The New York Giants open their 2013 regular-season schedule with an exciting divisional matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on the road at AT&T Stadium. The meeting will be the two teams’ second consecutive season opener against one another; the Cowboys defeated the Giants at MetLife Stadium last season, 24-17.
These two teams are well known for putting on high-scoring battles that go down to the wire — as is the case for most NFC East games. Both are entering this game limping, with many key players hurt or out for the Sunday night opener in Dallas.
With the season just getting underway, there are still many questions to be answered. The Giants have made changes during the offseason, both to their roster and schemes, so be sure to keep an eye out for these things vs. the Cowboys:
The debut of Justin Pugh
It’s rare for a rookie to start for head coach Tom Coughlin, so clearly, right tackle Justin Pugh must be something special. Living up to the expectations already placed upon him as a first-round draft pick and the opening-game starter will be difficult, but the Giants have faith in the former Syracuse Orange standout.
It’s unlikely Pugh will find his hands full with lethal Cowboys’ pass rusher DeMarcus Ware, but he still must prove he can protect quarterback Eli Manning. The man he’s replacing, longtime tackle David Diehl, has spent the last decade as Manning’s top bodyguard. Those are some tough shoes to fill.
David Wilson is the feature back
Wilson started his rookie year off against the Cowboys and immediately found himself in Coughlin’s doghouse following a first-half fumble. Hopefully, this year will have a better beginning for the electrifying ball carrier.
Wilson has shown he’s capable of the big play, but can he handle the duties of a feature back in the NFL?
Rotoworld’s Evan Silva has indicated a need for better performance from Wilson as an every-down back — 42.7 percent of his 75 touches last season gained two yards or fewer. The trait reappeared during the preseason — 121 of 179 rushing yards came on just three of his 24 carries.
His task will be a bit more difficult than originally planned. His backup, Andre Brown, is out until at least Week 10 and the remaining running backs on the depth chart have a total of 11 NFL carries under their belt.
Ryan Mundy steps in for Stevie Brown
Losing safety Stevie Brown to a torn ACL is a devastating blow to the Giants’ questionable secondary. However, veteran Ryan Mundy has a chance to pick up the pieces and prove he can be a rock for the defense.
Brown recorded a team-leading eight interceptions and was among the league’s top safeties in 2012. Expecting Mundy to replicate such play is unfair, but the Giants will need him to play close to the level Brown is capable of if they are going to be successful.
Don’t be surprised if Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo tests Mundy early, targeting the middle of the field and using dangerous tight end Jason Witten to his advantage.
What can be expected of the pass rush?
Defensive end Osi Umenyiora is gone and Jason Pierre-Paul is unlikely to play while he continues to recover from offseason back surgery. That leaves defensive captain Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka (making his return to defensive end) to anchor a pass-rushing unit that took a big step backward in 2012, dropping from third in the league with 48 sacks in 2011 to 22nd with 33 sacks.
Rookie defensive end DaMontre Moore is expected to play some part if he’s able to go (he’s listed as questionable), and the Giants are hopeful that offseason acquisitions like D-tackle Cullen Jenkins can help generate more pressure. The Cowboys’ offensive line is not a particularly good unit, so the G-Men should see opportunities to get after Romo throughout the contest.
The Giants’ defense hinges on ample quarterback pressure to lessen the load placed on the secondary and provide chances to create turnovers.
Eli Manning vs. the Tampa 2
The Cowboys shifted from a 3-4 defense to the 4-3 this season, with defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin’s Tampa 2 defense making its arrival in Dallas. Kiffin’s system has had substantial success in the past and many other coaches have gone on to use his defensive scheme with similar success.
Eli Manning, for example, has had much trouble against this defense in the past. The Wall Street Journal’s Jonathan Clegg even went as far as to call it his “kryptonite” in an article this week for the newspaper:
“…in 12 career games against a Tampa 2 defense, Manning’s passer rating has eclipsed 90.0 on just two occasions, he has surpassed 200 passing yards in a game only three times, and four of the eight worst performances of his career by quarterback rating came against the scheme Kiffin and Dungy developed in Tampa.”
Though NFL rule changes have rendered the scheme seemingly obsolete these days, Kiffin is a defensive mastermind. If he can make the appropriate adjustments, it’s not impossible for the scheme to be successful once again.
Manning has thrown 14 interceptions and completed just 58 percent of his passes in 12 games against the Tampa 2 defense, according to Pro Football Reference.
Will the red-zone woes continue?
The Giants’ struggles inside the red zone have been well documented. But it’s the regular season now, and the Giants must overcome their issues if they intend on winning football games in 2013.
Scoring is the name of the game — especially in today’s NFL — with high-profile, pass-heavy offenses lighting up the scoreboard. Far too often the Giants have settled for field goals when they needed to come away with touchdowns and it has cost them dearly.
Former kicker Lawrence Tynes connected on a career-high 33 field goals last season and finished second in the league with 145 points scored. He led all kickers with 11 field goal attempts from inside the 20 — a result of the Giants’ shortcomings inside the red zone.
Louis Musto is a reporter and sports talk host for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.