Train-a Thought

Minnesota 44 - Giants 7: Hits, Misses & Musings

The Giants turn in an ugly, embarrassing, disgraceful loss in their Giants Stadium finale. So the question was with nothing to play for other than pride, would the entire team show up and play this game with a sense of urgency or would they simply mail it in.

Carolina 41- Giants 9: Hits, Misses and Musings

The Giants turn in an ugly, embarrassing, disgraceful loss in their Giants Stadium finale.

Giants 45 - Washington 12: Hits, Misses, and Musings

Again, my apologies for being late with this. These night games are brutal and I can’t tell you how glad I am that they’re over for this year (unless of course there are playoffs, but I’ll worry about that later.)

Philadelphia 45 - Giants 38: Hits, Misses, & Musings

My sincerest apologies with running so late with HM&Ms. The night game aside, yesterday I didn’t accomplish nearly half of what I wanted to do as when I got back from the TPC, the short night had finally caught up to me to the point where I was completely useless (yes, even more so than my regular uselessness ).

Giants 31-Dallas 24: Hits, Misses & Musings

The following  are my initial impressions BEFORE I look at the tape. 

HITS
Aaron Rouse. Rouse had the biggest day of his career, recording 12 tackles (10 solo), one sack for minus six yards, one stuff, and one QB hit. Think the Giants’ latest waiver wire pickup isn’t interested in finally finding a home somewhere in the NFL?

Osi Umenyiora.Certainly the demotion out of the starting lineup couldn’t have been easy to swallow, but Umenyiora did so with dignity and even came up with a huge fumble recovery in the process. After the game, smile beaming across the room, he told a group of reporters that so long as the team kept winning like this, he’d put aside any bruised feelings he might have had.

Terrell Thomas. Anyone else noticing how much better he’s becoming week in and week out? Thomas finished third on the team in tackles with 10 (nine solo) and did a nice job in coverage once again.

Domenik Hixon.Not to pat myself on the back on this one, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he’d break a return for a score. And not only did he do so, he did a masterful job cutting back when there was nothing there in front of him. Outstanding job by “Hix,” who finished with three returns for 95 yards (31.7 yards per return); and a decent four kickoff returns for 70 yards (17.5 yards per return).

MISSES
Flozell Adams. When is the NFL going to realize what a dirty player he is and take action, when he cripples someone? His cheap shot against DE Justin Tuck back in Week 2 was bad enough, but this week, he pulled the same garbage again. Why the officials are so reluctant to throw him out of a game is something I’ll never understand.

Steve Smith. Smith had three drops today including a big fourth quarter drop in the end zone that could have put the game away for good for the Giants. Instead, New York settles for a field goal to make it 24-17 with seven minutes and some change left and the stadium is left sweating it out. 

Jeff Feagles.He used to be Mr. Reliable, but lately he’s been good for one clunker per game. This week, his short punt in the third quarter gave the Cowboys the ball at their own 44 and Tony Romo proceeded to march them right down the field for what was, at the time, the go-ahead touchdown, to make it 17-14.

Ahmad Bradshaw.Ok, I know he’s running on two bad feet, but he had another fumble this week that set Dallas up for a scoring drive.  Too bad Bradshaw didn’t get hold of Tiki Barber, who was one of the game’s honorary captains this week, and ask him about the “high and tight” method that the coaches taught Barber to use to cure his fumbling problems when he was a player.
 
MUSINGS
Resiliency – the ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like.

You remember about the resilient New York Giants, the team that in 2007 overcame all kinds of adversity to sneak up out of nowhere to shock the world en route to a stunning Super Bowl victory, right?

Of curse you do – who amongst us can every forget it? But if you did forget about it because it was so long ago, or if you’re new to following Giants football, ‘resiliency’ is just one of many terms head coach Tom Coughlin likes to use when describing his team, and it was “resiliency” which was this week’s theme in their 31-24 upset of the Dallas Cowboys.

Let’s be honest. Over the past six weeks, the Giants have not been playing their best ball. If it wasn’t the offense screwing up, it was the defense or special teams. The Giants, when they looked at themselves on film, swore up and down and with straight faces that they were a better team than what the world was seeing, and that with a little extra effort put forth by all of the players and coaches, they would make believers out of all of us.

So they scratched and clawed their way in an attempt to snap out of their funk, only to find themselves beaten, abused, and humiliated on more than one occasion.

They even found themselves laughed at when the suggested, again with a straight face, that they were a playoff caliber team.

But to those “doubting Thomas’s” who challenged the Giants to “show” that they were indeed a good team, New York came through in a big way this week. They finally realized what was at stake, and the light switch flipped on in their collective heads.

Perhaps they realized that a loss would have put them three games back in the NFC East with virtually no shot of so much as a Wild Card, let along the NFC East title. Perhaps they realized that they had strayed from Coach Coughlin’s other favorite saying, “Talk is cheap; play the game.”

Whatever it was, for the first time in six weeks, the Giants of 2009 looked like the Giants of 2007, playing as complete of a game as they have all season and against as good of a team they’ve seen since they faced these same Cowboys back in the second week of the season.

Oh sure, they were out muscled in total net yardage, 424 to 337. They also had 49 offensive plays to the Cowboys’ 80, and the offense only had the ball for 21:10.

However, the Giants went back to the basics, recording their first 100-yard rushing game in two weeks. They cut down on the number of penalties, recording only two, which is their lowest number this season. Although they didn’t win the turnover battle, their defense came through by stopping the run and forcing the erratic Tony Romo to beat them, which he failed to do.

This was the Giants’ brand of football, or pretty close to it. And it couldn’t have come at a better time as with two more games against NFC East opponents, the Giants are far from being dead in this race.

Up next, of course, they have the Eagles, the team they let embarrass them to the tune of 40-17 last month. New York hasn’t forgotten about that loss and given the shot of adrenaline, they helped themselves to this week, and something tells me it’s going to be a much different Giants team that takes the field next Sunday night against the Eagles.

INJURIES/LINEUP CHANGES
GIANTS:RB DJ Ware (concussion); OL Guy Whimper; OL Adam Koets;  S Michael Johnson (groin); WR Sinorice Moss; WR Ramses Barden;  TE Travis Beckum (groin); CB D.J. Johnson

Beckum came out of Friday's practice with an injured groin that apparently was concerning enough to prompt the Giants to sign TE Bear Pascoe from their practice squad just in case Beckum didn't improve. Since he was inactive, Pascoe was the third tight end, behind Kevin Boss and Darcy Johnson.

DE Mathias Kiwanuka started in place of Osi Umenyiora.  Chris Canty received his first start as a Giant, fittingly against his former teammates. He replaced Fred Robbins at defensive tackle. 
Jonathan Goff started at MLB over Chase Blackburn. LB Bryan Kehl played the pseudo nickel linebacker spot instead of CC Brown. Brown, meanwhile, started in place of Michael Johnson at safety.

