OK. I mentioned in the little musical interlude post I dropped a while ago that I actually feel pretty good about this week's New York Giants game at New Meadowlands Stadium against the Chicago Bears.
Believe me, I see the flaws with this team. I am worried about whether or not Tom Coughlin's voice is still being heard by his players. I know that the Giants are teetering on the verge of a 1-3 start, which would put their season in serious jeopardy.
Yet, I am feeling good about Sunday night. Maybe partially because I get to look at Faith Hill, but also because I think the Giants have a good shot at handing the Bears their first loss of the season.
Let me give you five reasons why.
- These are the 2010 Chicago Bears -- That means they are NOT the 1972 Miami Dolphins or the 2007 New England Patriots. By all rights, this team should be 1-2. They beat Detroit in the season-opener on a weird play where the Lions Calvin Johnson actually scored the game-winning touchdown, but a strange rule interpretation nullified the score. Monday night, Green Bay was clearly the better football team. Unfortunately, I think they watched Giants-Titans on Sunday, felt bad for the Giants and decided to show them it was possible to make even more mistakes. Green Bay handed that game to the Bears.
- Jay Cutler is still Jay Cutler -- If Green Bay could have gotten out of its own way Monday night Cutler would have thrown five interceptions. Make him hurry and Antrel Rolle, Kenny Phillips and company should have plenty of chances to make plays.
- Giants defense -- This group has played well in two of three games. The weird game plan and the brilliance of Peyton Manning killed them in Week 2, but I'm feeling much better about this group than I did in 2009. Better run defense, and pretty good linebacker play thus far. Now, if we can just get some of those turnovers Perry Fewell keeps talking about.
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Eli Manning -- Six interceptions thus far, and a really bad decision last Sunday, but Eli has actually been outstanding thus far. The lefty throw was the only interception thus far that was really his fault. The Giants are moving the football up and down the field, even if the running game is sporadic. Keep Julius Peppers from killing Eli Sunday night and I see no reason the Giants can't score some points. The Bears, by the way, are 28th in the league in pass defense.
- Mistakes -- It's not possible for the Giants to repeat the crazy number of mental mistakes they made against Tennessee, is it? To be honest, unless the Giants beat themselves I believe this is a game they should win.