N.Y. Giants: Piling Weight of the Season on Eli's Shoulders

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Youngster no more.  

The old vet must be the Mann from here on out.

New York Giants: Unfairly, or not, Big Blue needs Eli Manning to be elite down the stretch.

The Fates are looking over the Giants.  I mean ... what more could Jerry Reese's broken pieces ask for?

Thanksgiving Day effectively eliminated the Cowboys from any meaningful conversation, and put the Eagles dysfunction on full display for the nation to see.  The Giants now get an opportunity to act on their own behalf by putting their last remaining division rival to pasture once and for all.

Yes Virginia, as improbable as it may seem, the stage is set for Big Blue taking one small step forward in the standings, and a Giant leap towards capturing an NFC East division flag by Christmas.

It's theirs for as long as they step up, keep their wits about them, execute, and take it.  But, as we've seen numerous times this season, particularly in the final minutes of games, that's been a task easier said than done.

Defensively, the Redskins have allowed 370 yards per game, while the Giants have surrendered 420 yards per game (2nd most in the NFL).  Yet, both average 25.3 points allowed per game, placing each in the bottom third of the league.

Offensively, the Giants average 27.3 points per game, while the Hogs have posted an average of 22.1 points per.

But let us not forget what Kirk Cousins did to the Giants secondary in Week Three.  Yes, he threw a pair of interceptions, but was also 30/49 for 316 yards, and a touchdown. Washington outscored the Giants 15-14 in the 4th quarter, in what ultimately ended up being a 32-21 Giants victory.

Just saying....

The return of Coach Spagnuolo means the Giants once again rank among league leaders in takeaways.  In fact, the Giants rank second.

There's your game.

Washington runs the ball as atrociously as the Giants do.  Both team's running games are ranked 7th and 8th worst, respectively.  So, the Giants better make sure they take away what little running game the Redskins possess, thereby putting Kirk Cousins in bad throwing situations.  Then it's a matter of Cousins offering the Giants defense opportunities to make big plays.

On the Blue side of the ball, the Giants lack of an effective running game makes the marrow in my bones boil over with frustration.  While injuries to the offensive line pose their own issues, this four-headed backfield they employ is nothing more than a mythical creature that needs to be eradicated.

Throughout football, I can not believe such learned minds have let the art of rushing to daylight become the road least traveled.  In the Giants case, it's avoidance by design.  But I digress...

If throw they must, then throw the damn thing with fury.

Time and again throughout Eli Manning's career, his leadership, and that ridiculous "elite" tag has been brought into question.  Unlike his earlier years, he no longer has a top grade offensive line, a punishing running game, nor a top ranked defense that made the Giants a well balanced team.

Today, there's only Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr., a scratch-off lottery system of playing opportunities, and a litany of question marks.  Yet, many unfairly demand Eli Manning put any lingering questions regarding his leadership beyond the late Autumn shadows of doubt starting Sunday.

Fans want another miracle run from him, but I'd offer his support group is immensely inferior than that of previous Big Blue contenders.

Hakeem Nicks is a nice blast from the past, but hard to gauge his impact on the immediate future before they play the games.  There's an old saying - players become available for a reason.  Just ask Jon Beason....

My biggest takeaway from today's game will be how Coach McAdoo utilizes Orleans Darkwa.

We'll revisit everything, then.

Here's what I said in my PIGSKIN PICKS:

Giants -2 1/2 (D.C. HOGS)

This is not your father's NFC East of the 1980s, folks.  If the Hogs win, they'll tie the Giants for the division lead with sub par 5-6 records.  A Giants win, however, would at least somewhat legitimize their standing in a poor bracket.  Many would argue the Giants could, and should be 8-3 right now.   They had their chances, sure, but as Bill Parcells would say - they are what their record says they are. That said, the Giants should be better than Washington, period.  I'd be thankful if they just went out there and seized the day.

N.Y.Giants: Victor Cruz facing NFL's notorious meat grinder

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

The day Broadway turned into 

the Canyon of Cruz

NEW YORK GIANTS: Victor Cruz' season ending injury creates ominous atmosphere entering Bye Week.

The potentially lethal receiving tandem of Victor Cruz and Odell Beckham Jr. never materialized, and now seems as if it never will.

We're simply left to ponder, what if?

Done are the weekly guessing games that started back in August, regarding Cruz' game to game availability.  Victor will have season ending surgery performed on his persistently ailing right calf. The date of his procedure has not been set.

Mind you, Victor Cruz' odyssey started just over a year ago when he suffered a torn patellar tendon in his right knee during a game in Philadelphia.  After spending the off-season recovering and rehabbing, Cruz then injured his calf during training camp.  After ten weeks of treatment and repeated setbacks, he ultimately tore the main calf muscle during Monday's practice.

This leaves Eli Manning and OBJ continuing making due with a relatively poor running game, no tight end to speak of, an enigmatic Rueben Randle, and the yawn inspiring return of old favorite Hakeem Nicks.

In truth, we haven't seen Victor Cruz in full salsa stride ever since signing a lucrative 5-year contract ($43 million) in 2013, which still has three years and $24 million dollars remaining.  Over the last three seasons, he has totaled 18 starts (through 48 team games), and is about to undergo his third surgery.  His first was performed on his left knee at the tail end of 2013, then came last year's aforementioned procedure to his right knee.

Victor Cruz turned 29-years old earlier this month, and is now additionally faced with becoming a salary cap casualty.  Suffice to say the hard cold reality of operating in the NFL presents both Cruz and the Giants with an equally costly dilemma.

While the timing is somewhat ironic, what a rude way of heading into the Giants' bye week - I mean, quite literally, this may mean goodbye to Victor Cruz.

Everything regarding his future in football/Giants is purely speculative at this point.  So, in the meantime, the ring's the thing, man!  Thank you, Victor, for helping win number four, and congratulations to you on number one.

Local kid did good - his will always remain a great story no matter what happens moving forward.

N.Y. Giants: Seahawks Expected To Puncuate Big Blue's Demise

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS: Eliminated From The Playoffs, Jerry Reese's Off-Season Decisions Must Be As Cold, And Cut Throat As Ever.

After rooting-on the New York Giants for over 35 years, I think I understand how cycles make their rounds.  No, the Giants couldn't do it for the Duke - not this time, not this season.  In fact, this still unfinished schedule was part of a greater trend.  Last week's elimination from the playoffs was not unexpected, but it did hit home.

The challenge facing the Giants this afternoon is simple.  For today at least, they can either lay down like dogs, or keep biting at the ankles of opponents.  Even in defeat, it is still important to finish like professionals and maintain self-respect.  Admittedly, today's match-up against the Seahawks could get ugly.  But, we should not place any more emphasis on this game, than any other - not in a lost season such as this one.  Instead, let's end this nightmare with civil tongues, and figure a way to best get the Giants righted in the correct direction again.  The challenge facing them over the next few years, is harder than just facing the Seahawks today.  This game still serves a major purpose though.  We'll see, note, and measure the major disparity between good and bad football.  Call it - reverse clarity.

I was chock-full-of answers after SBXLII.  After we attended our second Super Bowl parade together, my son asked me - now what?  I told him, I didn't know.  History didn't teach me THAT much.  The last time, Bill Parcells walked away and I thought we would suck forever.  Then Ray Handley happened.  I do not think we are headed down that road again.  Tom Coughlin's retirement will be somewhat different.  He won't leave here and go coach elsewhere like Parcells did.  But I told my son this - that in Jerry Reese I trust.

The GM has considerable work to do.  He entered the season with the most free agent acquisitions of his tenure.  Most of them were stopgap acquisitions, not to mention cheap, and cap conscious.  To me, that signals the end of useful careers, and the appropriate way to end one era, and inaugurate another.

Offensively, he has no tight end, Hakeem Nicks looks like a goner, the offensive line is woefully in flux, the backfield is still a questionable situation, and Eli Manning needs to reconcile his very poor season.

Defensively, JPP should be shut down.  Justin Tuck will be a free agent.  Jerry Reese needs to revisit Jon Beason's future with the club, and re-address linebacker as a whole.  The secondary is thinning again.  Terrell Thomas is a free agent, Corey Webster and Aaron Ross were nowhere to be found this season.

The problems go beyond that, but with three games left, I'm only scratching the surface.

There is no doubt the Giants roster will undergo an tremendous amount of upheaval, and change this coming off-season.  The Giants salary cap situation will not make things any more easier on Jerry Reese.  A main priority however, should be to get substantially younger, and to reinvest themselves in the draft, and play more rookies.  Signing older veterans is fine, when you still have the ability to realistically compete.  The Giants are beyond that now, and must alter their thinking accordingly.

Perhaps a shellacking at the hands of the Seahawks today will hasten and reinforce a new set of priorities.  In fact, I expect nothing less.  The Seahawks are young, have grown together for a few years, and are arguably the most physical team in the league.  Thinking the Giants can possibly compete with Seattle, Carolina, New Orleans or even San Francisco any more, at this stage of the game, is emotional folly.

Over the next three games, the GM needs a critical eye, and start leaning towards some very tough courses of action.  To the players, they need to feel like they're on notice, and in jeopardy of not returning next season.  If there are players who would like to remain Giants next season, they have the next three games to prove it.

The futures of Tom Coughlin, Kevin Gilbride and Perry Fewell, are an entirely different matter.

 

*     *     *     *

 

The career of Brandon Jacobs has ended...again.  He will have surgery on his left knee, which should end the 31-year old running back's career.  Before his season ended, he added four more rushing touchdowns to his Giants record.  Big Buddy now has 60 rushing TD's in his Big Blue career.



Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants: Big Blue Needs A Full Season From Hakeem Nicks

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS: In Eli We Trust, But Hakeem Nicks Must Stay On The Field.  He Has Failed To Complete A Sixteen Game NFL Season In His Four Year Career.


One thing about the modern day NFL, there is never very much time to dwell.  There is only this season, this week, and right now.  As such, six years is an eternity in the NFL, if not the length of many careers.  And so Super Bowl XLII is fast becoming ancient history, which would then make Super Bowl XLVI something akin to a bygone golden era.  After Big Blue captured that second  Lombardi Trophy in four years, missing last year's playoffs was very disappointing to say the least. Then a seemingly endless off-season followed, which featured the departures of two more all-time Giants - two time Super Bowl champions Osi Umenyiora and Ahmad Bradshaw.  Time can be cruel.

The 2012 New York Giants either didn't defend very well, didn't score enough points, or both.  However, they were far from incapable, which made losing-out so frustrating.  Heading into this season, the only thing separating this year's team and last year's is the level of uncertainty.  I believe that measure has risen exponentially.  With much to prove, it's only appropriate that the 2013 regular season gets hot right away, as the journey to get back to the playoffs starts in big Texas this Sunday night against the rival Dallas Cowboys.  Ten wins can top the N.F.C. East this season.  The question is, can the New York Football Giants manage that?

It's hard to boil the entire 2013 season down to three guys, but here I go anyway.  Not just offensively speaking, the Giants best chances for returning to the playoffs lies in the arm of Eli Manning, getting sustained health out of Hakeem Nicks, and no lingering effects from a foot injury to Victor Cruz.  Until we learn more about our competing tight ends, which include the returning Bear Pascoe, Eli won't have that consistent check down option available to him.  Eli successfully introduced several relatively anonymous tight ends to the NFL over the last several seasons, but with Martellus Bennett not sticking around, receiver wise, the G-Men may be lacking here.   In the backfield, it is David Wilson's time to show what he can do, but he is as yet untested over the course of an NFL season, and we still do not know if he can effectively pick up a blitz.  Regardless, with Andre Brown going down, the backfield is severely compromised.  After Wilson, Eli looks to be handing the ball off to a bunch of question marks.  That's why it is imperative these three stay healthy all season.  The probability of that happening?  Hakeem Nicks has failed to complete a full season in four years with the Giants.

When Eli, Nicks and Cruz are on the field together, the Giants can light up the scoreboard with any team.  If Nicks succumbs to another injury, teams will zero-in on Cruz - too easy.  Otherwise, I've had my differences with Coach Gilbride over the years, but he remains one of the most aggressive offensive coordinators in the game.  To keep teams honest, he may need a new wrinkle or two up his sleeve, being as he and Eli have been together for ten seasons now.  The bottom line is, when the four men are operating on the same wave length, they make things happen.

Both Nicks and Cruz failed to do much practicing this summer.  But Week One looks to pose a problem for a great many more reasons than just the passing game.

