Giants rookie right tackle Evan Neal said this season has been a crash course in life in the NFL.

“I feel like it was a learning year for me,” Neal said this week. “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.”

The next lesson will come Saturday night when Neal lines up for the Giants against the Eagles in their NFC divisional game. Neal will be tasked with slowing down Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick, who had 16 sacks for Philadelphia this season. The Giants have to figure out a way to keep Daniel Jones upright against a defense that had an NFL-best 70 sacks in the regular season.

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

The Giants selected Neal with the seventh-overall pick last spring in the NFL Draft hoping he would be another strong piece of their offensive line. He was a Day 1 starter at right tackle and has had an up and down rookie season that included a four-game absence in the middle because of a sprained MCL. Neal allowed eight sacks this season, according to PFF.

In the Giants’ first meeting with the Eagles in early December, Neal gave up a sack and eight QB pressures. The Giants allowed seven sacks that day as well as 12 quarterback hits.

Neal, who played plenty of big games in college at Alabama, said he is not making this game against the Eagles bigger than it needs to be.

“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 injured his ankle in practice in preparation for the Giants’ wild-card game with the Vikings. He still played every offensive snap in that game, allowing eight pressures. Neal said the ankle is not a problem.

“I’m good. I’m ready,” he 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.”