The New York Jets have been the talk of the town in the Big Apple since trading for Tim Tebow, but New York football fans haven’t forgotten that the New York Giants are the defending Super Bowl champions.

While the NFL has already released its official 2012-13 season matchups, the exact game dates won’t be announced until April.

Since we already know which teams the Giants will be up against this year, including their home and away opponents, it’s time to make some predictions for the upcoming NFL season:

Here’s a look at how I see the season shaping out for the Giants:

Home Games

The New York Giants are slated to host the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers in the season ahead.

Two of the Redskins’ five victories last season came against the Giants, but I don’t see any way that they’ll be able to repeat that performance in 2012. They have question marks all over the field, and will likely have a young quarterback taking the snaps in Robert Griffin III.

I’ll mark the G-Men down for a ‘W’ against Washington, and a lopsided win over the hapless Cleveland Browns, who earned just four victories last year. Tampa Bay is also coming off a 4-12 season, and got smoked, 24-0, when they last played the Giants in 2009. I’ll give the Giants the victory over Tampa Bay, and a split in the Cowboys-Eagles contests.

The NFL did not do the Giants any favors by matching them up against the Saints, Packers and Steelers at home. Historically, the Giants struggle against each of those teams and I don’t see them getting by any of them. That would leave the Giants with a 4-4 overall record at home for 2012-13.

Away Games

The Giants hit the road for away games against the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.

The only safe-bet victory of that bunch is the tilt in Washington, as Cincinnati is much-improved and Carolina might even be a playoff team this year with Cam Newton’s continued development. Nevertheless, I would have to bet that the Giants will come away victorious in each of those three battles.

Much like their home contests, I would expect the games against the Cowboys and Eagles to be highly-competitive and evenly matched, with another split that could go either way. That would leave the Giants at 4-1, with away games remaining against San Francisco, Atlanta and Baltimore.

As I said earlier, the NFL didn’t do the Giants any favors with its scheduling, as the team faces some of the toughest challenges on the road of any squad in the league. San Francisco will be hungry to avenge its playoff ouster by the Giants in the 2011 NFC Championship Game, and they will be a true force this season.

I don’t see any scenario where the Giants get by the 49ers, Falcons or Ravens on the road, and that would leave the G-Men with a 4-4 record in away games. Overall, that would leave them at 8-8, and a .500 mark in a stacked division that features several early Super Bowl favorites may not be good enough for a playoff berth.

Will the New York Giants make another deep run into the playoffs in the 2012-13 season? Let me know in the comments.

Eric Holden is a lifelong resident and supporter of both New York-area football teams. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.

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The New York Giants have a few holes to fill at wide receiver. With the loss of Mario Manningham to the San Francisco 49ers, they have a pressing need for a play-making third wide receiver. That’s why the Giants should consider pursuing restricted free agent, Danny Amendola

Remember when Danny Amendola was drawing comparisons to New England’s Wes Welker? After all, it seems like an eternity since he suffered a season-ending arm injury last year during the first game of the season versus the Philadelphia Eagles. Originally called a dislocated left elbow that would sideline him for 4-6 weeks, Amendola was unable to gain full strength in his arm leading to an early exit for his 2011 campaign.

Like Welker, Amendola graduated from Texas Tech. Both are far from over-sized (Walker is listed at 5 foot 9 inches while Amendola is 5 foot 11 inches) yet possess good hands and quick feet. Like Welker, Amendola needed a change of venue to make his mark in the NFL as he was scooped up by the Rams from the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad.

As a slot receiver, Danny Amendola could be the perfect complement to Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. With 85 receptions (689 yards) in 2011, he established himself as a viable weapon in the short passing game while providing an effective decoy to assist in the development of more explosive down field passes for quarterback Sam Bradford.

If Amendola could provide that type of support for Brandon Gibson and Laurent Robinson, imagine what he could do for Nicks and Cruz.

Additionally, he combined for 1,594 yards in kickoff (avg. 22.8) and punt returns (11.3).

There is one catch to the signing of Amendola – he is a restricted free agent, tendered at the second-round level. Yet would the Giants mind parting with the 63^rd overall pick for the opportunity to nab him? Could they find similar talent at that late pick?

As of now, Danny Amendola is expected to be a full participant as camps open in a few months. At just 26 years of age, he is young enough to regain his 2010 form.

With a little luck, maybe he will be recapturing a little of that magic in a Giants uniform.

Sources: Yahoo! Sports

cbssports.com

Robert Watkins is former investment professional and partner. A native New Yorker until 9/11, he considers Pa. his adoptive home. A passionate Giants fan, fantasy football fanatic, and Pennsylvania sports enthusiast, Robert is a frequent contributor to Yahoo! Sports and News

Victor Cruz was one of the top breakout wide receivers in the NFL during the 2011 season. Not only did he give New York Giants fans a new player to root for, but Cruz helped several fantasy football owners get to their championship as he gained yardage and touchdowns throughout the season.

Five games stood out for Cruz as the chemistry between him and Eli Manning helped lead the Giants to multiple victories, the lead in the NFC east and playoff contention.

Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The Giants had something to prove when they headed into Philadelphia against their arch-rivals. In a 29-16 victory, Cruz caught for 110 total yards, including a 74 yard catch in the first quarter that led to an early 14-0 lead.

In the middle of the fourth quarter, Cruz caught his second touchdown in the game for 28 yards and a lead that the Giants would continue to grow with no matched points in the fourth.

