From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL ~ The Defense That Wasn't.
No Super Bowl title defense for you... So what happened? For me, the failures were equally on both offense and defense. I am also inclined to agree with the coaching staff's general consensus that there was a tremendous lack of execution this past season. After Hurricane Sandy, I didn't get to watch many games on TV. In hindsight, perhaps that was best. But I certainly didn't like what I heard on radio.
I will start this post season assessment with the Defense, and coordinator Perry Fewell. His victory parade is over. It's time for him to get back to the drawing board. I'll let him slide for throwing his players under the bus at season's end regarding their overall performance. But next season, his defense must yield far better results. There is much change that needs to emanate from the top, meaning from Mr. Fewell. He doesn't exactly fit the mold of Giants offensive coordinators and their strategies of the past. Bill Belichick, John Fox, Steve Spagnuolo - they were very good coordinators here. Perry Fewell's Read and React schemes however drive me batty. His defenses are not terribly aggressive. But that's as far as I'll criticize Perry Fewell. Many other factors contributed to an overall poor defensive effort. As a unit, the Giants Defense couldn't stop the run. They couldn't stop the pass. And they couldn't stop themselves from looking downright amateurish at times.
At Cornerback, year one in the post-Aaron Ross era was a disaster. For starters, the secondary was ravaged by injuries for a second consecutive season. On that note, for the second consecutive season Terrell Thomas was lost for the year. Michael Coe was lost for the season as well. Prince Amukamara is still yet to play like a #1 draft pick but showed improvement. And Coery Webster had perhaps the worst season of his career. Rookie Jayron Hosely had his moments. But he is too short for the position I believe, and is easily picked on.
At Safety, I feel yet another injury to Kenny Phillips was also a huge blow to the defense. He was turning into an impact safety until sidelined....again. On the bright side however, Antrel Rolle had a stellar season. Will Hill and the amazin' Stevie Brown filled in tremendously.
Next, there are two ways I would describe the Giants situation at Linebacker - average and without impact. Chase Blackburn, we hardly knew ya. Where would the Giants have been without him? Because truth be told, Michael Boley, Keith Rivers, Jacquian Williams, Mark Herzlich, and Spencer Paysinger put forth rather inconsequential seasons.
Up front, it's like the Defensive Line kept bumping into each other in the fun house. No one ever adequately explained what happened to the Giants pass rush last season. Osi was his own worst enemy, constantly playing his way out of a sack or tackle. The league made adjustments against JPP. He will now be taking lessons from Michael Strahan on how to deal with getting double-teamed. That's not a bad idea. But Justin Tuck remains a bit mystifying. I was satisfied with Chris Canty when he managed to stay on the field. He only played nine games.
Staying on the field - what a task. With regard to injuries, the Giants have questions that need answers. How long should the Giants stick it out with Terrell Thomas before cutting the cord? As mentioned, he has missed the last two seasons with the same injury. Kenny Phillips can be viewed similarly. We also need to consider Chris Canty missed almost half the season. And Keith Rivers, dealing with his fair share of injuries, also has not fulfilled his potential here.
On the free agent front, GM Jerry Reese has his hands full. Osi's situation is well known to us by now. He has most likely played his last game as a New York Giant. Kenny Phillips is also an unrestricted free agent. I do not want to see him leave. But since he first hit the field as a rookie, he's had troubles staying on it. When Chris Canty went down with an injury, Rocky Bernard teamed up with Linval Joseph and plugged the Tackle position well. Rocky Bernard is also now an unrestricted free agent. Some very fine play at linebacker just might have earned Chase Blackburn a handsome little raise for him and his family. It just won't be with the G-Men. I can't see them paying-up for Chase. The Giants cap situation is too restrictive for that.
What now? If I had my druthers, I'd have Jerry Reese address the linebacker situation. The Giants need more impact from that position. While Boley is still a fine player, and Rivers is worth a further look, the rest of the corps perhaps needs fresh meat. Unfortunately, I do not believe there is any money in the budget to spend quality dollars here. If Osi has indeed played his last game as a Giant, then Mathias Kiwanuka seems certain of returning to the defensive line.
In spite of the injury to Kenny Phillips, I'm hoping he can be re-signed to an extension. In his absence however, Stevie Brown was able to show what he's capable of. And it was good. With Antrel Rolle, the Giants are looking pretty good at Safety. It is the Cornerback situation they need to fix. Jerry Reese faces a quandary as to how, be it holding out hope for a healthier Thomas, revamping the position, or throwing money at it. And we know the latter suggestion is simply not the Giants way. That said, Jerry Reese also has a very hard decision to make regarding Corey Webster as well. After two very sub par seasons, Webster comes with a mighty hefty price tag next season. He could very well get cut.
On the defensive line, my concern is at Tackle. The Giants might be forced to take a closer look here. While Chris Canty has an ally in me, the position has not been right since Barry Cofield left. Linval Joseph played okay. No major gripes. But overall, the Giants ability to stop the run must improve. Improvements to the linebacker and tackle positions would be my way to go about that. As far as stopping the pass, give me less Jayron Hosely and give me more size at the corners.
Mike.BTB
Showing posts with label Kenny Phillips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kenny Phillips. Show all posts
Friday, January 11, 2013
Saturday, October 13, 2012
New York Giants: Injuries Have Defense In A Bind
From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE
The 49ers are still sniveling about last year's game. They haven't budged from their contention they are better than the Giants either. Sunday, maybe they will be. Recent, and not so recent history says, they beat us in the regular season then we beat them in the playoffs. Save a game or two, that's the way it usually goes between the Giants and 49ers. At any rate, here we go again. Sunday, San Francisco finally gets their rematch after last season's NFC Championship loss. Hey, the sun shines on a dog's posterior once a day too ya know... So good luck with that.
I haven't been too bothered by injuries before. But the ones to Kenny Phillips and Rocky Bernard concern me. The Giants are weakened up the middle as a result. Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard were supposed to be the two stating Tackles this season. Now they are both out of action. While playing well, Linval Joseph must now play big man on campus, and keep Markus Kuhn's and Marvin Austin's head in the game, and focused on stopping Frank Gore.
I think losing Kenny Phillips is a big problem. Kenny was off to a great start this season. His tackling was stellar. And that's what the Giants will miss most Sunday. Antrel Rolle will no doubt have to babysit 49ers tight end, Vernon Davis. But who will tackle Davis in the open field? The guy is 6'3" and weighs 250 pounds! Kenny Phillips would have. He has the size to bring down Davis. Kenny Phillips is 6'2" and weighs 217 lbs. I feel Phillips was the best defense against Davis dominating the game. Who now for the G-Men? Steve Brown stepped in last week for Phillips and played very well. But it was against the Browns. He is only 5'11" although weighs in at 221 lbs. I'd be skeptical about his chances versus Davis in the open field. Tyler Sash is back just in time from his four game suspension to lend a helping hand. He is 6'0" and weighs 215. That's better. Will Smith is 6'1", but falls over forty pounds shy of Vernon Davis.
Unless Antrel Rolle has a superlative day of solo tackling, rest assured, Vernon Davis will shake and bake Rolle out of the slot Sunday. Someone will need to bring him down. Otherwise, Alex Smith will look for him all day long.
At wide out, The Giants defensive backfield will have to contend with usual nemesis Michael Crabtree. But they also now have to deal with ex-mate, Mario Manningham. The problem is Corey Webster is not Corey Webster this season, with or without a cast. And without Terrell Thomas, the Giants are still having trouble filling the void left behind by the departure of Aaron Ross. Prince Amukamara at least has ceased being a liability, as was the case in his first two starts. Jayron Hosley sat out last week. And Michael Coe is doing what he can on gimpy legs. This unit is already the Giants weakest link. One more injury, and this chain snaps.
Unless the Giants defensive front seven can impact this game via stopping the run, and rushing Alex Smith, the 49er quarterback just may pick the Giants apart this week. While I do not find the 49ers offensive line overly impressive, collectively, they are a very solid bunch. Opposing them will be the Giants defensive line which has recently fall under great scrutiny. And for good reason. Where are the sacks? Where is the overwhelming pressure? They couldn't even manage a sack against the Browns. Something has to give. But conventional thinking says the Giants won't get their pass rush righted against the 49ers. San Francisco is too legit to be any team's remedy for lack of pressure on the quarterback. If the 49ers use three step drops and go no-huddle, it will wind up being an extremely long day on the Left Coast for Big Blue.
Mike.BTB
We're goin' back to San Francisco fellas. California here we come! - Lawrence Taylor
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: This May Turn Into The Revenge Game The 49ers Have Been Itching For.
If The Giants Defensive Line Is To Cause Any Tremors,
Obviously, San Francisco Is The Place To Do It...
The 49ers are still sniveling about last year's game. They haven't budged from their contention they are better than the Giants either. Sunday, maybe they will be. Recent, and not so recent history says, they beat us in the regular season then we beat them in the playoffs. Save a game or two, that's the way it usually goes between the Giants and 49ers. At any rate, here we go again. Sunday, San Francisco finally gets their rematch after last season's NFC Championship loss. Hey, the sun shines on a dog's posterior once a day too ya know... So good luck with that.
I haven't been too bothered by injuries before. But the ones to Kenny Phillips and Rocky Bernard concern me. The Giants are weakened up the middle as a result. Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard were supposed to be the two stating Tackles this season. Now they are both out of action. While playing well, Linval Joseph must now play big man on campus, and keep Markus Kuhn's and Marvin Austin's head in the game, and focused on stopping Frank Gore.
I think losing Kenny Phillips is a big problem. Kenny was off to a great start this season. His tackling was stellar. And that's what the Giants will miss most Sunday. Antrel Rolle will no doubt have to babysit 49ers tight end, Vernon Davis. But who will tackle Davis in the open field? The guy is 6'3" and weighs 250 pounds! Kenny Phillips would have. He has the size to bring down Davis. Kenny Phillips is 6'2" and weighs 217 lbs. I feel Phillips was the best defense against Davis dominating the game. Who now for the G-Men? Steve Brown stepped in last week for Phillips and played very well. But it was against the Browns. He is only 5'11" although weighs in at 221 lbs. I'd be skeptical about his chances versus Davis in the open field. Tyler Sash is back just in time from his four game suspension to lend a helping hand. He is 6'0" and weighs 215. That's better. Will Smith is 6'1", but falls over forty pounds shy of Vernon Davis.
Unless Antrel Rolle has a superlative day of solo tackling, rest assured, Vernon Davis will shake and bake Rolle out of the slot Sunday. Someone will need to bring him down. Otherwise, Alex Smith will look for him all day long.
At wide out, The Giants defensive backfield will have to contend with usual nemesis Michael Crabtree. But they also now have to deal with ex-mate, Mario Manningham. The problem is Corey Webster is not Corey Webster this season, with or without a cast. And without Terrell Thomas, the Giants are still having trouble filling the void left behind by the departure of Aaron Ross. Prince Amukamara at least has ceased being a liability, as was the case in his first two starts. Jayron Hosley sat out last week. And Michael Coe is doing what he can on gimpy legs. This unit is already the Giants weakest link. One more injury, and this chain snaps.
