Giants fans have enjoyed a long-awaited euphoria since beating the Vikings on Sunday evening for the team’s first playoff win in 11 years. Adding to the sense of joy is the fact Daniel Jones seems to have solidified his standing among the Giants fan base, who largely want to see him secured as the team’s long-term quarterback.
As fans start to prepare to face the despised Eagles in the NFC Divisional round, a cautious optimism the Giants can pull off the upset has started to creep in.
Of course, not all share that sentiment. For the opposing perspective, Post Sports+ checked in with former Post writer Anthony Gargano, now an influential, longtime sports radio host for 97.5 The Fanatic and Fox Sports in Philadelphia.
How do Eagles fans currently see the Giants?
Anthony Gargano: In a lot of ways, it’s where the Eagles were last year: New coach comes in … a good, bright young coach. They [had] a really good year, they eclipsed a lot of what people thought they would be. They made the playoffs, and they lost to [Tom] Brady in the first round. [Y]ou guys won, but I think it’s the same path.
What’s the confidence level among Eagles fans entering the matchup and after watching other games unfold while on bye?
AG: Having that bye is huge — 68 percent of the teams who have byes, over the last 10 years, they move on, they win. It’s a big deal.
I think the Eagles are the better team. I look at the Eagles … they’re gonna let Daniel Jones beat them? Here’s where it is — the Eagles won, 48-22, the first game. The second game, the Giants got excited because they were in the game. They didn’t play anybody, but they were able to keep the game there with a third-string quarterback; it was a really good story. And I get it, they played well over the last couple of weeks. They’ve come together, but this is where you can’t look at last week’s game — the optics get distorted from the Vikings defense. The Vikings defense is horrible. I think Brian Daboll is the next great NFL coach, but he ain’t winning Saturday night. He’s not coming into Lincoln Financial Field … that’s just not happening. There’s just no way Daniel Jones comes in and beats that defense. The Eagles are 14-3. They only lost once with [Jalen] Hurts as their quarterback — this is a good team.
You’ve seen the Giants twice this season — what are your thoughts on the Giants’ roster, regardless of the matchup?
AG: Listen, they’re going to be good. At some point, they’re going to be good. I thought the [Wild Card] game got distorted because Minnesota was a paper tiger all year. They had flimsy defense; the Giants did whatever they wanted to offensively. Danny Dimes, throwing dimes, are you kidding me? Let’s be real, how many times did he throw for 300 yards during the season? Twice? Stop. All of a sudden, he’s Dan Marino? All of a sudden, he’s Patrick Mahomes? That’s not happening. I like [Isaiah] Hodgins, I think he’s good. I think Saquon [Barkley] is legit. Their offensive line is getting better, it still needs a lot of work. Their defensive line is where they improved. I think the defensive line is legitimate. That’s something that’s there now. But the back seven’s gotta get better. They’ve got a lot of work to do. They come into this thing, and I think because of Daboll, they have been a lot better than everybody [thought] they would be. … I don’t think their talent is there yet. He scares me, but not this year.
Watching Giants-Vikings, who were you rooting for? [If the Giants had lost, the Eagles would have faced the Cowboys]
AG: Put it this way, I wanted to see the Eagles obliterate Dallas, because I hate Dallas. My time at The Post, I got ridiculed by the likes of Paul Schwartz, Dave Blezow, Chris Shaw and everybody else who was there at the time — the true New Yorkers — as the “guy from Philadelphia.” So there’s a part of me that still wants to give it to the Giants, although we own the Giants. After the Miracle at the Meadowlands 1, the Miracle at the Meadowlands 2, the Miracle at the Meadowlands 3, it is what it is!
With the Eagles’ dominance over the Giants in recent seasons, does it even feel like a rivalry, or a little brother?
AG: That’s exactly what it is. Usually, all you New Yorkers play the big brother thing. But in this case, our football team is the big brother, and you’re Eli [Manning].
Is this a Super Bowl or bust this year for the Eagles?
