N.Y. Giants: Secondary Issues A Primary Concern

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS: Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop...  Prince Amukamara And Terrell Thomas Must Stay Healthy, and Stay Playing Together.


While everyone is so caught up with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones accusing the Giants of flopping, and getting all uptight about David Wilson's performance, I believe the Giants have a much more serious problem on their hands.

In attempting to make a tackle towards the end of the first half In Dallas, safety Ryan Mundy and corner Prince Amukamara collided helmet to helmet, like two rams in heat smashing skulls.  Prince wound up getting the worst of the collision.  He left the game with a concussion, while Mundy continued playing.

Since the Giants selected Amukamara in the first round of the 2011 draft, almost immediately, starting with an off-season broken foot suffered before he ever played a professional game, and since, Prince has been riddled with injuries.  In two seasons, he's managed twenty games played out of a possible thirty-two.  He played in thirteen games last season and seven in his rookie year.

Prince reportedly feels fine at the moment, but if us Giants/Rangers fans have learned anything about concussions, is one) - feeling fine today doesn't ensure feeling fine the next day, and two) - their effects are cumulative.

The Giants really can't afford to lose anyone from the secondary.  Facing Denver and Peyton Manning in Week Two only compounds the Giants issue.

Terrell Thomas looked good Sunday night, didn't he?  He appeared to be moving very freely.  Unfortunately, he is the other source of my anxiety.  Terrell, unlike Prince, has outright missed the last two years to the same recurring injury.  Sunday was his first game since the 2010 season.  How can you not watch him and think any given play could be his last?  Having Webster and Ross back together will help in the short term, but Thomas and Amukamara were supposed to be firmly entrenched in this secondary already.  That hasn't happened yet.  In fact, Jerry Reese has demonstrated extraordinary patience with Terrell Thomas.  I just hope he stays healthy and rewards his GM's faith.




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants Wrap-Up: The Defense

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE


NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL ~ The Defense That Wasn't.


No Super Bowl title defense for you...  So what happened?  For me, the failures were equally on both offense and defense.  I am also inclined to agree with the coaching staff's general consensus that there was a tremendous lack of execution this past season.  After Hurricane Sandy, I didn't get to watch many games on TV.  In hindsight, perhaps that was best.  But I certainly didn't like what I heard on radio.


I will start this post season assessment with the Defense, and coordinator Perry Fewell.  His victory parade is over.  It's time for him to get back to the drawing board.  I'll let him slide for throwing his players under the bus at season's end regarding their overall performance.  But next season, his defense must yield far better results.  There is much change that needs to emanate from the top, meaning from Mr. Fewell.  He doesn't exactly fit the mold of Giants offensive coordinators and their strategies of the past.  Bill Belichick, John Fox, Steve Spagnuolo - they were very good coordinators here.  Perry Fewell's Read and React schemes however drive me batty.  His defenses are not terribly aggressive.  But that's as far as I'll criticize Perry Fewell.  Many other factors contributed to an overall poor defensive effort.  As a unit, the Giants Defense couldn't stop the run. They couldn't stop the pass.  And they couldn't stop themselves from looking downright amateurish at times.


At Cornerback, year one in the post-Aaron Ross era was a disaster.  For starters, the secondary was ravaged by injuries for a second consecutive season.  On that note, for the second consecutive season Terrell Thomas was lost for the year.  Michael Coe was lost for the season as well.  Prince Amukamara is still yet to play like a #1 draft pick but showed improvement.  And Coery Webster had perhaps the worst season of his career.  Rookie Jayron Hosely had his moments.  But he is too short for the position I believe, and is easily picked on.


At Safety, I feel yet another injury to Kenny Phillips was also a huge blow to the defense.  He was turning into an impact safety until sidelined....again.  On the bright side however, Antrel Rolle had a stellar season.  Will Hill and the amazin' Stevie Brown filled in tremendously.


Next, there are two ways I would describe the Giants situation at Linebacker - average and without impact.  Chase Blackburn, we hardly knew ya.  Where would the Giants have been without him?  Because truth be told, Michael Boley, Keith Rivers, Jacquian Williams, Mark Herzlich, and Spencer Paysinger put forth rather inconsequential seasons.


Up front, it's like the Defensive Line kept bumping into each other in the fun house.  No one ever adequately explained what happened to the Giants pass rush last season.  Osi was his own worst enemy, constantly playing his way out of a sack or tackle.  The league made adjustments against JPP.  He will now be taking lessons from Michael Strahan on how to deal with getting double-teamed.  That's not a bad idea.  But Justin Tuck remains a bit mystifying.  I was satisfied with Chris Canty when he managed to stay on the field.  He only played nine games.


Staying on the field - what a task.  With regard to injuries, the Giants have questions that need answers.  How long should the Giants stick it out with Terrell Thomas before cutting the cord?  As mentioned, he has missed the last two seasons with the same injury.  Kenny Phillips can be viewed  similarly.  We also need to consider Chris Canty missed almost half the season.  And Keith Rivers, dealing with his fair share of injuries, also has not fulfilled his potential here.


On the free agent front, GM Jerry Reese has his hands full.  Osi's situation is well known to us by now.  He has most likely played his last game as a New York Giant.  Kenny Phillips is also an unrestricted free agent.  I do not want to see him leave.  But since he first hit the field as a rookie, he's had troubles staying on it.  When Chris Canty went down with an injury, Rocky Bernard teamed up with Linval Joseph and plugged the Tackle position well.  Rocky Bernard is also now an unrestricted free agent.  Some very fine play at linebacker just might have earned Chase Blackburn a handsome little raise for him and his family.  It just won't be with the G-Men.  I can't see them paying-up for Chase.  The Giants cap situation is too restrictive for that.


What now?  If I had my druthers, I'd have Jerry Reese address the linebacker situation.  The Giants need more impact from that position.  While Boley is still a fine player, and Rivers is worth a further look, the rest of the corps perhaps needs fresh meat.  Unfortunately, I do not believe there is any money in the budget to spend quality dollars here.  If Osi has indeed played his last game as a Giant, then Mathias Kiwanuka seems certain of returning to the defensive line.


In spite of the injury to Kenny Phillips, I'm hoping he can be re-signed to an extension.  In his absence however, Stevie Brown was able to show what he's capable of.  And it was good.  With Antrel Rolle, the Giants are looking pretty good at Safety.  It is the Cornerback situation they need to fix.  Jerry Reese faces a quandary as to how, be it holding out hope for a healthier Thomas, revamping the position, or throwing money at it.  And we know the latter suggestion is simply not the Giants way.  That said, Jerry Reese also has a very hard decision to make regarding Corey Webster as well.  After two very sub par seasons, Webster comes with a mighty hefty price tag next season.  He could very well get cut.


On the defensive line, my concern is at Tackle.  The Giants might be forced to take a closer look here.  While Chris Canty has an ally in me, the position has not been right since Barry Cofield left.  Linval Joseph played okay.  No major gripes.  But overall, the Giants ability to stop the run must improve.  Improvements to the linebacker and tackle positions would be my way to go about that.  As far as stopping the pass, give me less Jayron Hosely and give me more size at the corners.




Mike.BTB

New York Giants: Win In Dallas While Sandy Batters Homes

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

 

NEW YORK GIANTS:  G-Men Escape Dallas With Win.  But Their Homes Lose Against Hurricane Sandy.


Just because life got interrupted by a hurricane doesn't mean it escaped me how badly the Giants got outplayed in Dallas.  Be cause they did.  If Tony Romo wasn't such a... bonehead, the G-Men lose.


