Week Seven 2016: Giants at Rams

Big Blue had a big win in London against the Los Angeles Rams. Like Frankenstein's monster, the game was fugly, but all that matters is that the Giants got another notch in their win column. With the Giants on bye this week, they have to play the waiting game to see how the rest of the division shakes out.

"You talkin' to me?"-Frankenstein's Monster

What Went Right

This game really belonged to the defense.
Landon Cobwebs had two interceptions. I know, I was just as surprised as you were, considering he couldn’t catch a zombie virus if he was bitten in the face. Not only did he have two picks, but he cribbed the first one. That play was an absolute game changer. He was straight up beasting out last Sunday. I guess you can say he was an American Werewolf in London.

See what I did there?

Cobwebs wasn’t the only guy in the secondary giving Case Screamum a hard time. Dominique Rodgers-Crowmartie also had two picks. Both of them were late in the game, and his second one, which might of been the easiest pick of his life, was the final nail in the Rams coffin.

Jason Beware-Paul and Olivier Vermin still didn’t put up stellar numbers, but they put a lot of pressure on Screamum. That pressure might have been the reason he threw four picks.
Jonathan Fangkins and Demon “Ax” Harrison were also chipped in and helped the Giants contain Odd Gurley, who was held to just under sixty yards.

The G-Men’s only offensive touchdown game from a rare goal line series when they ran the ball three times in a row which lead to a touchdown by Macabre Jennings.

Robbie Ghoul, who was signed just days before the game after Josh Brown didn’t travel with the team, did well. He’s a solid kicker who will do just fine for the Giants this year. As long as he’s not a monster like his predecessor, it’ll be a huge step in the right direction.

Let’s stay on special teams for a second. Bat Wing has been great for the Giants this whole season, and the last game is no exception. The majority of the second half was a punting battle between Wing, and Rams’ punter Johnny Hexer. The field position battle became an important one, and Wing was ready to answer the call.



What Went Wrong

Eli's spending his bye week killing archeologists who opened his tomb.

Eli Mummy didn’t do well at all. I don’t know if it’s because he doesn’t entirely trust his o-line, if the running game is so stagnant that nothing is open downfield, or if Eli is just flat out playing worse than we’re accustomed to. Whatever it is, he’s gotta figure it out, and fix it fast.

Ohell Beckham Jr., Victim Cruz, and Skulling Shepard all under performed as well.

Scary Donnell still well deserves the wraith of Giants’ fans across the world after he fumbled the ball on the first possession. I said it last week, it might be time to give Will Die the starting duties.

Despite the singular rushing touchdown Macabre Jennings and Maul Perkins ran terribly. I’ve seen teenagers at Crystal Lake run more effectively than those two.

Ben McAboo is still not instilling confidence in the fan base that he can be a great head coach. I'm sure everyone was hoping that we wouldn't miss Tom Coffin, but the truth is I can't stop wondering what could've been with this team coached by him. Maybe McAboo can't manage the team AND call the plays on offense. He needs to take this week to reevaluate what his role as a head coach will be from here on out.

I've heard that being a head coach ages you more quickly, but this is ridiculous.

On To The Next One

The Giants don’t have a game this week. The bye is coming at a great time, actually.  This extra week will give the banged up Giants time to heal, and most of them can come back against the Eagles well rested and much healthier.

Speaking of the Eagles, as much as I hate to say it, we have to root for them this week while they play the Cowboys. I know, most of the time I’d rather see Norman Bates in drag in my bathroom well before I’d cheer the Eagles, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Philly beating Dallas will really level the playing field in the NFC East, and this is even truer if the Redskins lose as well. It seems early to watch other teams scoreboards but the Giants have very little wiggle room.

Will a break in the action reset the team, fixing all the glitches? This division is still up for grabs, but they got a hell of a battle ahead of them if they want to be on top in January.

Week Six 2016: Giants vs Ravens

Well the Giants won their first game in what feels like forever. Despite facing a team that was decimated by injuries, Big Blue still had plenty to overcome in this much needed win. The Giants are now 3-3, which still leaves them in last place in the NFC East, but this win serves as a small beacon of hope that the Giants can turn their season around



What Went Right

Pass protection was good. Eli only got sacked once, and that was by Terrell Suggs. Getting sacked by T-Sizzle is almost guaranteed to happen.

The four down, goal line stand that prevented the Ravens from getting some much needed points. It was great to see the Giants defense buckle down and make a huge, game changing stop when they really needed it. Jonathan Casillas, along with Mark Herzlich, made the huge play against Terrance West on fourth down to prevent him from scoring and ultimately changed the complexion of the game.

OBJ had a huge game. It was the game that we all wanted from him, as well as the game he wanted from himself. He’s at his happiest when his playing contributes to a win.
Having two touchdowns over sixty yards certainly helped the Giants win the game, and it could very well be the turning point of the season.
The first was the, as Eli called it, “whirly bird” play. Which seemed to be ripped from the pages of a recess playbook.
The second touchdown put them in the lead with less than two minutes left in the game.  He had a great match up against an inexperienced cornerback and Eli recognized that and hit him on a quick slant. OBJ took that slant past the first down marker, past the field goal range marker, and right into the end zone.
For so many reasons, it was a beautiful sight to see. Eli got another comeback win under his belt, Odell made another huge play, and he got engaged on top of all of that.

Congrats to you and the net, Odell. Now please, stop getting penalties.

Janoris Jenkins has really proven to be the best free agent acquisition for this Giants this season. He didn’t have fantastic numbers against the Ravens, but he’s been playing lights out.

It was a good win by the Giants. They had to deal with shotty officiating, bad penalties, and a lackluster run game. They still did enough to win the game. It wasn’t pretty, but sometimes those ugly wins say the most about the team.



What Went Wrong

Despite this great win, a lot didn’t go right for the Giants.

Their run game wasn’t very effective, by that I mean it’s about as effective as a lead parachute. I thought with Rashad Jennings coming back we would see a quality rushing attack. Thirty-four yards is not what I had in mind.

