Strategy and Matchups - Dallas

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I have to tell you that I'm nervous about this game. I just don't have a comfortable feeling. Romo is Mr. November, having only lost one start in during that month in his career (the good news, it was a road game against a division rival - WAS). Dallas is playing well and looks like a confident, pretty cohesive team.

We're riding a 2-game win streak and things are looking up. What has me nervous is that this game isn't likely to be a blowout and the Eagles have yet to prove they can win a back and forth contest. We've scored points in bunches and played mostly in games with a big lead. Oakland was close throughout, but we had an off day all around. We did a good job of trading points with the Saints for a half. Things got out of hand with some 3rd quarter turnovers. We have yet to show that we can be methodical on offense. When is the last time we had a long, sustained drive that ended in a short TD (10 yards or less)? Dallas also lives by the big play, but I don't think they are quite as feast or famine on offense. I expect us to score points. I just hope we don't live and die with big plays.

I think this game will largely be decided on one critical factor...pressure on Romo. If Tony is allowed to sit back and play QB we're in for a long game. We need Fast Tony...you know, the guy who is throwing off his back foot and moving around nervously. That guy will kill you on a couple of plays, but will also make mistakes. He'll throw some errant passes and force the ball into coverage as he tries to make something happen.

We lost the first meeting to Dallas each of the last 2 years. Romo had a ton of time in 2007 and shredded the defense. Last year he led the team to 34 points on offense (scored 41 overall) and they won. We've won all 3 late season meetings with Dallas. Tony has been under a lot of pressure in each game. Jim Johnson was more aggressive in the rematches, but it also helped that the players executed better.

Sean McDermott has been very aggressive with blitzing since taking over the defense. We're attacking more than any time since Buddy Ryan left. This is probably the best way to handle Dallas. I don't fear their WRs in the sense of them being playmakers like Santana Moss or Steve Smith. Don't get me wrong...I certainly respect the Cowboys wideouts. They are solid players who are hot right now. Miles Austin is playing at a very high level. Is this a hot streak or is he emerging as a star player? Only time will tell. I'm willing to take my chances.

I think our CBs match up well with their WRs. I do have a few concerns. Play-action passes could be a problem. We have aggressive DBs and LBs. They will fly up in run support, leaving open some big passing lanes. Double moves and pump fakes are also potentially dangerous. Owens burned us for a long TD on a double-move early in the first meeting. Lito and Considine bought the fake and came up. Owens got behind them and was off to the races.

My other concern is Asante trying to tackle Miles Austin out in space. Austin is a big, strong guy that runs through tackle attempts. Asante isn't exactly a rugged tackler. He cannot let Austin get free down the sidelines for huge gains. Asante has got to make the stop or slow him enough for Sean Jones or Q to come over and finish the play. Asante knows what he's up against. Check out this from PE.com:

"He's a heck of an athlete," Samuel said of Austin. "The biggest challenge that Miles, in my opinion, brings is that he has a big lower body. And that's how he breaks through those arm tackles and goes the distance. So you just have to make sure you wrap him up when he catches the ball."

The one matchup none of us likes is Jason Witten vs our defense. He always comes up big against us. I think that is okay as long as he doesn't get big plays. Let him have his catches, but limit the yards. I'm sure we'll use all kinds of players to cover him. SLB Chris Gocong normally would be one of the guys, but he's hurt and will likely miss the game. Rookie Moise Fokou will be starting in his spot. Fokou will be a target for Tony and Jason to attack, I'm sure.

Dealing with their running game will be tough. We can't commit 8 to the box on a regular basis because of guys like Witten and Austin. That means the front seven has to penetrate, play tough on the edges, and tackle well. I'm pretty confident that the DL will handle the run. The LBs must tackle well. Fokou will have his hands full with the speed of Jones and power of Barber.

Trent Cole must get pressure off the edge. We can't rely on the blitz for everything. Cole has had good and bad days vs Flozell Adams. Trent has got to pressure Romo. Sacks are great, but at least get some hits. Chris Clemons had a couple of sacks last year in the late game. He owes us a big game this year. Darren Howard has played some of his best games vs the Boys. Let's hope that trend continues.

One guy who could make a difference for us is MLB Will Witherspoon. We now have a MLB that has the speed to handle Dallas' RBs on the edge. He also can help on Witten. And we know he can be a playmaker around the LOS. Spoon could be an important player in this game.

