Despite a week one loss, the New York Giants defense surprised a lot of people with their play last week. (Getty)
So, about last week.
The New York Giants were nursing a ten-point lead over the Dallas Cowboys late in the fourth quarter when a series of incredibly unfortunate decisions and poor time management led to one of the most disappointing losses in Big Blue history. Over the next few hours there was plenty of talk about who did what wrong, with both Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning taking part of the blame, but in the end all that mattered was the score on the board. The Giants lost.
The team would like to, firmly, put that game behind them with a strong showing this weekend, squaring off against the Atlanta Falcons in their home opener at MetLife Stadium. Kickoff for the game is slated for 1 p.m. ET. Here’s everything you need to know about the betting information, per OddsShark.com:
Game Info
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones racked up two touchdowns in last week’s season opener and poses a big-time threat to New York’s secondary. (Getty)
Line: New York (-1)
Moneyline: Atlanta (+108), New York (-128)
Over/Under: 50
What To Watch For
Giants QB Eli Manning threw for 190 yards without a touchdown in last week’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys. (Getty)
Let’s all be honest with ourselves, no one expected the New York Giants secondary to play as well as they did last week.
This was a group that was absolutely decimated by injuries and seemed more prone to tear an ACL than break up a pass on a deep route. Then, they played the Cowboys and Prince Amukamara and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie looked good. Really good. New York forced three turnovers, including two picks off Tony Romo. Yes, there were those two touchdown drives and that one that led to the loss but, overall, the Giants defense looked good even against a Cowboys offensive line that has been touted as one of the best in the league.
The Atlanta Falcons do not have the same offensive line.
If the Giants get pressure into the backfield, and maybe even get a hand in Matt Ryan’s face, this defense could really make a statement and hold their own against a wideout like Julio Jones who opened the season with a pair of touchdown receptions. They might even forget about last week.