Joe Triano

Joe Triano, aka Joey in VA, is an original BBI member and rabble-rouser who was born in New Jersey, but migrated to Virginia. Joey’s passion for writing, the game of football, and the Giants has spurred him to write insightful and entertaining game reviews for BBI in his spare time.

Aug 212013
 
Andre Brown, New York Giants (August 18, 2013)

Andre Brown – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Indianapolis Colts 20 – New York Giants 12

Game Overview: Fingertips – Look no further than the opening kickoff if you’re searching for a one word summary of a mistake-filled and forgettable evening at MetLife Stadium. Fingertips. Colts rookie kicker Brandon McManus lobbed the opening boot off the crossbar in the Giants’ end zone, just out of reach and over the fingertips of rookie returner Michael Cox. It wouldn’t be the first time the Colts were just out of reach of their maddeningly mistake prone opponents.

Andrew Luck looked every bit the #1 overall pick of a year ago, completing 9 of 13 passes for 107 yards and 2 TDs, leading his Colts to scores on three straight possessions while the new look 3-4 defense minus pass rushing great Dwight Freeney, hassled Giant quarterbacks with 6 sacks. Reliable veteran WR Reggie Wayne proved that his fingertips were just fine with an impressive one-handed grab late in the first quarter and a failed Aaron Ross interception (that glanced off his fingertips) turned into six as Wayne followed the bouncing ball right into the end zone.

Chuck Pagano’s team, embarrassed on the road at Buffalo a week ago, rebounded by holding the potentially lethal Giants offense to zero touchdowns and a paltry 3.9 yards per play. More often than not on this night, the Colts were simply too much up front for the Giants aging and injury- riddled offensive line.

Apparently the Giants coaching staff finally watched the same tape we did, moving David Diehl to guard after his worst effort as a pro and inserting rookie RT Justin Pugh to the starting lineup only a week removed from a concussion that kept him out for nearly 1/3 of camp. David Baas’ MCL injury will precipitate some movement up front, but make no mistake, this was a demotion and a full-time changing of the guard at RT and the end of an era. Our little T-Rex is here to stay, let’s hope his puny little arms are up to the task of keeping up with an offense that has all the potential to be one of the NFL’s most dangerous this season.

Short Dino-Arms aside, injuries may have been the story of the night as WR Victor Cruz suffered a phantom heel injury that has his status in doubt for the season opener in Dallas. Ditto for C David Baas, who completed a litany of offseason surgeries only to have his left leg rolled up on and put his immediate future in doubt.

Quarterbacks: Eli Manning’s numbers were fair, 8 of 17 for 91 yards, but he had an ugly interception late in the first quarter on a 3rd and 1 that looked to be everyone’s fault. Manning’s pass was clearly intended for Hakeem Nicks on an inside release, the trouble is that new TE Brandon Myers was more like Michael Myers, showing up right where and when you don’t want him to with disastrous results. OK, perhaps a pre-season INT isn’t disaster but it’s never too early to predict doom and get the “Fire Gilbride” crowd riled up and in mid-season form. I like starting the overwrought over-analysis right away and be in mid-season form by the opening kick in Dallas. Chances are a new TE, a WR who skipped OTA’s and has missed significant practice time and a QB who hasn’t had time to work with them are to blame here. Eli did have a near touchdown flat out dropped by rookie WR Kevin Hardy, but a little more consistency out of this group isn’t too much to expect at this stage.

David Carr played the way David Carr plays in the preseason, meh. His numbers weren’t atrocious, he managed to hit on 7 of 11 passes for 57 yards, nothing to complain about and nothing to get excited about. Rookie QB Ryan Nassib is almost impossible to evaluate playing behind the team of Matadors that the Giants trot out in garbage time. Nassib managed 48 yards on 2 for 6 passing, both screens to Michael Cox, but again Nassib had no protection at all due to some of the worst backup OL I’ve seen this team trot out in years. If the names McCants and Capers show up on the final 53, be afraid, be very afraid.

Running Backs: Probable starting HB David Wilson showed off the burst that has Giants fans eagerly awaiting a full season of the fastest running back this franchise has seen (Herschel Walker doesn’t count, he was fading and old in his time here and don’t even breathe the words LeShon Johnson). Wilson managed only 34 yards on 8 carries but his 21 yard burst on the second play from scrimmage provided a glimpse of the explosion he provides on a simple counter play. Wilson added a nifty 16 yard reception on the Giants 15 play scoring drive in the 2nd quarter, breaking two tackles and scrambling for extra yards after contact.

Not to be outdone, HB Andre Brown had a tough 36 yards on 8 runs, continuing to show his power finishing runs and the short area quickness that fits this offense well. Rookie Michael Cox had an impressive 36 yard kickoff return in the 2nd quarter and hauled in 48 yards on 2 catches.

Wide Receivers: WR Victor Cruz pulled up lame in the end zone, causing salsa lovers everywhere to suffer a little heartburn until the X-rays came back negative. Prior to that Cruz drew a long pass interference penalty that set up an early red zone chance (yeah I said red not green, Coughlin’s not the boss of me!), proving again how dangerous he is even when he’s not catching the ball. Finally, the Nicks has come back to MetLife! Sort of. At times frustrating this offseason, WR Hakeem Nicks looked OK in his return from injury #274 to his lower body. Nicks pulled in 2 passes for 40 yards but looked tentative to me out there. The suddenness that makes Nicks so dangerous in his routes did not show up, but an off season of rust and not much time practicing may be more to blame but it’s something to keep our eyes on. Nicks was noticeably slower and more deliberate on both of his catches, color me slightly worried. Technically I have to mention Ramses Barden who had 4 catches but more head scratching plays again. On two of his grabs he was inches short of a first down and did nothing to reach for it either time. Carr threw a back shoulder fade to the 6-6 Barden who continued running out of bounds (NFL Rule Alert: Catching ball out of bounds is frowned upon) and made almost no effort.

Reuben Randle chipped in with 2 catches for 17 yards and new Giant Louis Murphy pulled in 3 balls for 20 yards on top of an ill-fated end around that gained a whopping six feet.

Tight Ends: TE Adrien Robinson may turn into a threat at TE in time, but his mistake loomed large on the Giants offensive performance on their opening drive. With a long 4th and 1 from the Colt 7 yard line, Robinson lined up left of LT Will Beatty with TE Brandon Myers to his left in a Jumbo set. At the snap, Robinson incorrectly tried to block down on DE Corey Redding who was already washed out by Beatty, which left a huge gap for LB Kelvin Sheppard to fire through and force RB Andre Brown wider than he wanted to go. Robinson should have reached the second level to seal off the backside LB but instead stepped inside, looked lost and did nothing on the play. For everyone upset at the play call, it was a good call with a good grouping matchup that the Giants just lost because Robinson completely missed his assignment and allowed penetration into the backfield. Just for a capper, Robinson threw in a false start late in the 3rd quarter to help snuff out another drive.

Offensive Line: Before we get to the ugly, let’s start with the good, it works at parties when you want to pick up a woman and it works when analyzing offensive line play. You work your way down and it feels less painful as the rejection seeps in. (For the record I am married and have no recollection of said events in my past). OT William Beatty doesn’t get the credit he deserves but his block on DE Cory Redding that sprung Wilson’s run was one of beauty. With Brandon Myers lined up to his left, Beatty was blocking the play side hole on the counter and waited for Redding to pick a side. Once Redding tried going right, Beatty sealed him off that way, creating a running lane for the darting Wilson to jet right through. Moving a big bodied DT playing end in a 3-4 isn’t easy but Beatty used Redding’s aggressiveness against him to position himself perfectly for the block and the biggest ground gain of the evening. It is one small move in one small play in a pre-season game, but it shows Beatty’s smarts and his familiarity with Wilson’s running style is improving. That’s a big plus for this running game getting back to where it needs to be. Beatty absolutely collapsed the right side of the Colts DE on the long pass interference penalty on the opening drive, but the ugly was that his man fell into LG Kevin Boothe’s man who rolled up on Baas’ left leg and put his early season in jeopardy. For good measure Beatty mushed CB Greg Toler after his 1st quarter interception.

RT David Diehl started poorly and continued that way all night. On a 2nd and one on the Giants 2nd possession he was tossed backwards by DL Ricky Jean Francois and a solid 2nd and 1 run turned into miserable failure faster than you can say T-Rex. Diehl got tossed aside by rookie DE Bjoern Werner on another red zone play that short circuited a drive. You all watched this game, I won’t beat a dead horse but Diehl is certainly ready for the glue factory at this point. I could almost hear him whispering “Oil Cann..oooiiill cannnn” as player after Colt player used him like a turnstile at a Justin Bieber concert. (They couldn’t rush past excitedly giggling fast enough). You’re a good man David Diehl, I have respected your toughness and team first attitude for years but, your best days at tackle are long gone. As of this writing, Diehl is now the LG and Boothe moves to center, I would look to whoever is behind Diehl at LG to have a shot to unseat him if he doesn’t acquit himself in a less athletically demanding spot.

Unproven backup center Jim Cordle did a fair job in Baas’ absence, but his inability to even hold his ground on a 2nd and 7 from the Colts 9 killed any chance David Wilson had of scoring or converting. Again the play was blocked well across the board but it was one badly missed assignment that wasted the effort of everyone else on the play. Overall Cordle did well enough given his limited work with the starters but LG Kevin Boothe may be the better long term option should Baas be out for an extended period. (Update: After writing Boothe has been moved to center for now). Fellow backup Matt McCants was putrid at LG, I see no way he makes this team honestly. If an offensive line is a construction site, left guard is the guy who holds the Stop and Slow sign as traffic passes. If you can’t do that, you probably need to find a new job and McCants has gone from LT to RT now to LG and he was awful.

First round pick Justin Pugh debuted at LT and negated his man on nearly every play. Just from this one outing you can see why teams would question his stubby arms and size, he doesn’t look the part. Watch him play though and you may not see elbows but you won’t see the man he’s assigned to making a peep, he simply swallows up whoever lines up across from him. (Several nicknames occurred to me, the Pelican, Hungry Hungry HipPugh, and the Anti-Diehl – they all stink). Technically Pugh gave up a sack on a 3rd and 7 late in the 3rd quarter but once again Adrien Robinson did nothing lined up at H-Back and David Carr was running away from a missed Brandon Mosley block.

Defensive Line: A second straight of week of solid DL play should be a sign of things to come. Starting at LDE, Mathias Kiwanuka blew up the first play from scrimmage and toyed with LT Anthony Castonzo on 3rd down, ruining any chance the Colts had of running the ball on their first drive. Kiwi looks bigger and more comfortable than he’s been in his time here and it’s only been two weeks, but don’t be shocked if #94 has a big year on this defense with the injuries to JPP and Justin Tuck at defensive end. New DL toy Cullen Jenkins continued his solid play, proving tough to move at either DT or DE against the run. DE Justin Tuck, who ended up hurt again, looked just OK to me. Similar to Nicks, Tuck looked a bit unsure of his footing out there which is a sign of a guy not quite healthy or not yet trusting his body after a series of injuries. Tuck did swat away a 3rd down pass and had a few pressures but he’s not quite there yet but seemed to be rounding into form.

The other ex-Eagle DT, Mike Patterson made his impact felt near the end of the first half, knifing into the backfield to force a poor throw which led to a Jayron Hosley interception and snuffed out a 4th potential scoring drive for the Colts in the first half. DT Linval Joseph was solid up front as was DT Shaun Rogers and there was even a Marvin Austin sighting! No I’m not watching Outside the Lines re-runs, he really made a play the box score even says so!

austin

Rookie DT Johnathan Hankins started the second half with a bang, holding the point on a run for nearly no gain on the Colts’ first possession and did a solid job overall but was pushed aside on two plays I saw simply because he got too high off the snap. Hankins has impressed me though, despite his mistakes his physical play shows up and he is a high effort guy who should be a key DL contributor as the Giants seek to re-establish the line of scrimmage. DE Adewale Ojomo did his best Charles Jefferson impression, clearly someone trashed Ojomo’s Trans Am before the game. On the Colts’ penultimate drive, they ran 4 actual plays (one was a punt, one a penalty) and Ojomo made the stop on every single one, finishing with a team high 5 tackles. I don’t know what he does during the first 3 quarters, but Ojomo sure does bring it in mop up pre-season time.

Linebackers: Toot Toot! After week one, many of us on BBI thought MLB Dan Dan the Drywall Man Connor should be given the nod after an iffy outing by Mark Herzlich and indeed he got the start. Connor only notched 3 tackles, but was much more active and aggressive than his predecessor. Connor’s instincts and quickness should upgrade the Mike position over the departed Chase Blackburn as he learns this defense. Connor should be one of your early sleepers for most surprising newcomer, (assuming you all keep a ballot like I do for funsies) he should do well in a 4-3 with so much size in front of him to keep him clean. If Marty Funkhouser is reading this, please move Jacquian Williams ahead of Paysinger sooner rather than later. Paysinger is fine cleaning up the garbage, but he simply waits too long for plays to develop and ends up hanging on for tackles downfield rather than attacking at all. Certainly his job isn’t to abandon his zone immediately but 52 looks like he needs some more aggression on running downs. Jacquian Williams simply shows up when you watch the game, notching two tackles and holding the POA of a handful of runs when he was down in the box. Third starter Keith Rivers wears #55 and appears to be rather fit. (Author’s Note: I refuse to over analyze the play of any more former top ten picks who do nothing to stand out – I’m talking to you David Carr, Aaron Curry and Keith Rivers- so I will merely give them the effort they gave the Giants on the field).

LB Aaron Curry plays for the Giants now, though I saw no evidence of that outside of giving up an outside run to…Matt Hasselbeck. Yeah, apparently that hot nutty chick from “The View”, her husband plays football, who knew? Anyway, that chick’s husband ran right past Curry as he bit on a dive fake, a recurring issue for this Fewell led run defense that we will not discuss here…yet.

Defensive Backs: CBs Jayron Hosley and Aaron Ross are neck and neck for most plays just missed thus far. Ross coughed up an interception falling backward that turned into a Reggie Wayne TD, and for good measure yanked Wayne’s facemask (with his fingertips) for a free 15 yards later on. Hosley broke well on a ball just over his…fingertips that T.Y. Hilton snagged for 18 yards and four plays later got turned around briefly as Luck’s pass just went over his…fingertips for a Hilton TD that put the Colts up 17-3. That’s 4 plays, about 7 fingertips, two TDs, one 15 yard penalty, an 18 yard gain and countless Giant fans with shaking heads (that’s SMH for you Twitterheads). Hosley did snatch up an INT late in the first half and did a solid job as a gunner on punt coverage.

Thankfully CB Prince Amukamara is no longer homesick about leaving Zamunda and is, in my opinion, on the verge of being a top 5 CB in this league. I said as much over the summer after his play late last season, and his play so far has backed that up. Always a physical guy, Amukamara had to overcome some rookie jitters and nagging injuries but #20 is finally playing as he did as a standout at Nebraska – with a fierce competitiveness for every ball and every tackle.

Special Teams: K Josh Brown went 4 for 4 with a long of 47 yards. Expect few nervous moments from Brown, he’s as dependable a kicker as there is in the league and still has plenty of power in his getaway sticks. Aside from RB Michael Cox bringing a kickoff out 36 yards, the return game was nothing to write home about, but with this many rookies around a mistake free night is a win on special teams. P Steve Weatherford was boringly efficient, which is a good thing, averaging 43.8 yards on 6 boots. Dear Michael Cox…BREAK DOWN on punt and kickoff coverage, or you’ll keep flying past the returner. Oh and my wife and niece think you’re totally cute so don’t get cut (they aren’t over losing DJ Ware yet).

Author’s Corny Addendum: Given my personal events of this summer, I have to comment on the Chuck Pagano story that was highlighted during this telecast. I lost my father in law to a 5 year battle with cancer and it was the hardest few weeks of my life watching someone I love succumb to that disease. That said, seeing how Pagano fought back and never once complained, all the while staying there for his team when he could was truly an inspiration. Cancers sucks, but in my experience with it over the past few years, it unveils fight and mettle in people you never knew existed. It is a scourge that we may never solve, but it won’t ever solve the unyielding human spirit to fight.

(Boxscore – Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants, August 18, 2013)
Dec 302008
 
Minnesota Vikings 20 – New York Giants 19

Summary: In what amounted to a glorified pre-season game for the visiting New York Giants, the #1 seed in the NFC fell 20-19 to the NFC North Champion Minnesota Vikings.  While it’s never fun to watch your team lose, I am certain that most Giant fans were not in remote tossing mode at the conclusion of this one.  Starters Brandon Jacobs, Kevin Boss, Aaron Ross and Barry Cofield were all inactive and starting QB Eli Manning played just one half of football, and a host of backups joined the party in the 3rd and 4th quarters as the Giants prepare to defend their Super Bowl title.

Neither team managed much offense in the first quarter, but as the second quarter opened the Vikings put together a modest 8 play 37 yard drive en route to a 3-0 lead.  The Giants were unable to respond and were forced to punt for the third straight time to start the game.  Adrian Peterson, who had been held in check by the Giants run defense to that point, then exploded for a 67 yard TD run and the Vikings were up 10-0.  That lead would dwindle to a one-point bulge at halftime as Eli and the Giants put together three straight field goal drives before giving way to backup QB David Carr in the 3rd quarter.

Carr came out hot, leading the Giants to a 16-10 lead with a beautiful arcing pass to WR Domenik Hixon for a 23-yard TD.  Carr then led the Giants on a 38-yard field goal drive to push the lead to 19-10 until the Giants’ defense fell victim to yet another big play.  This time it was QB Tavaris Jackson to WR Bernard Berrian on a 54-yard TD pass after CB Terrell Thomas slipped to the turf and left the speedy Berrian all alone.  Carr again got the Giants in position to score, but Pro Bowl K John Carney missed on a 45-yard try, and the Vikings were then able to march 30 yards to give K Ryan Longwell a chance to win the game.  Win the game Longwell did, with a 50-yard boot that sent the Giants to their third loss in four games and propelled the Vikings to the NFC North Title.

Quarterbacks: Playing for only one half, Eli Manning was efficient with the football, managing to put together three scoring drives in the second quarter, but it was his inability to hit the big play that cost the Giants some points.  Things started well for Eli as he hit Domenik Hixon on the game’s first pass for six yards on a perfectly thrown slant route and followed it up with a well-timed flare pass to FB Madison Hedgecock who actually made the grab and then had the nerve to make another catch on the exact same play two plays later in the drive.  Manning was sacked by LB Ben Leber on 2nd and 6 and just overshot Hixon on the next play on a deep corner route and the Giants were forced to punt.  On the Giants’ next possession, it was a ho-hum three-and-out after Manning was unable to connect with Hixon on a 3rd and 2 as CB Cedrick Griffin got between Hixon and his intended route.  No replay of course, as Fox was so giddy with playoff scenarios they immediately cut to a Bears-Texans update which would annoy me all game long.

To start the second quarter, the Giants again went three-and-out with Manning hitting WR Amani Toomer for a 4-yard gain on 3rd and 7.  For anyone without an abacus or 10 fingers, that left the Giants three yards shy of the first down.  Following Peterson’s TD run, Manning led the Giants on a 5-play drive that resulted in a 51-yard Carney field goal, but Eli only went 1-3 for five yards on the drive, again missing Hixon on a deep sideline route and badly under-throwing Toomer on back-to-back plays.

Midway through the second, Eli finally got it going, completing 4-of-6 throws for 60 yards, the prettiest of which was a perfectly placed seam route to TE Darcy Johnson that picked up 26 yards.  When it mattered though, Manning again overshot Hixon on a fade route in the end zone and again the Giants were forced to settle for three.  To end his day, Manning got the ball back with just 27 seconds left, but was able to complete 2-of-4 passes for 33 yards to get the Giants in position for a 42-yard field goal.

Mister Handsome Pants, David Carr, got his first real action of the season, coming in after the break and going 8-11 for 110 yards and a TD.  Right off the bat, Carr was showing off his athletic ability, rambling seven yards to open the second half.  Carr moved the Giants to their only TD of the day, going 2-3 for 41 yards and a TD, en route to a 10-play, 80-yard drive that put the G-Men ahead 16-10.  On the TD drive, Carr converted a 3rd and 8 at midfield by nimbly avoiding the rush, rolling right and hitting Darcy Johnson for an 18-yard gain and a first down, showing all of the skills that made him the #1 pick in the draft.  Carr’s next big throw on a 3rd and 4 was a perfectly thrown corner route to Hixon, who had split the coverage and was wide open in the end zone.  The former Texan lofted a perfect strike and hit Hixon in stride to finally put the Giants ahead.  Carr wasn’t so lucky on his next drive, missing on his only pass to Amani Toomer en route to another Giants’ punt.  Carr had NO time to throw on the failed 3rd down conversion and must have felt like he was back in Houston as his head bounced off the turf.

Carr followed S James Butler’s INT with a scoring drive, going 4-5 for 48 yards, but was unable to punch it in from the 2-yard line and the Giants were again left to settle for three points and a 19-10 lead.  On the Giants’ final drive of the day, Carr led the Giants on a 10-play, 45-yard jaunt that ended in a missed Carney field goal which would come back to bite the team.  Carr did go 2-2 hitting rookie WR Mario Manningham twice for 21 combined yards and moved the chains both times.  Give Carr credit, he was sharp, poised and accurate against a Viking defense that needed the game and Carr gave the Giants a shot to win it which is all anyone could ask for on this day.

Running Backs: Derrick Ward got the 52 yards he needed to break the 1,000-yard mark and added another 25 for good measure finishing with 77 yards on the ground.  After an Ahmad Bradshaw return to the Viking 43, Ward seemingly answered Peterson’s TD run with a 33-yarder of his own, but two penalties on the play canceled out the run.  Nevertheless, Ward chipped in with a 10-yard run and a 5-yard reception to put the Giants in range to pull within a TD at 10-3.  Ward averaged a solid 5.1 yards per carry and looked quick getting to the edge all day, especially on a 13-yard power to the right in which he stepped behind a crushing lead block by C Shaun O’Hara and scooted through for a big gain.  TOUCHDOWN RYAN MOATS!  Sonofa, tricked AGAIN by FOX’s seamless cut-ins to the all important Texans-Bears game.  (Hey FOX, you suck!)

Ahmad Bradshaw had another so-so game, only averaging 2.8 yards on 10 carries, but did have a nice 10-yard run on a counter play that was designed to go left, but once Bradshaw saw no daylight, he bounced it back right and wiggled upfield for 10 yards.  On the very next play, WR Andre Johnson caught a TD pass to put the Texans…ohhh another FOX must see game cut in.

Even Danny Ware got in on the fun, running twice for 15 yards and causing my brother-in-law to exclaim “How many damn good running backs ya’ll got?”.

Wide Receivers: Domenik Hixon again led the Giants receivers with 62 yards and a TD on four catches, but more importantly, he was able to get deep a few times on the Vikings’ secondary and loosen up the coverage enough to keep the defense honest.  Hixon’s ability to get deep will be a big key as defenses tighten up in the playoffs and it will be on him and Manning to get that timing down if the Giants hope to hoist another Lombardi Trophy.  Hixon’s two catches for 33 yards on the Giants’ final scoring drive of the first half put the team in position for a third Carney field goal as the first half ended.  Amani Toomer only pulled down two catches for 16 yards but his 12-yarder on the Giants second scoring drive was vintage Amani as he ran a perfect comeback route and tiptoed in-bounds to make the grab.  During the parade of backups, Sinorice Moss made his presence known on the Giants’ final scoring drive of the day hauling in two passes from Carr for 43 yards, including a 27-yard strike on a dig route that moved the chains on a 3rd and 21.  Knock Moss all you want, but that cat can get separation in man coverage and did so beautifully on that play.  Steve Smith was one of seven Giants with two receptions as the second-year man out of USC finished up with 20 yards total.  Even Mario Manningham got in on the action, hauling in two Carr passes for 21 yards on the Giants failed scoring drive late in the final quarter.  Manningham displayed good quickness off the line and an ability to maintain separation on two quick slant routes, which is vital for any quick inside route.  It was brief, but a good showing by the rookie.

Tight Ends: Playing without injured starter Kevin Boss, the Giants turned to Darcy Johnson, who responded with 44 yards on two catches.  Johnson displayed his athleticism on a 26-yard seam route late in the second quarter as the Giants drove to a field goal on a 14-play, 79-yard drive.  Johnson’s second grab was another big gainer, this time an 18-yard strike from Carr on 3rd and 8 on the Giants’ lone TD drive of the day.

O-Line: Pro Bowl C Shaun O’Hara had a rough start, giving up a sack to LB Ben Leber that put the Giants in a tough 3rd and 11 on the game’s first offensive possession.  O’Hara redeemed himself by keeping a handle on Pro Bowl DT Kevin Williams and giving his QB a nice pocket all afternoon.  Overall though, the line functioned very well, controlling Pro Bowl DLs Jared Allen and Kevin Williams for the entire day.  LT David Diehl completely shut down Allen and had a good day run blocking as usual, leading the Giants to 135 yards on the ground and a solid 4.5 ypc average.  With the exception of the Leber sack and the ugly hit that Carr took, the line kept their QBs in position to make plays and had little trouble with the vaunted Viking front.

Front 7: Author’s Note: Given the varied fronts and personnel packages the Giants use under Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, I’ll be looking at the front 7 as a whole initially rather than separating the D-line and Linebackers.  Hybrid roles such as LBs playing in a 3 point stance make analyzing the front 7 as one unit more cohesive.  It may change as we move forward or from game to game.

With the exception of one long run by Pro Bowl RB Adrian Peterson, the Giants’ front 7 did a solid job all afternoon on the Vikings’ offense.  Working without starting DT Barry Cofield seemed to be of little consequence as DE Mathias Kiwanuka and DT Fred Robbins combined to shut down Adrian Peterson on the game’s first snap and force the Vikings to go three-and-out on the game’s first possession.  More so than the defensive line though, it was the play of the LBs, namely rookie LB Bryan Kehl and WLB Chase Blackburn who had nine and six stops respectively, which made the Giants’ defense go.  Blackburn made a great early read, knifing inside of LT Bryant McKinnie to stop Peterson for a 1-yard gain on the Vikes’ second possession and combining with LB Danny Clark to slow down Peterson on a 4-yard gain just two plays later.  Blackburn also forced an errant throw from QB Tavaris Jackson on the same drive, slamming into the QB as he released the pass and then dumped RB Chester Taylor on a draw for his third stop of the drive.  Not to be outdone, Clark (five total stops) stripped Peterson of the ball on the Vikings’ next possession but the gang in purple recovered and ended up scoring a field goal on the drive.  MLB Antonio Pierce chipped in with four stops, but uncharacteristically missed his keys on a 19-yard screen pass to Chester Taylor that took the Vikings to the Giants’ 36 and in position for points.  In fact, all threee LBs badly read the OL, and not one was in position to make a stop.  OH YIPPEE TEXANS 10 BEARS 0!  Pierce made a big play on the drive though, stuffing Taylor for a 2-yard loss on a 2nd and 1, and forcing the Vikings to have to throw on 3rd down.

The aforementioned Kehl entered the game in the secondd quarter at the WILL spot in place of Blackburn and immediately diagnosed a power to the left, met FB Naufahu Tahi (Godblessyou!) in the hole and stuffed Peterson for a 3-yard gain.  Kehl also snuffed out a Vikings’ drive in the second quarter, perfectly timing a blitz in the B gap on 3rd and 10 and dumping Jackson for an 8-yard loss.  Kehl made another great stop on an misdirection run by Peterson in the third quarter that was designed to fool the LBs into pursuing right and being taken out of the play, but #53 read it well and was able to run down the play from the backside and limit what could have been another big run by Peterson.  Kehl then made another big stop, shooting into the backfield to deny Peterson to his side on the next play.

DE Justin Tuck will get his name in the paper this week, after a 3rd down swat of a Jackson pass on the Vikings’ first scoring drive of the day.  Unfortunately for Tuck, the next play to his side would result in a 67-yard dash by RB Adrian Peterson as Tuck was blasted out of the hole by C Matt Birk.  Ordinarily, Tuck does a great job of holding the POA, and redirecting his man to keep his feet and stuff the play on his side, but while engaged with FB Jim Kleinsasser, Birk shoved Tuck to the ground from behind, which honestly, I have no idea if its inside the rules or not anymore given the amount of egregious holding penalties I see go uncalled in a game.  Pierce also badly over-pursued the play; likely following the lead of FB Tahi, but Peterson cut it up inside and was off to the races.  Tuck did combine with DL Renaldo Wynn and DT Jay Alford on a 4th and 1 late in the first half, to stuff Tavaris Jackson for a 4-yard loss and give the Giants the ball back with just enough time to move into field goal range.

Defensive Backs: S Michael Johnson had a quiet day, but did manage to sack Tavaris Jackson early on 3rd and 6, flying just inside the B gap as the protection slid out to defend the edge.  Shoulda been Pro Bowl CB Corey Webster didn’t notch a tackle, but did knock down a 3rd and 5 pass to WR Sidney Rice forcing the Vikings to punt.  The play of the day though was turned in by veteran safety James Butler with the Vikings driving late in the third quarter.  Butler stepped in front of a Tavaris Jackson pass in the end zone and “raced” 47 yards to the Giants’ 45, which became the Viking 40 after a 15-yard roughing penalty on the intercepted Jackson.  I use the term raced lightly, as in the tortoise raced the hare, because let’s be honest, Butler isn’t going to win a medal in the 55 meters any time soon.  Rough day overall for rookie CB Terrell Thomas, who was victimized on Bernard Berrian’s TD early in the fourth quarter.  Granted Thomas slipped to the turf, but he gets the goat tag for the play, as should S Kenny Phillips who fell down trying to tackle Berrian on the play.

Special Teams: Shaky game overall for the special teams units, with Vikings’ KR Maurice Hicks exploding on the game’s first touch for a 38-yard return.  Ahmad Bradshaw did redeem the kick return team with a 58-yard return of his own that propelled the Giants to their first points of the game, but overall the return game was very bland.  The usually reliable John Carney suffered his first non-blocked miss of the year on a 48-yarder that was just wide right as the Giants were up by two points with just over three minutes left.  Had Carney hit that field goal, the Giants likely finish off the Vikings, but no one is perfect.  P Jeff Feagles was again on his game, averaging a NET of 45.3 yards per kick.

Coaching: I have to tip my hat to Tom Coughlin.  He played his starters for a half, rested the players who needed to rest medically and almost pulled off a win against a Viking team that had to win at home to make the playoffs.  The backups were playing in droves by the final quarter, but the Giants competed no matter who was in the game and every single player on the roster was prepared and played well.  The difference came down to a handful of plays that honestly, the starters probably make but I will leave the hypothetical alone here.

Steve Spagnuolo certainly had a similar challenge in getting so many players up to speed to play, and overall, his defense played well save for two big plays that cost the Giants dearly.  Signal caller Kevin Gilbride had the same challenge, getting backup QB David Carr ready to play and being able to call the plays that a backup offense would be able to execute.  Once again, given the stakes for the Vikings, you can’t complain with the results given the number of backups who saw significant action.

JPog (Joey’s Player of the Game) – Tough call here gang, David Carr played well in his half, D Ward went over 1,000 yards but I have to go with LB Bryan Kehl, who finished with nine tackles, leading the team.  Kehl has been missing from the rotation, but showed once again how quick he is to diagnose plays and use his exceptional quickness to get to the ball carrier.  For his efforts, Mr. Kehl gets a Where’s Waldo activity book because I have no idea where he’s been!

JBog (Joey’s Bum of the Game) – I’m giving this one to FOX for their constant and annoying interruption of our game for Bears-Texans updates.  Look, I get it – I know it’s important to the Vikings’ fans, but do you honestly think they put down their pickled herring sandwiches and pointy Viking hats long enough to give a flying crap?  They were just as involved in the game as we were, they had everything to gain from a Viking victory and still you cut in every five seconds with what the stupid Bears were doing?  For your awful interruptions, everyone in the control room will be forced to wear a double-beer-holding hard hat with straws and drink every time Tavaris Jackson throws a bad pass against the Eagles.

(Box Score – New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings, December 28, 2008)
Dec 242008
 
New York Giants 34 – Carolina Panthers 28 (OT)

Summary: 300.  A number, thanks to Frank Miller’s graphic novel turned movie, that is now most associated with Spartan King Leonidas and the legendary battle of Thermopylae.  For The New York Giants and their rabid fans, it is a number that drew a line in the sand and declared to the NFC, that the road to Super Bowl 43 will run through the Meadowlands.  It was the 300 yards (301 technically but that kills the metaphor and no one likes a dead metaphor) that your team amassed on the ground that sent the very dangerous Carolina Panthers home to lick their wounds, while the Giants began preparations to stand tall and defend their NFL Championship.

The electricity in an excited Giants Stadium came through loud and clear watching at home.  It was evident from the opening kickoff to Brandon Jacobs’ pile-moving game-winner in overtime, that the chance to claim home-field advantage throughout the playoffs was felt by everyone playing in, coaching or watching this game.  Both teams came out strong, with the Giants drawing first blood on a 32-yard field goal by Pro Bowl K John Carney.  Panther RB DeAngelo Williams responded though, with his first of four TDs with a 13-yard burst that put the Panthers up 7-3.  Back again came the Giants to take a 10-7 lead on a Brandon Jacobs 2-yard plunge, but the lead was short lived as the visiting Panthers would score TDs on their next two drives to take a 21-10 lead.  Finally waking up, the Giant defense forced the first punt of the night for the visitors, and gave the Giants good enough field position to march within field goal range in just 49 seconds and slice the lead to 21-13 at the half.

After surrendering 21 points and 208 yards on the Panthers’ first three drives, the Giants’ defense rose up and forced three straight punts while the offense clawed its way back from an 11-point hole.  A 12-play, 84-yard march spurred by Derrick Ward’s 22-yard dash and Eli Manning’s 4-yard TD pass to Kevin Boss brought the Giants to within one point at 21-20, a margin that would again grow to 8 points just three minutes later as DeAngelo Williams busted over right tackle for a 30-yard score, his fourth of the night.  Eli and the Giants came back again moving 44 yards in 7 plays and converting a two-point conversion to tie the game at 28 and force overtime after the Panther placekicker missed on a 50-yarder as regulation expired.

After trading three-and-out possessions, the Giants and Panthers stood deadlocked at 28 with just over 12 minutes to play in the extra stanza.  The march to 300 was then underway as Derrick Ward exploded for 82 yards on the ground in just three carries and Brandon Jacobs slammed home the game-winner from two yards out.  It was the ground assault that claimed the day, with the teams combining for seven rushing TDs and a staggering 459 yards rushing.  When the battle was over, the Giants stood alone atop the NFC playoff pile, ready to defend their title from home.

Quarterbacks: “And now, as then, it is not fear that grips him, only restlessness. A heightened sense of things.”  Eli Manning may not wow you on the stat sheet in a game like this one, but the Giant QB was sharp for most of the night with his passes and again came through in the clutch.  Finally adjusting to life without Plaxico Burress, Eli found his replacement Domenik Hixon on his first pass of the night, and followed that up by converting a 3rd-and-6 to Hixon four plays later.  On the play, Manning was able to side step some pressure, buy himself another second and find Hixon deep down the right sideline for a 40-yard gain that put the Giants at the Panther 18.  That was close enough for a John Carney FG that put the Giants up 3-0 on the game’s first drive.  Eli followed up 4-for-4 for 29 yards on the Giants’ next possession, including a perfect strike to Steve Smith on a critical 3rd-and-2 at the Panther 14.  On a night when points would be necessary, Eli came through when he had to and got the Giants in position for a 2-yard TD run to take a 10-3 lead.  Manning’s next two drives produced a whopping 16 yards as Eli went 2-for-4 for 10 yards and was sacked by LB Thomas Davis.  Eli closed out the half going 0-for-2 on the Giants’ final drive, but thanks to Derrick Ward’s 34-yard burst, the Giants were able to close the gap to 21-13.

The second half started out slowly as Manning misfired on a 3rd-and-5 and the Giants went three-and-out.  Curiously Hixon had CB Ken Lucas draped on him like a cheap suit, but shockingly no flags were thrown.  Down 21-13 still, Eli got the ball with plenty of time to play in the 3rd quarter and marched his team on a 12-play, 84-yard drive by going 6-for-6 for 53 yards and a TD pass to TE Kevin Boss to pull his team within one.  After another Panther TD, the Giants’ next possession went nowhere, as Manning was sacked twice and the Giants were again forced to punt.  Down 28-20 with just over 7 minutes to go, Eli was again perfect, going 3-for-3 for 40 yards, converting two big 3rd downs on passes to Amani Toomer and Kevin Boss.  On the completion to Toomer, Eli very alertly pump faked to hold CB Chris Gamble for the split second that Toomer needed to get some separation on his out route which turned into a 15-yard gain and a huge first down.  Following a big 3rd down completion to Kevin Boss, Eli’s next pass fell incomplete, but FINALLY a pass interference call was made and the Giants were in position at the 1-yard line to punch it in.  Still needing a two point conversion, Eli coolly found Hixon on quick in route and tied the game in what is becoming typical Eli Manning style.

Running Backs: “We did what we were trained to do, what we were bred to do, what we were born to do!”   That is, to run wild and carry the Giants to a first-round bye and home-field advantage.  Starter Brandon Jacobs piled up 87 yards on a tough 24 carries and no doubt got the Panthers’ best effort as he attacked the edges of the defense.  Despite a pedestrian 3.6 yard per carry average, it was Jacobs’ ability to run wide and threaten the defense laterally that ultimately enabled Ward to pop some big runs on a few isolation power runs later in the game.  Early on, Jacobs was corralled by the speedy Panther defense, and only managed 12 yards on his first 5 carries.  “The Jacobs Effect”, which is a physical property of the Giants’ offense that is not yet fully understood, did seem to be in play though as Jacobs next six carries went for 28 yards.  In fact, Jacobs had 11 of his 24 carries on the Giants’ first two drives of the night – a clear indication that Giants had every intention of running it all game long to wear down the Panthers.  Other than his three powerful TD runs, Jacobs’ best run of the night was a 10-yarder that was designed to go off-tackle, but Jacobs made two quick jump cuts inside and was able to crash ahead for a nice 10-yard gain that showed all of Jacobs’ abilities on one run.

A common reaction to the “The Jacobs Effect”, only known as “Ward’s Syndrome” began to take hold in the 2nd quarter.  Derrick Ward did what he was born to do, and in the process racked up an epic 215 yards on just 15 carries.  Ward’s first big run of the night came with the Giants down 21-10 with under two minutes to go in the half.  In a portent of things to come, Ward took a handoff from an offset position, following RG Chris Snee as he pulled left and exploded back up field for an outstanding 34-yard run to put the Giants within field goal range.  As the Giants drove to pull within a point in the 3rd quarter, Ward again ripped off a big run, this time galloping 22 yards over left end to move into Panther territory.  For the game, Ward had six runs of over 10 yards and four 20+ yard efforts.  His finest run of the night though was a 51-yard burst in overtime that was followed by runs of 14 and 17 yards that got the Giants down to the Panther 2-yard line and in position for the game winning score.

FB Madison Hedgecock had a busy day blocking and did well leading the way, but failed to get a yard on 3rd-and-1 on the Giants’ third possession of the game.  Hedgey was able to pick up 13 yards on a swing pass Manning on the Giants’ second TD scoring drive of the night.

Wide Receivers: “Submission? Well that’s a bit of a problem.”  Refusing to crumble in the wake of Plaxico Burress’ absence, Giant WRs stood and fought with the rest of their offensive mates, refusing to give in to the talk they weren’t good enough without their suspended teammate.  Domenik Hixon led the Giants again with 71 yards on four catches, including a 40-yarder in which he got behind the coverage on the Giants’ opening drive of the game.  Hixon failed to hang on to a Manning pass late in the first half after making a nice move to get inside of CB Chris Gamble, but evidently Gamble is permitted to hold one of Hixon’s arms as long as he gets up and acts like he made a great play.  Awful officiating on that non-call.  Steve Smith chipped in with three catches for 24 yards, all of which came on the Giants’ first TD drive of the night and all three went for first downs.  Smith again ran a great short out-route from the slot on 3rd-and-2 from the Panther 14 and his 7-yard reception again moved the chains.  Oddly, Smith didn’t point to his name on his jersey and didn’t act like a buffoon, which rules out the notion that anyone named Steve Smith must act like a 5-year old who just ate a box of Twinkies and hates his mommy.  Amani Toomer only had 27 yards on two catches, but one of which was a critical 3rd down conversion as the Giants drove to the tie the game at 28 late in the 4th quarter.

Tight Ends: In addition to his five catches, 46 yards and TD, Kevin Boss was outstanding blocking on the edge much of the night.  On Jacobs’ first TD run of the night, he stood up DE Tyler Brayton at the POA and allowed a nice lane for Jacobs to scoot through for the score.  Boss’ biggest contribution in the passing game came on the Giants’ second drive of the second half as he pulled in three passes for 19 yards and a TD.  It was Boss’ final catch of the night though, a 12-yard grab on a drag route on 3rd-and-5, that was his most important.  Boss also had a great moving lead-block on Ward’s 14-yarder on 3rd-and-7 in overtime.

