Week Four 2014: Giants at Redskins

This past Thursday, the Giants completely spanked the Redskins. The name Redskins finally seems  appropriate because their asses are red from the spanking they got from the Eli and company. It was a game that needed to be won to get into the early hunt for NFC East supremacy, and the Giants won it... big time.

He's about as graceful as a drunk rhino

The offense was an efficient destroying machine. It was basically SkyNet with blue helmets, and it all started at quarterback. Eli was the text book definition of "in the zone." He completed seventy two percent of his passes for three hundred yards and four touchdowns. The fleet-footed gazelle of a quarterback even ran one in. As Eli told Deion Sanders after the game, “You can’t coach speed.”

The offensive line did another fantastic job with both run and pass blocking. Even though Eli got rid of the ball a lot faster than anyone’s accustomed to, the big guys up front created a nice pocket for him. They also formed running lanes for Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams, and Peyton Hillis. Yes, there was a Peyton Hillis sighting.

Speaking of the running game, the triple threat (which is actually one frontman, Jennings, with Williams and Hillis backing him up) played well against Washington. Their run defense has been stingy lately, but the Giants were up to the task of running all over them. They put the most rushing yards on Washington with one hundred and fifty-four rushing yards.
Because of Jennings’ three thousand carries against the Texans only a few days earlier, Andre Williams got a heavier workload then he’s used to. However, he did not disappoint. He wasn’t the second coming of Walter Payton by any stretch, but the warrior poet proves that he can be a serviceable back if need be.

The receivers and tight ends were even more in synch with Eli. The biggest pass catching contributor was Larry Donnell. The ramblin’ man from Gramblin’ caught three touchdown passes, and he seemed to be a tremendous target on third downs. His big six foot six frame, along with his jumping ability, makes it almost impossible for Eli to overthrow him.
Cruz had a drop on his first pass attempt, which instantly gave the Giants’ fans that worrisome feeling when you fart and maybe got more than you bargained for. But he got it together and had a great game.
There were very few mistakes made. There were a few drops. One notable drop would have been a guaranteed touchdown for Jennings. There was also a strange play where Reuben Randle caught the ball, landed in the endzone, then got the ball knocked out of his hands, which was caught by Washington’s Keenan Robinson. This play was somehow ruled an interception. I still don’t know if I quite understand it. I didn’t think you needed a “football move” if you land in the endzone with the ball. I don’t think I’ll understand it. Like how ignorant white guys who call into Mike Francesa’s sports show and say, “Ya know Mike, not for nothin’, but I wouldn’t be offended if the Redskins were named ‘The Crackers.’” will never understand that it’s not the same thing, and that’s not a valid argument in the whole Redskins name change debate.

"Dom from the car, what's on your mind?"

But thankfully, that mind boggling call didn’t make a huge difference because Cousins threw an interception a few plays after that Eli/Randle interception. In fact, that was only one of four interceptions thrown by Cousins. The defense was on point on Thursday. They were flying all over the field, having fun, and making plays. There were a few times where it looked like the Redskins were building momentum, but the Giants defense literally ripped it out of their hands.
The d-line was able to generate a good amount of pressure on the quarterback. They only sacked Cousins twice, but the sack by Kiwi caused a fumble. That led to the Giants first score of the night.

Although he looks the part, he's NOT Bigfoot.

Aside from a few blown coverages on running backs, the linebackers played well. They were able to contain Washington’s running game, and didn’t allow them to reach one hundred yards. Also, McClain was instrumental in the Logan Paulson fumble just before halftime. McClain held Paulson in his place while Trumane McBride ripped the ball away like he was waxing Bigfoot. That fumble saved the Giants from letting up a scoring drive before halftime.
The secondary was all kinds of nasty against the ‘Skins. They were able to read Cousins’ eyes and make plays all night. I’m not only talking about the interceptions. DRC and the Fresh Prince kept DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon in check the entire night.

Buy This Guy a Beer: I’m not gonna lie, this a tough call. It could easily be a few players. But I’m gonna go ahead and buy Eli Manning that beer, or shirley temple, whatever he drinks. He has absolutely taken over this offense and made it his own. This became very clear during this win over Washington. During a lot of games he looks like a kid who dropped his ice cream cone. But that night, he was all smiles. He looked confident, he looked comfortable, and he looked like a winner.

He still looks like a goofball, a victorious goofball.

Now, I have to keep my excitement in check. This is the NFL after all.
It’s true that two games leading up to Thursday night’s showdown the Redskins' offense was absolutely on fire. They had big games against Jacksonville and Philly. But those defenses are about as effective as Kris Jenner homeschooling.
Even though the Giants tore apart the Redskins like Magneto fighting an army of tin men, you still have to remember this is a week to week league, and anything can happen.

On to the Next One:
Atlanta is coming into town. The Flacons are a team of ups and downs. But what’s good for the Giants, is that the downs are outdoor away games. This is a huge test for the Giants’ defense. Let’s see how they handle Julio Jones and that passing attack. Once again DRC and the Fresh Prince will have their hands full.
Offensively, they just have to outscore Atlanta. The Falcons’ defense isn’t very good, and judging by what the Giants have put on the scoreboard the past couple of weeks, it shouldn’t be difficult. Let’s see how this offense will look now, if Odell Beckham Jr finally plays on Sunday. You remember him. No? The Giants’ first round pick? Number thirteen overall? Missed every preseason game and most practices because of a hamstring injury? Anyway, it looks as though he’s gonna play. Let’s see how much action he sees.
But they can’t let up. Coughlin is still telling his team to “keep improving”. They cannot be satisfied with where they are as a team just yet. The masses are starting to get sweet on the Giants, and it also concerns me when that happens. They are much better as underdogs.

So what have I learned?

It’s not only the offense that’s clicking. The defense is firing on all cylinders and is playing like one unit. They encourage each other and motivate each other. That chemistry is really showing on the field.

Larry Donnell is a man. This quarterback turned tight end has been a reliable target for Eli and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

The emergence of Odell Beckham Jr should have a big impact on the Giants offense. This will open up the downfield passing game. You will see Eli air it out to Beckham once he gets used to playing in the offense at game speed. The good news is that even though he hasn't been playing, he's always there. He's in the locker room, he's in the meetings, he's in the walkthroughs. He's basically the team manager that's fulfilling a lifelong dream to actually play for the team.

With the way this team is playing now, they have the ability to go toe to toe with any team. They just have to stay the course and stay focused. And with Coughlin at the helm, that won’t be a problem.