PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles have a nine-game losing streak at Lincoln Financial Field, and none of the Giants knows quite what that means better than Mike Patterson, who spent the first eight years of his NFL career playing defensive tackle for the Eagles.
“I’m sure the good old Philly fans are gonna be on ’em,’’ Patterson said.
Patterson played 115 games (starting 99) for the Eagles, including 56 regular-season and two playoff games at the Linc. On Sunday, he gets to see the inside of the visitors’ locker room for the first time.
“I’m going to see how small it is,’’ Patterson said.
The Giants have been highly competitive with their run defense, and Patterson has played a bigger-than-expected role. He will have to do even more in this game, as massive Shaun Rogers (knee) did not make the trip.
“It’s not going to be emotional,” Patterson said of his return to Philadelphia. “I learned real quickly that this is more of a business. I think I’m going to be more excited than anything. I’ve been practicing against those guys for so long, so I’m waiting to bust some moves out. We’ll see what happens.’’
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In addition to Rogers, CB Jayron Hosley (hamstring) did not make the trip. RB Brandon Jacobs made the trip and remains listed as doubtful. … With Rogers out, expect rookie Johnathan Hankins to receive considerable playing time. In his only extensive work, Hankins was impressive (five solo tackles) the first time around vs. the Eagles.
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The Eagles under first-year NFL coach Chip Kelly move fast on offense but that doesn’t mean they are hard to figure out.
“Philly’s offense is simple at times,” CB Terrell Thomas said. “They kind of dare you to make mistakes, and when you do, they capitalize. They just kind of run the same plays over and over again, little changeup here and there, because they have great athletes, so they just get the ball to them.”
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The front office made a concerted effort to upgrade the position of defensive tackle with the signings of Patterson and another former Eagle, Cullen Jenkins, plus the drafting of Hankins in the second round. The improved run defense has also been aided by a more active DE Justin Tuck.
“I think he’s played the run more effectively than he did a year ago and I think he’s concentrated on playing the run more effectively,’’ defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said. “People don’t look at Justin as a run defender. They look at him as a hit-the-quarterback, sack guy. But Justin is really doing a nice job for us in the run game.’’
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In 10 games and eight starts against the Giants, Michael Vick has a 5-3 record and has completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,520 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions for a quarterback rating of 82.4. … The Giants are 18-6 all-time in their games before their bye week, tied with the Seahawks and Cowboys for the best pre-bye record in the league. … The Eagles have won nine of the past 11 games in this series.