Friday, November 28, 2008

NFC EAST FOOTBALL!

The next three weeks bring us three NFC East match-ups.  First up are the Redskins in Landover Maryland.  The weather calls for snow and rain with a high of 40 degrees.

It is very difficult to beat any team twice in one year, let alone sweep your entire division playing them three straight weeks.  This will be the toughest test the GIANTS will face for the remainder of the season.  

This team however seems to find a way to stay focused, remain a team, and do whatever it takes to win.  That being said I think the Redskins are the most dangerous team we will face until playoff time.

They are a mirror image statistically on defense.  Exactly the same amount of points given up (199).  They are a tough, physical defense that plays a deep safety in the middle of the field.  They take away the deep threat first, and work their way in from there.  When that safety reads run, he comes hard and fast and delivers a pretty good blow when he arrives.  This style allows them to show less people in the box, and have the opposing QB think the run is open, but the extra player arrives quickly and is unaccounted for initially.  They do have some injuries on this side of the ball this week.  They are without their strong side linebacker, and have both defensive tackles listed as questionable.  Hopefully the weather will not hamper the GIANTS #1 ranked scoring offense.  We will need to be balanced and patient.  Jacobs practiced all week, but is still listed as questionable.  Plaxico is OUT, so Domenik Hixon, Sinorice Moss, and even Mario Manningham will have to make some plays this week.  As all of you know I don't think the loss of Burress hampers our offense.  The left side of the Redskins offensive line is listed as questionable.  They will both play, but might not be at full speed this week.

The Redskins will run the ball as much as the Cardinals threw it last week.  Clinton Portis is having a great year.  He has over 1200 yards already and had 64 in the fourth quarter alone last week.  He has been banged up all year, but continues to be productive.  He is the key to stopping this team.  He has 244 carries this year, and no real backup.  He takes a lot of punishment every week and this week can be no different.  The GIANTS will concentrate on stopping, hitting, and punishing Portis from the first play to the last.  This game will be played close to the line of scrimmage, and once again special teams and turnovers (+9) will be key.

The Redskins are honoring their fallen hero Sean Taylor before the game this week.  This will get the crowd into it early, and in case playing the first place Super Bowl Champion division rival GIANTS wasn't motivation enough, this should provide a little more.  This is as stern a test as we can face.

GIANTS favored by 3 to 4

If the weather allows, I think the GIANTS can score enough points to win, if not, this game will come down to who runs the ball better and makes the fewest mistakes.

Enjoy!  This is another one of those weeks worth paying for.

1986 Giants beat the Denver Broncos (19-16) to go to 10-2.  This was the game that included George Martin intercepting John Elway and returning it for a touchdown.  I bought plane tickets to Pasadena the next morning.

1990 Giants lost to San Francisco (7-3) to go to 10-2.  This was the Phil Simms- Ronnie Lott disagreement after the end of the game.

2007 Giants beat the Chicago Bears (21-16) to go to 8-4.  Giants score 14pts. in the 4th quarter in Chicago to come from behind. 

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

EXECUTION!

The Defense held the Cardinals offense to:
1.3 yards per carry and 6.6 yards per catch.
The idea of shutting down the run and limiting the passing game to short plays worked to perfection.  54 throws from Warner under intense pressure for an average of 6.6 yards and a time of possession of 30 minutes.  It was obvious from the first drive when the Cardinals took over 6 and a half minutes to score three points.  The game was over at that moment.
No Jacobs and No Plax and we still score 37.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Preview of Washington and beyond Friday

Friday, November 21, 2008

AERIAL ASSAULT

The Cardinals are the #2 offense in the NFL.  They are the 29th offense running the ball.  That tell you anything?  They have The Best wide receivers in football, no question.  Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston.  They have a decent offensive line, and a Pro Bowl, MVP, Super Bowl Winning QB in Kurt Warner.  He has thrown for 3,000 yards already this year with a 70% completion rate, 20 TD's vs 7 Int's, a 105 passer rating, and he has been sacked 18 times.  The one thing we all remember about Kurt and his time in NY is that he will fumble when hit, or nearly hit, and he is extremely immobile.  He has 7 fumbles this year.

The GIANTS however still have an advantage this week because they are balanced (328 rushing plays, 317 passing plays).  A lot of folks think this has to be a shootout, with Eli, Plax, Amani, etc. having the game of the year.  But running the ball like we do accomplishes two things, it wears down the defense, and runs the clock.

The Cardinals have no running attack, they will throw the ball and throw the ball.  The GIANTS need to limit the damage, make tackles, keep the receivers in front of them, and make the Cardinals take time and run lots of plays to get to the red zone.  Our best weapons will be our punters, kick returners, and our balanced 10 play 80 yard 6 minute drives on offense.  Of course our offense can be explosive also, and the need to score points will be important, but just like we played New England last year in this building, not the way to approach the game.

Look for the GIANTS to stay balanced, run the clock, and pressure Kurt into some mistakes.  The offensive line will continue to dominate, and the defense is not happy only getting 1 sack in the past 2 weeks.

