N.Y. Giants: The Thrill of Victory Number One

From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

JOE JUDGE WINS FIRST GAME AS HEAD COACH

WEEK SIX

No Name    19

Giants        20

FINAL

GIANTS OFFENSE STILL SPUTTERING

Joe Judge in his sixth try finally earns his first win as head coach of the New York Giants.  

It wasn't pretty by any stretch.  In the closing moments the defense steps up to thwart Washington's last ditch two point conversion attempt.  Big Blue comes away with a 20-19 victory at empty MetLife Stadium.  Aesthetics aside, a win is a win is a win.

Congratulations to Coach Judge. 

I like his demeanor and his message and he has my support.  I'm far more agreeable with Judge at the helm than I was with Pat Shurmur and especially Ben McAdoo at the controls.  Otherwise, I will give Judge his grade at the end of the season and not until then.

In the meantime, the team's 1-5 record more than anyone else is most reflective of Dave Gettleman and the talent he has so far assembled.  Therefore my attention remains on the general manager and next year's batch of draft selections.  That being said, the performance of Daniel Jones will go a long way towards swaying Gettleman's decision making.

On Sunday Danny Dimes once again falls a few pennies short of cashing in.  His performance is a tale of two halves.  He is good in the first half, not so good in the second, particularly down the stretch.  That's been a problem throughout the season.  Dreams of the quarterback and offensive line progressing together, in sync, are given a glimmer of hope when in the second quarter Daniel Jones throws his first touchdown pass since the opening week against Pittsburgh.  Looking to build upon a 13-10 lead in the closing minute of the third quarter, the Giants are positioned first and goal at the Washington seven.  Jones fires towards the back of the end zone as if to throw it away and is instead picked off.  The Washington No Names then go on a 14 play drive which stalls but nevertheless results in the game tying field goal.

Jones completes 12 fo 19 attempts for 112 yards, with one touchdown and the one interception.  It is Daniel's sixth INT of the season and the 18th of his career.  He has now turned the ball over by INT or fumble in 17 of 18 pro starts.  Add in 22 career fumbles due to pass pressure and when rushing and you have forty gross turnovers.

This also marks the third time in six games Daniel Jones has failed to achieve at least 200 yards passing.  He has yet this season to throw for 300 yards.  His best two games to date were the first two games when he throws for 279 yards against the Steelers, then throws for 241 yards against the Bears.  Since then he's been averaging just 18 completions and a sub par 175 yards per game.  In twelve starts last season he posted five games of 300+ yards passing.

Up front, the hog mollies limit a disruptive Washington pass rush to a lone sack and just five other QB hits.  That's improvement.  But there's a twist.  Rookies Andrew Thomas and Matt Peart share near equal time at left tackle.  We later learn Thomas was being disciplined for violating team rules.  Neither one allows a sack.

The Giants technically rushed for 132 yards, marking their second highest output through six games.  However, I do not include Daniel Jones who this time runs for 74 yards on seven carries.  Thus, Devonta Freeman is responsible for the entire Giants running attack, gaining 61 yards on 18 carries.  The Giants run left five times for 34 yards behind Thomas, Peart, and Will Hernandez.  They net one yard on two attempts up the middle.  Eleven times they rushed right for 26 net yards behind Kevin Zeitler and Cam Fleming.  Said another way, they averaged 6.8 yards rushing left and only 2.3 yards rushing right.

After amassing exactly 300 total yards for the first time last week against Dallas, the Giants offense only manages 240 total yards against Washington.  They're averaging just 275 yards of offense per game.

With the defense accounting for one touchdown, the offense manages just 13 points.  They've scored just six touchdowns through six games and are averaging just 17.5 points per game.  The good news is they've now gone back to back weeks scoring 20 points or more. 

Meanwhile, the less I speak about the defense the better they play.  Carry on, fellas.

N.Y. Giants: Daniel Jones Fails to Sieze the Moment

From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

FAILURE TO TRANSITION

WEEK FIVE

Giants        34

Cowboys    37

FINAL

The Giants Are In The Worst Shape They've Been Since Before Ray Perkins Was Head Coach

I'm not sure whether my lack of anger over the Giants 0-5 start stems from apathy or empathy or both.

