NFC East Match Up - Giants vs. Cowboys
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At 4:30 PM EST on Sunday, the Giants and the Cowboys will take the field in East Rutherford, New Jersey to do battle - the second and final match up of the season. If you've been watching ESPN this past week, you know everything there is to know - they've hyped this game up as if it's the NFC Championship Game. Face it - it's not. It'll be a great game to watch and a lot of fun if you're a Giants or a Cowboys fan. Otherwise, it's just another game. Again, for those who haven't been following ESPN's (over) analysis of the game, he's a breakdown of the teams:
QB
Romo is a better quarterback than Eli Manning. Manning has a lot of potential, but right now Romo simply makes better throws and better decisions.
Prediction:
Romo: 275 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Manning: 225 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
RB
Each team has a very good backfield rotation - I give the edge to the Giants because of extra depth (Jacobs, Ward, Droughns). It's a slight edge, but Jacobs (when healthy) has the potential to be a better back than Barber and Jones. Health is a big issue with him though, so this evens out
Prediction:
Jacobs/Ward/Droughns (combined) 135 yards, 1 TD
Jones/Barber (combined) 140 yards, 1 TD
Receivers
The debate rages on (at least on ESPN): Burress & Shockey v. Owens and Witten. Fact is, these guys are only as good as their QB. In terms of skill sets, Shockey and Witten match up very evenly. Burress is a tall, fast receiver who is often considered impossible to cover. Owens is a big play receiver with big play potential. These two groups match up evenly, but the edge here goes to the Cowboys because they have a legitimate 3rd receiver in Patrick Crayton. The Giants lack that depth.
Prediction:
Burress 95 yards, 1 TD -- Shockey 75 yards, 1 TD
Owens 110 yards, 1 TD -- Witten 90 yards, 1 TD
Defense
Week 1, neither team played defense. Since then, the Giants have been one of the most outstanding defenses in the league. The Giants have finally bought into Steve Spagnuolo's defensive scheme and now have the best pass rush in the NFL. Because of this, the shaky secondary looks great. If the Giants get pressure on Romo, it will be a long, mistake-filled day for the Cowboys. Priority #1 for Dallas is controlling the Giants pass rush - if they do, the rest of the game becomes a lot easier. Both offensive lines have kept the number of sacks down with Romo having been sacked 11 times, Manning only 9. Edge goes to the Giants defense, but it's all dependent on the pass rush.
This will be a great game - if you're a Giants fan or a Cowboys fan. This isn't a battle of undefeated teams; it isn't necessarily even a future playoff matchup. It's going to be a high powered offense against the NFL's best pass rush. If the Cowboys establish offensive dominance, they win - the Giants simply can't keep up with the Cowboys' offense, which we all saw during Week 1.
My prediction for the game:
I believe the Giants will, in fact, disrupt Romo all day long with complex blitz packages. When not blitzing, the front four of the Giants, led by Strahan and Umenyiora, will get plenty of pressure to flush Romo out and/or take him down. Even so, the Cowboys will score their points.
Final score: 27-24, Giants
(image courtesy of NFL.com)
I wouldn't trade Barber for Jacobs either, no way - If there was somehow a guarantee that Jacobs would never miss time, I would take him over every tailback in the NFL save for Peterson, Tomlinson, and maybe Addai.
Think about it - a man the size of a linebacker with the quickness and agility of a half back. It's a dangerous combination - when healthy...