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Monday Night Football Preview: New York Giants vs Washington Redskins
Published by JM Van Horn on December 20, 2009
On Monday Night Football, the New York Giants will need a win over their division rival the Washington Redskins if they want to keep pace for an NFC playoff berth. Can the Giants defense do enough to slow done a resurgent Redskins offense or will they fail to show up for the second straight week?
If there are any Giants fans who say they are not concerned about the loss to the Eagles last week, they have to be kidding themselves. The Giants found a way to lose to the Eagles even though their offense racked up 512 yards of offense and had a nine minute advantage in time of possession.
This week they are facing a Redskins defensive unit that has stepped up to the challenge over the last four games. They have held opponents to less than 20 points twice and in their three loses, the Redskins have lost by a combined total of seven points.
The key for the Giants success against the Redskins defense will be to maintain sustained drives. In their loss to the Eagles, the Giants had seven of their thirteen drives last five plays or less. Eli Manning and company will need to run the offense effectively resulting in longer drives and a rested Giants defense.
The Redskins defense may be in the spot light, but the real reason for their turnaround has been the re-emergence of quarterback Jason Campbell.
In the last four games, Campbell has a 91.1 QB rating by completing 63.9% of his passes for 1,076 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Campbell’s favorite target has been tight end Fred Davis, who has hauled in 14 receptions for 170 yards and four touchdowns.
While the passing game has been better than expected, the Redskins running game has been a big question mark without their stud, Clinton Portis.
The Redskins will rely upon Rock Cartwright and Quinton Ganther to shoulder the load. Both running backs have combined for 350 yards this season. They will be tested by a Giants defense led by Justin Tuck that is ranked ninth in the NFL, allowing only 100.6 rushing yards per game.
On Monday night, it will be do or die time for the Giants. Their offense will need to be primed and ready to pick up the slack for the defense. Look for the Giants to win a hard fought game by three points and keep their playoff chances alive for another week.
Prediction: New York 17 Washington 14
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Tagged with: 2009 NFC Playoffs, 2009 NFL Predictions, 2009 NFL Season, Clinton Portis, Eli Manning, Fred Davis, Jason Campbell, JM Van Horn, Monday Night Football, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins
