NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS:
Offensive Line Has Big Blue Surging Forward With Power.
Shaun O'Hara, Rich Seubert, Kareem McKenzie, David Diehl and Chris Snee have been together a long time. They have long been considered one of the best offensive lines in Football. Prior to last year when their streak was snapped, they started 38 consecutive games together.
Last year injuries put that streak to rest and also took a heavy toll on the Giants' season. This year has been no different. Shaun O'Hara is still a question heading into Sunday's game with Minnesota due to a bum foot that won't let up. David Diehl however should be back in action this week. His practices went well and he seems like a go to return from a partially torn hamstring.
It's always been my contention the Giants will live and die with this Offensive Line. Everything starts and ends with them. Having said that, the Giants are not only very alive, this patched-up Offensive Line has been doing extremely well.
The whole left side of this line was decimated losing starters Diehl and O'Hara. Then back-up Adam Koets was lost for the season after the Seattle game. When it came time for his turn to step in, the unheralded signing of former Pro-Bowler Shawn Andrews in the off-season practically had everyone calling GM Jerry Reese brilliant over the acquisition right up until he went down with a back back of his own that is still barking at him.
If you're not willing to call Jerry Reese brilliant just yet, how about extremely damn good then? I am an unabashed Reese cheerleader by the way. But if you remember back to the Jim Fassell days and the first year Coughlin took over, we had a guy named Luke Pettigout on our Offensive Line who was a penalty waiting to happen. Remember him and all the bad Football he engaged in? Now remember how Jerry Reese in one of his very first moves as the new Giants GM told Pettigout in a stone-faced manner to Beat It! That's the moment when this Offensive Line was finally free to become one of the most dominant units in the NFL. It was all a matter of addition by subtraction.
Fast-forward to this season, and what you have is a GM who somehow supplied this team with more depth on the Line than we all realized. Will Beatty, drafted by Reese and Kevin Boothe, imported from Oakland have stepped in and contributed mightily filling in for the Big Blue regulars. No more proof of their effectiveness is needed than the holes they've created that Brandon Jacobs has run through these last two weeks and the fact Eli has stayed very well protected and clean.
Will Beatty was rolling right along Sunday then got caught in a series of bad holding penalties. Give the kid credit and give Offensive Line Coach Pat Flaherty even more credit for on-the-spot, in-game corrections on his technique.
Coach Pat Flaherty has been here for seven years now and is regarded as one of the best in the business just like the Giants Offensive Line is considered one of the best in the business.
The Boys who supply the Daylight held things together as the situation became more dire by the week it seemed, and did an outstanding Big Blue job. Now that health is returning to fortify the Line, the Giants and their Big Blue fan base should move forward with an increasing confidence knowing Giants Football still means Running With Power.
Mike.BTB
Showing posts with label Adam Koets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adam Koets. Show all posts
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
NYGiants ~ O-Line; Oh No!
I made mention how hurtful Week 9's blow-out victory over the Seahawks was to the Giants. It's time to read the bed charts.
Shaun O'Hara has been hobbled pretty much all season; ankles, feet, toes, nails...name it. David Diehl will be out for several weeks with a partially torn hamstring. He made a radio appearance this afternoon where he said his mind was on playing this weekend. Don't count on it. It's highly doubtful he plays. Kid Adam Koets is out for the season. The Kid who's been filling in quite admirably for Center Shaun O'Hara is done with a busted knee. That's tough! Kareem McKenzie has been banged up also.
The entire left side of the Offensive Line from the center, guard to tackle is decimated. Today, Jerry Reese's signing of Shawn Andrews during the off-season looks nothing short of brilliant. He will be sorely needed this week.
The Giants' Offensive Line IS our season. You can take that to the bank. If you've been reading my postings about Big Blue, you know I've been preoccupied about two things; the Offensive Line and Brandon Jacobs (aside from Coach Gilbride).
