N.Y. Giants: Ben McAdoo Breaks Out The Pom-Poms

from the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Giants Are Double-Digit Underdogs At Home

Oh, The Shame!

SUNDAY

Kansas City Chiefs

vs.

New York Giants

New York Giants: Coach McAdoo Says Come Out To Met Life Stadium To Watch A Great Show; We Plan On Playing Great Football On Sunday And Getting A Win.

The man sounds delusional, but I'll play along and talk strategy for the hell of it.

The New England Patriots defense actually leads the NFL in most yards allowed per game.  However, you can chalk much of that on a poor start during their first four games of the season.  Since then, they've clamped down, limiting their opposition to just 13 ppg over their last five games.

Second on the list are the Giants, having allowed an average of 400.3 yards per game.  No wonder there.  Suspensions in the secondary, injuries to the defensive line and linebackers, and overall poor play speak for themselves.

Fourth on the list are the Indianapolis Colts.  They're just terrible.

Surprisingly sandwiched in at number three on the list are the Kansas City Chiefs.  They've allowed an average of 390.3 yards per game, and like the Giants, have surrendered an average of 6.0 yards per play!  I know losing safety Eric Berry hurt them.  But I'm nevertheless surprised that K.C. is the only division leader (of eight) to have surrendered more than 200 points so far.

Once upon a time, that would have been welcome news for the old smash mouth Giants of yore.

But without Weston Richburg and Justin Pugh, the offensive line isn't likely to be creating much daylight.  D.J. Fluker is also dealing with a barking knee and has only engaged in limited practice.  Whatever Orleans Darkwa gains will be won through his own individual efforts.

Shane Vereen has become a non-entity. And the back-up receivers are still not up to snuff, at which point, it becomes easier for the Chiefs to eliminate either tight end Evan Engram or Rhett Ellison.  That being said, don't count on much pass protection for Eli Manning.  I counted on numerous occasions how the 49ers were on Eli Manning in three seconds flat. 

But you know what they say about any given Sunday.  If the Giants can put together a respectable offensive effort, the Chiefs defense just might be willing to oblige.

Giants fans can only hope Coach McAdoo's ploy to view last week's game film in front of the whole team works out.  Although that seemed directed at the defensive side of the ball, perhaps most players will indeed have become embarrassed enough into putting forth better performances this week.

This big money defense still has big problems. 

Landon Collins, DRC, Eli Apple, and Janoris Jenkins, all need to redeem themselves, and do a little bit of growing up as well.  Linebacker B.J. Goodson is out this week, and upon returning from his injury Jonathan Casillas still appeared a step behind the competition last week.  Snacks Harrison is dealing with a bum ankle, while JPP is still being hampered by a disagreeable knee.  At least Olivier Vernon has played well since returning from injury, but he can't stop Alex Smith and tight end Travis Keice by himself.

Who is going to step up?

John Mara and Robert Tisch have spoken.  The Giants will finish out the season with Ben McAdoo as head coach, and Jerry Reese as general manager.

I agree with them.  Don't change a thing. 

As if life on the hot seat wasn't making McAdoo sweat already, he will most certainly be judged all game against Kansas City head coach Andy Reid.  Be sure ownership will be watching this particular match-up very closely.

Let McAdoo and Reese own this (and increase our odds for securing a high draft pick).  Besides, adversity reveals character.  We are beginning to learn which players are committed to playing the game, and which chose to comport themselves in a professional manner, versus those more willing to just go through the motions, and focusing on self-serving interests.

N.Y. Giants: Epic Fail

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

HOUSE OF HORROR

FINAL

Rams    51

Giants   17

New York Giants: The Defense Rests ...

According to every outlet 😞😞😞 Sunday's loss to the Rams was the third worst defeat in New York Giants history.  They allowed the most points at home since (1964) before I was born.  And it's the first time they've started a season with a 1-7 record since 1980 - under head coach Ray Perkins, which by the way I remember very well.

In fact, I started rooting for the Giants when Rams head coach Sean McVay's grandfather, John, still coached the New York Giants in the mid 1970s.

As a life long Giants fan, I feel what John McVay's grandson and the Los Angeles Rams did to them Sunday at Met Life was flat out embarrassing.  What a gutless performance.

It's not like the Rams possessed the ball for forty-five minutes.  Both teams shared the ball fairly equally.  Yet, the Rams outscored the Giants by 34 points on their way to a 51-17 rout.

No one expected anything good coming out of Sunday's game considering suspensions to DRC and Janoris Jenkins, and injuries sidelining linebackers B.J. Goodson, Jonathan Casillas, and defensive end Olivier Vernon.

