Article:Giants look to clinch homefield advantage

The New York Giants will host the Carolina Panthers in a key sunday night matchup tonight. This game has more than just playoff implications, the winner will clinch homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Both teams play a smashmouth style of football with dominant running games and we should be in for a hard hitting matchup of two teams playing for the inside track to the Superbowl.

The Giants looked to have home-field advantage on lock down as of a few weeks ago, but after tough divisional losses to Philadelphia and Dallas they are forced into a do or die game to earn the advantage they thought they already had. The Giants are 6-1 at home this year and they will be home for this big game tonight. The Giants will also be getting back Brandon Jacobs tonight who they have missed dearly in each of the last two games.

The Panthers come into this game the hotter team. They also come in as a team that spent most of the year under the radar and are finally getting some of the respect that they deserve with their dominant run game that has been running over defenses all year. They also have possibly the most dangerous receiver in the league in Steve Smith who is having a great year.

This is a must win game for the Giants because if they lose not only willl they lose the chance at home field throughout, but they will be put into another must win game against the Vikings (who Eli Manning has well documented struggles against) to at least get a bye week and a home game in the playoffs.

My bold prediction for tonights game: Steve Smith of the Giants will have a better game than Steve Smith of the Panthers.