Ohm Youngmisuk has covered New York sports since 1997. He has covered the NFL, Giants and Jets since 2006. He joined ESPNNewYork after working at the New York Daily News for almost* 12 years and is a graduate of Michigan State University.
*Q: How would you grade Jason Garrett in his first year as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys?
YOUNGMISUK: I think Garrett's a good coach. I like what I saw from him last year. I thought Dallas needed a hard-nosed coach to kind of reel them in. I think there are some questions about him after this last game, especially with the way it ended. But I still think he's the right guy for that team. They're still a really talented team. They play hard. I think it took him a while to finally go with DeMarco Murray, but I thought that was a good decision for them and I do think they need to give him the ball more.
Q: How is the Cowboys rivalry different than the one with the Eagles?
YOUNGMISUK: I've been talking to a lot of players about that this week. A lot of them have been saying that the Eagles rivalry seemed to have a little more, maybe, animosity to it. There is a little more of a passion and a little more of a hatred on both sides.
Brandon Jacobs said today there was more talking, too, when it comes to the Eagles.
Deon Grant said it's probably because these teams are so close to each other as far as in proximity to each other. But with the Cowboys, there's more history there. The reason these two rivalries are probably different is because the Giants have had so much success against Dallas, whereas against Philly, they had lost six straight prior to this season. So I think the Giants need to approach this rivalry with the Cowboys the same way they do with the Eagles and bring that same type of mentality, that want to beat them the way they had that against Philly. You don't want the Giants to take anything for granted, not saying that they will against Dallas, but I think there's a little more animosity from the Giants side towards the Eagles than there is towards the Cowboys.
Q: Players have been talking about relishing the "back against the wall" mentality. What makes you think they can capitalize on that on Sunday night?
YOUNGMISUK: I think what we saw that with them against Green Bay. It's weird. They've lost four straight games, but it feels like they've rebounded. I think they need to be careful with that as well because, like I said, even though they lost four straight it doesn't feel like it. I think they can do this because if they just bring that same type of effort and mentality that they brought against the Packers and for whatever reason they like to turn it off and on. You saw it against New England, but then you didn't see it against Philadelphia and New Orleans. But then you see it against Green Bay. If they can somehow figure out a way to bottle that up and use that every game, they can definitely win the division and go to the playoffs. But the question is can they keep that switch on.
Q: What can the Giants expect from Rob Ryan's defense and how can they have success against it?
YOUNGMISUK: I think they have to be prepared for a lot of blitzes, and the Giants are used to that. But they have to be prepared for where these guys are going to come from. DeMarcus Ware is always a huge concern for that team and so is Jay Ratliff. The secondary is where Eli Manning can really hurt them and he has in the past. The Dallas secondary has always had trouble with Giants receivers, and now they're going to face Victor Cruz for the first time. So I think that's where they have that advantage. They can throw to Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, hopefully have Mario Manningham – all these guys have given Dallas trouble in the past. I think that's where they can hit Dallas hard.
Q: The game is on the line…Eli Manning or Tony Romo?
YOUNGMISUK: I'm going to go with Eli because he's won a Super Bowl, and this year the way he's playing has been lights out. He's playing the best football of his career, and when he plays Dallas, he plays great even before now. So now two games against Dallas with so much on the line, he just needs a little more help – whether it's from his running game and a little more help from the defense, especially with that pass rush. I think he can get the job done. I'm definitely going with Eli.
Q: What are some of the memorable moments from covering the Giants and Cowboys rivalry?
YOUNGMISUK: I have a lot. I was there when they beat Dallas in the playoffs, and that was pretty exciting to see. I had a feeling the Giants were going to win that game even though some of my co-workers did not think that -- this was when I was at the Daily News. I was there when Terrell Owens cried. I was literally right underneath him. He was at the podium, and I was right beside him. He was wearing shades, but I could see the tears start to come out of his eyes, and I was like, wow, this dude is really crying. And then I saw Tony Romo get his first break against the Giants. He came into that game, and that's when the whole Romo era began. Then I was also there last year when Michael Boley put him out. So I've seen a lot of cool things happen with the Giants and Cowboys. Hopefully these next two games are going to add to that.
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