Giants look for consistency as the Texans look to keep rolling: Giants vs. Texans preview
Many are wondering if the New York Giants’ impressive performance last week was caused by the Chicago Bears’ poor play or the re-emergence of the Giants’ defence. One thing’s for sure; 10 sacks in one game and nine in the first half is an impressive number.
As for the Houston Texans, they are trying to prove they’re for real after struggling last week to beat Oakland. The Giants and the Texans will kick off early afternoon at Reliant Stadium on Sunday.
The Texans have proven they can run the ball effectively, as Arian Foster leads the league in rushing yards and Derrick Ward had a big day himself last week. The same team that couldn’t run the ball to save their lives last year is now leading the league in
rushing with 172 yards per game.
Matt Schaub isn’t doing too bad himself. The Texans are eighth in the league with 243 passing yards per game, but the key is, they are a balanced offence now. Schaub struggled two weeks ago against Dallas and again wasn’t at his best last week in Oakland but
has still done enough for Houston to be 3-1. One loss this week could be his best receiver and probably the best in the league, Andre Johnson. Johnson sat out last week’s game with a sprained ankle and has not participated in practice this week. Schaub still
has Kevin Walter though, who is a breakout star leading the Texans with 22 catches for 242 yards and three touchdowns.
The Giants’ defence will look to continue getting pressure on the quarterback. Schaub likes to drop back a lot and tends to hold on to the ball for a long time. That may haunt him if the Giants’ defensive line plays anywhere near the level they did last week.
Justin Tuck registered three sacks and seven tackles last week, including three for a loss. Osi Umenyiora had three sacks himself last week.
The Giants will be a big test for the Texans as they are ranked second in the league against the pass (139 yards per game) and are third with only 257 total yards per game. Their weakness is their rush defence, giving up 117.2 yards per game, 22nd overall.
That means the Texans will have to continue mixing it up and use all facets of their offence.
Giants’ running back Ahmad Bradshaw has not practised all week with an ankle injury and is questionable for Sunday. Expect Brandon Jacobs to get more carries and for the Giants to throw the ball a little more.
Eli Manning has to have a big game for the Giants to win. New York has registered both of their wins due to timely turnovers by their defence and their power running game. Manning has looked shaky and needs to settle down and take advantage of a weak Texans’
secondary. Hakeem Nicks should have a big day as he already has four touchdowns on the season with 21 catches for 279 yards.
The Texans’ defence has let them down in some games, as they are dead last against the pass, with 337.8 yards allowed per game. The good news is they are second against the run with just 70.2 yards allowed and they’ll get linebacker Brian Cushing back from
is four-game suspension. If they can pressure Manning, then that’ll help tone down the yards they allow.
It’s hard to figure these two teams out, as both teams are so good in some areas and so poor in other areas. The game will come down to controlling the clock and keeping mistakes to a minimum. The Texans can jump to 4-1 while the Giants look to at least stay
tied for the NFC East lead. A loss though can drop them all the way to fourth in their division.
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