FOR USE AS DESIRED

            NFL-63             10/18/01

 

FIRST PLACE & STREAK AT STAKE MONDAY NIGHT

 

It could be a classic.

 

Division rivals, the 3-2 New York Giants and 2-2 Philadelphia Eagles, will meet at Giants Stadium this Monday night in a game that promises to be an old-fashioned NFC East slugfest.   

 

"It's a big deal," says Eagles cornerback TROY Vincent.  "Our road to the Super Bowl goes through New York."

 

There are two big deals at stake – first place and a streak.  The winner will claim first place in the division.  A Giants’ win would put them at 4-2 with a 1.5 game lead over the would-be 2-3 Eagles.  A Philly victory would put them at 3-2, a half-game ahead of the 3-3 Giants.

 

THE STREAK:  But a victory over the Giants is not a particularly easy thing for the Eagles.  New York has won eight consecutive regular-season games over Philly and also defeated them 20-10 last January in an NFC Divisional Playoff game.

 

“Regardless of whether you have nine wins or nine losses, you need to approach the game the same way,” says Giants quarterback Kerry Collins.  “We know what we’re in for.  It’s going to be a tough battle, a tough fight.  On Monday night, they’re going to be fired up, we’re going to be fired up.  We’re fully aware of what kind of game it’s going to be.”

 

The Giants-Eagles series has been a history of streaks since 1985.  The Giants won six consecutive games from 1985-87, the Eagles then won nine of 10 from 1988-92, followed by the Giants claiming four in a row from 1993-94, the Eagles winning four straight from 1995-96, and, finally, the Giants taking eight consecutive wins plus the 2000 playoff win.

 

"There's no magical, mystical thing," says tackle Tra Thomas of his club’s failure to conquer the Giants.  "We've just got to go in there and play hard.  We need to go in there and make a statement.  We have to make our move."

 

With another victory over the Eagles, the Giants will pass Dallas, which has beaten Washington eight games in a row, for the longest active streak of regular-season victories over a division opponent:

 

 

TRENCHES:  A key to this game will be the battle between Giants left defensive end MICHAEL STRAHAN and Eagles right tackle JON RUNYAN.  Strahan is on a tear with 8.5 sacks in his past three games, including a career-high 4.0 against St. Louis last week.  It is the most sacks in a three-game span in the NFL since REGGIE WHITE had 9.0 in three games in 1986. 

 

“He’s the best defensive player in the league the way he’s playing right now,” says Giants head coach JIM FASSEL.  “If he wants to have that title at the end of the season, he’s got to continue that.”

 

Runyan is regarded as one of the league’s most physical tackles and the two had three memorable battles last season.  But Strahan got the better of Runyan in the Divisional Playoff game, registering 2.0 sacks.  Or so some people think.

 

“The hard reality of it is, for the 60 plays that we played offensively the last game, there were two plays Strahan played better than Jon,” says Eagles head coach Andy Reid.  “Jon takes a rap on that, which I don’t think is fair.  I know Jon’s not going to duck any punches and he’s going to come out firing.  Strahan is too.  It’s going to be enjoyable to watch."

 

That it is.