How do we deal with the hurry up offence?

The hurry up offence in the NFL has become a real weapon, that defences have struggled to cope with.  The offence hurries to line following the completion of the previous play, calls the play at the line, and snaps the ball before the defence has chance to react, and or substitute. 

Patriots QB Tom Brady is an expert in the hurry up

The masters of this style of offence are the New England Patriots and QB Tom Brady.  Brady is a fantastic QB, who reads defences very well, and can easily pick out the weaknesses.  With the introduction of hybrid players such as TE / WR's Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, as well as RB / WR Danny Woodhead, the Patriots can line up in many different formations, without the need for substituting.  This allows the offence to hurry, not allowing the the defence to substitute out of the package they are in.  For example, the Patriots could line up with 2 TE's (Hernandez and Gronkowski) 1 RB (Woodhead) and 2 WR's (Ochocinco and Welker).  The defence may decide to go with their base defence against this on 1st down, lets say for example they line up 4 - 3, 4 down lineman, 3 LB's 2 CB's and 2 S's.  This defence can cope with this offence.  But then on 2nd down, Brady can go 5 WR's, without making a substitution.  As the Patriots hurry to the line the defence could not make substitutions themselves, meaning that the LB's will have to cover Hernandez, Gronkowski and Woodhead, who will be running WR routes.  On this play the defence is in real trouble.

2 Giants fall to the floor, without a Ram in sight

Many other teams have being using this hurry up style, including the St Louis Rams on Monday Night against the Giants.  But how do defences deal with this??  Well the Giants came up with a very effective, but very morally wrong way.  They decided that when they wanted to slow the Rams down, they would have somebody fake an injury, in order for an injury timeout to be called.  This was obvious when 2 players fell over with nobody even near them as the Rams were lining up for a play.  FAKE AN INJURY!!! What is this??  This is supposed to be FOOTBALL - a game played by gladiators.  In my opinion this is pathetic, and blatantly cheating.

Thankfully the NFL agrees, and has sent a memo to all the teams this week explaining that this will not be tolerated, and that if teams or players are found guilty, there will be serious consequences.  This could include fines for players and coaches, suspensions, and even loss of draft picks.  I think that the NFL has taken a great stance on this subject, and I hope that it carries these threats out to teams that offend.  We all love this game because its played by warriors, lets not allow it to go the same way as Soccer.

NFC East Preview

Dallas Cowboys

Last Season : 6 - 10



Drafted Players

1sr Round - Tyron Smith OT
2nd Round - Bruce Carter LB
3rd Round - DeMarco Murray RB
4th Round - David Arkin OL
5th Round - Josh Thomas DB
6th Round - Dwayne Harris WR
7th Round - Shaun Chapas RB
7th Round - Bill Nagy C

Players in

Derrick Dockery

Dave Rayner K
Derrick Dockery OG
Kenyon Coleman DL
Mike Balogun LB
Abram Elam S

Players out

Marion Barber RB
Kris Gronkowski FB
Sam Hurd WR
Roy Williams WR
Alex Barron OT
Marc Colombo OT
Andre Gurode C
Stephan Bowen DL
Josh Thomas CB
Andrew Sendejo S

The Cowboys were one of the major disappointment from last season.  In a year where all the talk was about them hosting and playing in the Superbowl.  Owner Jerry Jones was desperate to see his team win the Lombardi trophy in the stadium he designed himself.  But the reality was that the Cowboys were bad last year, and only managed 6 wins.  This year they have a very young (including 1st round draft pick - OT Tyron Smith), but very talented OL, which could either make or break their year.  If they can protect QB Tony Romo for long enough, he will find their highly talented WR's Miles Austin and Dez Bryant.  Also if they RB well enough, RB Felix Jones is a very talented runner.

Their major problem on defence last year was their very average secondary.  They didn,t really do anything to address this, so this will also be a key to their season.  In a very tough division, with alot of questions about all the teams, the Cowboys could easily win this division, but I don't expect them to.