Here's a couple of things to chew on about Sunday's win.  First, for the second time this season (and thank goodness that's over), Tony Romo dissected the Giants Secondary like they were frogs in some high school biology class.


Corey Webster's bad season just got even more ponderous.  What possessed him to bite on an out-route and let his man pass him on what should have turned out to be a game ending Hail Mary touchdown, I will never know.  Ponderous!  The team was spared a week of antagonizing scrutiny by mere finger tips on the play.  I for one can not wait around until Week Thirteen for his game to round into form like it did last season after an equally horrific start.


Mark Witten had an insane day, and not because the Giants sacrificed him for containing a different aspect of Dallas' offense.  Because they did.  The Giants didn't allow the Cowboys to run the ball.  However, a big reason Tony Romo threw sixty two passes Sunday, was because his team was behind 23-0 in the first half.  But that doesn't shroud the fact Witten made toast out of anyone who covered  him.  The Giants had no answer for him.


Three Cowboys receivers totalled over 100 yards.  Witten led the planet with eighteen catches for 167 yards.  Miles Austin caught nine passes for 133 yards.  And Dez Bryant, who's fingertips lost the day, caught five passes for 110 yards.  That makes me want to exclaim, Holy Crap!  The Cowboys only attempted fifteen rushes all game.  So it is not like the Giants didn't know the pass was coming.  But when you turn the ball over six times like Romo and the 'Boys did, you're bound to lose.


The Giants won.  So who am I complaining to?  Yeah, two fumbles and four interceptions will certainly expedite that.  Four Giants sacks I'm sure only made things worse for the Cowboys.


All hail the Giants Tackles!  I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am Chris Canty is back.  He is such a rock up the middle.  Chris had one sack for Big Blue, and Linval Joseph had two.  JPP recorded the fourth.  And I think having Canty on the field can only help JPP.  I feel like Tuck and Osi let him roll with the pack, and are just looking to gang up on people.  But Chris Canty will keep him schooled in the art of football at the same time.


Lastly, if Steve Weatherford doesn't have the game he did, the Giants are not in position to win the game.  What a brilliant day of punting.  The Giants MVP (most valuable punter) of last season, is doing no less this season.  He booted six punts in which Dallas amassed eight net yards returning the ball.  Weatherford's long of the day was fifty nine yards.   How the Jets let him go is beyond me.


That's my first pass back in the pocket.  The Giants had their hands full as well when they returned home.  They are in the same boat we are with regards to hurricane damage.  On that note, Pittsburgh can't find hotel rooms for Sunday's game.  Heard on 98.7ESPN, they will fly in Sunday morning.




Mike.BTB

New York Giants: Giants Loss Deeper Than Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:

Missed It by THAT Much

 

WEEK FOUR FINAL:

GIANTS   17

EAGLES  19

First things first - The fact Lawrence Tynes missed what could have been the game winning field goal doesn't bother me in the slightest.  He's got a good foot and is not why the Giants lost to the Eagles.


Next item - I do not mind that Kevin Gilbride and Coach Coughlin stayed ultra aggressive towards the end of Sunday night's game.  There was a time (as recently as last season) when I would have ripped into the Offensive Coordinator.  I guess two Super Bowls and Eli Manning have altered my thinking somewhat.  Sure I would have ran the ball on second down with under 0:30 seconds left.  But such as life.  Let's not be hypocrites...okay?  The old adage is you play for the win on the road, and for the tie at home.  Could the coaches have considered a different way to matriculate the ball into field goal range?  Yes, but again, I'm not concerned.  Remember what they say about hindsight and apply it here.


Third on my list -  I do not mind Eli's earlier interception in the end zone.  Although that was perhaps one of the worse he has ever thrown.  The fact is, offensively, Eli and whatever receivers on the field at any given time are the only components functioning well.  With regards to Eli heroics, this is just the way this game played out.  We fans can do a better job tempering ourselves when we start demanding perfection.


If Eli is indeed functioning well, let's give the Offensive Line some credit before I start a different tact.  The Offensive Line has indeed provided Eli enough time to throw the ball.  Eli suffered no sacks Sunday evening.  They got help blocking from Martellus Bennett and Ahmad Bradshaw.  But through a quarter season thus far, the group has pass protected well with or without David Diehl in the line-up.


Here is where I am concerned.  First, I do not mind Aaron Brown only rushed the ball four times considering he was coming off two very productive weeks leading into Sunday.  While Eli suffered no sacks Sunday evening, the O-Line created no holes to run through.  The Giants rushed for a pathetic fifty seven yards.  Low production out of the backfield is more than just a pattern.  That concerns me.  And that's why I give the way Sunday night's game ended, a pass.


Lastly, I was even more perturbed by costly holding penalties committed by the Offensive Line; i.e. - Will Beatty and Sean Locklear in particular.


If a team runs the ball well, and defends against the run well, that team will win a preponderance of their games.  There in lies the reason why the Giants lost.  Against the Eagles, they did neither well. Sunday night's contest was one of those very winnable games the Giants let slip by.  But make no mistake, this game wasn't lost because Tynes missed the last second field goal, or Eli's INT in the end zone, or the Giants inability to run the ball.  The Giants lost that game because they couldn't for the life of them stop Philadelphia's running game.  All told, the Eagles gained 191 yards rushing.   Michael Vick sprung free for forty nine yards on six carries.  And LeSean McCoy ran buck wild around Osi Umenyiora, and figuratively over Big Blue, rushing twenty three times for 123 yards.  Most disheartening, the majority of his yardage came in the second half.


Once again, the Giants got sliced and diced off the edges, and generally everything bounced to the outside.  Carved and served would be a more accurate portrayal of the feast enjoyed by the Eagles running game.  All containment has left the building.  Sunday's effort was as undisciplined a performance as they've had on the field together.  And as coach, if I am stressing anything this week in practice, it would be that.


Meanwhile, the deterioration of Corey Webster's play continues.  DeSean Jackson had Webster twisted like a pretzel when he received a second quarter touchdown pass from Michael Vick.  That's why Webster was no where to be found on the play.  He was heading somewhere else.  Nothing about that play has anything to do with Corey's hand being in a cast.  For the fourth consecutive week now, Corey Webster has played a very suspect game.


My two greatest two concerns after Sunday's loss to the Eagles however, are the health and status of Kenny Phillips.  His season was off to a tremendous start.  The Secondary just can not withstand any more injuries.  Losing Phillips, I believe would be major, major blow.  And secondly, the Giants are now 0-2 within the division.




Mike.BTB

New York Giants: Philly Showdown - I

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: Might As Well Play This Game In A School Yard.  Let's Get It On!


Uh.., yeah!  Remember us?  And why would you?  The schedule makers won't let us play at the same time everyone else does.  While we're at it, why even bother playing this game on a football field?  It's Philly - might as well play this game in a school yard.


Despite all the popular talk lately, I for one do not like relying on turnovers to win games.  I don't care how many times Philly has turned over the ball this season.  No - instead of sniffing around for turnovers, Philly/Giants games are usually more a matter of brute force, ignorance, seeing who can  deliver a bigger hit, who can withstand more pain, AND the obligatory freak occurrence.  It doesn't fall short on any Giants fan to know the damnedest things happen when these teams play each other.  So why plan?  But I'll take the turnovers when I can get them.


Last week's win over the Panthers was nice and flashy and all.., but lets get back to basics, shall we?  It is time to play football in the trenches again.  Here's why I think the Giants will win Sunday evening.  Big Blue's defensive line is healthy, and the Eagles offensive line is not.  Michael Vick is one or two big shots away from missing time this season.  Who better to get after him than the Giants?  Four games into the season...it is time they do.


