Redskins edge Giants 17-16 in NFC East showdown

All eyes may have been on rookie all-star Robert Griffin III, but it was the Redskins defense that stole the show in the second half last night in Washington's 17-16 win over the Giants.

The New York Giants needed this win. If they beat the Redskins last night on Monday Night Football, they would be 8-4 with a two game lead over the Dallas Cowboys with four to play. Now Big Blue has a one game lead not only on the Dallas Cowboys, but the Washington Redskins have climbed to within a game of the division lead.

The Giants did a great job keeping Griffin III off the field in the first half. The Giants first three drives of the first half averaged twelve plays and around six and a half minutes. Eli Manning had the Giants driving all three possessions, except one problem. The Giants only put the ball in the end zone one time Monday night on an Eli Manning pass to Martellus Bennett.

After Griffin III led two scoring drives for the Redskins, a field goal and a fumble that led to a touchdown, Manning led the Giants down the field 54 yards and set up another Lawrence Tynes field goal.

 The Giants led Washington 13-10 at the half, and were getting the ball to start the second half.

The Giants had a chance to put some distance between them and the Skins with the opening drive in the second half. The Giants drive was stalled at their 41 yard line, and the Giants were forced to punt. The Redskins had all the momentum, driving the ball deep into Giant territory before Alfred Morris was stripped by Chase Blackburn, giving the ball back to the Giants.

The Giants took the turnover and drove down to the Washington 16 yard line thanks to a 49 yard pass from Manning to Victor Cruz. Once agaiat n the Giants got down deep into Redskin territory, but had settle for another field goal by Lawrence Tynes.

After that scoring drive, the Redskins held the Giants offense to just 16 yards of offense.

On the following possession, RG3 drove the Redskin 86 yards on 12 plays ending with a touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon, who had eight catches for 106 yards and a score, giving the Redskins a 17-16 lead.

The Giants could not get any offense going on their next two drives, and also lost right tackle Sean Locklear to a knee injury.

Penalties stalled two of the Giants drives Monday night and cost Big Blue ten to fourteen points; points they could have really used.

Griffin III, who went 13/21 for 163 and a touchdown, and the Redskins offense kept Manning off the field with a four minute drive to end the game.

Manning finished the game 20/33 for 280 yards and a touchdown, but could not lead the Giants to another comeback victory.

Alfred Morris led the Redskins rushing attack with 124 yards on 22 carries, while the Giants Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 103 yards an 24 carries.

The Giants will host Drew Brees and the struggling Saints Sunday at 4:25 pm, while the Redskins will take on the Baltimore Ravens at FedEx Field at 1:00 pm Sunday. The Dallas Cowboys will be in Cincinnati to take on the surging Bengals at 1:00 pm.

Top Twenty Moments of the Year in New York Sports

It's almost the end of 2012, and that means a countdown of the greatest moments of the year for New York sports. New York saw it's share of success this season in the sports world, the Giants winning Super Bowl XLVI, the Yankees going to the ALCS once again, and the New York Rangers emotional playoff run that ended all too soon against their Hudson River rivals.

So let's get to the countdown already.

Here are numbers 20-16 for 2012:

20. Tim Tebow comes to New York

 That's right Tim Tebow made the best moments of 2012. I mean he does own the back pages wearing the jersey of the team that owns the back pages (the New York Jets if you're not sure). Tebow was traded to the Jets for a fourth round pick, or was it a fifth round pick? Does it really matter? He has 29 rushing attempts for 87 yards! But to his credit he has completed six of seven passes for 39 yards.

19. Giants win first home playoff game since 2000

 The New York Giants finished the regular season with a 9-7 record, good enough to win the NFC East and host the Atlanta Falcons during the Wild Card round. The Giants beat the Falcons 24-2 thanks to Eli Manning's three touchdown passes, and two fourth and short stops by the Big Blue defense. It was the Giants first playoff in their new home, and their first home playoff win since 2000.


18. Knicks break their playoff losing streak

April 29, 2001. That's how far back you have to go for the Knicks last playoff win. The Knicks were trailing three games to none to the Miami Heat, and were in danger of getting swept out of the first round yet again. Game 4 was in Madison Square Garden, and although the Knicks chances of actually winning the series were long gone, the Knicks had the chance to stop the franchise's thirteen game playoff losing streak. The Knicks beat the Heat 89-87 behind Carmelo Anthony;s 41 points and Amare Stoudemire's double-double. The Knicks losing streak was history, and so were the Knicks in Game 5 losing 106-94.


