All Posts Tagged with 'State Your Case' - NY Giants News

The New York Giants Take On Atlanta

Marco Ceo — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 17:32:19 +0000

The New York Giants Take On Atlanta

We one gain asked Matt from TheFalcoholic.com to give us three reasons why he thinks the Falcons will grab a victory at metlife stadium this weekend.

For Atlanta:
Another year, another battle against the New York Giants. Short of a rare game or two, the Giants have had Atlanta’s number since the Mike Vick era, and I usually chalk up the game as a loss in preseason. We are only one week into the season, so it is a little difficult to measure what each team brings to the table this year. The Giants are of course coming off of last week’s deflating loss, and the Falcons finished off with an emotional victory over the Eagles.

Why will the Falcons win this week? I am worried about the Giants bouncing back after last week, and the Falcons losing focus on a short week on the road. The Falcons should win if they do everything I thought they needed to do last year. The only difference in 2015 is that the Falcons have so far succeeded with these three key aspects.1. The offensive line keeps pressure away from Matt Ryan.
Atlanta has struggled to keep pressure off of Matt Ryan, and things did not work out well. They blew up the old offensive line, and are only starting one lineman from their game one lineup in 2014. The current group includes a bunch of sendoffs from other teams, undrafted free agents, and players switching positions. The results? One sack allowed against an impressive Eagles front seven. If they can keep this up, and allow Matt Ryan enough time to pass, the Falcons should have no problem putting up 30+ points.

2. The offense gets the football to explosive play makers outside of Julio Jones.
I think it is just assumed that Julio Jones will have a big game. He has them every week. Assuming he stays healthy, he should be good for at least 100 yards. Kyle Shanahan has done some impressive things this year by moving Jones around, and he has another chance at a big week. The problem last year was the team rarely got the ball to anyone else. Last year, I said if Antone Smith and Devin Hester can get the ball, the Falcons should have a chance. They ended up with 7 touches (including Antone’s 74 yard touchdown catch, oh I miss that guy), while players like Steven Jackson received 18 touches.

New year, new players. Roddy White looked healthy on Monday Night, but I am most impressed with electric rookie Tevin Coleman. Despite his 4.0 YPC average, Coleman has the potential to make big games in the run game. Backup running back Devonta Freeman had some nice catches, and Shanahan has managed to scheme a more open offense than prior years.

3. The defense can play average.
It has arguably been at least four or five years since the Falcons defense could be considered average. Mike Smith, along with Mike Nolan’s incompetence, developed the least-effective defense imaginable. I think it had been years since I had last seen a third and long with more than three pass rushers. Giants fans should be familiar with the idea that if your quarterback gets some help, you should be able to stay in just about any game. The same is true for Matt Ryan, who has not had a defense, an offensive line, or a run game in at least two seasons.If Atlanta’s defense can be average, the Falcons have a great shot at winning. The most impressive thing is they managed to do exactly that against the Eagles. The defense is still clearly short on quality depth, but they managed to prevent any big plays against Chip Kelly’s offense. They were not great, but the Falcons needed them to do just enough to leave with a win.

For New York:
What happened last week was a two minute meltdown don’t expect that to happen every game. What one should really take away from the Giants lost to Dallas is that the Giants look far improved in many areas.

The Giants to come out ultra focused and ready to battle against Atlanta. The quickest way to put the Dallas game out of the headlines is with a win.

1. The Secondary holds up.

The Falcons wideouts will get their numbers especially Julio Jones but expect the Giants secondary to be competitive and not give up many big plays.

Jones has been slowed down by a hamstring injury but numbers against the Eagles last week would tell you a different story. He is expected to be fully ready for Sunday. Giants safety Brandon Meriweather plans to prove doubters wrong and take up this challenge.

“Every week we play the best receiver in the league, right?” I think last week y’all said Dez was the best receiver in the league, now it’s Julio, and next week it’s going to be DeSean So every week is a good challenge and we look forward to it.”

