Ed: Steelers vs. Giants, and the Pick Is . . .

Sunday, 04 November 2012 12:12

Written by Ed Bouchette

Good afternoon,
         It’s a lovely, sunny day in the New York area and, if you were in a hole the past week and just crawled out to go to MetLife Stadium for the game, all seems normal.
          Giants and Steelers fans have packed the parking lots around the $1.7 billion concrete bowl to tailgate at the East Rutherford, N.J. sports complex. No damage appears evident anywhere near the stadium.
        The Steelers took their short flight here with no problems and are at the stadium getting ready for the 4:25 p.m. game.
   Gerry Dulac and I arrived yesterday morning and took a drive into Newark from our hotel at the Newark airport. We saw no signs of any weather problems there – no fallen trees, no damaged houses, etc. The thing we did see was a long, long line of cars that stretched nearly a mile long in a gas line at the one gas station we passed. Besides the cars, there also was a crowd of people at the station in line, carrying those large, red gas cans.
         MetLife Stadium looks normal. All four scoreboards are fully functioning 3 ½ hours before kickoff. They’re practicing for the pre-game show, having unfurled a U.S. flag the size of the full field.
   Now, on with the show . . . My prediction.
     I may have mentioned last week that I picked the Steelers to beat the Redskins because I did not think they’d lose two straight; in other words, I like the Giants today and have ever since I picked the entire schedule on Sept. 9 and put this down as the Steelers’ loss, one of five I gave them.
     Having Troy Polamalu, Jonathan Dwyer and Rashard Mendenhall out doesn’t help the Steelers. Plus, I don’t expect LaMarr Woodley to be very effective today. That hamstring injury seems still to be holding himback.
    So, let’s take the Giants, 31-27. Too high? The Steelers won, 33-30 in 2004, the rookie season for both Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning.