Tom Coughlin made it very clear to his team after their 17-16 loss to the Redskins last Monday night. "We have to win every game from here on out, we have no other choice."
Last Monday's loss to Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins, the New York Giants have seen their division lead shrink to just one game, and there's more than one team hot on their heels. The Redskins and Cowboys are both 6-6 while the Giants sit at 7-5. The Cowboys cruised past a dismal Philadelphia team last week, and the Skins beat the Giants on Monday Night Football.
The Giants have mad nothing easy on themselves, and now must win the rest of their games to assure themselves of a playoff spot.
On Sunday, Eli Manning and the Giants offense openly welcome the NFL's worst defense with open arms.
The New Orleans Saints, who have had a down year, are giving up 440 yards per game, a stat Eli doesn't mind looking at. But Manning and the Giants passing attack won't be the key to the Giants winning the game. It will be up to Ahmad Bradshaw, David Wilson, and the Giants offensive line to control the clock and keep Drew Brees and company off the field.
The past two times the Giants have faced Brees and the Saints, Brees embarrassed the Giants defense putting up 48 points in 2009, and 49 last season. Fortunately for the Giants both games were played in the Superdome where the Saints are almost unbeatable.
The scene will shift to MetLife Stadium for tomorrows contest where the Giants are used to the cold and wind, and the Saints would rather be in the comfort of their own dome.
The Saints rushing defense has given up an average of 153.8 rush yards per game, which again ranks last in the league. Bradshaw has put up some of his best rushing numbers for the Giants since joining the Giants, and is headed for a 1,000 yard plus season. Tomorrow's game will be in his hands, and hopefully in David Wilson's hand eight to ten times.
This game is the must win game this season for the Giants over the next four weeks. After tomorrow the Giants go on the road for games against the 11-1 Atlanta Falcons, and the 9-3 Baltimore Ravens, and finish at home against the 3-9 Eagles. The game against the Eagles may mean nothing if the Giants can't win these three.
If the Giants have shown us anything it's that they play their best with their backs against the wall. They have successfully backed themselves against that wall with a 1-3 record over their last four games.
Tomorrow is going to be a high scoring game with both offenses putting up points, but the if the Giants can get their ground game going, they will be able to control the clock, and thus take the game out of Drew Brees hands.
Showing posts with label Tom Coughlin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tom Coughlin. Show all posts
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Eli Overcomes Struggles with Late Game Heroics
Sunday, October 20th 2012
Post-Game Re-Cap
Final Score: Washington Redskins: 23 New York Giants: 27
Eli Overcomes Struggles with Late Game Heroics
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The Giants defense struggled at times Sunday afternoon in containing the dynamic Robert Griffin III and the NFL’s leading rushing offense. Griffin had a strong game through the air and on the ground, completing 20 of 28 passes for 258 yards, two touchdowns and one interception; also adding 89 yards on the ground on nine carries. Griffin led the Redskins on an improbable drive aided by one of the most impressive plays you will ever see from a quarterback on 4th and 10. Thankfully for the Giants, Griffin was unable to duplicate that performance after Eli Manning led the offense on a game-winning drive of his own.
Rookie running back Alfred Morris ran all over the Giants as well, gaining 120 yards on 22 carries. Morris and the Redskins gashed the Giants for big runs continuously, finishing with 248 yards rushing on 38 total carries.
The Giants were able to step up in the second half to take control on the game, forcing a Morris fumble and Griffin interception on back-to-back possessions. The pass rush was able to get to Griffin, sacking him three times and causing two fumbles, recovering one, in addition to the interception. Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck all registered sacks on Griffin, with Tuck’s being his first of the season.
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Linval Joseph had another strong game as well, quickly becoming one of the better defensive tackles in the NFL. Against the Redskins, Joseph caused and recovered a fumble; continue his strong junior season with the Giants. With Chris Canty returning from injury, the Giants rush defense should improve immensely with Canty being paired with Joseph.
Stevie Brown needs to be recognized as well, as he got his third interception of the season and has filled the hole at safety left by Kenny Phillip's injury admirably. Brown is making the most of his opportunity and is showing Giant fans why the front office didn't rush to bring back Deon Grant; just another example of the front office and coach staff doing thier homework on players and knowing what it is exactly that they have.
Manning once again was the savior with his late game heroics, but those heroics would not have been needed if he had played the way Giant fans have become accustomed to him playing recently.
Manning missed a wide open Victor Cruz in the first half for what would have been a touchdown and later over threw him again on a bomb pass. Manning also threw two crushing interceptions, the first of which was intended for Martellus Bennett inside the Giants 20 yard line. The second was a poor decision by Manning, who threw his second interception of the game the play immediately following Griffin’s fumble, giving the Redskins the ball right back.
But no one will remember the off day for Manning, as he salvaged it all by hitting Cruz in stride for a game winning 77-yard touchdown reception.
