Thanksgiving Day Special: Giants-Broncos preview

After you've carved the turkey and stuffed yourself with stuffing, after you've had pie, after the tryptophan has started to set in, all you New York sports fans have one more thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Sprawl out on the couch, hunt around for the remote, and turn on NFL Network (or Channel 9 or 11 if you're in the New York area).

The Giants (6-4) are taking on the Broncos (6-4) in a primetime game with major playoff implications for both the AFC and NFC. Let's break it down.

OVERVIEW: Both teams come in struggling, even though the G-Men broke their four-game losing streak with a 34-31 overtime win over the Falcons Sunday. Though they squandered a two-touchdown lead and have lost running back Ahmad Bradshaw and middle linebacker Antonio Pierce to injuries, Big Blue can at least say they've won a game in November. Not so for Denver, which has lost four straight after a surprising 6-0 start and was pasted, 32-3, by the Chargers four days ago.

The big issue for Denver is at quarterback, where coach Josh McDaniels has to choose between injured starter Kyle Orton and incompetent backup Chris Simms. Both QBs were ineffective against San Diego, combining for just 181 yards and an interception on 33 pass attempts. If Orton's sprained ankle leaves him just as gimpy against Big Blue, the Broncos will have significant problems just putting a drive together, let alone scoring points.

The Giants have their own injury problems. A bulging disk in Pierce's neck has forced him to the sidelines, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of New York's defense. Though backup Chase Blackburn looked good at times, Pierce's absence was keenly felt in the fourth quarter against Atlanta, when Matt Ryan led the Falcons down the field on back-to-back touchdown drives to force overtime. But the G-Men pulled out the W and pulled within a game of the first-place Cowboys in the NFC East. With huge contests against the Cowboys and Eagles on the first two Sundays in December, this is a game the Giants can ill afford to lose. And they know it.

KEY MATCHUP: Broncos offensive line v Giants defensive line
The recipe for neutralizing an injured -- and therefore immobile -- quarterback is very simple: Get pressure, force him to get rid of the ball early, and count up the incompletions and interceptions. The Broncos have been among the league's best at protecting the quarterback, allowing just 19 sacks in 10 games. But if the Giants' D-Line, particularly explosive ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, can get to Orton, they can use their linebackers to guard against the run and limit Denver's ability to move the ball.

X-FACTOR: Brandon Jacobs
Earlier this season, Jacobs made a big deal about not performing well enough and not getting enough carries. The numbers back him up; he's averaging just 16.3 carries a game as the team's starting running back, yet he's only picking up four yards a carry, down from his career average of 4.6.

Against Denver, Jacobs will get to show what he can do without Wind, Fire, Water, or any other elemental forces. Bradshaw gamely played with a broken bone in his right foot against the Falcons but sprained his left ankle late in the game. Third-string back Danny Ware will assume some of Bradshaw's duties, but he has been used only sparingly this season, and even then only in third-down situations.

Jacobs is battling an injury of his own; he hurt his right knee in the third quarter against Atlanta and did not return. Though coach Tom Coughlin said the move was a precautionary measure, the big guy is clearly not 100 percent. Throw in the mile-high air for a 264-pound running back who will almost certainly get 20+ carries, and Jacobs has his work cut out for him.

If Jacobs can burn the Denver defense for a couple of big plays and gain 4-5 yards a carry, the Broncos won't be able to drop seven or eight guys into pass coverage (they play a 3-4 defense). Given one-on-one matchups to exploit, Eli Manning will have a big enough day to carry the New York offense to 25+ points.

PREDICTION: Giants 31, Broncos 24. Jacobs does enough to open up the passing game, and the offense scores too many points for a hobbled Orton to keep pace.