In the year of our most recent Super Bowl victory, our Offensive Line was healthy all year long. That's the key and there-in lies the rub. Last year was short circuited by injuries. After starting out 5-0, week by week, injury after injury, the season went south.
When Jerry Reese was hired as General Manager, taking over for a retiring Ernie Accorsi, one of his first moves was releasing Offensive Lineman Luke Pettigout. He was a penalty flag waiting to happen. From that moment forward, this Giants Offensive Line, when healthy, has been among the most dominating units in the NFL. When Chris Snee, David Diehl, Shaun O'Hara, Rich Seubert and Kareem McKenzie are healthy and in the line-up together, they dominate the line of scrimmage like very few others, if any, in the League. This Offensive Line has been and still is a a great line. Health is what hampers the unit now. Injury compromises their greatness. The fortunes of the Giants' season start and end here.
Eli's blind side is in peril. This means Coach Gilbride will have to bring the two tight end sets to the left side. And perhaps Kevin Boss has caught his last pass for the next couple of weeks.
Oh yea, Coach Gilbride; I'm forced out of necessity to put my personal gripe with Coach Gilbride aside for the time being. If there's anyone who's going to coach his way out of this predicament, it's him. I mean that.
I admitted before, and I'll do it again here; I think he's among the best Offensive Coordinators in Football today, and we are damn lucky to have him. I'd even venture to say he's the best we've had since Ron Earhart, if not better.
Now Coach has got to do what Coach has got to do to alleviate the burden on our crippled O-Line. Screen passes, draw plays, moving the pocket, pulling guards, throwing to the backfield, three step drops...all those little and basic things that disrupt defensive aggression at the line.
I don't think we should be taking too many chances having Eli throwing 40 passes Sunday with a suspect left side. To say Dallas is struggling is an incredible understatement. But more specifically their defense has been atrocious. Sure they fired their Head Coach Wade Phillips and may get a little motivation from promoted coach Jason Garrett Sunday. But maybe it's still best if we gave them an intensive dose of Brandon Jacobs? I still don't trust Dallas and I'd like to beat them in an old school way. Make them stop the run. Simple run blocking schemes and power running may just be what the Doctor ordered. Don't mock at the simplicity of the thought. Just line up and put it in your mind to blow them off the line of scrimmage. New Coach or not, the Cowboys are a deflated team with little spirit left.
I think Sunday's game plan calls for something other than our customary 7 step drop and locating our receiving corps. And I have every confidence in the world Coach Gilbride can game plan accordingly with regard to our O-Line situation.
Was my preoccupations with the O-Line and Brandon Jacobs considered obsessive and petty now? There's two philosophies at work here and I'm just trying to find the common ground. There's a difference between what Coach Gilbride wants to, and likes to do (because he's an ego-maniac)...and then there's the things we absolutely have to do in trying times.
Ahmad Bradshaw is ignoring all kinds of ailments to his body. There is still another 8 games in the season. Bradshaw is only 5'10" (?) and only slightly heavier than...say, Dave Meggett was. THAT'S why it's been important for us to ensure Brandon Jacobs was getting enough carries, and keep building up his effectiveness. He's been a model citizen since HelmetGate and deserved the touches. There were plenty of play-calls available for Jacobs, were not for Coach Gilbride's penchant to throw the ball to all the cardinal points of direction when he's up in games 35-0. He treats the running game like a red-headed step-child at times.
*sigh*
This week is in Coach G's hands. He's free to Coach Sunday as he sees fit without any criticisms from me on the other side. I always root scared; another thing I admitted once before. But this week I'm riding Coach's back to Daylight. Right now, he knows best. But I'll be back on him like a puppy sniffing for Snausages in a few weeks hopefully coinciding with returning health to some our Offensive Line.
Mike.BTB
Shaun O'Hara has been hobbled pretty much all season; ankles, feet, toes, nails...name it. David Diehl will be out for several weeks with a partially torn hamstring. He made a radio appearance this afternoon where he said his mind was on playing this weekend. Don't count on it. It's highly doubtful he plays. Kid Adam Koets is out for the season. The Kid who's been filling in quite admirably for Center Shaun O'Hara is done with a busted knee. That's tough! Kareem McKenzie has been banged up also.
