Tag Archives: Giants

October 16, 2011 · 4:48 pm

Week 6 Lines

I want you to imagine for a second that  a team is driving to the
winning TD and a QB drops back and throws a crippling pick six which
ices the game. Also imagine a team going and trailing the whole game
and keeping it close enough for it’s fans to keep watching until there
is no more time left for any comebacks.

Yep, for one Sunday remnants of previous Giants and Jets regimes
popped up and reminded both fan bases of what used to be. While it’s
unclear whether this past Sunday is who both teams are, one playing
down to competition and one not as good as we thought.

But like I wrote in my postgame comments, I’m not concernedqd with the
Jets. Their line has had injuries and free agency forced them to rid
themselves of several key cogs of their defense but Rex Ryan’s defe-
f ense has never been about the players but more about the scheme.
They have never had a prototypical pass rusher but they have survived
and done well. The whole point is that the offense doesn’t know where
the pressure is coming from. Expect from Monday Night’s game against
the Dolphins on, that the Jets go back to running the football and
playing keep away with the defense. This Dolphin game couldn’t come at
a better time.

As for the Giants, the key is in perception. For some reason the
Giants revel in their underdog status. They enjoy it and love playing
it up as a rallying cry. It fuels them. Two come from behind wins
aren’t enough but when they are favored by such a substantial amount
its important to know that the Giants DO NOT feel comfortable and
would rather lose and have you underestimate them than win and prove
your confidence correct.

Ok so that was just fan speak for how frustrated I am about the Giants
but alls well that ends well right?  But I don’t think the Giants are
comfortable being the big bully. They would rather be the team that no
one saw coming. I don’t know how I feel about it, but it’s clear
that’s who they are.

Now to the lines:

PACKERS (-14) over Rams-  seriously?  This line can’t be high enough.

Jags (+12.5) over STEELERS-  either the Steelers are back or the
rumors that they have aged are true.  Judging by my pick you can see
where I stand on that. Steelers of two years ago I would have said
their defense alone could give them a two touchdown advantage.

Eagles (-3) over REDSKINS-  Eagles have done nothing to shake the
scary feeling that this dream team is more like a nightmare but I
don’t trust Rex Grossman. I love the Washington defense and running
game. Let’s see who shows up for the Eagles.

LIONS (-4) over 49ers-  I was legitimately afraid of that Detroit
crowd on Monday night. Tell me, when you saw Barry Sanders show his
face in Detroit that you didn’t hear a voice in the distance
whispering “if you build it, he will come”. Barry Sanders=Shoeless Joe

Panthers (+3.5) over FALCONS- Vegas needs to get off the Falcon
bandwagon and need to fully support the Cam bandwagon.  By the way,
how gangster was it to see Steve Smith catch that touchdown by
throwing the Saints defender off him, get a cheap shot from Roman
Harper, do his TD celebration, then drag Harper by the helmet with one
hand and just tell him really awful things you couldn’t air on HBO.
Yeah. Remember how there was a convo about who was the better Steve
Smith?  Yeah, let’s end that shall we?

BENGALS (-6) over Colts-  should I be worried that I’m using the
following sentence: yeah, but they are facing Curtis Painter. I should
get my head checked right?

Bills (+3) over GIANTS

RAVENS (-7) over Texans-  tough break for the texans losing Mario
Williams for the year. Let’s see uncle Wade do it sans his DeMarcus
Ware type player.

RAIDERS (-6) over Browns-  Al Davis is leading this team to some
bizarre wins. A fitting tribute.

PATRIOTS (-6.5) over Cowboys- I’m actually looking forward to this
game. High scoring affair for sure.

Saints (-6.5) over BUCS- Drew Brees fantasy monster.

BEARS (-2.5) over Vikings- First boring match up of that Sunday night line up.

JETS (-6.5) over Dolphins.

Enjoy week 6 folks

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October 10, 2011 · 2:23 pm

Week 5 Postgame Reax

Before we get into the interceptions and everyone’s need to blame Eli for all of the Giants problems, I’ll try to explain why Eli wasn’t at fault for today’s loss and why a surprise group is at fault for today’s loss.

– Seattle came out on the field with the hurry- up offense which was successful in beating the Giants and I’ll tell you why for two reasons:

1. The NFL is a copycat league.  So if other teams see an offensive philosophy that works against a defense, then yes, other teams will try to copy them and go for it.

2. The Hurry-up offense negates the pass rush because Seattle did quick hitches and slants.  Look at the Giants DB’s, they are 5-8 yards off the receiver.  Why?  Because the point is not to let the receiver beat you with their speed.  If the route takes longer to develop, the QB will have to hold on to the ball much longer and thus gives time for the DE’s and tackles to get to the QB which drives the defense.  the lack of speed by the corners is a problem

– I don’t watch the Seattle offense well enough to know this, but is it really a good thing for them to be running an option offense in the NFL?  I get that the college spread offense has been the latest revolutionary offense that has taken hold in the pro league, but the option offense?  I mean, if a pro offense is too much for Tarvaris, I get it, but how many teams will be able to run it effectively?

– The Giants giveth and the Giants taketh away.  Amazingly this loss can be pinned on the lack of taking advantage of opportunities that the Seahawks continuously gave them.  I counted 5 passes that were sure fire interceptions that the Giants dropped.  You can take one of them away because the Giants then got a strip fumble on the very next play.  That’s four extra turnovers the Giants could’ve had which means the Giants left points on the board.  Again, this game was done in by mistakes that the Giants didn’t take advantage of, as opposed to the ones they did.

– For the second straight week, the Giants offensive line was manhandled at the point of attack.  All day, the Seahawks were running inside stunts and coming RIGHT UP THE MIDDLE which is how they got the safety to begin with.  Anthony Hargrove punched right through the middle and before Eli even turned around after the handoff, Hargrove’s helmet was in Bradshaw’s chest and pushing him behind the goal line.  Then there were the constant line mishaps.  Clearly David Baas’ absence was huge.  Low snaps, terrible handling and the Seahawks constantly coming right up the middle of the line meant that there were several leaks at the center position.  The Kevin Boothe experiment hopefully will end in time for the Bills coming into town.

It was the kind of week that the offensive line once again had a problem.  Then there’s the defensive line.  Now, the QB pressures, hurries, and sacks will cloud the fact that the Seahawk line was powering some strong runs by Marshawn Lynch.  We’ve glorified the Giants when they can hold firm against smaller lines but boy, runners like Marshawn Lynch and Beanie Wells last week will give the Giants problems.  Bigger running backs can muscle a few extra yards out of the Giants defensive line who’ve shown poor tackling technique.  The one handed reaches for tackles will NOT cut it against bigger backs OR shiftier backs.  The Giants have been susceptible to those kind of runners for some time now.  It will be difficult for the Giants to stop anyone if their run defense isn’t closing running lanes.

– As fantastic as that catch was for Victor Cruz, I still think that the better emergence has been Hakeem Nicks.  Every week Nicks makes a grab that makes you go wow.  He’s not going to get the press that a Calvin Johnson gets because Eli doesn’t throw to Nicks in triple coverage, he only saves that Sportscenter highlight for Victor Cruz.  Last week, Nicks grab to set up a 1st and goal to score the touchdown to make it a one possession game against the Cardinals was flat out impressive where he muscled the ball away from the corner, threw him down, and then ran with the football for about ten yards.  That’s called force of will.  That’s his drive.  The fact that he wants nothing to do with Facebook or Twitter or hates to do the commercial stuff (I don’t mean commercials, but just the networking and posing) tells you all about how humble, and driven this kid is.  Hakeem Nicks is the real deal and for too long we’ve been hungry for a receiver to step up since Plaxico Burress left and he’s stepped up in a huge way.  At some point Eli and him will get that back shoulder play routine and become so in synch with one another that all it will take is a look to run a back shoulder route which I have to say, is probably next to the fadeaway by Jordan, the most impossible play to stop in sports.

– Victor Cruz has absolutely been impressive these last few weeks starting from his Eagles game where he had some terrific touchdown grabs.  More so than his highlight reel which has been unreal, his emergence has been that Eli has become much more comfortable in trusting him with the ball which was evidenced by Eli going to him deep in Seattle territory and the game on the line.  Now, him slipping and Eli trying to get it to him anyway shows that there are still little parts of his game that need to be fixed but there is someone that Eli has become confident in.

– On the other side of the good tidings for receivers, is the bad.  Mario Manningham has simply disappeared from Eli Manning’s radar in key critical moments.  I’ve been a fan of Manningham since he was drafted in the fifth round.  I thought he was a steal at that point in the draft.  He has the flair for making great catches.  But he has dropped plenty of critical throws and that’s the way to get OUT of the graces of your QB which is what Victor Cruz can tell you after his key third down drop in the first quarter of the first game got him a first class seat on the bench.  It was only necessity, after Manningham’s injury that got Cruz back into the rotation and he’s taken full advantage of his second chance.  It looks like Manningham has to get in some extra practice time and make some bigger catches in order to get the fair Eli’s attention.

– One more reciever I want to give props to is Jake Ballard.  When Kevin Boss was not retained and the Giants let him walk I was wondering what the G-men were thinking but they are legitemately excited about Ballard’s progression and growth as not only a pass catching tight end but as a blocker as well.  Ballard first of all, looks like Boss so the similiarity begins there, but his blocking has been pretty good and has filled in nicely.  Manning loves to throw to his tight ends to begin with and the absolute flop that Travis Beckum has been has only exacerbated how effective Ballard has been.  Converting Bear Pascoe to TE has been a rough go of it, but Ballard’s emergence gives Eli yet another safety net to throw to.  Remember when the Giants were afraid of losing two key Eli safety nets in Steve Smith and Kevin Boss the Giants have found two new ones in Cruz and Ballard.

