5 Burning Questions
By author
3) Tackling improvement? With Beanie Wells expected to play and the Great One, Larry Fitzgerald casting a dominate shadow, the Giants must tackle with more alacrity than previous weeks. Fitzgerald will get his catches so it is incumbent that the secondary wraps him up, limiting his YACs. Wells, a 6’-2” 230 pound former Big Ten back has a dangerous combination of size and speed. Gang tackling must be the theme of the day as one-on-one, Beanie presents problems. Tackling or the lack thereof may have an important impact on the game.
4) Run Game- The Giants must run the ball and if they fail, continue to run. The Cardinals do a good job at limiting opponents on third down conversion (about 34%, 15 for 44) which is right around where the Giants are in conversions (11 for 37)and have a very active young corner in the person of Patrick Peterson, who is equally dangerous as a punt returner. And though they have given up 8 sacks, their defense is credited with 9. (Giants have given up 10). An aggressive passing attack might fall victim to this active defense whereas the Giants match up nicely to effectively run. This may be the real key to tomorrow’s game, for if the Giants can dominate on the ground, as I believe they should, they will effectively limit turnovers and control the clock. Hey guys, I know what I just wrote may cause some of you to dub me, Master of the Obvious but football ain’t rocket science and there is always a common thread from game to game.
5) Aaron Ross- I left him out of the second question regarding sustainable excellence due to his extreme importance in this game. Although I doubt he will be consistently matched against Larry Fitzgerald, if the Giant’s can help it, he will still need to contend with Early Doucet, Andre Roberts or even Todd Heap. No one questions Ross’s ability but many do question his focus and desire. Last week, he stepped up to the plate, on a national stage and showed his mettle. Will he have the same passion in the relatively obscure backwater gridiron of Arizona? This game could devolve into an old fashioned, western style shootout and it may take a heroic, last second interception to secure the game for the Giants. Will Aaron Ross be equal to the task?