Garden State Gridiron – Week 8

GIANTS PREVIEW

The Giants will host Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as double-digit home underdogs on Monday night. Brady is coming off one of his best games of the season in which he scored five total touchdowns against the Las Vegas Raiders in the Bucs’ highest-scoring output of the year so far. The Giants have obviously pulled off some magic against Brady in the past (see David Tyree), and maybe those Super Bowl demons will get in Brady’s head, but it seems more likely to be a large margin of victory for Tampa Bay. As we approach the midpoint of the season, the Giants may try to integrate some younger players, who may provide a spark for a team showing signs of checking out at times late in games. This week will be a true mental test for the New York Giants.

JETS PREVIEW

It’s the Le’Veon Bell revenge game! Following his release, a couple of weeks ago, Bell decided to join the Jets’ week 8 opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs. He and Clyde Edwards-Helaire combine to form a dynamic backfield that is expected to lead the Chiefs to a three-score victory. Expect at least one of those scores to come from Bell. KC Head Coach has a history of putting players in positions to succeed against their former teams, often making them captains for those specific games. This high-powered offense is a tall task for the Jets, who may have to lean on the back of rookie Denzel Mims with fellow starting receivers Perriman and Crowder battling injuries. The jets may have an opportunity for a backdoor cover in garbage time if the perceived momentum from the Jets’ offense continues to build.

EAGLES PREVIEW

The Eagles will host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night with an opportunity to put together back-to-back division wins for the first time this season. Philadelphia opened the week as 7.5-point home favorites, which is reflective of the uncertainty at the quarterback position for the Cowboys. New starter Andy Dalton, who has replaced Dak Prescott after his brutal ankle injury, was knocked out of their last game after a head injury resulting from a dirty hit by Jon Bostic. If Dalton is unable to go, seventh-round rookie Ben DiNucci will get the nod. The Cowboys have struggled mightily this season, becoming the first team since Nick Saban’s 2006 Dolphins to start an NFL season 0-7 against the spread. Philadelphia hasn’t done much better at just 2-5 against the spread, but momentum is certainly in their favor.