A great start.
The Giants and the Eagles and the Redskins all won their first games. The Redskins who beat Carolina last week, have Detroit next, and they won't play a division team until they face Dallas the week after that. The Giants and Eagles, won and came away with 1-0 records against division teams. The team that wins this next game will be 2-0 for the season and 2-0 in the NFC East. That's what you call getting off to a great start.

Last week was like preseason Game 5.
The Giants, after going winless all preseason, got what they needed last week. They came away with a win, and going up against a battered Arizona team was a great way to ease into the season. It was almost like having an extended preseason, except that this time the Giants left their regulars in for the whole game, and they had more regulars than the Cards who were stuck playing without a full deck.
Simeon Rice was a holdout for the Giants game, and he had previously set a Cardinals team record last year with 16 1/2 sacks. This week Rice signed a $4.25 million, one-year deal, maybe just in time to play against the Cowboys. Also missing for the Cards was Andre Wadsworth recovering from offseason knee surgery, center Mark Gruttadauria, star receiver Rob Moore who suffered a season-ending knee injury in preseason, and remember, starting left tackle L.J. Shelton sprained his right knee on the first play from scrimmage and did not return.

What's it take to get into this game?
While Jim Fassel didn't name either Tiki Barber or Ron Dayne as his starting runningback, it's clear that Joe Montgomery is the number three man. Joe, the number 2 draft pick in 1999, led the Giants in rushing last year, but wasn't even asked to dress for the opening game.
Joe will be activated for this game against the Eagles, getting a chance to play on three special teams units. The Giants need him to be a contributor on special teams and show improvement as a fullback. Fassel said. "Joe played real hard last year and did a helluva job. I think the world of the young man. But we didn't have the Heisman Trophy winner here who is looking pretty good, nor did we have Tiki Barber playing the way he's playing now."

What it takes to sit it out.
Some players play themselves out of the game. It looks like Joe Montgomery will be activated in place of rookie FB Craig Walendy. The Giants had nine penalties last game, and five were on special teams. Craig, playing special teams, was called for two holding penalties.
Recovering players like Pete Mitchell and Sam Garnes may sit it out because of other reasons. The Giants are concerned about bringing Pete back for his first game this season at Veterans Stadium. They play only three games all season on artificial turf, and the Vet's is considered among the worst surfaces in the league.
Pete has never experienced coming back from surgery before, and says "Because we are on turf, and the condition everyone says Philly's turf is, it's probably not a positive thing. It all depends on how the knee continues to heal."
Sam Garnes, one of the best run-stoppers for the Giants, suffered a concussion last game. He said he has experienced no headaches and wants to play, but he may not be cleared medically. Teams are very careful with players who suffer injuries like that. "If they tell me I can play, I'm playing, no doubt about it," Garnes said."

Last time out against the Eagles.
The Giants played Philadelphia on Halloween, and came away with a 23-17 overtime victory, when Michael Strahan returned an interception 44 yards for the winning points. In that game, Duce Staley gained 97 yards on 26 carries, and had a 21-yard TD run. Unfortunately for the Duce, in that game with 3:08 left, he carried on a third-and-11 from the 2-yard line, and Keith Hamilton forced a fumble. Two plays later the game was tied, 17-17 and the Giants went on to win it.

This time out against the Eagles on Offense.
The Giants worked out with crowd noise pumped onto the practice field this week. This is the Philly home opener, and the fans will be cheering loudly, especially after being stuck at home in front of the TV last week, and seeing what their team did in that sensational victory in Dallas. The Eagles were on Troy Aikman all nine times he tried to throw. The result was, four sacks, five incompletions, and he was knocked out of the game.
Kerry Collins will have to show control, and dump the ball off like he did last game, to avoid sacks against this eager Eagles defense (would be easier with Pete Mitchell playing). Better yet if the Giants' rebuilt offensive line can hold the blitzing long enough for Collins to make some big plays early on.
This line has allowed a total of only one sack on Kerry Collins in the four preseason and one regular season games. Last week the Eagles sacked Troy Aikman three times on the Cowboys opening series, and they finished the game with 5.
The Giants 88.3 yard rushing average last season was their worst since 1953, but last week, their combined rushing was 41 times for 223 yards. Mixing running backs who have their own unique styles, worked well. Now, the Tiki Barber - Ron Dayne mix goes up against an Eagle defense that allowed the Cowboys a meager 67 yards rushing. Something has to give this week.

This time out against the Eagles on Defense.
The Giants held the Cardinals last week to an NFC-low 43 rushing yards. It won't be so easy against the Eagles. Staley is even better this year, running behind a reconstructed offensive line built around left tackle Tra Thomas and right guard Jermane Mayberry, both former first round picks, and don't forget former Titans right tackle Jon Runyan.
Last season, Michael Strahan got 2 of his 5 1/2 sacks against the Eagles, while going up against Lonnie Palelei. This week, he's up against a tough Jon Runyon. Head coach Andy Reid calls Runyon "the best right tackle in football, bar none."
The Giants will move Strahan over to right end again, (he played there for two years) from time to time during the game, where he will be up against Tra Thomas. They would probably have to double team Strahan there if they pick it up in time. Keeping the other team guessing is one of the things the Giants are working on this year, and now that they have the adaptable and talented Cornelius Griffin, they can make moves like this.
Hopefully, this will help them catch a slippery Donovan McNabb. He ran five times for 29 yards and a TD against the Cowboys last week. In 1999, McNabb had 47 rushes for 313 yards, and that was 35 fewer yards than the Giants top rusher, Joe Montgomery, who did his on 115 carries.

Special teams.
On the very first play of the Giants season, Brad Daluiso kicked off 2 yards deep into the end zone, but Brandon Short was offside. The Arizona Cards returned the ball 12 yards farther upfield after the second kick. Also, they were fooled on kick coverage by a Cardinals reverse and failed to recover an onsides kick. As mentioned, the Giants had nine penalties last game, and five were on special teams.
Poor special teams play could be expensive and put the Giants in a hole this game. Head coach Jim Fassel said that the problem in the past on his special teams was a lack of talent and speed. He claims that the problem now is inexperience, which time and coaching will heal. "We're dealing with a lot of young guys," Fassel said. "I'm basing a lot of my projections on that, and that they have a chance to get better."
Let's just hope they are prepared for an Eagles on-sides kick this week.

Injuries
GIANTS - Doubtful: DE Jeremiah Parker (neck); CB Andre Weathers (knee).
Questionable: S Sam Garnes (concussion); TE Pete Mitchell (knee).

EAGLES - Out: WR Na Brown (hand).
Questionable: WR Torrance Small (hamstring).
Probable: LB Ike Reese (hamstring); DT Hollis Thomas (shoulder).

Notes
Eagles won last week against Dallas, 41-14.

Eagles Duce Staley was the first back in the NFC to go over 200 in 3 years.

Eagles win would be their first 2-0 start since 1993.

Eagles opened the game last week with a successful onsides kick that surprised Dallas.

Giants failed to recover a Cardinals onsides kick last week when they knew it was coming.

Giants Tiki Barber rushed for a career-high 144 yards last week.

Jim Fassel beat the Eagles in his first game as the Giants coach in 1997.

Jim Fassel has beaten the Eagles all six times out in his career as head coach.

Giants lead the all-time series, 73-58-2.

Giants have won the previous three season openers under Fassel, and then lost their next two games.

Next Game
Sept 17, Giants at Chicago, 4PM FOX

For those very organized fans.
If you use a Palm Pilot and want to keep the Giants schedule, and actually, the whole NFL schedule on it, there is a free download available here at PFL.

Last Week's review, Giants 21 - Cards 16

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