Tuesday, October 26, 2010

......DOMINATION

     The GIANTS statistically dominated the hapless Cowboys last night on Monday Night Football in Dallas.  Here are the highlights:
Time of Possession: 37:31
Rush Yards: 200 vs. 41
Pass Yards: 300 vs. 213
First Downs: 25 vs. 14
And the Cowboys became the second team the New York Defense has held to ZERO third down conversions this seeason (Bears 0/13).  That is statistical domination.  It actually was a lot worse with about 5 minutes to go in the third quarter...but the big picture is just as bad.  The other stats that are scary for the great Cowboy defense is that DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, and Jay Ratliff each had no more than three tackles a piece.

The Giants offense showed how good it can be, and the Defense is simply dominant against the run, which lets them rush the passer effectively...A great formula.

The Giants have a bye week that will be used to heal a few nagging injuries, and for self-scout.  They will look to clean up a few details, make sure they are not too predictable from their different formations, and see what they can develop as more options.  Look for Ramses Barden and Travis Beckum to be more involved in the second half of the season.  The turnovers must stop for the GIANTS to go deep into the playoffs this year.  They need to stop the fumbles as best they can, and Eli must do a better job of being under control in the beginning of games, and while protecting the lead.  They are on the doorstep of being a great offensive force, but must stop the turnovers.

The punter, Matt Dodge, made great strides Monday night.  It has finally hit him that 70 yard punts aren't always the most desirable, but a 50 yarder that goes out of bounds is perfect.  Look for more of this in the coming weeks.

5-2...top in the NFC...Bye Week...long trip to Seattle, and then a return home to face the now Romoless Cowboys.

Enjoy the week off..........

Monday, October 25, 2010

D IS FOR......

     The New York Football Giants (4-2) visit the Dallas Cowboys (1-4) on Monday Night Football tonight.
While many in the media are looking to the desperate, dysfunctional, sometimes dumb Cowboys as having to have this game to save their season, I view it in a different way.  I think this is the perfect opportunity for the Giants to make a statement to the rest of the NFC and the league.  The Cowboys are very talented, poorly coached, and prone to mistakes.  Mistakes that cost them ball games.  The Giants need to go on the road, in a very hostile environment, against a division opponent, and prove once again that they are the class of the league.
     The Defense tonight will see a very mobile quarterback, some very speedy receivers, a talented, but injured tight end, and a running game that begs to be used more.  The Giants tonight need to give the Cowboys coaching staff a reason to abandon the run early.  They need to give them the excuse they seem to search for every game to put the ball exclusively in Tony Romo's hands.  The Cowboys have three talented running backs of varying degrees, and with different talents.  They don't seem to know what to do with any one of them on a consistent basis.  The Giants D-Line, linebackers and safeties will keep them bewildered tonight.  On the back end, it's all about speed and size for the Cowboys.  Roy Williams has played better this year, which means he hasn't dropped as many passes as usual.  Miles Austin is a true deep threat, who runs some bad routes, but will stretch your defense and will keep Kenny Phillips busy tonight.  The G-Men do have one big advantage tonight, the Cowboy offensive line is a mess.  Injuries, rookies, replacements abound.  This is the major week point of the Dallas team and it has to go up against the strength of the New York Giants.  Minnesota didn't take full advantage last week, because they just rush the passer, and mainly from the outside.  Tony Romo was able to step up, and buy time, or run for big yardage.  The Cowboys also threw 10 outlet passes to their backs and many many screen plays.  The Giants have the advantage of having healthy tackles inside to apply pressure up the middle as well as the outside, forcing Romo to throw quickly.  The Giants are disciplined in their rush and cover screens and outlets well with Boley, Grant, Rolle, and the corners supporting the line.  Pressure on Romo is key, smart pressure that keeps him in the pocket and allows him to make the mistakes that have made him famous.
     On offense tonight, its all about the run.  The Cowboys play a three-four defense.  They have good pass rushers from the middle and the outside.  Their non-rushing linebackers are solid, and their secondary weak.  The Giants must run the ball effectively to slow down the pass rush, keep the 'Boys honest, make them walk their safeties to the line, and then exploit the Cowboys down the field.  The match-ups favor the G-Men all over the field.  Hakeem Nicks, Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, and Kevin Boss can run free in this secondary, if the Giants prove they can run the ball, and give Eli the time he needs to carve this team to pieces.
     This game comes at a perfect spot in the schedule.  The Giants have some nagging injuries they need to play through tonight.  Next week is an off week.  They will have time to heal the weary.  The next 9 games consist of 5 divisional games, and 3 more against NFC opponents who will be in the playoff hunt.  The GIANTS can make a statement tonight that they are the team to beat, as long as they stay disciplined, and beat the disappointing Cowboys.

