N.Y. Giants ~ Week 8; Needing a Win Before the Storm

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:  Big Blue Must Avoid Sleeping With The Fish Before Playing League's Elite Teams.



Health.  Fish.  Health through fish.  Dolphins are not fish.  They're mammals.  And there's roughly fifty-three of them from Miami trained to play football; albeit not very well.




The Giants are slowly gaining health.  They're getting some of their premiere players back for this game.  Brandon Jacobs and Justin Tuck seem ready to suit up while Chris Snee and the O-Line used the last two weeks to recover from some issues.  But it looks like Prince Amukamara still needs one more week till he returns. 




If Prince does indeed return next week, it won't be too soon as the schedule will take a drastic turn towards some very stiff competition.  So welcome to the last soft spot in the schedule.  That's why the Giants can't do anything stupid this Sunday....like lose to the worst team in the League the way they stumbled against Seattle.  Big Blue just can not be THAT team that lays a Big Egg against the Fish.  OH!  Poseidon help the Giants if they lose this game to a team that more resembles a pack of manatees than the Dolphin emblazoned on their helmets.




The Giants will have the Fearsome Foursome defensive line of JPP, Osi, Tuck, and Tollefson in place and available together for the first time this season.  Just in time too.  They'll have this game against the Dolphins to reacquaint themselves before the Giants start a chain of games against the Patriots; Niners; Eagles; Saints; and Packers - which means a heavy dose of Brady; Vick; Brees; and Rogers.  The Giants have been surviving this season due in large part to their ability to get key, timely sacks.  They'll need a healthy pass rush more than ever now.





The return of Justin Tuck presents it's own possibilities with regard to Mathias Kiwanuka.  There's an opening here for the hybrid to be even more dynamic on the pass rush from linebacker.  I'm very interested to see how Coach Fewell implements him.  Then if Prince Amukamara comes back ready to help next week, and if Kenny Phillips' ribs can do the same, Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, and the rest of the Secondary and the entire Giants' Defense stand to benefit substantially.  Then maybe we can finally prevent that one big rush against us, and that one big pass play against us from happening on a now near weekly basis.  But in order for that to happen, the Giants need to close that gaping hole in the middle.  That's where Michael Boley needs to re-establish himself, and the area Mathias Kiwanuka and Coach Fewell need to address now.




On the other side of the ball, Brandon Jacobs and his big mouth are back.  Is what he said surprising to you?  It shouldn't be.  That was nothing we haven't heard before.  And you know what?  He's right.  If you've followed me blog about the Giants, then you know how much complaining I've done regarding the Giants' misuse of Brandon Jacobs; the healthy Brandon Jacobs, that is.




He's griped to the media before and no one ever likes that.  But when it comes to the field, he's always been all-in and a good, supportive team mate.  So he can complain if he wants to, because there's large grains of truth in what he says.  Coach Coughlin went as far as admitting Jacobs was under-utilized at the conclusion of last season.  And he did after all renegotiate his contract allowing the Giants to resign his Little Buddy Bradshaw.  But I also understand, Jerry Reese could also have cut him at any time based on an injury history and his inability to catch passes out of the backfield alone.  As unwise in my opinion as cutting him may have been, they still continue misuse Jacobs none the less.  And it remains my contention Brandon Jacobs will be an important factor in December football should Coach Gilbride continue to stay flexible and remain patient with the running game.




I think Jacobs is wrong however in this respect.  I don't think there's another team willing to feature him as their full-time back.  And that's even before bringing age into the conversation.  I believe his home is here with the Giants, in this system with Bradshaw.  Although within this system, he is deserving and correct in asking for more carries.  Jerry Reese hasn't positioned the Giants to make a break from Brandon Jacobs yet.  He'll need another draft for that.  So it's probably best if the Giants just pound him into opposing defenses and soften them up for Bradshaw.





The Giants must absolutely take advantage of this match-up against the Dolphins and solidify their precarious lead they have in the NFC East.  Philly and Dallas square off Sunday as well, with the loser getting smaller in the division's rear-view mirror.  The Redskins in my opinion, look ready to fall from the race like a piano out of the sky.  Therefore a Giant win Sunday against the Dolphins will go a long way towards creating space between Big Blue, and the Cowboys, and Eagles.




We've been here before...with the Cardinals game.  And don't forget, the Skins, Cowboys, and Eagles play all the crappy teams the Giants did.  Just sayin'.





Let's Go Giants!






Mike.BTB