Which Giants' team will the Bucs face on Sunday?

by Ed Valentine on Jan 5, 2008 8:08 AM EST in News Comment 6 comments

Do I think the New York Giants should win their first-round playoff game in Tampa Bay Sunday? Without a doubt.

Am I supremely confident that the Giants will emerge with the first playoff victory of the Tom Coughlin/Eli Manning Era? Not a chance.

These are, as Giants' fans know all too well, the teasingly-good, maddeningly inconsistent and sometimes disturbingly awful Coughlin/Manning Giants.

For about 58 of the 60 minutes last Saturday against New England the Giants were not only a good football team, but a championship caliber one.

Yet, at other times this season they have a looked like a horrid, rag-tag collection of players who could barely beat the Dolphins -- which, in fact, is what happened when they played Miami. In losses to Minnesota, Washington and early in the year to Green Bay the Giants were atrocious.

Which team will show up Sunday? Damned if I know.

The Giants are coming off the excellent performance against New England and a stirring come-from-behind win over Buffalo.

I would like to think they are carrying momentum on their side that would lead to a solid, complete performance and a rout of the Buccaneers. It wouldn't surprise me if that is precisely what happens.

On the other hand, this being the Giants and Eli being Eli it wouldn't shock me if Sunday becomes a turnover festival with the Buccaneer secondary feasting on poorly thrown Eli passes. That, of course, would lead to the Giants getting bounced out in the first round of the playoffs for the third straight time.

Which team do you think is going to show up Sunday? Personally, I'm incredibly curious to find out.

0 recs | Comment 6 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Jekyll

We won't know until the game starts, but I think the confidence that they are carrying is a good sign. I also think that the Giants are a better team than the Bucs, so if they get only a little sloppy (only a couple of turnovers) they can still get an ugly win.

If I'm going to break them, I'm going to break them both. - LT

by potroast on Jan 5, 2008 8:50 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I like our chances

TB's defense is 17th against the run. Their defenders are undersized by NFL standards. As long as Jacobs and Bradshaw stay healthy, they can run all day long. I look for ball control tomorrow, a low scoring game. G-Men by 7.

by django48 on Jan 5, 2008 11:59 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I honestly think

The Giants are going to come out and dominate them. I just have that feeling

Sticking with my predicition

Giants 31 Bucs 14

Bring on the Cowboys for Round Three

by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jan 5, 2008 9:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

The Steelers

almost won that game. But, how many of us this season wished we had kept our picks and drafted Roethlisberger in '04. Imagine if Eli had held onto the ball too long on the last play of a playoff game and fumbled the game away? We'd be crucifying him. I'm no Eli lover, but sometimes we need to realize that every QB messes up sometimes (hell, Peyton and Brady threw more INTs combined than Eli did, however you want to interpret that), and sometimes, the kid's not a terrible QB. Basically, what I'm trying to say is: I really hope Jacobs and Bradshaw carry us to a win tomorrow, like Bettis and Parker did for Big Ben 2 years ago...

by cjmulrain on Jan 5, 2008 11:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I am more confident

going in to this game than any of the previous playoff games in the Coughlin/Manning era.Against Carolina we had guys at linebacker who I didn't even know their names.Against the Eagles we were playing with a running back who was looking more towards hugging some of their defensive backs goodbye than backing up our young QB. This teams health, makeup and attitude will be the difference.Of course this would potentiallly make a loss the most dissapointing too but, I'll stick with 1940 and go with Giants 31-14.

by big blue wrecking crew on Jan 6, 2008 10:42 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I never predict scores, but like the sound of

31-14. Yes, we need J & B, but the key to the game is Eli. If he plays decntly we win. If he plays like he did against the Pats, we win big. If he has one of his stinkers, we lose.

by george cronin on Jan 6, 2008 12:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs