N.Y. Giants: Reese's Pieces and Defensive Malfeasance

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

First Half Report Card

D-

DEFENSELESS

NEW YORK GIANTS: The Defense Rests, Every Sunday!

What did we learn last Sunday?  That if left unattended, the Saints can score 52 points.

With every passing week since his dismissal, Perry Fewell must snicker with satisfaction in the bowels of FedEx Stadium as the Giants defense sinks deeper into the abyss.

That by no means absolves Fewell from implementing an utterly ponderous system which fostered mass confusion, but he nonetheless squeezed out the very last bit of goodness Ernie Accorsi's old defense had to offer (or was the beneficiary thereof).

The unfortunate irony for Giants fans is that we got Coach Spagnuolo's system back - which I've always been a proponent of - but now lack personnel with which to execute a simple game of checkers.

The enduring poor state of this defense is 100% a personnel issue, which in turn, makes this Jerry Reese's problem.

How bad is this defense?  Let us count the ways:

• The second most total yards allowed.
• The most total yards allowed per game.
• The 6th most total points allowed.
• The 9th most points allowed per game

• The most total passing yards allowed.
• The most passing yards allowed per game.

• The 9th most total rushing yards allowed.
• The 14th most rushing yards allowed per game.

• Last in QB sacks.
• First in INTs.
• Forced 6th most fumbles.
• Recovered 16th most fumbles.
• First in Give/Take ratio.

That last stat, if you remember, is very indicative of Coach Spagnuolo's style.  Everything else about the Giants first half defensive performance, though, is forgettable.

Look around - there's nothing left of Ernie Accorsi's defensive leftovers.  They're all retired, or should be.  Ernie and The Duke seeded the previous run for the new regime, with Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning being their only remaining legacies.

This era of Giants Football belongs to Jerry Reese and John Mara.  That said, the Giants owner must sit in his office at Snoopy Central thinking how he watched the Giants win four Super Bowls with either Hall of Fame caliber linebackers, or with likewise elite pass rushers, and wondering why he presently has neither.

In truth, the Giants issues go far beyond JPP's situation.  Simply put, Jerry Reese has failed to sustain the talent level of the Giants, particularly on defense.  And after watching Drew Brees and Saints tight end Ben Watson go buck wild, perhaps no one on the Giants realizes that more than John Mara.

In fact, the defense has been in a state of devolution since 2011, with JPP serving as the prime example.  That's not a mutation crack  - when JPP was a rookie, he was surrounded by three other elite pass rushers, and had two quality linebackers behind him, with Webster and Ross on the corners. The choreography between pass coverage and the pass rush back then was championship caliber.

They aren't even Snow Day caliber at the moment.

Did injuries help ruin the Giants best laid plans?  Yep, that's what they do - in more ways than one.

The GM gave large sums of money to a linebacker whom repeatedly demonstrated an inability to stay healthy.  When feeling well and contributing, Jon Beason is an actual difference maker.  But, at this juncture, he couldn't make a difference for my local bar's flag football team.  He's given fans less than zero since his arrival.  They say he's great in the locker room.  So, keep him there!  Jon Beason's body obviously does not respond well to prolonged NFL level physicality anymore.

• Is JB tough?  I'm sure.  
• Is JB fragile?  Without question.  
• Is that ideal for linebacker?  Obviously not.

Cut him!

Then there's poor rookie Landon Collins.  Drew Brees stuck it to him good last Sunday, didn't he?   He's going to have a hard time shedding last week's stink (that was permeable stuff). That said, Prince Amukamara can't get back on the field soon enough.  In the mean time, Dominique Rogers Cromartie is so alone in the secondary he might as well be on Revis Island.

Jerry Reese is inside his 8th season as general manager.  Over the last four years, his drafting is proving largely inconsequential, while his reliance of free agency has steadily increased.  That in turn has inspired some curious salary cap maneuvering.

It's Week Nine and the Giants are faced with a must win situation.

At some point, objective analysis must compartmentalize two Lombardi Trophies away from Reese's trending body of work.  Jerry Reese has been with the Giants since 1994, therefore he will be treated with the utmost dignity and respect by ownership.

But John Mara is not going to appreciate an 8-8 NFC East title, or worse.

N.Y. Giants: Running Away From Trouble Never Solves Anything

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Lack of a running game will finally come to bear versus the Eagles

New York Giants: The Running Game is a Disgrace! Four QBs Have Scrambled For More Yardage Than Rashad Jennings!

After six regular season games, Rashad Jennings leads the New York Giants with 180 rushing yards.

(insert uncomfortable silence here..)

You read that right.  To put that into a quantum physics perspective, he has averaged a mere 10.6 rushes for 36-yards per game.  Put yet another way, there are 33 other NFL running backs with more yardage than Rashad - that's more players than there are NFL teams.  Even worse, there are four - I said FOUR - quarterbacks with more rushing yards than Rashad Jennings.

This running game is a disgrace!  It's literally offensive to Giants fans (pardon the pun), and a direct result of this regime's pass-perverted philosophy.

While it's true Eli had ice flowing through his veins, there's two other major reasons why the Giants beat the Packers, TWICE, en route to the Super Bowl - Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.

Make no mistake, none of this is a reflection on Jennings, or Andre Williams for that matter. But, in the name of Rob Carpenter, I want to know what the hell coach Ben McAdoo, Tom Coughlin, and even Jerry Reese, are collectively thinking?

You've heard this all before.  I most recently went though it with:

    Running to Daylight With Sunglasses On  and
 Coach McAdoo Passing the Time Away

I initially offered my full expanded thought on this subject at the very start of the season.  If you're going to read anything, I suggest you please revisit the following, as it gets to the heart and genesis of everything:

A Rushing Mentality Must Flow Through One's Veins

Now the lack of a running game will finally come to bear against the Eagles.  That's because Eli Manning is nearly fresh out of healthy receivers.  Did you see Dwayne Harris drop an easy first down against the Niners?  I did too.

• Odell Beckham Jr. - hamstring/unquestionably compromised
• Rueben Randle - hamstring/unquestionably compromised.
• Victor Cruz is still listed as OUT - calf.

Reliability will come at a premium them.  Eli will once again be forced to utilize Larry Donnell and Shane Vereen out of the backfield as was the case against San Francisco.

In truth, it would have been nice get throw-happy against the Eagles.  Even though hobbled of late, the Giants are still ranked 12th in the league in passing yardage, while the Eagles have alternately allowed the league's 7th most yards through the air.  It could have, and would have been a good match-up for the Giants, if only...

But, such as life.

If there was ever a time to commit to the run, establish it early, stick with it throughout and let it wear down the opponent, and allow it to control the clock and ultimately the fourth quarter, it would be this Monday night in Philadelphia.  Do that, and the Donnell/Vereen connection should work out well enough to keep Philadelphia honest.

• Vereen led the Giants with eight receptions for 86-yards last week against the Niners, and was on the field late in the game when OBJ and Randle were no longer physically able.  That said, Coach McAdoo has utilized him quite oddly this season.

Exactly one week ago I said Rashad and Andre have moved the chains at times this season with power, but only as the play calling allows.  That said, Ben McAdoo has Eli Manning leading the NFL in pass attempts.  At last count, he's elected to throw 197 times, while electing to run only 118 times.   That translates to 23.6 rushes and 39.4 pass attempts per game.

That simply will not due.

It stands to reason that if he keeps overtaxing OBJ's and "the necessary" Rueben Randle's respective hamstrings, he'll jeopardize any continued effectiveness, or even compromise their playing time.   What good is getting Victor Cruz back on the field, if you're just going to lose OBJ, Randle, or both?

That's why this must be the week Coach McAdoo reverses his season long trend of passing noticeably more often than electing to run, and commit to a more ground oriented style.  I speak for Sunday and nothing more, because at the very least the Giants need to prove they're even capable.

As former Giants safety Antrel Rolle used to say, "at the end of the day" this is usually less a discussion about the ground game than it is playing a broken record.

Defense: There are just too many injuries, inadequacies, and idiots to keep up with the Eagles this week.

The Eagles aren't as terrible as their poor start led many to believe.  They'll score points Monday night.  Be sure.

With the Giants lacking a pass rush, and now missing two starting linebackers and a starting corner, this may easily to devolve into one of those prime time Big Blue disasters.

The Giants already ranked dead last against the pass even before more injuries mounted last week.  So, they stand every chance of making Sam Bradford look like Norm Van Broklin this week.

Remember how good they made Kirk Cousins look?

Exactly!

I bet the Eagles won't even run the ball much, which is presently the Giants only legitimate defensive strength.

Special teams anyone?

Defensive wounded list:

• Jon Beason - concussion
• Devon Kennard - hamstring
• Prince Amukamara - partially torn pectoral muscle
• Robert Ayers - hamstring
• George Selvie - calf
• JPP - missing digits and common sense

N.Y. Giants: Big Blue Homecoming - Week Two

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

WEEK TWO

Atlanta Falcons

vs.