The effort was nevertheless a fail on all fronts.  Jared Goff threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns.  Some of that can be attributed to the Giants disciplinary situation in their secondary.  But allowing the Rams to score on 3rd and 33, off bubble screen, was inexcusable. 

Moreover, the Giants generated no sacks, and only touched Goff twice all game.

Throw in 162 yards and two touchdowns allowed on the ground.

Fail.

The Giants headed into the tunnel trailing 27-10 at half-time.  Whatever adjustments were made didn't work, because the Giants gave up another 21 points in the third quarter.

When McAdoo was asked about halftime adjustments, the Giants head coach has no answer.

Fail.

After the game, Coach McAdoo says he'll consider benching Eli Manning for sake of gaining a glimpse into the future potential of back-up Davis Webb.

Head coaching ...

Fail.

Jerry Reese ...

Epic fail.

N.Y. Giants: Dysfunction, Junction, What's Your Malfunction?

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Lunatics Are Ruling The Asylum, Again

New York Football Giants: Dysfunction Tends To Slip Into Every Team's Locker Room From Time to Time; How John Mara Intends To Address This Is What Most Interests Me.

When I think back upon instances of Big Blue dysfunction, Wellington Mara's 30-year rebuilding plan comes to mind.  That era was highlighted the very first fan inspired/hired prop plane towing a sign in protest over the Giants practice field.

Then there's Wellington's rift with his brother, necessitating the NFL Commissioner to intercede, and force the Giants into hiring George Young as their general manager.  On that note, there was Pete Rozell laughing it up over Young's selection of an unknown quarterback named Phil Simms out of Morehead State.

Soon thereafter, Bill Parcells went just 3-12-1 in his first season as head coach, and almost got fired as a result.

Lawrence Taylor ... no comment.

When I think dysfunction, I think back on two disastrous seasons under former head coach Ray Handley.

Fast forward a few years to the Jim Fassel era, when he gladly let the lunatics run the asylum.  There was the infamous mental meltdown against the Minnesota Vikings in the 1997 playoffs, in which Giants players starting fighting among themselves on the field, as well as on the sidelines.  Then there was the far more egregious mental meltdown during the 2002 playoffs in San Francisco against the 49ers, in which they blew a 38-16 lead with less than five minutes left in the third quarter.

Jim Fassel wound up leaving a veritable Animal House behind led by Michael Strahan, Keith Hamilton, Tiki Barber, Jeremy Shockey, and a few other prominent frat house pledges.

Tiki Barber's relationship with new coach Tom Coughlin, as well as that of Michael Strahan's with  Coughlin and Jerry Reese devolved to cantankerous levels, and absolutely wreaked of dysfunction.

We also saw what happened in 2007 when Jeremy Shockey sustained a season ending injury, thus freeing the Giants from his dysfunctional oppression of Eli Manning.

These days, the very mention of Odell Beckham's name has become a divisive issue because of the very dysfunction he's perceived to have brought to the team.  His history of immaturity, questionable behavior, and complete lack of professionalism prior to his injury continued undeterred.  Therefore, Coughlin and McAdoo both enabling Beckham the whole time is yet another level of dysfunction.

Dysfunction is Eli Apple saying the club needs a culture change; it's players leaving the field during games; and it's the odd circumstances surrounding Coach McAdoo suspension of Dominique-Rogers Cromartie.

Dysfunction is the background scuttlebutt suggesting Coach McAdoo is losing the team's respect.

There's only one man whom can rectify, or even eliminate, this entire current state of dysfunction presently afflicting the New York Giants - that's John Mara.

With this season already all but lost, when will his patience run out?  Mr. Mara is not afraid to draw a line in the sand and hold his employees to it.  He also possesses reasonable cause to blow this thing up.

The Giants have been hampered by the salary cap, and have drafted poorly for years.  Posting an aggregate record of 39-46 with one playoff appearance since the confetti stopped raining on Super Bowl XLVI, should indeed be making Jerry Reese feel very uncomfortably.

I know Mr. Mara will let Ben McAdoo and Jerry Reese finish out the season.  Mr. Mara is going to make them own this debacle.  After which, should the team finish the season under similar circumstances, I can almost guarantee the owner will make the next move.

N.Y. Giants: Revamped Defense Seeking to Establish a Trend

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Reese's Defensive Pieces Making Him Look Smart ... Again

New York Football Giants: Revamped defense must validate last week's strong peformance against the Saints with an even stronger effort against Kirk Cousins and division rival Washington.

