N.Y. Giants ~ Life After the Monday Night Fiasco?

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:

Certain Hall of Famer, Michael Strahan, Paid the Giants' Defensive Line a Visit to Impart Some of His Knowledge.   I Have Better Advice For Them From the Mouth of Another  -   "...Let's Go Out There Like a Bunch of Crazed Dogs and Have Some Fun!" - quote; LT.




Any time your team loses a game, and if spelled out the opponent's point total starts with the letter "F" ....and it's not Fourteen points we're talking about, it invariably means you're team is F'd - as in Frightful; Feeble; and Futile.  Ultimately, we're talking about a Frustrating team on the heals of a Freakin' Fiasco and an overall Friggin' mess the Giants have created for themselves.  Fugheddaboudit.




There's never a good time to have a bad game.  But the Giants should have been so lucky.  The Big Black and Blue Bleeding Crew are playing their most horrific football at the worst imaginable time.  They've been getting progressively worse with every loss over their last three games.  They went from competing against the Niners to getting embarrassed against the Eagles.  Then....




....Then in something resembling the opening scene from James Bond's Live and Let Die,  the Saints rolled a casket with a blue NY logo on it down Bourbon Street.  French Quarter revelers at the Monday Night Football Fiasco, along with a national audience watched the Saints rip the collective spirits out of whatever on-field Defensive personnel the Giants had left.  And with that, the cake was cut ushering in the annual late season Giants Pity Party .....N'orleans style.




Big Blue left New Orleans behind having been voodooed into shock, and leaving the Fans bone-shivering scared for their playoff lives.  So how bad was it? - Even though this is the Age of Offense, it was as bad as any generation of Giants Fans had ever seen before.  The Giants' Defense allowed the Saints to gain five hundred and seventy-seven yards in total offense en route to an utterly demoralizing forty-nine point undressing of a (depleted, and...) now completely exposed Giants Defense.  Over two-hundred of New Orleans' yards came on the ground alone.  The sad reality is Drew Brees and New Orleans could have easily broken fifty points.




Most people outside of Vegas believe this Sunday's game against Aaron Rogers and Green Bay is shaping up to be another complete disaster for the G-Men; which if they get embarrassed again, may start to mean the Gag-Men.  Well..., that's the perception at least.  And increasingly, it's rather well deserved.  Because the Giants have given Fans and Media alike, every reason to question whether they were good enough to contend in the first place.  Looking back, they have a win against the Patriots.  But the Eagles' miserable loss to the Seahawks this past Thursday night reinforces once again the fact we lost to a vastly pathetic Eagles team in a very pathetic manner.  And the Giants present situation as a result of that loss, (along with Seattle), brings everything into question regarding the Giants' success this season, or lack there of.




But, ....oh yea; the injuries.  Rrriiiiight.




So..., Who Dat gonna help Coach Perry Fewell figure this one out in time for the undefeated Green Bay Packers?  Because his side of the ball quite honestly looked completely amateurish against the Saints.  I'm going to tell you right now, Peter Giunta and David Merritt are two of his problems.  But first.....




Blitz... This is Giant Fan.  Come in Blitz...!  Over?




Uh..., has anyone seen the Giants' Blitz lately?  What happened to that?  Perry Fewell dialed-up some pretty nifty blitzes...once.  But it seems like that was a long time ago - much earlier in the season to be exact.  Several times, during better days before this current three game tail-spin, I expressed concern that the Giants' "over-reliance" on sacks would come back to haunt this team because of underlying issues with the Giants' thin Linebacking ranks.  In at least four of the Giants six wins, in addition to Eli's heroics, the Giants let their opponent hang around until finally getting a late game saving sack.  And well, - BOO!  Over the last four weeks Perry Fewell has been relying on the front guys to take care of the pass rush on their own.  As a result, we're getting killed on third downs.  Problem is, Justin Tuck is a compromised player this season, and Osi is Useless-Some-More-a.  He left last week's game and will miss this Sunday's game against the Packers.




Allow me to digress a moment, as I ask my fellow Giant Fans who expressed displeasure with GM Jerry Reese's  hard-line stance against Osi during his off-season holdout - How do you like his handling of Kevin Boss; Steve Smith; and in this particular example; Osi; now?  We know Osi is great on the field, but our problem has been keeping him healthy.  Welcome to the riskier side of hold-outs and hard line bargaining.