New York Giants

FROM

MET LIFE STADIUM

ICYMI: 

Steve Spagnuolo's Impact Immediately Noticeable 

A Rushing Mentality Must Flow Through Your Veins 

NEW YORK GIANTS: Correct Last Week's Mistake Before Too Late Comes Too Soon.

• I - Dancing Around the NFC East Fire

The Atlanta Falcons remind me how badly the Giants screwed up Week One.

In what's seemingly becoming a season opening ritual, the Giants did themselves a major injustice by losing an early division game to the Cowboys.  What made the loss particularly distressing was their acute loss of offensive acumen late in the 4th quarter.

The Falcons, however, did the Giants a huge favor last week by defeating the Eagles.

Between the Giants mental lapses in Dallas, the Cowboys own loss of Dez Bryant, and considering Philly's head coach spent the off-season getting branded a racist stemming from several unpopular roster alterations, then went on to lose his season opener, it's easy to see why the NFC East is already chock-full-o-drama after just one week of play.

The Giants will get to revisit their big misstep in big Texas once the Cowboys visit New York.  But, the immediate impact of last Sunday's loss, however, makes today's clash against Atlanta an unnecessarily vital game.

The last time the Giants started the season 0-2 with Steve Spagnuolo as defensive coordinator, they went on to win the Super Bowl.  While that's a comforting thought, the Giants can ill afford to put themselves in that position this season.  These G-Men are nowhere nearly as deep, nor talented as those guys.

• II - Air Coughlin Flight Two is Now Boarding

Look for the Giants to open things up with more down field attempts.  Coach said it, not me.

While it may only have been a pre-season game, they say the third one counts most.  That said, I watched an overly patient approach put forth a rather yawn inspiring effort against the Jets.  Sunday against Dallas, Eli went 20/36, and similarly only averaged 5.4 yards per completion.

If you subtract Shane Vereen's 4/46 performance (because I consider that an extension of the running game) Odell Beckham Jr. was targeted 8 times, and led Giant receivers with 5 catches for 44-yards.   Rueben Randall and Preston Parker however, were targeted 11 times but only completed 5 receptions.

This all might have been a result of Dallas forcing them to work underneath the majority of the game, but it's a big reason why Victor Cruz' return remains imperative.  For now improving connections with the latter two receivers is the only way to somewhat free up OBJ.

Tight end Larry Donnell was targeted 4 times and made 3 receptions for 21 yards.  More of that can only help.

One thing is glaringly clear, it took exactly one week for Coach Coughlin tiring of dink and dunk football.  His style has always been to go deep.  I went through that very issue - HERE.

They'll need to set up play-action first.  That means establishing the run.  The Giants rushed 23 times for 91 yards, averaging almost 4 yards per carry against a stout Dallas front.  Or did they?

In truth, the offensive line did a piss poor job of run blocking during a great majority of the game. Rashad Jennings gained 38 of the Giants overall 91 yards during that last fateful drive.  Otherwise, the Giants rushed 16 times for a mere 53-yards.

One would think the Giants can improve upon last week's effort against Atlanta, right?

• III - Somehow, the Corners and Devon Kennard Must Enable a Pass Rush

Jon Beason feels betrayed by the schedule makers, as he's likely to miss Thursday night's game against D.C. as well.  But in truth, he needs to come to grips that his own body is failing him.

In the mean time, it will be fun watching Devon Kennard evolve into a premium linebacker.

After a rather decent performance last week, Prince Amukamara and DRC will be tasked with shutting down Julio Jones (questionable) and Roddy White.  Their play will largely dictate the Giants ability to mount pressure on Matt Ryan, whom enjoyed as much unmolested time in the pocket against the Eagles, as Tony Romo did against the Giants.

The front four did well stopping the run, but got nowhere near touching Tony Romo.  Look for Devon Kennard to become that guy.  He's perhaps the one player Coach Spags will let loose from time to time.

N.Y. Giants: Steve Spagnuolo's Impact Immediately Noticeable

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Short on personnel, the onus is on Steve Spagnuolo 

for creating pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

NEW YORK GIANTS: Despite losing their season opener, the differences in defensive style between Perry Fewell and the returning Steve Spagnuolo were comfortingly apparent in Game One.

Tony Romo went virtually untouched last Sunday because Dallas' offensive line happens to be very good, but mostly because without JPP the Giants have no pass rush to speak of.

