New York has a much more veteran squad and enters this NFC matchup as a 6.5-point favorite on the NFL odds against a young Carolina team going through a major transition on both sides of the ball. The Giants will not only have the advantage of opening their new stadium but also have a major edge at the quarterback position with former Super Bowl champion Eli Manning squaring off against second-year starter Matt Moore for the Panthers, who have covered eight straight games against conference opponents and eight of their last 10 regular-season games overall.
Moore failed to direct Carolina on a touchdown drive in the preseason but finished last season strong after replacing the departed Jake Delhomme. He led the Panthers to four wins in their last five games, including a 41-9 rout in Week 16 to close out Giants Stadium. Moore threw eight touchdown passes and only one interception in the last five weeks of the season. Carolina also got a jolt late in the season from running back Jonathan Stewart, who filled in admirably for injured starter DeAngelo Williams by rushing for 589 yards and five touchdowns during that same five-game stretch. Stewart burned the Giants for 206 yards on 28 carries in the last meeting.
That loss to Carolina left a bad taste in the mouth of New York’s players and no doubt will be on their minds when they meet again here. The Giants dealt with a rash of injuries during the preseason, including a gash to the forehead of Manning that required 12 stitches after the opener. They will be looking to employ a more aggressive style of defense under new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, hoping to take advantage of pass rushers Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka and Osi Umenyiora, all of whom are healthy entering the season.
New York will be without kick returner Domenik Hixon and cornerback Aaron Ross due to serious injuries while starting center Shaun O’Hara has the entire preseason with tendinosis in his ankle. The Giants also lost backup quarterback Jim Sorgi to a shoulder injury, prompting them to strike a deal with Minnesota for reserve QB Sage Rosenfels and return specialist Darius Reynaud. Rosenfels gives the team insurance in case Manning goes down again with an injury, and Reynaud should help fill the void left by Hixon and Ross in the return game.
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