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Re: 2NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. 14 New Articles Added 11/1/06
Re: 2NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. 14 New Articles Added 11/1/06
Thursday, November 2, 2006
Take 2: Texans vs. Giants
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By Scouts, Inc.
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<TABLE class=text11 cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD><!---------------------INLINE TABLE (BEGIN)---------------------><TABLE id=inlinetable cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TH style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000" colSpan=9>Houston at New York Matchups</TH><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>QB</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>RB</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>WR</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>OL</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>DL</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>LB</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>DB</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>ST</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>Coach</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>Overall</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62>
EVEN</TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!---------------------INLINE TABLE (END)--------------------->
Earlier this week, our scouts filed their advance scouting report on this week's matchup between the Texans and Giants. Now they're back with a second look.
? The Giants are going to try to control the clock and the game with their strong run game, while being efficient with their passing game. The Texans, meanwhile, are going to lean on their strong passing game, while being efficient with the run game. If the Giants win the battle on the ground, they will maintain their one-game lead on the Dallas Cowboys. Head coach Tom Coughlin is not going to take this game lightly. Expect New York to come out with a lot of fire and try to make a statement. <!---------------------INLINE HEADSHOT (BEGIN)--------------------->
Barber
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Jacobs
<!---------------------INLINE HEADSHOT (END)--------------------->? The Giants have one of the better run games in the NFL with a two-headed attack featuring the electric running style of Tiki Barber with the powerful slashing style of Brandon Jacobs. New York is ranked fourth in the NFL, averaging 146 yards per game on the ground. Barber is gaining 89 of those yards each game, while Jacobs is gaining 32 per game. Jacobs has a better per carry average of 5.1 yards as opposed to 4.6 for Barber. They are both effective catching the ball out of the backfield, although Barber (29 catches) has received the bulk of the passes thrown by Eli Manning.
? Houston is 26th in the NFL in run defense, giving up 135 yards per game on the ground. Middle LB DeMeco Ryans has been a stalwart defender against the run and is leading the team in tackles. The defensive linemen have not done a great job of stopping the run up the middle, but the defensive ends, especially Mario Williams, have started to get into the flow of what defensive coordinator Richard Smith is asking them to do. Williams has picked things up and is currently seventh on the team in tackles while leading the team in sacks.
? The Giants have one of the larger offensive lines in the league, which lends itself wel, to their power-running philosophy. With the likes of tackles Luke Petitgout and Kareem McKenzie, the Giants have the ability to run right at you, or to seal off the corner and break one to the outside. The Giants need get positive yardage on first and second down. Manning's quarterback rating drops dramatically on third down, when the defenses know he has to throw the ball. This will be a huge test for Houston's defensive ends, who have yet to come up against an offensive line this good.
? While most of New York's emphasis will be on the run game, the Giants are more than capable of burning you with their passing attack. Manning has improved vastly since he came into the league. His QB rating of 88.9 is well ahead of last year's rating of 75.9. After seven games he has thrown 14 touchdowns to go with his eight interceptions and has been sacked 15 times. His targets, wide receivers Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress and tight end Jeremy Shockey, are all tall with very good receiving skills. Manning has done a good job of spreading the wealth around with Burress catching 31 balls, Toomer 30 and Shockey 23.
? Houston needs to find some kind of success in the running game to slow down the Giants' daunting pass rush. Defensive ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora have combined to get the ninth-most sacks in the NFL (20), with Strahan getting three and Umenyiora five. If QB David Carr can find any kind of early success throwing the ball it should loosen up the run lanes for running back Wali Lundy. It will be key for guards Chester Pitts and Steve McKinney, along with center Mike Flanagan, to do more than just hold their own against New York nose tackle Barry Cofield and DT Fred Robbins.