DALLAS:QB Stephen McGee(3rd QB); FS Ken Hamlin ; DB Cletis Gordon; LB Jason Williams ; G MontraeHolland; C Duke Preston; T Marc Columbo; and DE Curtis Johnson

THE FINAL WORD
when you look for turning points in this season, you tend to look for something unexpected that really provides the spark. For example, in 2007, it was the near win over the then perfect New England Patriots that did it for New York.

This year? Well if the Giants do somehow manage to salvage this season, I think you have to look at the huge 74-yard touchdown reception from Brandon Jacobs as that spark.  that score gave the Giants the lead for good and just injected a sense of energy that I haven't seen in this team in weeks.  

The question though is this temporary or the spark this team needs to finally get hot? We'll find out for sure next week, as the Eagles always play the Giants tough, and the outcome of that game could go a long way in deciding who's still playing in mid-January vs. who's watching on television. 

Denver 26 - Giants 6: Hits, Misses and Musings

HITS
Lawrence Tynes. The best of the worse, he accounted for the only scoring this week, including a 52 yarder which was his longest field goal since he hit a game-winning 53-yarder against San Diego when he was a member of Kansas City on October 22, 2006; and a 39-yarder.

MISSES
I’m going to make this very easy and give a BIG miss to the rest of the team because quite frankly, this was one of the most uninspired performances I’ve seen in a while. Both sides of the ball looked completely unprepared, were undisciplined and sloppy in their play. In a nutshell they brought a turkey onto the field and let the fans down that support them every week. This team should be embarassed from top to bottom.

We’ll start with the offense, which has the same quarterback and same offensive line. The quarterback has regressed so badly in terms of his decision making to the point where he was so desperate to do something that he nearly took a safety in his own end zone. How about scanning the field on passing downs and finding some of those receivers who are so wide open?

The offensive line? Well it’s finally happened. Age and injury has caught up with this group that used to blast open holes big enough for a truck to drive through. These days? They jut can’t seem to dictate the tempo in the trenches as they’re constantly pushed back by defenders who get to the running backs. Expect this to be the last year this starting five works together, as someone is going to the bench – guaranteed.

The receivers? When they’re good, they’re very good. But when they’re bad, they’re dropping balls, cutting off routes, and not fighting for yardage. Granted it doesn’t help when the quarterback is under duress, but sometimes when a receiver sees that, he needs to turn and adjust his route to help out rather than standing there posing for the camera.

The running game? It’s a shell of its former self as the the afore mentioned offenseive line, tight ends and fullback are just not creating the space that they used to create with any regularity.

The coaching? I’ve tried to be patient. I’ve tried to look at things objectively and to be fair about things, but I can no longer do so after seeing this performance tonight. This was simply THE WORST performance I’ve seen from a coaching standpoint all year – New Orleans included. I realized that execution is part of it, but players need to be out into positions to make plays, and I didn’t see that on either side of the ball. So I cannot defend this coaching staff any longer.

Defensively? I think the Broncos’ decision to go for it on fourth and five said it all about how far this unit has fallen. Yet when I asked three defenders about that play, only one – LB Michael Boley – showed any emotion about the decision, viewing it as a slap in the face.

Which brings me to my final point. This team is in deep denial right now. They sit there week after week, loss after loss, and tell the media that they’re a good football team. Their head coach tells the media about how well they practices and how they spent quality meeting time. Well it’s just not translating onto the field as a collective group. If it was just a handful of guys not “getting it,” then okay, but for the entire team to look so uninspred and so ill-preapred, well, I have to lay that at the feet of the coaching staff.

While it’s still possible for the Giants to earn a playoff spot, I’m really starting to believe that they’d be much better off not making the playoffs as there are far too many holes on this team that just cannot be fixed in a week or two.

MUSINGS
Know that timeout the Giants took on the second play of the game? Whaddya bet that caused head cach Tom Coughlin to hesitate on challenging that incomplete pass by Hakeem Nicks on the next possession?  Eli Manning, who did a better job last week of snapping the ball with several seconds left on the clock, was right back to running the play clock down to the nub, hence that timeout.

Coughlin and Manning, after the game, said that the radio signal went out on them and Manning elected to take a timeout rather than take a delay of game penalty. Just a sign of things to come for the Giants this week.

Think Denver had any respect for the Giants’ defense? All you need to know regarding the answer to that question is that with fourth and five, on the 29, Denver went for it and connected with TE Tony Scheffler for a 22-yard pick up, as he beat Michael Boley in coverage.

INJURIES/LINEUP CHANGES
GIANTS: In addition to LB Antonio Pierce (neck) and RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankles); the Giants inactives were OL Guy Whimper and Adam Koets; CB Kevin Dockery;  WR Sinorice Moss; WR Ramses Barden; and CB DJ Johnson

LB Antonio Pierce, who has been sidelined indefinitely by a bulging disc in his neck, will remain inactive noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. Robert Watkins concurred with the original diagnosis of rest. Pierce is hoping that the disc will ultimately shrink to where he won’t need surgery. Originally the prognosis was six week; my understanding is that that prognosis is still the case.

No word on whether injured reserve has been discussed for Pierce, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it happens.  Pierce, who visits Dr. Watkins in Los Angeles, didn’t make the stopover in Denver to be with his teammates for their Thursday night game.

RB Danny Ware has informed the team that he wants to be known as “DJ Ware” from this point forward. DJ is apparently what his family has always called him to avoid confusion with his father, who is also named Danny.

So for those keeping score of the roster at home, that’s five Johnsons; two DJs; a Manning and a Manningham; a Ross, Boss, and Moss; and a Hedgecock in a pear tree.

Michael Boley, last week’s NFC Defensive Player of the Game, was this week’s defensive captain. The two game day captains were Rich Seubert and Domenik Hixon.

Corey Webster bruised left knee in second quarter, but returned to the game. TE Darcy Johnson left for a brief period to have his shoulder X-rayed, but he too returned to the game.

S Michael Johnson suffered a groin strain in the second quarter and did not return. He was replacfed by CC Brown, at the strong safety spot.

Ware suffered a concussion late in the third quarter and did not return. He was replaced by rookie Gartrell Johnson. He seemed cohesive after the game, but teams of course are being more cautious with concussions, so Ware’s status remains up in the air.

DENVER: Tom Brandstanter, 3rd QB; T Ryan Harris (toe);  RB LaMont Jordan (back); WR Kenny McKinley; OG Seth Olsen; DL Chris Baker; WR Brandon Lloyd; LB Jarvis Moss.

THE FINAL WORD
If there’s a bright side to this whole fiasco it’s that the Giants don’t have to play again for ten days. We all saw what happened the last time the team had an extended break, so who knows? Maybe the extra time off will help them finally get their act together as they prepare for three straight games against NFC teams which are going to be critical in determining ho gets a wild card spot. 

 

Giants 34 - Atlanta 31 (OT): Hits, Misses and Musings

HITS
WR Hakeem Nicks. The rookie continues to look sharp in his routes. Although he only had five catches for 65 yards, he had a couple of key receptions that helped keep moving the chains, plus he did a nice job with his downfield blocking.