Unless the Giants defensive front seven can impact this game via stopping the run, and rushing Alex Smith, the 49er quarterback just may pick the Giants apart this week. While I do not find the 49ers offensive line overly impressive, collectively, they are a very solid bunch. Opposing them will be the Giants defensive line which has recently fall under great scrutiny. And for good reason. Where are the sacks? Where is the overwhelming pressure? They couldn't even manage a sack against the Browns. Something has to give. But conventional thinking says the Giants won't get their pass rush righted against the 49ers. San Francisco is too legit to be any team's remedy for lack of pressure on the quarterback. If the 49ers use three step drops and go no-huddle, it will wind up being an extremely long day on the Left Coast for Big Blue.
Mike.BTB
Sunday, October 07, 2012
New York Giants: Big Blue M*A*S*H Unit
From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: As The Injuries Keep Mounting, Beware The Browns.
The Giants injury list is as long as lines around Foot Locker for Jordan re-issues - which is to say, ridiculous. In order of which injury I believe are most crucial to Giants success to the least worrisome injury, I cite the status of Michael Boley, Kenny Phillips, Rocky Bernard, Jayron Hoseley, Keith Rivers, Chris Snee, Hakeem Nicks, David Diehl, Ramses Barden, and David Bass as the most troublesome.
If last season taught us anything, is that without Michael Boley, everything breaks down. He is the unsung glue which keeps the defense together and functioning as one.
Kenny Phillips was off to his best start. He is one of the team's best tacklers. Most importantly, the Giants simply can not sustain any more injuries to the secondary. Ditto goes for Jayron Hosely. Corey Webster might as well be hurt; which he is, sporting a cast on his hand. His season has been terrible thus far.
Losing Rocky Bernard would be huge. The Giants are already minus Chris Canty at defensive tackle. Philly killed the Giants primarily on cut-backs. Otherwise, Rocky Bernard and Linval Joseph have been pretty solid plugging up the middle.
Keith Rivers concerns me because I'm starting to question if this guy will ever stay on the field.
In place of Chris Snee and David Diehl, Mitch Petrus now gets an opportunity to show last season was no fluke. He provided the O-Line with a spark last season. Let's see if he can do that again. Sean Locklear hasn't become a problem. So I guess that is a good thing.
Hakeem Nicks we knew about. Now, third string Ramses Barden is out as well.
This much is certain. No one feels sorry for the defending Super Bowl champions.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: As The Injuries Keep Mounting, Beware The Browns.
The Giants injury list is as long as lines around Foot Locker for Jordan re-issues - which is to say, ridiculous. In order of which injury I believe are most crucial to Giants success to the least worrisome injury, I cite the status of Michael Boley, Kenny Phillips, Rocky Bernard, Jayron Hoseley, Keith Rivers, Chris Snee, Hakeem Nicks, David Diehl, Ramses Barden, and David Bass as the most troublesome.
If last season taught us anything, is that without Michael Boley, everything breaks down. He is the unsung glue which keeps the defense together and functioning as one.
Kenny Phillips was off to his best start. He is one of the team's best tacklers. Most importantly, the Giants simply can not sustain any more injuries to the secondary. Ditto goes for Jayron Hosely. Corey Webster might as well be hurt; which he is, sporting a cast on his hand. His season has been terrible thus far.
Losing Rocky Bernard would be huge. The Giants are already minus Chris Canty at defensive tackle. Philly killed the Giants primarily on cut-backs. Otherwise, Rocky Bernard and Linval Joseph have been pretty solid plugging up the middle.
Keith Rivers concerns me because I'm starting to question if this guy will ever stay on the field.
In place of Chris Snee and David Diehl, Mitch Petrus now gets an opportunity to show last season was no fluke. He provided the O-Line with a spark last season. Let's see if he can do that again. Sean Locklear hasn't become a problem. So I guess that is a good thing.
Hakeem Nicks we knew about. Now, third string Ramses Barden is out as well.
This much is certain. No one feels sorry for the defending Super Bowl champions.
Mike.BTB
Monday, October 01, 2012
New York Giants: Giants Loss Deeper Than Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda
From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE
First things first - The fact Lawrence Tynes missed what could have been the game winning field goal doesn't bother me in the slightest. He's got a good foot and is not why the Giants lost to the Eagles.
Next item - I do not mind that Kevin Gilbride and Coach Coughlin stayed ultra aggressive towards the end of Sunday night's game. There was a time (as recently as last season) when I would have ripped into the Offensive Coordinator. I guess two Super Bowls and Eli Manning have altered my thinking somewhat. Sure I would have ran the ball on second down with under 0:30 seconds left. But such as life. Let's not be hypocrites...okay? The old adage is you play for the win on the road, and for the tie at home. Could the coaches have considered a different way to matriculate the ball into field goal range? Yes, but again, I'm not concerned. Remember what they say about hindsight and apply it here.
Third on my list - I do not mind Eli's earlier interception in the end zone. Although that was perhaps one of the worse he has ever thrown. The fact is, offensively, Eli and whatever receivers on the field at any given time are the only components functioning well. With regards to Eli heroics, this is just the way this game played out. We fans can do a better job tempering ourselves when we start demanding perfection.
If Eli is indeed functioning well, let's give the Offensive Line some credit before I start a different tact. The Offensive Line has indeed provided Eli enough time to throw the ball. Eli suffered no sacks Sunday evening. They got help blocking from Martellus Bennett and Ahmad Bradshaw. But through a quarter season thus far, the group has pass protected well with or without David Diehl in the line-up.
Here is where I am concerned. First, I do not mind Aaron Brown only rushed the ball four times considering he was coming off two very productive weeks leading into Sunday. While Eli suffered no sacks Sunday evening, the O-Line created no holes to run through. The Giants rushed for a pathetic fifty seven yards. Low production out of the backfield is more than just a pattern. That concerns me. And that's why I give the way Sunday night's game ended, a pass.
Lastly, I was even more perturbed by costly holding penalties committed by the Offensive Line; i.e. - Will Beatty and Sean Locklear in particular.
If a team runs the ball well, and defends against the run well, that team will win a preponderance of their games. There in lies the reason why the Giants lost. Against the Eagles, they did neither well. Sunday night's contest was one of those very winnable games the Giants let slip by. But make no mistake, this game wasn't lost because Tynes missed the last second field goal, or Eli's INT in the end zone, or the Giants inability to run the ball. The Giants lost that game because they couldn't for the life of them stop Philadelphia's running game. All told, the Eagles gained 191 yards rushing. Michael Vick sprung free for forty nine yards on six carries. And LeSean McCoy ran buck wild around Osi Umenyiora, and figuratively over Big Blue, rushing twenty three times for 123 yards. Most disheartening, the majority of his yardage came in the second half.
Once again, the Giants got sliced and diced off the edges, and generally everything bounced to the outside. Carved and served would be a more accurate portrayal of the feast enjoyed by the Eagles running game. All containment has left the building. Sunday's effort was as undisciplined a performance as they've had on the field together. And as coach, if I am stressing anything this week in practice, it would be that.
Meanwhile, the deterioration of Corey Webster's play continues. DeSean Jackson had Webster twisted like a pretzel when he received a second quarter touchdown pass from Michael Vick. That's why Webster was no where to be found on the play. He was heading somewhere else. Nothing about that play has anything to do with Corey's hand being in a cast. For the fourth consecutive week now, Corey Webster has played a very suspect game.
My two greatest two concerns after Sunday's loss to the Eagles however, are the health and status of Kenny Phillips. His season was off to a tremendous start. The Secondary just can not withstand any more injuries. Losing Phillips, I believe would be major, major blow. And secondly, the Giants are now 0-2 within the division.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:
Missed It by THAT Much
WEEK FOUR FINAL:
GIANTS 17
EAGLES 19
First things first - The fact Lawrence Tynes missed what could have been the game winning field goal doesn't bother me in the slightest. He's got a good foot and is not why the Giants lost to the Eagles.
Next item - I do not mind that Kevin Gilbride and Coach Coughlin stayed ultra aggressive towards the end of Sunday night's game. There was a time (as recently as last season) when I would have ripped into the Offensive Coordinator. I guess two Super Bowls and Eli Manning have altered my thinking somewhat. Sure I would have ran the ball on second down with under 0:30 seconds left. But such as life. Let's not be hypocrites...okay? The old adage is you play for the win on the road, and for the tie at home. Could the coaches have considered a different way to matriculate the ball into field goal range? Yes, but again, I'm not concerned. Remember what they say about hindsight and apply it here.
Third on my list - I do not mind Eli's earlier interception in the end zone. Although that was perhaps one of the worse he has ever thrown. The fact is, offensively, Eli and whatever receivers on the field at any given time are the only components functioning well. With regards to Eli heroics, this is just the way this game played out. We fans can do a better job tempering ourselves when we start demanding perfection.
If Eli is indeed functioning well, let's give the Offensive Line some credit before I start a different tact. The Offensive Line has indeed provided Eli enough time to throw the ball. Eli suffered no sacks Sunday evening. They got help blocking from Martellus Bennett and Ahmad Bradshaw. But through a quarter season thus far, the group has pass protected well with or without David Diehl in the line-up.
Here is where I am concerned. First, I do not mind Aaron Brown only rushed the ball four times considering he was coming off two very productive weeks leading into Sunday. While Eli suffered no sacks Sunday evening, the O-Line created no holes to run through. The Giants rushed for a pathetic fifty seven yards. Low production out of the backfield is more than just a pattern. That concerns me. And that's why I give the way Sunday night's game ended, a pass.
Lastly, I was even more perturbed by costly holding penalties committed by the Offensive Line; i.e. - Will Beatty and Sean Locklear in particular.
If a team runs the ball well, and defends against the run well, that team will win a preponderance of their games. There in lies the reason why the Giants lost. Against the Eagles, they did neither well. Sunday night's contest was one of those very winnable games the Giants let slip by. But make no mistake, this game wasn't lost because Tynes missed the last second field goal, or Eli's INT in the end zone, or the Giants inability to run the ball. The Giants lost that game because they couldn't for the life of them stop Philadelphia's running game. All told, the Eagles gained 191 yards rushing. Michael Vick sprung free for forty nine yards on six carries. And LeSean McCoy ran buck wild around Osi Umenyiora, and figuratively over Big Blue, rushing twenty three times for 123 yards. Most disheartening, the majority of his yardage came in the second half.
Once again, the Giants got sliced and diced off the edges, and generally everything bounced to the outside. Carved and served would be a more accurate portrayal of the feast enjoyed by the Eagles running game. All containment has left the building. Sunday's effort was as undisciplined a performance as they've had on the field together. And as coach, if I am stressing anything this week in practice, it would be that.
Meanwhile, the deterioration of Corey Webster's play continues. DeSean Jackson had Webster twisted like a pretzel when he received a second quarter touchdown pass from Michael Vick. That's why Webster was no where to be found on the play. He was heading somewhere else. Nothing about that play has anything to do with Corey's hand being in a cast. For the fourth consecutive week now, Corey Webster has played a very suspect game.
My two greatest two concerns after Sunday's loss to the Eagles however, are the health and status of Kenny Phillips. His season was off to a tremendous start. The Secondary just can not withstand any more injuries. Losing Phillips, I believe would be major, major blow. And secondly, the Giants are now 0-2 within the division.
Mike.BTB
Sunday, September 30, 2012
New York Giants: Philly Showdown - I
From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: Might As Well Play This Game In A School Yard. Let's Get It On!
Uh.., yeah! Remember us? And why would you? The schedule makers won't let us play at the same time everyone else does. While we're at it, why even bother playing this game on a football field? It's Philly - might as well play this game in a school yard.
