Week 2 NFL Picks: New York Giants vs. Indianapolis Colts

The G-Men probably don’t feel like they have much of a chance in this game, but head coach Tom Coughlin has to figure out how to get his boys motivated in this one. New York looked fantastic in a 31-18 victory over the Carolina Panthers at times, but it also had some glaring problems that need to be addressed. A ton of points could have been on the board if not for three QB Eli Manning interceptions. However, the younger Manning brother really couldn’t get much help from his wide receivers, as all three of those picks were passes that were right on the money that his various receivers dropped. The defensive line really bailed out the offense’s struggles. QB Matt Moore never stood a chance against the ferocity of the rush from the front seven from the men in blue. He threw three picks and was sacked four times in Carolina’s defeat. It was a fantastic game for WR Hakeem Nicks, who caught four passes for 75 yards and three TDs in the win. The rushing game had a woeful first half, but when push came to shove, RB Ahmad Bradshaw and RB Brandon Jacobs combined for 32 carries and 120 yards with a score.

That rushing game is going to be vital for the Giants to take care of the Colts, who were torched on the ground last week by the Houston Texans. Relatively unknown RB Arian Foster took apart the Indy defense for 231 yards and three scores, accounting for nearly 200 of those yards in the second half. QB Peyton Manning proved to once again be a bright spot for Indy, as he threw for 433 yards and three TDs on 40-of-57 passing. Obviously, the wide receivers had a fantastic day. WR Austin Collie led all receivers with 11 catches, 163 yards, and a 73 yard TD reception. WR Reggie Wayne had seven catches for 99 yards and a TD. TE Dallas Clark went for 11 grabs, 80 yards, and a score as well. The rushing game still needs some major work for the Colts if they are going to achieve a balanced offensive assault. Watching RB Joseph Addai run for just 44 yards on ten carries isn’t going to cut it against anyone in the NFL, especially when your opposition ends up rumbling for over 250 yards on the ground.

We aren’t so convinced that the Colts are rolling in this game. This looks like a bit of a tricky NFL spread, and we are going to go with the visitors, who started to get their ground game underneath them in the second half last week. If Bradshaw and Jacobs can combine for 150 yards or so on the ground, Indy could be in a some real, serious trouble.