The New York Giants have given up a combined 83 points the last two weekends against the Eagles & Packers, losing both games.  Now they have painted themselves into a corner as they need to beat the Redskins while having the Bears’ backups beat the Packers at Lambeau Field to get into the playoffs.  The Giants did pound the Redskins 31-7 earlier this year in New Jersey.  Since the loss to the Giants, the Redskins are 1-2 but they have only been outscored by 1 point (a combined 67-66).  Here is a look a the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  With Eli Manning starting to melt down, I look for the Giants to try to play this game safe by handing the ball off a lot to Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs.  The Redskins are giving up 130.6 yards rushing per game and 4.8 yards per carry this year so the Giants should be able to control the ball and the clock in this game.  Hakeem Nicks has a broken toe and it’s possible that he won’t play tomorrow.  That means that Mario Manningham abd Kevin Boss will be the top targets for Eli Manning in the passing game.

When the Redskins have the ball:  The Redskins have been a little more balanced on offense with Rex Grossman under center.  The Giants will have to deal with power back Ryan Torain as the Skins have been running the ball a lot better as of late.  The Giants must get to Rex Grossman in this game because he forces the ball when rushed, often making big mistakes.  Santana Moss and Anthony Armstrong give him some nice targets on deep passes which are his specialty as he has a strong arm.  TE Chris Cooley handles the short stuff.

PREDICTION:  GIANTS 24, REDSKINS 20

The Giants suffered a devastating loss last weekend to the Eagles which snapped a three game winning streak.  The Packers have lost two games in a row but they now have Aaron Rodgers back in action.  Both teams need this game desperately if they want to make the playoffs.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants are likely going to come out running the ball with Ahmad Bradshaw & Brandon Jacobs against a Packers’ D that is allowing 117.0 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry.  The Packers have 40 sacks and 18 interceptions this season so Eli Manning is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly while not making mistakes and that could be a tall order.  The Packers are likely going to double cover Hakeem Nicks but Mario Manningham & Kevin Boss have stepped up lately so they should be o.k.

When the Packers have the ball:  The Packers are likely going to come out throwing short passes and running the ball with Brandon Jackson who really stepped up last weekend.  Rodgers will likely spread the ball around to Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones and Jordy Nelson in the passing game if he has time to throw it as the Giants have 42 sacks this year.  Brandon Jackson will be taking aim at the front seven of the Giants’ D which is allowing 102.4 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry.

PREDICTION:  PACKERS 28, GIANTS 23

The Giants have won three games in a row since losing to the Eagles.  In those games, the Giants outscored opponents 76-30!  The Eagles are 2-1 since the last meeting with the Giants and they are tied atop the NFC East making this a must win game for both teams.  Here is a look a the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  With the Eagles losing starting middle linebacker Stewart Bradley and starting a 7th round pick (Jamar Chaney), the Giants are going to tighten up the chinstraps and run the football.  Brandon Jacobs & Ahmad Bradshaw will likely get a lot of yards rushing against a Eagles’ D that is giving up 4.1 yards per carry so far this year.  If the Giants can protect Eli Manning and they get a running game going……he’s going to have a big game.  But, if Manning is under constant pressure he’s going to make some big mistakes this Sunday.

When the Eagles have the ball:  The Eagles are likely going to try to run the ball a little more than usual with Lesean McCoy and Michael Vick doing most of the damage.  The Giants have to contain Vick in the pocket while putting a lot of pressure on him so he can’t just sit back and bomb away.  Vick is nowhere near as good of a QB as he has shown this year so I think he has a 4 turnover game in him and it might just happen this Sunday in New Jersey.