2. Falcons overplay on defense

The Falcons defense looks much improved under Head Coach Dan Quinn. The turnaround could be attributed to playing fast, quick, and playing aggressive. The Giants might employ Shane Vereen more often this game especially on third down situations. The Eagles running backs exploited holes in the Falcons secondary to the tune of 14 receptions for 111 yards and 1 TD score. Vereen with the ball in his hands scan only provide positive things and hopefully swing the game into the Giants favor.

3. Get to the quarterback

I’m still debating was The Cowboys o-line that good or our D line that bad. Robert Ayers and Damontre Moore should be able to get to Matt Ryan with an easier assignment this week. Some home cooking with a rowdy crowd should be able to disrupt some of the Falcons plans. It’s only week two in there already is a sense of urgency.

Starting middle linebacker Jon Beason looks like he will be ready for Atlanta his veteran leadership is needed in the middle and surely missed.

The post The New York Giants Take On Atlanta first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

Cowboys Offense vs Giants Defense

Marco Ceo — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 17:18:37 +0000

Cowboys Offense vs Giants Defense

The season is now upon us, and now, the games have meaning. Let’s dig into our favorite rivalry. Joining us once again is Cowboysblog.net. You can find them on twitter @Cowboysblognet. Let’s start!

For The Cowboys

Cowboys Offense vs Giants Defense
The Giants brought back a familiar face when they hired Steve Spagnuolo as their Defensive Coordinator, but he won’t have the menacing squad they had back when they were winning championships and contending. The Giants will undoubtedly have their hands full with the Cowboys offensive line and aerial attack led by Dez Bryant. If this was two or three seasons ago, I’d concede the Giants defense would stifle the Cowboys offense. Times have changed and the Giants defensive line is going the opposite way while the Cowboys offensive line is looking like a championship line. JPP will not be available for a few more weeks, so that helps as well. That being said, I feel good about the Cowboys ability to win most of the battles in the trenches, which in turn will open up the passing game.

Cowboys Defensive line vs Giants Offensive line
Eli Manning turned the ball over with a mixbag of INTs/fumbles and I’m not so sure they have shored up the offensive line enough to give Eli a clean pocket this season. Conversely, the Cowboys knew they needed to fix their lack of a pass rush and they have improved this significantly this offseason. The Giants won’t need to worry about Greg Hardy as he’ll be serving his 4-game suspension; however, the Cowboys have 2nd year player Demarcus Lawrence who has had a very nice camp and preseason. The addition of Randy Gregory will be another weapon for Rod Marinelli. In the middle of that d-line, the Cowboys are expecting big things from Tyrone Crawford who will be bringing it more in his contract year. I think what Giants fans will notice from the Cowboys this year will be the constant pass rush and fresh legs. The Cowboys have legitimate depth that will bring pressure on any given down this year.

Cole Beasley/Jason Witten vs Giants secondary
The Cowboys will be putting a lot of pressure on this Giants secondary with Dez Bryant commanding double teams, and Terrance Williams. Additionally, the Cowboys have Cole Beasley who has become a nuisance for defenders. Beasley should have some nice catches in this game. And let’s not forget the crafty vet Jason Witten, he is still Romo’s escape valve, and I like Witten’s match ups against the Giants linebackers and safeties.

For The Giants

It hasn’t been that bright for season openers as the Giants have dropped the past four. This year the G-men open up against Dallas in Jerry World and will play the role of the underdog. No worries this is a comfortable role for them.

Surprising Offensive Line
It seems that the carousel of movement in the Offensive Line this preseason has come to an end. First-round pick Eric Flowers will now anchor the left tackle position a little bit earlier than Giants fans expected. Even with a juggled line last season the giant still managed to score 380 points placing them in the top third of the league in scoring. Expect quick passes and dumping the ball off at times to ease the pressure.

Time of possession
A lot of doubts swirl around The Giants defense this year. One possible game plan is to slow down the game by pounding the rock. Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams and Shane Vereen will all get multiple touches in hopes to keep our defense off the field and win the time of possession. Win the time of possession and win the game.