Despite all the popular talk lately, I for one do not like relying on turnovers to win games. I don't care how many times Philly has turned over the ball this season. No - instead of sniffing around for turnovers, Philly/Giants games are usually more a matter of brute force, ignorance, seeing who can deliver a bigger hit, who can withstand more pain, AND the obligatory freak occurrence. It doesn't fall short on any Giants fan to know the damnedest things happen when these teams play each other. So why plan? But I'll take the turnovers when I can get them.
Last week's win over the Panthers was nice and flashy and all.., but lets get back to basics, shall we? It is time to play football in the trenches again. Here's why I think the Giants will win Sunday evening. Big Blue's defensive line is healthy, and the Eagles offensive line is not. Michael Vick is one or two big shots away from missing time this season. Who better to get after him than the Giants? Four games into the season...it is time they do.
The Giants have had trouble when plays bounce outside. Otherwise, the Giants have stayed resilient up the middle. Linval Joseph and Rocky Bernard stabilized Tackle in Chris Canty's absence. Michael Boley and Jacquian Williams continue to play well together. If Keith Rivers can ever rejoin Mathias Kiwanuka, Boley, and Williams, what a fine linebacker unit this could be; and depth with Chase Blackburn to spare. At Safety, Antrell Rolle and Kenny Phillips have been solid. Rolle's knee should be fine. And Kenny Phillips is slowly putting together the type of season we've been waiting for. So if the defense can collectively can keep Michael Vick in the middle of the field, that would create ideal conditions for the pass rushers. That in turn minimizes the exposure of the Corners. It's all relative.
The key here is Michael Boley. As the team's corner backs disintegrate behind him, Boley's responsibility of directing traffic and setting the defense increase exponentially. At Corner, Corey Webster's hand is in a cast, and Jayron Hosely is out. Webster will still play, but then again, he's been getting burnt like toast in two of three games. Prince Amukamara and Michael Coe are still trying to get off the carpet as well.
So it falls back on Michael Boley and his unit to ensure the front seven pose major problems for Michael Vick. If the G-Men keep Vick contained inside the numbers, and make him wait for something to open up down field, the pass rush will come. If the Eagles O-Line is as banged up as advertised, the G-Men should be upon Vick quickly.
Why is this game going to come down to a field goal? The Eagles are going to defend the run a lot better than the Panthers did. Be sure of that. So look for a one week down tick in Andre Brown's performance. Ahmad Bradshaw will play. He has always bounced back well. We'll see how he bounces back this game.
As well as the Giants reconfigured Offensive Line has played these last two games, Philly's defensive front line is no joke. For Sean Locklear, this is like getting thrown into the fire. He's in, and David Diehl is out. Some will even argue the O-Line has played better in Diehl's absence. To that I say show me against the Eagles. Odds are Eli gets to talk with some of Philly's defensive players up close this Sunday evening. If recent history repeats itself, Eli might even throw an INT. He'll be going it without Hakeem Nicks. But Eli, and the rest of the available receivers should do just enough to squeeze out a close win in Philly.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: Might As Well Play This Game In A School Yard. Let's Get It On!
Uh.., yeah! Remember us? And why would you? The schedule makers won't let us play at the same time everyone else does. While we're at it, why even bother playing this game on a football field? It's Philly - might as well play this game in a school yard.
Despite all the popular talk lately, I for one do not like relying on turnovers to win games. I don't care how many times Philly has turned over the ball this season. No - instead of sniffing around for turnovers, Philly/Giants games are usually more a matter of brute force, ignorance, seeing who can deliver a bigger hit, who can withstand more pain, AND the obligatory freak occurrence. It doesn't fall short on any Giants fan to know the damnedest things happen when these teams play each other. So why plan? But I'll take the turnovers when I can get them.
Last week's win over the Panthers was nice and flashy and all.., but lets get back to basics, shall we? It is time to play football in the trenches again. Here's why I think the Giants will win Sunday evening. Big Blue's defensive line is healthy, and the Eagles offensive line is not. Michael Vick is one or two big shots away from missing time this season. Who better to get after him than the Giants? Four games into the season...it is time they do.
The Giants have had trouble when plays bounce outside. Otherwise, the Giants have stayed resilient up the middle. Linval Joseph and Rocky Bernard stabilized Tackle in Chris Canty's absence. Michael Boley and Jacquian Williams continue to play well together. If Keith Rivers can ever rejoin Mathias Kiwanuka, Boley, and Williams, what a fine linebacker unit this could be; and depth with Chase Blackburn to spare. At Safety, Antrell Rolle and Kenny Phillips have been solid. Rolle's knee should be fine. And Kenny Phillips is slowly putting together the type of season we've been waiting for. So if the defense can collectively can keep Michael Vick in the middle of the field, that would create ideal conditions for the pass rushers. That in turn minimizes the exposure of the Corners. It's all relative.
The key here is Michael Boley. As the team's corner backs disintegrate behind him, Boley's responsibility of directing traffic and setting the defense increase exponentially. At Corner, Corey Webster's hand is in a cast, and Jayron Hosely is out. Webster will still play, but then again, he's been getting burnt like toast in two of three games. Prince Amukamara and Michael Coe are still trying to get off the carpet as well.
So it falls back on Michael Boley and his unit to ensure the front seven pose major problems for Michael Vick. If the G-Men keep Vick contained inside the numbers, and make him wait for something to open up down field, the pass rush will come. If the Eagles O-Line is as banged up as advertised, the G-Men should be upon Vick quickly.
Why is this game going to come down to a field goal? The Eagles are going to defend the run a lot better than the Panthers did. Be sure of that. So look for a one week down tick in Andre Brown's performance. Ahmad Bradshaw will play. He has always bounced back well. We'll see how he bounces back this game.
As well as the Giants reconfigured Offensive Line has played these last two games, Philly's defensive front line is no joke. For Sean Locklear, this is like getting thrown into the fire. He's in, and David Diehl is out. Some will even argue the O-Line has played better in Diehl's absence. To that I say show me against the Eagles. Odds are Eli gets to talk with some of Philly's defensive players up close this Sunday evening. If recent history repeats itself, Eli might even throw an INT. He'll be going it without Hakeem Nicks. But Eli, and the rest of the available receivers should do just enough to squeeze out a close win in Philly.
Mike.BTB
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
N.Y. Giants: Big Blue "D - FENCE" Preview
From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE
We pick up where we left off. The Secondary is in trouble. Coach Perry Fewell will have to be just a tad bit more creative this season than last. From bad to worse, Prince Amukamara has a high ankle sprain. Aaron Ross left town taking some very valuable experience and leadership with him. And Terrell Thomas is out for the season...again.
Last season, Perry Fewell switched the Secondary off, then back on again. If it seemed the Giants were routinely giving up thirty-plus points through the air, that because they were. Then word leaked out through the Air Defense Corp themselves that Coach's newly implemented zone schemes confused the hell out of them. When Coach scrubbed his idea and went back to more conventional methods, Corey Webster and Aaron Ross played shutdown football the rest of the way. Those two had a great run together. But that is now officially the past.
While Prince Amukamara heals, the Giants have a choice. Do they go with an experienced Michael Coe? Or was rookie Jeyron Hosely's pre-season good enough to warrant a few games at corner? There is always Justin Tyron. But if pressed to pick someone, I'd kindly ask Michael Coe to please stand up.
Expect teams to pick on the corners right away. That means others need to pick up the slack. Antrel Rolle never really found favor with me before. But I admit now, he proved me wrong. With the Secondary in its current state, Antrel Rolle is now invaluable. He not only played hurt last season, he demanded his team mates put their injuries aside, and get their posteriors on the field as well. That turned out to be a bigger moment in the season than we initially thought. Something about that clicked in Justin Tuck's head too, and away the Giants went. Additionally, Antrel stepped in, and covered the slot receivers of the league, while never feeling comfortable doing it. If Antrel's partner, Kenny Phillips, is going to be All Pro like some once projected him to be, this would be the season to step up and get it done. He is a fifth year player now. So with that, come higher expectations for him.
On the next defensive front, if the Giants linebackers stay healthier than last season; namely Michael Boley; the Giants should hold up much better during the meat portion of their schedule. Those are the games Boley missed last season; see the 49ers game. Right out of the box, Jonathan Goff and Clint Sintim both went belly up and never contributed.
This year, I have high hopes however, for second year Jacquian Williams. I liked him a lot last season. With Michael Boley on the field mentoring him, he played very well for a rookie. And where the hell would the Giants have been without Chase Blackburn last season? But having him, also shows the G-Men are a little thin at this position. All the same, it's nice to see him back. Greg Jones and Spencer Paysinger, like J-Will, are second year players, but in my opinion, have a little more to prove. I believe Keith Rivers will surprise a lot of Giants fans, and quickly move up the depth charts if he can adapt to playing left, middle, as well as right. I think there is still an ongoing tryout for middle linebacker. It will take much on Rivers part to convince Coach Coughlin to start him over Blackburn. I wouldn't rule it out though..., just not to begin the season.
Somewhere between being a linebacker and a defensive lineman is the Hybrid; Mathias Kiwanuka. The guy is a freak isn't he? And he finally seems to have injuries under control. I want you to say this out loud - Matthias Kiwanuka - JPP - Osi Umenyiora - Justin Tuck. They are like the Four Blue Men of the Apocalypse. Chilling..., isn't it?
If anyone is going to help make the Secondary better, it's going to be these guys. Where would the Giants have been had Jason Pierre Paul not carried the defense on his back for a significant portion of the regular season? Your answer is - with the Jets. He kept things going while Osi and Tucks ailed and required time to heal. The Jets game and Dallas game wouldn't have even mattered if not for JPP. It is only appropriate then, JPP blocked Dallas' last ditch field goal attempt in last year's regular season finale. It goes without saying, as Osi and Tuck go, so go the Giants. When they are hurt, the Giants suffer greatly. Lastly, please, please - I can't allow myself to get excited about rookie Adewale Ojomo yet.
But while I'm at it, defensive tackle has suffered ever since Barry Cofield left. Chris Canty going down is a big blow. Linval Joseph is a three year guy now. And for the moment, left tackle is his to keep or lose. I'm not sure about him. Just as I believe teams will pick on our corners, I also believe teams will try to run right up the middle on us. Teams figured that out about the Giants too late last season. Once Michael Boley returned healthy to plug the gaps, that notion kind of went away. After a decade-plus of service, Rocky Bernard is also being depended upon to plug the tackle spot. I do not like the Giants depth at tackle at all. Although Marvin Austin can change my mind.
Let's wrap this up with Coach Perry Fewell. Did he prove anything last season? Do you like him now? Are we collectively over Steve Spagnuolo now? I'll say this about Perry Fewell regarding last season. He contended with a lot of injuries to his unit, and proved himself to be very adaptable. He was deceptive in his packages, but clearly not as devious as Spags was. But Perry is his own man, and overall he ran a tight ship. Bottom line, Perry was deceptive enough to win a Super Bowl. But he had veteran leadership from Tuck, Osi, Webster, and Aaron Ross to help get it done. Coach Fewell will have a greater challenge on his hands this season.
Mike.BTB
Justin Tuck Salutes The Crowd
2012 OFFENSIVE PREVIEW:
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: Coach Perry Fewell Has A Greater Challenge On His Hands This Season. And Of Course, The Defense Must Stay Healthy.
We pick up where we left off. The Secondary is in trouble. Coach Perry Fewell will have to be just a tad bit more creative this season than last. From bad to worse, Prince Amukamara has a high ankle sprain. Aaron Ross left town taking some very valuable experience and leadership with him. And Terrell Thomas is out for the season...again.