The entire left side of the Offensive Line from the center, guard to tackle is decimated. Today, Jerry Reese's signing of Shawn Andrews during the off-season looks nothing short of brilliant. He will be sorely needed this week.
The Giants' Offensive Line IS our season. You can take that to the bank. If you've been reading my postings about Big Blue, you know I've been preoccupied about two things; the Offensive Line and Brandon Jacobs (aside from Coach Gilbride).
In the year of our most recent Super Bowl victory, our Offensive Line was healthy all year long. That's the key and there-in lies the rub. Last year was short circuited by injuries. After starting out 5-0, week by week, injury after injury, the season went south.
When Jerry Reese was hired as General Manager, taking over for a retiring Ernie Accorsi, one of his first moves was releasing Offensive Lineman Luke Pettigout. He was a penalty flag waiting to happen. From that moment forward, this Giants Offensive Line, when healthy, has been among the most dominating units in the NFL. When Chris Snee, David Diehl, Shaun O'Hara, Rich Seubert and Kareem McKenzie are healthy and in the line-up together, they dominate the line of scrimmage like very few others, if any, in the League. This Offensive Line has been and still is a a great line. Health is what hampers the unit now. Injury compromises their greatness. The fortunes of the Giants' season start and end here.
Eli's blind side is in peril. This means Coach Gilbride will have to bring the two tight end sets to the left side. And perhaps Kevin Boss has caught his last pass for the next couple of weeks.
Oh yea, Coach Gilbride; I'm forced out of necessity to put my personal gripe with Coach Gilbride aside for the time being. If there's anyone who's going to coach his way out of this predicament, it's him. I mean that.
I admitted before, and I'll do it again here; I think he's among the best Offensive Coordinators in Football today, and we are damn lucky to have him. I'd even venture to say he's the best we've had since Ron Earhart, if not better.
Now Coach has got to do what Coach has got to do to alleviate the burden on our crippled O-Line. Screen passes, draw plays, moving the pocket, pulling guards, throwing to the backfield, three step drops...all those little and basic things that disrupt defensive aggression at the line.
I don't think we should be taking too many chances having Eli throwing 40 passes Sunday with a suspect left side. To say Dallas is struggling is an incredible understatement. But more specifically their defense has been atrocious. Sure they fired their Head Coach Wade Phillips and may get a little motivation from promoted coach Jason Garrett Sunday. But maybe it's still best if we gave them an intensive dose of Brandon Jacobs? I still don't trust Dallas and I'd like to beat them in an old school way. Make them stop the run. Simple run blocking schemes and power running may just be what the Doctor ordered. Don't mock at the simplicity of the thought. Just line up and put it in your mind to blow them off the line of scrimmage. New Coach or not, the Cowboys are a deflated team with little spirit left.
I think Sunday's game plan calls for something other than our customary 7 step drop and locating our receiving corps. And I have every confidence in the world Coach Gilbride can game plan accordingly with regard to our O-Line situation.
Was my preoccupations with the O-Line and Brandon Jacobs considered obsessive and petty now? There's two philosophies at work here and I'm just trying to find the common ground. There's a difference between what Coach Gilbride wants to, and likes to do (because he's an ego-maniac)...and then there's the things we absolutely have to do in trying times.
Ahmad Bradshaw is ignoring all kinds of ailments to his body. There is still another 8 games in the season. Bradshaw is only 5'10" (?) and only slightly heavier than...say, Dave Meggett was. THAT'S why it's been important for us to ensure Brandon Jacobs was getting enough carries, and keep building up his effectiveness. He's been a model citizen since HelmetGate and deserved the touches. There were plenty of play-calls available for Jacobs, were not for Coach Gilbride's penchant to throw the ball to all the cardinal points of direction when he's up in games 35-0. He treats the running game like a red-headed step-child at times.