TE Kevin Boss. Finally seeing some legitimate time as a receiver, Boss had eight balls thrown his way and caught five of them for 76 yards and two touchdowns. The only question I have is why haven’t the Giants tried to take advantage of his height and his pass receiving skills earlier in the year? Am I alone in thinking the Bossman can be a big-time (pun intended) weapon in the red zone?

CB Corey Webster. He broke up a late third quarter, third-and-seven pass for Michael Jenkins in the end zone which if it had been converted, would have made it a 24-21 game. Instead the Falcons had to settle for a field goal 25 yard field goal which made it 24-17 after three quarters. The old Webster is finally back.

LB Michael Boley. Let’s see. A team leading 13 tackles, 11 solo. One sack, two tackles for a loss, and two quarterback hits. Think he was just a little fired up to face his old teammates?

FB Madison Hedgecock. Two pass receptions for nine yards, plus a third one which was nullified by a penalty. Throw in his second career touchdown (his first I 364 days) cap off his best overall showing this year. And did I mention his blocking, which was top-shelf as always? The only thing that was disappointing as he didn’t follow up his now famous “rowin’ to Hawaii” celebration with something as unique, but hey, can't have everythingI suppose. 

QB Eli Manning. He started off slowly, as he had pressure in his face, but give him credit for hanging in there and not getting rattled. Manning’s 384-yard passing performance marked the first time in his career that he’s thrown for more than 300 yards in a regular season home game.

MISSES
DT Barry Cofield. Two personal fouls, including a late hit. Stupid. Another personal foul on the Falcons’ PAT in the third quarter (which was offset due to an Atlanta personal foul). Also stupid. I realize football is an aggressive sport, but how hard is it to let your play do the talking and stay away from the stupid stunts that cost your team 15 yards? 

Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan. DE Justin Tuck mentioned that Atlanta made some adjustments in their passing attack in the fourth quarter. However, I didn’t get the sense that the Giants defense adjusted accordingly. I know Sheridan’s a rookie coordinator and all, but you mean to tell me he doesn’t have a Plan B in these games when opponents adjust to what his defense is trying to do?

LT David Diehl. I need to break down the tape but my initial impression was not a very favorable one as Diehl struggled early on in protecting the quarterback’s blind side. To his credit, though, he fought through it and finished strong, and to be fair, Diehl wasn’t the only one on the offensive line to struggle, especially early on.
 
K Lawrence Tynes. Yes, yes, I know he made the game winning kick, but truthfully that game should have never gone into overtime, and it wouldn’t have had he made that 31 yarder he missed in the first half. And in case you missed it, he barely made his first successful attempt as that one started to hook to the left.

MUSINGS
Earlier this week I went around the locker room and asked players on both offense and defense just how close they thought they were to playing a complete game. The response, as you can probably guess, was that they were “very close.”

Sorry, but I disagree; they are nowhere near close to putting together a complete game in all facets. The same problems keep rearing their ugly heads and it’s gotten to the point where this has become alarming. I’ll chronicle the problems in more detail in our post game issue, but suffice to say that it’s completely mystifying to me that the coaches have yet to figure out how to fix some of these on-going problems (red zone dense, penalties, etc.)

I realize that a win is a win, but I find the Giants’ to be the equivalent of a runner up at a talent show being content with anything less than a first place finish. If these problems aren’t fixed soon, this team will not go very far in the playoffs – if it even makes the playoffs for that matter. 

INJURIES/LINEUP CHANGES
The Giants’ inactives were LB Antonio Pierce, OL Adam Koets, OL Guy Whimper, WR Sinorice Moss, RB Gartrell Johnson, CB DJ Johnson, WR Ramses Barden, CB Kevin Dockery

Chase Blackburn started in place of Pierce, as expected. And it was really no surprise to see Dockery inactive as the last time the Giants played, he had those two self-destructive penalties on special teams which more or less sealed his fate. Not surprisingly, the Giants had Aaron Ross, active for the first time today by the way, working on special teams in the same roles Dockery held.

RB Brandon Jacobs suffered a leg injury late in the third quarter and did not return to the game. Jacobs seemed to be walking gingerly in the post game locker room but said he would be fine for this week.
 
The Falcons’ inactives were JP Wilson (3rd QB), RB Michael Turner, RB Jerious Norwood, LB Spencer Adkins, OT Garrett Reynolds, OG Quinn Ojinnaka, WR Brian Finneran, DT Trey Lewis.

THE FINAL WORD
The Giants get right back to work tomorrow afternoon. They’ll practice on Tuesday and then it’s off to Denver on Wednesday.

Let the fun begin! 

The Giants get right back to work tomorrow afternoon. They’ll practice on Tuesday and then it’s off to Denver on Wednesday.

Let the fun begin! 

San Diego 21 – Giants 20: Hits, Misses and Musings

HITS
LB Michael Boley.It wasn’t a perfect showing, but in his first game back from knee surgery, Boley was very active and productive, finishing second on the team with seven tackles (all solo ) and a pass defensed. But then again, on the Chargers’ final scoring drive, Boley was spun around on a fake blitz on Darren Sproles' 21-yarder. 

TE Kevin Boss. Seriously, what does this guy have to do to get a penalty flag on these defenders who insist on hitting him in the head? For the second time in three weeks, Boss was speared by a Chargers defender. To his credit, he hung onto the ball, but after the game admitted that the hit rattled him a bit. The sad thing was the officials didn’t throw the penalty flag. Now normally I think the officials do a decent enough job, but something tells me that these helmet-to-helmet hits is something that is going to need to be addressed as it’s disturbing to see it missed now twice. 

RB Brandon Jacobs.I really thought this was going to be the week he got his 100-yard rushing game – he hasn’t had one now in a year, to be exact. However, as usual, offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride moved away from the hot hand. Jacobs did finish as the team’s leading rusher with 11 carries for 67 yards, a 6.1-yard per carry average and a long of 15. Maybe one of these days he’ll get his 100-yard rushing mark. Then again, maybe not.

FB Madison Hedgecock.Hey, it’s not his fault that his one reception, which went for six yards  was wiped out by an Ahmad Bradshaw chop block penalty. This is the second time this season that Hedgecock has seen a reception get taken off the board because of a penalty, and heaven knows that given his track record in the pass receiving arena, he can’t afford to be having catches taken away. As for his lead blocking, he logged another solid game lead blocking for Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, who combined for 25 carries for 106 yards (4.24 yards per carry).

MISSES
CB Kevin Dockery.Two big penalties on special teams, both of which were simply a loss of concentration (the false start and interfering with a fair catch). Simply inexcusable. It would not surprise me at all if the next time the Giants take the field, Dockery is removed from the punt gunner duties as he’s been simply dreadful in that role of late.

RG Chris Snee. After the game, Snee reluctantly agreed with the holding call that wiped out a Brandon Jacobs run to the Chargers’ one-yard line. It was only his second one this season, but this one was a big one, and kept the Giants offense from finishing yet another drive the way they needed to.

Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan.Justin Tuck in coverage in a third and long down situations (both of which were converted, by the way) in what was an obvious passing down. Seriously?

