Giants - Bye Week

No Giants Game - What to do?

OK - We feel your pain.
First thing to do, is take a deep breath and be happy that the Giants are at 5-3 with an extra week to help injuries heal.
Also, we can be happy that the Giants went into this Bye week with a 3 Game winning streak, and are in second place in the NFC.

We won't focus on the fact that things are tough at free safety.
Percy Ellsworth and backup Shaun Williams are both out, but the Giants have discovered, or rediscovered Brandon Sanders, who they signed in time for the Eagles game to help fill that gap.

We won't worry about RB Joe Montgomery who's out with a broken foot. We'll figure that the running combination of Tiki Barber, LeShon Johnson and Charles Way will get us past the upcoming Indy game somehow and help take pressure off Kent Graham's passing.

We shouldn't be worrying about how it will all work.
We're the fans, and we don't get paid to worry. Let someone else handle that, at least for this week while we enjoy our distractions.

The Games
Let me give you something to fill up your weekend.
In case your wife is reading over your shoulder, we'll assume you already got some of that leaf raking out of the way, put away all the garden hoses, and made the necessary family phone calls.

This Sunday at 1PM, the 1-6 Jets are playing the 2-5 Cardinals.
Giant fans can check out two teams that we'll be facing in the second half of the season.
They come one right after the other in succession after the Indy and Washington games. It's a good chance to see former Giant Dave Brown at work for Arizona against Jets QB Rick Mirer.
It's Mirer's sixth start this season. He's struggled through the first five, has helped produce one victory, and thrown 4 TD passes and 9 INTs. There is a chance that when the Jets actually play the Giants, that QB Ray Lucas will be in there for the Jets instead.

The Colts
Another note of interest is that the woeful Jets gave Indy a run for their money at the Meadowlands.
The Colts escaped with a last minute victory when Parcells had Ray Lucas, in his first NFL start, throw a late interception at the Indianapolis goal line that Jeff Burris returned 55 yards.
That set up a 27-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining and the Colts beat the Jets 16-13.
Maybe the Colts will have some jitters about coming back to the Meadowlands again, only to face a well rested Giants Defense.

If you can somehow get it, you can preview the 5-2 Colts for the upcoming Giants game, and see what the highest scoring team in the AFC has in their bag of tricks as they face the 5-2 Chiefs.
This game is also at 1PM and will require some flipping.

Next up here
but at the same 1PM time on Sunday, is the game between 5-2 Washington and 5-3 Buffalo. The Giants will face both these teams also in the second half.
Buffalo is also a NY team for those city slickers who forget, and if they can somehow stop the Redkins, you'll want to see how, and might become an instant Flutie Flakes fan.

Another interesting game
1PM of course, is the 2-5 Baltimore Ravens against the 1-7 Cleveland Browns.
Why watch a game with teams like this who don't even play the Giants this year? Well, the Baltimore Ravens used to be the Cleveland Browns before they moved.
To add to the suspense, they are playing at Cleveland where the fans, who will be very excited by all this, are looking for their first at-home win.

The last game of interest
is not at the same time, and the Giants face both these teams in the last two weeks of the season.
It will be the 4-3 Dallas Cowboys up against the 4-4 Minnesota Vikings.
Of course you don't need me to direct you to the Monday night game. Everyone watches that. Don't expect to see our old former Eagle friend Randall Cunningham in the game for Minnesota.
Jeff George is throwing the ball around for the Vikings these days, and Dallas will be trying to get on track after losing to Indianapolis last week.
Remember, the Cowboys also lost their last Monday night game on national TV to the Giants. I just had to add that.

The wrap up
I predicted 12-4 at the start of the season for the Giants.
They can still do it, and here's how.
- Tiki and no-huddle nonsense offense confuses Indy for a win.
- Washington we beat because our Defense has to have revenge for the beating they took, and they hold the Skins to 10 points this game.
- Arizona we lose to, only because we shouldn't.
- Jets we beat because they're so down this year.
- Bills we beat at the last second when their FG goes wide. (It's happened before.)
- Rams we beat because they think they have the week off playing us. - Vikings. We use the preseason (36-21 Giant win) game plan on them.
- Dallas. Just got to make it 2 over the Cowboys this year.
There you have it guys! 12-4.

In case I've confused you on the order of the games, I've added the Giants schedule to the bottom of the article so you can keep it all straight.

Next week
The Giants play Indianapolis at home on Sunday Nov 14, at 1 PM.

Click on the Team Giants logo to be informed of all Giants game previews and reviews.

1999 NFC EAST - Week 8
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	Home	Away	AFC	NFC	DIV	Streak
Washington	5	2	0	.714	242	188	2-1	3-1	1-0	4-2	2-2	W1
NY Giants	5	3	0	.625	138	138	3-1	2-2	0-1	5-2	3-2	W3
Dallas	4	3	0	.571	182	129	3-0	1-3	0-1	4-2	3-2	L1
Arizona	2	5	0	.286	85	156	1-3	1-2	0-2	2-3	2-2	L2
Philadelphia	2	6	0	.250	107	151	1-3	1-3	0-2	2-4	1-3	L2