Our offense will have some success. Remember, we put up 30 on them in the early game last year with Greg Lewis starting, Tony Hunt playing FB, and LJ Smith as our TE. Getting Westy back this week is huge. He plays well vs Dallas. He knows how to find holes in their defense and get upfield, if only for a couple of yards.

We hurt them in both games last year with catches by the RBs. Westy will do his part, but LeSean has to help as well. He must catch the ball cleanly and get upfield. And don't swing the ball. That's an order.

I do expect us to go downfield with our passing game. DeSean burned them for a long play in each game (60, 34). Maclin has the speed to also burn them downfield. The presence of Celek and Avant in the middle of the field will be tough on them.

Jason Peters must control DeMarcus Ware. I don't expect Jason to shut him down, but just keep Ware under control. We'll use Celek to help there. We'll also have Avant chip on him. And the RBs will help as well. Blocking Ware is built into the gameplan.

I hope Andy/Marty mix in some plays with Weaver in the Ace Formation. We had success with that last week and Weaver is the kind of N-S runner that could break a good run vs Dallas (10-15 yards).

While this game does make me nervous, there are some things to be excited about. Dallas hasn't had to face us with Brent Celek playing this well. They haven't had to face this good a pair of Eagles receivers in a while. Spoon is the kind of playmaking MLB that could be big against a team like Dallas. We're playing very aggressively on defense. That's something they haven't seen a lot this year. Finally, our back seven is doing a great job this year of picking off passes. If Romo does get careless at all, we'll make him pay.

Let's go win this thing and wipe that smile of Jerry Jones face.
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Know Your Enemy - Dallas

***

sorry for the late post

Sunday it is Dallas at Philly for 1st place in the NFC East. More importantly, this game is about good vs evil. The Cowboys are full of violent criminals that would prefer if every night could be Devil's Night and if all other holidays were cancelled (even Talk Like a Pirate Day). And that is just the cheerleaders. The players are so bad that it almost defies description. Clearly, there is pressure on the Eagles to save the universe.

Dallas is on a roll now, having won 3 in a row. The offense is clicking, the defense has tightened, and even their STs are coming up big. Some Philly fans have their heads stuck in the December beatdown we put on Dallas. That's fool's gold. A handful of plays turned that game from a tight contest into a major route. Dallas is welcome to make a bunch of mistakes on Sunday night, but we sure can't count on that.

Tony Romo is playing well, but the offense feels different to me. I see more RAC yards now than in the past. Romo only has 4 picks and is on pace for his lowest total in that area. He hasn't thrown a pick in 3 weeks (which means he's due, of course). The offense feels safer and smarter than in the past. They have a good run/pass balance. The running game has slowed a bit, but Dallas is still 6th in the league and averages a gaudy 5.4 ypc.

The defense is playing better recently, but still has issues. They allow 342 yards a game. Opposing QBs have a rating of 90+ against them. For comparison's sake, we're at 68.5. That isn't a good sign for Dallas no matter how you slice it. Their pass rush has come alive in the last 5 games. The team now has 17 sacks on the year. Dallas only has 4 INTs. I guess that goes back to the opponent QB rating. Gotta pick off passes.

The secondary is getting better. Check out this blurb:

"In the last three games, CB Terrence Newman has 20 tackles, two forced fumbles and five pass breakups. CB Mike Jenkins has 12 tackles, four pass breakups and an interception."

I mentioned STs. Patrick Crayon has PR TDs in each of the last 2 games. We gave up a KOR TD to Felix Jones last year so I'm sure our guys are hearing about the importance of good punt/kick coverage. P Matt McBriar and PK Nick Folk are having good years. The coverage units are improved from last year. KO specialist David Buehler leads the league in touchbacks.


PLAYERS

(since we know Dallas well I'm only going to mention things of specific interest)

RBs --- I'm lumping them together since it really is a group effort. Felix Jones averages 7.8 yards a rush. He's only got 37 carries, but still...wow. Choice and Barber are the workhorse runners who punish defenders and move the chains.

WR Miles Austin --- Believe it or not, he's got better numbers than DeSean Jackson. Austin has put up great stats since becoming a starter. For the year: 26-563-6, 26.1 ypr. Austin has good, but not great hands. He's fast. He has great RAC skills. He's broken tackles in a couple of games and then turned a short or intermediate play into a long TD. Dallas moves him around and tries to get the ball to him.