However, Jerry Reese let Barry Coffield go.  He is clearly a sorely missed player in the defensive middle.  Chris Canty has been putting forth a respectable effort in Coffield's place, as has Linval Joseph.  But they, along with the Linebackers are complicit in allowing back after running back to storm through the middle of the field on us.




Now consider the Giants' depth of talent with Mathias Kiwanuka and Jason Pierre Paul, who've been the Giants' constant and most consistent pass rushers this season.  Depth and talent we have.  However something just does not compute.  Any harassment the Giants have issued opposing QB's has been nothing more than mere words for several weeks now, as the Giants haven't really laid their hands on many QB's at all lately.  What ever Perry Fewell's reluctance has been lately to dial-up varying blitz packages has not gone unnoticed.  And I suspect the health of Michael Boley has had much to do with that.



Long known to be the Soft-White Under Belly of the Giants' defense, the season-long absence of Jonathan Goff and recent scratch of Michael Boley at Linebacker is absolutely killing this team.  The Giants' remaining healthy Linebackers are simply too young; too inexperienced; and for the moment completely over-matched.  Primarily manned with rookies, they've been confused regarding pass coverage and getting their ankles busted on crossing patterns.  Against the run, they haven't plugged the running gaps exceptionally well and they over-pursue plays there-by abandoning their areas of responsibility.



Last week's game film against the Saints can go a long way towards advancing all their careers because within those sixty minutes of so called football Monday, are all the mistakes a Linebacker can make, revisit, and learn from moving forward.  It's another way of saying Drew Brees took them to school and gave them a hard taught lesson about life in the NFL.  Next lesson; Aaron Rogers.  Study hard boys.




Of all the Giants' defensive sub-units, I understand the Secondary has been victimized the most by the number of injuries they've sustained.  But Corey Webster and Aaron Ross are veterans; not to mention healthy ones at that.  And together, they have been woeful.  There is no pass route disruption at the line in the form of jamming receivers.  There is no contact what so ever within five yards.  And they have a total misunderstanding as to how to go about zone-coverage, as they lay-out more cushion than an IKEA floor display.



I should actually be calling out the regular Safeties, and be a lot harsher about it too.  You know who they are.  But I'll go this way instead; -  Prince finally had his NFL debut; and good for us.  However Kenny Phillips is bordering on doing stupid things lately.



But collectively, the Secondary has joined forces to keep opposing drives in business by consistently missing tackles against the run, giving up huge plays via the air, and blowing big third down and long situations.  To anyone watching, right up to the moment the ball is snapped, they are clearly and consistently unsure of their assignments as evidenced by swivelling heads and excessive exchanges at the line of scrimmage as to who is covering who.  And I put much of that on the heads of Corners Coach Peter Giunta and Coach David Merritt.  There is too much on-field miscommunication taking place.  There are too many issues concerning technique, body positioning, schemes, smartness, and preparedness to go right for the jugular and indict the Secondary for a lack of talent.



In truth, Ross and Webster were never all-pros.  And Terrell Thomas, Kenny Phillips, and Prince Amukamara were supposed to be up to snuff by now.  Injuries at some point to the latter three have slowed that process down considerably.  But this much of a precipitous fall-off in coverage effectiveness must be partly due to instruction rather than blanketing the Secondary with the easy and all-encapsulating......they suck.  Because there is also every reason to point our fingers at Perry Fewell's; Peter Giunta's; and David Merritt's collective inability to stop the no-huddle/hurry up offense teams are now routinely employing against us.  The coaching triumvirate has had absolutely no answer for that....have they?



Sure injuries have been a factor.  But we do not suffer a lack of talent.  And there-in lies the true root of all Giant Fan's frustrations.  It's the lack of execution and a seeming willingness to get outplayed which have plagued us.  That's on the players.  Lawrence Taylor once exhorted - or - excoriated - his team to "...go out there like a bunch of crazed dogs and have some fun!"  Instead the Giants appear to have put their tail between their legs and are having a miserable time of it.  And not for nothing, Justin Tuck is the current poster child of Giants' melancholy.  During the week, Coach Fewell tried the old "chastise my unit like naughty boys" routine.  What he needs however is an epiphany.  A little creative thought into the art of deception will go a long way Coach.  In that respect, Coach Fewell has indeed slipped since earlier this season.  And that's on him.