The Giants have had trouble when plays bounce outside.  Otherwise, the Giants have stayed resilient up the middle.  Linval Joseph and Rocky Bernard stabilized Tackle in Chris Canty's absence.  Michael Boley and Jacquian Williams continue to play well together.  If Keith Rivers can ever rejoin Mathias Kiwanuka, Boley, and Williams, what a fine linebacker unit this could be; and depth with Chase Blackburn to spare.  At Safety, Antrell Rolle and Kenny Phillips have been solid.  Rolle's knee should be fine.  And Kenny Phillips is slowly putting together the type of season we've been waiting for.  So if the defense can collectively can keep Michael Vick in the middle of the field, that would create ideal conditions for the pass rushers.  That in turn minimizes the exposure of the Corners.  It's all relative.


The key here is Michael Boley.  As the team's corner backs disintegrate behind him, Boley's responsibility of directing traffic and setting the defense increase exponentially.  At Corner, Corey Webster's hand is in a cast, and Jayron Hosely is out.  Webster will still play, but then again, he's been getting burnt like toast in two of three games.  Prince Amukamara and Michael Coe are still trying to get off the carpet as well.


So it falls back on Michael Boley and his unit to ensure the front seven pose major problems for Michael Vick.  If the G-Men keep Vick contained inside the numbers, and make him wait for something to open up down field, the pass rush will come.  If the Eagles O-Line is as banged up as advertised, the G-Men should be upon Vick quickly.


Why is this game going to come down to a field goal?  The Eagles are going to defend the run a lot better than the Panthers did.  Be sure of that.  So look for a one week down tick in Andre Brown's performance.  Ahmad Bradshaw will play.  He has always bounced back well.  We'll see how he bounces back this game.


As well as the Giants reconfigured Offensive Line has played these last two games, Philly's defensive front line is no joke.  For Sean Locklear, this is like getting thrown into the fire.  He's in, and David Diehl is out.  Some will even argue the O-Line has played better in Diehl's absence.  To that I say show me against the Eagles.  Odds are Eli gets to talk with some of Philly's defensive players up close this Sunday evening.  If recent history repeats itself, Eli might even throw an INT.  He'll be going it without Hakeem Nicks.  But Eli, and the rest of the available receivers should do just enough to squeeze out a close win in Philly.




Mike.BTB

New York Giants: Will The Real Defensive Line Please Stand Up

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:

Big Blue Needs Their Four Linemen Of The Apocalypse,

Not The Four Ponies Of Mediocrity.

N.Y. Giants - Their Best Defense Was A Good Second Half Offense

The schedule makers are clearly no fans of the Giants.  Big Blue started the season on a Wednesday night, then waited ten days before playing in Week Two.  They've since had to prepare for this quick four day turn-around and a Thursday night road game in Carolina.  Meanwhile, the Panthers are coming off a Week Two home game and have had nothing to do but sleep in their beds and practice for the Giants.


Among the waiting will be Cam Newton.  He must be salivating at the chance to take his turn lighting up the Giants Secondary.  In Week One, Tampa intercepted Newton the same way they intercepted Eli.  To a lesser extent than Eli, Cam Newton still lit-up Tampa Bay for three hundred-plus yards, albeit in a losing effort.  But with an old nemesis; Steve Smith; as his top receiver, and playing against the current state of Big Blue's Secondary, the odds of Newton having a fine day increase immeasurably.  Fully expect Cam Newton to target the Giants Corners early, often, and being successful all game long.  The trend continues....


Look for Cam Newton to run like hell also.  The Giants haven't been able to stop that either.  Newton is actually Carolina's top rusher so far.  DeAngelo Williams will surely have say over that shortly.  With the way the Giants have played against the run these first two weeks, DeAngelo just might get righted against the Giants.  He had a decent game running the ball in Week Two after getting shut down in Game One.


I'm not exactly sure where the Giants are going wrong against the run.  I think it might have to do more with a lack of discipline than other factors.  I do not see them, as they say, sealing the edges. Tampa and Dallas didn't exactly run the ball up the gut.  The Giants have given up big yardage when runners bounce outside, where the containment has been lacking.  Actually, the middle has played surprisingly solid defense.  If anything, the Giants have been strong against the pass up the middle as well.  Save for JPP, Giants sacks have predominantly come from the Tackles in Week One, and from middle linebacker last week.


This is another one of those match ups that riddles me with anxiety.  The Panthers have given the G-Men fits over the years.  This is perhaps Carolina's best edition.  And as we speak, the Giants Offense is being decimated by injuries.  Hakeem Nicks is now listed as out for Thursday's game.  He will join David Diehl, Domenick Hixon, and Ahmad Bradshaw as non participants.


Defensively however, aside from Terrell Thomas and Chris Canty, the Giants still have most of their key personnel on the field.  Eli bailed the Giants out last week and will be without the NFC Offensive Player of the Week Thursday evening.  Therefore against the Panthers, victory is dependent upon the Four Blue Linemen of the Apocalypse.  It is their turn to rise like Giants, and enough of this playing like the four inconsequential ponies of mediocrity.  The only unit with no excuse for under performing is the Defensive Line.  They are all healthy.  As I'll include Mathias Kiwanuka in this,  Justin Tuck, Osi, and JPP, need to get their hands on the quarterback far more than they have and dictate this game.  Maybe they are getting held, or double teamed, or have underperformed, or are getting outplayed.  What ever the case, all that needs to change Thursday night.  The Secondary may not survive without them.


Two time Super Bowl winner, Corey Webster, is starting to remind retro Giants fans of Elvis Patterson.  In the first two home games of the season, the old familiar waft of burnt toast has returned to fill the air of East Rutherford.  Corey Webster is flat out getting lit up.  Last season, the Giants ultimately got to the bottom of their coverage problems.  But unlike the first half of last season, this year's dilemma is not a system issue.  Corey just looks bad.  Thursday night he will be tasked with covering Steve Smith.  Good luck with that.


Meanwhile, it was right cornerback other teams were supposed to exploit.  Go figure.  Prince Amukamara will most likely play tomorrow evening.  But in my eyes, he officially has re-prove himself; not that he ever has before.  He is still a former #1 draft pick.  So he needs to finally step up and play like one.  Although that might be a little difficult to achieve this week.  He is still a compromised player.  But for Thursday night's game at least, he may be the lesser of two evils.  Reason being, Michael Coe is also leaving a lot to be desired.  And Jayron Hosely........  Basically, the Secondary is, as it was, and will continue to be - they are in trouble.  I think the only real chance they have of improving is to just play, and try to grow together over the next three games before the Giants face the Niners.


Maybe the first road trip of the season is a good thing.  There is a lot of quality time and bonding that takes place flying between cities.  Maybe the Secondary can talk and find some common ground to move forward with.  Perhaps over a game of cards or something, Tuck, JPP, and Osi decide it is time for them to wreak havoc again.  Lord knows there is much Eli needs to discuss with Ramses Barden and Jerrel Jernigan about the game.  But overall, the first road trip gets everyone moving together in the same direction after two weeks of going home in their own cars.





Mike.BTB

New York Giants: G-Men Must Avoid Falling In Week Two Trap

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

 

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:

Beware The Trap Game!

 

Big Blue Can Not Drop A Second Straight Home Game And Expect To Get Away With It.

 

Somehow in Week Two, They Are Already Playing Must Win Games.
 