New York Giants

Last Season : 10 - 6



Drafted Players

1st Round - Prince Amukamara C
2nd Round - Marvin Austin DL
3rd Round - Jerrel Jernigan WR
4th Round - James Brewer DL
6th Round - Greg Jones LB
6th Round - Tyler Sash S
6th Round - Jacquian Williams LB
7th Round - Da'Rel Scott RB

Players in

David Baas

David Carr QB
Andre Brown RB
Ben Patrick TE
Steve Weatherford P
Stacey Andrews OG
David Baas C
Spencer Paysinger LB
Derrick Martin S

Players out

Sinorice Moss WR
Steve Smith WR
Kevin Boss TE
Ben Patrick TE
Barry Cofield DT
Gerris Wilkinson LB
The Giants had a good 10 win season last year, but I can't see them getting anywhere near that number this.  This is a very close division, so I understand anything can happen, but the Giants have to many questions for my liking.  The Giants have for years had the same OL.  Everybody knows what they have to do, and they have been very successful.  This year though it is almost a completely different unit.  It will be very interesting to see how quickly they gel.  If they don't gel quick, this offence could be in trouble.  QB Eli Manning threw 25 INT's last year, and if pressure is getting to him with more regularity, expect this number to go up.  Also, who is he throwing the ball to??  Gone are last years main WR Steve Smith and TE Kevin Boss.  The Giants need someone to step up and make some catches.

The Giants, like the Cowboys, had problems in the secondary last year.  So much so that they went out, and drafted CB Prince Amukamara in the 1st Round.  This was seen as a huge upgrade, as 'The Prince' is a fantastic player.  They only problem is that Amukamara fractured a bone in his foot, and will likely miss most of the season.  The saving grace for the Giants is that they have a very good DL.  The pressure that that group can put on a QB helps to mask the problems in the secondary.  I think the Giants finish behind both the Cowboys and the Eagles this year.

Philadelphia Eagles

Last Season : 10 - 6



Drafted Players

1st Round - Danny Watkins OL
2nd Round - Jaiquawn Jarrett DB
3rd Round - Curtis Marsh DB
4th Round - Casey Matthews LB
4th Round - Alex Henery K
5th Round - Dion Lewis RB
5th Round - Julian Vandervalde OL
6th Round - Jason Kelce OL
6th Round - Brian Rolle LB
7th Round - Greg Lloyd
7th Round - Stanley Havili

Players in

Nnamdi Asomugha

Vince Young QB
Ronnie Brown RB
Derrick Lowe RB
Johnnie Lee-Higgins WR
Ronald Johnson WR
Sinorice Moss WR
Steve Smith WR
Anthony Hill TE
Donald Lee TE
Ryan Harris OT
Kyle DeVan OG
Evan Mathis OG
Jason Babin DL
Marlon Favorite DL
Anthony Hargrove DL
Cullen Jenkins DL
Derek Landri DL
Nnamdi Asomugha CB
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB
Jared Page S

Players out

John Nalbone TE
David Akers K
Durant Brooks P
Sav Rocca P
Stewart Bradley LB
Omar Gaither LB
Ernie Sims LB
Dimitri Paterson CB
Quinton Mikell S

The Eagles were the big story of the offseason.  After getting 10 wins last year, but again failing in the playoffs, they have gone all out to win this year.  This should be good for HC Andy Reid, but if he doesn't bring a Superbowl to Philly in February, I feel he may be looking for a new job.  The Eagles gave out a big contract extension to their QB Micheal Vick, ans surrounded him with even more talent.  RB Ronnie Brown has come in from Miami to back up LeSean McCoy, and a number of WR's have been bought in (including Giants WR Steve Smith) to add to the already impressive stable.  This offence should be capable of alot of points.

The defensive side of the ball has also seen dramatic improvements.  CB Nnamdi Asomugha was seen as the best player available in the free agency period, and the Eagles landed him.  They also traded back up QB Kevin Kolb to the Cardinals, in exchange for CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.  These 2, added to Asante Samuel, make the Eagles CB's the best in the league.  They did also add to the DL.  Jason Babbin and Cullen Jenkins will help to put opposing QB's under alot of pressure, and with the talent in the secondary, lookout for lots of turnovers.  The main difficulty for the Eagles will be getting the players to all gel together as a team, as there has been so many new faces.  I expect that they may struggle early in the year, but as the season goes on, they will become a very dominant team.  I fully expect them to win this division.

