I caught up with my colleagues at the top Giants blog: "Big Blue View" to get their thoughts about the upcoming matchup. Check out the Q&A below for their impressions on the game and the Saints. Special thanks to Jim S. for taking the time, and good luck to your boys the rest of the season (except for Sunday).Saints Nation: Eli is from New Orleans so he has many local fans. How is he doing in New York? After getting off to a rocky start, has the Super Bowl win gotten the monkey off his back or does he still deal with scrutiny? Has he won over the fans completely?
Big Blue View: There are very few quarterbacks who have played in the NFL who didn't have their detractors, Eli is no exception. Eli will never be the quarterback his brother is, but with the Giants, he'll never have to be. Eli just has to be Eli. In my mind, he is the best in the league in the two minute drill. He's done it time and time again, at home, on the road, in the Super Bowl. His teammates call him "Easy-E" for a good reason, nothing rattles him. I think most fans have embraced Eli, winning a Super Bowl will do that.
SN: How do you feel about the Giants-Saints matchup?
BBV: I'd feel much better about it if it was at Giants Stadium. I know the Giants are a great road team, but you'd still rather play a team with an explosive offense like the Saints in your own house, out in the elements. Guess we'll have to wait for the NFC Championship Game to get the Saints in Jersey. :)
SN: What scares you the most about the Saints?
BBV: That they won back to back games without Brees throwing a TD pass, that tells you how good they are. These are not the Billy Joe Hobert Saints. The other thing that scares me is Jeremy Shockey catching the game winning TD. I still have two gently used number 80 jerseys for sale if anyone is interested, ha ha.
SN: Can you give Saints fans a sense of what to expect from the Giants? Fill us in on maybe something we might not know?
BBV: With the Giants, you can talk about Eli, Jacobs, or the new wideouts, but New York Giants Football is and always will be about the defense. The Giants are going to have to get their pass rush going, try and get to Brees early, and see if they can knock him around a little.
SN: What are your expectations for the Giants this season? Do you think this could be a possible matchup in the NFC Championship game?
BBV: I am forever a Giants optimist, but usually stay away from bold predictions, until this year. I truly feel they are the best team in the NFL, and I think they have to be considered the favorite to win the Super Bowl. I definitely see this as a potential NFC Championship preview.
SN: How does this Giants team compare to the recent Superbowl championship team 2 years ago?
BBV: This team is better. The 2007 team was a very good one, but this team has a better balance of talent, and are deeper at just about every position.
SN: Give us a prediction on the score.
BBV: Oof. This is going to be a fun one. Two very good offenses, two very good defenses. Giants win, but it may take more than 4 quarters to do it. Giants 30-27 in overtime.
Thanks again to the guys at Big Blue View and don't forget to go check out their Giants blog!
