All throughout the week, we'll be taking a look at key matchups and weak points for the Giants. Here's the first in the series.
You can't stop the Giants from passing.
Oh, sure, you can slow them down. You can shut down all but one of the receivers on the field. When it comes right down to it, though, New York has a plethora of weapons and a quarterback capable of executing their gameplan. The Falcons will have their work cut out for them against the Giants' fifth-ranked passing game, particularly dynamic Victor Cruz. Their best bet is to hit Eli Manning and count on him to make a few stupid mistakes.
The ground game, though? That's where it's at.
The Giants can't run the ball to save their lives. They're dead last in rushing yards per game in the NFL, and they've continuously shown themselves incapable of converting on the ground. Why do you think Manning's had to throw for 4,900 yards?
If the Falcons want to win Sunday—and trust me, they do—they'll want to exploit this matchup .You know the front four are borderline dominant against the run most of the time, so set up against the pass and dare the Giants to establish the run. You can hopefully force Manning to throw a costly pick or two while not getting gashed by the run.
If the Giants do get going, this could be a long afternoon. The Falcons need to play up to their pedigree and put a stop to the Giants on the ground. You can force the other teams into errors if they have to be one dimensional.