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A problem for Manning’s struggles against the Redskins may have been from the lack of a running game. The last two victories for the Giants, against the Browns and 49ers, the run game was clicking and even dominant at times, but against the Redskins it was non-existent.
Ahmad Bradshaw, who was visibly hyped up and excited throughout the game, showing an enormous amount of emotion, gained only 43 yards on 12 carries, scoring one touchdown. Bradshaw was seen getting into a heated exchange with head coach Tom Coughlin and later in the game with running backs coach Jerald Ingram. There is no concrete evidence as to what had Bradshaw so worked up as he was not quoted after the game, so anything said is purely speculation.
The Giants will start preparing Tuesday for another divisional match-up, as they will head down to Dallas to play the Cowboys next week and look to exact some revenge against the team that beat them the opening week of the season.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Giants Team Grades: Week 6 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Final Score: New York Giants: 26 San
Francisco 49ers: 3
Giants Team Grades
The Giants headed into San Francisco
with no one giving them a chance and left with many people believing that they
might be the best team in the NFL. The
Giants went into Candlestick Park and destroyed the 49ers in every facet of the
game, leading to a dominating 26-3 victory.
The Giants came into the game prepared and ready to go, evident by how
every unit of the squad was clicking on all cylinders.
Passing Offense Grade: A |
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Hakeem Nicks returned for the first time since week 2 and was visibly limited. He did not have the burst or speed he normally has, but gutted it out. Nicks even made an impressive catch along the sidelines in the second quarter, making the catch despite a pass interference call.
Domenik Hixon and Victor Cruz again were the biggest beneficiaries in the receiving game. Hixon made receptions of 39 and 16 yards on the Giants first touchdown drive, putting the Giants in position for Manning to hit Cruz with an eight yard pass for the touchdown. Hixon ended the game with 78 yards receiving on four receptions and Cruz finished with 58 yards on six receptions.
Rushing Offense Grade: A+
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Ahmad Bradshaw continued his role as the
bell cow for the Giants running game and he responded in a big way against one
of the top defenses in the NFL. Bradshaw
ran for 116 yards and a touchdown against a 49ers defense that just does not
allow 100 yard rushers. Only Marshawn
Lynch has ran for 100 yards or more against the 49ers in their last 44 games,
making this week’s feat more impressive in the minds of many people than his
career high 200 yard rushing game against the Browns the week prior.
The offensive line dominated at the
point of attack, opening up big holes for Bradshaw to gash the 49ers
defense. David Diehl made his return
this week and made the most of his return as an extra blocker as head coach Tom
Coughlin opted to keep Sean Locklear and Will Beatty at the tackles.
David Wilson also saw an expanded role
in the offense and made the most of the opportunity. Wilson had seven rush attempts for 35 yards,
ripping off a 20 yard back-breaking run in the fourth quarter to help put away
the 49ers.
Pass Defense Grade: A+
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The Giants were able to get into the
head of 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, throwing him off his game and causing
numerous mistakes made as the Giants intercepted Smith three times. Antrel Rolle had two of those interceptions
and Prince Amukamara had the other.
The pass rush, which had been
non-existent all season, finally showed up as the Giants totaled six sacks for
the game. Jason Pierre-Paul led the
onslaught with two sacks. Mathias
Kiwanuka, who also tallied a sack, was played up front more and less at
linebacker, a trend that may continue with the success the Giants had against
the 49ers.
Rush Defense Grade: A
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The mission of the Giants defense was to
shut down the running game of the 49ers and make them a passing team. The 49ers
are the top rushing team in the NFL, averaging 178.6 yards per game, so the
task is easier said than done.
The Giants made it looked much easier
than it actually was, as the defense shut down 49ers running back Frank Gore,
holding him to only 30 rushing yards and allowing 80 total rushing yards.
This was an area that was important for
the Giants to dominate because with no run game, the 49ers became
one-dimensional and easy to pick apart. It
also allowed the Giants to dominate the time of possession, enabling to have
Manning and the offense on the field while the defense rested up.
Special Teams Grade: A- |
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Wilson continued his strong performance
as the kick returner, ripping off a 66-yard return right after halftime to put
the Giants in position to add to their lead right out of the break and crush
the spirits of the 49ers.
The Giants coverage teams were great
also, as they held the electric and dangerous Ted Ginn to only 22 punt return
yards.
Coaching Grade: A+
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Tom Coughlin did it once again; getting
his team up for a big game against an elite opponent. Coughlin set the tone from after the Browns
game, saying that no one gave the Giants a real chance of going into San
Francisco and beating the 49ers.
The coordinators, Perry Fewell on
defense and Kevin Gilbride on offense, also deserve a lot of credit. Fewell made the necessary adjustments to
spark a pass rush that had been dormant the whole season before Sunday and
Gilbride stuck to the game plan even faced with going against a defense as
imposing as the 49ers.
