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Players to Watch: Rookies continue to shine

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The Giants will look to pick up their first divisional win of the season when the Eagles come to MetLife Stadium this Sunday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET.

In their third primetime game over a five-week span, the Giants fell to the Bengals, 17-7, on Sunday Night Football. Fresh off their Week 5 bye, the Eagles defeated the Browns, 20-16, in Philadelphia.

Here are players to watch in the Week 7 matchup between NFC East foes:

RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.

With Devin Singletary sidelined for the second consecutive week, Tyrone Tracy Jr. once again took full advantage of his expanded opportunity. The rookie carried the ball 17 times for 50 yards and the first touchdown of his NFL career, but it was the passing game where he really made an impact. The converted wide receiver caught all six passes thrown his way for 57 yards, matching Darius Slayton as the team's leading receiver. This production came one week after Tracy ran for 129 yards while averaging over seven yards per carry against the Seahawks, which led to back-to-back nominations for Rookie of the Week.

It remains to be seen if Singletary will return to the field this week. The veteran was a limited participant throughout the week last week before being ruled out on Saturday, and has once again been listed as limited participant in practice this week. Whether or not he returns, Tracy could earn himself a bigger role in the offense. The 24-year-old has proven to be difficult to bring down, as he has forced six missed tackles over the last two games while catching 11 of 13 targets thrown his way.

"I think Tyrone has capitalized on his opportunities," assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said Thursday. "So, depending on the game plan, depending on the week, depending on the flow of the game, how things are going, that can determine a lot of things. Whether they're getting touches or not. He's done a great job with his opportunities in the pass game, in the screen game, in the running game. So, we're just going continue to build off that."

The Eagles have had mixed results stopping the run this season. Their 123.0 rushing yards per game ranks 16th in the NFL, while their 4.8 yards per carry allowed comes in at No. 26.

View photos of the Giants on the practice field at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

Offensive line

The Giants received some tough news this week as the team announced that left tackle Andrew Thomas underwent season-ending surgery Wednesday morning for a foot injury suffered in last week's loss. Through the first six games of the season, the Giants' five starting offensive linemen had played every single snap together, the only unit across the NFL to do so. But with Thomas now done for the year, the O-line must adjust with other players stepping up to try to fill the void left by Thomas' injury.

We don't yet know how exactly the O-line will look come Sunday. Coach Brian Daboll said the team is evaluating its options, one of which includes just slotting Joshua Ezeudu into the starting lineup at left tackle. Another option could be moving right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor over to the left side, while Evan Neal steps in at right tackle. Daboll also told reporters Wednesday that Neal could potentially take some snaps during practice at left tackle. All options appear to be on the table as the Giants look to figure out the best combination of five players to fill out the line. While "you can't replace Andrew Thomas," as Daboll said on Wednesday, the Giants are confident in the guys behind him.

"Everyone's on this team for a reason," Daboll said about the team's injuries. "They're all working to improve. They're not here just to hold the space. They're working to improve. So when they get their opportunity, they go out there and they do as good of a job as they can do and be themselves and trust their fundamentals, their techniques. That's why they work so hard and are involved in the meetings and get the reps, because you have to develop those guys that are backups throughout the season. Because inevitably, you'll have some type of injury, regardless of the spot it is."

"It's next guy up and that group's played well this year," Daniel Jones added after practice. "I think obviously it's a tough blow to lose Andrew. He's a tremendous player, a tremendous leader for us. But I'm confident guys will step up and I think more than anything, it's about that group playing well together as a unit, communicating, getting on the same page, and helping each other. And so far, they've done a really good job with that."

The Eagles have recorded just 11 sacks through their first five games, which has them tied with the Cardinals for the 24th in the league. However, the metrics show that their pass rush has performed better than the numbers indicate. The Eagles' 43 percent pass rush win rate comes in at No. 13, according to ESPN analytics.

OLB Azeez Ojulari

The Thomas news marks the second consecutive week in which the Giants lost a key starter after outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux was placed on injured reserve last week after undergoing wrist surgery. The Giants can only hope that the replacement along the O-line sees similar results as we saw on the edge last week. Outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari stepped in opposite Brian Burns, and the fourth-year edge rusher put together one of the best games of his young NFL career. Ojulari had two sacks and six total pressures on 26 pass rushes against the Bengals, which resulted in his highest pressure rate generated in a game since the 2021 season finale.

"He did a good job," defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said Thursday about Ojulari. "That's the expectation. These guys, they get their opportunities and make the most of them. Be ready to go day in, day out. Never know when that opportunity is going to arise. I thought he showed up. He made plays for us. He was active. He was winning. He was getting off the ball. I felt his speed out there attacking the line of scrimmage. Really pleased with him and being ready to go and showing up when we needed him."

