COWBOY WEEK

O.K. Baseball is over, November is here, the weather is turning, and the Cowboys are coming to town.

These Cowboys however will be lacking a little punch. 

Tony Romo(qb)-Out

Felix Jones(rb/returner)-Out

Terence Newman(cb)-Out

Kyle Losire(ol)-Out

Jason Witten(te)-Game Time Decision with broken ribs.

The GIANTS #2 ranked defense will stack the line and punish Marion Barber when they run and force Brad Johnson to dump the ball short to two inexperienced tight ends.  Their league leading sack total will increase this week by at least 4 and turnovers should be available.  Sam Madison returns this week to replace the injured Kevin Dockery, and will not be a drop off in talent or experience.

The GIANTS #2 ranked offense will run the ball at will against the #22 defense, and play action some deep balls to Steve Smith, Plaxico, and Hixon.  Even Kevin Boss and Amani will catch a few deep ones this week.  The Cowboys are without their three top cornerbacks and two safeties.  The GIANTS very talented offensive line will dominate this game and send the 'Boys to their bye week looking to re-group.  

The Cowboys called last week a "must win" against Tampa......Only because they knew they would come up short this week in New Jersey.

GIANTS are still +76 in points.  #1 in the NFC.

Giants opened as 6 point favorites and it has moved to as much as 10.

Giants 31 Cowboys 13

JUST AS WE CALLED IT

Well, I got that one right.  4 turnovers, 5 sacks, a special teams blunder for the Steelers, and a punt return setting up the winning score.  Turnovers and special teams!

This defense made a nice statement too.  They knocked poor Ben to the ground 50% of the times he went back to pass with 5 sacks and 3 batted balls.

The first step has been taken with success.

Cowboys at home this week.

Preview on friday.

I'll be home from Florida on Thursday.

LIKE LOOKING IN THE MIRROR

This is the week I have been waiting for since day 1.  These two franchises have been tied together since the beginning of this league.  The two families have been close and are now actually related through marriage.  Both have always been class acts and have played the game in similar fashion.

The STEELERS (5-1) are #1 in defense in the league.  The GIANTS are #1 in defense in the NFC.

The Steelers have always been a run first team like the GIANTS.  More than ever, this game is about stopping the run and pressuring their QB, Big Ben Roethlisberger.  Big Ben is indeed big and strong and he takes a lot of hits and sacks.  He is the most sacked QB in the league.  This is not only attributable to the fact that he likes to hold the ball a long time, but to a rebuilding of the offensive line.  The Steelers lost 2 players to free agency and one to injury on the front line.  They have yet to play well as a unit and therefore give up many sacks.  This, of course, bodes well for our very active front four and linebackers also.  The GIANTS should have an advantage here and hold the #25 offense of the Steelers below their average of 21 points a game.

The GIANTS offense must step it back up this weekend.  Playing this defense, you must establish the run, complete quick short passes for first downs, and protect Eli long enough to exploit their secondary.  This team is built just like the GIANTS.  It all depends on pressure.

It seemed to me last week that Eli was forcing the offense through Plaxico.  I understand how big a weapon he can be, but I think that spreading the wealth and not worrying about how many catches he gets is imperative to a consistent and sustained offense.

Games like this usually come down to turnovers and special teams play.

Not an easy road game to say the least.

Pittsburgh favored by 2 1/2

Enjoy this one.  The match-up is one of the best in the league and one we don't get to see all that often.

BREAKING NEWS!!  PITTSBURGH STARTING WIDE RECEIVER SANTONIO HOLMES SUSPENDED BY TEAM FOR SUNDAY'S GAME.  HE WAS FOUND WITH MARIJUANA IN HIS VEHICLE DURING A TRAFFIC STOP.

ONE AT A TIME

Not the greatest opponent to measure yourself against but......

Holding the league's 4th best rusher to 11 yards on 11 carries with two back-up linebackers.

Three turnovers recovered while forcing three more fumbles.

6 sacks against a fairly mobile QB.

Still too many penalties, too much drama, and still some healing to be done.

Jury duty is over!

Preview of next week on Friday

SHORT WEEK TO HEAL

Antonio Pierce, Eli Manning, and Shaun O'Hara.  Probably the worst combination of players to have listed on the injured list on short rest.  The leaders of both the defense and offense, and the center of the offensive line all missed practice this week with injuries.  This is a tough time of year for injuries, the decision of whether to miss a single game now, so that you don't miss 4 weeks later is one of the toughest a head coach and player have to make.  It doesn't help either that they lost on Monday.  They of course all want to play and get the taste of the Cleveland game out of their mouths.

San Francisco is a horrible road team.  The travel and the early start time just wreaks havoc on their team.  Their new quarterback this season has a good arm and is a fairly good runner.  Hopefully we will get some pressure this week and force him to pull it down early and run for his life.  Look for the same quick passing game, the same throws over the middle when Pierce vacates his spot to blitz, and the same shots down the middle of the field to a very very good tight end.  Frank Gore is a wonderful running back, and as always stopping the run will be paramount.