This was the epitome of a team win, as every
unit was clicking on all cylinders and the Giants parlayed that into a
steamrolling of one of the top teams in the NFL.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Giants Dominate NFC Championship Game Re-Match
Sunday, October 13th 2012
Post-Game Recap
Final Score: New York Giants: 26 San Francisco 49ers: 3
Giants Dominate NFC Championship Game Re-Match
Tom Coughlin came into the week proclaiming that no one believed the Giants could beat the 49ers, not giving his team any chance of winning in San Francisco against the team many considered the best in the NFL. Someone forgot to tell Coughlin, his staff and players because the Giants decimated the 49ers in their own house to the tune of a 26-3 whooping.
The Giants had not played the strongest of schedules thus far, but limped out to a 3-2 record and wanted to try their hand against a contender; the 49ers wish that the Giants had not. The Giants reminded everyone who the reigning Super Bowl Champions are and just how great of a team they are when it matters most.
The Giants made a statement in this game, even though it was the 49ers who were supposed to be out to exact revenge and take it to the Giants, especially since the game was at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
Eli Manning had an efficient game behind an offensive line that kept him upright for most of the game, as the 49ers were unable to sack Manning. Manning completed 15 of 28 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown. Manning totaled 176 of those yards in the first half, as the Giants used a pounding run game to finish off the 49ers in the second half.
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Ahmad Bradshaw once again led a very solid run game for the Giants, giving them a dimension on offense they have lacked for over a season. Bradshaw ran for 116 yards on 23 carries and one touchdown, amazing statistics because the 49ers have one of the top rush defense and overall defenses in the NFL, giving up under 100 rushing yards a game and only 187 through the air.
David Wilson is becoming more of a frequent site on the field during offensive possessions and he is making the most of his opportunity. Wilson relieved Bradshaw and received seven carries for 35 yards, delivering a back-breaking 20 yard run on a seven-plus minute drive by the Giants to finish off the game in the fourth quarter.
Hakeem Nicks returned to the lineup for the Giants, catching three balls for 44 yards, but it was his replacement Domenik Hixon who once again played a big role for the Giants. Hixon caught four balls for 78 yards, taking advantage of the third cornerback the 49ers were using and putting the Giants into position for their first touchdown of the afternoon.
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Victor Cruz was solid as always for the Giants, catching six passes for 58 yards and one touchdown, delivering his patented Salsa dance for the 49er crowd. As the game went on, the chants of “Cruz” became louder and louder as the Giant fans started to take over.
The defense has been called out and questioned over the past few weeks and they showed up Sunday afternoon, showing some of that Super Bowl swagger they had been missing. “How will they slow down Vernon Davis,” naysayers asked, yet that’s exactly what they did. Davis, who destroyed the Giants en route to scoring three touchdowns in two games last season, was held to three catches for 37 yards and was invisible when the 49ers needed him most.
Alex Smith is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, no chance the Giants slow him down people said. The Giants destroyed Smith Sunday, rattling him early and getting into his head with hit after hit.
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The Giants pass rush had been non-existent throughout the season thus far, but they showed up just in time for this big matchup. The Giants accumulated six sacks, led by two from Jason Pierre-Paul. This constant pressure on Smith got him off his game, as he threw three interceptions.
Antrel Rolle was responsible for two of those interceptions, with Prince Amukamara getting the other. Those interceptions are significant because Smith has become a very good protector of the ball, rarely turning it over, even setting the 49ers franchise record for passes in a row without an interception.
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The Giants defense was also able to hold the vaunted 49ers rushing offense in check, not allowing them to break the century mark and limiting them to 87 yards, holding them 89 yards under their normal output of 176 yards per game.
These are the kind of wins that are staples of long winning streaks and the Giants looked poised to start one of their own. Sitting on two wins in a row, the Giants head into two straight divisional match-ups with a ton of momentum. The first of those match-ups is Sunday afternoon back at MetLife Stadium as the Giants will face off against Robert Griffin III for the first time. The Giants will look to beat the Redskins for their first division win of the season.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Giants Team Grades: Week 5 vs. Cleveland Browns
Final Score: Cleveland
Browns: 27 New York Giants: 41
Giants Team Grades
A slow start by the Giants produced a grim feeling at
MetLife Stadium Sunday afternoon, but the Giants were eventually able to put it
all together and roll the Browns 41-27.
The veteran leadership shown through in this performance, as the older
more experienced Giants eventually over-whelmed the young, inexperienced
Browns.
Passing Offense Grade: A
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With starting wide receiver Hakeem Nicks out again, Ramses
Barden out because of a concussion and Martellus Bennett getting a
hyper-extended knee, Eli Manning was again left with responsibility of running
an offense without main pieces and that is exactly what he did.
Manning hooked up with Victor Cruz for three touchdowns and
continued to show no matter who is on the field he can produce. This week, Domenik Hixon and rookie Reuben
Randle stepped up for the Giants.
