The loser of today’s Eagles-Giants game will fall into last place in the NFC East.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – When the NFL schedule came out earlier this year, Oct. 19 was one of the days NFC East followers circled.

It was supposed to be the first of two games between the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants that would help decide the division title, a crown one of the two has worn since the 2000 season.

Something unexpected has happened. The early showdown at Giants Stadium isn’t going to determine who occupies first place in the NFC East six games into the season. It’s going to put one of them in last place in the division, and in a lot of trouble with 10 games to go.

“I don’t think it feels weird,” said Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, who enters the game with 99 career sacks. “Everybody goes, ‘Well you’re not playing for first place – why are you playing?’

“I don’t care if the only thing you are playing for is pride. … You don’t worry what your freakin’ record is. You play to win. We want to beat these guys because this is the biggest rivalry since I’ve been here.”

Little has gone right for either Andy Reid and the Eagles (2-3) or Jim Fassel and the Giants (2-3) in the opening weeks.

A combination of turnovers, penalties and injuries has put the two former NFC powerhouses two games behind Bill Parcells and the revamped Dallas Cowboys (4-1).

Both teams squandered chances to beat Dallas this season.

The Giants botched a squib kick in the closing seconds of regulation that allowed Dallas to tie the game on the final play of regulation. Dallas won in overtime.

Philadelphia took a lead against Dallas with less than five minutes to play last weekend, then gave up a big return on the ensuing kickoff that allowed the Cowboys to kick a game-winning field goal.

The Eagles got the ball back at their 48 with a minute to play, but Donovan McNabb threw two incompletions before losing a fumble after being sacked on third down.

“Now people say, “Is Dallas for real?’ or, ‘Are they the best team?'” McNabb said. “Clearly, if you watch the film, they’re not. So what does that tell you?”

A close look at the statistics explains why Philadelphia and New York are behind the Cowboys in the standings.

The Giants have given the ball away 15 times, including nine in losing the last two games to Miami and New England.

The Eagles have had 11 giveaways. They have also been beset by injuries in the secondary. Safety Brian Dawkins is going to miss another game and cornerback Bobby Taylor is questionable with foot injuries. Cornerback Troy Vincent is close to returning from a hamstring injury.

McNabb also struggled in the first two games and then hurt his right thumb against Buffalo. His 49.1 percent completion rate is the worst in the NFL. He has thrown two touchdowns and five interceptions.

“I just know one thing,” Fassel said. “I think he is a dangerous quarterback. He’s beaten us before and he is coming to play here on Sunday. That’s all I know.”

McNabb isn’t the only quarterback who is struggling. Kerry Collins of the Giants has thrown seven interceptions in the last two games, in which New York has moved the ball and scored only 16 points.

“It has been frustrating,” Collins said. “I felt like we have put some good drives together. We have moved the ball well at times, but the bottom line is scoring points and we haven’t been doing that.”

While not every game has been close, the Giants and Eagles have played some memorable, hard-hitting games in recent years.

After New York won all three games in 2000 in earning a trip to the Super Bowl, the Eagles won both games in 2001 by a total of four points.

Philadelphia won the first game last year 17-3, a contest remembered for a late hit by Dawkins that knocked out Ike Hilliard with a season-ending shoulder injury.

New York earned a playoff berth with a 10-7 overtime win in December on the final weekend of the regular season.

AP-ES-10-16-03 1939EDT