17. Islanders moving to Brooklyn after 2015 season

I didn't say all of these moments would be positive ones, just look at number twenty (LOL). The Islanders have decided to take their talents to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn after their lease at the Nassau Coliseum expires in 2015. Nassau County residents had the chance to keep their team, but voted against the renovation of the Coliseum. All I can say is good luck to the Brooklyn Islanders, but a new home doesn't mean the team will suddenly start winning again.


16. Wright becomes Mets All-Time hits leader

David Wright is the Mr. Met of the last twenty years, yes even more than Mike Piazza. Wright has established himself as one of the greatest players in the Mets organization, and by the time he retires, he will be the greatest. On September 26, 2012, Wright took another step towards Met greatness when he passed Ed Kranepool for number one on the Mets All-Time hit list. Wright hit a little dribbler down the third base line and beat it out for his 1, 419th career hit. Wright is a free agent this off season, but he will most likely be back in the Mets uniform, I hope.


There are still 15 moments left from 2012 for New York sports, but don't expect to see any about the Jets, we are trying to keep it positive from here on in.

Mets Offer Wright Seven Years, Over One Hundred Million

The New York Mets have reportedly offered third baseman David Wright a seven year contract worth around $130 million dollars.

Wright posted a .306 avg in 2012, with 21 home runs and 93 runs batted in for the Mets. Wright also became the Mets all-time hits leader in 2012 passing Met great Ed Kranepool.

Wright has been a staple for the Mets at third baseman during his career, and has rightfully earned a seven year $100 million dollar plus contract. In his eight years with the Mets,Wright has hit over 200 home runs and has driven in over 800 runs.

Wright also played a key role in the Mets 2006 season that ended in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series.

It is expected that Wright will accept the deal and spend the next seven years in a New York Mets uniform.

Knicks Pull Away Late, Improve to 5-0

The Knicks came into tonight's game against the Orlando Magic riding a 4-0 record to start their season, All four wins came against playoff teams from the previous year, so what could we expect from the Knickerbockers against the young Orlando Magic who have lost four straight?

cbs.com

The Knicks and Magic were neck and neck through the first three quarters of play before New York over powered the Magic and pulled out a 99-89 victory in Orlando on Tuesday night. 

Carmelo Anthony, who led all scorers with 25 points, and the Knicks could not shake the Orlando Magic early in the contest, and had to grind out the victory in the fourth quarter to keep the Knicks unbeaten this season. 

It wasn't a pretty first half for the Knicks who found themselves trailing in the first quarter, but they found a way back and eventually took the lead from the Magic late in the first. It continued to be a game of runs for the Magic who's late run in the second quarter gave them a 53-49 halftime lead. 

The Knicks J.R Smith sparked the Knicks offense with 13 points in the third quarter, and Raymond Felton hit timely shots to keep the Knicks right with Orlando. The Knicks would finish the third quarter on an eleven to seven run and take a 77-76 lead heading into the fourth quarter. 

In the fourth, the Magic offense went ice cold, shooting 5 for 16 from the field and scoring just 13 points for the quarter. The Knicks continued to get timely shooting from J.R Smith, who finished the game with 21 points, and Raymond Felton who also finished with 21 points. Tyson Chandler added 12 points and 6 rebounds for the Knicks.

J.J Redick was the high scorer for the Magic with 18 points, shooting 7-13 from the field. Redick also added seven assists and four rebounds to his solid scoring night. 

The Knicks struggled on the boards against the Magic, getting out rebounded by Orlando 42-31, but they made up for the lack of rebounding by taking care of the ball. The Knicks turned the ball over just 9 times tonight, and forced 20 Magic turnovers that led to 24 Knick points. 

The Knicks are now 5-0 with all five wins coming by ten points or better. The Knicks will continue their short road trip with contests against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night, and the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night, two more playoff teams from the previous season. 

