Post by plax on Sept 19, 2012 16:59:20 GMT -5
Thursday, September 20th ; 8:20PM EST ; Bank of America Stadium
Game is on NFLN.
*Note: everything with New York in red text was done by Plax, everything with Carolina in blue text above was done by PantherFan
Top 5 Players to Watch
New York:
5 - Sean Locklear - Diehl is not playing this week, so Locklear is in line to start at RT (or LT and Beatty at RT). He will have to step up big time. Hopefully he can help get the running game going to help Brown/Wilson get some yards.
4 - Justin Tuck- Where has he been? Tuck and Osi have been invisible so far this year. Now they are facing a rather weak OLine, so he will HAVE to step up for leadership purposes and to show he still has the play-making ability that has been shown for the past several years.
3 - Jayron Hosley - Hosley was recently named the starter opposite Webster this week, which can potentially be great or terrible. Maybe Hosley gets the confidence and will step up and make a name for himself. Amukamara will most likely play, but will sub in to the game, not start. Big opportunity for the rookie.
2 - Victor Cruz - Cruuuuuuuuuz! Victor Cruz exploded last week. He did not drop a ball. But more importantly, he put up double digit receptions and over 170 receiving yards. He should be able to have his way on the inside, and without Nicks, he needs to have another game like he did this past Sunday.
1 - Eli Manning - Who else? Last week against Tampa Bay, Eli put up 500+ passing yards and 3 touchdowns. This week, he will not have one of his elite WRs in Hakeem Nicks, who is not making the trip due to a linger in his injury (foot - which got stepped on in the TB game). CAR is not particularly known for its pass defense, so Eli can potentially have a big day - he needs to.
Carolina:
5 - Brandon LaFell - LaFell has been really good the last two weeks, he has surprised me and proved me wrong that he IS the #2 WR in Carolina. I thought Louis Murphy would be the #2, but it IS LaFell, and will be for a long time.
4 - Charles Johnson - Last week, Big Money CJ got to Brees early and often. Zach Strief (NOS RT) didn't stand a chance. Johnson will now be going up against either Sean Locklear or David Diehl. Diehl is the starter, but he is injured. If he doesn't play, Locklear will move to RT (from LT) and Will Beatty will start a LT. Strief is better Right Tackle than either Locklear or Diehl. So expect a big game from Johnson, and if Diehl starts, Eli will be black and blue on Friday.
3 - Jordan Gross - Gross will be matching up against one of the best pass rushers in the league, Jason Pierre-Paul. JPP was a FORCE last season and was easily in consideration for DPOY, as a second year player. JPP is now in his third year, and, quoting him: "Hasn't reached half of his potential." If he's right, Tony Romo and Robert Griffin III are going to be crying themselves to sleep for a long time. Gross must protect Cam so he has time to pass and shred the Giants secondary.
2 - Cam Newton - Last week, Cam destroyed the Saints defense with his legs and arm. This week, his arm will be needed to burn the Giants secondary. The GMen have allowed 518 passing yards in two games, 11th worst in the league. The Giants secondary is thin due to injuries. If Cam has a good game passing the ball, the Panthers have a better chance of winning than the Giants.
1 - Steve Smith - Steve Smith has had two 100+ yard games, and he was injured both games. Last week it was obvious that he was hurt, otherwise this play would have been six. I expect Smith to be more healthy this week in a match-up against a struggling Corey Webster.
Keys to the Game
New York:
3 - Efficiency - Do not force anything. Do not do something that might be hard to pull off. Just play NYG Football and everything should work itself out. We cannot afford to have turnovers giving the ball back to CAR's explosive offense. We need to play a clean game.
2 - Get to Cam - A clear key to rattling the Panthers. We saw week 1 that when CAR cannot run the ball effectively, they are not that great of a team as a whole. And week 2, CAR rushed for 200+ yards and won an upset against NO. Our run D has been good thus far, so if they keep it up, along with the pass rush making Cam force throws, it can be a nice game for the Giants and getting the ball back for Eli.
1 - Let Eli do his thing - Eli is best when he is running the show and making calls at the LOS. If the running game is not working, do not keep going to it. Eli is a top QB in the league, so let him set the tempo for the game, and good things can happen.
Carolina:
3 - Cover Victor Cruz - I think most everyone can agree, that the Giants have the best WR tandem in the league. Both Cruz and Nicks are elite, IMO. Ironically, they both are tied for the league lead in receiving yards. With Hakeem Nicks out, Chris Gamble will be covering Cruz most of the game. Captain Munnerlyn will cover him as well, but I'd rather have Gamble on Cruz. Cruz could have a BIG day catching passes, but I don't know if he breaks one away.
2 - Make Eli force passes - Meaning, play good defense in the secondary (the above Key to the Game) and rush Eli. Don't give Eli time to set back and burn out secondary. Charles Johnson must have a good game for us to win, while our RE rotating of Greg Hardy, Frank Alexander, Thomas Keiser, and Antwan Applewhite must help Big Money. Dwan Edwards should provide help in the interior. If Eli is making mistakes because of the pressure, we have a good chance to win.
1 - Protect Cam - Week one, Cam had NO time to pass. The OL was terrible in pass protection (only a little better than Chicago's of years past). Last week, it was MUCH better. Our OL is geared towards running the ball, but it is usually a good unit in pass protection. Hopefully they step up vs the best pass rush in the NFL. This will be a good test for our OL, if we can stop the Giants DL, we have a good OL. Cam needs time to pick apart the Giants defense.
Stat Predictions:
New York:
Eli Manning - 385 passing yards, 3 TDs.
Andre Brown - 16 ATT, 82 rush yards, 1 TD.
David Wilson - 5 ATT, 36 rush yards. 2 REC, 15 rec yards. 60 RET yards. 0 TDs.
Victor Cruz - 12 REC, 152 rec yards, 2 TDs.
Ramses Barden - 3 REC, 42 rec yards. 0 TDs.
Rueben Randle - 2 REC, 30 rec yards. 0 TDs.
Martellus Bennett - 6 REC, 80 rec yards, 1 TD.
Defense:
Sacks: Jason Pierre-Paul x2. Justin Tuck,& Linval Joseph x1
TOs: Antrel Rolle INT. Corey Webster INT.
Carolina:
Cam Newton - 368 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT. 6 ATTs, 35 rushing yards, 1 Rushing TD.
Jonathan Stewart - 5 ATTs, 34 rush yards, 1 TD. 1 rec, 7 yards.
DeAngelo Williams - 7 ATTs, 43 rush yards, 0 TDs.
Mike Tolbert - 2 ATTs, 5 rush yards. 2 recs, 13 rec yards, 0 TDs.
Steve Smith - 7 recs, 141 rec yards, 2 TDs.
Brandon LaFell - 5 recs, 108 rec yards, 1 TD.
Greg Olsen - 3 recs, 34 rec yards, 0 TDs.
Defense:
Sacks: Charles Johnson & Frank Alexander X1
TOs: Josh Norman INT.
Plax's Prediction:
31
27
PantherFan's Prediction:
31
28