O-Line: “In the end, a Spartan’s true strength is the warrior next to him.”  Moving as one cohesive unit all night long, the Giants’ front five on offense showed their true strength after being doubted by many after a handful of lowly performances.  After being stifled by the Eagles and sacked by the Cowboys, the Giants’ OL responded with a crushing performance in which they helped control the ball for 39 minutes and escorted Giant backs to 301 yards rushing and three TDs.  RT Kareem McKenzie gave up a sack to Tyler Brayton as the 4th quarter opened and LT David Diehl saw Julius Peppers blow by him on the same drive, effectively killing the possession, but this group rebounded in a big way after a dismal performance in Dallas.  Guards Chris Snee and Richie Seubert played their best games of the year, both pulling in tight quarters and leading the way on several of Derrick Ward’s big runs.  Snee blasted over the left side on Ward’s 34-yarder that set up a Giants’ field goal late in the first half, and Seubert cleared the way up the middle for Jacobs’ eventual game-tying TD late in the 4th quarter.  Seubert again led the way on the back breaking 51-yard run by Ward in overtime as he pulled right on a power lead play and blew the hole wide open for Derrick Ward.  C Shaun O’Hara also had a key block on the final Jacobs’ TD of regulation when he was able to blast through the DL and get a hat on Pro Bowl MLB Jon Beason and prevent him from making a stop.

Credit the guys up front on the Giants’ game tying 2-point conversion attempt, as they beautifully executed a play-action run in which Seubert pulled to lead, and Diehl crashed down on the DL, to give Eli a nice throwing lane inside.

Front 7: Author’s Note: Given the varied fronts and personnel packages the Giants use under Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, I’ll be looking at the front 7 as a whole initially rather than separating the D-line and Linebackers.  Hybrid roles such as LBs playing in a 3 point stance make analyzing the front 7 as one unit more cohesive.  It may change as we move forward or from game to game.

“Unless I miss my guess, we’re in for one wild night.”  Indeed it was a wild night for the Giants’ defenders, who were pushed around to the tune of 21 points and 208 yards on just three Panther possessions to open the game.  Unable to get to Jake Delhomme all night, the defensive front was stymied in the pass rush department for most of the game and had loads of trouble controlling RB DeAngelo Williams.  DE Justin Tuck and DT Fred Robbins were shoved out of the way on Williams’ first TD of the game, a 13-yard burst right up the gut in which RT Jeff Otah crashed down on Robbins and TE Jeff King stuffed Tuck.  It is bad news when a TE is easily handling your Pro Bowl DE in the running game.  The Panthers then marched on a 10-play, 66-yard drive in which seemingly the entire front 7 decided to just take a short nap.  DE Mathias Kiwanuka and MLB Antonio Pierce got their chances to be blasted back when LT Jordan Gross and LG Travelle Wharton drove them five yards back as DeAngelo Williams scooted by for his second TD in as many tries inside the red zone.  The defense again gave Delhomme plenty of time on his next drive as the veteran signal caller hooked up with Muhshin Muhammad for a 60-yard gain.  The Panther QB simply had far too much time to throw on the play and the pass rush was invisible.  Following the lack of pass rush, the Giants’ front was again tossed aside by the Panther O-Line as DeAngelo Williams scored AGAIN from one yard out as Tuck, DT Barry Cofield and Kiwanuka were handled easily at the point-of-attack once again.

It took the wily vet Pierce to finally get the defense cranking on the Panthers’ fourth drive of the night as he sniffed out another screen to Smith and dumped him for a 2-yard loss.  Fellow LB Chase Blackburn made a great read on a screen to HB Jonathan Stewart and forced Delhomme into a bad pass that fell incomplete as the Panthers opened the second half on offense.  The entire front 7 played faster after their awful start and held the Panthers to three straight drives that ended in punts, until DeAngelo Williams again gashed the run defense for a 30-yard TD.  The DL would respond on their next effort after P Jeff Feagles pinned the Panthers at their own 1-yard line.  Justin Tuck was in on two stops, and DTs Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield got good push up the middle as the Panthers were forced to punt from their 5-yard line after three plays and only four yards gained.  On 3rd-and-8, it was Robbins and LB Danny Clark who shot into the backfield to blow up the play and keep the defensive momentum going.  With the game finally tied at 28 with three minutes left, the defense had to make one more stand to preserve a shot at overtime and it finally came through.  Carolina started with great field position at their own 38 but only managed 30 yards on 9 plays.  Pierce and Clark combined on a direct snap to RB DeAngelo Williams to not make the tackles, but sacrificed themselves to take out the lead blockers and allow Chase Blackburn and S James Butler to come up and limit the big play.  Pierce followed that up with a great run blitz from the back side to stop Williams again and force the Panthers into a 50-yard field goal attempt in the swirling winds of the Meadowlands which would sail wide left.

Defensive Backs: “Somebody’s gotta watch your back.” It was UGLY early on, but on the whole, the defensive backfield recovered well after a very shaky start and did a solid job defending the explosive Steve Smith and the rest of the Panther passing game.  Smith’s speed was on display early on a bubble screen in which S Michael Johnson read the play but badly underestimated Smith’s speed as he raced by for a 23-yard gain on Carolina’s first possession.  Johnson then failed to get enough depth when he did not sink on a Smith crossing-route and the Panther WR snuck behind him for his second big gainer of the night on a 35-yard reception on the same drive.  Credit the Panthers’ play design on that one, as Smith went in short motion inside of the slot receiver and the Giants’ best cover man, CB Corey Webster, switched off of him to stick with WR Mushin Muhammad on the outside of the coverage scheme.  Webster led the team with seven solo tackles, including dumping DeAngelo Williams for a 2-yard loss on the Panthers’ first scoring drive.  Webster had a great pass breakup early in the 3rd quarter as he reached around Muhammad and swatted the ball away, forcing a Panther punt.  Webster again came up huge just after the 2-minute warning, batting away a pass intended for Smith.  CB Aaron Ross bit badly on a stutter step by WR Muhsin Muhammad and was just out of position as a 60-yard completion sailed over his head on the Panthers’ third TD drive of the night.

Rookie CB Terrell Thomas nearly had an INT on the Panthers’ fourth drive, but nonetheless the rookie from USC alertly read a combination route from the slot and sank back far enough to break up the pass and FINALLY force a Panther punt as the first half wound down.  Johnson was critical in the 4th quarter, drawing a holding penalty on WR Steve Smith as he was dragged down to the turf, and then shooting in on a perfectly-timed run blitz to stuff Williams on the very next play.

Special Teams: Both the kickoff and punt coverage teams were solid, and Pro Bowl K John Carney was again perfect.  But it was P Jeff Feagles perfectly placed 37-yard punt in the 4th quarter that pinned the Panthers at their own 1-yard line, which put the special teamers in the spot light.  Backed up so deep, the Panthers were forced to run three straight times to no avail and the Giants ended up with a short 44 yards to go after the ensuing punt and were able to tie the game just seven plays later.  R.W. McQuarters fielded two punts, gained 10 yards, and almost created nearly 80,000 heart attacks when he muffed a punt deep in Giants’ territory in overtime.  Luckily the ball bounced right back to him, otherwise, he’d be banished to Philadelphia, where coughing up stuff in big games is an Eagle tradition.

Coaching: Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and OL coach Pat Flaherty get the nod for this game.  Running power plays, counters and traps, from a shotgun formation that spread out the Panther defense, was what really opened up the game offensively for the Giants late in the first half.  That small wrinkle was enough to keep the Panthers on their heels, and give the Giants the spark they needed to get going again on offense after two failed drives.  When you run for 301 yards, you clearly found a hole in the defense and the coaches did an excellent job exploiting it.  The game’s big play, the oft-mentioned 51-yarder in OT by Ward, was nothing more than a power lead off right tackle in which LG Rich Seubert pulled to seal the edge.  As basic a football play as you’ll see, but the tiny of wrinkles of running from it from an offset I with a pulling guard made all the difference in the world.  Flaherty also employed LG Richie Seubert to chip inside on Panther RDE Julius Peppers who was held to one sack and was kept in check for most of the night.  By using Seubert to chip inside, Diehl was able to focus almost solely on Peppers’ speed rushes to the outside and Giant backs and TEs were not forced to stay in to pass protect that often.  Gilbride’s play design on the Giants’ 2-point conversion was fantastic as Eli faked an underneath handoff to RB Brandon Jacobs and LG Richie Seubert pulled right to force the LBs to commit to the stopping the run.  Once the middle was cleared out by the play action and Amani Toomer’s crossing route, Domenik Hixon slipped into the wide open space that was created and had an easy catch for the conversion.

The Panthers had the better of him early, but Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo dialed more pressure as the game went on and was able to get his guys in position to hold the Panthers to seven points in the second half and overtime.  Contrary to popular opinion, he did NOT lock up Corey Webster on WR Steve Smith, but stuck to playing inside/out coverage in two WR sets and played a safety high bracket on Smith when he was alone.

JPog (Joey’s Player of the Game) – With all apologies to LG Rich Seubert, I have to give the nod to RB Derrick Ward, who had a career night in the biggest game of the season.  Ward’s explosiveness in the hole enabled him to turn small gaps into big gains all night long and after the hammer of Jacobs, Ward’s explosion to the second level was a difficult thing for the Panther defenders to corral.  Ward’s 215 yards and 82 of it in overtime won the game for the Giants.  The defense made a few key stops and Eli Manning had some big time conversions but make no mistake, Derrick Ward’s big runs put the Giants in scoring position all night long.  For his effort, the super sub gets his very own throwback Lewis Tillman jersey, in a nod to other best backup RB the Giants ever had.

JBog (Joey’s Bum of the Game) – In the most important game of the year thus far, both teams laid it out all game long.  I refuse to name a bum in this game, because both teams played hard, played tough and played until the final whistle.  I considered Panther WR Steve Smith for his look-at-me antics, stupid holding penalty and even stupider face, but the dude can flat out play so he avoids the official JBoG but only by a thread.

(Box Score – Carolina Panthers at New York Giants, December 21, 2008)
Dec 182008
 
Dallas Cowboys 20 – New York Giants 8

Summary: Texas Stadium has not been kind to the New York Giants over the years, and this past Sunday was no different.  The Cowboys and their unusually large defensive front 7 simply manhandled the Giants up front, and tossed Eli Manning around like their kid brother in the backyard.  Despite equally strong pressure from the Giants’ front 7, Cowboy signal caller Tony Romo (despite taking some brutal shots) and rookie HB Tashard Choice were able to make enough plays to hang 20 points on the defending champs and keep their playoff dreams in sight.  I found myself wanting to turn away from the action at a few points, simply unable to watch Eli get whipped down to the turf again against a relentless pass rush.  Make no mistake, the Giants’ OL got absolutely abused from the opening whistle and it lasted all game long.

Truth be told, both defenses played outstanding football for most of the game, but when it mattered most, Dallas QB Tony Romo and his gang made the plays the Giants were unable to.  The teams combined for six punts on six possessions in the first quarter, until the Cowboys were able to put together a 4-play, 58-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead.  Up to that point, the Giants’ furious and relentless style of defense paid dividends until a 22-yard screen pass to HB Tashard Choice caught the Giants flat footed and a 34-yard pass from a scrambling Tony Romo also exploited the Giants’ aggressive defenders.  Back came the G-Men on a 66-yard drive that resulted in a John Carney FG and the deficit stood at 7-3, which it would until the fourth quarter.

Again it was the Giants’ aggression that backfired on a 23-yard delayed handoff to Choice that put the ‘Boys on the Giant 15-yard line and in position to take an 11-point lead on another Romo TD Pass.  The lead was one they would not relinquish despite an odd 5-point swing in which Romo was sacked for a safety and Eli Manning threw three straight incompletions from the Dallas 29 that resulted in another Carney FG and a more manageable 5-point deficit for the Giants.  Any hope of a comeback was squashed when Tashard Choice again gashed the Giants for 69 yards on a 66-yard drive (20 yards in Dallas penalties was responsible for that statistical anomaly) that ended in a 38-yard TD run for the rookie runner from Georgia Tech.

Quarterbacks: Eli Manning was, well I will leave that to Merriam Webster:

Main Entry:
1flat
Function: adjective  Inflected Form(s): flat·ter; flat·test
Etymology:
Middle English, from Old Norse flatr; akin to Old High German flaz flat, and probably to Greek platys broad
1 a: lying at full length or spread out upon the ground : prostrate b: utterly ruined or destroyed c: resting with a surface against something
2 a: having a continuous horizontal surface

More specifically, see definition 2 for a summary on how Eli’s day went as he WAS a continuous horizontal surface for most of the game in Irving Texas.  The very first play of the game was a portent of things to come as OLB DeMarcus Ware planted Eli on his keester without delay.  After a 2-yard effort by HB Derrick Ward, Manning was hurried into a bad throw by DL Chris Canty who blew past RG Rich Seubert.  Manning’s second drive of the day made its way into enemy territory, but save for an 11-yard curl to WR Steve Smith, Manning was unable to complete passes 4-of-5 times but benefited from a 32-yard pass interference penalty on CB Terrence Newman.  In Eli’s defense, one pass was tipped at the line, Steve Smith let a 3rd down pass bounce off his hands, and HB Derrick Ward flat out dropped another on a dump off.

Eli’s third drive was an uneventful 3-and-out in which the Super Bowl MVP waited a bit too long on 2nd and 11 and was dumped for a 6-yard loss by LB Bradie James.  Some progress was finally made on the next drive as Eli was 5-7 for 61 yards, including another clutch completion on 3rd and long to Steve Smith that put the Giants in FG range.  Manning’s next drive was a bust as he badly misfired on a deep sideline pass to Smith and had his very next pass pulled back by an offensive PI penalty on Smith.

The second half was not much kinder as Eli threw what is thankfully a rare silly interception right to CB Terrence Newman.  Manning led Newman to his man the whole way and just made a bad throw.  Eli was again mince meat on his next drive going horizontal on back to back plays but going 2-2 for 33 yards when he had time to pass, which was not all that often as the game wore on.  Overall, Eli finished up 18-35 for 191 yards, no TDs and 2 INTs, but this one is NOT on him.  Manning hung in against an onslaught all night long, and just had no time to throw and when he did his receivers didn’t seem to realize how little time he actually had to get the ball away.  Bad night for the Ole Miss Rebel, but give Eli credit, he stood tall all game long and made no excuses for his play.  There were times when may have held the ball too long, but upon closer inspection he was damned if he did (release quickly and his WRs weren’t ready) and damned if he didn’t (release it quickly enough to let his guys run their routes).

Running Backs: Derrick Ward must have felt like it was Martha and the Vandellas day in Irving, because he had nowhere to run to, and nowhere to hide all day long.  (That was for my older BBI fan base who continually gripes about “The Good Old Days” and how all of us new Giant fans are spoiled.  I love you old farts).  Ward, as always, ran hard, but only managed 64 yards on 14 carries and was a non-factor in the passing game.  Ahmad Bradshaw, aside from a 16-yard screen pass in the third quarter did nothing again.  There was one hard-charging 7-yard run in the second half, but against this defense, there was simply no daylight to be had.  I don’t know if it was his stint in the big house, but #44 looks awfully out of sync this year, and save for one run, has done nothing of note in his sophomore campaign.

Wide Receivers: Steve Smith had an up and down night, but got on the stat sheet early, hauling in a nice 11-yard pass from Manning on the Giants’ second possession which we will examine a bit later on.  Smith did drop a 3rd down pass from Manning on the same drive with the pass glancing off his hands at the first down marker, but redeemed himself on his next try by picking up a tough five yards over the middle on a rope from Manning.  On his “drop”, the pass was a bit high, but it was more than within Smith’s reach and with a lagging passing game every chance is going to be critical.  Smith again hurt the offense with a push off on CB Anthony Henry, negating a 20-yard completion that had the Giants in Cowboy territory late in the first half, but it must be said that he made a great move and made a nice grab on the play.  Amani Toomer is slumping when the Giants need him to lead his WR corps past the loss of Plaxico Burress.  Toomer’s first chance off of a deflection bounced off his hands and the 13 year pro only managed 32 yards on 3 grabs.  Domenik Hixon made his first grab late in the second quarter and did manage to again lead the team in receiving with 60 yards on 6 catches including a great grab on 2 and 13 early in the second half in which he had CB Orlando Scandrick hanging off him like a desperate Cougar at happy hour.

Tight Ends: Michael Matthews got my attention early by making a terrible block and half-assed effort on OLB Anthony Spencer on a counter that forced HB Derrick Ward inside for a minimal gain.  Kevin Boss, your NFC Pro Bowl alternate (ha ha I was right!), managed to thwart Spencer on the very next play, a 9-yard gain by Ward on 2nd and 7 but only managed 1 catch for 23 yards on the day.  Boss’ lone grab was a nice one though, as Boss ran a quick hitch, turned upfield and stiff-armed LB Bradie James on his way to a 23-yard gain on the Giants’ first scoring drive of the night.  Boss had a minor brain fart on a short slot route on the same drive, failing to see a blitz and turn around so his QB could have a target sooner.

O-Line: Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, the Amazing Karnack:  “The envelope please…Ishtar, Three Men and a Little Lady, or anything by Michael Bay.”  
“Name three things I’d rather watch than the Giants’ OL give up 8 sacks.” HIYOOOOO!

Only Ed McMahon handing me a check could make this pain go away, and since no bankrupt former TV icon is at my door, I’m assuming the pain is going to linger.  It took all of one play to see how the Giants’ blockers would fare on Sunday against DeMarcus Ware and Greg Ellis as Ware blew past LT David Diehl like he was standing still.  Diehl was victimized again, this time by OLB/DE Greg Ellis as the first half wound down.  Not since “Teen Wolf” have I seen a group of five players stand around in disbelief as someone whizzed past them time and time again.  Not to be outdone, LG Richie Seubert was blown back into Eli’s face two plays later to force an errant throw and a quick 3 and out.  It has since been revealed that Seubert was beyond infirmed during the game and upon further review it showed.  Seubert NEVER gets blown back in the running game but was tossed into Ahmad Bradshaw’s face near the end of the first quarter.  Seubert even looked shaky pulling on a 4-yard run by Ward in the second quarter and again completely missing DT Jay Ratliff early in the second half.  That should have tipped EVERYONE off that #69 was feeling like a big #2 all night.  RT Kareem McKenzie was treated like a nerd in the hallways too, as Ware shoved his way past him for a sack in the second quarter.  McKenzie was then injured on Diehl’s second sack victimization and did not return.  His replacement Kevin Boothe, who I have raved about in previous games, had just as much trouble as his predecessor.  Boothe gave up back-to-back sacks in the third quarter, single-handedly killing a drive as Anthony Spencer and Greg Ellis took turns abusing the former Raider.  Boothe was also woefully late getting out on a bubble screen to WR Mario Manningham, and then followed that up with a false start to turn a 3rd and 4 into a 3rd and 9.  Rough night for Boothe, but he’s capable of better and has shown it when called upon.

FILM ROOM REWIND: orrrrr…Why I love Steve Smith, by Joey in VA.  Normally an 11-yard catch on a pointless drive is nothing to examine, but Steve Smith’s route deep inside Giants’ territory thwarted an aggressive coverage scheme by Wade Phillips’ defense and prevented disaster early in the game.  1st and 15 from the Giants’ 5, early in the first quarter – Smith seemingly hauled in an innocuous 11-yard gain to give the Giants some breathing room on 2nd down.

Upon closer inspection though, I noticed that Smith ran deeper than the CB on his side, who was covering the flat, and instead of breaking on his short out route (I know it was an out despite John Madden’s assertion that it was a curl, because Smith broke down, turned and planted his right foot to make the out cut), Smith slid inside on a curl route, cut inside the DB and gave his QB a lane to throw to.   Instead of continuing his route against an aggressive coverage that was designed to bait the QB into a late out throw to where the CB broke, Smith instantly read the coverage, knew the risk of the out and sat down in the hook or curl zone where ILB Bradie James was slow to cover.

In a two-WR set, ordinarily, the OLB will cover the flat and the CB will sink upfield with the outside WR, but the Cowboys’ coverage counted on a quick throw and attempted to bait Manning into an easy turnover deep in his own territory.  Smith saw the coverage once he dropped his hips to make the break, and turned a potential disaster into an 11-yard gain.  A minor play, but an illustration of Smith’s incredible field awareness and chemistry with his QB Eli Manning.

Front 7: Author’s Note: Given the varied fronts and personnel packages the Giants use under Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, I’ll be looking at the front 7 as a whole initially rather than separating the D-line and Linebackers.  Hybrid roles such as LBs playing in a 3 point stance make analyzing the front 7 as one unit more cohesive.  It may change as we move forward or from game to game.

Despite playing again without stalwart DT Fred Robbins, the Giants’ defensive line played a strong game against a much bigger Dallas front.  The issue though was the LBs, who were unable to keep HB Tashard Choice and TE Jason Witten in check.  MLB Antonio Pierce had another shaky game in coverage, giving up an early short completion to Marion Barber on a check down and failing to cover FB Deon Anderson’s 1-yard TD catch in the fourth quarter.  Pierce only notched 2 stops on the night and his fellow LBs were nowhere to be seen all night long.  DLs Renaldo Wynn and Jay Alford came up HUGE on the Cowboys’ third drive, notching back-to-back sacks after Dallas had a 2nd and 8 at the Giants’ 27, and the Cowboys were forced to punt.  Joining the sack attack on the Cowboys’ first drive of the second quarter was DE Mathias Kiwanuka who sidestepped a chip block by FB Deon Anderson, and slipped past mammoth LT Flozell Adams for a sack.  Fellow DE Justin Tuck again played well finished with 5 stops and a half sack, and single-handedly stuffing a big 3rd and 1 run just inside Giants’ territory on the Cowboys’ second possession of the second half.  Tuck and Kiwi each scored a point…sorta, splitting a safety midway through the fourth quarter and almost coming up with a TD, if not for a heads up play by Tony Romo to knock the ball out of bounds.

