ESPN analyst and former Cowboys safety breaks down the showdown between Dallas and the Giants with The Post’s Justin Terranova. But the three-time Super Bowl champion doesn’t have a high opinion of either NFC East team.
Q: Why do you think the Giants have been so inconsistent this year?
A: The Giants have lost their identity as a physical team. The ball is in Eli Manning’s hands a lot more than it used to be. They are not a team that scares you running the ball. And on defense, besides Justin Tuck, they don’t have much physical presence, especially with the linebackers and the secondary doesn’t cover well.
Q: Do you think that’s because of all the injuries?
A: I think it’s a mentality thing. The one guy that really hurts when he’s out is Ahmad Bradshaw, he’s so much better than what they have with Brandon Jacobs. He’s a guy that brings this attitude to the offense. He’s a nasty guy when he has the ball in his hands. When he is fully healthy there is a different identity to this Giants football team.
Q: With him back, can that change?
A: If there’s any game that you want to see the Giants be physical in it’s this game. Because if they do that they will beat the Cowboys. The Cowboys think they are physical, but they are not. The Giants can impose their will on them if they play the smash-mouth football they’ve played the past couple of years.
Q: What does Miles Austin bring to Dallas with his expected return?
A: This offense lacks explosiveness without him. The mental impact of Dez Bryant’s game isn’t there, and I don’t think Tony Romo fully trusts him to run the right routes. As dangerous as Bryant is, teams still can play him one-on-one because he’s not there mentally. With Austin back they have a chance to return to that high-flying offense.
Q: Does the winner of this division have a chance to do something in the playoffs?
A: They’ll be one-and-done. I just don’t see it. If either has a chance, it’s the Cowboys because of their offensive weapons. The Giants are so up-and-down you just never know what you are getting.
Q: Why do you think the Giants have been so inconsistent this year?
A: The Giants have lost their identity as a physical team. The ball is in Eli Manning’s hands a lot more than it used to be. They are not a team that scares you running the ball. And on defense, besides Justin Tuck, they don’t have much physical presence, especially with the linebackers and the secondary doesn’t cover well.
Q: Do you think that’s because of all the injuries?
A: I think it’s a mentality thing. The one guy that really hurts when he’s out is Ahmad Bradshaw, he’s so much better than what they have with Brandon Jacobs. He’s a guy that brings this attitude to the offense. He’s a nasty guy when he has the ball in his hands. When he is fully healthy there is a different identity to this Giants football team.
Q: With him back, can that change?
A: If there’s any game that you want to see the Giants be physical in it’s this game. Because if they do that they will beat the Cowboys. The Cowboys think they are physical, but they are not. The Giants can impose their will on them if they play the smash-mouth football they’ve played the past couple of years.
Q: What does Miles Austin bring to Dallas with his expected return?
A: This offense lacks explosiveness without him. The mental impact of Dez Bryant’s game isn’t there, and I don’t think Tony Romo fully trusts him to run the right routes. As dangerous as Bryant is, teams still can play him one-on-one because he’s not there mentally. With Austin back they have a chance to return to that high-flying offense.
Q: Does the winner of this division have a chance to do something in the playoffs?
A: They’ll be one-and-done. I just don’t see it. If either has a chance, it’s the Cowboys because of their offensive weapons. The Giants are so up-and-down you just never know what you are getting.