The Giants also gave up a lot of yards in penalties, one hundred ninteen to be exact. I know that forty of those yards was because of a TERRIBLE pass interference call on DRC.
The worst penalty committed by the Giants, yes worse than the Odell helmet penalty, was Owa Odighizuwa’s roughing the passer penalty. He got to Joe Flacco late on an incomplete 4th down throw during their attempted game winning drive. That penalty gave the Ravens fifteen more yards as well as a fresh set of downs. If the Ravens ended up winning because they got more time and better field position, there would be no shortage of outrage from a Giants’ fan base who is growing weary of undisciplined play.
While Beckham’s helmet removal wasn’t as bad as Dighi’s, it still could’ve been very costly for Big Blue. Having to stop a kick off return is certainly more risky than a touchback. If that kick return was housed, we’d have another week hearing about Odell’s antics.

Larry Donnell is very concerning to me. Like a drunk man balancing a plate of nachos on his head, he’s a mess waiting to happen. First he does his patented hurdle, which is a great way to lose the football, then, while the Giants are trying to assemble a game winning drive, Donnell runs out of bounds one yard short of the 1st down to bring up 4th down. Luckily for him, Beckham saved the day by breaking that 4th & 1 catch for a touchdown.
I don’t know why Will Tye isn’t starting over Larry Liability. Neither are the second coming of Mark Bavaro, but Will Tye is nowhere near as risky as Donnell.

"Get off the field, Larry. You're gonna spill your dang nachos."

On a more serious note, it may not be pertinent to the Ravens’ game, but this whole Josh Brown fiasco is certainly something that “went wrong”.
The Giants may not have known the full extent of Brown’s abuse, but they certainly knew enough that they could have decided against resigning him and done so without feeling guilty. As it turns out, this goes way beyond an incident at the Pro Bowl. This abuse has been ongoing.
They are trying to rectify the situation now, but the damage has been done. The Giants are no longer the moral beacon that we all thought they were. I guess, if you think about it, the Giants put up with a lot of Lawrence Taylor’s issues. There is a difference, though, because I think his playing day problems were drugs and prostitutes. From what I remember and what I researched, I didn’t see anything about spousal abuse from when he played. But still, the Giants protected him from the league, and, not that it should matter, but Josh Brown isn’t on the same level as LT. He’s not even the LT of field goal kickers.
Hopefully the Giants can do enough to save face, but I have to be honest with you. This is, by far, the most disappointed I’ve ever been as a Giants’ fan. Out of all the horrible seasons I've witnessed out of all the boneheaded behavior, nothing has made me more angry at the Giants than this.


On To The Next One

The Giants go across the pond to England to face the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams’ defensive line, especially Aaron Donald, are gonna be tough for the Giants. Other than that and Todd Gurley, the team isn’t very good.

What you need to watch for is how the Rams are going to be treating Beckham. Rams’ Coach, Jeff Fisher, loves to try to get into his opponents head by playing dirty. I have no doubt that LA’s secondary will do everything they can to throw OBJ off his game, because that’s the only way they can beat him.

Hopefully after this game, the Giants come back to the states another win richer, and gain some ground in this competitive division.

Week Five 2016: Giants at Packers

The Giants had another bad loss on Sunday night to the Green Bay Packers. This loss brings their losing streak to three games. That’s not a good thing when the rest of the division is off playing well. Big Blue needs to fix whatever is holding them back, or else the rest of the NFC East will leave them in the dust.

The Giants better turn their season around if they want to survive Fury Road.

What Went Right

The Giants’ defense got some turnovers, and the fact that it was two interceptions of Aaron Rodgers made it better. Jack Rabbit had both of those picks, which somewhat validates his expensive price tag. 

It was nice to see Odell score his first touchdown of the season and finally make up with that kickers net, but it would’ve been even better to see that in a winning effort. The touchdown itself was very impressive, as well.  

"I'm automatically attracted to beautiful nets. I just start kissing them, and when you're a star they let you do it. Grab them by the netting, you can do anything."

What Went Wrong

Both the offensive and defensive lines were abysmal.
At times, it seemed that Rodgers could have read the Song of Ice and Fire series in the backfield because of the lack of pressure he was under. He had all day for receivers to eventually get open. 
And where Rodgers could sit down to read those combined 4,500 pages, Eli Manning only had the time to read one Game of Thrones episode description on cable.
As soon as he got the ball, someone on the Packers was right in his grill. Ereck Flowers, who was only good at pushing reporters Sunday night, looked foolish by the way he let defenders run right by him.

Eli also looked bad. There were some passes that, if completed, would’ve completely changed the game. Is this just him being off, or was he rushing throws because he didn’t trust his protection? Even if that’s the case, he still has to play better.

Everyone is talking about firing McAdoodoo. They are talking about his inability to manage players. He’s only been a head coach for five games, he needs time to acclimate. Unfortunately, we have to see how he runs the Giants throughout the season. Firing coaches mid-season isn’t the Giants’ way of doing things, and neither is firing a coach only after one year. Maybe he’s unable to call the offense and keep tabs on his players, but until we know for sure, let’s cut him some slack.



On To The Next One

Their next game is at home against the Baltimore Ravens. For as banged up as the Giants are, the Ravens look to be even more injured. Five of the Ravens missed Friday’s practice. The most notable of which was Steve Smith, which is good news for a hobbled Giants’ secondary. Other players are linebackers Elvis Dumerville and C.J. Mosley, guard Marshall Yanda, and punt returner Devin Hester. It’s too bad for the Giants’ offensive line that the entire defensive front for Baltimore is out.
Can Eli and his offense step up and be as dominate as we all thought a few months ago? They're talking about a new scheme that will be fun to watch, so at the very least, the game won't be boring. 

If the Giants can capitalize on the Ravens’ injuries and play with full hearts like the Dillion Panthers in front of their home crowd, this can propel them to a win, and hopefully give them a wave of momentum that they can ride for several weeks.

Ride that radical wave all the way to the playoffs, bruh!

Week Four 2016: Giants at Vikings

I was convinced the Giants were going to lose on Monday night. I wasn’t wrong, but nevertheless, it was still a tough loss. They had a chance to win the game, but they blew it. Now they are facing an uphill battle as they are now in last place in the division.



