Giants have scores to settle with Eagles

In Philadelphia, Sunday's rematch with the Giants at New Meadowlands Stadium is in the "just another game'' category. At least, that's the approach coach Andy Reid is preaching.

Running back LeSean McCoy is doing his best to fall in lockstep with the coach, but it's easier said than done. "So far, it's been kind of calm,'' McCoy said in a conference call. "Coach Reid is doing a good job of keeping more focus on the game than the hype and the division and all the stakes.

"It makes it so hard to kind of overlook those things, a team like this, a division game, a big game. It's big, but we've got to follow Andy's approach and just play the game. Don't let it get to you.''

The Giants don't have that problem. They're tied atop the NFC East with the Eagles at 9-4, but they have the element of payback to motivate them after their 27-17 loss a month ago in Philadelphia.

"We were upset going to the locker room thinking about how we couldn't wait to see these guys again,'' Giants safety Deon Grant said of the last meeting. "We said, 'Next time we face these guys, we want to be 9-4.' Now is our chance to go out there and take what's ours.''

Since that loss to the Eagles, the Giants have won three straight to catch their divisional rivals. Now that the Giants are rolling on both sides of the ball, they'd like to carry that momentum to the playoffs.

When Grant was asked if he believes Sunday's winner will take the division, he said, "Definitely, definitely. I know our mentality. We're taking one game at a time, but our mentality is we're not losing no more games. So, if we win this one, it's in our hands.''

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The mental strength the Giants have displayed recently will be tested because they've lost five straight, including a playoff game, to the Eagles.

"If you look at the wins and losses, yeah, they beat us five times,'' running back Brandon Jacobs said. "But the thing that cost all of those losses is a bunch of penalties and dumb turnovers that we just aren't going to have on Sunday.''

When someone mentioned the losing streak to the Eagles to tackle David Diehl, he clapped his hands and playfully said, "Way to keep it positive. Next question.''

But Diehl added, "There's no need for hype from the media. We know what this game is about and how important it is. This is why we play the game. This is a rivalry and a tradition long before I even wore the Giants' helmet. This game has always been about a 60-minute fight, and that's what this game Sunday is going to be.''