Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J. (FieldTurf, outdoors).
When: Sunday, 1 p.m. (Fox)
Spread: Giants by 9
Forecast: Sunny; high temperatures of 32; 10 percent chance of rain; wind from the NW at 16 mph.
Records: Eagles (4-11; NFC East 1-4); Giants (8-7; NFC East: 2-3)
Past results: Two most recent meetings -- Sept. 30, 2011: Eagles 19, Giants 7; Nov. 11, 2011: Eagles 17, Giants 10. Series record: Giants lead 83-76-2.
What matters: For the Eagles, not much. This has been a nightmare of a season and whether they’ll admit it or not, the Eagles have to be happy it’s finally going to end. On the other hand, the Eagles’ fans do have a rooting interest in this game, but not in the usual sense. It’s all about the future for the Eagles now, and that includes April’s draft. If the season ended today the Eagles would have the fourth overall selection and they could move up to third if they lose on Sunday and Oakland beats San Diego. But if they win, they could drop several spots.
Who matters: It appears to be the end of an era in Philadelphia, as coach Andy Reid and his staff are expected to be fired. So, this game will be all about Reid and what he’s accomplished -- and failed to accomplish -- in his 14 years in Philadelphia. The television announcers will gush about what a great coach and man he is, but Reid is going out as the coach of a pitifully bad team and, despite all his success over the years, he’s also going out without a Super Bowl ring. There are also some players who have something at stake on Sunday, including QB Michael Vick, who wants to show NFL teams he still has what it takes. And other players will be auditioning for jobs as well.
Key matchups: OTs Dennis Kelly and King Dunlap vs. DEs Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. The Eagles’ No.1 priority has to be protecting Vick. He’s coming off a concussion and hasn’t played in seven weeks, so he’ll need time to get his sea legs back. The Giants also are vulnerable to the pass and the Eagles' receivers should be able to get open. But that won’t mean anything if Vick doesn’t have the time to find them. Dunlap and Kelly were thrown into the lineup this season because of injuries and both have been inconsistent, especially in pass protection. This is a game where they have to stand tall and keep Vick on his feet.
Injuries of note: Rookie DT Fletcher Cox and rookie LB Mychal Kendricks won’t play on Sunday because of concussions and they’ll be replaced by Derek Landri and Akeem Jordan, respectively. … TE Evan Moore sat out Friday’s practice with back spasms and his status for Sunday is uncertain. … WR Jeremy Maclin has a sore knee that limited him in practice this week, but he is expected to play.
Connections: Tom Coughlin’s first job in the NFL was receivers coach under Eagles coach Marion Campbell in 1984-85, when one of the players under him was one of the Eagles’ all-time greats, Mike Quick. The Eagles went 13-18-1 in those two seasons.
Inside stuff: Eagles coaches know this is their last hurrah as well as the last game of the season, so expect them to pull a few tricks out of their sleeves. Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg love gimmick plays, and this is the time to break out something special. If the Eagles are going to do that, expect them to do it early in the game. This is their last chance to show how smart they are and they’ll likely take advantage of it.
Stats you should know: Since 2008, the Eagles are 8-1 vs. the Giants and Reid is 15-12 vs. the Giants overall. Eagles also are 2-0 at MetLife Stadium. … The Eagles have won four games this season; all of them were by two points or less and all of them were come-from-behind in the fourth quarter. … Last week, Maclin became the eighth WR in NFL history with at least 55 catches and 750 yards in each of his first four NFL seasons. The others: Larry Fitzgerald, Randy Moss, Gary Clark, Joey Galloway, Marvin Harrison, Keyshawn Johnson and Sterling Sharpe. … When FB Emil Igwenagu started last week vs. Washington, he became the 10th Eagles player to make his first NFL start this season.
Looking ahead: It could happen as soon as Monday – Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie will step to the podium at the NovaCare Complex and announce that he has relieved Reid of all his duties and thank him for all that he accomplished in his 14 seasons with the Eagles. And then we wait…
Prediction: Giants 24, Eagles 20
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Philadelphia Eagles from blogger Kevin Noonan, follow @CBSEagles.