Giants vs. Arizona Cardinals

After back to back wins against the Eagles and Ram, the Giants continued to roll into Arizona. Cruz had no touchdowns in the game, but he had six catches for 98 yards including a crucial third down catch that he ran for 13 yards. The drive led to a rushing touchdown by Brandon Jacobs.

Without the third down catch, the Cardinals may have beat the Giants and ended the win streak.

Giants vs. New England Patriots

The Giants love being the underdog and they certainly felt the pressure as they headed to New England to take on Tom Brady and the Patriots. Cruz had six catches for 91 yards in a similar performance to the game against the Cardinals. In the fourth quarter, Cruz was a part of the Giants drive that ended up with a Mario Manningham touchdown.

In the final minutes of the game, Cruz set up the pace for the game winning drive as he caught a 19 yard pass from Manning that brought the Giants up the field and eventually led to a Jake Ballard touchdown and upset victory over the Patriots.

Giants vs. Green Bay Packers

Even though the Giants lost to the Green Bay Packers in NFL Week 13, the offense was on fire all game. Cruz had seven catches in the game for a total of 119 yards. Late in the first quarter, he had a 42 yard catch that led to a field goal for the Giants.

Giants vs. New York Jets

In a battle same-city teams the Giants showed their dominance against the Jets. Victor Cruz was quiet for the most of the game except one key play that broke records and set up the Giants for victory. As the first half was winding down, the Giants were pinned at their own one yard line. Eli Manning shot a quick pass to Cruz. Cruz spun away from his opponent and turned the catch into a record 99 yard touchdown that was replayed on sports channels for days after and will go down as one of Cruz’s greatest catches.

Alan Donahue is a life-long New York Giants fan. He passionately follows the NFC East, plays in numerous fantasy football leagues and has written hundreds of sports articles.

More from this contributor:

Top 5 New Year’s Resolutions for the New York Giants

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Coming off one of their best defensive efforts, the New York Giants seemingly are getting another piece back for their NFC East showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.

Two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora practiced on a limited basis Wednesday after being sidelined for the month with a high ankle sprain and continuing problems with his knee.

Expect him on the field Sunday night when the Giants (8-7) face the Cowboys (8-7) for the division title and a first-round home game against either Atlanta or Detroit.

“Hey, this is it,” backup defensive end Dave Tollefson said. “Win, you’re in. Lose, you go home. So you might as well pull all the stops and get everybody rolling,”

Umenyiora hurt the ankle – the team has not said which one – in a loss in New Orleans on Nov. 28. He has missed the last four games and many wondered whether he would be back on the field this season.

However, the nine-year veteran looked nimble running with the defensive linemen early in practice.

“He’s tested everything, lots of times,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “That’s what he’s been doing. He’s been working his tail off. He just hasn’t been able to get right.”

Umenyiora did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press seeking comment. He usually talks to reporters on Fridays.

The Giants have not been hurt by Umenyiora’s absence because second-year pro and recent Pro Bowl selection Jason Pierre-Paul has been outstanding starting for him at right end, twice winning NFC defensive player of the week honors.

However, Umenyiora’s addition also comes at a time when fellow two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck is playing his best football after a season marked by neck, groin and toe injuries.

With Umenyiora, Pierre-Paul, Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka, the Giants will finally have all the part of the third-down pass quartet they envisioned using all season. And some depth.

Pierre-Paul was forced to play more than 100 plays in the Giants’ 29-14 win over the rival Jets at MetLife Stadium.

“That rest will help me a lot and it will get me going,” said Pierre-Paul, who was selected the NFC defensive player of the week on Wednesday for the second time in three weeks. “I was playing like 80 snaps a game and that is a lot. You don’t really think about it, you just have to go.”

Pierre-Paul also won the honor in the Giants 37-34 win over Dallas on Dec. 11. He had eight tackles, two sacks, one of which resulted in a safety, a forced fumble that led to a field goal and blocked Dan Bailey’s tying field goal attempt on the final play of the game.

If the Giants do have everybody back that could make things a little tougher for Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who intends to play this weekend despite suffering a bruised right hand in 20-7 loss to Philadelphia this past weekend.

“I think that Osi is a good player, so anytime they get another pass rusher it presents more of a challenge,” Romo said in a conference call with New York media. “We have to prepare for that. I think that group up front is an outstanding group and they have three or four guys that you really have to account for. It is going to be a great challenge for our guys up front and for me to see different things and you just have to know that going into the week. We will be prepared for it.”

The Giants’ defense, which ranks 28th in the league, played an outstanding game against the Jets, particularly after yielding a touchdown on the opening drive. It forced three turnovers and held the Jets to 4 of 21 on third-down conversions. The only Jets touchdown in the second half came on an 11-yard drive after an Eli Manning pass was intercepted.

Safety Antrel Rolle said the Giants are willing to pay the price to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Nicked players are practicing and the tempo has picked up.

Having Umenyiora back on the field is just another example of that.

“All on deck. We’re all fighting,” Rolle said. “We’re all trying to get better. It means everything to have Osi out there. I know he’s probably not 100 percent, but he’s fighting. He’s fighting. He’s fighting for himself. He’s fighting for this team. He’s fighting for what we have at stake.”

Tackle Chris Canty said having Umenyiora and his seven sacks back just gives the defense another talented player.

“It would be pretty impeccable timing, to get everyone healthy and running,” Tollefson said.