The Giants registered exactly one QB touch all game - ONE, authored by Devon Kennard.  Dallas held the ball for 37:10, while Tony Romo completed 36 of 45 attempts for an 80% completion rate.

By the 4th quarter, the Giants defense was sufficiently gassed.  Their last stand bend-don't-break posture failed to outlast both Dallas and the clock.  Romo easily dinked and dunked his way down field before connecting with, who else but Jason Witten for the winning touchdown.

That's the worst I have to say regarding last week's season opener.

On a more positive note, the Giants defensive style, technique, and overall intensity shouted Coach Spagnuolo is back!  The change in philosophy was clear as the sky is big and blue.  They induced Romo into a pair of INT's, and caused three turnovers overall.

• Dominique Rogers Cromartie had 8 solo tackles and returned an INT for a touchdown.

Unlike Perry Fewell, Coach Spags will blitz, but he'll pick and chose his moments and nail the logistics.  Therefore, I'm giving Coach Spags a pass for calling off the dogs on that last drive.  I just hope last week was a lesson learned in the art of applied aggression.

Otherwise, Coach is being forced to offset the Giants lack of personnel and a pass rush with clever schemes and deception.

The effort against the run was particularly noteworthy.  They recovered one of three caused fumbles. I find it ponderous, though, Dallas would not elect to run more often behind that offensive line.   Nevertheless, the Giants held them to 81 yards on 21 rushes for a 3.5 average gain.

WEEK TWO:

The Atlanta Falcons fly into town still feeling sky high 

after their victory over the Eagles.

After a rather decent performance last week, Prince Amukamara and DRC will be tasked with shutting down Julio Jones and Roddy White.  Their play will largely dictate the Giants ability to mount pressure on Matt Ryan, whom enjoyed as much unmolested time in the pocket against the Eagles, as Tony Romo did against the Giants.

This much is certain: The Giants' defense can not, and should not, spend anywhere near 37:00 on the field this week.  That was arguably a determining factor as to why Dallas marched down field and scored so easily with less than 2:00 to go.

Linebacker Jon Beason is still not ready for a return to action, but the ever lasting question is how long will he last once, and if he does?  That said, I'm thinking Devon Kennard will be Week Two's game MVP.

Let's see.

N.Y. Giants: A Potentially Troublesome Season Kicks-Off in Dallas

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

WEEK ONE

New York Giants

vs.

Dallas Cowboys

FROM

JERRY'S HOUSE

Texas

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: Fan favorite, Steve Weatherford recently became a salary cap casualty.  The fact a punter arguably became the team's MVP over the last two seasons was a leading indicator of just how far Big Blue has fallen.  For those fans old enough to remember Dave Jennings, you know exactly what I mean.

Sorry folks, this being the 25th anniversary of Super Bowl XXV will ultimately prove to be the best part of the 2015 season.

Recent history says the Giants have been a sub par team since winning SB XLVI.  This season, I fear the Giants will only continue their downward trend.

After paying more attention this pre-season than I have in a very long while, I did not like what I saw.

In fact, tonight's opening game in Dallas may very well end disastrously.  I'm consumed with the potential of a blowout.  I'd rather it not turn out that way, but as an aside, the Giants have lost their last 4 season openers, and two of those came against the Cowboys.

Just saying...

For all the talk of the Giants offensive potential, I feel they will will struggle to score 20 points.  I'll be paying particular attention to how many three-and-outs they commit.  Moreover, I defy the Giants offensive line to spearhead long, time consuming drives.

Dallas, however, will do just that.  Their offensive line is equipped to control the clock, and possession.  They'll get off more plays from scrimmage and face little resistance putting up points against an already depleted Giants defense.

If the offense does not optimize their limited possessions, the Giants are as good as done.

ICYMI:

A Big Blue Crucible Built For Two

1st Down and a Long Season to Go:

For starters, Steve Weatherford is gone - a salary cap casualty.  I get that, because you can't spend small fortunes on punters in the cap era.  But, I'm no less sorry to see him go.  He was effectively the team's MVP these last 2 seasons - which is an alarming indictment against Jerry Reese!

Damn right I'm feeling glum...


Last year's bad defense stands poised to become this year's worse nightmare.

• The JPP situation is so ponderous, that I haven't a clue where to start.  What I do know, is the Giants enter the season without a legitimate pass rusher.

• Linebacker remains in its usual state of neglect - again, thank you Jerry Reese.  Jon Beason is hurt again, leaving Devon Kennard as the team's lone inspiring talent at the position.

