The Giants have had the Patriots’ number as they beat them 24-20 earlier this year.  They also beat the Patriots 17-14 in the Super Bowl just five years ago.  That being said, this game is going to be a war.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants are going to try to be a little more balanced than usual this Sunday.  Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs are likely to get a lot of work to help slow the Patriots’ pass rush and keep them honest.  The Patriots have been better against the run lately and they have a decent linebacking corps, so Bradshaw and Jacobs are going to have to fight for every yard they get this weekend.  If Eli Manning has time to throw the ball, he is likely going to have some success as WRs Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham have matchup advantages over the corners of the Patriots.  Manning will also look for TE Jake Ballard when things get rough as he has made some big catches for the Giants this year.  Manning will have to be careful with the football though as the Patriots had 23 interceptions during the regular season.

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots are also likely going to run the ball more than usual with BenJarvus Green-Ellis as the middle of the Giants’ D has been rather soft against the run.  LBs Michael Boley, Chase Blackburn and Mathias Kiwanuka are going to have to tighten up the chinstraps this Sunday.  The Giants are going to need DEs Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora to get to Tom Brady early and often in this game, because if he has time to throw, tehy are in big trouble this Sunday.  Brady is going to attack the Giants’ corners with short passes to WRs Wes Welker and Deion Branch, letting them try to get yards after the catch.  Brady is also going to attack the safeties with throws to TEs Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.  The secondary is going to have to step up this Sunday if the Giants are going to win this game.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 31, GIANTS 27

This is going to be a great football game for the NFC Championship this Sunday.  The Giants shocked the world by thumping the Packers at Lambeau Field last Sunday, while Alex Smith and the 49ers pulled out a miracle win in the last minute against the Saints.  These are two pretty evenly matched teams.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants are just going to run the ball enough to keep the 49ers’ D honest.  Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are going to have a tough time getting a lot of yardage running the ball as Niners’ LBs Patick Willis and NaVorro Bowman have been stuffing running games all year long.  The Giants saw how well Drew Brees threw the ball last weekend and that is the attack they are going to use this Sunday.  For that to work, the offensive line is going to have to keep DE Justin Smith and OLB Aldon Smith out of Eli Manning’s face.  That will be easier said than done. When Manning does have time to throw the ball, he’s likely going to be playing a glorified game of catch with Mario Manningham, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks.  Manning will have to be somewhat careful though as Carlos Rogers has had a great year at corner for the Niners.  Manning will also likely look to keep TE Jake Ballard involved to make the Niners’ safeties pay for paying too much attention to the Giants’ WRs in this game.

When the Niners have the ball:  The Giants’ first priority has to be trying to slow down the 49ers’ impressive running game.  That won’t be easy as Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter are two pretty good RBs with a nasty run blocking O-Line in front of them.  At the same time, the Giants can’t afford to put extra players in the box as Alex Smith threw the ball pretty well last weekend.  The Giants hope to get big time pressure on Alex Smith and force him into making some mistakes.  The safeties of the Giants are going to have their hands full in dealing with TE Vernon Davis who can fly and it pretty big too.  WRs Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams don’t scare the corners of the Giants too much.  Crabtree tends to catch with alligator arms on passes over the middle.

PREDICTION:  GIANTS 27, 49ERS 17

The Giants belted the Falcons 24-2 last weekend while the Packers were resting up for tomorrow afternoon’s game at Lambeau Field.  DE Jason Pierre-Paul pretty much guaranteed a win in Green Bay and he’s supposed to think that way, but it won’t be easy.  The Giants lost to the Packers 38-35 in New Jersey just six weeks ago.  But, tomorrow they are playing in Green Bay, where the Packers were 8-0 last year.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  The plan the Giants should have in this game is the same one they had last weekend against the Falcons.  They should try to remain balanced on offense to try to control the clock a little bit and keep the Packers’ offense on the sidelines.  RBs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs were outstanding last weekend but they will have to deal with a better front seven this weekend.  The Giants will have to fight for every yard they get on the ground tomorrow.  If Eli Manning has time to throw the ball, he’s going to have success.  WRs Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham are all healthy as well as TE Jake Ballard…..so the Giants are going to be effective throwing the ball.  Eli Manning will have to protect the ball though as the Packers have the best ballhawking secondary in the NFL.

When the Packers have the ball:  The Giants are going to have to mount a good pass rush on Aaron Rodgers, or he’s going to abuse their secondary like he did the first time these two teams played.  He has so many weapons in the passing game that it’s almost impossible to double anyone without getting burnt when he throws the ball to someone else.  WRs Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson are Rodgers’ favorite targets, but he doesn’t hesitate to throw the ball to WR Randall Cobb, TE Jermichael Finley, WR Donald Driver and James Jones.  RBs Ryan Grant and James Starks will get some carries if the Giants have to many DBs on the field.

