Former Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown, who played with the team from 1991-95, and then again in 1999, takes a closer look at Sunday's game between the Cowboys and Giants at Giants Stadium.
Key Match-Ups
Giants Offense vs. Cowboys Defense:
I'm looking at Giants wide receiver Steve Smith vs. Cowboys nickel back Orlando Scandrick. That is a huge match-up. Steve Smith is becoming a big part of the Giants offense. You obviously can't ignore what Plaxico Burress is doing, but Steve Smith has really come into his own this year. And when they get to third down, they like to put Smith in the slot, so he'll be facing a lot of Scandrick, who has been playing very well lately. I talked to some scouts before the draft and they said that Scandrick slid because a lot of teams questioned his toughness and his willingness to come up and hit. And well, that has been the total opposite. Scandrick has done a great job of tackling and he has been more than willing to throw his little body around. That's what I call us cornerbacks, we've got little bodies, but he's not afraid to mix it up. I think it's going to be a good match-up.
Cowboys Offense vs. Giants Defense:
Just like the other side of the ball, I'm thinking that big plays are going to be made in the slot. Slot receivers will keep chains moving this week. When the Cowboys have the ball, I'm looking at Patrick Crayton vs. Aaron Ross, the young cornerback for the Giants. He played well at the end of last season and he's a solid cover guy. Now, on regular downs, the Cowboys will have to get Roy Williams involved this week. But when it comes to keeping drives going, the Cowboys will need to look inside at the slot, and this is where Crayton can be effective. I think he'll want to play big in this game. He knows what happened last year against the Giants. He dropped a big ball in that game that could've led to a victory. He knows he's pretty much not the starter anymore with Williams coming in, but Crayton still has a chance to make plays for this offense.
The Cowboys Win If . . .
It's going to take a collective group effort to win this game. Special teams has to play lights out! On defense, they have to create turnovers. The defense needs to take what they did last week and build on it. But they have to get turnovers. It's a must. Not only does it keep the ball out of the Giants' hands, but it gives your offense more opportunities to score. The Cowboys have to have a shortened field, just like St. Louis did to them two weeks ago. I think a short field will really help Brad Johnson. He's going to have a hard time going 80 yards for a touchdown. The defense needs to step up again and really help out this Cowboys offense.
The Giants Win If . . .
They rush for more than 130 yards, and they'll be feeding the ball to Brandon Jacobs. The Cowboys have to tackle that big boy. He's a load. He's a big boy with a quick burst. They can't let the Giants keep the ball on the ground. The Cowboys' offense won't be on the field if that happens. The Cowboys need as many possessions on offense as they can. Time is not your friend if you don't run a lot of plays on offense.
Larry's Pick:
I think it's going to be a close game. It will come down to a touchdown or less. It can go either way. The Cowboys absolutely have a chance to win. I'm going to say Cowboys 24, Giants 21. These division games are always close. I think it will be two good defenses going at it. There will be lots of running in this game. I think the Cowboys have a good chance to win, but a lot of things have to go right for them.
Larry's Favorite Giants Memory:
I'll never forget that last game of the regular season in 1993. We went up there and we had to win to win the division. It was the Giants, in New York. They were a good team. A lot of experts thought we would have a letdown. But we won it, it was big and it was the game that Emmitt Smith played with that painful shoulder injury. I remember that very vividly. The funny part about it was, the coaches didn't stop giving him the ball. It was clear his shoulder was hurt. They kept feeding Emmitt and it didn't matter. And I could sympathize for Emmitt because I've had that injury and I've had the exact same surgery. Let me tell you, it is painful. I had even more respect for Emmitt after that game. But we got the ball in overtime and Eddie Murray - or we called him Eddie Money - hit the field goal and we won the game, got home-field advantage in the playoffs and went on to win the Super Bowl that year.
Home | Email | Print | Register for New Alerts | RSS