? Carr needs to bounce back after a subpar performance in Week 8 against the Tennessee Titans. Carr, while being pressured constantly, had three turnovers with one interception and two fumbles. The Texans need to play close to flawless football to have a chance in New York. For the most part Carr has been very effective throwing the ball. He has flourished under the system head coach Gary Kubiak brought with him from Denver. Through seven games Carr has a quarterback rating of 94.3 with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. However, he's still getting sacked too much (20). ? Carr's favorite target has been Andre Johnson, with 56 catches for 669 yards (both lead the NFL). Wide receiver Eric Moulds (28) and rookie TE Owen Daniels (18) are the No. 2 and No.3 receivers. All three are averaging over 10 yards per catch.
Special Teams
Special teams are pretty close to a toss-up. New Yorks punter Jeff Feagles is averaging 41.5 yards per punt (37 net) and is one of the best at killing the ball inside the 20. Kicker Jay Feely is having a good year with 11 field goals and is 50 percent between the 40-49. Chad Morton is averaging 21.6 yards on kickoff returns and 6.6 yards on pun returns. Houston punter Chad Stanley is averaging 42.4 yards per punt (37 net), while kicker Kris Brown has hit on 8 of 9 attempts with his only miss being between 30-39 yards. Edell Shepherd is handling both the kickoff and punt returns, averaging eight yards on punt returns and 23.2 yards on kickoff returns.
Matchups
? New York RB Tiki Barber vs. Houston MLB DeMeco Ryans
? Houston WR Andre Johnson vs. New York CBs Sam Madison and Corey Webster
? New York LDE Michael Strahan vs. Houston ROT Zach Wiegert
? Houston RDE Mario Williams vs. New York LOT Luke Petitgout
? New York WR Plaxico Burress vs. Houston CB Dunta Robinson
Scouts' Edge
Houston has to find some way to slow down the Giants' run game and establish some kind of running game of its own. If the Giants are able to run the ball against Houston's front seven, they will be able to control the clock as well as throw the ball at unpredictable times, slowing down Houston's pass rush. The Giants want to get into short third-down situations where they can run the ball, as Manning has struggled with his third-down conversions. Coughlin is not going to let the Giants come out flat as he knows they need to maintain their one-game lead over the Cowboys.
Prediction: Giants 30, Texans 14
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Re: 2NFL - ESPN Insider Writeups, etc. 14 New Articles Added 11/1/06
Thursday, November 2, 2006
Take 2: Texans vs. Giants
<!-- end pagetitle --><!-- begin bylinebox -->
By Scouts, Inc.
<!-- begin presby2 -->
<!-- end presby2 -->
<!-- end bylinebox -->
<TABLE class=text11 cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD><!---------------------INLINE TABLE (BEGIN)---------------------><TABLE id=inlinetable cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TH style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000" colSpan=9>Houston at New York Matchups</TH><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>QB</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>RB</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>WR</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>OL</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>DL</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>LB</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>DB</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>ST</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>Coach</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #999999" align=middle width=62>Overall</TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62>
EVEN</TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD><TD align=middle width=62> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!---------------------INLINE TABLE (END)--------------------->
Earlier this week, our scouts filed their advance scouting report on this week's matchup between the Texans and Giants. Now they're back with a second look.
? The Giants are going to try to control the clock and the game with their strong run game, while being efficient with their passing game. The Texans, meanwhile, are going to lean on their strong passing game, while being efficient with the run game. If the Giants win the battle on the ground, they will maintain their one-game lead on the Dallas Cowboys. Head coach Tom Coughlin is not going to take this game lightly. Expect New York to come out with a lot of fire and try to make a statement. <!---------------------INLINE HEADSHOT (BEGIN)--------------------->
Barber
Jacobs
? Houston is 26th in the NFL in run defense, giving up 135 yards per game on the ground. Middle LB DeMeco Ryans has been a stalwart defender against the run and is leading the team in tackles. The defensive linemen have not done a great job of stopping the run up the middle, but the defensive ends, especially Mario Williams, have started to get into the flow of what defensive coordinator Richard Smith is asking them to do. Williams has picked things up and is currently seventh on the team in tackles while leading the team in sacks.