Cowboys favored at home by 3...which means its an even money game.

Enjoy!

Monday, October 18, 2010

LIONS AND TEXANS AND BEARS....OH MY!

     The Giants kept the train rolling this week with their third straight win, knocking out another quarterback along the way.  This obviously was a game the G-Men should have won, but those are always the fun ones around here.
     As stated in Friday's entry....the Lions did what they have been doing all season, they put themselves in a position to win or tie the game on their last possession.  Michael Boley was predicted to be the key to the Defense this week, and he came through with a team leading 9 tackles for the game.  I also stated that the 10 point or more line was not a good bet...I hope you all saved your money.  Heck, it's getting so you don't have to watch the games anymore, just follow along here, and I will walk you through it!
     Ahmad Bradshaw continues to grow into the featured back, and Jacobs looks like the light has gone on.  His teammates have done a remarkable job in letting him know they need him, and that he is one of them.  He really has turned it around since week one.
     The Defense made one mistake, being a little too aggressive on a long pass play to Calvin Johnson, other than that they were solid again.
    And the punter continues to be a project, however after the first disaster, he really became the weapon he can be in this game.  Good hang time and some really well struck balls.  The return game seemed to gain a little life, and even though people will say we still haven't beaten anybody, the confidence level within still grows.

First place in the division, First place in the conference.  The division schedule gets started next week with a Monday night trip to big D....which stands for big disappointment this year.

Blog will be posted Monday before the game.

Enjoy!

Friday, October 15, 2010

LIONS TRAP?

     The Giants (3-2) host the 1-4 Detroit Lions Sunday at the New GIANTS Stadium.  The Lions are 0-23 on the road the past three years.  This would normally be a danger game, an easy opponent to overlook.  This week should be different however.  The Lions won their first game only last week, showing a potent offense, and an opportunistic defense.  They also have lost to Chicago 19-14, Philly 35-32, and Green Bay 28-26.  This is not a bad team, it is an unlucky, young team with a lot of talent, that hasn't learned how to win. You don't get top ten picks in ten drafts and not get some talent on your team, even if their were some mistakes and injuries factored in.  They had the ball last possession against Chicago and had a TD called back.  They had the ball last possession against Philly, after recovering an onside kick, and threw 4 incomplete passes.  They have come from behind in every game, and have come up just short until last week.
     Tom Coughlin should be able to show enough film, recap the stats, and show enough highlights of this team to keep the GIANTS motivated.  They know the talent level is there, it's just a matter of imposing your will on this team, and keeping the pressure on for the entire game.  Get them down early, and keep working.
     The defense should continue it's growth this week.  Keith Bullock might be back available for the defensive rotation, but it will be the Michael Boley , Gerris Wilkinson show at linebacker most of the day.  The Lions have an explosive running back in Jahvid Best.  Best is best when catching the ball out of the backfield over the middle and on screens.  We will need the quickness of our defense to contain him.  Also the Lions have potentially the best receiver in the game in Calvin Johnson.  Every week he can be seen winning a jump ball over cornerbacks, mainly for touchdowns.  The Giants will have to continue the pass rush they have shown in past weeks, and shorten the field for the Lions offense.
     The offense will have to contend with a very good pass rush again this week.  This time the pressure comes mainly up the middle, and the linebackers are not much of a factor.  Look for many screens, to the WR's as well as Bradshaw and Boss.  The Lions secondary is their most glaring weakness, and again if the run is successful, and the O-Line stands up, look for Eli to have another big day.
     The penalties need to continue to diminish, the turnovers to disappear completely, and the dominant Defense must be so for 60 minutes this week.  The Lions should never be in this game.....but they have been in almost all so far, up to their last possession.