PREDICTION:  GIANTS 30, EAGLES 27

The Giants and Vikings are both on two game winning streaks.  The Giants are tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for first place in the NFC East so they need this game big time.  The Vikings are pretty much playing for pride at this point in the season but new head coach Leslie Frazier has been inspiring his troops.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants have been running the ball a lot as of late.  That is likely the gameplan with Brandon Jacobs & Ahmad Bradshaw both getting a lot of work against a Vikings’ D that is only allowing 92.0 yards rushing per game and 3.6 yards per carry.  The Giants hope they have success running the ball because Eli Manning doesn’t have a lot of weapons to use in the passing game.  Kevin Boss will likely be Eli Manning’s favorite target as he doesn’t have many weapons to use against a Vikings’ D that is allowing 210.2 yards passing per game.

When the Vikings have the ball:  It’s hard to see Brett Favre starting this weekend due to the shoulder injury he suffered last weekend.  No matter who plays QB for the Vikings, they are going to run the ball.  Adrian Peterson will take aim at a Giants’ D that is allowing 98.0 yards rushing per game and 4.0 yards per carry.  If the Giants stop the Vikings’ running game, the Vikes could be in some trouble.  The Giants must pay special attention to Vikings’ WR Sidney Rice who was excellent last weekend against the Bills.

PREDICTION:  VIKINGS 23, GIANTS 20

The Giants got back on the right path last weekend in beating the pesky Jaguars 24-20.  They are tied with the Eagles for first place in the NFC East.  The Redskins have lost three of their last 4 games but they are still only 2 games out of first place so this is likely a do or die game for them.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants are going to likely come out running the ball with Brandon Jacobs & Ahmad Bradshaw against a Skins’ D that is allowing 131.5 yards rushing per game and 4.9 yards per carry.  Eli Manning will likely use play action passes to get the ball into the hands of Mario Manningham & Kevin Boss who both stepped up last weekend.  The Redskins are allowing 269.4 yards passing per game so Manning should have success throwing the ball this weekend.

When the Redskins have the ball:  The Redskins will likely abandon the running game this weekend and air it out.  With that in mind the Giants will have to get after Donovan McNabb which is something they are pretty good at as they have 31 sacks so far this year.  Chris Cooley, Anthony Armstrong and Santana Moss don’t exactly strike fear in the Giants’ secondary.

PREDICTION:  GIANTS 27, REDSKINS 19

The Giants have looked lost the last couple of weeks in losing to the Cowboys and the Eagles.  The Jaguars are going in the other direction as they have won 3 games in a row and they have also won both of their road games this year east of the Mississippi River.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  I have a feeling the Giants are going to ride Brandon Jacobs hard in this game against a Jags’ D that is allowing 112.2 yards rushing per game and 4.4 yards per carry.  Ahmad Bradshaw will spot Jacobs once in a while as a change of pace back for the Giants.  The Jaguars are allowing 264.6 yards passing per game and opposing QBs have a 103.9 Rating against them this year.  So there are plays to be made in the passing game if Eli Manning has time to throw the ball and someone can catch the ball.  Mario Manningham and Kevin Boss are the only legit healthy guys the Giants have to throw the ball to.  With that in mind I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Jags giving them both extra attention.

When the Jaguars have the ball:  The Giants must go all out to stop Maurice Jones-Drew as both a runner and a receiver as he is the best player the Jags have on offense.  The Giants will try to pressure David Garrard into making some mistakes as they already have 27 sacks this year.  The Giants must contain Garrard in the pocket because he’s good at making plays with his legs. 

PREDICTION:  JAGUARS 23, GIANTS 20

The Giants and Eagles are tied for the lead in the NFC East so this is a HUGE football game!  The Giants are 3-1 on the road this year where they have outscored the opponents 130-90.  The Eagles are only 2-2 at home this year where they have outscored the opposition 89-85.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants are going to come out balanced on Sunday Night offensively.  They are going to try to slug the Eagles in the mouth with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw against a Eagles’ D that is allowing 104.0 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry.  The Eagles and 26 sacks and 16 interceptions so far this year so Eli Manning is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly while still being careful as the same time. 

