ESPN Insider: N.Y.Giants at Cowboys
WHY TO WATCH
This will be a new look Dallas defense with Bill Parcells retiring last season. New head coach Wade Phillips is also an excellent defensive coach, but will use more of an attacking style and the Cowboys defenders are buying into the system. This game features two young QBs that are under the spotlight. The Giants' Eli Manning must step up and become more of a leader this season. The Cowboys have a majority of the pieces in place for a Super Bowl run and now it will come down to whether or not QB Tony Romo can elevate his game and take them there.
WHEN THE GIANTS HAVE THE BALL
Rushing: This will be our first look at the Giants run offense minus RB Tiki Barber. Barber was a durable starting running back over his career, but retired this past offseason. Taking over for him will be Brandon Jacobs. Jacobs has been productive over his career when he's played, but he does not posess the big-play ability or vision of Barber. For that reason, the run offense will be the same but the focus different. Look for the Giants to try to pound the ball a little more between the tackles. This is Jacobs' strength and it also works to the Giants' advantage because he will have trouble running laterally versus the speed of the Dallas front seven. Defensively, Dallas will take a lot more chances this season up front. The Cowboys will do a lot more stunting and penetrating with their front three. This will allow their defensive line to play on the other side of the line of scrimmage but also means the LBs will have to be very good with their reads and not get out of position.
Passing: In a season where there are plenty of QBs under the microscope, Manning may be under the most scrutiny. Manning will be tested early this season versus a Dallas defense that features similar personnel, but a new attacking style. In watching the Giants this preseason, their offense will also have a new look. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride took over in Week 17 and he's made a few tweaks during the offseason. The Giants will play more from the shotgun this season and expect to see a lot of that this week. Dallas figures to bring a lot of pressure and the Giants offensive line is a little shaky with David Diehl, who is just an average athlete, taking over at left tackle. The shotgun allows Manning to see the defense presnap and also means he doesn't have to drop to his throwing point, which will help with his mechanics. The Cowboys have solid players in their secondary, but were plagued by mental mistakes last season. To try to correct that, the team has a new FS in Ken Hamlin, but he had his own share of miscues in Seattle last season. Look for the Giants to spread the field on early downs in this game. They want to force SS Roy Williams into more coverage situations, specifically trying to have him matched up on TE Jeremy Shockey. If they can do that, Dallas will have to make in-game adjustments, which should open up the rest of the field for Manning.
WHEN THE COWBOYS HAVE THE BALL
Rushing: The Cowboys enter this season with a new offensive coordinator in Jason Garrett so it's tough to say what they will look like offensively. They have a young QB in Romo, so look for them to use the run to set up the pass and Dallas has the depth in the backfield to do this. RB Julius Jones will be the starter, but Marion Barber III will get plenty of touches as well. The Giants have a new-look linebacker unit with Mathias Kiwanuka moving to SLB. He is a former defensive end that has not played much from a stand up position and Dallas will use some motion to his side of the field to check to see where he is at mentally. This is not a fast New York front seven, so Dallas will look to stretch the field laterally early on, which should open up the interior run game with Barber. The Giants figure to struggle stopping the run in this game and will need to commit an eighth defender to the box. That will eventually open up the Cowboys passing game.
Passing: All the pieces are in place for Dallas to have success throwing the football, but it will come down to how Romo performs. He has an opportunity to get off to a solid start versus a Giants secondary that is not much better then it was a season ago when it ranked 24th in passing defense. Dallas' O-line is better with the addition of Leonard Davis and will give Romo more time to throw the ball. Dallas will establish the run early, which will open up its play-action passing game. Look for Romo to test the Giants early with some vertical throws, which will eventually open up the middle of the field for TE Jason Witten. Giants SS James Butler has struggled throughout the preseason in coverage and taking bad angles in support of the run and pass, so this is a matchup the Cowboys will look to exploit early and often. Giants DE Michael Strahan has reported to the team and will need to be a factor in this game. When the Giants have won games in this series in recent years, it has been because the Giants front has been able to play physical and dominate the line of scrimmage. Strahan and DE Osi Umenyiora must have big games if the Giants are going to slow down this versatile Dallas offense.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Giants return units do not figure to be as explosive this season. Punt returner R.W. McQuarters is not the return man he once was and Derrick Ward is not very explosive as a kick return man. They do have one of the league's better special teams coverage players in David Tyree. The Giants should get a more consistent effort in the kicking game from new PK Lawrence Tynes. Dallas is not very explosive in the return game either, though. The Giants do get the edge this week in the kicking game because Dallas will go with rookie Nick Folk. If field position is a factor, the Cowboys have one of the best punters in the NFL, Mat McBriar. Neither team has a great special teams units so if one can gain a distinct advantage in this game, it could go a long ways towards helping them win the game.