GIANTS favored by 10....no lock here

Enjoy!  Cowboy week next week

Monday, October 11, 2010

EXECUTING A PLAN

     The Giants got an impressive road win on Sunday in Houston.  They executed their plan to perfection, and kept themselves atop the NFC Eastern Division.
     As discussed in the preview to this game, the Giants needed to stop the run game of the Texans, who came into the game as the leading rushing team in the NFL.  Houston had 24 yards rushing...Mission Accomplished.  The Giants knew that they had to establish their own running game against the number one rushing Defense in the league.  The G-Men rushed for 117...Mission Accomplished.  The Giants also knew they could exploit the young pass Defense of the Texans.  The Giants had 297 yards passing and three touchdowns....Mission Accomplished.  Even the special teams chimed in with a net punt average of 42.8.
     Bear Pascoe did play some fullback, and Shawn Andrews contributed at both tackle and tight end.  This team is continuing to grow together and gel.  The offense gave up no sacks, and seldom were heard the names of the big play guys on the Texans defense.  Hakeem Nicks continues to show why he was worthy of a number one pick, and will only get better as his confidence grows.  Although this offense did get a little sloppy and pass happy (something seldom said about a Kevin Gilbride offense) in the third quarter, it is obvious they are on the right track.
     The Defense is ranked number 1 in the NFL as of today.  NUMBER 1.  They continue to have a solid game plan put together by Perry Fewell, and they seem to execute it flawlessly.  An element that was missing last year was the big play on Defense.  This year when the pressure gets turned up, they respond with a timely sack, a tipped ball, an interception on a deep throw.  The Texans were 2 for 11 on third down yesterday. That's 2 for 24 the past two weeks.  The energy is back in this Defense and it also shows that the pieces were right all along.  The line is healthy, the linebackers are athletic, and those three magnificent safeties make it all work.
     It has been an up and down start to the season, but the GIANTS are now on track, have dominated a team on the road, and need to continue to grow in their own confidence.

I guess Bill Cowher should see if he can get an extension at CBS if he wants to work in New York next year.

Also check out:  www.midwestsportsfans.com  for an interesting read on officiating football

Friday, October 8, 2010

ADJUSTMENTS CONTINUE

     The GIANTS face the Houston Texans Sunday in Houston at 1:00 Eastern time.  The G-Men continue to make adjustments to their offense.  This week it is mostly due to injuries.
     Adam Koets will again start at center, but with a knee injury suffered last week, he may not last the entire game.  If he struggles look for Rich Seubert to move to center, Diehl to guard, and Shawn Andrews to get his chance at tackle.  I think you will see Andrews play some tight end this week also, as a little help against the very talented front four of the Texans.  Also look for Bear Pascoe to work a lot at fullback.  Kevin Gilbride has realized that if you line Pascoe up in the backfield, it gives you more flexibility and doesn't tip off the defense as much to the play call.  The defense will need to respect the ability of Pascoe to run a route from the backfield, or be a lead blocker.
     The Giants Defense will have their hands full this week.  The Houston Texans lead the league in rushing yards and have a terrific blocking scheme.  The Giants will need to put all efforts into stopping the run, and get the Texans into third and long.  Unfortunately, Houston has one of the top receivers in the league, when healthy, and also a strong arm Quarterback.  They have the ability to exploit whatever your weaknesses are, and they can pass for 500 yards, or run for 200.  They are comfortable with either, and are very talented in all areas.  Their main weakness is a re-shuffled offensive line.  The GIANTS of course showed last week what they can do to a line in chaos, so look for Houston to build up their protection schemes, throw some short passes to a very talented tight end, and take shots down the field while utilizing a max protect system for their Quarterback.
     The Texans are first in rush defense, however this is solely because they are last in pass defense.  The Giants and Eli will need to take their shots down the field, utilize Kevin Boss, and use the screen passes to both the backs and wideouts.  The Texans have two rookies as starting corners, and another rookie that comes in with their nickel and dime packages.  No doubt the Giants will look to establish the run as always, but it will be big plays that win this game.  The strength of the Texans is their front 7, just like the Bears, strong pass rushers and linebackers that attack.  Play action, strong blocking schemes, and tough running from Bradshaw and Jacobs will be necessary to move the chains.  The offensive line needs to continue to gel, utilize all it's depth and talent, and make a difference in this game.  The Giants need to force the Texans to overplay the run, commit safeties to the line of scrimmage, and then take advantage of the one-on-one match-ups on the outside.

