Grounded Giants, soaring Eagles: A clash of power

By Samuel Groshans  |   Thursday, September 14, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

New York Giants
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Prepare for another big matchup in Week 2 for the New York Giants. The Giants travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles, a team that gained 441 total yards -- 311 passing -- in their opener against the Houston Texans. With the Giants coming off a disappointing loss to the Indianapolis Colts, this game has big early-season implications.

If the Giants lose this game and start the season 0-2, it could be disastrous. With an early schedule that you wouldn't wish on anyone, it's quite possible that the New Yorkers could be out of the postseason run before it even heats up. This game is pivotal to whether the Giants sink or swim.

The Giants come off a lot of positives in their debut loss. The team's offense was highly efficient for the better part of the game, though it did fall apart in the last eight minutes or so. The defense, while giving up far too many yards and conversions on third down, kept the opposition out of the end zone. Most impressive was how well the Giants ran the ball, gaining 186 yards and averaging over six yards per carry.

That doesn't mean a darn thing unless you win, though, a fact that fans, players and coaches are all highly aware of. You can be sure that the entire organization has put the heartbreaking loss behind it and have turned full attention to the Eagles, who will not be an easy win by any means.

While the Eagles were riddled with injuries and controversy last season, this year it's gone. With Terrell Owens in Dallas and Donovan McNabb fully healed, Philadelphia looks like the team that went to four straight championship games and won three of them earlier this decade. That should worry the Giants, but not to the point where all hope is lost.

In this game, much like its first, New York must establish the run and get off to a fast start. The Giants can't afford penalties or miscues of any kind against the Eagles' defense. Indianapolis had a solid D, but Philadelphia is a step above.

If the Giants make half the mistakes they did against the Colts, expect twice the amount of turnovers and a miniscule chance of them winning. If, however, they begin strong and don't shoot themselves in the foot, then the Giants could very well take this game in stride and for a victory.

To begin strong, Tiki Barber must do what he did in Week 1. He has to run hard and make people miss while gaining large chunks of yardage. If he does, it opens up the passing game. While Eli Manning looked decent in the opening game, he has to look even better. He can't miss easy routes or make poor throws this week. As stated, the Eagles will turn mistakes into turnovers, and that will destroy the Giants.

Simply put, the defense must play better. While holding the high-powered Colts to a much lower score than it could've been, the unit still allowed Peyton Manning to sit in the pocket and find open receivers, effectively picking apart the secondary. Even when pressure was put on, the Giants' linemen simply missed tackles. The rather immobile Manning was somehow able to sidestep or run away from pressure all night.

Against the Eagles, and a very mobile McNabb, missed tackles and a lack of pressure would be even more hurtful. With DEs Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, New York should rack up a high amount of sacks or at least put pressure on McNabb and force bad throws. By forcing bad passes, it makes the jobs of Corey Webster and Sam Madison that much easier. Both are talented cornerbacks but need help from the defensive front seven to put them in position to make good plays. If that doesn't happen, expect a repeat of the opener. The New York secondary will be mercilessly picked apart and, this week, the Eagles, unlike the Colts, will score touchdowns.

It's unlikely that the Giants will play as poorly as they did in the first week, at least from a penalty and lack of execution stand point. They will once again play hard, maybe even harder with the extra incentive of open wounds -- so to speak -- from Week 1, and will at the very least compete with the Eagles.

You can expect a good, hard-fought game this Sunday. One team will leave happy, and one won't; if the Giants are the disappointed ones, however, their postseason hopes could be in major jeopardy.

Get weekly New York Giants coverage at RealFootball365.com
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