Tonight, two Quarterbacks have the chance to define themselves as elite players in the NFL. With two Super bowl wins under his belt New York Giants’ signal caller Eli Manning still has his critics. New England Patriots’ fans will tell you Eli is lucky. Dallas Cowboys fans will tell you his defense carries him.
The only way Peyton Manning’s little brother can shut the naysayers up is with a strong start to the season. The Giants are 1-1 after a dismal outing by their wide receivers in the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. In week two, Eli’s receivers showed up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Unfortunately, one of those receivers will not be showing up for Thursday Night’s game.
Week Two NFL Offensive Player of the Week Hakeem Nicks, did not make the trip to Carolina. The Giants might also be without the talents of running back Ahmad Bradshaw. Maybe the critics are right; the New York Giants defense will have to step up.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton also has his critics. One post I read earlier today on ProFootballTalk.com commented, “I’ve said it before and stand by it, he will be figured out now that teams see he is one dimensional.” Other comments compare Cam to Eagles quarterback Michael Vick in not so flattering ways. Cam Newton will face a punishing New York Giants’ pass rush on Thursday Night. The Giants defense seems to operate as one entity as if they have a network connecting them. They rapidly adjust to any look an offense gives them. If Cam can walk away with the win he is one step closer to silencing his critics.
The Vegas odds makers had the Giants opened as 1-point favorites in this match up. After the news of Hakeem Nicks broke the odds flipped in favor of the Carolina Panthers 1.5-points. You can expect a pass happy game as the over and under has been set at 50 1/2.
Before you settle in for the game be sure to enter our free NFL Pick ’em contest “Beat the House”. You can win weekly prizes for making correct NFL picks. There is also a brand new beer Kegerator, courtesy of GreatGiftsForMen.com up for grabs! You can register here.
