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Dottino: What To Watch For In Giants-Saints, Plus A Prediction

By Paul Dottino
» More Columns

The Louisiana Superdome. If you are the Giants, a trip to this building causes more nightmares than a visit to the dentist.

Forget that the Giants are 3-7 in the New Orleans Saints' building since it opened in 1975 or that Hall of Fame LB Lawrence Taylor was wrapped in a shoulder harness while playing the defining game of his career in turning back the Saints in 1988.

Tom Coughlin's edition of the Giants thinks of this place as a House of Horrors, getting hammered there 48-27 in 2009 and 49-24 in 2011. And that doesn't include the 45-7 rout - at the hands of QB Aaron Brooks (yes, Aaron Brooks!) - late during the 2003 season that added a few RPMs to then-coach Jim Fassel's exit after the season.

Here are three key matchups to watch in Sunday's showdown:

1. Saints DL Cameron Jordan vs. Giants LT Ereck Flowers and RG Geoff Schwartz.

Jordan may be one of the NFL's most underrated pass rushing lineman. His blend of speed and power causes great difficulty for anybody trying to consistently block him without any help. He will open the game at right defensive end, but often line up down the line - as he did at LDT on each of his three sacks last week against the Colts. Each time, he was singled up and quickly powered his way to Indianapolis QB Andrew Luck. Jordan must have been uncomfortable after watching Flowers win 19 of his 22 snaps against the Cowboys' Greg Hardy, who was limited to one win and two draws and suffered two pancake blocks last weekend. However, Schwartz has allowed two sacks in each of the Giants' past two games.

2. Saints QB Drew Brees vs. Giants safeties Landon Collins and Brandon Meriweather.

Brees has been his usual Pro Bowl-caliber self and better - when you consider he's only thrown four INTs in 253 passes for a career-low 1.6 turnover rate. Meriweather has posted an interception and two knockdowns in each of the past two games, so Brees may be more apt to target Collins, since he's a rookie. Collins said his biggest concern is how well Brees looks off his receivers and causes defensive backs to jump the wrong way. Is it any wonder the Saints have converted 46 percent of their third-down chances (fourth-best in the NFL)?

3. Giants QB Eli Manning vs. Saints' back seven.

The most logical game plan for the Giants to succeed will put Manning in a throwing contest against Brees. Each team has an inconsistent ground attack - both offenses finally eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in a game last week - and has some worries about its offensive line. The team that wins the turnover battle AND is able to work the clock using a controlled passing attack ought to win the game. Manning has thrown just four INTs in 259 attempts, so that's a draw against Brees. Therefore, Manning must make efficient use of RBs Shane Vereen and Rashad Jennings in the short game, TE Larry Donnell in the medium-range game AND take advantage of the big plays that will be available to his receivers against the Saints' aggressive blitz package if the Giants are to prevail.

PREDICTION: Saints 37, Giants 31

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