Sunday night’s Giants versus Cowboys game has the potential to be one of the most epic games of the 2011 season. With the NFC East title on the line, both the Dallas Cowboys (7-5) and New York Giants (6-6) are looking to bounce back from heart breaking losses and take the inside track to winning the NFC East. This game will feature a matchup between two of the hottest quarterback’s in the league, Tony Romo and Eli Manning.
In Romo’s career against the Giants, he is 5-5 with 17 TDs and 10 INTs. In his last five games this season, Romo has thrown for 1,366 yards and 11 TD’s, and the Cowboys are 4-1 in that span. This Sunday, the key for the Cowboys will be protecting Romo in the pocket so he has time to find the open receiver. Last week against the Cardinals, Romo was sacked 5 times and as a result, the Cowboys had a hard time finding the end zone and lost 19-13 in overtime.
Luckily for Romo and the Cowboys, the Giants will be without star defensive lineman Osi Umenyiora who is sidelined for a second straight week with an ankle injury.
Romo and the Cowboys will be glad to welcome back wide receiver Miles Austin. According Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Austin is a “full go” in practice this week and is expected to make his return after not playing since week 8, when he suffered a hamstring injury against the Eagles. The addition of Austin makes the Cowboys receiving corps even more dangerous. Even with Austin out, the trio of Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and Laurent Robinson has combined for 19 TDs this season. If Romo is given time in the pocket, the Cowboys offense has the potential for a big day.
On the other hand, Eli Manning has a career record of 7-6 with 26 TDs and 17 INTs against the Cowboys. Manning and the Giants are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the undefeated Packers, and gave Green Bay their biggest scare of the year. Manning threw for 347 yards and 3 TDs in the 38-35 loss. This Sunday, the Giants will be looking to throw the ball against a Cowboys secondary that has been vulnerable of late. The Cowboys defense has allowed opposing quarterbacks to throw for at least 280 yards twice in the last three weeks – and that was Miami’s Matt Moore and Washington’s Rex Grossman. The way Manning has been playing this season, he could light up the Cowboys.
Since Week 11, Eli Manning has been without wide receiver Mario Manningham who is suffering from a knee injury; however, the explosive Victor Cruz has flourished in Manningham’s absence by moving out of the slot and lining up opposite Hakeem Nicks on the outside. In the Giants last three games with Manningham out, Cruz and Manning have hooked up for 22 completions, 404 yards and 3 TDs. It will be interesting to see how the Cowboys attempt to cover both Cruz and Nicks, who have combined for 13 TDs and 1,936 yards this season.
This game has the potential to turn into a shootout. With the NFC East title and a playoff spot on the line, the last team with the ball may end up winning the game, but more importantly the NFC East as well. But this is only round one, as the two teams meet again in a rematch on New Years Day.