– Now, I promised you I would defend Eli Manning and I will.  This loss is not on him and that interception.  The QB gets all the credit and fairly gets all the blame when things don’t go right.  But he was not the reason they lost this game.  Watch the Packers.  Watch the Saints.  They have a certain rhythm and definition to their offense.  There is an air of unpredictability when they line up.  There is an air of confidence that when its a passing down, they can pass it knowing that they will convert.  I dont get the sense the Giants have that.  I think the Giants running game is better than both of those teams to be fair and some of yesterday’s struggles and only converting their first third down on that Victor Cruz hail mary of a play is NOT a recipe for success but its clear that the vision of this offense is not a good one and it starts with the coordinator.  I have NEVER been a fan of Kevin Gilbride.  He relies on the screen pass far too often which leads to the once or twice in a game play where Eli just kind of chucks it at Bradshaw’s feet and the crowd starts booing.  The screen is a good play if you run it twice in a game but the G-Men are a screen heavy team and I can’t for the life of me figure out why.  I get its a successful play but not when teams read it.  Not when teams are sitting on that play and when you have become so reliant on it that teams can sniff it out early.  Gilbride’s play calling got a lot of love in that Philly game and with just due.  He called a brilliant game but in a game against Seattle where their run defense is stout and you know that and you can’t draw up pass plays that are effective enough to take advantage of it?  That’s just lazy play calling.  I get that the Giants want to impose their will on the defense and want to make sure that they play Giant football but you have to be ready and willing to adapt.  The Giants have three quality receivers now.  I still am high on Manningham even if Eli has begun to phase him slowly out of the offense.  I think Jake Ballard has quietly been an absolute beast and its up to Gilbride to utilize these weapons on offense to give the Giants a different shade to this offense.  Its time to pull out the bigger designs on this offense.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think this was the game to tip your hand in showing all the secret plays but this was a game that I felt the Giants went to the pass too late, and hung around with the run too long.  Shorter pass routes and quick slants and hitches would’ve helped.  On the play that Eli threw the ball up to Cruz, Manningham was wide open as he ran an out and in but Eli never even looked underneath.  It has to be frustrating for Manningham now but he has to play himself back in and must continue to work in order to be back in the QB’s good graces.  More so, the Giants need better play calling to ensure that Eli isn’t in a state of constant flux where he’s getting poor back up . – The Giants were fortunate with their first half follies to be tied.  242-163 in total yards, 97-35 in rushing yards and 145-128 in passing yards all in favor of the Seahawks but the biggest stat was 3 takeaways and 7 points off those turnovers to 2 turnovers and 0 points off the turnovers including two which had the Giants pinned at the red zone.  The defense clamped down when necessary.  The Giants need a certain rhythm and Gilbride must effectively get that rhythm to play itself out.  You have the weapons Gilbride, now use them properly.

– Finally, I think this loss goes to the defense more so than the offense.  The offense did its part somewhat but with Snee going down in that final fourth quarter drive due to a concussion and David Baas’ injury and Brandon Jacob’s absence, it was tough for the G-Men offense to gain any rhythm.  Danny Ware was a flop and it has to be concerning for them that without Jacobs the running game can stall.  I think the outcome would’ve been different had Jacobs been in the game.  The offense would’ve converted more third downs but more importantly, the third downs would’ve been more manageable distances than the ones that the Giants were attempting to convert.  The defense was slow, and on the deciding touchdown failed to continue playing.  Now teams have a blueprint to slow down the Nascar defense the Giants have.  Quick slants to receivers.  Hurry up offense.  More teams will run it.  And now we have Brad Smith, Fred Jackson, and those damn Bills coming in on Sunday.  Certainly will be a tough task for the Giants.  Getting some of those guys back will certainly help.or

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September 25, 2011 · 3:51 pm

Week 3 Lines

I’m prepared today. I’m not always readily willing to admit to it but
I’m prepared. I knew this Sunday would come and I’m ready. So ready in
fact that ive already made alternate plans for that timeslot.
I’m going shopping. Id rather shop than watch what will happen to my
New York football Giants today against the Philadelphia Eagles.  Yea,
my Giants. I’ve decided to break my own rules because of the rash of
injuries hat have befell the G-men. You can’t help but want to hug the
Giants collectively, pat them on the back and say baby it’ll be ok.*
*= two things. That had to be the least manly thing I’ve ever written
but strangely I’m ok with that. The other? If that last line sounded
familiar it’s because it’s a line from the classic Method Man and Mary
J Blige song “you’re all I need”. Yes, I listen to the voices in my
head. I’m not in control.

But in this great gladiator sport you deal with injuries. Taking a
case study of the Giants offseason and the Eagles offseason you notice
a major difference in policy. The Eagles went all in knowing their
star QB Mike Vick had a limited window before he lost his greatest
weapon: his legs. Of course his legs will eventually lead to his
demise but that’s neither here nor there. They knew their window was
small, and they wisely planned financially to be ready for this
offseason setting themselves up for their spending spree. It also
helps that almost every player in the NFL wants to play with him.

The giants meanwhile were locked into contracts and couldn’t offer the
kind of deals to guys like Kevin Boss or Steve Smith, two of Eli
Manning’s safety nets,  to keep them which eventually landed both on
other teams. The worst being Smith going to those Eagles.

The Giants hierarchy is still living off the 2007 championship when
almost everything broke right for them and they made excellent draft
decisions and built the blueprint of a contender thru a single draft
which is practically unheard of.  The Eagles meanwhile have a QB with
the physical tools that their former franchise QB Donovan McNabb never
had. Theoretically the Eagles should be the hungrier team and by their
actions they are. But the Giants built their champion from within and
are sticking stubbornly to it.

In many ways this matchup is a battle of philosophies. Can a group of
mercenaries destroy a team?  The narrative in today’s shows will be
yes. I won’t stand to watch it, or maybe I will. I have faith that the
Giants way is the right way.  Now it’s time for that faith to be
tested.

Here are the lines for week 3 with the home team in caps:

49ers (+2.5) over BENGALS

BILLS (+7) over Pats-  unless ochocinco learned the play book, and
Aaron Hernandez comes to play expect this game to be close.

Texans (+4) over SAINTS

EAGLES (-8.5) over Giants

BROWNS (-2) over Dolphins

Lions (-3) over VIKINGS-  I’m all in baby.  On the Lions. Yeah I said
it.  I’m not picking against the Lions while the Lion King is in
theaters.

PANTHERS (-3) over Jags-  by the way, I’m totally on the Cam
bandwagon. Like I said in my season preview.

CHARGERS (-14.5) over Chiefs-  the only question about this game is if
Chris Berman will just sing the San Diego Super Charger theme song
while the highlights are playing.

Jets (-3) over RAIDERS-  if the Jets were concerned about this game,
trust me, all pro center Nick Mangold would’ve made the trip.

Ravens (-5) over RAMS

Falcons (+1.5) over BUCS

Cardinals (-3.5) over SEAHAWKS

BEARS(+4) over Packers-  take the under too. These teams know how to
play each other.

Steelers (-10.5) over COLTS-  add up all the guys the Giants AND the
Chiefs lost and I wonder if even that adds up to the devastation that
has befallen the Colts minus Peyton Manning.

COWBOYS (-4.5) over Redskins-  I’m gonna miss making fun of punk ass
Romo. To play that game after puncturing a lung and cracking ribs and
watching how slow he moves when he gets up, I gotta give it up to him.

Last Week: 10-4-1

Season: 19-10-1
Enjoy week 3!

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September 15, 2011 · 12:47 pm

Jets and Giants (overdue) Post game reactions

Quick thoughts on both local teams starting with the Giants.

–  Plenty of non game balls to pass around but let’s start with the reality of the situation.  The Giants offensive line was a mess on Sunday.  The running game was decent but never given a chance to shine since the game plan was to throw it on a Washington pass D that the Giants must have seen SOMETHING to go with that game plan.

– Victor Cruz played an awful game Sunday.  His drop on a key third down on their first drive was symbolic on the Giants as a whole that day.  Never seemingly getting comfortable.  Without Rich Seubert, and Jeff Saturday’s brother Shaun O’Hara (maybe all White offensive linemen with beards look alike), the G-Men seemed to be getting the hang of David Baas as their new center calling out protections and coverages.  Either way, Cruz’ lackluster play and key drop made him a non factor the rest of the way and made the key slot position, you know the one where they let Steve Smith walk, pretty much a non factor the entire game.  Which may be a reason why they addressed that with the signing of Brandon Stokely, the 12 year receiver who is best known for his Super Bowl catch against the Giants as a member of the Baltimore Ravens when he blew right past Jason Sehorn (in my mind the most overrated cover guy in the history of the Giants).

– The complete evisceration of the Giants secondary during this preseason culminated in Rex Grossman’s performance.  It may have helped if Justin Tuck and Osi Umeniyora were in there.  The major strength of the Giants has always been their pass rush and with those two and Jason Pierre Paul (if ya don’t mind i’m calling him JPP so keep up kids) up front with a defensive tackle would’ve put a lot more pressure on any offensive line more so than ONLY having Jason Pierre Paul.  Even so, the Giants had four sacks.  Now combine that with the presence of those two in the line up the Giants should be able to generate a much better rush and afford quarterbacks like Rex Grossman a lot less time.

– Speaking of the defensive front, they were done in with their lack of depth (MLB Jonathan Goff had played excellent against the run, Marvin Austin second round draft pick) and allowed Tim Hightower to play up to expectation in terms of fantasy production.  The one cut back was a natural fit heading into the season in Mike Shanahan’s system so success was expected but playing a beat up Giants defense couldn’t have been so bad.

– Injuries are NO excuse and I agree with Chris Canty, on a day that was so sad for New Yorkers, giving them something to cheer for should’ve been enough to warrant some kind of life but all that life seemed to be sucked out of the Giants when Ryan Kerrigan intercepted Eli Manning’s pass.  The Giants played with no heart the rest of the way and seemed comfortable in accepting in chalking the loss up to injuries.  Well, most of them will be gone for the entire season so unless the G-men plan on throwing 15 more pity parties I suggest they get over it quick and get to business.  Either way, the important thing is, they are already down in the division.

