This really is the season of injuries; the New York Giants alone have 7 players listed “questionable” at the moment. That’s not even mentioning people on the injured reserve list. These depleted squads have the effect of making games surprisingly unpredictable. That doesn’t seem to have been enough to save the New York Giants’ hide, though. At 2-4 down and at the bottom of NFC East, the Giants will be keen to pull any advantage.

Cue Malik Nabers, rookie wide receiver who was picked 6th overall this year by the Giants. He had a phenomenal start to the season until a concussion put him out of the game. He’s finally off the list and projected to return this Sunday against the Eagles. At just 21, the no. 6 overall pick has a bright future ahead of him, if treated sensibly.

In just 4 games so far, Malik Nabers racked up 3 touchdowns and 386 yards across 35 receptions. He’s pretty much the perfect size for a wide receiver at just a hair above 6 feet tall, and very nearly 200lb heavy. He’s damn fast too, clocking in at 4.35 seconds on the 40-yard-dash. It’s clear the Giants expect to keep him around a while and mold him into a franchise institution.

Interestingly, Nabers is the first player to wear the number 1 for them since the 1930s. That’s got to count for something.

With Malik Nabers back on the field, who’s got the edge?

With Nabers at the forefront, the Giants’ offense is looking pretty solid, assuming he does in fact play against the Eagles. But with defense, things don’t look so good, given the injury list. Defensive back, Adoree’ Jackson is out with a neck injury, while safety Dane Belton is questionable with illness. To add to the list, defensive end Brian Burns and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence are also questionable, with groin and hip injuries, respectively.

The Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants have a history going back almost a century. In fact, the Eagles’ first ever game in history was against the Giants, some 91 years ago. They lost that one 56-0, by the way. But of the last 5 games they’ve played, the Giants won only once. Somewhere along the line, the scales got dis-balanced.

The Eagles are definitely doing better at 3-2, but they’ve had a few issues with coach Nick Sirianni. It seems like he’s not quite well balanced in his calls either, somewhat hobbling the offense. It’s  a shame the Giants’ defense is so patchy right now. On the other hand, the Eagles have been very vulnerable to turnovers this season. A strong defense could have turned the tides for them.

The Eagles definitely have a more solid team on paper, but the Giants will have to hope that mismanagement will lessen their cohesion, allowing the Big Apple boys a shot at getting the better of them. Here’s hoping they can beat the odds.