January 10, 2006
The blame game
Bob Glauber heaps lots of criticism on the Giants, particularly on the offensive game plan:
Take one play in the third quarter, when the Giants had a second-and-7 at the Panthers' 40. The Giants lined up three receivers to the right, which presents a challenge to the defense: Is it a pass play with so many receivers lined up to one side of the formation? Or will the Giants pull off the unexpected and try a run?Now you don't blame the coaches for everything, some credit goes to Carolina for wrapping up Tiki like the Chiefs never could. Plenty of blame goes to Eli Manning and his lack of accuracy, the offensive line for getting beaten, Burress for not showing up, etc.With the Giants, there really is nothing unexpected with this formation; they always run out of it.
Panthers coach John Fox, the former Giants defensive genius, knew it, so he didn't worry about a pass. Instead, he blitzed strong safety Marlon McCree, who made the tackle and limited Barber to a 1-yard gain.
Another tactical blunder: The Giants didn't go to a quick snap count often enough, which Barber contends would have helped the running game and, by extension, the passing game, because Manning wouldn't have been forced into so many must-throw situations. Instead, the Panthers countered by keeping an extra player - usually McCree - in the tackle box closer to the line of scrimmage.
But you expect your coaches to outsmart the other guys. You hate to see the Giants embarassed, even partially, due to coaching blunders.
Posted by James Trotta at January 10, 2006 8:59 AM