– I’m actually positive with this whole starting alot of rookies in key spots for one reason.  The Giants will generate a pass rush once Tuck and Umi are back to join Kiwi and JPP.  Having Greg Jones, a sixth round pick from Michigan State at MLB will give the Giants some kind of youth in a key spot.  Goff was excellent but this is his final year on his contract and he’s going to be a free agent and having Jones get meaningful playing time will only benefit.  The strongest group of depth I saw in the preseason was the linebackers and not because of their play but because of the plays the youth were making.  The most difficult decisions the Giants made during the offseason was deciding which guy to cut.  While keeping Mark Herzlich was a great story, he’s only regaining his speed and strength and will only be at full strength later on in the season.  The Giants will need Greg Jones to pick it up over the next few weeks.  Being given the assignment of starter mid week isn’t an ideal spot to be, but here’s the kid’s opportunity, as a fan of the Giants I can only hope he runs with it.

– Also, another player who surprised me during the preseason was Tyler Sash and he will get his opportunity. He’s a little green but he has good instincts which is key because that you can’t teach.  Keeping that instinct and combining it with football intelligence will go a long way towards making him a better player and the play of Antrell Rolle did NOT make me happy.  Rolle maintained that he would be willing to go back to corner to shore up some of the weak areas the Giants had heading into the season with the loss of Terrell Thomas and Bruce Anderson, but he became an All Pro at Safety and as a Giants fan I’d rather have his speed there covering ground now that there’s enough game film evidence that Kenny Phillips and his arthritic knees are slowly robbing him of his coverage skills.  Phillips is still playing shy and indecisive and he’s lost his confidence which is a huge blow since before the injury he was on his way to a Pro-Bowl year.  Trusting Deon Grant the rest of the way is not my cup of tea.

Another week, another chance for the Giants to get a win.  LETS GO BIG BLUE.

 

As we turn our attention to the other guys.

–  The folks at the NFL clearly have heard the wails and cries from head coach Rex Ryan.  The Jets are primetime studs now and received that honor with the home game on September 11th.  The decision to play the Cowboys was also curious considering that is the Giants bigger rival.  The importance of that can’t be understated.  The NFL believes in Rex, its time to honor that trust by going all the way this year.

–  I wasn’t a fan of the move to let Shaun Ellis go but this Muhammad Wilkerson kid will be good.  Loved his stoutness on the front lines and he did a good job plugging gaps and making sure Felix Jones had to go all the way around the line to try and get extra yardage.  Jones had opportunities to break some in the first quarter but the Jets played excellent up front making sure those holes filled up quick.

–  Now the downside of losing Shaun Ellis is that the Jets already weak pass rush is going to get weaker and Calvin Pace must have a huge year.  Now, I know what people are saying, the Jets get their sacks through blitzes, but all the Jets had to do was look across from them at DeMarcus Ware to see what an all out pass rusher can do.  Sure, Ware is the best lineman in all of football as evidenced by having the most sacks in the time he’s been in this league, but the Jets have tried to bring up pass rushers and it hasn’t worked.  Now, Rex is known for his exotic blitzes and coming from everywhere and its important to note that the Jets coverage is very good but let’s be honest, the rich never say stop giving me money, they say give me more and the Jets should continue to pursue the kind of all out rusher that they would like to develop.  If they ever get the chance to trade up in a draft to go for one they are absolutely sure of they should.  Just my two cents.  I’m not saying mortgage two years drafts like Atlanta did to get Julio Jones, but you know what I mean.  Its a concern because this was a very young inexperienced offensive line for the Cowboys which the Jets should’ve ate up but they still gave them some problems.  Albeit the Boys offensive line is a bit more athletic now they were still a legit concern heading into this game but it is now the Jets lack of a pass rush which is more of the urgent concern.

– A major concern for the Jets has to be Antonio Cromartie.  He got eaten up by Dez Bryant and Miles Austin.  Albeit, they are Dez Bryant and Miles Austin and most teams don’t have that caliber of receivers on either side, still the Cowboys made it a point to target Cro from the first series on and when they did, it seemed like the Cowboys were unstoppable.  Id’ also be concerned for Kyle Wilson who seemed lost on some plays in the slot.  Witten could’ve had a much bigger day had Wilson been guarding him throughout.  Huge play by Jimmy Leonhard on that goal line tackle which began the eventual sequence of Romo sucking.

– Many people want to blame Romo for blowing that game and they can.  You can point to the dive head first which allowed the Jets to cause the fumble or the terrible 5-yard-short throw to Dez Bryant that Revis easily picked off.  But I agreed with Cris Collinsworth, having Dez Bryant on a bum leg was a liability at that point.  The Cowboys bailed the Jets out by keeping Dez in there.  Now you can make the case that they wanted Revis occupying him so that the Boys could take advantage of other areas but they didn’t.  Romo continued to go to him in key situations.  On that fumble, his first target was Bryant.  It wasn’t a fake throw in his direction to draw the defense, no, he looked his way pumped, then ran in that direction before deciding to try and slide in.  Then the rollout and throw which was an absolutely atrocious throw and poor decision to, again, DEZ, has to make you scratch your head.  If that was Garret calling the plays and Dez was the number one option then Romo was just carrying out orders but again, the blame goes to Romo for making that poor decision and read.  As a Giant fan it gave me great joy to see Romo once again under pressure, wilt.

– The Jets have to be wary of playing these kind of games.  Now, mind you, over the last two years they have had success in close games, if the season opener was any indication, the up and down Mark Sanchez, the what kind of Mark Sanchez will show up on each down, has to worry Jet fans.  He’s a thrill ride.  He can look confident, make excellent decisions and great throws with pin point accuracy and then he can make terrible throws like the pick to Sean Lee.  He reminds me alot of another New York QB currently playing.  Anyone wanna guess who?  Hey Jet fans look on the bright side, he won us a Super Bowl, and I am getting the feeling that Sanchez can also be a Super Bowl winning QB.

– I loved the fact that Rob Ryan stormed onto the field looking for someone to hit before meeting his brother for the hand shake.  I wonder what Rex said to Rob.  I’m sure it was something kinky.

 

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December 29, 2010 · 3:06 am

Giants vs. Packers Week 16 Loss

With the Giants needing only a victory to punch their ticket into the playoffs, the Giants forgot to deplane Green Bay, Wisconsin and the G-Men fell to the G-Force in G. Bay.  Ok, so that little word play worked about as well as a Kevin Gilbride game plan but hey, you get where this is going.  Here are some musings, observations and the occasional genius point by yours truly on another Giants loss.

– Let’s start with the first half.  This was DEFINITELY a playoff atmosphere.  There are just some tell tale signs.  It has nothing to do with the dramatic music Fox plays or anything of that nature though the NBA on NBC always seemed to have those openings that would pump me up.  That and the WCW/WWE opening monologues, but I digress.  The fans were great throughout the game as Green Bay fans are because let’s admit it, what else are you going to do in Green Bay?  But more importantly, Aaron Rodgers came into this game as pumped up as he could be.  The same Aaron Rodgers who had to sit the New England game the previous week due to concussion.  The same Aaron Rodgers who saw his back up come within a field goal of beating the hottest team in the NFL, and Tom Brady.  The same Aaron Rodgers who once looked like a career back up because Brett Favre never wanted to retire.  The same Aaron Rodgers who got drafted in the 20’s after being told he would be a Top 10 pick in the NFL draft, the same NFL draft that saw Alex Smith go to the 49ers at 1 and who we remember fondly as that poor white boy who sat in that really expensive suit looking like he was waiting for his prom date to come and pick him up if we had cameras watching that sort of thing.  The same Aaron Rodgers who may have felt like he had this stigma of being a concussion prone QB and doubt creeping in.  The same Aaron Rodgers who understands his GM is all about results and not about emotion- you know the guy who cut the cord between Brett Favre and Green Bay?

Ok, so now that you know the guy, understand that this game was huge for Aaron Rodgers.  Personally it was a statement game.  It was the kind of game that quieted whispers.  The same whispers that said, boy that Matt Flynn looked real good against the Patriots- the same team that no one else can get within 30 points of.

So for Aaron Rodgers to put up this stat line: 25-37 404 yards and 4 TD’s and 0 INT’s is pretty much steeping up big time.  Everyone can breathe easy in Green Bay.  The star QB put his foot down and re-established himself as the man and put to rest any lingering doubt relating to his concussions which total 2 this year.  Remember, this concussion thing is a huge deal.

–  The first half went something like this: Aaron Rodgers dropped back to pass and more often than not found his receiver and seemed to gain some real rhythm especially on a beautiful pass up the middle of the field that Jordy Nelson took 80 yards for a touchdown.  It was one of those blown coverage deals for the Giants that left them looking around to see who should’ve been where.  I hate it when you’re team gets stuck having that look.  The Giants of course went and turned the ball over immediately but the Packers went on a methodical 10 play drive and went up 14 when John Kuhn (insert racial joke here) took it in for a touchdown.  So here’s what the first quarter looked like for the Giants offensively:

13 plays, 30 yards, 2 punts, and 1 INT.  Yup.  That’s offense at its lowest.  Meanwhile the Packers had scoring drives of 1 and 10 which both led to scores which sets up the point I want to make: they played the game the way the Giants want to play the game.  The Giants believe that their best option now is to offer up a mixing aerial assault with a ground game instead of working the passing game as a complement to the juggernaut running game.  Ask any offensive linemen, they HATE pass protection.  It means they have to take the on coming defensive linemen and hold them off for as long as they can with their hands in their facemasks and constant twists and pulls and stunts they pull.  When the offense runs the ball it means that the offensive line finally gets to be offensive where they can push and shove and put their hands on the defense in an aggressive manner.  When a team becomes to reliant on pass protection, it wears down an offensive line much more than a team that relies on a mixed bag.  The Giants were excellent when they ran the ball more than they passed.

