5 Bold Predictions for New York Giants' Week 7 Matchup

Peer into my crystal football and witness the New York Giants' future.

The Giants will travel to take on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7; I'm certain. I can see a high-flying affair in Arlington, Texas. My premonitions tell me we'll see plenty of tackles and touchdowns, field goals and fumbles.

These five predictions may seem like misguided prognostication right now, but at this time next week, you'll be hailing it as prophesy. Read through the slideshow and behold my boldness.

Manning-to-Beckham Connection Emerges Immediately in Slot

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When Eli Manning broke out as a passer in 2009, he did so by targeting his slot receiver a lot. That season, Steve Smith caught a still-standing Giants record of 107 receptions.

Smith was the most productive member of the Giants offense when it lost him to a knee injury during the 2010 season. The 25-year-old receiver underwent surgery, signed with the Philadelphia Eagles—then, later, the St. Louis Rams—and had completely fizzled out by the end of the 2012 season.

We don't remember Smith's story as such a tragic one because Victor Cruz stepped into Smith's vacated role almost immediately in 2011. That year, Cruz broke the single-season yardage record en route to a Super Bowl XLVI victory and previously unimaginable stardom.

And it was all because Manning loves throwing to his man in the slot so much.

Even if Cruz is able to return to full strength somewhere down the road, his torn patellar tendon of 2014 will always be remembered as the darkest chapter of his professional career.

There's no way Odell Beckham Jr. can alleviate the pain, but the rookie wideout can soften the blow.

With Cruz out (and Jerrel Jernigan and Marcus Harris on injured reserve), the Giants are out of options at slot receiver. That's why they signed ex-Cowboy Kevin Ogletree off the street on Tuesday, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Beckham will be squeezed into the slot in some situations, and the Giants will be pleasantly surprised with his production from that position. If Jernigan could excel in that role late last season, imagine what an athlete of OBJ's caliber can do.

The key for this to work, however, is for a third receiver to draw some attention on the sideline opposite Rueben Randle. This is probably going to be Preston Parker, but I'd like to see Corey Washington—and, frankly, the Cowboys secondary—put to the test out there.

Adrien Robinson Will Lead Giants TEs in Catches

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Maybe it isn't too late to give up on the Giants' fourth-round pick from 2012.

Adrien Robinson looked dead in the water during training camp. He spent all summer buried beneath the other tight ends on the depth chart. I still don't know why Robinson was retained over Kellen Davis, a more reliable veteran who performed better in the preseason.

Yet, for whatever reason, he's on the team. In fact, Robinson has been utilized in each of the past three games, catching one pass per game for a total of 49 yards.

Although 29 of those yards came late in the fourth quarter against the Eagles, on a Ryan Nassib-thrown pass with the game long since decided, I think Robinson's going to start getting more runs with the first-stringers.

It's not an outlandish assertion. Since the Washington Redskins game, Larry Donnell has left much to be desired. The starting tight end has caught just one pass for six yards over the past two games. Daniel Fells has been good as the team's No. 2 tight end, but against the Eagles he contributed a lost fumble instead of his usual red-zone touchdown.

So with the tight ends ahead of him not performing up to par, why not give Robinson another shot?

Robinson definitely won't start, but he may snag a few of Fells' backup reps. If he's able to get open and catch a pass from Manning on one of his precious few snaps, that may be all it takes to lay the first cornerstones of their chemistry working together. After all, Manning will be on the prowl for a new favorite target with Cruz sidelined.

Moore and Ayers Will Get More Snaps at DE Than JPP and Kiwi

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The elephant in the room isn't leaving enough room for all four of New York's defensive ends to fit comfortably.

No one within the Giants organization is willing to admit it, but the team's backup ends might be better than its starters. Jason Pierre-Paul's disruptive spurts come and go; Mathias Kiwanuka simply isn't an every-down impact playmaker.

It's time to give Damontre Moore and Robert Ayers more runs.

The statistics say a switch would work out in New York's favor. Although Moore and Ayers see far less snaps than the starters, both pass-rushers have two sacks on the season. JPP and Kiwi have just 1.5 each.

Perhaps Moore and Ayers' statistics are skewed since they're only on the field to rush the passer. Still, the amount of downs these two spend seated should not have them anywhere near the starters on the stat sheet, let alone leading them.

While Pierre-Paul at least ranks among the top five Giants in tackles, Kiwanuka has only 16—four more than Moore and seven more than Ayers.

I'm not calling for the benching of New York's two starting defensive ends. The Giants have four talented ends who can make a difference in the pass rush. Pierre-Paul's pursuit and batted passes are priceless; Kiwanuka can still make game-changing plays like the strip-sack he had against the Redskins.

The Giants, however, might like what they see if they give a couple of hungry reserves in Moore and Ayers some extra snaps during the Cowboys game.

Beason Will Lead the Defense with Double-Digit Tackles

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The Cowboys have been running wild behind DeMarco Murray. So far this season, the fourth-year running back is averaging an insane 130.8 yards per game.

What's equally psychotic is Murray's carries-per-game average of 26.5 through six outings. Bear in mind this is a running back who is usually banged-up and has never completed a full, 16-game season.

To date, Murray has handled the additional touches well. That's because he hasn't faced many linebackers with Jon Beason's run-stuffing ability, though.

Beason made his (second) return to the starting lineup from a foot injury against the Eagles and looked a bit overwhelmed in his first game back. He didn't get much of a chance to test out his toe, as Philadelphia's clever misdirection and witty play-calling kept Beason on his heels.

Against the Cowboys, the Giants should return to action with an improved game plan. Dallas is sure to feature Murray in a more straightforward manner, allowing Beason to match up with him head to head (no contact, though—that would be a penalty!).

A strong tackler, Beason is best in downhill pursuit. He will crash the line of scrimmage and meet Murray for negative or minimal gains throughout the afternoon, forcing the Cowboys to beat the Giants another way.

Beason should be able to force a fumble, as Murray has already coughed up the ball six times in six games this season.

The Cowboys Will Win in a Shootout

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Both the Giants and Cowboys are going to end up airing the ball out on Sunday.

After New York's ground game proved feckless when spearheaded by Andre Williams, the Giants will turn to Odell Beckham Jr. in the passing game. OBJ will rise to the challenge and lead the team in receiving yardage. He and Adrien Robinson will combine for three touchdowns against the Cowboys.

Tony Romo and the Cowboys will be forced to pass after Jon Beason and the Giants shut down DeMarco Murray. It'll be nothing new for Romo, who has picked New York apart in the past with wide receiver Dez Bryant and tight end Jason Witten. Perhaps Damontre Moore and Robert Ayers can provide the Giants with a pass-rushing twist Romo has not seen before.

Although both teams have fielded solid secondaries up until this point, I think something will change in Week 7. The Giants and Cowboys will find themselves in a shutout; Ben McAdoo's offense must be in full swing (despite makeshift personnel) for New York to hang with its one-loss division rival from Big D.

In the end, the team who wins the turnover margin will have the last chance to score in the fourth quarter of a tie game. That team will drive the field with the opposing defense unable to make a stop, setting up a 30- to 40-yard field goal for the win as time expires.

I'm expecting a repeat of last year's Week 12 matchup, when Dallas' machine-like Dan Bailey provided the deciding three-pointer.

Prediction: Cowboys 37, Giants 34

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