Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New York Giants
January 6, 2008
The Breakdown
The Giants faced only three top-ten pass defenses in 2007: the Patriots, Jets, and Dolphins. Although the Giants defeated the latter two, Manning couldn’t claim much credit for the victories. Combined, he completed just 21 passes in 47 attempts (a dismal 45%) for 245 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. They managed to slip by thanks to stellar ground attacks. The Giants rushed for 377 yards, punching in three touchdowns against the 29th and 32nd ranked rush defenses in football.The finale against New England gave skeptics reason to believe that Manning can indeed pass effectively against a solid pass defense. One large factor in that game was the protection by the Giants’ line. New England ranked second in football in sacks, yet Manning only went down once. Luckily for New York, Tampa Bay mustered just two sacks per game this season, so expect Manning to keep his shirt clean on Sunday.
Brandon Jacobs has been fairly non-existent in the Giants’ pass attack this season. Averaging just two catches per game, he seems to take the run-before-catch mentality which leads to a lot of dropped balls.
Opposing the Bucs’ league-best pass defense, Manning must check down and use screens and dump offs to keep Tampa’s secondary honest. Short passing success will cause Tampa to spread out on third downs for short yardage, giving New York the option to pass or run.
Field position will be imperative in this battle between two elite defenses which will likely come down to a field goal. Faced with tough calls such as fourth and shorts, Tom Coughlin and Jon Gruden would be wise to punt, because starting the opponent inside their own 20 could mean the difference in the game.
If the Giants can survive the first half without turning the ball over, they will win the game because Manning will be able to keep his composure.
Giants 24, Buccaneers 20