– The second quarter was a completely different story: In 11 offensive plays, the Giants were able to accumulate 175 yards and 14 points to get back into the game including a forced fumble on Jordy Nelson and immediately following up with a deep passing play that Mario Manningham made a play on Tremon Williams to get separation and score on Eli Manning’s longest career passing play.  Offensive coordinators love to go with the long pass play after the defense forces a turnover and it works a lot of the time which is pretty incredible that most teams dont see it coming.  That was after they went down the field, 70 yards in 4 plays and that brings me to the bigger point.

Throughout the season analysts have pointed out Eli Manning’s career high in interceptions and quickly deflected to the fact that much of them were NOT Eli Manning’s fault.  Many of the interceptions were balls that were catchable by the receiver but right off the finger tips and right into a defender’s hand and all thrown out to bad luck.  That was true.  But not in this game.  ALL of his interceptions were his fault and throwing the football where there was absolutely NO ONE there.

INT #1- 6:49 Left in the 1st- Pass off his back foot into not one, not two, not three, but four defenders around Hakeen Nicks and it was 4 yards short of Nicks and easily picked off.  (Resulted in 7 points)

ALMOST INT #2- :54 left in the 2nd quarter- Manning throws it to Manningham who had slipped and fell in his route but there were two defenders there that bumped into each other trying to make the pick.

INT #2- 9:47 left in the 4th quarter- Manning back to pass on a 2nd and 18 after a Hakeem Nicks offensive pass interference call, and Manning under throws Derek Hagan with a comfortable pocket and no rush in sight.  None.  This was Manning.  Here’s where Tom Coughlin comes in to challenge the ruling on the field, but Coughlin had used his two challenges already so he couldn’t challenge the call on the field of interception even though replays showed the defender’s second leg was out of bounds.   Of course it leads to 7 more points.

INT #3- 6:31 left in the 4th quarter- Very next offensive possession, yet another penalty that goes against the Giants.  Very next play, Manning just heaves the ball into double coverage and with Manningham covered well by Tremon Williams to begin with gets intercepted by Nick Collins at midfield.  Totally, on Manning. Another 7 points.

INT #4- 2:10 left in the 4th quarter- Ok, so this was another case of an unlucky bounce off a receiver’s hands into the defense, but Manning is being wrapped up for the sack and yet forces a throw into Ahmad Bradshaw.  One of those “why would you throw that Eli” passes that brings up the next natural conversation that me and my friends had.

– I’ve had this conversation plenty of times before but it bears repeating that I’ve always defended Eli Manning.  While watching the game with my friends following interception number 2 they turned to me and said Eli sucks.  Mind you, I’m defending Eli Manning to a bunch of Giants fans, and one Peyton Manning fan.  But the simple fact is this: Eli has NEVER EVER been his brother yet the natural impulse is to compare him to his brother.  Well if you must compare him to his brother and we MUST look at his most important games, let’s consider those first three playoff games of both brothers:

First big brother Peyton:

Comp/Att Yards TD INT Result
19/42 (45.2%) 227 0 0 L- 16-19
17/32 (53.1%) 194 1 0 L- 17-23
14/31 (45.2%) 137 0 2 L- 0-41
50/105 (47.6%) 558 1 2 0-3

And here’s Eli by comparison:

Comp/Att Yards TD INT Result
10/18 (55.6%) 113 0 3 L- 0-23
16/27 (59.3%) 161 2 1 L- 20-23
20/27 (74.1%) 185 2 0 W- 24-14
46/72 (63.9%) 459 4 4 1-2

Consider the lone victory.  Eli had understood his role as a game manager.  Trusted his coaches.  Trusted his receivers.  Trusted the talent around him.  And he won.  Look at him when he loses.  No confidence.  Poor throwing and poor mechanics and poor inept judgement.

The Green Bay game was weird for this simple fact: Eli was over-confident.  He loves his receivers.  In fact, he thinks the world of them.  Some of the throws he’s made this season he’s literally thrown it and said to the receiver “go make a play”.  He believes in his receiving corps too much to the point that it has hurt the Giants.  Those interceptions weren’t just bad throws, they were poor decisions.  Decisions that were purely based on his over confidence that his receivers would make a play on the ball.  I think Giants receivers are great too, but not that great.  Not at the expense of the game plan.

Speaking of game plan: the last two weeks, the Giants have rushed for 100 yards against the Eagles and 90 yards against the Packers.  They have given up 197 yards to the Eagles (130 to you know who), then 119 to the Packers who had nobody go over even 40 yards rushing but still.  Numbers are beginning to pile up.  I’m not worried about the rushing defense, I’m worried about their rushing offense which is clearly beginning to become a worry.  When the Giants don’t run the football well, they fall into the lull of their passing game.

One reason that the Giants passing offense has been out of sync for a while has been the absence of Steve Smith.  I’ve said it since his rookie season, he has a knack for understanding where to be and when.  He’s a classic possession receiver.  He’s not the sexy vertical deep threat that most fans love to talk about, but he’s the more important receiver.  The guy the quarterback trusts absolutely to be the professional and be where he needs to be when he needs him to be there.  Two perfect situations that Steve Smith would’ve been necessary in:

Last week right before the Eagles scored to tie the game, the Giants had a 3rd down in which the Eagles blitzed and you saw Eli throw it short to his receivers.  That’s what you saw, but what should’ve happened due to the pass rush, was the receivers should’ve broke from their routes early to help Eli out and Derek Hagan didn’t.  Hagan continued on his route and never got a chance to turn around in time and thus Eli threw it to no man’s land and it went incomplete.  Eli demonstratively pointed with his arm where Hagan should’ve gone.

Fast forward to the Green Bay game.  The Giants are down 24-14 and they’ve come all the way to the Green Bay 20 with 7:18 left in the 3rd and its 3rd and 4.  The Giants have the right play called, but Hagan takes too long to break inside where there were no defenders and he would’ve had an easy touchdown.  Eli ends up holding on to the football too long and misfires on a pass play.  The replays show Kevin Gilbride absolutely rip into Derek Hagan for not breaking inside.  These are the plays that a Steve Smith type of player makes and Derek Hagan does not.  Flat out.  The Giants miss him.  He’s their real play maker.

 

So what does loss mean?  Well, they had better hope the Eagles win this Tuesday Night Football game.  Why?  Because if the Eagles lose, then the Bears sow up the second seed which is hugely important.  Why?  Because no one wants to play Philadelphia and to avoid that, the Bears would want the number 2 seed and have the Eagles come to Chicago.  So if the Eagles win, the Bears would most likely play to win to avoid having to go on the road.  Who might the Bears be playing next week?  You guessed it, the Packers.  The same team fighting the Giants for the sixth and final playoff spot.

Of course this is all moot if the Giants dont beat the Redskins next week which is no gimme.  My only problem with this Giant team is this: I believe that this team is strong.  They are really good.  This defense can play really well setting aside the last 60 minutes.  But the offense is anyone’s guess.  If the offense can be run heavy and stick to it they will go far.  But if they fall in love with their passing offense and Manning is over confident in his receivers, they will most certainly fall.  Its do or die.

 

Lets go G-MEN!

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December 21, 2010 · 11:41 am

“THE ANATOMY OF A DISASTAH”

Some thoughts and observations on one of the more surprising losses of the season for the Giants.

– First off, this was an Eagle victory JUST as much as it was a Giant loss.  Don’t get me wrong, the Giants lost the game but the Eagles won it outright just on the fact that they have playmakers who can score points very quickly and teams just dont have an answer for the amount of speed that the Eagles have.  But the Michael Vick show continued at the Meadowlands.  I’m not saying that he deserves the MVP over Tom Brady but you can certainly make the case that its a lot closer than some may even be willing to concede.

When I say the Giants shut him down for all but the last 7 minutes of the game, I MEAN they had him shut down.  Their game plan was to keep him within the pocket and have someone at both ends so he wouldn’t think about going around the edge and for 52 minutes, that game plan was solid and worked.  They harassed, sacked, batted down balls and made his day for the most part very difficult.  But let’s go over the final 8 minutes

8:09 left the Eagles get the ball back.

7:40 left- Brent Celek catches a 65 yard TD pass after Kenny Phillips whiffs on a tackle.  31-17.

7:28 left- After Special teams coaches warned them about the possibility of the onside kick, what do the front line guys do?  As David Akers comes to kick the ball, they start moving back and it makes Riley Cooper’s job a helluva lot easier despite the fact that the Eagles had their all hands team which is to say they were screaming onsides kick before they even kicked the damn thing.  Eagles recover.

one play later

6:54 left- Vick slips underneath a sack by Deon Grant who runs right by him and he goes for 35 yards.  Surprisingly that’s his season long.   Vick at this point, began playing the game on feel which is when he’s most dangerous.

two plays later

5:54 left- Vick tries to run again, but this time gets sacked as the Giants maintain gap discipline and don’t give him the edge.  BUT, its for naught because Justin Tuck is called for onsides after he lines up in the neutral zone so that sack is basically wiped out.

two plays later:

3rd and Goal- 5:32 left- Vick rushes for four yards for the touchdown.  Score: 31-24 Giants

So now, 2:08 later, they score 3 TD’s and cut it to a 7 point game which now adds urgency for the Giants to make this a real game, if the Giants weren’t aware it was already.  Basically all the momentum is on the side of the Eagles and the Giants are running on fumes.

The Giants convert on a first down and force the Eagles into using all three of their timeouts which is crucial because should the Eagles needed to challenge something outside of 2 minutes, they wouldn’t have a time out and speaking of which.  The Eagles got shafted on two challenges- one that was challenged that went the Giants way and the other that they didn’t challenge which most certainly would’ve favored them.  So ALL the breaks went the Giants way.  So the Giants really had no excuses.

The Giants get the ball back and a play later:

3:56- Eli is calling an audible and David Diehl gets called for a false start and now, instead of a manageable 2nd and 6, they have a 2nd and 11.  They run and get about 3 yards.

