Friday, September 30, 2011

An Unexpected Victory?


Last week I published an article on the keys to beating the Eagles.  Unlike most ESPN announcers, I like to go back and see if what I said held true.
On Offense:  The Giants, for the second week in a row, face a team that plays poorly against the run.  In what is admittedly a small sample, the Eagles give up an average of 5.3 yards per rush. The Giants rushed for an average of 4.8   Unlike the Rams, the Eagles are extremely weak at the Linebacker position.  To back-up this claim, the Eagles have re-aligned their much maligned Linebacking corps.  The Eagles drafted Casey Matthews purely on name recognition alone.  He is not an NFL Middle Linebacker.  He has now been moved to the outside and is replaced by second year man Jamar Chaney.  Andy Reid is saying the change is being made for the matchup against the Giants, in other words he’s searching for an answer to a huge defensive problem.The Linebackers made a total  of  8 tackles Sunday. The Eagles play a scheme with their front four, as we all heard Sunday night ,called The Wide-Nine.  Their Rush ends are split wide, about 4 and a half yards away from their interior tackles.  Their sole job is to rush upfield and turn everything back to the inside.  The linebackers are supposed to fill the holes, and make the plays in the gaps….they haven’t.  The Giants will need to find some blocking schemes to exploit this alignment that the Eagles employ on almost every down.  Getting a back one on one against a linebacker on the Eagles is a good thing, Bradshaw and Jacobs will need to carry the load this week. Bradshaw and Jacobs accounted for 200 yards of total offense.  The Giants will run, run, run, setting up the over the top passes as they did last week when the secondary drops down to help. The Eagle Linebackers lived up to their reputation getting beat by Jacobs on his TD catch, and getting pinned inside by Tight Ends and WR’s on many running plays.  The Secondary looked weak and confused.  On Victor Cruz’s fabulous TD run, if you watch the play over you will notice Hakeem Nicks is also wide open streaking down the middle of the field.
On Defense:  The Giants cannot cover all the speed the Eagles can employ in their offense.  The pressure on Michael Vick must be relentless. As we all know the pressure was relentless.  The Giants hounded Vick until he could take no more. Keeping Vick in the pocket, or forcing him to his right will be a key element in this game.  The Eagles of course have also learned that Vick cannot throw when running right, so look for their line to move the pocket left from the snap.  The Eagles also employ lots of screens, swing passes, and mis-direction runs.  When trying to put maximum pressure on a Qb, it is very difficult to fill all the lanes on the back side.  The Giants must remain disciplined in their attack, send pressure from the secondary, and do their best to keep the receivers in front of them. The Giants allowed only TWO plays over 20 yards.  They did a magnificent job of dropping in coverage and keeping the plays in front of them.  A few long drives by the Giants offense would go a long way in making the defense a success. No long drives to speak of, but more importantly drives ending in points.
I spoke of the fact that this game was going to be about turnovers and penalties…..The Giants had zero turnovers, while forcing three interceptions, and Three fumbles.  Penalties were Giants 4-21 and the Eagles 7-36, with The Eagles making the key mistake of jumping offsides on the field goal attempt.
Finishing and Execution are the keys to a successful season…..This was a great example for the team to use for motivation moving forwar