What Went Right

If your trying to find the silver lining to this game, don’t bother. You’re more likely to find grandparents at a metal concert.

If I had to think of a few things to highlight, I’d day Brad Wing punted well, Orleans Darkwa was impressive, and rookie back Paul Perkins had a great play towards the end of the game.



What Went Wrong

Defense looked good at times but letting up that long drive for a touchdown after the Giants were only down by seven was so demoralizing. Of all the drives for the defense to fall apart like a Nature Valley Crunchy bar, they chose the wrong one.

I challenge you to bite into one of these without your table looking like it's covered in hippie confetti.

Pass protection was ineffective, but that shouldn’t be surprising given how good the Vikings are at disrupting the quarterback. Eli had no time for downfield plays to develop, and when there’s no deep threat, the rest of the Giants’ offense struggles.
Despite Paul Perkins having a great run, he was terrible in pass protection. He missed blocking assignments the whole game.

The biggest blunder of the night had to be when Dwayne Harris didn’t call for the fair catch after a Viking’s three and out deep in their own territory. He muffed the punt, the Vikings recovered, and scored on that drive. I know it was really early in the game, but the game could have been really different if that fumble never occurred.  That fumble caused a momentum swing that seemed to carry throughout the entire game.



Speaking of self inflicted wounds, I guess I have to talk about the Odell Beckham Jr. debacle...

Show me "paint the chest"...

Odell was going on about how he’s targeted by both the officials and the defenders. I’m not sure about the officials having it out for him, although they did miss that call when he got hit out of bounds, but the defenders have adopted a certain playing style against him. Why would anyone do that differently though? He’s one of the most naturally gifted receivers in the NFL, he can’t be easy to cover. However, if you hit him a lot, and talk a lot of trash, it eats away at him like fire ants, and he’s thrown off his game.
I’m sure most defensive backs don’t take too kindly to his showy, flamboyant style, either. When it comes to him being targeted, he’s painted that bulls eye on himself. Some of the things that made him a household name, can lead to unwanted attention. 
Defenders will try to get under his skin, and the officials will look at him closely and make sure he’s behaving. He has to overcome it or he'll succumb to it. 
But I’m not going to call this guy a bad teammate. When it comes to putting him in the T.O. category, I want to look at the intent on his behavior. He wants to win, and he wants to play well. The passion is obviously there, but he has to control it. Not unlike Jean Grey, he has what it takes to be dominant, but he needs learn how to control what makes him great. We’ll have to see if he can control his fire and unleash the Phoenix on the NFL.



On To The Next One

The Giants are facing the Packers this Sunday night at legendary Lambeau Field.

This game looks to be another tough match up for the Giants but for different reasons than the Vikings’ were. Where the Vikings were tough on defense, the biggest obstacle the Giants have to overcome is the Packers’ offense lead by Jordan Rodgers’ brother, Aaron.

Aaron doesn't come in this house without paying the price. Not now, not ever!

The Giants’ banged up secondary will really be put to the test when they face Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, and hopefully the front seven can contain Eddie Lacy.

This should be a great game for the Giants’ passing offense, though. With the Packers being ranked towards the bottom of the league, there’s no reason why Eli and his receivers should put up great numbers. But this isn’t the first time we’ve said this about the passing game this season, so I'm going to hope for the best but temper my expectations a bit.
For as bad as the Packers are at defending the pass, they are the opposite against the run. Their first ranked rush defense should bottle up whoever is running the ball on Sunday night. It’s not like this is a huge blow. The Giants’ running game looked cotton candy soft for most of the year.

Of course the one part of this game that everyone will be looking at is Odell. This is where needs to show us how tough he can be mentally. It’s a great match up for him, and he can certainly make it a rough night for Green Bay. Can he put this mess behind him and show everyone why he’s great, or will he fall further into this spiral of overreacting and petulance? One thing is for sure, if the Giants’ win on Sunday, and Odell has a good game, this subject will be dropped, and the talking heads will completely forget how much they trashed him this past week.

Week Three 2016: Giants vs Redskins

We’ll it’s hard to find the right words to describe how the Giants played this past Sunday. This was a terrible effort by Big Blue. They had several chances to win the game, but because of dumb decisions and undisciplined play they lost the game. In the game against the Saints, they lost three fumbles. It’s hard to win a game when you have three turnovers, but it’s doable. But three turnovers and committing over 100 yards in penalties? That’s damn near impossible.



What Went Right

Beckham, who at times acted like a kid who got his Xbox taken away, had a good day against Norman. I don’t know why Josh Norman was strutting around like he did something important. It’s like Hawkeye bragging to Loki when the Avengers saved Manhattan from aliens. They’re both good at what they do, but neither were crucial to their team’s success.

Sorry, Clint, but you know it's true. Your only role in those movies is to be "the relatable one".

Bobby Hart played well as a fill in at right tackle. It looks like he’ll be there for the time being, and that should work just fine.

The run defense looked good I guess.



What Went Wrong

In a game where so much went wrong for the Giants, I’m just going to give some bullet points of the worst of the worst...

Nice try, Jim Bob, here's a Giants' jersey.

Watching the Giants trying to tackle was like watching hillbilly kids trying to catch greased pigs.

A blocked Redskins’ punt that was negated by an unnecessary roughness penalty on Andrew Adams, who just got added to the team for safety depth.

A critical Redskins’ 3rd down incompletion was negated by a roughing the passer penalty from Olivier Vernon.

A huge play by Odell Beckham Jr. that would’ve put the Giants in great position to get a touchdown was negated by Weston Richburg’s second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when he taunted Josh Norman after knocking him down. Richburg was ejected because of this penalty.

The Redskins faked a punt on 4th down, and the Giants looked like a high school team by the way they fell for it.

Odell Beckham Jr. lost a fight with a kicker’s net.



On To The Next One

The Giants are facing a good team on Monday night in Minnesota. The Vikings look to be a very tough match up for the Giants.
This will be the first real test for Big Blue’s offensive line. Let’s see how it will hold up against this Kool-Aid Man defensive line.

OH YEAH!

