Dottino: 3 Keys To Giants' Sunday Night Matchup Against Dallas
By Paul Dottino
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Forget about the big picture. The Giants (3-7) are yearning for a win that would end their 5-game losing streak.
They ought to be confident while hosting Dallas Cowboys (7-3) on Sunday night -- if only because they played Dallas to a virtual draw in Week 7. It took Tony Romo's best-ever game -- according to team owner Jerry Jones -- and a couple of costly Giants miscues for the Cowboys to win, 31-21.
The most dramatic difference in this rematch is the Giants having to play without cornerback Prince Amukamara, who was placed on injured reserve. He provided stellar coverage on wide receiver Dez Bryant, who nonetheless was able to snare several of Romo's perfectly thrown darts.
So here are three key matchups to watch:
1. Cowboys WR Dez Bryant vs Giants CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. DRC has battled lower-body injuries throughout the season. The issue has forced him to take off periodic snaps during the game -- and those snaps are when Bryant will be the most dangerous. The Giants have nobody else who has a realistic chance of containing Bryant -- unless they give extra attention to him. Of course, that means tight ends Jason Witten and Gavin Escobar (two touchdowns vs. Giants) may become more of factor.
2. Giants MLB Jameel McClain vs. Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray. McClain had to slide into the middle when Jon Beason aggravated his toe injury at Dallas. McClain is a solid player, but he must do a better job of getting to Murray (the NFL rushing leader with 1,233 yards, 5.1 avg., seven TDs) at or behind the line of scrimmage. In other words, the Giants need more defensive splash plays from McClain to create long-yardage downs. Dallas is second in the NFL on third down at 51 percent, primarily because they do so well -- make that, Murray does so well -- early in each series. In turn, they control the ball for more than 32 minutes per game (fifth) and keep their mediocre defense off the field.
3. Giants WR Odell Beckham vs. Cowboys LCB Brandon Carr. Beckham has quickly turned into an explosive threat who demands respect. Carr is on the downside, and the rookie receiver should be able to use his speed and elusive routes to make some big plays downfield. This will be critical because one of the Giants' primary objectives should be to tilt the field in order take pressure off of their offense (specifically the line) while applying more stress on the Cowboys' defense -- which allows 43 percent conversions on third down (21st).
PREDICTION: Cowboys 26, Giants 23.
PREDICTION record vs. the spread: 8-2
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