NOTES: WR Hakeem Nicks did not practice because of a recurring hamstring injury. He said he would play Sunday. …WR Mario Manningham, who missed the Jets game with a nagging season-long knee injury, worked on a limited basis. …TE Jake Ballard, who sprained a knee against Washington on Dec. 18 and did not play last week, did some running and light cutting away from the team. He did practice. ….Coughlin, who injured his left leg on Saturday when slammed into by running back D.J. Ware, got a message from Saints coach Sean Payton, who broke his left leg when tight end Jimmy Graham slammed into him on Oct. 16 in a game at Tampa, Fla. “You look like you’re a better athlete than me, you didn’t go down,” Coughlin said Payton told him.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Coming off one of their best defensive efforts, the New York Giants seemingly are getting another piece back for their NFC East showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.

Two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora practised on a limited basis Wednesday after being sidelined for the month with a high ankle sprain and continuing problems with his knee.

Expect him on the field Sunday night when the Giants (8-7) face the Cowboys (8-7) for the division title and a first-round home game against either Atlanta or Detroit.

“Hey, this is it,” backup defensive end Dave Tollefson said. “Win, you’re in. Lose, you go home.

“So you might as well pull all the stops and get everybody rolling.”

Umenyiora hurt the ankle — the team has not said which one — in a loss in New Orleans on Nov. 28. He has missed the last four games and many wondered whether he would be back on the field this season.

However, the nine-year veteran looked nimble running with the defensive linemen early in practice.

“He’s tested everything, lots of times,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “That’s what he’s been doing. He’s been working his tail off.

“He just hasn’t been able to get right.”

Umenyiora did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press seeking comment. He usually talks to reporters on Fridays.

The Giants have not been hurt by Umenyiora’s absence because second-year pro and recent Pro Bowl selection Jason Pierre-Paul has been outstanding starting for him at right end, twice winning NFC defensive player of the week honours.

However, Umenyiora’s addition also comes at a time when fellow two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck is playing his best football after a season marked by neck, groin and toe injuries.

With Umenyiora, Pierre-Paul, Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka, the Giants will finally have all the part of the third-down pass quartet they envisioned using all season. And some depth.

Pierre-Paul was forced to play more than 100 plays in the Giants’ 29-14 win over the rival Jets at MetLife Stadium.

“That rest will help me a lot and it will get me going,” said Pierre-Paul, who was selected the NFC defensive player of the week Wednesday for the second time in three weeks. “I was playing like 80 snaps a game and that is a lot.

“You don’t really think about it, you just have to go.”

Pierre-Paul also won the honour in the Giants 37-34 win over Dallas on Dec. 11. He had eight tackles, two sacks, one of which resulted in a safety, a forced fumble that led to a field goal and blocked Dan Bailey’s tying field goal attempt on the final play of the game.

If the Giants do have everybody back that could make things a little tougher for Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who intends to play this weekend despite suffering a bruised right hand in 20-7 loss to Philadelphia this past weekend.

“I think that Osi is a good player, so anytime they get another pass rusher it presents more of a challenge,” Romo said in a conference call with New York media. “We have to prepare for that. I think that group up front is an outstanding group and they have three or four guys that you really have to account for.

“It is going to be a great challenge for our guys up front and for me to see different things and you just have to know that going into the week. We will be prepared for it.”

The Giants’ defence, which ranks 28th in the league, played an outstanding game against the Jets, particularly after yielding a touchdown on the opening drive. It forced three turnovers and held the Jets to 4-of-21 on third-down conversions. The only Jets touchdown in the second half came on an 11-yard drive after an Eli Manning pass was intercepted.

Safety Antrel Rolle said the Giants are willing to pay the price to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Nicked players are practising and the tempo has picked up.

Having Umenyiora back on the field is just another example of that.

“All on deck. We’re all fighting,” Rolle said. “We’re all trying to get better. It means everything to have Osi out there. I know he’s probably not 100 per cent, but he’s fighting.

“He’s fighting. He’s fighting for himself. He’s fighting for this team. He’s fighting for what we have at stake.”

Tackle Chris Canty said having Umenyiora and his seven sacks back just gives the defence another talented player.

“It would be pretty impeccable timing, to get everyone healthy and running,” Tollefson said.

NOTES: WR Hakeem Nicks did not practise because of a recurring hamstring injury. He said he would play Sunday. …WR Mario Manningham, who missed the Jets game with a nagging season-long knee injury, worked on a limited basis. …TE Jake Ballard, who sprained a knee against Washington on Dec. 18 and did not play last week, did some running and light cutting away from the team. He did practise. ….Coughlin, who injured his left leg Saturday when slammed into by running back D.J. Ware, got a message from Saints coach Sean Payton, who broke his left leg when tight end Jimmy Graham slammed into him Oct. 16 in a game at Tampa, Fla. “You look like you’re a better athlete than me, you didn’t go down,” Coughlin said Payton told him.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)—Coming off one of their best defensive efforts,
the New York Giants seemingly are getting another piece back for their NFC East
showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.

Two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora practiced on a limited basis
Wednesday after being sidelined for the month with a high ankle sprain and
continuing problems with his knee.

Expect him on the field Sunday night when the Giants (8-7) face the Cowboys
(8-7) for the division title and a first-round home game against either Atlanta
or Detroit.