A very intriguing game, and a real tough road test.  This is not one I put in the win column when the schedule first arrived.  The adjustments continue, and now are put to one of the toughest tests of the season.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

A FITTING TRIBUTE

The GIANTS paid homage to their past Sunday night by unveiling their Ring of Honor at halftime.  The GIANTS defense paid homage to their past by getting 9 sacks in the first half!  That's how you honor the past.
     The G-Men made all the adjustments we discussed earlier, and certainly did their film work this week.  Jay Cutler was under constant pressure from all sides and when his first option was covered, he had no chance to look anywhere else.  The Bears offense is a strange one.  I have never seen a QB at any level walk to the line and make no adjustments.  Cutler doesn't identify the MLB, doesn't call protections, doesn't adjust to what he sees, and therefore ends up laying on the ground most of the night.  Mike Martz might be an offensive genius, but he might want to think about keeping his QB healthy while he makes all his in game adjustments.
     The GIANTS had another slow beginning offensively, and turned the ball over way too many times.  The penalties were down, and the Bears are a very good defense against the run.  Once again, as GIANTS fans, we can see how we could have scored 30 points minimum.  We are going to need to see the actual points on the board starting this week.  Look for Bear Pascoe to replace Madison Hedgecock at fullback, and look for more double tight end looks utilizing Shawn Andrews.
     The defense had fun last week, and that is a good thing.  Theses guys need to be loose, have some fun, and enjoy the new system.  They will continue to gel and make big plays.
     The Special Teams did not beat us this week, and that was the goal.  Matt Dodge will need to continue to improve, and the regulars will continue to work special teams.

Someone commented last week after reading this blog that it sounded like Chicago was the worst 3-0 team ever, and the Giants one of the best 1-2 teams......I think the point was proved.

Houston on the road next week.

See you Friday

Friday, October 1, 2010

A SERIES OF ADJUSTMENTS

     The GIANTS play the 3-0 Chicago Bears Sunday night at  The New Giants Stadium.  On display will be Jay Cutler and a Mike Martz Offense, along with a strong Chicago Defense against the run.  The GIANTS will need a series of adjustments to be victorious Sunday Night.
     The Chicago offense is intriguing because it is a non-audible offense.  They make no adjustments at the line of scrimmage, and always run the play that is called in the huddle.  All adjustments are then made by the coaches as they see how you react to their formations and motions. This is the reason the Bears are a good second half team.  This will be a key element for the G-Men defense.  They will need to understand the different options presented by the similar formations, and mix-up their defensive fronts and pressures.  The worst thing you can do against a non-audible offense is to become predictable in your response.  Perrry Fewell's talents will be on display Sunday as he tries to out duel Mike Martz with various personnel, pressures, and alignments.  One thing that the GIANTS will need to be consistent with throughout the game will be how they handle Tight End Greg Olsen.  This is the first talented tight end of many they will face this season, and it will be a test.
      The GIANTS have made some adjustment on Special Teams as we discussed earlier in the week.  Look for "regular" players like Kiwanuka, Boley, and others to participate on coverage teams especially.  The GIANTS have a particular challenge on special teams this week in the person of Devin Hester.  Hester single-handedly beat us in 2006, and was a large reason the Bears defeated the Packers last Monday night.  Rookie punter Matt Dodge will be instructed to kick the ball out of bounds at all costs.  Hopefully he can execute this plan successfully, or it could be a long night for the struggling special teams.  The GIANTS will have their special teams captain Chase Blackburn back this week, and they are accepting the challenge ahead of them.  Let's hope they show up.
     The Giants keep talking about how they need to run the ball to be successful.  This might not be the team you want to facing when you need to establish the run and build confidence in your own team.  The Bears are a very good defense against the run, have good pass rushers, including an aging Julius Peppers who plays on passing downs. They specialize in forcing turnovers. They try and strip the ball from every ball carrier.  They are weak in the secondary and another strong performance by Eli will be needed in this game.  The offensive line will be led by Adam Koets again at center this week.
     Jay Cutler is a very good quarterback who makes a lot of mistakes and hates pressure.  You need to be in his face and around his feet constantly.  He will pull the ball down quickly if you keep high pressure on him.  He will throw the ball up for grabs, and try and fit it into the tightest of windows.  Without the ability to audible at the line, he is forced into some decisions you would rather he didn't have to make, if your the Bears.  The GIANTS will have opportunities for interceptions, sacks, and tackles for losses on many occasions Sunday night, they need to take advantage of those opportunities.

So....as usual....Special teams, turnovers, penalties, and execution of the game plan will decide this game.

The Giants will also be unveiling their Ring of Honor at halftime, so a few past greats will be in attendance for this one.  Hopefully NBC will spare us some of their "expert analysis" at halftime and show the ceremonies.

Giants come up big and keep the hopes of the season alive.  Enjoy!

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