Jeff Feagles.I don't know what's going on with him lately, but he had two more clunkers this week in which the Chargers got the ball at the Giants' 45 and  their own 49. The result? Two touchdowns. And let's not forget about the botched field goal snap which initially seemed to be Feagles' fault, though I do plan to look at that play again to see if the snap was off target or if Tynes merely panicked becaue things weren't perfect.

Lawrence Tynes.   I still need to look at the missed field goal again, but one thing I do know is that unless the snap and the hold are perfect, Tynes doesn't always come through. And I suppose it says something about his role in the botched kick that he darted out of the post game locker room as most of the media was coming in.

MUSINGS
The late Vince Lombardi used to have a simple philosophy that served him well during his tenure as the Green bay head coach. Quite simply, if something was working, he dared opponents to find a way to stop him.

Too bad the Giants offensive coaching staff refuses to take this advice under consideration.

 While I can certainly appreciate the fact that the Giants have a lot of weapons at their disposal, the way I see it, is that the coaches are trying to spread the ball around a bit too much which is in turn not only mucking up this tea’s identity, but it’s prohibiting anyone from getting into a rhythm.

Take for example the running game. In the past, the giants made their living by rushing the ball to set up the pass. This year however, it seems to be the opposite. In this week’s game against San Diego, the chargers often loaded up the box against the Giants running game, yet Brandon Jacobs, whom I had a feeling would have gotten his first 100-yard rushing game since last year, had success running the ball as he averaged 6.1 yards per carry.

Then the Giants moved away from running the ball with Jacobs, switching things up a bit with Ahmad Bradshaw and then f course the passing game. While the run/pass distribution was fairly balanced – 29 rushes compared to 33 pass attempts, I can’t help but wonder if the Giants had stuck more with the run if the results of this game might have been different.

Yes, yes, I know about the penalties (nine of them, including four on offense), the continued problems in the red zone (50% conversion rate), and the sacks (five this week). But good coaching puts a team in a position to win, and I would be lying to you if I sat here and told you that the coaching staff’s decisions on the offensive side has put the Giants in the best position to win games.

Sometimes less is more, and if it just so happens that you hare doing one or two things well during the flow of the game, you stick with it and let the other team try to stop you. When you start trying to make everyone happy, guess what? You end up disappointing the whole lot. Further, you muck up the identity of a team that so desperately needed a win this week.

I wish I had an answer for those of you who are hurting after this latest loss. Sadly, that’s up to the coaching staff to figure out as what do I know? 

INJURIES/LINEUP CHANGES
DT Chris Canty and LB Michael Boley returned to action this week, Canty as a rotational defensive lineman and Boley as the starting WIL.

The Giants inactive list consisted of LB Bryan Kehl, who started out strong on special teams but who’s seen his play deteriorate the last few weeks; receivers Ramses Barden and Sinorice Moss; CB Aaron Ross (hamstring); RB Gartrell Johnson; OL Adam Koets and Guy Whimper; and DE Dave Tollefson.

As announced on Friday, Aaron Rouse started at free safety in place of CC Brown. Michael Johnson started at strong safety.  Boley got the start at weak side linebacker for Chase Blackburn.

During the game, LB Gerris Wilkinson had to leave with an injury to his wrist. Wilkinson said after the game that it wasn’t broken, yet he was seen leaving the locker room with a cast.

DE Justin Tuck, who’s already playing with one arm thanks to a shoulder injury, can add a “lower extremity” injury to his list of aches and pains. Tuck wouldn’t tell reporters the extent of his injury, but one popular theory making the rounds was that he twisted his knee.

RB Brandon Jacobs had to come out of the game with a leg injury, but went back in. In addition, RT Kareem McKenzie was slow in getting off the turf at the end of the third quarter, but picked himself back up and didn’t miss a beat.

San Diego’s inactives include starting inside linebacker Kevin Burnett; C Nick Hardwick (ankle);  CB Dante Hughes; LB Tim Dobbins;  G Tyronne Green; WR Buster Davis; and DE/DT Vaughn Martin. QB Charlie Whitehurst is the third quarterback.

THE FINAL WORD
Bring on the bye!

Philadelphia 40 – Giants 17: Hits, Misses & Musings

HITS
TE Kevin Boss.  Probably the one shining star on offense in another dismal showing, Boss finally scored his first touchdown of 2009 in the second quarter, and finished with his best performance of the year, three catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. Gee, see what happens when you get the tight end more involved once in a while? Good things really do happen! Now just imagine how many more good things might have happened if the quarterback’s accuracy had been better…

CB Bruce Johnson. Sacked McNabb in the third quarter, forcing a fumble which was scooped up by Fred Robbins, who shoveled the ball off to Osi Umenyiora as he was being tackled. However, Robbins’ play was flagged for being an illegal forward pass, and Umenyiora’s touchdown run was called back. Still, give credit to the rookie Johnson for giving the sagging Giants defense a spark when it needed it most. 

MISSES
Let’s just give it to the rest of the team (coaches included). Eli Manning was horrible – he threw two interceptions all of which were converted into points. He missed wide open receivers and just couldn’t do anything right.

The defense, meanwhile, was burnt like toast, especially in the secondary, by the Eagles fullback and the tight end no less. And I won’t even go into the play calling, which again left me scratching my head. Injuries? I don’t want to hear about it because good teams overcome injuries (2007 or 2008 Giants anyone)?

This 2009 Giants team is so lost right now that a GPS system might not help them find their way. And with Dallas winning their game against Seattle, the once mighty Giants, who amassed a perfect record against the type of competition that they have mirrored these last three week, are sinking fast. 

MUSINGS
I tend to error on the side of caution in a lot of things. That’s just how I was raised – something about “an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure.”

I also try to not criticize the decisions of others, especially if I don’t have all the facts. For example, when it comes to a football injury, I am not a doctor, nor do I know how the player really feels at any given time, even if I ask directly.  

But I do have a functioning brain in my head and I tend to use logic and reasoning in my coverage of this sport. And one thing from this week’s game that has me a tad concerned is the subject of concussions. 

Eagles RB Brian Westbrook suffered one in the Monday night win against Washington and he was kept out of this week’s game, despite the fact that he’s a know Giant killer and that his presence would certainly add firepower to his team as they sought to erase the Giants’  half game lead in the NFC East.

Give the Eagles credit. They realized that the season is a marathon, not a sprint, and they’re being smart with their players, especially when it comes to concussions.

The Giants? Well I really don’t want to sound critical, especially since they never used the word “concussion” to describe the injury TE Kevin Boss suffered last weekend against Arizona. Boss, unlike Westbrook, didn’t miss any practice and he was able to quickly overcome the soreness in his neck and shoulders to be ready for this game.

But still, I can’t get one thing that Boss said out of my head, and that is when he was hit by Arizona’s Antrel Rolle, the lights flashed for a minute. I’m certainly not a medical expert my any stretch of the imagination, but if the lights are flashing after a blow to the head, wouldn’t that qualify as a minor concussion, especially if the player in question was woozy after the game?