Hixon and Randle combined for 11 catches and 137 yards in
replace of Nicks and Barden.
Manning finished the game 25 for 37 for 259 yards and three
touchdowns. Manning also had a tough
luck interception, as a ball bounced out of Cruz’s hands and into Cleveland
Browns’ Usama Young’s hands
Rushing Offense Grade: A+
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The first carry of the game from Ahmad Bradshaw resulted in
a turnover and quick score for the Browns, but Bradshaw did not allow that to
affect him. Bradshaw used that turnover
as motivation as he dominated the Browns the rest of the afternoon.
With backup Andre Brown suffering a concussion early in the
game, the onus was on Bradshaw to be the workhorse out of the backfield and he
took the challenge straight on.
Bradshaw finished the game with a career high 200 yards on
30 carries, dominating the Browns with every opportunity given to him. Bradshaw was also a contributor in the
passing game, catching four passes for 29 yards.
David Wilson made a cameo on offense as well and made the
most of it, ripping off a 40 yard touchdown run. If you blinked, the play would have been
missed as Wilson looked as if he
was shot out of a cannon, showing off the speed the Giants became enamored with
when they were scouting him before the draft in April.
The Giants totaled 243 yards on the ground against the
Browns and if they can continue running the ball effectively, they will have
the best offense in the NFL.
Passing Defense Grade: B
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The Giants pass defense got off to a rough start, as Brandon
Weeden connected with Josh Gordon on a 62-yard bomb in the first quarter. Weeden also threw another touchdown near the
end of the game, as the Giants struggled to get pressure on him, failing to
register a sack against an offensive line that had allowed nine throughout the
season.
Weeden eventually would make rookie mistakes once the Giants
got a small amount of pressure on him, as Stevie Brown, filling in for the
injured Kenny Phillips, intercepted Weeden in the second quarter. That interception set up the tying score for
the Giants and Chase Blackburn added an interception of his own later in the
game in the end zone.
The Giants have been ravaged in the secondary by injuries,
but will have to put on a better performance in the coming weeks with better
opponents on the schedule.
Rushing Defense Grade: B
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Trent Richardson was able to do what he wanted against the
Giants defense, with the only thing slowing him down being the scoreboard. He scored an early touchdown after the
Bradshaw fumble and rumbled to 67 yards in the first half, but was limited in
the second half because of the score.
Special Teams Grade: B
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The return game was unable to get going, as Wilson
averaged on 13.5 yards per return after exploding against the Eagles in week
4. Andre Brown had one return for 13
yards before suffering a concussion that knocked him out of the game.
Lawrence Tynes continued his strong season, knocking his two
field goal attempts through the uprights and nailing all five of his extra
points. Weatherford was brought on to
punt only twice, but averaged 50 yards per punt.
Josh Cribbs was able to break a 74-yard kick off return,
which would have gone to the house if not for Mark Herzlich’s hustle to tackle
him. But Cribbs also fumbled earlier in
the game, as Will Hill forced the fumble and Stevie Brown recovered it, giving
him two forced turnovers in the game.
Coaching Grade: A
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It definitely was not in the game plan to go down 14-0, but
with how the Giants responded the coaching staff had viable reason to say they
might have. With seven key contributors
sitting this one out, the struggles could have been insurmountable but the
Giants overcame all the adversity against them.
The Giants were also able to avoid their yearly let down by
playing down to their opponents level, eventually getting it going and
hammering the Browns after giving up those 14 early points. Slow starts will have to be something they
work out, as starts like that will not be as easily turned around against teams
the Giants have on their remaining schedule.
The coaching staff, in addition to the front office, needs
credit for the continuous shifting going on in the lineups. The ability for the Giants to just plug
people into different holes when players go down is not something every team is
capable of doing.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Giants Team Grades: Week 4 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Final Score: New York
Giants: 17 Philadelphia Eagles: 19
Giants Team Grades
The Giants were once again unable to put together a full
game against the Eagles, resulting in yet another heartbreaking loss to
them. The Giants have lost nine of the
last 10 games against the Eagles including the playoffs. Some questionable decisions and poor
execution led to the Giants dropping to 0-2 in the NFC East and 2-2 overall.
Passing Offense Grade: C+
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Eli Manning’s stats look good on the game, throwing for 309
yards and two touchdowns and having the Giants in a position to win at the end
of the game. Manning was hit a few
times, but the offensive line protected him enough to not give up any
sacks. Victor Cruz stepped up in the
absence of Hakeem Nicks and his replacement Domenik Hixon was huge.
If the whole game went like that, the grade would be much
higher; sadly it did not. Manning threw
a back-breaking interception to start the fourth quarter with the Giants
knocking on the Eagles goal line. He
also mad a poor decision on the offensive pass interference called on Ramses
Barden, putting Barden in a tough spot and ultimately taking the Giants out of
field goal range.