WR Roy Williams/Patrick Crayton --- Very talented guys, but neither can get into a groove this year. Roy is complaining about Romo's passing, but doesn't think the complaints should be seen as complaints. Crayton wasn't initially happy about losing his starting gig, but has started to shine on STs. The two have combined for 34 catches and 4 TDs.

OL --- LT Flozell Adams already has 7 penalties this year and has given up 3 sacks. C Andre Gurode is outstanding. RG Leonard Davis is huge, but seems to bring out the best in Mike Patterson.


LB DeMarcus Ware --- He started slow, but then someone reminded him that he's DeMarcus friggin Ware. He's got 5 sacks and a FF in 3 weeks. Ware can fly off the edge, but is a complete rusher. He has a good inside move and also is a powerful bull rusher. You can't single block him consistently without taking a chance on him getting hits on the QB.

LB Anthony Spencer --- Hasn't developed into a top pass rusher. Doesn't have a sack this year and only has 4.5 in his career. Jason Babin has 2 in 2 weeks and Anthony Dixon even has one. Very strange. Spencer isn't a bad player. He just hasn't put it all together so far. Does have 4 TFLs. Steamrolled the Seattle FB last week on a play where he was rushing the QB.

DE Stephen Bowen --- Backup DE. Only has 1 sack this year, but is 2nd on the team in QB pressures.

NT Jay Ratliff --- He's not the traditional monster NT, but this guy is a terrific player. Great motor. Very quick off the ball. Stronger than you think. Makes a lot of plays in the backfield (5 TFLs). You can move him if the C gets hold of him because Jay isn't meant to be an anchor vs the run.

ILB Keith Brooking --- Remember this guy? Dan Klecko caught a pass on him last year and ran away from Keith (as a Falcon). Ouch. Keith lacks ideal speed, but he has played well for Dallas. The 3-4 gives him less ground to cover. He still has a great motor and can tackle with the best of 'em. I'm looking forward to seeing how he handles our speed.

FS Ken Hamlin --- He's playing a lot of centerfield this year. He only has 1 PBU and no picks. Maybe he's keeping everything in front of him. He's not making many plays. Ken is still a good hitter and solid tackler. Safeties that are going to sit deep still need to fly up and get involved. It isn't like Dallas is keeping teams off the scoreboard. The Boys have only held one team to less than 17 points (CAR). For comparison's sake, we have kept 4 teams under 17 points.

CB Terrence Newman --- There is a lot of hype about him shutting down Steve Smith a few weeks back. Newman followed him all over the field. He also had a S over the top. That was Week 3 when Jake Delhomme was a real mental case. Newman is a solid CB, but I saw Roddy White and Brian Finneran beating him on key plays 2 weeks ago. Don't buy all the shutdown stuff you'll hear.

MISC

* Last 2 opponents have scored on opening drive, then struggled.

* Eagles lead the NFL in 1st Qtr points (61). Dallas is tied for 18th (30).

* Dallas leads the NFL in yards per play. They're 2nd in Total Offense and 6th in scoring.

* Interesting note on Dallas. They run the 3-4 defense, but use a 1-gap variation which is meant to attack upfield. Penetration is crucial. Dallas only has 15 TFLs this year. By comparison, we have 23.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/teams/stats?team=dal
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Eagles Stuff & Around the League

***

Westy will play. Bad news. He'll disrupt the rhythm established by Thunder (Weaver) and Lightning (McCoy). Can't someone tell old man Westbrook to stay on the sidelines until we need him?

I kid, of course. Always good to throw your starting tailback into the mix when facing a 3-4 team that can blitz. Westy will help in protection quite a bit. He also is good at finding small creases to run through. A few of McCoy's 2 or 3 yard gains might have gone for 5 or 6 with Brian back there. He knows how to make himself small and get upfield. McCoy was masterful at that in college, but he's still thinking too much right now instead of letting his instincts take over.


QUESTIONS

RE: Offensive line at home vs on the road

I haven't noticed a significant difference. I guess we need to see the version with Todd at LG on the road a bit more to judge. The OL played well on Sunday at home. I expect them to do that this week and on the road if they stay healthy.

The struggles in Oakland had to do with our personnel as well as the Raiders playing with a chip on their shoulder. Richard Seymour was fired up in the opener and played well. He wasn't all that great the next few weeks. Then Pierce cracks on Oakland and Seymour comes out ready to kick butt.


