For almost the entire season, it was extremely difficult for the Giants to find a way to win games. So heading into Week 17, the Giants had the league's worst record and the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. .
Its ownership was temporary.
The Giants defeated the Colts 45-33 in the penultimate game of the season, moving them to the No. 4 draft pick.
And now, the Eagles, who are locked in the NFL's No. 2 seed heading into the playoffs, have opted to rest Saquon Barkley and most or all of their top players for Sunday's game at Lincoln Financial Field. Therefore, the Giants will mainly play against backup players. It looks increasingly likely that they will win their fourth championship.
If that happens, he could fall even further in the first round, dropping to the ninth overall pick.
This weekend is a match between starting players and substitute players.
“This is the NFL…a lot of guys are starters,” quarterback Drew Lock said. “The substitutes are still really good players. It doesn't matter if they're in the mix or not. They're great players, the best in the world. You have to treat them like that.”
Barkley will finish his first season with the Eagles with 2,005 rushing yards, 101 yards shy of Eric Dickerson's NFL single-season record.
His most productive rushing season with the Giants was 1,312 yards in 2022.
The Eagles are 13-3 against Berkeley. Without him, the Giants are 3-13.
“I think they have a good soccer team and Saquon is a good soccer player,” head coach Brian Daboll said. “We had a lot of wins, we were very productive, we were a good team.”
Asked if the Eagles are taking a run-heavy approach to Barkley, Daboll said, “I mean, he's got 2,000 yards, so yeah.”
The Giants signed Ihimir Smith-Marsette after losing the season opener to the Vikings, but needed reinforcements after their primary kick and punt returner, Gunner Olszewski, reinjured his groin. .
Smith-Marsette has solidified his return game and was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week this week with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the Colts.
Smith-Marsette, the Vikings' 2021 fifth-round draft pick, also played for the Bears, Chiefs and Panthers before joining the Giants.
He is from Newark and starred at Weequahic High School. He averages 34.6 yards on kickoffs and 7.5 yards on punt returns.
“He's a pretty good returner,” Daboll said. “He did a great job. He got called back against the Saints on a punt return. Obviously, he had this. He did some other good things in Dallas. He did a great job with the ball. He has a great personality. I'm happy to have him.”
Four players did not practice: ILB Micah McFadden (neck), C John Michael Schmitz. (Ankle), RT Evan Neal (ribs/hip) and DT Armon Watts, who left the game against the Colts and underwent knee surgery after the season.
