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.