Week 9: Critical thoughts on Giants vs. Patriots

If you've watched a Giants game or two in your lifetime, you know there are two types of Giants teams you're going to see...The teams that have no chance -- I'm talking to you Dave Brown and Ray Handley -- and the teams that have a chance to win and perhaps dominate some portion of the game.

Those dominations, however, are few and far between, and sometimes completely unexpected.

There is one constant formula for winning in the NFL, and that's a quality quarterback. Without one (see 2011 Indianapolis Colts) things are generally pretty predictable, mired with QB controversies -- a euphemism for picking the lesser of two evils -- and coaches on the hot seat. With a go-to guy as your play-caller, as the Giants have in Eli Manning, you're never truly out of a game.

Facing the Patriots this week, the 2011 New York Giants find themselves in the latter position these days, as Manning is playing quality football.  That being said, they have a chance against a VERY angry New England Patriots team. If Tom Coughlin wants to prepare his guys like he did in AZ, 2008, he simply needs to point to the Patriots seemingly perfect record at home (their last regular season loss in Foxboro was on November, 12 2006), that's five years for all you high-school drop-outs -- TheBBBC says, "stay in school."

On another note, the Giants defense will be a collective fool if they think Tom Brady and the Pats won't find a way to dissect them in some way, shape or form on Sunday.  Wes Welker hasn't been the NFL's receptions leader for no reason, and Antrel Rolle is certainly no Neon Deon, and is prone to blowing coverage. The Pats could also exploit the Giants secondary with their colossal tandem of Tight Ends, which could be very dangerous come Sunday.  However, that all being said, in my opinion, it will be the Patriots three-man Running Back rotation of BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Kevin Faulk and Stevan Ridley that will riddle the G-Men this week. The Giants have proven repeatedly that they have problems stopping the run.  I see Brady handing off, dinking screens to his RBs and dunking short route completions to Welker, Branch, Price, Grontkowski and Hernandez.  Let's be real, it's the smartest way to kill the Giants. 


Can the Giants play match-game this week? Perhaps. Brandon Jacobs will have mucho motivation, especially if Ahmad Bradshaw sets foot on the playing field with a broken foot. How can a 6'4", 267 pound guy not be motivated by a guy half his size who is even considering playing, with a broken bone in his foot? The Giants, who certainly don't lack depth, could utilize Da'rel Scott and DJ Ware to mix things up.


X-Factors on Sunday could be Mario Manningham, who seems to have been forgotten amidst all the Victor Cruz madness, and Lawrence Tynes, who may be asked to come through in the clutch for the G-Men in the 4th quarter.




At the end of the day, after Gallagher (just sayin') is passed out from running the longest distance of his life, and the networks are done with all of their overblown Super Bowl flashbacks, there will be an unpredictable game between two very good football teams that don't like each other too much.  Two quality quarterbacks, Tom Brady and Eli Manning, will both give their teams chances to win, but ultimately, it will be the supporting cast that decides this one, as it's always been.


Go Big Blue!