N.Y. Giants: Tom Coughlin Will Return For A 12th Season

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Colonel Coughlin Will Return!

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: Perry Fewell Leading Candidate To Receive Pink Slip; Tom Quinn May Follow.

The Giants have been to the playoffs five times under Tom Coughlin, but not since 2011.  In fact, this year marked the 6th time they have failed to make the playoffs in Coughlin's 11 years as head coach.

The era is now officially sandwiched by 6-10 records.  In 2004, the Giants launched with a 6-10 record in Coughlin's first season.  With last Sunday's loss to the Eagles, they matched it.

This was also their second straight losing season, and now sport a 22-26 record since winning Super Bowl XLVI.

Was Tom Coughlin the reason for the Giants inconsistent play these last few years?

If Tiki Barber were still around, he'd still be whining how Coughlin repeatedly gets out-coached.   Well, he's not around, and that's really not the Giants case.  That is why Monday morning ownership announced Tom Coughlin will be back next season (coaching in the final season of his contract that is).

For 2015, it's the right move.  The Giants usually get this right, so, we'll cross the 2016 bridge when we get to it.  However, for some of Colonel Coughlin's lieutenants, it may prove a bridge too far.

As defensive coordinator, Perry Fewell's defense routinely ranks towards the bottom of the NFL.   Their run defense should be nicknamed the Alaskan Pass, because of the six months of daylight they provide, while their confusion in the secondary often makes them look like a Keystone Cops casting call.

This season was no different.  Despite injuries, there was enough talent to at least get a more representative showing from week to week.  The real problem lies with Fewell's style itself; it's overly complicated and clearly ineffective.  We've known this for years.

Sure, he earned some credit for limiting Tom Brady and helping win a Super Bowl.  But, Aaron Ross and Corey Webster threw their coach under the bus, admitting things didn't change until Fewell abandoned his failed system in time for the (2011) playoffs.

I'll say this for Perry Fewell, he's been persistent (stubborn) with regards to that dumb layered system no one can figure out.  Alas, he spent his credit..., and now it's time for him to go.

Special teams coach Tom Quinn is also reportedly on the hot seat, and for good reason.  Like Fewell, Quinn's dismissal has been several years in the making.  For at least the last two seasons, his units have either been inconsequential, or guilty of too many questionable performances.  The loss of David Wilson certainly hindered the Giants return game.  And to his credit, Tom Quinn has been here for both Super Bowls.  I'd give him one more season, but then his assistant Larry Izzo must pay the price for him.

Who Else Should Get Big Blue Pink Slips And Who Should Stay:

While I'm still a little ambivalent regarding Ben McAdoo, the organization thinks highly of him, so, he's obviously safe.

I think Danny Langsdorf is Eli Manning's 4th QB coach?  His 3rd at least....  but at this point in Eli's career, that shouldn't matter much.  Eli otherwise actually had a very good season in Ben McAdoo's system, with Langsdorf coaching him on the side.  Danny worked with Drew Brees in his previous gig with New Orleans.  (Drew Brees and the Saints sucked this season.  Just saying....)

I've been rough on guys like Rueben Randle and Preston Parker.  But Wide Receivers coach Sean Ryan still managed to at least get improvement out of Randle.  And, as talented as Odell Beckham Jr. appears to be, a 21-year old rookie still needs a good coach teaching him.  Sean Ryan also oversaw the emergence of the salsa dancer Victor Cruz.  Truth is, Eli Manning has benefited from a quality list of receivers ever since Ryan took over as coach in 2005.  In recent years though, the deeper the Giants dipped into their depth, the more tipped balls and blown routes we witnessed, which also coincided with Eli's escalating rate of interceptions.

Kevin Gilbride Jr. is a harder coach to rate.  The tight ends coach hasn't had much to work with lately.  Second year Larry Donnell hasn't been featured much ever since his hat trick early in the season.  You could say Martellus Bennett had a good season under Gilbride.  Otherwise, there's not much to point at in his 5-year body of work, but nothing much to criticize either.

Pat Flaherty has served as the offensive line coach for all Tom Coughlin's 11 seasons.  In my opinion, he is a fine coach.  Any criticisms regarding the offensive line should be redirected at Jerry Reese; this is his mess to figure out.  And you might as well include running backs coach Craig Johnson into this mess as well.

On the other side of the ball, if Perry Fewell is on the hot seat, then defensive line coach Robert Nunn should be starting to sweat as well.  Over his six years, he's endured the departures of Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Barry Cofield, etc.  But, simply put, this year's defensive line anchored by JPP (who's late season surge doesn't sway me) and Cullen Jenkins played atrociously.   They did so because of poor technique and attention to detail, over-pursuit, failure to contain, and other coaching related issues.  Time has depleted this unit, but this coach brings nothing to the table.

Jim Herrmann is the linebackers coach, and perhaps the most inconsequential coach of the bunch. Jerry Reese's treatment of the position makes this so.  At the same time, Jim Herrmann has largely failed to inspire guys like Michael Boley, Jonathan Goff, Mathias Kiwanuka, Jacquian Williams, Kieth Rivers, Spencer Paysinger, etc., to higher levels of play.  They almost had a keeper with the now defunct Jon Beason, but rookie Devon Kennard actually looks like a real deal linebacker.

Coaches Peter Giunta (corners) and Dave Merritt (safeties) are okay in my book.  Like Pat Flaherty and Sean Ryan, they've been here for both Super Bowl runs.  What issues I have with the secondary largely revolve around Perry Fewell's system.