Last season, Perry Fewell switched the Secondary off, then back on again. If it seemed the Giants were routinely giving up thirty-plus points through the air, that because they were. Then word leaked out through the Air Defense Corp themselves that Coach's newly implemented zone schemes confused the hell out of them. When Coach scrubbed his idea and went back to more conventional methods, Corey Webster and Aaron Ross played shutdown football the rest of the way. Those two had a great run together. But that is now officially the past.
While Prince Amukamara heals, the Giants have a choice. Do they go with an experienced Michael Coe? Or was rookie Jeyron Hosely's pre-season good enough to warrant a few games at corner? There is always Justin Tyron. But if pressed to pick someone, I'd kindly ask Michael Coe to please stand up.
Expect teams to pick on the corners right away. That means others need to pick up the slack. Antrel Rolle never really found favor with me before. But I admit now, he proved me wrong. With the Secondary in its current state, Antrel Rolle is now invaluable. He not only played hurt last season, he demanded his team mates put their injuries aside, and get their posteriors on the field as well. That turned out to be a bigger moment in the season than we initially thought. Something about that clicked in Justin Tuck's head too, and away the Giants went. Additionally, Antrel stepped in, and covered the slot receivers of the league, while never feeling comfortable doing it. If Antrel's partner, Kenny Phillips, is going to be All Pro like some once projected him to be, this would be the season to step up and get it done. He is a fifth year player now. So with that, come higher expectations for him.
On the next defensive front, if the Giants linebackers stay healthier than last season; namely Michael Boley; the Giants should hold up much better during the meat portion of their schedule. Those are the games Boley missed last season; see the 49ers game. Right out of the box, Jonathan Goff and Clint Sintim both went belly up and never contributed.
This year, I have high hopes however, for second year Jacquian Williams. I liked him a lot last season. With Michael Boley on the field mentoring him, he played very well for a rookie. And where the hell would the Giants have been without Chase Blackburn last season? But having him, also shows the G-Men are a little thin at this position. All the same, it's nice to see him back. Greg Jones and Spencer Paysinger, like J-Will, are second year players, but in my opinion, have a little more to prove. I believe Keith Rivers will surprise a lot of Giants fans, and quickly move up the depth charts if he can adapt to playing left, middle, as well as right. I think there is still an ongoing tryout for middle linebacker. It will take much on Rivers part to convince Coach Coughlin to start him over Blackburn. I wouldn't rule it out though..., just not to begin the season.
Somewhere between being a linebacker and a defensive lineman is the Hybrid; Mathias Kiwanuka. The guy is a freak isn't he? And he finally seems to have injuries under control. I want you to say this out loud - Matthias Kiwanuka - JPP - Osi Umenyiora - Justin Tuck. They are like the Four Blue Men of the Apocalypse. Chilling..., isn't it?
If anyone is going to help make the Secondary better, it's going to be these guys. Where would the Giants have been had Jason Pierre Paul not carried the defense on his back for a significant portion of the regular season? Your answer is - with the Jets. He kept things going while Osi and Tucks ailed and required time to heal. The Jets game and Dallas game wouldn't have even mattered if not for JPP. It is only appropriate then, JPP blocked Dallas' last ditch field goal attempt in last year's regular season finale. It goes without saying, as Osi and Tuck go, so go the Giants. When they are hurt, the Giants suffer greatly. Lastly, please, please - I can't allow myself to get excited about rookie Adewale Ojomo yet.
But while I'm at it, defensive tackle has suffered ever since Barry Cofield left. Chris Canty going down is a big blow. Linval Joseph is a three year guy now. And for the moment, left tackle is his to keep or lose. I'm not sure about him. Just as I believe teams will pick on our corners, I also believe teams will try to run right up the middle on us. Teams figured that out about the Giants too late last season. Once Michael Boley returned healthy to plug the gaps, that notion kind of went away. After a decade-plus of service, Rocky Bernard is also being depended upon to plug the tackle spot. I do not like the Giants depth at tackle at all. Although Marvin Austin can change my mind.
Let's wrap this up with Coach Perry Fewell. Did he prove anything last season? Do you like him now? Are we collectively over Steve Spagnuolo now? I'll say this about Perry Fewell regarding last season. He contended with a lot of injuries to his unit, and proved himself to be very adaptable. He was deceptive in his packages, but clearly not as devious as Spags was. But Perry is his own man, and overall he ran a tight ship. Bottom line, Perry was deceptive enough to win a Super Bowl. But he had veteran leadership from Tuck, Osi, Webster, and Aaron Ross to help get it done. Coach Fewell will have a greater challenge on his hands this season.
Mike.BTB
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
N.Y. Giants ~ Coach Fewell's New Dogs of Winter
From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE - NFC Championship Game Edition
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: A Still Growing BIG BLUE Wave of Destruction Spotted Off The California Coast.
N.Y.G. 29 - N.Y.J. 14
N.Y.G. 31 - DAL 14
N.Y.G. 24 - ATL 2
N.Y.G. 37 - G.B. 20
Going back to the Jets game, the New York Giants have outscored their opponents by a combined 121-50 score. Obviously, the other way of saying that is the Giants have held their opponents to fifty points in their last four games. That averages to 12.5 points allowed per opponent. Say hello to the new "Crazed Dogs" of Winter.
The Giants have slowly and methodically regained their Defensive dominance and poise via health, cohesiveness, and adjustments made by the adaptable Defensive Coordinator; Perry Fewell. In the previous four games prior to the Jets (WSH; DAL; G.B.; N.O.) the Giants gave up (144 points) an average of thirty-six points. What started when the Saints marched over us with forty-nine points, dropped to thirty-eight points against the Packers. That number dropped to thirty-four points against Dallas. And the number dropped again to twenty-three against Washington. The Jets game followed and here we are today.
On the Defensive Front, since returning to action Osi Umenyiora has no doubt had a tremendous impact on this Defense. He had two of the Giants four sacks against Green Bay. Justin Tuck, is finally healthy again but lately has only provided flashes of his former dominating self. Perhaps that changes next week because he's close; really close. And looking ahead to Sunday, Rex Smith doesn't present the bi-pedal problems Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers do; ...or did. However what we view as a 90% Justin Tuck is still more than most of the League can handle.
Jason Pierre Paul has been getting banged up these last few games but the kid is holding up very well and remains highly effective against the run when he isn't getting sacks. With all his team mates behind him again, JPP may be a force in trying to stop Frank Gore this coming Sunday. And the emergence of Chris Canty continues. He says he's OK and Sunday will not be an issue. Good! Because his game is coming on like a hurricane. Most importantly heading into Sunday's game, this unit has all it's depth back. Dave Tollefson and Linval Joseph are turning into big blocks of granite in the middle. Even Rocky Bernard is getting a piece of the action.
Now let's eliminate any doubt about what they've been doing together. The Giants' Defensive Line battered Marc Sanchez and basically made him give up. But many naysayers said that was due to Brian Schottenheimer's play calling. The Giants similarly battered Tony Romo into submission. But the naysayers said Tony Romo wasn't able to do more with a swollen throwing hand. So, the Giants then proceeded to batter Matt Ryan and effectively made him quit also. And the Giant detractors said "Matty Ice" wasn't up to the challenge of the playoffs. Then this last Sunday in Green Bay, the Giants held the offensive juggernaut; Aaron Rodgers of the Twenty-Fourth and a Half CENTURY! - to twenty points and under three-hundred yards passing. Along the way they sacked Rodgers four times, induced an interception, forced him to fumble, and flushed him from the pocket all night long. Because of that, the Giants turned him into Green Bay's leading rusher. The naysayers still insist the Packers dropped too many passes. But how do you explain ALL of them, to include Aaron Rodgers, having a bad day together? There is no answer why Rodgers was so off his mark as well other than a recent lack of games played. So what next? Credit the Giants for sound pressure, coverage, and tackling.
Unlike the last game we played against the Packers, while Aaron Rodgers did in fact inflict damage with his legs again, he still wasn't about to take any chances this time around with a healthy Michael Boley patrolling the middle and leading the team in tackles along with another pair of resurgent Dogs..., Antrel Rolle, and Deon Grant. The three led the team and accounted for twenty-three hard hitting tackles. Michael Boley got the other two Giants sacks of Aaron Rodgers and recorded a sack against the Falcons too. Additionally, in consecutive weeks, he made Dustin Keller; Jason Witten; Tony Gonzalez; and Jermichael Finely all disappear. And if you remember his dive over the pile to stop Tony Romo, then you know he's had three dominating performances now. The Giant Linebackers once again led a group of Safeties and the Line in limiting Green Bay's backfield to seventy-six yards rushing before taking Rodgers' yardage into account. Since Michael Boley came back from a hamstring injury in the first Packers game, the Giants have effectively shut-down all attempts to run against them. And the fact that Michael Boley is getting sacks shows Coach Fewell is indeed being more aggressive with the pass rush now that he has most of his Blue henchmen back.
The Giants' Secondary has not given up the deep play that plagued them from Week One all the way through Week Fifteen. Since then, not only have there been few down field completions against them, there have been even fewer pass attempts made against them. Quarterbacks are pumping, double-pumping, and triple-pumping their way into trouble waiting for something to open up down field. And to the credit of Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, Deon Grant, Antrel Rolle; and Kenny Phillips, it just hasn't happened like opposing QB's were hoping. In this latest Giant Lambeau Field conquest, it can be argued the pass rush rode the backs of the Secondary. Marc Sanchez was just an all out mess. But Tony Romo, Matt Ryan, and most recently Aaron Rodgers, all took very good and long looks down field, saw nothing, then ran for their lives.
It was recently revealed and reported in the tabloids that ever since the first Packers game, Antrel Rolle said he and the Secondary reinvested their efforts and routinely met for weekly pre-game prep pow-wows where ever they could on their own. Their efforts are paying off at the best time possible. Theoretically, the biggest threats to the Giants; Rodgers and Brees; are behind them or in Drew Brees' case, already gone. Next up is Alex Smith; the guy who led a tremendous comeback against the mighty Saints, and who beat Drew Brees at his own game. - And who incidentally beat us in a well played game by both teams back in Week Ten.
Not incidentally, Perry Fewell has long turned away from the Turtle Shell zone-coverage he devised when both Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck were injured and out of action at the same time. The new system left the Secondary admittedly in a trance because there were too many options they needed to think through. - Hence, the mass confusion we were witnessing on a near weekly basis; replete with blown assignments and receivers with nary a Giant within twenty yards of the play. Today, man-coverage and good ol' cover-two is back and working to a tee.
Lastly, many didn't care to understand why the blitz disappeared from our game plan. The health of Michael Boley, Osi Umenyiora; and Justin Tuck were at the heart of that matter. All that is behind us now. The Blitz stands poised to ride in like the cavalry just in time for the NFC Championship Game.
But that's because everything else is now working again as well. As in Perry FeWELL.
Mike.BTB
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
NEW YORK GIANTS
vs.
vs.
San Francisco 49ers
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: A Still Growing BIG BLUE Wave of Destruction Spotted Off The California Coast.
Perry Fewell is in Position to Place an Indelible Stamp on
a Whole New BIG BLUE Demolition Crew.