 

WEEK TWO PICKS

Post - N.Y. Giants; Don't Count On Division Collapsing Again This Season

For us Northeastern'ers, playing the 4:00 p.m. game is understandable.  Although we blame California and the old AFL, we Giants fans tolerate it.  I personally hate when the Giants play on Sunday nights; Monday nights; and Thursday nights.  Now you can add Wednesday nights to the list of my least favorite days of the week for Giants Football.  Other than a Saturday game in December or January..., fuhgeddaboudit.  I like my Giants Football one way - on Sundays at 1:00 p.m.  Unfortunately for us Giants fans, as part of being defending Super Bowl champions, this ten day break between game one and two is only the first of many more scheduling annoyances to come.


Welcome to Opening Day part two; the relaunch of Giants Football.  This was an exceptionally long time to wait before getting back on the field.  The layoff disturbs me.  I expect rust to show for at least a portion of the first quarter against Tampa.  What perturbs me however, is I expect the Giants to have some rust while coming on the heals of a dismal performance against the Cowboys.  One doesn't speak well of the other.



I - Dee Fence

A) - Secondary

Defensively for the Giants, the Cowboys had their way with us.  The Cowboys running game rushed through the G-Men like they were Big Blue toilet paper.  On a wholly different plain, Tony Romo pinned our Corner's arms and legs back, and dissected the Giants Secondary like frogs in a high school science lab.


I do not expect Josh Freeman to have the kind of game Tony Romo did, but the opportunity is there. Unless the replacement refs start calling more holding penalties against linemen, or any one for that matter, quarterbacks just need to make sure they throw the football before Osi, JPP, and Tuck, get their hands on them.  The book is out on the Giants - throw, throw, throw.  After Corey Webster, who himself looked incapable of covering a mail box last week, the remaining Giants corners offer plenty to worry about.  Prince Amukamara and Michael Coe are listed as probable for Sunday.  That in itself is an improvement over last week.  But can they be trusted to play at top effectiveness?  Even then, Michael Coe is a suspect backup, and Prince Amukamara is on the verge of becoming over-rated.


Josh Freeman and the Bucs didn't throw the ball much against Carolina during their Week One victory.  Combined, their top four receivers totalled thirteen catches for 124 yards receiving.  What's more, Vincent Jackson and Dallas Clark were held to just five catches between them.  Instead, Tampa stuck with the run.  They rushed twenty-six times for 109 yards.  Doug Martin rushed for ninety-five of those yards.  So he is the one the Giants need to stop.  But the Bucs can indeed throw the ball.  And my only question is why wouldn't they try to throw down field against the Giants......repeatedly?  Despite Antrell Rolle and Kenny Phillips having solid games last week, as we saw, they did little to help disrupt Tony Romo.


B) - Run Defense

It was only Week One, but fans and coaches alike can not like what they saw out of the Giants run defense.  In a word, they were pathetic.  Dallas racked up 143 yards rushing.  Twelve came from Tony Romo.  The rest came from DeMarco Murray who rushed for 131 yards on just twenty carries.  He had one rush of forty-eight yards which means DeMarco still effectively rushed another nineteen times for inexcusable yardage.


Up front, do we really need to worry about the big three not getting sacks last week?  In their failed efforts against the Cowboys, the Giants still got two sacks from their Tackels.  So no worries there.  The Giants clearly hold the advantage with three individual pass rushers who can disrupt football games all by themselves.  The Giants are perhaps the only team in the NFL who can claim that.


However, stopping the run is an entirely different matter.  And I wonder what Coach Fewell has in mind?  Conventional thinking says open up the game by playing it straight.  Bump their receivers at the line, then let physical ability do the rest.  Coach Fewell can't exactly key on the run and dare Josh Freeman to pass.  Tampa has definite pass capabilities.  At the same time, Coach can't keep going nickel and dime to compensate for his corners, because Tampa actually wants to run the ball first.  So guess what..., if at least two linebackers do not lead the Giants in tackles Sunday, Big Blue probably did something wrong.



II - Offensively Speaking

A) - Running Game

Turning over the ball is what got Giants rookie David Wilson in trouble.  Offensively, the Giants running game has entered strange territory.  As a Giants fan that goes back to the days when Ray Perkins coached here, it is difficult for me to reconcile the Giants old smash-mouth ways with Coach Gilbride's modern machinations.  But try I must.  And so must David Wilson.  The Giants need this rookie in a big way.  No fan is confident Ahmad Bradshaw will complete a full season without re-injuring himself.  Therefore, the Giants need Wilson to help manage Bradshaw's time and effectiveness.  After two touches and a fumble in Week One, this Sunday is in effect David Wilson's relaunch into the NFL.  Doghouse or no doghouse, the Giants can't afford to bench him a second straight game.  The hope here is that after ten days to reflect and gain instruction, David Wilson will put forth a more representative effort against Tampa.


Here is the problem with that.  Tampa did a devastatingly good job shutting down the Panthers run game in Week One.  Carolina rushing netted ten yards all game.  I hope the Giants took notice of that.  And we will see if the O-Line is up to the task.


B) - Recieving Corps

Even after a ten day break, Hakeem Nicks is still not fully functional.  But tight end Martellus Bennett is already proving to be a nice alternative.  Against Dallas, Eli threw to Bennett four times for forty yards and a touchdown.  I look for Bennett to play an even bigger role Sunday.


I could be mistaken, but I believe the Anti-Cruz tried making an appearance last game.  Just when everyone thought it was out of his system, Victor Cruz showed symptoms of the yips against Dallas again.  Giants fans are hoping six catches for fifty-eight yards ends up being one of his poorer efforts of the season.  But cries for Cruz The Savior have already begun.


All hail the arrival of the new Domenick Hixon; who replaces the outgoing Mario Manningham; who replaced the old injured Domenick Hixon; who filled in for the old Mario Manningham!  That's another way of saying it is nice having Domenk Hixon back.  He in effect became Big Blue's top receiver versus Dallas.  And the best part of his return is his familiarity with Eli, and Eli with him.  If he stays healthy, he will make an impact.


With Hixon back in the fold, and once Hakeem Nicks is right, with Cruz and Bennett, the Giants have a fine unit led by Eli.  If there is an issue, it lies with the back-ups.  Ramses Barden and Jerrel Jernigan failed to see action in Week One.



III - Tampa Bay Bluffs

Worth noting though, is much of what Tampa accomplished over the Panthers last week came as a result of multiple turnovers.  They picked off Cam Newton twice, and spotty special teams play doomed Carolina as well.  Cam Newton interceptions aside, he still lit up Tampa's defense for over three hundred yards passing, and the incredible Steve Smith had another game with one hundred yard receiving.  Three other receivers found enough space in Tampa's coverage to record six catches for another 184 yards.  So what's not to like about Eli and Company's chances against Tampa's defense?




Mike.BTB

New York Giants: Game One - Tony Romo Hogties Big Blue Secondary

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT FINAL:

Cowboys    24

GIANTS    17

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS:  Cowboys Strike Texas Tea in East Rutherford.


The Giants left us with much to be desired out of Wednesday's effort.  In defense of their title, they decided to make their season interesting right out of the runway.  I'm not going to get too bent out of shape though.  I always felt Game One is a coin flip anyway.  But if you want a list of topical items to ponder, start with the Secondary.


The real question is, who didn't think they were going to get lit up?  We suspected it, and it happened.  The place smelt like burnt toast after Tony Romo got done with the Giants Secondary.  Corey Webster looked especially crispy  In a word, the Secondary was, terrible.  We've been here before.  However I do not believe this badly.  The ramifications of Aaron Ross' departure are being felt right away.  Michael Coe wound up leaving the game with a leg issue which means the Giants are now three down at right conerback.  Additionally, Tom Coughlin didn't look too pleased with rookie Jayron Hosely.  Antrel Rolle was solid however, making nine solo tackles.


