Giants perspective: Keys to beat Dallas

[Gryphon]

Giants vs. Cowboys - Keys to Victory
http://mvn.com/nfl-giants/2007/09/08/giants-vs-cowboys-keys-to-victory/
By Hazem Kiswani
from mvn.com

It’s almost here. The New York Giants will open up their season Sunday night in Dallas, trying to start their season with a bang. Going into Texas, the Giants will have to deal with a hostile crowd, a star receiver, and a tough defense. What will it take for Big Blue to grab this game?

KEYS TO VICTORY

1. Pressure Tony Romo

The Giants defense will be counting on a strong pass rush this season, and will need it in this game. If the Giants can penetrate the Cowboys’ offensive line and get to Tony Romo, it should present several chances to create turnovers. Romo tends to force the football and make ill-advised throws when he’s under pressure, so if the Giants can stay in his face all game he’ll put a few balls out there for the Giants to make a play on.

2. Protect Eli Manning

The Giants offensive line needs to play well in this game. Dallas has playmakers on defense and will be sending some heat at Eli Manning. If the O-Line and RBs can pick up the blitzes, Manning will get the chance to make some big plays against a shaky Dallas secondary that may be without Terrance Newman. If not, it could be a very long day for the Giants offense. If the Giants can keep Manning on his feet, he’ll have a big game.

3. Contain the Cowboys’ Running Game

The Giants need to keep the Cowboys one-dimensional on offense. If they can dedicate themselves to the run early and keep Barber and Jones from picking up big chunks of yardage the Cowboys will have to look to throw the football often and the Giants ‘D’ will be in better position to keep the safeties back and send some linebackers shooting the gaps to get to Romo. If the run game and pass game working for Dallas the Giants are in trouble, so it’s vital for them to make sure they keep Jones and Barber under wraps and put the game on Tony Romo.

4. Spread it Out Early

The Giants need to go to some empty backfield sets early and test the Cowboys depth at CB. With Aaron Glenn gone and Newman hurt, and Burress, Toomer, Moss, Smith and Shockey all on the field at the same time, the Giants should be able to get very favorable match-ups. I think the Cowboys would struggle mightily should the Giants go to this gameplan. They just don’t have the DB depth to match-up. And while Newman may play, he won’t be 100%.

5. Get Jacobs the Football

The Giants need to get Brandon Jacobs the football often this game and try to wear down Dallas’ front seven. Tackling Jacobs for three quarters will have the Dallas defense sluggish by the time the fourth quarter comes around, and the Giants will give themselves an advantage in what will likely be a close football game. Jacobs needs to be on top of his game in Dallas.

PREDICTION

The Dallas secondary is depending on a lot of rookies at corner and has a lot of weapons to deal with in this game. If the Giants can just take away the running game and put the game on Tony Romo, I think they’ll be able to create some turnovers and pull ahead early. However, Dallas is at home and the Giants will be in a very hostile environment. Manning needs to be composed and the defense focused. If those two things happen, the Giants can win this game and really give themselves a spark of confidence going into the rest of a long season.

Giants 27, Cowboys 20

 

[theebs]

The Dallas secondary is depending on a lot of rookies at corner
who wroter this? Is it someones blog?

 

[Gryphon]

Link http://mvn.com/nfl-giants/2007/09/08/giants-vs-cowboys-keys-to-victory/

 

[McCordsville Cowboy]

He is blogging from Pakistan..

 

[tomson75]

Just say no to bloggers with flavor-savers.

 

[BouncingCheese]

If the defense doesn't step up then we will be beating ourselves and none of the keys will matter as much.

Really that is the thing I most want to see perform is this D. I hope for the love of god we can see some damn takeaways.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Do the Cowboys have any rookies at corner?

Newman, Henry, Reeves, Jones, and Oglesby all have at least one year in the league, right?

Am I forgetting someone?

 

[tomson75]

Do the Cowboys have any rookies at corner?

Newman, Henry, Reeves, Jones, and Oglesby all have at least one year in the league, right?

Am I forgetting someone?

No. The only rookie we've got in the secondary is Courtney Brown, and he'll likely be inactive.

 

[Clove]

Everything they said is basically true, honestly. Problem is, can this all happen? I don't think they can contain Romo personally, and I think we can get to Eli.

He will make big plays possibly, but he will also make some huge mistakes.

