Houston Texans vs. New York Giants: What Are Experts Saying About New York?

Everybody has an opinion, but some are "expert" opinions.

Those who make a living analyzing, discussing and—most importantly for the purposes of this article—predicting games and goings-on in the NFL spew their opinions on a weekly basis, and they land across the Web for our rabid consumption like scattershot Skittles.

New York Giants fans are searching the Internet for said opinions this week, looking for a ray of hope from one or two experts. With the Giants (0-2) hosting the undefeated Houston Texans (2-0) on Sunday, I bet many experts who picked New York did so with the thought of a self-aggrandizing, "I told you so" postgame tweet in mind—and not the hearts of the Big Blue faithful that believed him or her.

Starved for a win yet clinging to hope, Giants fans will latch to any positive news (I use that term loosely here) for the next few days. I mean, if an NFL expert says it, then it must be true, right? Otherwise, they'd just call them NFL fanatics, and that doesn't make them sound all that different from you and me.

Hmm...

Keep in mind as you read this article that Will Brinson was CBSSports.com's most accurate "expert" last year with 134 game outcomes guessed correctly and 133 incorrectly. That's the same breakdown you'd most likely end up with if you picked the winner of each game from a hat.

Read on for expert predictions on the Giants-Texans matchup in Week 3.

B/R Consensus: 14 of 16 Experts Pick Giants to Lose

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OK, so the Bleacher Report bandwagon is apparently headed to Houston—Matt Bowen (NFL National Lead Writer) and Mike Freeman (NFL National Lead Writer) will be the only ones left behind.

The following B/R experts picked the Houston Texans to win on Sunday: Gary Davenport (NFL Analyst), Erik Frenz (AFC East Lead Writer), Brad Gagnon (NFC East Lead Writer), Andrea Hangst (AFC North Lead Writer), Christopher Hansen (AFC West Lead Writer), Zach Kruse (NFC North Lead Writer), Rivers McCown (AFC South Lead Writer), Matt Miller (NFL National Lead Writer), Ty Schalter (NFL National Lead Writer), Michael Schottey (NFL National Lead Writer), Chris Simms (Former NFL Quarterback, Video Correspondent), Brent Sobleski (NFC South Lead Writer), Mike Tanier (NFL National Lead Writer) and Sean Tomlinson (NFC West Lead Writer).

Support for the Giants is running thin, and rightly so. What would lead Bowen and Freeman to pick the Giants, other than to be contrarian? I'm surprised the Giants remembered to pack their equipment on the plane for Detroit in Week 1, because they seemingly forgot their ability to run, catch, throw, block and tackle back in New York. Last weekend, even with a 14-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter, they couldn't put away a Drew Stanton-led Arizona Cardinals team.

There's a reason why the Giants were ranked No. 27 in B/R's power ranking, No. 28 on Fox Sports and CBSSports.com and No. 30 on NFL.com and ESPN.com—they aren't a good team.

That's not to say things can't turn around for the Giants. They showed a few signs of life in the middle quarters of the Arizona contest; perhaps they can build on those precious moments. But so soon? And against one of the league's most imposing defenses? Who's going to block Texans D-lineman J.J. Watt?

I'm skeptical, and siding with the B/R majority here.

Chris Simms: Giants Guaranteed to Lose

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Bleacher Report Video Correspondent Chris Simms picked the Giants as one of his five teams guaranteed to lose in Week 3.

As down as I was on the Giants in the last slide, I'm not going so far as to say the Giants are guaranteed to lose. Here's a few reasons why:

• I'm not sold on Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Eleven of Fitzpatrick's 12 interceptions last year were thrown when the game was on the line, as this Reddit user points out. This is his third team in as many years, and this one will likely live and die by its defense—not its quarterback. Get Fitzpatrick in a close game, and he could make a pivotal mistake.
• Another possibility involving the Houston QB: By Sunday, Fitzpatrick's beard reaches a length so shaggy that he's unable to button his chin strap, therefore making him a healthy scratch.
• Texans running back Arian Foster's health. Foster is one of the league's most talented runners, but he hasn't been the healthiest back over the last two seasons. He appeared in only two games last year; he will make his third appearance of the 2014 season at MetLife Stadium, toting early hamstring and rib ailments.
• An unlikely scenario: J.J. Watt misses the team plane.
• The Texans aren't exactly world-beaters. They've taken down the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders in consecutive weeks—big whoop! Who cares if both of those teams could probably beat the Giants?
• Eli Manning will play quarterback for the Giants. If Manning's under center, you can't expect a win, but you also can't guarantee a loss.

Simms makes a good argument in the video, his main point being the likelihood of Houston's defense swamping New York's already muddied offense.

We'll get into that on the next slide.