3:08- Now, with a 3rd and 8, the Giants must convert which means they have to pass.  Incomplete and an irate Eli is asking why his receivers didn’t break early and this is where I think the absence of Steve Smith is so crucial.  With Hakeem Nicks being double covered pretty much all game and taken out, the onus was on Derek Hagan and Mario Manningham and neither are on the level of a Steve Smith which shows because adjustments on the routes like that are necessary especially when the blitz comes.  The receivers have to know to break from their routes early and help Eli out.  The Giants put themselves in this position where they had to convert in order to keep the ball OUT of Michael Vick’s hands.

Eagles get the ball back after the Giants pin them at the 2.

two incompletions later

3rd and 10- 2:50 left-  Vick finally gets the edge after Aaron Ross stupidly overpursues for the sack and Vick gets the first down…and then some and he gets 33 yards.  They had pressure to keep him in the pocket and Ross plays too far inside and Vick gets the edge and no one is beating him in a foot race.

Vick completes a 13 yard pass to Maclin and takes a hit from Jason Pierre Paul.

2:10 left- Another batted ball by JPP after the Giants again keep him in the pocket and surround him.

2nd and 10: 2:07 left- Vick rushes up the gut gets the first down and slips and falls.  2 minute warning.

Remember, Eagles have no timeouts left.

1:30 left- Maclin catches the pass, fakes to his right and turns to the left, slips a tackle and scores and now: 31-31 tie game.

Giants get the ball- 2 incompletions and then a sack.  But this is good because the Giants have made the Eagles use all their timeouts but the Eagles will STILL get a play off before the end of the game.  The point is to kick it out of bounds and hope that the Eagles play for overtime which they will.

:14 left-  All Matt Dodge has to do is kick it out of bounds.  Thats it.  Dodge gives the thumbs up signal to the sideline for some reason.  That was the moment that I began to get worried.  Pressure situation, and you have the world’s most dangerous punt returner at the other end waiting.  What does Dodge do?  Gets the ball a lil high, still has plenty of time because the Eagles go back to help block.

Jackson fumbles the ball after he gets a line drive punt.  It must have surprised Jackson as well considering the situation and Jackson takes care of the rest.  No flags.  Final score 38-31.

The entire stadium is at a loss for words except for the Eagles fans who decided to stay till the end and got themselves one of the greatest Christmas gifts ever.  Yesterday, Eli Manning said that they hand wrapped the game for the Eagles.  I disagree.  I think the Giants made three crucial mistakes:

1. Kenny Phillips not being able to tackle Brent Celek on that first touchdown that made it a 14 point game.  They scored that touchdown in 19 seconds.  19 SECONDS!!!!  Two plays were run during that drive.  Had Phillips dropped Celek, suddenly they need a few extra plays perhaps and the Eagles don’t have any type of momentum.  The Giants had taken the game over and were dominating the game, and i mean dominating the game.  This set up the chain reaction that was the onsides kick which wasn’t necessary at that point, except to somewhat keep the pressure on the G-men, who should have expected the onside kick EVERY SINGLE TIME the Eagles had to kick off to them.  But they didn’t and the Eagles took over.  By then, Vick realized he had to do whatever HE could to win this game for them.

2. David Diehl’s false start was a killer.  The Giants converted a first down and forced the Eagles into using all of their timeouts.  It was the only drive that the Giants had any kind of momentum and the running game was doing decent.  Not getting huge chunks of yards at a time, but still getting enough.  But Diehl’s false start makes it from a 2nd and 6 to 2nd and 11 and took the momentum squarely away.  Inexcusable penalty and it put the Giants into a position where on 3rd down they had to pass and the incompletion stops the clock and gives the Eagles a stoppage whereas on a 3rd and short, they can run the ball and keep the pressure on the Eagles by having the time drip drip away.  Instead of it being near the two minute mark, there’s 3:08 left on the clock.  Plenty of time for the explosive Philly offense to take the field and score.

3. The punt.  What can you say about the punt except that it should never have happened.  Not only was it the worst punt in the history of punts considering what happened, and the magnitude of this game, but you have to consider it the absolute DUMBEST play EVER!  It was so bad that Tom Coughlin ran out on to the field and you could immediately tell what he was saying to him: “what did I tell you to do?  HUH?!?”  We’ve all seen Tom Coughlin mad and upset, that’s his normal everyday face- but this was totally different.  He was so angry because he was so confused.  Matt Dodge, the rookie punter, had simple enough instructions- kick it out of bounds.  The absolute worst case scenario from that punt was Dodge getting it and line drive punting it straight to Jackson.  The worst part of that was Jackson fumbled the punt- probably from the shock of actually being given a chance to return the punt.  Even that break went the Eagles way because had Jackson received the punt cleanly, you have to assume that the Giants specials team would’ve been able to corrall him around where he got it (c’mon, lets dream shall we?).  Instead, the fumble threw everyone and all the timing off.  Watch as everyone sort of overpursues after Jackson takes a small step back and then just turns on the jets to run right through the inside seam and take it to the house.  There was a huge block at the 40 which sprang him and that would have been a block in the back if he had fielded it cleanly- the fumble actually HELPED him.  By then the momentum was completely on the side of the Eagles.  No way was that punt NOT being returned.

I had actually felt sorry for Matt Dodge and kept telling everyone- this kid has a huge leg and he will get it soon.  But even I couldn’t forgive and forget on that punt.  Even I turned into a typical pessimistic fan willing to leave him in Newark instead of taking him on the flight to Wisconsin to play the Packers next Sunday.  Mike Francesa yesterday said “if he blows it in Green Bay, they should just leave him there.”  I agree with him.  I hate for anyone to lose their job in this economy and to be left in a city like Green Bay, (just kidding), but that punt was inexcusable and for him to sit there and say he was being pressured- look at the tape there is NO ONE within five yards of you after having received the punt and all you had to do was kick it out of bounds.  Angle it out of bounds.

Simply put the Eagles were the better team on the field and if that performance didn’t put into everyone’s mind how absolutely dangerous this team is?  I dont know what will.  There is a way for teams to beat the Eagles, but you need athletes.  You need stud athletes to keep up with theirs.  Michael Vick CAN be bottled up but you have to be of absolute discipline and on two plays the Giants weren’t and Vick ran amok.  Think on this: for 52 minutes Vick had 99 passing yards and 30 something rushing yards.  By the end of the game he had more than 200 yards passing and a 130 yards rushing in a virtuoso performance.  Peter King in his Monday Morning QB article wrote that he would never be able to match this performance from this game ever again.  I disagree.  If this season is the fully mature, realizing-his-potential Michael Vick then, isn’t this kind of thing on every fan’s mind now?  If he’s become the best passer/runner combo version of himself that every defense that played him feared, isn’t this kind of feat-especially now that he’s accomplished it, something that should be expected of him?  I’m not saying he should be expected to score 28 points in 7 minutes, but with him, leading this offense, literally no lead is safe.  You can’t game plan athletes of his type.  You can try to bottle them up but once they begin playing school yard, unless you have the athletes to play that school yard too you begin to be spectators too.  Half the time he went on those runs, Giants defenders had to be amazed at his ability to escape pressure and turn losses into gains.

The Michael Vick show is back and is soooooo alive.

If the Eagles don’t make the Super Bowl, trust me when I say this- it will be a HUGE shock.  I’ve seen magical seasons and games like this are the stuff that make this season more special than any other Philly has had.  If the Eagles dont face the Patriots in the Super Bowl- it will be because of some stupidity that Philly won’t soon forget- not because Vick failed.  This playoff run will either be magical or a truly terrible shock for Philly fans.  Even they can smell it.  They know its coming.  They can beat the Bears, the Rams, the Saints, the Falcons and we all know that they own the Giants- after beating them for the sixth straight time.

What now becomes of the Giants?  Its simple:  either this loss defines them and haunts them or they put it behind them and they make a push for the playoffs renewed by their failure.  But we all know losses like this are not the kind of stuff you just put away.  These are the kind of losses that snowball and destroy a season.  Mike Francesa asked a question that I myself wondered: “if you’re a Giant player, how did you even drive home yesterday?”  I’d be staring at a wall for hours too trying to come up with words to express the disappointment.

The Giants now have to at the very least split their next two games in order to win the final playoff spot.  Next week is not given.  If the Giants lose next week trust me when I say that armageddon will be upon the G-men should they not even win week 17.  Forget about it.  If they don’t make the playoffs Tom Coughlin could get fired.  I’m not saying he deserves it but those within the organization who don’t like him may have enough ammo to get the job done.

Peter King reported that Bill Cowher may be a front runner for the job but that he isn’t sure that Cowher will get the job because of his price tag.

This collapse will live on among the greatest New York collapses of all time.  Miracle at the Meadowlands.  ALCS 2004.  METS in 2007.  Number 7 in 7 minutes in 2010.  Welcome to hell Giants fans.

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October 27, 2010 · 12:05 pm

Giants Wrap-Up

Huge win Monday night over the Cowboys and here’s a few thoughts, and observations on the Giants game:

– Notice I didn’t say win.  It was yet another ugly win and the feeling hasn’t disappeared yet about this team.  Its a very odd season where no team has separated itself from the pack in the NFC and as much as I hated hearing that the Cowboys and Vikings were still in it (mathematically of course they were), it was accurate.  No one was so dominant where you could see them emerging to beat anyone of the top teams in the AFC.  If you HAD to pick a team today from among the NFC as the best, I suppose the Giants would be that team, but no one could say it with much conviction.

– The game played out in 3 parts:

1st Part- Cowboy Pride, 2nd part- Giants step up, 3rd part- Giants let up.

– Out of Manning’s first four passes in two drives 2 of his passes were picked off and before his first pass, it should’ve been picked off.  Even on his 3rd possession, the first completion to Hakeem Nicks was tipped but completed.  Manning has been guilty of high passes all season long and some of those tipped interceptions have been a result of those high passes.  Those have led to his 11 interceptions which at this point of the season is a very high number.  While it may not affect them early on in the season, later on those things catch up to a team that turns the ball over.