Injuries are also something that the Giants have to worry about. Vereen is out for the rest of the season, and it looks like Jennings won’t be suiting up on Monday. This leaves Orleans Darwka, Bobby Rainey, and rookie Paul Perkins to take on this tough match up.
On the defensive side of the ball, the injuries are really stacking up. Eli Apple, DRC, Darian Thompson, and Nat Berhe are all banged up. This doesn’t bode well for Monday because the Vikings’ biggest play maker on offense is their receiver Stefon Diggs.

Despite these current pressing issues, we have history to deal with, as well. Eli doesn’t have a great history against this team. It’s kind of unreliable to say, because he’s not playing against the same roster time after time, but he seems to do poorly against the Vikings. In the eight times he’s played the Vikings he thrown four touchdowns and a whopping FOURTEEN interceptions. The Giants also lost five of those eight games. Now I’m no math wiz, but I think that’s not exactly the best.
But Eli doesn’t get bogged down in the past. When asked if the Vikings have his number, he smart-assedly said, “I don’t think anybody has my phone number on the Vikings. Maybe Linval, I’m not sure. I'm trying to think if I have anybody's number. Maybe somebody, I'm sure. I think I have Sam Bradford’s number. He’s got my number. I can’t think of anyone else off-hand. I’ll look through my phone and get back to you on that one.”

What a little jokester this guy is.

Maybe because of Minnesota’s improbable win over the Panthers, they’ll be over-confident and they’ll take the Giants for granted. The problem with this straw-grasping scenario is that Giants are a good team, so they won’t be taken lightly.



Monday night starts a gauntlet of sorts for the Giants. First they have the Vikings in Minnesota, then the Packers in Green Bay, then the currently undefeated Ravens, then they go across the pond to play the not good Rams, and it ends at home against the surprisingly successful Eagles. A win against Washington would’ve made this much easier. Hopefully they can win three of these five games, but I don’t figure that Monday night will be one of those wins.

Week Two 2016: Giants vs Saints

The Giants racked up their second win in as many weeks as they beat the Saints 16-13. This was far from the barn burner that everyone expected it to be, but that doesn’t matter if you get the win when the clock runs out.
Before the kickoff, everyone thought this game was going to be these two teams scoring at will. However, that wasn’t the case as both offenses struggled more than Darth Vader trying to blow up a balloon. Despite their offensive struggles, the Giants still left the field with the victory.

You'd think the Empire could spring for a helium tank or something. This walking sleep apnea machine can't fill these up.

What Went Right
In a complete 180° from last season, the Giants won their game because of defense, special teams, and clock management. The defense and specials teams brought lawyers, guns, and money and bailed out the offense the entire game.
Coach McAdoo’s clock management at the end of the game was smart. It wasn’t gutsy, but it was pragmatic and safe. After the Giants fumbled three times, the last thing he wanted was another fumble with the game on the line. Even though the Saints’ offense wasn’t lighting the world on fire, giving the ball to Drew Brees with a minute left to drive down the field is ill-advised. He did the Steve Urkel thing, it wasn’t sexy, but it was very smart.

Good job, Big Guy!

Obviously, that Jonathan Hankins field goal block that was housed by Janoris Jenkins was the play of the game. It was a huge play that happened at a pivotal time. It was just after the third consecutive Giants’ fumble when things were looking very bleak for Big Blue.
Eli Apple played really well, also. He didn’t have an easy assignment with the New Orleans receiving corps, but he held his own.

Sterling Shepard’s performance was just that... sterling. Sorry I know that’s cheesy, but this kid is a baller. He loves making plays, and I'm really excited to see where his career goes from here. 
Despite having a huge fumble earlier in the game, Cruz made a man catch to set the Giants up with their game-winning field goal. By man catch, I mean he ripped the ball out of the defender’s hands to gain possession of the ball.



What Went Wrong
Fumbles, fumbles, fumbles. Having three fumbles in one game is inexcusable, and it usually leads to a loss. A team can’t make those kinds of mistakes and expect to win those games. The biggest of the three was Cruz’s fumble. After he caught the ball, he broke out to the open field, it was there where a defender came from behind and knocked the ball out of hands like a bully swatting a math textbook out of a nerds hands.

As much I showered Coach McAdoo with praise earlier, he did screw up something early in the game. McAdoodoo, that's what I’ll call him when he makes a mistake, decided to go for it on 4th down when the Giants were only a few yards from the end zone. The unsuccessful conversion ultimately didn’t affect anything, but those three points would’ve come in handy towards the end of the game. He did the Stefan Urquelle thing, it might have been "cool", but man was that a stupid idea.

NSFW

On To The Next One
This Sunday the Giants square off against the reigning NFC East champions, the Washington Redskins. Between their previous two performances, and rumored turmoil in their locker room, the 0-2 Redskins look to have a tough match up against the G-Men. 

The Giants’ defense can keep Cousins and company in check. I think they’ll play just as well as they did last week if not better. This new defensive line should plug up the run, and apply enough pressure on Captain Kirk for him to make mistakes.

What I would really like to see is the Giants offense finally playing up to the standard that we all know they are capable of.
I’m a bit worried about their running game this week. We have to see how Jennings’s hand will hold up after he injured it last week, and with Marshall Newhouse on the mend, all eyes will be on who takes over at right tackle, whether it’s Bobby Hart, or Will Beatty.
As for the passing game, I expect Cruz and Shepard to continue playing like they’ve been playing, and Odell Beckham Jr. hasn’t been as stellar as he usually is. I know, if he made that catch last week I’d be singing a different tune, but he didn’t, so I’m not. Maybe this is the week where he turns it all around. Whether he thinks it or not, he definitely has the motivation to be great on Sunday.

Due to the Odell Beckham Jr. and Josh Norman rivalry, this is one of the most hyped-up games of the season. How will they act towards each other?  I’d be surprised if anything goes down like it did during their last meeting. Odell learned a hard lesson about the repercussions of not keeping your cool, and I don’t think he wants to let his team down again.
Now there are murmurs of Josh Norman shadowing Odell Beckham Jr. on Sunday. I find that interesting, because there has been so much talk about Norman just sticking with one side of the field. Is Washington so concerned with their “rematch” that they are willing to throw out their game plan because that’s what the fans and media want? If so, it’s no wonder why the organization is such a disaster.