What to Watch For: New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic November 13

http://www.eventgrabber.com/event_images/1332245914_Screen_shot_2012-03-20_at_8.17.25_PM.png

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Pre-Game News and Notes

New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic

The Knicks will look to move to 5-0 for the third time in franchise history Tuesday night against the Magic.  Good things happen when the Knicks start seasons this strong, as in 1993-1994 they lost in the NBA Finals and in 1969-1970 they won the NBA Championship.  Tonight is the start of four games in six nights, the first three of which are on the road.  Here are some things to keep an eye on for the game tonight.

-Keep up Defensive Pressure

The Magic’s offense thus far this season has been offensive.  They are averaging just 87.8 points per game, lowest in the NBA.  It has been even uglier for the Magic in their last four games, all losses, averaging only 77.5 points per game in that span. 

This is something that should continue, as the Knicks are the top team in defensive efficiency currently in the NBA.  The Knicks are playing suffocating defense, holding opponents to a lowly 40.7 percent shooting from the field.  This one has ugly spelled all over it if you are not a Knicks fan.

-Match-ups Against Carmelo Anthony

Early reports are that the Magic will start with Arron Afflalo getting the assignment of guarding Carmelo Anthony, who is leading the NBA with 27.3 points per game.  It will be an interesting thing to keep an eye on throughout the night as Afflalo is a good defender but does not have the size to match-up with players like Anthony; he is more suited guarding shooting and point guards.

If Anthony takes Afflalo to the paint like he should, it will be interesting to see who the Magic turn to.  Power forward Glen Davis does not have the lateral quickness or speed to keep up with Anthony on the perimeter.  In the post, Davis could pose a problem for Anthony but Mike Woodson will definitely put Anthony in position to take advantage of whoever guards him. 

Where the Magic can attack Anthony is on the defensive end, as he has expended much more energy there compared to past seasons.  Because of that extra effort, forcing Anthony to guard someone like Davis would take a toll and theoretically make Anthony less effective on the offensive end of the court because of his energy level being lowered.

-Bench Play

The Knicks bench will play a pivotal role in the game tonight and should be a strength going forward.  The bench for the Knicks is far superior to the one the Magic will use and the Knicks need to take advantage.

J.R. Smith has been playing some of the best basketball of his career and has been a consistent second scoring option behind Anthony for the Knicks with Amar’e Stoudemire.  Smith has helped out on the defensive end and on the boards also, doing everything the Knicks wanted from him and more. 

-Avoid a letdown

This is a quintessential trap game for the Knicks, as the Magic are an opponent that will be looked over by plenty of opponents this season.  With big games against the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies Thursday and Friday it is not uncommon for players to look past tonight’s game and to the future ones instead. 

This is where the presence of veterans like Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby, Jason Kidd and Rasheed Wallace come in handy.  They know the ropes of the NBA game and will have to keep everyone focused on the task at hand.  This is a game the Knicks should win by double-digits easily and command right from the opening tip.  

Knicks Grind Out Win, Continue Hot Start

Friday, November 09, 2012

Post Game Recap

Final Score: Dallas Mavericks: 94 New York Knicks: 104

Knicks Grind Out Win to Continue Hot Start

http://l.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/Ucq_wMNBh3yf.Eea3UFScw--/YXBwaWQ9eXZpZGVvO2NoPTUxMjtjcj0xO2N3PTMxMztkeD0xO2R5PTE7Zmk9dWxjcm9wO2g9NTEyO3E9NzA7dz0zMTM-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/Sports/AP_NBA/201211092156789722119-p2.jpg

The Knicks entered the fourth quarter in a close game for the first time this season and came out with the same end result; a double-digit victory.  The Knicks were able to win a tough fought, grind it out game against a much underrated Mavericks squad, winning 104-94.  The Knicks are 4-0 for the first time since the 1993-1994 season when they started 7-0.  According to ESPN’s Stats and Info, the last two times the Knicks started a season 4-0, they won at least 57 games and went to the NBA Finals. 

Tonight was an impressive win for the Knicks because they got it done when they were not at their best.  They did not light it up from downtown like the previous three games, but the effort on the defensive end never gave up and is the reason the Knicks pulled out he victory tonight.  They got baskets when they needed them and played off of their defense, forcing nine turnovers while turning over the ball only nine times. 