The Giants enter this year's first clash against Washington undefeated, while the Hogs are still seeking their first victory.

That makes Washington a desperate team, in turn giving this superstitious fan enough reason to believe things can go completely wrong Sunday ... if only just because.

My anxieties aside, Week Three is about legitimizing two weeks of play ... or not.

The defense has played well, and is improved from one game to the next.  In Week Three, they'll either take another promising step forward, or experience their first real setback.  Which will it be?

Since actions speak louder than words, this year's defensive performance so far reflects very well upon Jerry Reese's off-season improvements - a small sample size, but nonetheless.

Big Blue allowed the Cowboys 328 net yards in Week One, but held them to under 20 points.

They followed with a rather impressive Week Three effort against New Orleans, holding them
to 13 points and 288 total net yards.  Brees was limited to just 263 yards on 44 attempts, was sacked twice, and hit on six other occasions.  That in itself was an accomplishment, considering Brees threw for 505 yards against last season's inferior defense.  A good New Orleans running game was additionally held to just 41 yards rushing.

After two weeks, the total splits reflect nicely, and the dividends even more so for Jerry Reese.  The Giants have allowed a total of 31 points and 616 net yards, which averages to 15 points and 308 yards per game (only 71 yards per game on the ground).

All we can ask now is for them to keep improving.

There's a saying - once is an occurrence, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a trend.  And so we'll see if the defense can establish a pattern, and perhaps even create a defensive identity, again.

They'll be up against Kirk Cousins, whom scuttlebutt says is not the most loved member among his D.C. team mates.  If the Giants continue bottling up the run as they've been, Kirk Cousins will be forced to put the ball in the air perhaps more than Washington is comfortable with.

With the defensive line playing well so far, look for them to force up many 50/50 balls.  That's where Janoris Jenkins, Dominique Rogers Cromartie, and Eli Apple come in.


#DivisionGamesMatter

The Giants enter Sunday with a 1-0 division record.  If history has taught us anything, it's that they must continue gaining every division advantage possible over their arguably weaker division rivals, or be haunted by potential failures later in the season.

Last season, the Giants defeated the Hogs 32-21 in Week #3 at home, then fell 20-14 in Week #12 at Washington.

I like the match-ups, and if the Giants play smartly, they should end the day 3-0 and in firm control of the NFC East.

N.Y. Giants: New Big Blue Defense Faces First Real Test

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

2016

HOME OPENER

New Orleans Saints

vs.

New York Giants

FROM

The Swamps of East Rutherford

New York Football Giants: The Spotlight Will Be Shining Brightly on Jerry Reese's Expensive Defensive Pieces as Drew Brees and the Saints Come Marching In for Big Blue's Home Opener.

Despite Big Blue limiting Dallas to 19 points, possessing the ball for a mere 23:17 on offense against the New Orleans Saints simply will not do.  That's exactly how long the Giants held the ball last Sunday against the Cowboys, who ran 21 more offensive plays.

Minus Tony Romo, Dallas' major shortcomings occurred in the red zone with backup quarterback Dak Prescott taking snaps.  Questionable football acumen on the part of a certain Cowboys receiver on the game's final play is another reason to ponder Big Blue's week one victory.

Now the Saints come marching in to MetLife Stadium.

If you recall (or chose not to) it was the Saints edging out the Giants last season on a late field goal for a head-shaking 52-49 victory in New Orleans.  Drew Brees threw for (39 of 50) 505 yards and seven touchdowns.  All the while, the Saints still incorporated more running plays than the Giants.

That's absurd!

Giving the ball to Drew Brees for nearly 37:00 minutes is clearly begging for trouble.  Therefore, part and parcel to defending against Brees is keeping him on the sidelines.  That means employing yet another balanced offensive attack.

The strength of the Giants offense is obviously Eli connecting with OBJ and Cruz.  But they need to run ball just as they did in the fourth quarter against Dallas ... with power ... in order to exert a greater measure of control over the clock.

Even more absurd regarding last year's loss to the Saints, was the Giants managing no sacks, and registering an inconsequential three quarterback hits.

In 2015 the Giants defense allowed 400+points for a second straight season prompting beleaguered general manager Jerry Reese into spending huge sums of money during the off-season on available free agents.

The Giants require efficiency on both sides of the ball in order to get this done.  But all eyes, particularly those of Jerry Reese, owner John Mara, and every fan in attendance Sunday, will be on the defense.

After a tune-up against Dallas, this revamped unit will undergo its first real test of the 2016 season.   They must somehow disrupt Drew Brees yet still be very mindful of a very effective New Orleans running game.