So even though some people might be disappointed with the WWE ODB/Norman
story line, I don’t think that Giants’ fan will be disappointed by the outcome of the game. The Giants appear to be the more talented team, but this is NFC East and you have to be prepared for anything. If the Giants stay focused and protect “The Duke”, they will get the win and the Redskins will essentially be out of the NFC East running three weeks into the season.

Okay. Their rivalry isn't as bad a Michaels/Hart saga, but I'll keep my eyes peeled in case ODB gives Norman the Sweet Chin Music.

Week One 2016: Giants at Dallas

The Giants kicked off their 2016 season in a big way with beating Dallas in Jerry World. It wasn’t the best win, but it was great to beat the Cowboys in their house again.

About Last Sunday
To be honest, I had no idea what to expect from the Giants during week one. I didn’t know how the offensive line was going to protect Eli and open the running game, I wasn’t sure how well the defensive line was going play against Dallas’ offensive line, and I was excited to see what Victor Cruz could do in his first game back.


What Went Right
The Giants offensive line played well. Manning only got sacked twice, and wasn’t running for his life the entire game. Plus when the Giants needed to run the ball to close out the game, they gave Jennings room to eat up the clock like the Ninja Turtles devouring a pizza.
Speaking of the running game, it was streamlined and effective. Last year, the running game was pieced together like a platypus, but this year it looks like they are using Jennings as the main back and Vereen as the passing down’s back.
It looks like Victor Cruz is back to form. He didn’t put up stellar numbers, but it was great to see him score the 4th quarter touchdown to give them the lead, and it was even better to see the salsa dance.

I can't believe I forgot how much I missed this. I also can't believe they got fined for this celebration.

Sterling Shepard made a real tough catch for his first NFL touchdown. He's looking very promising.  
The defense was solid. You’d expect them to play well against a rookie making his first regular season start ever, but the defensive line was able to get the best of Dallas’ vaunted offensive line. They held Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris to under 100 combined yards, and towards the end of the game they were able to put pressure on Dak Prescott.
Landon Collins didn’t give up on a jump ball against Dez Bryant in the end zone. Because of that hustle, Dez couldn’t complete the catch, and there was no touchdown.
The defense only gave up one touchdown to the Cowboys. Their red zone defense was on point.


What Went Wrong
Eli Manning threw a really bad interception while trying to connect with Sterling Shepard. I’m not sure what happened, it looked like Shepard gave up on the curl route when Brandon Carr cut it off. I don’t know if Eli was already throwing his way before it happened, or if it was a T-Rex brained play by Eli. Either way, it was ugly.
Despite plugging the run, it took the Giants a while to get after Prescott, and even then, they couldn’t get a sack.
Even though the Cowboys scored only one touchdown, the Cowboys still dominated time of possession and were able to drive the ball downfield at will.



This was very close to going to Cowboys’ way. While trying to approach field goal range for Dan Bailey, Cowboys’ receiver Terrence Williams didn’t run out of bounds to stop the dwindling clock. Because of this, Dallas never got the opportunity to kick a game-winning field goal. Maybe this is an issue that slips the mind of the rookie Prescott, but it would’ve been discussed by Romo in the huddle.
That seemed like a crunch-time mistake that would’ve been made by Big Blue last year. Luckily, the Giants appeared to have fortune on their side, or at very least, Ben McAdoo drank Harry Potter's Felix Felicis potion.

Harry doesn't need a good luck potion, he's got all the luck he needs from J.K. Rowling and the screenwriters. In other words, Harry doesn't earn a damn thing. 

On To The Next One
Victor Cruz and Janoris Jenkins have their eyes and words set on Josh Norman this week. They’re calling him out for only covering one side of the field. This is certainly shaping up to be a great rivalry. The only thing is that someone forgot to tell them they’re playing Washington next week, not this week.

To be fair, you don't give a cornerback $75 million to only sometimes cover your opponents top receiver.

This week, however, the Saints are parading towards us. (Sorry, there must be a better way to phrase that.) This looks to be another barn burner, maybe not to the extent of a combined score of 101, but it still has the potential of being a shootout.
This will be the first real test for the defense. Drew Brees is better than Dak Prescott, and New Orleans' receivers as a whole might be better than Dallas'. Let’s see if Big Blue can contain this C-4 offense that the Saints have.
I have no doubt that Giants' offense will be able to dominate the Saints’ defense. If the Saints have a C-4 offense, they have a sparkler defense.
The fact that this game will be played outdoors and in possible rainy conditions also gives the G-Men a really big advantage. These dome babies from New Orleans might have trouble in these adverse conditions. Will it be enough to tip the game into the Giants favor? Maybe they won't need nature's help, or a liquid luck potion. 

Preseason Wrap Up

The NFL season has officially kicked off with the rematch of Super Bowl 50, and before Cam Newton’s head stops ringing, the Giants will kick off their 2016 season in the least likely place, sorry, I mean the most likely place. AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

The fact that this is actually a thing, really bothers me.

The Giants didn’t look all that great this August. I know that it’s only preseason, and you get the same amount of facts from those four games as you do from Flat Earth "Truthers", but what I saw from the team made me a bit nervous. Like getting a call from your mom out of nowhere kind of nervous. Mostly because when your mom calls, it could be something as simple as her checking in, or your dog might be dead. It’s that kind of uncertainty that we are faced with as Giants’ fans. 



This preseason had some positives and negatives, much like Adam Sandler’s career. So using him as inspiration...
What was Billy Madison about August:
Defense overall seemed to be vastly improved from last year. This is especially true with  the defensive line. JPP, Olivier Vernon, “Snacks” Harrison, and Johnathan Hankins have shown that they can be a force to be reckoned with this upcoming season.

What was The Longest Yard about August:
The offense hasn’t exactly impressed this preseason. It wasn’t Ann Coulter at the Rob Lowe Roast bad, but maybe the Situation at the Donald Trump Roast bad? A lot of the troubles had to do with the offensive line. Ereck Flowers is still developing at left tackle, and the right side of the line has gotten desperate enough that they had to re-sign Will Beatty. Hopefully the more they play, the more the o-line will gel.