Barden had drawn two pass interference calls earlier in the
drive, but Manning went to the well one too many times. It was a rare lack of judgment and decision
making by Manning, who is usually lights out in the fourth quarter. Manning does deserve credit though for the
drive he orchestrated that staked the Giants a 17-16 lead in the fourth
quarter, going 83 yards on five plays ending with a touchdown to Bear Pascoe.
Rushing Offense Grade: D
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Ahmad Bradshaw returned to the lineup after hurting his neck
against Tampa Bay
Overnight sensation Andre Brown only got five carries on the
night for 14 yards. The Giants were
never able to get the ground game going and abandoned it, putting the game on
Manning’s shoulders. Brown needs more
touches in the coming games as the run game has not been effective with
Bradshaw feature in it for over a season.
Pass Defense Grade: B+
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The Giants suffered another devastating injury in the
secondary, this time to Kenny Phillips.
Phillips is the best player in the defensive backfield and losing him is
a huge blow to an already decimated secondary.
Even with the injury to Phillips, the Giants were still able
to contain the Eagles passing game, limiting Vick to 241 yards and one
touchdown. They were not able to get
enough pressure on Vick though, as they only hit him three times and sacked him
twice, one coming when Vick slide at the end of the Eagles game winning field
goal drive.
Prince Amukamara had a strong game covering Jeremy Maclin,
limiting him to only one catch for seven yards.
DeSean Jackson had a strong game though, catching six balls for 99 yards
and a touchdown. Brent Celek also hurt the
Giants some, catching a few passes that resulted in first downs.
Rush Defense Grade: D
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At the start of the game, the Giants run defense was
outstanding. LeSean McCoy was held to
just two yards at halftime and Vick had no rushing yards in the same time. Disappointingly for the Giants, the second
half was a polar opposite.
McCoy shredded the Giants for 121 yards in the second half
and allowed 49 to Vick. McCoy and Vick
were able to take advantage of the aggressive Giant defensive line,
continuously exposing them and beating them to the corner to the sidelines for
big gains.
The Giant defenders, specifically Osi Umenyiora and Jason
Pierre-Paul, were not staying home and allowing the Eagles big plays on cut
back runs. Umenyiora and Pierre-Paul
were not staying home and holding contain, something head coach Tom Coughlin is
going to rip into them for.
The Giants were able to make a huge stand from the two-yard
line, but were unable to stop the run any other time. The time of possession edge the Eagles held,
33:21 to 26:39, is evidence that the Eagles were running over the Giants and
put the Giants in a tough spot.
Special Teams: B+
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Lawrence Tynes missed the game winning field goal from 54
yards but never should have been put in that situation. It was a yard past his career high of 53
yards and only happened because of poor management. Tynes did knock in his other field goal
attempt of the game, from 25 yards out.
Steve Weatherford had a net of only 38.5 yards on five
punts, but the Eagles were only able to return one of the punts for three
yards. That is solid from Weatherford,
as he continuously put the Eagles deep in their own end of the field and did
not allow anything crazy to happen, something Giants and Eagles fans are used
to in these match-ups.
David Wilson was the star of the special teams Sunday night,
showing explosiveness and giving the Giants great field position all
night. Wilson
had six returns for 217 yards, having returns of 53 and 45 yards in the second
half. Wilson
looked like he could take any kickoff back to the house on multiple occasions,
giving the Giants a weapon they have lacked in recent seasons. It is nice to see Wilson
have an impact on the game in other aspects than the offense, as he is still
struggling there but excelling on special teams.
Coaching Grade: B
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The defense struggled at times to contain McCoy and Vick on
the ground, but otherwise did a solid job given the predicament of losing yet
another starter in the secondary. The
run game needs to get figured out, as the coaching staff should look to give
Brown some more touches and possible working Wilson
in some more after his electric performance on special teams.
Playing for a field goal on the last drive is something that
will be raised all week, as the Giants were well within Tynes’ range when the
offensive pass interference occurred.
Even so, the Giants were in the game and almost stole a game in a very
hostile environment but the Giants are beyond morale victories.
Coughlin and his staff are going to have to make sure the
Giants stay focused on the task ahead in the Cleveland Browns, as this is a
typical trap game. The Giants have the
Browns at home this weekend before playing at San
Francisco the following week. The Giants need to handle business this week
before moving onto the 49ers.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Eagles Hold Off Comeback, Drop Giants
Final Score: New York
Giants: 17 Philadelphia Eagles: 20
Eagles Hold Off Comeback, Drop Giants
It was another classic game in the rivalry between the
Giants and Eagles that ended in a way becoming too commonplace for Giants fans. The Giants were outplayed and lost a
heartbreaking game, giving them nine losses in the last 10 games including the
playoffs.
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The Giants had their opportunity to win, as Eli Manning put
the Giants ahead half way through the fourth quarter, but the Giants defense
could not contain the Eagles offense.
