There have been a lot of blunders throughout the history of the National Football League. The Atlanta Falcons’ infamous 28-3 implosion at Super Bowl LI, Jerry Jones’ decision to show Jimmy Johnson the door, and most recently, the New York Giants’ decision to do the same to Saquon Barkley.
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Throughout all of last season and even after the Philadelphia Eagles had won the Super Bowl, all anyone was wondering about was their willingness to let the most talented running back in the league walk out of the building for free. Suffice to say, Barkley made them pay for it, and then some.
He produced one of the greatest rushing performances in the history of the sport, and he even managed to average more than 10 yards per carry against the Giants throughout each of their two meetings last season. Now that those demons have been exorcised, however, the star RB1 is insisting that there are no hard feelings left ahead of their Week 6 matchup this Thursday.
“It’s a year removed from it now,” Barkley noted after being asked about getting another crack at his former employer. “It is what it is. I’m just focused on trying to get back on track and getting a big win in the NFC East.”
The Eagles might win big, but a victory against the Giants is anything but at this point in the season. The G-Men have been averaging a little more than 14 points per game throughout the past three weeks, and while Barkley was more than willing to give their defense some credit, oddsmakers aren’t willing to extend them that same courtesy.
Philadelphia is currently being listed as a -7.5 point favorite against their divisional rival this week. Even though both of these teams are coming off a loss, one is 4-1 while the other is 1-4. Suffice to say, it’s a tale of two cities, and New York just isn’t the place to be right now.
A loss to the New Orleans Saints is one of the worst things that any team could have on its record this season, while a loss to the Denver Broncos is more than understandable. After all, one of those teams has the budding talent of Bo Nix, while the other could soon be trending towards fielding their third starting quarterback of the season.
Bettors, casual fans, former players, and analysts alike are all predicting another divisional victory for the Eagles this week. It would be their 97th victory against the Giants, and it would also help to advance them towards their 14th divisional title.
At this point, the only hope that you can find in New York is the hope that Barkley takes things easy on them. Otherwise, the final score could be even more ugly than the negotiating skills of the Giants’ front office.
