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2023 Playoffs

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23 things you didn't know about Giants vs. Eagles

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The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles know each other better than anybody else, both historically and presently.

With a berth to the NFC Championship Game on the line, Saturday night will be the 181st intersection of the I-95 rivals and third one this season. Philadelphia swept the regular-season series en route to claiming the NFC East and top seed in the conference. But you knew all that.

Here are 23 things you might not know heading into the Divisional Round (thanks to NFL Research, which ran lead blocker on many of the notes below):

1. In six games against No. 1 seeds since the playoff restructuring in 1990, the Giants are a perfect 6-0. That six-game win streak vs. No. 1 seeds is the longest by any franchise since the NFL began seeding playoff teams in 1975. The Giants beat the No. 1 seed in both conferences in each of its last three Super Bowl-winning seasons.

Giants vs. No. 1 seeds in playoffs since 1990:

  • Super Bowl XLVI: Patriots - W, 21-17
  • 2011 Div. Rd.: Packers - W, 37-20
  • Super Bowl XLII: Patriots - W, 17-14
  • 2007 Div. Rd.: Cowboys - W, 21-17
  • Super Bowl XXV: Bills - W, 20-19
  • 1990 NFC Championship: 49ers - W, 15-13

2. Road teams in Divisional Playoff games have won four of the last five games, dating to Tampa Bay's win at New Orleans in the last contest of the 2020 Divisional Round.

3. In each of the prior two seasons in which the Eagles have earned the NFC's No. 1 seed, they've advanced to the Super Bowl (2004 and 2017). The 2017 Eagles were the last No. 1 seed to win the Super Bowl. Since the beginning of the 2018 playoffs, No. 1 seeds in the postseason are a combined 7-8 (.467) with zero Super Bowl victories.

4. Four teams over the past five postseasons (2017-21) finished last or tied for last in their divisions and rebounded with a berth in their conference championship games. Both the Giants and Jaguars can join that group this week. The four previous teams to accomplish it: The Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers in 2021, and the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles in 2017. Since the 1970 merger, 20 teams have reached their conference championship games after finishing in last place (or tied for last) in their divisions the previous season, including eight that reached the Super Bowl: The 1981, 1988 and 2021 Cincinnati Bengals, the 1999 St. Louis Rams, the 2001 New England Patriots, the 2003 Carolina Panthers, the 2009 New Orleans Saints and the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles.

5. Since the Eagles captured consecutive division crowns from 2001-2004, the NFC East has had a different champion each of the past 18 seasons (2005-22). It's the longest stretch ever without a repeat division winner.

6. The Giants have lost nine consecutive games at Lincoln Financial Field, with their last road win over the Eagles coming in 2013. Over the last two postseasons, road teams are 0-6 against division opponents (0-3 in 2021 and 0-3 last weekend).

7. Jalen Hurts was 5-0 against teams that made the 2022 playoffs. Giants coach Brian Daboll has a connection with the Eagles quarterback, dating back to their time together at Alabama. In 2017, Daboll returned to collegiate coaching for the first time in 18 years when he became the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Crimson Tide, which finished 13-1 and earned its 17th national championship.

8. Daboll also goes back with Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, who got his first position coach job (wide receivers) in the NFL in 2012 under Daboll, who was the offensive coordinator of the Chiefs at the time. "He sees the game the right way," Daboll said earlier in the season. "Came from a football family just outside of Buffalo. Just a really good football coach with really good players. They've got a good organization."

9. Daboll could become just the 15th rookie head coach since the 1970 merger to lead his team to a conference championship game. Only one coach has done it over the last 10 years: Green Bay's Matt LaFleur in 2019.

10. The Eagles recorded 70 sacks in a 17-game schedule, tied with the 1987 Bears for the third-most by a team in a season in NFL history. Only the 1984 Bears (72 sacks) and 1989 Vikings (71) had more. They also became the first team with four players each with at least 10 sacks in a single season since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.

View photos from the Giants' 31-24 Wild Card victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

11. Philadelphia recorded 32 rushing touchdowns, tied with the 2003 Chiefs and 2006 Chargers for the second-most by a team in a season in the Super Bowl era. Only the 1976 Steelers (33) had more.

12. In last week's win, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones became the first player in NFL history to reach both 300 passing yards and 75 rushing yards in a postseason game.

13. The average final score margin of 9.70 points this season was the lowest for a full season since 1932 (9.13). This season also set the records for most…

Games decided by six-or-fewer points: 122

Games decided by seven-or-fewer points: 141

Games decided by eight-or-fewer points: 156

Games within one score (eight points) in fourth quarter: 203

Games in which team overcame deficit of 10-or-more points to win or tie: 52

Games in which team came back to win after trailing in fourth quarter: 85

Games with game-winning score in final two minutes of regulation or in overtime: 66

14. The Giants have won six of their past seven playoff games on the road, not including neutral sites in Super Bowls.

15. This will be the 22nd playoff game in the Super Bowl era between a team that had a 125+ point differential (Eagles) and another that had a negative point differential that season (Giants). Teams with 125+ point differentials have won 18 of the previous 21 such games and those 18 teams won by an average of over 19 points. Each of the three such losses came vs. the Giants in 2011.

16. This will be the first playoff matchup in NFL history in which both starting quarterbacks had 600+ rush yards in that regular season.

17. Saquon Barkley is the first starting running back in the Super Bowl era to have 100+ scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns on fewer than 15 touches in a single playoff game.

18. Eagles running back Boston Scott has scored 10 of his 18 career touchdowns against the Giants.

19. The Giants had just 16 giveaways in 2022, second-fewest in the league. Philadelphia was 10-0 when it won the turnover battle this season (4-3 in other games).

20. The average age of the eight expected starting quarterbacks for the 2022 Divisional Round (on game day) is 25 years, 278 days, the youngest across a Divisional Round since its inception in 1950. At 29 years, 177 days (on Sunday), Dallas' Dak Prescott is the oldest one left. Jones is 25, and Hurts is 24. For comparison, the average age of the 2021 Divisional Round starting quarterbacks was 32 years, 65 days.

21. Since 1970, teams to defeat an opponent twice in the regular season and then play them again in the playoffs are 14-9 in the playoff game (12-6 at home).

22. Philadelphia's A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith were the only teammate duo with 85+ receptions & 1,000+ receiving yards each in 2022.

23. Jones is the third quarterback in postseason history to record 375+ offensive yards and win their first playoff start (Kurt Warner, 1999 and Colin Kaepernick, 2012). Both Warner and Kaepernick won their next game.

View rare photos of the Giants' Divisional Round playoff games through the years.

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