Manning put the Giants in place for a game winning field goal from
Lawrence Tynes, but had them in better position before a questionable throw to
Ramses Barden that resulted in 10-yard offensive pass interference on Barden.
Manning had a good game, but had an opportunity to make it
an excellent game if not for some uncharacteristic mistakes by the usually calm
and cool-mannered Manning. Manning
started the fourth quarter with an ugly interception, not seeing Dominique
Rodgers-Cromartie on a pass intended for Martellus Bennett. The Eagles converted that turnover into a
field goal, giving them a 16-10 lead.
That was a big shift in the game, as it was at least a six point swing,
potentially 10 as the Giants were banging on the door of the end zone.
Manning was able to redeem himself following the Eagles’
field goal, as he manufactured an 83 yard drive on five plays, giving the
Giants a 17-16 lead. Manning hit both
Barden and Domenik Hixon for big plays, ending the drive with a six-yard
touchdown pass to Bear Pascoe.
After the defense was unable to hold the Eagles scoreless,
Manning had his shot to win the game.
Manning was able to drive the Giants down to the Eagles 27 yard line
thanks to two pass interference calls against the Eagles trying to guard
Barden.
Manning went to the well one too many times, attempting
another deep pass to Barden on the sidelines, this time resulting in an
offensive pass interference and moving the Giants back to the Eagles 37 yard
line, setting up Tynes for a 54 yard field goal instead of 44.
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It was a moment of lapse in judgment for Manning, who if
given the opportunity would definitely do it different next time. The Giants were already in field goal range
for Tynes, so the deep pass was unnecessary; a running play to set up Tynes in
the middle of the field would have sufficed. Also, Barden was well covered and
was put into a bad position by Manning, who took responsibility saying it was
not the correct throw.
The penalty also put the Giants in a tough position, as they
had no timeouts remaining and with only 15 seconds left in the game. Running a play was too risky, as it was third
down so the Giants would not have been able to spike the ball to stop the clock
and if the player was unable to get out of bounds the game would have been
over.
People will criticize head coach Tom Coughlin for the
decision, but he made the correct decision in my opinion because he at least
gave his team a chance to win the game with the 54 yard kick. Had he ran another play, Tynes may not have
even had an opportunity to kick.
Manning was missing his best weapon in Hakeem Nicks for the
second straight game, but saw a big performance from Hixon in his place. Hixon led the Giants in receiving tonight,
gaining 114 yards on six receptions.
Hixon stepped up much in the way Barden did last week against the
Panthers. Even with the strong
performance by Hixon, Manning and Giant fans alike are anxious to see Nicks
return to the field.
The secondary became even more of a mess tonight; yet
another starter went down with injury. The
Giants entered the game without rookie Jayron Hosley, who had a hamstring
injury and Kenny Phillips suffered a gruesome looking knee injury in the first
half and was replace by Stevie Brown. Michael
Coe and Antrel Rolle were dealing with hamstring and knee injuries entering the
game, but were active. Corey Webster was
also active even with a broken left hand.
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The Giants secondary is decimated and losing Phillips would
be the most devastating blow of the bunch.
Terrell Thomas being lost in training camp hurts, but Phillips is who
sets up the defense and is an intimidating presence in the defensive backfield. He is a leader out there and the Giants were
visibly affected after he left the game, becoming gun shy against the speedy
Eagles’ offense.
The Giants return to MetLife Stadium for their week five
game against the Cleveland Browns. This
has trap game written all over it, as the Giants have a huge match-up with the San
Francisco 49ers in week six. After the loss tonight though, full
confidence should be stored in Coughlin and the coaching staff to come out
strong against a very young and inexperienced Browns team.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
What to Watch For: New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
What to Watch For
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The Giants and Eagles will look to renew their rivalry
tonight for the first time this season in primetime on Sunday Night
Football. This is a huge game for both
teams, as the next time they meet will be the last week of the regular
season. Which ever team gets the win
tonight will at worst keep pace with the Cowboys for first place in the
division.
-Will the Giants Run Game Continue?
Ahmad Bradshaw will be making his return to the starting
lineup tonight after missing last weeks game with what has been described as a
“bulge” and “inflamed disk” in his neck.
While being out, Andre Brown has more than filled the void, rushing for 184
yards and two touchdowns in the last two games.
He has also given help in the passing game, adding five receptions and
36 yards.
Head coach Tom Coughlin and offensive coordinator Kevin
Gilbride both said the Giants would ride the hot hand in the game, so it will
be interesting to see how the carries are divvied up. Brown has earned an
expanded role in the offense and the more successful the Giants are running the
ball, the less time Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy and the Eagles offense is on the
field.
-LeSean McCoy vs. Osi Umenyiora
McCoy and Umenyiora will be continuing their rivalry tonight
the first time the Eagles take the field.
They have developed a beef with each other that has been very public
with a lot of the action taking place on twitter and through interviews.