Washington Redskins

Last Season : 6 - 10



Drafted Players

1st Round - Ryan Kerrigan DE
2nd Round - Jarvis Jenkins DL
3rd Round - Leonard Hankerson WR
4th Round - Roy Helu RB
5th Round - Dejon Gomes RB
5th Round - Niles Paul WR
6th Round - Evan Royster RB
6th Round - Aldrick Robinson WR
7th Round - Brandyn Thompson DB
7th Round - Maurice Hurt OL
7th Round - Markus Wright DE
7th Round - Chris Neild DT

Players in

Tim Hightower

Kellen Clemens QB
Matt Gutierrez QB
Tim Hightower RB
Donte Stallworth WR
Derek Schoumen TE
Jammal Brown OT
Sean Locklear OT
Chris Chester OG
Eric Olsen OG
Donovan Raiola OL
Chris Baker DL
Stephen Bowen DL
Barry Cofield DL
Keyaron Fox LB
Rocky McIntosh LB
Nate Ness CB
Josh Wilson CB
Oshiomogho Atogwe S

Players out

Andre Brown RB
Keiland Williams FB
Maurice Price WR
Glenn Pakulak P
Stephan Heyer OT
Derrick Dockery OG
Andre Carter LB
Carlos Rodgers CB

The Redskins struggled alot last year, winning just 6 games.  I do think that they have improved in some areas, but not enough to get them off the bottom of this division.  One of the main problems I have with this team is the fact that it took them so long to name a starting QB.  They got the decision right in the end, choosing Rex Grossman, but why did it take until just a couple of days ago.  I believe that an offence needs to know who their QB is, so that they can start to develop some chemistry, coming into the new season.  The Redskins need this chemistry more than alot of teams, because their WR's are hardly world beaters.  WR Santana Moss will do what he does, but Donte Stallworth and Anthony Armstrong will hardly scare anyone.  Luckily for the 'Skins O, RB Tim Hightower (in from the Cardinals) has looked very impressive in the preseason.

The Redskins defence has looked alot better than I expected during the preseason.  They have bought in Barry Cofield from the Giants and drafted Ryan Kerrigan (1st Round) and Jarvis Jenkins (2nd Round) who will defiantly help to improve the DL.  They lost CB Carlos Rodgers, but have bought in Nate Ness and Josh Wilson to try and cover this.  The signing I really like though is S Oshiomogho Atogwe.  If the new guys upfront get some pressure and force the QB to throw early, lookout for Atogwe.  He could have alot of INT's this year.  This defence will keep the Redskins in alot of games, but I think the offence won't be able to win many for them.

Preseason Week 3 - Sunday and Monday Games

Saints 40 Raiders 20



Jets 17 Giants 3

Preseason Week 2 - Sunday and Mondays Games

Bengals 7 Jets 27



Chargers 20 Cowboys 7



Bears 13 Giants 41

The Keys to Training camp - NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys finished 2009 as the division winner, with a 11 - 5 record.  They then did something that they had failed to do since 1996, they won a playoff game.  They beat the Eagles at home, before going on the road to Minnesota, and getting hammered 34 - 3.  Obviously the playoff win was a big relief for Wade Phillips, Tony Romo and co, but what do they need to get to the next level?

 Who will be the starting WR opposite Miles Austin?

Last year the Cowboys cut T.O in the off season, as they believed that WR Roy Williams (picked up in a trade form Detroit) was going to be the answer.  Williams however struggled throughout 2009, having just 38 catches for 596 yards and 7 TD's.  These numbers may not seem to bad, but when you consider that the Cowboys were the 6th ranked pass offence in the league, its obvious Roy was not the number 1 guy.  Those honours went to little known WR Miles Austin.  I have to admit, at the beginning of last season, I didn't know who Miles Austin was.  Now after his breakout year of 81 catches for over 1,300 yards and 11 TD's, I consider Austin as one of the best WR's in the league.  This past draft, the Cowboys took WR Dez Bryant (pictured) who was perceived as the best WR in the draft.  What does this mean for Williams?  Who will start opposite Austin?  Training camp should give us some ideas.

Can they protect Romo better?

Romo sacked again!!

 A major problem the Cowboys encountered last year was that they struggled to keep Tony Romo upright.  In the Vikings playoff game especially, the talented Vikings D line ran riot.  The Cowboys also released long serving LT Flozel Adams this off season.  It will be very interesting to see how his replacement, either Doug Free or Alex Barron, cope in camp.  Also it will be interesting to see how they plan on stopping sacks occurring.  There is one good thing for the O-Line, they will get very good practice in camp, going against the sack machine that is DeMarcus Ware.

Can their secondary improve?