Sunday's matchup against the Bengals was the first game in which Ojulari played more than 44 percent of the team's defensive snaps this year. Despite his limited action, Ojulari is tied for the second-most sacks on the team with three, while his four quarterback hits are tied for fourth. His 13 pressures on 92 pass rushes has led to a 14.1 percent pressure rate, the highest by any Giants pass rusher this season with at least 50 pass rushes.

The Eagles' 14 sacks allowed are tied with the Giants for the 14th-fewest in the league, although the Giants have played one more game. But Philadelphia's O-line has taken a big hit, as coach Nick Sirianni told reporters earlier this week that starting left tackle Jordan Mailata will miss some time due to a hamstring injury. Fred Johnson filled in at left tackle once Mailata left last week's game and allowed two pressures on just five pass blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. In two and a half games this season, Johnson has allowed two sacks and a total of 18 pressures.

ILBs Bobby Okereke & Micah McFadden

When it comes to the Giants' defense, the pass rush has garnered most of the attention, and rightfully so. The unit's 26 sacks are four more than any other team and represents the franchise's second-highest total ever through six games. But an underrated part of the defense's success has been the performance of their two inside linebackers – Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden.

McFadden ranks second on the team in total tackles with 36, while Okereke is right behind him with 35. Both players have forced a fumble and also recovered a fumble, while also being factors in the pass rush. They each have 1.5 sacks on the season, while McFadden has four quarterback hits and Okereke has two. Additionally, the linebackers have helped improve a Giants' run defense that struggled mightily over the last few seasons. The Giants enter Week 7 ranking 15th in the league with 116.3 rushing yards allowed per game, while their three rushing touchdowns are tied for the fifth-fewest. The numbers would look even better had it not been for the Commanders' 215-yard rushing performance back in Week 2, as no other opponent has run for more than 121 yards against the Giants this season.

The Giants are going to need the two linebackers to bring their A game this Sunday going up against the Eagles' talented rushing attack. Former Giant Saquon Barkley has led the way for the Eagles with 91 rush attempts for 482 yards (5.3 avg.) and four touchdowns, but quarterback Jalen Hurts is also a threat with his legs. Hurts has 196 yards and two touchdowns on the ground this season, while his 56 rush attempts are the third-most among quarterbacks, trailing only Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels. PFF ranks McFadden as one of the top linebackers against the run so far this season, and both he and Okereke will have to step up this Sunday to try to contain the Eagles' run game.

"Explosive," Bowen said about Barkley. "You give him space, he finds it. He's made teams pay already this season on that. Got the ability to make the home run, hit the home run every time he has the ball in his hands. So, we've got to be disciplined. We've got to do a good job. We've got to get hats to the party. It's going to be tough bringing him down with one guy. Big challenge for us."

CB Dru Phillips

In his first game back from a calf injury, Dru Phillips was eased into action against the Seahawks in Week 5. The rookie slot cornerback played 40 percent of the snaps in Seattle, but saw that number jump up to 68 percent this past week against the Bengals. The production followed. Phillips finished last week's game with five total tackles (two solo) and a tackle for loss, while surrendering just two receptions for 11 yards in coverage.

Phillips has performed well when he's been on the field. Not counting the Week 3 game he left in the first quarter, the rookie has played in four games and has yet to allow 15 yards or more in coverage. According to PFF, the 22-year-old has a 75.9 passer rating when targeted this season, as he's allowed just 10 receptions for 48 yards. Phillips already has one sack, four tackles for loss, and a forced fumble on the year, with PFF ranking him among the league's top rookies thus far.

Almost all of Phillips snaps this season have come in the slot, which means the rookie will likely see at least some snaps against the Eagles' talented wide receiver duo. A.J. Brown has only played two games this season, and when he's been on the field, he's lined up in the slot 25.8 percent of the time. Meanwhile, DeVonta Smith has lined up in the slot more this year (55.6 percent of snaps) than ever before, as his previous career-high for percentage of snaps in the slot was 30.8 percent. Both receivers have had success when healthy this year, as Smith has totaled a team-high 303 yards on 24 receptions across four games while Brown has caught just 11 passes but for 235 yards in only two games. Both receivers have caught two touchdowns apiece.

"He's strong," the Giants' defensive coordinator said about Brown. "He's really, really good with the ball in his hands. He's tough to bring down. Probably one of the better catch and run guys in the league. If he has space and he's full steam ahead, it's tough to get him on the ground. The ball skills down the field, being able to adjust his body, find ways to shield receivers, really, really good hands."

View rare photos of the historic rivalry between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.

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