Odell, Randle & Shane
I can guarantee that the Cowboys defense is going to focus on Odell Beckham Jr. Opportunities for Rueben Randle will pop up with all that shifted coverage. Giants fans are anxious to see how Odell starts off his second. One more 90 yard game from Odell would only add to the history of this heated rivalry.

OBJ can set NFL record on Sunday. He finished 2014 w/ 9 straight games of 90+ receiving yards, tying NFL mark set by Michael Irvin in 1995.

— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) September 11, 2015

Shane Vereen should put the Giants offense good motion with some key 3rd down saves. The Cowboys have their share of question marks to start the season, but still are favored by 6 points. It will be a tight game no matter what the point spread or end score reads.

The post Cowboys Offense vs Giants Defense first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

State Your Case Giants Vs Cowboys

Marco Ceo — Sun, 23 Nov 2014 13:42:56 +0000

State Your Case Giants Vs Cowboys

Here we are another New York Giants football game coming upon us. I know the Giants are on a losing streak but this will end this week against the hated Dallas Cowboys which will make it that much sweeter. Once again we reached out to Cowboysblog.net to help us break down two bitter rivals. You can find them on twitter @Cowboysblognet. Now to the breakdown.

The Giants will have a balance offense

Eli almost always plays well against Dallas. In week 7 that was the case as well when he had 3 touchdown passes. Now he did have a rough game this past week but he always bounces back. This time he will have Rashad Jennings, (which they did not have the last time against Dallas) he will help provide a more balanced attack while also proving better pass protection. Geoff Schwartz will be playing in his first game as well which should help the offensive line against a team that does not have many sacks. Eli with protection is dangerous and this is a defense that made Colt McCoy look like a pro bowler a few weeks back. Larry Donnell fumbled twice the last time these teams played which was a big reason Dallas won the game. Giants with a balance attack can control the ball longer, which keeps the Dallas offense off the field. The Giants have shown they can move the ball and score against Dallas. This week at home if they do not turn the ball over they will prove that capability again.

Balanced offensive attack with no turnovers= Giants victory

ODB the sequel: Odell Beckham is a legit number 1 WR.

Unless you are blind the one bright spot in this losing streak has been seeing what the Giants have in this young rookie WR. He has made people take notice around the league and I don’t see this momentum stopping. ODB had 2 touchdown catches in the last game in Dallas and that was with barely any practice/ game experience. Now I would think he is in better game shape along with being better mentally to take on the challenge the NFL brings. This is the first team that he will face twice, now we will see what he learned. Dallas does not have a shutdown corner to match up with Odell. (Richard Sherman learned that Odell is not scared of a good corner) Odell and Eli are just starting to get chemistry/ trust between one another so if you think he has been good so far just watch it get better. ODB will have a big night.

Odell Beckham have a big receiving night = Giants victory

Tony Romo will make a mistake.

Now stop me if you have seen this before. Dallas starting out hot then eventually showing that they aren’t as good as everyone thought. (It’s ok to overachieve but the real team shows over a full season) Just like Dallas, Tony shows when it becomes crunch time then he is prone for mistakes. I do believe Tony Romo is a good QB but everyone who has watched him play knows that at the worst possible moments that is when he turns the ball over. Tony Romo is a threat but when he is playing with a bad back that he injured again a few weeks ago, he is not the same player. If the Giants plan on winning they have to get to Romo so he is worrying about his back more than whom he should pass to. JPP got to Romo twice the last time they played and with Robert Ayers playing the way he has recently then it is possible the Giants will get to Romo or at least force him to make a mistake.

Tony Romo being mistake prone = Giants victory

Breakdown of Dallas.

29 vs 32

The formula that helped Dallas in the first meeting will be a big piece of the formula Sunday night and that is DeMarco Murray running on the Giants defense.

The Giants defense is dead last, #32 in the NFL in rush defense and they are not getting any help with Cullen Jenkins being out. Murray rushed for 128 last game and is poised to duplicate that performance.

