Dr. Z's Pick...Giants at Cowboys
GIANTS AT COWBOYSD
Dr.Z of cnnsi.com
WHAT I SAW: Not meaning to take anything away from New York's gratifying win over the Bucs, but they faced a Tampa Bay team without many weapons. Joey Galloway hurt his shoulder in the first half and wasn't at full speed thereafter. Without him, the Bucs didn't have many ways to worry a good defensive team. Their wideouts were just guys. Their runners, Pittman and Graham, were willing workers, and that's about it.
Jeff Garcia? Well, he's always been one of my favorite players. He looks like the kid in the neighborhood whose mother sends him outside, to sit in front of the building with a blanket across his knees because the sun is good for him. He always seems to be throwing the ball one step ahead of the posse, and taking a ferocious bang, once it's delivered. Poor guy, he went down fighting Sunday.
There were two ways for the Giants to lose, but they didn't fall prey to either of them. One was for Sam Madison to give up some big plays to Galloway. Madison was inactive with an abdominal strain. The second one was for Eli Manning to turn the ball over. He didn't. He played one of those, "please don't screw it up," games, and was very efficient at it. I'm being unfair. He was better than that. He was very sound on his reads, and his receivers didn't let him down by dropping anything.
WHAT LIES AHEAD: I think the Giants will be better off keeping Corey Webster at right corner instead of Madison. The Cowboys have feasted off Madison, who's old and smart and plays the angles, but Webster is young and bold. Against the Bucs, he had what the British call a "blinder" of a game. I think the Giants ought to roll the dice and give him a shot.
I think I've written about 40 times in the past that New York must get a rush on Romo, but there's a formidable obstacle in their path. It's called Flozell Adams. I hate watching him. Techniquewise, he looks like a garbage man loading a sack onto the truck. But I finally picked him on my all-pro team this year because he has shut down a lot of fancy rushers. Once he gets his hands on them, it's all over. Osi Umenyiora has been a victim this season, not once, but twice, and without some kind of firepower from that right side, Romo will do plenty of damage.
How bad is his thumb? Can't say. Ask Jessica. How bad is T.O.'s ankle? Ditto...I mean don't ask Jessica about this one... but I have no word. Will these ailments cripple the Cowboys' attack to the point that the Giants will finally win their first of the three-game set this year and advance to, gosh, the NFC Championship? Don't think so, sport, but it could happen.
Dallas 34, New York 30
Dr.Z of cnnsi.com
WHAT I SAW: Not meaning to take anything away from New York's gratifying win over the Bucs, but they faced a Tampa Bay team without many weapons. Joey Galloway hurt his shoulder in the first half and wasn't at full speed thereafter. Without him, the Bucs didn't have many ways to worry a good defensive team. Their wideouts were just guys. Their runners, Pittman and Graham, were willing workers, and that's about it.
Jeff Garcia? Well, he's always been one of my favorite players. He looks like the kid in the neighborhood whose mother sends him outside, to sit in front of the building with a blanket across his knees because the sun is good for him. He always seems to be throwing the ball one step ahead of the posse, and taking a ferocious bang, once it's delivered. Poor guy, he went down fighting Sunday.
There were two ways for the Giants to lose, but they didn't fall prey to either of them. One was for Sam Madison to give up some big plays to Galloway. Madison was inactive with an abdominal strain. The second one was for Eli Manning to turn the ball over. He didn't. He played one of those, "please don't screw it up," games, and was very efficient at it. I'm being unfair. He was better than that. He was very sound on his reads, and his receivers didn't let him down by dropping anything.
WHAT LIES AHEAD: I think the Giants will be better off keeping Corey Webster at right corner instead of Madison. The Cowboys have feasted off Madison, who's old and smart and plays the angles, but Webster is young and bold. Against the Bucs, he had what the British call a "blinder" of a game. I think the Giants ought to roll the dice and give him a shot.
I think I've written about 40 times in the past that New York must get a rush on Romo, but there's a formidable obstacle in their path. It's called Flozell Adams. I hate watching him. Techniquewise, he looks like a garbage man loading a sack onto the truck. But I finally picked him on my all-pro team this year because he has shut down a lot of fancy rushers. Once he gets his hands on them, it's all over. Osi Umenyiora has been a victim this season, not once, but twice, and without some kind of firepower from that right side, Romo will do plenty of damage.
How bad is his thumb? Can't say. Ask Jessica. How bad is T.O.'s ankle? Ditto...I mean don't ask Jessica about this one... but I have no word. Will these ailments cripple the Cowboys' attack to the point that the Giants will finally win their first of the three-game set this year and advance to, gosh, the NFC Championship? Don't think so, sport, but it could happen.
Dallas 34, New York 30
posted by The Gryphon at 6:54 PM
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