N.Y. Giants: Eli Trapped in Unsafe Working Condition

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

The Good Old Days?

New York Giants: Eli Manning Surrounded By Ten Big Blue Question Marks; What A Great Time To Start Geno Smith!

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, they got a lot worse.

Brandon Marshall, and the Giants lone legitimate scoring threat, Odell Beckham Jr., are both out for the season with fractured ankles sustained during last Sunday's game against the Chargers.

One has to wonder if the Fates are just piling on now.

When Eli Manning takes the field this Sunday against the Broncos in Denver, he will be surrounded by ten giant question marks, all of which spell big trouble.

Having to break in a whole new compliment of receivers, I feel, is putting Eli directly in harms way.  In fact, the odds of him sustaining his first major injury, or even a potential season ending injury, I believe, are suddenly sky high.

I'll tell you why.

In weeks One and Two, Eli sustained eight sacks, and another 13 QB hits.  Adjustments were made, and as a result, Eli remained relatively untouched against the Eagles in Week Three, and in Week Four against the Bucs.  The offensive line allowed no sacks and just seven QB hits in those games, but that was because Eli was getting the ball off within three to four seconds or less (much faster than he's accustomed to).  And, he also was still throwing to a full compliment of receivers.

In Week Five against the Chargers, the already maligned offensive line was playing without center Weston Richburg (concussion protocol), while John Jerry was playing with a strained hamstring.  The starting front five allowed five sacks, and another seven QB hits.  Eli was under duress when he threw somewhat high on the play Odell Beckham fractured his ankle (but that's football).

Suffice it to say, the offensive line has proven they're incapable of providing even low level protection.  Ereck Flowers, in particular, continues being a liability on the left side.

It's not like Eli can turn to the running game.  Behind the offensive line's compounded inability to create daylight, the Giants are presently 30th in the NFL in rushing yards per game, 28th in total rushing yards, tied for 28th in rushing attempts, yet actually rank 21st in yards per attempt.

Do we have to bring the tight ends into this?

Do we need to bring Ben McAdoo's ponderous play calling into this?

Yeah!

But with respect to Sunday's game, will Eli Manning and his new receiving corp be up to speed against a very good Denver defense?  Will Eli be able to get passes off within three to four seconds again? 

That's why I say, if these new kids on the chopping block aren't operating with the necessary smarts, and playing at the required speed, Eli is in big trouble.

What's going to happen against the rest of these defenses the Giants still must play?

Seahawks?  Rams?  Chiefs?

The more I think about it, the more I feel this might be a great time to start Geno Smith!

N.Y. Giants: Back to the Frozen Tundra

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

2007 

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP 

GAME

New York Football Giants: Best way to defeat Aaron Rogers is by keeping him on the sidelines..

Let the record show, that in his first campaign as head coach Ben McAdoo ended Big Blue's four year playoff drought, guiding them to a well earned Wild Card berth - considering, that is, the team punctuated their 11-5 record with two victories over this season's NFC East champion (and #1 seed) Dallas Cowboys.

That being said, let the second season begin!

The Giants will again trek to Green Bay's famed Lambeau Field where they'll resume their ongoing subarctic conflict against the Packers.  This time led not by Tom Coughlin, but by Ben McAdoo who returns to the place where he helped create the beast Big Blue must slay named Aaron Rogers.

Again.....

The Giants obviously emerged victorious in a pair of epic confrontations played at Lambeau during their 2007 and 2011 Super Bowl runs ... games Packer fans would much rather forget.  Which is why Sunday every cheese head in Wisconsin will have nothing but revenge on their minds.

*          *          *

But if the Giants are to be successful in Green Bay, and hopefully beyond, they'll need to gain a measure of ground control and clock management.  They'll need to run the ball whether they like it or not.  They must do so in order to keep the Packers defense honest, which is another way of saying keeping Eli Manning alive and maximizing play-action.  Running the ball will help keep Aaron Rogers on the sidelines, and perhaps lessen the burden being placed on the Giants defense (minus JPP) when Rogers is on the field.

• Question:  What is the single most factor differentiating these Giants from the Super Bowl champions of XXI, XXV, XLII, XLVI?

• Answer:  Previous opponents were forced to respect a formidable Giants running game.  Joe Morris and O.J. Anderson ran behind superb offensive lines led by all-pro center Bart Oates, while Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw rushed behind another superb offensive line anchored by yet another all-pro center, Shaun O'Hara.

Promising center (I'm being kind) Weston Richburg is good, and will get better.  In fact, the Giants do their best running up the middle.  However, he does not have the quality of personnel lined up to his left and right that Oates and O'Hara enjoyed.  The performance of left tackle Ereck Flowers has been the most distressing of the lot.  Otherwise, left guard Justin Pugh represents the best of the rest.

