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On Monday morning AEST, another chapter will be written in one of the great National Football League divisional rivalries, with the Dallas Cowboys heading to the Met Life Stadium in the Meadowlands of New Jersey to face the New York Giants.
Both teams have suffered through an uneven 2015 season, but with the NFC East title race still wide open, and destined to be a battleground right through the final week of the regular season, this clash at Met Life Stadium is a pivotal one, as both teams look to keep pace with the Philadelphia Eagles, who lead the division courtesy of their big win against the Giants on Monday Night Football.
It was a disappointing Monday night outing for Giants QB Eli Manning, who had his worst game of the season, tossing two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, as part of a team total of four turnovers. It was a lacklustre effort by the Giants offense, and their defence simply spent too long on the field to be effective, hence the comprehensive 27-7 loss. Twelve penalties and a season-low offensive production of just 247 total yards didn’t help either, of course.
Thankfully, redemption comes quickly, at home, and against another division rival. For Manning, the key is wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. No one knows exactly how healthy the second-year receiver out of Louisiana State is (he’s listed as having a hamstring injury, but will play), but even a slightly-hobbled OBJ is going to make plays. Manning will need to find him early and often – OBJ had ten catches for 146 yards and two scores in the corresponding game a season ago – and rely on some production from the run game, led by Rashard Jennnings.
Watch for the Giants defense, who’ve created turnovers with regularity this year, including three in their earlier match-up with Dallas, to do some of the same this time around. If they can give Manning and the Giants offense a short field, it might be a long day for the Cowboys.
The Cowboys have their own problems, twin ones on offense: namely, the absence of veteran quarterback Tony Romo and star wide receiver Dez Bryant. Romo is on the sidelines recuperating from a broken collarbone sustained in late September, and Brandon Weeden had been filling the spot under centre for the Cowboys, but a poor last start – part of a bad 30-6 loss to New England – has seen Weeden benched in favour of former USC quarterback Matt Cassel.
Meanwhile, Bryant, a guy who barely has to be in the same postcode as the football to make a play, has been downgraded to ‘out’ and will be sorely missed as Cassel aims to become the first Cowboys quarterback not named Tony Romo to win a game since Steven McGee in late 2010. It’s been a long time between drinks for back-up signal callers in Dallas, and an indication of how valuable the oft-maligned Romo is for the Cowboys.
At least the journeyman Cassel will have veteran tight end Jason Witten catching passes. He’s been very good over a long period of time against the Giants, and Cassel will need Witten to be better than ever, if the Cowboys are to win. Some key injuries in the Giants secondary might give Cassel a better look at things. His main priority is to protect the football, so expect lots of short throws, especially early as he settles in.
This game is a desperation one, and I’ve got a feeling we’ll see a lot of points, and a narrow Giants win, purely because they have home field advantage, and I’ve got absolutely no confidence in a Cowboys offense without Romo and Bryant.
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