No sacks for Justin Tuck, Osi, or JPP last night.  On the heals of me saying the Giants were hurting at defensive tackle, Rocky Bernard and Linval Joseph provided the Giants with their only two sacks of the game.  Otherwise, outside of a near pick-six interception by Michael Boley, Tony Romo shake and baked his way out of the pocket, and buttered us.


Here's another question.  How long before David Wilson sees meaningful time again?  We know he'll eventually have to rejoin the mix.  But how long will Coach teach his rookie back a lesson? Fumbling the ball on the Dallas twenty-seven yard line, on only your second rush in your first game in the NFL, is no way to start a career son.  Coach Coughlin doesn't take too well to fumbles in the first place.  After coughing up the rock, no more rushes for him.  In light of the Giants cutting D.J. Ware, does Coach give Wilson a fresh start next game?  Or, does Coach Couglin continue teaching the rookie an early, hard, and valuable lesson that will no doubt benefit his career moving forward?  In the past, Tiki Barber and Ahmad Bradshaw both suffered Coach Coughlin's wrath over fumbling.  It would behoove the rookie to not become the next.


Benching Wilson Wednesday night was nothing.  That happens to the best of them.  It is just unfortunate when it happens to rookies; otherwise no different.  In Coach's eyes, it is how David Wilson responds faced with adversity so soon into his NFL career.  Fumbling the ball can be corrected.  Coach will now be testing his character, not his ability.  Jerry Reese is on the hook for that part.


Penalty flags, and non-calls played an interesting part of this game.  The replacement Refs were curious at best.  A preponderance of yellow flags were thrown against Dallas.  After giving the Giants practically a whole field worth of penalty yardage, Big Blue couldn't take advantage.  The stripes also negated a touchdown pass to Victor Cruz with a non-call on clear interference.  Such as life.  Dropped passes by Martellus Bennett and Victor Cruz caused more damage than the Refs did.


How about that Jason Witten playing last night with a compromised spleen?!  Stupid - but what isn't there to admire about that?  His presence alone helped Tony Romo destroy the Secondary.






Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants: Big Blue "D - FENCE" Preview

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

 

Justin Tuck Salutes The Crowd

 

 

2012 OFFENSIVE PREVIEW:

Eli Manning Is Now Beyond The Coach

On Kevin Gilbride, And An Offensive Line Preview

Running Game Taking On New Persona

Wide Recievers: Life After Plaxico

 

 

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:  Coach Perry Fewell Has A Greater Challenge On His Hands This Season.  And Of Course, The Defense Must Stay Healthy.

We pick up where we left off.  The Secondary is in trouble.  Coach Perry Fewell will have to be just a tad bit more creative this season than last.  From bad to worse, Prince Amukamara has a high ankle sprain.  Aaron Ross left town taking some very valuable experience and leadership with him.  And Terrell Thomas is out for the season...again.


Last season, Perry Fewell switched the Secondary off, then back on again.  If it seemed the Giants were routinely giving up thirty-plus points through the air, that because they were.  Then word leaked out through the Air Defense Corp themselves that Coach's newly implemented zone schemes confused the hell out of them.  When Coach scrubbed his idea and went back to more conventional methods, Corey Webster and Aaron Ross played shutdown football the rest of the way.  Those two had a great run together.  But that is now officially the past.


While Prince Amukamara heals, the Giants have a choice.  Do they go with an experienced Michael Coe?  Or was rookie Jeyron Hosely's pre-season good enough to warrant a few games at corner?  There is always Justin Tyron.  But if pressed to pick someone, I'd kindly ask Michael Coe to please stand up.


Expect teams to pick on the corners right away.  That means others need to pick up the slack.  Antrel Rolle never really found favor with me before.  But I admit now, he proved me wrong.  With the Secondary in its current state, Antrel Rolle is now invaluable.  He not only played hurt last season, he  demanded his team mates put their injuries aside, and get their posteriors on the field as well.  That turned out to be a bigger moment in the season than we initially thought.  Something about that clicked in Justin Tuck's head too, and away the Giants went.  Additionally, Antrel stepped in, and covered the slot receivers of the league, while never feeling comfortable doing it.  If Antrel's partner, Kenny Phillips, is going to be All Pro like some once projected him to be, this would be the season to step up and get it done.  He is a fifth year player now.  So with that, come higher expectations for him.


On the next defensive front, if the Giants linebackers stay healthier than last season; namely Michael Boley; the Giants should hold up much better during the meat portion of their schedule.  Those are the games Boley missed last season; see the 49ers game.  Right out of the box, Jonathan Goff and Clint Sintim both went belly up and never contributed.


This year, I have high hopes however, for second year Jacquian Williams.  I liked him a lot last season.  With Michael Boley on the field mentoring him, he played very well for a rookie.  And where the hell would the Giants have been without Chase Blackburn last season?  But having him, also shows the G-Men are a little thin at this position.  All the same, it's nice to see him back.  Greg Jones and Spencer Paysinger, like J-Will, are second year players, but in my opinion, have a little more to prove.  I believe Keith Rivers will surprise a lot of Giants fans, and quickly move up the depth charts if he can adapt to playing left, middle, as well as right.  I think there is still an ongoing tryout for middle linebacker.  It will take much on Rivers part to convince Coach Coughlin to start him over Blackburn.  I wouldn't rule it out though..., just not to begin the season.


Somewhere between being a linebacker and a defensive lineman is the Hybrid; Mathias Kiwanuka.  The guy is a freak isn't he?  And he finally seems to have injuries under control.  I want you to say this out loud - Matthias Kiwanuka - JPP - Osi Umenyiora - Justin Tuck.  They are like the Four Blue Men of the Apocalypse.  Chilling..., isn't it?


If anyone is going to help make the Secondary better, it's going to be these guys.  Where would the Giants have been had Jason Pierre Paul not carried the defense on his back for a significant portion of the regular season?  Your answer is - with the Jets.  He kept things going while Osi and Tucks ailed and required time to heal.  The Jets game and Dallas game wouldn't have even mattered if not for JPP.  It is only appropriate then, JPP blocked Dallas' last ditch field goal attempt in last year's regular season finale.  It goes without saying, as Osi and Tuck go, so go the Giants.  When they are hurt, the Giants suffer greatly.  Lastly, please, please - I can't allow myself to get excited about rookie Adewale Ojomo yet.


But while I'm at it, defensive tackle has suffered ever since Barry Cofield left.  Chris Canty going down is a big blow.  Linval Joseph is a three year guy now.  And for the moment, left tackle is his to keep or lose.  I'm not sure about him.  Just as I believe teams will pick on our corners, I also believe teams will try to run right up the middle on us.  Teams figured that out about the Giants too late last season.  Once Michael Boley returned healthy to plug the gaps, that notion kind of went away.  After a decade-plus of service, Rocky Bernard is also being depended upon to plug the tackle spot.  I do not like the Giants depth at tackle at all.  Although Marvin Austin can change my mind.


Let's wrap this up with Coach Perry Fewell.  Did he prove anything last season?  Do you like him now?  Are we collectively over Steve Spagnuolo now?  I'll say this about Perry Fewell regarding last season.  He contended with a lot of injuries to his unit, and proved himself to be very adaptable.  He was deceptive in his packages, but clearly not as devious as Spags was.  But Perry is his own man, and overall he ran a tight ship.  Bottom line, Perry was deceptive enough to win a Super Bowl.  But he had veteran leadership from Tuck, Osi, Webster, and Aaron Ross to help get it done.  Coach Fewell will have a greater challenge on his hands this season.





Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ Coach Fewell's New Dogs of Winter

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE - NFC Championship Game Edition

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

NEW YORK GIANTS
vs.

