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It is getting tight in the NFC East. The NY Giants face a tough Philadelphia Eagles team in week 8. The game is to be played at Philly Sunday 11/1.

New York needs a win not only to maintain first place but also for their confidence level which may have taken a blow this past week against the Cardinals. Big Blue should have won that game but unfortunately several factors contributed to the loss.

The Eagles usually play harder and give an extra effort when playing the G-Men. It is still early in the season but this is a must win game. We have the tools to win this game, a good running attack and a good passing attack which in my opinion we are not utilizing correctly. Steve Smith is our most consistent and reliable wide receiver and last week we should have utilized him more. Mario Manningham has had good games and will get better with time but he has had several drops including a potential touchdown drop last week. Drop balls are a part of the game and can happen to anyone but one drop can change the momentum of a game just ask Domenik Hixon who dropped a sure TD versus the Eagles last year. Hakeem Nicks needs to be used more and should start along side Steve Smith.

Our teams success lies in its discipline and ability to control the ball and execute plays. In the past 2 games on several 3rd and shorts the play calls have been for deep throws instead of getting the 2 or 3 yards needed to maintain possession. It is true we have found an aerial attack but lets not get carried away, call and design better 3rd and short plays. If NY would have done that versus New Orleans they could have kept Brees and that offense off the field and had a better chance to win. We have Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, why not use them on 3rd and shorts, why not throw a pass which isn't a bomb to Boss or Smith instead? Higher percentage plays than deep balls on 3rd and short.

New York can win this game, but the defense needs to put pressure on Donovoan McNabb or else he will have a field day throwing deep to DeSean Jackson. The Giants better watch out for the Wild Cat, I guarantee they will try this on us after seeing how wide open Larry Fitzgerald got last week. The last thing we need is to be Michael Vicks coming out party.

It is time for the TOUGH NY Giants team we know to kick some butt!!! Osi Umenyiora has to step up and get physical, Bill Sheridan needs to blitz more and design pressure plays. Last week we started out well but ended up getting away from it in the middle of the game. If Osi plays to his ability it will open up chances for Tuck and Kiwanuka to make plays. Imagine if our front four played to their ability who could stop them? Who would they double team? Big Blue's toughness and physical dominance at the line brought a Championship, this was only 2 years ago, there is no way the G-Men have suddenly lost their toughness in 2009.

Here is how they stack up stats wise.

Total Offense:
New York is ranked 6th overall scoring on average 27.9 points per game on 391.3 yards.
Philadelphia ranks 17th and scores 27.2 points per game on 371 yards.
Pretty even offenses even if their is 11 places in between them on the rankings.

Total Defense:
The NY Giants still rank 1st allowing 20.4 points per game on 262 yards.
The Eagles rank 7th allowing 19.3 points per game on 287 yards.
If we can withstand their early rush and pressure and make them change their game plan we can control this game. They will be blitzing early and often trying to put pressure on Eli Manning. This team can create turnovers with their pressure, hopefully we will play a more control possession type game, what I like to call Giants football!

Passing:
The G-Men rank 11th gaining 249.4 yards through the air.
Philly is ranked 15th gaining 233 yards on average.
As I stated above, DeSean Jackson is their aerial weapon. I have confidence in Corey Webster's ability to shut him down as long as pressure is put on McNabb. Vick and that stupid Wild Cat offense may be a factor as well, I hate gimmicky football!

Passing Defense:
Big Blue ranks 2nd allowing only 158.4 yards through the air.
The Eagles rank 9th allowing 190.2 yards.
The Eagles are not the same intense defensive team from the past, our wide receivers are young but talented and can get open for big plays. Steve Smith should have a big game. Throw deep on 1st and 2nd down once in a while and catch them sleeping. Hakeem Nicks should play a nice roll in this game as well, he is an excellent wideout.