Jacobs will play, Dockery is back in the secondary, along with Gerris Wilkinson at linebacker.  If Plaxico (game-time decision) doesn't start it will leave the door open for Hixon and Moss to step in and stretch the Cardinal defense thin.

GIANTS favored by 3 1/2

GIANTS win by 5


Tuesday, November 18, 2008

MORE DOMINATION

200 Rush yards three consecutive weeks, which makes us number 1 in the league.

Number 1 defense in the NFC.

#3 Offense in the NFC.

+122 in point differential.  #1 in the NFL.

6-0 at Home

Undefeated in the division and the conference.

Best start since 1990 (10-0, lost in Philly) 

Comparisons to '86 and '90 will be held until week 13 or so.

Cardinals Sunday afternoon back at the site of Super Bowl 42.

Friday, November 14, 2008

ELI'S WEEK

This is the week for the offense to show it's wares.  This is a week to prove what we are.  This is a tough week.
The Ravens are #1 against the run.  They give up an average of 65 yards a game.
The GIANTS are #1 running the ball.  They average 169 yards a game.

This is a week to draw the safeties and the linebackers up tight, and then find Plaxico and Hixon in one-on-one coverage and complete big plays.  The Ravens are a very tough physical team, but so are we.  The offensive line will have the chance to prove how good they are by opening holes for Jacobs, Ward, and Bradshaw, and protecting Eli against the blitz.

The Defense will have to watch for plenty of trickery this week.  The Ravens run a lot of this new Wild-Cat formation.  They have a backup running QB that they bring in the game and line him up everywhere.  Lots of reverses, direct snaps, and double passes along with unbalanced lines, and cut backs.  They also have three running backs that they move in and out, but they have a very weak receiving corp and a rookie QB.  Plenty of pressure this week to throw the rookie off his game and force a few mistakes.  The GIANTS will try to force the new kid to beat them.  They will stack the line and stop the run, be disciplined in their assignments, and see if the rookie from Delaware (7 TD, 7 INT) can put points on the board.

This will be low scoring and very physical.  A very windy day is predicted for Sunday.  Once  again I believe turnovers and special teams can make the difference.

Giants favored now by 7.

I think they win by 4

Enjoy!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

ANOTHER STEP

200+ yards rushing for the second consecutive week.
33+ minutes time of possession.  The most since last years NFC Championship game
3/11 third down conversions allowed
2 more turnovers
Held Brian Westbrook to 26 yards on 17 carries.
Still +102 in points differential
3-0 division record and 6-0 conference record
#1 rushing Offense in the league
#3 Offense in the conference
#1 passing Defense in the conference
#1 total Defense in the conference

8-1 total 5-0 at home.  14 of last 15 on the road.


Baltimore next week at Home

Preview Friday


Friday, November 7, 2008

A LONG STRANGE TRIP

As most of you know I have been watching the GIANTS a long time, and have attended many, many games.  The series between the GIANTS and Eagles has always been one of strange endings, and unreal plays.  Let's recap:
Randall Cunningham levitating after a hit by Carl Banks and throwing a TD pass.
Blocked Field Goals picked up by offensive linemen and run in for TD's to win games.  
Tiki running for 220 yds, fumbling 5 times, and the Giants win the game when David Akers, one of the best kickers in the league misses a 27 yard field goal.
Mark Bavaro, one of the gentlest men of all, being ejected for hitting a referee. (He was pushed into him.  I was there) 
The Eagles offense being held to 120 yards and winning the game on 2 Westbrook kick returns for TD's.
Tipped passes, fumbled kickoffs, missed field goals, great individual efforts (think Jason Sehorn) and of course the defining moment for GIANTS football in the modern era.  The play that got a coach fired, two franchises turned around, and the invention of the "victory" formation.
Otherwise known as "the Fumble" Joe Piscarcik and John Cirigliano look alike Larry Csonka colliding on what should have been the final play of a winning effort.  I can still see Doug Kotar in those awful uniforms chasing Herm Edwards to the end zone.
The next day John McVay is fired, who goes to San francisco as a GM and builds one of the great dynasties of football.  Ray Perkins is hired and brings in a linebacker coach named Bill Parcells.  Wellington Mara relents and hires a GM named George Young at the suggestion of the commissioner, and every team from Pop Warner to the NFL now kneel down when they have the game won and need to run time off the clock.
This series is unpredictable.  The Eagles have some secondary injuries that they have kept quiet.  They are missing their starting right guard.  Look for the pressure from the GIANTS to come up the middle this week.
This game will be won or lost in the tackling department this week.  Can we get McNabb to the ground.  Can we bring down Westbrook after small gains.  The GIANTS have the better offensive and defensive lines, but the key will be tackling and yards after catch.
Enjoy this one, this is as good as it gets in this years NFL.

Monday, November 3, 2008

DOMINATION!

Time of possession for: 34:13
Total Yards Against: 183  ( 55 rushing )
Turnovers: 4
Sacks: 4
First Downs: 10
Points against defense: 7

This is what the #1 defense in the NFC  looks like.

Half way home at 7-1

Eagles next on Sunday night......

Preview Friday.......