PREDICTION:  PACKERS 41, GIANTS 34

The Giants and Falcons have won three of their last four games.  The Falcons are 4-4 on the road this year and the Giants are 4-4 at home.  These two teams are very well matched up in what should be a good game.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants are going to come out passing the ball in this game.  Eli Manning should have plenty of time to throw the ball, so he’s going to be looking deep to Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz often in this game.  The Falcons are giving up 236.6 yards passing per game, so the Giants should have very little problem moving the ball through the air.  Look for the Giants to keep Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs heavily involved in the running game this Sunday in an effort to force the Falcons to play somewhat honest defensively.

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Giants’ front seven better tighten up the chinstraps this Sunday as Michael Turner is going to be blasting away at them in this game.  The Giants gave up 121.3 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry this year, so Turner is likely going to have some success.  The Giants are going to send DE Jason Pierre-Paul (16.5 sacks) and the rest of the guys after Matt Ryan.  They need to get to Ryan, because if he has time to throw the ball…the Giants are going to be into big trouble.  Ryan will be looking short to WR Roddy White and TE Tony Gonzalez.  But the safeties will have to help out over the top against the game breaking Julio Jones.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 33, GIANTS 30

This is a do or die game tomorrow night for the Giants and Cowboys.  The winner gets the crown in the NFC East and the loser goes home.  The Giants have only won 2 of their last 7 games, while the Cowboys have only won 1 of their last four games.  The Giants beat the Cowboys 37-34 in Dallas just three weeks ago.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants are going to likely run a little more than the first time they played the Cowboys.  Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs will likely share the workload against the Cowboys as they try to keep their defense honest.  The Giants’ O-Line better be ready because OLB DeMarcus Ware (18 sacks) and the Cowboys (40 sacks) love to bring the heat on the QB.  If Eli Manning has time to throw the ball, he’s going to have a lot of success throwing the ball to Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz tomorrow night.

When the Cowboys have the ball:  The Cowboys are going to try to throw the ball a lot tomorrow night.  Tony Romo has a badly bruised right hand which will give the D-Linemen of the Giants a target.  You know the Giants will be going after Romo’s hand and they have 42 sacks already this year.  The falloff from Romo to backup Stephen McGee is huge.  Romo will likely be throwing shorter passes in this game due to his hand injury.  Jason Witten, Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and Laurent Robinson will be counted on to get yards after the catch tomorrow night.  Felix Jones is also banged up, so Sammy Morris might get in on the action for the Cowboys tomorrow night.

PREDICTION:  GIANTS 34, COWBOYS 23

The Giants and Jets both need this game if they want to make the playoffs in 2011.  The Giants have lost five of their last six games….and they have looked bad doing it.  The Jets got destroyed 45-19 by the Eagles last weekend in Philly.  But, they have won three of their last four games.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants are going to come out more balanced than usual in this game.  They are going to have to run the ball effectively with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw if they are going to win this game.  The Jets are giving up 112.9 yards rushing per game and 4.0 yards per carry, so the Giants should have success on the ground.  The Jets are likely going to be blitzing a lot in this game to try to force Eli Manning into making some mistakes with the ball.  With Jake Ballard and Mario Manningham likely out for this game, Manning will have to take on the Jets’ corners (Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie) with passes down the field to Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz.

When the Jets have the ball:  The Jets are going to come out feeding the ball to RB Shonn Greene against a Giants’ D that is allowing 127.6 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry so far this year.  The Giants have to slow down Greene, so that Mark Sanchez won’t be able to attack them down the field using play action.  Sanchez is really good at ball faking and driving the ball down the field.  But, you can’t pass the ball while you’re laying on your back, so look for the Giants to put a ton of pressure on Sanchez tomorrow.

PREDICTION:  JETS 21, GIANTS 20

The Giants broke a four game losing streak with a huge win over the Cowboys in Dallas last weekend.  They will need to keep focused this weekend as the Redskins come to visit.  In the first matchup with the Redskins this year, they got thumped 28-14 in Washington.  The Redskins have lost 8 of their last 9 games, but they played well in a loss against the Patriots last weekend.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants have been bombing away on offense and I look for that to continue tomorrow.  The Giants’ O-Line needs to give Manning enough time to throw in this game as the Redskins love to blitz.  If Manning has time to throw the ball, he’s in line to have a huge game.  The Redskins’ secondary is banged up right now, so Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and Jake Ballard are going to give them fits.  If the Redskins put extra DBs in the game to deal with Manning’s receivers, he will just turn around and hand the ball off to RB Brandon Jacobs, who is playing really well lately.

