MNF PREVIEW: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT NEW YORK GIANTS

BY ADAM GREENE

We wrap up our garbage fire NFL prime time triumvirate as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to the most dangerous stadium in the world to take on the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.

I’m not kidding about MetLife Stadium. The two teams that play there, the Giants and the New York Jets are a combined 1-13, but the turf is undefeated when it comes to knocking out opposing players with torn ACLs. If I’m Bruce Arians, I stomp on the gas early in this one and hit the sim button with back ups the rest of the way.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (+13, O/U: 42.5)

Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.

Kickoff: Nov. 3, 8:15 p.m. EST

Broadcast: ESPN

THE HISTORY

In spite of both teams being in the NFC, the Giants and Bucs have faced off just 23 times since 1977. New York enjoys a significant edge in the overall match up with a 16-7 record and has won eight of the last 10 games between the two squads.

In spite of their relatively few meetings over the last 43 years, this will be the fourth season in a row they squared up on the old gridiron. Last season, the Giants took out Tampa Bay 32-31 in a legitimately solid Daniel Jones vs Jameis Winston quarterback duel. Jones finished 23 of 36 for 336 yards and two touchdowns. Jones also rushed for two scores. Winston was 23 of 37 for 380 yards, three TDs and, I hope you are sitting down, only one interception.

While there might not be much history between the Buccaneers and Giants, there’s plenty between Tom Brady and the Giants. Brady, as a member of the New England Patriots, played New York twice in Super Bowls and lost both times, including a 17-14 Giants win in Super Bowl XLII in 2008 that cost the Pats an undefeated season. They met four years later in Super Bowl XLVI with similar results, a 21-17 Giants win that all but secured Eli Manning’s addition to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Expect to see plenty of replays of two throws in particular from Manning; the David Tyree helmet catch and his perfect sideline strike to Mario Manningham. Both career-defining, game winning plays.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-2)

There was a while this season where Tom Brady looked relatively mortal on odd-numbered weeks, but he put that to bed last Sunday in a 45-20 curb stomp of the Las Vegas Raiders. Brady was 33 of 45 for 369 yards and four touchdowns with no picks in the win. Scotty Miller caught six passes for 109 yards and a touchdown.

If there is a reason to be wary for the Bucs in this game it’s because it should be the 2020 debut of terminal cancer Antonio Brown. We’ll have to see how that goes. Also, you know, MetLife has eaten its share of knees this season.

NEW YORK GIANTS (1-6)

The Giants have been a tough out all season long, in spite of the weaknesses of their roster or who they’re playing. Last week they dropped a 22-21 NFC East game to the Philadelphia Eagles, but Jones had a solid game. He finished 20 of 30 passing for two touchdowns and a pick and rushed four times for 92 yards. Of their six losses this season, three have been by a single score.

THE PICK

There’s a temptation her to think New York might keep this one close as well, especially since the Bucs could conceivably start pulling starters at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The Giants were nine points worse than the Los Angeles Rams and 10 points worse than the Pittsburgh Steelers, only getting blown out by the San Francisco 49ers. This one feels more like that Niners game to me. Bucs 38, Giants 16

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