Coaches that should be given a Big Blue boot:

• Perry Fewell
• Robert Leonard (Defensive Assistant)
• Robert Nunn
• Jim Herrmann
• Larry Izzo (Special Teams Assistant)

UPDATE:  just learned Danny Langsdorf has taken the offensive coordinators job at Nebraska.


Mike

N.Y. Giants: Mauled In Carolina By Panthers; 38-0

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS: A Bad Situation Just Got Worse.  In Just Three Short Weeks, Big Blue May Have Hit Bottom.

It's 1996 folks - you are there.  That was the last time the Giants started a season with an 0-3 record.  What we Giants fans witnessed Sunday was an embarrassment - a culmination of only three weeks of football, in which the Giants have gotten progressively, if not horrifically worse with each passing week, and each loss becoming more disastrous that the last.

On this Sunday, to say the Giants were overwhelmed is to be kind.  To say they got their asses kicked is still way too inadequate.  Instead, the Giants underwent a complete dismantling in Carolina, getting shut out 38-0 by the now 1-2 Panthers.  The Giants were broken - as in rendered inoperative; busted. All Jerry Reese's horses and all Jerry Reese's men have to figure out a way now, how to put the New York Football Giants back together again.

The Giants were limited to 150 total yards on offense, and just three total yards in the first quarter.  Carolina was playing minus one starting cornerback and starting safety, yet, Eli threw twenty-seven times for only ninety yards, and also rushed for fourteen more.  The backfield only yielded forty-six total yards.  The offense also turned the ball over three more times, for a grand total of thirteen in three weeks.  Eli threw his eighth (NYG 9th) interception of the season, while the Giants fumbled for the fourth time.  Eli Manning was sacked seven times (!) and hit another ten times.  Five sacks came from Carolina's defensive linemen.  It goes without saying then, the offensive line play this afternoon was absolutely deplorable.  They even took points off the board, when Will Beatty negated a touchdown with a holding penalty in the second quarter.  I'll have much, much more on the offensive line collapse later, trust me!

Defensively, the GMen allowed 402 yards of total offense, most notably 194 yards on the ground. Cam Newton only rushed for forty-five of those yards, which means someone else had a big day.  That person would be DeAngelo Williams, who ran for 120 yards, and averaged 5.2 yards per carry.  Take away his long run of twenty-seven yards, Williams still rushed for ninety-three yards on twenty-two carries.  Cam Newton threw three TD passes, but was really able to ride on the back of the running game.  In twenty-seven attempts, he threw for 223 yards.  Mathias Kiwanuka managed the only Giants sack, as well as the only other official hit registered of Cam Newton as well.

Even kicker Josh Brown missed his only field goal attempt.  The only redeeming quality about this entire game was the punting of Steve Weatheford.

Coach is gonna be pissed!  Rest assured, a very unpleasant week of practice looms ahead.  But at this point, will it make a difference?  In the mean time, start relying on continued Washington failures, Tony Romo's inevitable implosion, and hope the Eagles don't get away.




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants: Week Two; Manning Versus Manning

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

 

Week Two:

Denver Broncos @ NEW YORK GIANTS

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS: I Believe Issues With The Backfield And At Linebacker Are Too Much To Overcome In Time For Achieving Week Two Success.

I don't care much for things like the Manning Bowl, but Peyton's seven touchdown passes in Week One sure got my attention.  This week, he'll be calling signals against a secondary containing a safety (Antrel Rolle) nursing a groin issue, and Prince Amukamara at corner who is one more solid hit to the helmet away from missing significant time with a real concussion.  Not to mention, Peyton stands to befuddle a depleted and common linebacker unit.

That said, the Giants defensive line, and Justin Tuck in particular had a good Week One.  Tuck led the team with eight tackles and assisted on a sack.  Linval Joseph combined with Tuck, while JPP recorded a solo sack.  Tuck and Joseph also had another two QB hits apiece.  Peyton Manning is a statue and goes down easy, so there is a good chance the Giants can get their hands on him - but with Peyton's smarts and timing, not too much.  There is no reason why they couldn't create enough havoc however, to induce an interception or two.  And that's what the Giants will need - maybe a score by the defense, but certainly a turnover or two.

That's where Coach Fewell comes in.  He needs to do a good job of disguise and deception, and figure a way to deliver some aggression Peyton's way.  If the GMen just man-up against him, he'll dissect them like a Meadowlands swamp frog in some Secaucus high school biology class.  This is why I prefer a 3-4 set over a 4-3 front.  I guess in a 4-3 Mathias Kiwanuka is athletic enough to release from the line and cover a back or tight end, but without stunting, a four man front doesn't lend itself to much deception without blitzing.  Otherwise, JPP's play last week was very encouraging.

I'm afraid the Giants are headed for a shoot-out.  And why shouldn't they be able to hang around?  Eli threw for over 400 yards last week and three different receivers caught passes for over 100 yards each.  Even though the backfield is unsettled, at some point, the Giants could find themselves in the fourth quarter with a chance to affect a win.  I just don't think the defense will be able to make enough stops to make anything stand - not without cashing in on turnovers.

I'm afraid the Giants just weren't prepared for the first two weeks of the season folks.  Next week, regardless of opponent, the Giants will restart the season right.  Sure, 0-2 is troublesome.  But parity will rule the day.  The NFC East division is up for grabs this year, and every team will stumble along the way.