Defensive Backs: The defensive backs also played relatively strong games, despite a few hiccups.  In fact safeties James Butler and Michael Johnson led the Giants in tackles, combining for 9 total stops.  Butler made the game’s first stop on a Marion Barber run that was stuffed for one yard and on the Boys’ second drive again shot in and dropped the dread-locked runner for a 3-yard loss.  CB Terrell Thomas made his presence felt early on the Cowboys’ second drive as the rookie from USC came free on a corner blitz to force an errant Romo throw and a second straight 3 and out.  Thomas blitzed again on the next drive on 3rd down and flattened Romo, but not before Mrs. Simpson was able to get off a first down pass to WR Patrick Crayton.

One of the hiccups came on the Cowboys’ first scoring drive, in which a scramble by Tony Romo prevented Butler from getting the proper depth over the top and forced Thomas to leave his man, WR Patrick Crayton, who slipped past everyone for an easy 34-yard TD catch.  Hiccup #2 had to be on Choice’s 23-yard delayed draw that moved the Cowboys down to the 15-yard line.  It was a nickel package on the field, and Romo fooled the DBs with a fake jump pass, but Butler and Johnson were late to recover and CB Aaron Ross got steamrolled by WR Terrell Owens.

Special Teams: I will just assume Pro Bowl voters read this column weekly and feel badly for my dismissal of special teams, hence the naming of P Jeff Feagles and K John Carney to the annual “classic” in Hawaii.  Carney was again perfect on FGs with a long of 47 yards and Feagles averaged 43.0 yards per kick with a long of 59.  The return and coverage teams were again adequate but by no means special.  I move to rename this Boring teams until we trade for Devin Hester or teach someone to act like Phil McConkey and get 2 yards per return but get creamed every time and not fumble.

Coaching: This week it’s Kevin Gilbride’s turn on the paddle (“Thank you sir may I have another?”), as his offense churned out another sub 250 yard performance, hung his QB out to dry with 8 sacks and uncharacteristically telegraphed his plays a few times.  One play that galled me was a 1st and 10 run on the Cowboy 32 that went for -1 yards because Derrick Ward was lined up NINE yards behind the ball.  It’s not 100%, but if a HB is alone in the backfield, 9 yards back from the ball, you can bet your big foam finger that it’s a running play, and once the Dallas LBs saw it, the play was shot.  Into the third quarter, Ward was again 8-9 yards behind the LOS and was dumped for a 2-yard gain, then when he was up next to Manning one play later, Dallas blitzed (knowing it was a pass) and Manning just barely got a pass off to move the chains.  Later in the same drive, Ward was AGAIN 8 yards deep in a 3-WR set and was dumped for a 3-yard gain.  What drove me NUTS, was on the next play, from the same set, Gilbride called play action and Manning hit Steve Smith for a 19-yard gain but that was the exception rather than the rule.  It was just plain mind boggling to watch.  Granted the running game was not going well, but the play pass DID hold the LBs long enough to get Steve Smith open.

Passing from those run sets and running from those pass sets is what made the Giants’ offense so difficult to defend before this mini-slump, but Gilbride is back to tipping his hand with his formations.  Not to invoke the spirit of the G.I. Joe cartoons, but I can almost HEAR the Cowboy defenders saying…”Now we know…and knowing is half the battle”.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo did call a solid game and Tony Romo was on the deck as often as Manning was.  The key difference though, is that Romo, and HB Tashard Choice made plays against the blitz at key times and the Giants were unable to.  Spags teaches an aggressive defense which we all love but when the blitz fails to get home this is what can happen, especially against team with so much offensive talent.  Overall I like what Spags did, but reluctantly just have to tip my hat to Dallas play caller Jason Garrett and his uber tough QB Tony Romo.

JPog (Joey’s Player of the Game) – Much to my chagrin, I will award the JPoG to an enemy player.  Let me preface it by saying I detest the Cowboys, Jerry Jones, Terrell Owens, Valley Ranch, South Fork Ranch and Ranch dressing.  Tony Romo was flattened four times officially and on the turf far more than that against the Giants’ pass rush, but was able to go 20-30 for 244 yards and 2 TDs despite suffering a back injury and looking like the Tin Man at times when on the run.  Having suffered with back pain, I know that even going to the john can be an issue, but Romo managed to gut it out and lead his team to victory.  Most impressive though, was Romo’s awareness on the crunching sack turned safety in the fourth quarter, which could easily have been a TD had the Dallas QB not swiped the ball out of bounds right before DEs Mathias Kiwanuka and Justin Tuck closed in on it.

I know the distaste most fans have for Romo, but give the man his due this week, he earned it, and he earned a shiny pink #1 Nick Lachey Jersey for efforts.

JBog (Joey’s Bum of the Game) – Stand up Offensive Line, you win.  Not only did the Giants fail to score an offensive TD, but they only managed 218 yards total offense and saw their QB planted like it was Arbor Day.  The Dallas DL was simply too big, too fast and too relentless and the OL was on its heels all game long.  Yes Kareem McKenzie got hurt and Richie Seubert played ill, but 8 sacks????  Sorry guys, I can’t give you a pass on that one.  For your efforts, you all get vintage L.A. Thunderbirds roller derby jerseys for playing you were wearing skates.

Personal Note: It may only matter or make sense to a handful who read this, but I want to dedicate this week’s effort to my former co-worker and pal Mike Shaffer, who suddenly passed away on the job on Wednesday, December 17th.  You hear it a lot, but Mike was honestly one of the nicest and most hard working guys I ever dealt with.  Mike would have been a Giant fan favorite; he was a diligent, lunch pail type of guy who everyone could count on to get the job done right, he would do anything to help anyone out, and most importantly did it all without complaint.  Every Monday morning, Mike would come by and ask the same thing, “How’d your Giants look?” and if the Yankees ever lost to his Orioles, I’d hear about it no matter what their records were.  You will be missed Mike, may you rest in peace.

(Box Score – New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys, December 14, 2008)
Dec 102008
 
Philadelphia Eagles 20 – New York Giants 14

Summary: Ugly isn’t just a word to describe the auto industry, the stock market, our economy and anyone who ever dumped you, it’s now applicable to the winds at the Meadowlands and the Giants’ passing game in Week 14.  After a brilliant performance in rain soaked Washington, Eli Manning and the Giants’ passing game were off kilter all day long and as a result were soundly beaten by a surging Philadelphia Eagles’ team.

Anyone looking for excuses, answers, reasons or solutions need look no further than #36 in Eagle green and white.  Brian Westbrook was quite simply the best player on the field and the Giants had no answer for him.  After 39 touches, Westbrook had racked up 203 total yards and the only two offensive touchdowns of the day after inexplicably being covered by Giants’ MLB Antonio Pierce.  After solving the Westbrook equation in their first encounter with him, Giants’ defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his charges should all be in a corner with dunce caps on after their latest run in.  For all of his creativity and genius over the past two seasons, Spags was soundly beaten at the Meadowlands by the one player he had to stop.  Need more proof?  With the Eagles up 10-7 late in the 3rd quarter the Eagles turned into the Brian Westbrook show.  Two drives land ten points later, the Eagles had run off 25 total plays and TWENTY…TWENTY of them were to Brian Westbrook.  On the Eagles’ 11 play, 86 yard TD drive, 66 of the yards came via Westrbrook and eight of the plays went to him!!!!  Then Westbrook touched the ball on 11 of 14 plays on a 46 yard 4th quarter drive that gave the Eagles a 20-7 cushion and effectively ended the game.  Twenty out of twenty-five plays go to ONE player and you don’t do ANYTHING but cover him with Antonio Pierce??????  Disgusting.

To compound matters, Eli Manning and the offense managed just 211 total yards, and were only able to keep the ball for 25 minutes while eeking out 7 offensive points in garbage time.  No doubt the winds had an effect on both QBs as neither Eli nor Donovan McNabb looked particularly sharp throwing the ball, but Eagle defenders were all over the Giants’ routes and seemed a step quicker all day long.  Facing a lot of Cover 2, Eli and the offense were forced to move methodically down the field against a defense that was ready to stop yards-after-the-catch and prevent the big play.  Three times the Giants turned the ball over on downs on makeable conversions inside Eagles’ territory.  The Eagles forced the Giants to be patient on a windy day, and the strategy worked to perfection as the Eagles made the plays when they had to and the Giants failed to.

Author’s Commentary on the Season: After this loss, I’ve seen media outlets declaring us finished without Plaxico Burress, and seen fans call us flat, unprepared, unmotivated…the list goes on.  I felt compelled to comment with the homestretch upon us.  For all of the “Giants were flat” debaters, know this: football is a game that has an emotional component that fuels the physical output of each player and it will ebb and flow from week to week.  It’s not an indication of not caring, not being prepared or not being ready, it’s simple human nature.  All season long this team has ebbed and flowed from week to week, but an 11-1 record has made it seem as if they’ve cruised along.  A brilliant performance against the Rams was followed up by an OT squeaker against an over-matched Bengals team.  The next week, the Giants came out on fire and torched the Seahawks 44-6, then fell flat on their faces against a bad Browns team the following week for their first loss of the season.  A so-so performance against an awful 49er team was followed by a squeaker against the Steelers then a blowout against an undermanned Cowboy team.  Another tight game against Philly, then the Giants responded with a thumping of the Ravens, another tight game against the Cardinals then a drubbing of divisional foe Washington.  Against the Redskins, the Giants’ passing game and defense played an outstanding game and after seven grueling weeks, the Giants just did not have their “A” game.  It’s not a let down, it’s not a failure, it’s a loss in the NFL against a team that played exceptionally well, nothing more nothing less.

Quarterbacks: Eli Manning was as bad this week as he was good last week, and yes the wind played a part, but give credit to Eagles’ defensive coordinator Jim Johnson who had his team play a lot of cover 2 and sit on the Giants’ routes underneath and prevent the big play over the top.  On the Giants’ first drive, Eli had his team on the move from the opening kickoff until a failed 4th and 4 ended the drive.  Manning went 3 for 4 on the drive for 24 yards, but his most important pass fell incomplete on 4th down.  The next two drives were total busts for Mr. Citizen Eco-Drive, as #10 went 1 for 2 for zero yards with a Domenik Hixon bubble screen being snuffed out immediately on 3rd and 8 and the ensuing drive was 3 runs and a punt.

His next time out, Eli threw a perfect post to Domenik Hixon on first down, which was just flat out dropped and would have resulted in a one play TD.  On the drive, Eli went 1-4 for 13 yards with one big drop, a bounce off the hands of Madison Hedgecock and a failed 3rd down pass to Amani Toomer.  Eli then went a miserable 0-2 on another 3 and out, then followed it up with an 0-3 and another turnover on downs at the Eagle 42.  After a 5-15 start, the Giants’ next possession was 5 straight runs for 21 yards and yes another miss by Manning on 3rd and 3 at the Giants’ 45.  Not happy with just two failed 4th down conversions, Eli made it a lucky 3 by going 2-5 for 29 yards and failing to convert a 4th and 1 at the Philly 38 with the Giants down 10.  With the game pretty much salted away, Eli stood at 7 of 21 for 66 yards until going 6 for his last 6 for 57 yards and a one yard TD by TE Darcy Johnson.

QB David Carr didn’t play but Mrs. Joey thinks he looks totally cute with his “fuzzy Giants’ hat on”.

Running Backs: The good news is RB Brandon Jacobs averaged 5.2 yards per carry.  The bad news?  He had 10 carries and was dinged up and out the game early.  Jacobs is becoming like that great party guest who everyone loves but by 10pm he’s had too much to drink and just passes out before the party gets going.  Before putting a lampshade on his head and grabbing every woman’s butt, Jacobs threw down with a 23 yard run down the right sideline in which he blew by the line of scrimmage and again looked terrifying nimble for a 265lb RB.  After setting up the Giants with a 3rd and 1 after 2 tough runs for 9 yards, the big fella came up limping again and was forced to sit out the remainder of the second half.  His backup, Derrick Ward again filled in well, but only picked up 41 total yards and was not anywhere near the weapon he was in the passing game last week as he was held to 2 yards on one catch.  I finally figured out the allure of Ahmad Bradshaw.  He’s like golfing or fishing, all it takes is one good shot or a few solid bites and you’ll hang around for hours waiting, hoping something exciting happens.  Much like golfing and fishing though, more often than not those moments are far outnumbered by the empty hooks and slices into the woods.  Bradshaw dazzled us once this year and other than a stint in prison hasn’t done anything consistently all year.  The booted from UVa RB finished with 9 whole yards on 5 carries.

Wide Receivers: Domenik Hixon’s chance to shine did not end this week, and in the coming weeks he will have to make some plays to make up for the absence of Senor Gunshot.  Hixon’s drop of a sure fire TD early in the game is the only thing that will be recalled, and it is the type of play he will have to make if the Giants expect to weather the long term absence of Plaxico Burress.  After a great week against the Redskins, WR Amani Toomer also flubbed this week to the tune of 25 yards on just two catches, both coming on the Giants’ lone TD with the game’s outcome pretty much determined.  Steve Smith led the Giants with 47 yards receiving on 4 catches, but just like Toomer he did 29 yards of his damage in garbage time.  Prior to the Giants’ lone scoring drive, the team had amassed a whopping 66 yards through the air; so in all honesty, none of the WRs did much to be proud of.  Something to be ashamed of though, was the reverse run by rookie WR Mario Manningham who was tossed back for a 12 yard loss on the Giants’ opening possession which turned a makeable 2nd and 5 into a daunting 3rd and 17.  Awful play call, awful execution, awful timing and awful field awareness by Manningham.

Tight Ends: Kevin Boss was a non factor all afternoon as well, nabbing only one catch for 5 yards.  Boss’ blocking was fair for the most part, but without Plaxico Burress, it will be incumbent upon Boss to pressure the seams of any cover 2 the Giants face and make safeties respect the passing game over the middle.  Without that vertical threat down the middle, safeties are free to cheat outside to cover deep, walk up in run support and generally jam up the short middle of the field and make moving the ball that much more difficult.  Interestingly, Boss came in short motion on a 9 yard run by Ward and acted as the second pulling guard on a variant of the counter trey we’ve seen in recent weeks.  Darcy Johnson had his second TD of the year on another 1-yard scoring strike from Eli Manning, but just like Eli and the WRs, his success arrived too late to matter so it’s nothing more than window dressing.

O-Line: After a virtuoso performance against the Ravens with 206 yards on the ground, the Giants’ OL has been fairly average with 87 against the Cardinals, 108 vs. the Skins and now a mere 88 against the Eagles.  Most troubling though is the 3.7 yard per carry average and the inability to keep a smallish Eagle defense off the field with the running game.  The big guys only paved the way for 211 TOTAL yards against the Eagles, though Eli Manning was not sacked in the game.  With all of the yardage these guys have escorted their backs to over the past few years in the Coughlin regime, you have to assume they will get the kinks worked out and get back to the steady, ball control group they had been earlier in the year.

Giant backs only had two runs of over 10 yards for the game, a 23 yarder by Jacobs and a 15 yarder by Ward.  By design, this running game seeks to establish some zone blocking principles by getting their opponents moving laterally, while getting OL to the second level to seal off cut back lanes and giving their ball carriers room to get upfield.  Those lanes have been smaller and smaller in recent weeks with each opponent dedicating and 8th and sometimes 9th man in the box to prevent those cut back lanes from opening and limiting the big play.  That might explain the early end around to Manningham, in an effort to keep the defense from attacking running lanes too quickly but the real answer is that Eli Manning and the passing game have to make teams pay for stacking the box.  A balanced attack is the only way to loosen up running lanes and while it’s a stretch to say the OL has not played well, they certainly have not played AS well as previously in the season.

Front 7: Author’s Note: Given the varied fronts and personnel packages the Giants use under Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, I’ll be looking at the front 7 as a whole initially rather than separating the D-line and Linebackers.  Hybrid roles such as LBs playing in a 3 point stance make analyzing the front 7 as one unit more cohesive.  It may change as we move forward or from game to game.

Tough game up front for everyone as the Eagles gashed the Giants’ run defense to the tune of 140 yards.  It did take 42 rushing plays (3.3 yards per carry) to get that amount but much of it came in the second half when the Eagles just pounded the ball and ate up clock.  That is NOT supposed to happen with a sub 200lb scat back and this vaunted front, but happen it did.  For the first time all year, DTs Fred Robbins, Barry Cofield and Jay Alford did NOT control the line of scrimmage and the Eagles were able to pound out the ball for 140 yards rushing and keep possession for nearly 35 minutes.  Big Fred had a great stop early, dumping Brian Westbrook for a 5 yard loss, and again, in the 4th quarter, Robbins shot through to nail Westbrook for a 3 yard loss.  Despite the few nice plays, Robbins was unable to hold the POA for most of the afternoon and when it mattered most, unable to anchor his d-line and get the ball back.

With the exception of the Eagles’ second drive of the day, things were not much better on the edges for Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka as the duo was shut out in the sack department.  Tuck however single handedly ruined the Eagles’ second possession with two great outside pressures that forced McNabb to throw on the run and one inside pressure on a looping stunt up the “A” gap that again forced a McNabb mistake and a 3 and out.  The duo did combine for 12 tackles, but when you’re on the field for 72 plays, someone has to make some stops.  Kiwi did make a great stop on DeSean Jackson’s -7 yard end around but I’m not really in the mood to hand out atta boys this week.  Speaking of making stops, MLB Antonio Pierce racked up 15, but was a step slow on most plays and about 5 steps slow covering Brian…(gah I cannot write his name again for it haunts my dreams) whatshisname on a 40 yard scoot for a TD that effectively sealed the door on the Giants’ hopes of victory.  His buddies didn’t fare much better, as L.J. Smith abused Danny Clark to the tune of 6 catches for 44 yards.  If it doesn’t seem that obscene, consider that coming into the game Smith had pulled in a whopping 22 grabs on the year and has been nothing but a disappointment this year for the Eagles’ offense.  I realize Clark wasn’t manned up on Smith all day, but the SAM’s job is to slow down the TE and Clark did nothing of the sort all game long.  Again, Clark had 7 stops and Chase Blackburn had 7 as well for a fantastic stat line day for the LBs (27 stops combined) but most of the stops were down field and again…72 plays on defense, someone’s stats are going up.

Despite the Browns game, this was by far the front 7’s most disappointing game as they were shoved around all day as Bri…gah played patty cake with Giant defenders all game long as Donovan McFatt smiled all day long.  (I’m generally against the awful play on names or team’s names, but he’s just so fat and doughy now I can’t help it.  I can’t stand the fat fork anymore.  McFatt = H8)

Defensive Backs: Oh who cares at this point?  They stunk just like everyone else did.  Kenny Phillips again led the DBs with 7 tackles but missed a key open field tackle on LJ Smith on a big 3rd down play midway through the 4th quarter that could have given Eli and the offense one more possession to score.  Phillips miss on Smith was about the sum of the Giants’ day though, a step slow, a second behind and just generally off.  Coverage wise the DBs fared well, with only a 32 yard completion to Kevin Curtis that really stood out but the inability to stop you know who on his 30 yard TD run and 40 yard reception TD just typified the day.

The Curtis reception was yet another example of a breakdown on the day.  Aaron Ross, playing cover 2 (when a CB funnels a WR inside, he’s most likely in cover 2 funneling the player to the safeties and the MLB), did a great job of re-routing Curtis inside, who then bent his route toward the sideline and S James Butler was late covering over the top.  Most of the time, that play has little chance against our pass rush to develop and even less once Butler gets over but no pass rush and a late cover by Butler and 32 yards later, you give up a big completion.

Special Teams: It’s like they read this and just HAVE to prove me wrong the next week.  Ok fine I get it special teams are great, yippee!  Without special teams, this team is shut out for the first half and is never even in the game but thanks to Justin Tuck (who else) blocking a FG at the end of the first half and Kevin Dockery returning it, the Giants had some hope.  P Jeff Feagles did an outstanding job of pinning dangerous return man DeSean Jackson down and keeping to 24 yards on three returns.

The return teams did nothing to inspire or help with field position as KR Sinorice Moss only averaged 21 per return and Domenik Hixon almost coughed up one punt return on his way to a -3 yard average (with a long of -2!!!!!).