Maybe it’s a matter of the degree in which each player was injured, but I would think that if you’re talking about a head/neck injury, you’d want to error on the side of caution. That much I know from personal experience having suffered whiplash and a mild concussion after being rear-ended by another driver while I was stopped at a toll booth.

I’m told that sometimes the post-impact effects of head and neck injuries can sometimes take weeks if not years to show up if a person resumes their activities too soon. But again, I’m not a doctor and I don’t know how Boss has actually been feeling this week. I’m sure the Giants medical staff would have held him out if there was any doubt, any sign that he wasn’t good to go.

I do know that if it were my call, I would have erred on the side of caution because as I said before, the season is a marathon, not a sprint. And hopefully Boss is no worse for the wear after playing in this week’s hard-fought, physical battle. 

INJURIES/LINEUP CHANGES
GIANTS: WR Ramses Barden, CB Aaron Ross (hamstring), RB Gartrell Johnson, LB Michael Boley (knee), OL Adam Koets, OL Guy Whimper, WR Mario Manningham (shoulder), and DT Chris Canty (calf).

Domenik Hixon started for Manningham at receiver. However, Hixon had to leave the game with a hip pointer. He was replaced by Derek Hagan in the offense, and by Sinorice Moss on returns.

Moss also ended up having to leave the game due to injury with a sore foot. He was seen limping noticeably to the locker room with about two minutes left in the game.

PHILADELPHIA: Kevin Kolb (3rd QB), RB Brian Westbrook, S Macho Harris, DT Victor Abiamiri, OL Max Jean-Giles, DT Mike Patterson, G Mike McGlynn, and WR Kevin Curtis. LeSean McCoy started for Westbrook at running back.

SEEN AND HEARD
Inactive Giants CB Aaron Ross was in attendance at today’s game, with his fiancée, Olympic medalist Sanya Richards. Ross and Richards were part of the Lincoln Financial Field crowd. … DE Mathias Kiwanuka and RG Chris Snee were this week’s game day captains.
 
FINAL WORD
In the spirit of working in a little baseball lingo into this week’s entry – this in honor of the game that will be played across the street this evening -- I am OUTTA HERE! 

And you know what>/ I’m thrilled. I’d estimate that about 65% of the media in this box is doing double duty today.  Sure it’s overtime for most writers, and yes, if I had to, I could cover a baseball game. However, I’m thanking my lucky stars that I’m a one-sport (and one-team) gal these days.

Arizona 24 - Giants 17: Hits, Misses & Musings

Again, my apologies for being late with this installment. Not to make excuses, but the fact that the game ended late and that I’m on a special assignment at least for the next two weeks meant that I had to bump HM&M until today. The good news is that I’ve had a chance to do some additional homework. Hopefully, it shows.

HITS
Brandon Jacobs.Averaging 5.78 yards per carry, the old Jacobs was back this week as he took advantage of a nice seal block from FB Madison Hedgecock to rumble 25 yards downfield to set up first and goal at the Cardinals’ four. Not one to leave unfinished business, Jacobs finished the job two plays later to give the Giants their first points of the game.

Bill Sheridan. Overall, the Giants’ defensive coordinator called a much better game, bringing the heat like he promised earlier in the week. When it was all said and done, the Giants defense held Arizona to just 288 total yards, an average of 4.8 yards per offensive play. They also sacked Kurt Warner twice, hitting him seven times, and coming up with one interception. For good measure, they had seven tackles for a loss and broke up nine passes. It wasn't a great performance, but compared to last week, it was a huge step int eh right direction.

Hakeem Nicks. Give the rookie credit for being in the right place at the right time on the deflected Eli Manning pass originally intended for Steve Smith that bounced off the defender’s hands and right into the alert arms of Nicks, who took it to the house on a 62-yard run.

Mathias Kiwanuka.As he’s done every week, Kiwanuka came ready to play and was one of a few Giants defenders who stepped up to the challenge in getting pressure on the quarterback. What was impressive though was how he shed what I thought might have been several borderline holds to still disrupt things in the backfield. Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora might get all the attention when it comes to the Giants pass rush, but Kiwanuka, in my opinion, has been a steady and consistent presence throughout the ups and downs of this defense. 

MISSES
Jeff Feagles.Poor punting led to Arizona’s second quarter touchdown thanks to the great field position Feagles’ punts yielded. While I can appreciate his directional kicking and wanting to keep it out of the hands of Tim Hightower, I have to wonder if perhaps the coaches were just a tad concerned about the matchups on special teams in wanting to take the easy way out. But anyway, back to Feagles, his poor night was the result of some bad angles he took which affected his distance. The good news is he’s a pro and he’ll get it fixed, but the bad news is he didn’t help his team this week.

Domenik Hixon.If you are going to be involved in a game-changing play, you obviously want it to be on the upside. However, Hixon found himself on the other end of the ledger when on a deep first quarter pass, he was not only unable to shake free of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, he also failed to get his body into the proper position to make a play on the ball. The result? Rodgers-Cromartie wrestled it away and the Giants, who ultimately lost the game by seven points, failed to make a possible game-changing play

Eli Manning. These delay of game penalties at home have to stop. While I can appreciate Manning wanting to get his offense in the best possible position for success, I think he’s starting to over think things. You can’t sit there and worry all that much about what a defense is going to do to you – the minute you play scared, you’re going to falter. At some point, you have to throw caution to the wind, have faith in your guys and in yourself and have faith in the play that’s been called. 

Ahmad Bradshaw.Yes, I know what head coach Tom Coughlin said about Bradshaw being an “extra effort” football player. But the fact of the matter is that ball security MUST be a priority. Bradshaw was one of the culprits this week in the four turnovers this week, and when you turn the ball over, you don't win games..

MUSINGS
Last week when I had my dog Molly make her pick for this game (yeah,  I know it’s corny, but remember, it’s my blog and I can do what I want with it within reasons), she immediately chose the Cardinals. Although I know she has no idea what she’s doing, other than the fact that she’s getting her favorite treat, my reaction was, “The Cardinals Molly? Really?”

I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t think about having her redo her pick, but my husband, who acts as the feature’s auditor, reminded me that it’s not allowed under the rules I established for the feature. So I went with it and lo and behold, the puppy was right again. 

The point I’m getting at here is Molly, albeit a smart puppy, doesn’t posses the mental capacity of a human, and has no idea what football is; as a result, she can’t over think a situation. And sometimes when it comes to solving a complex puzzle, the best thing a person can do is to not overt think it. (Easier said than done considering I spend more time than I probably should breaking down matchups, analyzing stats and looking at all the factors just to get a good feel for how a game might progress.)

So given the Giants problems on offense this week, QB Eli Manning, who admitted to audibilizing his offense out of at least ten running plays, was guilty of two delay of game penalties and narrowly avoided a handful of other delays given his constant guessing and analyzing of what the Arizona defense was giving him pre-snap.

The problem though is by waiting until the last minute, Manning not only allowed precious time to elapse off the clock, he also let the Arizona defense dictate the tempo of the game rather than the other way around, though Manning disagreed with this idea.

