Week 10 Matchup: Cowboys at Giants
Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET (FOX ), Giants Stadium
War Room scouts break down every NFL game. Here is a excerpt of their Cowboys-Giants matchup:
Quarterback: Advantage Dallas
Running backs: Advantage Dallas
Receivers: Advantage NYG
Offensive line: Advantage Dallas
Defensive line: Advantage NYG
Linebackers: Advantage Dallas
Secondary: Advantage NYG
Pass rushers: Advantage NYG
Special teams: Advantage NYG
Depth: Advantage Dallas
Coaching: Advantage Dallas
Prediction Cowboys 27 Giants 30
Cowboys Keys For Success
1. Feed Marion Barber III. Barber needs to get in the game sooner than later Sunday and should get at least 15 carries. Despite splitting time with Julius Jones, Barber is becoming one of the NFL's top running backs, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. In short-yardage situations, few running backs attack with the same power and intensity. Barber is rarely tackles by the first defender, and he brings the fight to the defense. In the open field, he shows tremendous vision and quickly accelerates through holes.
2. Double-team Plaxico Burress. Dallas should double-cover Burress with a cornerback and free safety Ken Hamlin. Burress is having a Pro Bowl season, and his best game of the season came against Dallas in Week 1 -- eight catches, 144 yards, three touchdowns. The Cowboys' best cornerback, Terence Newman, did not play in that game. Newman is now healthy but will be locked up man-to-man on the other side of the field against Amani Toomer, allowing Dallas to double-team Burress.
3. Throw to Jason Witten. Quarterback Tony Romo will use play-action passes from the three-receiver formations, allowing Witten to find windows in the middle of the field against a spread-thin defense. On the year, Witten leads the team with 45 receptions. Linebackers Antonio Pierce and Kawika Mitchell stay in the game when the Giants use a nickel defense. Neither has the speed or quickness to cover Witten, a Pro Bowl tight end. Unless the Giants stick a cornerback on Witten, he should be wide open all day.
Giants Keys For Success
1. Don't blitz Romo. The Giants lead the NFL with 30 sacks (five more than the No. 2 teams, New England and Chicago) but had one sack in the Week 1 loss at Dallas. That was before defensive end Michael Strahan, who stayed home during training camp, was in shape. That was before the Giants started using a special defensive line package as part of their nickel defense. On passing downs, Mathias Kiwanuka and Osi Umenyiora bring pressure from the edge, while Strahan and Jason Tuck move inside and get a push up the middle. Even when Romo has time to throw, he must be especially accurate because the Giants will have seven defenders dropping into coverage. The Giants lead the NFC in passes defended (51).
2. Throw away from Newman. Quarterback Eli Manning should pick on Dallas strong safety Roy Williams or the other cornerback, Anthony Henry or Jacques Reeves. Newman is, by far, the Cowboys' best in coverage. Henry was the other starter before hurting his ankle five weeks ago. Henry is back, but Reeves started last week at Philadelphia. Reeves is a career backup and cannot consistently cover either of the Giants' big receivers, Burress or Toomer. It is well known that Williams is a liability in coverage. He simply cannot cover tight end Jeremy Shockey man-to-man.
3. Feed Brandon Jacobs. Jacobs must run the ball between the tackles. In the Giants' last game, Jacobs posted a career-high 131 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. He is not fast enough to beat the Cowboys' speedy linebackers to the outside, but he has the size and strength to run through would-be tacklers. Despite only rushing the ball 80 times this season (he missed three-plus games with a knee injury), Jacobs averages 5.6 yards per carry. He must be effective to balance the Giants' offense. Running the ball will keep the Cowboys' pass rushers on their heels and off Manning.
War Room scouts break down every NFL game. Here is a excerpt of their Cowboys-Giants matchup:
Quarterback: Advantage Dallas
Running backs: Advantage Dallas
Receivers: Advantage NYG
Offensive line: Advantage Dallas
Defensive line: Advantage NYG
Linebackers: Advantage Dallas
Secondary: Advantage NYG
Pass rushers: Advantage NYG
Special teams: Advantage NYG
Depth: Advantage Dallas
Coaching: Advantage Dallas
Prediction Cowboys 27 Giants 30
Cowboys Keys For Success
1. Feed Marion Barber III. Barber needs to get in the game sooner than later Sunday and should get at least 15 carries. Despite splitting time with Julius Jones, Barber is becoming one of the NFL's top running backs, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. In short-yardage situations, few running backs attack with the same power and intensity. Barber is rarely tackles by the first defender, and he brings the fight to the defense. In the open field, he shows tremendous vision and quickly accelerates through holes.
2. Double-team Plaxico Burress. Dallas should double-cover Burress with a cornerback and free safety Ken Hamlin. Burress is having a Pro Bowl season, and his best game of the season came against Dallas in Week 1 -- eight catches, 144 yards, three touchdowns. The Cowboys' best cornerback, Terence Newman, did not play in that game. Newman is now healthy but will be locked up man-to-man on the other side of the field against Amani Toomer, allowing Dallas to double-team Burress.
3. Throw to Jason Witten. Quarterback Tony Romo will use play-action passes from the three-receiver formations, allowing Witten to find windows in the middle of the field against a spread-thin defense. On the year, Witten leads the team with 45 receptions. Linebackers Antonio Pierce and Kawika Mitchell stay in the game when the Giants use a nickel defense. Neither has the speed or quickness to cover Witten, a Pro Bowl tight end. Unless the Giants stick a cornerback on Witten, he should be wide open all day.
Giants Keys For Success
1. Don't blitz Romo. The Giants lead the NFL with 30 sacks (five more than the No. 2 teams, New England and Chicago) but had one sack in the Week 1 loss at Dallas. That was before defensive end Michael Strahan, who stayed home during training camp, was in shape. That was before the Giants started using a special defensive line package as part of their nickel defense. On passing downs, Mathias Kiwanuka and Osi Umenyiora bring pressure from the edge, while Strahan and Jason Tuck move inside and get a push up the middle. Even when Romo has time to throw, he must be especially accurate because the Giants will have seven defenders dropping into coverage. The Giants lead the NFC in passes defended (51).
2. Throw away from Newman. Quarterback Eli Manning should pick on Dallas strong safety Roy Williams or the other cornerback, Anthony Henry or Jacques Reeves. Newman is, by far, the Cowboys' best in coverage. Henry was the other starter before hurting his ankle five weeks ago. Henry is back, but Reeves started last week at Philadelphia. Reeves is a career backup and cannot consistently cover either of the Giants' big receivers, Burress or Toomer. It is well known that Williams is a liability in coverage. He simply cannot cover tight end Jeremy Shockey man-to-man.
3. Feed Brandon Jacobs. Jacobs must run the ball between the tackles. In the Giants' last game, Jacobs posted a career-high 131 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. He is not fast enough to beat the Cowboys' speedy linebackers to the outside, but he has the size and strength to run through would-be tacklers. Despite only rushing the ball 80 times this season (he missed three-plus games with a knee injury), Jacobs averages 5.6 yards per carry. He must be effective to balance the Giants' offense. Running the ball will keep the Cowboys' pass rushers on their heels and off Manning.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:36 PM
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