Coaching: Spags, Spags, Spags, you let it happen.  You decided that despite the “22 eyes on Brian Westbrook”, you would put the two slowest feet on him when he left the backfield.  When one player gets 39 touches and doesn’t leave the field in a crumpled mess, the Giants’ defense did NOT do its job.  In their first meeting, that’s all Spags did was attack Westbrook on every play but for some reason that was not the goal or did not appear to be this week.  If you want to pin this game on any one person, point it at Steve Spagnuolo.  How on earth he did NOTHING to defend Brian Westbrook in the second half is beyond me.

Kevin Gilbride put the dunce cap on early on with an ill-fated end around to rookie WR Mario Manningham when the flow of the game had yet to be established.  Ordinarily this would work against the Eagles’ blitz happy defense, but Jim Johnson and company played plenty of cover 2 to stuff the run and prevent the big play down field and caught Gilbride by surprise with it early.

JPog (Joey’s Player of the Game) – If I don’t give out a JBoG when we win, I won’t give out a JPoG when we lose.  Not one player on this team deserves accolades after this shoddy performance.  There were dropped passes, bad passes, silly play calls, bad defensive calls, just over 200 yards of offense and a drive in which Brian Westbrook ran right over the defense.  I also refuse to give it to an Eagles’ player because quite frankly, I hate them, and so do all of you, and an honor such as this is not worth tarnishing in that way.

JBog (Joey’s Bum of the Game) – Take your pick.  Eli, Hixon, Spags, Pierce (despite his 15 tackles)…who do you choose?  Since the Giants are the ultimate “team” and they win and lose as such I pick everyone.  That’s right, the entire 53-man roster gets the JBoG because you got run over by the Eagles and looked awful doing it.  For your failures this week, you all get a pair of baggy sweatpants with an oversized wallet holder built in and expertly marks-manned hole in the right leg just so you can all remember what distracted you this week.

(Box Score – Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants, December 7, 2008)
Dec 052008
 
New York Giants 23 – Washington Redskins 7

Summary: Before we delve into this week’s review, I have a confession to make.  In my house, during the game there was a Jason Taylor jersey, a big yellow foam Redskins #1 finger thing (both courtesy of my nephew Sam) and a Redskins sweatshirt.  My reaction was of course the same as all Giant fans, “burn them to the ground”.  But alas the people in them would have likely pressed charges so I just watched the game in quiet glee as once again the Giants vanquished an over-matched foe.

Redskins’ defensive coordinator Greg Blache dared Eli Manning to win the game without his best wide receiver and without his running game churning up the yardage.  Well, as he keeps doing, Eli stuffed that dare right back into Greg Blache’s face (and by stuff what I mean is, he probably sheepishly said “I just played good football”).  I’d do it too though, I’d want to not be humiliated by Brandon Jacobs and instead let Eli have a go at it.  Go ahead BBI, you pick: Sledgehammer to the face, or slow, steady surgical dissection?  You pick the latter every time because just maybe the surgeon has a bad day.

Without going into the boring details that we already know and will rehash in the positional breakdowns, this game was very easy to summarize.  The Redskins run the ball well and were forced to throw when they couldn’t run.  The Giants run AND pass the ball well and when the Redskins sold out to shut down the running game, they left themselves exposed.  This is the most complete and balanced team in football, take away something they do well and they will do something else to beat you.  Bring your best against their defense and they will again, find a way to beat you.  This is a team with no glaring weaknesses, exceptional depth and make no mistake about this; plenty of talent.  Any team that brings in a one-dimensional phase of their game will eventually succumb to a team that can literally do everything well and can always find a way to beat you.

Quarterbacks: Of the Giants 404 yards, Eli Manning accounted for 77% of them (312 yards rushing/passing combined) and dropped back to pass 36 times out of 71 total plays.  As mentioned above, Greg Blache and the Redskins players assumed incorrectly that they had the DBs to shut down the Giants passing game.  Eli connected on 21 of 34 passes for 305 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT and completed at least five passes to three different players.  On the Giants’ opening drive, Eli and company came out winging as the former Rebel hit on 3-5 passes for 68 yards and a perfectly placed 40 yard TD pass to Amani Toomer.  Despite the rainy conditions, Eli and the Giants knew from the outset that they had to challenge the Redskins secondary to keep the running game from being shut out completely.  Already up 7-0 Eli led his charges on another scoring drive, this time 3-4 for 52 yards.  Eli’s dumpoff to Derrick Ward on the Giants’ next drive went for 48 yards as #10 again led his team down the field to score with 64 more yards on the drive on 3 of 4 passing.  That’s how Eli’s day continued, as he topped the 300 yard mark for the first time in over a year.  What was most impressive was again how well Eli distributes the ball, finds the open man and continues to limit turnovers.  Despite “settling” for a FG on the Giants’ second drive, Eli had two busted plays that he simply sat on instead of forcing a ball into coverage and committing a red zone turnover.

Sunday’s Eli Manning was the Manning that former GM Ernie Accorsi saw when he traded away what most felt was a king’s ransom for the rights to sign the kid QB from Ole Miss.  With the running game struggling, a talented secondary and a hostile emotional crowd, Eli just played…dare I say it…”smart football.”  He was able to make the right protection changes and really keep the Redskins’ defense off balance all day with his ability to not only recognize the defense, but be able to execute well enough to exploit it.

Running Backs: The Big Truck was stuck in neutral on the sloppy turf most of the day, but Brandon Jacobs still had his number called 21 times and found the end zone.  A modest 71 yards isn’t exactly the type of day you’d expect from Jacobs on 21 carries, but the big guy was a constant threat that kept 8 and 9 defenders in the box and gave the passing game plenty of one-on-one situations that they exploited all day.  Even when he’s not the star on the stat sheet, Jacobs has a huge impact on how this offense succeeds.  (Please Jerry, PLEASE, sign this man).  Big Jake did rip off a 23 yarder early in the 3rd quarter that set the table for the Giants to go up 20-7 and essentially put the game out of reach.  Understudy extraordinaire Derrick Ward was held to 3.0 yards per carry on 10 touches but did his damage with 75 yards receiving on five grabs.  Most of it came on a 48-yard dump off that started the second half, and put the Giants in position for a second FG and 13-0 lead early in the 3rd quarter.

Wide Receivers: Early in most games, you see a tall Giant WR snaring a few 12-15 yard digs to keep safeties from spending too much time in the box and making LBs aware that they cannot sell out to stop to the run.  Domenik Hixon was on the receiving end of two such passes on the Giants’ first possession and was sent deep on the game’s first play.  Hixon’s ascension this season has been nothing short of amazing and once again #87 filled in at the Split End or X receiver slot and pulled in five catches for 71 yards.  More importantly, he has the trust of his QB and his offensive play caller to get the same number of looks as another WR who shall not be mentioned.  Hixon came up big early grabbing a back shoulder fade from Eli Manning on 3rd and 8 and making a sensational catch.  Hixon however failed to get his head around in time on Manning’s lone INT of the game. Not to be outdone, still feisty veteran Amani Toomer got things started by flying past CB Fred Smoot down the right sideline for a 40-yard TD on the game’s opening possession.  Toomer led all Giant WRs with 85 yards on five catches and one TD and demonstrated all day long with his body language that he was up for whatever challenge was thrown his way.

Usually reliable Steve Smith had a few passes bounce off his hands on Sunday, but I suppose even he’s entitled to a rough outing.The second year man out of USC managed only 22 yards on two catches.  Sinorice Moss made a catch, made a cut and fell down.  Come on dude, you see 10 balls a year, do SOMETHING with all that speed.

Tight Ends: Kevin Boss was outfoxed by ancient DE Jason Taylor on the game’s first running play, as Taylor strung the Jacobs run out wide and shut down the cutback lane.  Boss, as he does, bounced back on a Derrick Ward sweep by taking out LB Rocky McIntosh and creating a lane for Ward to pick up 5 yards.  Boss also ripped off a 24-yard gain on a TE screen that was perfectly executed.  Boss chipped DE Demetric Evans, got open, hurdled two defenders and was off for his biggest gain of the day.  Every week we something new out of the big TE, and this time it’s on the football field and NOT on Page Six.  Now I can only pray (and I will assume) that Kevin wouldn’t go for Tara Reid or a big stupid eagle tattoo.  Boss finished with a modest 45 yards on three catches, but once again continued to show off great athletic ability, and the ability to be a factor in both facets of the offensive game plan.

O-Line: Once again a struggle on the ground as the move’em out gang was held to 3.1 yards per rush but did crack the 100 yard barrier against an incredibly stacked defense hell bent on stuffing the run.  In a game like this, it’s really difficult to determine how well the line run blocked given the numbers they faced up front, but it was well enough that the Redskins never wavered from their scheme and Kevin Gilbride called 35 runs out of 71 plays.

Eli had time to throw though, to the tune of 300 yards, and only two sacks.  The key, again, is that what this line needed to do, it did.  It was effective enough running the ball to keep the Redskins from changing their approach and good enough in pass protection to give Eli and the passing game time to hang 23 points against a very talented back seven and a defense that had been strong all season.

Front 7: Author’s Note: Given the varied fronts and personnel packages the Giants use under Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, I’ll be looking at the front 7 as a whole initially rather than separating the D-line and Linebackers.  Hybrid roles such as LBs playing in a 3 point stance make analyzing the front 7 as one unit more cohesive.  It may change as we move forward or from game to game.

While the offense was busy carving up an overhyped Redskin secondary, Giant defenders held up their end of the bargain with a suffocating effort on RB Clinton Portis and the vaunted Washington ground game.  Portis was held to 22 yards on 11 carries, and while the Redskins did rush for 92 yards, 29 of it came on a reverse to WR Devin Thomas and 38 of it came from Jason Campbell running for his life.  Right off the bat, the gauntlet was laid down as Portis twice tried to bang into the left side of the Giants’ defense, only to be stuffed for four yards combined on the plays.  The entire DL moved in concert, kept their LBs clean and shut down any cutback lanes.  DE Mathias Kiwanuka was likely the target of the Redskins’ rushing attack, but as he’s done all year, Kiwi held his ground, kept blockers off his feet and was able to stack up the point of attack.  Justin Tuck did his Superman impression again with 6 tackles and 2 sacks and relentless pursuit up and down the line of scrimmage all day long.  We slobber over Tuck more than my dog does over…well anything edible (and by edible I mean anything she can see, smell or get to that fits in her mouth or can be dragged away) so let’s spread it around this week.  DE Renaldo Wynn, former Redskin, had his best day as a Giant, getting plenty of work with Fred Robbins out and the rotation thin.  Wynn responded with 4 tackles and what must have been a gratifying sack on the team that cut him loose and still can’t get to the QB.

What might have been most impressive about the front 7’s day was that their best run stuffer in Fred Robbins was sidelined and in a pinch, Barry Cofield and Jay Alford got the start and practice squadder Jeremy Clark was signed to jump into the fray.  Those three combined for 8 stops but lived in the Redskins’ backfield for most of the game.  Cofield, in particular, who notched a sack and a forced fumble was a monster inside, often splitting or negating double teams at the point of attack.

MLB Antonio Pierce led all LBs with 6 stops and like he does every week got his guys in the right spots to attack the Redskins’ offense.  His cohorts on the outside only collected 5 stops combined, but neither was particularly good or bad on Sunday.

Defensive Backs: This was the group that, to me, deserved the most praise for the Giants’ defensive performance on Sunday.  It’s usually the front 7 that gets all the love but Giant DBs were flying all over the field Sunday, and they literally ruined most of the denizens of FedEx field’s day. Safeties Michael Johnson and Kenny Phillips got the action started early.  Johnson came flying in on Portis’ second carry of the game to make the stop and Phillips followed that up on 3rd down with a great read on an underneath pass to WR James Thrash, hauling down the veteran and achieving a three-and-out on the Giants’ first defensive stand.  On the day, the duo combined for 13 tackles and more impact yet again from Giant safeties.  Phillips had a fantastic open-field stop of All Pro TE Chris Cooley on the Skins’ second drive that once again forced a 3-and-out.  Johnson was simply all over the field all day long in the running game and downfield.  Johnson flew in again to stuff Portis near the end of the 1st quarter.

Giant-killer Santana Moss was held to 55 yards on 4 catches and was kept in check all afternoon, a testament to the outstanding play of the entire secondary but CBs Aaron Ross and Corey Webster in particular.  Ross showed up again in the stat sheet with an interception of Jason Campbell at the Giants’ 5-yard line on a pass intended for Antwan Randle El.  Webster got an INT as well but had it called back due to incredibly picky hands-to-the-face penalty in which 5’9” WR Santana Moss literally gave a head fake right into Webster’s right hand.  I’m still not sure how that one was called, but on the very next play, WR Devin Thomas took a handoff and raced 29 yards for a score.  So once again without a terrible penalty, the Giants don’t give up a score on the drive.  Rookie CB Terrell Thomas is coming along nicely, this week with 4 stops, a head rattling shot on Clinton Portis and a forced fumble.

There was one series in this game that typified how well this group played and it was late in the first half, 13-7 Giants, Redskins with the ball and momentum off of a turnover and a 20-yard rumble by FB Mike Sellers.  On three consecutive plays, Jason Campbell THOUGHT he had guys open, but Corey Webster, Aaron Ross and Kenny Phillips were all waiting the passes and none of the three hit their mark.  Webster knocked away a quick out route, Ross jumped a slant route and Phillips shadowed a seam route by WR James Thrash.  Every time, a Giant DB was simply waiting for Campbell to throw it to his man.  Three plays was all it took to take the steam out of the Redskins, calm the fans down and show everyone who the biggest, baddest kid on the block is.

Special Teams: For months I’ve wondered why speedy and shifty WR Sinorice Moss was not used on return teams, and in fact posed such a question to my favorite beat writer who slapped me down with a “Why take Hixon off returns?”.  Well who’s laughing now Mr. Bald head?  (See I’m bald I can say that and it’s not offensive).  I will give The Star Ledger’s most follically-challenged writer a pass though, because Moss was option #3 behind WR Domenik Hixon and RB Ahmad Bradshaw and he was awful.  He was run straight ahead into the pile and falls down awful.  He was taking a gun and putting it in your sweatpants…wait what?  I promised myself I would not discuss the incident.  Honestly nothing glaringly bad or good in the return games, but I must say that John Carney and Jeff Feagles give me 100% confidence every time their AARP selves hobble out onto the field.

Coaching: Give plenty of credit to Steve Spagnuolo, his guys seemed to almost know where the Redskins were going before they did save for Devin Thomas’ reverse that accounted for the Skins only points of the day.  Holding Clinton Portis to 22 yards was a feat in itself without his best DT in Fred Robbins, but again the Giants’ defensive play caller came through with an  outstanding scheme to bottle up Portis and Moss and frustrate Jason Campbell all day.

Ok Kevin Gilbride haters, can we all stop it now?  The man called a brilliant game, and had a fantastic game plan that resulted in over 400 yards of offense with no running game and a wet sloppy field.  Redskin defenders were out of sync all game thanks to Gilbride’s ability to throw from a running formation and run from a passing formation any time he damn well pleased.  Buddy Ryan, eat your heart out.

I’m just not sure how he does it, but Tom Coughlin has every player on this team focused and prepared every week despite the recent uh…events.  Not only that, but I have to commend Coach Coughlin on HOW his team plays – to the whistle, with great enthusiasm and, above all, with respect for their opponents and the game.  Yes it’s a bit corny but it’s refreshing to see in this age of me-first showboats who do the Robot after making a tackle 12 yards downfield.

JPog (Joey’s Player of the Game) – My lovely niece Rachel (who is lovely only because she roots for the G-Men) was campaigning for Derrick Ward all game given his big day receiving, but it’s the JPoG not the RPoG so myah.  I’m going to give my game ball to Eli, who would probably be a) confused by who I am and b) completely indifferent to such a useless honor.  I’m just not sure what the book on Eli and this offense is and why continues to get absolutely no credit.  He makes the right protection changes at the line, checks into the right plays, and throws off defenses by running from passing formations and passing from run sets.  But STILL, teams insist that an extra defender in the box will stifle the running game and render the Giants useless.  Gentlemen, may I draw your attention to a DVD copy of Super Bowl LXII.  Watch it, re-watch it and repeat after me…Eli Manning will crush my defense if I give him no respect.

JBog (Joey’s Bum of the Game) – She doesn’t know it’s coming.  Yes she.  She has no idea I’m about to do this and I expect swift retribution.  While not a bum in any sense of the word, I have to downgrade the JBoG to a JPWDLDTGG (Joey’s person who didn’t listen during the Giants game) this week.  Again my niece Rachel, who arrived late (which I do nearly every day of my life), is a Giant fan but she allowed my nephews to hear the game on the radio so I knew about the 10-0 score before I’d even unpaused the TiVo to start the game.  Not her fault, but her exclamations during the game on text messages from her friend AT FedEx field certainly didn’t help me maintain radio silence until we caught up to the live feed.  I’m sorry Ray, but you have to learn the hard way, keep your cell phone off when you watch Uncle Joey and he’s got about 30 minutes of TiVo time to catch up to.  Other than that, you know I love ya kid!  Enjoy your roll of duct tape (to keep quiet), glass of water (to hold your cell phone) and old t-shirt with “Uncle Joey is my hero” in black marker on it.

(Box Score – New York Giants at Washington Redskins, November 30, 2008)
Nov 272008
 
New York Giants 37 – Arizona Cardinals 29

Summary: You could see it in Eli Manning’s eyes on Sunday afternoon that calm but deadly stare that he gets when the game is put into his hands.  Eli doesn’t look troubled, excited, nervous or anxious he just looks – straight ahead at what he has to face.  Manning’s demeanor upon learning that Plaxico Burress would play just a few minutes and the Giants most imposing weapon, Brandon Jacobs would only be clad in streets said just one thing…”I’m your huckleberry”.  Just as the legendary Doc Holliday employed an icy cold stare and deadly accuracy to play a pivotal role in the infamous shootout at the O.K. Corral (most appropriately located in Tombstone, AZ), Manning stared down his latest opponent and was again the last man standing.  A little too poetic to describe a game marred by egregiously bad officiating and some sloppy play?  Perhaps, but Eli came riding in to save the day when his team needed him most.

The upstart Cardinals came in guns blazing, with an unblemished home record, a pinball machine type offense and plenty of confidence that starts with head coach Ken Wisenhunt.  A frenzied home crowd, anticipating an upset was buoyed by the Cardinals defense early as the Giants were held to seven plays and two punts on their initial possessions of the game.  After a Neil Rackers field goal put the Cards up 3-0, the teams combined for six lead changes in the first half that ended in a 17-12 halftime bulge for the G-Men.

After the break, the Giants roared out to take a 24-12 lead that would prove too difficult to overcome for the high powered but one-dimensional Cardinals.  Held to only 23 yards rushing, the Cards had no choice but to rely on the creaky but ever dangerous Kurt Warner and his impressive trio of WRs.  The aerial attack gave the Giants fits at times, but for the most part, Warner and company had to earn each score as Steve Spagnuolo and his defense prevented the big play, played bump and run well and harassed Kurt Warner just enough to come away with a win.  Spagnuolo’s counterpart Kevin Gildbride, once again had the Giants over 30 points, despite missing his two biggest weapons.  Week in and week out now, the Giants continue to just win regardless of who plays or who plays well.  What we’ve seen all season is a balanced attack and scary deep roster that is stocked with enough talent to overcome almost any adversity.

Quarterbacks: For weeks now, Eli Manning and the Giants passing attack have been an afterthought as the ground game has throttled opponents into submission with relative ease.  Minus the table setter in RB Brandon Jacobs and his most dangerous receiving threat, WR Plaxico Burress, all eyes were again on Eli to lead his team to victory and Easy E did not disappoint.  Things didn’t start too rosy for Eli as deep passes on 2nd and 3rd down of the Giants first drive were batted away by rookie CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and the drive stalled in three plays.  A sack by DE Bertrand Berry doomed the next drive, as Derrick Ward failed to pick up a 3rd and 12 and the Giants again were forced to punt.

Eli’s Michael Myers (of Halloween fame, not the asexual Austin Powers star) side came out again after his first two drives; just keep hanging around long enough and he’ll eventually hack you to pieces with a blank stare. Eli and the offense finally got on track late in the first quarter, with Manning starting the drive with a perfect strike to Domenik Hixon and finishing 6-6 for 45 yards as the Giants took a 7-3 lead.  A near INT almost cost the Giants a shot at points on the Giants’ next possession that started at the Arizona 17, thanks to a Hixon kickoff return.  A perfect fade to Hixon glanced off his fingertips and a promising drive was reduced to a chip shot FG.  Manning was on target with both of his passes in the red zone though, but his receivers didn’t make the plays.  To finish up the first half scoring, Eli only needed to cover 32 yards after a 68 yard return by Domenik Hixon and he responded again going 3-4 for 29 yards and a 12-yard strike to Amani Toomer.