Coming this week:

The Offensive Line and Running Game
The Defense




Mike.BTB

New York Giants: Their Best Defense Was A Good Second Half Offense

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

 

1985 Season - Phil Simms

Holds N.Y. Giants Record For

Most Passing Yards In A Single Game; 513 Yards

 

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS:  Sometimes The Best Defense is a Good Offense.  For The Times When There Is No Defense, Giants Turn To Eli.

 

My Top Three Concerns On Offense:

The Game That Was - Week Two

As far as the manner in which Tampa's Head Coach Greg Schiano decides to run his team, that's fine.  Just be consistent.  In my book, the Bucs need to pull that college stunt all season long now to justify themselves.  As far as the Giants were concerned on the play, I have but one massage for them - Assume nothing and prepare for everything.  If Tampa's defense was in their stance, the Offensive Line should have been prepared.  Twenty and twenty five years ago, this happened more frequently.  It's really no big deal.  Now as a Giants fan, what is there not to love about Coach Coughlin's response?  That's is one righteous dude.  And that's all I have on Schiano-Gate, for we have bigger and better things to tackle.


That was a close one.  But it was a game I saw coming.  Tampa almost beat the Giants the same exact way they defeated Cam Newton and the Panthers in Week One.  The only difference between this game for Tampa and last week's game against Carolina was.....Eli Manning.  After a miserable first quarter, and overall poor first half, Eli posted the second highest total passing yards in Giants history.  He fell just s few yards short of Phil Simms' club mark.  For Eli however, five hundred ten passing yards are a career best.


My top concerns on Offense revolve around continued dropped passes, David Wilson's recurring nightmare, and injuries.


Martellus Bennett, while making plays and scoring, is dropping big passes.  What started in Week One, continued in Week Two.  He will no doubt need to improve his receiving.  However, indications Bennett and Eli will make a strong connection remain strong.  Then there was the curious end-zone play designed for Will Beatty who was declared eligible on the play.  Eli's pass wasn't perfect.  However, his offering was too catchable for Beatty not to pull in.  Were not for mishandling the ball, the play would have went for an easy touchdown.


I saved the most glaring dropped pass for last.  On the Giants opening drive Dave Wilson dropped a loaf of bread placed perfectly into his basket by Eli Manning.  Of the three dropped passes mentioned here, I feel this was by far the most egregious.  Why?  Because Martellus Bennett still gets the benefit of the doubt; because the pass to Beatty was a gimmick play; and because David Wilson is an unproven rookie whom the Giants are overly dependent on since the departures of D.J. Ware and Brandon Jacobs.  And now that Ahmad Bradshaw suffered his first dent of the regular season, the Giants backfield situation and their reliance on Wilson is exacerbated.


One player's failure however, is another player's opportunity.  And in the case of Andre Brown, he hit the daily double.  After Ahmad Bradshaw went down in the first half with a neck injury, and with Wilson off pondering his existence somewhere on the sidelines, Andre stepped in and carried thirteen times and gained seventy one yards.  He also rushed for a touchdown.


While the arrival of Andre Brown is a nice story, David Wilson devolving before our eyes is a bigger story.  He is off to a most inauspicious NFL start.  In his first two games as a professional, he has both fumbled and dropped an easy pass, twice occurring within the opponent's twenty yard line.  He is yet to complete one full quarter of football without incident.  No..., rather he is yet to complete a half-quarter without incident.  That has to wear on one's confidence.  And I'm sure a taskmaster like Coach Coughlin is not making his rookie existence so pleasant right about now.  Where can this young man's mind set be at this moment?  The Giants situation still remains.  Big Blue needs David Wilson with a clear mind no later than Thursday night as Ahmad Bradshaw will be out versus the Panthers.


The MCL injury to David Diehl is also very concerning.  With Will Beatty already in the game, Sean Locklear was playing more Sunday afternoon, than he did all of last year.  Should Diehl miss significant time, an already thin Offensive Line will be pushed to its limits and talent.  Why beat around the bush?  In spite of my anxiety, they protected Eli superbly Sunday afternoon, allowing him to get off fifty one sack free attempts, and in effect helped propel Eli to pass for over five hundred yards.  They also regrouped, and created just enough daylight for Andre Brown to have a fine game.


Where would the Giants be without Hakeem Nicks?  And where exactly is his injured foot taking the Giants?  From Monday through Saturday, fans are made to believe Hakeem's injury is the worst thing that could befall a bi-pedal creature.  Then on Sundays, he hobbles to greatness.  But you can't like the way he limped around after one particular tackle around his ankles.  Making matters worse, Domenick Hixon will be out of Thursday's game with concussion symptoms.  I just finished saying last week how happy I was to see him back too.


Chalk Week Two up to Eli and a resurgent Offensive Line effort.  The Giants are 1-1 after two games.  The pressure of dropping to 0-2 have been narrowly averted.  All is well again.  There is nothing more to see here.  Go back to your farms now.  Thank you for your concern.  Move along.





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: Wide Receivers - Life After Plaxico

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

 

N.Y. GIANTS OFFENSE

Eli Manning Is Now Beyond The Coach

On Kevin Gilbride, And An Offensive Line Preview

Running Game Taking On New Persona

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:  Jerry Reese And Eli Manning Resuscitated The Position Of Wide Receiver After Plaxico's Gun Shot It.


The Giants signed Martellus Bennett right from under Jerry Jones' nose, and the tight end couldn't be happier about it.  Quite frankly, neither can I.  At present, it appears as if Dallas' All Pro tight end Jason Witten might be out for the season, or miss significant time anyway.  Too bad the Giants are now in possession of the Cowboys' next best thing.  Sweet!  Lets just hope he can stay healthier than the last few tight ends. Otherwise, I can't wait to see Martellus Bennett in action.  If Eli likes him, that's good enough for me.


Bear Pascoe is back for another season.  And I say good.  He is a gamer who has a good nose for football.  More importantly, in my opinion he is a capable blocker on the line.  I have no idea if Martellus Bennett will be a good two-way tight end.  His blocking ability is still yet to be revealed.


Why start with the tight ends?  As receivers go, tight end has been the most pressing position; not wide receiver.  The day Plaxico Burress busted a cap in his own leg, was the day Jerry Reese set out to never get shot again; not by a receiver anyway.  The after affects of that bullet bled into the 2009 season.  No pun intended.  But if there is one thing Jerry Reese has provided the Giants since then, it is depth at receiver.  I rarely hear him receive his due credit though.


At the time of the shooting, Eli was younger, and Plaxico was a player the Giants were dependent on.  Jerry Reese and Eli Manning changed all that.  Eli is older now, and his own man.  It took roughly a whole season for the Giants to fully really recover from Plaxico's wound.  Jerry Reese has since  supplied Eli with a steady flow of receivers since 2009, on.  With Plaxico gone, the position has also become more interchangeable as well.  Between 2009 and 2011, Giants fans moved on from dreading everything regarding wide receiver, to having confidence in anyone the G-Men threw out there.


Sinorice Moss and Steve Smith came in and out of the picture.  Fans were still lamenting Dominick Hixon's career.  Hakeem Nicks was a known commodity coming out of college.  But who the hell saw Victor Cruz coming?  In the widely touted era of quarterbacks, Jerry Reese does not get enough credit for keeping the position going after Plax.


Add Mario Manningham's name to the list of former Giants.  Eli trusted him.  Mario Manningham left for San Francisco and took a large degree of Giants depth with him.  That's where Domenick Hixon re-enters the picture.  This is also the season Ramses Barden needs to step up as well.  And whether Jerrel Jernigan impresses anybody remains to be seen.


As far as the two returning starters, A) - what the hell was Hakeem Nicks doing on the field recently against the Patriots?  And B) - will Victor Cruz suffer through the sophomore blues?  Remember how he started out as an all or nothing receiver?  He was either a heart attack or a touchdown waiting to happen.  He then learned how to control the ball and left defenders in his wake.  The big question is, can he do it again?


I have no concerns about a healthy Hakeem Nicks.  So I guess everything depends on how he comes back.






Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ This One is for THE DUKE

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE  ~  Super Bowl XLVI Edition

Wild Card Round

ATLANTA FALCONS

Divisional Round

GREEN BAY PACKERS

NFC Championship

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

SUPER BOWL XLVI

NEW YORK GIANTS

vs.

New England Patriots

From,

Indianapolis

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:   Play Like Giants!

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots stand in our way again.  For the second time in four years, the Giants will play them for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.  This time the Patriots are looking to exact revenge.  For in Super Bowl XLII, a mere neophyte out-miracled a three-time Champion and certain Hall of Fame quarterback named Tom Brady.  That wasn't supposed to happen.  Not to Tom Brady.  Not after marching the Patriots down field late in the game and throwing the go ahead touchdown to Randy Moss.  The incredulity of Eli's ensuing game winning drive continued all the way through to the onset of this season.  The simple word "Yes" was resoundingly considered preposterous that Eli Manning should answer a question and suggest that he was indeed in an elite class of quarterbacks along with Tom Brady.



Eli then went on to have the best season of his career.  So yeah, aw shucks...  The neophyte grew up a little since 2007.  And he was last seen in San Francisco absorbing far more punishment than the beating the Giants laid upon the great Tom Brady in Super Bowl XLII.  Two weeks ago Eli still managed to throw two touchdowns and pass for over 300 yards with rain, wind, and Forty-Niners in his face all night.  Yet, the topic on conversation over the last two weeks was how Eli Manning stacks up against the legend of Tom Brady.



That 49er game is something to think about.  Even with Vince Wilfork storming up the middle, I don't think New England will be bringing-it like San Francisco can and did.  Instead I believe Coach Belichick will sell out on coverages, as the Patriots are very average on the Corners.  That would swing two things in the Giants' favor.  It increases Eli's time in the pocket, and opens up the running game.  What Belichick does so well however, is he keeps QB's guessing at the line.  Belichick may even try to tackle Nicks and Cruz into submission.  Where have we seen that before?  But Eli can foil all that by just taking off on his own; something he's been doing with increased frequency and success these last five weeks.



There's no secret, New England will give up yardage and they will give up points.  And for the Patriots, there's the rub.  Eli is a much more dangerous proposition for the Patriots than he was four years ago.  He is much more polished than he was back then.  And Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz have more than proven to be a lethal tandem this season.  Furthermore, the three together are now converting third downs at their highest rate of the season.  With "now-veteran" Mario Manningham, and the return of Jake Ballard, the Giants have enough to score with the Patriots.  As a reminder, the Giants were without Hakeem Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw when these teams met in Week Nine.



Can we run the ball?  Sure we can, and yes we will.  Brandon Jacobs was taken right out of the NFC Championship Game by the 49ers and additionally and rightfully so by the Giants' Offensive Coordinator.  His abilities just didn't suit that game.  But in this match up, he fits right in.  And he may play a bigger role than anyone realizes.  I believe center David Baas will have trouble with New England's Vince Wilfork.  But instead of getting help from the Guards; Kevin Boothe or Chris Snee; the Giants might fight a big body with another big body; that being Brandon Jacobs.  Employed imaginatively, Jacobs can provide a world of difference while Ahmad Bradshaw takes care of the rest.

*     *

These two previous posts cover all my thoughts regarding the Giants' Running Game:

Only Coach Gilbride Can RIGHT the Running Game

SUPER SIZING the Offensive Line

In these posts, I discussed behind which portions of the Offensive Line the Giants have had the most success running the ball this season.  And the fact is the Right Side has been our best side all season.  There has been short but consistent yardage to the Left.  But up the middle behind David Baas, there's been nothing to speak of.  I also discussed how David Baas might very well be a liability at Center playing against Vince Wilfork.  David Baas is undersized, and while under duress last week, he  consistently delivered low snaps against the 49ers.  To me the solution is to start Kevin Boothe because a) - he instantly gives the O-Line more size when he plays Center and Mitch Petrus plays Left Guard, and b) - he instantly provided Eli with superior snaps out of the shot-gun when David Baas missed a few plays against San Francisco.



*     *     *

But getting back to the "bigger game story", way too much has been made about whether Eli Manning is in Tom Brady's class.  Where ever you stand in the debate, it all comes to a head today.  For many and whatever their reasons, Eli Manning being named MVP of Super Bowl XLII meant nothing.  And now suddenly, it means everything.  But if you've always been behind your quarterback like a good Giant Fan should, there is no debate.  Eli Manning is a Giant.  Tom Brady is a Patriot.  I like our guy, and have the utmost confidence he can beat their guy Sunday evening.  And I believe our Defense will do more to disrupt Tom Brady than the Patriots can affect upon Eli.  I can't make it any more simple than that.



