Category: 2009 Season

If you can’t make the quarterback uncomfortable, especially one with the ability of Drew Brees, you’re probably in for a long day. 48-27 constitutes a long day in my book. The Giants were unable to lay a hand on Brees all day and it resulted in the Saints converting touchdowns on five of their six possessions in the first half. A few things bothered me about the defense. First, where were the adjustments? Without watching the game film, it appeared the Giants were attempting to rush just four in the beginning of the game with no success. With that not working, was there any attempt to bring pressure via the blitz? Also, why did it seem the Giants were playing a lot more zone when man-to-man is their usual coverage scheme? Let’s face it, the Saints are a real good squad right now (tops in the NFC IMO) and are going to make a lot of teams look bad. That, combinied with it being a New Orleans’ home game after their bye week, made it an extremely tough game for the Giants. But we’ve come to expect a better effort from this team in that type of situation.

Offensively, the Giants were off this much (my fingers are about two inches part as I write this). Manning twice just missed big plays to Dominik Hixon and Steve Smith that could have been touchdowns in the first quarter. And despite all the horrible defense in the first half, a Jints’ goal line stand with just under a minute left somewhat incredibly left the game at 27-17, with the Giants to get the second half kickoff. Here’s where the turning point of the game was. With no timeouts and the ball at the 16 yard line (after a personal foul penalty on the Saints), the Giants elected to not take a knee. There’s your first chance to second guess. I say it was the right move. You’re indoors, and getting in position for a long field goal attempt is quite possible. Plus, you have to recognize the Saints are rolling and points are going to be needed. After a completion to Mario Manningham which put the ball on the Saints’ 34 yard line, the coupe de grace occurred. Manning, who is usually money in a two minute drill, elected to not spike the ball, allowing almost 20 valuable seconds to run off the clock. That waste of time, combined with the team obviously hurried to get off the next play, resulted in a sack/fumble/loss of football to the Saints who got a gift wrapped touchdown to close out the half. Game. Set. Match.

Final point. It has zero to do with the outcome of the game, but the officiating in the game was downright unacceptable. A multitude of bad calls: incidental contact on Corey Webster on a long incompletion (even the Saints receiver was laughing), late horse collar flag on a kickoff after Saints’ return man lobbied for it, phantom flag on Shuan O’Hara negating a terrific TD scramble/throw by Manning, several non calls on Saints’ DB’s interfering with Giant receivers down the field, Dominik Hixon being called for offensive pass interference (for what, breathing?). Ed Hoculi’s crew had a bad day and I am sure Mike Peoria will let them know about it.

There’s not much to talk about. The Giants seemingly moved the ball at will, and defensively were all over the Raiders. It all added up to a 44-7 rout. The most interesting part of the game for me was getting a preview of what my seats may look like next year. I sat in section 124, ten rows up from the endzone. A different perspective indeed. Without question, it’s pretty cool seeing goaline offense/defense down at your end.

The second most interesting part of the game was after favorite son Sinorice Moss muffed a punt deep in Giant territory with about five minutes left in the first half. The Raiders recovered, scored, and made it 28-7. On the kickoff, the Giants were penalized and pinned back at their own five yard line with about two minutes left. And there trotted out David Carr in place of Eli Manning. Manning, who played a superb 28 minutes, wasn’t injured either. I found that very interesting. What does that tell you about how the Giants felt about the Raiders, sending out your backup in the first half, while pinned at the five? A stop, and subsequent score by Oakland, could make the game a wee bit interesting. Antonio Pierce summed it up best by saying it felt like a scrimmage. So I guess that’s what you do in scrimmages, replace your starting QB.

Rather than focus anymore on the game, let’s look ahead to the Saints. New Orleans, Minny, and New York are the top tier teams right now in the NFC, so this is a barometer for both squads. Most pundits suggest the Giants run the ball, control the clock, and keep the ball away from the potent Saints’ offense. That’s all fine and dandy if your offense is sub par. But the Giants are hardly sub par. I would rather see, and I am sure we will, an offense with a bit more passing to loosen up the Saints, and then hit them with the run. Remember last year in Arizona? I don’t remember the running game being that dominate (in fact, Jacobs was out as I remember) but Eli had probably his best games of the year. And the Cards last year were one of the most explosive offenses in football. Throw in the fact Manning plays exceptionally well in this type of weather venue, I’d be on the attack. I’m not necessarily promoting a shootout, but the Giants will have to score points to win. And keep this in mind about this suddenly vaunted New Orleans defense: two of the first four games were against rookie QB’s (Stafford and Sanchez) and a third against a guy making his first start ever (Kevin Kolb).