Manning’s nicest toss of the day came early in the 3rd quarter as he lofted a perfect corner route to WR Steve Smith for 30 yards on 3rd and 2.  Maybe more impressive than the throw was Manning’s ability to be stand in as LB Chike Okeafor was in his face and introducing him to the turf as he let go of the ball.  As has become his habit, Eli put the ball where only his target could make the play and he followed that pass up with a well-executed play action pass to FB Madison Hedgecock for a 24-12 lead.  The hot hand continued as #10 went 6-7 for 66 yards and his third TD of the day, a 10 yard toss to TE Kevin Boss that put the Giants up 31-19 and effectively ended the game.  On the day, Manning was 26-33 for 240 yards and three TDs and most importantly, did not turn the ball over and got everyone involved in the passing game, hitting seven different receivers.

Running Backs: The absence of Brandon Jacobs was felt in the running game, make no mistake about that.  Coming into the game, the Cardinals had been 7th in the league against the run, but the Giants churned up the Ravens to the tune of 207 yards but were held to 87 yards and only 3.2 yards per carry by a less dominant defense.  Without Jacobs’s body blows, Derrick Ward’s jabs were less effective to the tune of only 69 yards on a workmanlike 20 carries.  Ward scored the Giants’ first TD, ran tough as usual and again had a good day receiving with four catches, but the room he usually operates with was just not there against a Cardinal defense that was determined to stuff the run.

Ahmad Bradshaw was a non-factor, which was a surprise given Jacobs’ absence, but the second-year back only toted the rock four times for nine yards.  Despite his occasional explosive run, it appears the coaches just don’t have the faith in #44 to not cough up the ball or pick up a blocking assignment correctly otherwise there is no way a weapon like that is kept on the sidelines.  The things we as fans don’t see, are often the reasons we don’t see players we clamor for.  Bradshaw might rip off big runs and excite us with his speed and explosion, but this team is predicated on playing mistake free football and until Bradshaw can do that consistently he’ll be nothing more than the mercurial change of pace he’s been.

Clearly Madison Hedgecock read the review last week and begged his coaches to give him the ball ONE more time so he wouldn’t be lumped in with the linemen.  Wish granted Hedgehog, you came up big with not one but TWO…TWO catches.  That’s almost as lucky as that time my late uncle who was Nigerian royalty left me $1,000,000 in his will even though he never knew me and THEN I won the Irish National Internet Gambling and Gaming lottery all via email!  What will I do with all that money???

Wide Receivers: Domenik Hixon (thanks again Mike Shanahan, you deserve to watch him excel after cutting him) led the way for the Giants as he seems to do anytime he’s called upon.  Hixon led all Giant receivers with 57 yards on six catches and even chipped in with 11 yards rushing to go with his 200 yards in the return game.  When the Giants needed a lift, Hixon was there like that desperate friend who will do anything to hang out with you.  Old man Toomer continued to spit on my early-season wish to relegate him to third WR, pulling in four catches for 30 yards and a pretty 12-yard TD catch and run late in the first half as the Giants trailed 12-10.  Steve Smith got most of his 45 yards receiving on a 3rd and 2 sideline pass from Manning but again was there to bail the Giants out on a 3rd down and set up a big score in the 4th quarter on a 3rd and 5 where he picked up 9 yards.  Sinorice Moss, as all Giants seem to do, made a play when called upon.  Moss pulled in two for 20 yards, and ran an ankle-breaking route on a 12-yarder when the Giants needed it most on a 3rd and 3 at the Cardinals’ 16 as the G-Men drove for their opening score.

Tight Ends: Kevin Boss had another solid outing receiving with four catches for 48 yards and another TD.  Boss’ best catch was a 28-yarder from Manning down the left sideline that set the stage for the clinching TD pass that Boss would catch six plays later.

O-Line: 87 yards rushing a week after torching the Ravens for over 200 might be a cause for concern, but the big guys gave up one sack and kept Eli clean for most of the night.  Even when the ground game isn’t chewing up opponents, this line can pass block with the best of them and give their QB time to operate.  There has been plenty of “best OL in football” talk lately and even though the Giants were held under 100 yard rushing, the line, just like the rest of this team, proved it has more than one trick in its arsenal.  Manning was under the gun to deliver the ball a few times but give the Cardinals’ front credit, they kept attacking and might just be the type of DL that could give our guys fits.

Front 7: Author’s Note: Given the varied fronts and personnel packages the Giants use under Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, I’ll be looking at the front 7 as a whole initially rather than separating the D-line and Linebackers.  Hybrid roles such as LBs playing in a 3 point stance make analyzing the front 7 as one unit more cohesive.  It may change as we move forward or from game to game.

Not a statistically pretty performance as the Giants gave up 351 yards in the air and only collected one sack against Kurt Warner and his latest aerial circus.  Numbers however, rarely tell the whole story as Warner and his receivers were kept from making the big play most of the night, and despite only being sacked once, Warner was knocked around all afternoon.  After a shaky opening drive in which the Cardinals marched 63 yards and were held to 3 points, the defensive game plan came into view – bend but don’t break.

MLB Antonio Pierce led the front 7 with six stops and did an outstanding job again orchestrating the defense on the fly.  Pierce had a lock down on the Cardinals’ running game seemingly by himself, anticipating nearly every run and leading the charge to stop it.  Flanking him, LBs Chase Blackburn and Danny Clark only combined for five stops but were instrumental in holding the Cardinals’ running game in check all day.  Pierce’s head-rattling stop of WR Anquan Boldin on a bubble screen prevented another Cardinal TD, and displayed again that Pierce is truly the heart of this unit.  If Pierce is the heart, DEs Mathias Kiwanuka and Justin Tuck are the long-menacing arms.  That’s not really a saying, but it should be because that’s what those two are, long-armed menaces!  The duo only combined for three tackles, one sack and one forced fumble but they were flying off the edge and up the gut all day long and making Kurt Warner miserable and uncomfortable all day (hmmm new nickname idea for those two – the “In-Laws”!  Who else can make you miserable and uncomfortable all day without touching you that much!)  Tuck’s sack, forced fumble and Kiwi’s recovery early in the 3rd quarter stopped the Cardinals dead in their tracks, got Eli the ball at the Cards’ 40 yard line and helped the Giants to a 24-12 lead that would stand up all day.  I refuse to go into the holding discussion here as this game was tough enough to watch and stomach once from that standpoint.  Backup DEs Dave Tollefson and Renaldo Wynn logged more minutes than usual and combined for four stops, but more importantly kept the starters fresh and kept the heat on Warner and the Cardinals’ offense.

DTs Fred Robbins, Jay Alford and Barry Cofield did the dirty work again but just like the running game, the heart of the DL didn’t play the starring role on Sunday.

Defensive Backs: Before we get into specifics, CB Aaron Ross was jobbed by the officials about as badly as anyone I have ever seen.  From his first ticky-tack interference call against the almighty Larry Fitzgerald, to his phantom holding call to his ridiculous interference call in the end zone, Ross was treated like public enemy #1 by Pete Morelli and his one-sided officiating crew.  It was a busy day finally for the boys in the back, and again despite the gaudy yardage totals, a solid effort for the secondary.  The plan to limit yards after the catch was evident all day.  Giant defenders played tight bump and run coverage from the opening bell to slow down the precision timing routes of the Cardinal receivers.  Leading the way for the secondary was rookie FS Kenny Phillips who led the team with seven stops.  Phillips’ 1st quarter blitz on 3rd down put a halt to Warner’s second drive and for the first time this season we saw legitimate heat up the A gap from a safety which has been a Brian Dawkins/Jim Johnson specialty I’ve been yearning for since Spags’ arrival.  Phillips displayed his uncanny ball awareness and made his most important play of the game on a one-handed jab on the football that stole a TD from All-Pro WR Larry Fitzgerald.  James Butler also had a great outing on Sunday, racking up six stops and seemingly being everywhere on short passes and in the run game.  Rookie CB Terrell Thomas, who continues to come on strong finished with six stops and an outstanding INT that again gave the G-Men great field position for an easy 3 points and a 34-19 lead.

More than any individual though, the DBs all played as cohesive unit, gang tackling in the running game, on screens and on the crossing and movement routes that make this Cardinal offense so deadly.  Most would look at 351 yards passing and think it was a bad game, but this group did a great job limiting big plays, preventing yards after the catch and frustrating Boldin, Fitzgerald and Breaston all day long.  I have not seen this team gang tackle with as much intensity, fluidity and awareness of the play calls in perhaps forever.  Great great job by ALL of the DBs and especially to their play caller, Steve Spagnuolo who had them in the right spots all day long.

Special Teams: Domenik Hixon was the star of the game for the Giants, racking up 269 all purpose yards, 200 of it coming on kick and punt returns.  Most importantly, Hixon set the Giants up with a short field twice in the first half that led to 10 easy points in a game that would demand the Giants keep up in the scoring department.  Hixon put the Giants at the opponents 17 and 32 yard lines on back-to-back kick returns and made the offense’s job that much easier.

Coaching: I’ve said all I need to about the intelligent game plan employed by Steve Spagnuolo, to limit the big play, gang tackle and throw off the timing of the Cardinals’ offense.  Giant defenders were at the right spots all game long, a clear indication of tireless film study and the ability to translate that on the practice field.  Offensive play caller Kevin Gilbride couldn’t rely on his hammer or his deep threat, so he made do with 37 points, three passing TDs and spreading the ball to seven different receivers.  Take something away, and Gilbride will beat you some other way.  He has the weapons and he knows how to use them. (That sound like a Wrangler commercial to anyone else?)

Colonel Tom Coughlin again had his troops ready for a shootout and they came out and withstood a hostile crowd and a lively Cardinals team and eventually settled into an 8-point road victory.  Coughlin has the pulse of his team, and gets them ready to respond every week.

JPog (Joey’s Player of the Game) – Domenik Hixon, no contest.  Two kick returns to give the Giants an easy 10 points, 57 yards receiving to lead the team and 200 yards in the return game.  No matter what Hixon is asked to do, he excels at it and most enjoyably he does it with the same intensity every time.  An assist has to go to Jerry Reese for signing Hixon after the Broncos deemed him expendable and not quite ready to contribute.  For your fantastic return efforts Dom, you get a two-sided jersey, with Phil McConkey’s #80 on the front and Dave Meggett’s #30 on the back.  You’re as tough as McConkey and as dangerous as Meggett.  Let’s just hope you don’t grow a big stupid mustache and start waving towels on the bench.

JBog (Joey’s Bum of the Game) – You know what you did Pete Morelli.  Watching the game, I was beside myself (Hi self, how are you?  Oh I’m good, say you’re quite handsome where do you get your good looks?  Oh stop it you!) for most of the game with non holding calls but it wasn’t until the 3rd quarter when you helped march the Cardinals down for a 90-yard drive to pull within 24-19.  Yes you Pete, not Kurt Warner, but you.  3rd and 5, Giants get a stop you make up a call on Aaron Ross – 1st down Cardinals.   There was no penalty, there was no contact but you took it upon yourself to assist in the outcome of the game.  You prize is having to live with the fact that you called a one-sided game and the Giants still couldn’t be stopped.  You stink, I hate you and I hope your Thanksgiving turkey gives you gas.

Author’s Note – It’s been a pleasure providing my sometimes long-winded and always goofy insight for you guys over the course of this season so far.  I hope you’re having as much fun reading as I am writing.  God Bless you all during the holidays and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! – Joey

(Box Score – New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals, November 23, 2008)
Nov 192008
 
New York Giants 30 – Baltimore Ravens 10

Summary: The Meadowlands, New Jersey…the New York Giants’ running game recruit depot – a sixty minute college for the phony-tough and the crazy-brave.  Taking liberties with Gustav Hasford’s depiction of Parris Island, South Carolina (The USMC Recruit Depot) from his novel “The Short-Timers” (which later became Stanley Kubrick’s cult classic film “Full Metal Jacket”) seemed the most accurate method for describing the textbook way in which the Giants taught the Baltimore Ravens a lesson in humility last Sunday afternoon.  “Phony tough” might be the most apt way to describe the overblown bravado and diminishing aura of Ravens’ MLB Ray Lewis and his defensive cohorts, who came up small time and time again when faced with the Giants’ running attack.  In fact Lewis didn’t come up tough for a tackle in Sunday’s game until 198lb HB Ahmad Bradshaw got his first carry, but even then Lewis was driven back.  Coming into Sunday’s game against the stingy Ravens defense, the Giants’ offense appeared to be facing a dangerous enemy, but the only danger lurking on Sunday afternoon wore blue jerseys and piled up 207 yards on the ground.  For the “phony tough” Ravens, school was in for 60 grueling minutes in the proving grounds known as Giants Stadium.

Right out of the chute, Brandon Jacobs bulled his way right, spun back and sprinted for a 36 yard rumble that just wasn’t supposed to be possible against the Ravens.  Coming into the game the Ravens had not given up more than 76 yards on the ground all year.  That opening run would set the tone for the day as the Giants taught the band from Baltimore that it takes more than words to intimidate this battle hardened bunch.  Oddly, and most likely due to stubborn pride, the Ravens played a base defense nearly all day with their LBs playing about 5-7 yards deep.  Little effort was made to stack the box and slow down the Giants’ running attack, so just like Forrest Gump, the Giants “just felt like running” and would stop when they were ready.

Behind that rushing attack, the Giants raced out to a 20-0 lead, which was cut in half late in the 3rd quarter and appeared ready to dwindle even more until CB Aaron Ross returned a Joe Flacco pass 50 yards for a score and a 27-10 lead.  Despite the INT, if not for Ravens rookie signal caller Joe Flacco, this game may have been even more embarrassing for the woefully unprepared Ravens.  Flacco did give the Giants’ defense some problems running, actually leading his team on the ground, but in the end the World Champs were just too physical, too talented and too determined to prove who the tougher kid on the playground was.

Quarterbacks: Eli Manning’s job is pretty easy at this point so it’s tough to notice if he struggles.  Just make long 3rd downs, don’t turn the ball over and stay accurate in the red zone.  Manning, for the third week in a row played second fiddle to the Giants’ ground game, and had a few badly thrown balls.  The game’s first play for Manning was a play action pass to Amani Toomer that sailed out of bounds, which might have persuaded the Giants to keep it simple instead of trying to battle the swirling winds.  Manning’s next pass again floated high over Derrick Ward’s head, but on 3rd and 15 Manning connected with WR Plaxico Burress for a 21 yard gain to keep the early momentum going.  On the Giants’ second TD drive, Manning escaped disaster when his over throw and subsequent interception to Fabian Washington was negated by an offside penalty.  It’s hard to tell from home if the wind was taking the ball, but some of Manning’s passes were just getting away from him.  Manning missed a wide open Kevin Boss deep in Ravens’ territory with another bad overthrow and upon review his feet were all over the place and he was not set up to throw which happened again early in the 3rd quarter as Eli sailed another pass over the head of Amani Toomer.

When Eli’s mechanics are iffy, especially his footwork, it shows up on tape and on the stat sheet.  The Manning to Boss connection failed again late in the first half, as Eli threw an awful interception right at Ray Lewis to end a scoring drive right before the half.  In fact, the football Lewis caught was the only thing he wasn’t genuinely afraid of all day.  You showed that mean old football who was boss didn’t you Ray?  Yes you did!!!  Manning finished a pedestrian 13/23 for 153 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT and while he didn’t do anything egregiously bad he just looked off on some throws.

Running Backs: Earth, Wind and Fire played to another sold out crowd, and had their fans on their feet and their opponents on their seats.  Brandon Jacobs, who only played a full quarter, started the game off with an almost unfair 36 yard run around left end that set the tone for the afternoon and let the Ravens know they’d be in for a long and agonizing day.  Jacobs managed 73 yards and 2 TDs on 11 carries in just over a quarter of play, and put to bed early any notion that he and Ray Lewis were on the same plane physically.  On #27’s second run, a 5 yard dive, he bulled right through Lewis who acted angrily as if he just missed making the play.  It’s an act no one is buying anymore Ray, you’re just not the player you were, stop making an idiot of yourself on the field after you get bulled over.  Not wanting to be flattened again, Lewis valiantly dove out of the way of a Madison Hedgecock lead block on Jacobs’ first TD run and was able to get a finger on Jacobs as he crossed the goal line.  (This was the play that Jacobs hurt his knee, in case any of you beat writers didn’t like Tom Coughlin’s answer as to when it occurred).  Give Lewis credit, he knows how to make it look like he’s in on the play without actually doing anything.  Jacobs was the main cog in the Giants’ second TD drive of the day, bulling ahead on 3 straight plays from the Ravens’ 18 yard line to put the Giants up 13-0, including a 15 yard beauty in which S Ed Reed couldn’t stay on for his 8 seconds and was tossed aside like a rodeo clown.  Lewis was again around the pile but goshdarnit just couldn’t figure out who had the ball and he flopped to the ground in mock disgust.

Derrick Ward took part in the Ray Lewis Piñata Party, nailing the big mouthed MLB on a blitz pickup on the Giants’ opening drive.  It didn’t matter who Lewis went after, he continually looked like the lesser player in each encounter.  Ward finished with 41 yards on 11 carries, including an explosive 22 yard burst over right guard early in the 2nd quarter.  Perhaps more impressive though was the 54 yards on 4 catches that Ward made, including an overhand snag of a low pass from Manning that he was able to make on the run.  In the midst of running for 96 yards on 9 carries, Ahmad Bradshaw had another highlight reel run, almost identical to his TD run in Buffalo late last year.  This time, #44 bounced left, bounced right, and exploded upfield for a 77 yard run that would have been a score if not for a great effort by Raven CB Fabian Washington who never gave up on the play.  With Jacobs gimpy, expect Bradshaw to see more time in the coming weeks, which should provide a few more explosive runs for Giant fans to enjoy and defenses to loathe.

Wide Receivers: Plaxico Burress pulled down a mere three grabs for 47 yards, and at first glance seemed to again not be overly involved in the game but upon further review #17 played better than I first thought.  Burress had an outstanding block on Jacobs first run of the game, shoving CB Samari Rolle down the field about 15 yards as Jacobs cut back to his side.  Burress again was flattening Rolle on the outside on Derrick Ward’s 22 yard scamper in the 2nd quarter.  Sure it’s his job to block, but Burress has been criticized for not playing when his number isn’t called, but he was giving maximum effort on a play not designed to even go to his side of the field.  Again, that’s what he SHOULD be doing, and it’s good to see that he did after a few weeks of so so effort.  Burress’ first grab was a big one though on the Giants opening drive, as he pulled down a 21 yard gain on 3rd and 15 to keep the opening drive alive.  Want to know what type of role the wide receivers game played?  RB Derrick Ward led all Giants with four catches, just one less than the total number of grabs COMBINED for Amani Toomer, Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon.  Smith was able to make his weekly 3rd and long contribution, nabbing a 12 yard strike on 3rd and 10 as the 3rd quarter opened.

Tight Ends: Darcy Johnson gets the first spot this week, for his first career catch, which was a 1 yard TD grab from Manning.  Johnson lined up right, feigned a block, then ran a drag to the backside and pulled in a slightly errant pass for a TD.  Kevin Boss was not heard from in the passing game, but again turned in a solid day at the office by operating effectively on the edge in the running game.

O-Line: “Up in the morning to the rising sun, gotta run all day till the running’s done.”  Like a finely trained platoon, the Giants’ offensive line and running backs were in perfect sync all day.  Even on the cutback to open the game, there was RG Chris Snee, shoving Ray Lewis around and preventing him from making any attempt to chase down the play from the backside.  It’s often not what the Giants’ OL does at the point of attack, but the backside that creates so many big running lanes.  By staying with their blocks despite not being play side, the linemen are able to keep all options open to their stable of versatile running backs, who always know when one hole closes another is likely opening up.  One change I have decided to make is to stop talking about FB Madison Hedgecock with the RBs.  Technically I know he’s a RB, but he doesn’t carry the ball, God knows he can’t catch it and he’s been blocking like a lineman all year.  Hedgecock will be an honorary lineman until he does something to prove otherwise.  Hedgecock blasted into the hole on Jacobs’ first rushing TD, and absolutely flattened LB Bart Scott on a 15 yard Jacobs scoot on the Giants second drive of the day.  Hedecock did get bullrushed badly by OLB Jarret Johnson, giving up the only sack of the day, but that was the only blemish on an otherwise great job by the OL all day. RT Kevin Boothe had to fill in for Kareem McKenzie and did an outstanding job when called upon.   207 yards on the ground against a team that had been giving up just over 65 yards per game is a feat that will get people to stand up and take notice.  They should have noticed by now, given that this is week #3 the Giants have rushed for 200+ yards, but you never know who just isn’t paying attention.

Front 7: Author’s Note: Given the varied fronts and personnel packages the Giants use under Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, I’ll be looking at the front 7 as a whole initially rather than separating the D-line and Linebackers.  Hybrid roles such as LBs playing in a 3 point stance make analyzing the front 7 as one unit more cohesive.  It may change as we move forward or from game to game.