AG: No, it’s not Super Bowl or bust. I think they have a great chance to get to the Super Bowl. But this is a team that’s young. A.J. Brown, young. Devonta Smith, young. Dallas Goedert, young. They have a terrific offensive line. And they also have the Saints’ pick, which is a top-10 pick! This is a team that’s ahead of schedule. [General manager] Howie Roseman’s done an absolutely brilliant job. And you know, we’re Philadelphians, we throw compliments around like manhole covers. Howie has killed it, and he has this team set up for the next decade. And by the way, with Daboll, I think it’ll be a great rivalry.
The last couple of Eagles playoff runs, particularly the Super Bowl run, the Eagles were underdogs and embraced that mentality. What changes now that they’re heavy favorites?
AG: You know what? They’re a heavy favorite when it comes to Vegas and the spread. In reality, they’re not. In reality, they’ve been questioned this whole year. “How good are they? They’re not 13-1. They’re not this…” Even NBC, they called them a lukewarm favorite, and their analytics guy said they have a 33 percent chance to make the Super Bowl. So they’ve been disrespected the whole way. Which is normal. Because they disrespect everything in this city. From how incredible it is, how beautiful it is, and how good the sports teams are, I just think it’s jealousy.
The Vikings were also a team many didn’t respect as true contenders for much of the season. Why are the Eagles different?
AG: Their defense is way better than Minnesota. It’s light years. Minnesota was afraid. They’re so bad in the secondary, Minnesota was afraid to put eight guys in the box, whereas the Eagles have Darius Slay and [James] Bradberry. That’s a big deal. Their secondary is legit. Their front is terrific.
Giants fans seem almost unanimous in wanting the team to make Daniel Jones the long-term quarterback after this season. Are Eagles fans there with Hurts, or does he still need to prove it in the playoffs?
AG: They’re unanimous on Hurts. We love Jalen. … [Eagles fans] are also unanimous in Daniel Jones getting locked up long-term with the Giants. They want to see that.
Are Giants fans too high on Jones? How much of it is a product of Daboll?
AG: I think he’s a great athlete. He had a really great game and everybody was lauding him after the Vikings game. Honestly, he’s still got a ways to go. This is the same guy that was down 21-0, that couldn’t do anything for the first half of that first game against the Eagles, so I don’t see what everybody else sees. I don’t know, once they build an offensive line, they give him more time, maybe that’ll help him. But is he a good enough thrower? I still question that. I think this game will speak a lot about his future.
Coach of the Year: Daboll or Nick Sirianni?
AG: Oh, it’s not even close — Sirianni. The guy goes 14-3. How could he not be the Coach of the Year? I just think it’s unquestionable. Did anybody think the Eagles would be the No. 1 seed? You should be rewarded for being the No. 1 seed and being the best in your conference, right? And I love Daboll, but I think it’s gotta be Sirianni. And that’s not being a homer, either.
What should Giants fans, and football fans in general, know about the Eagles that they do not?
What they should know is that the offense, when Jalen is ready, is one of the greatest offenses that you will see. It’s really difficult to stop when he’s running RPOs, and he’s got A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith and Dallas Goedert to throw to. I think Jalen gets shortchanged, and I think Jalen Hurts is a winner. I doubted him. He might not be the elite No. 1 overall pick type of franchise guy. But he’s a winner. He’s been a winner everywhere he’s gone. He’s been a winner here.
Score prediction: 26-16 Eagles
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The Brady bunch of destinations
Let the Tom Brady sweepstakes begin.
After the Buccaneers were eliminated from the playoffs Monday night with a lackluster 31-14 loss to the Cowboys, Brady was mum about his plans as he heads into free agency — or potential retirement. He told reporters, “It’ll just be one day at a time, truth,” following the loss, but that won’t stop potential suitors from starting to position themselves for his services.
Brady will be 46 years old by the time next season starts. What are his most likely landing spots, and what would the fallout be across the NFL?
Raiders
Head coach Josh McDaniels, who suffered through a rough first season in charge of the Raiders, won six Super Bowls as Brady’s offensive coordinator and position coach with the Patriots. It appears the Raiders are moving on from Derek Carr, who was exiled for the team’s final two games of the season. The Raiders have until Feb. 15 to decide whether or not they want to exercise their out-clause. If they don’t, his $33 million 2023 salary and $7.5 million of his 2024 salary become fully guaranteed. If they activate it, they can cut Carr for a marginal cap hit.