RE: Gocong's future

I think that Chris will get looks from a 3-4 team to come play OLB. He can put his pass rush skills to better use in that scheme. I'm told the Eagles would like him back, but won't overpay for him. I could see a few 3-4 teams being really interested in him. He's athletic. He's high character. His best days are still ahead of him. Good player with potential.

I don't want to lose him, but we may not have much of a choice.

All talk about Gocong, Sean Jones, Winston Justice, Omar, etc. depends on the CBA. If there is no new one or an extension those guys will be ours for another 2 years. The downside to no Salary Cap is that players need 6 seasons before becoming FAs.


RE: ESPN & soap opera angle

They do pander to the lowest kind of sports fans, which is unfortunate. Employing guys like Steven A. Smith, Skip Bayless, and Keyshawn Johnson tells you where the network stands...louder is better. Don't do research, but make sure you have a strong opinion and make it as bombastic as possible. I do give them a lot of credit for getting rid of Michael Irvin and also replacing Tony Kornheiser on MNF.

I understand that football is always trying to appeal to casual viewers as well as fanatics like me. I give the networks some leeway with trying to combine entertainment and sports. Just don't lose focus of the game. ESPN does a great thing on one of their college games by having Todd Blackledge eat at a famous place in each town he goes to. That's a great segment and appeals to non-football fans as well as people completely focused on the game. Great idea by someone and Todd is perfect. He loves to eat, no matter what the style of cuisine.


RE: Draft needs

The only spots I'm 100% sure of are LDE and CB. We could address them in Free Agency. I tend to think CB is more of a pure draft target, though.

The big problem with projecting needs is that we don't know about Free Agency. Sean Jones, Leonard Weaver, Gocong, Justice, and Gaither could all be outta here. Juqua Parker, Darren Howard, and Kevin Curtis are older guys that aren't a lock to return. We also need to see what Westy does the rest of the year. Can he ever settle in as "the man" at RB? We may need a starter at FS. That position is up in the air. We might need to add a young QB to groom as a backup, for either McNabb or Kolb.


AROUND THE LEAGUE

* Before we all write off the Giants as a bad team let's remember that we didn't face DT Chris Canty, LB Michael Boley, or CB Aaron Ross, all projected starters. Adding those guys will have an impact on the defense. They still do have bad Safety play and that isn't likely to change this year.

* Congrats to Steve Spagnuolo on getting his first win and Gatorade shower. I liked the smile on his face when that bucket of icy goodness hit him. 2009 has been a miserable season for the Rams and Spags, but he seems to understand that this is just an unfortunate part of taking over a team that lacks talent.

* The Saints did it again on Monday night. They won in interesting fashion. Last week it was a big comeback. This time out they got stagnant after building a lead and had to put down a comeback. These "ugly" wins are great for them. A team needs to know it can win a close game. It also needs to know that it can win when things aren't going smoothly. New Orleans remains the best team in the league.

* I don't know what to make of the Colts, the other undefeated team. The offense is great because of Peyton Manning's brilliant play. DEs Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney are a deadly combo. Bob Sanders played pretty well in his first action of the year. I have a couple of concerns. Can they stop a good running team? I think we'll all remember what the Dolphins did to them a few weeks back. Also, can the Colts run the ball? Rookie Donald Brown looks great, but got hurt. Joseph Addai isn't the same player he was back in 2006 and '07.

* Anyone notice that Carolina is back to 3-4? They have a Top 10 defense. The running game is starting to click. Steve Smith bured ARZ for an easy TD pass. Anyone who completely wrote off this team was mistaken. John Fox has never lost 10 games in his tenure as coach there. He's like the lesser version of Andy Reid. In bad years he starts slow and gets better. In good years he starts okay and gets better.

* The Vikings have the 2nd best record in football, but there is something about that team I don't trust. Can Brett Favre keep up his level of play? Recent history has him wearing down as the season moves along. The Vikings have played 3 good defenses that like to blitz (SF, BAL, PIT). They went 2-1 in those games, but Baltimore missed a winning FG at the end of the game and Dre Bly dropped an easy pick-six that would have sealed the win for SF. MIN should probably have lost all 3. Does that make them lucky for now or a team of destiny? I hate that phrase, but you know we'll start to hear it as the season rolls on.

* Does anyone know what to make of Atlanta, San Diego, or Chicago...all future Eagles opponents? On good days, those teams look like definite playoff clubs. Other times they look very pedestrian.