"When I'm President, you'll be the first one deported, grease ball."

The linebackers looked to have improved from last year, but they are still the weak spot of the defense. Early middle linebacker front runner, Jasper Brinkley, got cut, and Kelvin Sheppard is now running the defense. Hopefully, the front four has improved enough to cover up linebackers like a turned over couch cushion.

What was Jack and Jill about August:
Learning about Josh Brown’s domestic violence incidents, and worse, learning that the Giants knew about the incident and still resigned him, has shaken my confidence in the organization a bit. It’s not as bad as Ray Rice’s situation, or Greg Hardy’s, but it’s still something what shouldn’t be tolerated. 



Truth be told, I don’t know what to expect this season from Big Blue. They are a team with issues, but so is every team in their division.
Tony Romo, out with another back injury, is a huge problem for Dallas. They still have a good line, and an impressive young back, but unlike Cowboy's cheerleader disguised as a journalist pundit commentator, Skip Bayless, I’m not convinced that Dak Prescott is another Cam Newton or Russell Wilson. Although I think he’s a better option behind center than the Rolodex of intramural flag football quarterbacks that were used last year. Also, a few of their defensive play makers are serving suspensions at the beginning of the year. 

Congratulations on your move to FOX Sports, Skip. This is nothing like what you did at ESPN.

There hasn’t been back to back winners of the NFC East since 2004 when the Eagles did it. I don’t think Kirk Cousins has it in him to lead the Redskins to do so. Also, if they're expecting Josh Norman to replicate what he did last year, they better have one of the best front sevens in the league, because that's the only reason he was so good last year.
The Eagles are suffering a hangover from the Chip Kelly years, and it’s something that Gatorade and Advil can’t fix. Their starting quarterback is a rookie who missed most of the preseason because of fractured ribs, they don’t really have play makers on offense.

The Giants had a chance to win this division last season, but they lost too many close games and let the division slip through their fingertips. There were an unprecedented amount of screw ups which I don’t expect to see this time around. They can have the same opportunity to win the NFC east this year, and I hope they don’t blow it.

2016 Training Camp Preview

Summer vacation is over for the New York Giants. JPP didn’t blow off any more body parts, Odell Beckham played soccer in Europe and got chased around Munich like he’s one of the Beatles, Eli Manning probably read a few Goosebumps books for summer reading, while Eli Apple was most likely taken "back to camp" clothes shopping by his mom.
But now that’s all over, they are all back at the Meadowlands for training camp.

This is a magical time of year when the fans of every team can believe that their team has a shot of playing well into January. Well, every team except for the Browns. Even Lebron can’t help them there. You can use reason, and come up with scenarios that makes sense.
Here’s the case I can make for the Giants:
If Cruz is 100% this year, Sterling Shepard plays as well as anticipated, and Beckham plays like Beckham, this will be the best receiving corps in the league. This mean Eli will go all NBA JAM on defenses this year, and will most likely be his best year yet. 
Rookie running back Paul Perkins shows a lot of promise, and the running game started to shape up towards the end of the year when they used Jennings as their primary back.
Also, the Giants spent a ludicrous amount of money on free agency. Sorry, I mean a Ludacris amount of money. Let’s be honest, it would be very difficult for the defense to be worse than they were last year.

If you don't know where Luda is in this picture, I can tell you one thing, it ain't a Dave and Busters.

They got serious defensive line help with Olivier Vernon and Damon “Snacks” Harrison, secondary help with Janoris “Jackrabbit” Jenkins, and (some) linebacker help with Kelvin Sheppard.
The Giants also addressed their defense in the draft with picks like Eli Apple and Darian Thompson.

On paper they look like a vastly improved team, but things that look good on paper can often get ripped to shreds just as easily. Remember the Tortoise and the Hare lesson Vince Young learned in 2011 when he called the Eagles a "Dream Team". They went 8-8.  For what it’s worth, the Giants won it all that year, and I don’t think people expected too much from them.
You never know how your favorite team’s season is going to go. You could have Scorsese expectations, and only get Tyler Perry quality, but if you expect to see Madea Goes To Jail, it would be a pleasant surprise to see Goodfellas instead.

"In prison, dinner was always a big thing. We had a pasta course and then we had a meat or fish. Paulie did the prep work..."

But despite this lesson, I still have a Bigfoot hunter’s naivety when it comes to my optimism for the Giants every summer. I’m a glutton for punishment, I suppose.



So what am I looking for this training camp?

The development of Ben McAdoo as a head coach:
Good ol’ Bennie Macs has big shoes to fill. Although, I don’t think his team philosophy will differ all that much from Coughlin’s, I do think it will be updated to a more modern sensibility. Like going from a Zack Morris cellular telephone to a Smartphone. McAdoo even has music playing during practices. That’s something Coughlin didn’t do until the end of his tenure with the Giants.
I’m most interested in the conditioning aspect. For some reason, the Giants were always towards the top on the “most injuries” lists. According to an article by Jordan Raanan, McAdoo has implemented a new conditioning regiment, an updated weight room, and a practice schedule that will focus more on fundamentals and hopefully limit the risk of injury.
Scheme wise, I think the offense will stay the same, but I don’t think he’ll be all that “hands on” on the defensive side of the ball. He'll let Spags play with his new toys.
I'm looking forward to see how he manages a team, it is nice to know that the clocks in the facility are still set five minutes fast.

The development of the rookies:
The Giants had a pretty good draft this year. But there are few players that everyone seems to have high hopes for. Those players are Sterling Shepard, Darian Thompson, and Paul Perkins.
I’m most excited to see how Shepard develops, because I think he could make a huge contribution to the passing game. I’m not a big believer in signs from the universe, but if you take Shepard’s number, 87, and add it to Beckham’s number, 13, you get 100. I don’t know what it means, but it sounds serendipitous. It will only get better if Victor Cruz can play close to the level he was before his knee injury.
Darian Thompson will be the center fielder that the Giants' secondary need. His playing style compliments Landon Collins really well, too. These two young safeties can be a great tandem for years to come.
Paul Perkins enters a crowded backfield. I think as of now Jennings, will be the main back and Vereen will be a 3rd down, two minute drill back. I'm sure Perkins will start the season Jennings backup at first, and maybe work his way into getting a good amount of carries.  

