Ashley Fox: Giants look to contain Vick again

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Tom Coughlin scanned the packed auditorium at the Timex Performance Center on Wednesday and quipped, "Why are all these people here, Christmas?"

Then, he proceeded to answer his own question: "In the division. For the lead in the division. Mid-December. It's exciting, very exciting. The Eagles are an outstanding football team."

Coughlin should know. His Giants have lost to the Eagles five straight times, the longest streak since the Giants beat the Eagles nine straight times from 1997 to early 2001.

This streak hurts a little more because the Giants feel as if it should have ended at four. In the first meeting with the Eagles, on Nov. 21, the Giants accomplished their lofty No. 1 goal - contain Michael Vick - and they still lost. Vick didn't kill the Giants. He had, for him, a fairly pedestrian day, throwing for 258 yards, with no touchdowns, and rushing 11 times for 34 yards and a score.

It was the other Eagles playmakers - mainly LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin - who caused the Giants such problems. So therein lies their challenge on Sunday, when the Giants host the Eagles in a game that will, in all likelihood, determine who wins the NFC East. The Giants feel as if they have to keep Vick from having a big day, but know that the Eagles are so stocked on offense that any number of players can turn what should be a small gain into a game-changing play.

They saw it in the first game, when McCoy took a pitch from Vick on fourth and 1 from midfield and ran 50 yards for the game-winning touchdown. They saw it again on Sunday, when DeSean Jackson caught a short pass and sprinted away from the Dallas defenders for a 91-yard game-breaking touchdown. Just like that, a loss turned into a win.

"They have made quite a habit of winning in these close games in the fourth quarter, if you look and study and see where they're at," Coughlin said. "There are a lot of clear objectives here."

From the Giants' perspective, it starts on defense with containing Vick.

In the first game, unlike the Washington Redskins the week before, New York opted not to spy Vick. The Giants pressured him from the left side - everyone in the National Football League knows Vick is at his most dangerous when running to his left - and sometimes rushed as many as eight, particularly on third down and in the red zone.

New York also mixed playing two deep safeties and sending both safeties on the blitz.