Saturday, September 24, 2011

THE KEYS TO VICTORY


The Giants play the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday in Philadelphia at 1:00 Eastern time on Fox.  The Giants (1-1) are an injured team as they enter this contest, losing WR Domenik Hixon, and probably WR Mario Manningham.  The New Yorkers have re-signed Michael Clayton to fill these voids, and also will get Travis Beckum back into the line-up.
On Offense:  The Giants, for the second week in a row, face a team that plays poorly against the run.  In what is admittedly a small sample, the Eagles give up an average of 5.3 yards per rush.  Unlike the Rams, the Eagles are extremely weak at the Linebacker position.  To back-up this claim, the Eagles have re-aligned their much maligned Linebacking corps.  The Eagles drafted Casey Matthews purely on name recognition alone.  He is not an NFL Middle Linebacker.  He has now been moved to the outside and is replaced by second year man Jamar Chaney.  Andy Reid is saying the change is being made for the matchup against the Giants, in other words he’s searching for an answer to a huge defensive problem.  The Eagles play a scheme with their front four, as we all heard Sunday night ,called The Wide-Nine.  Their Rush ends are split wide, about 4 and a half yards away from their interior tackles.  Their sole job is to rush upfield and turn everything back to the inside.  The linebackers are supposed to fill the holes, and make the plays in the gaps….they haven’t.  The Giants will need to find some blocking schemes to exploit this alignment that the Eagles employ on almost every down.  Getting a back one on one against a linebacker on the Eagles is a good thing, Bradshaw and Jacobs will need to carry the load this week.  The Giants will run, run, run, setting up the over the top passes as they did last week when the secondary drops down to help.
On Defense:  The Giants cannot cover all the speed the Eagles can employ in their offense.  The pressure on Michael Vick must be relentless.  Keeping Vick in the pocket, or forcing him to his right will be a key element in this game.  The Eagles of course have also learned that Vick cannot throw when running right, so look for their line to move the pocket left from the snap.  The Eagles also employ lots of screens, swing passes, and mis-direction runs.  When trying to put maximum pressure on a Qb, it is very difficult to fill all the lanes on the back side.  The Giants must remain disciplined in their attack, send pressure from the secondary, and do their best to keep the receivers in front of them.  A few long drives by the Giants offense would go a long way in making the defense a success.
The key to this game should come down to turnovers and penalties.  As an official, I can tell you that penalties stop more drives than anything else.  Penalties on Special Teams are especially tough.  The Giants need to play smart and avoid unnecessary penalties.  The other key is winning the turnover battle.  Michael Vick is prone to fumbling.  He fumbles when sacked, and can be stripped when he runs.  The Giants defense must win the turnover battle this Sunday for any chance of success in this division match-up.
This is an early tough test for the G-Men on the road within the division….One thing I look for is for the Giants to play a full 4 quarter battle.  The Falcons kept fighting last week, stuck to their plan, and came back from 14 points down to win.  FINISHING is the KEY.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The First Win

     While the Giants failed to impress many in this weeks win over the St. Louis Rams, it was certainly a step in the right direction and showed some progress in key areas.

The Offense:  The struggle continues for Eli Manning and the offense.  Some key assignments were missed last night, a couple of bad throws, a few drops and bobbles, and a few bad penalties to boot.  The offense is going to be a work in progress all year as the communication continues to develop between the line, Eli, the backs, and receivers.  Remembering that while the Rams are certainly not a winning organization, this is a very good defense, with very good linebackers, and Steve Spagnuolo playing the part of Defensive Coordinator.  You cannot discount the ability of the Rams coach to scheme a defense, especially against a team he knows well, as a factor in last nights performance.  The Offense struggled for sure, but with the limited practice time they have had with healthy bodies.....it took a step forward.  Having the one nice scoring drive before halftime, and one immediately following was a good sign.

The Defense:  The pressure was certainly applied to Sam Bradford at times last night.  Six sacks certainly helped win this game last night.  While some defensive players have shown a lack of concentration, Michael Boley took advantage of a lapse of judgement by the Rams and returned a backwards pass (fumble) for a touchdown, a key to this game.  The pass defense struggled in man coverage in the first half, mainly due to the no huddle offense employed by the Rams.  Changes were not able to be made, and the Giants struggled to make the adjustments needed with the personnel they had on the field.  In the second half the Giants realized the rotation they usually employ at key spots was going to be impossible, so they went with more zone coverages.  The Giants did stop the run completely, and that is always job one in New York.  Once again the communication between first year linebackers, and new starters in the secondary was a problem, but it certainly settled down when the Rams reached the red zone, and the Giants were able to re-group.  I give the Rams a lot of credit for identifying the communication problems the Giants had last week and trying to exploit them by going no-huddle for most of the first half.