“Hey, this is it,” backup defensive end Dave Tollefson said. “Win, you’re
in. Lose, you go home. So you might as well pull all the stops and get
everybody rolling,”

Umenyiora hurt the ankle—the team has not said which one—in a loss in
New Orleans on Nov. 28. He has missed the last four games and many wondered
whether he would be back on the field this season.

However, the nine-year veteran looked nimble running with the defensive
linemen early in practice.

“He’s tested everything, lots of times,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “That’s
what he’s been doing. He’s been working his tail off. He just hasn’t been able
to get right.”

Umenyiora did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press
seeking comment. He usually talks to reporters on Fridays.

The Giants have not been hurt by Umenyiora’s absence because second-year pro
and recent Pro Bowl selection Jason Pierre-Paul has been outstanding starting
for him at right end, twice winning NFC defensive player of the week honors.

However, Umenyiora’s addition also comes at a time when fellow two-time Pro
Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck is playing his best football after a season
marked by neck, groin and toe injuries.

With Umenyiora, Pierre-Paul, Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka, the Giants will
finally have all the part of the third-down pass quartet they envisioned using
all season. And some depth.

Pierre-Paul was forced to play more than 100 plays in the Giants’ 29-14 win
over the rival Jets at MetLife Stadium.

“That rest will help me a lot and it will get me going,” said Pierre-Paul,
who was selected the NFC defensive player of the week on Wednesday for the
second time in three weeks. “I was playing like 80 snaps a game and that is a
lot. You don’t really think about it, you just have to go.”

Pierre-Paul also won the honor in the Giants 37-34 win over Dallas on Dec.
11. He had eight tackles, two sacks, one of which resulted in a safety, a forced
fumble that led to a field goal and blocked Dan Bailey’s tying field goal
attempt on the final play of the game.

If the Giants do have everybody back that could make things a little tougher
for Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who intends to play this weekend despite
suffering a bruised right hand in 20-7 loss to Philadelphia this past weekend.

“I think that Osi is a good player, so anytime they get another pass rusher
it presents more of a challenge,” Romo said in a conference call with New York
media. “We have to prepare for that. I think that group up front is an
outstanding group and they have three or four guys that you really have to
account for. It is going to be a great challenge for our guys up front and for
me to see different things and you just have to know that going into the week.
We will be prepared for it.”

The Giants’ defense, which ranks 28th in the league, played an outstanding
game against the Jets, particularly after yielding a touchdown on the opening
drive. It forced three turnovers and held the Jets to 4 of 21 on third-down
conversions. The only Jets touchdown in the second half came on an 11-yard drive
after an Eli Manning pass was intercepted.

Safety Antrel Rolle said the Giants are willing to pay the price to make the
playoffs for the first time since 2008. Nicked players are practicing and the
tempo has picked up.

Having Umenyiora back on the field is just another example of that.

“All on deck. We’re all fighting,” Rolle said. “We’re all trying to get
better. It means everything to have Osi out there. I know he’s probably not 100
percent, but he’s fighting. He’s fighting. He’s fighting for himself. He’s
fighting for this team. He’s fighting for what we have at stake.”

Tackle Chris Canty said having Umenyiora and his seven sacks back just gives
the defense another talented player.

“It would be pretty impeccable timing, to get everyone healthy and
running,” Tollefson said.

NOTES: WR Hakeem Nicks did not practice because of a recurring hamstring
injury. He said he would play Sunday. …WR Mario Manningham, who missed the
Jets game with a nagging season-long knee injury, worked on a limited basis.
…TE Jake Ballard, who sprained a knee against Washington on Dec. 18 and did
not play last week, did some running and light cutting away from the team. He
did practice. ….Coughlin, who injured his left leg on Saturday when slammed
into by running back D.J. Ware, got a message from Saints coach Sean Payton, who
broke his left leg when tight end Jimmy Graham slammed into him on Oct. 16 in a
game at Tampa, Fla. “You look like you’re a better athlete than me, you didn’t
go down,” Coughlin said Payton told him.

The loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday is now behind the Dallas Cowboys and now it is time to look ahead to the New York Giants. The Eagles loss means nothing in the grand scheme of things but the Giants game will mean everything.

The most important thing for the Cowboys, and this is especially true of the Eagles loss, is to come into the Giants’ matchup at 100-percent. That means that losing to the Eagles, because they rested Tony Romo and Felix Jones, was exactly the right decision. Dallas also has to hope that defensive players, like cornerback Mike Jenkins and linebackers Sean Lee and DeMarcus Ware are also ready to go.

Tony Romo

Tony Romo injured his hand on this second pass attempt of the Eagles’ game when he knocked it against the helmet of a rushing Jason Babin. It was really the closest that Babin, the NFL sack leader, got to a Dallas quarterback in the game, which says great things about that maligned offensive line.

X-rays were negative and the hand bruised and swelled. It is thought to be broken vessels in the hand but it should be healed and ready to go for the big Giants’ game. The hope is that there is no soreness in the hand. Romo has not thrown an interception since Week 12 against Miami and he has eight touchdown passes since that game.

Felix Jones

Felix Jones had back-to-back 100-yard games heading into the Eagles matchup. However, early in the week he showed up on the injury report with a tight hamstring. When this started is unknown, but once Romo left the game and Dallas learned the Giants won, they pulled Jones out to allow him to rest his leg. There should be no worries here as Jones averaged 6-yards a carry before leaving the game.

