New York Giants (1-4-0) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (4-1-0):
Both teams are looking to rebound after tough losses coming into the short week, Thursday Night Football battle at MetLife Stadium. The Eagles fell to a resilient Denver Broncos team at home, 21-17, while the Giants' scoreless second half sealed its fate against the New Orleans Saints, 26-14.
The biggest name to watch in this rivalry matchup is Saquon Barkley. In the star running back's return to New York last season, he had 17 carries for 176 yards and a touchdown before Philadelphia pulled its starters in the 28-3 Week 7 win. Barkley's 2025 season, however, hasn't started as strong.
The production of Philadelphia's rushing offense has decreased significantly; it came into Week 1 averaging 179.3 total rushing yards last season and has dropped to just 99.8 average total rushing yards coming into Week 6. That drop in production shows in Barkley's stat line, as he is averaging just 3.2 yards per carry this season. Against the Broncos' No. 5 rushing defense, the Eagles were held to just 45 rushing yards, 30 of which came from Barkley. That doesn't bode well for Philadelphia, considering New York limited New Orleans to 88 total rushing yards and its leading rusher Kendre Miller to just 41 yards on 10 carries last week.
The Eagles will have their work cut out for them protecting Hurts from the Giants' dynamic pass rush. As ranked by PFF, the Giants' top pass rusher in rookie Abdul Carter is averaging a 13.9% pass rush win and 22 total pressures. Paired with linebackers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, and nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, New York's pass rush boasts a win rate of 44% to rank No. 8 overall.
Despite a strong debut for rookie Jaxson Dart in Week 4, he had trouble continuing that momentum in New Orleans. Dart's lackluster 65% pass completion rate for 202 yards and two touchdowns is further marred by the two interceptions he threw, both of which were caught by Saints' cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. Dart's top target Malik Nabers is out for the season with an ACL injury, and wide receiver Darius Slayton is not expected to play on Thursday after suffering a hamstring injury Sunday. The Giants' already thin receiving corps is continuing to get thinner, which could be tough to convert against the Eagles’ No. 3-overall red zone defense when in scoring position.
Turnovers and penalties killed the Giants against the Saints. New York committed five total turnovers (three fumbles and two interceptions), as well as eight accepted penalties for 95 yards. Two of those turnovers resulted in points for the Saints, including a fourth quarter red zone fumble returned for a touchdown, with a total of nine points added to the board, although a missed field goal attempt could have increased that number to 12.
What stands out most in the Giants' loss is the fact it gave up a 14-3 lead over a winless opponent and failed to put up any points in the second half. New York allowed New Orleans to score 23 unanswered points, which just can't happen if a team wants to win games – especially not against the Eagles. Philadelphia already proved its ability to come back from a double digit deficit against the Rams in Week 3, and, if given the chance, it surely isn't going to give up an opportunity to do it again if that's what it comes down to against a divisional opponent.