2014 Week 10 - Raiders @ GIANTS

Week 10 Preview: Today's focus is on [1] Offense: Brown's return will remind us of what could have been if he had not been injected and injured in during the preseason [2] Defense: With the offense powering only 17.4 ppg in this last five games, can Rolle and the defense step up again to slow the Raiders.

Believing this our last stand, SPORTS REPORTER, who has the Giants number this year, previews this week's matchup as their RECOMMENDED Pick: After that gruesome, turnover-laden 0-6 SU start, will the 2-6 Giants be teasing everyone by staying within mathematical range of first place in the NFC East? Will they pull a 2009 Tennessee Titans and have an 8-2 finish? The Giants were off last week, and the bye week to study the blitz schemes of Oakland defensive coordinator Jason Tarver helps immensely because those schemes have been keeping the Raiders in games. That is, they were keeping the Raiders in games until Eagles’ back-up quarterback Nick Foles got hit in the head and was trans-formed into a Hall of Fame quarterback against the Oakland defense last Sunday in Oakland. Having last played Philadelphia, then having watched Oakland play Philly, has to be of some benefit to the Giants. After all, Eli Manning has to figure, “Whatever Foles can do I can do better.” The Giants have built up some potential value with a low power rating as a result of stinking it up for the first six weeks. Perpetually banged-up wideouts Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks can only benefit from the time off, and RB Andre Brown is scheduled to return to give the dismal running game and blitz protection a huge boost. All along throughout the diseased start, Giants’ head coach Tom Coughlin had insisted that the defense was playing well. NY GIANTS 30-13.