On paper, it should be a mismatch. Eli Manning going against Josh Freeman is a bit like John Wayne against Barney Fife. Manning has two Super Bowl rings, while Freeman, in his fourth NFL season, is still trying to establish himself as a reliable pro quarterback.
You figure if Manning and his offense play to their potential when they battle the Buccaneers on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, the outcome will be just what the Giants need to erase the sting of their season-opening loss to the Cowboys.
Problem is, Manning’s primary opposition isn’t Freeman. It will be a Bucs defense that is hoping to keep the game close so its quarterback can do just enough to steal a win against the defending Super Bowl champions.
“When we have opportunities to make some plays, we’ve got to do that,” Manning said this week.
That’s something Manning and the Giants didn’t do in their 24-17 loss to the Cowboys. Along with dropped passes and an inconsistent running game, the Giants offense stalled because of its poor percentage of third-down conversions. The Giants were just 4-of-12 on third down, a statistic that needs to improve Sunday against a Bucs defense that will be determined to get the Giants off the field as fast as possible.
That’s how the Bucs beat the Carolina Panthers, 16-10, last week. They limited Cam Newton and his offense to 10 yards rushing and only 2-of-10 on third-down conversions. Those numbers have gotten the Giants’ attention.
“[The Bucs] had a good scheme,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “They were timely in what they were able to do and they caused pressure on the quarterback. They played well on third down.”
This isn’t your father’s “Tampa 2” defense either. Former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano has implemented a system to take advantage of the athleticism of his young, gifted players.
“More than anything, I see a lot of great energy and great speed,” Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said. “They’re doing a lot of movement, a lot of twists and a lot of slanting and angling, maybe more than what you would see normally. Because of that, you see a lot of disruption. You saw it in the preseason, which you might expect because guys haven’t been playing. But you saw it in the regular-season game, which was a little discouraging to see. Hopefully, we’ll handle it better than what we’ve seen on film.”
What the Giants have seen on film is a team that can’t be taken lightly. If the Giants offense can’t establish some consistency, then the game is going to be low-scoring and Freeman won’t be asked to do something spectacular. He completed 16-of-24 passes for 138 yards last week, and finished the game without committing a turnover, while Newton was intercepted twice in the second half.
If it’s an ugly game, the Bucs have a chance to win, which is why the real pressure this week is on Manning and the Giants offense.
“We have to stay on schedule,” offensive guard Kevin Boothe said. “You can’t expect to win with being in third-and-long. We have to somehow stay on schedule and move the ball consistently. That’s our challenge.”
The Giants hope they won’t revisit their problems against the Cowboys, when the running game (82 yards) was largely ineffective and they earned just 269 offensive yards. There has been the usual talk of improving execution, but nothing is certain until they face the Bucs.
“I wish I had a magic wand and said it was one single thing and you can correct that, but it’s not,” Gilbride said. “It’s a lot of things.”
If the Giants can’t figure it out, the mismatch on paper could turn into a dogfight come Sunday.
george.willis@nypost.com