N.Y.G. 29 - N.Y.J. 14
N.Y.G. 31 - DAL 14
N.Y.G. 24 - ATL 2
N.Y.G. 37 - G.B. 20
Going back to the Jets game, the New York Giants have outscored their opponents by a combined 121-50 score. Obviously, the other way of saying that is the Giants have held their opponents to fifty points in their last four games. That averages to 12.5 points allowed per opponent. Say hello to the new "Crazed Dogs" of Winter.
The Giants have slowly and methodically regained their Defensive dominance and poise via health, cohesiveness, and adjustments made by the adaptable Defensive Coordinator; Perry Fewell. In the previous four games prior to the Jets (WSH; DAL; G.B.; N.O.) the Giants gave up (144 points) an average of thirty-six points. What started when the Saints marched over us with forty-nine points, dropped to thirty-eight points against the Packers. That number dropped to thirty-four points against Dallas. And the number dropped again to twenty-three against Washington. The Jets game followed and here we are today.
On the Defensive Front, since returning to action Osi Umenyiora has no doubt had a tremendous impact on this Defense. He had two of the Giants four sacks against Green Bay. Justin Tuck, is finally healthy again but lately has only provided flashes of his former dominating self. Perhaps that changes next week because he's close; really close. And looking ahead to Sunday, Rex Smith doesn't present the bi-pedal problems Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers do; ...or did. However what we view as a 90% Justin Tuck is still more than most of the League can handle.
Jason Pierre Paul has been getting banged up these last few games but the kid is holding up very well and remains highly effective against the run when he isn't getting sacks. With all his team mates behind him again, JPP may be a force in trying to stop Frank Gore this coming Sunday. And the emergence of Chris Canty continues. He says he's OK and Sunday will not be an issue. Good! Because his game is coming on like a hurricane. Most importantly heading into Sunday's game, this unit has all it's depth back. Dave Tollefson and Linval Joseph are turning into big blocks of granite in the middle. Even Rocky Bernard is getting a piece of the action.
Now let's eliminate any doubt about what they've been doing together. The Giants' Defensive Line battered Marc Sanchez and basically made him give up. But many naysayers said that was due to Brian Schottenheimer's play calling. The Giants similarly battered Tony Romo into submission. But the naysayers said Tony Romo wasn't able to do more with a swollen throwing hand. So, the Giants then proceeded to batter Matt Ryan and effectively made him quit also. And the Giant detractors said "Matty Ice" wasn't up to the challenge of the playoffs. Then this last Sunday in Green Bay, the Giants held the offensive juggernaut; Aaron Rodgers of the Twenty-Fourth and a Half CENTURY! - to twenty points and under three-hundred yards passing. Along the way they sacked Rodgers four times, induced an interception, forced him to fumble, and flushed him from the pocket all night long. Because of that, the Giants turned him into Green Bay's leading rusher. The naysayers still insist the Packers dropped too many passes. But how do you explain ALL of them, to include Aaron Rodgers, having a bad day together? There is no answer why Rodgers was so off his mark as well other than a recent lack of games played. So what next? Credit the Giants for sound pressure, coverage, and tackling.
Unlike the last game we played against the Packers, while Aaron Rodgers did in fact inflict damage with his legs again, he still wasn't about to take any chances this time around with a healthy Michael Boley patrolling the middle and leading the team in tackles along with another pair of resurgent Dogs..., Antrel Rolle, and Deon Grant. The three led the team and accounted for twenty-three hard hitting tackles. Michael Boley got the other two Giants sacks of Aaron Rodgers and recorded a sack against the Falcons too. Additionally, in consecutive weeks, he made Dustin Keller; Jason Witten; Tony Gonzalez; and Jermichael Finely all disappear. And if you remember his dive over the pile to stop Tony Romo, then you know he's had three dominating performances now. The Giant Linebackers once again led a group of Safeties and the Line in limiting Green Bay's backfield to seventy-six yards rushing before taking Rodgers' yardage into account. Since Michael Boley came back from a hamstring injury in the first Packers game, the Giants have effectively shut-down all attempts to run against them. And the fact that Michael Boley is getting sacks shows Coach Fewell is indeed being more aggressive with the pass rush now that he has most of his Blue henchmen back.
The Giants' Secondary has not given up the deep play that plagued them from Week One all the way through Week Fifteen. Since then, not only have there been few down field completions against them, there have been even fewer pass attempts made against them. Quarterbacks are pumping, double-pumping, and triple-pumping their way into trouble waiting for something to open up down field. And to the credit of Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, Deon Grant, Antrel Rolle; and Kenny Phillips, it just hasn't happened like opposing QB's were hoping. In this latest Giant Lambeau Field conquest, it can be argued the pass rush rode the backs of the Secondary. Marc Sanchez was just an all out mess. But Tony Romo, Matt Ryan, and most recently Aaron Rodgers, all took very good and long looks down field, saw nothing, then ran for their lives.
It was recently revealed and reported in the tabloids that ever since the first Packers game, Antrel Rolle said he and the Secondary reinvested their efforts and routinely met for weekly pre-game prep pow-wows where ever they could on their own. Their efforts are paying off at the best time possible. Theoretically, the biggest threats to the Giants; Rodgers and Brees; are behind them or in Drew Brees' case, already gone. Next up is Alex Smith; the guy who led a tremendous comeback against the mighty Saints, and who beat Drew Brees at his own game. - And who incidentally beat us in a well played game by both teams back in Week Ten.
Not incidentally, Perry Fewell has long turned away from the Turtle Shell zone-coverage he devised when both Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck were injured and out of action at the same time. The new system left the Secondary admittedly in a trance because there were too many options they needed to think through. - Hence, the mass confusion we were witnessing on a near weekly basis; replete with blown assignments and receivers with nary a Giant within twenty yards of the play. Today, man-coverage and good ol' cover-two is back and working to a tee.
Lastly, many didn't care to understand why the blitz disappeared from our game plan. The health of Michael Boley, Osi Umenyiora; and Justin Tuck were at the heart of that matter. All that is behind us now. The Blitz stands poised to ride in like the cavalry just in time for the NFC Championship Game.
But that's because everything else is now working again as well. As in Perry FeWELL.
Mike.BTB
Friday, January 06, 2012
N.Y. Giants ~ Defensive Synchronicity
From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: For the Giants' Defense, Timing Will be Everything. In Order to Search and Destroy Matt Ryan, the Giants Still Must Keep Down Field Safe and Secure.
POST: N.Y. Giants; G-Men and the Department of Defense
The Giants are 2-2 against Birds this season; (Philadelphia 2x; Arizona; Seattle). If you include the Jets game, the Giants are 3-2 against things that fly. So naturally, the question begs to be asked - how do the Giants ground the Falcons? Very simply, the answer is with Synchronization.
Here's the difference between the Green Bay and New Orleans games per say versus Giant wins against the Jets and Cowboys. Drew Brees and Aaron Rogers managed to stay just a finger tip away from the rush. But they faced a depleted rush, as there was no Tuck and no Osi, in addition to no Michael Boley. The point is, at least against Green Bay, the coverage for the most part was there (and no, I'm not talking about the utterly confusing aspects of the Secondary's failures in zone coverage -not right now). OK, they've sucked all season. But coverage only lasts so long before a dipping and dodging QB dances long enough until a down field break down occurs. That's exactly what happened against Aaron Rogers. What happened against Drew Brees was just mass confusion and something else all together. So let's grade on a curve here. The Giants still came frustratingly close to Brees; quite literally within hands reach. But he just skipped away and killed us. There were many things wrong with the Giants Defense that night. Among other things, we were ill prepared for the task personnel wise.
I still don't have an answer for the Redskins game. But these last two weeks, a fully loaded pass rush got their hands on the QB as they were still going through check-downs. At first glance Marc Sanchez' and Tony Romo's first and second options were covered. However this time, the pass rush got their man. In these last two weeks Coach Fewell largely ditched his confusing zone as well. The horrific gaffes that occurred against the Packers and Saints that left receivers all alone have not happened since then.
I leave the Giants win over the Patriots out of this because Tom Brady is a freakin statue. He leads the NFL in completed passes with pigeons on him. He's as fleet of foot as a table. That's why we continue to play New England well. But I digress. Matt Ryan isn't exactly a mad-scrambler either. He CAN be found in the pocket. The only question is how quickly can the Rush get to him, and how long will the Secondary afford them. If Justin Tuck; Osi; Jason Pierre Paul; Chris Canty; and Dave Tollefson are all in the rotation Sunday, the Giants may have something. But Justin Tuck had a week of limited practice and Osi admitted he's sore as hell. Then, if Ross; Webster; Grant; Rolle; Phillips; and Prince, can manage coverage long enough in order for the rush to get at Matt Ryan, the Giants may have something going for them again. And in that case, mission accomplished. But it's going to take synchronization on the part of the Secondary and the Pass Rush to make good things happen on defense.
Now should the Falcons decide they want to establish the run against us with Michael Turner, I'd welcome that. The Giants are not the same team they were against the run through the first half of the season when they were at their worst. The Problem lied quite obviously with our Linebackers or lack there of. Heading into Sunday, Michael Boley appears to be operating at full capacity again. While Jacquian Williams is a vastly improved player since week one till now. And of course, the hybrid- Mathias Kiwanuka always poses a problem for offenses. Over all, the stats say the Giants are the worst team in the NFL against the run. But not lately. They've defended the run below their season average and are allowing 86+/- yards over their last four/five games. Additionally and not so quietly anymore, Chris Canty is doing an increasingly good job plugging up the middle. And Jason Pierre Paul is exhibiting discipline against the run as well.
If the Giants appoint Michael Boley or Jacquian Williams to Tight-End Tony Gonzalez like we did against Jason Witten of the Cowboys, Big Blue should get the same result. The Giants neutralized Jason Witten very well last week. I have no reason to think they can't repeat the effort again.
These teams are pretty evenly matched. So what's not to like about our chances? As fans, the most frustrating part of this season was knowing we should have done better. We know the Giants have enough personnel to accomplish great things. That's what makes the let-downs so heavy.
This game against the Falcons is pretty well set up for the Giants. This will be our first home playoff game since the 2000 NFC Championship and the first playoff game in the new Giants Stadium. And for everything I detailed in my last posting; G-Men and the Dept. Of Defense; health, experience, and cohesion finally seem to be on Perry Fewell's side. This posting basically puts a bow on what I started then.
Next up - The Offensive Plan
Let's Go Giants!
Mike.BTB
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
2011
WILD CARD WEEKEND
PLAYOFFS
Atlanta Falcons
vs.
NEW YORK GIANTS
FROM
GIANTS STADIUM
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: For the Giants' Defense, Timing Will be Everything. In Order to Search and Destroy Matt Ryan, the Giants Still Must Keep Down Field Safe and Secure.
POST: N.Y. Giants; G-Men and the Department of Defense
The Giants are 2-2 against Birds this season; (Philadelphia 2x; Arizona; Seattle). If you include the Jets game, the Giants are 3-2 against things that fly. So naturally, the question begs to be asked - how do the Giants ground the Falcons? Very simply, the answer is with Synchronization.
Here's the difference between the Green Bay and New Orleans games per say versus Giant wins against the Jets and Cowboys. Drew Brees and Aaron Rogers managed to stay just a finger tip away from the rush. But they faced a depleted rush, as there was no Tuck and no Osi, in addition to no Michael Boley. The point is, at least against Green Bay, the coverage for the most part was there (and no, I'm not talking about the utterly confusing aspects of the Secondary's failures in zone coverage -not right now). OK, they've sucked all season. But coverage only lasts so long before a dipping and dodging QB dances long enough until a down field break down occurs. That's exactly what happened against Aaron Rogers. What happened against Drew Brees was just mass confusion and something else all together. So let's grade on a curve here. The Giants still came frustratingly close to Brees; quite literally within hands reach. But he just skipped away and killed us. There were many things wrong with the Giants Defense that night. Among other things, we were ill prepared for the task personnel wise.
