Streaks
Surprisingly, these two tradition-rich franchises have only met five times. The Giants have won three of the past four to take a 3-2 overall series lead.
Last week
New York won its fifth straight game with a 33-15 rout of San Francisco. The commanding victory confirmed the Giants' place as one of the NFC's premier teams. At the other end of the spectrum is Miami. The Dolphins dropped to 0-7 for the first time in franchise history after a 49-21 loss to New England.
At stake
Stateside, the Giants clearly have gotten on a roll. Now the test is to see if they can extend that streak abroad in London. A loss to the winless Dolphins would be a major blow to New York's hopes in the competitive NFC East. ... Already out of serious contention at 0-7, the Dolphins should be able to play loose and have some fun. They can take heart in the fact they are playing the first overseas NFL regular-season game and a win over the Giants could put a positive historical spin on what otherwise has been a disappointing season.
Key matchup
Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora vs. Dolphins right tackle L.J. Shelton. Umenyiora is one of the biggest reasons the Giants have been able to turn around their season after an 0-2 start. During New York's five-game winning streak he has notched eight sacks, 21 tackles, three forced fumbles and also has a touchdown. His efforts have helped the Giants jump to eighth in total defense. In Shelton, Umenyiora goes against an experienced veteran. The ninth-year tackle is in his third season with the Dolphins and has size at 6-feet-6 and 345 pounds. When young Miami quarterback Cleo Lemon gets protection he has shown he can make plays and if Shelton can keep Umenyiora out of the backfield, Lemon might be able to exploit a Giants secondary that has shown occassional vulnerabilities, and lead the Dolphins to the upset.
Did you know?
Defensive end Jason Taylor's interception return for a touchdown last week was his eighth career defensive score (three picks, five fumble returns).