* Cleveland is just a mess. The team lacks talent. The organization lacks structure and leadership. The Browns are the worst team in the AFC. The winless Bucs are the worst team in the NFC. I had them pegged as the worst team in the NFL, but Cleveland is fighting for that title. Tampa has played a brutal schedule. They do have somewhat of an excuse.
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Tuesday Stuff

***

New PE.com column is up.

-- Link --

It has a few different tibdbits than the Game Review.


ESPN ???

The guys on Sunday Countdown are driving me nuts. I swear I'm getting close to quitting the show. I've watched it religiously for almost 20 years. I don't remember when exactly I started. I know 1992 for a fact, but it might go back further than that. I grew up on The NFL Today with Brent Musburger, Irv Cross, and the gang. Nothing will ever top that. I loved listening to analysis from Jayne Kennedy and Phyllis George while staring at the sexy Jimmy the Greek. Or was that the other way around? Anyway...

I think it was Keyshawn who started talking about our O-line on Sunday. He said that what we see is as good as it gets. That will hurt us this year and limit how good we can be.

Huh?

An offensive line is an area where great change can take place in a month. We still have 2 months of the regular season. Our guys are getting healthier. You can already see improved run blocking with the return of Todd at LG. Soon, we'll have our top 5 guys out there and they will begin to build some continuity.

I have no problem with ESPN picking against the Eagles or pointing out legit issues. Trust me, there are plenty of legit concerns. The OL is a concern at this point, but Keyshawn couldn't be more wrong about the fact that the group can't get better. Check out last year's Steelers. How 'bout the 2002 Bucs? Both groups played better up front as the year moved along. They got hot in the postseason and won titles.

I don't expect the ESPN guys to know the Eagles like I do. They don't study the team the same way. I do wish that anyone aside from Chris Berman actually had a clue about the team and offered any kind of decent insight.


QUESTIONS

RE: The EMB

For those who don't know, that is the Eagles Message Board. I have been a regular poster there since 2003. I still post on there on a regular basis, but I started this blog as a way to centralize my Eagles stuff. The EMB is great (in an insane kind of way), but if you want material to get to a wider audience you have to be more public. So here I am.


RE: More jokes

I've always tried to mix humor in with my writing. I don't aspire to be a comedian, but I know that football should be fun. I like throwing in strange reference to history, film, music, or even science. I dare say I make more Max Planck references than any other football writer.

I know some of the humor won't appeal to everyone. I learned a long time ago that you can't try to be everything to everybody. I write in a certain style and just hope that people enjoy it. I also think it is important to know that having a working knowledge of the Defenestration of Prague doesn't mean you can't enjoy a joke about Hanson's song "MmmBop" (thus, Joselio's nickname).


RE: QB for next year

We have to see how this season plays out. If McNabb plays at a high level, he stays the starter in 2010. If he slips at all, they'll seriously consider dealing him and giving Kolb the job. We have to see all 16 games to know what is likely.

McNabb could draw a 1st rounder, but that becomes tricky. If he's good enough to get that pick, do we want to deal him? If he struggles, what value will he bring us? Could be a conditional type of situation where we get picks based on how well he plays.

We do need to bring in a QB to develop. We also may look for a good veteran backup if McNabb is dealt. Garcia? AJ? There will be some solid choices.


RE: LB for 2010

Very confusing. I think they want to keep Gocong, but I'm not sure that will workout. I know they like Fokou as the SAM of the future.

Bradley isn't a lock to be back to his previous form. We always have to keep that in mind. Witherspoon projects to OLB, but could always take over MLB if needed. I'd love to slide him to WLB and put Akeem at SAM. Jordan is so physical that I think he could handle that.

We have a bunch of young guys (aside from Spoon). We like them all. They're versatile and they can play. Boy have things changed at LB.

I'll ask around and see if anyone has any insight as to possible plans. In a fantasy world we'd keep Gocong at SAM. Bradley would come back great at MIKE. Spoon slides to WIL. We then have Omar and Akeem as the Nickel guys and STers. That would be a deep, talented corps of LBs.
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Game Review is Posted - NYG Beatdown

***

Re-watching this was a lot more fun than either of the last 2 weeks. Here it is:

-- Link --

Let's enjoy this for a day or two and then start thinking about beating the Cowgirls.

WESTY ON THE WAY BACK?