Mike Jenkins

Mike Jenkins has been battling injuries all season but Dallas needs him in the lineup against the Giants. With the playmakers that New York has, and Eli Manning able to throw the ball all over the field, the Cowboys secondary needs all the help it can get.

DeMarcus Ware

You can’t get Ware out of the lineup. Even after Dallas learned that the Giants won, and the Eagles game meant nothing, he remained in the game and finished with two more sacks, moving his total to 18 on the season. He has been dealing with a neck injury but has not missed a game. He needs two more sacks to tie his own personal best.

Sean Lee

Sean Lee injured his hand in the first game with Philadelphia. He missed one week and has been playing with a cast ever since. In this game, he injured his hamstring. He says he could have come back into the game but didn’t because of the Giants win. He finished with five tackles before leaving the game. He says he will be ready for the Giants.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Eli Manning hooked up with Victor Cruz on a 99-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter and the New York Giants defeated the rival New York Jets 29-14 in a critical battle of playoff hopefuls Saturday at MetLife Stadium.The Giants’ victory eliminated the Philadelphia Eagles from the playoffs and set up a showdown with Dallas for the NFC East title next week.The dealt a major blow to the playoff hopes of the Jets (8-7), who dropped one game behind Cincinnati for the No. 6 seed in the AFC.The pass to Cruz was the longest in franchise history and gave the Giants (8-7) a 10-7 lead. The wide receiver became the 13th player in the NFL to catch a 99-yard touchdown pass.On a third-and-10 from the 1, Giant quarterback Eli Manning hit Cruz over the middle and he eluded a pair of defenders after making the catch before outracing the rest of the Jet defense.Cruz finished with 164 yards receiving and set a team record for receiving yards in a season. His 36-yard catch late in the third quarter set up a 14-yard touchdown run by Ahmad Bradshaw to increase the lead to 17-7.The Jets (8-7) struck first on a 5-yard pass from Mark Sanchez to Josh Baker, but the Giants scored the next 20 points including a pair of field goals by Lawrence Tynes.Trailing 20-7, Sanchez scored on a 1-yard run midway through the fourth quarter. The Jets got the ball back trailing 20-14, but Sanchez was sacked in the end zone for a Giant safety.The Giants have won the last five games in the series and they put the game out of reach when Bradshaw scored from 19 yards out with under two minutes left.

In this Week 16 matchup, the 7-7 New York Giants “visit” the 8-6 New York Jets in a game that has playoff implications for both teams. Currently second in their divisions, the Jets are currently holding onto the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs while the Giants are behind the Dallas Cowboys by a game for the NFC East division title. In this game between New York teams with plenty of playoff ramifications, both the Giants and Jets have important players injured that may factor into this game.

Out for Giants: TE Jake Ballard, LB Mark Herzlich, DE Osi Umenyiora

With Ballard officially ruled out with a knee injury, quarterback Eli Manning will be without his best tight end with an injury to his posterior cruciate ligament. As expected, both Umenyiora and Herzlich will miss another game with ankle injuries.

Out for Jets: None

Doubtful for Giants: WR Mario Manningham

Manning may also be missing his third wide receiver in Manningham on Saturday. When available, Manningham allows Victor Cruz some playing time in the slot in three-receiver sets, which gets him away from the tough coverage of either Darrelle Revis or Antonio Cromartie. A tough pass defense to beat, the Giants may struggle finding any receivers if Manningham is unable to play with his knee problem.

Doubtful for Jets: None

Questionable for Giants: RB D.J. Ware

Ware has practiced sparingly this week with a knee injury and may not be available for this game. However, with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw running well as of late, Ware’s role as a third-down receiving back is not as important this week.

Questionable for Jets: CB Marquice Cole, RB Joe McKnight

McKnight suffered a separated shoulder against the Philadelphia Eagles last week and is expected to be a game-time decision. As one of the backups to Shonn Greene, his injury could be a tough break both on offense and in the return game, where Cromartie would return kicks in his absence. Cole, a backup defensive back and special-teams contributor, is more likely to miss this game than McKnight with a knee injury.

Probable for Giants: C David Baas, TE Travis Beckum, RB Ahmad Bradshaw, S Derrick Martin, TE Bear Pascoe, WR Devin Thomas

The most crucial Giant listed as probable this week is Bradshaw (foot), who should be ready to go on Saturday. Baas’ availability to start moves Kevin Boothe to left guard. Beckum (chest) and Pascoe (ribs) will be crucial members in the passing and pass-protection game with Ballard out.

Probable for Jets: WR Plaxico Burress, DE Mike DeVito, G Vladimir Ducasse, RB Shonn Greene, LB David Harris, WR Santonio Holmes, WR Jeremy Kerley, G Brandon Moore, DE Ropati Pitoitua, QB Mark Sanchez, G Caleb Schlauderaff, S Eric Smith

Offensive starters listed as probable for the Jets are Burress (illness), Greene (rib, shoulder), Holmes (hip), Moore (hip), and Sanchez (neck). Defensive starters listed as probable for the Jets are DeVito (knee), Harris (non-injury related), and Smith (knee). DeVito, Holmes, and Smith were the only players of this list who were limited participants in the team’s most recent practice but should all be available to play.