I still don't have an answer for the Redskins game. But these last two weeks, a fully loaded pass rush got their hands on the QB as they were still going through check-downs. At first glance Marc Sanchez' and Tony Romo's first and second options were covered. However this time, the pass rush got their man. In these last two weeks Coach Fewell largely ditched his confusing zone as well. The horrific gaffes that occurred against the Packers and Saints that left receivers all alone have not happened since then.
I leave the Giants win over the Patriots out of this because Tom Brady is a freakin statue. He leads the NFL in completed passes with pigeons on him. He's as fleet of foot as a table. That's why we continue to play New England well. But I digress. Matt Ryan isn't exactly a mad-scrambler either. He CAN be found in the pocket. The only question is how quickly can the Rush get to him, and how long will the Secondary afford them. If Justin Tuck; Osi; Jason Pierre Paul; Chris Canty; and Dave Tollefson are all in the rotation Sunday, the Giants may have something. But Justin Tuck had a week of limited practice and Osi admitted he's sore as hell. Then, if Ross; Webster; Grant; Rolle; Phillips; and Prince, can manage coverage long enough in order for the rush to get at Matt Ryan, the Giants may have something going for them again. And in that case, mission accomplished. But it's going to take synchronization on the part of the Secondary and the Pass Rush to make good things happen on defense.
Now should the Falcons decide they want to establish the run against us with Michael Turner, I'd welcome that. The Giants are not the same team they were against the run through the first half of the season when they were at their worst. The Problem lied quite obviously with our Linebackers or lack there of. Heading into Sunday, Michael Boley appears to be operating at full capacity again. While Jacquian Williams is a vastly improved player since week one till now. And of course, the hybrid- Mathias Kiwanuka always poses a problem for offenses. Over all, the stats say the Giants are the worst team in the NFL against the run. But not lately. They've defended the run below their season average and are allowing 86+/- yards over their last four/five games. Additionally and not so quietly anymore, Chris Canty is doing an increasingly good job plugging up the middle. And Jason Pierre Paul is exhibiting discipline against the run as well.
If the Giants appoint Michael Boley or Jacquian Williams to Tight-End Tony Gonzalez like we did against Jason Witten of the Cowboys, Big Blue should get the same result. The Giants neutralized Jason Witten very well last week. I have no reason to think they can't repeat the effort again.
These teams are pretty evenly matched. So what's not to like about our chances? As fans, the most frustrating part of this season was knowing we should have done better. We know the Giants have enough personnel to accomplish great things. That's what makes the let-downs so heavy.
This game against the Falcons is pretty well set up for the Giants. This will be our first home playoff game since the 2000 NFC Championship and the first playoff game in the new Giants Stadium. And for everything I detailed in my last posting; G-Men and the Dept. Of Defense; health, experience, and cohesion finally seem to be on Perry Fewell's side. This posting basically puts a bow on what I started then.
Next up - The Offensive Plan
Let's Go Giants!
Mike.BTB
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
N.Y. Giants ~ G-Men and the Dept. of Defense
From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: Big Blue Unleashed Their Version of the Doomsday Defense Against Tony Romo and the Cowboys.
Health, Experience, and Cohesion Finally Seem to be on Perry Fewell's Side. But Suddenly, Steve Spagnuolo is Available Again. So How Will Perry Fewell Deploy His Boys Now?
OFFENSIVELY SPEAKING: Eli Leads Giants' Ground Game (?)
Let's face it, when the Defensive Front doesn't generate overwhelming pressure, and does little to disrupt timing, and can't crumble pockets, or cause fumbles, or get sacks, odds are the Giants lose. Outside of Eli's arm, the more pressure they mount, the greater the Giants' chances are of winning. That's the way it's played out all season.
For the simple fact that we are even talking about this today, you can thank Jason Pierre Paul for putting Big Blue on his back. He recorded one of the Giants' six sacks Sunday. But his relentless pursuit of the quarterback and overall indefatigable play through the first fifteen games delivered the Giants to Sunday and into position to play for the NFC East Title. Then.., you can thank Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck for getting us past Dallas and into the playoffs.
With six sacks under their belts against Dallas, the Giants won convincingly by a 31-14 final score. That's no coincidence. With Osi Umenyiora missing nearly half the season, and Justin Tuck not playing up to his standard because of a nasty neck stinger this season; more so than most things wrong with this team; point to an inconsistent pass rush for Big Blue's stumbling through the season en route to a 9-7 record. Then point to Justin Tuck's late season health and Osi's return to the playing field these last two weeks against the Jets and Dallas, and well..., the results speak for themselves.
Perhaps one of the biggest sacks of the night came when Justin Tuck chased down Tony Romo. Tuck was initially blocked on the play, but stayed persistent and finally got his man. The play reminded me so much of the time Leonard Marshall hunted down Joe Montana in a legendary playoff battle of yore. They were eerily similar plays in many ways.
In addition to ringing Romo's bell six times, the number of times they reached out and touched him were more than Romo and Dallas' offensive line could handle before Coach Garrett's switch board blew. Because the pressure brought on by the Giants' pass rush also caused Tony Romo to fumble. Keeping him under constant duress also induced a Tony Romo interception. In the end, the Defense held Tony Romo under 300 yards passing, forced two turnovers, and totally shut down Dallas' running game.
I think Tony Romo dropped back to pass forty-five times in all. Dallas only ran the ball sixteen times which perhaps played right into the Giants' pass rush. However, the few times Dallas did elect to run the ball, the Giants stopped them cold. Take away two Tony Romo scrambles (...for his life and limb), and the Giants limited the Cowboys to forty-six yards on fourteen carries. The Giants' defense against the run has come a long way this season. Where once they routinely gave up Giant gallops through their middle, they have become somewhat of a resolute bunch against the run lately.
For a portion of the season, Linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka was asked to some how keep things together with four rookies in the rotation. Today, much of the reason for the turn-around against the run has been a return to health by Michael Boley and the continuing maturity of Jacquian Williams. The two led the Giants in tackles Sunday. And on top of corralling Dallas' run game, the Giant Linebackers also rendered Jason Witten inconsequential. The emergence of Jacquian Williams was also reflected with a sack of Tony Romo. And then there was the play in which Michael Boley launched himself over the pile-up at the line of scrimmage to prevent Tony Romo from literally sneaking a fast one past the Giants and getting into the end-zone for a score. It was a great play by a Giant Linebacker; the way it used to be around here....once.
For Dallas, play-action went out the window. The Linebackers shut down the run game and as mentioned, were tasked with spying Jason Witten. The pass rush was able to tee-off on Romo because Dallas was playing from behind and had obviously abandoned the run. Most importantly, Perry Fewell finally decided to rush five people against Tony Romo and it worked to the tune of six sacks and seven more QB touches as noted.
For Dallas, all element of surprise was gone. Thus the Secondary was afforded many opportunities to look back at the quarterback and still maintain coverage. So it stands to say that in the last game of the season, the battle-torn Secondary had perhaps their finest day. And just in time too. There was nothing open down field for Tony Romo and his receivers nor anything available over the top. Dallas' main receivers remained covered and out of step with the Giants' pass rush. When Romo checked down to Mr. Reliable Jason Witten, Antrel Rolle knew it was coming.
The Giants forced Romo to accept the underneath pass and limited them to a ten yard average per catch. Perry Fewell simplified coverage and played a lot of base-Cover-Two. And it worked. The only knock against the plan was Kenny Phillips was still a little slow in his recognition. But the bottom line is the Secondary pretty much took away the deep pass. Only Dallas' Laurent Robinson seemed to find empty spaces in the Defense. In the third quarter, the Cowboys started to speed things up with success until Coach Fewell adjusted. Otherwise, the longest play the Secondary allowed through the air was a thirty-four yard gain. And their tackling was sound. As the pass rush kept Romo in a harried state, Antrel Rolle was able to come down with an interception.
The end of the regular season ended on a good Defensive note; - not great; but very good. Lest we forget all the problems they really still have. But the conversation regarding the Defense is now one which involves many players (key word - many) doing big things together again. Health, a year of Experience; and Cohesion seem to be finally bringing things together for this Defense. We hope.
Chris Canty continues to take Giant steps forward. He also recorded a sack of Romo. Osi Umenyiora, fresh out of the M*A*S*H tent steps on the field and records two sacks. For the second week in a row, Justin Tuck looks like - Justin Tuck; and it's great to hear him talkin' trash after being so down on himself just three weeks ago. Because a happy Tuck is a dangerous Tuck! Dave Tollefson's game has also been up-ticking as well.
Rookie Jacquian Williams is officially no longer a rookie. Has an entire regular season under his belt now after seventeen weeks of on-the-job-training, and he's all the better for it. He might very well be a major contributor in the upcoming game against Atlanta. Michael Boley tapped into his inner-Superman and sprung to action in the nick of time (and space), to keep the Giants out of the Twilight Zone. And with Mathias Kiwanuka, the Linebacking Corps just might be up to the challenge of the playoffs. The only test that concerns them now is how to stop Michael Turner and Matt Ryan.
Antrel Rolle, Deon Grant, and Kenny Phillips had a much easier go of things with Corey Webster and Aaron Ross off in man-coverage. And perhaps the Safeties, the Corners, and Perry Fewell have finally found some common ground with which to work on. What ever they did Sunday contributed to the pass rush. And in return, the pass rush made coverage look good all game long. It's a symbiotic relationship. We can only hope the two units keep that timing going against Atlanta's offense.
Which causes which to succeed? It doesn't matter for as long as the pass rush and the Secondary are in sync. Timing is everything. And it appears as if the Giants Defense is getting healthy, gaining cohesion, and feeling aggressive at the right time. As the Defensive play continues to rise, will Perry Fewell now turn up the heat against Atlanta?
Much of his dilemma with the Giants' pass rush came in part because Coach tried cheating to help the coverage. He relied on the front four to provide pressure without any blitzing or any real kind of deception. Osi was still out and Tuck was ailing then. Perry Fewell's Secondary confusing zone coverage; four rookies at linebacker; and injuries to the pass rush all conspired against the Defensive Coordinator.
Let's say this much about Coach Fewell's adaptability. He ditched his experiments in zone coverage and simplified things for the Secondary considerably. Then up front, he added a fifth guy to the pass rush. But that came with healthy bodies. Injuries and "Coordinator pragmatism" have force his hand at times. While Eli Manning was the star of the game, the dominance the Giants exhibited over the Cowboys Sunday was the major reason the Giants won. Can they carry the Giants moving forward?
Perry Fewell may not be as diabolical as Coach Spags was with his schemes, or as creative for that matter. But I do know Perry Fewell knows a thing or two about aggression if he feels he has all his chess pieces in place. Well Coach, the gang is all here now. And after last game, they look like a bunch of "crazed dogs" wagging their tails mightily with ears pointing up just waiting for you to give them the signal to attack.