History, if nothing else, lends context to the Giants present condition.  General manager George Young begins transitioning and trading players after winning Super Bowls XXI and XXV.  After one last playoff appearance in 1993 under head coach Dan Reeves the rebuilding begins in earnest.  Before stepping down and handing over the reigns to Ernie Accorsi, Young hires Jim Fassel as head coach and the Giants win the division.  That's four years between playoff games and their second post-season of the 90's.  By 2000 the Giants are back in the Super Bowl, ten years after XXV.  Ernie Accorsi gets back to work and the Giants make the playoffs again in 2002.  After which Accorsi during the 2004 NFL Draft trades for Eli Manning.  The team bides its time while Manning matures.  Then finally the Giants win Super Bowls XLII and XLVI.  But in the ensuing years the organization effectively ruins the latter part of Eli's career.  Jerry Reese, who's drafting is wholly ineffective, leaves the organization in shambles.  In comes Dave Gettleman who is initially hampered by John Mara's uncompromising devotion to Eli.  However, the big picture still remains: it's been nine years since their last Super Bowl with only one playoff appearance in what has been a near decade of folly.  The Giants are now 9-28 under Dave Gettleman and have yet to win a game this season.  Said another way, the Giants are in the worst shape they've been since before Ray Perkins was head coach.

Phil Simms was drafted in 1979 when I was twelve years old.  It wasn't easy transitioning away from the quarterback I had just watched for the last fifteen years of my life.  I assure you, Dave Brown was worse than Daniel Jones.  Ironically, the common denominator between the two is Duke University - not exactly known as a manufacturer of quarterbacks.  Then again, neither was Morehead State. 

I'm always upset when the Giants lose to Dallas.  But I'm sticking to the premise this is a rebuilding football team.  

This is a completely different offensive line from just four years ago.  Wayne Gallman and Devonta Freeman are proving what I say: if the hog mollies create daylight the backfield will get through for positive yardage.  On Sunday they collectively put forth their second consecutive respectable effort.  The two joined on 22 rushes for 84 yards.  Last week against the Rams they grossed 78 yards on 17 rushes.  That's a two week average of 19.5 rushes for 81 average yards which is a world of difference when compared to backfield production over the first three games.  This is a big reason why the Giants were able to possess the ball for 32:22 minutes.  Last week they held the ball for 33:18 minutes.  It's no coincidence the only two games in which they've run somewhat effectively are the only times they've won the battle of the clock.

Meanwhile, sacks were limited to a pair, but there were ten other QB hits inflicted by the Cowboys.  No improvement here.  The Giants remain 30th in average sack allowed per game.

Darius Slayton has the game I've been hoping for.  I believe we may have a keeper in him.  He catches eight passes for 124 yards.

The offense as a whole produces its first 300 yard game of the season.  They previously surpassed 290 yards in three of four games and are now averaging 282 yards of offense per game.  

They were also limited to just 47 total points over the first four games.  Against Dallas the Giants finally breach 20 points en route to a 34 point day.

There are indeed quite a number of positives that can be extracted from these last two games.  However, the play of Daniel Jones is not one of them.  Several times now this season he has been in various positions to single-handed change the outcome of games, but continues coming up short.  In the two games this season in which the opposition is ravaged by injury, Jones turns in his two worst performances.  No interceptions against Dallas but a lost fumble is his 32nd career turnover in 17 starts.  He is yet this season to throw for 300 yards and still has not to thrown a touchdown pass since Week One against Pittsburgh.

Even Jason Garrett has a better game.

N.Y. Giants: Jason Garrett Needs to Throttle Up Offense Against Injured Niners

 From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Run to Daylight!

WEEK THREE

San Francisco 49ers

vs.

New York Giants

San Francisco is prime for the taking.  

On defense DE-Nick Bosa, LB-Dre Greenlaw and CB-Richard Sherman are all out for the Niners.  That's a conducive situation for Darius Slayton and Daniel Jones.  

On offense QB-Jimmy Garappolo, C-Weston Richburg, RB-Raheem Mosert, RB-Tevin Coleman and TE-George Kittle are all out which is conducive situation for the Giants beleaguered defense. 

The Giants signed former Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman to replace Saquon Barkley.  I'm satisfied insofar as Freeman being a veteran.  In fact, I'm less concerned with his ability to rush than I am with the offensive line's ability to create daylight.  With Nick Bosa out of action, rookie Andrew Thomas should have one less thing to worry about.  He's had a rough two games.  Let's see if he can finally start pushing forward.  Same goes for Nick Gates.  The Giants running game has gained minimal yards running center and left.  They've had little choice but to lean right behind Kevin Zeitler and Cam Fleming.  I'm hoping after two weeks together, a little more cohesion and effectiveness from this line will start to shine through.  Daniel Jones has shown an ability to sustain long drives despite little contributions from the run game and inconsequential play from Evan Engram.  Therefore, when the front five improves, the Giants will improve.

If there was a game in which Jason Garrett should be ultra aggressive, this is it.  

What do the Giants have to lose?