News & Blogs

1) Come out swinging. With a 10-day layoff, there’s no reason for the Giants not to come out firing on all cylinders, especially with the way Week 1 unfolded. Tampa Bay has shown signs it's not the 4-12 team from a year ago, but every minute the Giants don’t set the tempo early on is a confidence boost against a squad transitioning under new leadership. Get on the board first and get the crowd into it.
,
2) Maintain balance. This could be a key any week under Tom Coughlin, but it’s especially true against the Buccaneers. Last week, Carolina suffered the consequences of abandoning the run and gained just 10 yards on 13 rushes in their loss to Tampa. But more importantly, the Giants need to stick with it moving forward this season. Ahmad Bradshaw did get off to a solid start and averaged 4.6 yards per attempt last week, but the team totaled just 82 yards on the ground. It’ll be a full team effort to find consistency.
,
3) Control the clock. The Giants lost the time of possession battle to Dallas by nearly nine minutes, while the Buccaneers dominated the Panthers with a 37:37-22:33 advantage. Keep the chains moving on offense and get off the field on third down on defense. It’s that simple, right?
,
4) Disrupt the QB. The comparisons between Josh Freeman and Ben Roethlisberger are often made and are accurate enough for Justin Tuck to agree with them. At 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, Freeman is a big body that’s difficult to knock down. He isn’t necessarily fast, but he’s quick enough to prolong plays and frustrate any defense. All around the locker room, Giants defenders said they let Tony Romo get too comfortable last week. They don’t want to do that again.
,
5) Fundamentals. Dropped passes, a fumble, special teams lapses, not scoring from the one-yard line – these are the basic things Tom Coughlin emphasized this week. They were the difference against Dallas, and players have to return to the fundamentals. Defeat the man across from you.