Defensively, you rush and you cover. Getting to Brees is difficult, as he has is offense down pat and possesses one of the quicker releases in the game. But the Giants play tight coverage with their corners, and they’ll be a vital piece in the outcome of this game. If they can cover the initial read, that will give the defensive line a chance to pressure Brees when he looks for his secondary routes.

That’s what you heard from a nation of Giant fans on Sunday when Eli Manning didn’t go in for x-rays and was being taped up on the sideline. I originally laughed at Eli for “hoping and skipping” in the pocket, but after the play the first thing that popped (I probably shouldn’t use that word) into my head was his Achilles. Thankfully it wasn’t, with the diagnosis being Planta Fascitiis. I’m no doctor, but I remember it being described to me as walking with a small stone inside the bottom of your shoe. We all know that feeling. So, Manning will be a question mark right up until Sunday most likely.

While watching the game, I envisioned this blog entry being name something like The Other Steve Smith, because #12 just had one hell of a first quarter of the season. Our Steve Smith, after four weeks, leads the NFL in receptions and yards. Who would have imagined? I’ll be interested to see how Smith and the Giants respond when the double teams start (have they already?) and the competition gets better. But if there’s one play that really stuck with me on Sunday, it was the one after the roughing call (a bad one BTW) where Smith got smacked and had the pass dislodged on a route over the middle. The very next play had Smith was running a 25 yard post down the middle of the field for a touchdown between three defenders. How do you like those onions?

The other player who caught my attention (actually last week in Tampa, too) was Michael Boley. He’s all over the field. In pass coverage. Rushing the passer. On run plays. This was a great signing, so let’s hope his return from a knee scope (more surprises) won’t be too long.

Ahmad Bradshaw has been the best running back on the Giants through three games . Last season, Bradshaw was the biggest disappointment for me, but it hardly could be called his fault. In the 2007 season, Bradshaw showed flashes of what he could do, making one of the biggest plays of the year with that long gallop in Buffalo. Then in the playoffs that year, he was the leading rusher for the Super Bowl champs. Bradshaw had that look of a budding star. But Derrick Ward returned from injury and put together a career year in 2008, rushing for over 1,000 yard in tandem with Brandon Jacobs. There weren’t simply enough touches to include Bradshaw in a three back rotation.

When Ward left, most pundits declared it a huge loss for the Giants. But there are some things to consider. Yes, Derrick Ward is a really good back. But could we expect him to repeat those career year numbers that he had in 2008? We see this all the time, especially in baseball, a good player exceeding his normal output. Now I’m no sabermetrics expert by any means, or even subscribe to that stuff, but the point is Ward probably would have still been a good player, but not that good. So it’s not outrageous to predict Bradshaw meeting Ward’s probable output had he stayed with the Giants. And Bradshaw clearly give the Giants more explosiveness. That’s just my take.

Anyway, Bradshaw looked like a runaway fire hydrant on Sunday. Low to the ground and very physical. It seems he always is falling forward after being tackled. Bradshaw might not yet be the receiver Ward was, but I think he has more ability after the catch. Pass blocking, always an issue with young backs, appears to be an area Bradshaw is improving in as well.

The play calling was very good on Sunday, balancing the run with the pass. Defensively, the Bucs didn’t get a first down until the five minute mark of the third quarter. Enough said. With Kansas City and Oakland on the horizon, the team needs to stay focused until the real season starts.

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.

Opening a season with not only a win, but a divisional win, is as good as it gets. There was a lot to be impressed with in the 23-17 victory which was a lot closer than it should have been, or even appeared to be.

First and foremost, the crowd was just awesome. This was my fifth opening day at Giants Stadium (coincidently the third involving the ‘Skins) and, man, was it loud. Not sure if the lower level holds the noise more, but my ears were ringing! For the record, I’m 3-2 in season openers.

Onto the game. Considering the Redskins had one of the better defenses in the league last season, and they will be up there again this year, I was very happy with the play of the wide receivers. Steve Smith played a really nice game, and his 26-yard catch in coverage in the fourth quarter to extend a drive was a thing of beauty. He was tagged the eventual replacement to Toomer and you can see the camaraderie between quarterback and receiver, much like Eli had with Amani. Mario Manningham was touted as big play WR in college and his first pro touchdown, a 30-yard catch and run, was the kind of plays they want from this second year wideout. Hakeem Nicks caught only two balls, but had a few more thrown is way (including a long one) and was getting valuable snaps and experience. In fact, I thought it was interesting that both Manningham and Nicks started the third quarter with the team backed up inside the 20, showing me this coaching staff has confidence in the younglings.