“They were moving around and we were trying to get everything solved and everyone in the right spot,” Manning said. “They had a good game plan and they executed well, but we could have performed better.

But there comes a time when you have to stop second-guessing things and just go with what you have. It’s like the protective parent who never leaves their child’s side for fear that the kid is going to fall and hurt themselves. At some point, you just have to trust that your child is going to do the right thing to avoid catastrophe and should he face a problem, be smart enough to adjust.

Eli Manning is a fine quarterback – clearly, the best this team has had since Kerry Collins. He’s going to be here a long, long time calling signals. But for his sake, let’s hope he ultimately learns to trust instinct and that he also learns to stop over analyzing every little thing because sadly, what happened on offense was a classic example of “paralysis by analysis.”

INJURIES/LINEUP CHANGES
The inactive lists were as follows:

Giants:  DT Chris Canty (calf), CB Aaron Ross (hamstring), LB Michael Boley (knee), RB Gartrell Johnson, WR Ramses Barden, RT Kareem McKenzie, OL Adam Koets and WR Sinorice Moss were inactive. Rookie Will Beatty started in place of McKenzie. Meanwhile RB Danny Ware was active for the first time since the season opener, while rookie LB Clint Sintim was active for the first time since the Oakland game.

Arizona: TE Stephen Spach (ankle); QB Brian St. Pierre (3rd QB); S Rashad Johnson, LB Reggie Walker, OL Herman Johnson, OL Brandon Keith, WR Early Doucet, and WR Jerheme Urban.

TE Kevin Boss suffered a violent blow to the head and was seen going for X-rays on his neck and shoulders. The X-rays were negative, but Boss, who never used the word “concussion” in his description of his injury, was still sore a day after the game.

FINAL WORD
This really doesn’t have anything to do with the Giants-Cards game, but I still need to get it off my chest. Last week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, in London for the annual international game (this year between New England and Tampa Bay, hinted that the NFL has “tremendous interest” in placing a team in London.

Oh really? How about having “tremendous interest” in resolving the looming labor dispute first before worrying about taking the show across the pond. Maybe I’m missing something here, but what good is planning for multiple games in London or anywhere else in the world for that matter if the owners and players union can’t agree on the labor terms and might not be playing in 2011?

New Orleans 48 - Giants 27: Hits, Misses & Musings

HITS
Domenik Hixon. Two punt returns for 51 yards and seven kickoff returns for 230 yards, including a couple in which Hixon made something out of nothing. Welcome back Domenik!

 

Hakeem Nicks. The Giants leading receiver caught five balls for 114 yards and a touchdown., the only Giants receiver to have any kind of consistent success against the Saints’ defense.

 

Lawrence Tynes. I’ll overlook his opening kickoff, which landed at the ten (should never happen in the pristine kicking conditions of a dome unless the ball was mis-struck). Anyway, Tynes went on to have an otherwise solid afternoon, booming his kickoffs deep and hitting both of his field goal attempts.

 

Sean Payton. Let’s give credit where credit is due. Payton gave his players the week off to rest and then he and his assistants came back with a GREAT game plan on both sides of the ball which exposed the Giants weaknesses.

 

The Crowne Plaza Hotel. As part of their “Welcome Package” they gave out a little “Sleep Tight” care package featuring an eye mask, linen spray and the most important item of all – foam ear plugs. Thank you CPH for saving my ear drums!  

 

MISSES

The Team. Take your pick for this one – RB Ahmad Bradshaw, whose missed blitz pickup resulted in a sack and forced fumble of Eli Manning; CC Brown, who couldn’t get out of his own way in coverage… the list sadly goes on as today, against a good team, the Giants could not afford to make the mistakes that they got away with making the last five weeks. If they’re serious about getting to the big dance, they MUST do a better job of cleaning all of this stuff up and in a hurry as the schedule doesn’t get any easier going forward.  But the good news is they will get it straightened out. Bank on it.

 

Me. After getting into New Orleans last night at about 10:30 CST, I was treated to an unscheduled 90-minute tour of the downtown area. If you’ve ever driven around New Orleans at night, my advice is to walk as you’ll get around faster – narrow streets coupled with drunken partiers enjoying the French Quarter do not make for a fun time.  Tomorrow, I have to be up by 3:30 to make a 4:30 shuttle back to the airport for my early morning flight home.

 

Oh and in case you’re wondering, the itinerary left no time for dinner. So guess what I wasn’t able to squeeze in the night before the game?

 

Seriously, what the heck was I thinking when I agreed to this itinerary?

 

MUSINGS

Coming into this game, we had two main concerns that would ultimately come back to haunt the Giants.

 

First was the injury situation. WE know that you can’t use the injury situation as an excuse, but given the strategy employed by the Giants on defense (See “I on Strategy”) the Giants simply appeared to not have the talent they needed to run the desired strategy. Oh sure, this strategy worked in past weeks against the lesser teams, but  The Saints are not a lesser team, and the Giants found this out the hard way.

 

We know who the Giants are missing on defense -- Kenny Phillips, Aaron Ross, Chris Canty, and Michael Boley. BADLY, we might add. Phillips is gone for the year while the other three are believed to be several weeks away from returning if in fact they do return. Their absence changes the complexion of the defense as the coaches, instead of adjusting to what they have, seem to have a pre-set plan that doesn’t fully take advantage of the talent that they are able to put on the field.  

 

That leads us to our second concern, which is really an extension of the first one, and that is the personnel. Inside Football subscribers who read our pre-game strategy report on our web site this week know that there was a concern about how the Saints spread the ball around to different play makers, and that if you don’t get the right matchups, they’re going to gash you.

 

That’s exactly what happened as the Saints made it look too easy against a defense that had no answers.

 

The Giants will need to go back to the drawing board this week and find those answers in a hurry. What those answers are remains to be seen, but let’s hope that they find the answers quickly as things aren’t getting any easier the rest of the way out.  

 

INJURIES/LINEUP CHANGES
GIANTS: DE Chris Canty (calf), LB Michael Boley (knee), and CB Aaron Ross (hamstring) were the injury scratches. They were  joined on the inactive list by OC Adam Koets, OL Guy Whimper, WR Ramses Barden, LB Clint Sintim and the surprise of the group, RB Danny Ware, who practiced all week and was anticipating playing.

 

Brandon Jacobs suffered his second straight burner in as many weeks, but was able to return. RT Kareem McKenzie suffered a groin injury late in the second half and had to be carted off. McKenzie was seen leaving the locker room very gingerly after the game.

SAINTS: Chase Daniels (3rd QB); PK Garrett Hartley, DT Kendrick Clancy; TE Darnell Dinkins; LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar; RB Lynell Hamilton; C Nick Leckey; and CB Leigh Torrence.

THE FINAL WORD
Cheer up Giants fans. Yes this was a tough pill to swallow, but you know what? It could have been worse. Just ask the Washington Redskins, who lost to the Kansas City Chiefs today, 14-6.

 

SEEN AND HEARD

Louisiana natives and childhood friends Brandon Jacobs and Corey Webster were Giants game day captains this week.