This will be a new look Dallas defense with Bill Parcells retiring last season. New head coach Wade Phillips is also an excellent defensive coach, but will use more of an attacking style and the Cowboys defenders are buying into the system. This game features two young QBs that are under the spotlight. The Giants' Eli Manning must step up and become more of a leader this season. The Cowboys have a majority of the pieces in place for a Super Bowl run and now it will come down to whether or not QB Tony Romo can elevate his game and take them there.
WHEN THE GIANTS HAVE THE BALL
Rushing: This will be our first look at the Giants run offense minus RB Tiki Barber. Barber was a durable starting running back over his career, but retired this past offseason. Taking over for him will be Brandon Jacobs. Jacobs has been productive over his career when he's played, but he does not posess the big-play ability or vision of Barber. For that reason, the run offense will be the same but the focus different. Look for the Giants to try to pound the ball a little more between the tackles. This is Jacobs' strength and it also works to the Giants' advantage because he will have trouble running laterally versus the speed of the Dallas front seven. Defensively, Dallas will take a lot more chances this season up front. The Cowboys will do a lot more stunting and penetrating with their front three. This will allow their defensive line to play on the other side of the line of scrimmage but also means the LBs will have to be very good with their reads and not get out of position.
Passing: In a season where there are plenty of QBs under the microscope, Manning may be under the most scrutiny. Manning will be tested early this season versus a Dallas defense that features similar personnel, but a new attacking style. In watching the Giants this preseason, their offense will also have a new look. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride took over in Week 17 and he's made a few tweaks during the offseason. The Giants will play more from the shotgun this season and expect to see a lot of that this week. Dallas figures to bring a lot of pressure and the Giants offensive line is a little shaky with David Diehl, who is just an average athlete, taking over at left tackle. The shotgun allows Manning to see the defense presnap and also means he doesn't have to drop to his throwing point, which will help with his mechanics. The Cowboys have solid players in their secondary, but were plagued by mental mistakes last season. To try to correct that, the team has a new FS in Ken Hamlin, but he had his own share of miscues in Seattle last season. Look for the Giants to spread the field on early downs in this game. They want to force SS Roy Williams into more coverage situations, specifically trying to have him matched up on TE Jeremy Shockey. If they can do that, Dallas will have to make in-game adjustments, which should open up the rest of the field for Manning.
WHEN THE COWBOYS HAVE THE BALL
Rushing: The Cowboys enter this season with a new offensive coordinator in Jason Garrett so it's tough to say what they will look like offensively. They have a young QB in Romo, so look for them to use the run to set up the pass and Dallas has the depth in the backfield to do this. RB Julius Jones will be the starter, but Marion Barber III will get plenty of touches as well. The Giants have a new-look linebacker unit with Mathias Kiwanuka moving to SLB. He is a former defensive end that has not played much from a stand up position and Dallas will use some motion to his side of the field to check to see where he is at mentally. This is not a fast New York front seven, so Dallas will look to stretch the field laterally early on, which should open up the interior run game with Barber. The Giants figure to struggle stopping the run in this game and will need to commit an eighth defender to the box. That will eventually open up the Cowboys passing game.
Passing: All the pieces are in place for Dallas to have success throwing the football, but it will come down to how Romo performs. He has an opportunity to get off to a solid start versus a Giants secondary that is not much better then it was a season ago when it ranked 24th in passing defense. Dallas' O-line is better with the addition of Leonard Davis and will give Romo more time to throw the ball. Dallas will establish the run early, which will open up its play-action passing game. Look for Romo to test the Giants early with some vertical throws, which will eventually open up the middle of the field for TE Jason Witten. Giants SS James Butler has struggled throughout the preseason in coverage and taking bad angles in support of the run and pass, so this is a matchup the Cowboys will look to exploit early and often. Giants DE Michael Strahan has reported to the team and will need to be a factor in this game. When the Giants have won games in this series in recent years, it has been because the Giants front has been able to play physical and dominate the line of scrimmage. Strahan and DE Osi Umenyiora must have big games if the Giants are going to slow down this versatile Dallas offense.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Giants return units do not figure to be as explosive this season. Punt returner R.W. McQuarters is not the return man he once was and Derrick Ward is not very explosive as a kick return man. They do have one of the league's better special teams coverage players in David Tyree. The Giants should get a more consistent effort in the kicking game from new PK Lawrence Tynes. Dallas is not very explosive in the return game either, though. The Giants do get the edge this week in the kicking game because Dallas will go with rookie Nick Folk. If field position is a factor, the Cowboys have one of the best punters in the NFL, Mat McBriar. Neither team has a great special teams units so if one can gain a distinct advantage in this game, it could go a long ways towards helping them win the game.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:47 PM
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