The running game was just okay, with short yardage conversions putting a damper on the final grade. But remember, Washington’s defense is no slouch by any means. The addition of Albert Hanesworth returned immediate results, and sometimes you have to tip your cap to the other team. Ahmad Bradshaw, not Brandon Jacobs, was the most impressive runner on this day.

Defensively, it’s tough to be critical. The Skins scored two touchdowns: one on a fake FG and the other at garbage time (which I’ll have something to say about in a bit). And when you consider that both Aaron Ross and Kevin Dockery were out of the lineup, the secondary acquitted itself quite nicely. I expect the pass rush to get even better as everyone gets their legs under them in game situations.

If there was any area worthy of critique, it was again clock management at the end of the game. Case in point: the Giants just got a 27 yard pass from a scrambling Manning to Kevin Boss, which put the ball on the Redskins’ 13 yard line with just over five minutes left in the game. With a 10 point lead and Washington having just a single timeout left, the goal here should be obvious. Run the ball, work the clock (or force them to use that final TO), and kick a FG. That puts you up 13 with about two minutes left, or a bit more than that if they used their timeout. Instead, and I know how Coughlin thinks, he goes for the kill with a play action pass. The result was a sack, subsequent holding call, and stoppage of the clock. In that situation, I just feel putting the ball in the air is an unnecessary risk. What if a pass was tipped and picked off? What if on the sack, Manning fumbled? The Giants eventually kicked a FG, but gave the ball back to the Skins with three minutes left and still holding their timeout because the Giants elected to throw every time in that series of downs. Two of those throws (sack, incompletion) resulted in clock stoppages. I’m all for being aggressive in the passing game, but there is a time to rein it in.

Finally, the two minutes defense by the Giants was terrible. They allowed the Skins to go down the field and score way too easily. The final two completions, including the touchdown to Cooley were uncontested. Why the Giants allowed Antonio Pierce to cover Randel El in the slot was ridiculous, and Jason Campbell immediately recognized it and hit him with the biggest play on the drive for 16 yards, setting up the score to Cooley.

My overall point: that game didn’t need to come down to the Giants needing to recover an onside kick with 1:30 left on the clock. If they would have run the ball, maybe the Redskins score, but there would have been virtually no time left for anything else.

Over the last two weeks, I think Giant fans everywhere feel a little better about the wide receiver position. It may have started for me with a flat out drop by Steve Smith versus the Jets. Smith would have had a 90 yard touchdown reception from Eli Manning, but for the fact he forgot to catch the ball. Still, what it showed me is this group of wideouts can get deep. Catching the ball is the least of my worries. Getting open is the key. And that trend continued throughout the Jets game, with the Giants offense taking multiple shots down the field (how many times did they throw deep to Manningham anyway?). And yes there were some overthrows to open guys, and some drops too. It happens. But do understand this Giants will be reintroducing the long ball back into the offense. In the finale versus the Pats, check out how many long passes were caught. Seven different receivers caught balls of at least 23 yards. Very impressive.

So who makes the squad at WR, and how many do we keep? I say the max is certainly six, and here’s how I see it:

Smith and Hixon are the starters. Manningham and Nicks will get plenty of time as the three and four, probably in a rotation. Ramses Barden makes the squad obviously as well, but his time will most likely be limited this season. So that leaves one more spot, and we know it comes down to Tyree, Moss, or Hagan. My choice right now is Hagan. Tyree appears to be still limited by his injury, and if he can’t play great specials he can’t be on this roster. Moss finally made an appearance versus the Pats, and there’s been speculation that his increased playing time in that game was to showcase him for a potential trade. If the Giants can get anything for him, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Moss is a free agent next year and with the young stock of WR’s on the team, he won’t be resigned anyway. And as Manningham and Nicks progress this year Moss would again drop on the depth chart as he has his entire Giant career. Hagan has enough experience in the league to step in early on if necessary if either Mario or Hakeem have some growing pains. And remember, with the TE’s and backs also being involved in this offense (hopefully, fingers crossed) the wide receivers won’t be burdened with carrying the team.

