning New York yet.
A Beat Up Defense
Unfortunately for the Giants, they won’t have much help. Premier run stuffer Leonard Williams was traded at the deadline. All-Pro Dexter Lawrence has been battling a hamstring injury, and seen limited snap counts over the past few weeks. Their backups, A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, are also on the injury report. New York is already bottom ten in rushing yards, touchdowns allowed, and yards per carry. The Eagles could very well have their way on the ground. Eagles head coach Nick Sirriani has also favored using multiple running backs, so Scott and Kenneth Gainwell should see added touches behind Swift.
Boston Scott’s Path
Realistically, Boston Scott is still a third-string running back. He likely won’t see a heavy workload, as he has yet to this season. His season high in touches is five, and he’s on pace for his lowest utilization since his rookie season. His highest offensive snap share in a game this season has been just 13%. Still, it’s been a point to get him in games against New York. The Eagles are seemingly aware of his history and are eager to embarrass New York. This isn’t surprising as the two are divisional rivals, and Philly has had plenty of big leads in their matchups. This includes the NFC Divisional Round last season, where Scott was able to get in for a touchdown. He had seven or more touches in a game only five times last season; all three of his matchups vs. the Giants were included in this.
If Philadelphia can get up big again, expect Scott to see touches late in the game. He should get every chance to get in the end zone if they find themselves in the red zone with the game already put away. If New York can shock the world and keep it close, he may be out of luck. Trusted veteran D’Andre Swift should command the most important carries when the game is still close or early. If the Eagles can take control early, it could be a very long Christmas for New Yorkers, but an exciting one for the Scott family.
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