Many of those timely hoops came from Carmelo Anthony, who had another strong game even with the Mavericks throwing everything and everything at him.  Anthony scored 31 points on 10 of 22 shooting all while enduring a mugging throughout the night from the Mavericks.  Anthony added seven rebounds and another two blocks, showing intensity on the defensive end again.

http://l.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/dycJAkD_cR9qPSVLDxVQmA--/YXBwaWQ9eXZpZGVvO2NoPTUxMjtjcj0xO2N3PTM2MjtkeD0xO2R5PTE7Zmk9dWxjcm9wO2g9NTEyO3E9NzA7dz0zNjI-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/Sports/AP_NBA/201211092006724181263-p2.jpg

Anthony did let the refs and Mavericks get into his head a little bit, evident from the technical foul that was called on him but he was able to put it behind him enough to carry the Knicks in a hard-earned victory.  He also was able to do all this while in foul trouble for most of the game, playing only 29 minutes tonight.

With Anthony in foul trouble, the Knicks needed someone to step up and J.R. Smith rose to the occasion.  Smith continued his great start to the season, scoring 22 points and really picking it up when Anthony was forced to the bench in foul trouble. 

Smith scored nine points on three of five shooting in the pivotal third quarter with Anthony on the bench.  He also was flawless from deep, knocking down all three of his three point attempts. 

http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/gettyimages.com/dallas-mavericks-v-york-knicks-20121109-174628-063.jpg

Where Smith made a big impact was on the defensive end; he didn’t give in to either O.J. Mayo or Vince Carter, the top guns for the Mavericks tonight.  Smith added four steals and one block to his stat line on the defensive end. 

The Knicks endured their worst defensive quarter in the 2^nd, giving up 34 points and allowing the Mavericks to take control of the game.  They didn’t control the game long though, as the Knicks came out with a vengeance in the second half and clamped down on the Mavericks.  The Knicks held the Mavericks to 13 of 37 shooting in the second half and only 37 points in total. 

Mayo had a strong game for the Mavericks, leading the way with 23 points and five of 10 shooting from beyond the arc.  Darren Collison on the other hand was shut down by the Knicks after having a hot start to the season, going one of eight from the field tonight with eight assists and four turnovers.

http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/gettyimages.com/dallas-mavericks-v-york-knicks-20121109-173432-524.jpg

Ronnie Brewer continued to validate Anthony when he said Brewer was the most underrated signing this offseason, giving the Knicks the defense they expected when they signed him but also giving help in the scoring column and on the boards.  Brewer stuffed the stat sheet, scoring 13 points while adding eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, one block and no turnovers.  No turnovers are the most impressive thing here, as Brewer is just another piece of the puzzle to the Knicks better ball security this season.

Marcus Camby made his season debut tonight for the Knicks and picked up right where he left off in grabbing rebounds at a high rate.  Camby grabbed four rebounds and scored two points in his eight minutes of play, as head coach Mike Woodson has decided to go with Camby and Rasheed Wallace as his big men off the bench, pushing Kurt Thomas to a reserve role.

Wallace was the first big man off the bench tonight and played 18 minutes as he is still getting into game shape after being retired for the past two seasons.  Wallace finished the game with six points and six rebounds as he looks to be in position to get meaningful minutes off the Knicks bench.

The Knicks will have three days off before embarking on a stretch of eight out of 10 games on the road, starting in Orlando against the Magic Tuesday night at 7:00 P.M. ET.

What to Watch For: Dallas Mavericks vs. New York Knicks November 9

Friday, November 09, 2012

Pre-Game News and Notes

Dallas Mavericks vs. New York Knicks

http://www.nba.com/mavericks/sites/mavericks/files/imagecache/slider_image/ts_knicks_nov9_1.jpg

The Knicks look to continue their hot start to the season against a banged up Dallas Mavericks team that will be without stalwarts Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion.  This will be a good test for the Knicks, as the Mavericks are off to just as hot a start at 4-1 even without their star player.  The Knicks have had plenty of time to prepare for the Mavericks since they were off since Monday so they should come out ready to go.

-3 Point Shootout

The Knicks set a record for three pointers made through the first three games in a season, going 43 for 95, but the Mavericks are no slouches behind the arc.  The Mavericks are the hottest team in the NBA from behind the arc, going 50 for 103 thus far in the season.  O.J. Mayo leads the NBA with 21 makes on the season.

