N.Y. Giants: California Dreamin' - May The More Desperate Team Win

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

 

Trading for Eli Manning turned out very well for the Giants.

Today however, Philip Rivers may get the best of the Giants.

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS:

Looking At Week Fourteen Through A 1,000 Mile Stare.

A decade after The Trade, the San Diego Chargers and New York Giants share identical 5-7 records, and head into today's game equally desperate for a win.  A victory by either team may however prove inconsequential, as they both have underachieved enough to separate themselves from the rest of their respective conferences in the wrong way.  So, I'm afraid today's game amounts to nothing more than an east coast vs. west coach match-up in the Futility Bowl.

That lends itself to refocusing visions of the future, doesn't it.........?

Today, Eli Manning faces Philip Rivers, the quarterback he was famously traded to the Giants for during the 2004 NFL draft.  So how did former GM Ernie Accorsi's decision pan out?

With any luck, Eli will complete a five yard pass, and surpass 3,000 passing yards for the ninth straight season, of his almost ten year career.  With 3,600+ yards this season, Rivers has now accomplished the feat eight straight times.  To date, Eli has made 147 starts, and passed for 34,522 yards.  In the same span of time, Phillip Rivers has started 124 games, and has thrown for 31,524 yards.  Rivers only made four appearances in his first two years in the league.  Eli was thrown into the fire as a rookie.

Philip Rivers has led the league in touchdowns and passing yards once in his career, while Eli has led the league in interceptions twice, and is on pace to eclipse 20 INT's for a third time.  Rivers managed 20+ INT's just once in his career.  Eli has thrown more touchdown passes however, by a 226-212 margin, and has twice earned Super Bowl MVP honors.

Some say Philip Rivers is the better QB, but I think the Giants did just fine.  Would the Giants have won two SB's will Rivers at the helm?  Who knows,, and who cares.  Eli is our guy.  Nothing else matters.

On that note, let's address this next game against the San Diego Chargers.

With four games left in the regular season, the Giants hope to overcome a two game division disparity.  Winning five of their last six games tells us that they haven't folded the tent yet.  So, I guess we should hang in there as well.

Defensively however, this game spells trouble.  The Giants secondary is in shambles, and JPP will continue missing action.  Why shouldn't Philip Rivers carve up Perry Fewell's defense?  It might be best if Jason just sits out the remainder of the season.  If he plans on being a self-proclaimed "Beast" next season, he better get a head start now, and just heal up.

Meanwhile, at the other defensive end, Justin Tuck may be playing to remain a Giant next season.  Four sacks last week did little to change many minds, as RG3 almost begs to get sacked.  Tuck has four more games to show Jerry Reese more than he has over the last two years.  That's a lot of making up to do.

Offensively, Victor Cruz needs 60 yards to reach 1,000 for the season.  While he has a new deal that will keep him a Giant beyond next season, Hakeem Nicks does not, and may be playing his way out of New York.  There was a strong whiff of malingering blowing through Giants camp these last few weeks that does not reflect well on the Giants receiver.  Without him, the Giants clearly lacked their usual big play potential. 

But as we know, a backfield decimated by injuries, and poor offensive line play contributed to most of this season's offensive troubles.  Nicks just made matters worse.

The offensive line has played considerably better though, and it comes as no surprise to me that their improvement came at the expense of center David Baas.  Although Jim Cordle also suffered a bad break, James Brewer will get the continued look he deserves.  The return of Andre Brown makes it a little more difficult to decipher how well the O-Line actually improved, because Brown makes them look measurably better.  The combination of both factors and subsequent results however, speaks for itself.



Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants: Black, Blue And Blindsided

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS: Look Left, Look Right, Then Left Again.  If There Is Still No Where To Go, Call Jerry Reese.

Six of Carolina's seven quarterback sacks came in the first half.  Five came from their defensive front. The other two came from linebackers.  Of the Panthers five defensive front sacks, three came from Defensive End Greg Hardy.  He was Left Guard Will Beatty's man.  The other two defensive front sacks belonged to Carolina's Tackle positions (one by a rookie), meaning they came straight up the gut, with a lean towards the Giants left.  That means Guard Kevin Boothe, but namely Center David Baas.  One of Carolina's linebacker sacks came from their weak side, meaning once again, the Giants left.  That means six of the overall seven recorded sacks by the Panthers originated from a man on Eli Manning's blind side.

Sunday, Will Beatty had as bad a game as any offensive lineman would care to ponder.  Sunday is also why numerous times before I have expressed wavering confidence in him.  He is a brains over brawn kind of guy - a tactician; he relies on quickness and technique.  Sometimes that doesn't work, and Sunday he simply got manhandled.  Boothe and Baas teamed up to get beat twice as well.  If I said this a thousand times, here I go again.  David Baas is an undersized Center.  Kevin Boothe is currently book-ended by this dilemma, and between the three of them, Eli's blind side has been an unforgiving bad land.

David Baas additionally isn't up to the GIANT task of opening running holes either.  Beatty is another who's style doesn't lend itself well to run blocking and crating holes.  There is no surge in either of their blocking.  So, running left is a precarious option.  On the other side, the rookie Justin Pugh occupies Right Tackle.  His man ironically didn't record a sack, only because others got to Eli first, but the linebacker who came from his side did.   He's been increasingly struggling through three weeks, and like the rest of the line, is not creating running room.  In fact, the offensive line is surrendering yardage now and becoming a huge liability.  Will Beatty even took points off the board when called for a holding penalty in the second quarter.

I know the Giants wanted to give the offensive line a second week of continuity with the same starting five, as David Baas missed the opener.  Truth is however, they played worse than last week.  The question now is how much longer can they afford before drastic changes are warranted?  Even then, while they await the return of David Diehl, Jim Brewer and Jim Cordle are the only viable in-house options they have.

With respect to Jerry Reese, an argument can be made that perhaps he waited one or two years too long to start rebuilding the offensive line in earnest.  But I also feel had Prince Amukamara, Terrell Thomas and Kenny Phillips not been hurt so often, Mr. Reese wouldn't have had to exhaust so many picks over the years refitting the secondary - that maybe at least one more high draft pick over the last four years could have been used selecting a stud lineman.

In the mean time, Jerry Reese must scour the waiver wires and living rooms of America for someone who can help bolster this offensive line.  Maybe Chase Blackburn has a 325 pound friend who isn't busy?



Mike.BTB