Certainly no one in the Giants locker room believes that the Cowboys' offense is virtually the same high-powered unit with 40-year-old Brad Johnson under center instead of Pro Bowler Tony Romo, but that's those are the talking points coming from Team Coughlin.
"Obviously Tony is going to do a lot of improvising," Giants defensive end Justin Tuck told the Daily News. "As a D-line, you don't have to worry about a guy outrunning you or running away from you, but your moves have to be more precise because (Johnson) is not going to give you as much time as Tony did."
Fair points, all of them, but for all of Johnson's experience (including a Super Bowl ring with the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers), his on-field presence makes the Giants defense's job much easier. Plus, there weren't any Cowboys' fans clamoring for Brooks Bollinger after a particularly unimpressive Romo outing. It took just 60 minutes for the "We Want ... Brooks?!" chants to start once Johnson was forced into the starting role.
During Dallas' last must-win game, a 13-9 victory over the Bucs, Johnson threw for 122 yards and a touchdown, managing just 3.7 yards per pass. That's a 1.3 yards less than what Brandon Jacobs averages per carry.
Oddsmakers have the Giants favored by nine points, which seems high. Until you remember Johnson's the starter, he struggles to complete passes of more than 10 yards in length, has the mobility of a statue, and the New York features one of the best defensive lines in the NFC. On paper, it could be a blow out, but that was the consensus heading into the Monday night affair in Cleveland. But let's be honest: Brad Johnson isn't even Derek Anderson.
