NFL Tickets
TV Schedule: Sunday November 8, 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX
Stadium: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Line: TB (+2.5)
The New York Giants (4-4) head down to Florida to take on the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) in an important game. The Giants need to crawl back over .500 and beat the young Bucs to hang around on top of the NFC East. They can’t lose to rookie QB Jameis Winston if they want a chance to make the playoffs.
Injuries and who is and isn’t active could be play a huge role in this game. On the Giants’ side, Prince Amukamara may make his return from his pectoral injury, a return that is desperately needed in the Giants’ secondary. Jon Beason being active could also be a nice plus for the Giants’ defense. There is also a slight chance that even Jason Pierre-Paul could suit up on Sunday. It would be huge to get any of these guys active, but with so much time from now until Sunday, that is up in the air.
On Tampa’s side, there is the potential return of receiver Vincent Jackson, who would give the Giants’ secondary fits, especially if Amukamara can’t play. Also, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins may make his long awaited return. This could spark trouble for the Giants too since he plays tight end which the Giants have a lot of trouble covering this season. The status of these players could go a long way in determining a winner.
The key for the Giants will be to try to play with the same offensive mindset they had last week. Eli Manning needs to be as careful and pinpoint with the ball as he was in his spectacular performance last time out. Odell Beckham Jr. has to be targeted in the end zone and down the field like he was numerous times. He’s the Giants’ best player; it they find ways to get him the ball, good things will happen. The continued growth and trust with Dwayne Harris would also be nice to see carry over to this game.
On defense, with or without the previously mentioned guys, the Giants have to play a million times better, obviously. They have to blitz Winston. The Giants just aren’t going to get pass rush the normal way. They have to manufacture it with blitzes to confuse and rush the turnover-prone rookie quarterback. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has to continue to play at this elite level and do all he can to cover Mike Evans. Lastly, the Giants have to step up their run defense to what it was earlier in the season. Doug Martin is having a great year for Tampa, and he has to be contained to put more pressure on Winston.
For Tampa, it starts with taking care of the ball. Most of the success the Giants’ defense has comes from creating turnovers. If they can take care of the ball, they should be able to get their fair share of yards and points. They must commit to the run and Martin. Force the Giants to cover that and Winston can beat the Giants’ beleaguered secondary. If they take care of the ball they have a decent chance at pulling off the win.
However, I see the Giants’ defense playing with some pride this weekend. They don’t want to go out there and get embarrassed again. That was brutal last week. They’ll come out fired up to put that behind them. In turn, Winston will have a key turnover or two that will stall drives and shift momentum. Manning will pick up where he left off and keep the offense rolling, especially if any sort of running game is established. Tampa Bay is a much improved team and the Giants will see that this week, but it won’t be enough.
Prediction: Giants 31, Buccaneers 27
Andrew Frosceno covers the New York Giants, college football, college basketball and MLB for www.Rantsports.com. You can follow him on Twitter, Google or Facebook.
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