Devon Kennard still leads a suspect group of linebackers.  Coach Spags need to be able to rely on at least two of them in order to maximize his blitz packages, otherwise they'll lack teeth.  Drew Brees will no doubt try crossing up Landon Collins and Craig Dahl, but free agent Janoris Jenkins and Dominique Rogers Cromartie give the Giants a very strong tandem at corner back.  That in turn, could and should help the boys up front get to the quarterback.

There was no mistaking Jerry Reese's true off-season priority lay in the front four.  The re-signed Jason Pierre-Paul, along with new free agent line mates Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison, and even the returning Cullen Jenkins (cut by Washington), must now all live up to their half of the deal,

... or the general manager gets it.

N.Y. Giants: Reese's Pieces and Defensive Malfeasance

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

First Half Report Card

D-

DEFENSELESS

NEW YORK GIANTS: The Defense Rests, Every Sunday!

What did we learn last Sunday?  That if left unattended, the Saints can score 52 points.

With every passing week since his dismissal, Perry Fewell must snicker with satisfaction in the bowels of FedEx Stadium as the Giants defense sinks deeper into the abyss.

That by no means absolves Fewell from implementing an utterly ponderous system which fostered mass confusion, but he nonetheless squeezed out the very last bit of goodness Ernie Accorsi's old defense had to offer (or was the beneficiary thereof).

The unfortunate irony for Giants fans is that we got Coach Spagnuolo's system back - which I've always been a proponent of - but now lack personnel with which to execute a simple game of checkers.

The enduring poor state of this defense is 100% a personnel issue, which in turn, makes this Jerry Reese's problem.

How bad is this defense?  Let us count the ways:

• The second most total yards allowed.
• The most total yards allowed per game.
• The 6th most total points allowed.
• The 9th most points allowed per game

• The most total passing yards allowed.
• The most passing yards allowed per game.

• The 9th most total rushing yards allowed.
• The 14th most rushing yards allowed per game.

• Last in QB sacks.
• First in INTs.
• Forced 6th most fumbles.
• Recovered 16th most fumbles.
• First in Give/Take ratio.

That last stat, if you remember, is very indicative of Coach Spagnuolo's style.  Everything else about the Giants first half defensive performance, though, is forgettable.

Look around - there's nothing left of Ernie Accorsi's defensive leftovers.  They're all retired, or should be.  Ernie and The Duke seeded the previous run for the new regime, with Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning being their only remaining legacies.

This era of Giants Football belongs to Jerry Reese and John Mara.  That said, the Giants owner must sit in his office at Snoopy Central thinking how he watched the Giants win four Super Bowls with either Hall of Fame caliber linebackers, or with likewise elite pass rushers, and wondering why he presently has neither.

In truth, the Giants issues go far beyond JPP's situation.  Simply put, Jerry Reese has failed to sustain the talent level of the Giants, particularly on defense.  And after watching Drew Brees and Saints tight end Ben Watson go buck wild, perhaps no one on the Giants realizes that more than John Mara.

In fact, the defense has been in a state of devolution since 2011, with JPP serving as the prime example.  That's not a mutation crack  - when JPP was a rookie, he was surrounded by three other elite pass rushers, and had two quality linebackers behind him, with Webster and Ross on the corners. The choreography between pass coverage and the pass rush back then was championship caliber.

They aren't even Snow Day caliber at the moment.

Did injuries help ruin the Giants best laid plans?  Yep, that's what they do - in more ways than one.

The GM gave large sums of money to a linebacker whom repeatedly demonstrated an inability to stay healthy.  When feeling well and contributing, Jon Beason is an actual difference maker.  But, at this juncture, he couldn't make a difference for my local bar's flag football team.  He's given fans less than zero since his arrival.  They say he's great in the locker room.  So, keep him there!  Jon Beason's body obviously does not respond well to prolonged NFL level physicality anymore.

• Is JB tough?  I'm sure.  
• Is JB fragile?  Without question.  
• Is that ideal for linebacker?  Obviously not.

Cut him!

Then there's poor rookie Landon Collins.  Drew Brees stuck it to him good last Sunday, didn't he?   He's going to have a hard time shedding last week's stink (that was permeable stuff). That said, Prince Amukamara can't get back on the field soon enough.  In the mean time, Dominique Rogers Cromartie is so alone in the secondary he might as well be on Revis Island.

Jerry Reese is inside his 8th season as general manager.  Over the last four years, his drafting is proving largely inconsequential, while his reliance of free agency has steadily increased.  That in turn has inspired some curious salary cap maneuvering.

It's Week Nine and the Giants are faced with a must win situation.

