ADJUSTMENTS CONTINUE

     The GIANTS face the Houston Texans Sunday in Houston at 1:00 Eastern time.  The G-Men continue to make adjustments to their offense.  This week it is mostly due to injuries.
     Adam Koets will again start at center, but with a knee injury suffered last week, he may not last the entire game.  If he struggles look for Rich Seubert to move to center, Diehl to guard, and Shawn Andrews to get his chance at tackle.  I think you will see Andrews play some tight end this week also, as a little help against the very talented front four of the Texans.  Also look for Bear Pascoe to work a lot at fullback.  Kevin Gilbride has realized that if you line Pascoe up in the backfield, it gives you more flexibility and doesn't tip off the defense as much to the play call.  The defense will need to respect the ability of Pascoe to run a route from the backfield, or be a lead blocker.
     The Giants Defense will have their hands full this week.  The Houston Texans lead the league in rushing yards and have a terrific blocking scheme.  The Giants will need to put all efforts into stopping the run, and get the Texans into third and long.  Unfortunately, Houston has one of the top receivers in the league, when healthy, and also a strong arm Quarterback.  They have the ability to exploit whatever your weaknesses are, and they can pass for 500 yards, or run for 200.  They are comfortable with either, and are very talented in all areas.  Their main weakness is a re-shuffled offensive line.  The GIANTS of course showed last week what they can do to a line in chaos, so look for Houston to build up their protection schemes, throw some short passes to a very talented tight end, and take shots down the field while utilizing a max protect system for their Quarterback.
     The Texans are first in rush defense, however this is solely because they are last in pass defense.  The Giants and Eli will need to take their shots down the field, utilize Kevin Boss, and use the screen passes to both the backs and wideouts.  The Texans have two rookies as starting corners, and another rookie that comes in with their nickel and dime packages.  No doubt the Giants will look to establish the run as always, but it will be big plays that win this game.  The strength of the Texans is their front 7, just like the Bears, strong pass rushers and linebackers that attack.  Play action, strong blocking schemes, and tough running from Bradshaw and Jacobs will be necessary to move the chains.  The offensive line needs to continue to gel, utilize all it's depth and talent, and make a difference in this game.  The Giants need to force the Texans to overplay the run, commit safeties to the line of scrimmage, and then take advantage of the one-on-one match-ups on the outside.

A very intriguing game, and a real tough road test.  This is not one I put in the win column when the schedule first arrived.  The adjustments continue, and now are put to one of the toughest tests of the season.

Enjoy!