? The Giants have one of the larger offensive lines in the league, which lends itself wel, to their power-running philosophy. With the likes of tackles Luke Petitgout and Kareem McKenzie, the Giants have the ability to run right at you, or to seal off the corner and break one to the outside. The Giants need get positive yardage on first and second down. Manning's quarterback rating drops dramatically on third down, when the defenses know he has to throw the ball. This will be a huge test for Houston's defensive ends, who have yet to come up against an offensive line this good.
? While most of New York's emphasis will be on the run game, the Giants are more than capable of burning you with their passing attack. Manning has improved vastly since he came into the league. His QB rating of 88.9 is well ahead of last year's rating of 75.9. After seven games he has thrown 14 touchdowns to go with his eight interceptions and has been sacked 15 times. His targets, wide receivers Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress and tight end Jeremy Shockey, are all tall with very good receiving skills. Manning has done a good job of spreading the wealth around with Burress catching 31 balls, Toomer 30 and Shockey 23.
? Houston needs to find some kind of success in the running game to slow down the Giants' daunting pass rush. Defensive ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora have combined to get the ninth-most sacks in the NFL (20), with Strahan getting three and Umenyiora five. If QB David Carr can find any kind of early success throwing the ball it should loosen up the run lanes for running back Wali Lundy. It will be key for guards Chester Pitts and Steve McKinney, along with center Mike Flanagan, to do more than just hold their own against New York nose tackle Barry Cofield and DT Fred Robbins.
? Carr needs to bounce back after a subpar performance in Week 8 against the Tennessee Titans. Carr, while being pressured constantly, had three turnovers with one interception and two fumbles. The Texans need to play close to flawless football to have a chance in New York. For the most part Carr has been very effective throwing the ball. He has flourished under the system head coach Gary Kubiak brought with him from Denver. Through seven games Carr has a quarterback rating of 94.3 with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. However, he's still getting sacked too much (20). ? Carr's favorite target has been Andre Johnson, with 56 catches for 669 yards (both lead the NFL). Wide receiver Eric Moulds (28) and rookie TE Owen Daniels (18) are the No. 2 and No.3 receivers. All three are averaging over 10 yards per catch.
Special Teams
Special teams are pretty close to a toss-up. New Yorks punter Jeff Feagles is averaging 41.5 yards per punt (37 net) and is one of the best at killing the ball inside the 20. Kicker Jay Feely is having a good year with 11 field goals and is 50 percent between the 40-49. Chad Morton is averaging 21.6 yards on kickoff returns and 6.6 yards on pun returns. Houston punter Chad Stanley is averaging 42.4 yards per punt (37 net), while kicker Kris Brown has hit on 8 of 9 attempts with his only miss being between 30-39 yards. Edell Shepherd is handling both the kickoff and punt returns, averaging eight yards on punt returns and 23.2 yards on kickoff returns.
Matchups
? New York RB Tiki Barber vs. Houston MLB DeMeco Ryans
? Houston WR Andre Johnson vs. New York CBs Sam Madison and Corey Webster
? New York LDE Michael Strahan vs. Houston ROT Zach Wiegert
? Houston RDE Mario Williams vs. New York LOT Luke Petitgout
? New York WR Plaxico Burress vs. Houston CB Dunta Robinson
Scouts' Edge
Houston has to find some way to slow down the Giants' run game and establish some kind of running game of its own. If the Giants are able to run the ball against Houston's front seven, they will be able to control the clock as well as throw the ball at unpredictable times, slowing down Houston's pass rush. The Giants want to get into short third-down situations where they can run the ball, as Manning has struggled with his third-down conversions. Coughlin is not going to let the Giants come out flat as he knows they need to maintain their one-game lead over the Cowboys.
Prediction: Giants 30, Texans 14
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