When news broke that Kenny Pickett was still questionable for the Eagles Week 18 game against the New York Giants, it called the entire game plan into question.

Now granted, the difference between Pickett and his backup, Tanner McKee, is marginal at best from a playing style standpoint. Pickett is maybe a tad more athletic, McKee is a few inches taller, and one could quibble over who has a better arm between the Pitt and Stanford products – my money is on McKee – but neither has Jalen Hurts' athleticism and as a result, they would both need to more-or-less win games through the air instead of on the ground.

Furthermore, with Saquon Barkley already a guaranteed out for the game – barring a miracle – while players like AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Lane Johnson, and more will probably ride the bench in the contest, the Eagles won't be playing with a full deck of cards either, wit their QB forced to win behind a line loaded up with reserves and a collection of playmakers headlined by Jahan Dotson, Britain Covey, Johnny Wilson, Grant Calcaterra, and Will Shipley.

Is that a tough ask, throwing a B-Team of players against a Giants offense that just went off to the tune of a 45-point explosion versus a seven-win Indianapolis Colts team? Drew Lock, overlooked for Tommy DeVito at times in 2024, unloaded the chamber with a 309-yard, four-touchdown performance while dashing New York's dream of the number-one pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Could New York allow the current Giants brass to screw things up even further with another win, borderline guaranteeing that they can't secure a top-tier quarterback in the top-5? Or will John Mara realize that it would be stupid to allow Brian Daboll and Lock to win his team another game when neither man will likely be with the organization in 2025?

What happens when two teams are trying not to win by making a concerted effort not to put their best stuff on the field? Well, in Week 18, fans are going to find out, even if it could look downright ugly before everything is said and done.

New York Giants quarterback Drew Lock (2) passes the ball in the second quarter during a game between New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024.
Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

1. Vic Fangio's defense shuts down Drew Lock

So, how was Lock able to go off against the Colts in Week 17?

Well, part of it is because Indianapolis really doesn't have a good passing defense. Ranking 26th in the NFL through 17 weeks of action, the Colts have allowed 3,693 yards on the season through the air, or roughly 230.8 yards per game. They've allowed at least 200 yards through the air in four of their last five games and really dropped the ball against the Giants to effectively eliminate themselves from the playoffs.

Oh, what a difference a week can make.

In Week 18, Lock will be facing off against the best passing defense in the NFL, with Fangio's defense allowing almost a thousand fewer yards through the air when compared to the Colts over the same sample size. The Eagles have been hit at times by teams that know how to exploit their weaknesses, including in their Week 16 loss to the Washington Commaners. But through 17 weeks, only one team, Baker Mayfield and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have thrown for over 300 yards, with two teams, the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10 and the Giants in Week 7, each finishing out their games with under 50 net passing yards.

Could Lock still overcome Daniel Jones' performance from earlier this season? Yeah, that should be easy, as he only needs to put up a third of his production from Week 17 to hit that mark in Week 18. But will the Eagles surrender their second 300-yard passing game of the year in the final regular season game of the year? Yeah, that feels unlikely, as the Eagles, even with a secondary of Kelee Ringo, Isaiah Rodgers, Avonte Maddox, Tristin McCollum, and Sydney Brown – give or take – instead of the typical starters, have a strong enough scheme to keep the Giants in check.

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Grant Calcaterra (81) catches the ball during a training camp practice at Lincoln Financial Field.
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

2. Some Eagles player steps up to earn a larger role in the playoffs

Do you remember when Shake Milton got really hot for the Philadelphia 76ers a few years back in a game against the LA Clippers and rode that momentum into the playoffs? While he eventually fell off, having never quite reached that level again, and has ultimately been moved multiple times since, including in a trade with Dorian Finney-Smith to the Los Angeles Lakers for D'Angelo Russell and Maxwell Lewis, for a time, Milton looked like a star and the 76ers road that wave to great effect.

Why, you may ask, is that relevant to the 2024 Eagles? Well, because Philadelphia's football team needs someone to step up in the same way, as they are one performer away from being really strong contenders in the playoffs.

That's right, while the Eagles have a strong rushing game with Barkley in the offensive backfield, Dallas Goedert at tight end, and the 1-2 punch of Brown and Smith at wide receiver, they really don't have a ton behind them, at least in terms of proven talent. But who could it be? Could it be Kenneth Gainwell, hot off of his big drive against the Pittsburgh Steelers? Or maybe Jahan Dotson, who has severely underperformed versus expectations in 2024 but still ranks third on the team in terms of wide receiver snaps? Could Wilson finally become the red zone force fans expected, considering his generational size? Or maybe someone completely out of left field like Ainias Smith or EJ Jenkins, who have done all of nothing in 2024?

For my money, the most likely Shake on this Eagles team is Calcaterra, who has really shined in 2024 when the ball has been placed in his hands. If the Eagles can get some good play out of the SMU product in Week 18, who knows, maybe the Eagles will finally play a game from mostly 12 personnel, which could optimize their rushing abilities while simultaneously giving Kellen Moore maximum optionality between Calcaterra and Goedert.

New York Giants co-owner John Mara watches warmups before a game against the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images

3. The Eagles secure the win in Week 18

Could Nick Sirianni's squad take their fourth loss of the season in Week 18 to the Giants? Yes, if Daboll decides he wants to really stick it to his soon-to-be former employer, that would be one heck of a way to throw up the birds against the Birds while Barkley watches along from the sidelines.

With that being said, if Daboll puts the pedal to the metal in Week 18 and really goes for the kill shot in a close game down the stretch, Mara might just run down to the sidelines and fire his head coach on the spot, forcing Lock to call his own game in a true blue tank job.

No, this game is one the Giants need to lose, and if things are even remotely close, New York has to start subbing out established stars for deep reserves in the pursuit of landing a better draft position and a new franchise quarterback. Fortunately, New York's likely loss is the Eagles' gain, as they will be able to roll into the playoffs with momentum at their back at the expense of their division rivals. Factor in Barkley, Brown, and hopefully Hurts being healthy for Super Wildcard Weekend, and the Eagles really do get to have their cake and eat it too mere miles away from the City of Brotherly Love.