Perry Fewell has had his moments. But his overall body of work remains average. Steve Spagnuolo is officially a free agent again. The St. Louis Rams fired him as Head Coach at the conclusion of the season. And yes, I'd fire Perry Fewell and rehire Coach Spags in a N.Y. minute. But that's for the future. How fast that future descends upon Perry Fewell and the Giants' Defense is now in Coach's hands.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: Big Blue Unleashed Their Version of the Doomsday Defense Against Tony Romo and the Cowboys.
Health, Experience, and Cohesion Finally Seem to be on Perry Fewell's Side. But Suddenly, Steve Spagnuolo is Available Again. So How Will Perry Fewell Deploy His Boys Now?
OFFENSIVELY SPEAKING: Eli Leads Giants' Ground Game (?)
Let's face it, when the Defensive Front doesn't generate overwhelming pressure, and does little to disrupt timing, and can't crumble pockets, or cause fumbles, or get sacks, odds are the Giants lose. Outside of Eli's arm, the more pressure they mount, the greater the Giants' chances are of winning. That's the way it's played out all season.
For the simple fact that we are even talking about this today, you can thank Jason Pierre Paul for putting Big Blue on his back. He recorded one of the Giants' six sacks Sunday. But his relentless pursuit of the quarterback and overall indefatigable play through the first fifteen games delivered the Giants to Sunday and into position to play for the NFC East Title. Then.., you can thank Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck for getting us past Dallas and into the playoffs.
With six sacks under their belts against Dallas, the Giants won convincingly by a 31-14 final score. That's no coincidence. With Osi Umenyiora missing nearly half the season, and Justin Tuck not playing up to his standard because of a nasty neck stinger this season; more so than most things wrong with this team; point to an inconsistent pass rush for Big Blue's stumbling through the season en route to a 9-7 record. Then point to Justin Tuck's late season health and Osi's return to the playing field these last two weeks against the Jets and Dallas, and well..., the results speak for themselves.
Perhaps one of the biggest sacks of the night came when Justin Tuck chased down Tony Romo. Tuck was initially blocked on the play, but stayed persistent and finally got his man. The play reminded me so much of the time Leonard Marshall hunted down Joe Montana in a legendary playoff battle of yore. They were eerily similar plays in many ways.
In addition to ringing Romo's bell six times, the number of times they reached out and touched him were more than Romo and Dallas' offensive line could handle before Coach Garrett's switch board blew. Because the pressure brought on by the Giants' pass rush also caused Tony Romo to fumble. Keeping him under constant duress also induced a Tony Romo interception. In the end, the Defense held Tony Romo under 300 yards passing, forced two turnovers, and totally shut down Dallas' running game.
I think Tony Romo dropped back to pass forty-five times in all. Dallas only ran the ball sixteen times which perhaps played right into the Giants' pass rush. However, the few times Dallas did elect to run the ball, the Giants stopped them cold. Take away two Tony Romo scrambles (...for his life and limb), and the Giants limited the Cowboys to forty-six yards on fourteen carries. The Giants' defense against the run has come a long way this season. Where once they routinely gave up Giant gallops through their middle, they have become somewhat of a resolute bunch against the run lately.
For a portion of the season, Linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka was asked to some how keep things together with four rookies in the rotation. Today, much of the reason for the turn-around against the run has been a return to health by Michael Boley and the continuing maturity of Jacquian Williams. The two led the Giants in tackles Sunday. And on top of corralling Dallas' run game, the Giant Linebackers also rendered Jason Witten inconsequential. The emergence of Jacquian Williams was also reflected with a sack of Tony Romo. And then there was the play in which Michael Boley launched himself over the pile-up at the line of scrimmage to prevent Tony Romo from literally sneaking a fast one past the Giants and getting into the end-zone for a score. It was a great play by a Giant Linebacker; the way it used to be around here....once.
For Dallas, play-action went out the window. The Linebackers shut down the run game and as mentioned, were tasked with spying Jason Witten. The pass rush was able to tee-off on Romo because Dallas was playing from behind and had obviously abandoned the run. Most importantly, Perry Fewell finally decided to rush five people against Tony Romo and it worked to the tune of six sacks and seven more QB touches as noted.
For Dallas, all element of surprise was gone. Thus the Secondary was afforded many opportunities to look back at the quarterback and still maintain coverage. So it stands to say that in the last game of the season, the battle-torn Secondary had perhaps their finest day. And just in time too. There was nothing open down field for Tony Romo and his receivers nor anything available over the top. Dallas' main receivers remained covered and out of step with the Giants' pass rush. When Romo checked down to Mr. Reliable Jason Witten, Antrel Rolle knew it was coming.
The Giants forced Romo to accept the underneath pass and limited them to a ten yard average per catch. Perry Fewell simplified coverage and played a lot of base-Cover-Two. And it worked. The only knock against the plan was Kenny Phillips was still a little slow in his recognition. But the bottom line is the Secondary pretty much took away the deep pass. Only Dallas' Laurent Robinson seemed to find empty spaces in the Defense. In the third quarter, the Cowboys started to speed things up with success until Coach Fewell adjusted. Otherwise, the longest play the Secondary allowed through the air was a thirty-four yard gain. And their tackling was sound. As the pass rush kept Romo in a harried state, Antrel Rolle was able to come down with an interception.
* * * *
The end of the regular season ended on a good Defensive note; - not great; but very good. Lest we forget all the problems they really still have. But the conversation regarding the Defense is now one which involves many players (key word - many) doing big things together again. Health, a year of Experience; and Cohesion seem to be finally bringing things together for this Defense. We hope.
Chris Canty continues to take Giant steps forward. He also recorded a sack of Romo. Osi Umenyiora, fresh out of the M*A*S*H tent steps on the field and records two sacks. For the second week in a row, Justin Tuck looks like - Justin Tuck; and it's great to hear him talkin' trash after being so down on himself just three weeks ago. Because a happy Tuck is a dangerous Tuck! Dave Tollefson's game has also been up-ticking as well.
Rookie Jacquian Williams is officially no longer a rookie. Has an entire regular season under his belt now after seventeen weeks of on-the-job-training, and he's all the better for it. He might very well be a major contributor in the upcoming game against Atlanta. Michael Boley tapped into his inner-Superman and sprung to action in the nick of time (and space), to keep the Giants out of the Twilight Zone. And with Mathias Kiwanuka, the Linebacking Corps just might be up to the challenge of the playoffs. The only test that concerns them now is how to stop Michael Turner and Matt Ryan.
Antrel Rolle, Deon Grant, and Kenny Phillips had a much easier go of things with Corey Webster and Aaron Ross off in man-coverage. And perhaps the Safeties, the Corners, and Perry Fewell have finally found some common ground with which to work on. What ever they did Sunday contributed to the pass rush. And in return, the pass rush made coverage look good all game long. It's a symbiotic relationship. We can only hope the two units keep that timing going against Atlanta's offense.
Which causes which to succeed? It doesn't matter for as long as the pass rush and the Secondary are in sync. Timing is everything. And it appears as if the Giants Defense is getting healthy, gaining cohesion, and feeling aggressive at the right time. As the Defensive play continues to rise, will Perry Fewell now turn up the heat against Atlanta?
Much of his dilemma with the Giants' pass rush came in part because Coach tried cheating to help the coverage. He relied on the front four to provide pressure without any blitzing or any real kind of deception. Osi was still out and Tuck was ailing then. Perry Fewell's Secondary confusing zone coverage; four rookies at linebacker; and injuries to the pass rush all conspired against the Defensive Coordinator.
Let's say this much about Coach Fewell's adaptability. He ditched his experiments in zone coverage and simplified things for the Secondary considerably. Then up front, he added a fifth guy to the pass rush. But that came with healthy bodies. Injuries and "Coordinator pragmatism" have force his hand at times. While Eli Manning was the star of the game, the dominance the Giants exhibited over the Cowboys Sunday was the major reason the Giants won. Can they carry the Giants moving forward?
Perry Fewell may not be as diabolical as Coach Spags was with his schemes, or as creative for that matter. But I do know Perry Fewell knows a thing or two about aggression if he feels he has all his chess pieces in place. Well Coach, the gang is all here now. And after last game, they look like a bunch of "crazed dogs" wagging their tails mightily with ears pointing up just waiting for you to give them the signal to attack.
Perry Fewell has had his moments. But his overall body of work remains average. Steve Spagnuolo is officially a free agent again. The St. Louis Rams fired him as Head Coach at the conclusion of the season. And yes, I'd fire Perry Fewell and rehire Coach Spags in a N.Y. minute. But that's for the future. How fast that future descends upon Perry Fewell and the Giants' Defense is now in Coach's hands.
Mike.BTB
Friday, December 16, 2011
N.Y. Giants ~ Answers on Defense are Few or Injured
From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: What's a Defensive Coordinator to Do?
There was a certain would-be pick-six early in the game against Eli but was dropped by Dallas. And then there was a Tony Romo pass that got lost in the lights that would have went for another certain touchdown. But luckily in the end, Jason Pierre Paul rose up just in the nick of time to block a potential game winning field goal against the Cowboys. Otherwise, the Giants were seconds away from having to deal with a fifth straight defeat and kissing this year's playoff aspirations good-bye, as well as having another log thrown on the fire of successive late season failures.
The Giants have Eli Manning; Jason Pierre Paul; Hakeem Nicks; Victor Cruz; Tom Coughlin; Mathias Kiwanuka; Jake Ballard; and Steve Weatherford - the punter! - in that order, to thank for putting the team in the position they are in today. In the absence of an effective running game and a wholly unresolved situation on the Offensive Line, the fact of the matter is Coach Gilbride, Eli, Nicks, Cruz, and Ballard have supplied the Giants with enough points to have won more games than they have this season. Eli has managed to outplay the deficiencies with the running game. And furthermore, problems on the Offensive Line weren't the root cause for huge gaffes on Defense.
Before I get to that - to my utter dismay, not once did I mention Kevin Gilbride as being a problem. I even stupefied myself on that one after I put his rump squarely on the hot seat to begin the season. But as things progressed since Week One up to the present time, it is his counter-part; Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell; who's posterior is getting toasty on the hot seat instead.
Blame a veteran Secondary for that; then a slew of injuries; no depth at Linebacker; a dormant pass-rush; and a sudden fear of blitzing on the part of the Defensive Coordinator as the reasons why the Giants aren't better. With a mere 7-6 record this season, they're lucky to still be flirting with first place. And sadly, in the face of great Giant Tradition, it's fair to pin the blame for another troublesome season on the Defense. But along with some extenuating circumstances of course.
The Secondary was supposed to be featuring Terrell Thomas, Prince Amukamara, and Kenny Phillips in prominent roles by now. That clearly has not happened largely due to injuries. And Michael Coe was recently added to the list of injured players as well. So what they have been left with are the old guard Secondary veterans - Corey Webster; Aaron Ross; Antrel Rolle; and Deon Grant. The fact that the four players are indeed veterans; unlike rookie Tyler Sash; is the most startling affront regarding their collective failure. You would think that these four players, who are no strangers to each other after having played together for some time, just might be on the same page of music by now.
The woes of the Failing Foursome started in Week One against Washington and have continued consistently throughout the season, and all the way through last week's game against the Cowboys. If I've characterized the Secondary before, add the word INEPT to the lexicon. Why, for two consecutive seasons has the Secondary either lost, or never had the ability to communicate on the field? The lapses in coverage have been getting ghastlier by the week and the craters being left behind by opposing quarter-backs continually throwing bombs against us is skyrocketing towards near catastrophic proportions. I say near catastrophic, because near every team's secondary is getting lit up for insane yardage and points this season.
