News: BTB: Week 14 Expert Picks: Can Giants Be More Than A Speed Bump To Home-Field Advanatge For

NewsBot

New Member
Messages
111,281
Reaction score
2,947
usa-today-9537449.0.jpeg

The Cowboys are playing for home field advantage on Sunday against the Giants, and our panel of pigskin pundits doesn't think the Giants can stop the Cowboys.

Can the Giants be more than a speed bump on the Cowboys' road to home field advantage? Not many people think so.

Name
Pick
Score
Comment
David Steele, Sporting News (11-1)
DAL_medium.png
34-23​
If everything breaks right earlier in the day, the Cowboys could clinch everything up to home-field throughout the NFC playoffs by winning. The obvious story line is that the Giants were the first and only team to beat them, on opening day … but that only accents what Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and the rest have done since then. The Giants’ record is due to reflect who they really are.
Sam Farmer, LA Times (10-2)
DAL_medium.png
28-24​
The pressure is heavy on the Giants, who could miss the playoffs after getting off to an 8-3 start. Jason Pierre-Paul being sidelined really hurts them. "Dak Attack" just keeps rolling.
Elliot Harrison, NFL.com (10-2)
DAL_medium.png
28-21​
That's right: The Cowboys are moving to 12-1 by beating the only team to beat them this season. Much has been made of that Week 1 Giants victory. It was Dak Prescott's first NFL start. Ditto Ezekiel Elliott. The margin of victory? One point. Sunday night provides Dallas an opportunity to show the rest of the league who is coming out of the NFC tournament this season -- that is, if they win convincingly against their NFC East nemesis. If the Giants are going to slow Dallas' roll again, the front seven had better slow Zeke's first. Big Blue's run defense has been mostly awesome ... though Le'Veon Bell went for 118 last Sunday (it did take 29 carries). Elliott didn't get loose back in Week 1, but let's be real: He's figured it out since then. After averaging just 3.3 yards per carry in the first two weeks of his rookie season, he's cruising at over 5 yards per tote since.
Peter Schrager, Foxsports (8-4)
DAL_medium.png
27-20​
The Jason Pierre-Paul injury news is not merely a bottom-line ticker deal. This is huge. And I think it starts rearing its head Sunday night in the worst of fashions. In addition to being an expert pass rusher, the Week 11 NFC Defensive Player of the Week is also one of the better run defenders in the game. JPP also happenesto be one of just four Giants on the roster who was on that 2011 Super Bowl team. There are big losses (Gronk; Jordan Reed). Then, there are losses like this. I don’t know if the Giants can beat Dallas without Pierre-Paul. Desperation game or not.
Michael Smith, Pro Football Talk (8-4)
DAL_medium.png
30-20​
The injury to Jason Pierre-Paul will hit the Giants hard, and the Cowboys’ offense should have a big night as they march toward clinching home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Chris Simms, Bleacher Report (7-5)
DAL_medium.png
21-20​
Jason Pierre-Paul’s surgery knocks a little wind out of New York’s upset sails. It’ll now rely on guys such as Kerry Wynn and Owa Odighizuwa to slow Ezekiel Elliott down. With 10 days to prepare between games, Dallas will come with a few wrinkles to spring its running game—and win the division.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports (7-5)
28-11​
The Giants have to win this to have a chance to win the division. They didn’t look good last week at Pittsburgh, but I think they bounce back here. They won at Dallas in Week 1, and I think they will do it again. Eli Manning has a bounce-back game.
Greg Cote, Miami Herald (7-5)
DAL_medium.png
27-23​
Cowboys, first team to clinch playoff spot, sew up division title by winning here, but New York is fighting to protect its postseason position, too. Eli Manning has 104.8 rating in past five home games vs. 'Boys, but Dak Prescott arrives at 123.2 over his past five games overall. As I found out the hard way last week, you don't unsaddle a horse flying as powerfully smooth as the Cowboys are right now.
Chris Burke, SI.com (7-5)
DAL_medium.png
23-21 Jason Pierre-Paul’s season-ending hernia injury is a massive loss for the Giants’ defense, across the board. Elliott should have more success Sunday, and Dak Prescott could have ample time in the pocket if Olivier Vernon can’t take over. Giants safety Landon Collins is the X-factor, always—he’s having a brilliant season and Prescott will have to find him on every snap. The Giants’ offense has endured back-to-back sub-300-yard games. It has, however, been a lot more explosive at home: 381.8 yards per game.
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk (5-7)
DAL_medium.png
20-17 Yes, the Giants beat the Cowboys in Week One. But the Cowboys have gotten a lot better since then, and they realize the importance of not giving the Giants an opening to swipe the division.

Continue reading...
 
Top