|
Saturday, January 13 Giants will give Vikings a run for title Special to ESPN.com The Giants should be as confident as any team in the league. Concerns about their soft schedule are groundless. You don't win 12 games in the NFL without beating some good teams. When you're on the verge of not making the playoffs and you end up with home-field advantage there is something to be said for that.
1. Run the football. The Giants big team has to be able to dominate the smaller Viking defense. This has been an Achilles' Heel for Minnesota for some time. The Giants hope they can wear the Vikings down with their powerful running game. 2. Limit Moss TDs. Cris Carter will keep the chains moving but Randy Moss will demoralize you. He can't be allowed to turn an eight-yard slant into a 65-yard touchdown. Give Carter his catches if you have to but do whatever it takes to bring Moss down after his catches. 3. Pressure Culpepper. The Giants cannot play soft zone against this offense. Moss will find space and make tacklers miss. Culpepper is young, regardless of the great year he had. Blitz him and hit him in the mouth. If a quarterback keeps getting hit the ball comes out quicker no matter how big you are. Three keys for the Vikings: 1. Get Moss off early. If Moss doesn't get the ball in the first half the entire team will know about it. If he gets his hands on the ball early he is happy and productive. 2. Stop the run. Commit eight men to the box. They need to jump and move around up front so that the big Giants' linemen can't get a hold of the undersized Minnesota defensive line. If the Giants are in second and short situations all day the Vikings are in trouble. 3. Get some interceptions. The Vikings will move the football. The Giants will be able to move the football at times and they will be able to play defense at times. The x-factor will be if the Vikings defense can make plays and score. They haven't been able to do it all year. On the road the defense has to do something special.
|