Sources:

NFL Injuries, Yahoo! Sports

Giants likely minus 2 key players, ESPN New York

Jets’ Joe McKnight, Marquice Cole listed as questionable for Giants game, nj.com

The NFL Injury Report, NFL

More from this contributor:

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers Week 16 Injury Report Assessment: Fan’s Preview

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks Week 16 Injury Report Assessment: Fan’s Preview

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts Week 16 Injury Report: Fan’s Preview

Five 49ers with Great Performances in 20-3 Win Over Steelers: Fan’s Take

Pittsburgh Steelers at San Francisco 49ers Week 15 Injury Report Assessment: Fan’s Preview

Austin Chang is a lifelong football fan, San Francisco 49ers supporter, and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @_austinchang.

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The Philadelphia Eagles may still have hopes to win the NFC East, but they still need things to go absolutely perfect to win the division. Yet Eagles fans like myself can take solace in how the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants aren’t blowing everyone out of the water. In fact, if one looks at the last few weeks, the strongest teams in the NFC East lately have been the third-place Birds and last-place Washington Redskins.

Philadelphia only just got on track by winning two straight while Washington is still 5-9 after having a six-game losing streak earlier this year. But the Eagles and Redskins have shown more impressive stuff in recent weeks than the two teams closely fighting for first in the East.

The Giants, of course, have been decidedly unimpressive in losing five of their last six games. Meanwhile, the Cowboys at least showed some signs of being impressive by throttling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 17 to retake first place. However, that didn’t excuse how Dallas blew its previous two games at the last second and has been extremely inconsistent every December.

As for Philadelphia, it has suddenly become the scariest team in the NFC East although it is still a long shot to get out of it. It would take wins over the Cowboys and Redskins, a Giants loss to the New York Jets on Dec. 24 and a Cowboys loss to the Giants on Jan. 1 to win the division on an 8-8 tiebreaker. Yet that doesn’t seem out of the question, due to both the Eagles’ improvement and mainly to the Cowboys and Giants’ inconsistency and occasional incompetence.

Washington has actually looked a lot better in losing its games lately than Dallas and New York has. The Redskins have come very close to beating the Cowboys, New York Jets and New England Patriots in recent weeks, have beaten the Seattle Seahawks before they got hot, and finally broke through by throttling the Giants on the road on Dec. 18. At 5-9, the Redskins have to kick themselves because they could have been right in this race with a few breaks, just like the Eagles could have been.

Philadelphia and Washington are finishing this season with more style than Dallas and New York are, if only by comparison. Of course, if the Eagles and Redskins showed this improvement in October and November, they would be the ones fighting for first place. Instead, the Cowboys and Giants are setting the low bar in the NFC East, even though they’ve been playing like the third and last place clubs in the division for a while now.

If or when either Dallas or New York takes the division by default, Washington and Philadelphia will have a whole offseason to wonder what could have been. The Eagles and Redskins have been the NFC East’s scariest teams in December – but being like that in October and November as well would have been much better.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.

Other stories by this contributor

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NFL power rankings after Week 15 inch Eagles up again

Eagles, Chargers wait too long again to get hot

Eagles save Reid’s job by destroying Jets

Eagles, Jets matchup of big disappointments

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Christmas 2011 is going to be merrier for one faction of Tri-State area football fans than the other, because the New York Giants (7-7) and New York Jets (8-6) will play a game on Christmas Eve that has playoff ramifications for both teams.

“We’ll play hard,” Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka told Yahoo! Contributor Network after New York fell to the Washington Redkins 23-10 this past Sunday. “We know [the Jets are] going to come out good, but we know our offense is going to be fully ready to go. We got to be able to come out as a defense and just get stops.”

“Bragging rights,” a phrase you’ll hear ad nauseam as game day approaches, is of infinitesimal importance when juxtaposed to an inexorable truth about this game: Should the Giants lose and Dallas Cowboys (8-6) defeat the Philadelphia Eagles (6-8) this weekend, their season is over.

“The significance is, for us to achieve our goal—which is winning the Super Bowl—we have to win this game,” Kiwanuka said. “That’s it.”

“They’re a good football team,” defensive end Chris Canty said. “You are what you are in this league. And with their record, they’re a good football team. We know their brand of football. They play defense, they want to run the football.

“We’re gonna have to put them under a microscope and try to familiarize ourselves as much as we can with what they’re doing,” he added, “and try to give ourselves the best opportunity to be successful on Saturday.”

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis will likely split time defending Big Blue’s top two receivers, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. Given how immensely talented each of the three are, watching Revis defend either play-maker should be one of the more entertaining aspects of Saturday’s New York-New York showdown.

“Always looking forward for a challenge,” Nicks told YCN. “They’re a good football team. They’re a good, strong, solid football team. [They] play defense well, play offense well. We got to go out there and play.”


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NEW YORK –  

Jets coach Rex Ryan wasted no time Monday getting the hype machine rolling for Saturday’s showdown with the Giants.

 

“I recognize that they’re an excellent football team, but I think we’re better,” Ryan said on a conference call.

The Jets and Giants are both coming off disappointing losses Sunday, but that has not taken away from this week’s game. The loser won’t officially be eliminated from playoff contention, but it will deal them a serious blow.

Besides the playoff implications, Ryan will drive the interest in this game — can he back up his boasts or will the Giants shut him up? Ryan wrote in his book that he believes the Jets are the “big brother” to the Giants in the football landscape.

“I never came here to be little brother to anyone. So, it’s on,” Ryan said.

He later added, “There’s no way I’m going to be second fiddle. If we were playing the New York Yankees, I don’t want to be second fiddle to them.”

