On Friday, the Giants listed wide receiver Hakeem Nicks as doubtful. Today, they’ve downgraded him to out. Nicks will not travel with the team to Philadelphia.
Nicks is probably the best receiver in the division, so it goes without saying that this is a big break for the Eagles. Taking his place will be Ramses Barden, the 6-foot-6 target who caught nine balls on 10 targets for 138 yards last week against the Panthers.
Victor Cruz will obviously draw plenty of attention from the Birds’ defense. Given that he lines up in the slot quite a bit, the Eagles will likely use a variety of players and coverages against Cruz.
Eli Manning will also have tight end Martellus Bennett to go to. Bennett has 15 catches for 185 yards and three touchdowns on the season. Last week, he had six catches for 73 yards on seven targets.
Domenik Hixon missed the Giants’ Week 3 game because of a concussion, but is listed as probable. He had four catches for 50 yards in the first two games.
As of this writing, the Nicks injury has not affected the line. The Birds are still 1-point favorites, according to Bovada. Per SportsInsights.com, 76 percent of the action is on the Giants to cover.
Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.