Darren Collison has been a big reason for the success from deep for the Mavericks, as he has excelled in the pick-and-roll game and has the ball movement at a premium in Dallas.  Collison was the response move to Jason Kidd joining the Knicks.

Another reason for the success from deep is the post play of Vince Carter, Chris Kaman and Elton Brand.  They are all willing passers and can find the open man on the perimeter when they are double teamed in the post.

-Defend the Paint

As stated, the Mavericks run a deep rotation up front with Kaman, Brand and Brandon Wright.  The Mavericks are dangerous team in the paint and the Knicks will need to lock that down for the victory tonight.

The Mavericks run their offense through pick-and-roll with deadly shooting from deep; taking out the big men would go a long way in winning tonight for the Knicks.  The Mavericks will be without top rebounder Marion, so the Knicks need to take advantage and control the boards.  Winning the battle on the boards is a formula to winning.

This should all be easier with the expected season debut of Marcus Camby.  Camby gives the Knicks a legitimate center on the second unit and someone to do everything that Tyson Chandler does in the starting unit.  Camby is an upgrade over any option the Knicks had last season and in recent memory.

Camby’s playing time will be dictated by how much Kaman is on the court, as the Mavericks have been using a small-ball lineup much like the Knicks recently, putting more of an emphasis on guard and wing play.

-O.J. Mayo vs. J.R. Smith

Mayo starts for the Mavericks and J.R. Smith is the Knicks sixth man, but they will undoubtedly be matched up throughout the game together.  Right now, Mayo and Smith are two of the most efficient players in the NBA and have numbers very similar, as Mayo is shooting 63.6 percent from deep and Smith is shooting 61.5 and both players are turning the ball over less than two times per game.

Smith has been getting at it on the defensive end this season, evident from the 1.7 steals he is averaging per game so this is the match-up to keep an eye on throughout the game.  It will be two electrifying players opposing each other.

-Get Off to Hot Start

The Knicks have had a long lay-off not playing since Monday night, so a lackluster start could be in the cards.  That is something the Knicks need to avoid though, as the crowd will be raucous and ready to watch their Knicks take the court again.  Slow starts was the norm last year for the Knicks, but so far this season they have led at the end of the first quarter in every game, a trend that would be a welcome site to see, especially at home; once you have the crowd going behind you it makes it that much more difficult for the road team.

Knicks Left Standing as Last Undefeated Team

http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/001/969/234/hi-res-155299076_crop_exact.jpg?w=340&h=234&q=75

The Knicks are off to their best start since the 1999-2000 season and setting records in the process.  They are the first team in franchise history to win the first three games of the season by 15+ points and set an NBA record by knocking down 43 three points in those games.  The Knicks are also the last standing undefeated team in the NBA, as the Clippers beat the Spurs and the Bulls beat the Magic earlier in the week.

What makes this start so impressive, even though it is still early in the season, is that the Knicks are playing without three key rotation players in Amar’e Stoudemire, Iman Shumpert and Marcus Camby.  Camby is expected to make his season debut Friday night against the Mavericks, but Stoudemire and Shumpert are out for multiple weeks.

http://cdn.knicksnow.com/uploads/image/image/8801/player_large_ray_J_Pablo_660.jpg

One reason for the great play is because the Knicks have three seasoned veterans at the point guard position that have the respect of their teammates and can run an offense.  Raymond Felton, on his second go-round with the Knicks, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni have been getting everyone involved in the offense and offer a calming influence when on the court.  The three players have combined for 42 assists compared to 17 turnovers, seemingly to always put their teammates in the easier position to score.

Kidd has been forced into the starting lineup with the injury to Stoudemire and ran with the role.  He starts at the 2 for the Knicks and the offense clicks with him on the court.  It’s another player willing to make an extra pass on the court in the starting lineup and the savvy-ness of Kidd cannot be measured as he is capable of hitting anyone cutting to the basket.  For at least one week, these three have combined to make Knick fans finally realize losing Jeremy Lin was not as bad as many people made it out to be.