Eli has over a dozen Giant team mates returning with him from that game played four years ago.  Many of these Giants - very key Giants; like (Eli); Osi; Tuck; McKenzie; Snee; and Diehl; Bradshaw and Jacobs; and Webster and Ross; have all made it through this battle before.  They did it together as a team.  And Tom Coughlin has always stressed that; be a team.  So it goes without saying, Eli will not do this alone.



Tom Brady is back as well, and seemingly a little more angrier than the average Minuteman.  He wants revenge for what happened four years ago.  Unlike Eli, Brady returns with fewer of his old Patriots in Arms from four years ago.  And there in lies the Patriots biggest deficiency this season.  It's not that they return with less players from four years ago.  They come into this game with one man on a mission.  For two weeks all I have heard is how Tom Brady is a great many things, and how he's trying to chase down immortality by going down as the best quarterback ever.  When the talk turns to the Patriots, it invariably turns to Tom Brady.  There is also the high level of uncertainty surrounding The Gronk.  And so it strikes me that all the Patriots' issues are singular issues; individual issues.  Where as the Giants seem all together now, healthy, and shy of any individual dilemmas.



In the face of all the injuries that seemingly tried derailing Big Blue's season this year, never once did anyone take pity on the Giants, or on the Defense, or Coach Perry Fewell, or on Osi or Tuck, or anyone in the Secondary, or Michael Boley, or least of all, Tom Coughlin.  This team was considered dead and buried.  They just kept plugging in the next replacement and continued playing football.



And this morning I finally get it.  The Giants have been shooting off at the mouth this past week.  The way they've been carrying on, it sounds like they don't care who's taking snaps from center for the Patriots.  And it sounds like they could care even less about Tom Brady's legacy.  When you have a team like the Patriots down, you keep them down.  They did it four years ago, and again in Week Nine this season.  And Bill Belichick knows the Giants can do something his team can't.  The Giants can get to Brady with four guys.



Super Bowl hype week is just a mind game.  And what you heard this week was a Giants team rallying around their quarterback.  In the face of all the adversity these Giants dealt with this season, the Aw-Shucks Kid from the south got them to this game again.  And now that all his Defensive team-mates are healthy and having fun again, their rambunctiousness showed this week.  This unit is chomping an the bit to make sure Eli Manning shines brighter than his larger than life counter-part today.  Because all Eli ever tried to do was be successful on the next play call and get his guys a win.  Because all he did two weeks ago was keep getting up and trying to beat San Francisco when many of his mates where getting overwhelmed in from of him.  All he did was just keep getting up and kept the Giants going.  Now Eli has led them all the way to another Super Bowl appearance.  And today,  Eli's team mates want to do something for him.



They're back.  Eli and the worst team to win the NFC East are back to show what they think of all the naysayers this season.  Jerry Reese said we were a playoff team and John Mara believed in this Coach.  And here we are in the Super Bowl.  The Matriarch; Ann Mara; told Terry Bradshaw what she thought of him and all the doubters.   Now the Giants will show what they think of the Patriots.  And yeah, they showed up with a chip on their shoulder.  And why not?  Who believed in this team before the Band Wagon rolled down their block?  Now they all want on.  But it's too late.  To a man, the Giants are already ALL IN.  If you weren't on board before, there's no room for you now.



New England?  They have the great Tom Brady, a legendary Coach, and a busted Gronk.   There's safety in numbers and the Giants have them.  On the morning of February 5, 2012, all the Giants' problems are behind them now.  After a rocky road, this team is finally in tact.  This is our best and I like it.  All that's left is to play today's game.  THE DUKE would have liked this team too.  John Mara said Super Bowl XLII was for all the Giants Fans who stayed with the team since the days they played at the old Polo Grounds.  Well, today, this one is for Ann, and The Duke.  All this team needs to do now is go out there and Play Like Giants.



Let's go Giants!



PREVIOUS POST:   Coughlin and Parcells; Parallel Eras.







Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ LEFT With Questions About Run Game

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Kevin Gilbride and the Giants' Running Game:

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:   It's Back to the Old Drawing Board With Big Blue's Running Game.  The Super Genius Was at it Again.  Coach Gilbride Led Them Away from Daylight and LEFT Them in the Dark.




The next time a hot looking mechanical female rabbit blows up in your backyard, a guy named Mud will soon appear introducing himself as the cause.  A wise ol' Wabbit once reminded us, "...remember kids, Mud spelled backwards, is DUM!"




The New York Football Giants' offensive coordinator is the Wile E. Coyote of the NFL.  They are both egomaniacs and both are super smart; too smart for their own good.  One is engaged in a fruitless and constant chase for some road-runner or rabbit.  While the other is in constant search of the perfect pass play at the expense of common sense.  At the same time, they're the genesis of some of the most insidious yet befuddling schemes ever hatched from the minds of an idiot.  One uses ACME products to help facilitate his cunning yet disastrously humorous failures, as the other nefariously calls running plays for the New York Giants that sometimes work as well as those wacky overly complicated ACME products do.




He shows up and says he's not trying to sell us anything nor is he working his way through college.  He's simply someone of superior intellect with a pressure cooker who wants to rip our hearts out, stew it along with the Giants' running game, add diced celery, onions, carrots, and eat it.  So the next time someone unfolds a portable door on your front porch, rings the bell, and starts off by saying,  "Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Wile E. Coyote Kevin Gilbride; Super Genius..." - Do me a favor and punch him in the face!  And don't worry.  He's used to it!




Yes; This is about Kevin Gilbride and the Running Game - Again.  If you're tired of hearing about it, I'm equally tired complaining about it.  But I need serious help grasping what Kevin Gilbride was trying to achieve Sunday night in Green Bay.  Because what he designed was either a work of genius with a hitch, or a serious failure of epic proportion on his part.  I've done a lot of kidding but you'll see I'm really trying to understand.




First - Eli, Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and the Defense were great Sunday.  As the passing game goes, Kevin Gilbride deserves his share of credit for their success.  And..., we won!  But once I'm done you'll see I'm not being nit-picky; nor am am I thrill-seeking negativity.  The following are just facts supported throughout DO IT FOR THE DUKE.  So with that out of the way, let's get on with this.




