A pair of New York Giants legends have voiced different takes on how the franchise should approach Sunday’s regular-season finale at the 13-3 Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday.
Per Ryan Chichester of Audacy, former New York running back Tiki Barber explained during Wednesday’s edition of the WFAN show Barber co-hosts with Brandon Tierney that the 9-6-1 Giants shouldn’t rest starters and should instead play Sunday’s game “hard” and to win even though they are already locked-in as the conference’s No. 6 playoff seed.
Former Giants linebacker and current analyst Carl Banks later disagreed with Barber during his weekly appearance on the “Tiki And Tierney” program.
“They’re gonna coach it to win it, and the players that are out there are gonna get the same game plan as they get every week,” Banks said of the Giants. “But you’re not gonna put your best guys out there at certain positions. You can’t send everybody out there, Tiki.”
Sunday’s game is hardly meaningless for the Eagles, who have yet to clinch either the NFC East division title or the conference’s No. 1 playoff seed.
That’s likely one reason Banks doesn’t want the Giants risking key players in Week 18.
“You can’t sit all 22, so there’s gonna be starters on the field,” Banks continued. “But I’m not putting (starting quarterback) Daniel Jones out there when I have (backup) Tyrod Taylor. If it were me, I’m not putting (running back Saquon Barkley) out there when I have two other really good running backs that I can put out there.”
As noted by Connor Hughes of SNY, Giants head coach Brian Daboll didn’t reveal any plans for his starters regarding Sunday’s game when he spoke with reporters Wednesday:
