EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- After losing two of three games, New York Giants coach Jim Fassel isn't breathing any easier knowing the winless Philadelphia Eagles are coming to Giants Stadium on Sunday.

Just the opposite. Fassel has pounded every good stat about the Eagles into the heads of his players until they can recite them by rote.

Did you know Philadelphia is giving up 3.5 yards per carry? That it has six interceptions after making nine last season, and that it really should have beaten Arizona (25-24) in the season opener?

If that didn't get their attention, Fassel hit his players below the belt.

You think they're struggling bigtime? So do we, Fassel has said in taking an almost must-win approach.

"My point is to show them that this is a team that is more than capable of coming in here and beating us if we don't play well. I believe that," Fassel said. "That's not a hocus-pocus, mirrors and smoke deal. That's the facts."

Skeptics, of course, could point to other facts. The Eagles have not scored a touchdown in 11 quarters, covering 35 offensive possessions. They have failed to score in the second half this season and they have not won a road game (0-17-1) since beating the Jets in December 1996.

"Why should we take them lightly?" Pro Bowl linebacker Jessie Armstead said. "We're not no winner around here. We're 1-2. We're in the same boat. We might be a little farther in the back of the boat, but we're just one step behind them, not that far.

"Maybe, it's the Loser Bowl this week, or whatever," he added.

The Giants have struggled almost as much as the Eagles on offense, ranking 28th, two spots better than Philadelphia. New York is last in rushing (56 yards), although it expects to start Gary Brown, last year's leading rusher (1,063 yards). He missed the first three games with a knee injury.

With the offense doing little, quarterback Kent Graham is under more pressure. Did anyone say Kerry Collins is warming up?

That all could work in the Eagles' favor.

"We have to go out there and get a win, no matter if it's on the road or at home," Eagles linebacker William Thomas said. "We have to go out there and get a win to get that bad taste out of our mouth. That's what we're focusing on right now."

Defensively, the Giants have been inconsistent, playing well against Tampa Bay and New England and poorly at home against Washington in a 50-21 rout.

Rookie Eagles coach Andy Reid again plans to start journeyman Doug Pederson at quarterback. First-round draft pick Donovan McNabb probably will see action, too.

"We're growing and getting better every week," said Reid, who has seen his quarterbacks sacked 15 times. "They are small steps. As much as I hate saying that, that is part of the growing pains here. I don't like it, but it's a fact."

The good news for Reid is that young teams usually play with so much emotion, they aren't worried about what happened the week before.

"We've just got to stay together," Eagles cornerback Troy Vincent said. "You win together, you lose together. Right now, it's us against the rest of the world. We hope the worst is behind us and we can turn this thing around. No game is easy for us. None. We're just looking to come out and make things happen."

If the Giants want to go to the playoffs this year, this is one game they can't let get away.

"You know that momentum that we always seem to get at the end of the year?" defensive end Michael Strahan said. "Well, we have to get it now."

PHILADELPHIA Season schedule and results

NY GIANTS Season schedule and results

September 12 Arizona L 24-25 September 19 Tampa Bay L 5-19 September 26 @Buffalo L 0-26 October 3 @NY Giants 1:00pm ET October 10 Dallas 1:00pm ET October 17 @Chicago 1:00pm ET October 24 @Miami 1:00pm ET October 31 NY Giants 1:00pm ET November 7 @Carolina 1:00pm ET November 14 Washington 1:00pm ET November 21 Indianapolis 1:00pm ET November 28 @Washington 1:00pm ET December 5 @Arizona 4:05pm ET December 12 @Dallas 1:00pm ET December 19 New England 1:00pm ET January 2 St. Louis 1:00pm ET

September 12 @Tampa Bay W 17-13 September 19 Washington L 21-50 September 26 @New England L 14-16 October 3 Philadelphia 1:00pm ET October 10 @Arizona 4:05pm ET October 18 Dallas 9:00pm ET October 24 New Orleans 1:00pm ET October 31 @Philadelphia 1:00pm ET November 14 Indianapolis 1:00pm ET November 21 @Washington 4:15pm ET November 28 Arizona 1:00pm ET December 5 NY Jets 1:00pm ET December 12 @Buffalo 1:00pm ET December 19 @St. Louis 1:00pm ET December 26 Minnesota 1:00pm ET January 2 @Dallas 4:05pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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