The Packers made little effort to run the ball.  Aaron Rodgers was their leading rusher with sixty-six yards on seven carries.  Yet, due to Aaron Rodgers' ground efforts, the Packers out-rushed the Giants.  The Packers also held a slight lead in time-of-possession.  Additionally, Green Bay ran-off more plays from scrimmage that the Giants; seventy-three versus sixty-one.




Now - the Giants rushed the ball twenty-seven times versus twenty-three for Green Bay.  Yet due to Aaron Rodgers mentioned above, the Packers out-rushed the Giants 147 yards versus 95 yards for Big Blue.  Twenty-seven rushing attempts by the Giants was only six less pass attempts by Eli.  As far as the number of rushing attempts and balance of plays, I'm content.  No issues there.  As a matter of fact, I commend Kevin Gilbride for sticking with the run all game long.  He rushed the ball twelve times in the first half, and eleven more times in the second half.  Even thought the Packers defended the run very well, and held the Giants to a 3.5 yards-per-rush average, Gilbride stayed with it.  There was a time he would have abandoned the run all-together.  So far I'm cool on all counts.




Here now is everything wrong with Kevin Gilbride's plan Sunday.  It has long been established, with new Center David Baas, there has been absolutely no running game up the middle to speak of.  The left side of the Offensive Line with Kevin Boothe and David Diehl only has slightly better results.  Although, they have run outside David Diehl at Right Tackle with more success that between the Guard.  Rushing didn't improve until Baas was forced to miss games and Boothe played Center, and Mitch Petrus played Guard.  With them in the game, the middle opened to the run.  Then the Giants reinserted Baas at Center again once he was cleared to play.  On the other side of the Offensive Line, the Giants have run with great effectiveness behind and between Chris Snee and Kareem McKenzie all season long.  There has been even more Daylight outside Right Tackle Kareem McKenzie.




The Atlanta Falcons game was the epitome of this season long trend.  The following stats were reasons for me to begrudgingly give Coach Gilbride a pat on the back after a season long beef regarding everything being discussed here-in.  The main issues I've had have been with Gilbride's play selection.  All season he's insisted on running up the middle and left where there were rarely holes to be found while knowing full well the Daylight was shining on the other side.  Then against the Jets and Cowboys, Gilbride opened up the gates and let the boys run right.

In playoff game one versus Atlanta....

* The Giants rushed LEFT nine times for thirty-one yards. 3.4 average gain.

* The Giants rushed UP THE MIDDLE eight times for thirty-one yards. 3.4 average gain.

* The Giants rushed RIGHT thirteen times for one hundred-one yards. 7.8 average gain.

Of the Giants' running plays that went for fives yards or more versus ATL, here is your break down:

* LEFT - Three Plays ~ eight yards; eight yards; fourteen yards.

* MIDDLE - Two Plays ~ ten yards; fifteen yards.

* RIGHT - Four Plays ~ thirty four yards; thirty yards; seven yards; nine yards. And they didn't need any help from Center.

To reiterate, the Giants have done their best running off Right Guard and Right Tackle all season long.  Kareem McKenzie in particular is having a tremendous season.  So this is what Kevin Gilbride chose to do this last Sunday:

*LEFT - Thirteen Plays ~ for net fifty-four yards.  Three plays combined for -9 yards.  In the first half, Ahmad Bradshaw started left, then changed course and went *right for +23 yards; setting up Eli's Hail Mary pass.  Ahmad Bradshaw broke another +24 yard gain running off Left Tackle.  And on the last N.Y. touchdown of the game, Brandon Jacobs once again started a play running left, then turned back *right for a fourteen yard touchdown run.

*MIDDLE - Six Plays ~ for fifteen yards, and one No Gain.  Two plays went for five yards; tops.

*RIGHT - THREE PLAYS!  One play negated by a Holding penalty.  Two plays for negative yardage.  Only one gain for +4 yards.

For fifty seven minutes of this game, I wanted to reach into the TV and strangle Gilbride.  Ahmad Bradshaw's +24 yard run just before the second half was successful by his own doing.  The play was designed left and Bradshaw busted it back.  That was not counter-motion.  Bradshaw reversed field.




Then in the third period it started to dawn on me.  I saw this before.  Mike Ditka used to do this all the time with the Bears.  He'd pound the ball incessantly.  Then when he lulled you in, he went over the top to Willie Gault.  I started thinking, maybe Gilbride was waiting till the end of the game to spring someone off the right side to seal the deal.  And for as long as the Giants were leading, I was a) - willing to let his plan play out and see, and b) - willing to give Kevin Gilbride the benefit of the doubt that he wouldn't have continued that course of action if the Giants were trailing.  If that were the case, I feel he would have changed sides.




Brandon Jacobs did just that; he popped one off the right side to put the nail in Green Bay's coffin.  And I'm willing to give Kevin Gilbride the benefit of the doubt again, and say that last touchdown play was designed to be a counter-motion play.  I know Gilbride knew our strength was running right and maybe he was trying to set Green Bay up by getting them to over pursue.  I'm willing to go with that.  But Gilbride really makes you scratch your head.




If I do not give him the benefit of the doubt in thinking that was his plan all along, the only conclusion I can come up with as a result of his game plan is that he's a complete idiot when it comes to the running game; of which I have no problem saying.  But if he was indeed trying to bait the Packers all game for something in the fourth quarter; and for as long as he was doing this with a lead; and I'll even say maybe he was looking towards next Sunday and trying to get the Left Side up to snuff, then I'll be glad to call his plan for what it was - ballsy.  After all, you have to have a lot of footballs to try some of the stunts Wile E. Coyote attempts in trying to capture a little bite to eat.




"Oh well, some people just have to learn the hard way."  -  quote, Wile E. Coyote.




But having said all that, you decide now. I said my piece.







Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ Reintroduce Yourselves to Giants Football

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

OUR BIG BLUE HOME SWEET HOME

PLAYOFFS

WILD CARD ROUND:

Atlanta Falcons      2

New York Giants   29

FINAL

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:   Let The Pigeons Loose!Atlanta Falcons Get Feathers Ruffled In A Rout!

In Every Sense,

The Giants Were a BIG BLUE Wrecking Crew.

