A Most Anticipated Game

The Cowboys play the Giants Sunday in the Meadowlands. There's a lot of talk about this game. It's almost as if everyone believes the Giants are guaranteed to win. Yeah, they lost the first two games, but they've been on a 6 game winning streak. Well, think about that one for a minute. Chances are, if they'd faced the unbeaten Patriots week before last instead of the win less Dolphins (and they very nearly lost to them, beating them only by a field goal with a final score of 13-10), they wouldn't be on a 6 game winning streak. They'd be on a 0 game winning streak. What would the talk be like then? If the Cowboys faced New England in week 15 like the Giants instead of in week 7, chances are they'd be on an 8 game winning streak instead of a 1 game winning streak. What would the talk be like then?

And let's talk about those Giants wins. Yeah, everybody's throwing around statistics, like how the Giants gave up 80 points in their first two games, but have only given up 79 total in the six games since then. Like how the Giants defense has improved so much, and yardage and on and on. But think about this: The first two games the Giants played, they lost to Dallas and Green Bay. Those two teams have a combined won-loss record of 13-3. The six teams the Giants have beaten since then have a combined won-loss record of 13-36. That averages out to a 2-6 record for each of them. Against teams with a .500 or better record, the Giants are 1-2. The Cowboys are 2-1.

So far, Dallas has outscored their opponents 230-175--a difference of 51 points. The Giants have outscored their opponents 200-159--a difference of 41 points. Since the Giants have yet to face a team of the caliber of New England, if you take that score out, the Cowboys scoring totals become 203-127--a difference of 76 points. To be fair, we'll drop the Giants loss to Dallas (since that is the most points their defense has given up this season) from their totals. That brings their scoring totals to 163-114--a difference of only 51 points.

Oh yeah, this game is a home game for the Giants. The Cowboys are 4-0 on the road. The Giants are 3-1 at home.

Still, according to a recent poll on the Cowboys website, this is expected to be their toughest upcoming game, so I expect it to be a good one.

But I wouldn't exactly call it a shoe in for the Giants.

(Some statistics were taken from: The Road To Victory, by Mickey Spagnola)