NFL-Giants: NY Giants football news

In a game defined by big plays, most went against the Giants who lost 29-10 to the Titans.

The Giants moved the ball well. Dodge didn’t even have to punt as they had 471 yards and 26 first downs. But the Titans defense came away with some big plays, forcing 3 turnovers. 2 interceptions (one bounced off Nicks hands and another was all Eli who made the highlight reels throwing with his off hand). There was also a Bradshaw fumble.

The defense actually played OK even though the Titans scored a bunch of points. I blame turnovers on the Giants offense and poor kick coverage (the Titans often had a short field to work with). Where the defense needed to improve was turnover production. You can’t expect an offense to never turn the ball over so your defense has to help you win that turnover battle.

In the end, the Giants lost the turnover batle 3-0, gave up big returns on special teams, missed 2 field goals (a 53 and a 44), took a bunch of penalties, and just didn’t make the big plays they were giving up.

One penalty was on Bradshaw who blocked low instead of hitting his guy in the chest (the guy was already being blocked). That penalty alone was worth two points and a turnover since it was in the end zone (went for a safety).

Just too many big plays for the Titans some they earned and some the Giants gave away.

The Colts demolished the Giants Sunday night. The two teams didn’t seem to belong in the same league as Indianapolis outplayed the Giants in every way.

Indy’s pass rush overwhelmed the Giants – Mathis and Freeney had 2 sacks each. The Giants couldn’t pass or run – they scored zero points by the end of the first half as the Colts defense, abused last week) did the abusing vs. the Giants. The Giants couldn’t run or pass – Eli was 3 for 8 for 17 yards in the first half. The Giants seemed to play slightly better in the second half but the game was already over.

We’ve seen the Giants defense play like crap and then turn things around in recent memory – Spags first couple games come to mind. Dallas abused us and then Green Bay in 2007. Then in week 3 the Giants defense came to life and a goal line stand sealed a victory over the Redskins. The rest is history. We can hope that Fewell will get the Giants working on the same page and getting things done soon.

Why the offense sucked is another matter entirely. It’s hard to rationalize any hope we fans have that the offense will improve too.

The good news is that the Giants new punter, draft pick Matt Dodge, got plenty of practice and looked fine.

Last year I whined a lot about how teams went over the middle at will on the Giants. Not so when teams play Ray Lewis and Baltimore:

By the way, Lewis is 35 and he credits martial arts for keeping his body athletic – he actually says train for life rather than football and for him that means martial arts cause it teaches your body to move in all different directions.

If he can stay healthy for a full NFL season while still scaring the crap out of anyone asked to go over the middle maybe there’s something to this martial arts stuff.

But now the big question: Will the Giants defense learn to punish people who go over the middle?

I’m thinking specifically of the Antrelle Rolle hit on a defenseless receiver that was called against the Giants. The Ravens’ guy, Mark Clayton, was going for a catch. Rolle hit him and gave him a mild concussion.

Rolle said he never tries to intentionally hurt somebody, and he even struck himself while trying to move his helmet to avoid a helmet-to-helmet hit. But when Rolle pummeled Clayton, Clayton had just finished bobbling the pass. Rolle felt if he did not make the hit, Clayton would secure the catch.

“There’s nothing else I could have done except let him catch the ball, grab him and hug him down like he’s my son,” Rolle said. “I don’t go with the intensions of having a head-on collision. That wasn’t a head-on collision. I was just playing football.”

So what’s an NFL safety to do? Watch the receiver make the catch in front of him? Or punish the guy trying to go over the middle?

it used to be the QB who had the responsibility not to put the WR in a position to be killed by laying him out over the middle. I would say this play is Flacco’s fault for throwing a bad pass into double coverage. I want to see the Giants take that penalty every time and not start playing like wusses cause they are a afraid of the flag.

Of course it works both ways – last year Steve Smith’s TD in KC came a play after the Chiefs DB got called for a BS penalty.