Rushing:
New York is ranked 5th in rushing gaining on average 141.9 yards on the ground per game
Philadelphia ranks 18th gaining 103.7 yards per game.
We need Jacobs to explode into holes in this game and be the bruiser that he is. Ahmad Bradshaw had a huge fumble last week but he is an excellent RB who we can rely on. He fumbled trying to get extra yardage and it was the first fumble of the season for him, unfortunately it came at an important stage of the game. We should screen to Bradshaw a couple of times, this guy can break apart a defense. .

Rushing Defense:
The Giants rank 15th allowing 103.6 yards per game.
The Eagles rank 11th allowing 96.8 yards per game.
It still surprises me that we are not better when it comes to rush defense. The Giants have the players to be better in this category. Westbrook may not play which should be a huge advantage for us.

I cannot see the NY Giants losing 3 games in a row under Tom Coughlin. This is a test not only for the team but also for the coordinators. Bill Sheridan needs to bring it with his defensive play calling and Kevin Gilbride needs to get back to basic Giants bruising football.

Carlos Caicedo
GiantsKickoff.com - Copyright 2009

The NY Football Giants look to bounce back in week 7 vs the Arizona Cardinals at Giants Stadium on 10/25. Last Sunday the G-Men were dominated by Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints 48-27.

The match-up against Arizona is no cake walk, they have 2 of the leagues best at the wide receiver position in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, and their third receiver Steve Breaston would be a number one WR on many NFL teams.

The Big Blue offense was not terrible this past Sunday what let the Giants down was their defense. Bill Sheridan better bring a better defensive game plan and some serious pressure if he wants any chance to win this game. The aerial attack of the Cardinals is pretty darn good and can put up points in a hurry. Defensive players like Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka better step their game up as well, they were manhandled last week and embarrassed at the Superdome.

Here is how the teams stack up stat wise.

Total Offense:
The NY Giants rank 6th overall and score an average of 29.7 points and rack up 402 yards per game.
The Arizona Cardinals rank 16th and score an average of 22.4 points on 337.8 yards per game.

Total Defense:
Big Blue still ranks 1st on defense despite the horrendous game they played last week. They allow on average 19.8 points per game on 257.7 yards.
Arizona ranks 16th and allows an average of 18.4 points per game on 324.8 yards.

Passing:
The G-Men drop from 9th to 11th in total pass offense, they have racked up 1,526 yards in the air this season.
The Birds currently rank 6th and will be looking to improve on that ranking this coming Sunday night especially after seeing our lack of pass defense last week.

Passing Defense:
Unbelievably enough New York still ranks 1st when it comes to pass defense allowing only 147.3 yards per game in the air.
The Cardinals rank 31st (2nd to last) when it comes to pass defense. This will be a key match-up for Big Blue and its young wide receivers who have been excellent in 2009.

Rushing:
The Giants currently rank 5th in total rushing averaging 147.7 yards per game lead by Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs.
Arizona is tied for last when it comes to rushing the ball. Our defense is not doing the job this year when it comes to stopping the run but we aren't the worst, this should be a favorable match-up.

Rushing Defense:
The G-Men are now ranked 18th overall allowing teams to rush on average for 110.3 yards on us per game.
The Cardinals on the other hand are ranked as the best rushing defense in the league. They allow only 59.6 yards per game, very impressive to say the least.

This game is all about the match-ups and which team can take advantage of the others weakness. The Giants better bring some pressure if they want to stop the aerial attack that Arizona brings, they cannot leave the secondary hanging like they did last week. The G-Men have a good passing attack and the Cardinals rank 31st which should be a favorable match-up. Hopefully adjustments have been made on defense by Sheridan who was the weak link against New Orleans.

A team like Arizona will be studying tape this week in order to replicate the game plan implemented by the Saints last week. They definitely have the weapons to attack through the air but the good news is that unlike New Orleans their running game is terrible. I can't say it enough pressure, pressure, pressure will make the difference. The NY football Giants should win this game if they bring PRESSURE!!!

Carlos Caicedo
GiantsKickoff.com - Copyright 2009

Wow what a great match-up between two undefeated teams. The NY Giants vs the New Orleans Saints on Sunday 10/18, week 6.

