New York Giants: Keys to Victory

Oct 19, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray (29) runs with the ball against the New York Giants defense at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Control the Line of Scrimmage.

The Giants have to win the battle in the trenches. Dallas has the best offensive line in the league. Their defensive line however is a weak spot.

The Giants defensive line must not let the Cowboys dictate the pace of this football game. The key to this is going to be the defensive tackles. They must be able to control or at least handle the middle of the line. This is a job that can’t be represented by stats but the value of guys in the middle of the defense who can handle blockers and eat space is unbelievable. If the tackles can do that then it will next be up to the rest of the defense to set an edge and contain all of the run plays to the inside of the field. By controlling Dallas’ run game you essentially limit what they do best. The less they can run, the more Tony Romo has to throw the ball. I know Romo is a very good quarterback but there is a reason that his best year (2014) came after the Cowboys relied on him less to throw the ball and more to hand it off.

When Romo drops back to pass the Giants pass rush must bring pressure. The quicker they get to Romo, or the quicker they force him to throw the ball, the less time plays have to develop. This will be very beneficial for the secondary who will be responsible for covering Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, Terrance Williams, and Cole Beasley.

Oct 19, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive end Anthony Spencer (93) rushes against New York Giants tackle Justin Pugh (67) in the game at AT&T Stadium. Dallas beat New York 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants offensive line actually has a favorable matchup against Dallas’ front four. The Cowboys ranked 28th in the league in sacks, having real difficult getting to opposing quarterbacks. With that kind of time Eli Manning and the offense should be ruling through the air. If they can take an early lead it could really force Dallas to abandon the run early and that can in turn put Dallas’ defense on the field more then it wants to be.

If the Giants can control the line of scrimmage on offense and defense, they win this game easily.

Next: Air it Out