Dan Kohn: Giants 'O' Doesn't Stand a Chance vs. Texans 'D'

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Dan Kohn of Post-Crescent Media thinks the Giants offense will be stifled by a stingy Texans defense.

His exact words:

"

The Texans have been impressive to start the season with former Badger J.J. Watt even getting in on the fun on offense, scoring on a first-quarter pass play on Sunday at Oakland. The Giants, on the other hand, have been dreadful on offense and face another solid defensive unit. Texans 28, Giants 24.

"

Let me tell you something, Mr. Kohn: It won't be all fun and games when Watt has to rush against the Giants' formidable offensive line. Just kidding, it might be the most fun he'll have since he was a young boy playing hockey in Wisconsin. Eli Manning has been sacked four times through two games this season. After Watt was held sack-less last week, I see no way the Giants keep him from having a multi-sack outing on Sunday.

Even if Manning finds the time to get a pass—or two—away, he'll be missing Jerrel Jernigan (foot, injured reserve) from a receiving corps that was already pathetic before his injury. Preston Parker is not Plaxico Burress. Hey, Corey Washington might be, but I doubt he'll get the extended look.

Victor Cruz will be running around the field with his tail between his legs, after begging for more targets a week ago only to drop them against the Cardinals. Rueben Randle will fill his one-freakish-play-per-game quota, then stew in his highlight-reel success for the remainder of the contest. If the Giants have a chance to win this game, Cruz needs to wake up and Randle must play more consistently.

Otherwise, tight end Larry Donnell and running back Rashad Jennings will lead Manning's passing attack, like they have through the first two games. Good luck catching some sleep on Saturday night, Texans fans!

Pete Prisco: Giants Will Win out of Desperation

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Aw, isn't this cute? Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com thinks the Giants will win out of sheer desperation:

"

The Texans are undefeated after two weeks, but this is a second consecutive road game against a desperate team. That's a formula for failure. I think the Giants got the offense going some last week, and it's even better this week. Giants take it. [26-21]

"

Thanks to the 2007 and 2011 fairytales, experts still make this argument about the Giants. Somehow, someway, they'll pull out a win just because they need it so badly. After all, head coach Tom Coughlin and his Giants are at their best when their backs are up against the wall...

Well, guess what: The Giants have been leaning—slouching even—against that wall for so long that they've become the NFL's ugly, outdated wallpaper.

Were the Giants not desperate for a win in the back half of the 2012 season? After starting the season 6-2, New York dropped five of its final eight contests, allowing the Redskins to steal the division. With Washington closing in late in the season, the Giants were smacked by the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens in Weeks 15 and 16, respectively. In those two games, they were outscored by a total of 67-14.

Were the Giants not desperate for a win in each of the first six weeks of the 2013 season? After the disappointing end to the 2012 season, Big Blue bumbled through six consecutive losses. In each successive game, there was a heightened sense of desperation—and still no win until Week 7.

It's time for experts to stop making this argument. It's lazy and no longer accurate. If the Giants win this game, it will be a result of better preparation, better execution and better luck—not desperation.

Vinny Iyer: Giants Win in Upset of the Week

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It's strange to think we live in a time where Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News picks the New York Giants to beat the Houston Texans in his upset of the week.

Here's his full rationale:

"

For the second time in three weeks, the Giants make this cut. After what they did against the Lions and Cardinals, they look more like an 0-6 team, while the Texans’ routs of the Redskins and Raiders suggest they are getting warmed up with 2-0. That’s exactly why everything will flip here. For the second straight season, Big Blue knows its entire season already is on the line. Houston is improved, but far from perfect. We’ll give the hosts an ugly one. Giants 16, Texans 14

"

I found Iyer's expert analysis to be the wisest, simply because it goes against conventional wisdom. Yeah, the Giants look terrible and, boy, are the Texans hot, but how much do we really know about these teams after only two weeks of play?

At this point last year, the Carolina Panthers were 0-2 and the Texans themselves were 2-0. The Panthers went on to win the NFC South and qualify for the postseason; the Texans tanked and lost the remaining 14 games en route to the first draft pick.

Sure, the Giants looked terrible through the first two games of the season. They did, too, in 2007, when they gave up 80 points in the first two games (both losses) combined—need I remind you how that season ended?

New York still has the components of the winning team: a championship quarterback, a do-it-all running back, veteran leadership and some playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. The influx of injuries certainly doesn't help, but I still believe the Giants can be successful if they can get all those moving parts to work in synchronization. Admittedly, a lot must come together in a short period of time for the Giants to beat the Texans in Week 3.

But they do have a chance to win, just like every other team playing this weekend.

Take everything you read on the Internet with a grain of salt (even if it's written by an "expert").

Kevin Boilard writes about the New York Giants at Bleacher Report.