Giants Cowboys Part II
By Joe Tufaro
So, The circus has left town, with it’s ring leader still selling his snake oil to anyone who is gullible enough to be listening. The Giants now go back to work in the real world of the NFL. The Giants and Cowboys will meet in what amounts to the NFC EAST CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. Now, of course, the naysayers will scoff at a 9-7 team winning a division and getting a home game in the playoffs, but that’s how the NFL works. It’s not baseball where an exhibition game determines home field for their Championship. Winning your division is the purest test in sports. The schedules for the two teams are for the most part identical, and therefore determines the best team against that competition. The Giants and Cowboys, for all their faults, have survived to this point, and now have a chance to get into the tournament as they say, and see if they can make a run.
The Cowboys entered the last game these two played just three weeks ago as “Healthy as they have been all year” They enter this one in not such great shape. In the last meeting they lost RB DeMarco Murray for the year. Last week they lost OL Montrae Holland for the season, had Tony Romo leave the game with a badly bruised hand, and RB Felix Jones is also nursing a few injuries. The Cowboys are dangerously close to having no running game to compliment Tony Romo. The slowing of Jones would allow the Giants to play defense the way they want…rush the passer, and cover the short routes tight.
The Giants on the other hand might be getting some guys back for this one. Jake Ballard who missed last weeks game might make his return, and Mario Manningham hopefully will be available. It will all depend on who is able to practice this week. A good story that came out this morning concerning the Giants. It seems the Special Teams Unit was going to be short handed due to injuries, Coach Coughlin asked the veterans for volunteers to take a few more snaps. Antrel Rolle, JPP, and Corey Webster all stepped up and said they wanted to be part of it. The result was each participated in over 100 plays in the game. A nice sign from a team many have said might have some locker room issues.
Just a final note on last weeks contest…..The Jets said they were New York’s best when the new stadium opened. They then went on to:
Lose the first pre-season game between the two teams in the new stadium (Thanks to one Victor Cruz).
Lose the opening “prime time” game in the new stadium, while the Giants had defeated the Panthers in the first day game.
Make the playoffs in two seasons, but failing to win a division title received NO home games.
Lose the first Regular Season meeting between the Jets and Giants (Thanks to one Victor Cruz).
And now have to go to Miami, a team they are 2-3 against the previous two seasons, win that game and then watch to see if Cincinnati, Tennessee, AND Oakland or Denver lose. Kings they ain’t!