The Giants have been on a roll with wins over the 49ers and Redskins, but now they look to avenge a season-opening loss to the Cowboys. They’ve already been trading trash talk for much of the week, so it should be a heated contest.
What to watch for …
1. Running away?
Prior to last week’s game against Washington, Big Blue was on a torrid two-week rushing pace. But that come to a halt against the Redskins, as running back Ahmad Bradshaw could muster only 43 yards. Bradshaw had a 200-yard performance against the Browns, and then backed that up with 116 yards against the top-ranked 49ers’ defense. Clearly frustrated with the lack of production and touches, it’ll be interesting to see how well Bradshaw fares against another stout defense in the fifth-ranked Cowboys. The only question is whether they’ll be patient enough to stick with it.
2. Can the Giants corral Romo?
Tony Romo torched the Giants’ secondary in the opener, as he threw for game-highs of 307 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with neophyte wideout Kevin Ogletree for 114 yards, including the first two scores of his career. Ogletree has since tailed off in production (21 catches for 248 yards and two touchdowns), but the Giants’ secondary should still be on alert. Even if Big Blue manages to keep Ogletree under wraps, Romo has more than just the burgeoning wideout at his disposal, including wideouts Miles Austin (25 receptions, a team-high 428 yards and four touchdowns) and Dez Bryant (36 catches, 378 yards and two scores), and tight end Jason Witten (33 catches, 320 yards and one touchdown).
3. Secondaries on notice
Despite having two of the most talented defensive rosters in the league, both New York’s and Dallas’ defenses have seen better days than in this series. The last 10 games of this rivalry have seen ridiculous stats and scoring numbers. The Giants have averaged 27.4 points per game, while Dallas sits at 24.6 points per game. The high-water mark was a 41-35 Giants’ shootout win in October 2010, a game which Romo didn’t even finish when he suffered a broken collarbone.
Follow Giants beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.