What this team needs to do now is work on execution.  Missed blocks, missed reads, dropped balls, and penalties all stop drives.  This is why this season is so different.  With the Union imposed reduced practice time, reduced meeting time,  also coupled with the lockout and key injuries late in training camp, this team needs time to learn communication and each other.  They will hopefully start to get players back, not lose anymore key players to injury, and continue to not turn the ball over.

Next week poses a big test......but it might be just what the Giants need.  They have been living with a ghost for months now, and they need to face the ghost to see where they stand.  FINISH will be the word around the Giants this week.  Three phases, communicate, execute, and FINISH

Monday, September 19, 2011

Who are The Rams


     On Monday night the Giants face off against a team they don’t play often, but one that has many familiar names.  Head Coach, and former Giants Defensive Coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo  started the re-building process in 2009, and it has been on a fast track ever since.  Building both through the draft and free agency his team is starting to grow into an NFL success story.  Let’s take a look at some of their players.
Offense:  Coach “Spags”  was fortunate enough to inherit a top ranked running back in Stephen Jackson.  Jackson, as many of you know, is a true stud at running back.  He recently became the only player in team history to rush for 1,000 yards in 5 consecutive seasons. He is banged up this week, and is backed up on the depth chart by the newly acquired  Cadillac Williams.  At Quarterback the Rams have Sam Bradford, the number one overall pick in the 2010 draft.  Bradford stepped right into the role of starting QB and impressed many in his first year in the NFL.  He is still a work in progress, but it is clear he has all the tools to be a very good if not great NFL QB.  The Offensive line is young on the outside.  They have a rookie Left Tackle in Rodger Saffold, and a second year right tackle in Jason Smith, Smith might be held out this week with an injury.  The interior of their line was all acquired through free agency and has an average of 7 years experience anchored by Right Guard Harvey Dahl.  Where the Rams fall short on offense is in their receiving corps.  What was once the strength of the Rams of the 1990′s has now fallen on hard times.  Danny Amendola is out with a dis-located elbow and that leaves Mike Sims-Walker and Greg Salas as the starters along with Tight End Billy Bajema. Sims-Walker was signed this year after some average years in Jacksonville.  He had one catch last week for 5 yards.  The offense is obviously based off the running game, but with Jackson listed as doubtful, it could be a long night for the Rams offense.
The Defense:  This obviously is “Spags”s specialty and is littered with familiar names, high draft picks, and former Giants.  Up front they have Chris Long, a first round draft pick, Fred Robbins, a former Giant, Justin Bannan, and James Hall each with 10 years NFL experience.  Behind them is a fabulous group of Linebackers that would make any New York fan jealous.  Second year linebacker out of Ohio State, James Laurinaitis is in the middle of two free agents Brady Poppinga formerly of Green Bay, and Ben Leber, formally of the Minnesota Vikings.  Once again however, the fall off to the secondary is noticeable.  With injuries to this unit they are left with a very young group at corner, and some castoffs at Safety.  Justin King and Bradley Fletcher are the young corners with a combined total of 5 years experience, and Craig Dahl and Quintin Mikell are the starting safeties backed up by former Giant James Butler.
     The transformation of the St. Louis Rams is well underway and “Spags” is building a team and an organization at the same time.  He needed to change the culture in St. Louis and begin a new era.  He certainly seems like the right person for the job.  After finishing at 7-9 last year and having a chance to make the playoffs in the weak  NFC West Division,  The Rams will continue to build through free agency and the draft. They have a franchise Qb, and what seems like a good mix of veterans and young players.  With no one player having more than 10 years experience, they are set up for good things in the future.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Season Preview '11

