Giants Down Bengals, Take on Seattle Following Bye

Not much to say this week. Nothing much has changed about my view of the state of the 2008 Giants. The Giants have a very favorable schedule with their easier games early. Of course, having all the easier games bunched together up front puts pressure to win them all - which they should. As I posted from before the season, the Giants should start the season on a 6-0 streak. Of course saying that is the easy part, executing it is quite a different matter.

Last week the Giants faced a desperate Bengals team who took them into OT. They battered and literally bloodied QB Carson Palmer with 6 sacks, but none in the 4th quarter and almost lost the game. The good news, however, is that the Giants played an excellent game. The closeness of the game doesn't appear to have been due to any letdown of their guard - it was more a function of a desperate Bengals team getting its act together and playing tough.

Today's game against the SeaHawks is going to be their toughest challenge yet this young season. Oddly, losing Burress to a suspension may be the one factor that gives them an edge. From all the interviews I've read, the locker room, to a man, decidedly supports the suspension. Indeed, I get the sense Plaxico's teammates feel it was overdue and clearly justified. Almost as though this was the locker room suspending Burress, not just Coughlin and Giants management. And I think that carries over into today's game. A wake up call and yet another challenge - and one thing this Giants team has proven, there is nothing better than a challenge to grab their full attention and intensity.

They are half way to the 6-0 start this year's schedule dictates they will need and face yet another test of their resolve - their character as a team. They need to maintain their laser-like focus and continue to play angry. It will not be easy. Hasselback gets the ball out faster than almost any QB in the league and he will be doing so with greater purpose today facing the Giants pressure defense. As a result, it is going to be difficult to pressure Hasselback and the Giants may find themselves forced to play less of a pressure game than they would like. And Seattle is 2nd in the league in rushing and I feel they will use their short quick passing game to set up some big runs.

On the other side of the ball, Seattle will do everything possible to take Jacobs out of the game and force Manning to beat them. This would have been true with Burress playing and is absolutely true in his absence. It is critical for the Giants to get an early lead against this Seattle team and they'll have to do it by throwing the ball early and often.