Another positive to the three guards is that they can all handle the ball well as the lead guard or play off the ball.  Kidd has become an exceptional spot up shooter and Felton demands attention at the three point line; this enables the Knicks to play any three of the point guards on the guard together because they can adapt to different roles, something that is a vast improvement over the team from last season.  Last season, the Knicks were unable to even get one consistent ball handler on the court, leading to a bevy of turnovers and no cohesion on the offensive side of the ball. 

Another factor in the great start to the season is the play of J.R. Smith.  Throughout his career, Smith has been looked at as an enigma, someone with all the potential in the world but never mature enough to harness his ability.  Smith admittedly has said he has never missed a shot he has disliked, is known for outbursts and chucking up bad shots whenever he pleases, driving coaches nuts; thus far through this season none of those negatives are showing.

http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/Sports/AP_NBA/201211052113764123261-p2.jpg

Smith seems to have been harnessed by head coach Mike Woodson, as Woodson allows Smith to be himself but is very hard on him at the same time.  Smith respects Woodson and plays hard for him every night.  Smith is more under control this season and it has shown, as he is the second most efficient player on the Knicks with a Player Efficiency Rating, a metric used by ESPN’s John Hollinger to measure players efficiency on a per-minute basis, with a 20.3 behind only Carmelo Anthony’s 24.0.

Anthony is another player who has set the tone for the Knicks, as he finally looks comfortable in his role with the team.  Anthony has always been looked at as a one-dimensional player, only showing up on the offensive end of the court, but thus far this season that is not true.  He leads the Knicks in scoring, like he should, but he also leads the team in rebounding and blocks.  He has also shown an improved effort on defense, going toe-to-toe with Lebron James in the first game of the season and guarding Thaddeus Young both nights against Philadelphia. 

http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/27/files/2012/11/6710596.jpg?1ffde8

Anthony also looks more comfortable as the whole burden of leading the team no longer falls upon only his shoulders as the veteran presence of Kidd, Camby, Rasheed Wallace and Kurt Thomas has really helped Anthony.  All of those players bring loads of experience and a wealth of knowledge for not only Anthony but the rest of the team to benefit from. 

The Knicks cannot get full of themselves though, as they are still only three games into the season with a long way to go. Felton put it in perspective saying, “We can’t be satisfied right now.  We’re not going to lay it down like ‘We’ve got everything figured out.’ We still got a long way to go.  We still got to get better on defense, we still got to execute better on offense.  We still got a lot of things we got to do.  We’ve got to rebound better.”

Felton is 100 percent right with what he said; the Knicks cannot get comfortable because they have had a successful first week.  They have a great opportunity to build on this early success though, as a banged up Mavericks squad visits Madison Square Garden Friday night and a game in Orlando against an inferior Magic team next Tuesday. No one will remember this start if the Knicks begin to struggle or they have another early exit in the playoffs, so it is imperative to just keep building off of this and make this into something special.

November 7,1943: Giants 0, Lions 0

The New York Giants and the Detroit Lions will forever be connected in NFL history.

On November 7, 1943 the New York Giants traveled to Detroit to take on the Lions. The Giants were 2-2 while the Lions were 3-4. The game itself was a defensive battle,and the offenses were almost non-existent combining for no points in the game.

There was a total of 214 yards in the game between both teams, with Detroit out gaining the Giants 130 yards to 84 yards. Detroit did rush for 102 yards and six first downs, while the Giants rushed for 81 yards and just three first downs.

The Giants would go onto win four of their next five games and finish the regular season 6-3-1 and finished first in the NFL East Division. The Giants would be shutout in the first round by the Washington Redskins 28-0. The Lions would not win another game in 1943 and finished with a 3-6-1 record, good enough for third in the NFL West Division.

Ever since this game, there has never been another scoreless tie in the NFL, and there will never be another scoreless tie. There have been a number of 3-0 games since the 1943 game, including a Monday night game in 2007 between the Steelers and the Dolphins, but that game was played in extreme conditions where the footing was terrible and the players were lucky to be able to run a route.

The evolution of the game of football will most likely prevent us from seeing another scoreless tie in the NFL. The offense's have become so much more advanced, and the introduction of domes prevents a lot of teams in bad weather areas to always play their home games in a friendly environment.

Giants Team Grades: Week 9 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Sunday, November 4^th, 2012

Final Score: Pittsburgh Steelers: 24 New York Giants: 20

Giants Team Grades

It was a lackluster performance for the Giants this past weekend against the Steelers, as they were unable to get anything going on the offensive side of the ball and the defense was unable to get timely stops, making for a 24-20 loss to a very good Steelers team. 