• The secondary, meanwhile, reads like an intensive care unit.  The departure of Antrel Rolle additionally created a major void in leadership.  He was the traffic cop on the field.  Outside of Prince Amukamara, we now have a bunch of Keystone candidates.

Offensively, Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. can't carry the Giants by themselves.

• During the pre-season, there was much talk regarding how Odell Beckham now wears a target on his back.  That situation will clearly be worth monitoring.  He won't get relief anytime soon though, as Victor Cruz is not yet ready for game action.  Therefore, this would be a fine time (as well as being about time..) for Rueben Randal to finally up his game.

• My opinion of tight end Larry Donnell is favorable, but still incomplete.  Over the past 2 seasons, the Giants haven't exactly utilized tight end to my satisfaction.  That stems from the position having to compensate, and assist a poor offensive line....

• Everything starts up front.  Rashad Jennings is a fine back, but what good is he if the offensive line can't create any daylight?  How well, then, will the Shane Vereen acquisition turn out?   What good is having Beckham if Eli Manning can't get him the ball, or worse, Eli gets repeatedly slammed to the deck?  Keep your eyes peeled on Justin Pugh, who is now the starting left guard.  Ultimately, the front five pose one Giant question mark.  As this offensive line goes, so goes Big Blue.

Whichever way you shake it, the Giants are about to embark on a long troublesome season, again.  I could be wrong about everything, but I doubt it.

And so goes my opening post....

Consider me punched in.  The DO IT FOR THE DUKE portion of this blog is now in session.

N.Y. Giants: Underwhelming Defense Getting Overwhelmed

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

 

WEEK FOUR

New York Giants @ Kansas City Chiefs

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS: The Defense Must Do More Than Offer Yet Another Yawn Inspiring Performance.

17th In NFL Against Pass

Watching Peyton Manning and Cam Newton dissect the secondary

makes it seem much worse.

 

27th In NFL Against Run

Denver and Carolina ran outside their Tackles at will,

and with great success.

 

In Week One, Dallas showed the Giants defense was flawed.  In Week two, Peyton Manning stripped them down and left the defense exposed.  Last Week, Cam Newton and the Panthers finished them off by thoroughly demoralizing them.  All told, the Giants got out-scored by a 115-54 margin in three games to date.  They will now face the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, where the defense can either put forth a formidable Big Blue effort for a change, or continue to devolve.

Adversity is supposed to reveal character, but in the Giants case they are facing something much more primitive - the instincts to fight or flee.  Game Four is the crucible of their season.  And so begins the conversation as to whether this assemblage of defensive players is finished.

If I were drafting a defense from the pool of current Giants players, my first two selections would be JPP and Prince Amukamara.  My next two picks would be Mathias Kiwanuka and Linval Joseph. Everyone else you can have.

Jason Pierre Paul is getting a little healthier by the week.  He made five tackles against the Panthers, but still can't generate a pass rush.  Mathias Kiwanuka has suffered from what I'm calling the Joba Treatment (as in the Yankees handling of Joba Chamberlain), which was failing to establish him at one position or another.  This season he is back to being a lineman.  Mathias wouldn't have had to be moved to linebacker in the first place if GM Jerry Reese had paid more attention to the position.  There is still a lot of potential in Prince Amukamara's game, and with the departure of Chris Canty, Linval Joseph has not embarrassed himself one bit.

We all know the Giants present linebacker situation can be described as pedestrian at best.  Jesse Armstead was the last linebacker of impact drafted by the Giants.  A long succession of superior linebackers ended with him.  Antonio Pierce was a very good acquisition along the way.  But outside of the recent surprise seasons provided by Kawika Mitchell and Chase Blackburn, the position on the whole has been impotent.  The Giants caught a bad break when Dan Conner went down for the season in Week One.  He was supposed to solidify the middle.  But his injury only magnified how thin the Giants already were to begin with.

In the secondary, Ryan Mundy continues to play well, while Antrel Rolle continues to talk-up a good game. Injured - Corey Webster will sit out Sunday's game.  Truth is, he has looked no better getting burnt on deep plays, than say Aaron Ross or Terrell Thomas have.  Speaking of which, Terrell Thomas' knees just may be two years past their usefulness.  That's just speculation on my part, but talk is he's already wearing down.  The Giants corners haven't gotten help from the defensive line this season either, and that's not about to change unless Justin Tuck starts to play elite football.