Fresh legs on defense

The Cowboys have gone full tilt since training camp, and the bye week has helped get everyone healthy. That means we’ll see hard hitting Rolando McClain and Tyrone Crawford back from injuries. Crawford had a nice game against the Giants last time and he’ll collapse the pocket along with Henry Melton from the middle.

Rookie DeMarcus Lawrence has been playing solid and look for the Cowboys to bring pressure packages when Lawrence and Melton are on the field at the same time.

Romomentum

Romo is still nursing his traverse process injury in his back and it’ll be something he deals with the rest of the season, but with a clean game against the Jags and the bye week, look for Romo to have his mobility back. I like the match ups the Giants will give us in the secondary.

Prince is out and he had a nice game against Dez last time. This time around, Dez could make them pay big. Either way, they may need to double team Dez which will open up the passing game for Terrance Williams and Gavin Escobar could have another breakout game against that banged up secondary.

If the Giants cannot pressure Romo, then they’ll have a long day trying to stop Romo along with the running game. All of these reasons aside, this is a divisional game and it’ll be a battle, the records are irrelevant when they match up. Should be a good game.

The post State Your Case Giants Vs Cowboys first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

State Your Case Cowboys Vs Giants

Marco Ceo — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 20:42:11 +0000

State Your Case Cowboys Vs Giants

We reached out to Cowboysblog.net to help us break down this divisional game. You can find them on twitter @Cowboysblognet and tweet “I told you so” when the Giants win, If the Giants win… I hope the Giants win. Lets get to it Cowboys vs Giants this can get ugly!

Cowboys Rushing Attack.

The Cowboys were a team without an identity for several years, but this year everything has come together and the Cowboys are a run first team, and they have been able to run the ball on some pretty good defenses in this league. If the Cowboys can run the ball against a J.J. Watt led defensive line and against the Seattle Seahawks then they’ll be able to run on the Giants #17 run defense as well. In years past the Cowboys offensive line was a little too finesse, but under Bill Callahan’s watch they have become very physical at the point of attack and at the second level. The Cowboys will blow up a defensive lineman off the ball and smash a linebacker out of the way, which has opened up some nice running lanes for DeMarco Murray. Ultimately, the Cowboys offensive line will be too much for the Giants to handle and this will be more prevelant as the game wears on. This game will be won or lost in the trenches, and the Cowboys are forcing a lot of good defense to eat the run.

Rod Marinelli Knows the Giants Offense

The Cowboys defense is not racking up sacks, but the Cowboys are still being pressure and flushing out the quarterback in every game, causing some bad passes and forcing some interceptions. We all know Eli Manning is not the most mobile QB and he’ll turn the ball over in the passing game too. The Cowboys will have a nice gameplan in place against the Giants and it’ll come from Rod Marinelli. He knows what Giants offensive coordinator Ben Macadoo likes to run and he knows what the west coast offense can and cannot do against the Cowboys. Marinelli has seen this offense for a good part of his career when he was the head coach in Detroit and the defensive coordinator in Chicago. In previous years the Giants had a really good offensive line, but those days are over, and the Cowboys will be bringing the pressure in waves from up the middle with Henry Melton leading the way there. This should be a game where the Cowboys actuall record a multiple sack game. Expect Melton and Crawford to be menacing Eli all game. The Cowboys corners will be able to manage the Giants depleted wide receivers corps as well. Brandon Carr and Orlando Scandrick are playing some Pro Bowl caliber football right now and Sterling Moore is the #3 who has been an upgrade to Claiborne.

