The Swing Season: Who Will Slide in December: The Cowboys or Giants?
When the 6-5 NY Giants host the 8-3 Dallas Cowboys, both teams’ fortunes could change. Earlier this season, New York sported one of the leagues prolific offenses, featuring the battering-ram style running attack of Brandon Jacobs and up-and-coming athletic wide receivers (such as Mario Mannningham, Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks). Their aggressive, blitz-happy 4-3 defense punished quarterbacks who attempted to drop back to pass. With a lethal combination of great defense and balanced offense, the “G-Men” were a dominant football team that rolled to a perfect 5-0 record.But the “times are a-changin.” After careful inspection, it is conspicuously clear that their flawless start was nothing more than a mirage. In fact, the combined record of the teams that lost to the Giants are an unimpressive 23-39 (a meager winning percentage of nearly 59%). To compound New York’s problems, they are just 1-5 against those teams sporting a winning record. If you need clarification, the team’s only impressive win came against the Dallas Cowboys in week two of the season.
There are several reasons why the NY Giants are in significant jeopardy of not making the playoffs this year. You can cite New York’s multitude of injuries: including Eli Manning’s rough bout with plantar fasciitis and injuries to the secondary and the running back position. But the G-Men’s real woes can be attributed to a lack of big plays from their trio of receivers that include Manningham, Smith and Nicks during their recent losing skid. This year, in addition to their offensive miscues, the defense has sputtered without the coaching prowess of former defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo (now head coach of the St. Louis Rams).
The Cowboys have a chance to control their own destiny during the final month of the regular season and potentially knock the Giants out of the playoffs. With a now virtually healthy offensive backfield, an intact secondary and the emergence of Miles
Austin, the Cowboy should now have the fortitude, momentum and talent to win on the road in a hostile environment against a very mediocre New York Giants team. It’s time for the Cowboys to continue their fortuitous season with a successful December, including challenging games against New York (6-5), San Diego (7-3) and New Orleans (10-0). Will Tony Romo be the long-term answer as Quarterback?
Do the Cowboys have a legitimate number-one receiver?
Will the Cowboys evade the December Swoon?
After this rigorous three-game test, we will know a lot more about the Cowboys….and the Giants.
