NFL fans are buzzing with anticipation of the start of the football season. The defending Champion New York Giants will host the Dallas Cowboys to kickoff the season. For the Cowboys, this is more than just the first game of the season. This is an opportunity to punch your rival in the mouth and gain some respect.
The Giants ended the Cowboys season with a 31-14 defeat and kept them out of the playoffs last year. This was a game the Cowboys had to have but they could only score 14 points. It would be the second year in a row that the Cowboys missed the post season. In that game, Tony Romo was 29 of 37 for 289, 1 TD, 1 Int and a fumble. He missed to connect on some big throws and he didn’t get any help from his running game. Romo is a good quarterback, but he’s not that guy who can carry his team. He goes into tonight’s game without his security blanket in Jason Witten, who is probably out of this contest. His wide receivers are also banged up. His defense didn’t help him either by giving up 346 yards and 3 touchdowns in their last meeting to Eli Manning. The Cowboys secondary was horrible last year. So they made some changes in the off season. They signed Brandon Carr to a 5 year, 50.1 million dollar deal. They moved up in the draft to take Morris Claiborne with the sixth pick. They also let go of an aging Terrence Newman. In due time this unit should be better. The Cowboys should have a good running game with DeMarco Murray finally being healthy.
But the Giants are champions for a reason. When it’s time to work, they put on their hard hat and find a way to grind it out. Eli Manning has gotten better every single year and is still not talked about in that top tier of quarterbacks. The Giants don’t care about talk. They speak with their play on the field and tonight will be no different.
Wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz are that good and Eli will find a way to get them the ball. Tuck and company will expose that weak Cowboy offensive line. DeMarco Murray will need to run for the Cowboys to keep that Giants defense honest. But I don’t see him being able to do that tonight. Hence putting all the pressure back on Romo to be the hero.
Since 2004, the defending Super Bowl champ has hosted this game and has never lost. The record is currently 8-0. I look for the Giants to make it 9-0.