When the Redskins have the ball:  The Redskins are going to feed the ball to rookie RB Roy Helu (and he has been running well lately) against a Giants’ D that is allowing 127.9 yards rushing per game and 4.7 yards per carry so far this year.  The front seven is going to have to step up and slow down Helu tomorrow.  They are also going to have to get after Rex Grossman, because he still has a strong arm and can hit the long ones down the field.  WRs Santana Moss, Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth are going to give the Giants’ secondary fits if Grossman has time to throw the ball.

PREDICTION:  GIANTS 30, REDSKINS 27

This is a huge game for both teams!  This is the first of two meetings this year (the other one on January 1st in New Jersey).  The Giants have lost four games in a row, but three of those losses came to teams leading their division (49ers, Packers and Saints).  The Cowboys are 5-1 on the season, but they have not beaten a good football team since week #2 (over the Niners).  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants are likely to be pass heavy in this football game.  The O-Line is going to have to give Manning time to throw the ball, as the Cowboys already have 35 sacks so far this year.  If Manning has time to throw the ball, he’s going to likely light up the scoreboard.  WRs Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and TE Jake Ballard will give the Cowboys’ secondary a very hard time this Sunday.  The Giants will also run the ball, especially if the Cowboys try to play extra DBs.  Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw will make the Cowboys pay if they pay too much attention to the Giants passing game this Sunday Night.

When the Cowboys have the ball:  The Cowboys are going to try to get RB DeMarco Murray going early in this game, so the Giants’ front seven is going to get their manhood challenged.  The Giants are giving up 127.0 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry, so they need to step up if they are going to stop Murray.  The Giants are going to be coming after Tony Romo all night long and he is prone to making big mistakes when pressured.  He also has not really stepped up in big games for the Cowboys.  That being said, he was four incredible weapons in the passing game with WRs Miles Austin, Laurent Robinson, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten.

PREDICTION:  GIANTS 30, COWBOYS 27

The Giants’ season is quickly slipping away as they have lost their last three games by a combined score of 93-54!  The Packers have had 1o days to rest and get ready for this game after beating the Lions 27-15 in Detroit on Thanksgiving.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants would be smart not to try to fight fire with fire this weekend.  Instead, they should try to control the clock by running the ball and throwing shorter passes.  Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw will likely have some success running the ball tomorrow as the Packers are giving up 105.5 yards rushing per game and 4.9 yards per carry.  The Packers like to blitz, so Eli Manning is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly while being careful as the Packers already have 22 interceptions so far this season!  The Packers are still giving up 287.8 yards passing per game so far this year, so there will be plays to be made in the passing game.

When the Packers have the ball:  The Packers aren’t going to run the ball much with James Starks and Ryan Grant, so the front seven will likely have to deal with stopping them.  The Giants are going to have to get to Aaron Rodgers before he throws the ball.  That won’t be easy, but it’s also not impossible as he has been sacked 27 time already this year.  Rodgers has so many weapons in the passing game that the Giants are going to have to same problems they had last weekend with trying to stop Drew Brees.

PREDICTION:  PACKERS 33, GIANTS 30

The New York Giants are on a two game losing streak heading into this game, but they have played pretty decent football on the road this year.  The Saints are 4-0 at home this year, where they have outscored opponents 159-69!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants are going to need to get a running game going on Monday Night, if they are going to have a decent shot of winning this game.  Brandon Jacobs can’t play like he did last weekend against the Eagles, or the Giants are in trouble.  The Saints are giving up 121.5 yards rushing per game and 5.2 yards per carry this year, so the Giants are likely to have success on the ground on Monday Night.  The Saints like to blitz a lot so Eli Manning is going to have to make quick decisions with the football.  WRs Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham will likely give the Saints’ corners fits in this game, but TE Jake Ballard is going to be the secret weapon in the passing game for the Giants.

When the Saints have the ball:  The Saints are a pass first team.  The Giants will have to get after Drew Brees in an effort to get him to rush his passes.  The Giants have 14 interceptions to go with their 31 sacks this year, but they will be in for a race for time as the Saints are averaging 319.4 yards passing per game.  Saints’ TE Jimmy Graham is going to cause problems for he Giants in coverage due to his size and speed.  Drew Brees does a good job of spreading the ball around making it almost impossible to double anyone.  Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas will give the Saints solid ground support in this game.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 30, GIANTS 24