San Francisco 49ers

Post ~ LEFT With Questions About Run Game

Post ~ California, Here We Come!

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:   A Still Growing BIG BLUE Wave of Destruction Spotted Off The California Coast.

Perry Fewell is in Position to Place an Indelible Stamp on

a Whole New BIG BLUE Demolition Crew.

N.Y.G. 29  -  N.Y.J. 14
N.Y.G. 31  -  DAL 14
N.Y.G. 24  -  ATL 2
N.Y.G. 37  -  G.B. 20



Going back to the Jets game, the New York Giants have outscored their opponents by a combined 121-50 score.  Obviously, the other way of saying that is the Giants have held their opponents to fifty points in their last four games.  That averages to 12.5 points allowed per opponent.  Say hello to the new "Crazed Dogs" of Winter.



The Giants have slowly and methodically regained their Defensive dominance and poise via health, cohesiveness, and adjustments made by the adaptable Defensive Coordinator; Perry Fewell.  In the previous four games prior to the Jets (WSH; DAL; G.B.; N.O.) the Giants gave up (144 points) an average of thirty-six points.  What started when the Saints marched over us with forty-nine points, dropped to thirty-eight points against the Packers.  That number dropped to thirty-four points against Dallas.  And the number dropped again to twenty-three against Washington.  The Jets game followed and here we are today.



On the Defensive Front, since returning to action Osi Umenyiora has no doubt had a tremendous impact on this Defense.  He had two of the Giants four sacks against Green Bay.  Justin Tuck, is finally healthy again but lately has only provided flashes of his former dominating self.  Perhaps that changes next week because he's close; really close.  And looking ahead to Sunday, Rex Smith doesn't present the bi-pedal problems Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers do; ...or did.  However what we view as a 90% Justin Tuck is still more than most of the League can handle.
 


Jason Pierre Paul has been getting banged up these last few games but the kid is holding up very well and remains highly effective against the run when he isn't getting sacks.  With all his team mates behind him again, JPP may be a force in trying to stop Frank Gore this coming Sunday.  And the emergence of Chris Canty continues.  He says he's OK and Sunday will not be an issue.  Good!  Because his game is coming on like a hurricane.  Most importantly heading into Sunday's game, this unit has all it's depth back.  Dave Tollefson and Linval Joseph are turning into big blocks of granite in the middle.  Even Rocky Bernard is getting a piece of the action.



Now let's eliminate any doubt about what they've been doing together.  The Giants' Defensive Line battered Marc Sanchez and basically made him give up.  But many naysayers said that was due to Brian Schottenheimer's play calling.  The Giants similarly battered Tony Romo into submission.  But the naysayers said Tony Romo wasn't able to do more with a swollen throwing hand.  So, the Giants then proceeded to batter Matt Ryan and effectively made him quit also.  And the Giant detractors said "Matty Ice" wasn't up to the challenge of the playoffs.  Then this last Sunday in Green Bay, the Giants held the offensive juggernaut; Aaron Rodgers of the Twenty-Fourth and a Half CENTURY! - to twenty points and under three-hundred yards passing.  Along the way they sacked Rodgers four times, induced an interception, forced him to fumble, and flushed him from the pocket all night long.  Because of that, the Giants turned him into Green Bay's leading rusher.  The naysayers still insist the Packers dropped too many passes.  But how do you explain ALL of them, to include Aaron Rodgers, having a bad day together?  There is no answer why Rodgers was so off his mark as well other than a recent lack of games played.  So what next?  Credit the Giants for sound pressure, coverage, and tackling.



Unlike the last game we played against the Packers, while Aaron Rodgers did in fact inflict damage with his legs again, he still wasn't about to take any chances this time around with a healthy Michael Boley patrolling the middle and leading the team in tackles along with another pair of resurgent Dogs..., Antrel Rolle, and Deon Grant.  The three led the team and accounted for twenty-three hard hitting tackles.  Michael Boley got the other two Giants sacks of Aaron Rodgers and recorded a sack against the Falcons too.  Additionally, in consecutive weeks, he made Dustin Keller; Jason Witten; Tony Gonzalez; and Jermichael Finely all disappear. And if you remember his dive over the pile to stop Tony Romo, then you know he's had three dominating performances now.  The Giant Linebackers once again led a group of Safeties and the Line in limiting Green Bay's backfield to seventy-six yards rushing before taking Rodgers' yardage into account.  Since Michael Boley came back from a hamstring injury in the first Packers game, the Giants have effectively shut-down all attempts to run against them.  And the fact that Michael Boley is getting sacks shows Coach Fewell is indeed being more aggressive with the pass rush now that he has most of his Blue henchmen back.



The Giants' Secondary has not given up the deep play that plagued them from Week One all the way through Week Fifteen.  Since then, not only have there been few down field completions against them, there have been even fewer pass attempts made against them.  Quarterbacks are pumping, double-pumping, and triple-pumping their way into trouble waiting for something to open up down field.  And to the credit of Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, Deon Grant, Antrel Rolle; and Kenny Phillips, it just hasn't happened like opposing QB's were hoping.  In this latest Giant Lambeau Field conquest, it can be argued the pass rush rode the backs of the Secondary.  Marc Sanchez was just an all out mess.  But Tony Romo, Matt Ryan, and most recently Aaron Rodgers, all took very good and long looks down field, saw nothing, then ran for their lives.



It was recently revealed and reported in the tabloids that ever since the first Packers game, Antrel Rolle said he and the Secondary reinvested their efforts and routinely met for weekly pre-game prep pow-wows where ever they could on their own.  Their efforts are paying off at the best time possible.  Theoretically, the biggest threats to the Giants; Rodgers and Brees; are behind them or in Drew Brees' case, already gone.  Next up is Alex Smith; the guy who led a tremendous comeback against the mighty Saints, and who beat Drew Brees at his own game. -  And who incidentally beat us in a well played game by both teams back in Week Ten.



Not incidentally, Perry Fewell has long turned away from the Turtle Shell zone-coverage he devised when both Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck were injured and out of action at the same time.  The new system left the Secondary admittedly in a trance because there were too many options they needed to think through. -  Hence, the mass confusion we were witnessing on a near weekly basis; replete with blown assignments and receivers with nary a Giant within twenty yards of the play.  Today, man-coverage and good ol' cover-two is back and working to a tee.



Lastly, many didn't care to understand why the blitz disappeared from our game plan.  The health of Michael Boley, Osi Umenyiora; and Justin Tuck were at the heart of that matter.  All that is behind us now.  The Blitz stands poised to ride in like the cavalry just in time for the NFC Championship Game.
 


But that's because everything else is now working again as well.   As in Perry FeWELL.







Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ Playoffs Return to the House of BLUE

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

2011

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

WILD CARD WEEKEND

Atlanta Falcons
Wild Card

vs.

NEW YORK GIANTS
NFC East Champs

From

"GIANTS STADIUM"
in
A GIANTS TOWN

NEW YORK GIANTS:   May The Magical Force; Power; and Historic Tradition of BIG BLUE Football Be With Us.

DO IT FOR THE DUKE!

Footballs are not round, which means things usually go smoothly up to a point.  A football has two points, which makes things doubly-difficult.  And as footballs are not perfectly round, players are not always perfect in their execution of the fundamental strategies involved with negotiating said Football. The ball we call Pigskin takes strange bounces when they hit the ground.  And if not thrown correctly, they also do confounding things in the air.  And what's worse is when it lands in the hands of the other team.  In the Game we call Pigskin, sometime players take strange bounces off people too.  And if not tackled correctly, confounding things happen as well.