Last week was wholly on the Defense as well it should.  The Offense did what is always does; put up twenty-four points.  That's their season average and another story.  Clearly, a better running game helps keeps Drew Brees off the field, and maybe New Orleans' final score doesn't start with that nasty old letter F.  But going into that game against the Saints, defensively, both teams were relatively even statistically.  That wasn't the case Monday night as the Giants were twice as bad.



The letter F also stands for Coach Fewell.  And he better think of something Fast.  Otherwise, the Giants season is on the verge of being Finished.



More on the Offense is coming; along with my Sunday Picks.





Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ The Search For Daylight

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE




NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:  Rushing Towards The Truth About The Giants' Running Game.


Last Post:  Haunting Loss Versus Eagles; No Exorcism For You.




Just in time for the Holidays, the New York Football Giants served up a Big Blue Giant turkey of a game last Sunday.  They got the stuffing knocked out of their running game as the Offensive Line played as soft as sweet potato pie.  Philly carved up our Linebackers and reduced the Giants pass rush to giblets.  Philly left town flying high like a Macy's Parade float while leaving Met-Life Stadium behind looking like a game-farm crime scene with trails of gravy on the field and smatterings of cranberry sauce all over the scoreboard.  By the end of Sunday night, all that nauseated Giant Fans had left to hold on to were both sides of the nearest porcelain toilet and the losing end of a wishbone.

*  *  *  *

Everything starts up front.  And up front, everything starts with the Center.  The Offensive Line is clearly not of the caliber it was just a few years ago.  At some point, we knew the former record-setting line needed a renovation.  The Giants' struggles down the stretch over the last two seasons were partly attributable to injuries plaguing Shaun O'Hara and Rich Seubert.  Thus, Jerry Reese started the O-Line transformation this season.  The GM released both O'Hara and Seubert prior to the season and turned to free agent David Baas to replace O'Hara at center.  The book on Baas as a Giant is incomplete because he, like so many Giants, missed several games due to injury.  The position of Center has suffered as a result with the Giants having to plug in 2nd year-Jim Cordle and the capable Chris Snee when Baas was out.



At twenty-nine years old, Chris Snee is in his eighth season.  Of the starting unit, I'd say he's struggling the most.  Chris Snee was hampered by concussion symptoms earlier this season.  And by their own standards, the Giants two Guards, Chris Snee and David Diehl have been racking-up a bevy of very uncharacteristic penalties.  The versatile David Diehl was moved back to his old position of left Guard this season.  He is now in his ninth season at thirty years old, and remains a strong lineman on Eli's blind side.



The plan to move David Deihl back to left Guard was designed to give Will Beatty his chance at left Tackle next to Diehl.  But Beatty will now miss extensive time due to an eye injury that will require surgery.  Enter Kevin Boothe who is no stranger.  He is twenty-eight years old with six years in the league.  By now he should be experienced enough and is charged with picking up the slack on Eli's blind side.  But it's a situation I'd consider precarious at best heading into Monday night.  The right side Tackle; Kareem McKenzie; has always been a good, solid Tackle.  But he is now thirty-two years old and in his twelfth season.



That's the starting front line as of this posting.  And beware, the tide is going out on the Giants' Offensive Line depth.  Gone from the squad is Adam Koets.  Remember him?  He was released after having ACL surgery this season. He was being counted on this season.  But with Koets, goes veteran stability and more lost experience from the Giants last Super Bowl.  Now thrust into a starting role, Kevin Boothe depletes depth as well. That leaves the Giants with rookie-James Brewer; second year Jim Cordle; third year Mitch Petrus; and now in his ninth year, pick-up Stacey Andrews.



On the one hand, even though Eli is taking far more hits this season than he's accustomed to, the Giants passing game is still very fruitful.  They are actually having one of their best seasons passing the ball during this era.  And even though teams are now expecting Eli to throw the ball forty-five or more times a game, he just so happens to be having a career year doing it.  That doesn't happen without a certain degree of effective pass blocking and protection as teams are really starting to amp-up their pass rush against Eli knowing the Giants are struggling mightily running the ball.



As we know, run blocking is an entirely different story.  Collectively, the Offensive Line has not been able to get the running game surging forward.  Quite frankly, there is no forward surge from the O-Line at all.  Together, they couldn't push a sofa across a room right now.  And the loss to the Eagles needs to be called for what it was...an embarrassment.  Because before we get to Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, all this must have been said first. 