Circling back to the running game, I fully expect Coach Gilbride to call at least twenty-five rushing attempts.  But if Brandon Jacobs gets more than nine of them, something went very wrong.  At this stage in his career, I don't know what game ready for Jacobs is, but I feel he needs at least another week before he becomes somewhat impactful, or at least helpful.

Trust me, I'd love to be wrong about all of this.



Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants: Week One; Sunday Night Showdown In Dallas

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

 

Defense Still Panning For Fewell's Gold

Offensive Line Adds Some Weight

David Wilson's Quest For Daylight

 

 

WEEK ONE:

New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS: Nothing Comes Easy In The Land Of Giants.  Big Blue May Need Another Week Before They Get It Together.

Last season was no way to defend a Super Bowl championship - no playoffs.  Let's hope that served as motivation heading into this season.  After all, there are many members of this team who've been through all this before.

I would even suggest Jerry Reese was caught in a personnel bind, and still is.  His secondary needs constant repair, while his linebacker corps suffer from neglect because he's constantly replenishing the defensive line.  Offensively, he's been deliberate in rebuilding the front line, the team currently lacks a quality tight end, and the back field is suddenly very thin and largely untested.  If anything, Jerry Reese's best off-season move was to keep Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Eli Manning together.  That said, the march back towards the playoffs, starts now.

The Giants open up the season in Big Dallas, Texas.  What a way to get the Hate-o-rade juices instantly flowing through our veins.  Jerry's Kids - the Dallas Cowboys - America's premiere pom-pom shakers, will swing open the Jerry Jones Dome doors for everyone tonight, on Sunday Night Football.  And I couldn't be more bothered!  I like my Giants football one way - on Sundays at 1:00pm

Here's today's game preview > In Eli We Trust.  Thank you very much.  See you after the game.

Both teams have major question marks regarding their offensive and defensive lines.  The bigger question then, is which team's deficiencies loom larger?  To answer I say the Giants offensive line will prevail over Dallas' defensive front, even despite having to deal with DeMarcus Ware, and what should be Dallas' inclination to pick on rookie right tackle Justin Pugh.  Offsetting that scenario is my belief that the Giants will be able to run the ball against the Cowboys.

Until JPP is fully healthy, the Giants defensive line seems a little light in the ranks.  Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka will start at the respective end positions, and that's not a bad situation at all.  If he plays, Jason Pierre Paul's performance tonight, or lack there of, will be very telling.

If only to see them in action, I'm terribly curious about what kind of linebackers we'll have.  That unit is concerning.  Otherwise, it's the secondary versus Tony Romo and his receivers which disturbs me entering tonight's game.  In fact, I do not think the Giants are ready for this match-up.  I'm not pleased with what I saw during pre-season.  The Giants have lost their last two opening games, and tonight I believe they will drop their third straight.

Even if the Giants do manage a couple of sacks, for tonight at least, I think we're in store for something that more resembles last season, over what they could look like three week from now. Romo will get flushed out of the pocket due to good coverage and the Giants pass rush, then hurt us down field.....repeatedly.  It's a damn catch-22.  But fret not Giants fans, I'm a believer, just not tonight.  This has more to do with Tony Romo looking good early in the season, only to become a colossal failure later when Fall turns into Winter.

The Giants like to do things the hard way, and well, losing on opening night is part of that.  But I have a suspicion the Giants and Cowboys will see each other three times this season.  First, I think the Giants need one more week before they're settled.  Or, I need another week to figure them out.

Either way, football is back.  Happy day!



Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants: Defense Still Panning For Fewell's Gold

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS: Still Panning Around In Fewell's Gold.  Jerry Reese and Defense May Need a New Direction.

The Giants allowed 129 rushing yards per game last season, which ranked 25th in all the NFL.  The 254 passing yards they allowed per game ranked 28th in the league.  The 383 total yards they allowed opponents per game ranked 31st, second to last in the NFL and ahead of only New Orleans.  Yet, they only allowed 21.5 points per game, which rated them 13th best in the league. Which also says, they give up an awful lot of yardage, but quite often held their opponents to field goals.

Somehow related to that is the fact Big Blue led the entire NFL in tackles made - like I said, somehow.  On that note, Chase Blackburn, Antrel Rolle and Michael Boley led the team in tackles, but only one of them is returning this season.  And while I'm at it, regarding their supposed forte' - they ranked 22nd last season with only thirty-three QB sacks.  To combat these numbers somewhat, the Giants ranked fourth in fumbles recovered and third in interceptions, but don't be misled.  Panning through the Giants 2012 regular season, time and again only turns up (Perry) Fewell's Gold.

Now what?

The Defensive Line:

The strength of the defense is still the front four, but they are evolving, or devolving.  Whether for better or worse is still to be determined.  At one point this squad had so much depth, they needed an unwelcomed, coach imposed rotation.  Of course that was by design, but the days of Osi Umenyiora, JPP, and Justin Tuck going full tilt together are done.  As per the contentious gentleman's agreement reached between Jerry Reese and Osi last year, Umenyiora chose to leave New York to spread his remaining feathers in Atlanta for one last big contract.  Meanwhile back in the land of Giants, Jason Pierre Paul is still on the mend after back surgery.  The Giants and fans are praying to their respective football deities and offering them sacrifices of burnt buffalo wings in hopes JPP can return to his rookie season form.  Even if he plays Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, his performance will still be a questionable proposition.  Until JPP is fully healthy again, Mathias Kiwanuka is once again entering a season as the x-factor.  He will be moved back on the defensive line this season.  That leads us to Justin Tuck, who is entering his tenth season with a lot to prove.  He is coming off two injurious and rather sub-par seasons.  If the Giants are to get back to the playoffs this season, Justin needs to become not just a major component towards that effort, but a feared force in the NFL once again.  Bottom line is Tuck needs to play an elite defensive end this season.  There is just no getting around that.