 

Eli Manning received a comforting hug and pat on the back from his mom Olivia, who along with dad Archie was in attendance to cheer their youngest son on.

 

WR Mario Manningham was seen walking to the locker room, pads off, with about three minutes left in the game. However head coach Tom Coughlin said he had no information on what was wrong with Manningham, who finished with four catches for 50 yards,

 

QUESTIONS

I had the following questions pop into my head as I saw this game unfold. Some I was able to get an answer for; some I was not. Tell me what you think.

 

1. Did the Saints do something unexpected on offense to catch the Giants off guard? According to DE Justin Tuck, they did – sort of. Tuck told me after the game that they changed up their blocking schemes and they also came out throwing a lot more than the Giants anticipated, which of course created more unfavorable matchups – the Giants didn’t really turn to their nickel package more until the second quarter, after most of the damage had been done.

 

2. Is Ahmad Bradshaw really a better runner than Brandon Jacobs? This week Jacobs averaged 4.7 yards per carry; Ahmad Bradshaw 4.8. Maybe it’s been how teams have been playing the Giants running game that is giving off the illusion that there is something “wrong” with Jacobs?

 

3. What happened to the double tight end set? The past two weeks the Giants employed the double tight end set a lot and it worked well. This week? I think they used it maybe a handful of times. Why fix what wasn’t broken? Well I asked one player on offense that question and he simply shrugged.

 

4. Do the Giants have a Plan B for their defensive coverage? They sure better have one because the just didn’t get it done. I was intrigued by the idea of moving Michael Johnson down to the linebacker position and inserting Aaron Rouse in there, but again, we didn’t really see much of that alignment until the barnyard door had flown wide open.

 

BY THE NUMBERS

* Domenik Hixon, back on punt and kickoff returns, had eight attempts for 230 yards. That included four kickoffs for 156 yards. Oh and by the way, before this week, the Giants had ten kickoffs for 153 yards.

 

* The Giants recorded nine penalties this week for 110 yards

 

* The offense struggled on their third down attempts, converting just three of ten tries (30%).

 

* On the plus side, New York was two of three in the red zone (67%).

Giants 44 - Oakland 7: Hits, Misses & Musings

HITS
The Giants. In what was a lop-sided game, it’s almost not fair to single out individuals for hits and misses this week. In terms of hits, though, I think the entire Giants team, from top to bottom, is deserving of kudos.

However, I want to throw some kudos to a couple of guys whom I feared would be perpetual misses this year, Sinorice Moss and Lawrence Tynes.

I’ll start with Moss, who continued his frustrating ways as a punt returner, at one point not getting out of the way of a live ball that hit him on the shoulder and was recovered by Oakland. At that point, I was convinced that Moss’ days as a punt returner for this team were over, but to my surprise, the coaches put him right back out there and he began to turn it around by making smarter decisions and actually exploiting the creases he was getting. He finished with seven returns for 48 yards, a 6.9 average and a long of 16. Let’s hope that the meter continues to head in the right direction where Moss is concerned.

As for Tynes, I’d be lying if I said this missed field goals in recent weeks weren’t a concern, but give the man credit for heeding the wakeup call that head coach delivered this past week when he had two kickers come in for a workout. Tynes had said earlier in the week that the message was received and to his credit, he went out there today and kicked well when it counted.

MISSES
The Oakland Coaching Staff. Erik Pears against Justin Tuck? Really now, c’mon! But seriously, on the larger landscape, I don’t blame the players as much for today’s fiasco as I do the coaching staff and the team’s management.

The Raiders aren’t a team I follow, mind you, but in the glimpse I got today, there’s seems to be no unity, no pride, and no encouragement in that locker room. Some guys are working their tails off while others just seem content collecting a six figure paycheck. And it’s just a matter of time before those who are actually giving an effort have their spirits broken and the Raiders REALLY become unbearable to watch.

It’s a sad situation and my heart went out to those dejected players I passed on my way to the post game locker room. There are only so many opportunities available for young men to make it in this league, and when you do, the hope would be to go to a program that has a structure. The Raiders do not seem to have a structure that’s based on a solid foundation, and they’ve become a franchise in need of massive changes from top to bottom.

For the sake of Raider Nation, let’s hope that the right changes are made within that organization because their fans deserve way better than what they’ve gotten. 

Gloria Gaynor. I love Gloria Gaynor, who was on hand today as part of the NFL’s Breast Cancer Awareness efforts to sing her mega hit “I Will Survive” as well as the National Anthem. But not only did she botched the lyrics to the National Anthem twice, her vocals just weren’t there today. 

MUSINGS
Sometimes in the NFL, it’s not about who is the more talented team, but rather about who has the will to succeed.

For example, if you look at the Giants’  Super Bowl win over New England, experts might argue that the Patriots, then 16-0 were the more talented team. However, as well all know, it was the Giants whose collective will to succeed in overcoming the odds enabled them to pull off the most stunning upset in Super Bowl history.

What does this fond memory have to do with today’s Giants-Raiders game? Well today that sheer will came through in another format, and that is the will to overcome obstacles to make a contribution.

I’m talking about injuries – painful injuries which in most cases would have the average man sitting at home on Sunday with his feet up and a cold beer in his hand as his teammates marched on without him.

There is the quarterback, Eli Manning, who bravely fought through a heel injury that caused him to miss two days of practice and which threatened his consecutive start streak this week. Manning, always the cool and easy one, probably never had any doubt in his mind that he was going to play in this game, and not only play, but do well.

And do well indeed. Manning led his team to a 28-7 lead, and amassed a perfect passer rating (158.3) thanks to his eight out of ten for 173 yards and two touchdowns before giving way to backup David Carr with 2:19 left in the second quarter.

Then there was the incredible performance by RB Ahmad Bradshaw, the little scatback type who in many ways reminds one of Tiki Barber given his ability to slash and dash through defenses.

Bradshaw, who is on a managed practice schedule thanks to a foot and ankle injury that requires him to wear a boot and miss two days of practice every week, ran 11 times for 110 yards and two scores. More impressive though, was that the majority of those yards were a result of his incredible vision in which he quickly cut back and exploited a crease before it was quickly swallowed up in the scrum.

Despite their show of will – and there are many other players on this Giants team who are playing through painful injuries – Bradshaw and Manning, this week’s shining stars on offense, simply chalked up their performance to just another day at the office made possible by their co-workers.

“For me, every gain I had, I give it to the line; they opened it up perfectly,” said Bradshaw. “They used the flow of the linebackers and pushed them on by.  I was able to cut back on the toss and they just pushed them back on that goal line stand for that touchdown.  Every run I had, they just opened it up and I came right off the block and tried to hit it.”
“ Obviously going out there in the opening drive and kind of giving our team some confidence, just saying, ‘hey I’m fine, I’m good to go,’” Manning said.
As the Oakland Raiders continue to search for answers to what’s quickly becoming a lost season, as they look for an identity to call their own, they might do well to look at how this Giants team has come together under head coach Tom Coughlin when he preaches “Team first,” and stresses the importance of making sacrifices for the good of the team.