Ryan, who is in his third year as Jets coach, said it is not debatable which team has been better since he arrived.

“Certainly we were the better team the first two years,” Ryan said. “We made the playoffs, went to the championship game. To say that a team is better than you that never made the playoffs is ridiculous. Clearly, we were the better team my first two years here. We get to prove it on Saturday who the best team is this year.”

Ryan acknowledged he leads the way in pushing this rivalry to a place its never been before.

“Sure there’s a lot of talk going back and forth, most of it driven by me,” he said. “But you know what? I’ll stand by everything I’ve ever said. I didn’t come here to be anybody’s little brother.

“I came here to win, to be looked at that way and to take over not just this city, even though it’s the city to take over, but also this league. I haven’t accomplished that yet. Saturday, I think, will go a long way toward doing that.”

Naturally, Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka disagreed, predicting Big Blue will prove the outspoken Jets coach wrong.

“Talking trash isn’t going to help you out on the field,” he said. “I know we’re the better team. We just have to go out there and prove it.”

The Jets are coming off a 45-19 thrashing at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving them tied with Cincinnati at 8-6 for the final AFC playoff spot.

The Giants, despite a lackluster 23-10 home loss to the Redskins Sunday, can still win the NFC East by beating the Jets and Cowboys in the final two games of the season.

 

Read more: NY POST
 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – If the New York Giants miss the playoffs once again, they have only themselves and the Washington Redskins to blame.

Rex Grossman threw a touchdown pass and the Redskins put a major hurt on the Giants and their playoff hopes with a dominating 23-10 victory Sunday in a game in which New York showed little desire with much on the line.

“I’m very disappointed in how we played today,” coach Tom Coughlin said after the Giants (7-7) fell a game behind Dallas (8-6) in the NFC East with two games left in the regular season.

“I accept responsibility for it. But I expected to see more — quality execution — and we didn’t get that.”

Surprisingly, Washington (5-9) looked very much like a playoff team in winning for only the second time in 10 games and embarrassing the Giants for the second time this season.

Grossman and the offence held the ball for 35 minutes, while the defence picked off Eli Manning three times and didn’t allow a touchdown until the final minute.

“They had a lot at stake and obviously we didn’t and I’m pleased the way we played,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said.

Coming off an emotional win over Dallas on Sunday night in a game that gave them control of their own destiny, the Giants showed nothing after a couple of early interceptions.

“I didn’t see the passion in us today,” running back Brandon Jacobs said. “We didn’t play well. We disappointed each other and our fans, and we’ve just got to play better. I can’t tell you why.”

The Giants still control their destiny. If they beat the Jets and the Cowboys in their final two games, they will win the division.

The Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles next weekend and could wrap up the division if the Giants fall in their rivalry game with the Jets.

“I still have confidence,” Giants defensive captain Justin Tuck said. “We laid an egg today, but I’ve seen us rebound from things like this a lot of times. There’s no quit in our guys. This was kind of an eye-opener. We have to keep the intensity going the whole game, and we didn’t maintain it today.

Washington never trailed in spoiling what the Giants hoped would be another step in their run to the playoffs. The Redskins took the crowd out of the game early, opening a 17-0 lead and they were never threatened.

Grossman threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Santana Moss, Darrel Young scored on a 6-yard run after one of the Redskins’ interceptions and Graham Gano kicked three field goals.

Former Giant and current Redskins defensive tackle Barry Cofield enjoyed spoiling the party hopes of his former teammates.

“A party broke out for us. I’m proud of how we came out and played,” Cofield said, adding Washington has played well in recent weeks.

This loss was the fifth in six games for the Giants, who are in danger of missing the playoffs for the third straight year.

The scenario has been the same each season. New York starts the season quickly and then falters down the stretch, playing some unbelievably bad games with the post-season on the line.

This season it has been another collapse after a stunning win over New England left them at 6-2. They lost four in a row and then last week seemed to grab command again by rallying in the fourth quarter to beat the Cowboys in Dallas.

Again, with the playoffs in their grasp, they came out flat against the Redskins, who had already been eliminated from playoff contention.

Even a couple of gift interceptions by Grossman in the first quarter didn’t help.

Gano gave Washington the lead on its second series with a 36-yard field goal that was set up in part by a 19-yard pass from Donte’ Stallworth on a third-and-12 from the Giants 39.

Grossman, who finished 15 of 24 for 185 yards, pushed the lead to 10-0 early in the second quarter with his TD pass to a wide-open Moss on third-and-8.

If the touchdown had the fans muttering, there was no hiding their feelings minutes later after Oshiomogho Atogwe intercepted a pass that deflected off the hands of running back D.J. Ware and returned it 26 yards to the Giants 41. Nine plays later, Young scored and the fans let the team know it was sick of being let down.

Manning, who finished 23 of 40 for 257 yards, finally got the Giants on the board just before halftime, setting up Lawrence Tynes for a 40-yard field goal.

Instead of gaining momentum, the Giants gave the points right back. DeAngelo Hall made a one-handed interception on the second offensive play of the third quarter. His 26-yard return set up Gano’s 43-yard field goal for a 20-3 lead.

After Tynes missed a 44-yarder on the next series, Gano opened the fourth quarter with a 25-yarder to make it 23-3.

Ahmad Bradshaw scored on a 3-yard run with 33 seconds to play for the Giants’ touchdown.

