Without quarterback Michael Vick and wide receiver, the Eagles lose substantial firepower for Sunday night's game. Adjustments must be made. Vince Young is no Vick. Riley Cooper is no Maclin.
How do the Eagles change their offensive approach?
It's something to watch. While Young can run and has had success in his NFL career on the perimeter, nobody matches Vick's quickness. Defenses blitz Vick, but they do so with great discipline to not allow him lanes through which to run.
New York will go after Young, and they can probably do with a bit more reckless abandon. Young, then, has to be very quick with his decisions. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Eagles give Young one-read options -- make a single read and if the receiver isn't open, tuck the ball and run -- and move the pocket for him. Young can do some damage with run/pass options on the perimeter if the Eagles want to integrate that look into the scheme.
Minus Maclin, the Eagles are without their leading receiver. Maclin gives the Eagles speed, precision on his routes and a strong option in the red zone. Cooper is a completely different receiver. He doesn't have the blazing speed. He creates separation with his big body. He is in his second NFL season, without a reception this season.
Conventional logic suggests the Eagles adjust to the new personnel and feature running back LeSean McCoy with handoffs and screens and assorted short passes. Maybe McCoy gets his 30-plus touches and carries the offense on his back.
But in the past, Andy Reid has not bowed to injuries. He and Marty Mornhinweg run the offense. That's the way it's done in the NFL: A player goes down and another one steps in and gets the job done. The Giants did it in Week 3 when they overcame losses to their starting wide receivers and still scored 29 points in a win over the Eagles.
Young still has plenty of weapons at his disposal. DeSean Jackson has a lot to prove after a very difficult week. He is highly motivated to play well and stretch New York's defense. Tight end Brent Celek has been a more visible part of the passing game in the last month and that shouldn't change. Jason Avant and Steve Smith are good route runners and could have some favorable matchups against the New York secondary.
The Giants have a great front four and a back seven that has gotten the job done all year despite significant injuries. But they are now missing middle linebacker Michael Boley, the quarterback of the defense. How can the Eagles take advantage?
It's not ideal to enter this absolute must-win game minus Vick and Maclin. But that's where the Eagles are at 3-6 -- on the road in a nationally televised game, reeling from two consecutive losses.
The Eagles are going to have to score some points to beat the Giants, who have a good thing going offensively. Quarterback Eli Manning is having a Pro Bowl season. He tossed four touchdown passes at Lincoln Financial Field, toying with the Eagles secondary. What reason is there to believe that the Eagles will rise up defensively for 60 minutes in this campaign of inconsistency?
Look for a high-scoring game. Can the offense, without two of their most dangerous players, match the Giants and keep the season alive? Do they alter the scheme and try to grind it out using McCoy and the running backs here? How can the Eagles create good matchups and take advantage?
It's a great chess match waiting on Sunday night. No Michael Vick. No Jeremy Maclin. A 3-6 record heading into this game. Who woulda thunk it?
Yet here the Eagles are, a season on the brink. How much does this game tell us about the Eagles and what they are and where they are going this season?