     The Giants have a very tough task this year.  They may have the toughest season ending schedule in memory.  They will face Tom Brady, Mike Vick, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Tony Romo in the last 9 weeks of the season.
      This team is a mystery to me now.  They were very strong on defense and would have been an old fashioned Giants machine if it had not been for some devastating injuries.  This would have been a team based on sacks, turnovers, and low scoring games.  Now, they have some very young, but highly talented rookies stepping into starting roles from day one.  Can they develop and heal quick enough for the second half?  can they win enough games early to allow for a .500 second half?  If they can win 5 or 6 before November comes that will make the task that much simpler.  Of course speaking of how other teams will perform along the way is not a perfect science.  Injuries, age, and hot and cold streaks happen to all teams.  If New Orleans for example plays the run as poorly as it did Thursday against Green Bay, then that plays into the Giants hands.  There are so many factors, many of them surrounding the injury front, that it is hard to put a finger on how this team will perform.
      I believe the defense will be good, if not great, and that the young players will have an overall positive impact.  I think both Jacobs and Bradshaw are poised for big big years.  I think Devin Thomas will make big contributions.  The key to this team if their health improves and no other injuries occur?  What is always is TURNOVERS.  Turnovers and penalties will derail this team in a heartbeat.  They will have zero chance of doing anything if they turn the ball over.  I believe this is the key stat line for this team all year long.
     I wish I had better news, but this team needs a quick start, and with all the uncertainty of the young players, that may be a tougher task than the last 9 games of the season.

For what to look for in todays game log into: http://gmenhq.com

Enjoy the year, and please pray for all those affected by the tragedies of 9/11/01

Hope you like the new look!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

FINAL ROSTER


The Giants cut down their roster to the required 53 players on Saturday evening.  I want to congratulate all who made it, and all who tried their best.  This of course is a fluid roster depending on injuries and performance, and of course not everyone gets to play on Sundays.   But this is where we stand at the moment and I think it teaches a few lessons.
The Giants have struggled on Special Teams the past few years.  Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese made a strong effort this year to handle that problem head on.  In an interview with Jon Gruden before the Bears pre-season game, Coach Coughlin stated he wanted to use more linebackers on Special Teams.  This little tid-bit of information passed on during the telecast may have gone un-noticed, but it bode well for the young players wanting to make this team.  The coverage teams in past years have shown a lack of team speed.  We lost players like David Tyree and Domenik Hixon to injury and retirement.  Special teams coverage guys need to be very athletic, speedy, and big enough to fight off blocks and make tackles.  Big receivers such as Hixon are naturals.  However, big linemen usually are not.  The answer in today’s game are Linebackers and Safeties.  Most of them are fast enough to get down the field, strong enough to fight through blocks, and certainly they should know how to tackle.  The opportunity was there for some young players, and they took it.  Jacquian Williams, Spencer Paysinger, Tyler Sash, Greg Jones, and of course fan favorite Mark Herzlich all walked into a great situation and made the most of it to this point.  These are the names along with Zak DeOssie, Da’rel Scott, and Devin Thomas that you will hear all year long when it comes to Special Teams play.  The Giants had a plan to get faster and more athletic and this roster shows that.  There has been an out cry from fans for the past years about the lack of Linebacker talent on this team, well that has been addressed through the draft for this year and for years to come.  I personally believe that Mark Herzlich will be a long time success in the NFL.  Greg Jones could be another London Fletcher, a guy that everyone says is too small, but does nothing but make plays, and Jacquian Williams may be the fastest and quickest Linebacker we have had since the Glory Days of Banks and Taylor in New York.  This is the first step in revamping the Special Teams, and along with Steve Weatherford I think it will be  successful one.  The one thing that will make this make-over a total success?  Jerrel Jernigan will settle down, learn the fair catch signal, and understand that possession is the key to punt returning.  This is not a video game anymore, this is the NFL.
Since the original posting of this article Middle Linebacker Jon Goff has been lost for the season.  He will be replaced from the current roster by Greg Jones and Mark Herzlich, however a veteran free agent might also be signed.  As most of you know I believe the philosophy that the Linebackers are only as good as the Defensive Line allows them to be, and ours is the best in the business.  We will see how this shakes out.  Season preview this Friday!