Ladies and Gentlemen; and Giant Fans of all ages - That was your reintroduction to Classic Giants' Football.  It's predicated on a dominant Defense, and a powerful Running Game.  First, let's please take a moment and thank Atlanta for attending Sunday School and helping out with today's demonstration.




Two games against the Jets and Cowboys to save the season and this Sunday's playoff win over the Falcons is plenty validation for the being a 9-7 NFC East title holder.  Additionally, there's your first playoff win outside of the 2007 season for Tom Coughlin.  So to ALL the members of the Media who called for Tom Coughlin's head with venom dripping from their mouths, humble yourselves.  Your behavior was incorrigible.




And Coach Perry Fewell showed he wants to keep his job too!  There IS a mean streak in Perry Fewell after all, and with all his men relatively healthy and on the field, he put it on full display.  He utilized his boys smartly and aggressively.  For the most part, they remained in man-coverage and blitzed often.  The Defense followed their coach's lead and pitched a shut-out in support of their embattled Defensive Coordinator.




The Defense allowed no touchdowns; no field goals; no points.  The deuce on the scoreboard came courtesy of the home team.  The Giants completely shut-down Michael Turner and Atlanta's running game.  And if you red any of my pre-game posts, you'll know I welcomed the opportunity to stop him. I knew we'd be better against the run.  I felt the Linebackers had it in them this week.  All Atlanta's feature back could muster was forty-one yards on fifteen rushes.  Additionally, the Giants held the Falcons to 4/14 on third-down conversions, and twice absolutely stuffed them on two crucial fourth down and inches attempts.




As expected, Big Blue delivered big time pressure upon Matt Ryan.  They sacked him twice, hit him another seven times, and harassed him all game long.  Osi Umenyiora bent all 308 pounds of Atlanta's LT-Will Svitek backwards like a pretzel, reached over him, and sacked both Matt Ryan and Atlanta's Tackle at the same time to close out the game with a formidable feat of power.  What a Herculean effort! - As was Sunday's entire Defensive effort.




On the back end, the Secondary kept Atlanta's receivers covered.  Matt Ryan was forced to pump, and double pump many times because there was no one open down field.  The Giants forced their third consecutive quarterback to accept the underneath pass, then completed the play with sound tackling.  There have been no major gaffes or break downs in coverage ever since Coach Fewell ditched his zone-scheme.  The Giants had their way with their third consecutive QB indeed.  The  Defense limited Ryan to 24/41; good for a paltry 199 yards passing.  Atlanta's longest pass play of the day went for twenty yards.  And Tony Gonzalez was the recipient of nothing outside a mere four catches for forty-four yards.




On the Offensive side of the ball -   Look Out!  Bad Guys Coming Through!  The Giants' Running Game ran towards glorious Daylight and basked in it's sunshine all game long.  For a day, Smash-Mouth Football was back and as bad as ever.  Like our old mantra says to do, the Giants ran with power.  The Giants' backfield ran the ball twenty-nine times, for which Coach Gilbride deserves a lion's share of credit.   Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs rushed for 155 yards between them.  Both backs found beaming rays of Daylight off Right Tackle again and both uncorked big 30+ yard rumbles.  They also combined on seven catches for thirty yards.




Enter Eli - The Runner!  On one of the most crucial plays of the game, Eli scrambled for a huge first down.  It's the second game in a row Eli has saved a drive by scrambling up field.  And yes, we can finally talk about another three touchdown passes and no interceptions.  Two TD passes went to Hakeem Nicks and one to Mario Manningham.  With just two catches for twenty-eight yards, Victor Cruz averaged fourteen yards a catch.  That was still better than any of Atlanta's receivers!  With the  regular season done and after Sunday's game for sure, the Big Blue Ariel Crew must now be considered among the League's elite passing games.




Even punter-Steve Weatherford was brilliant once again during a first quarter in which the two teams were still feeling each other out.  There is a large role to be played in the battle for field position, and Steve was right on point.  Weatherford pitched a shut-out in his own right.  Atlanta had zero punt return yards the entire game.




This was by far Big Blue's best and most balanced performance of the season.  It was a great return of playoff football to Giants Stadium.  And for those of you who may have forgotten, or lost faith in the Giants' ability to succeed at it, THAT was your re-indoctrination to Giants Football.




Sunday's 24-2 win over Atlanta punches the Giants' ticket for another game.  See you in Green Bay.








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 ~ Rushing to the Center of the Problem

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

2011

WILD CARD WEEKEND

PLAYOFFS

Atlanta Falcons

vs.

NEW YORK GIANTS

FROM

GIANTS STADIUM

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:   Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performances.



POST: DEFENSIVE SYNCHRONICITY
POST: G-MEN and the DEPARTMENT of DEFENSE
POST: ELI LEADS GIANTS GROUND GAME VERSUS DALLAS





This is it.  This game (and the playoffs in general) are exactly the reason why I spend all the time I do talking about Kevin Gilbride and his implementation of the Running Game.  This is the time of year it matters most.  In order to expect the running game to perform well in January, you have to start pounding on Labor Day.  The Offensive Linemen need to be in step with their backs; and the backs in step with their Linemen.  By late December, they should all be moving as one.  It's choreography of a savage nature; but choreography none the less.  And I have a saying that is perfect for this situation > Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performances.





The Giants are about to take-on one of those high powered dome teams in the winter wind of Giants Stadium.  Both quarterbacks are capable of exploiting one-another's Secondaries.  So more and more, it's looking like the team with the better running game will win.  Another way of saying that is which ever QB gets his hands on the ball least, loses. 





Then again, the Giants haven't had this problem the last two seasons, for they haven't made the playoffs since the 2008 season.  For Giants Fans and the club as well, this season has been something of an anomaly.  The Giants' once formidable running game officially ended when Jerry Reese released Shaun O'Hara and Rich Seubert prior to the season.  This year, the Giants have rushed to form the least potent ground game in all of football.  At least that's what the stats say.  And to the less trained eye, the stats do not lie.  But to the more learned Giants Fan, we know what's really at work.  Don't we? 





The problem with some of us older Giants Fans is that all this passing makes us break out in hives.  We were raised on Smash-Mouth Football.  But I will say this, maybe by necessity or maybe by design, Coach Gilbride has actually done better this season when compared to last.  He's actually shown more (...slightly more) commitment to the Running Game this season.  And I appreciate it Dude. 