 The disappointing thing on the defensive side of the football for the Cowboys last year was their poor play at times against the pass.  Last year they ranked 4th against the run, but then 20th against the pass.  With the QB's that are present in this division (Manning, Kolb and McNaab) this is not good enough.  Also coming in to camp they have a couple of niggling injuries to CB's Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick.  This will put even more pressure on the rest of the secondary, Terrence Newman included (pictured), to improve this phase of the game.


New York Giants

The Giants finished last year with a very disappointing 8 - 8 record, which left them 3rd in the division, and out of the playoffs.  After starting an impressive 5 - 0, the wheels came off the Giants season and they went on a 6 game losing streak.  A strange stat that should be thrown in here, although they had a poor year, the Giants managed to beat the division winning Cowboys in both meetings - strange!

What will be the situation with the running backs?

Last season the Giants seemed to have problems with a phase of their game that has pretty much being a staple of their offence for years, the run game.  Brandon Jacobs (pictured) only managed 3.7 yards per carry and 5 TD's.  Ahmad Bradshaw had a better year rushing for almost 800 yards and 7 TD's.  This may well be a battle in camp.  These 2 players are completely different, Jacobs is a heavyweight downhill runner, and Bradshaw is more of a speed back.  But I believe that the Giants may well decide to go with Bradshaw as the number 1 back full time, if he proves his worth in camp.

Who will be the starting Middle Linebacker?

This was a major question a few weeks ago, since then though, the Giants have bought in former Titans MLB Keith Bulluck.  The Giants lost MLB Antonio Peirce at the end of last year, he had to retire due to medical reasons.  The Giants were expected address this situation, but they lost out to the Dolphins over Karlos Dansby, and then they didn't select a LB until the 4th round of the draft.  Bulluck has been bought in now though, so the thing to look out for at training camp is how he will settle in and take to the system.

Will the secondary tighten up?

The Giants secondary was hit by the injury bug last year.  Aaron Ross and Kenny Phillips were missing for a big chunk of the year, and this caused them to continually give up big plays.  They ranked 14th against the pass last year, which obviously isn't to bad, but I remember them constantly being beat over the top, especially by Eagles WR DeSean Jackson.  The Giants have obviously recognised this fact by bringing in S Antrel Rolle from Arizona.  This off season it will be interesting to see how both Rolle and Bulluck fit into this defence.



 
Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles finished last season in 2nd place in the division with a 11 - 5 record.  This was good enough for a wildcard.  They also lost this game, which was the Cowboys first playoff win since 1996.  How do the Eagles take themselves past the Cowboys in the NFC East? 

How will Kevin Kolb perform in his first year as a starter?

The Philadelphia Eagles decided during the off season that it was the right time to turn to the QB of the future - Kevin Kolb.  Donavan McNaab was traded away to the division rival Washington Redskins, and the team was handed over to Kolb.  The question is weather Kolb is quite ready yet.  McNaab knows this offence like the back of his hand, and still struggled at times.  It is concerning that a young player that is trying to learn the system may struggle at first.  The pre-season games should tell us a lot about weather or not Kolb is ready for the big time, if he is not, it might just be to late, and the Eagles could be in for a long season.

How will the secondary look?

The pressure on the Eagles secondary has been building now for the past couple of years.  Legendary S Brian Dawkins was traded to the Broncos at the beginning of last season, and during this off season starting CB Sheldon Brown was traded to Cleveland.  This has obviously weakened this unit.  The Eagles will now be hoping that CB Ellis Hobbs (pictured) will be able to step in and start alongside Asante Samuel.  This is a very difficult position to fill in the Eagles defence, as the abilities of Asante Samuel mean that teams decide to throw away from him.  This will make Hobbs the prime target for the opposing teams to attack.  Is he up to the challenge?  Training camp will give us the answer.

Can the Offensive line improve?

The last 2 games of last year for the Eagles were a complete disaster against the Cowboys.  One of the main reasons for this was their complete inability to block for the QB - then Donavan McNaab.  They will definatly have to improve in this area if they are to give new QB Kevin Kolb a decent shot at settling in early in the year.  Jason Peters (pictured) is the LT and is seen by many as their best O-Linemen.  If no other players are bought in to support the line, Peters will have to step up and become a leader.  



 Washington Redskins

The Redskins finished last year at the bottom of the division, with a poor 4 - 12 record.  There were many reasons why they ended up with this record, and many questions hanging over them moving into this year.  Here are the main ones.


How will McNaab settle in?