At defensive tackle and entering his fifth season, Linval Joseph has a fan in me, while former Eagle and eleven year veteran Cullen Jenkins was brought in to round-out and solidify the line.  He is a  respectable acquisition.  Jerry Reese used his second pick in April's draft to select Jonathan Hankins, a DT from Ohio State, and he used his third selection to take DE-Demontre Moore out of Texas A&M.  It would stand to reason then, the defensive line was of obvious concern to Reese.  That said, in the new NFL, having a formidable defensive line has served the Giants well.

Linebackers:

The Giants lost two of their top three leading tacklers from a year ago, both linebackers.  Michael Boley was released after failing to impress.  That's not to say he wasn't a solid player.  But he was expensive, and that factored into the decision.  Most of all, Michael just didn't have the presence in the middle that was expected of him.  Chase Blackburn parlayed his commendable play last season  into a contract with Carolina, that the Giants had no intentions of matching.  Good luck to him.

Linebacker is by far the thinnest, most untalented, and questionable squad of the entire Giants defense.  These are the guys charged with stuffing the run, covering tight ends and wandering mischievous fourth receivers, spearheading the blitz, and setting the overall defense.  Right....  Jerry Reese failed to select a linebacker with his first seven picks, and somehow continues to stick it out with Keith Rivers.  That situation is getting a little frustrating for me.  Entering his fourth season, Spencer Paysinger now gets to be a starter, while Dan Conner, formerly of Dallas and Carolina, suddenly finds himself in a starting role as well.  Jacquian Williams is entering his fourth season, and it would be nice if he too started making more of an impact.  That's the line-backing corps, and boy aren't they most unintimidating and yawn inspiring.

Secondary:

After Blackburn and Boley, safety Antrel Rolle was the team's leading tackler, and he continues to be an important team leader.  I never thought so before, but he has proven that out over his years here.  For those of us who fretted when Kenny Phillips left for the Eagles..., they cut him.  Tyler Sash played surprisingly well last season.  Can he do it again?  I'm still scratching my head over the Giants 2013 fourth round pick (a QB), but with their fifth pick, they selected a safety, Cooper Taylor out of Richmond.  He is 6'4" and 228 pounds - I like his size at safety.  He is big with speed which can take a measure of pressure off the linebackers forced into covering tight ends.  Who's Ryan Mundy?  He's a fourth year free-safety formerly of the Steelers who managed to start just five games for Pittsburgh in four seasons.  Suddenly, he is forced into a starting role here - it's ponderous actually.

The Giants finally may be the strongest they've been at corner in a few years now.  Corey Webster and Aaron Ross are reunited but will likely not be the starting corners together.  Prince Amukamara looks to have finally graduated to full time starter.  Jayron Hosely turned a lot of heads last season and garnered a lot of attention with his play.  Lastly, Terrell Thomas is determined to not be forgotten about.

The Defensive Coordinator:

Quite simply, he needs to get it together - and he needs to do it aggressively.  His read-and-react schemes are a 31st rate failure.  The Giants gave up an obscene number of huge yardage plays last season, both via the air and ground, and the year before for that matter.  Not because they lacked talent, but due to Fewell making his secondary reads too layered, and an overall inability to stop the run.  When there isn't a Giant player within fifteen yards of a receiver, something went terribly wrong, and that happened to them far too often.

When speaking of Perry Fewell's blitz packages, one is always forced into asking - what blitz packages?  There aren't many stunts going on within the front four either.  He puts it on his front line to play straight up, win individual battles and stay disciplined to their lanes.  Perry calls for safety blitzes with the frequency of a lunar eclipse.  Overall, there isn't much deception you're going to encounter playing against Perry Fewell's defensive game plan.

The defensive personnel was always capable of that shut-down, dominant performance.  They still have it in them.  I just think sometimes their coaching gets in the way of better defensive results and overall performances.  With this linebacking unit, I admit Perry Fewell has his work cut out for him.  I'd suggest more aggression and deception, and less reading and reacting.




Mike.BTB

New York Giants: Bending Steel

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: The Giants Can Do What The League Hasn't Been Able To; Drop Big Ben.


Pittsburgh and the busted play - they thrive on it.  Big Ben is never more lethal than when he is scrambling about.  He is additionally highly accurate on the run.  And what his receivers do better than most is come back for the ball when Ben breaks the pocket.

Here's the thing.  The Giants can do what few teams have been able to do.  Justin Tuck, Osi, JPP, Chris Canty, and Kiwanuka are all big enough to drop him.  If the Giants keep containment, like JPP did last week, and manage to get their hands on him, Big Ben will come down.  Without containment, I feel the Giants Secondary won't be able to contend with the relationship Ben has with his receivers lest we forget Dallas had three receivers total over three hundred yards each.  But if the Ends can prevent Ben from getting outside, I think Chris Canty and Linval Joseph can limit his movement inside.

