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The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles do not like each other. They never have and they never will. But whether either side is willing to admit it or not, that hatred got kicked into high gear a season ago.
By now, everyone knows the Eagles embarrassed the game of football by deliberately tanking in the final game of the season. It was a decision that cost the Giants a spot in the playoffs and eventually cost head coach Doug Pederson his job.
Giants head coach Joe Judge sounded off at the time and has refused to back down since.
“There’s a number of sacrifices that have been made by all the players and coaches in this league. There’s a number of sacrifices that come along as well for the family members of the people connected to them,” Judge said in January. “To disrespect the effort that everyone put forward to make this season a success for the National Football League, to disrespect the game by going out there and not competing for 60 minutes and doing everything you can to help those players win. We will never do that as long as I am the head coach of the New York Giants.”
Things escalated in the 2021 NFL draft when the Eagles traded up with the Dallas Cowboys and leaped the Giants to select their target, Alabama wide receiver Devonta Smith.
All of that will come to a head in Week 12.
“I just think it’s just a rivalry between the Eagles and Giants. It’s built from way back then before I was born, so I just feel like it’s lot of animosity there in general,” cornerback James Bradberry told reporters on Wednesday.
Bradberry attempted to downplay what happened last season, but it’s clear that annoyance lingers. If the Giants were playing better at the moment, perhaps it would be a bigger topic. But rather, they’re just trying to keep their heads above water.
“We’re just going to attack this game and play in the present,” Bradberry added. “Things aren’t going too well right now, so we’re just trying to win the game. It’s another game. The Eagles are up right now and that’s who we are playing, and that’s who our focus is on.”
The Giants are well-trained when it comes to their media interactions under Judge but make no mistake about it, the feelings from last year are still raw. The feelings from April are still raw. And although the Giants may not say it, they absolutely want to exact revenge and win this game for Judge.
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