The New York Giants have to be encouraged by the brilliantly efficient passing day Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers had Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts' defense. Giants quarterback Eli Manning said he watched each of the last two Colts game -- their 27-0 shutout of the Cincinnati Bengals and their 51-34 loss to Pittsburgh. So he's seen the difference between having no success and a ton of success against the Indianapolis defense. Following the bye, this is a chance for the Giants' offense to start clicking again.

The problem is, I think they're going to have to score a ton of points, because Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is as hot as anyone in the league. In the Colts' last five games, Luck has completed passes to nine, seven, seven, eight and eight difference receivers. He's leading the league in passing yards and didn't miss a beat last week without veteran Reggie Wayne in the lineup. The Giants are banged-up and shorthanded in the secondary, and unless they have a huge pass-rushing game, they'll have a hard time covering everyone to whom Luck might throw the ball.

The Giants' best hope is to run their offense effectively, take time off the clock and limit the amount of time Luck and the Colts' offense spend on the field. But with starting running back Rashad Jennings out for a third straight game with a knee injury, their ability to do that could be compromised. The dropoff from Jennings (4.4 yards per carry) to rookie Andre Williams (3.1) has been more significant than the Giants anticipated, and the run game struggles have limited them on offense. So I doubt they have enough to outscore an offense like the one Luck's bringing to town. Colts 36, Giants 28.