Corey Webster and Aaron Ross were never this bad under Coach Spags. Then again, back then they were twenty-four and twenty-three years old respectively. Today, Webster is 29 years old and Ross is 28 years old. Is Father Time speeding past them into the end zone already? They are seven and five year veterans now with both having had three common Defensive Coordinators in their time with the Giants. The constants for both players have been Corners Coach Peter Giunta; since 2006; and Safety Coach, David Merritt; also since the 2006 season. So the point is, the four individuals have all been together for some time now. So I'll reference Coach Spags again. Was he the difference between the Secondary being good, then after his departure becoming horrifically bad? Maybe. But that's all theoretical/hypothetical. Because right now, the Secondary looks like a bunch of fifth graders trying to play zone coverage. That's real and now and something Perry Fewell, not Coach Spags, needs to figure out over these next three weeks..
Getting beat on man-coverage is one thing. How miscommunication in zone coverage between the Safety and Corners are leaving receivers literally ALL ALONE is another. And yet, that's not all. Slot receivers have been playing our coverage like a veritable nickelodeon. And frankly, the five cent game films have been appalling. If you gave Antrel Rolle the other team's playbook and a scooter, he still couldn't keep the slot receiver close.
The situation at Linebacker only exasperates the Defensive situation. Let's face it, Chase Blackburn was asked to come back out of desperation. Jonathan Goff and Clint Sintim were lost for the season. Rookies Spencer Paysinger and Mark Herzlich did not play against Dallas. And the defensive QB; Michael Boley; has played infrequently, and apparently will be compromised the rest of the way. That leaves the Giants with their other two rookies; Greg Jones, and Jacquian Williams; to hold down the fort along with Mathias Kiwanuka, who thank goodness, has been a season long force.
There's all the reason we need to know why Perry Fewell has been so hesitant to blitz and why he's been throwing seven and eight men in coverage lately.
Up front, Justin Tuck hasn't been the same Tuck we're accustomed to seeing all season long. He's never been right since suffering a neck stinger. And at present, he now has a toe injury to contend with. Osi Umenyiora was been of little use to us as well. With those two players missing alone, the three and four man rush Coach Fewell has been employing just hasn't been getting it done; save Jason Pierre Paul who has been nothing short of an absolute beast. Jason Pierre Paul and Mathias Kiwanuka have teamed up to very literally carry this Defense all season.
But with two of our three best pass rushers out of this week's game; a paper thin and inexperienced Linebacking Corp., and a Secondary suffering through a fundamental breakdown, what is a Defensive Coordinator to do?
Injuries and the Secondary have conspired to limit our pass rush. The latest scheme allows receivers to shake loose in spite of seven and eight men in coverage. The quarterback is getting way too much time in or out of the pocket allowing a receiver to eventually break free. And as we witnessed with Aaron Rogers, gaping holes will appear in the middle of the field for the QB to run through should he decide to.
The Offense has given us plenty of reason to not be overly concerned about their ability to put up points. And Eli has proven he can dial it up when the team needs it most. But the Defense isn't being so kind to us. They've been down right scary, and have Fans terrified.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: What's a Defensive Coordinator to Do?
There was a certain would-be pick-six early in the game against Eli but was dropped by Dallas. And then there was a Tony Romo pass that got lost in the lights that would have went for another certain touchdown. But luckily in the end, Jason Pierre Paul rose up just in the nick of time to block a potential game winning field goal against the Cowboys. Otherwise, the Giants were seconds away from having to deal with a fifth straight defeat and kissing this year's playoff aspirations good-bye, as well as having another log thrown on the fire of successive late season failures.
The Giants have Eli Manning; Jason Pierre Paul; Hakeem Nicks; Victor Cruz; Tom Coughlin; Mathias Kiwanuka; Jake Ballard; and Steve Weatherford - the punter! - in that order, to thank for putting the team in the position they are in today. In the absence of an effective running game and a wholly unresolved situation on the Offensive Line, the fact of the matter is Coach Gilbride, Eli, Nicks, Cruz, and Ballard have supplied the Giants with enough points to have won more games than they have this season. Eli has managed to outplay the deficiencies with the running game. And furthermore, problems on the Offensive Line weren't the root cause for huge gaffes on Defense.
Before I get to that - to my utter dismay, not once did I mention Kevin Gilbride as being a problem. I even stupefied myself on that one after I put his rump squarely on the hot seat to begin the season. But as things progressed since Week One up to the present time, it is his counter-part; Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell; who's posterior is getting toasty on the hot seat instead.
Blame a veteran Secondary for that; then a slew of injuries; no depth at Linebacker; a dormant pass-rush; and a sudden fear of blitzing on the part of the Defensive Coordinator as the reasons why the Giants aren't better. With a mere 7-6 record this season, they're lucky to still be flirting with first place. And sadly, in the face of great Giant Tradition, it's fair to pin the blame for another troublesome season on the Defense. But along with some extenuating circumstances of course.
The Secondary was supposed to be featuring Terrell Thomas, Prince Amukamara, and Kenny Phillips in prominent roles by now. That clearly has not happened largely due to injuries. And Michael Coe was recently added to the list of injured players as well. So what they have been left with are the old guard Secondary veterans - Corey Webster; Aaron Ross; Antrel Rolle; and Deon Grant. The fact that the four players are indeed veterans; unlike rookie Tyler Sash; is the most startling affront regarding their collective failure. You would think that these four players, who are no strangers to each other after having played together for some time, just might be on the same page of music by now.
The woes of the Failing Foursome started in Week One against Washington and have continued consistently throughout the season, and all the way through last week's game against the Cowboys. If I've characterized the Secondary before, add the word INEPT to the lexicon. Why, for two consecutive seasons has the Secondary either lost, or never had the ability to communicate on the field? The lapses in coverage have been getting ghastlier by the week and the craters being left behind by opposing quarter-backs continually throwing bombs against us is skyrocketing towards near catastrophic proportions. I say near catastrophic, because near every team's secondary is getting lit up for insane yardage and points this season.
Corey Webster and Aaron Ross were never this bad under Coach Spags. Then again, back then they were twenty-four and twenty-three years old respectively. Today, Webster is 29 years old and Ross is 28 years old. Is Father Time speeding past them into the end zone already? They are seven and five year veterans now with both having had three common Defensive Coordinators in their time with the Giants. The constants for both players have been Corners Coach Peter Giunta; since 2006; and Safety Coach, David Merritt; also since the 2006 season. So the point is, the four individuals have all been together for some time now. So I'll reference Coach Spags again. Was he the difference between the Secondary being good, then after his departure becoming horrifically bad? Maybe. But that's all theoretical/hypothetical. Because right now, the Secondary looks like a bunch of fifth graders trying to play zone coverage. That's real and now and something Perry Fewell, not Coach Spags, needs to figure out over these next three weeks..
Getting beat on man-coverage is one thing. How miscommunication in zone coverage between the Safety and Corners are leaving receivers literally ALL ALONE is another. And yet, that's not all. Slot receivers have been playing our coverage like a veritable nickelodeon. And frankly, the five cent game films have been appalling. If you gave Antrel Rolle the other team's playbook and a scooter, he still couldn't keep the slot receiver close.
The situation at Linebacker only exasperates the Defensive situation. Let's face it, Chase Blackburn was asked to come back out of desperation. Jonathan Goff and Clint Sintim were lost for the season. Rookies Spencer Paysinger and Mark Herzlich did not play against Dallas. And the defensive QB; Michael Boley; has played infrequently, and apparently will be compromised the rest of the way. That leaves the Giants with their other two rookies; Greg Jones, and Jacquian Williams; to hold down the fort along with Mathias Kiwanuka, who thank goodness, has been a season long force.
There's all the reason we need to know why Perry Fewell has been so hesitant to blitz and why he's been throwing seven and eight men in coverage lately.
Up front, Justin Tuck hasn't been the same Tuck we're accustomed to seeing all season long. He's never been right since suffering a neck stinger. And at present, he now has a toe injury to contend with. Osi Umenyiora was been of little use to us as well. With those two players missing alone, the three and four man rush Coach Fewell has been employing just hasn't been getting it done; save Jason Pierre Paul who has been nothing short of an absolute beast. Jason Pierre Paul and Mathias Kiwanuka have teamed up to very literally carry this Defense all season.
But with two of our three best pass rushers out of this week's game; a paper thin and inexperienced Linebacking Corp., and a Secondary suffering through a fundamental breakdown, what is a Defensive Coordinator to do?
Injuries and the Secondary have conspired to limit our pass rush. The latest scheme allows receivers to shake loose in spite of seven and eight men in coverage. The quarterback is getting way too much time in or out of the pocket allowing a receiver to eventually break free. And as we witnessed with Aaron Rogers, gaping holes will appear in the middle of the field for the QB to run through should he decide to.
The Offense has given us plenty of reason to not be overly concerned about their ability to put up points. And Eli has proven he can dial it up when the team needs it most. But the Defense isn't being so kind to us. They've been down right scary, and have Fans terrified.
Mike.BTB
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
N.Y. Giants ~ Media Wakes Up to Secondary Issues
From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: Apparently, There is a Problem in the Giants' Secondary. Who Knew?
I said this after Week One :
I said this on October 18th:
After the Packers game, on December 5th I posted a blog titled: SECONDARY ISSUES A PRIMARY CONCERN. On December 12th, one of the local tabloids teased an article with this:
In the aftermath of Big Blue's last second, blocked-field goal victory in Dallas, many, if not all things said about the Giants' Secondary still hold true today. Only, what more can little old me say about it now that ESPN, the Talkies, and the papers have this late breaking scoop covered?
You know where to find me.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: Apparently, There is a Problem in the Giants' Secondary. Who Knew?
I said this after Week One :
"....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.
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.
The Secondary problems will be the more visible 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."
I said this on October 18th:
".....The Corners and Safeties are suffering a major lack of communication and I want to know what Corners Coach Peter Giunta and Safety Coach David Merritt are doing about it. Because the huge plays; the huge breakdowns in coverage; the huge lack of communication at times; are becoming routine now."
If you follow my Giant blogs, then you know I've been flipping out on Secondary Coaches; Peter Giunta and David Merritt; all season long. So why all of a sudden is the putrid play by the Secondary such a revelation to everyone in the Media now? And why are they using the same exact words I used back in September and October in describing our calamitous Secondary today? I could have told you the Giants were going to surrender thirty-plus points consecutively to the Saints, Packers, and Cowboys back in September!
Heading into the Saints game, I continued with this:
"......the hairs on the back of my head stand up because of the state of confusion which exists between our Corners and Safeties. Their lack of communication has not only been confounding, it's also high time Coach Giunta and Coach Merritt had these issues resolved. And if they haven't by now, then Perry Fewell should have. This isn't the first time I brought this up. And tonight, they're getting put under the microscope."
After the Packers game, on December 5th I posted a blog titled: SECONDARY ISSUES A PRIMARY CONCERN. On December 12th, one of the local tabloids teased an article with this:
In the aftermath of Big Blue's last second, blocked-field goal victory in Dallas, many, if not all things said about the Giants' Secondary still hold true today. Only, what more can little old me say about it now that ESPN, the Talkies, and the papers have this late breaking scoop covered?
You know where to find me.
Mike.BTB
Saturday, December 03, 2011
N.Y. Giants ~ Life After the Monday Night Fiasco?
From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE
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 NightFootball 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
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
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
Friday, September 16, 2011
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
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
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