Using last week's game against Dallas as reference, the Giants held on to the ball nine more minutes than Dallas did.  Yet both teams got off almost the same number of plays and were almost equal in total yardage for the game.  While Dallas elected to run the ball sixteen times all game, the Giants can thank twenty five rushing attempts and several more scrambles by Eli Manning that a) - kept the clock moving, and b) - kept the ball in our hands.  So, credit the Giants' nine more minutes of possession to the running game.  Another way of saying it is called keeping the ball away from Matt Ryan.  But I prefer Smash Mouth, thank you.





Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs have had exactly one game each in which they've rushed for 100 yards.  While Ahmad Bradshaw has missed substantial time to foot injuries, Brandon Jacobs rumbled for 100 yards when allowed to rush the ball "twenty" times.  What's important is we know, because they have demonstrated to us at times, both backs are still very capable of devouring yardage with power.  Fortunately for them, Eli's elite season has covered up the running game's short-comings.  But the point is we know our backs can still run. 





So lets get right to the heart of the Giants problem with the running game as it stands right now.  Ask yourself, which Offensive position touches the ball the most?





As established, this is the first season without certain future Hall of Fame Center Shaun O'Hara and Left Guard Rich Seubert.  When Will Beaty was lost early for the rest of the season, the job of Left Tackle was given to Kevin Boothe.  To replace O'Hara, the Giants brought in former 49er Center; David Baas.  And with him at Center, to a large extent, the Giants running game has come to a screeching halt.  There has been no yardage to be had by running off-center.  There has been no surge off the line of scrimmage.  As a result, both Bradshaw and Jacobs have found it nearly impossible to find daylight up the middle.





When David Baas was sidelined with concussion symptoms, Kevin Boothe slid over to Center and Mitch Petrus was given the responsibility at Guard.  And for three consecutive games, the middle opened up and to a certain extent, so did the running game.





Now here's the thing -  with or without David Baas at center, the Giants have been able to run consistently well between Chris Snee and Kareem McKenzie, and between David Diehl and Kevin Boothe/Mitch Petrus.  Even more yardage and success has come when the Giants run outside either Tackle.  That's been there all season long.  But the middle turned into an East Rutherford Tar Pit until the Giants inserted Boothe at Center.





Upon reinserting David Baas into his starting role, the middle of the line caved in on both Jacobs and Bradshaw again.  Against the Cowboys, we suffered short yardage shrinkage after Coach Gilbride called for plays up the middle again.  I can't stress enough this is not a Brandon Jacobs issue.  Defenses are pushing our Line backwards and meeting the rush at the line of scrimmage or worse, two and three yards into our backfield.  And I will say again, that wasn't the case when Booth and Petrus played together.  I'm also not going to pin fourth and failure-to-go on Coach Gilbride either.  There's a fine line between placing blame with coach or player.  But it's clear to me, David Baas has not been up to snuff.  It's not that he's bad, or isn't worth playing.  I'm not here to knock him.  It's just that Kevin Boothe has played better while Mitch Petrus responded quickly with quality play at Guard, and as a result, the running game found much more daylight up the middle.





Eli Manning has had a career season, and thank goodness.  Because with the running game in a state of suspended animation, Eli, Nicks, and Victor Cruz are all we've had.  But as I pointed out with the Dallas game, just because the running game isn't amassing huge swaths of acreage, that doesn't mean the running game is without it's purpose and overall game effectiveness.





Will Eli Manning win this game for us (if in fact that's what's in the cards for us)?  Most likely.  But a good running game can help us control the game, keep the ball in our hands, and minimize exposing the Giants' Secondary to Matt Ryan.  We've had a bad habit of letting teams hang around causing Eli to play hero.  That's partly a defensive issue.  But it's also partly due to the running game being slowed down to an NFL low.  





The Falcons may very well turn around and try the same tact with Michael Turner, who's far from being a slouch.  You just don't hear about him much because nobody cares about Atlanta sports; not even their own city.  <   That's called Smack!  But it stands to reason, in spite of Eli and Ryan, which ever team is able to run the ball more successfully will win.





I can not ask Coach Gilbride to not attempt running up the middle.  Yes, there are beams of daylight behind other parts of the Line.  But the middle still must be mastered in order to run successfully and more importantly, for first downs sake.  What I CAN ask the Giant powers that be is that they start Kevin Boothe at Center; Mitch Petrus at Left Guard; and David Diehl at Left tackle.  I ask that because that combination has been the most effective enhancement to the running game by far.  In Eli we trust.  But tradition has always been in December/January; in Giants Stadium; it's smash-mouth we celebrate and crave.  Me?  I'm a pragmatists.  I'd settle for something in between right now.





I'm just going to say, C'mon Coach  - be creative and try keeping the Offense on the field.  That's not to say the players are off the hook.  The Giant receivers need to catch and hold on to the damn ball!  They lead the League in dropped passes.  That will no do Sunday.  Additionally, the Giants were lucky to recover Brandon Jacobs' fumble against Dallas.  Turnovers also will not due.





At Tight-End, I'll be honest, if Jake Ballard is going to be hobbling around, I don't need a hero.  I'll take my chances Eli can utilize a very gamely Bear Pascoe and Travis Beckum.  They teamed up on four catches last week.  If we can depend on them for four or five catches Sunday, and make their blocks, they will have served their purpose very well.





That's it.  The playoffs are a triumph of the Will, if I may.  We know the Giants have a killer instinct in them.  But sometimes the dog in them shows up instead.  There's never a good time to have a bad game.  But a good old fashioned game where they just line up across a man and out-muscle them would be great.  Smash-Mouth is an attitude.  And that's the part that gets lost on Kevin Gilbride.  His mind his forever fixed on the perfect pass play.  But even a blind dog can feel the warmth of daylight.  So run Coach; Run To Daylight.





We know what Eli, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz will be attempting to do.  Via Con Dios on that one Boys.  Eli was even the key component to last's week's rushing effort.  Were it not for Eli's legs, the Giants do not rush for 100 yards against Dallas. 





All I ask for Sunday is that Kevin Boothe be given the start at Center, and that Coach Gilbride runs the ball thirty times.





...And "Run with Power!"





Let's Go Giants!






Mike.,BTB