The Steelers defense will be without Safety Troy Polamalu.  But Pittsburgh is still very well stocked.  So what does that mean for the Giants?  I don't know.  But look what they did to the 49ers.  Here is something I do know.  The Giants have scored the second most points in the league behind only behind New England.

So I guess that means you know which way I'm leaning?  That was my pressed for time, post-Hurricane Sandy abbreviated pre-game posting.

Let's Go Giants.




Mike.BTB

New York Giants: G-Men Send Tremors Through Frisco

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:

G-Men Shake Up San Francisco 49ers.

Defense Dominates In Last Visit To Candlestick Park.

Sacks, turnovers, and the Rushing game.., Oh My!  The Giants went out to the Left Coast and gave their fans a San Francisco treat.  While the Giants defense was causing tremors in the Bay area, it was a former Giant; Mario Manningham; who turned out to be the 49ers greatest weapon Sunday.  No surprise there.  And no help either.


Six sacks - that's a hell of a wake-up call.  They didn't come from Osi or Justin Tuck.  Two came from JPP, which was reassuring to see.  But I'm very encouraged we got sacks from our linebackers and tackle.  Linval Joseph and youngster Adrian Tracy picked up one each.  Jacquian Williams and Mathias Kiwanuka got the others.


Under duress all afternoon, the Giants harassed Alex Smith into throwing three interceptions.  Antrel Rolle stepped in front of two Smith errant passes and Prince Amukamara picked off the third Alex Smith INT.  Otherwise, in a great down field effort, the Secondary rendered Randy Moss, Michael Crabtree, and Vernon Davis all inconsequential.


The Giants defense limited the 49ers to 4-14 on third down, and 0-2 on fourth down.


The defensive game ball no doubt goes to everyone who made a tackle and aided in stopping San Francisco's running game.  Big Blue limited Frank Gore to thirty six yards on just eight rushes.  Additionally, they didn't allow Gore to get uncorked by catching passes out of the backfield either.  In total, all the 49ers could muster were twelve rushes for sixty two yards.  The yards gained on the ground by Manningham, Smith, and Colin Kaepernick only color the 49ers ground effort in a deeper shade of pathetic.


Antrel Rolle not only picked off two Alex Smith passes, he also tied for the team lead with six tackles.  Give that man a game ball.


This was about as dominant a whoop-ass I've ever seen the Giants hand a good San Francisco 49ers team in a long, long time.




Mike.BTB

New York Giants: Will The Real Defensive Line Please Stand Up

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:

Big Blue Needs Their Four Linemen Of The Apocalypse,

Not The Four Ponies Of Mediocrity.

N.Y. Giants - Their Best Defense Was A Good Second Half Offense

The schedule makers are clearly no fans of the Giants.  Big Blue started the season on a Wednesday night, then waited ten days before playing in Week Two.  They've since had to prepare for this quick four day turn-around and a Thursday night road game in Carolina.  Meanwhile, the Panthers are coming off a Week Two home game and have had nothing to do but sleep in their beds and practice for the Giants.


Among the waiting will be Cam Newton.  He must be salivating at the chance to take his turn lighting up the Giants Secondary.  In Week One, Tampa intercepted Newton the same way they intercepted Eli.  To a lesser extent than Eli, Cam Newton still lit-up Tampa Bay for three hundred-plus yards, albeit in a losing effort.  But with an old nemesis; Steve Smith; as his top receiver, and playing against the current state of Big Blue's Secondary, the odds of Newton having a fine day increase immeasurably.  Fully expect Cam Newton to target the Giants Corners early, often, and being successful all game long.  The trend continues....


Look for Cam Newton to run like hell also.  The Giants haven't been able to stop that either.  Newton is actually Carolina's top rusher so far.  DeAngelo Williams will surely have say over that shortly.  With the way the Giants have played against the run these first two weeks, DeAngelo just might get righted against the Giants.  He had a decent game running the ball in Week Two after getting shut down in Game One.


I'm not exactly sure where the Giants are going wrong against the run.  I think it might have to do more with a lack of discipline than other factors.  I do not see them, as they say, sealing the edges. Tampa and Dallas didn't exactly run the ball up the gut.  The Giants have given up big yardage when runners bounce outside, where the containment has been lacking.  Actually, the middle has played surprisingly solid defense.  If anything, the Giants have been strong against the pass up the middle as well.  Save for JPP, Giants sacks have predominantly come from the Tackles in Week One, and from middle linebacker last week.


This is another one of those match ups that riddles me with anxiety.  The Panthers have given the G-Men fits over the years.  This is perhaps Carolina's best edition.  And as we speak, the Giants Offense is being decimated by injuries.  Hakeem Nicks is now listed as out for Thursday's game.  He will join David Diehl, Domenick Hixon, and Ahmad Bradshaw as non participants.


Defensively however, aside from Terrell Thomas and Chris Canty, the Giants still have most of their key personnel on the field.  Eli bailed the Giants out last week and will be without the NFC Offensive Player of the Week Thursday evening.  Therefore against the Panthers, victory is dependent upon the Four Blue Linemen of the Apocalypse.  It is their turn to rise like Giants, and enough of this playing like the four inconsequential ponies of mediocrity.  The only unit with no excuse for under performing is the Defensive Line.  They are all healthy.  As I'll include Mathias Kiwanuka in this,  Justin Tuck, Osi, and JPP, need to get their hands on the quarterback far more than they have and dictate this game.  Maybe they are getting held, or double teamed, or have underperformed, or are getting outplayed.  What ever the case, all that needs to change Thursday night.  The Secondary may not survive without them.