For the first time in many, many seasons, the Giants are not averaging 100-yards per game.  And running anywhere between the Tackles has seemed damn near impossible.  Whether off-Center or off-Tackle, there have been no running lanes to speak of, or holes to run through.  It's uncomfortable to say, but Baas, Diehl, and Snee are having better luck opening refrigerator doors lately than they've had opening up cracks of daylight for Bradshaw, Jacobs, and Ware.  I don't really have an answer as to why, but part of any answer must credit O'Hara and Seubert for being that good when healthy.  And the fact that our Fullback situation is currently a borderline fail directly contributes to the Giants' poor rushing as well. 



The Giants running game, if anything, has had a measure of success running outside the Tackles, where Kareem McKenzie is still capable of sealing the end.  Will Beatty was somewhat less successful helping bounce plays outside to the left however.  But that role now falls on Kevin Boothe as mentioned above.



Welcome to what we all knew was the riskier side of resigning our own free-agent, Ahmad Bradshaw.  We've been in this situation with, and without him before.  There's no need getting into what we all know he can do when healthy.  Right now he's not.  Therein lies the second biggest reason for the Giants' floundering running game.  Mind you, while on the field he managed just one 100+ yard game this season.  And for the Giants, it stands as the only 100-yard performance of the season.



Now finally....Brandon Jacobs.  Do his words still bother you?  I said once before; ignore him.  He's horrible with the Media; more like adversarial with them.  And he's just not a good effective public speaker.  Some guys are like that.  But his team mates like him and he's never been insubordinate with Coach Coughlin.  And the fact he reworked his deal should not go under spoken either.



Of course you know I've said everything possible in support and defense of Brandon Jacobs.  But you need to know I'm not joined at the hip with him.  He's just not going anywhere this season, so we have to make this work some how.  If he's gone after the season; bye.  We need to move away from him anyway for more reasons than just the obvious.  I'll get to that in a sec...



We've established there is no where to run between the Tackles.  More importantly, the Offensive Line isn't generating any kind of forward surge off the snap, which historically allowed Brandon Jacobs to gain steam.  By the time Jacobs used to crash the line, the boys up front were three yards deeper beyond the line of scrimmage.  And that's when Jacobs used to hurt and intimidate Safeties.  These days, the front line is being stood up and pushed back.  Therefore making Jacobs look pretty damn bad.  He's not a speed back by any stretch.  But he's been effective this season getting outside Kareem McKenzie, and catching passes out of the backfield.  Yet, Coach Gilbride hasn't employed Jacobs that way.  Coach keeps sending him into the wall.  Let's not lose sight of this fact. - This time last season, Brandon Jacobs was thumping and bumping his way towards his highest yards per rush average in his career.  Obviously the Giants employ the two back attack.  But if you prorated Jacobs' limited playing time last season, he was still a 1000-yard back.



But Brandon Jacobs has not been without his injuries also.  For Bradshaw, his feet are killing him.  For Jacobs, his knees are the problem.  But they weren't an excuse for an under thirty yards rushing performance against the Eagles last week.  However everything else I said so far...is.



The once formidable Giants' game was predicated on a forward moving Offensive Line and two healthy backs each representing different styles that complimented each other very well.  Today, they seriously lack two of those elements, and are kind of fed-up and resigned to part with the other.  But as I maintain, even then, at least for the rest of the season, Brandon Jacobs has to be Coached/utilized a little more smartly.



In my lifetime at least, the Giants have historically been very successful utilizing smaller, stocky, low center of mass backs.  Joe Morris, Dave Meggett; Tiki Barber; and these days, Ahmad Bradshaw speaks to that.  Brandon Jacobs came on the scene like a freak.  And yeah, maybe the show is over for him.  His shelf life is definitely about to expire.  However I still maintain the Giants can use him with great effectiveness over the rest of this season.  Draws, screens, and swing passes, pitches, or whatever, will allow Jacobs to gain a few more yards on the ground.  Coach has to be creative and shake things up for Brandon.  But really..., something has got to give between the Tackle positions if we're to have any success without Bradshaw, and especially with the schedule we have ahead.



David Diehl, David Baas, and Chris Snee need to start pushing this team forward.

*  *  *  *

 

The Giants' Soft White Under-Belly:  LINEBACKER


Losing Jonathan Goff changed the plan.  Having Michael Boley go down with an injury changes everything.  To put it mildly, the Giants are, and have been, woefully deficient at Linebacker.