Passing Offense Grade: F

http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Eli+Manning+Pittsburgh+Steelers+v+New+York+fvmG8KIsFaPl.jpg

Since playing the San Francisco 49ers, the Giants passing attack has been ice cold.  Eli Manning is struggling and in the midst of a slump but couldn’t even conjure some of his late game magic against the Steelers. 

Manning completed 10 of 24 pass attempts for 125 yards, his lowest output since 2008 against the Minnesota Vikings when he threw for 124 yards but only in one half of play.  Manning also threw an interception and was off on multiple occasions deep to Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks.

Cruz had a decent game, catching five passes for 67 yards but Nicks only managed one catch for 10 yards.  The Giants need to get the passing game back on track and get Nicks more involved in the offense, as he is finally practicing fully and seems to be getting over early season injuries.

The offensive line also surrendered two sacks and Manning was hit another five times on top of that.

Rushing Offense Grade: D

http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Andre+Brown+Pittsburgh+Steelers+v+New+York+z0NTIGHlTd5l.jpg

If not for an Andre Brown one-yard touchdown rush, this grade would be an F as well.  Brown finished the game with seven carries for only 20 yards and his touchdown.

Ahmad Bradshaw didn’t fare much better, managing only 48 yards on 15 carries.  In total, the Giants only ran for 68 yards on 22 attempts.

The Giants need to get the run game back on track, especially with Manning struggling.  It would be beneficial to the team to get the run game on track so the Giants can control the tempo of the game but also help Manning, as the play action pass is one of the Giants biggest weapons.

Pass Defense Grade: C+

http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Justin+Tuck+Pittsburgh+Steelers+v+New+York+f6SDp_DLAgUl.jpg

Ben Roethlisberger didn’t have great stats, but he did just enough to lead the Steelers to a win. Roethlisberger finished the game with 216 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.  Mike Wallace was held in check most of the game until he ripped off a debilitating 51-yard catch and run where he ran across the field and just ran past the whole Giants defense.

The Giants three-headed monster at defensive end did cause problems for the Steelers, as Justin Tuck had two sacks. Jason Pierre-Paul had one and Osi Umenyiora added one of his own.  Umenyiora’s sack caused a fumble, which led to a 70-yard return for a touchdown by Michael Boley.

Rush Defense Grade: F

http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Isaac+Redman+Pittsburgh+Steelers+v+New+York+VtZYNrYW5xYl.jpg

For as poorly as the Giants ran the ball, the Steelers did it well.  Isaac Redman was unstoppable, running all over the Giants for 147 yards and a touchdown.  The Giants were unable to get stops in the run game when they needed, as Redman put the game away with his runs inside the red zone in the fourth quarter.

The Giants were without Chase Blackburn, Keith Rivers and Jacquian Williams, but they cannot use that as an excuse; the Giants rush defense needs to improve. 

Special Teams Grade: C-

http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Emmanuel+Sanders+Pittsburgh+Steelers+v+New+CvuBbylrGbnl.jpg

Lawrence Tynes continued his strong season, passing 100 total points with a 50 and 23 yard make. But he did miss a 51 yarder short, giving the Steelers a chance to cut into the lead before halftime, which they took advantage of.  Instead of going into halftime up 17-7 or 14-7 at worse, the Steelers got downfield and went into halftime down 14-10.

The coverage teams struggled also, as Steve Weatherford saved an Emmanuel Sanders punt return for a touchdown and Chris Rainey returned a kickoff for 68-yards also.  The usually reliable Giant coverage teams were shaky Sunday.

Coach Grade: D

http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Tom+Coughlin+Pittsburgh+Steelers+v+New+York+2c8Au2L09p5l.jpg

The Giants actually went into the fourth quarter winning 20-10, but the problems that were evident throughout the game prior continued and the Steelers kicked it into gear.  The offense got nothing going, while the Steelers were on point even with the bizarre travel schedule they had to endure with the effects of Super Storm Sandy. 

As for the Giants, the play calling and efficiency need to improve.  The Giants went two for 10 on third down and could not get stops on defense when they needed.