Here are five more things for Giants fans to know about the Eagles, heading into their NFC divisional matchup on Saturday night in Philadelphia:
1. The linebacker who recorded the most tackles for Philadelphia was former undrafted free agent T.J. Edwards, with 159, 49 more than the second-most. At Lakes Community High School in Lakve Villa, Ill., Edwards quarterbacked his team to a 17-3 record, throwing for 30 touchdowns, running for another 16 and compiling more than 3,300 total yards, in two seasons under center before attending Wisconsin.
2. Feel-good story Reed Blankenship, who filled in at safety when C.J. Gardner-Johnson was injured, will receive more playing time as Philadelphia navigates the loss of cornerback Avonte Maddox to a toe injury. A product of Athens, Ala., Blankenship worked on a farm in high school. But the undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee State has started four games for the Eagles, recorded 34 tackles and two passes defended, and even picked off Aaron Rodgers in Week 12.
3. Before he became a two-time Pro Bowl wideout, A.J. Brown was also a baseball star. He committed to Mississippi for both baseball and football, was drafted by the Padres in the 19th round and even signed with the organization. He then teased Twitter followers about playing both sports again in 2022, tagging the Padres and writing that all he needed was a workout.
4. Gardner-Johnson missed the first regular-season meeting against the Giants while recovering from a lacerated kidney, but he returned for the teams’ Week 18 meeting and recorded seven combined tackles and a tackle for loss. Earlier in the season, Gardner-Johnson became the only Philadelphia defender since 1970 to record an interception in five consecutive games — a stretch that helped him tie for the NFL regular-season lead with six overall.
5. Defensive end Josh Sweat, who had 11.0 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and 23 quarterback hits this season, all career-highs, has built more than 20 computers from scratch across the last decade, he told The Athletic. He’s one of four Philadelphia players with double-digit sacks this season.
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