The Giants’ defense, seemingly ignored in all the Ravens’ hype, stepped up early with their only 3 and out on their first defensive series and held the Ravens to 275 yards of total offense.  The front seven did have some shaky moments, mostly due to Joe Flacco’s running ability, but they were able to control the Ravens’ running attack, holding RB Willis McGahee to 18 yards on 9 carries.  The only sack of the game came late but, there was enough pressure to keep Flacco on the move and uncomfortable all day.  DTs Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins were the keys to the defense all day long, collapsing the interior of the Ravens’ front and completely controlling the line of scrimmage.  Cofield might have had his best game of the year, coming up with 6 stops, and looking quick and disruptive all day long.  Cofield’s best stop came on the Ravens’ lone TD drive as he dragged down RB Ray Rice on a screen pass down the left side.

It appeared that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s game plan was to hem things in from tackle to tackle, often stacking his LBs in the box and sending pressure up the A gaps when he chose to blitz.  All three LBs moved in concert in the running game and played downhill most of the day, clearly indicating an effort to completely shut down the Ravens’ running game which was a success.  MLB Antonio Pierce led the way with 7 total stops and his counterparts Danny Clark and Chase Blackburn had 6 and 5 respectively.  Clark had one of his better games, not surprisingly against a team that relies on the run.  As the weather turns cold and teams try to run, Clark will be a key cog in controlling the edge.  One of the few times the Giants did send pressure, Flacco was able to escape the blitz on 3rd and 9 and scoot down the right sideline for a 14 yard gain.

With the exception of a late sack, Mathias Kiwanuka and Justin Tuck were fairly quiet all day.  Again, this was a product of the defensive game plan which sought to control the line of scrimmage and prevent cut back lanes from opening.  The good news for the front 7 though, is that even when its two most dynamic players are held in check, it can get the job done with sound team defense.

Defensive Backs: CB Aaron Ross rebounded in a big way, undercutting a Derrick Mason post to snuff out a Ravens drive with an interception late in the first half.  Ross allowed a few completions in front of him, but was very sound in coverage all day after a few rough weeks.  None of the DBs really seemed to make an impact, save for Ross.  It was evident though that the Giants intended to keep everything in front of them, and force rookie QB Joe Flacco to lead long drives to score.  That led to some wide open WRs underneath and a few times where it looked like no one was in coverage, but that is what you give up when you commit to shut down the interior running game with your LBs and keep your DBs from getting beaten deep on any cheap plays.  CB Corey Webster had an assist on the Ross interception, flattening Derrick Mason as the ball arrived, to allow Ross to swoop in and make the pick.  The only safety who made a splash was Michael Johnson, who flew in on a blitz to force a Flacco incompletion.

Special Teams: Big Fred Robbins made the special teams play of the day, blocking a Ravens’ FG early in the game that set up the Giants at the Ravens’ 33 for a short TD drive.  K Lawrence Tynes got to handle all of the kicking chores and he responded with a terrible kickoff out of bounds and a missed extra point.  Granted it wasn’t Tynes fault there was a bad snap, but I’m going to blame him anyway for messing with the mojo of the kicking game.  No Haggis for you!

Coaching: Tom Coughlin certainly had his guys ready but his puzzling decision to deactivate PK John Carney was a head scratcher.  Carney’s replacement, Lawrence Tynes booted a kickoff out of bounds after the Giants rolled out to a 20-0 lead, which gave the Ravens the ball at their own 40.  Much to my surprise, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo didn’t use too many exotic packages to confound rookie QB Joe Flacco, instead allowing his front four to apply the pressure while his LBs controlled the running lanes and his DBs prevented any big plays.  It was a very vanilla defense employed by the usually creative Spags, but it worked well and as Occam’s razor always shows us, sometimes the simplest answer is the best one.  Kevin Gilbride, you pass happy chuck and duck, game ruining…wait, what?  30 points?  207 yards rushing?  Dominating offensive performance against vaunted defense…again?  Atta boy Kev, keep proving me right!

JPog (Joey’s Player of the Game) – Everyone’s whipping boy the past few weeks, CB Aaron Ross rebounded in a big way against the Ravens.  The second year CB nabbed two interceptions at key junctures and was able to return one for a score to put the Giants up 27-10 and effectively end the game.  For your ability to bounce back so well after a dismal performance Aaron, you get one of those Super Hi Bouncy Balls from the gumball machine (weak economy, sorry).  Anytime you have a bad game, just drop it on the floor and watch it bounce back.  It’s fun AND it has metaphorical meaning, how can you beat that?

JBog (Joey’s Bum of the Game) – Meet Baltimore Ravens’ MLB Ray Lewis…trash talker, pile jumper, stat compiler extraordinaire.  All week the refrain was the same, Jacobs vs. Lewis, immovable object vs. irresistible force.  Well, the clash that was supposed to happen happened early and once Lewis got a taste of Jacobs’ power, he proceeded to pile jump and avoid the big fella all day long.  In fact, even little Ahmad Bradshaw was able to drag Lewis along on a short run in the 4th quarter.  I realize players lose something with age, and the fact that Lewis is still a heady leader in Baltimore makes for great story lines, but the truth is, he’s a marginal LB who no longer relishes contact but still yaps like he’s the biggest dog in the yard.  Lewis weakly threw a half hearted shoulder at Jacobs on two-sevens’ second TD of the day, despite meeting big Brandon in the hole with a chance (tee hee) to make a stop at the goal line.  For your efforts Mr. Lewis, you will receive an “Oscar the Grouch” iron on T-Shirt ; because at this point Ray, you’re nothing more than a garbage LB who does nothing but talk big.

“GOOD NIGHT LADIES!”

(Box Score – Baltimore Ravens at New York Giants, November 16, 2008)
Nov 112008
 
New York Giants 36 – Philadelphia Eagles 31

Summary: Fresh off of a World Series title run, the city’s first major sports championship since 1980, Philadelphians were revved up and rocking Lincoln Financial Field Sunday night.  As The NBC Sunday Night telecast opened, one couldn’t help but hear the roars of approval as the “Rocky” intro and theme song played in the background to the delight of thousands of screaming (I’m assuming intoxicated) Eagles’ fans.  Born with an innate dislike for all things Philly with the exceptions of cheese steaks, Rocky Balboa and Chris in, all I could think about was Clubber Lang’s famous prediction from “Rocky III”…

”What’s your prediction for the fight then?”
“Prediction?”
“Yes prediction”
“……PAAAAIIIINNNN!”

Pain would rule the night with the more seasoned fighter landing the knockout blow on a 4th and 1 run snuffed out by journeyman LB Chase Blackburn.  Trainers and cut men were busy all night, mending to bumps and bruises inflicted by and on both teams for a grueling 60 minutes that seemed like a 12 round slugfest.  This, ladies and gentlemen, is why you watch and love football and why this team continues to cement its place in the pantheon of Giant greatness.

The Eagles came out swinging with a batted pass for an interception that turned into a trick play TD by lightning fast WR DeSean Jackson, but the Giants would counter with 17 straight points and a stranglehold on time of possession that feel like countless body blows to the Eagles’ defense.  That 10 point lead would shrink to a 3 point 20-17 halftime lead as the Giants’ offense and Eli Manning lost their rhythm in the 2nd quarter.  After falling behind 24-20 early in the 2nd half, the Giants rattled off 16 straight points to take what was just too big of a lead at 36-24 for the Eagles to overcome.

Back came Philly though, closing the gap to 36-31 on a 10 play 71 yard drive, and the champs were on the ropes.  Not to be outlasted, the Giants once again summoned their 4th quarter resolve and clamped down on the Eagles’ offense, forcing a turnover on downs after only a 31 yard drive.  The Giants landed the knockout blows on consecutive and critical 4th down plays, first snuffing out Brian Westbrook on a 4th and 1 and Eli Manning gaining two yards on a 4th and 1 at the Philly 36 to end the game.

Quarterbacks:  Eli Manning had one of those games that showcased all of his talents and deficiencies, but it must be said his talents outnumber those negatives by a wide margin.  Statistically solid, but unspectacular, Eli completed 17 of 31 for 191 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT which was returned to the Giants’ 9 yard line on the game’s first possession.  As is his way, Eli bounced right back on the next drive going 3 for 5 for 43 yards and a terrific TD pass to Plaxico Burress that split the Eagles’ zone right where it was weakest, in the deep in area between the single high safety.  Manning changed the protection (I assume) right before the play which kept Derrick Ward in to pick up a blitz.  Up 10-7, Eli lead his team to another score going a perfect 6-6 for 59 yards and his 2nd TD pass of the night on a one yard bullet to the diving Kevin Boss.  Manning had a pretty play action pass to Amani Toomer that started the drive off well and hit Toomer again for a total of four hook ups on the drive.

Manning’s most memorable play of the night would come in the 3rd quarter with the Giants down by 4.  On a 3rd and 10 at the Eagles’ 20, Manning was flagged for crossing the line of scrimmage on a 17 yard pass to Kevin Boss, but he conferred with coach Tom Coughlin who challenged the call and the play was reversed.  That reversal and Eli’s ability to keep the play alive and deliver a strike to Boss for a first down is the exact type of thing that makes Eli a truly special QB.  It might get ugly at times, but Eli is the definition of a gamer and makes plays when the Giants need them most.

Running Backs: Big Brandon Jacobs had an up and down (mostly up) game, rushing for 126 yards and 2 tough TDs but coughing up one fumble.  Jacobs started the night well, ripping off an explosive 20 yard on a counter trey on the Giants’ first scoring drive of the night.  After the Giants trailed 24-20, the team turned to Jacobs to set the tone, feeding the Beast three straight times for 21 yards on the Giants’ TD drive that saw them take the lead for good.  Overall Jacobs handed the ball 5 times on the drive for 27 yards and a TD.  Jacobs did lose a fumble on a huge hit by LB Chris Gocong but it was in midair after a 10 yard run when Jacobs was airborne.  Jacobs was hammered again by Nikita Koloff fan Stewart Bradley on a 3rd down run that appeared to fall short were it not for Bradley’s illegal “Russian Sickle” takedown.

Am I alone in thinking Derrick Ward looked like he rushed for WAY more than 53 yards he got?  Ward was in the game early against the speedy Eagles’ defense as the Giants sought to spread the field.  Ward looked very spry in the cool Philly air, bouncing around for 80 total yards but honestly I was surprised the total was that low.  Ward must pile up a lot of lateral yardage on some of the shotgun draws because it looks like he goes for 15 yards on every play but he only ended up with 53 yards on the ground.  Ward continued to show great hands and a feel for the passing game, taking a short dump off from Manning and turning it into an impressive 14 yard catch and run.  Ahmad Bradshaw made his usual shot of a cannon debut in the 2nd half and responded with the most violent 38 yards you’ll ever see.

FB Madison Hedgecock blocks like a dream and catches like my mother.  Honestly, I don’t know if my mother can catch a swing pass in the flat, but I know my pop reads these from time to time; I just want to be sure he’s paying attention and he finally springs for those Nike Wide Receiver’s gloves I told him Mom has been asking for since I was a kid.  John Madden said it best during the telecast that Hedgecock has turned into the best blocking FB in the NFL.  One small wrinkle I noticed that highlights Hedgecock’s importance to this team was that teams truly keyed on the gap that #39 leads into, which enabled Giants’ ball carriers to slip past those gaps for big gains all night.  When a FB like Hedgecock can be deployed as a decoy in the running game, your ground game is nearly unstoppable.

Wide Receivers:  Amani Toomer, I am sorry.  I mean it; I take back my call to move you to 3rd WR.  I admit, I was drunk on Domenik Hixon’s 100+ yard half against Seattle in Plaxico Burress’ absence, and his speed and explosion (it might have been some Johnnie Walker Black too but I can’t recall).  Toomer and Manning have again found their groove, and old #81 is working the hook zones, seams and digs to perfection.  Missing Jeremy Shockey now?  Not so much now that Toomer has been deployed to the areas in which Shockey was so very effective.  Toomer finished with 5 catches for 53 yards but seemed to lead the Giants to their second TD all by himself.  Plaxico Burress was limited to one catch for 17 yards but it was on a perfectly run dig route for a TD where Burress made an outstanding catch.  Burress has been quiet in recent weeks after his epiphany that perhaps he hasn’t done everything he should do in regards to the team.  Let’s hope good behavior is not swapped for his big time play.  WR Steve Smith was not the 3rd down superman we have seen in recent weeks, dropping a 3rd and 4 pass after being blasted by Joselio Hansen.  Mr. 3rd Down did make an appearance midway through the 3rd quarter, running a picture perfect out on 3rd and 4 for a 12 yard gain.  Smith’s ability to set up defenders and not tip his route is what is making him so successful so early in his career.  Watch a Smith route in slow mo and try to see if you can guess where he’s going (no peeking at the box score or watching the game before hand!).

Tight Ends:  Kevin Boss is starting to blossom in this offense in his 2nd year after a slow start early in the season.  The big TE hauled in 6 passes for 69 yards and 1 TD, and showed off his athleticism on a catch and hurdle when he leaped over an Eagle defender, kept his feet and kept moving.  Boss hauled in an amazing TD catch on the Giants’ second drive on a well executed play action pass where Manning threw to a spot and big Kev split two defenders and dove for the catch.  Boss’ blocking continues to come along nicely, evidenced by his stonewalling of DE Victor Abiamari on a waggle that Manning completed to his side over Abiamari’s head.  Michael Matthews actually made a pretty nice grab on the waggle, crossing the field to come up with a 13 yard grab.

O-Line: The next time I need to make a flight on time (that would be Tuesday morning!), I’m calling OG Rich Seubert.  I’m not sure if I used that line before, but as long as these stinking reviews are, I am bound to have repeats.  I’m gonna go get the papers, get the papers.  Seubert cleared out three Eagles on a pull on a Jacobs 20 yard run in the first quarter, stoning Chris Gocong, shoving him into Stewart Bradley and being in the way to prevent Omar Gaither from pursuing backside.  OG Chris Snee, I love ya pal, but DE Victor Abiamari just flattened you on a bull rush, and on the only sack of the night was a direct result of you getting beaten inside by DT Mike Patterson.  All in all though, a fantastic game on the ground by the Giants’ interior trio, including C Shaun O’Hara who is getting to the second level as well as any Giant center in a long long time.  LT David Diehl was the stat sheet victim on Trent Cole’s lone sack of the game, but the pressure up the middle from Patterson and Seubert’s missed double team didn’t help.  All in all, holding the Eagles to one sack and racking up 219 yards on the ground means any negative I point out…is well the only negative to point out.  This group is blocking better than any group in the NFL dating back to the end of last season.  They move as a cohesive unit in the running game and communicate well in the passing game to keep Eli Manning relatively clean and able to operate the offense.

Front 7: Author’s Note: Given the varied fronts and personnel packages the Giants use under Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, I’ll be looking at the front 7 as a whole initially rather than separating the D-line and Linebackers.  Hybrid roles such as LBs playing in a 3 point stance make analyzing the front 7 as one unit more cohesive.  It may change as we move forward or from game to game.

Just a bit of a shaky start defensively as WR DeSean Jackson wildcatted his way into the end zone on the Eagles’ second play from scrimmage.  This is a formation that the Browns had some success with using speedy Josh Cribbs and the Eagles used it right away.  Give the Eagles credit on that play, they blocked it perfectly and blocked with that little extra intensity it takes to succeed in the NFL.  No sacks for the defense would usually mean bad things but holding Brian Westbrook to two yards per carry and 59 total yards mean they did their job.  Antonio Pierce led the D with 8 stops but the best play by a LB was turned in by WLB Chase Blackburn who knifed in on the Eagles’ final drive to drag down Brian Westbrook short on 4th and 1, sealing the Eagles’ fate.  DE Mathias Kiwanuka was suckered on all three DeSean Jackson runs by keying on Brian Westbrook and flattening down the line before he made a read on the ball.  Kiwi did follow up his miss on Jackson with a great pressure on the very next play, fighting through Tra Thomas.  Clearly the Giants’ plan was to attack Westbrook first and stop him and clearly the Eagles were ready for that on a few plays.  It was one of those game within the game moments when Jackson had the ball and was able to pick up some yardage that made this game truly fun to watch.

Despite no sacks the front 7 was able to keep McNabb off balance at times; enough so that he rushed some throws and despite tossing 3 TDs was not at his best.  Like all QBs, McNabb needs time to get comfortable and when he’s uneasy, it’s easy to see it in his play.  DE Justin Tuck was held sackless and was manhandled on a few plays to his side in the running game.  At this point, Tuck can rush the passer, Tuck can shed and redirect down the line on plays away from, and Tuck can stack up his side on delayed runs to his side and flatten down the line to allow his teammates to make a play.  If Tuck has a weakness in his game (and he does) it’s the inability to take on double teams head on and stand his ground.  Tuck takes himself out of plays by lunging too much at where he thinks the play is headed and ends up hanging someone out to dry.  It’s a tiny flaw, and one teams can and will exploit until #91 is a bit more seasoned.  I’m not bashing everyone’s favorite bullet headed defensive end, just pointing out his Achilles heel.

DT Fred Robbins and DT Barry Cofield will show up on your stat sheet with one tackle, but both pushed the pocket and controlled their gaps to keep the Eagles’ interior run game in check.  No sacks from the duo, but they did the dirty work that was required to keep Westbrook in check.

Film Room Rewind: This week, I’m not going to break down any specific play in a ton of detail, but more the evolution of Brandon Jacobs and this team’s running game.  Jacobs was ripping off big chunks of yardage all night long (runs of 8, 20, 7, 6, 9, 10, 7, 11, 8 yards) and able to make the one cut runs that made his predecessor an elite back in the NFL.  Jacobs’ vision and ability to see a hole, and change directions to explode through creases has really made this running game dangerous, to the point of being unstoppable.  There are honestly times when Jacobs looks like the best player and athlete on the field when he is exploding downfield and dragging would be tacklers for routine 7, 8, 9 yard gains.  Jacobs’ most impressive run (from my demented point of view anyway) was a 9 yard gain in which he followed FB Madison Hedgecock into the B gap (that’s between LG and LT), stayed on his butt long enough let LG Rich Seubert push his man into that gap, and then made a jump cut to the right to explode for another 6 yards and a Giant first down.  It’s that type of vision and patience that is enabling Jacobs to take his game to a near elite level.  Now if we can only get him to work on the hands.

Defensive Backs: CB Aaron Ross is having his rough moments, dropping an easy INT and being beating by WR Hank Baskett as the Eagles took their first lead of the game.  Ross had good position, but just got out-muscled for the ball.  S Kenny Phillips got his first start at Free Safety and immediately made a play, blitzing through the C gap, forcing Donovan McNabb to be way off target on a 3rd down pass to DeSean Jackson.  Phillips finished with 5 stops, good for second on the team, but I will say something I thought I’d never say…I missed James Butler.  Phillips replaced Butler in the starting 11, but S Michael Johnson was moved to Butler’s strong safety spot and Phillips slid over to Johnson’s free safety spot.  Johnson made a bad read on Correll Buckhalter’s 20 yard scamper and badly missed him in the hole.  Overall, Johnson was fine, but was not the steady force Butler has been in the running game and keeping everyone on the same page.  Old man Sam, Sam Madison got in the game early and was flagged for a so-so personal foul on a late hit, but made up for it with a big INT later in the first half that set up the Giants for another easy FG as the first half ended.  CB Terrell Thomas was beaten by Jason Avant for a TD late in the first half, and has generally looked a bit lost out there at times in coverage but Thomas showed off his physical ability fighting through a Hank Baskett block to cut down DeSean Jackson for a 5 yard loss.  I can gush about CB Corey Webster, but what’s the point?

Special Teams: Finally something special!!  Ahmad Bradshaw knocked the ball out of KR Quintin Demps’ hands on a kickoff immediately following the Giants’ first game tying TD, which set up a short field for an easy 3 points.  That special feeling faded quickly two returns later when Demps ripped off a 40 yard return.  Overall, Demps averaged 27 yards per return which is again very special but for the Eagles.  Domenik Hixon was almost special, taking a punt back 73 yards which was called back for a hold, but it did give the Giants the ball at the Eagles’ 40 yard line which put them in perfect position for the game winning march.  Special job guys.

Coaching: Tom Coughlin continues to impress me, running his team to 8-1 on the year after an offseason in he which he lost 5 starters on defense, including his top two pass rushers.  What is most impressive now though, is that after emotional wins at Pittsburgh and at home vs. Dallas (Dallas was personal for these players), the team did not let up in traveling to Philly and hanging 36 points on the Eagles.  Kevin Gilbride came out with 5 WRs, double TE sets, standard I-formations, single back sets and anything else you can imagine (except for that insipid Wildcat formation which I’m sick of seeing).  The result?  The Giants’ offense rolled up 36 points, 401 yards and 219 yards on the ground against an Eagles’ defense that had been giving up only 89 yards per game on the ground for the season.  It was a back and forth chess match with Jim Johnson all night long, but Gilbride triumphed by committing to a power running game that flows from formations that you won’t normally expect from a traditional power run game.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo did what the Giants have never done; he slowed down Brian Westbrook.  Despite giving up 31 points, 14 of which came off of Giant turnovers, Spagnuolo’s charges held the Eagles’ most dangerous weapon down all night long.  It was that focus that eliminated Westbrook from the game and kept him from making any back breaking plays as he always seems to do against the men in blue.

