THE EAGLES will do a better job of protecting Donovan McNabb this Sunday than they did the last time they faced the Giants.
That's not the boldest of predictions. No team has ever given up a dozen sacks twice in the same season, let alone to the same team.
But there are more practical reasons to expect improvement, as well. That Sept. 30 debacle, in which the Giants recorded the fifth 12-sack game in NFL history, had a lot to do with Winston Justice coming unglued in his first start; Justice should watch this game from the safety of the sideline, with William "Tra" Thomas back in his usual spot protecting McNabb's blind side. Justice particularly had touble with the silent count, the Meadowlands crowd at full throttle. This time, the Giants' offensive line will be worrying about crowd noise.
And maybe most important, the Giants threw a lot of blitzes and movement at the Eagles that the Birds hadn't seen on tape. Now they have, even if they haven't much enjoyed watching that tape this week, reliving their most futile offensive effort.
That's not the boldest of predictions. No team has ever given up a dozen sacks twice in the same season, let alone to the same team.
But there are more practical reasons to expect improvement, as well. That Sept. 30 debacle, in which the Giants recorded the fifth 12-sack game in NFL history, had a lot to do with Winston Justice coming unglued in his first start; Justice should watch this game from the safety of the sideline, with William "Tra" Thomas back in his usual spot protecting McNabb's blind side. Justice particularly had touble with the silent count, the Meadowlands crowd at full throttle. This time, the Giants' offensive line will be worrying about crowd noise.
And maybe most important, the Giants threw a lot of blitzes and movement at the Eagles that the Birds hadn't seen on tape. Now they have, even if they haven't much enjoyed watching that tape this week, reliving their most futile offensive effort.
