Super Mario

You couldn’t have asked for more in this one. National TV, opening of a brand new stadium, and clutch plays throughout. The Giants had the last laugh when Manning took the Giants down the field in the final three minutes and Lawrence Tynes (twice!) made the big house go silent in a 33-31 thriller.

Mario Mannigham, pressed into starting duty with an injury to Dominik Hixon, played splendidly. Ten catches, including three huge ones. First, his circus catch in the endzone at the end of the half was his second score in as many games. The second catch, after a Cowboy turnover, covered 49 yards on a post and setup another go-ahead touchdown to Steve Smith, which again gave the team the lead. His third was a third-and-six grab on a tipped ball in the final minute of play which picked up a key first down and put the team in FG range. Steve Smith also had 10 catches, and suddenly everyone is feeling good about the wide receivers. Smith’s touchdown was a beautiful double-move, and credit here also has to go to the offensive line because Dallas is the one team that consistently has applied pressure on Eli Manning. Zero sacks on Sunday night, and that move by Smith doesn’t remotely work if the O-line doesn’t give the QB time.

Now enough slobbering over the Giants, as everything wasn’t fine and dandy. Of particular concern was the horrid run defense with Dallas seemingly running at will. On two separate drives, they took chunks of yardage as big as the state of Texas on their way to uncontested scores. That has to be cleaned up big time, and everything I read seemed to point to over-pursuit and a lack of discipline which are easily correctable. Having Canty out for the entire game and Tuck for the second half did not help, but it’s not an excuse either. It’s a good thing the defense was opportunistic forcing three turnovers, including one for a touchdown, because that really was the difference in the game. You don’t give up 250-plus yards of rushing and win games in the NFL. The other area to ponder is the red zone offense. Realizing they are a work in progress with the new receivers, I’m being patient. Last year, the Giants got into the redzone more than any other NFL team and I expect them to be up there again this season. But if this team really wants to be elite, they need to convert at a higher percentage when they get down there. Of particular frustration is the team’s tendency to throw short of the endzone on third down. One thing I really liked about the Bill Parcells/Ron Erhardt offense under Phil Simms was that ball was going into the endzone, hell or high water.

Author: admin

This website is intended to provide analysis and opinions on the New York Giants and other happenings involving the National Football League, with the option for commentary by readers. The site is designed by Bill Kohut, a Giants' fan for over 25 years and the owner of billkohut.com.