At some point, objective analysis must compartmentalize two Lombardi Trophies away from Reese's trending body of work.  Jerry Reese has been with the Giants since 1994, therefore he will be treated with the utmost dignity and respect by ownership.

But John Mara is not going to appreciate an 8-8 NFC East title, or worse.

N.Y. Giants: Big Easy Hangover

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Giants continue throwing rocks through their windows of opportunity

NEW YORK GIANTS: Yes, Eli really is an elite quarterback!

Eli Manning took over sole possession of 10th place on the NFL's all-time career touchdowns list by throwing six TD passes during Sunday's 52-49 loss against the Saints in his home town of New Orleans.

His fourth TD pass against the Saints pushed him passed Joe Montana.  Eli's sixth and final TD pass was the 276th for his career, moving him ahead of Vinny Testaverde.  Next on the career ladder is Johnny Unitas with 291 touchdown passes.

Eli now has 17 touchdowns with just 4 INTs at the halfway point of the season.  He was 30/41 for 350 yards against the Saints, putting him over 2,000 yards for the season, and keeping him on pace for the fifth 4K season of his 12-year career.

But, what's the sense if...

I know love is blind, but who didn't see this debacle coming?

These Giants do not handle success very well to begin with.  In my PIGSKIN picks, I warned everyone to look back at what Tony Romo, Matt Ryan, Sam Bradford, Kirk Cousins, and Colin Kaepernick all did to the Giants secondary.  Even Matt Cassel had his moments during the Giants second game against Dallas.

Did you really think Brees would do any less?

Not only was Drew Brees the best quarterback the Giants have faced this season to date, he established a new career high with 511 passing yards, and tied an NFL record with seven touchdown passes.

Dominque Rogers-Cromartie recorded the game's lone interception on a day which saw Eli Manning and Drew Brees combine for 91 pass attempts and 13 touchdown passes.  And while that was DRC's third INT in the last two games, Sunday's was just another indictment added to a long list of many levied against the Giants' overall secondary play.

Naturally, lack of a professional grade pass rush is equally to blame.  In the 50 times Drew Brees dropped back to pass, the Giants managed no sacks and just three QB hits all game.

Despite the Giants securing two New Orleans turnovers, the Saints still controlled the ball for 34:59 and posted 614 total yards (versus 416 for the Giants).

Otherwise, some things have not changed...

The Giants rushed 21 times for 87 yards:

• Rashad Jennings 10 rushes for 54 yards.
• After opening eyes last week, Orleans Darkwa was limited to just 4 carries for 23 yards.
• Andre Williams rushed 5 time for 7 yards.
• Shane Vereen rushed twice for 3 yards.

New Orleans Mark Ingram rushed 16 times for 80 yards by himself.  All told, the Saints rushed 25 times for 102 total yards.

And the moral of the story is...

Once upon a time, Tom Coughlin was handed a great defense, and a powerful running game.  He in turn handed the starting quarterback job to Eli Manning in 2004, whom together added another dimension to a Giants team primarily constructed by Ernie Accorsi.

Today, there's no longer a defense to speak of, and certainly no running game worth mentioning.  All that's left of those days are Coughlin and Eli, with Jerry Reese providing them a never ending flow of wide receivers.  

These days Big Blue lives to throw, and throws to live.

It's so flawed.

N.Y. Giants: Coach McAdoo Flicks On Orleans Darkwa, Then Turns Him Off

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

4-3

First Place

NFC EAST

NEW YORK GIANTS: Two games against the Cowboys brought out the best in Big Blue's running game.  See you again this time next year!

In the one hand, Sunday was refreshing.  On the other hand, maddening.

Do the Giants need to play Dallas every week?  Is that what it takes for Ben McAdoo to incorporate more running?  In any event, I guess he indeed wound up watching Game One's game film after all.

Let's rewind to the season opener in Dallas for a moment:

Right up until the Giants last, and fatal 4th quarter drive, Ben McAdoo called for a mere 16 rushes all game.  Then, during the Giants final drive (before handing the game to Dallas), McAdoo called on Rashad Jennings 7 times, and specifically targeted the Cowboys' middle 5 times.   In return, Jennings pounded out 38-net yards.

• middle: 3 yds.
• middle: 27 yds.
• middle: 7 yds.
• middle: 2 yds.
• left: minus 4 yds.
• middle: 2 yds.
• left: 1 yd.

In all, the Giants rushed 23 times for 91 yards that game.  Ponderously, this remained their best single-game output through the first six weeks of the season.  Eli went 20/36 for 193 yards that game, marking the only time this season to date Eli has thrown less than the Giants elected to run.