– Coming into this game it was the ballyhooed group in Dallas that got all the pub: Miles Austin, Roy Williams, Jason Witten, and Dez Bryant.  Here were there numbers:

Cowboys Receivers

NAME RECEPTIONS YARDS TD’s
Dez Bryant 4 54 2
Jason Witten 9 95 1
Miles Austin 3 38 0
Roy Williams 0 0 0
Totals 16 187 3

Giants Receivers

NAME RECEPTIONS YARDS TD’s
Hakeem Nicks 9 108 2
Steve Smith 9 101 1
Mario Manningham 3 40 1
Kevin Boss 1 23 0
TOTALS 22 272 4

Clearly the production shows you who was the better group on this night.  On Dallas’ side, only Dez Bryant was really a force and Witten was his usual dependable self.  Witten was more a safety valve in the second half where Kitna was just trying to dump the ball before he became another QB the Giants defense laid out.  I came out of this game truly impressed NOT by Dez Bryant’s athleticism which I didn’t find that tremendous, it was his constant motor and inability to stop on any play.  He just seemed to have a motor that kept going and even when he was wrapped up he tried to make extra yards happen.  He knew what this game meant for the Cowboys and despite only having 4 receptions his influence came on the return game where he returned one for a TD.  All is not lost here in Big D especially if Bryant begins to emerge here with Romo gone as a dependable option.  He’s a playmaker, plain and simple and deserves to wear that number.

– As for the Giants receivers, while Hakeem Nicks gets the stats, look at some of the catches Steve Smith made.  Look at the blocks he was making in the running game.  Make no mistake, while Nicks has the higher ceiling and many are predicting huge things for Nicks development wise, Smith IS the better receiver now and the more dependable option.  That’s what made the 07 team so good.  As good as Plaxico Burress was and his ability to take over games, Amani Toomer was the yard stick mover and the consummate professional and stalwart.  Steve Smith emerged later in the season and that’s the kind of development you want to see from Mario Manningham who I was excited about when the Giants initially drafted him.  He was the kind of athlete that fell due to emotional issues he had, but his talent was obvious.  He showed glimpses, but that’s all he’s shown.  Glimpses.  He’s never been a dependable option like Smith.  That third option has to emerge from the group of Manningham, Victor Cruz (who has yet to take the field) and Ramses Barden.

– It was written in yesterday’s Post, but its worth repeating: want to know what the difference is between this year’s running game and last year’s?  Bear Pascoe.  His shift from TE to full back has been a revelation and has made them so much better and he can remain on the field as a blocking TE or even a pass catching option as he emerges.  Fact is, the guy is a football player and one of the cuts from the Giants camp who decided to stay with the team despite having options on other teams but only as a practice squad player.  This game saw the Giants get back to the run.  Bradshaw with 126 yards on 24 carries and Jacobs with 75 yards on 12 carries and one touchdown (a touchdown I will get to).  I usually look at ypc (yards per carry) when I look at running stats and Bradshaw averaged 5.3 and Jacobs averaged 6.3.  Bradshaw didn’t have to bob and weave tonight, it was all downhill and making a cut.  He usually has to work for his yards but not tonight and that was telling about the Cowboys more than anything.

– Heres my thoughts on the Cowboys: they are poorly coached.  I hate to blame the coaches, but the culture in Big D is a relaxed atmosphere and for what?  They havent accomplished anything.  Ever.  You can count their playoff wins since 1996 on one hand.  This is a franchise living off the past that passed a while ago and it comes from the top.  Jerry Jones is an attention hog.  A guy who needs the credit and needs a coach who doesn’t need it.  Even when Bill Parcells came in and helped draft the core of the defense they have today (I’m not foolish enough to give him all the credit for the drafts), Jerry basically showed Bill the door (though I’m sure it wasn’t easy to work with Parcells either) and Bill returned the favor by stealing one of his better executives Jeff Ireland and a head coach as well, in Tony Sparano.  Jerry needs to relax and take a step back.  This team does not need to be rebuilt.  He needs to bring in a disciplinarian with some credibility.  You can take your chances with an unknown, but you’d be better off going with someone that you do know.  This was a game in which they were handed 2 possessions to open the game in Giants territory and a third in which they started at their own 40, and they got 13 points.  Even when Dez Bryant got that punt return TD, it wasn’t until the fourth quarter when the rust began to come off for Kitna that they even mustered some kind of effort.  That Brandon Jacobs run was a play that needs to be played over and over again in the defensive play room if only for the fact that the point needs to be made: you can’t be soft in this league.  Blown coverages get your quarterback taken out.  Blown tackles get running backs dancing on the star.  Bad coverage gets receivers open in the end zone.  That first TD by Eli Manning was one of the ugliest plays ever (on both sides) and Eli pumped to that side and that was just Nicks boxing out.  Touchdowns dont’ come that easy and they were coming pretty easy.

– Warning to the NFL: if Tom Coughlin throws the challenge flag, chances are, the Giants are winning it.

– Warning to the NFL: The Giants defense is coming for your QB.  I hope Matt Hasselback is getting prepared and that guy gets injured often.  Do I think the Giants defense is dirty?  No.  Look at all the hits, its classic blindside hits or in Romo’s case: a beautiful tackle.  Romo’s arm was wrapped up by Michael Boley when he came in which forced the injury more than anything.  Nothing dirty about this defense, they just hit you hard.  Interesting point made last night while driving by the Schmooz, Steve Somers on WFAN: Should the Giants be worried that teams are taking note of the 5 QB’s the Giants D have laid out and are putting a bounty on Eli?  It can get interesting when the Cowboys come to the new Meadowlands 3 weeks from now if they look for some revenge.

– Biggest difference this Giants team has: their run D has been exponentially better.  Canty is healthy, Cofield is healthy, Rocky Bernard is healthy and finally that depth on the defensive line is showing.

– This is why you’d much rather have Eli Manning than most QB’s in the league.  Two interceptions on his first four passes?  Who cares.  Comes back and on their next 7 possesions: 5 TD’s, and a FG.  The guy shakes off the bad as quickly as anyone I’ve ever seen.  I’d say this game was the mark of a champion but Eli is just built this way.  While we want to see an emotional QB, I think Monday’s game showed why we’d much rather have a calm cool guy who doesn’t get overly emotional.

– The Fourth quarter was as troubling as I’ve seen.  The long and short of it: Wade helped by going for it instead of going for a field goal and ended up giving the ball back on downs.  But the Giants let the Boys back in it when they threw when they clearly should’ve been passing.  Bad Eli emerged when he threw just a stupid INT (I really have no other words to describe it).  And the Boys came within a leg short of recovering an onside kick to make the last 44 seconds meaningful.  It should NEVER have came to this.

– Again, the Giants are lucky to have faced the Cowboys in their present condition.  Five turnovers (3 by INT, and 2 fumbles, one recovered by the Cowboys.) should’ve done them in but the Giants faced a team even dumber than them this night.  Tom Coughlin is just a much smarter coach but that fourth quarter was brutal and he seemingly dropped to Wade’s level.  But there is good news that came from this: they won and they made enough mistakes that the taskmaster can crack the whip.

Enjoy the bye week folks.  Be back later on with the Power Rankings and thoughts on the league.

 

 

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September 22, 2010 · 10:08 am

Giants post game reaction

Musings, observations and the occasional brilliant insight on the Giants week 2 loss to the Colts.

– This game was over by the half and I didn’t sit through the rest of the game to see garbage time TD’s.  At 24-0, the Colts had the Giants beaten and demoralized.  Save for a long pass to Mario Manningham in which Eli Manning, had he released the ball a second later, wouldve been hit and possibly fumbled the ball.

-The killer play was Dallas Clark’s TD to make it 17-0.  Over the head grab, Willie Mays style, to get a TD to extend the Colts dominance.   The Giants never were in this game and it reeks of them being unprepared which is something rarely seen in a Tom Coughlin led team.  The line played horrifically bad and worse they didn’t make a single adjustment.  Even when they went into shorter drops the Colts’ Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis would get to Eli.  David Diehl and Kareem McKenzie were badly mismatched and worse, never received any help.  Not a single time.

– The worst part was that it seemed the game plan, instead of playing to their own strengths (which would’ve worked well considering run defense wasn’t their strength) was to play to theirs.  They tried to catch the Colts off guard and air it out except they couldn’t get anything going in the passing game since Freeney and Mathis were pasted onto Eli’s jersey it seemed. The playcalling (which put the Giants down in the first place) gave Indy a big lead and Peyton, over anyone else knows how to milk a lead and bleed the clock.  Offensively playing to the Colts strengths was bad but defensively operating out of a 4-1-6 (tackles and ends-linebacker- defensive backs) formation Peyton called run after run and Joseph Addai made the Giants pay.  They took the pass away but they couldn’t stop the run which was also because the Giants were unable to get into their rotations which affected the freshness of the group.  The run kept the Giants off balance for the eventual play action which Peyton and Dallas Clark executed to perfection.

– The domination done by Freeney and Mathis told the story that’s been of major concern for the Giants: the offensive line which has been a strength for many years, is on its last legs and clearly needs an injection of youth.  Not just in next years draft but it has to be of high priority for years to come.  William Beatty is still not where the Giants want him to be, which is sad since they were begging him to beat out Rich Seubert in training camp for the job.  The group has been together so long and done such a good job that it was almost overlooked by GM Jerry Reese, who other than Beatty hasn’t used a high draft pick on a O-lineman since 1999 when it selected Luke Pettigout.  That line is all over the age of 30 and watching Eli Manning protected by a bad O-line is a sad and pathetic sight.

– Eli’s performance was completely affected by his inability to get protection.  He’s not the most graceful in the pocket or nimble so it was kind of hard to get away from the constant pressure.  It was clear that Eli’s mental clock was sped up and he feared the pass rush almost always and he played scared for most of the day.