The Health of JPP and Victor Cruz:
JPP is not much of a concern to me, considering that he was pretty effective last year with one hand. This season he’s using a customized glove instead of an oven mitt to fit over his Whomping Willow hand. Let’s see how that effects his game, he might have trouble grabbing onto offensive linemen or quarterbacks, but he’s going to come out the gate being super motivated. Olivier Vernon will also attract so much attention, that it will help make JPP’s life a little easier.
Cruz on the other hand, is still a question mark to me. After suffering a knee injury halfway through the 2014 season, and then injuring his calf while trying to return from that knee injury, it’s easy to think that he won’t play at the same level that he has in the past. The fact that he isn’t being limited at all during camp is very encouraging, also. It means that both he, and the Giants organization feel confident enough in his health to let him run wild.
I don’t think he’ll be the Cruz we all fell in love with, but if he comes close, the Giants’ passing game is going to give opposing secondaries fits.
What’s good about his situation is how he handles his new contract. He restructured his contract, and took a huge pay cut to stay with the Giants. Now he's playing with something to prove. To the fans, the team, and himself.
I don’t know how effective he’ll be, I don’t even know if he’ll play all season, but I’m hoping that he can play and make a difference on the team. I do know one thing, like JPP, he’s going to come into this year as motivated as ever.

The Improvement of the Offensive Line:
This is by far the biggest concern I have for the Giants heading into this year. If Flowers continues on the trajectory he was on last year, he can establish a solid left side of the offensive line. I also like how Weston Richburg is developing at center.
However, the right side of the offensive line scares the crap out of me. In fact, I don’t want to talk about that side of the line anymore than Bachelorette contestant, Jordan Rodgers wants to talk about his brother, Aaron. Yes, that one. Like an immensely talented brother who got famous and may, or may not have, big-timed his family, it makes me uncomfortable to think about the reality that I’m living in. But again, that’s only the right side. Hopefully in the 11th hour, the Giants can find a way to address the right side of the line, and the Rodgers family can patch up whatever problems they’re dealing with. 

"My far-superior brother got famous, and now he doesn't talk to us. Anyway, you wanna make out?

Antony Dable:
Anthony Dable has the look of a big time NFL receiver. This 6-4 220 French import, nicknamed Dablatron, was a tour de force in the Germany where in the last two seasons, he racked up 145 passes for 2,437 yards, and 32 touchdowns. Granted, it was in the German Football League, which is the equivalent to playing NHL ’94 on easy with the off-sides turned off, but it’s still impressive none the less.
I don’t think DablaTron will be an NFL MVP anytime soon, but he’s definitely someone to keep your eyes on as camp moves on. Maybe he’ll be good enough to make an impact on Sundays. You know how much Eli loves tall receivers.

"Jetez-moi la balle sacrément!"

So as training camp progresses, I’m going to see how the teams progressing while trying to keep a level head about what to expect from Big Blue. With the changes they’ve made, though, fighting the urge to be optimistic is the same as fighting the urge not to follow suit when you see someone yawning. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though. All we can do is hope everyone makes it out of camp unscathed, and ready to compete at a high level in September.

2016 Offseason / Draft Preview

A lot has happened to the Giants since the last time we talked.

First, Tom Coughlin fell on the sword, and “walked away” from the Giants’ organization after another disappointing season. By “walked away” I mean that he was thrown out like two week old Chinese food.
Ben McAdoo, who looks like that uncle who is in two bowling leagues, got the promotion from offensive coordinator to head coach. You know it’s funny, when everyone was throwing names around about who would be the next head coach of Big Blue, I thought that I’d rather have Coughlin over all of the suggested names. Even McAdoo's.
It’s unfortunate to see him go. True, it can be a reflection of his coaching for the Giants to lose a handful of games in the final two minutes, but to be fair he wasn’t coaching a team that was built to win a lot of games. Try painting a house when all you have are a couple of good brushes, but mostly you’re supplied with kid’s water color brushes. That’s what Tom Coughlin was trying to do, and the house never got painted.



But the one man who was responsible for building this team, Jerry Reese, basically said at Coughlin’s firing press-conference that although the team wasn’t perfect, but it was competitive. In fact, the team was so competitive that Reese spent this off-season throwing money around like Jordan Belfort. 

Here's Jerry Reese trying to save his neck by throwing money at free agents to help his depleted team.

They paid a Steinbrenner amount of money on a cornerback, Janoris Jenkins, defensive end, Olivier Vernon, and defensive tackle, Damon “Snacks” Harrison. They all got big money, and they are expected to make immediate impacts on defense.  
The Giants acquired a few other players. A couple of linebackers, a few offensive linemen, a running back, and a tight end. The biggest impact of this group will probably be the linebackers, Kelvin Sheppard and Keenan Robinson. The position is really thin from a talent standpoint, so I won’t be surprised to see these guys get a good amount of playing time.
Along with signing some new faces, Reese resigned a few people from last year’s “competitive” roster. JPP, Jasper Brinkley, and Josh Brown will all be back with Big Blue in the upcoming season. I’m expecting big things from JPP. He showed a lot of promise when he returned last year, and the additions of Vernon and Harrison will no doubt make his job a bit easier.

But in every off-season, teams lose noteworthy players. The Giants are no different. They had to say goodbye to the oft injured Prince Amukamara. It stings to see him go, but realizing that he only has one full season under his belt makes it a no-brainer to not give him a big extension. I can say the same thing about veteran linebacker, Jon Beason, who has since retired from football.

I am so mad that I didn't think of Roomba Randle until now.

They also got rid of my favorite route runner, Rueben Randle. He showed flashes of brilliance from time to time, but most of the time his routes were no more predictable than an automated vacuum cleaner's. I hope the Eagles will enjoy the five extra interceptions that Roomba Randle will give Bradford this year.
The Giants also got rid of offensive linemen Geoff Schwartz and Will Beatty.