Two time Super Bowl winner, Corey Webster, is starting to remind retro Giants fans of Elvis Patterson.  In the first two home games of the season, the old familiar waft of burnt toast has returned to fill the air of East Rutherford.  Corey Webster is flat out getting lit up.  Last season, the Giants ultimately got to the bottom of their coverage problems.  But unlike the first half of last season, this year's dilemma is not a system issue.  Corey just looks bad.  Thursday night he will be tasked with covering Steve Smith.  Good luck with that.


Meanwhile, it was right cornerback other teams were supposed to exploit.  Go figure.  Prince Amukamara will most likely play tomorrow evening.  But in my eyes, he officially has re-prove himself; not that he ever has before.  He is still a former #1 draft pick.  So he needs to finally step up and play like one.  Although that might be a little difficult to achieve this week.  He is still a compromised player.  But for Thursday night's game at least, he may be the lesser of two evils.  Reason being, Michael Coe is also leaving a lot to be desired.  And Jayron Hosely........  Basically, the Secondary is, as it was, and will continue to be - they are in trouble.  I think the only real chance they have of improving is to just play, and try to grow together over the next three games before the Giants face the Niners.


Maybe the first road trip of the season is a good thing.  There is a lot of quality time and bonding that takes place flying between cities.  Maybe the Secondary can talk and find some common ground to move forward with.  Perhaps over a game of cards or something, Tuck, JPP, and Osi decide it is time for them to wreak havoc again.  Lord knows there is much Eli needs to discuss with Ramses Barden and Jerrel Jernigan about the game.  But overall, the first road trip gets everyone moving together in the same direction after two weeks of going home in their own cars.





Mike.BTB

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

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

N.Y. Giants ~ The Search For Daylight

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE




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


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




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

*  *  *  *

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

*  *  *  *

 

The Giants' Soft White Under-Belly:  LINEBACKER


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



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



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



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



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






Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ Game Nine; California Dreamin'

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:  Big Blue Seeking a San Francisco Treat.


Man up Boys!  No really, I mean it; Man up.  Play the 49ers man-to-man on Defense.  I think that's the best way to go about today's game.  It's week ten of the NFL schedule and at this point of the season, many kinks should have been worked out of our game, and trust factors amongst team mates should have climbed dramatically by now from just a couple of weeks ago.  And by that I'm specifically speaking about the lapses of communication between the Giants' Corners and Safeties.  I'm trusting they can keep man-coverage and that a Safety can creep in to help against the run.  Because that is what this game is all about; - Stopping the run.



I think the Giants should dare Alex Smith to throw the ball deep.  Corey Webster and Aaron Ross are not rookies.  And so we need to trust them by themselves today.  We've done it before and they've come through before.  They've played in very meaningful games together for years.  They just completed one last week against Tom Brady and the Patriots.  And so here comes another.  They need to keep San Francisco's patience with their short passing game under duress with great tackling today.  No yards after catch!  So if I'm Perry Fewell, I'm almost inviting Alex Smith to go over the top on us because they do not do that well.  If we manage that, the front four; the pass rush; can continue doing what they've been doing, which is getting to the QB without the Giants having to blitz often.



We need high level individual efforts from the Secondary and the Pass Rush today because I think the Giant fortunes against the Niners rest largely on our Linebackers and their ability to stop Frank Gore and Alex Smith's short passing game.  And only a combined effort is going to make the linebackers look good and get them, and us, through the game.



Michael Boley is coming off one of his two strongest games of the season.  He and our young group of linebackers he's been charged to mentor have been making incremental progress this season.  But this week I'm looking for substantial progress from this unit.  Like I said, it's week ten.  We should be entering prime form as players what ever their talent level.  And as far as schemes, if I'm Coach Fewell, I'd utilize Mathias Kiwanuka in a more traditional linebacker's role this afternoon instead of an all out pass rusher.  Even let Kiwanuka play gonzo today.  Let him be a source of mass confusion.



Opposing rushers have routinely ran for 100+ yard games against the Giants.  But many of those runner's stats were padded by one or two big gains.  Aside from the big (...hurtful) play, the Giants have managed to clamp down on the run through in-game adjustments.  But there's no doubt, today we need to sell out against San Francisco's running game.  Know your assignments, contain and seal the corners, and make sure tackles by wrapping both arms around your man!  Frank Gore does not go down from a stiff shoulder alone (...note to Safeties).



Boley, Kiwanuka, and Jones - Canty and Joseph - Phillips and Rolle, all will have to make sure, solo tackles in order to keep the 49er's offense quiet.  If they do that, Webster and Ross - Osi, Tuck, and Tollefson, should be able to take care of the rest.




I'm not exactly impressed with the teams San Francisco has beaten en route to their 7-1 record.
The same can be said of the Giants I guess as both teams enjoyed a victory over Philadelphia this season.  But if we follow last week's offensive game plan, the Giants should be fine.  Brandon Jacobs merely needs to keep the 49ers honest.  Coach Gilbride needs to show San Francisco he's committed to the run...even if he's not.  Disguise it!  Truth is, I think Gilbride and Eli should throw the ball up today about forty times or so.  But if he doesn't keep the Niners honest with Jacobs and Ware, the passing game will falter.  Coach Gilbride stayed patient last week and it opened up everything we needed to pull out a win.  My hope is he stays true to the run now.  Ahmad Bradshaw will miss another game.  But again, all we need is what Jacobs and Ware gave us last week.



