ROUND ONE

The GIANTS have now officially won the first game played in the New Meadowlands Arena...here to for known as Giants Stadium.  This will put the Jets to bed for a while.  Of course, now that they lost, the real first game is not until September.  While the Jets continue to talk to themselves and rationalize their little world, we will continue to cover the New York Football Giants.

The GIANTS did not get off to a rousing start in game one of the preseason.  The starting offense while missing 4 tight ends and 3 wide outs did not look impressive in the least.  They did have a few nice running plays, and the toss to Bradshaw in the 2nd quarter gave everyone a glimpse of what he is capable of, and how he has recovered from his many injuries.  That was very encouraging.  

The defense looked good all in all.  Forgetting some missed assignments, and formation issues, the defense looked like a unit.  They worked well together, pressured the QB a bit, looked much better in pass coverage, and rallied to the ball.  Perry Fewell's philosophy of watching the QB while in pass coverage will pay dividends this season.  Reading the drop and routes, instead of just following a receiver, will allow for more turnovers and more people defending the pass.

The punting unit is in for some long practices this week.  Remembering the fact that Matt Dodge is a rookie replacing a legend will not be a problem.  He looked shaky, slow, and had zero hang time on his punts.  This will be a work in progress fort he entire season going forward.

On the bright side we saw the emergence of a young man named Victor Cruz.  Cruz caught 3 TD's Monday night, among his many catches of the second half was a one handed grab over a Jet defender.  This young man out of UMASS took a huge step towards making this team.  He is quick, fast, and has great hands.  He seems to really understand the game and how to run routes.  He already looks like he can read defenses and adjust on the fly.  If he can return punts, he may make the squad easily.  

The GIANTS came out of the game with no major injuries.  Eli had 12 stitches in his forehead, but as soon as he can put a helmet on without damaging the cut, he will be back at the helm.  

So the GIANTS got a good look at themselves, won an over-hyped game that meant nothing, and did it without losing any players.  All in all a very good start.

Pittsburgh this Saturday at the New Giants Stadium...this time lit up in BLUE