NFL: What We Learned on Thanksgiving

Posted on | November 28, 2009 | No Comments

As I feared before the games on Thanksgiving, it turns out that none of the Thanksgiving day games were compelling. In fact, the closest game was the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Oakland Raiders, and the Cowboys won by 17. That game was really over before halftime.

But I did predict the game pretty well. The Lions did keep their game close until after halftime. Then the Packers put a hurting on them in the 2nd half. The Cowboys did win bby at least 2 touchdowns. And the Broncos did beat the Giants in the night game. But I thought that game would be a lot closer.

In fact, I can’t believe the Giants were dominated that way. The Giants knew this was a huge game for them. Despite losing 4 of their last 5 games, if the G-Men beat the Broncos they would then be in position to take over 1st place in the NFC East with a win over Dallas the following week. Instead the Giants are now 6-5 and 2 games behind the Cowboys.

So, that now sets up a huge game next week against the Dallas Cowboys. If the Giants lose then they will be done for the season. That means they should play well in that game. They’ll have their backs against the wall and play like it. With the Cowboys playing horribly the last 2 Decembers, it would seem that the Giants would be in a good spot. However, I just don’t think the Giants are good enough.

The 2 downfalls of the Giants are their pass defense and their running offense. This will be huge problem against the Cowboys. Primarily it will be a big problem for the Giants offense. If they can’t run the ball then the Cowboys will be able to pin their ears back and rush Eli Manning like crazy. That will spell major trouble for the Giants.

But we’ll get into this big game more next week.

For now, the Cowboys are looking great for at least a playoff spot in the NFC. The Broncos are looking really solid for a Wild Card in the AFC and the Packers are right in the mix for the NFC Wildcard.

Related posts:

1. NFL: Picking the Thanksgiving Games
2. NFL: Thanksgiving Day Games
3. NFL Football: Week 12 – Review of My Thanksgiving Picks Plus Some Thoughts
4. NFL: What We Learned in Week 3
5. NFL: Previewing Thanksgiving Games

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