Giants D-Train Kept A'Rollin

We knew the Giants defense was good, but there was much speculation about how consistent they would be after a rather gruesome pre-season.  With major losses of Mathias Kiwanuka and Gabriel Wilson and the injury to star D Lineman Osi Umenyiora, it seemed that the Superbowl champs lost some luster. 

However, week 6 rolls around, and the G-men are one of two teams in the NFL with an undefeated record.  After last week's dominant victory over a still-staggering Seattle Seahawks team, the Giants enter the week going up against another "A-plus" team: the Cleveland Browns.  Going into the game, the Browns have a 1-3 record (they're one win was in Week 5 against an 0-5 Bengals team) and are recently faced with a quarterback issue in Derek Anderson.  The Pro-Bowl QB has 3 TD passes and 6 Intercepts with a QB-Rating of a robust 49.9.  They're runner in Jamal Lewis is not bad, but the way the team is playing, cannot be as effective as he should be.

But who can we thank for this continuation of dominance from the run to the Superbowl last year?  Yes, we could look at the Giants schedule and argue that they're last 3 games were against teams with a combined total of 1 win ( Seattle, Cincinnati, and St. Louise).  Yes, we can smile at the way Eli Manning has emerged into the quarterback that was desired with a first overall pick, posting up career numbers and not seemingly slowing down.  But I believe the key here is the Giants Defense.

The heart and soul of this team has rested with the Defense for the past 3 seasons, most notably in last years playoffs.  After holding what many considered to be the most potent offense if football to just 14 points, the D-train has not stopped running.  After four games, the Defense has already gotten 15 sacks and has held the opponents a little over 11 points a game. 

The one flaw which many analyzers have pointed out is the lack of take aways.  The giants defense only has 2 interceptions and no fumble recoveries, but this is not a problem.  Because the giants have a strong front and a blitz-happy defense, the interceptions and fumbles will come.  The Defense is still getting pressure, and with pressure comes control of the football in all aspects.

Prediction for the Game:  Giants win 24-14.  Look for Justin Tuck to have a strong game, with 2 sacks, 8 solo tackles, and 1 forced fumble.