*sigh*
This week is in Coach G's hands. He's free to Coach Sunday as he sees fit without any criticisms from me on the other side. I always root scared; another thing I admitted once before. But this week I'm riding Coach's back to Daylight. Right now, he knows best. But I'll be back on him like a puppy sniffing for Snausages in a few weeks hopefully coinciding with returning health to some our Offensive Line.
Mike.BTB
Thursday, October 21, 2010
NYG ~ Mid-Week Big Blue Views; Offense
Coach Kevin Gilbride called thirty run plays and thirty pass plays against the Lions last week. No matter what I say, that's balance. It's hard to knock him for that. But I'll take my shots.
In my WEEK 6 Preview I pretty much nailed the number of plays at 60. But what I had in mind, because I thought last week would be an optimum week to commit hard to the run game to the tune of 40 rushes, was Eli being limited to 20 to 25 pass attempts. I wanted to see Brandon Jacobs' rushing attempts receive a substantial uptick. I was thinking along the lines of 20 carries for Jacobs; 20 carries for Bradshaw and limiting Eli to the same (number) 20 passes (give or take).
Don't get me wrong. I have always been Eli's staunchest supporter since he was a rookie... The wide receiving corps are really coming into their own. Hakeem Nicks and Eli are becoming all the rage. Manningham, Steve Smith and the rest have Plaxico Burress safely in our rear view mirror. My issues are with Gilbride and his Pass Happy Philosophy. He throws too much. That's my problem with him.
It's just me. I can not come to grips that the Giants, with Eli and Coach Gilbride, are a passing team now. I'm 43 years old and that's just not what I was brought up on, nor what I'm accustomed to. You think I would gotten over it by now considering Eli and Gilbride have been here a while. Uh..., no. I believe in the old Vince Lombardi and Bill Parcell's mantras:
"Run To Daylight" and "Run With Power".
Ahmad Bradshaw got his usual allotment of carries and broke 100 yards for the second consecutive week. There appears to be zero to no lingering affects from his off-season surgery to both lower appendages. On the contrary, he's breaking the ankles of defenses with his cuts, and elusiveness.
Brandon Jacobs, still a bit mystifying to us Giants fans, is progressing well. He's been a force, pounding the ball into the end-zone when the Giants are down low. This week he was good for two more short yardage touchdowns. As the Offensive Line gets healthier, so will Jacobs' effectiveness.
But Coach Gilbride, I beg of you, increase his rushes and let him establish a groove. Please, for one game, make him your feature back and see if he can still wear-out a defense. We don't see effects of a Brandon Jacobs' type attack till well into the third quarter; and not till the fourth quarters do defenses start to get pushed back off the line of scrimmage; a result of just getting beat down by the O-Line and Brandon. But you have to commit a game plan to that end. That is something the Giants coaching staff seems unwilling to do. But that's just me being idealistic. The ground game has been effective over the weeks and getting better; Jacobs and Gilbride's usage of him included.
The Offensive Line is getting a little healthier and better every week. Center Shaun O'Hara seems like he's back. Adam Koets has done an admirable job in Shaun's place if you ask me. Shaun O'Hara's return has to be a relief for David Deihl also. Kareem McKenzie was a much more calm, cool and collected player this week inducing a personal foul. His own personal fouls from a few weeks ago were a definite aberration. Chris Snee and Rich Seubert have been solid. When the veteran unit is finally re-assembled and fully healthy, I'm expecting to see a vastly different Offense.; one with much more consistency.
Last week against the Lions, the offense's inability to get first downs down the stretch (my water mark has been from the 8 minute mark of the 3rd quarter on..) kept Detroit alive. We could not convert on third down. Period. At one point it took the Giants seven plays to punch the ball into the end-zone from inside the 7 yard line. What saved the Giants' hides last week was the Lions propensity to get called for penalties. The Lions committed 11 penalties for a little under 100 yards. That more than anything kept the ball moving for the Giants down the stretch; not so much Big Blue's execution.
