It wasn’t the prettiest of games, but if you like your NFL football hard-hitting, the Giants/Steelers matchup did not disappoint. The Giant defense, which I have been nit picking at in recent weeks, sacked Big Ben five times and picked him off four times. And despite allowing two long scoring plays (another was called back due to holding) the Giants really played the type of defense (no first downs and two total yards in the fourth quarter) you need to win on the road.
As always, you need play from the quarterback position and Eli Manning continues to be at his best when the game is on the line. And in this game, Manning was good even when things appeared to be slipping away. Case in point: trailing 14-9 in the fourth quarter, the Giants correctly elected to go for it from the Steelers’ 31 on fourth and one. As it usually goes, a timeout was called to strategize the right call. But Manning and the Giants did what looked to be the unforgivable, getting a delay of game coming out of the timeout, forcing a fourth and six! But Manning then threw a simply splendid fade to Amani Toomer for 30 yards, and while the Giants didn’t get seven, it was the turning point of the game. Had the Steelers held, they could have grabbed the momentum by changing field position or even scoring. The field goal pulled them within two, and the defense then put the clamps on the Steelers for the rest of the game. Another clutch throw from Eli on third and seven from midfield for 25 yard to Steve Smith on their next possession was the dagger that setup their only touchdown of the day.
Offensively, the only blemish was the inability to score in the red zone, particularly in the first half. But give Pittsburgh some credit there. I was also a bit disappointed that the Giants didn’t attack down the field a bit more, but then again, there was a reason for the zero sacks versus the team that going into the game led the league in that category.
I should also mention a few words about first round pick Kenny Phillips’ play. In the preseason, he was hitting everything in sight, particularly in practice. Phillips has not dissapointed. Almost quietly, #21 is getting more and more playing time and really looks like he belongs. His absolute knockout hit (and that wasn’t a penalty, sorry NFL) on Mewelde Moore is the thing Giant fans have been longing for in a safety. And besides getting his first pick on Pittsburgh’s final drive, the one play that really sticks out to me was one drive earlier. On third down, the Giants went with a corner blitz. Phillips was required to come up and cover WR Limas Sweed, who caught a quick slant. If Phillips doesn’t make the tackle, there is nothing but space between Sweed and the endzone some 65 yards away. That tells me how much confidence the coaching staff has in Phillips.
