NY Giants Lose?!

Historically with the New York Football Giants, they have had troubles with teams they were supposed to beat. Will that happen this week against the Buccaneers? I think it is possible, and as a Giants fan I'm a little worried about the game.

The Buccaneers defense isn't great, but any given Sunday they could manage a breakout game. The Giants need to get Brandon Jacobs and the running game going, something they've not been able to do in Weeks 1 & 2. Eli Manning should be able to open up the field by the Giants new aerial attack pattern (throw it to whoever is open, AND THEY'LL CATCH IT!), so maybe the Giants can get the running game going early.

The Giants injuries have to remain as a concern throughout the season - the Giants secondary has been banged up, and it's possible that by the end of the season we can refer to it as decimated. Both Kevin Dockery and Aaron Ross have missed the first two games of the season, and Kenny Phillips was placed on Injured Reserve this week. Justin Tuck was injured in a play that should have resulted in a tripping call by a Cowboys offensive lineman - so the Giants defense which is supposed to be the strong point of the team, may be in for a bit of a struggle throughout the season. If they have to battle through injuries and fill in spots through waiver claims, they might have a tough time down the season.

For that reason I think the Giants need to win this game to have playoff thoughts later in the season. I would love to have a perfect season, but there will be losses eventually. Because this is a game they SHOULD win, it's a game they need to win. Cadillac Williams shouldn't have a good day, and the Giants defense can control the aerial game if they can get to Byron Leftwich. Once thought to be the Michael Vick part 2 on the Jaguars, and the backup on the Steelers last year, Byron has worked his way back to being a starter and has performed well to this point. The Giants need to (initiate and) regulate the Tampa Bay offensive stride. If the Giants defense can manage that, I think they will have the tools to win. The Giants offense isn't guaranteed to have a huge day, but they will produce. GO G-MeN!