Dallas Cowboys (1-7 SU, 1-7 ATS) at New York Giants (6-2 SU, 5-3 ATS), Week 10 NFL, 4:15 p.m. Eastern, Sunday, November 14, 2010, New Meadowlands Stadium (Field Turf), East Rutherford, N.J. TV: FOX
by Jeff Hochman of JHSportsline.com
Betting Odds: Dal +14/NYG -14
Over/Under Total: 45
The most disappointing team in NFL history travels to New York to face the NFC East division leading Giants. Three weeks ago, the Dallas Cowboys were 3.5-point home favorites against the New York Giants. Now, the Cowboys invade the Meadowlands as 13.5-point road underdogs. WOW!
Everyone knows I was not a fan of Wade Philips as a head coach in this league. Finally, Jerry Jones had no choice but to hand him the pink slip after Sunday’s embarrassing loss at Green Bay. Through the first five weeks of the Season Dallas was out-gaining its opponent, but were committing turnovers and penalties left and right. But, after the Giants game in late October this team has simply quit playing hard. At this point all Cowboy fans should root for more losses so they can draft some athletic offensive lineman. Dallas has not drafted an offensive lineman since 1996, which was Flozell Adams. They are other problems with this team that I could spend hours writing about.
The NYG are playing quality football in all phases of the game. They are ranked in the Top 10 on offense, defense, special teams, and turnover differential. Dallas is 6-2 ITS (in the stats) but only have one win to show for it. Maybe the coaching change will make this team pay more attention to detail and technique. The Cowboys have the worst technique in coverage and I dought it will get better this season. Considering the Giants are averaging 250 yards passing per game, going against the 28th-ranked passing defense might have Dallas searching for answers once again.
One to thing to look for is the health of the Giants’ offensive line in this game. David Diehl injured his hip blocking on an extra point in the second quarter. In addition to the Diehl injury, Coughlin said that backup offensive lineman Adam Koets will be out for the season with a torn left ACL. Koets started in place of O’Hara for three games earlier this season when the center nursed an injury his left ankle and Achilles. O’Hara sat out on Sunday against the Seahawks with a mild right Lisfranc sprain. Coughlin started left guard Rich Seubert at center against Seattle. Coughlin said Monday that he had no update on O’Hara, who may miss another week. Dallas has the potential to disrupt a inexperienced offensive line with the likes of DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer rushing from the edge.
The big storyline surrounding this matchup between the division-leading New York Giants and the last-placed Dallas Cowboys is Jason Garrett replacing Wade Phillips as head coach of the Cowboys, after Jerry Jones let him go this past Monday.
While the Giants might wonder what type of impact that will have on the Cowboys, beaten by a combined score of 80-24 the past two weeks, the Giants have an issue of their own to address this week as I mentioned above. That would be their beaten-up offensive line and who will start is anybody’s guess right now.
The Giants are 5-1 SU and 5-1 ATS vs. the Cowboys in their last six head-to-head meetings. That includes three straight outright underdog victories. The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas’s last 5 games. The total has gone OVER in 10 of the NY Giants last 13 games. The total has gone OVER in 7 of the NY Giants last 9 games when playing at home against Dallas. NY Giants are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games when playing at home against Dallas.
Jeff’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: Dallas Cowboys +14 & Over 45.
In season coaching changes will often make a team look in the mirror and play much better in their very next game if you will. This is a big rivalry and I look for the Cowboys to play a more disciplined game than in recent weeks. After this game, the media might be asking Jerry Jones; why didn’t you make the coaching change earlier in the season. The last 10 in-season coaches to get fired, the replacement has covered the spread in eight of those ten games. The Giants should win but not by more than 14 points. Good Luck!