 

[Aikbach]

Dallas started the 1992 season with Larry Brown and Issac Holt at corner for half the season and then inserted a rookie named Kevin Smith just before playoff time, they managed to rank number one in league defensively and win a Super Bowl blowout that year.

Anthony Henry and a sore Terence Newman are a way better tandem than Holt and Brown ever were.

 

[stilltheguru]

Just like a Giant fan to make a ******** gameplan. How can you spread it out AND get Jacobs the ball alot????????????????????????

Whatever. They can come up with whatever they want but there is no way in hell they should win this game. This aint last year or the year before that.

 

[DragonCowboy]

1. the secondary is NOT depending on a lot (or any) rookies.

2. will jacobs be able to last a full game?

3. yes newman is hurt, but isn't madison also?

4. i think dallas will try to pass to set up the run, not the other way around. I think a key to the game for the giants will be to stop romo and force jones/barber (bones) to make something happen.

5. about the score, i really can't blame him for picking his team to win -- we're doing the exact same thing.

as for dallas' keys to the game:

1. get to manning. pressure's great, but i'm talking about sacks. sack him a couple times and he won't be the same for the rest of the game. IMO, this is the most important key to the game...takes pressure off the secondary.

2. protect romo. keep romo on his feet, and he'll get it to the receivers, also a very important key to the game...exploit madison...

3. get the ball to terrell owens. get him involved from the start, let him do his thing.

4. stop brandon jacobs/reuben droughns. force eli manning (who will hopefully be pressured) to win the game.

5. no more stupid plays and poor execution. scratch what i said about pressuring eli manning, THIS is the most important key to the game.

 

[pugilist]

Everything they said is basically true, honestly. Problem is, can this all happen? I don't think they can contain Romo personally, and I think we can get to Eli.

He will make big plays possibly, but he will also make some huge mistakes.

well said, i agree

 

[LaTunaNostra]

PREDICTION

The Dallas secondary is depending on a lot of rookies at corner and has a lot of weapons to deal with in this game. If the Giants can just take away the running game and put the game on Tony Romo, I think they’ll be able to create some turnovers and pull ahead early. However, Dallas is at home and the Giants will be in a very hostile environment. Manning needs to be composed and the defense focused. If those two things happen, the Giants can win this game and really give themselves a spark of confidence going into the rest of a long season.

Giants 27, Cowboys 20

Manning losing his composure early is the key to the game. Phillips, unlike a 3-4 specialist like Belichick who is a master of disguised blitzes, just throws the kitcher sink at the qb. Instead of a more cerebral two -gapping scheme, it's relying on physical superiority, and in lieu of read-react, it's let THEM try to react to mega blitzes.

of course, it all depends on just how physically superior the front 7 is, as Phillips had in San Diego. I am not surprised the coaching staff hasn't been gnashing its teeth over the corner back situation like media and fans have - it won't even come down to them ( and a few big burns will occur, but so what? if manning spends 2/3 of the game on his backside)

I've really always preferred the Parcells-Mumbles 3-4 for their, for lack of a better word, intellectual approach. Belichick doesn't have the best talent at every front 7 postion, but he has good smart players who can disguise any blitz configuration and breathe read an react. Tuna couldn't get it done here because he couldn't sufficiently coach up the players to do it his way. But he never let it all hang on the players like Philips is doing with the simplly coached but ultra-agressive scheme.

Now all the emphasis on thinking is off, and the stress on killing is on. I have my doubts that the defensive talent here is SD quality, but they will thrive if they go from game to game with "sack-blood" on their hands, qbs ground underfoot, and visibly quaking.

Getting to Manning tomorrow night - it's in a nutshell, everything, and i just wonder how much Eli realizes he can impact not just his own team for the season, but this one.

he goes down, or we do.

 

[AtlCB]

Giants vs. Cowboys - Keys to Victory
http://mvn.com/nfl-giants/2007/09/08/giants-vs-cowboys-keys-to-victory/
By Hazem Kiswani
from mvn.com

\KEYS TO VICTORY

5. Get Jacobs the Football

The Giants need to get Brandon Jacobs the football often this game and try to wear down Dallas’ front seven. Tackling Jacobs for three quarters will have the Dallas defense sluggish by the time the fourth quarter comes around, and the Giants will give themselves an advantage in what will likely be a close football game. Jacobs needs to be on top of his game in Dallas.

I doubt this strategy would work. The Cowboys have a lot of depth in the front seven and will be rotating players to keep them fresh.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

no mention of running plays to Spencer's side of the field?