Cowboys Passing Attack

The Cowboys will have the Giants on their heels with the running game, but like in most of the Cowboys games, the Cowboys will get you in the passing game as well. The Giants are in the bottom quarter of the league (#24) in pass defense and the Cowboys will exploit this with their various weapons. Dez Bryant hasn’t had a big explosive game this year, and I think this will be the game he reminds everyone why he is one of the best in the league. The emergence of Terrance Williams at the #2 WR should keep the secondary honest, because if Dez is getting double or triple teamed, then Williams will be getting the first downs. If the Cowboys can’t get the ball down the field to Dez or Terrance due to some pass rush on Parnell’s side of the line, I expect the Cowboys to go with some more intermediate passes and that means more Witten and Escobar. Cole Beasley could have a bigger role in this game. Lance Dunbar on the screen will get a few looks as well.

Now for the Gmen.

All About Eli

Lets look at Eli Manning’s stats this year wins vs losses. In 3 Giants wins Manning completing 70.1% of his passes for 734 yards and 8 touchdown throws. He was efficient with the ball only surrendering 1 pick with a QB rating of 11.5.2. We can even throw a magical unicorn QB rushing touchdown in there. In the 3 Giants losses, Manning completed 60% of his passes for 591 yards and 3 passing TD’s. In those losses he was not so efficient giving back 4 interceptions with a 70.9 passer rating.It’s no stretch to say of the quarterback plays well we have a good shot at this game. Fortunately Eli plays well in big games and also owns a pretty good record in Jerry Word at 4-1 since it has opened.

O-Line needs to show.

After a string of 3 very well played games, our O-line took a big step backward as they looked poor allowing eight sacks vs the Eagles defenders. Blocking for the run was also poor also providing minimal holes for Andre Williams to run. They need to protect Eli, they need to create some running space. Expect them to brush the dirt off, and play some ball. Oline hold up Eli Stays clean and Andre Williams will blast some long runs.

Humbling loss forces us to play better.

Look for a focused and motivated New York Giants to show. I hate the stupid sports clichés but this is a must win game. Funny how a week 7 game can make or break your season. Defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka knows what is needed to salvage this season.

“This is something we are going to have to grow up from real quick and make sure we get the ship right. The story about the season has not been written yet, and I feel like as long as we come back out this week ready, prepared and enthusiastic about getting a win, then we will change that perception of us.”

The Cowboys have looked great but for some reason I don’t buy it. I’m waiting for the game when they aren’t clicking on all cylinders. I just hope its against our Gmen.

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State Your Case Eagles Vs Giants

Marco Ceo — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 16:33:32 +0000

State Your Case Eagles Vs Giants

Here is both sides of the story. Calling upon Bleeding Green Nation’s Associate Editor Mike Kaye to State his case for the Eagles beating the GMen.

This is a game that Eagles fans either feel very (foolishly) confident about or are scared to death of at this point. The Eagles have been extremely inconsistent as they have willed their way to 4-1. The team is not as good as it looks on paper and really has caught a bunch of breaks. That said, the team is still talented and Chip Kelly has really been able to make things work, despite his stubbornness with the personnel. The Eagles aren’t a bad team by any stretch, but this is definitely a winnable game for New York. However, if the Eagles somehow turn the offense on in this one, good luck. The offense has mostly been a sleeping beast, but (if or when) it wakes up, this team (will or could be) scary.

If Nick Foles plays like he did against the Redskins.

While Foles’ yardage numbers are fun to look at and his 8-to-5 touchdown-interception ratio is fine in the grand scheme of things on paper, he just hasn’t played well. He has mostly stuck to being mediocre in the first three quarters and then turns it on in the fourth quarter. He has been extremely inconsistent and his performance against the 49ers in Week 4 was eye-opening in a very bad way. He also was the main reason why the Rams had a shot at a comeback against the Eagles in Week 5 after he fumbled (Eli style) with a face-first slide.That said, if he plays like he did against Washington in the team’s only divisional game, the Eagles will be in very, very good shape. Foles has struggled with his accuracy and had trouble in the redzone, but the Washington game was maybe one of the top three performances of his career. He got the ball out quick, made the right reads, moved left out of the pocket (dangerous for defenses) instead of the right, threw some absolutely incredible passes and connected with receivers. The Eagles defense kept it close for Washington, but Foles played a great game and seemed in control. I thought he looked a lot more accurate against the Rams and he will be at home, which has seemingly helped him this season. The Eagles have won seven-straight regular season games at The Linc.

