NFL Picks and Predictions: New York Giants Vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers  - Week Two Football Picks 9/16
The New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the second week of the NFL season heading in different directions. Â The Giants are reeling from a crushing loss to the Dallas Cowboys to open the season last Wednesday. Â Meanwhile, the Bucs are coming off an impressive upset victory against the Carolina Panthers. Â Can the New York Giants rebound from a ruined Super Bowl celebration? Â Are the Bucs as good as they looked against Carolina?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+7.5) at New York Giants
The New York Giants struggled with the Dallas Cowboys last Wednesday. Â DeMarco Murray had an effective game running the ball for Dallas, Tony Romo was able to buy time and dissect an injured Giants secondary, and the Giants offense never seemed to click against a Cowboys defense that struggled mightily last season. Â All in all, it was a weak showing for the Giants on all fronts.
The New York Giants defense never seemed to make the big play when they desperately needed one.  The Dallas Cowboys converted a 1st and 30 for a touchdown to keep the Giants at arm’s length in the second half.  With the game on the line in the fourth quarter following a penalty, the Giants allowed the Cowboys to convert on 3rd and long to ice the game.  Ultimately, the New York Giants secondary appears to be a tremendous liability this season.  If the pass rush fails to compensate for their lack of cover corners, it could be a long year.
An overly-conservative game plan may have been behind some of the Giants’ offensive struggles. The Giants failed to score on 1st and goal from the two yard line, and the rushing attack stumbled at times.  The Tampa Bay Buccaneers eliminated the extremely effective Carolina Panthers rushing game during an upset victory in Week One.  If Ahmad Bradshaw suffers a similar fate, a one-dimensional Giants offense could be kept in check.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still have a lot of questions. Â A new coach and a new system proved effective to open the season, but can they sustain the play that led them past Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers? Â Is this defense as talented as they looked to open the season? Â Can the Buccaneers compete with a team as talented and experienced as the New York Giants?
Josh Freeman is a similar quarterback to Tony Romo. Â He will be able to buy time with his legs and find open receivers in the secondary. Rookie running back Doug Martin had a strong game to open the season and brings balance to the Buccaneers offense. Â They should be able to move the ball against the Giants, but not as effectively as the Cowboys did to open the season. Â The Giants pass rush can derail the Buccaneers offense and leaders like Justin Tuck need to deliver a big win in the second game of the season.
Ultimately, the New York Giants are the better team in this match-up.  Eli Manning won’t be rattled, even if the Buccaneers are able to contain the Giants rushing game.  The Giants defense needs to be better in clutch situations if they are going to win this game, though.  7.5 points is a lot of points and the Buccaneers could hang with the Giants, but I expect New York to avoid a dreaded 0-2 start.
Giants 24 â€" Bucs 21
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