– The worst part of the gameplanning was that the Giants went away from the run.  The DNA of the Giants is a power running attack and yet they consistently went away from that philosophy instead being happy to throw the football and air it out since it seems they have fell in love with their air attack.  Ahmad Bradhsaw, who is the unquestionable number one RB on the team, had a gaudy 5.2 YPC and consistently makes yards on his own and with Brandon Jacobs benched for temporarily going insane, Danny Ware got some action and was able to show some skills as well.  In years past, the Giants would’ve went head on with their running game and attacked the Colts and punished them and taken time off the clock.  But they played right into the Colts hands each and every time and gave them nothing but more and more time operate their offense.  It was as if the Giants were GIVING the game away.

– Brandon Jacobs actions from Sunday night are NOT excusable.  First off, I don’t care that he was trying to throw his helmet to the padding: thats B.S..  He should’ve played without a helmet for the rest of the game and Coughlin should’ve sent him back in.  Its becoming increasingly clear that Jacobs is no longer the punishing back, but not because he can’t do it, its because he’s showing he doesn’t WANT to do it.  On the play that apparently started the whole mess, Jacobs was supposed to run straight ahead and instead tried to cut and make a Chris Johnson move and try to get to the opposite edge against speed rushers like the Colts.  The Colts strength is speed, which again is playing into the hands of the Colts.  By doing that, it gave them more time to line up the blow to the knees.  Meanwhile if you see a big 6’4 260 pound guy coming at you full speed 95 % of the league is bracing for the impact and not trying to clip the knees.  I realize he’s taken a pounding but his role has been clear since day one.  He’s the enforcer.  He sets the defense up for Bradshaw’s cuts.  But Jacobs doesn’t WANT to run north and south, he must think he’s Barry Sanders with all the cuts and the moves he does, but he isn’t.  Jacobs went to the sideline and, according to him, the helmet slipped while he was trying to fling it to the bench and it got thrown about 10 rows deep where a fan caught it and tried to make some money off of it but to no avail.  Jacobs should be fined.  Jacobs should be suspended by the Giants but neither of those things will happen.  He was irresponsibly reported to be mouthing off to Colts fans but it was later changed to: he was apologizing to fans for throwing it up there which I CAN believe.  I don’t think he meant to throw it up there but when it happened he was genuinely concerned for the fans safety.  As for rumors he requested a trade, hold your horses: it wont happen.  The Giants won’t just give Brandon Jacobs up because he asked for it.  Clearly there needs to be an understanding.  That needs to come from Jacobs.  Jacobs has NEVER been a true number one and like I wrote from day one, neither is Ahmad Bradshaw.  But the Giants named Bradshaw the starter and Jacobs has to understand that.  To change that, he has to get back to being Brandon Jacobs.  80% of the league still fear him and don’t want anything to do with trying to tackle him.  If he comes in with a chip on his shoulder and runs north and south the Giants will be successful and ONLY then.  His runs help set up Ahmad Bradshaw’s cuts and Danny Ware’s jukes.  The ONE thing I want to see moving forward from the Giants is that.  Getting back to the running game and the Giants season hinges on that game plan coming back.

– Week two didn’t go as the Giants had hoped but with Kevin Boss getting back and hopefully getting back to the power run game, its time to get back to old school football.  They ran into a determined Peyton Manning who was not going to let his team go down 0-2 and get beat by his younger brother in his season home opener.  There were too many forces at work but in reality I’m making too many excuses for how poorly the Giants played.  With that idiotic game plan they would’ve been destroyed by the Browns.

TEAM GRADE FOR WEEK TWO: F

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September 12, 2010 · 4:59 pm

Week one, Lesson One: Tempering Expectations

I know it will happen.  Its bound to.  At some point of today, you’re going to watch a game and a star will be lying on the grass a little bit longer than you’d like.

You’re going to start yelling at the television when it starts to process in your head.  His season is over.  It won’t matter that the ticker on the bottom of the screen and the announcer says that more info is coming.  You don’t need to be a doctor to know that when a guy’s knee bends back like that, he’s not coming back for a while.

Football’s a violent sport and while it remains one of the more entertaining aspects of it, its can also be the most devastating.

Even fantasy has added an element to our misery some people miss.  Most Americans who participate in fantasy football don’t just do one, they do multiple and since the odds of having the exact same roster in each league are slim to none, its within reason to expect that everyone will complain about one player going down this season.

How much does that suck?

The disappointment however doesn’t have to destroy your season.  A waiver wire pick up in fantasy land or a Tom Brady/Kurt Warner in real life football can come along and right the fortunes of the franchise.

But most of the time, you’re left with very little to go on.  Football’s first weekend is supposed to be the best time in the world.  But I’m reminded of the 2 most shocking injuries that I can remember:

1. Vinny Testaverde was the QB of the New York Jets that went to the AFC championship game the year before against the Denver Broncos and led at halftime before a future NFL Hall of Famer led a second half surge to win the game.  Not that the sequence of events sounds familiar, but expectations were high the next year.  In the first quarter of the game, Testaverde tore his ACL, was out for the year and there went the Jets season.

2. A year after going 18-1, Tom Brady and the Pats were everyones pick to go back to the Super Bowl and win it.  Bernard Pollard became famous for rolling on to Brady’s knee and he was out for the year.  The Pats went on to a respectable season with Matt Cassel, but they were no longer the feared team they were.

Both franchises had huge hopes coming into that season and even before the fans were able to get their seats warmed, their seasons were done in the fans minds.

That’s how quickly fortunes can turn.  That’s how quick the excitement of football coming back can be ruined.  It takes one play.

So enjoy today.  You’ve earned it with your patience.  Just temper expectations.  Its a marathon not a sprint.  MY advice is to allow the season to play out.  Don’t get too up or too down.  Its ok to get excited.  This may be the Jets season like I am predicting.  This may be the Giants season like I hope.  Either way, someones season will be done on one play today: DONT let that ruin football for you today.

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August 18, 2010 · 6:31 pm

Jets Vs. Giants Reaction

Staying true to my laziness, I waited a full day after all the post-game analysis done by everyone else to post my thoughts.  Really it was because I didn’t get to watch the game on Monday and I was just exhausted Tuesday.*  But here are my thoughts as it stands on the very first preseason game:

*= I know, I know, you care.

First big play was the Sanchez interception.  The pass was intended for LDT and he threw it into double coverage.  My opinion on that play is, he was going to throw it to LDT on that play no matter what and the Giants had a guy covering him and another LB converging on him.  The ball bounced off his shoulder pads and hung in the air long enough for new Giant Antrell Rolle (you know, the Giants made offseason moves too), to pick off the pass and take it all the way to the one.  I think one of the biggest problems with the Giants last season was their safety play.  CC Brown was poorly cast as a starting cover safety and the lack of depth at the safety position manifested itself when Kenny Phillips went down with arthiritis in his knee.  Let me reiterate one thing for everyone: unless Kenny Phillips comes back, the Giants will continue to have problems in the secondary.

Underneath routes will be there all day for opponents of the G-Men, because the linebackers aren’t that quick and the cover corners aren’t all that great.  Everything will once again hinge on how quickly the defense can ratchet up pressure.  If the defensive line can not force its way into the quarterback’s face with regularity I can guarantee you that the Giants will have another season of disappointment.  The Giants once again come into the season with perhaps the deepest rotation of defensive linemen in the league but, if they don’t perform it won’t matter.  With the talent of wide recievers in the NFC East vastly improved with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin (and maybe Riley Cooper who is emerging as a favorite receiver for new Eagles QB Kevin Kolb), and Miles Austin and Dez Bryant (he’s going to be like Randy Moss- teams are going to regret holding his character as means to not draft him).*

*=  I know I left out the Redskins, but as much as I hate to admit this, McNabb being their QB will make that entire team’s receiving corps better.

– The Jets really tried to feature LDT in the passing game alot, perhaps hinting that they want to use him as a receiver more than just a runner.  Which if that’s true, then that makes Shonn Greene a feature back, one of the few in a league that has gone to the two back system that most coaches favor.  I think if you assign roles for both guys, it makes it interesting when it comes time for LDT to run and Shonn Greene to be a pass catcher.  Eventually the Jets want Greene to do it all and I think he could, but he has to change his physical lowering his head, battering ram style of running.  The shelf life of running backs is small to begin with, but you start playing like that it becomes even smaller.  Greene however showed some moves in this game that could give him longevity in the game.  Finding when to use the battering ram style and when to use finesse will be Greene’s biggest obstacle.  LDT in the passing game makes a lot of sense.

– Antonio Cromartie dropped two sure fire interceptions.  If this Revis thing doesn’t get resolved before the season, those kind of mistakes will not be accepted.  The Jets were getting plenty of pressure on the Giants first team offensive line and alot of throws were going right to Cromartie, and I mean RIGHT to Cromartie, but he never made the play.  Of course the initial reaction will be: if Revis were there, he would’ve made that play.  Its going to be tough if this hold out goes beyond the preseason and into the season and Cromartie whiffs on those sure-fire interceptions.  For the Jets to gain any more leverage in this than what they already have, the secondary must perform.    One of the biggest plays that every Charger fan remembers from Cromartie’s last game with them was his lack of physicality on the Shonn Greene touchdown in the AFC Divisional round game.  Cromartie dodged a tackle but then ran down Greene in the end zone in time to deliver a cheap shot with his elbow.  If Cromartie shows those colors here in New York, you can bet that his value will significantly drop because those kinds of plays will not go unnoticed here in New York.