If the pass rush continues to get home.

The Eagles did not have a sack in Weeks 2 and 3. However, in the last two games, the front seven has combined for eight sacks, 10 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two batted passes. That is incredible production for the unit, which has had a lot of issues getting to the quarterback. Outside of missing inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks, the front seven has been pretty solid, even without getting pressure. Cedric Thornton is one of the best run-stoppers in the league and Fletcher Cox continually gets pressure. Connor Barwin has been fantastic this season and now that he is finally making an impact as a pass rusher, it’s made everyone else’s jobs much easier.

If the Eagles can continue to force turnovers and dominate on special teams, the Giants will be in big trouble.

The Eagles defense has allowed a lot of yardage over the last five games, but the unit’s saving grace has been the ability to cause turnovers. The team has had at least one takeaway in each of its last 18 games. The Eagles had three forced fumbles and recoveries against the Rams with one going for a score and Malcolm Jenkins had three straight interceptions from Week 2-4 with one going to the endzone.

Special teams has been elite for the Eagles. The unit already has two blocked punts for two touchdowns, a kick return touchdown and a punt return touchdown. They are also very good at making stops in return coverage. It is safe to say this is the best special team unit in the league and easily the best Eagles squad of its kind in probably two decades. If the Eagles can produce points with the defense and special teams, it will give Foles and the offense a big cushion and the Giants a big hole to overcome.

This is why I believe the Giants will win.

Now for our GMEN written By @tmerritt51.

New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles. NFC east rivals with at least piece of first place in the division on the line while being the Sunday Night Football game. Are you excited? I know I am. I think I am more excited because I feel the Giants will win and this is why.

Rare means that it does happen every game.

How awesome is it to see a blocked punt, kick return, an interception brought back for a touchdown, a fumble brought back for a touchdown or whatever. These are all exciting plays. Do you know why they are exciting because they don’t happen often. So if a team only wins / is in games because of “rare” plays then odds are one of these games it is not going to happen. Then what? I will tell you what they will not win. Now what team am I talking about? Oh you guessed it if you have watched the Eagles at all, this is what is going on in their games. Now I know the Giants like to have lapses on special teams and they used to turn the ball over a lot last season but I have to believe that Tom Coughlin just maybe focused on this during this week in practice, they will be prepared. The Giants are not giving the ball away often/ if at all in this recent winning streak. It’s funny how turnovers have an affect on who wins the game. Giants have shown they will win that turnover battle this season, so far.

Running the ball.

Philadelphia 24^th in the league defending the run vs. New York 15^th in the league running the ball. New York 10^th in the league in defending the run vs. Philadelphia 23^rd in the league in rushing. What does that mean (this is for you simple folks out there or Eagles fans) Eagles can’t run or stop the run. Eagles have shown at times they can be a dynamic offense but that means nothing if they aren’t on the field and they are one-dimensional. Just to rub it in, this also means the Giants are running the ball and they are stopping the run. Do you get it, do you understand the words that I am writing. This is for the “best running back in the league” Lesean McCoy, you have not broken 100 yards yet. (that is not good especially for my fantasy team so thanks for nothing) My prediction Andre the Giant will show Lesean how to break not only 100 yards rushing but how to break 150.

This is not last year’s Eli or Nick Foles.

Now as a Giants fan I hate even admitting how good Nick Foles played last year but there is no way it was going to be duplicated this season and it hasn’t, he has 5 ints already this season when he had 2 all of last year. So obviously since Nick Foles has taken a step back to reality so has the Eagle’s offense. The opposite is true for Eli Manning he was Captain Interception last year.(in part because of reasons that were not his fault) Eli is becoming consistent and dangerous (66% completion percentage this season) so the Giants offense is getting better. While it is still early in the season it seems that Nick Foles’s play is descending while Eli’s play is improving. (as he gets used to this brand new offense that hasn’t reached its potential yet, be scared). Is there any reason why these trends will change during this game, I don’t see why they would. Do you?