JPog (Joey’s Player of the Game) – There just cannot be another choice outside of Brandon Jacobs, but being the Maverick that I am (that’s a negative ghost rider, the pattern is full), I am selecting the entire offensive line as the JPoG.  They play as one lean mean 200 yard rushing machine against one of the NFL’s stingiest defenses, and only give up one sack to a unit that usually makes QBs cry.  Every single one of our guys up front blocked like it was their last football game ever, and they seem to be doing that week in and week out.  And yes, Madison Hedgecock, you get the award too as a member of that bone crunching group.  For the record, for all the accolades that Chris Snee and David Diehl seem to be getting recently, the OL playing the best on this team is LG Richie Seubert.  For your efforts boys, you all get personally autographed Jeff Hatch, Toby Myles and Ben Fricke jerseys.  (Don’t know those names, learn your Giants’ failed draft picks history).

JBog (Joey’s Bum of the Game) – The Giants won…again…yawn…so I won’t use a Giant as the bum per earlier recommendations that I took (see I listen to my readers, all three of you).  I have to go with Eagles’ S Brian Dawkins, for one play and one play only.  10:08 left in the game, Giants with the ball, 3rd and 2 at the Eagles’ 9 yard line…Jacobs takes an inside handoff, plows ahead to the 3 yard line, CLEARLY on the ground and what does Senor Steroids do?  He pulls a drunken Florida St. frat boy and does a Tomahawk Chop for no apparent reason.  Only because the Walrus (or is he the Egg Man, I forget) Andy Reid challenged did NBC show us the close up over and over, but you clearly see “Tomahawk Dawk” just throw a chop at Jacobs’ head.  Look, football is a rough sport, I have the fingers to prove it (got stuck in a beer bottle yelling at Jim Fassel’s playoff collapses) and I know players do things outside the rules but in a game that was so well played and so well contested by both sides Dawkins pulls the cheap shot late in the game.  I was actually impressed with the level of intensity from both teams mostly because it came with no cheap shots or trash talk, just two teams banging heads and seemingly enjoying it with no animosity.  Then Dawkins pulled that crap.  Low rent move from a low rent steroid abusing freak that is well past his prime.  Enjoy January Brian; you’ll have plenty of time off.

(Box Score – New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles, November 9, 2008)
Oct 292008
 
New York Giants 21 – Pittsburgh Steelers 14

Summary: In the Giants’ stiffest test of the rapidly maturing 2008 season, Eli Manning was again at his late game best rallying the Giants from a 14-9 4th quarter deficit to upend the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field and finally put a stake in the ground that declared…this Giants team is for real and ready to defend its title to the bitter end.  Amid constant media wariness over the quality of the Giants first 5 wins, New York’s favorite sons again took an opponent’s best punch, stood tall and delivered the knockout when it mattered most.

Coming into the contest, both the Giants and Steelers stood at 5-1, both behind Super Bowl winning 5th year QBs, with punishing ground games and oppressive defenses.  When all was said and done however, only Big Blue stood astride the wreckage that ensued for 3 hours and 19 minutes with their heads held high with the rest of the NFL realizing that these champs are not going quietly.

An auspicious start that saw the Giants down 7-0 after their own three and out and a 4 play 60 yard jaunt by the Steelers gave way to a long battle that would test both teams.  Racing out to that lead, the Steelers defense was as good as advertised and its ground game was chewing up the defending champions, but once the contest settled down, the Giants were able to turn 4 red zone possessions into only 9 points and a tenuous half time lead that would end on the Steelers second possession as WR Nate Washington blew past the Giants’ cover 2 shell for a 1 play 65 yard score that put the Steelers ahead 14-9 with 10:00 remaining in the 3rd quarter.

After Washington’s TD, the teams traded miscues and accrued a paltry 34 yards on their next 22 plays combined.  Eli and the Giants, then finally manned up, putting together a 12 play 62 yard drive that cut the Steelers lead to 2, and finished the game with a 7 play 53 yard march that once again saw #10 put the ball in the end zone when the Giants needed it the most.  The Giants pass rush was able to seal the deal, snuffing out two Steeler drives late in the 4th quarter with relentless pressure applied on QB Ben Roethlisberger.  When all the dust finally settled, the Giants poured out of Heinz Field with what is becoming a typical big game win, when few pundits gave them a chance against a “superior” opponent.

Quarterbacks: If you judge Eli Manning by box scores, you might as well judge Stevie Wonder by his handwriting because you won’t appreciate the true talent in either case.  Facing the league’s most prolific defense, Manning was average to the guy ho-humming over his fantasy stats, but to a football fan he was a winner yet again.  Eli finished 19-32 for 199 yards and 1 TD which might not be eye popping, but no INTs, no turnovers at all, no sacks and a game winning TD pass against the Steelers front 7…you won’t hear me complain (about Eli anyway, don’t get me started on ATM fees).  Eli was pressured, but not hit, thanks to his offensive line, and Kevin Gilbride’s play calling, but in large part due to his ability to see the pressure and get the ball away before it got home.  Manning ended the Giants first drive in just 3 plays, coming up about a yard short on 3rd on and 9 to Steve Smith.  Manning attempted two passes on the Giants next drive, both from the 2 yard line but to no avail, as S Troy Polamalu and his idiotic lion’s mane of hair roared up to knock the ball away from an open Amani Toomer.  Manning was solid and in command, but it was clear from his checkdowns inside the Steelers’ 20 yard line (one to Derrick Ward, two to Kevin Boss, two incompletes to Steve Smith, and two to Plaxico Burress, none of which got the ball in the end zone) that the Giants were committed to not turning the ball over in the red zone and picking up points wherever they could.

Manning was as usual, at his level headed best late in the game.  On a 4th and 6, after taking a delay penalty on 4th and 1 because he didn’t like the play call, Manning coolly lofted a perfect strike down the right sideline to Amani Toomer for a 30 yard gain that put the Giants in FG range to creep to within 2 points of the lead.  Eli was again on target on the Giants’ game winning drive, going 3 for 4 for 35 yards, with the final 2 yards coming on a play action TD pass to Kevin Boss that put the Giants up 21-14 and effectively ended the game.

Running Backs: Statistically, the worst day of the year for the Giants RBs, but the ability to run the football kept the Steelers defense honest and gave the Giants a puncher’s chance late in the game.  Despite a paltry 2.4 ypc average, both Giant backs that touched the ball (Ahmad Bradshaw was oddly absent from the game) ran hard and ran often with Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward combining for 31 carries out of 67 plays on the day.  Jacobs had little room to operate and despite his speed and size was never really able to get moving against a big fast and physical Steelers front.  Jacobs had a rough go of it running ball, being dropped for a 3 yard loss on his first touch, and fumbling at the Pittsburgh 9 on a 1st and goal on the Giants second possession.  Jacobs did make a nifty grab and bowled over half the Steelers defense en route to a 6 yard gain en route to the Giants 3rd FG drive of the game.  I mention it only because I slam Jacobs for every silly drop he has.  Jacobs also delivered a crushing block

Ward fared better overall as he hauled in 5 catches for 43 yards, including a nifty 17 yard middle screen on 3rd and 5 that kept the Giants marching towards their first FG of the game and a solid catch and run for 9 yards on 3rd and 5 on the 3rd scoring drive of the day for the G-men.

No more throwing to Madison Hedgecock, seriously.

Wide Receivers:  Domenik Hixon started in place of Plaxico “IDWTFIW” Burress and made a nice grab on the Giants first scoring drive of the game for 17 yards but was not heard from the rest of the night on offense, in a good way anyway.  Hixon took a page out of Hines Ward’s book on blocking by laying a shot on Steelers’ LB James Farrior, but Hixon did come in a tad late and deserved the flag.  I can’t kill Hixon for it though, anytime the Giants need a play he’s been there this year and last, and every game, he seems to light someone up blocking.  Speaking of Burress, he managed a whopping 3 grabs and 15 yards, way to earn your paycheck.  I will give effort to analyzing your play when you start acting like a professional.  Don’t hold your breath loyal readers.  Steve Smith is a blue blanket.  Eli Manning is Linus.  Take one away from the other and you’d have a problem.  In only his second year out of USC, Smith has become the most sought after 3rd down target on the team, and the guy Eli looks for when he NEEDS yardage in a tight spot.  Smith, similar to Manning won’t wow you on the stat sheet, as he finished with 45 yards on catches, but when Eli and the Giants needed him most, #12 was there.  Witness all of Smith’s catches to see his importance to this offense: 8 yard catch on 3rd and 9 on the Giants first drive that fell JUST shy of a first down, a 12 yard grab on 3rd and 5 at the Steeler 21 yard line on the Giants first scoring drive, and a 25 yard grab on the Giants game winning drive on a 3rd and 7 at midfield.  Smith did have an uncharacteristic drop on a sure first down pass from Manning on a 2nd and 8 from the Steelers 17 yard line.  Amani Toomer made the catch of the day, hauling in a 30 yard Willie Mays type over the shoulder catch on 4th and 6 when the Giants were driving for the game winner.  I have called for Hixon to take his starting job in recent weeks, but Toomer is time and time again a key cog late in games because more than anything, Eli trusts him to be where he should be and Toomer always makes the big grab.  If only he didn’t spend so much time in hobby shops, he could be really good! (Author’s note: That’s a BBI Corner Forum inside joke!  For all of you non message board types, it’s worth your time to hang out there a bit and get involved in some great discussion about your Giants.)

Tight Ends: Kevin Boss had his busiest day of the year, coming down with 4 catches for 34 yards and the game winning TD catch from Manning late in the 4th quarter.  Boss had a fantastic grab on the Giants first scoring drive that only picked up one yard, but was able to make a juggling grab as FS Ryan Clark was bearing down on him.  Boss had a nice 15 yard run and catch on the Giants’ second scoring drive of the game.  Some people insist that Kevin Boss has a long way to go before he’s a good or even solid blocker, but I beg each and every one of you who doubts him to watch every running play we run and chart how he does.  Everyone nitpicks on the few bad plays that may jump out, but Boss has come a long way since his rookie year and even the preseason of this year.  On a Jacobs 13 yard run down the Steeler 2, Boss had a perfect seal on DE Aaron Smith…again DEFENSIVE END Aaron Smith, not LB, not DB, not 3rd string special teamer.  Michael Matthews was shut out on the stat sheet and did miss a block badly on Jacobs’ first run of the game, but once again, the blocking TE from Georgia Tech proved his value with another solid blocking performance when Eli and his offensive mates needed it most versus a talented and aggressive Steelers defense.

O-Line: It was a love hate relationship against the Steelers for the Giants’ move ‘em out gang this week.  I love how they pass blocked, hated the run blocking, but just like the entire team this group fought and scrapped from whistle to whistle and most importantly kept their best player off the grass all game long.  I do have to take issue with the Giants’ 3rd drive of the game.  2nd and goal from the 1 yard line after an offside penalty on LB Lamar Woodley and the OL fails to punch it in 3 straight times with a 265 hammer at their backs.  OC Shaun O’Hara got absolutely flattened on Jacobs’ called back TD run by DT Casey Hampton on 3rd down.  But the boys up front had a chance to redeem themselves on the next play but according the officials they failed to do so with Jacobs coming up inches short, but from overhead shots it really looked like Jacobs broke the plane.

Overall the OL was not able to keep the Steelers big down lineman at bay and create the type of space they usually do to get themselves and their backs to the 2nd level.  Give credit where its due though, this group also kept a frenzied blitz at bay long enough to give its QB time to orchestrate 5 scoring drives, and most importantly the game winning TD pass.

Front 7: Author’s Note: Given the varied fronts and personnel packages the Giants use under Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, I’ll be looking at the front 7 as a whole initially rather than separating the D-line and Linebackers.  Hybrid roles such as LBs playing in a 3 point stance make analyzing the front 7 as one unit more cohesive.  It may change as we move forward or from game to game.

Right off the bat the Steelers did what good teams do; they attacked the Giants’ weak spots on defense.  That would be, covering the TE down the field and defending the run on the edges.  On the first play of the game though, a Ben Roethlisberger incompletion, was caused by pressure DE Mathias Kiwanuka and DT Fred Robbins, on what turned out to be a preview of what was to come.  Heath Miller was able to nab a 22 yard pass and 2 plays later RB Mewelde Moore popped outside right for a 32 yard TD run which I’m sure initially had many Giant fans worrying.  According to Troy Aikman they key “Block” was by TE Heath Miller, though the 10 times I re-watched it told me, Heath Miller had his hands hooked under DE Justin Tuck’s pads which against most teams would be a hold, but I won’t pull a Ben Roethlisberger and blame the zebras.  Not to worry though, as the Giants stuffed the Steelers on their 3rd possession inside their own 1 yard line to get the Giants the ball back with great field possession.  Tuck was able to shove TE Heath Miller aside, slant inside and stuff Mewelde Moore on a text book stop in the running game.  Tuck made 5 stops and 1 sack, and just like his DL counterparts, was pushing the Steelers’ OL back into Roethlisberger’s face all day long.  DE Dave Tollefson gives, dare I say, maximum effort which usually means “untalented” but Tollefson has improved greatly from week one and was able to chip in with solid pressure and one sack.

Kiwanuka has his best game as a pro, racking up 3 sacks, 5 total tackles and forcing one fumble.  My man Mike Garafolo at The Star Ledger predicted big things for Kiwi once his ankle healed and indeed he was right, as Kiwanuka was clearly the star of the defense against Pittsburgh, racing around RT Max Starks, and playing the run as well as he’s played it in his Giants career.  Danny Clark showed up with 5 stops, MLB Antonio Pierce rebounded from an uneven performance in his last game to collect 7 stops and force a fumble.  Pierce might be on the downside of his career, but he can still spearhead this run defense when he needs to as evidenced by his masterful orchestration of the Giants on the field defense on Sunday.  Rookie LB Bryan Kehl, the player with the most athletic ability of any LB on this roster, showcased his talent with a solid 4 tackle performance, no glaring mistakes (big for a rookie) and a heady interception off a James Butler hit.  Kehl is coming folks, I’ve been telling you that for weeks, and he is coming…just wait.

Defensive Backs: Kevin Dockery got the game started off on the wrong foot, by failing to seal the edge on Mewelde Moore’s 32 yard TD scamper on the Steelers’ 4th play from scrimmage.  Dockery simply overcommitted and took himself out of the play before the defense knew what hit them.  S James Butler was reportedly upset over surrendering Nate Washington’s 65 yard TD catch, but Butler should take heart, his play over a majority of the game was outstanding.  Butler ended the Steelers 2nd possession after 3 plays, by making a leaping grab on an ill advised out route thrown by Roethlisberger.  Corey Webster had another good football game, coming up with an INT and being all over the field again anytime his man came near the football.  A Pro Bowl bid has to be seriously considered for Webster for anyone paying attention in the NFC.  Webster did get bailed out by a holding call in which Nate Washington FLEW by him for a negated TD.

Kenny Phillips, you have now officially re-earned your nickname, but it won’t be “Bud” anymore.  I loved “The Cosby Show” and your pre-season nickname was fun for a few weeks, but it’s time for you to move into the big time with your teeth rattling shot on RB Mewelde Moore.  Chances are you’ll have 29 nicknames before I decide on one I like, and hell I may go back to “Bud” but this week your Delta Tau Chi name is…Thumper.  Yes the cute little bunny from Bambi who was too rambunctious for his own good, but the one you never really wanted to kick you.  By you I mean any cartoon character in the vicinity, which none of us are, but let’s not get hung up on technicalities.  Phillips, much like rookie counterpart Bryan Kehl, is starting to round into form as the rookie class of 2007 did.  The best is yet to come, but this Sunday sure was a fun preview.  Phillips made two outstanding open field tackles, first on a 2nd and 4 at the Giants 38 as the Steelers were driving toward the end of the first half and again on WR Limas Sweed, who was initially covered by the blitzing Corey Webster.  Phillips slammed into Moore on a 3rd and 5 play that was flagged for unnecessary roughness, but why bring the referees into this?  This was a good game played by two proud teams, there is no point in ruining it by talking about the horrid, inexcusable, lackluster, “are you fooking blind?” officiating.  I was ok with it really; if it was the aforementioned Stevie Wonder calling the game.

Special Teams: Domenik Hixon made what appeared to be a big special teams play, returning a Steeler punt 28 yards to the Pittsburgh 19 after the Giants turned it over on downs on their previous possession.  As was the theme for 3 quarters though, the offense tripped over itself in the red zone and was forced to rely on the 44 year old legs of K John Carney.  Enough cannot be said about Carney, whose only miss this season has been a blocked FG.  Carney was a perfect 4/4 on the day, and got the Giants their only first half points despite numerous attempts inside the 20 for the G-men.  Given the woeful ability to score TDs from deep inside opponent’s territory, Carney just might be the most valuable Giant thus far this season.  Ok weekly review fans (Daniel in MI this means you), P Jeff Feagles is really good.  I mean super duper terrific happy fun time good.  Feagles averaged 41 yards on 5 punts and when the defense needed to back the Steelers up the most, the old man responded with a 24 yard beauty that pinned Roethlisberger and his mates at their own 10 yard line with almost no chance to march the 90 yards needed to tie the game.

Coaching: Head coach Tom Coughlin once again suspended WR Plaxico Burress for a team transgression, and it did not hurt the Giants on the field or off.  Coughlin’s rules are now respected by the entire team (almost), and this group plays through the whistle and gives every ounce of effort they have inside the white lines.  It’s often said that a team will reflect its coach’s personality after time, and as I’ve mentioned before, this team is a carbon copy of their head coach.  Steady, consistent, aggressive, and unfailingly optimistic about its chances to find a way to win.

Offensive play caller Kevin Gilbride will be skewered more than a Spiedie at a Binghamton Summer BBQ, but rest assured, Gilbride is making the right calls.  Fans bellyache when he passes too much and runs too much, but the fact remains his play calling keeps teams off balance and has this team averaging over 27 points per game, good for 6th in the NFL.  The Giants also lead the league in rushing, and despite only a 2.4 yard per carry average, Gilbride never abandoned the run against the Steelers.  Even in a game against a blitzing team that stuffed the ground game, Gilbride called 35 runs to 32 passes and with the game on the line, again found the right combination for Eli Manning to lead his team to victory.

Steve Spagnuolo’s defense picked up 5 sacks, scooped up 4 INTs, held the Steelers to 1/10 on 3rd downs and kept the black and gold to 249 total yards for the game.  Just like last season, his defense is improving as its becoming more cohesive, and honestly, the best is most likely yet to come.

JPog (Joey’s Player of the Game) – Picking Eli would be easy, but my sentimental pick is DE Mathias Kiwanuka, who picked up 3 sacks and played the game of his short NFL career against the vaunted Steelers offensive line.  Kiwanuka was cut down by a cheap shot in college, saw his draft stock fall, got switched to LB after playing DE all his life, broke his leg in 2007 and missed the Giants Super Bowl run, and then he gets moved BACK to DE after Osi Umenyiora was lost for year.  That not enough?  On the final play of this season’s opening game, Redskins LT Chris Samuels dove at Kiwi’s knees and sprained his ankle.  Congrats to the lanky one, #97, for fighting through injuries, position changes and plenty of doubt to notch a 3 sack game and be a true difference maker on this defense.  For your outstanding courage Mathias, you get a “Rocky” lunchbox and an old Betamax copy of “The Wizard of Oz” (pay attention to the Lion).

JBog (Joey’s Bum of the Game) – The referees.  Wow.  You guys…you.  Wow.

  1. 3rd Down, Giants hold – Ticky tack personal foul on Kenny Phillips for actually trying to make play on a 3rd down the Giants stopped
  2. A blatant neutral zone infraction on Jacobs’ two failed goal line attempts.
  3. Ticky tack holding call on S Michael Johnson on a punt return when the man who was “held” was actually bumped with his toe on the white line.
  4. 3rd Down, Giants convert – Kevin Boss called for a hold on Lamar Woodley that negated a first down run when it was CLEAR as day that it was a clean block and Woodley pulled a Keanu Reeves and flopped to the ground.  (Keanu Reeves is “Joey” for “bad acting”)
  5. 3rd Down, Giants are held – A failed, you guessed it 3rd down conversion for the Giants, helped by CB Deshea Townsend pulling a WR’s jersey almost clean off, but apparently that’s OK in Steeltown.
  6. TD Run by Mewelde Moore – Tuck was held clearly by TE Heath Miller, no call.
  7. 2nd and Goal – Ike Taylor holds at the goal line, no call.

Refereeing is at an all time low in the NFL, and yes I’m biased on some of these calls, but the Steelers got the shaft on some calls too.  It’s almost Halloween; watch out for flaming bags on your front porches you blind as a bat bunch of buffoons.  Alliteration rules.

(Box Score – New York Giants at Pittsburgh Steelers, October 26, 2008)