New York Giants: Sunday will be a season-defining game

For the third time this year, I’m prepared to say the New York Giants are in the midst of a must-win game, even though it’s only week 7.

It’s not erroneous to suggest, though, especially considering how another divisional loss could hurt the Giants later in the season.

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In my preseason prediction of every game, I had the Giants at 3-3 entering week 7, just like they are in reality. However, things haven’t gone exactly how I thought, and the once-promising team is coming off a broken, uninspiring performance against the Eagles.

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Nothing worked in that game after the first drive. But the past is the past, and it’s time to move on.

This week, the G-Men host the arch-rival Dallas Cowboys, who enter the game as hobbled as ever, with Tony Romo still on the mend and Dez Bryant being listed as doubtful.

So on paper, this should be a win for the Giants, right? Wrong.

Although the Cowboys will be rolling with Matt Cassel at quarterback, this is a game the Giants simply cannot drop. Just because the Cowboys are lacking their two best players doesn’t mean they don’t have talent.

On offense, Jason Witten is still there, and he’s still as reliable as ever. The running back situation is murky, but Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden and Christine Michael aren’t exactly chopped liver. Dallas’ offensive line has been highly publicized, and it’s a unit that will be facing a mostly pass-rush-less Giants team.

Oct 19, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) throws a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Defensively, the Cowboys might have the best group of pass rushers in the league. Greg Hardy, Randy Gregory and others provide a relentless attack of the quarterback.

This game is a situation similar to when the Giants almost lost to San Francisco. Add in the fact that NFC East games never seem to be predictable, and you’ve got yourself a compelling week 7 game.

Following the matchup against Dallas, New York plays at New Orleans and Tampa Bay, and then at home against New England.

I would think they have to win at least two of those three games, which would put them at 7-4 entering their bye week. That is assuming, of course, they can take care of Dallas.

Look, the Giants are in a position to essentially shape the way the division turns out. A win in the division would give them a 2-2 divisional record, and although the Eagles hold the head-to-head tiebreaker, Philadelphia is only 1-2 in the division. The Giants also have another opportunity to play the Eagles come week 17.

What team is going to show up on Sunday? Is it going to be the resilient bunch that was able to come back against a gritty 49ers team in primetime? Or is it going to be the lifeless group that lacked anything resembling a competent offense against the Eagles?

The Cowboys can be beat, and they should be beat if the Giants can get their mind out of the gutter.

New York played a great game against Dallas the first time around, but they crumbled in the fourth quarter and were unable to capitalize on three Dallas turnovers. This game will be a perfect way to find out what kind of team the 2015 Giants are. They just got punched in the mouth, and it’s time to find out if this team can wipe the blood away and get back in the fight.

In regard to beating the Cowboys, there are some things that can be done to ensure a victory. First and foremost, the offensive line has to perform better than it did against the Eagles. Eli Manning didn’t have enough time to do anything at all. That’s especially troubling when you consider how frequently the Giants like to utilize three-step drop passes.

With that being said, Manning needs to be more careful with the ball. In Philly, he threw his worst interception of the season. At this point of the season, the offense goes as far as Eli can take them. A good way to take them far would be to get Odell Beckham Jr. the ball as much as possible.

Dallas has been okay against the pass (17th in the league), but that doesn’t mean they have the players to shut down OBJ. Also keep in mind that — for some weird, unexplainable reason — Beckham has been money at home this year, totaling 21 receptions for 346 yards and three touchdowns.

It’s honestly hard to tell what direction this team is headed. The optimist would say the team is headed in the right direction, a la 2011, while the pessimist would point to last year’s 6-10 squad that started 3-3 t00. Whichever way the team is headed will be even more clear after Sunday’s game.

Next: New York Giants: Reaction to Monday night mistake-fest

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