This is why I believe the Giants will win. Now I know this will be a tough game, it’s the Eagles. I wouldn’t expect anything less. But I don’t see/ feel Giants having any fear of this game. The confidence is high and the momentum is with the Giants. I think this team wants to prove themselves to this division and the league.

Giants will Win!

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State Your Case Atlanta Vs Giants

Marco Ceo — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 20:10:44 +0000

State Your Case Atlanta Vs Giants

We asked Matt from TheFalcoholic.com to “State Your Case” and give us three reasons why the Falcons will beat our beloved G-Men!

For Atlanta:

This should be an interesting game with both the Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants showing maddening inconsistency through the season. Believe it or not, it is pretty hard to come up with three reasons why the Falcons will win when their defense has been non-existent. If the Falcons can suddenly play on the road, I bet it will be because of these three reasons.

1. The offensive line keeps pressure away from Matt Ryan.
As has been a common theme with the offensive line in recent years, the team is dealing with multiple injuries and was actually forced to start a tight end at right tackle against the Minnesota Vikings. The difference between pressuring Ryan and not pressuring Ryan can be seen in his back to back performances against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The better protection, the more likely the deep plays can develop, which the Falcons will need to counterbalance their defense.

2. Devin Hester and Antone Smith touch the ball.
While Julio Jones making some big plays is nearly a given, Hester and Smith have shown to be ridiculously explosive athletes that can outrun defenses. Both players have only 13 offensive touches a piece, but have 5 touchdowns on those 26 total touches, many coming from over thirty yards out. The Falcons will need to rely on some players who can make something out of nothing, and Hester and Smith can do that. If they can get some huge gains in yardage, the Giants defense will need to give them some space and slow down their blitz.

3. Mike Nolan figures out how to coordinate a defense.
Falcons fans have grown understandably irate at defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Quite simply, there is no predicting how badly the defense will be mismanaged. He relies heavily on confusion and surprise, such as placing OLB Kroy Biermann on coverage of Greg Jennings. Rookie Teddy Bridgewater sliced right through our defense like we were a Pac-12 team. Many players are forced into roles that they do not fit in, young but impressive players like OLB Jonathan Massaquoi are given few, and inconsistent, snaps, and this has all resulted in the Falcons being on pace for the 2nd worst defense in NFL history.

If Nolan can make a concerted effort in playing young players and make less bewildering defensive plans, the Falcons should win this one. I said in the offseason that the Falcons will make it to the playoffs if the defense can become average, but they are not close and have not been getting better. Realistically, the Giants offense will have one of their best games of the year on Sunday.

For New York:

Life on the road is tough.
Atlanta has not faired well with traveling as they are 1-9 over the last 10 road games when played outdoors. The last time the Giants and Falcons squared off at MetLife Stadium was three years ago; it was a 24-2 blowout and sparked the G-Men’s Super Bowl run.

We have to address it,” Said Falcons head coach Mike Smith. “We’ve had conversations as coaching staff, with the players. It’s hard to win on the road but if we want to be kind of team we want to be we’ve got to split on the road. Right now we have not played anywhere close to getting the outcome that we want.

Yards equals points
If you look at the numbers Atlanta has one glaring weakness. The Falcons are giving up some crazy yardage. For the first 4 games Atlanta allowed an average of 153 rushing yard per game ranking 28th in the league. The Falcons also currently ranked second to last in passing yards allowing an average of 276 yards by air per game, only fairing better than Jacksonville. Letting the other team move up and down the field only equals to points, 113 to be exact, not good.

Pound that Rock
I have been calling it all season. Pound that rock and keep the passing game wide open. Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams should be able to move the chains against an imploding Atalanta defense. Williams had a nice game prior with 66 yards and 1 TD. Expect the Giants to start to pace Jennings, and give more touches to Williams.

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