Week 15: Giants vs Redskins

Here is the bright side for this game. The one positive I can take away from this game... I only watched half of it. Luckily, I had a family obligation that caused me to miss most of the second half of the Giants debacle.

But here's what I did manage to see:

I saw Rex Grossman throw a pick on the very first offensive play which was followed by a three and out.
I saw Eli Manning throw a bomb which would have been a TD if Hakeem Nicks didn't drop it.
On the following play I saw a beautiful, Feaglesesque punt which would have been on the 1 yard line, however the punt coverage was awful and the ball was a touchback. (For what it's worth, after that succession of plays I said to myself, "If they lose this game, it will be because of those two plays.")
I saw Eli Manning unsuccessfully throw the ball down field multiple times when our running game and short passes were working well. But you know what Gilbride says, if it ain't broke abandon it.
I saw the Redskins covert three 3rd and long 3rd and a mile plays into 1st downs.
I saw a confused Prince Amukamara on my TV screen just before one snap. Sure enough he got burned on that play for a TD.
I saw awful tackling at the hands of Antrel Rolle. If he could play half as big as he talks he actually might make plays on a consistent basis.
I saw Tuck make one tackle and then limp off of the field... again.

Basically, there are so many things that went wrong on Sunday you can't single anyone out. As a team, their effort was pedestrian at best. It was like a Giants game directed by Michael Bay, all flash, no substance and after I saw it I felt like I wasted three hours of my life. The Giants showed no effort, no preparation, and made bad choices. I call this phenomenon "hangover football". (If you think you read this before, yes, I've already talked about it. Thanks for reading and noticing.)

"I don't want your life!
I want a toilet and a bucket... and Gatorade."
-Jonathan "Mox" Moxon

Hangover football actually has two meanings: The first is that they literally look like they are playing like they have the worst case of beer-sh*ts ever, or if they get hit too hard they'll puke all over their jerseys. Their collective head hurts so much that all they can focus on is the thought of laying down in a cool dark room instead of focusing on the game. (Think of that game scene in Varsity Blues after they went to the strip club).  

The second meaning is very familiar to Giants fans. It is when they get a big win and build up all of this confidence but then fall on their face and embarrass themselves. It is also known as the "big game hangover". I think every Giants fan knows exactly what I'm talking about.

So here's what I'm taking away from this Transformers 3 of a Giants game.

The secondary needs to get on the same page. I can no longer watch at Rolle and Webster looking at each other after giving up a huge play and saying, "I thought you had him!"

The front four needs to be more disruptive. Forcing bad throws might improve the secondary's execution.

I know Eli's having a great year but it seemed like they were afraid to run the ball on Sunday. They took way too many shots downfield.
Having said that, if Eli throws it you gotta catch it. It's hard to build momentum when you keep on deflating the team with a huge dropped pass.

But the most important thing they need to do is learn how to bounce back after a huge let down. This applies to both during the game and during the season. If Nicks drops a huge pass, recover. If Amukamara blows a coverage and gives up a ton of yards, recover. If the entire team gets destroyed by a division rival in the middle of a playoff push, recover.

The Giants have painted themselves into a corner. They need to win the last two games. They need to figure out and fix what they're doing wrong. They need to recover.