In the last four meetings, the winning team has scored 48, 49, 52 and 52 points, including New Orleans’ 52-49 victory last season in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
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Both teams lost a defensive player to injury in the opener.
All of which points to, well, lots and lots of points. Put simply, as evidenced in Week 1 against the Raiders, you can’t fix a defense that struggled as badly as New Orleans did in 2015 over just a single offseason no matter how many new players you bring in.
According to the swell folks in Las Vegas, it will be the highest-scoring game of the week (O/U 52.5). And while they technically got the stop they needed to win the game in the fourth quarter, they caught a huge break when Cowboys receiver Terrance Williams failed to get out of bounds on the final play and the clock ran out.
Sometimes that doesn’t even help. Victor Cruz added 34 yards and one touchdown. Or, in this case, not enjoyed.
GIANTS DEFENSIVE BACKS: The Giants limited Prescott to 227 yards passing and no touchdowns. “Obviously, last time we played them it was definitely a shootout, so we just want to go out there and be efficient offensively and make sure that we are making the most of our possessions because, as you know, they can score and they can score in bunches”. “But I feel like we’ve got guys that can match up with them”.
Ideally, they won’t be in that situation. Saints have league’s best offense and next-to-last defense. WR Odell Beckham Jr. had eight catches for 120 yards and three TDs previous year against Saints. “And the window, I know, in this building is not permanently closed”, Payton said.
“Knowing that they have some younger guys at corner, we have to look more into the film and find reps that they’ve played”, said Beckham.
“If it has to go down to that”, he said, “guns blazing”.
Last year in New Orleans Drew Brees could’ve set up a beach chair behind his offensive line and felt secure the Giants’ pass rush wouldn’t get anywhere near him, but this year he should have to get the ball out of his hands a little quicker. Nor does Ben McAdoo.
ARLINGTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 11: Rashad Jennings #23 of the New York Giants carries the ball during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on September 11, 2016 in Arlington, Texas.
“We weren’t good at all, defensively, in any phase of the game, at any part of the game”, linebacker Jonathan Casillas, a survivor of last year’s disaster, said this week.
“It’s the first week, but I guess that’s why you have to expect the unexpected”. It just wasn’t a good showing. Late in the season we/Raider Nation might be looking back on that opener, that call and that exact moment when Del Rio trusted the Raiders enough to let the Raiders trust themselves. He had started just two games to that point, while playing in 13.
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In 2011, like now, Carmichael isn’t calling all of the plays.
