Wednesday 14 December 2016 09:23, UK
Are the New York Giants play-off ready, following their 10-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night?
On the 'Inside the Huddle' podcast, Sky Sports NFL expert Neil Reynolds and coach Jeff Reinebold discussed the current state of the franchise, after the 9-4 Giants completed the sweep over their division rivals.
"The Giants defence has been playing really well lately. They played well the week before too, but there was no help from their offence against Pittsburgh," said Reinebold.
"The defence is playing at a level that's play-off quality, now can the offence be more than OBJ?"
After a slow start to the season, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr has nine touchdowns in as many appearances. On Sunday, Beckham fumbled a catch but on the next drive, scored a 61-yard touchdown to win the game for New York.
In recent weeks, however, there has been dissatisfaction in the organisation. Receiver Victor Cruz was critical of his lack of involvement, while the offence as a team is averaging over 50 yards a game less than last year.
Quarterback Eli Manning, who has won the Super Bowl twice with the Giants, has thrown for fewer than 200 yards in his past three games, and turned the ball over three times against Dallas
On the other side of the ball, New York's defence continued to cover for their misfiring offence. Having invested heavily during free agency, the team is reaping the rewards heading into the post-season.
"Dallas went 1 of 15 on third downs (against the Giants)," said Reynolds. "Early on, when they were leading 7-0, the Cowboys were finding success with third and one positions. That is typical Cowboys and they can win from there. But the rest of the night, New York forced them into third and long situations."
The Giants now face another huge game against the 9-4 Detroit Lions, who are also in the midst of a battle to qualify for January. Despite holding the second seed in the NFC, the Lions must keep winning to stave off any pressure from division rivals Green Bay Packers or Minnesota Vikings.
To watch the Lions @ Giants as part of a live NFL triple header, tune in to Sky Sports 2 on Sunday December 18 from 5.30pm.
