The Giants have the potential to build on their impressive victory yesterday against the undefeated New England Patriots with another strong performance Monday over the Buccaneers. Here are five key strategies for the Giants as they aim to stop the Bucs in Tampa Bay this weekend:
1. Avoid the "Post-Pats" Hangover – Teams often expend a lot of energy trying to beat the Patriots, and the following week they tend to come out flat. The Giants can't afford for that to happen as they travel to face a well-rested Buccaneers team. Focusing on executing the game plan and not dwelling on past successes will be more important than maintaining financial management thoughts from weeks prior.
2. Learn from Last Week’s Mistakes – Last week, Randy Moss was uncovered on one play when the ball came short, and he slipped it. Instead of making an adjustment and going deeper, the Giants ran the same defense, and on the next play, Moss got by the safety again, resulting in a touchdown. Joey Galloway could do the same to the defense, so having the safeties aligned properly rather than bringing too many extra players into the box should help keep Galloway under control.
3. Play the Run Game – It’s one of Mark Garcia’s strengths, along with his ability to move to run out of the pocket. You want to make the Buccaneers predictable on offense, as they’re at their best when they can mix things up and spring the play-action on you to overcome the opposition. That's why stopping the run without using a safety might be key to the Giants' success on defense.
4. Don’t Commit Costly Penalties – More than once last week, the Giants hurt themselves against the Patriots with dumb penalties. Now it’s win or go home, so avoiding those kinds of mistakes will be crucial. Tom Coughlin should emphasize to his players the importance of staying within themselves and not losing composure during the game.
5. Mix Up the Running Game with Ahmad Bradshaw – The rookie showed two weeks ago against the Bills that he can shift a game with a single take. They shouldn’t hesitate to give him some carries, using him to provide a change of pace from the power running of Brandon Jacobs. Bradshaw has demonstrated that he’s a capable cut-back runner who can gain yards in crucial situations.
These strategies will be pivotal as the Giants look to secure a critical win this weekend.