Otherwise, the Giants averaged 23 rushes for 80.1 yards, while Eli has averaged 39 attempts for 267 yards per game through the first six weeks of the season.

WEEK SEVEN

Cowboys   20

GIANTS   27

FINAL

The Dallas Cowboys amassed 460 yards of offense against the Giants, while Big Blue managed just 289 total yards.  

The Cowboys, however, insisted on turning over the ball four times, and it cost them the difference in Sunday's game.  Dominique Rogers-Cromartie had a pick-six, and a subsequent Matt Cassel INT (one of three) led to one of the Giants two field goals on the day.

Even then, Dallas still tied the score 20-20 with 7:14 left in regulation.  It took a 100-yard touchdown return from Dwayne Harris on the ensuing kick-off to seal the victory.

Now back to the business at hand.

Week One still remains the only game in which Ben McAdoo wound up calling more run plays than passes, although Week Seven came close.

This past Sunday, Eli went 13/24 for 170 yards.  Meanwhile, Ben McAdoo dialed up 21 rushes for a season high 128 yards.

Congratulations Orleans Darkwa on getting into his first game of the season.

And to a lesser degree, congrats to the Giants on hitting the century mark for the first time all year, and for topping 90-yards for a third time.  But, they shouldn't go patting themselves on the back just yet.

Here's the rub...

Ben McAdoo called on fourth string running back Orleans Darkwa during the Giants 2nd quarter scoring drive that went seven plays for 79 yards, putting them ahead 7-3.  He called on Darkwa four times (plus one uncompleted pass attempt):

• Left: 7-yard gain.
• Middle: 9-yard gain.
• Left: 10-yard gain.
• Final play of drive: 15-yards, touchdown.

All told, that was four rushes for 41 yards, or, 7.7 yards per carry.  Subtract that from the overall effort, and the Giants rushed 17 times for 87 yards.  That's a good day by their standards, but hardly anything that makes me feel better about the situation.

Furthermore, subtracting this drive means Darkwa only made 4 other touches all game.  If he was running like this to start the 2nd quarter, my next question would be, why stop?

Six touches for Shane Vereen likewise seems hardly enough.  Ben McAdoo's odd utilization continues.  If Shane Vereen rushed 4 times for 56 yards (one catch for six yards), why not give him more touches?  He's been limited, and I do mean limited, to just 3 receptions and 5 rushes per game.

Rashad Jennings is averaging just 11 carries and 2 receptions per game; Andre Williams 8 carries a game.

How is a back supposed to establish any kind of flow, or at the least gain a feel for the game, with that kind of indifferent, or dare I say ambivalent utilization?

Somewhere along the way, coaches forgot these players thrive on contact, and must negotiate their way through games with intelligence, but with physicality as well.  At some point, attempting to out-cute the competition will only garner lessons in concussion protocol.

To that I say, this generation of life coaches is too busy outsmarting themselves.

ICYMI: Running Game Making Me Green With Envy

Stop the madness and just continue running with power.

N.Y. Giants: Attack Washington's Defense With Power, Please!

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

The running game is presently the only aspect of Giants Football functioning properly.

Why not feature it Thursday Night against Washington?

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

D.C. Hogs

vs.

New York Giants

FROM

Snoopy Stadium

NEW YORK GIANTS: The choreography of well executed passing is a sight to behold; true art in motion.  But, when throwing the pigskin short circuits, one must revert to more traditional methods.  It is time, then, to get this season turned around by utilizing brute force and ignorance.  After all, football is still football!  In fact, yet another 0-2 start demands a return to basics, if not a change in tactics.  Attack Washington's defense head on with power.  Please!

What happens when your corners aren't covering, your safeties make you feel unsafe, your linebackers aren't backing, and your pass rushers aren't pass rushing (mainly because the best one destroyed his hand prior to camp)?

For starters, you spend 68:45 on the field, yield 836 total yards, surrender 51 points over your first two games of the season, and play particularly poorly in 4th quarters.

Or, you could have just asked the Giants.

As fans, we fret over what can potentially come next.  Not RGIII or his replacement QB Kirk Cousins; here come D.C. running backs Alfred Morris and Matt Jones.  Stop those two, and perhaps the Giants can avoid a ponderous 0-3 start.

Washington only managed 34 points over their first two games.  Last week they put up 24 points against the Rams (whom surprisingly upset the Seahawks in Week One).  They otherwise lost 17-10 to the Fish in the season's opener.  The Dolphins have an inferior coach, but they're a tough team to play.  The Rams thing is tougher to explain.