The GIANTS and their defensive coordinator need to find a way to change things up a bit.  They need to find new ways to pressure the QB.  They need to show more blitz and play coverage instead.  Last year they were so good at disguising where the pressure was coming from, this year it seems that opponents max protect and close ranks, not worrying about exactly where the pressure comes.

This will be a nice first test to see how they respond to adversity.  The remaining schedule is brutal and a nice shot of confidence would be nice this week.

GIANTS favored by 10-12

ENJOY!

THE BAD ELI

At halftime all seemed normal.  Down 3 on the road, in front of a hostile crowd, playing a team that needed to win and show some energy.  Eli had just managed another 2 minute drive to perfection; and the ball was ours for the start of the third quarter.

Then it happened.  Immediate poor throw, turnover, defense back on the field.  That probably would not have been terrible, if it didn't happen again later on in the quarter.

The defense looked a little off last night, an injured Pierce toughing it out, but not really being effective.  The defense had zero pressure on the qb last night, and that lead to long drives and too much time spent on the field.

The full blame here goes to the offense though; Eli in particular.  The GIANTS did rush for 181 after all, but the 3 turnovers and 6 points given up by the offense was insurmountable.  

The GIANTS were lucky this week however, they lost no ground in the East with the Cowboys and Redskins also losing.

Next up San Francisco and their new running Quarterback in the Meadowlands.

Have a good week

Preview on Friday!

SLEEPING DAWGS

The Cleveland Browns have 5 prime time games this year.  This is the first Monday night game in Cleveland in years and they were the darlings of the off season after winning 10 games last year.  They and their quarterback Derek Anderson have been major disappointments so far this year.  Brady Quinn has been told to "be ready".  The Browns are coming off a bye week and have always been a gimmick team, so watch for some trick plays early.  They also run a very different base offense.  They run what is called an unbalanced line, they play two tackles and a guard on one side of the center, and just a guard and tight end on the other side.  It is odd to look at and even stranger when they run the ball "away" from the unbalance.  In other words they run away from the two tackles.  It does throw the defense off a bit, but so far has not been too successful this year.  They are last in offense in the league.  Their defensive strength is against the run.  They have a wonderful nose tackle and left end.  However, they decided to open their mouths this week and state that the GIANTS offensive line is not a physical one.  Also number 99 stated that Brandon Jacobs could be intimidated by hitting him hard and early in the game.  Look for this match-up early, as the GIANTS will want to show their physicality and Jacobs will want to run a few guys over.  

This should be a chippy, mouthy game.  

The GIANTS will need to stay focused on the road again, take care of business, ignore the crowd, and watch for all the tricks.  This really is a must win for Cleveland.

GIANTS favored between 7 and 9.

GIANTS 31-17

NEXT!

This was pretty simple, so let's not spend too much time on it.  Instead let's review the first quarter of the season.

This team has the unique ability to be both explosive and efficient.  Some stats:

They are averaging 431 yards per game on offense.

They are also averaging 34 minutes plus time of possession. Both # 1 in the league.

They average 6.6 yards per play with 24.2 first downs per game.  Again both #1 in the league.

Remarkable combinations.

The defense averages 12.2 points per game(compared to Dallas' 22.2)

and give up a mere 236 yards per game. Both #1 in the league.

They also allow only 32% 3rd down conversions. 1% out of the league lead.

For me there are still a few extra penalties we don't need, but not much more can be asked of this team.

Next week Cleveland (1-3) on Monday night.

Preview on Friday.

A LITTLE PAYBACK

The GIANTS have traveled to Seattle twice in the past three years with terrible results.  The Seahawks won both games, one convincingly and one in O.T.  It's time to make THEM travel the three thousand miles and see how they perform.

Seattle is 1-2 in the early going, however they have played every game without either of their starting receivers.  They have averaged over 6 yards a carry on the ground, but have been unable to put points on the board.  They have three decent running backs and a decent quarterback in Hasselbeck.  They will not be in rhythm from the start, but it will make them a better balanced team having their entire offense healthy.  The offensive line is pretty good and will present a challenge to the defensive line.

The defense is known for it's linebackers.  They are quick and smart.  They have an all pro cornerback on the right side, so look for the GIANTS to throw left often.

The re-emergence of Kevin Boss last game came at a great time considering we are playing sans Plaxico this week.  Look for them to isolate him on the weak side linebacker and get the ball to him to slow down the rush a little.  The backs should catch a few more balls this week also.  Hixon and Moss should be able to pick up the slack collectively for Plaxico.  It will be interesting to see how the game starts, I think they will try a few long one's early to show they are not changing the game plan.  Eli will probably look for the security blanket known as Amani Toomer often also.  The rookie Manningham was sick all week, but don't be surprised if you see him play this week.

GIANTS favored by 9.

GIANTS are +40 this year. ( 40 more points scored than given up.) 

GIANTS 31-17

First place sure looks nice this time of year.