The naysayers have already lined-up against him, saying Justin Tuck can't.  After a supposedly superior off-season training program, Tuck led us to believe he would be playing rejuvenated and inspired football this season.  So far, he's been perpetrating a daydream and making Subway commercials.  He has exactly one-half sack this season, and last week only made two tackles all game, which ranked eleventh on the team!  His sub-par play is now bleeding into its third season.

As a whole, the Giants defense is understaffed, and the offense currently has them overburdened, as offensive time of possession has been terrible this season.  At the same time however, the defense is collectively underachieving and has been underwhelming to say the least.  The once mighty sack machine is now among the worst pass rushes in the league.

There are many fans who would agree the Giants have enjoyed success in spite of Perry Fewell.  He continues to assemble yawn inspiring defensive game plans.  Coach Fewell believes in winning individual battles up front that the Giants defensive line have been increasingly less able to do over the last two seasons.  Don't expect any creativity on his part to compensate for depleted or compromised ability.  Coach Fewell has never been that "wiley" before.




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: Secondary Issues A Primary Concern

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS: Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop...  Prince Amukamara And Terrell Thomas Must Stay Healthy, and Stay Playing Together.


While everyone is so caught up with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones accusing the Giants of flopping, and getting all uptight about David Wilson's performance, I believe the Giants have a much more serious problem on their hands.

In attempting to make a tackle towards the end of the first half In Dallas, safety Ryan Mundy and corner Prince Amukamara collided helmet to helmet, like two rams in heat smashing skulls.  Prince wound up getting the worst of the collision.  He left the game with a concussion, while Mundy continued playing.

Since the Giants selected Amukamara in the first round of the 2011 draft, almost immediately, starting with an off-season broken foot suffered before he ever played a professional game, and since, Prince has been riddled with injuries.  In two seasons, he's managed twenty games played out of a possible thirty-two.  He played in thirteen games last season and seven in his rookie year.

Prince reportedly feels fine at the moment, but if us Giants/Rangers fans have learned anything about concussions, is one) - feeling fine today doesn't ensure feeling fine the next day, and two) - their effects are cumulative.

The Giants really can't afford to lose anyone from the secondary.  Facing Denver and Peyton Manning in Week Two only compounds the Giants issue.

Terrell Thomas looked good Sunday night, didn't he?  He appeared to be moving very freely.  Unfortunately, he is the other source of my anxiety.  Terrell, unlike Prince, has outright missed the last two years to the same recurring injury.  Sunday was his first game since the 2010 season.  How can you not watch him and think any given play could be his last?  Having Webster and Ross back together will help in the short term, but Thomas and Amukamara were supposed to be firmly entrenched in this secondary already.  That hasn't happened yet.  In fact, Jerry Reese has demonstrated extraordinary patience with Terrell Thomas.  I just hope he stays healthy and rewards his GM's faith.




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

N.Y. Giants Wrap-Up: The Defense

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

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: 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: 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

New York Giants: G-Men Must Avoid Falling In Week Two Trap

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

 

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:

Beware The Trap Game!

 

Big Blue Can Not Drop A Second Straight Home Game And Expect To Get Away With It.

 

Somehow in Week Two, They Are Already Playing Must Win Games.
 

 

WEEK TWO PICKS

Post - N.Y. Giants; Don't Count On Division Collapsing Again This Season

For us Northeastern'ers, playing the 4:00 p.m. game is understandable.  Although we blame California and the old AFL, we Giants fans tolerate it.  I personally hate when the Giants play on Sunday nights; Monday nights; and Thursday nights.  Now you can add Wednesday nights to the list of my least favorite days of the week for Giants Football.  Other than a Saturday game in December or January..., fuhgeddaboudit.  I like my Giants Football one way - on Sundays at 1:00 p.m.  Unfortunately for us Giants fans, as part of being defending Super Bowl champions, this ten day break between game one and two is only the first of many more scheduling annoyances to come.


Welcome to Opening Day part two; the relaunch of Giants Football.  This was an exceptionally long time to wait before getting back on the field.  The layoff disturbs me.  I expect rust to show for at least a portion of the first quarter against Tampa.  What perturbs me however, is I expect the Giants to have some rust while coming on the heals of a dismal performance against the Cowboys.  One doesn't speak well of the other.



I - Dee Fence

A) - Secondary

Defensively for the Giants, the Cowboys had their way with us.  The Cowboys running game rushed through the G-Men like they were Big Blue toilet paper.  On a wholly different plain, Tony Romo pinned our Corner's arms and legs back, and dissected the Giants Secondary like frogs in a high school science lab.