Having Shane Vereen on injured reserve combined with Rashad Jennings' unspectacular style and underwhelming performance only exacerbates the situation.

So what's a coach to do?

Everyone says the Giants should go right after Green Bay's weak secondary.

I could not agree more.

But I say do that by attacking Green Bay's more competent front seven.  Sit a third receiver from time to time, and at least attempt to smash mouth a way through to daylight.  Let Nikita Whitlock play like a true fullback.  Give Green Bay some double tight end sets.  Said another way, do what it takes to gain 3.5 yards per carry.  Give Weston Richburg, Justin Pugh, and John Jerry, the help they need to make this happen.

But a coach must first try, and commit.

Sell out.

Because at this point rookie Paul Perkins is the most powerful and elusive runner the Giants have.   Take that with a grain of salt, especially coming off a 102 yard performance during the season finale against a disinterested Washington Redskins defense.  That game nevertheless marked the first time this season a Giants running back rushed for 100 yards in a game.

To his credit, Perkins has been consistent.  He rushed 112 times this season, averaging 4.1 yards per carry.  He closed out the regular season on an uptick, rushing 47 times for 226 yards over the Giants final three games for an average of 4.80 yards per carry.

Run ... so Eli Manning can throw the ball to Miami Vice on his terms, not Green Bay's.

N.Y. Giants: Building Up Offensive Line Still The Way To Daylight

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

A Solution At Left Guard Continues To Evade Jerry Reese.

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: No Quarter...

I thank the Giants for losing the final game of the season.  It makes it easier to keep things in proper perspective, for we need to call the Giants what they were: a woefully inconsistent team.

I can't have a late season surge against the Titans, Hogs, and Rams, change any minds or lend false hope; not again.

Last season, this team lost six straight games.  This season, they lost seven straight games.  The only team they defeated with a winning record were the (9-7) Houston Texans in Week Three.  Otherwise, their 25-24 Week Thirteen loss to the Jaguars was truly the low point of their disappointing 6-10 season.

Problem #1 - The Offensive Line: There's Still A Place In This League For Smash Mouth Football.

Everything starts up front, and the Giants biggest problem remains left guard.

Guard Geoff Schwartz was signed to big money last off-season, and has played all of two inconsequential games for the Giants.  He initially started the season on IR for a toe injury, then wound up recently needing surgery to both his ankle and leg.

The Giants signed free agent Adam Snyder late in the pre-season to compensate for Schwartz.  But, Snyder only managed to play parts of four games, and wound up on IR for a knee as well.

The Giants then tasked rookie Weston Richburg with protecting Eli Manning's blind side.

The Giants started the same offensive line for the first 10 games of the season: Will Beatty, Weston Richburg, J.D. Walton, John Jerry, and Justin Pugh.

Beatty, Walton, and Jerry, started all 16 games this season.  Richburg played in all 16 games, and started 15 games, while Pugh started 14 games.  While not the original plan, that amounts to a very healthy season, which is promising.

Behind them, Dallas Reynolds was a routine contributor, while Brandon Mosley played in 9 games.

To his credit, center J.D. Walton played a full schedule after missing nearly all of the previous two seasons.  In 2012 while with the Broncos, he went down with a broken fibula and a dislocated ankle.   He's certainly been an improvement over David Baas.

However, there is much to consider moving forward.

The Giants running game ranked 23rd in the NFL last season.  The Giants barely rushed for 100 yards per game this season (100 yards per game none the less), hardly enough to compliment the NFL's 7th rated passing attack (which started the season without Odell Beckham, and ended without Victor Cruz).

The O-Line has gotten marginally better at protecting Eli Manning, and their run blocking remains well below par.   There's no push forward; there's no wearing down of the opponent in the 4th quarter; they simply lack power.

A strong O-Line and running game is the best way to keep the opposing offense off the field; it's the best way to control the clock; it's the key to play-action and creating big plays down field; and the best way to preserve Eli Manning in the latter years of his career.

That's why Jerry Reese needs to spent another 1st round draft pick on a beefy, studly, left guard - a franchise left guard - and steer clear of all these injury prone cast-offs.  There's reasons why they become available.  The Giants simply need better play from Eli's blind side.

Jerry Reese also needs to either upgrade the tight end position, or get his hands on a traditional lead blocking fullback, or both.  If Rashad Jennings (if healthy) and Andre Williams get the assistance they need up front, then they should be able to spot the daylight.

And on that note, Will Beatty is another point of contention for me.  He is costly, and is a technique pass protector.  He offers little with regards to the running game.  At his price, he's just not strong enough.  His position needs to be reconsidered.

There is a place in today's NFL for smash mouth football.  It's time this organization got back to its roots.



Mike