New York Giants vs. St. Louis Rams
Giants -7
O/U 44
Well first thing is first - it appears that Tuck and Nicks will suit up. How effective they can be is anyone's guess, but it's a good thing regardless.
Offensively, the Giants are being a touch underrated coming into tonight I feel. The Redskins defense isn't all that bad and they offense had a plethora of chances to bust the game open last week, only for bad drops, blown blocks, bad playcalling and penalties to stall them out. You cannot give them a complete pass for those mental lapses, but you have to consider that week 1 rust is going to be there and if they tighten up some nuts and bolts they should be poised to light up the scoreboard tonight. The thing that will determine whether or not they do that tonight is how the offensive line plays. Last week they did not give Eli Manning nearly enough time to set up and pick apart the secondary. One thing that should help tonight is the Rams run defense. While many of the 236 yards they allowed to the Eagles last week on the ground were of the Mike Vick scramble variety, McCoy still averaged 8.1 a clip himself and the holes were gigantic. The Giants offensive line is still mighty capable of opening up big holes for the ground game and that will only help them is pass protection this week.
The Rams will be without a guy who hasn't just been the centerpiece of their offense, he has been their offense over the past several years. Steven Jackson is out and the Cadillac is in. While man are starting to re-sip the Caddy Kool-Aid after gaining 91 yards last week, I simply can't buy it. Anyone who watched the Eagles run defense last night knows that they can't stop anyone on the ground. The Giants on the other hand have been extremely stout against the run for years and with Justin Tuck suiting back up tonight that run defense is only going to get better. That will leave it all on Sam Bradford's shoulders. While I don't want to make too much of a bruised index finger, you just never know how much that can end up playing a roll. Do you really want the talent-lacking, young team coming over from St. Louis to the East Coast to play in primetime without their star offensive player and their QB with a finger injury? For all these reasons I think the game shapes up as "Giants or nothing."
If you really explore these two teams depth charts you'd be shocked to see how big the contrast in talent is. Say what you want about how bad the Giants secondary played last week. On paper Webster, Ross, Philips and Rolle isn't half bad. The Rams wheel out Bradley Fletcher, Justin King, Quintin Mikell and Craig Dahl. Did I mention that Al Harris is listed as their nickel back? Seriously, I know Mikell was a big signing, but this is not good. Particularly former Giant practice squader Craig Dahl. Even if Nicks is 75%, the Giants receivers will use and abuse this group and Eli will pick them apart, again, assuming the line can block.
The Rams front-seven has some decent players with Chris Long, Fred Robbins and James Laurinaitis. That's cute and all but it's not scaring anyone.
Official Play: Giants -7
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