FanHouse Preview: Giants v. Panthers

As Ryan has already pointed out, this game, despite the "Homefield Throughout" nature in which it will be played, isn't the most "important" of the season, since both teams are all but playoff locked (if the Panthers lose out and the Bucs, Falcons and Cowboys win out ... well, then I'm a jackass).

But there's still puh-lenty at stake here. Namely: home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and the likelihood of being favored to rep the NFC in the Super Bowl. The last one of course, is really just a semantical bonus for those that like to gamble.

Make no mistake though -- HFA is a huge deal to both of these teams, considering that they're a combined 14-1 this season at home. So, yeah, it's kind of important.

And as such, this should be a great game, even if it's kind of odd to see the seasonal arc that each team is taking. The Giants were, just a few weeks ago, already being penciled in to rep the NFC in Tampa. However, in just the course of two losses to the Eagles and the Cowboys, people have started to wonder how they can perform when they're not a full strength.

But, as Giants early season roll has slowed, the Panthers have only picked up the pace, moving from a tough team that looked like a contender to a powerhouse that rumbled over Tampa Bay for 300+ rushing yards in a Monday night blowout. Of course, there's the whole matter of DeAngelo Williams being secretly hurt -- yeah, it's weird. It also seems unlikely; he was, after all, tutored by Vinny Testaverde and that goes a long way towards maintaining health. But still, a shoddy performance or an early exit from "Dash" would make this a pretty big deal going forward.

Three Key Questions:

Question 1: Do the Giants need Plaxico Burress, and is his future still in New York?

Question 2: Can Brandon Jacobs cover up the flaws of Eli and the WR corps?

Question 3: Is Jake Delhomme still capable of winning a game by himself?

Player in the Spotlight: Brandon Jacobs. Admit it -- even when Plax was out, the Giants looked great because they could cover up the obvious, yet somehow still denied flaws of Eli Manning by running the hell out of the football. Now, um, yeah. If Jacobs can wear down the Panthers' defense, and keep New York's D off the field, the Giants stand a much better chance of winning.

New York's Path to Triumph: Stuff the run. Much like ball bearings, it seems like a pretty simple answer. (Hey!) But just because the answer is out there in simple fashion doesn't mean that it's something easy to do. But if the Giants can come out with a strong defensive plan, put some points and the board and force Delhomme to win the game on his own, things will look pretty good for them.

Carolina's Path to Triumph: Smash. And. Dash. Defense will be important too, of course, but as long as the Panthers can get the running game going again on Sunday night -- and considering they've plowed over some hefty rush D's lately, there's no reason to think they can't -- they're gonna be tough to stop. And while it's obvious that run + defend the run = FTW in the NFL, each component is so key for each team tonight that winning the trench battles will bear out a winner.

Prediction: Panthers 24, Giants 21