Defending Super Bowl champions New York Giants host NFC East rivals Dallas Cowboys for 2012 season opener
It is rare feat for any team to successfully defend its National Football League (NFL) title, but the defending Super Bowl champions New York Giants seem to have ignored that record as they prepare to host their National Football Conference (NFC) East rivals
Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on September 05, to kick off the 2012 regular season.
The start to the season could not be much more thrilling as both teams share an exciting rivalry that is renewed every time they face each other. And garnishing that rivalry with some pregame hype, especially some trash talk, makes it even more delicious.
Being able to finish the 2011 regular season 9-7, the Giants qualified for the playoffs from the division, while the Cowboys, who were actually looking pretty solid last year, finished with 8-8, failing once again to get a shot at any major title.
The Cowboys have not been able to win any major title since more than 10 years now and some observers are desperately feeling that the championship window is closing on them. The Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones earlier feared during the offseason
that he considered the window closing on Cowboys, but later maintained that he was just trying to boost the team’s confidence.
Whatever the case is, there is no denying that the Cowboys desperately need to silence their critics and this seems the perfect time to do so. They Cowboys are coming with a new defensive strategy under defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.
The Cowboys’ first-round pick of this year’s draft Morris Claiborne further added to the number of cornerbacks in the team and it is expected that many players are going to be used on rotation basis at cornerback.
As for Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, this season provides another opportunity to showcase his talent. He had one of the best seasons of his career last year, but since he was unable to take the team to the postseason, his performance did not receive the
due appreciation.
On the other hand, Giants quarterback Eli Manning, too, will not be an easy opponent for the Cowboys. Manning has already won two Super Bowl rings in his NFL career and he seems hungry for more.
Rob Ryan is well aware of what Manning is capable of doing and that is why he wants to keep the quarterback under pressure right from the start. Ryan said of Manning:
“He’s smart with the ball, he’s been in the system, he knows it inside out, he’s done a great job, he’s been a leader, he makes throws. But we’ve got to make it tougher on him – that’s for sure – than we did the last two times we played him.”
The Cowboys were defeated twice by the Giants last season and their recent record against the defending champions in not very pleasing. Giants head coach Tom Coughlin acknowledges that the Giants have an edge over Cowboys as far as recent record is concerned,
but he maintains that nearly all the games were evenly fought battles. He said:
“Just hard fought games. Every game is a tough game. Seems to go pretty close to the wire. On the 17th week last year was a little bit of an exception, but every game is a battle. These two teams play each other hard and they’re two talented teams that are
very physical and that’s the way these games always are.”
Jerry Jones had earlier asked the fans during the offseason to come and see the season opener in which, the owner claimed, Cowboys would beat the “Giants a*s”. Giants were not behind in replying and a couple of their players hit back at Jones.
As there is still a day left in the game, it is expected that such remarks will continue to come from both sides while the fans will also play their part before the game to support their respective teams.
Meanwhile, Giants have received some great news as it is expected that their quality wide receiver Hakeem Nicks will be back in the starting line-up against Cowboys after recovering from a foot injury.
Cowboys are not that much fortunate as the status of tight end Jason Witten is in doubt and he might not be able to play in the season opener.
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