LaVar Arrington

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Warpath

No way Eli beats Peyton. I also don't think they hang with Seattle in Seattle. Seattle went to the superbowl and didn't really lose any meaningful players. You think Seattle and Indy are both overrated? Indy won what like their first 13? Hmmm. But I guess thats why they play.

Both of em can be had, I mean New York all but beat Seattle in Seattle last year. You better believe that game will be in the back of their minds. I am fairly confident that Eli will win the Manning duel. I don't hate the Colts or anything (I thought they'd take the Lombardi last year for sure), but my worries about the pass protection post Edge have been expressed in this space many a time. The last time the Colts played, the Steelers manhandled their offensive line, and the Steelers dont have the advantage of a pair of bookends like Osi and Strahan. I just see Eli at a huge advantage, when you factor in expectations and everything, regardless of who the better QB is (it's Peyton, duh). They will both be ready, but Peyton will be on his back more. Advantage Giants.

The Eagles game could go either way, but I think a big factor is how hungry Phili will be coming off the Texans. Yes, its a divisional game, and yes they will be ready. But if Phili beats the Texans in Week 1, they wont be nearly as hungry to prove something than they would if they get upset (a very real possibility), and were facing a 2-0 hole at home.

So I'm loosely projecting the Giants at at least 2-1, possibly 3-0 heading into their bye week, and a game vs. the Redskins in Week 5.

Remember, the key to the whole season projection thing is that teams will improve/regress as the season goes on. The Giants are historically FAR more likely to beat a good team in September than in November. Likewise, a team like the Panthers or Steelers (or Seattle to a lesser extent) are more likely to get beat in September, and win later on. History shows that. It's not the be all end all, but I usually bet with the trend, it rarely does me wrong.