I do not expect Josh Freeman to have the kind of game Tony Romo did, but the opportunity is there. Unless the replacement refs start calling more holding penalties against linemen, or any one for that matter, quarterbacks just need to make sure they throw the football before Osi, JPP, and Tuck, get their hands on them.  The book is out on the Giants - throw, throw, throw.  After Corey Webster, who himself looked incapable of covering a mail box last week, the remaining Giants corners offer plenty to worry about.  Prince Amukamara and Michael Coe are listed as probable for Sunday.  That in itself is an improvement over last week.  But can they be trusted to play at top effectiveness?  Even then, Michael Coe is a suspect backup, and Prince Amukamara is on the verge of becoming over-rated.


Josh Freeman and the Bucs didn't throw the ball much against Carolina during their Week One victory.  Combined, their top four receivers totalled thirteen catches for 124 yards receiving.  What's more, Vincent Jackson and Dallas Clark were held to just five catches between them.  Instead, Tampa stuck with the run.  They rushed twenty-six times for 109 yards.  Doug Martin rushed for ninety-five of those yards.  So he is the one the Giants need to stop.  But the Bucs can indeed throw the ball.  And my only question is why wouldn't they try to throw down field against the Giants......repeatedly?  Despite Antrell Rolle and Kenny Phillips having solid games last week, as we saw, they did little to help disrupt Tony Romo.


B) - Run Defense

It was only Week One, but fans and coaches alike can not like what they saw out of the Giants run defense.  In a word, they were pathetic.  Dallas racked up 143 yards rushing.  Twelve came from Tony Romo.  The rest came from DeMarco Murray who rushed for 131 yards on just twenty carries.  He had one rush of forty-eight yards which means DeMarco still effectively rushed another nineteen times for inexcusable yardage.


Up front, do we really need to worry about the big three not getting sacks last week?  In their failed efforts against the Cowboys, the Giants still got two sacks from their Tackels.  So no worries there.  The Giants clearly hold the advantage with three individual pass rushers who can disrupt football games all by themselves.  The Giants are perhaps the only team in the NFL who can claim that.


However, stopping the run is an entirely different matter.  And I wonder what Coach Fewell has in mind?  Conventional thinking says open up the game by playing it straight.  Bump their receivers at the line, then let physical ability do the rest.  Coach Fewell can't exactly key on the run and dare Josh Freeman to pass.  Tampa has definite pass capabilities.  At the same time, Coach can't keep going nickel and dime to compensate for his corners, because Tampa actually wants to run the ball first.  So guess what..., if at least two linebackers do not lead the Giants in tackles Sunday, Big Blue probably did something wrong.



II - Offensively Speaking

A) - Running Game

Turning over the ball is what got Giants rookie David Wilson in trouble.  Offensively, the Giants running game has entered strange territory.  As a Giants fan that goes back to the days when Ray Perkins coached here, it is difficult for me to reconcile the Giants old smash-mouth ways with Coach Gilbride's modern machinations.  But try I must.  And so must David Wilson.  The Giants need this rookie in a big way.  No fan is confident Ahmad Bradshaw will complete a full season without re-injuring himself.  Therefore, the Giants need Wilson to help manage Bradshaw's time and effectiveness.  After two touches and a fumble in Week One, this Sunday is in effect David Wilson's relaunch into the NFL.  Doghouse or no doghouse, the Giants can't afford to bench him a second straight game.  The hope here is that after ten days to reflect and gain instruction, David Wilson will put forth a more representative effort against Tampa.


Here is the problem with that.  Tampa did a devastatingly good job shutting down the Panthers run game in Week One.  Carolina rushing netted ten yards all game.  I hope the Giants took notice of that.  And we will see if the O-Line is up to the task.


B) - Recieving Corps

Even after a ten day break, Hakeem Nicks is still not fully functional.  But tight end Martellus Bennett is already proving to be a nice alternative.  Against Dallas, Eli threw to Bennett four times for forty yards and a touchdown.  I look for Bennett to play an even bigger role Sunday.


I could be mistaken, but I believe the Anti-Cruz tried making an appearance last game.  Just when everyone thought it was out of his system, Victor Cruz showed symptoms of the yips against Dallas again.  Giants fans are hoping six catches for fifty-eight yards ends up being one of his poorer efforts of the season.  But cries for Cruz The Savior have already begun.


