We finish out Week 14 with an odd game, the New York Giants (5-7) try to keep their NFC East and playoff hopes alive against the Miami Dolphins (5-7) who are just trying to avoid their seventh straight non-winning season. The last time we had a train wreck game like this it turned out to be a pretty fantastic contest (Anybody remember Browns – Ravens? Or, Browns fans, how can you ever forget?).
Scroll on down for the live blog. Keep reading for preview information.
First up, here’s my pick from The FAQ.
Monday Night
New York Giants at Miami (+1)
It’s time for Tom Coughlin to call it a career and that becomes clearer every game the Giants blow with dumb decisions in the fourth quarter. Five of their seven losses right now if you’re keeping count. Giants 28, Dolphins 13
Here’s my entries for each team in this week’s Power Rankings.
12. New York Giants – (5-7) I wasn’t a big proponent of firing Tom Coughlin when the question seems to come up every other year, but with the cluster-effs that have cost the Giants all seven of their losses this season, maybe it’s time for a change. Last week: No. 10
22. Miami Dolphins – (5-7) The Dolphins are a great mystery under Dan Campbell. Luckily for us, unemployment will solve that mystery come January. Last week: No. 26
And here’s our GMS Preview.
The New York Giants (5-7) travel to play the Miami Dolphins (5-7) looking to snap their three-game losing streak. A player to watch is the NFL’s fourth-leading receiver, Odell Beckham Jr. (1,154 yards, 10 TDs). It will begin Monday, Dec 14 at 8:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN.
Miami prevailed in a close one over the Ravens 15-13 last week. Olivier Vernon led the Miami defense in the win, registering four tackles and 2.5 sacks. New York didn’t have the same success as Miami, losing a game they could have won against the Jets 23-20. Odell Beckham Jr. had an outstanding performance for the Giants, totaling six catches for 149 yards and one TD.
Miami is a slight two-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 46 points.
Heading into Week 14 of league action, the Dolphins are 5-7 Straight Up (SU) and 4-8 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last five games, the Dolphins have records of 2-3 SU and 1-4 ATS. The Giants give up 6.1 yards per play, ranking 29th in the NFL. As for the Miami defense, there are important areas to keep an eye on. One of the keys to the game will be how the Giants plan to deal with Miami’s ball hawks. The defense ranks fourth in the league in interceptions with 1.2 per home game. On special teams, Miami has some playmakers. They average 101.5 return yards per game, third in the NFL.
Moving to the road team, the Giants have a record of 6-5-1 ATS and 5-7 SU. In the previous five games, New York has a record of 1-4 SU and 2-2-1 ATS. Miami’s defensive backs will want to be ready for their opponent’s passing attack. The Giants average 292.8 yards through the air over their past five games. Shifting to the other side of the ball, the New York defense can dominate if it takes advantage of some favorable matchups. The Dolphins can’t give the ball away to the turnover-minded Giants. The New York defense generates 2.3 turnovers per away game, second in the league. The Dolphins defense seems to get off to a poor start. The Giants can take an early advantage against Miami and its average of 6.6 first-quarter points allowed. Special teams help provide a spark for New York. They average the fourth-most return yards in the NFL with 100.1.
Predictions: SU Winner – NYG, ATS Winner – NYG, O/U – Under
The game is on ESPN at 8:20. Watch it with me.
