GIANTS @ DALLAS: Write-Up! Eli or Dak????????????

2016 Record: 14-5

The pick:

GIANTS -1 over DALLAS

I won't have a ridiculously long write-up.

Why? Someone already did a great on this game. The poster is Summa and you'll find the write-up on the second page in this forum (I can't post the link because it screws up the post itself). It's first rate from one of the best posters here.

The bottom line is that I can't disagree with much of what he said. I found myself agreeing with 90% of it.

The problem is I have a long memory. Every time I lose, I try to learn something from that loss.

On 4/04/14 I posted a game where I took the Cavs over the Hawks. It got over 500 comments. Why? I based it on the theory that the Hawks were throwing games. They were in a way. Danny Ferry, their GM hinted as much in a NYT feature a few days prior to that game. And the Hawks players destroyed the Cavs that game. That loss hurt.

The reason I bring up that game is because everything in that game screamed for me to take the Cavs and the Hawks were the better play...by a mile. They ended up blowing the doors off the Cavs by 19.

Everything here scream Cowboys to me but I have to take NY.

So you say, "How can you compare that to this game where you have a rookie QB behind center?"

Well, I've watched every throw he's made in the preseason and it's been nothing short of spectacular. Still it is the preseason.

I also have great admiration for Elliot. And after reading Summa's write-up about Dallas' O-Line etc., I was read to take Dallas.

But that I cannot do.

I have this deep internal struggle with this game that is telling me I'll pay dearly if I take Dallas. 

In short, here are my reasons for the play.

1. A Pure Line

A pick'um. Well it just moved to -1 Giants. It's quite rare you just pick a winner. That is a push or win line. Just pick a winner. I absolutely love this type of spot.

2. The NFC East

If the Giants lose this game to a rookie QB, and a rookie RB and a team with 3 Defensive players suspended, their season isn't over. But they are staring down the barrel of an 8-8 conference championship AT BEST as these teams grind and churn each other in and out like they do every year. Why go through another year of that???

This really is a big spot for NY and they know it. And local news rags have printed such from the players lips to our eyes. The Giants mindset is to take control of one of the worst divisions in football immediately. Lose to a rookie QB and a rookie RB and you are in deep this year. They have to take advantage of this spot as it presents itself.

3. The Giants D-Line

Improved. The Giants unloaded a ton of money into this defense and it will reap dividends. Usually sinking big time money into one's D in the NFL doesn't pay off like many think it would over the long-term but we only need to do one thing here: stop the run. 

Stop a rookie RB against, admittedly the best O-Line in football and then throw confusing defensive schemes a Dak who you have plenty of film on now. That is the goal. And I can see the Giants achieving it. There's enough on their D-Line to do it. The secondary leaves a lot to be desired and they will give up scores. Just not enough to lose.

4. The NY wide receiving core.

Now world class: Beckham, Cruz and Shepard as the axis of receiving evil. Beckham can bail Eli out of any jam too. YES, the Giants O-line is bad but with a receiving core this good and Eli to get the ball to them, I have to trust them over Dak and Co. Giants will be putting points on the board that Dak and Elliot will be forced to keep up with.

5. Mini-revenge.

Remember last year's Giants Dallas game in Dallaswhere the Giants had Jennings purposely not score and the Cowboys drove the entire field to win it 27-26?

That's on the players mind here. They've said as much in several interviews. Many posters here think that angle is trash but I do not and it's worked for me in the past.

Summa's write-up was great but in the end the Giants should have just enough to win the game. This is a very big game for NY while questions abound encircle Dallas. And that's all we need. Just win and we win without a spread to worry about.