Week One: Giants vs Cowboys

For the past eight years the defending Superbowl champions were 8-0 on their opening night "Superbowl Banner Game". The team that was celebrated in this year's game, the New York Giants, was the first team to win a Superbowl with a 9-7 record. It kinda makes sense that the same team is the first team to lose their banner game.

Where you at, grammar?!

How did this happen? I'm as perplexed as I was when I watched Keyshawn Johnson's and Chris Carter's segment "Where you at?!" on NFL Countdown. Honestly, I don't think I understood one sentence during that bit. Apparently you can hide from your friends, even your mom, but the bank always knows where you at...

...Anyway the two biggest issues with the team as a whole that I saw on Wednesday night was the running game and the passing defense.

If it wasn't for Bradshaw's thirty-three yard run we wouldn't have much to talk about for the running game. The offensive line couldn't create any running room for Bradshaw and David Wilson picked the worse time to catch fumbleitis. He only had two carries and he gives the ball up to the Cowboys. It is no coincidence that you didn't see him get any more carries after coughing up that ball.

"Does this hat make me look tough? No? Not even a little?"

I knew the Giants were going to have problems stopping the pass but I didn't expect Kevin Ogletree to have a career day against the them either. What is the most concerning is that the big passing plays for Dallas were due to mistakes by Corey Webster. I was hoping that the Giants pass rush would be enough to throw Tony Romo off of his game, but a tip of the backwards Starter cap to Romosexual. He played well and avoided the Giants pressure only getting sacked twice. Even the Haitian of Domination couldn't touch him.

It also doesn't help that DeMarco Murray ran wild on the Giants and that Victor Cruz dropped three crucial passes. Or that when the Giants started a possession at the goal line they could only get three points. It's stuff like that that adds up to a disappointing loss. Listen, it's not easy building a bridge if you don't have sufficient workers and tools.

"Look! It's Enrico Pallazzo!"

It's not I can blame the unofficial officials for a horrible job in calling this game (even though I hate that excuse if it was true). There was a defensive holding penalty on the Giants that could have been called but that could have happened with the regular officials. Also the Cowboys had over fifty more penalty yards than the Giants. There were times, however, when I expected to see Detective Frank Drebin disguised as an official like during that Angels/Mariners baseball game (look it up). Maybe he needed to prevent an assassination or a terrorist attack so he has to dress as the line judge or something. But there was no slap-stick on Wednesday night, just a Giants loss.

So what have I learned?

-I learned that the Giants secondary needs to get healthy now. The secondary is lacking more depth than last year and you see how it can be exploited if the Giants front four isn't effective. It's a good thing the secondary has ten days rest before their next game.

 -David Wilson needs to get more carries. Brashsaw cannot take all of these carries by himself. I understand that Coughlin benched him in order to send a message that fumble will not be tolerated. He has a habit on laying the ball on the ground so hopefully he can be taught how to keep the ball secure like Tiki Barber.

-Even though the Giants played bad football on Wednesday night, they still only lost by a touchdown to a talented Cowboys team. Not only that, but who knows what would have happened if they got the ball back one last time in the fourth quarter.

-The Giants will rebound and should win the next two contests against Tampa Bay and Carolina. They are angry about the loss and they are now out to prove themselves to everyone.