The reason the Giants won Super Bowls XXI and XXV, among other reasons, were they had two Hall of Fame Linebackers in Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson.  And they had two more stand-out Linebackers; borderline HOF'er Carl Banks, and pit bull Pepper Johnson.



If you take a look at the 2007 Super Bowl team, they also had two superlative Linebackers.  Antonio Pierce had one of the best seasons of his career in 2007.  And Kawika Mitchell had one of the most under-rated, quietly great efforts who then Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo knew exactly how to get every ounce of effectiveness out of.  During the Super Bowl game itself, Mitchell had a brilliant game against Tom Brady.



Without Goff and Boley, the present day Giants are down to the Junior Varsity.  Mathias Kiwanuka must play Big Brother to rookie- Greg Jones; rookie-Jacquian Williams; rookie-Mark Herzlich; and rookie-Spencer Paysinger.  ...So you tell me.



Want to know what ails the Giants defense?  Look no further.  Our propensity to give up the big play whether be it on the ground or in the air, I believe stems from this dilemma.






Mike.BTB

N.Y Giants ~ Defensive Blues Color Game One

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE



NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:  Redskins Expose Big Blue Holes In Defense.  Secondary Shows Old Form.


Ya know, for a Defensive minded kind of guy, I've spent an extraordinarily long time these last two seasons talking about Offense and the Running Game.  That's because Kevin Gilbride drives me freakin' crazy.


But please; let's talk Defense.


The Redskins' ground game went through us like a weed-whacker through spaghetti and Rex Grossman picked apart the Secondary like a fruit basket.  Jason Pierre Paul wasn't going to stop the Skins by himself.  Nice game by him, by the way.  But otherwise, Washington went through us like we were wet toilet paper.


That's our present condition; not necessarily our state of affairs.  Now that off-season talk and speculation have turned into real games, it's time to play through problems also.  As you well know, we have an epidemic of injuries on this side of the ball.  We just have to get through it.  There was no Justin Tuck; no Osi Umenyiora; Jonathan Goff; or Prince Amukamara.  How much did not having them available alter the defensive plan?  In a logical sense; a lot.  But in the NFL, you never know for sure until the game is over.


If Osi and Tuck play, does the Secondary have as a bad a day as they did?  Answer; - Probably!  They are all familiar with the smell of getting toasted.  We've seen this act from Aaron Ross; Antrel Rolle; Corey Webster; Kenny Phillips; and Deon Grant before.  The book has been out on these guys for some time now.  Be aggressive against them and they will give up huge plays.  Prince Amukamara was supposed to improve our depth.  But he's out.  Kenny Phillips is the only player with any real hopes for major improvement in his play.  The rest of the cast is comprised of seasoned vets.  What you see is what you get with them.  And many times last season, they've made us look away.


If Jerry Reese had spent any time (at all) trying to find some linebackers, perhaps many things change about this Defense.  Then we'd be able to escape this over-reliance on the D-Line getting sacks. 


The Secondary problems will be the more visible problems on TV.  That unit will look the worst doing what they do.  But football fans know full well, our lack of linebackers; our soft white under belly for some time now; is going to kill us.




Mike.BTB

NYG ~ Big Blue Week 11 Preview ~ Here Come the EAGLES

Look for a typically wacky game this week between these old NFC East Rivals.


The last game played by the Giants (vs. Dallas) and the last played by the Eagles (vs. Washington) couldn't be two worse games to gauge the upcoming Giants/Eagles game by.  We saw the Giants at their season's worst and the Eagles played arguably at their best.  Will the Giants look as bad this week as they did against the Cowboys?  Will the Eagles look as good as they did against the Redskins?  The answer to both questions is ~ I doubt it.  These teams will probably meet somewhere in the middle and turn this into an old fashioned school yard fight.

Before I continue though, there's a little matter I'd like to get off my chest. 

If you've been reading this blog as I follow the Giants this season, you know all year long I've been howling about the running game and Brandon Jacobs in particular.  I've been getting "Blue" in the face talking about Coach Gilbride's unnecessary and rambunctious pass calling at times.  I've been going on ad-nausea about how Coach Gilbride needs to take steps towards playing Football in December by making a change in his philosophy and featuring the running game more.  I voiced all those complaints while we were winning.  We are now at the point of the season when a team must dominate 3rd and short and 4th and short situations.  You only dominate those situations with a power running game.