Whether the rule is applied equally or not, hurts every defense or not, I don’t like it. You don’t want to get hurt? Respect the middle of the field. Going over the middle is supposed to hurt. You’re not supposed to get injured, but you are supposed to get hit, right?

The New York Giants 2010 schedule looks pretty rough. We play a lot of good teams and our division games are all packed together”

Sept. 12 CAROLINA 1:00 PM (FOX)

Sept. 19 at Indianapolis 8:20 PM (NBC)

Sept. 26 TENNESSEE 1:00 PM (CBS)

Oct. 3 CHICAGO 8:20 PM (NBC)

Oct. 10 at Houston 1:00 PM (FOX)

Oct. 17 DETROIT 1:00 PM (FOX)

Oct. 25 (Mon.) at Dallas 8:30 PM (ESPN)

Oct. 31 BYE

Nov. 7 at Seattle 4:05 PM (FOX)

Nov. 14 DALLAS 4:15PM (FOX)

Nov. 21 at Philadelphia 8:20PM* (NBC)

Nov. 28 JACKSONVILLE 1:00PM* (CBS)

Dec. 5 WASHINGTON 1:00PM* (FOX)

Dec. 12 at Minnesota 1:00 PM* (FOX)

Dec. 19 PHILADELPHIA 1:00 PM* (FOX)

Dec. 26 at Green Bay 4:15 PM* (FOX)

Jan. 2 at Washington 1:00PM* (FOX)

Like most of us, he has nice things to say about the offense but not as much to say about the defense. Some individual players get praise, including Aaron Rouse.

He criticizes Bill Sheridan quite a bit, arguing that defensive ends should not be in coverage and that Spags was able to stop teams late in the game while Sheridan is 0-2.

Nice article here on Chris Simms and the comeback he has made. I especially like these quotes from Coach Josh McDaniels:

“I have a great deal of respect for what he’s overcome now to come back to do this. And I can also see every day why he’s overcome it,” McDaniels said Thursday. “He works as hard or harder than anybody we have on our team. His attitude is phenomenal. He’s got a great work ethic. He lives in the weight room. He runs after practice when nobody’s looking – when he doesn’t think anybody’s looking.

Sheridan and the Giants defense got toasted. Sheridan seemed to have no answers. No pass rush and no coverage is a bad combination – you generally need one or the other. Otherwise you give up 500 yards like the Giants did to the Saints.

I’ve said several times before after bad defensive efforts that this is the one thing I can’t stand as a Giants fan. I love defense, grew up watching LT, and it just hurts me to watch our defense get outclassed to the point of being humiliated.

I asked yesterday if we’d miss Boley and Phillips. Yeah we missed them and looked awfully slow.

I asked if Manning could carry his team. Not today he couldn’t. Pretty bad game when the Giants needed an MVP effort against one of the better teams in the NFL.

And this will sound silly because the Giants were clearly outplayed but man the refs sucked. Why we do we have to watch the Giants get abused by the Saints and the zebras?

Unlike the past few weeks, the Giants will probably have to fight to beat the Saints. Their offense is very good and the Giants defense will be tested. Will our lack of speed at linebacker be exposed? With Boley out the Saints ought to try to go over the middle. Not having Kenny Phillips hurts our ability to take care of receivers going through the middle as well. And you know Jeremy Shockey wants to have a big game – who’s gonna cover him?

On offense, I predict a big day for the Giants. The Saints have talent on defense to be sure but how much? They haven’t been tested by an elite QB yet. Can Eli Manning beat the Saints?

I think he can but it’s no sure thing so this will be an exciting game today!

Why do the Panthers have only one Steve Smith? Because they passed over the Giants Steve Smith in the 2007 draft to take Dwayne Jarrett.

In hindsight, an obvious mistake but I remember some draft articles back in 2007 saying that the Giants got the better USC receiver.

Well I say it’s an obvious mistake. Some Panthers fans are saying Jarrett is fine and they have a QB problem instead. Could be a Jarrett not as good as our Steve Smith problem and a QB problem…