In any event, tonight's game has less to do with the D.C. Hogs than it does the Giants.

Big Blue has no one to blame for their 0-2 start but themselves.  They led each of their first two games in the 4th quarter, and were poised to increase their lead each time.  Instead, they sabotaged potential victories with gross mental lapses in the closing minutes.

So, what does one do when one's wide receivers aren't receiving, and the quarterback is regressing?

ICYMI:  Bad Eli Routine Is No Laughing Matter

For starters, you release sub-standard performers such as Preston Parker.  In the absence of Victor Cruz, the Giants needed someone to help take pressure (i.e. double coverage) off OBJ.  Parker couldn't catch the ball, much less lend a hand.  After last week's pitiful display Jerry Reese cut him, post-haste.

Rueben Randle is next.  I know he's had some sort of lingering ailment, but one can plainly see he is not contributing much either.  Randle has been given every opportunity here, and has yet to take a second step forward.  According to NYC codes, that's called loitering.  In football speak, he's...

I digress.

I recently went through Tom Coughlin's non-committal relationship with the run.  With yet another 0-2 start, he is now bordering on Einstein's definition of insanity.

After two games this season, the rush is the only aspect of the entire New York Giants team performing well.  Overall, however, the offense has possessed the ball a mere 52:45 out of a possible 120 minutes thus far.

An intensive night of running just might help keep the defense off the field for a change, lest we forget Dominique Rogers Cromartie will be a non-participant, while Jon Beason is entering real game action for the first time this season.

Easier said than done - I know.  Washington enters Met Life Stadium featuring a top rated defense coached by Joe Barry, whom is making a big difference.

That said, one must try for the sake of getting the Giants pointed in the right direction again. There's nothing to lose but another game, the division, the season, a head coach, and a general manager....

Now you get the idea - be adaptable.  It may be the only way out of this mess.

There's a Big Blue difference between being a sleeping Giant, and just being sleepy Giants. For now, they just need to wake up and rejoin a pathetically weak NFC East division race. The sleepy part falls on Jerry Reese.

Otherwise, those who want to run the ball, do.

PIGSKIN

Football Sunday

Week Three

Thursday Line ~ NYDN

Redskins +3 1/2 (GIANTS)

In truth, I think the line should be NYG -2 (Hogs).

I looked at that 1/2 point and was immediately intimidated.

I'm leaning towards a Giants win, but D.C. covers.

N.Y. Giants: Big Blue Homecoming - Week Two

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

WEEK TWO

Atlanta Falcons

vs.

New York Giants

FROM

MET LIFE STADIUM

ICYMI: 

Steve Spagnuolo's Impact Immediately Noticeable 

A Rushing Mentality Must Flow Through Your Veins 

NEW YORK GIANTS: Correct Last Week's Mistake Before Too Late Comes Too Soon.

• I - Dancing Around the NFC East Fire

The Atlanta Falcons remind me how badly the Giants screwed up Week One.

In what's seemingly becoming a season opening ritual, the Giants did themselves a major injustice by losing an early division game to the Cowboys.  What made the loss particularly distressing was their acute loss of offensive acumen late in the 4th quarter.

The Falcons, however, did the Giants a huge favor last week by defeating the Eagles.

Between the Giants mental lapses in Dallas, the Cowboys own loss of Dez Bryant, and considering Philly's head coach spent the off-season getting branded a racist stemming from several unpopular roster alterations, then went on to lose his season opener, it's easy to see why the NFC East is already chock-full-o-drama after just one week of play.

The Giants will get to revisit their big misstep in big Texas once the Cowboys visit New York.  But, the immediate impact of last Sunday's loss, however, makes today's clash against Atlanta an unnecessarily vital game.

The last time the Giants started the season 0-2 with Steve Spagnuolo as defensive coordinator, they went on to win the Super Bowl.  While that's a comforting thought, the Giants can ill afford to put themselves in that position this season.  These G-Men are nowhere nearly as deep, nor talented as those guys.

• II - Air Coughlin Flight Two is Now Boarding

Look for the Giants to open things up with more down field attempts.  Coach said it, not me.

While it may only have been a pre-season game, they say the third one counts most.  That said, I watched an overly patient approach put forth a rather yawn inspiring effort against the Jets.  Sunday against Dallas, Eli went 20/36, and similarly only averaged 5.4 yards per completion.

If you subtract Shane Vereen's 4/46 performance (because I consider that an extension of the running game) Odell Beckham Jr. was targeted 8 times, and led Giant receivers with 5 catches for 44-yards.   Rueben Randall and Preston Parker however, were targeted 11 times but only completed 5 receptions.