We have to run the ball early and often in order to sell it, even if it sputters at first.  Then have Jacobs catch a few out of the back field.  Do that and we'll be able to play-action San Francisco to death.  Then in the second half, we actually give them a real heavy dose of Brandon Jacobs and kill em with late passes to Ballard again.  I don't say that because of what Ballard did last week.  I say that because when used correctly, tight-ends are killer in Football!  You know that.  But with the capable receivers we have, you use the TE sparingly then unleash them late in games.  But that's just me.



If I'm suffering false confidence, so be it.  Call it California Dreamin'.  But I think this game is quite winnable.  This is not the January 1991 NFC Championship Game; which by the way is still one of the hardest hitting games I ever watched.  No, this is not that game and these are not those teams.  But it doesn't mean we can't hit them just as hard as we did that January twenty years ago in Candlestick Park.  And it doesn't mean we still can't come out of San Francisco with a close, hotly contested victory.



This is the time of year, when contending teams start to realize who they are and really start to get the crisp cool smell of a playoff contender wafting up their nostrils.  This is when winners start to believe in themselves and kick things up a notch.  Week ten is either a spring board of confidence or the beginning of a fall into an empty pool.  I think the Giants are one of the good teams.  Of course we'll be in California where Autumn is something NoCal'ers refer to as harvest time.  But we are the Giants, and it's time to put a chill into the sunshine filled California air and ruffle their leaves a bit.






Let's Go Giants!








Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ Big Blue Struggles To Net Fish

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

N.F.C.  EAST  DIVISION:

New York Giants...........5-2

Dallas Cowboys..............3-4

Philadelphia Eagles........3-4

Washington Redskins....3-4

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:  If Playing Ugly Gets You In First Place, Disgusting Is OK With Me.



I won't be taking time out to tell you how disgusted I am with Sunday's performance in this post.  I'll save that for the week.  There's other more positive things to ponder after Week Eight in light of the Herculean test the Giants are about to face starting next weekend.




Well..., they won, which is the only reason why I'd even consider this tact after an uninspiring performance against the Fish.  So let's start there.  The Giants improved to 5-2 and solidified their lead in the NFC Eastern Division.  The Redskins lost to Buffalo and the Eagles defeated the Cowboys in the Sunday night game.  All that factored into giving the Giants some separation between them, the second place team, and the rest of the pack.  Elsewhere, the Steelers rumbled over the Patriots in New England.  The Giants will be heading to Foxboro for next week's game against the Patriots.  So I'm sure there will be very careful attention paid to this week's film by Coach Coughlin and his staff.



There are two huge reasons why the Giants are in the position there are in today.  First, Eli Manning is continuing to have a stellar season throwing to a receiving corps who are proving more reliable by the week.  And secondly, the Giants consistently come up with huge sacks late in games.  As a matter of fact, the Giants ability to get to the QB in fourth quarters has been the biggest factor in the Giants' success this season by far.



Eli Manning is indeed having a "elite" type season.  And there are many reasons why.  First is his poise.  I don't ever remember seeing him more relaxed inside a crumbling pocket.  Long gone are the happy feet of Weeks One and Two this season, and many seasons prior to this.  He once was one of the least sacked QB's in the League behind a superior O-Line.  But these days he's getting hit far more than he used to behind a transitioning line and yet making better passes.  That comes with maturity.  He knows hits are coming but now the old mis-step of throwing off his back foot appears to be a thing of the past.  Hence, more accurate passes.  His throws are coming in lower and as a result we've seen little to no tipped passed this season; save the Seahawks game.  Overall, his INT's are no where near last season's rate.



While this game was a complete regression for Kevin Gilbride's implementation of the running game;  and I'll be ripping him up later about it; over-all this season, Gilbride has made subtle changes in his play calling.  As a result, the running game has been setting up the pass; which is contrary to Gilbride's usual ops.  This also contributes to bringing down Eli's interceptions because far too many times, Gilbride called for very unnecessary and risky passing when all that was needed was running the ball and better clock management when trying to protect late game leads.



Lastly, credit Eli for leading a consistently changing mix of receivers over the past recent years and turning them into a steady, reliable bunch.  A few years ago, Plaxico Burress was just the first shot in a seemingly on-going string of injuries to the Giants' receivers.  Yet, Eli never ignored an opportunity to throw the ball to whomever was filling the position.  At some point with individuals, games, and seasons, confidence building becomes as paramount to winning as matriculating the ball up the field.  Eli has helped boost the levels of Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, Victor Cruz, and Jake Ballard most recently.  The hope here is that Eli and his Boys are ready to strike against some of the League's more elite teams now.  A quick note - Hakeem Nicks may have injured himself in Sunday's game.



The Giants got to Miami's quarterback five times Sunday.  Four sacks came in the fourth quarter.  And each and every one of them was game critical.  All the usual suspects were involved.  Osi, Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Jason Pierre Paul all registered sacks against the Dolphins.  This was Justin Tuck's first game back from a neck-stinger.  But the other three members of Blue Devastation have made it a habit this season of sealing Giant wins in the fourth quarter with a series of sacks.  And without getting too deeply into that aspect of this last game yet, Pierre Paul, Osi, and Kiwanuka have done more to secure the Giants first place position this season than any other aspect of the Giants' game.  Additionally, all that work up from has directly led to the type of season Corey Webster is enjoying so far.



