NFL: Eagles-Giants Stats ‘N’ Facts

Divisional Playoffs

Sunday January 11, 2009 1:00 P.M. ET

EAGLES

After defeating the Minnesota Vikings, 26-14, in the Wild Card round, the Eagles travel to the Meadowlands to take on the New York Giants in a Divisional Playoff game at Giants Stadium. Andy Reid has guided the Eagles to 7 Divisional Round appearances since 1999, which is the most in the NFL during that span. The Eagles are 1-2 all time against the Giants in the playoffs, including a 23-20 win in the 2006 Wild Card round.

THIS WEEK’S MATCHUP

The Eagles have made the playoffs 7
times in Reid’s 10 years as head
coach. Only Indianapolis (9) has made
more trips to the playoffs during that
span. In Reid’s 17-year NFL coaching
career, his team has made the playoffs
13 times.

EAGLES PLAYOFF QUICK HITS:
• The Eagles have earned 7 trips to
the Divisional Playoff round under
Andy Reid, which is the most in the
NFL since 1999
• The Eagles are 5-6 all time in the
NFC Divisional round
• Reid’s 9 postseason wins are tied
with Tony Dungy for 3rd place among active NFL head coaches,
behind Bill Belichick (15) and Mike Holmgren (13)

EAGLES (NFL Rank)…. GIANTS (NFL Rank)

26.0 (6th)… Points Per Game… 26.7 (t-3rd)
350.5 (9th)… Total Offense… 355.9 (7th)
106.1 (22nd)… Rushing Offense… 157.4 (1st)
244.4 (6th)… Passing Offense… 198.6 (18th)
18.1 (4th).. Points Allowed Per Game… 18.4 (5th)
274.3 (3rd)… Total Defense… 292.0 (5th)
92.3 (4th)… Rushing Defense… 95.8 (9th)
182.1 (3rd)… Passing Defense… 196.2 (8th)
41.3 (12th)… 3rd Down Offense %… 43.1 (8th)
32.2 (2nd)… 3rd Down Defense %… 40.7 (21st)
+3 (14th)… Turnover Ratio… +9 (t-4th)

Turnover

After producing a league low 19 turnovers in 2007,
defensive coordinator Jim Johnson placed a heavy
emphasis on takeaways this season. As a result, the
defense was much improved in 2008, yielding 29
takeovers, a net difference of +10, which was 2nd best in the NFL.

RETURN TO SENDER

• In addition to forcing more turnovers, the Eagles were exceptionally opportunistic in 2008, scoring on 7 return TDs (2 INTs, 1 punt, 1 kickoff, 3 fumbles) after just 2 in 2007. That marks the highest total for an Eagles team since 1952, when they had 8.
• The Eagles 7 return TDs also tied for the 2nd-highest total in the NFL in 2008. Only Green Bay (9) had more.
• The Eagles average starting field position after kickoffs was 29.2 yds., the 5th-best in the NFL. They also started in opposing
territory 3 times.
• FS Quintin Demps finished the season with 1,314 kickoff return yds., which was the 2nd-best single- season total in team history (Allen Rossum, 1,347 yds. in 1999)
• Demps returned a kickoff 100 yards for his first-career TD on 11/23 at Bal. It was the longest kickoff return by an Eagles rookie and tied the 4th-longest in team history.

MOST RETURN TOUCHDOWNS IN 2008

Andy Reid always has stressed the importance of winning the battle up front in order to have success in the NFL. In 2008, the Eagles did exactly that, as both the offensive and defensive lines contributed heavily to the productivity of the team.

• Defensively, the Eagles were 3rd
the NFL with 48 sacks in 2008,
producing 1 every 11.9 pass plays
• The offensive line was much
improved in 2008, surrendering
just 23 sacks all season, which
was the 7th-lowest total in the NFL
• The Eagles allowed 1 sack
every 27.3 pass plays, which
was the best mark in team history
• With a +25 sack ratio in
2008, the Eagles finished the
season with the 3rd-best
ratio in the NFL

GIANTS

The top-seeded New York Giants, 12-4 and champions of the NFC East, will face their division rival, the sixth-seeded Philadelphia Eagles (10-6-1), for the third time this season on Sunday, January 11th at 1:00 p.m. ET with a berth in the NFC Championship Game on the line. The Giants are 7-1 at home this season and the Eagles are 4-4-1 on the road, including last weekend’s 26-14 Wild Card victory in Minnesota.

Last Time Out –
After suffering a disappointing defeat that under normal circumstances would have been crushing, the Giants
were philosophical. They lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 20-19,
when Ryan Longwell kicked a 50-yard field goal on the game’s final play to complete a 10-point fourth-quarter comeback.
But the Giants were looking beyond that game and toward the
future as soon as they reached their locker room. They likely would have won the game had they played their starters for four quarters.
But four of them didn’t even dress and few that did played the
entire game. When the Vikings drove for the game-winning points, the Giants had only two defensive starters on the field.
The Giants could afford to play the game on their terms. They had clinched the NFC East three weeks ago and a first-round bye and the top seed in the NFC last week. The Vikings game was a final tune-up before they begin preparing for the playoff run that they hope will end with a second consecutive Super Bowl victory.
Four starters were inactive and not in uniform: running back Brandon Jacobs (knee), cornerback Aaron Ross (concussion), tight end  Kevin Boss (ankle/concussion) and defensive tackle Barry Cofield (knee).
Despite their absences and the liberal substituting, the Giants went down to the wire on the road against a team that needed a victory to clinch its division title.
The individual highlight of the game was turned in by Derrick Ward ,who rushed for 77 yards to increase his season total to 1,025.
Ward and Jacobs (1,089 yards this season) became the fourth pair of running backs – and the fifth set of teammates – to run for at least 1,000 yards in the same season.
The Giants scored on David Carr’s 23-yard touchdown pass to
Domenik Hixon and John Carney field goals of 51, 30, 42 and 20 yards.
Minnesota scored on a 67-yard touchdown run from Adrian Peterson, a 54-yard touchdown pass from Tarvaris Jackson to Bernard Berrian and Longwell field goals of 48 and 50 yards.

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