Timm Matthews was kind enough to visit us here at GMENHQ.COM and answer some questions about the Giants Cowboys showdown this Sunday night.  Timm has been a sports anchor/reporter/editor in Dallas/Ft. Worth for 25 years.  Timm was a sports anchor at KXAS-TV NBC-5 and then at KTVT-TV CBS-11 for 21 years. More recently he’s served as Editor-in-Chief of Scoreboard Magazine, the only sports/lifestyle magazine in Dallas/Ft. Worth.   In addition Timm is an anchor/host for Fox Sports Southwest, hosting Mavericks, Stars and Rangers shows.  Timm is the host for the ESPN Golf Connection show on ESPN radio in Dallas/Ft. Worth.  Throughout his career Timm has hosted numerous local television programs covering the Dallas Cowboys, NASCAR, golf, tennis and high school sports.  He’s also served as an emcee for various charity and business events.

1. Jason Garrett was touted for years as the “next hot assistant” and a great Head Coach in waiting.  In the short time he has had the job what is your take on the job he has done, and what is the general take of fans?

I think he still has a lot to learn as a head coach…he’s not sure if he wants to be aggressive and unpredictable like his former coach/mentor Jimmy Johnson or play it safe to keep Jerry happy, so he’s a little of both. Most fans are thinking that Princeton is over-rated for brilliance.

2. Dez Bryant is one of the most talented athletes we have seen in years.  Of course, he has also been one of the most injured, and perceived as a knucklehead at times.  Is he soon to be the dangerous weapon he can be, or is he a disaster waiting to happen? (more…)

Hakeem Nicks & Victor Cruz

Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, and Eli Manning are all poised to break some long time Giant marks.  Let’s take a minute to review their efforts this season.

Victor Cruz:  All Giant fans remember the night Victor had against the Jets in the pre-season two seasons ago.  Now, we have all seen rookies walk in and play great in pre-season, and then never be heard from again.  Cruz almost seemed destined for that list as he came up injured in 2010, and missed most of the season.  This pre-season he looked healthy, but did nothing special.  He then got a chance on the first third down of the season in Washington….and dropped the ball.  Not a great beginning, and through two weeks he had a total of two catches.  Since that auspicious beginning, he has been nothing short of brilliant.  Now Victor still drops the occasional ball, but he has become a main target for QB Eli Manning. (more…)

But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves and focus on this messy game.

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The Giants got lucky today when D. J. Ware was a full participant in practice.  Da’Rell Scott should see more third down action and also be used more in the passing game if Ware is limited in any way.  Of course Scott will probably not be returning kicks this week, so as not to expose him to injury unnecessarily.  Brandon Jacobs is still going to be the starter and hopefully a big contributor Monday Night.

Well, Eli needs to get to the line quicker to make his adjustments, and get the ball snapped earlier.  I think you will see the Giants try and use as much max protect pass, and quick passes as possible to move the ball consistently and hopefully quiet the crowd a little.  They will need to either test the Saints deep early to show their willingness to go downfield, or continue to move the chains and be successful on long drives.

 Tuck has been injured all season long.  He stated this week that he no longer wants to discuss it, and will just play at whatever level he is capable. The Giants have been brutal in zone coverage this year and need to find a way to get to Brees as early and often as possible.  The play of the young linebackers will be tested again this week by  the variety of screens and flat passes that are used by N.O.  Fewell will hopefully figure out how to find the right matchups against your talended receiving corps.  Pressure will be the key to this test and keeping the players in front of them will certainly be part of the plan.

The choice seems to be moving David Diehl back to LT or to start Stacey Andrews in Beatty’s place.  They have the luxury of having a player like Kevin Boothe to step in and play multiple positions.

Run the ball.  The only way Eli will ever get enough time to hit his talented receiving group is if he can use play action to his advantage, and keep th down and distance favorable.  Time of possession, turnovers, and defending the big play will tell the tale on Monday.  If the Giants don’t start running with consistency, they really have little to no chance of ever getting a lead that they can expect their defense to hold.

1. How has the addition of Darren Sproles and Mark Ingram impacted your offense this year?

When Reggie Bush was traded to the Miami Dolphins the immediate question was how would the Saints replace his versatility in the offense?  The answer came just hours later — Darren Sproles — and the common consensus is that he is a better inside runner than Bush, a better return man, and in general a better fit for the New Orleans potent offense. He has become an outlet for quarterback Drew Brees on third down and their chemistry has helped not just Sproles, who leads the league in yards after catch, but Brees who is so far having one of his best statiscal passing seasons of his career. Rookie Mark Ingram hasn’t been a let down, but at the same time he hasn’t had the breakout game we all expected. He is however a tough, physical inside runner who displays a knack at getting those tough yards that the Saints have struggled with in seasons past.

2. Why is it that your team and in particular your QB plays so well at home?

Historically the Saints have been among one of the NFL’s winningest teams at home in the Sean Payton era. Reasons are numerous — faster artificial turf, raucous Superdome crowd — but in the simplest terms, the New Orleans players love to play for their Who Dat Nation, and equally Who Dat Nation loves cheering for Brees and company. Put it all together, and it seems that the players perform just a little better, while opposing teams play just a little worse.

3. The Giants have developed a good passing offense.  Victor Cruz in particular seems to have a knack for beating the best CB’s in the league.  How do the Saints plan on stopping the Giants aerial assault?

It’s a pertinent question, and Cruz has been enjoying great success as of late, but it seems as if he is benefiting from the attention Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham usually command.  Anyone that watches the Saints knows that defensive coordinator Gregg Williams likes to blitz. He is not afraid to lock up his corners in one-on-one coverage with opposing receivers so that he can bring the house. Philosophy dictates that the Saints will use the blitz to slow Manning, to slow Cruz, and the other Giants receivers. It wouldn’t surprise me either if Williams matches Jabari Greer, the Saints best cover, exclusively on Cruz. Greer is a top cover corner in the league, top five in fact, and he just doesn’t get beat for big gains down the field.

4. If Jonathan Vilma does not play Monday night, how does that impact your defensive game plan and pressure on Eli?

Vilma is a huge asset to the Saints defense without question. But, in New Orleans they deploy a “next man up” mentatlity, meaning of course that regardless if your a backup or not you leave it all on the field. Linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar has taken this to heart as Vilma’s backup. He has played very well, in fact some would say he has played as well as Vilma himself. so the defense shouldn’t miss a beat.

5. Does the modern Saints fan still have the respect and love for Archie and the Manning family?

That’s a trick question really as you would likely get a different answer from most Saints fans you asked. Archie helped the Saints achieve moderate success after so many terrible seasons. However, he was never able to deliver what fans really wanted — a Superbowl championship. While fans thank him for his accomplishments, current quarterback Drew Brees has erased most, if not all, of Manning’s legacy as a Saint — including all of his franchise records too.