Cowboys at Giants - Today 3:15 p.m.

Will Eli Manning Cry After a Cowboys' Style Ass-Kicking? (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)


Here's some quick thoughts/observations on today's NFC East showdown

Giants Playing Horrendously on Both Sides of the Ball:

After starting the season 5-0, the New York Giants come into today's game against the Cowboys having lost five of their past six games. New York was beaten by an average of over 14 points a game in the loses and their one win was thanks to a field goal in overtime against the Atlanta Falcons. Their defense has been especially horrific, giving up 28.1 points a game in their last six.

Eli Manning and the Giants' offense haven't been much better. Manning has thrown eight touchdowns to eight interceptions during their slide, and the offense has scored more the 20 points only three of the six games during the slide. This includes last week's game against Denver when they were held to their lowest scoring total of the season with 6 points. Denver had come into that game struggling on defense, having allowed an average of more than 29 points a game in four straight losses.

Dallas Defense Playing Well, Offense Not So Much

The Dallas Cowboys defense has stood tall the last two weeks, allowing a total of 13 points during their two game winning streak (anything more than one is considered a streak, right?). Now, keep in mind, these weren't exactly two high powered offenses in Washington (scoring offense ranked 29 of 32 in the NFL) and Oakland (ranked dead last).

The Dallas offense, on the other hand, has struggled. The Cowboys have averaged only 12.7 points a game in their past three and inconsistency at the quarterback and on the offensive line have contributed a lot to this average.

The Stats:

The New York Giants are tied for eighth in the NFL, averaging 24.7 points a game. Their defense is tied for 24th, allowing 23.7 points per.

The Cowboys come into the game ranked 14th in scoring offense, thanks to their recent offensive downturn, averaging 23.2 points per game. Dallas is second in the league in scoring defense, and first in the NFC, allowing 16.5 points a game for the year.


The Prediction:

Even though both offenses have struggled lately, and Dallas is allowing so few points a game, I see this game as a high-scoring affair. Their last game ended 33-31 Giants, thanks largely to some fluke plays and some Tony Romo miscues, with both offenses playing well.

30-24 Giants

I believe Eli Manning and the Giants' offense will be outplayed by Tony Romo and the Cowboys throughout, but (thanks to some classic 4th quarter Romo give-aways) I see the Giants winning this one at home. This is where the Giants begin their late-season playoff-bound turnaround and the Cowboys begin their decent into the December abyss.