When the Eagles have the ball:  The Giants are going to go all out to keep Michael Vick in the pocket.  The Giants have 25 sacks this year but they will have to keep him contained in the pocket with the pass rush.  If the Giants get good pressure on Michael Vick he’s going to make mistakes.  The Giants are going to have to deal with Lesean McCoy both running and catching the ball out of the backfield.  The Giants are only allowing 83.3 yards rushing per game and 3.5 yards per carry so they should be up to the challenge.  The corners are going to have to step up and have big games against Jeremy Maclin and Desean Jackson this Sunday.

PREDICTION:  GIANTS 30, EAGLES 23

The Giants beat the Cowboys just three weeks ago 41-35 in Big D.  This time the game shifts to the Meadowlands and I just don’t think it will be close this time around.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants are averaging 151.9 yards rushing per game this year so I see Ahmad Bradshaw & Brandon Jacobs getting a lot of carries this weekend.  Opposing QBs have a stunning 109.1 QB Rating against the Cowboys so don’t think for a minute that the Giants are going to rely on the running game.  Steve Smith isn’t playing in this game because of a pectoral muscle injury so look for Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and Kevin Boss to be much more heavily involved in the passing game tomorrow.

When the Cowboys have the ball:  With Jason Garrett now the new head coach maybe the Cowboys might run the ball more (which would be smart).  The Cowboys are only averaging 75.6 yards rushing per game and 3.6 yards per carry despite having a decent trio of RBs.  Jon Kitna would be smart to keep the passing game of the shorter variety in this game as the Giants already have 24 sacks this year.

PREDICTION:  GIANTS 34, COWBOYS 13

The Giants have won four games in a row by a combined score of 120-68!  They also had a bye last week giving them 2 weeks to prepare for the Seahawks.  The Seahawks are a different team at home where they are 3-0, outscoring the opposition 80-36!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  After watching what the Raiders did to the Seahawks last week I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see the Giants giving them a heavy dose of Ahmad Bradshaw & Brandon Jacobs early in this game.  Now the Seahawks do have 21 sacks on the year so they are going to come after Eli Manning.  Manning can be forced into mistakes as he has 11 interceptions this year but he also has 14 TD passes, 13 of which are to his trio of elite receivers (Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith).  The Seahawks are giving up 267.7 yards passing per game so look for Manning to have a lot of success tomorrow.

When the Seahawks have the ball:  Charlie Whitehurst is going to be making his first NFL start so I see the Seahawks being very conservative on offense.  The Giants will play the running game (Marshawn Lynch & Justin Forsett) on the way to the QB.  The Giants are going to be coming after Whitehurst right when they get off the team bus as they have 24 sacks already this year. 

PREDICTION:  GIANTS 30, SEAHAWKS 13

The Giants are extremely hot right now winning their last three games by a combined score of 79-33!  The Cowboys have outplayed a few teams this year but they are still only 1-4 on the year.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Giants have the ball:  It’s no mystery what the Giants like to do.  They like to pound the ball with Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs and they like to throw the ball deep.  The Cowboys’ D better tighten up the chinstraps because the Giants play very physical ball on both sides of the field.  The Cowboys are giving up 100.8 yards rushing and 4.2 yards per carry so far this year so Bradshaw & Jacobs are going to get their yards.  The Giants will likely pay special attention to keeping DeMarcus Ware out of the backfield so that Eli Manning will have time to throw the ball.  Because if Ware gets to Manning bad things are likely to happen.  The Cowboys only have 2 interceptions so far this year so look for Manning to be aggressive down the field to Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham while saving the short stuff for Steve Smith.

When the Cowboys have the ball:  The Cowboys would be smart to try to run the ball more than usual with Felix Jones & Marion Barber.  Because, if the Giants can just come after Tony Romo it could be a long night.  The Giants already have 21 sacks so far this season so they’re hard to block.  Romo makes mistakes when he’s rushed in the pocket.  Romo does have a nice set of WRs and TEs to throw to so the Giants need to get to him.

PREDICTION:  GIANTS 24, COWBOYS 21