New York Giants: Injuries Have Defense In A Bind

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

We're goin' back to San Francisco fellas.  California here we come!   - Lawrence Taylor

 

 

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: This May Turn Into The Revenge Game The 49ers Have Been Itching For.

If The Giants Defensive Line Is To Cause Any Tremors,

Obviously, San Francisco Is The Place To Do It...

The 49ers are still sniveling about last year's game.  They haven't budged from their contention they are better than the Giants either.  Sunday, maybe they will be.  Recent, and not so recent history says, they beat us in the regular season then we beat them in the playoffs.  Save a game or two, that's the way it usually goes between the Giants and 49ers.  At any rate, here we go again.  Sunday, San Francisco finally gets their rematch after last season's NFC Championship loss.  Hey, the sun shines on a dog's posterior once a day too ya know...  So good luck with that.


I haven't been too bothered by injuries before.  But the ones to Kenny Phillips and Rocky Bernard concern me.  The Giants are weakened up the middle as a result.  Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard were supposed to be the two stating Tackles this season.  Now they are both out of action.  While playing well, Linval Joseph must now play big man on campus, and keep Markus Kuhn's and Marvin Austin's head in the game, and focused on stopping Frank Gore.


I think losing Kenny Phillips is a big problem.  Kenny was off to a great start this season.  His tackling was stellar.  And that's what the Giants will miss most Sunday.  Antrel Rolle will no doubt have to babysit 49ers tight end, Vernon Davis.  But who will tackle Davis in the open field?  The guy is 6'3" and weighs 250 pounds!  Kenny Phillips would have.  He has the size to bring down Davis.  Kenny Phillips is 6'2" and weighs 217 lbs.  I feel Phillips was the best defense against Davis dominating the game.  Who now for the G-Men?  Steve Brown stepped in last week for Phillips and played very well.  But it was against the Browns.  He is only 5'11" although weighs in at 221 lbs.  I'd be skeptical about his chances versus Davis in the open field.  Tyler Sash is back just in time from his four game suspension to lend a helping hand.  He is 6'0" and weighs 215.  That's better.  Will Smith is 6'1", but falls over forty pounds shy of Vernon Davis.


Unless Antrel Rolle has a superlative day of solo tackling, rest assured, Vernon Davis will shake and bake Rolle out of the slot Sunday.  Someone will need to bring him down.  Otherwise, Alex Smith will look for him all day long.


At wide out, The Giants defensive backfield will have to contend with usual nemesis Michael Crabtree.  But they also now have to deal with ex-mate, Mario Manningham.  The problem is Corey Webster is not Corey Webster this season, with or without a cast.  And without Terrell Thomas, the Giants are still having trouble filling the void left behind by the departure of Aaron Ross.  Prince Amukamara at least has ceased being a liability, as was the case in his first two starts.  Jayron Hosley sat out last week.  And Michael Coe is doing what he can on gimpy legs.  This unit is already the Giants weakest link.  One more injury, and this chain snaps.


Unless the Giants defensive front seven can impact this game via stopping the run, and rushing Alex Smith, the 49er quarterback just may pick the Giants apart this week.  While I do not find the 49ers offensive line overly impressive, collectively, they are a very solid bunch.  Opposing them will be the Giants defensive line which has recently fall under great scrutiny.  And for good reason.  Where are the sacks?  Where is the overwhelming pressure?  They couldn't even manage a sack against the Browns.  Something has to give.  But conventional thinking says the Giants won't get their pass rush righted against the 49ers.  San Francisco is too legit to be any team's remedy for lack of pressure on the quarterback.  If the 49ers use three step drops and go no-huddle, it will wind up being an extremely long day on the Left Coast for Big Blue.





Mike.BTB