– Brandon Jacobs’ regression will be a major plot line during the pre-season.  Let’s admit it, he’s taken a step back.  Playing at 260 and being 6’4 is great and all but now teams are hitting him at the knees and its wearing the big man down.  He used to wear teams down by the third and fourth quarters but since its the other way around, the Giants have to be concerned.  I think the Giants had better hope Ahmad Bradshaw comes back healthy and with the kind of moves he flashed on the shovel pass by Eli in the second quarter.  Bradshaw played with two broken ankles (i cry when I have one broken ankle, I have no idea how he was walking playing with two) and tried to gut out the season.  I don’t think Bradshaw is a number one back in the league BUT he can be a really good complementary back.  He is most effective as a 225-250 carry back in the league with about 50-75 catches.  He can do wonders in space and I can’t help but feel that Kevin Gilbride, the Giants offensive coordinator, should look to use him in receiver formations to throw defenses a new wrinkle.  He’s an effective screen back runner and the Giants usually do well in identifying excellent in-between the tackle rushers and the Giants should really look to get Andre Brown into that mix.

– It brings us to the Eli Manning hit which of course was shown on loop on ESPN.  Seeing it for the first time it looked gruesome, but with more replays you realized the mix up on the play (Brandon Jacobs said Eli called a running play but Eli changed the play at the line of scrimmage) and the bump by Jacobs loosened the helmet which came flying off at the end of the play thanks to Calvin Pace’s hit.  The blood came gushing out thanks to the face mask of Jim Leonhard who converged from the other side seeing the ball loose.  It was totally coincidental contact on Leonhard’s part which cut Manning on the forehead.  Either way, it was kind of cool to see that kind of physicality from a preseason game.

– Preseason games get a bad rap in terms of intensity, thanks to back ups being in by basically the second quarter, but there was Eli playing in the second, there was LDT and Mark Sanchez playing the entire half.  I loved the intensity from both sides.  Clearly both teams came to win the game, so how do I grade both first teams?  I thought the first team defense of the Jets was the best unit on the field hands down.  Eli never had much time and Rex Ryan threw some blitzes to mix up timing.  Maybe not as much as Rex would but certainly the natural pressure they got affected Eli’s timing.  Here are other winners and losers:

1. Victor Cruz- Pre Season games are not meant for guys with contracts and set in stone positions on the team.  They are for the, oh i don’t know, undrafted rookies out of UMASS just trying to get noticed and if you’ve been following the tweets and reports from Giants camp like I have, Monday was NOT the first time you heard the kid’s name.  Cruz has been impressive in practice and showed on the field that perhaps the Giants plucked another gem.  Cruz’ work ethic and overall demeanor will certainly gain him favor when it comes time for coaches to make those tough decisions at the end of camp of who to go to the regular season with.  All his catches seemingly were passes lofted to him where he had to make a play on the ball and he came down with the ball.  With injuries befalling the Giants depth chart at receiver and tight end, it leaves spots that can be earned and clearly Victor Cruz (a local product from Patterson, NJ) is taking advantage.

2. Jason Pierre Paul-  Remember, he’s still a work in progress.  He JUST started playing organized football during his senior year of football.  He walked on to South Florida last year at this time and vaulted himself to first round status.  He’s a freak of nature and he showed.  Right now, he needs coaching on technique and how to use his unbelievable physical talents but when he understands what’s going on in front of him and how to leverage the offensive linemen, this guy could be a force.  In college they basically threw him out there in every part of the defensive line and basically handed him instructions to get to the QB and that he did.  This is just one guy’s opinion but with enough reps, he could average a sack per game.  He’s just that naturally gifted that if he had 10 snaps per game to start off, I predict he could easily get one sack per game.  His wing span is that of a 7 footer which means that if he gets his hands underneath the offensive lineman’s hands, the offensive lineman better start trying his best to put the brakes on because he’s going to get pushed back.

3. John Connor- The Terminator.  Loved him on Hard Knocks and I have to admit I was watching him play on the field.  He’s behind Tony Richardson one of the best fullbacks of all time and he stands to gain alot of knowledge about hustle and everything else but what a pro to be behind.  He already has mastered the one key component of a fullback: “the I am not afraid to get hit” part of being one.  On the LDT rushing TD that was negated by a holding penalty, Connor bulldozed Jonathan Goff and LDT blasted through the zone.  I think LDT is going to love running behind the rookie.  Speaking of which…

4. LaDanian Tomlinson- I’ve never been a huge LDT fan.  I think the guy quit on his team in just about every single playoff game they lost.  He pouts when he doesn’t get the ball despite the fact that it became obviously clear that in the last two seasons Darren Sproles became the Chargers better running option.  I think it was a stupid move for the Jets to let Thomas Jones and his hard working, leadership go for what turns out to be pennies, and recruited LDT to come in and take over the mentoring role for Shonn Greene.  I believe Chargers like Philip Rivers (who I’ve made no bones about being one of my favorite players in the league) told you a lot about the atmosphere around the Chargers with LDT saying “everyone can breathe now.”  But, Mike Tannenbaum took a roll of the dice and went all in for the 2010 season with the moves he did make and this represents one of his biggest gambles (other than that staring contest with Darrelle Revis’ agent) as GM.  What this game proved is that the Jets have one of the best offensive lines in all of football so it stands to reason that LDT could see a renewal here in NY.  If LDT is any kind of competitor, then you can best believe he will use this as momentum.  What I worry about is the LDT that shows up in January.  Jets fans will murder him if they see him sitting on the sidelines with the helmet with the tinted face mask and arms crossed.  I think he will have a good season behind this offensive line.

5.  Mark Sanchez- He was impressive.  Stepped into throws, showed the zip and he was more comfortable in the system that Brian Schottenheimer has installed.  Frankly I still think he’s going to have those moments like that LDT interception where you see the replay and you scratch your head but he won’t have the 12 TD 20 INT line that he had last year.  Last year, he was given a bike with training wheels.  This year, they souped up the bike and are hoping to take off the training wheels, added Santonio Holmes to the group of receivers.  I would put Holmes in the winners list, but he’s out for the first four games thanks to a league suspension for violating the substance abuse policy, so he gets penalized.

Losers:

1. Giants identity- What is it?  The Jets remind me of the Giants from 2007 which won the Super Bowl.  Great line play on both sides and a team built on the running game.  The Giants have the runners but clearly Brandon Jacobs has lost a step and Ahmad Bradshaw is recovering from ankle problems.  There’s a shift that the Giants are going through, they want William Beatty their 2nd round draft pick from a year ago to take over on the offensive line for Rich Seubert who was injured during training camp and will miss a few weeks.  So that continuity isn’t there, which coincidentally the Jets took over that streak when the Giants had a few injuries last year, but one which the Jets won’t have either thanks to Alan Faneca not being resigned.  I think the Giants have to go back to 50/50 run/pass and can not expect Eli Manning to put up 4,000 yards of passing every year.  They need to do it on the ground and get back to the formula of success that has been almost a hallmark of the franchise.  Power running games keep the team fresher and allow the QB to stay up right which is what you want more than anything.

2. Giants Special teams-  Right now, Matt Dodge looks like an absolute failure as the replacement for long time safety net Jeff Feagles who retired after 100 years in the NFL.  Dodge has been shanking punts and hitting line drives which any 9 year old kid with Madden can tell you is a no-no.  With Domenik Hixon out for the regular season with a torn ACL (thanks to the Meadowlands new turf), the return game is a big question mark as well and the Giants trotted out Aaron Ross, Andre  Brown, Duke Calhoun to name a few.  No one stood out and that could be a problem.  The last few years have shown how important the field battle can be an important one to win.  If the Giants dont fix this problem, there may not be much the defense can do.

3. Antonio Cromartie, Jets corners-  The Jets had better hope that the reputation that Cromartie left the Chargers with, (Being soft, afraid of contact, not a hard worker) don’t come to fruition here in New York.  Cromartie is playing under brighter lights especially considering all the attention the Jets are getting with Hard Knocks and all the pre season Super Bowl talk.  Add to that the whole Revis hold out, there is a ton of pressure on Cromartie to compete and hold the fort down.  IF this holdout goes into the regular season, the secondary’s play will be scrutinized and may play a role in negotiations.  Clearly Cromartie right now is the Jets best corner with Revis out and if the Jets get thrown on early and often and can’t stop the pass with regularity, it could become a situation in which the Jets will lose their leverage with Revis and may force the Jets into resigning Revis.  For those wondering the Jets first five games are against Baltimore, New England, Miami, Buffalo and Minnesota, so it will be paramount that the Jets secondary hold their own when Sexy Rexy throws those zero protection blitzes.  For those counting, Cromartie dropped 2 gimme interceptions.

4. Nick Folk- Another decision that made me scratch my head.  Jay Feely has a reputation for being one of the least likable locker room guys and maybe that will help, but Folk has been a wreck after his rookie year.  He made 3 of 4 field goals, but that 46 yard field goal makes you wonder about his head.  Feely hit those 46 yarders with regularity despite being a prick.  Maybe some decisions should be based on talent alone.  This coming from the guy who talks all day about team unity.

5. Chris Canty- He’s the guy that got the huge free agent contract with all that guaranteed money and he’s been guaranteed to be on the sideline with an injury or ineffectiveness.  For what its worth, reports from camp have been that he’s been dominant but if what I saw is true, that’s more on the offensive line being ineffective.  He’s the one guy I’m going to look at to make an impact and he didn’t do jack in the Jet game.  I’m hoping he shows up at some point during real live games because you know, thats what the Giants paid him for.

A few other small non-football related nuggets:

-Loved the fight between the jackass Giant fan who made Fireman Ed get off his post to do his customary J-E-T-S call.  Remember, this was a Jet home game.  Firemen Ed, clearly livid, elbowed the guy a few times and then led a more spirited than necessary for a pre season game rendition of the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS chant.  I’m a Giants fan but Fireman Ed is a part of New York sports.  He’s crafted a legacy for himself that he hopes to carry into this new stadium which Jets fans will call Meadowlands Stadium and Giants fans will call the New Giants Stadium.

– Can we get Woody Johnson a new white shirt and green tie, or is his wardrobe completely filled with that combo?  I mean, come on, i’m sure if he wore a green shirt and white tie, it would be a hit.

– Can’t wait for the next episode of Hard Knocks.  Just one thought relating to HBO docu-series: Rex Ryan was MADE for television.

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