The G-Men have a 5-0 record and take their number one ranked defense to the Superdome. The Saints 4-0 who in the early 1980's were referred as the "Aint's" are no longer the bottom dwelling team from the past, they are considered an offensive juggernaut and will be the toughest test Big Blue has faced this season.

This game should be a very entertaining one. New Orleans is favored by 3 points as per the odds makers and come well rested off a bye week. New York on the other hand comes in very banged up with one of the longest injury lists you have ever seen for a football team. They have been missing key players especially on defense all year long and have been able to overcome injuries and win. The wins however have come versus considerably easier teams than the Saints.

Dru Brees is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and has the ability to pick apart teams especially teams that are blitz happy like the Eagles, but he can also have bad games just like any other QB. This season he has had two games which were pretty regular, versus the Jets he threw for 190 yards and against Buffalo he threw for only 172 yards not the typical 300 yard games we are used to seeing from this excellent quarterback.

I believe the key for victory lies with the defense creating controlled mayhem, Brees has yet to see a defense as talented as the Giants. Most people will right away talk about good defenses he has faced such as the Eagles and Jets. He has in fact beaten both teams but had a hard time with the Jets who have an above average defense but in no way are as good as the G-Men. As a matter of fact the Jets lost yesterday against the 1-3 now 2-3 Miami Dolphins and the defense was what failed them. The Eagles once again are a very blitz oriented team, they are very predictable on defense and an intelligent QB like Dru Brees can read the defense and pick it apart which he did in week 2. The Giants bring the complete package on the defensive side, a very talented, strong and athletic line which will put pressure all day on him and despite key injuries Big Blue has the number one ranked pass defense. The combination of pressure and good coverage will not be easy to overcome by New Orleans.

The Saints have also become a very good defensive team but still not an elite squad. They will create some pressure but unlike most teams New York has a very experienced and talented offensive line. Eli Manning has developed into an excellent QB who can also read defenses and create opportunities for Big Blue. I can already see a screen pass to Bradshaw like the one we saw this past week that went for 55 yards. New Orleans players tend to over pursue when rushing and are very susceptible to short plays for big gains.

This game will indeed be a very tough match-up for the G-men but it is not impossible to beat New Orleans even at the Superdome. New York is one of the best road teams ever with an 18-3 record over the last two and a half years, that's incredible. It will be interesting to see which players suit up for the Giants, this can be the week where the injuries finally catchup to us.

Here is how they stack when it comes to stats, keep in mind Big Blue has an extra week of play.

Total Offense:
The New York Giants rank 2nd in total offense with 417.4 yards per game and score on average 30.2 points.
The New Orleans Saints rank 3rd in total offense with 414.2 yards per game and score on average 36 points.
Both teams average 6.2 yards per play.

Total Defense:
Big Blue ranks 1st in total defense allowing only 14.2 points per game and 210.6 yards of total offense to opposing teams.
New Orleans ranks 6th in total defense allowing 16.5 points per game and 295.2 yards of total offense to opposing teams.

Passing:
This is a toss up as of now, the G-Men rank 9th and the saints rank 11th.

Passing Defense:
The Giants rank 1st in total pass defense and this will be a huge against a great passing team like New Orleans.
The Saints rank 11th in total pass defense, not bad at all but beatable!

Rushing:
New York ranks 4th with 160.4 yards per game on an average of 4.5 per carry.
The Domers rank 2nd with 166.2 yards per game on an average of 5.0 per carry.

Rushing Defense:
The G-Men rank 15th overall which is very surprising as they have always been known for being able to stop the run. This is a worrisome stat as New Orleans has an excellent running attack.
The Saints rank 7th and have faced teams with good running attacks in the eagles and Jets.

As you can see these are two very good teams and that is why the game should be action packed and a nail biter. I still believe the NY Giants will find a way to win!

Carlos Caicedo
GiantsKickoff.com - Copyright 2009