And if Detroit didn't have to spend all their time-outs trying to get a stop and the ball back...., the Giants were facing even more trouble.
Time (and Detroit's lack of discipline) as much as anything, get an assist in the Giants victory over the Lions.
(next game ~ at Dallas)
Mike.BTB
In my WEEK 6 Preview I pretty much nailed the number of plays at 60. But what I had in mind, because I thought last week would be an optimum week to commit hard to the run game to the tune of 40 rushes, was Eli being limited to 20 to 25 pass attempts. I wanted to see Brandon Jacobs' rushing attempts receive a substantial uptick. I was thinking along the lines of 20 carries for Jacobs; 20 carries for Bradshaw and limiting Eli to the same (number) 20 passes (give or take).
Don't get me wrong. I have always been Eli's staunchest supporter since he was a rookie... The wide receiving corps are really coming into their own. Hakeem Nicks and Eli are becoming all the rage. Manningham, Steve Smith and the rest have Plaxico Burress safely in our rear view mirror. My issues are with Gilbride and his Pass Happy Philosophy. He throws too much. That's my problem with him.
It's just me. I can not come to grips that the Giants, with Eli and Coach Gilbride, are a passing team now. I'm 43 years old and that's just not what I was brought up on, nor what I'm accustomed to. You think I would gotten over it by now considering Eli and Gilbride have been here a while. Uh..., no. I believe in the old Vince Lombardi and Bill Parcell's mantras:
"Run To Daylight" and "Run With Power".
Ahmad Bradshaw got his usual allotment of carries and broke 100 yards for the second consecutive week. There appears to be zero to no lingering affects from his off-season surgery to both lower appendages. On the contrary, he's breaking the ankles of defenses with his cuts, and elusiveness.
Brandon Jacobs, still a bit mystifying to us Giants fans, is progressing well. He's been a force, pounding the ball into the end-zone when the Giants are down low. This week he was good for two more short yardage touchdowns. As the Offensive Line gets healthier, so will Jacobs' effectiveness.
But Coach Gilbride, I beg of you, increase his rushes and let him establish a groove. Please, for one game, make him your feature back and see if he can still wear-out a defense. We don't see effects of a Brandon Jacobs' type attack till well into the third quarter; and not till the fourth quarters do defenses start to get pushed back off the line of scrimmage; a result of just getting beat down by the O-Line and Brandon. But you have to commit a game plan to that end. That is something the Giants coaching staff seems unwilling to do. But that's just me being idealistic. The ground game has been effective over the weeks and getting better; Jacobs and Gilbride's usage of him included.
The Offensive Line is getting a little healthier and better every week. Center Shaun O'Hara seems like he's back. Adam Koets has done an admirable job in Shaun's place if you ask me. Shaun O'Hara's return has to be a relief for David Deihl also. Kareem McKenzie was a much more calm, cool and collected player this week inducing a personal foul. His own personal fouls from a few weeks ago were a definite aberration. Chris Snee and Rich Seubert have been solid. When the veteran unit is finally re-assembled and fully healthy, I'm expecting to see a vastly different Offense.; one with much more consistency.
Last week against the Lions, the offense's inability to get first downs down the stretch (my water mark has been from the 8 minute mark of the 3rd quarter on..) kept Detroit alive. We could not convert on third down. Period. At one point it took the Giants seven plays to punch the ball into the end-zone from inside the 7 yard line. What saved the Giants' hides last week was the Lions propensity to get called for penalties. The Lions committed 11 penalties for a little under 100 yards. That more than anything kept the ball moving for the Giants down the stretch; not so much Big Blue's execution.
And if Detroit didn't have to spend all their time-outs trying to get a stop and the ball back...., the Giants were facing even more trouble.
Time (and Detroit's lack of discipline) as much as anything, get an assist in the Giants victory over the Lions.
(next game ~ at Dallas)
Mike.BTB
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