The game versus the Bears can’t be called anything but uninspiring. The Giants really didn’t play well offensively or defensively in a game they seemed to be sleepwalking through, particularly on offense. There could be a few reasons for this outcome. First, the Bears were coming off their own flat performance last week versus the Bills, and with new QB Jay Cutler making his debut for the home fans, Chicago wanted to make a good impression. Second, the Giants had played Monday night and were on a short week. Combine that in the middle of training camp and the Giants surely could have been a tired football team.

Nonetheless, neither Coughlin nor the fans want excuses and if there’s one thing I think everyone is looking for this preseason it’s play from the wide receivers. Unfortunately, we haven’t really gotten it yet. Let’s remember, however, that Eli Manning still hasn’t played a full half of football yet, so it’s tough to judge. And I’m sure the Giants are running vanilla stuff at this point in the preseason and not game planning in the least. It was good to see Hakim Nicks catching a 50 yarder even though it was at the very end of the game. And Ramses Barden caught another pass and drew a penalty on a deep throw in the fourth quarter. Baby steps indeed.

The running attack, even with guards Rich Seubert and Chris Snee out, looked really good. The only thing that bothered me was Ahmad Bradshaw not picking up a third down blitz on Manning’s last series. It resulted in Manning getting rid of the ball before he wanted and an incompletion. Plays like that will continue to keep Bradshaw on the bench more than on the field. He has to be able to handle blitz pickup. Brandon Jacobs, a bull. Just ask Brian Urlacher. Danny Ware continues to show good skills both running and receiving.

Defensively, Cutler ripped through the Giants defense, but I will say a few completions were into excellent coverage. That’s the way it goes sometimes. The most disheartening play of the night was Matt Forte’s untouched gallop for 32 yards. Yes, untouched. That disregard for defense will be something the players wish they hadn’t done when it comes to practice this week.

The third preseason game is widely known to be the dress rehearsal for the regular season. Hopefully the offense shows comes out more aggressive in the pass game, showcasing the receivers. But I warn that it won’t be easy versus the Jets. New head man Rex Ryan hasn’t forgotten how the Giants beat up his Ravens defense last year, and he’d like nothing more than take bragging rights from winning this game.

Plaxico Burress agreed to accept a two year prison sentence (minimum 20 months) for the unlawful carrying of a firearm at a Manhattan night club last November. Burress only nine months earlier had sealed his fate in Giant history with his game winning grab in the Super Bowl win over the Patriots. Sadly, he’ll probably be remembered for this as much as that great day in Arizona. I still remember the words: “Manning lobs it, Burress, alone…..touchdown New York!!” Now Burress is completely alone.

I’ll admit I was dead wrong on this one. I figured Burress, especially with a top notch NY lawyer, would be able to beat this with probation and healthy dose of community service. And would make it back to the Giants. But Mayor Bloomberg clearly had an agenda from the start and wanted to an example that no one is beyond the law despite any celebrity status. Many have said that someone less famous would have gotten a less severe penalty. I’m not so sure about that. New York law states a minimum of 3.5 years for the carrying of an unlicensed gun. Plax got two years.

In the end, this was a culmination of Plax’s lax attitude on authority. Late for meetings. Not showing up for treatment. A host of traffic violations. Back in 2005, he failed to show up for the team’s final breakup meeting after the loss to the Panthers. Last year, did not report to practice on Monday after a win over the Bengals. We’d later find out a litany of team fines incurred by Plax. Ultimately, this latest disregard of rules caught up to him. The Giants bring in law officials to discuss guns every year with the players, but Burress probably wasn’t there or wasn’t listening. Otherwise, he would have known that to carry a gun in New York City requires a permit. Now Burress pays the ultimate price: two years of his life behind bars, substantial lawyer fees, and forfeiture of a brand new contract. Burress will be 34 upon is release from prison and most likely has seen his last days as an NFL player. Sad indeed.

All I can say is wow, and I won’t write too much on this but felt it had to be acknowledged. Bret Favre doesn’t go away does he? I’m still a big fan of his and think this is nothing but good for the NFL (and the Vikings). I mean, c’mon, every time Tavaris Jackson drops back Minnesota fans must be holding their breath. Come to think of it, they’ll be holding their breath with Favre too, but it will certainly be more fun. It’s easy to blame Favre, with all his waffling, but let’s not forget it’s still Minnesota making a call halfway through training camp. The guy can still play, and if someone wants to offer him millions, I say why not?

If he’s healthy, and that’s a big if considering he has a small tear of the rotator cuff, he makes the Vikes better. How much better? That’s why it will be interesting to watch, especially when they play the Packers in Weeks Four and Eight (in Green Bay).