The back and forth resembles something you would see on
Monday Night Raw and seems playful, but McCoy and Umenyiora genuinely dislike
each other. Hopefully they meet each
other tonight on the field and Umenyiora and the Giants can keep McCoy in
check.
-Return to Where it All Began
Victor Cruz will be making his second appearance in Philadelphia ,
this time though as a starter. Week
three in Philadelphia is when Cruz
burst onto the scene and the salsa touchdown dance was born thanks to a two
touchdown performance against All-Pro Nnamdi Asomugha.
Hakeem Nicks is again out with injury, so Cruz will be asked
to step up once again and build off his success against the Eagles after
catching nine balls for 238 yards against them last year. Look for Ramses Barden to also build off of
his career and breakout performance against the Panthers in week 3, earning his
second start in a row.
-Keep Up the Pressure
Michael Vick has been getting beaten up this season and the
Giants need to continue that trend. The
Giants had success last season because they hit Vick every chance presented to
them, hitting him hard so that he remembers them and becomes more skittish.
Vick has more turnovers alone this season than every team in
the NFL outside of the two. He has
thrown six interceptions and fumbled five times while losing three. The Giants were able to lay a licking on Cam
Newton last week and will have to try and do the same this week with the more
fragile Vick.
If the front led by Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and
Umenyiora can put pressure on Vick it will make the job of the rest of the
defense that much easier.
The Giants-Eagles rivalry has been one-sided for the most
part recently, with the Eagles taking seven of the last eight meetings
including the 2008 playoff game. It will
not be easy for the Giants to turn around their fortunes, but if they want to
win the NFC East they will have to beat the Eagles at least once if not
twice.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Giants Team Grades: Week 3 vs. Carolina Panthers
Final Score: New York
Giants: 36 Carolina Panthers: 7
Giants Team Grades
The Giants went into Carolina
being doubted by a large number of people and left showing them once again that
they are not a team to be looked down upon. Even with injuries to starters Hakeem Nicks,
Ahmad Bradshaw and David Diehl and rotation players in Domenik Hixon and
Michael Coe, the Giants were still able to pull of a convincing victory against
a dynamic Panthers squad. The grades for
the Giants this week would even make an honors student envious.
Passing Game: Grade A
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Eli Manning did not duplicate his 510 yard performance he
had against Tampa Bay
Manning completed 27 of 35 passes overall and could have
done more damage if called upon to do so.
Part of Manning’s success was the play of the offense line; Manning was
barely touched, only being sacked once late in the third quarter.
Ramses Barden had a breakout, career night, reeling in nine
balls for 138 yards. The nine catches
matches the amount of receptions he had all of last season. Barden stepped up as he was filling in for
the injured Hakeem Nicks. Martellus
Bennett picked up some slack as well, scoring a touchdown for the third game in
a row, a first in Giants franchise history for a player in his first three
games with the team.
The only negative for the offense was the settling for field
goals, as they ended up attempting and knocking through five of them.
Running Game: Grade A
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This one is all on Andre Brown. Making his first career start in front of
hundreds of friends and family, Brown dominated the Panthers. He rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns on
20 carries, also adding three receptions for 17 yards.
Brown is providing a spark to a running game that has been
lackluster for more than a season now.
General manager Jerry Reese compared Brown to Derrick Ward, just a
bigger version and it shows with the versatility Brown has the spark he is
giving the offense just like Ward did in 2008.
Brown finished his runs with toughness and tenacity, evident
by the 71 yards he rain for after making contact with a defender. According to ESPN stats and info that is the
most by any Giant player since Brandon Jacobs in 2010 when he ran for 72 yards
after contact.
The offensive line opened up gapping holes for Brown, who
trucked right through and dominated the Panthers front seven. The only negative
for the Giants rushing game was rookie David Wilson, who only got one carry for
-2 yards.
Passing Defense: Grade A
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The Giants were able to keep Cam Newton and the Panthers
offense off balance all night, never allowing Newton
to get into a rhythm and bothering him all night. The Giants were able to get
to Newton on two occasions for
sacks and intercepted him three times.
He finished the game 16 of 30 for 242 yards.
Steve Smith had only for receptions for 86 yards, most of
which came after the game was already in hand.
One thing that sticks out is that Panthers tight end Greg Olsen had
seven receptions, but the Giants were able to reduce the big plays and when
your targeted at such a high volume, 14 times to be exact, your going to make
some catches.
Prince Amukamara, Jayron Hosley and Corey Webster all
stepped up for a razor thin Giants secondary.
Keep and eye on the injury report as the week goes on though, as Hosley
was forced from the game in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury and
Webster broke a bone in his hand but was able to continue in the game. Michael Boley also added another interception
to his season total, giving him one in every game thus far this season.
Rushing Defense: Grade A
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At first, it looked like it was going to be another one of
those here we go again type nights for the Giants coaching staff and fans
alike. DeAngelo Williams started the
game off strong but overall the Giants run defense stepped up. They held the dangerous Panthers read option
offense to 60 yards on 20 carries.
