Preseason Game #5
Wednesday, December 31st, 2008That’s what it felt like, with some of our marquee guys sitting down at halftime. I thought Coughlin played it right. Next week is the bye, get everyone who is healthy some playing time and start resting up. It was nice to see Derrick Ward rewarded with his 1,000 yard season, a pretty terrific milestone. Jacobs and Ward become only the fifth tandem in NFL history to do it.
As far as the game, only two things caught my eye which worries me. First, the defense continues with the alarming trend of giving up big plays. It dates back to the second Eagles’ game. Westbrook two big plays. Rookie RB in Dallas breaking off clinching run at end of game. Another long TD run by Carolina. And this week Adrian Peterson going the distance. Overall, the defense hasn’t played that badly during this streak, but allowing these big hits is a no-no come playoff time. The second item is the starting position of the opposition. Jon Carney’s kicks have become shorter as the weather has gotten colder, and compounding matters is the play of the coverage team. Almost every time, the opposing offense is taking over around their own 40 yard line. Again, come playoff time, that’s a recipe for disaster. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Tynes on the active roster for kickoffs, especially with cold weather most likely in East Rutherford.