In their third straight prime time TV opener (and when’s the last time that happened – answer below), the Giants picked up right where the left off last season. Well, at least for the first 29 minutes against the Redskins in which the G-Men built a 16-0 lead. The only belmish during those 29 minutes was some failed attempts in the “green” zone where the Giants could have really put the ‘Skins away early. One, in particular, was when Toomer pulled up on a slant at the goal line which would have been a TD had he continued through. The final minute of the first half included a botched KO coverage and subsequent score that put Washington right back into the game.Â
What happened in the final 30 minutes was a continued dominance by the Giants’ defense against a Washington team that really is lost at this time. New coach, new system, and still a relatively young QB. The most dissapointing thing to me in the second half was the Giants inability to score and give themselves some breathing room. I thought Manning started zeroing in on Plax too much, especially with the injuries incurred by the ‘Skins secondary. With Plax being doubled, look to your other receivers. One pass from Eli was thrown right into double coverage which he clearly needs to recognize and look for something else. I also thought the pass protection wasn’t quite as good as we’ve come to expect from that group. But the thing to remember is for most of these guys, it is the first time they are playing a full game. Look for better play next week from the line.
The good signs? Brandon Jacobs being his usual bulldozer self. If this guy stays healthy, the sky’s the limit (as will his contract number). Derrick Ward also was productive with his carries, running hard. Practice? Who needs it…Plax was pumped obviously from a new contract extension and played really well. The only thing he missed was looking back on a seam pattern from Manning that appeared to be on target. It was good to see rookie LB Ryan Kehl in the game often. This means the coaching staff trusts the guy, and in a complicated scheme, tells me the kid is smart.
Finally, the one thing that still bothers me about this offense is the inability to successfully throw to the backs. Derrick Ward is really the only back who has shown a knack for it. Jacobs is hit or miss with his hands, and Eli tends to zip the ball too much on short dunks (particularly to Jacobs). Furthermore, their setup and execution at screens continues to be very poor. If you could ever get Jacobs in the open field on a screen, watch out. I really think that Bradshaw could be the real key here, but he didn’t play a snap on Thursday, which we later found out was Coughlin’s admitted error in the rotation. I want to see improvement here because this is a carryover from last year.
TV trivia answer: from 1986 through 1989, the Giants appeared on the opener of Monday Night Football. And in 1990, they appeared on a Sunday night primer when TNT did games for a short stint. Then again in 1991, they played San Fran on Monday Night. Six straight years in prime time.