Today we are ill prepared for that situation because Coach Gilbride didn't make his in-season adjustment to the cold weather game yet; if he does at all.  On this Giants team with this offensive line and this compliment of running backs the running game needed to be instituted as it's bread and butter weeks ago.  Our failure to control short yardage was glaringly evident versus Dallas as we could not execute on 4th and 1 late in the game.

So what's my point and what is my "matter"?  Well, the media all of a sudden is calling for the Giants to implement a game plan similar to the one that won them Super Bowl XXV and Super Bowl XLII; a power running game, ball control, clock management by winning time of possession, and keeping Vick off the field.  That's what the experts are saying about this week's game.

*sigh*

From the the desks of Obvious; Really?  Welcome to last month!  Why don't we just game-plan every game like a Super Bowl?  It's ponderous how we don't win every game if all you have to do is write it into the script.  It's not my want to take jabs at the media and I rarely, if ever do.  I just call them up directly to air my grievances.  But this struck me as a lay-up because I've been calling for a change in the Giants' attack since.....You've been reading; you tell me.  I'm done.      .....the game....

The Captains of Obvious are right.  We need to pound this football on the ground all day long.  Pound out yardage on the ground, get first downs, keep the clock running and Michael Vick off the field.  Take your shots down field when the situations arise instead of forcing the passing game.  And most importantly, no turn-overs.  In this game, who ever turns over the ball least, wins.

We all know the left side of the Offensive Line has been decimated by injuries and that fact may add wrinkles to the best laid plans to run the ball.  I totally get that.

But this is a Giants-Eagles game.  Usually the best prognostications are rendered stupid in this match-up.  One freaky game is usually what ensues when these teams meet.  These games are never pretty and to call them ugly is calling Phyllis Diller, Aphrodite.  Fumbles, interceptions, safeties, penalties, hostilities, and the darnedest things you ever saw are all part of Giants/Eagles games.  It's always been that way with these NFC East rivals.

If we can't keep Vick off the field with the running game or we keep turning over the ball, Michael Vick poses a very real problem for the Giants this week.  That big problem is Vick's confidence level; not his skill level.  He can do what he can do and we're all a testament to that.  But riding a confidence level that is sky high right now, Vick's 'id' might be looking to do things he never thought he could before; - That's the scary aspect of "him".  Skill begs for great moments and his brain just might listen.

OK...relax.  Here's the other side.  We always managed to contain Vick before when he was with the Falcons.  That was a different day.  I'll give you that.  But somehow we've always managed him.  He didn't have a great camp or early start to the season.  Last week was a break-through game in an improving season for him but a bad day at the office just might be right around the corner too.

Defensively?

This is the week for the linebackers to make a name for themselves.  This quiet and surprisingly effective group must now be a unit the entire team can lean on for a week.  The Giants need to play Vick as straight-up traditional as can be, - as if you were teaching Defense 101 to horticulturalists and drawing it up on a chalk board..  I'm talking no gimmicks, minimal blitzing and 1950s era positioning.

The front four need to keep Vick in front of them and in the middle of the field.  The secondary needs to keep their eyes glued to the whites of the receiver's eyes without a blink and blanket them as long as they can.  The Linebackers need to keep Vick from running outside, escaping inside when the pocket slides past him, and prevent him from just running wild in general and improvising plays.  The key to beating Vick this week from a defensive point of view will be how our linebackers read and react to Vick.  In short form, that's what I think.  For this type of quarterback I myself would use a 3-4 defense.  But we know that's not what the Giants do, so their hands will be full.

Why play him straight up and show him old school schemes?  He'll pick apart our aggression at the line of scrimmage.  We'll get 'pass to the backs' and 'screen-passed' to death.  QB's like to identify and single out safeties.  This week I say it will be one our linebackers who will wind up getting singled out and attempts to exploit him will be made all game long; not the secondary like most fear.  Michael Boley, Jon Goff, Keith Bullock, Clint Sintim....?  This is the week "the game" finds them.  I hope what ever Perry Fewell and Coach Coughlin bickered about last week is resolved.  Perry Fewell will be facing his biggest test as Giants' Defensive Coordinator this week against a soaring Eagles team.  His schemes as much as his defensive players' efforts will play a large role in this game.  I would just caution against over aggression this game versus Michael Vick.

Injuries; We got em. We have a bunch of em; just like everybody else.  So..., the last comment of the day goes to the Special Teams.  They've been flat out rotten but we've gotten around it.  This may be a game when their sub-par play comes back to haunt the Giants.




Mike.BTB