Here’s a stat that will restore your faith in Jerry Reese. According to an article from nj.com, after the recent cuts of Randle, Prince, and Markus Kuhn, the Giants don’t have any players from the 2011 and 2012 drafts on their roster anymore. In those two recent drafts, nobody that was drafted was good enough, or reliable enough, to get resigned by the Giants. So there’s another feather in the cap of Reese.



Speaking of terrible drafting, let’s get to the 2016 NFL Draft...

Right now here are the Giants’ biggest needs; offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, running back, wide receiver, defensive backs, and safety. In other words, the team is doing great.
The good news is that because they have so many needs that they sucked their way to the 10th pick in the draft. This means they have a lot of options to get a player that can possibly be a cornerstone of the team for years to come. I feel like I said the same thing last year...
But who will they get? Will it be a defensive lineman like Shaq Lawson, or DeForest Buckner? Will it be offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley or Jack Conklin? Maybe a corner if Jalen Ramsey or Vernon Hargreaves falls to them? Maybe they’ll wind up taking linebackers Myles Jack or Leonard Floyd? Will they do something crazy like drafting running back Ezekiel Elliott or receiver Laquon Treadwell?

I think their best bet would be a defensive or offensive lineman. I know picks like that are as sexy as gym socks, but a deep and effective offensive or defensive line is what separates good teams from great teams. Eli and the running game will benefit from talented depth on the offensive line, and it would be great to see the Giants defensive line as the revolving door of pain that it used to be.
I really can’t see Jalen Ramsey falling to the Giants, but it is possible that Hargreaves will be there. But will there be more pressing needs for Big Blue available at that spot?
A linebacker like Jack or Floyd would be a good addition, even though Jack’s knee issue is a major concern. I’d be surprised if they take a linebacker since the last linebacker they took in the first round was Carl Banks in 1984. Having said that, Leonard Floyd would be a great pass rusher for the Giants.

ROOMIES!

I can’t see them picking up an offensive weapon with their first pick, but if they pick anyone, it’ll most likely be Laquon Treadwell. Odell, who spent his off-season at Drake's house, will see a lot of coverage this year (not that it really matters), and who knows what Victor Cruz will bring to the table this year? So a solid WR2 makes sense, but I can’t see Reese pulling the trigger on it.

The truth is that nobody will know what happens until Thursday night. Not me, not you, and not the bigwig mock drafters with their fancy suits and fancy networks. Just like those countless Star Wars or Game of Thrones fan theory videos on YouTube, it’s all speculative and ultimately pointless. What’s the point of trying to figure out if Jon Snow is dead, who Supreme Leader Snoke is, or who Rey’s parents are, when you’ll eventually find out? The same idea goes for these mock drafts. We’re all going to find out soon how the draft will go, but we all still read the articles, read the mock drafts, watch the draft shows on TV, and get excited or disappointed when we disagree on a hypothetical pick. I carry the blame just like everyone else. I clearly have an idea on who the Giants could/should get, and I have my own opinions on Rey’s lineage.

...Nerds... obviously Chewbacca is Rey's father, and Snoke is Jar Jar Binks.

We can talk about who will be drafted in the first round all day, but that’s not how a draft is won. If Reese wants to earn some pelts and save his job, he has to find great value in the late rounds, some diamonds in the rough.  For most of his time as GM, Reese had some major whiffs after the first two rounds.

Jerry Reese trying to swing for the fences in the later rounds.

No matter who they pick this week, there’s one thing that mostly everybody knows for sure... the Eagles really crapped the bed with their trade. I didn’t realize Sonny Weaver Jr. was the actual GM of the Browns this year. Giving up all of these picks for a possible franchise QB doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, but then again, the hiring of Chip Kelly didn’t make much sense either.

Listen, if Reese screws this draft up, the Giants season will most likely suffer, and he’ll probably get the axe. Ya know, unless he doesn’t. Again, like the bigwigs, I can’t predict the future.

"Todd! This is the can't-miss, best beach day of the year!"

The Giants' Wake

The Redskins' win last Saturday night I view as the merciful pulling of the life support plug that was keeping the Giants playoff hopes alive.

So since it is the end, let's talk about the disappointing Giants season as if it were The Wire, a dead Baltimore cop being eulogized on a pool table in a Baltimore cop bar.

What can we say about the Giants this season? Besides it being terrible, not much. This was one of the more frustrating seasons I've ever had to sit through. Mostly because of how close the were to winning a good amount of football games. Those games would have been the difference in making the playoffs. Football is a game of inches, a few breaks here and there, maybe some better clock management, and the Giants would be looking at 11 wins. But things don't work out the way it should. Victor Cruz never returned, I'll never be Batman, and the Giants weren't good enough to get the breaks they needed.

They did have some brilliant flashes in an otherwise dark cave of a season. Both Eli and Odell had good years, and JPP's return was well received as he made an immediate impact. There were also a few good memories, like Jennings' long touchdown against Buffalo, Dwayne Harris had both a punt return and a kickoff return for touchdowns, and the comeback win against the 49ers.

I don't know what will happen after the season. I don't know what will become of Coughlin and the rest of his coaching staff. Most likely an encouraged retirement? Will Jerry Reese be let go? It's hard to know what Mara and Tisch will do. They can sometimes be too loyal to people that have brought them success. They have such a long leash for their guys that they sometimes get tied up in it.
But if Coughlin winds up getting tossed, it will only be because he wasn't able to coach a poorly constructed team. Yes, there were blunders made. Bad clock management at the end of games, that play where he went for it on 4th down against the Jets, and it completely backfired just to name a few.

Also who would be an upgrade from Coughlin? Would they promote from within and hire Ben McAdoo? Would they hire someone from the outside and get Sean Payton? I have no idea if these guys are a better option for head coach than Coughlin, but you have to trust the ownership. They always seem to make the right decisions. But no matter what happens with Coach Coughlin there is one thing to say, when it went bad, it was really bad, but when it was good, he was the best coach in the NFL.  

So let's raise our glass to the Giants' season, and to the coaching staff. We don't know what the future will bring, but we have no choice but to thank them for the past.