This all might have been a result of Dallas forcing them to work underneath the majority of the game, but it's a big reason why Victor Cruz' return remains imperative.  For now improving connections with the latter two receivers is the only way to somewhat free up OBJ.

Tight end Larry Donnell was targeted 4 times and made 3 receptions for 21 yards.  More of that can only help.

One thing is glaringly clear, it took exactly one week for Coach Coughlin tiring of dink and dunk football.  His style has always been to go deep.  I went through that very issue - HERE.

They'll need to set up play-action first.  That means establishing the run.  The Giants rushed 23 times for 91 yards, averaging almost 4 yards per carry against a stout Dallas front.  Or did they?

In truth, the offensive line did a piss poor job of run blocking during a great majority of the game. Rashad Jennings gained 38 of the Giants overall 91 yards during that last fateful drive.  Otherwise, the Giants rushed 16 times for a mere 53-yards.

One would think the Giants can improve upon last week's effort against Atlanta, right?

• III - Somehow, the Corners and Devon Kennard Must Enable a Pass Rush

Jon Beason feels betrayed by the schedule makers, as he's likely to miss Thursday night's game against D.C. as well.  But in truth, he needs to come to grips that his own body is failing him.

In the mean time, it will be fun watching Devon Kennard evolve into a premium linebacker.

After a rather decent performance last week, Prince Amukamara and DRC will be tasked with shutting down Julio Jones (questionable) and Roddy White.  Their play will largely dictate the Giants ability to mount pressure on Matt Ryan, whom enjoyed as much unmolested time in the pocket against the Eagles, as Tony Romo did against the Giants.

The front four did well stopping the run, but got nowhere near touching Tony Romo.  Look for Devon Kennard to become that guy.  He's perhaps the one player Coach Spags will let loose from time to time.

N.Y. Giants: Steve Spagnuolo's Impact Immediately Noticeable

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Short on personnel, the onus is on Steve Spagnuolo 

for creating pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

NEW YORK GIANTS: Despite losing their season opener, the differences in defensive style between Perry Fewell and the returning Steve Spagnuolo were comfortingly apparent in Game One.

Tony Romo went virtually untouched last Sunday because Dallas' offensive line happens to be very good, but mostly because without JPP the Giants have no pass rush to speak of.

The Giants registered exactly one QB touch all game - ONE, authored by Devon Kennard.  Dallas held the ball for 37:10, while Tony Romo completed 36 of 45 attempts for an 80% completion rate.

By the 4th quarter, the Giants defense was sufficiently gassed.  Their last stand bend-don't-break posture failed to outlast both Dallas and the clock.  Romo easily dinked and dunked his way down field before connecting with, who else but Jason Witten for the winning touchdown.

That's the worst I have to say regarding last week's season opener.

On a more positive note, the Giants defensive style, technique, and overall intensity shouted Coach Spagnuolo is back!  The change in philosophy was clear as the sky is big and blue.  They induced Romo into a pair of INT's, and caused three turnovers overall.

• Dominique Rogers Cromartie had 8 solo tackles and returned an INT for a touchdown.

Unlike Perry Fewell, Coach Spags will blitz, but he'll pick and chose his moments and nail the logistics.  Therefore, I'm giving Coach Spags a pass for calling off the dogs on that last drive.  I just hope last week was a lesson learned in the art of applied aggression.

Otherwise, Coach is being forced to offset the Giants lack of personnel and a pass rush with clever schemes and deception.

The effort against the run was particularly noteworthy.  They recovered one of three caused fumbles. I find it ponderous, though, Dallas would not elect to run more often behind that offensive line.   Nevertheless, the Giants held them to 81 yards on 21 rushes for a 3.5 average gain.

WEEK TWO:

The Atlanta Falcons fly into town still feeling sky high 

after their victory over the Eagles.

After a rather decent performance last week, Prince Amukamara and DRC will be tasked with shutting down Julio Jones and Roddy White.  Their play will largely dictate the Giants ability to mount pressure on Matt Ryan, whom enjoyed as much unmolested time in the pocket against the Eagles, as Tony Romo did against the Giants.

This much is certain: The Giants' defense can not, and should not, spend anywhere near 37:00 on the field this week.  That was arguably a determining factor as to why Dallas marched down field and scored so easily with less than 2:00 to go.

Linebacker Jon Beason is still not ready for a return to action, but the ever lasting question is how long will he last once, and if he does?  That said, I'm thinking Devon Kennard will be Week Two's game MVP.

Let's see.