The last time these two teams squared off marked the beginning of the Giants' memorable Super Bowl run last year in the 2012 playoffs. The Giants absolutely dominated the Falcons in that first round playoff game (24-2) with the only Falcons' points coming off an Eli Manning safety.
Matt Ryan is on the cusp of becoming an elite QB in the NFL and his offense looks more dangerous than ever. Eli has played well this year overall, but his inconsistency has somewhat limited the Giants at times. Each week Giants fans wonder which Eli Manning and which New York Giants team will step onto the field. Will it be the Eli Manning who picked apart the Bucs and the Packers? Or will it be the Eli Manning who face planted against the Bengals accumulating 215 pass yards and three turnovers? What Giants fans know is that if the Elite Eli Manning and the ferocious pass rush show up, the Giants are undisputedly one of the toughest teams to beat, home or away. Lets analyze some of the key matchups that will decide this game:
1) Roddy White and Julio Jones Vs. Giants Secondary
The inconsistent Giants secondary is ranked 27th against the pass and this week they will have to stop the only wide receiver tandem that can rival their own tandem of Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks: Roddy White and Julio Jones. The Giants have trouble stopping one elite WR and this week they are going to need to find a way to slow down two. Giants top corner Corey Webster is becoming visibly old and is no longer a match for elite WRs at this point in his career. Prince and Jayron are simply not experienced enough to shut down either of these WRs. The Giants are going to need Rolle and Stevie Brown (who seems like he is allergic to not intercepting the ball) to step up this game. Although on paper the Giants secondary doesn't seem all too threatening, they always manage to make big plays when it counts; they bend, but rarely break.2) Jacquian Williams vs Tony Gonzalez
Williams, who was sidelined with a knee injury from week 6 up until last week's game vs the Saints, is going to need to step up and shut down Gonzalez this week. Luckily for the Giants, Williams' knee healed just in time for two games where we truly needed him: Saints and Falcons. Williams is the Giants most athletic linebacker and is often charged with the task of keeping up with opposing tight ends. Last week Williams bottled up the Saints elite TE, Jimmy Graham, not allowing him to surpass 60 yards. This week, Williams will need to bottle up Tony Gonzalez and take away one of Ryan's go-to options. By taking away Gonzo, the Falcons offense will become more one-dimensional and easier for the Giants to slow down.
3) Eli vs the Falcons Secondary
In a game featuring two of the leagues most prolific offenses and opportunists defenses, this game (like most) will come down to turnovers. Eli, who was a little careless with the ball last week (two interceptions, one of which was for a touchdown), will need to be careful against the Falcons opportunist secondary (they picked off Drew Brees 5 times two weeks ago). If Eli can play like the elite QB we all know he is, the Giants should be fine in this game offensively.
4) Lawrence Tynes on the field Vs Lawrence Tynes on the sideline.
The Giants need to learn how to keep Lawrence Tynes off the field and on the sideline. Tynes leads the NFL in attempted and completed field goals... that is a terrible stat for the Giants. All it means is that Eli and company cannot convert on crucial third downs in the red zone. It means that the Giants are putting up 3 points instead of 7 points more than any other team once they get within field goal range. Regardless of this stat, the Giants still sport the leagues 3rd best scoring offense. Imagine how scary they will be when they learn to keep LT off the field and start to put 7s on the scoreboard instead of 3s.
Wrap up:
The Giants LOVE to lose easy games when the stakes are not very high (Browns and Steelers); however, when their backs are against the wall and they're facing a must win, the Giants always step up. They thrive under pressure (and there is lots of pressure with only a 1 game lead in the NFC East) and they thrive on the road; they win must-win games and when people write them off as clear underdogs. Luckily for Giants fans, Big Blue is on the road against a Falcons team that has yet to lose a home game and the final three games on the Giants' schedule are essentially playoff games. Playoff atmosphere + expectations that they will lose = easy Big Blue victory. Giants tend to lose the games that they're expected to win and win the games they're expected to lose
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