While the Dallas Cowboys' most hated rivals are the Washington Redskins with the Philadelphia Eagles always creeping up behind, the most challenging is normally the New York Giants. Whether it is under Tom Coughlin or in the old days under Bill Parcells, the Giants have always been one of the teams that have given Dallas headaches.
2011 is shaping up to be no different. Dallas leads the NFC East with a 7-5 record, but thanks to an inexplicable loss to Arizona, the Giants are only one game back. A win in Dallas on Sunday, Dec. 11, puts the Giants back in the driver's seat. Yes, Dallas holds their own destiny in their hands but a loss this weekend will strip them of that comfort.
One player that Dallas has to be happy not to see is Osi Umenyiora. The tough defensive lineman is missing his second straight game with a sprained ankle and Tony Romo has to be happy to know the defender won't be in his face all game. Umenyiora had seven sacks in the eight games he has played this season.
The problem is that the Giants still have Jason Pierre-Paul in the lineup. Pierre-Paul has 10.5 sacks on the season, tied for fifth in the NFL, to go along with 53 tackles.
While the offense of the Giants has been banged up all year, Eli Manning is still playing solid ball. Manning has six games with over 300 passing yards this season, and two where he eclipsed 400. He has 23 touchdowns on the season and has thrown multiple touchdown passes in nine games so far. In Week 13, against Green Bay, Manning threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns. However, over the last five games, Manning has six interceptions and two fumbles, something Rob Ryan's defense will be targeting.
The win for the Giants would have to come through the air. They rank dead last in the NFL in rushing with Ahmad Bradshaw playing injured and Brandon Jacobs unable to find any running room. The Giants only have one 100-yard rusher in any game this season, although Jacobs can still find the end zone in short yardage situations.
Dallas will have to control the clock to beat the Giants. When Eli Manning has the ball in his hands, the Giants can score against just about anyone thanks to the passing game. However, Dallas can take away this weapon by running the ball. DeMarco Murray gets back his blocking fullback this week, so he should be ready to go. If Dallas doesn't get the running game going, this is the Giants' game to win.
Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys' fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys' related news, good or bad
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