Remember back in late September, when the moved to 3-0 after dominating the , had the league's best defense and looked like geniuses for trading up to the No. 2 pick to grab quarterback ? Wentz, the rookie from North Dakota State who had been named the starter le s than two weeks before the regular season, didn't have an adjustment period, despite the lack of first-team reps, or the fact that he was coming from an FCS program. In those first three games, he completed 65 percent of his Mike Muscala Jersey pa ses for 669 yards, five touchdowns and exactly zero interceptions. Wentz was calling audibles before the snap, making good decisions after the snap, and throwing with the type of poise and accuracy of some grizzled veteran who had seen everything at least twice. It was all enough to make you wonder why the traded out of that No. 2 pick and allowed the Eagles the chance to take Wentz. But NFL seasons are long; three months later, Wentz looks every bit the rookie quarterback. His motion has gone from compact to elongated, and he has a lower completion percentage and a higher percentage of interceptions to show for it. The Eagles have just two wins in their last 11 games, now sit at 5-9, and have already been eliminated from the playoffs. That's the bad news. The good news is that they've found their franchise quarterback, even if he's not quite the finished product he may have appeared in late September. Week 16 Meanwhile, the are the unlikeliest of 10-4 teams. They find themselves with the NFC's second-best record, behind only the Justin Jackson Jersey 12-2 , by virtue of a top-flight defense and a bottom-third offense. It's a peculiar mix, particularly with and Odell Beckham Jr. playing every game, but a suspect offensive line has thrown a monkey wrench into what was supposed to be an efficient, balanced attack. Instead, what we're left with is an O-line that ranks 28th in run blocking, according to ' metrics, and in that same vicinity when it comes to yards per drive (27. 9 yards, which Russell Westbrook Jersey is good for 28th), points per drive (1.6, 28th), plays per drive (5.4, 29th) and time of po se sion per drive (2:20, 31st). And one of the few silver linings -- the offensive line ranking third in pa s protection -- is strictly a function of Manning wasting little time in the pocket before firing the ball to would-be pa s catchers, whether they're open or not. The results: Manning has played well below replacement-level, ranking 20th in , which is just behind Trevor Seimian and just ahead of . We're gue sing this won't come up during Manning's Hall of Fame speech. Still, despite , the continue to find ways to win. In fact, since the Week 5 lo s to the that dropped them to 2-3, New York has won eight of nine games, the only lo s coming to the resurgent back in Week 13. Since then, the Giants beat the (for the season sweep) and then dispensed with the NFC North-leading . Against Dallas, Manning was just 17 of 28 for 193 yards, and had three turnovers. It wasn't much different than what we'd seen in the previous four months -- the defense did the heavy lifting and the offense enjoyed the ride. But against Detroit, George Hill Jersey Manning had one of his best games of the year, completing 20 of 28 attempts for 201 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers. Beckham and rookie were the leading receivers, combining for 10 catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns. So what if the Giants' offense has finally found its footing? For starters, the timing's great, what with the playoffs looming. But even if this group remains, well, average, reasons for optimism remain. Just look to 2007; the Giants finished 10-6, backdoored their way into a wild-card spot, and promptly reeled off four straight postseason wins, including that improbable Super Bowl victory over the 18-0 . That Giants outfit had the 18th-ranked offense and the 13th-ranked defense during the regular season right before getting . Put another way: In a day and age where offense wins championships, it may be the Giants' throwback defense, which currently ranks fourth, that is responsible for any deep playoff runs.CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco's prediction The Giants can clinch a playoff berth with a victory here. The Eagles would love to ruin it. But the Giants defense is playing too well right now. I think that's the difference. Prisco's pick: Giants 23, Eagles 17Our prediction Despite Wentz's struggles the Eagles' defense has been very good -- but not as Deonte Burton Jersey good as the Giants' D. For that reason, we're giving the slight edge to New York. Our pick: Giants 17, Eagles 14
Click here Click here Click here