The Giants were their own worst enemy. Hakeem Nicks dropped what might have been a 54-yard scoring play on their second series on a play in which he got behind the defence and had the pass hit off his facemask as he looked back into the sun.

That’s the way the day was for the Giants, who had only a few faithful fans in the stadium when they scored their touchdown.

NOTES: Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul followed his NFC defensive player of the week award with a 16-tackle performance that included a sack. …Giants DE Osi Umenyiora (knee) and C David Baas (neck) each missed their third straight game. …London Fletcher led the Skins with 12 tackles. …CB Josh Wilson had Washington’s other interception, picking off Manning in the end zone in the fourth quarter. …CB Corey Webster and S Kenny Phillips had the Giants interceptions.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — If the New York Giants miss the playoffs once again, they have only themselves and the Washington Redskins to blame.

Rex Grossman threw a touchdown pass and the Redskins put a major hurt on the Giants and their playoff hopes with a dominating 23-10 victory Sunday in a game in which New York showed little desire with much on the line.

“I’m very disappointed in how we played today,” coach Tom Coughlin said after the Giants (7-7) fell a game behind Dallas (8-6) in the NFC East with two games left in the regular season.

“I accept responsibility for it. But I expected to see more — quality execution — and we didn’t get that.”

Surprisingly, Washington (5-9) looked very much like a playoff team in winning for only the second time in 10 games and embarrassing the Giants for the second time this season.

Grossman and the offense held the ball for 35 minutes, while the defense picked off Eli Manning three times and didn’t allow a touchdown until the final minute.

“They had a lot at stake and obviously we didn’t and I’m pleased the way we played,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said.

Coming off an emotional win over Dallas on Sunday night in a game that gave them control of their own destiny, the Giants showed nothing after a couple of early interceptions.

“I didn’t see the passion in us today,” running back Brandon Jacobs said. “We didn’t play well. We disappointed each other and our fans, and we’ve just got to play better. I can’t tell you why.”

The Giants still control their destiny. If they beat the Jets and the Cowboys in their final two games, they will win the division.

The Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles next weekend and could wrap up the division if the Giants fall in their rivalry game with the Jets.

“I still have confidence,” Giants defensive captain Justin Tuck said. “We laid an egg today, but I’ve seen us rebound from things like this a lot of times. There’s no quit in our guys. This was kind of an eye-opener. We have to keep the intensity going the whole game, and we didn’t maintain it today.

Washington never trailed in spoiling what the Giants hoped would be another step in their run to the playoffs. The Redskins took the crowd out of the game early, opening a 17-0 lead and they were never threatened.

Grossman threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Santana Moss, Darrel Young scored on a 6-yard run after one of the Redskins’ interceptions and Graham Gano kicked three field goals.

Former Giant and current Redskins defensive tackle Barry Cofield enjoyed spoiling the party hopes of his former teammates.

“A party broke out for us. I’m proud of how we came out and played,” Cofield said, adding Washington has played well in recent weeks.

This loss was the fifth in six games for the Giants, who are in danger of missing the playoffs for the third straight year.

The scenario has been the same each season. New York starts the season quickly and then falters down the stretch, playing some unbelievably bad games with the postseason on the line.

This season it has been another collapse after a stunning win over New England left them at 6-2. They lost four in a row and then last week seemed to grab command again by rallying in the fourth quarter to beat the Cowboys in Dallas.

Again, with the playoffs in their grasp, they came out flat against the Redskins, who had already been eliminated from playoff contention.

Even a couple of gift interceptions by Grossman in the first quarter didn’t help.

Gano gave Washington the lead on its second series with a 36-yard field goal that was set up in part by a 19-yard pass from Donte’ Stallworth on a third-and-12 from the Giants 39.

Grossman, who finished 15 of 24 for 185 yards, pushed the lead to 10-0 early in the second quarter with his TD pass to a wide-open Moss on third-and-8.

If the touchdown had the fans muttering, there was no hiding their feelings minutes later after Oshiomogho Atogwe intercepted a pass that deflected off the hands of running back D.J. Ware and returned it 26 yards to the Giants 41. Nine plays later, Young scored and the fans let the team know it was sick of being let down.

Manning, who finished 23 of 40 for 257 yards, finally got the Giants on the board just before halftime, setting up Lawrence Tynes for a 40-yard field goal.

Instead of gaining momentum, the Giants gave the points right back. DeAngelo Hall made a one-handed interception on the second offensive play of the third quarter. His 26-yard return set up Gano’s 43-yard field goal for a 20-3 lead.

After Tynes missed a 44-yarder on the next series, Gano opened the fourth quarter with a 25-yarder to make it 23-3.

Ahmad Bradshaw scored on a 3-yard run with 33 seconds to play for the Giants’ touchdown.

The Giants were their own worst enemy. Hakeem Nicks dropped what might have been a 54-yard scoring play on their second series on a play in which he got behind the defense and had the pass hit off his facemask as he looked back into the sun.

That’s the way the day was for the Giants, who had only a few faithful fans in the stadium when they scored their touchdown.

NOTES: Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul followed his NFC defensive player of the week award with a 16-tackle performance that included a sack. …Giants DE Osi Umenyiora (knee) and C David Baas (neck) each missed their third straight game. …London Fletcher led the Skins with 12 tackles. …CB Josh Wilson had Washington’s other interception, picking off Manning in the end zone in the fourth quarter. …CB Corey Webster and S Kenny Phillips had the Giants interceptions.