1 End of Favre’s starting streak?
Who will the Giants see under center, Brett Favre or Tarvaris Jackson? Interim head coach Leslie Frazier has been coy with making an announcement, but stated immediately following the Bills game last week — in which Favre injured his right throwing shoulder — that if the veteran is healthy, he starts.
Whether it’s wise to throw a banged-up Favre to the wolves rather than start Jackson — who can actually move — is for another story. New York has amassed 35 sacks so far this year. No doubt, the Giants are looking forward to adding to that total.
2 No easy day for the rushing game
Can the Giants’ vaunted rushing attack get around the “Williams Wall?”
RBs Brandon Jacobs (577 yards, seven touchdowns) and Ahmad Bradshaw (1,013, seven touchdowns) have run through and around most every defensive front this season.
But they have yet to face a pair of defensive tackles like Kevin and Pat Williams, who take up space like no other duo. Combine the superstar Williams tandem with Pro Bowl DE Jared Allen and the underrated Ray Edwards, and the Vikings have a formidable front four able to stifle any
running lanes.
3 Eli might not have many targets
Who will Eli Manning throw to? Hakeem Nicks (lower leg) is still out, but Steve Smith (pectorals) has returned to practice sparingly.
If Smith can’t go, however, it will once again be up to Mario Manningham and Derek Hagan to pick up the slack. Neither did anything last week against the Washington Redskins to strike fear in the Vikes’ secondary. So look for the Giants to keep the passing game close to the vest again, with a lot of checkdowns to the backs and short stuff to TEs Kevin Boss and Travis Beckum.