Donavan McNaab is a legendary QB in the NFL.  I believe that one day number 5 will be in the Hall of Fame.  All of his career though he has been in Philadelphia, with Andy Reed.  The question that needs answering is, will he be able to pick up a different offence, with different terminology.  I don't for a second doubt McNaab's mental ability to take in the information, but its just a matter of how soon he can do it. As well as taking on all of this info, McNaab will also have to settle in a different city.  This may be a problem for a player who has spent a long time in Philly.



Who will McNaab throw to?

Not only is there the question of McNaab settling in, but maybe the more pressing issue is, who will McNaab throw the ball to.  He obviously has the very talented Chris Cooley at TE, and there is no question that the Redskins will try to run the ball when they can, but McNaab likes a deep threat WR.  Last year you saw time after time in Philly, McNaab would move around in the pocket, buy himself some time, and throw a huge bomb the length of the field for DeSean Jackson.  I don't believe the Redskins have a player with this ability.  The best WR on the roster is probably Santana Moss, with Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly behind him.  I expect the Redskins to run as much as possible, using Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson and 'fast' Willie Parker.  I then expect Chris Cooley to have a big year.  Will this be enough though to get out of this tough division.

What will happen with Albert Haynesworth?

Throughout the off season the Redskins have had problems keeping DT Albert Haynesworth happy.  Haynesworth came in during last off season, and signed a HUGE contract.  When in Tennessee Albert was a dominant 4 - 3 DT.  Now in Washington though, and now playing a 3 - 4 defence, Albert is not making all the plays, and is therefore not happy.  Haynesworth has not been present at any of the Redskins off season activities.  He has had a meeting with Head Coach Mike Shanahan in the last few days and it is reported he will be at training camp.  Shanahan though, unhappy about Haynesworths off season antics, has told him he must pass a fitness test before he can practice, and even when he does it will not be with the first team.  This will be an interesting situation to watch, because even though it is not always Hayneworths name on the stat sheet, the pressure he brings up the middle is vital to the success of this defence.


Check back tomorrow for a look at the NFC North.

Draft Previews

San Francisco 49'ers


Last season - 8 - 8 2nd in the NFC West


Team needs - OL, CB, S, QB, OLB


Players in - Karl Paymah CB, David Carr QB.


Players out - Marcus Hudson DB, Tony Pashos T, Arnaz Battle WR, Ricky Smitt K.


Draft Positions : 


1st Round : 13th pick, 17th pick
2nd Round : 17th pick
3rd Round : 15th pick
4th Round : 15th pick
5th Round : 14th pick
6th Round : 13th pick, 37th pick.
7th Round : 17th pick

Total : 9 picks.


I think that if Florida CB Joe Haden is still on the board at this position, there is no doubt that he will be a 49'er.  CB is probably the biggest need for the team, and the next best player on the board just happens to be a CB, how lucky.  Easy pick - Haden to the 49'ers.

New York Giants


Last season - 8 - 8 3rd in NFC East


Team needs - LB, S, TE, CB, RB, WR, T


Players in - Antrel Rolle S, Jim Sorgi QB, Deon Grant S.


Players out - David Carr QB, Darcey Johnson TE, Fred Robbins DT, Kevin Dockery CB.


Draft Positions :


1st Round : 15th pick
2nd Round : 14th pick
3rd Round : 12th pick
4th Round : 17th pick
5th Round : 16th pick
6th Round : 15th pick
7th Round : 14th pick

Total : 7 picks


This is a difficult decision for the Giants.  Their major needs are LB, S, and TE.  I would imagine that they would like to take a LB as the Giants defence, after being the strength of the team in its 'Superbowl' run, has become a weakness.  I would have thought that they would love to get an ILB after cutting Antonio Pearce.  The best player at this position is Rolando McClain, but I believe he will already be off the board.  The next best player may be Penn States Sean Lee, but I believe that this would be a reach at this spot.  They could look at OLB and pick up Missouri's Sean Witherspoon.  Witherspoon had a good combine and has all the ability to be a great player at the NFL level.  This would also be a better fit for this mid first round spot.  Another option could be the number 1 TE in the draft class, Oklahoma's Jermaine Gresham.  This though may also be a slight reach, I therefore believe Sean Witherspoon will be the pick.