This last game was a win.  It was nothing to be proud of.  But it's still a win.  Even Super Bowl seasons are speckled with games like this.  Did we have problems?  Hell yeah.



We had problems on Offense with the running game and the continued under-utilization of Brandon Jacobs.  The first signs of wear and tear showed up with Ahmad Bradshaw.  The Giants opening drive and giving the ball up on downs was a microcosm of everything that drives me crazy about Kevin Gilbride.  And Hakeem Nicks may be injured.  We also had problems Defensively as the Giants allowed yet another 100-yard rusher which is becoming quite routine now.  Miami rushed for almost 150-yards against the Giants.




Those problems with be dealt with in my next post as I start to examine next week's opponent a little more closely.  For now, it's suffice to say, without Eli carrying the Offense and the pass-rush carrying the Defense, the Giants would not be sitting in first place.





Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ Week 8; Needing a Win Before the Storm

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:  Big Blue Must Avoid Sleeping With The Fish Before Playing League's Elite Teams.



Health.  Fish.  Health through fish.  Dolphins are not fish.  They're mammals.  And there's roughly fifty-three of them from Miami trained to play football; albeit not very well.




The Giants are slowly gaining health.  They're getting some of their premiere players back for this game.  Brandon Jacobs and Justin Tuck seem ready to suit up while Chris Snee and the O-Line used the last two weeks to recover from some issues.  But it looks like Prince Amukamara still needs one more week till he returns. 




If Prince does indeed return next week, it won't be too soon as the schedule will take a drastic turn towards some very stiff competition.  So welcome to the last soft spot in the schedule.  That's why the Giants can't do anything stupid this Sunday....like lose to the worst team in the League the way they stumbled against Seattle.  Big Blue just can not be THAT team that lays a Big Egg against the Fish.  OH!  Poseidon help the Giants if they lose this game to a team that more resembles a pack of manatees than the Dolphin emblazoned on their helmets.




The Giants will have the Fearsome Foursome defensive line of JPP, Osi, Tuck, and Tollefson in place and available together for the first time this season.  Just in time too.  They'll have this game against the Dolphins to reacquaint themselves before the Giants start a chain of games against the Patriots; Niners; Eagles; Saints; and Packers - which means a heavy dose of Brady; Vick; Brees; and Rogers.  The Giants have been surviving this season due in large part to their ability to get key, timely sacks.  They'll need a healthy pass rush more than ever now.





The return of Justin Tuck presents it's own possibilities with regard to Mathias Kiwanuka.  There's an opening here for the hybrid to be even more dynamic on the pass rush from linebacker.  I'm very interested to see how Coach Fewell implements him.  Then if Prince Amukamara comes back ready to help next week, and if Kenny Phillips' ribs can do the same, Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, and the rest of the Secondary and the entire Giants' Defense stand to benefit substantially.  Then maybe we can finally prevent that one big rush against us, and that one big pass play against us from happening on a now near weekly basis.  But in order for that to happen, the Giants need to close that gaping hole in the middle.  That's where Michael Boley needs to re-establish himself, and the area Mathias Kiwanuka and Coach Fewell need to address now.




On the other side of the ball, Brandon Jacobs and his big mouth are back.  Is what he said surprising to you?  It shouldn't be.  That was nothing we haven't heard before.  And you know what?  He's right.  If you've followed me blog about the Giants, then you know how much complaining I've done regarding the Giants' misuse of Brandon Jacobs; the healthy Brandon Jacobs, that is.




He's griped to the media before and no one ever likes that.  But when it comes to the field, he's always been all-in and a good, supportive team mate.  So he can complain if he wants to, because there's large grains of truth in what he says.  Coach Coughlin went as far as admitting Jacobs was under-utilized at the conclusion of last season.  And he did after all renegotiate his contract allowing the Giants to resign his Little Buddy Bradshaw.  But I also understand, Jerry Reese could also have cut him at any time based on an injury history and his inability to catch passes out of the backfield alone.  As unwise in my opinion as cutting him may have been, they still continue misuse Jacobs none the less.  And it remains my contention Brandon Jacobs will be an important factor in December football should Coach Gilbride continue to stay flexible and remain patient with the running game.




I think Jacobs is wrong however in this respect.  I don't think there's another team willing to feature him as their full-time back.  And that's even before bringing age into the conversation.  I believe his home is here with the Giants, in this system with Bradshaw.  Although within this system, he is deserving and correct in asking for more carries.  Jerry Reese hasn't positioned the Giants to make a break from Brandon Jacobs yet.  He'll need another draft for that.  So it's probably best if the Giants just pound him into opposing defenses and soften them up for Bradshaw.





The Giants must absolutely take advantage of this match-up against the Dolphins and solidify their precarious lead they have in the NFC East.  Philly and Dallas square off Sunday as well, with the loser getting smaller in the division's rear-view mirror.  The Redskins in my opinion, look ready to fall from the race like a piano out of the sky.  Therefore a Giant win Sunday against the Dolphins will go a long way towards creating space between Big Blue, and the Cowboys, and Eagles.




We've been here before...with the Cardinals game.  And don't forget, the Skins, Cowboys, and Eagles play all the crappy teams the Giants did.  Just sayin'.





Let's Go Giants!






Mike.BTB