All hail the arrival of the new Domenick Hixon; who replaces the outgoing Mario Manningham; who replaced the old injured Domenick Hixon; who filled in for the old Mario Manningham!  That's another way of saying it is nice having Domenk Hixon back.  He in effect became Big Blue's top receiver versus Dallas.  And the best part of his return is his familiarity with Eli, and Eli with him.  If he stays healthy, he will make an impact.


With Hixon back in the fold, and once Hakeem Nicks is right, with Cruz and Bennett, the Giants have a fine unit led by Eli.  If there is an issue, it lies with the back-ups.  Ramses Barden and Jerrel Jernigan failed to see action in Week One.



III - Tampa Bay Bluffs

Worth noting though, is much of what Tampa accomplished over the Panthers last week came as a result of multiple turnovers.  They picked off Cam Newton twice, and spotty special teams play doomed Carolina as well.  Cam Newton interceptions aside, he still lit up Tampa's defense for over three hundred yards passing, and the incredible Steve Smith had another game with one hundred yard receiving.  Three other receivers found enough space in Tampa's coverage to record six catches for another 184 yards.  So what's not to like about Eli and Company's chances against Tampa's defense?




Mike.BTB

Pre-Season Pigskin: Giants vs. Jets

From the desk of:   DO  IT FOR THE DUKE

THE SNOOPY BOWL - III

NEW YORK GIANTS

vs.

NEW YORK JETS

SATURDAY:

BATTLE OF THE SWAMP LANDS

Eli Manning: Is Now Beyond the Coach

On Kevin Gilbride, and an Offensive Line Preview

N.Y. Jets: Still Trying to Paint the Town Green

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS:  Defending Champions Out To Silence New York Jets..., Again.


What possessed these two franchises to share a stadium?  On the one hand, you can blame Jim Dolan for effectively blocking the West Side Stadium project.  On the other hand, I can appreciate both owners not wanting to foot the cost of a new stadium alone.  But as far as the Giants go, why would they want to share?  And as the Jets go, what were they thinking?  It makes sense then, that maybe this is why Woody Johnson rubber stamps Mike Tannenbaum's efforts to turn his team into the East Coast Neo-Raiders, while John Mara runs his organization as if he was born into the business.


Not only are the two owners diametrically opposed to each other, the General Managers couldn't be more different.  Each team's head coach couldn't be more different from each other.  And the way each team's players conduct themselves, couldn't vary any more than they do.  What's great about this arrangement though, is these two organizations now hate each other like never before.


So lets get it on!


Lets speak in truths here.  The Jets are still trying to get to where Giants roam.  That's a tough spot to be in; just like their stadium situation.  Living in someone else's shadow can wear a man down; much less fifty-three men, plus staff.  And don't look now, but I'm sure someone is busy painting the latest Giants' Super Bowl graphic on the wall next to their locker room.  Yes, the same wall the Jets must walk passed on the way to their locker room.


Curtains anyone?


This is pre-season, so you can't walk away from this game lamenting results.  What we're doing here is paying attention to isolated players and personnel packages.


From the Giants, I'd like to see the Offensive Line show me some cohesiveness, even though, there are no strangers within the unit this season.  And I'd like to see David Wilson and Da'Rel Scott handle most of the rushing.  Defensively, I need Prince Amukamara to show me so much more than he did in the first pre-season game.  Because of horrible footwork and bad body positioning, Prince spent the first pre-season game against the Jaguars getting burnt like toast.


From the Jets, I would imagine the most important thing this week is the play of Marc Sanchez and his ability to put up points.  Only Marc Sanchez can quiet all the Tim Tebow constant chatter.  If Marc plays well, Tebow becomes inconsequential, and all the talk dies down; to a point.  After all, this is NYC we're talking about.


What strikes me as odd, is the Jets were/are one of the most successful teams in the red zone with Marc Sanchez taking snaps.  So why would you change up with Tebow?  It seems counter-productive to me.  Be that as it may, since there are two QB's, I'm curious to see where exactly on the field each QB is given his chance.  My thinking is Tebow would be a safe way to play in the Jets own end.  But once they cross midfield, I think Sanchez will dominate that time.  Who knows.  I do know the season will be crazy due to Tebow's mere presence alone.


And, like the Giants, the Jets' Offensive Line needs to be markedly better this season than they have been.  The Jets return with basically the same crew, and Shonn Greene as the feature back.  I do think Coach Sparano will improve them as a unit.  I think Coach Sparano will put Marc Sanchez into far better situations than Coach Schotty did as well.  Defensively, I'd be paying attention to the play of the linebackers.




Mike.BTB