WILD CARD PREVIEW: GIANTS-EAGLES

It's the end of August. You're sitting there making your predictions for the NFL. The NFC East looks good this year. Could there be two, even three teams who make it to the big dance this year? McNabb will carry the Eagles, Strahan will lead the Giants, and Bledsoe will be the man in Dallas. You've decided there is absolutely no way to keep these teams out of the playoffs. A Giants-Eagles first round matchup seems like a formality without even a snap taking place this season. Now it's 2007, and the Giants are traveling to Philadelphia for a first round game. Everything went as you predicted, right?

QUARTERBACKS: The fact that I am actually discussing Jeff Garcia in a playoff preview is absolutely absurd. As some one who attends college in the Philadelphia area, I witnessed first hand countless numbers of Eagles fans who gave up on them the moment Donovan McNabb went down. The unlikely resurgence of Jeff Garcia has brought life back to Philadelphia. Garcia may not throw the deep ball particularly well, but his accurate passes and smart decisions have propelled the Eagles to a division championship. While it's been a storybook ride for Garcia, it's been a nightmare for Eli Manning. Like the Giants, Manning got off to a hot start in 2006. It looked like he was on the verge of being a superstar, but once the Giants began to lose the doubt crept in. By season's end Eli was as inaccurate as any QB in the NFL. The talent is still there for Manning, but his confidence in himself and others has fallen quickly. I expect him to step up and play a better game than he has lately, but with the way he's been playing, how hard is that? EDGE: PHILADELPHIA

RUNNING BACKS: While Jeff Garcia may be getting most of the credit for his team's resurgence, the key to their success has really been Brian Westbrook. Once Donovan McNabb went down for the season, the Eagles knew they must commit to the run to have any sort of success. For the rest of the season, Westbrook stepped up his game and played at a level that was higher than any he had been at during any portion of his career. His slashing style could be key when going up against a Giants defense that has struggles tackling. The running back on the other sideline has been that annoying figure in 2006 that seems to constantly make headlines for not playing football. As sick as I am with the whole Tiki Barber retirement story, it's hard to forget what a great player he is. Just when it looked like the Giants were about to miss the playoffs he had his best game of his career and led the way to the playoffs. Tiki may get more carries than he ever has in his life as the Giants will try to ride him to the next round. He should be up to the challenge, and I expect another huge game from the departing star. EDGE: NEW YORK

RECEIVERS: After losing Terrell Owens, it appeared that Eagles would be thin at WR in 2o06, but the late addition of Donte' Stalloworth has given them one of the better tandems in the NFC. Stalloworth and Reggie Brown have tremendous speed, but like most of the Eagles, they struggle to hold onto the ball at times. Their TE, LJ Smith, also adds another dimension to the potent offense. While he can be inconsistent at times, he seems to always be a big part of the offense, and he remains one of the more underrated TEs in the league. As deep as the Eagles are at WR, the Giants are as thin. Once they lost reliable Amani Toomer for the season they have failed to find a second WR to step up and become the compliment to Plaxico Burress in the offense. Tim Carter and David Tyree are decent players but fail to do enough to seriously get the defense's attention. Eli will rely heavily on Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey. Burress has had an up and down season, but his best games have come against Philadelphia. He's a tough matchup for the smaller corners, and he is likely to have another big day. Shockey could be more of a question mark for Sunday. There's no doubt he will play, but coming off injury he is clearly not at full strength. Shockey plays harder than most guys in football, and he still should have a decent day. EDGE: PHILADELPHIA

DEFENSE: The Donovan McNabb injury has got all the headlines in the NFL, but the injury to Jevon Kerse was just as devastating at the time to Philadelphia. Without his pass rushing and run stopping abilities, teams were able to dictate what they wanted to do on offense. Eventually the team was able to improve under defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, but they still tend to struggle a bit against the run. However, in both meetings against the Giants this season the Eagles have done a very good job stopping Tiki Barber. If they can do a similar job on Sunday, it will be the key to victory. The Giants don't want to hear about the injury to Kerse because they have lost almost every plaYer on their defense to injury at some point this season. The banged up Giants defense was supposed to be a top unit in 2006, but they lack the speed and tackling ability to be among the league's elite. The key to their success is getting pressure on the QB. If they can do this without blitzing their linebackers, they should have a better day than they have had in recent weeks. EDGE: PHILADELPHIA

SPECIAL TEAMS: One of the most consistent kickers of the last half decade has been David Akers. He has been very strong at home this season and has also shown the ability to hit the big kicks. The one weakness in his game has oddly enough been playing the Giants. In the games that the Giants have beat Philaldelphia in recent memory, Akers has missed a field goal. The return game for Philadelphia has not been anything special this season, and there is no reason to expect that it will break out this week. Like the Eagles, the Giants have been very comfortable with their kicking situation this season. Jay Feely has been dependable all season and hasn't missed a big kick all year. Oddly enough, it's the Giants punter who could have a bigger impact on Sunday's game. Jeff Feagles, who could be playing his final game, is as good as anyone in the NFL at pinning his opponents inside the 10 yard line. In a game between two teams so familiar with each other, field position could be very important. EDGE: EVEN

FINAL ANALYSIS: When two division rivals meet you can throw all the stats and advantages out the window. These two teams know each other about as well as anyone in the NFL. It should be a back and forth game that may be decided on whoever has the ball last. While Philadelphia has been on a tremendous roll, there is something about the Giants for me that is hard to shake. After making the playoffs, this oddly enough this may be the least pressure the Giants have faced all season. The heart of Tiki Barber should lead the way, but I honestly feel that Eli Manning will silence his critics with a big performance on Sunday. I give it to the Giants in what should be a classic. PREDICTION: GIANTS 27 EAGLES 24