Special Teams: Grade A
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Lawrence Tynes was outstanding, nailing all five of his
field goal attempts, staying perfect on the season. Tynes made from 47, 49, 30, 36, and 27
yards. The makes were huge by Tynes
because it kept the momentum on the Giants side. If he had missed any of those field goals,
the Panther crowd would have gotten into the game, giving Newton
and the Panthers offense something to feed off of as the Giants sucked the life
out of the crowd right from the start.
Weatherford was not used often but when called upon he did
his job. He landed both his punts inside
the 20 yard line, averaging 38 yards per punt with a long of 41 yards.
Coaching Staff: Grade A+
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The Giants coaching staff did an amazing job in preparing
for this week. Not only were they
without Nicks, Bradshaw, Diehl, Hixon and Coe, they also had a short week
playing on Thursday night. Even with so
many things up against them, they were still able to get the Giants prepared
enough to dominate the younger and seemingly overwhelmed Panthers.
The Giants have played three road games in the last two
seasons with less than seven days of rest and are a perfect 3 and 0 in those
games, outscoring opponents by 22 points total according to ESPN Stats and
Info. That is a testament to Tom
Coughlin and the Giants staff as a whole, as they are able to get their squad
prepared in even the most difficult of scenarios.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Giants Hammer Jets, Win MetLife Bowl
Final Score: New York
Giants: 26 New York Jets: 3
Giants Hammer Jets, Win MetLife Bowl
The Jets are again making all the noise in New
York during the off-season, but were reminded by the
Giants who the defending champs were Saturday night as the Giants dominated the
Jets on all fronts en route to a 26-3 win.
It was only a preseason game, which is good for the Jets as
they struggled throughout every facet of the game, being the only team in the
NFL to not score an offensive touchdown yet.
As for the Giants, they are looking to almost be in midseason form.
The defensive front for the Giants was on all night, as
Jason Pierre-Paul looked great, getting two sacks. The Giants made mince meat of Jets tackle
Wayne Hunter, with Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck each getting in on the fun
with half a sack to add to JPP’s total.
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The game wasn’t perfect for the Giants, who had to settle
for four Lawrence Tynes field goals.
Head coach Tom Coughlin would like to see the offense execute better
once the regular season comes around, but this is a time to just fine tune
things and keep players healthy.
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Health became a concern last night for the Giants, who had
multiple players suffer injuries in the game.
Ahmad Bradshaw was forced from the game after the first series with an
injury to his hand. It was believed to
be serious at first, but the x-rays came back negative and he just iced his
hand on the sideline for the remainder of the game.
Backup linebacker Mark Herzlich also suffered an injury,
getting only a few plays in before encountering a hip pointer and leaving in
the third quarter. Backup defensive end
Adrian Tracy also suffered an injury in the third quarter, being forced from
the game with a hamstring injury. Both
players have had good preseason for the Giants, so getting them back on the
field would be beneficial for all parties.
Jayron Hosley had a strong game for the Giants, intercepting
Mark Sanchez and returning it for a 77-yard touchdown in the second quarter;
but was seen in a walking boot after the game.
It was Hosley’s biggest game and it ended in such a disappointing
fashion. He will undergo tests Sunday to
see just how bad the injury truly is.
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With Bradshaw out, D.J. Ware got an increased workload for
the game, but was unable to make anything of it. Ware was only able to muster 15 yards on 11
carries behind below averaging blocking as there were often no holes to run
through.
David Wilson had a less than stellar night, but was the most
successful at running the ball for the Giants, gaining 26 yards on eight
carries. Da’Rel Scott made his first
appearance of the preseason, gaining seven yards on three carries while Andre
Brown rounded out the running game Saturday night with 10 yards on four
carries.
The Virginia Tech products Hosley and Wilson had strong
performances again as mentioned, showing the abilities that the Giants had
hoped they would bring to the table. Not
to be outdone was second round pick Rueben Randle. Randle made the most of his limited opportunities
by reeling in a 49-yard deep pass from David Carr, making an impressive jumping
reception over the Jets defensive back.
Victor Cruz may not have had a 99-yard touchdown reception
this time around, but the Jets were still unable to contain him. Cruz opened the game just missing a deep
reception down the sideline over Darrelle Revis, one of a few times Eli Manning
and Cruz were unable to connect. Cruz
also took a big shot from Jets safety LaRon Landry, but was able to hold on and
give the first down signal when he popped up.
Cruz was targeted often and reeled in five receptions for 51 yards in a
half of work.
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Cruz tore the Jets up Saturday night, as him and Manning
have just continued to build amazing chemistry with each other since Hakeem
Nicks has been sidelined. Nicks should
resume practicing this week, giving Manning yet another weapon to use.
The Giants will continue their preseason next Friday against the Chicago Bears at MetLife Stadium.
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