Evan Neal will have the opportunity show what he’s learned in his first NFL season when the New York Giants square off against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Playoffs on Saturday night.

The Giants acquired the former Alabama All-American with the seventh selection in the NFL Draft on April 28, and he stepped into the starting lineup at right offensive tackle. Neal had a four-game hole in the middle of his rookie season when a sprained medial collateral ligament sidelined him, but he’s been back on the job for the past seven games, including Sunday’s 31-24 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the NFC playoffs.

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“I feel like it was a learning year for me,” Neal said. “I had some ups. I had some downs. I had to battle through some adversity — getting hurt, battling back, coming back, so I feel like it was a growing year for me – a learning year. And I feel like I handled myself the best way I know how. …

“Failure’s a part of life. I feel like failure’s something you learn from, and that’s kind of how I’ve been approaching it. The good things I do out there, I try to capitalize on them and do more of them. The bad things, I try to clean them up the best way I can.”

Hands down, Philadelphia had the best pass rush in the NFL this season. The Eagles’ 70 sacks were 15 more than any other team had during the regular season.

Seven of Philadelphia’s sacks came in a 48-22 victory over the Giants on Dec. 11.

“They have good players all across the board, so their coaches let those guys rush,” Neal said. “They run some twist games. They pressure. But, really, they have good players, so they let their good players eat.”

New York also lost to the Eagles 22-16 in the final game of the regular season on Jan. 8. Locked into the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoff field by that time, the Giants rested many of their starters. But Neal played the first half of the game.

“Just the way they rush, the way that they play, I’m getting a better feel for them,” Neal said. “And as I study those guys, having that in-game experience against them is going to be able to help me prepare. …

“That’s just more reps, add the more experience, the more snaps I get, so I feel like it definitely helped me out, for sure.”

The team that lost to the Eagles by 26 points six weeks ago has grown, Neal said. New York lost to Minnesota 27-24 in a regular-season game on Dec. 24, then eliminated the Vikings from the postseason three weeks later.

“I believe that we can go out there and put together a better game than we did the first game,” Neal said. “But I believe that we’re a different team than we were the first time we played those guys. I feel like we’re peaking as a team. We’re coming together at the right moments. And on Saturday, we’re going to go out there and see what happens.”

RELATED: DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

The Giants and Eagles play at 7:15 p.m. CST Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. FOX will televise the game.

“I look at it as another football game,” Neal said. “Obviously, it’s a big game with big implications. And, obviously, we want to win. But the game’s always going to be the game, the way I see it.”

Neal sustained an ankle injury during practice in preparation for the Giants’ first-round game, but still played every offensive snap against Minnesota.

“I’m good. I’m ready,” Neal said. “At this point in the year, you’re not going to find a guy that’s not banged up in some way, shape or form. But I’m standing up. I’m ready. …

“I’m here to go out there and compete and give everything I have. Empty everything I have in the tank. And at the end of the game, whatever the outcome is, I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror and know I gave it my all.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.