That’s basically what it came down to, because had Atlanta won that coin flip they were going to deliver the Giants a certain death blow. I’ll mention a few things about what was really an entertaining game if you like offense, because both defenses stunk out the joint. Eli Manning and his receiver played terrific and were the difference in the game Sunday. Manning was the best player on the field. Last week, Mike Francessa on WFAN posed a question, asking “how do you define these Giants?†His point: you simply can’t. It used to be power football, with emphasis on running the ball and pounding the QB. It ain’t there this season. And while I agreed with his assessment, you do have to admit the quarterback and his receivers have really done a nice job this year and have a bright future together. But it’s a shame that your offense puts up 31 points and for a second straight week watches as the defense allows a visiting teams to waltz down the field for game winning or game tying score (it would have been game winning again yesterday if not for the coin flip). Playoff teams don’t do that.
I had wanted to write about the woes on defense during the bye week, but didn’t have a chance. While many were optimistic about the defense after the San Diego game, I still had my doubts. The conventional thinking seemed to be the Giants held the Chargers to 14 points for most of the day, and then just happen to stumble in the final two minutes. I can’t accept that, here’s why. First, the Chargers can’t run the ball. Watch LaDanian Tomlinson. He labors, even when he makes a good run these days. Secondly, the interior of the Chargers offensive line was banged up (and we did get some push). Thirdly, and most importantly, we held the ball for over 40 minutes on offense. Forty minutes! Of course the other team isn’t going to score much. But they still put 21 on the board. A good defense, in a game like that with those variables going for you, allows a 10 spot. Nothing more.
So where exactly is the problem? It’s really an old sports proverb. Being strong up the middle and the Giants right now are like a house of cards up the middle. In baseball, you need a catcher, 2B/SS, and center fielder. In hockey, it’s your center and goalie. Football is the same deal. And it starts on the line. The Giants are built on pressure, and whoever is playing DT is not getting that push needed. So what happens? The DE’s play suffer because the QB can now step up in the pocket, away from the outside rush. The middle linebacker now has to worry about shedding a blocker instead of making the tackle (and Antonio Pierce can’t do that anymore). Finally, the safety, aptly named because it’s the last line of defense, has to be able to make a play and neither Aaron Rouse nor CC Brown is talented enough. And when the middle suffers, so does the rest of the defense.
On Sunday, there was a bit of improvement for a half. They got a turnover, seemed to be altering their blitz packages to force the offense to check down rather than take a sack. But in the second half, the Falcons torched the Giants for three TD’s and a FG. It could have easily been four TD’s if not for a drop.
The win keeps the Giants in the hunt. Last week’s bye yielded better results than they had in the previous four weeks, with Philly, Dallas, and Atlanta bumbling themselves. But why does this game feel a lot like the 2003 game when the Giants beat the Jets in OT to keep things alive, only to ultimately delay the inevitable. I hope I’m wrong.
