New York Giants: 6 Keys to Beating the New Orleans Saints in Week 12

Under the lights of the Superdome, the (6-4) New York Giants will visit the (7-3) New Orleans Saints in a clash of NFC playoff contenders.

The Saints are coming off of a bye week, while the Giants head into the Monday night showdown looking to get back on track after dropping two straight, the latest coming at the hands of the arch-rival Philadelphia Eagles.

New York heads to New Orleans as a heavy underdog, and will have to play mistake-free football to overcome the powerhouse Saints.

Here are six keys to a Giants victory on Monday night:

Play Defense Against the Run and the Pass

So far this season, the Giants defense is tied for first in the league in sacks with 31, and fall within the top seven teams in terms of interceptions with 14.

But they also give up 362.1 yards per game (239.1 through the air and 123 on the ground), and have just three combined sacks in the past two games for a team that has averaged 3.5 a game over the eight previous before the Week 10 matchup against the 49ers.

Coming into the past two games, the defensive plan for New York was to stop the run against the likes of Frank Gore and LeSean McCoy.

Gore wound up exiting the game with an injury, finishing with zero yards on six carries, and his backup Kendall Hunter went for 40 yards and a TD. Other than a 60-yard run late in the game to seal the win for Philadelphia, McCoy was held in check all game as well.

It's been the pass defense that has been letting down the Giants in their past two games.

Alex Smith went for 242 yards and a touchdown, and although Vince Young threw three picks, he was solid in the fourth quarter and completed the game with 258 yards and two TDs.

New Orleans sports the No. 1 total offense in the league with 319.4 passing yards and 117.5 rushing yards per game, culminating in 31.3 points per game.

The key for the G-Men will be to play defense on both sides of the ball, and having Prince Amukamara back should help.

Keep Drew Brees off the Field

He's got 3,326 yards, 23 TD,11 INT and a 101.3 passer rating.

Need I say more?

The entire Saints offense runs through Drew Brees, as he ranks first among quarterbacks in passing attempts and completions.

Keeping the ball out of Brees's hands is the single most important aspect of this matchup on Monday night.

The Saints don't have a rusher who's averaging more than 50 yards per game, as Mark Ingram is their leading rusher 42.5 yards per game.

New Orleans ranks in the lower half of the league in rushing attempts, so clearly the key is to keep the ball out of Brees' hands.

Get the Running Game Going

I say this with hesitance, knowing that it's more of a dream than reality.

Ahmad Bradshaw's status for the Monday night matchup is still up in the air, and Brandon Jacobs" has definitely worn out his welcome in New York, as for some reason he's forgot how to run up the middle and pulverize defenders like he used to.

If Bradshaw can't go, it'll be a mix of Jacobs and rookie Da'Rel Scott, due to the concussion suffered by D.J. Ware in the loss to Philadelphia, whose status for Monday night is still unknown.

It's no secret that the Giants have been dismal running the football in 2011, as they rank second to last in yards per game with 83.2.

The Saints' D surrenders 121.5 rushing yards per game, so there is some wiggle room for New York.

If the G-Men can gain some yardage on the ground, it'll open up the passing game for Eli Manning and his receivers.

Throw the Ball

It sounds a bit contradictory of me to say "get the running game going" in one slide, and then say to "throw the ball" in the next, but it's true.

The New Orleans' defense yields 240 passing yards per game, and has only five interceptions on the season.

Eli Manning, on the other hand, has been strong all season, throwing for over 2,900 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Breakout wide receiver Victor Cruz leads all NYG receivers with 800 yards and five touchdowns on 46 receptions. Hakeem Nicks is a close second, scoring four touchdowns on 43 receptions and 685 yards.

The Saints defense has 21 sacks thus far, so the New York offensive line will need to give Manning enough time to find a target, which is something they failed to do against Philadelphia.

Limit & Force Turnovers

The Giants defense has done a great job all season causing turnovers (22), as they have now forced a turnover in 23 straight games.

The Saints, on the other hand, have only caused nine turnovers all season.

It all comes down to numbers, with the Giants' give/takeaway difference at +5, and the Saints at -5.

If the G-Men can play mistake-free football and force a couple of New Orleans turnovers, they will have a great shot at winning.

Put Points on the Board

It's simple.

The Saints rank second in the NFL in points per game with 31.3, while the Giants are averaging a respectable 22.8.

In their meeting last season, the Giants put up 27 points, but couldn't match the Saints' 48.

The Giants have had problems at times putting up points this season, while New Orleans has done it with ease.

Against a potent offense like New Orleans, would-be field goals need to be touchdowns.

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