For Eagles and Giants, controlling clock will mean victory

Somebody asked the longest-tenured Eagle, 13th-year free safety Brian Dawkins, this week when the rivalry with the Giants turned into the biggest for him.

"It was never a 'turn into' thing, it's always been that way for me,'' Dawkins said. "I've always respected this team; we'll always respect this team - the players, the coaching staff, I've always had respect for them. I'm not cushy with them, but I've always respected this team . . . Every once in a [while] it's been a blowout, but for the most part it's usually some grind-out, close defensive battle with this team.''

To keep the Giants from dominating the clock, you have to stop or at least limit their rushing attack, led by Brandon Jacobs, the only elite NFL runner regularly mistaken for a defensive lineman when he has his jersey off in the locker room. Jacobs is listed at 6-4, 264, but he looks bigger. Unquestionably, it will help the Eagles that they don't have to worry about getting beat deep by Plaxico Burress, so they can focus on the run more, as they did in the last meeting.

"It makes a difference, there's no question about it,'' Johnson said. "We'll still mix up our coverages and fronts, but it makes a difference without Plaxico. The biggest thing with Plaxico was trying to get a good matchup. We didn't have anybody we really could match up. We feel like we have a guy who can match up against [replacement Domenik] Hixon a little bit, but Plaxico was so tall that it was hard to match up sometimes.''

One would assume Johnson is talking about Samuel matching up on Hixon, but Samuel would not confirm or deny that yesterday.

In New York, much is being made of the fact that Jacobs gained 52 yards on 10 carries in that December loss to the Eagles, even though he left in the third quarter with a knee injury. But 23 of those yards came on one second-quarter run; his other nine carries accounted for 29 yards, which is the kind of average the Eagles can win with.

Mikell said the Birds can't just target Jacobs (or running mate Derrick Ward) and stop New York, the way Giants defensive coordinator (and former Johnson assistant) Steve Spagnuolo tells his defenders to do with Brian Westbrook; Spagnuolo preaches "22 eyes on 36.''

"They've got guys they can get deep, guys who can make great plays. [Burress' absence] doesn't mean we can load the box up,'' Mikell said. *

For more Eagles coverage and opinion, read the Daily News' Eagles blog, Eagletarian, at www.eagletarian.com.