Dominoes: With Brady under center, the Raiders would likely look elsewhere than quarterback with their No. 7 pick in the draft. That helps quarterback-needy teams behind the Raiders in the draft, such as the Falcons, Panthers, Titans and perhaps Jets, have one more option still on the board. And Carr hits the open market.
Titans
The Titans have quarterback issues, but aren’t in position for one of the top prospects in the draft with the No. 11 overall pick. Ryan Tannehill is entering the final year of his contract, and would count $36.6 million against the cap. After firing Jon Robinson, a new general manager could save much of that number by cutting Tannehill and looking elsewhere. Rookie Malik Willis, whom the Titans drafted in the third round, struggled badly when filling in for Tannehill at the end of the season, as did Joshua Dobbs when the team turned to him. Brady’s longtime teammate, Mike Vrabel, is the Titans’ head coach.
Dominoes: The Titans likely wouldn’t — or couldn’t — bring on Brady without cutting Tannehill, meaning Tannehill would hit the free-agent market. For quarterback-needy teams looking for a veteran option rather than a rookie in the draft, he becomes one of the top options alongside Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo and Carr.
49ers
Even if it’s not Brady, the 49ers will face pivotal quarterback decisions entering next season. Do they stick with rookie and former “Mr. Irrelevant” Brock Purdy, who has been a revelation since taking over for the injured Garoppolo (who subbed in for Trey Lance). Do they feel Lance, in whom they invested the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft, needs to get another opportunity after playing just two games this season? Or with a Super Bowl-caliber roster already in place, do they go for the ultimate winner in Brady — a Northern California native — to try to get over the hump? The calculus changes if the Niners win the Super Bowl next month.
Dominoes: Lance likely becomes one of the hottest trade candidates in the NFL if the 49ers bring in Brady. Could they look to trade Purdy, too, with another team convincing themselves he can be their starting quarterback?
Dolphins
The Dolphins reportedly attempted to lure Brady to Miami last offseason (as well as after the 2019 season), and the star receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (not to mention the sunny weather) make them an attractive destination. Of course, it all hinges on Tagovailoa and how the team feels about his long-term viability as a franchise quarterback following his head injury nightmares during this past season.
Dominoes: Tagovailoa becomes an intriguing trade candidate as someone who made great strides as a passer in 2022, though the concussion concerns. Could the Dolphins recoup some of the picks they’ve traded in recent years by offloading Tagovailoa? Will there be a fruitful market for him?
Buccaneers
Brady could return to the Buccaneers and run it back with a group that was hampered by key injuries throughout the year.
Dominoes: Instead of a possible rebuild, the Buccaneers would likely look to go all-in for another Super Bowl run.
Retirement
The Buccaneers must find their new quarterback, and the NFL finally begins a new chapter. If he does finally make that decision, he has a spot waiting for him in Fox Sports’ NFL broadcast booth. He signed a monstrous 10-year, $375 million contract with the network in May to be Fox’s No. 1 game analyst whenever he retires. The plan is for him to join play-play-player Kevin Burkhardt in the booth.
Home is not where the heart is
The Knicks have turned Madison Square Garden into a home disadvantage.
They continued their perplexing home woes Monday afternoon, blowing another fourth-quarter lead in an overtime loss to the Raptors. The loss sunk the Knicks, who sit in sixth place in the East with a 25-20 record, to just 11-12 at home. Their stellar 14-8 road record has them above the cut line for the play-in tournament, but their struggles at MSG have hindered them from joining the next echelon at the top of the conference.
Only the five worst teams in the NBA (Rockets, Hornets, Pistons, Spurs, Magic) have worse records at home than the Knicks, and of the five teams above the Knicks in the East standings, none is worse than six games over .500 at home (that’s the Nets at 13-7).
Put simply, the Knicks must figure out a way to win a majority of their games at home. The Knicks are three games out of fourth place and four games behind the current No. 2 seed. With just an average record at the Garden, they’re right in that conversation.
It’s easy to wonder at the psychology behind the trend: Do the Knicks feel increased pressure to perform in front of their own fans? Do they bring more fire to the court on the road?
And there’s the flip side, too: If the Knicks reach the playoffs without a top-four seed, does their excellent road record make them a more dangerous out?
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