The idea on offense is to matriculate the football into the other team's end zone.  Defense is about preventing that from happening.  Some teams do one or the other better than their opponents. Sometimes they do both equally well.  In what can be a humbling or rewarding pursuit of those endeavours, sometimes the efforts result in good times, and sometimes they result in bad times.


Since 1925, the New York Football Giants have had a few bad moments.  They've had some pretty cool moments as well.


For those inclined to do so, there's every reason to dwell on the bad stuff that's happened to the Giants in the playoffs during the Tom Coughlin era.  The Carolina Panthers; the Philadelphia Eagles twice - It's all fair game because that's the way the football bounces around here as well as across the landscape of the NFL.  Sometimes the football drops right in your hands like an Eli to Plaxico Super Bowl winning catch, and other times you look like a fool chasing it (or a player) down; which is exactly what happened against the Eagles last season, ending Big Blue's quest to make the 2010 playoffs.  Include extreme cases as well, like when organizations ultimately have no control over a player's desire to go out to a club packing heat in the waist band of a pair of loose fitting sweatpants, and what we come to understand is no one really knows where a two pointed ball will bounce next; even if it's pointed at your own thigh.  As much street cred as that gets you on the open market, something like that does everything to shoot down the chances of defending a team's NFL title.


The Giants haven't been expected to win anything since the 1986 Super Bowl season.  And even then, John Elway terrified a lot of Giant Fans; especially after watching the way Elway beat the Browns in the AFC Championship Game.  OK, maybe they were expected to win the Flipper Anderson playoff game that ended the 1989 season.  That one still hurts.  But the Giants were underdogs against the Bills in 1990.  They surely weren't favored against the Ravens.  And they sure as hell didn't stand a chance against the Patriots in 2007.  Part of the reason is because the Giants have never been flashy about scoring points; until now.  Eli, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks have changed all that.


Welcome to the first Giants' home playoff game since Big Blue defeated the Minnesota Vikings 41-0 to become the 2000 season's NFC Champions.  That was a long time ago "On a field of green painted mud" when Wellington Mara chided the Media as he accepted the George Halas Trophy on behalf of the "worst team" to win the NFC Title.  John said that was Pop's last greatest moment before he passed away.


Was Wide-Right miraculous?  Bill Parcells had confidence Scott Norwood would miss from 47 yards out on grass.  But yeah, it's a good thing that went our way.  Was that 44-0 win in 2000 "improbable"?  Probably; pardon the pun.  Was the 2007 run to the Super Bowl just as unlikely?  Maybe.  Can a win today against Atlanta spark another run towards a Lombardi Trophy?  You never know.  We'll see about that.  But can the Giants win today?  Yes, they can.


I called up 1050ESPN this morning.  Jody McDonald was on with Amani Toomer as his co-host.  I called and brought up my point about the Giants running game being considerably better when Kevin Boothe plays Center, and Mitch Petrus plays Left Guard.  Amani Toomer agreed.  I'm not tooting horns here.  I just want the Giants to do today what the Giants are capable of doing best.  And the fact of the matter is, David Baas is hindering the Giants' ability to matriculate the ball up the field via the ground; and more specifically, up the middle.


Eli and Matt Ryan are both capable of destroying each other's Secondaries.  The Giants' pass rush however is much better than Atlanta's.  So of the two teams, I think the Falcons will look to RELY on the run more and sooner.  With Michael Turner running behind an Offensive Line that "plays to the whistle", they certainly can get it done.  Establishing the run for either team is a different matter of strategy though.  In either case, the Giants will need to run the ball better.  The best way to keep Matt Ryan from hurting us, and keeping Michael Turner from rumbling through us, is to keep them on the sidelines.


Yes; for the Giants this season, passing the ball has been at the heart of winning, and in the absence of a better running effort and Secondary lapses, here we are.  But what an effective running game will do is give us a greater measure of control over our opponent, just like it did last week against Dallas.  Like I said, Atlanta can and will look to do the same.  So we need to be better at it.  And we can be.


We can run with a front line combination that has performed very effectively together this season; Kevin Boothe at Center; Mitch Petrus at Left Guard; and David Diehl at left Tackle.  Forget the opponent for a second.  Kevin Boothe is a bigger body at Center than David Baas is, and with Mitch Petrus the Giants still maintain a large presence at Left Guard. That's pigskin point one.


Pigskin point two in a game played with a ball not perfectly round is as follows.  To prevent the Falcons from matriculating the ball up-field through an air attack, I would like for Aaron Ross; Corey Webster; and Safeties in the slot; etc.; to play receivers closer to the line of scrimmage.  I'm not demanding bump-and-run coverage; although some of that would be nice.  But I do not want them giving the Falcons ten yard cushions to start plays with.  In almost every instance, during their read and react, they consistently get caught flat-footed on the receiver's break.  Get closer to them and constantly keep your feet in motion!  I can't believe coaches Peter Giunta and Dave Merritt aren't telling them this themselves!  I'm not a coach damn it!  I'm a freakin blogger.


Last thing - Last week I watched Hakeem Nicks hold the Pigskin like a loaf of bread.  He didn't fumble or anything.  But that's a proactive shot across the Giants' bow.  Brandon Jacobs also fumbled last week, but the Giants luckily recovered.  Among the oldest, truest, and time tested ways to matriculate the football into the other team's end-zone is to hold on to the damn Pigskin!  Don't get sloppy.  Take care of all the little things and something big will happen.

That's it.  Those are my loose ends.  Everything I wanted to say heading into this playoff game, I've said already in these posts:


*  RUSHING TO THE CENTER OF THE PROBLEM
*  DEFENSIVE SYNCHRONICITY
*  G-MEN AND THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
*  ELI LEADS GIANTS' GROUND GAME?




Let's Go Giants!  Let's DO IT FOR THE DUKE!





Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ Defense; There's Beauty in Simplicity

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:  Yes; There is Beauty in Simplicity.   But There's an NFC East Title to be Won With Defensive Agression.


POST:  N.Y. Giants - Romo's Hand?  Victory May Rest in Kevin Gilbride's Hands



Let's make something perfectly clear.  The Jets did much to make the Giants Defense look good last week.  They employed a bizarre game plan that didn't involve exploiting the Giants' Secondary.  Rather, the Jets did everything to highlight their own flaws and put them on full display.  The few times Marc Sanchez attempted to go down field, he heaved-up up several dying quails that were easily intercepted.  The old guy from the Benny Hill Show could have intercepted those passes.  And interspersed among thirty other in-completed pass attempts, Sanchez was busy taxing his compromised Offensive Line and giving the Giants pass rush plenty of time to get their hands on him. 




So as you'd now expect, I caution my fellow Giant Fan - last week was not a game from which to draw false hope.  This Defense still has the problems it's had for two years running.  And if they're not careful, Tony Romo and the Cowboys can make the Giants look silly on so many levels. 




That's precisely the way the Giants don't want to end their season.  As I stated last week before the Jets game, - I am pretty much through with logistics.  That stuff is strategy and plotting through the season.  Those are weekly issues with full knowledge another game awaits the following week.  The Giants have no such reassurances this week.  This is the end of the regular season.  If they don't win, while on the one hand going home to their families for the Winter sounds wholesome and Americana'ish, the other hand is some players and even coaches will be asked to stay there and not return.  Such as life in the NFL.  Such as life for a NY team. 




In losing seven games this season; at least three of them very inexplicably; the Giants have chummed their own waters off the Hudson.  There will be a Media feeding frenzy awaiting the Giants just beyond some curtain in a room within the bowels of Blue Life-or-Death Stadium; for then it will have been three straight seasons Big Blue misses the playoffs.  That's a nice chunk of meat to start sinking their teeth into and probably only the beginning.  People need to be held accountable for some of the things we saw this season.  And the not so funny thing is that organizations, the Media, and Fans all have a different way of going about that.




