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Storylines to follow in season finale vs. Eagles

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The Giants will take the field for the final time this season as they wrap up the 2024 campaign with a matchup against the Eagles in Philadelphia.

In their final home game of the year, the Giants put together their best overall performance of the season. The offense scored a season-high 38 points, the defense forced three turnovers, and special teams contributed with a kickoff return touchdown on the way to a 45-33 victory over the Colts.

On the other sideline, the Eagles bounced back from their Week 16 loss to the Commanders with a dominant victory over the Cowboys. Despite Jalen Hurts missing the game due to a concussion, the Eagles scored 34 unanswered points to emerge with a 41-7 win.

Here are five storylines to follow in the regular-season finale.

Finishing on a high note

The 2024 campaign has not transpired how the Giants would have hoped, as they enter the final game of the season at 3-13. However, the team has a chance to finish the season strong with back-to-back wins as they travel to Philadelphia for a Week 18 matchup against the Eagles. Philadelphia's win on Sunday locked them into the No. 2 seed, which led to coach Nick Sirianni announcing Wednesday that the Eagles plan on resting some starters in the finale. Regardless of who's out there for the Eagles, the Giants are looking to finish the season with a victory.

"Our focus is really on the task at hand," coach Brian Daboll told the media Monday. "We have a lot of guys that are committed to trying to do things the right way and competing at a high level. When you play the way those guys played yesterday, again, all the credit goes to those guys, then you get the results that we all covet. So, our focus is going to be on this week and doing everything we can do to prepare for this game."

Daboll added, "I do think consistency is important. You don't like the negative results, by any means. Then you don't get too high with the positive results. You look at the things that you did well and then you look at the things that you didn't do as well, which there's plenty of those in each game, whether you win or whether you lose. Then you try to improve on those things. We have obviously one game left and you put everything you got into it to have a good week, prepare the right way and do the things necessary you need to do to be at your best on Sunday."

Nabers looking to make history

Wide receiver Malik Nabers has already made some history this season, as he and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. became just the third rookie duo in NFL history, and only the second since the 1970 merger, to each have 1,000 yards from scrimmage. Not only that, but Nabers and Tracy also rank third and fourth, respectively, among all rookies in Giants history, trailing only Saquon Barkley (2,028 in 2018) and Beckham (1,340 in 2014).

With only one game remaining, Nabers has the chance to make even more history on Sunday, both in terms of franchise and NFL records. With his seven receptions against the Colts, the 21-year-old is up to 104 receptions on the season. This is the second-highest total in Giants history and only three shy of Steve Smith, who had 107 in 2009, for the all-time franchise record. Nabers already set the Giants rookie record a few weeks ago when he topped Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley's mark of 91 receptions.

Heading into the regular-season finale, Nabers also sits four receptions shy of the new NFL rookie record, which Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers currently owns with 108. The 21-year-old receiver is tied with Miami's Jaylen Waddle for the third-highest rookie receptions total in history, and is only one catch behind Los Angeles' Puka Nacua for the second-most. The first-year wideout can set a new rookie record against the Eagles this Sunday, but will start the day four catches behind Bowers, who has played in two more games than Nabers.

Nabers also heads into Week 18 ranking fourth in the NFL in receptions with 104, tied with Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, while his 1,140 receiving yards rank eighth.

Burns' strong season continues

Despite dealing with various injuries for most of the year, outside linebacker Brian Burns has started every single game and has continued to perform at a high level, even after the Giants were eliminated from playoff contention.

Burns recorded six tackles (four solo) in Sunday's win over the Colts, including a season-high three tackles for loss. He also added a quarterback hit and finished the game with six pressures on just 28 pass rushes (21.4 percent pressure rate), including four pressures in under 2.5 seconds, according to Next Gen Stats. He has now generated the ninth-most pressures (63) and the fifth-most quick pressures (31) in the league this season.

Over the last four games, the veteran edge rusher has registered at least one tackle for loss every week, with a total of seven during that span while also adding two sacks, four quarterback hits and a forced fumble. Going back to Week 12 when fellow outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux returned from injured reserve, Burns has totaled 21 pressures while Thibodeaux has 20. They are one of just four sets of teammates with 20+ pressures during that stretch, and the only such duo who have each forced a turnover on their pressures.

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

Young defenders stepping up

Burns was far from the only Giants defender to step up in the Week 17 win. The unit saw several young players make key contributions in the victory, starting with Dane Belton. In the three games since rookie Tyler Nubin was placed on injured reserve, Belton has played no fewer than 90 percent of the team's defensive snaps in each game. The third-year safety has racked up 29 total tackles in those three contests along with a sack and four passes defensed, including the interception of Colts quarterback Joe Flacco. The interception came deep in Giants territory and prevented the Colts from scoring on the opening drive of the game.

The defense's second takeaway against the Colts came late in the game, when cornerback Dru Phillips intercepted another one of Flacco's passes, which marked the first interception of the rookie slot corner's NFL career. Phillips missed a few games due to injury, but when on the field, the 23-year-old has been a difference-maker. According to Pro Football Focus, Phillips ranks as the league's seventh-best cornerback among players that have been on the field for at least 50 percent of snaps this season. Heading into the regular-season finale, the analytics site also has Phillips ranked as the 12th-best rookie overall.

Similar to Belton, linebacker Darius Muasau has also gotten an extended opportunity in recent weeks. Veteran Bobby Okereke has not seen the field since Week 13, and in the four games since, the rookie has totaled 33 tackles. Fellow starting inside linebacker Micah McFadden also missed the Week 17 win, which caused the defense to lean even more on the 23-year-old rookie from Hawaii. Muasau responded with eight total tackles while playing every defensive snap. In fact, over the last three games, Muasau has been on the field for all but one defensive snap.

Injury updates

Brian Daboll gave some injury updates prior to the start of Wednesday's practice.

Inside linebacker Micah McFadden suffered a neck injury in the Week 16 loss in Atlanta that forced him to miss all three practices last week, along with the game against the Colts. The third-year linebacker was once again absent from practice on Wednesday as he continues to work through the injury.

Center John Michael Schmitz also missed all three practices in addition to the Week 17 game due to an ankle injury he aggravated in Atlanta. Schmitz's absence from the starting lineup led to Greg Van Roten shifting over from guard to center, while Aaron Stinnie and Jake Kubas manned the two guard positions. Schmitz was unable to partake in Wednesday's practice, and if the second-year center is unable to suit up again this Sunday, we are likely going to see the same combination as last week in the interior of the offensive line.

Right tackle Evan Neal, who is dealing with rib and hip injuries, also did not participate in the first practice of the week.

The most serious injury to come out of last week's game against Indianapolis was the knee injury suffered by defensive lineman Armon Watts. The veteran had just returned to the active roster following a stint on injured reserve due to a shoulder injury. In his first game back, Watts registered one tackle before going down with a knee injury that forced him to be carted off the field. Daboll told the media that Watts has already undergone surgery on his knee, meaning his season is over.

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