3 rushing attacks the Philadelphia Eagles defense can stifle in 2022
team. 31. . . . New York Giants.
The Eagles should be able to neutralize the Giants’ running backs.
Remember when we said the Texans tied for the lowest rushing touchdowns total? Yeah, they shared that honor with the G-Men.
One of Philadelphia’s long-time NFC East rivals, New York had a hard time moving the ball on the ground. At season’s end, they had posted the ninth-lowest rushing yards total in the NFL last season with a mere 1,688 yards.
The biggest question for New York on offense is this. Will Saquon Barkley stay healthy for the full 18-week, 17-game grind? Since his entry into the league in 2018, the former Penn State Nittany Lions running back has only played one full season. That came in his rookie year.
There’s no guarantee that Barkley will stay healthy in 2022, which is why the team brought in a capable backup in Matt Breida, who can fill in well for Barkley.
As far as the men charged with opening up the holes for the Giants’ running backs, here’s the skinny. Pro Football Focus ranked the G-men’s offensive line 18th in the NFL, stating “they only have one good tackle”. Conversely, as you know, the Eagles were ranked first. Here’s more from Michael Renner, the writer of this one.
"That one good tackle is former fourth overall pick Andrew Thomas, although Evan Neal is a promising rookie. Thomas’ abysmal rookie season is still ingrained in a lot of minds, but many missed him become one of the best pass-protecting tackles in the league last year. He allowed only 18 pressures on 517 pass-blocking snaps after giving up 57 as a rookie."
Last season, the Eagles’ defense kept the Giants’ rushing attack under 100 yards twice with 70 and 84 days in the two games in which they faced one another. Despite hiring a new head coach and despite the additions they’ve made to the offensive line, New York is still in rebuilding mode, and that should give Philly the advantage in 2022.