I said such as life in the NFL?  Then a win changes everything it seems.  It always does.  A win not only saves the season, it will most likely save jobs also.  And even then, I'd have to do an awful lot of combing over the deficiencies of this team of which there are many.  The short list of who to blame has already been drawn up.  At this point, the only question is if names will get added to it.




But low and behold, the Giants have one more game.  Sunday night we all get to find out if the New York Football Giants are a playoff team.  No one really cares much how you get there, just as long as you're there.  The late great Wellington "The Duke" Mara once stood upon a hastily constructed TV podium at the fifty yard line on a field of green painted mud..., and sarcastically chided the Media, and proudly hailed his 2000 team as the worst team ever to win the NFC Championship...!  That was the late Mr. Mara's last truly great moment as owner of the team his dad founded back in the 1920's.
 



The era that ended on the night Scott Norwood missed wide right has since ushered in four head coaches.  The Giants tried the in-house thing with Ray Handley.  They then tried the established NFL coach approach with Dan Reeves.  The Giants moved on with an off-campus - thinking out of the box type hire in Jim Fassel. 




Then with the hiring of Tom Coughlin, the Giants made a return to their roots.  Wellington Mara liked Coach Coughlin very much.  Tom Coughlin was part of the old regime here when they won Super Bowls under Bill Parcells.  Today there are three of them; -  three Vince Lombardi Trophies won via the Bill Parcells/Tom Coughlin Laws of Football.  That is not a coincidence.




In that spirit,  It's time to DO IT FOR THE DUKE.




The reputation this organization has long maintained was built on the defensive side of the ball.  It was true of the 1986 and 1990 teams.  It was the Defense which shut-out the Vikings on that field of green painted mud back in the 2000 NFC Championship.  Then the return to defensive dominance  culminated in the organization's third trophy in 2007.




In 2007, Kevin Gilbride was the Offensive Coordinator.  And since he's been to the mountain top with us, it's with a heavy heart I turn to him this week and plead for clock management and ball control through the run.  Of course Eli will throw his share of passes.  That's not only a given, it's needed indeed.  But I beg for the smash-mouth aspects of the Giants' attack to make a mark on this game in order to minimize Tony Romo's and Dallas' big play ability to overly affect the game.




Perry Fewell's defense is still suspect.  And as a long time Giants fan with several decades worth of mental reference to draw from, no Giants' team in my recollection ever accomplished much when the Offense was the more dominant unit of the team.  For all my lifetime, Giants' success has been solidly built on Defense.  Less offensively talented Giants teams have outscored the likes of the mighty 49ers; Broncos; Bills; Green Bay; and the Patriots; in the biggest games in the organization's history.  But they were able to do so, because the Defense put them in positions to do so.




There is no such dynamic at work between the Giants' Offense and the Defense this season.  They are an inharmonious, and an uncomplimentary team.  One unit is usually forced into bailing out the other -  Or worse yet, logistically speaking, conspiring against each other.




Number one, the Offense is too slow to the line.  Too many time-outs have been used because the play clock ran out.  The play needs to get in and the players need to be ready.  That comes from the coach.  Second, the three-and-outs are putting the Defense in harms way.  Too many needless pass attempts and questionable play calling inevitably result in not spending enough time on the field.  The Offense is losing the time-of-possession game.  In my last post, I explained how I think Kevin Gilbride needs to win this game for the Giants, because Perry Fewell's unit is as of right now, unreliable.




The Defense has mostly suffered from mass confusion in the Secondary.  We know.  Untold points have been scored against the Giants as a result of busted coverage; and worse yet, no coverage at all.  Over two season under Perry Fewell, what's become evident is that Aaron Ross, Corey Webster; Antrel Rolle, and Deon Grant; those four in particular; and include their coaches Peter Giunta and David Merrit; clearly do no grasp what Coach Fewell is teaching.  Those four players and their subordinate coaches have been together for a time exceeding Perry Fewell's tenure as Giants  Defensive Coordinator.  So, isn't it safe to deduce that which ails the unit is the leader himself?




All I'm going to say about that is:  SIMPLICITY.  There's beauty in simplicity.  There's another saying for that - Keep it simple stupid!  At some point you have to give up on what hasn't worked, and go back to what you do best.  I'd say the last game of the season, - a do or die game for the NFC East title is a good time. 




In the Secondary's case, Tony Romo will no doubt try to exploit them.  And he has the arm for it.  So  let the guys play man and just let them be Football players.  And bump them off the line please?  Yes, physicality plays a large part in this too...thank you.  But just let them play without too much to think about.  Just let them run around and keep an eye on their man.  We can not have two defenders looking at each other again and have them both claim to be in the correct spot; not when twenty five yards away there's a guy in the end zone with the ball and doing a little dance with his team mates.  Not in this game.  Play it that way because clearly, no one understands the new zone coverages and all it's built in options and I have no reason to believe they'll learn by Sunday.




Otherwise, everything else is elementary Watson.  Make sure we have the right linebacker covering Jason Witten.  Then let the other linebackers do what they've done since high school, which is plugging holes against the run, covering backs out of the back field, and help rush the passer. 




No!  Better yet... Here's an idea, make the backfield engage the Linebackers in their back field when we blitz!  C'mon Coach.  You have to unleash a blitz at some point.  The Cowboys have a quarterback with a compromised wrist.  He's going to be very protective of it.  And just because Romo's wrist might feel fine Sunday morning, with one shot, he's right back at square one, if not worse off.  So they have to get after him.




Perry Fewell has done very little however in the way of disguising anything really.  There have been no Safety blitzes; Linebackers; none of that.  He's been overly concerned with coverages and relying on his four man front to supply all the pass rushing.  It's not a terribly wrong way to compensate for a flawed Secondary, but when you play a team twice in a season, so close together like the Cowboys and Giants are playing, you have to change things up.  And what Perry Fewell hasn't been lately, or much at all this season, is aggressive.  Maybe that's exactly the kind of change needed for this particular game.  If you remember, we barely escaped Dallas with a victory, thanks in part to a ball lost in the lights.




Osi might play, and if he can spell Justin Tuck and JJP at times, and is healthy enough to get inserted together with them from time to time, the Giants will have a distinct advantage.  And if Chris Canty and Dave Tollefson continue to raise their games like they've been, even better for the G-Men.




I'd rather lose this game and rest easier knowing I went all out trying to get at Tony Romo than if we adhere to a much more conservative plan.  We know Tuck, Osi, and JPP and others like Kiwanuka can bring pressure upon quarterbacks.  That's a given.  But my question is how well will Coach Fewell enhance their abilities to rush the passer.  How well will he compliment their effort?  How confident is Coach Fewell if he throws numbers at Romo, that we can get to him before he gets off a pass or breaks the pocket?  All I can say is nothing ventured - nothing gained.  If we were meant to die because of the Secondary...let's die with the Secondary then.  But all I know is that we need to make the pocket, and the Box, a dangerous place for him to be.




In keeping things simple, Perry Fewell is also going to have to take chances.  In football, aggression shouldn't be considered taking risks at all.  In football, it's a way of life.  And Giants' History by the way, is based on it.




I've asked Coach Gilbride to really put on his thinking cap for this one.  I think his unit can play a larger role towards securing a win.  Perry Fewell's unit however has repeatedly shown they can do little to prevent a loss.  See Eli manning on that one.  So, if your back is up against the wall, you damn well better go down swinging.  No?




And if the Giants Defense rises to the occasion with a superlative effort, well then, they'll look like heroes.




Naturally.








Mike.BTB