There are only 7 days until we announce the 'UK's Team'.  So make sure you go and vote on the right hand side of this screen, don't let your team down.  Also email your Mock Drafts to nflgbview@googlemail.com for a chance to win a spot in the 'UK's Best Fan' Fantasy Football competition.  You get a point for every correct player drafted at the draft position (not to team, as teams may trade picks)  The person with the most picks at the end wins a place in the fantasy football league.  Good luck everyone!!


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Eagles 45 Giants 38

Your choice for 'Game of the Week' was the battle for the lead in the NFC East. This game was also 'Sunday Night Football', and what a game it turned out to be. The first quarter started with a bang as the Eagles jumped out to a 14 - 0 lead, thanks to an 8 yard TD from Brent Celek, and a fumble return of 60 yards from CB Sheldon Brown. The Giants ended the quarter with a huge 15 play drive, but eventually had to settle for a field goal. The 2nd quater began with Hakeem Nicks dropping a sure TD pass from Eli Manning, but a few plays later he broke away from a couple of Eagles defenders for a 68 yard TD. David Akers added a 20 yard FG, before DeSean Jackson had a 72 yard punt return for a TD. The Giants responded with an Ahmad Bradshaw 3 yard TD, then as the Eagles drove down to the 1 yard line, before Michael Vick went in from 1 yard. 30 - 17 Eagles at half time.

The 2nd half started with a Brandon Jacobs 2 yard run, before a 61 yard TD reception by Dominic Hixon. This gave the Giants a 31- 30 lead, as the Eagles had missed an extra point. The Eagles though came up with another big play, again from DeSean Jackson, who caught a 60 yard TD pass from McNabb. The Eagles ultimatley put the game out of reach when, at the end of a 12 play, 7 1/2 minute drive, FB Leonard Weaver went in from a yard out. The Giants did score another TD through TE Kevin Boss, but there was not enough time to complete the comeback.

As you can see this was a very high scoring, entertaining game. But does this show a weakness on each teams defences. If so, will these teams be able to cause any damage in the playoffs, (if they even get there). For the Eagles this is a massive step in the right direction as they now sit at the top of the NFC East, with a 9 - 4 record. They now have a 1 game lead over the Cowboys, and a 2 game lead on the Giants. A large thank you can be sent to WR DeSean Jackson for this win. He had 6 catches for 178 yards in the game and a TD, with a punt return TD also. He is proving hiself to be one of the most explosive players in the NFL, and he will be a handfull for any secondary come playoff time. The NFC East looks to be shaping up well for an exciting finish, keep watching people.

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Cowboys 24 Giants 31

Your ‘Game of the Week’ was the NFC East clash between the Giants and the Cowboys in the ‘big apple’. This was a really big game for the hosting Giants; if they were to lose they would be 3 games off the pace in the division. I expected this to happen, but I under estimated the power of the December curse, that hangs above the Dallas Cowboys. I said before the game that the Cowboys needed to run the football effectively (as Denver did on Thanksgiving) to get the win. They managed just 45 yards on the ground, 36 from Marion Barber. Just to explain how much the Cowboys struggled on the ground, their longest run of the day came from Barber, for a pathetic 8 yards. The other major problem they had on the day was the kicking of Nick Folk. Folk was just 1 of 3 on the day – costing Dallas 6 points which would have made this game a lot closer. He has now missed 5 of his last 7 kicks, and must be worrying for his job.

To be fair to the Giants, even though Dallas seemed to press the self destruct button here, they played quite well. Their run game looked ten times better than it did against Denver, and obviously their run defence had to be better. Eli Manning had 241 yards, 2 TD’s and 1 INT. Ahmad Bradshaw was the best rusher on the Giants, going for 47 yards from just 7 carries. This is the kind of production the Giants need to keep the pressure of the injured Eli. Brandon Jacobs struggled again though, running for just 39 yards on 13 carries. Jacobs did though have 2 TD’s in the game, including a 74 yard receiving TD. Steve Smith again proved that he is Manning’s most dependable and most talented receiver – having 6 catches for 110 yards. Another TD came from Domenik Hixon’s 79 yard punt return. This again showed another glaring weakness in the Cowboys special teams play.

This result has blown the NFC East wide open once again. With the Eagles getting the victory as well at the weekend they join the Cowboys at 8 – 4, with the Giants just one game back at 7 – 5. This week the Eagles travel to the Giants on Sunday Night football. This should be a great game, and we will learn more about both teams playoff hopes here. The Cowboys are at home to the San Diego Chargers in another great matchup. This title race is going to be good. Who do you think will win the division?? Leave a comment and let me know.

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