Sounds like Brian will probably play Sunday night, but Reid is still vague with his comments. Westy is too valuable to just throw out there and hope for the best. The Eagles will make sure he's 100% ready before he hits the field. We'll need him Sunday night, now that Dallas will be keying on how to stop Leonard Weaver.
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Giants Go Down Hard

***

PHI 40
NYG 17

That's pretty much exactly what I predicted. Or not.

We tried to come out and play small ball, but the Giants wouldn't let us. They blew tackles and coverages and let us move up and down the field, almost with ease.

McNabb played great. He was confident in the pocket and made smart decisions. There were a few plays where I'd make a pre-snap read and Donovan would throw the ball right where I expected. He was aggressive, but not risky. He was accurate with his passes and gave his guys a chance to make things happen.

We moved the chains and executed on 3rd downs. We got RAC yards early in the game and that helped get us off to a good start.

Leonard Weaver finally got unveiled. He was being grossly underused, but it turned out that was somewhat by design. Andy wanted to use him in a time when we needed it. The time was today and Weaver delivered. Leonard Part 6 had 8 carries for 75 yards. His biggest play was a 41-yard TD on the opening drive. He ran downhill on the play and then showed really good open field speed.

Shady and DJax delivered huge plays that resulted in long TDs. Maclin and Celek caught TD passes. Jason Avant got back in the mix with 2 catches.

The coaching staff had a great gameplan and called a very good game. There were only a couple of gripes I had. I'll get to them in the DGR.

The defense gave up 360 or so yards, but played well. They came up with 2 INTs and never let Eli get really comfortable. He got hot for a short while, but mainly throwing short passes. We controlled Jacobs and the run game. The back seven did a brilliant job in coverage. The Giants scored 17 points, but 10 of them came on short fields.

The defense didn't have any one player who dominated. All of the guys played well and had a hand in slowing the Giants down. Trent Cole was all over the place, but backups Jason Babin and Antonio Dixon were the only 2 to get sacks. Sean Jones played well at FS. Quintin Mikell missed a couple of picks, but Quintin Demps got his first NFL INT. Sammie picked off a pass early and ran it back deep to set up a short TD. LBs Akeem Jordan and Will Witherspoon helped to control the middle of the field.

STs was a win for us, but a couple of bad plays kept it from being a big strength. The Giants blocked an extra point. It turned out to be meaningless, but normally missed extra points come back to haunt you later in the game. Can't have that kind of stuff. Jason Babin couldn't field a short kickoff and the G-men recovered. I give the Giants credit for executing the short kick well and then having great coverage. We had 2 long KORs that set up scoring drives. We also recovered a fumbled KO. We pinned them deep with a great punt/coverage. We got a long PR, although it was somewhat meaningless. Lots of good, but we have to eliminate the mistakes.

This was a big win. After the Raiders game I said that we needed to see what happened so we could understand that game. 2 weeks later, we can see that the loss was a bad day and that's it. The Eagles responded well and now are 5-2. We are 2-0 in the NFC East. Last year we started 0-3 in the division before finishing 2-4 overall.

Dallas will be a big test next Sunday, but the team did a great job this week and showed how good they can be.
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Gameday - NYG

***

Inactives:

RB Brian Westbrook
WR Kevin Curtis
FS Macho Harris
DE Victor Abiamiri
CB Dmitri Patterson
OL Mike McGlynn
OL Max Jean-Gilles
QB Kevin Kolb


So Westy will sit this one out. That hurts. He's been a Giant killer in his career. I'm sure Antonio Pierce is the happiest person on Earth. Westy always seems to give Pierce fits.

The pressure will be on Shady to step up in this game. I hope they also mix in Weaver with more touches.

Newly acquired RB P.J. Hill is active. Interesting.

The x-factor on offense could be the Wildcat. We haven't done much since Week 2. This could be the kind of week where we mix in more of those plays to give the running game a boost and take some heat off Shady.

I didn't talk about Jeremiah Trotter in the game preview. He didn't play a whole lot on Monday. We handled the WAS run game pretty well without him. This week will be another test. The Giants run the ball really well, both inside and off-tackle. I'm hoping Spoon will be good enough that Trot can mainly sit on the bench. If we do struggle to stop the run we'll have to put Trot out there. Eli is a smart enough QB and that could spell trouble with play-action passes.

Big game. Big opportunity. Let's go win this thing.
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