Because the game of football isn’t about self or individual accomplishments. It’s about pushing forward and being a part of the larger picture – the team -- even if that means playing through injury or putting aside personal stats for the sake of a win. 

INJURIES/LINEUP CHANGES
TE Kevin Boss was be inactive with an ankle injury.  He joins fellow injured teammates DE Chris Canty (calf), LB Bryan Kehl (finger), LB Michael Boley (knee), CB Aaron Ross (hamstring), and RB Danny Ware (elbow).

OC Adam Koets and WR Ramses Barden were healthy scratches for the Giants.

For the Raiders, QB Charlie Frye is the third quarterback. Scratch RB Darren McFadden, FB Oren O' Neal, T Cornell Green, G Robert Gallery, WR Chaz Schilens, WR Javon Walker and WR Nick Miller.

Brandon Jacobs suffered a burner in the first quarter, but was able to return. WR Mario Manningham suffered a chest contusion but after the game said he was fine.

Others who were banged up Giants included safety CC Brown (shoulder) and LB Gerris Wilkinson (knee), both of whom went for post game X-rays. Neither injury though appears to be serious.

THE FINAL WORD
The party is over, kiddies. Next week it’s the Battle in the Bayou between two unbeaten teams, and the Saints are nothing like the opponents the Giants have faced so far this season. In fact from here on out, it doesn’t get any easier, and this next stretch of games leading up to the bye week will really tell us a lot about this Giants team and what they’re made of. Will the injuries finally catch up with the Giants? Were the first five games for real or  mirage? Tune in next week, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel to find out.

BY THE NUMBERS
* The Giants defense finished with six sacks for minus 36 yards, five tackles for a loss, five quarterback hits, two passes broken up, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. “When we start performing and everyone’s playing at the same level and moving in sync, it’s just a great feeling,” said DE Mathias Kiwanuka. “Coming off the field laughing and jawing about who got the sack and what not -- that’s the way we want to play football here.”

* The Giants had 27 first downs to Oakland’s 7. They also posted 483 net yards on offense to Oakland’s 124, gaining an average of 7.4 yards per offensive play.

* The Giants were four of seven (57%) in the red zone this week and one of two in goal-to-go efficiency.

* New York limited their penalties to just four for 37 yards; Oakland accumulated seven infractions for 67 yards.

* Want one of the key stats of the game? The Raiders had three fumbles and lost all three. The Giants, meanwhile had three fumbles, but only lost one. No surprise but the team who usually limits its turnovers emerges as the winner every time.

Giants 27 - Kansas City 16: Hits, Misses & Musings

HITS
Ahmad Bradshaw:  Let’s see, 12 carries, 64 yards for a 5.3 yard per rush average. Ankle? What ankle? Oh and in case you missed it, Bradshaw was an absolute beast on the blitz pickups, upending a Chiefs defender twice on all-out blitzes.

Brandon Jacobs.With Tony Siragusa back along the sideline as part of the Fox crew, Jacobs made the big guy eat crow by running as hard as we have seen him this season to the tune of 21 carries for 92 yards (4.4 yards per carry. Thank you Tony for waking a sleeping Giant.

Kevin Boss:Heads up play by the Bossman on that 24-yard reception with time ticking away in the second quarter to get up quickly to allow his team to spike the ball and set up the 25-yard Lawrence Tynes field goal. Had Boss not gotten up before the officials called an injury time out, it would have been a ten-second runoff that would have seriously squeezed his team for time.

Steve Smith. All Smith has done week in and week out is make plays and certainly after today’s performance, he’s sure to remain in the top five category in reception yards thanks to his 11 catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns.  In fact, he has the most receptions (34) through the first four games of a season in team history. If Smith isn’t this week’s NFC Offensive Player of the Week after today’s performance, then something is wrong with that picture.

Bryan Kehl. A couple weeks ago, we gave him a ‘hit’ for his play on special teams, and in fact, he was kind enough to answer a 'Fan Fest Friday' questionabout playing special teams.  Anyway, Kehl again had a strong day on special teams despite the fact that he didn’t record any tackles.

First, he recovered the opening kickoff flub by Jamaal Charles on the Chiefs’ 16 that set up New York’s first score of the game. Then at the start of the second half when Kansas City tried an onside kick to start the half, Kehl showed that he was paying attention to all the times they practiced onside kickoff recoveries this past week by pouncing on the ball. It was a heads up play that ultimately led to Lawrence Tynes’ second field goal of the day for a 20-3 Giants lead at the time. 

Michael Boley.Huge day for the Giants’ weak side linebacker who logged five solo tackles, a sack  for minus four yards, four tackles for a loss, one quarterback hit and two passes defensed. It just seemed that Boley went unblocked far too often than KC would have probably preferred.

Eli Manning. I know some of you think I’m too hard on Eli at times, but you need to remember that I’ve been on his bandwagon since day one and I have nothing but the highest expectations for him because I know he’s capable of delivering the goods. Moreover, delivering the goods he’s done. Before suffering his mysterious hell injury – and let’s al say a few Novenas that it’s nothing serious – he completed 20 of 34 passes for 292 yards, three touchdowns and one sack. After he left the game, the starch came out of the Giants’ offense. Is it any wonder why this is the one Giant player you don’t want to see standing on the sidelines, unless, you know, there’s a 30-0 lead?

All the “Pinkies.” Special shout-out to all the players, coaches, officials, and team administrators who, in support of breast cancer awareness month, wore something pink. In any sport, athletes who wear pink get a lot of crap from their teammates, but truthfully, real men wear pink. As a woman, I deeply appreciate the NFL’s campaign to raise breast cancer awareness and applaud all the men associated with the game who wore something pink to show their support of the initiative.

MISSES
Sinorice Moss: I’m getting tired of saying this, but the Giants need to find another option for their punt and kickoff return game. To catalog some of the plays that had me gasping – and not in a good way…

On the very first punt of the game, he failed to run up to field a short punt, and the result was the Giants lost about 11 yards of field position. Then on the next kickoff, he bobbled the ball in the end zone, though he did manage to fall on it. Then on his second punt return, he again failed to run up to field the short ball despite having gobs of room in front of hi, The result? Another seven yards lost.

Half of the battle is making good decisions. Is it any reason why the Giants have been toying with the idea of letting CB Corey Webster return punts? 

Mario Manningham.  His first four passes three drops, one juggling catch. All together, Manningham had six balls thrown his way in the first half and caught only one which would be his only reception of the day (that for 43 yards). Not great production, but before anyone go praying for a trade before the deadline, relax. Manningham is still a work in progress and has shown more positives so far than negatives. With time and more work with Manning, he’s going to develop into a top shelf receiver.

Lawrence Tynes.The problems continue for Tynes on field goals, who in four games has missed at last one field goal attempt in three of them. The latest miss was 38 yards out from the right hash. 

I don’t want to keep killing the guy in this column every week, but if he’s reverting back to bad habits on game day, do you think maybe there should be some concern about his game day  concentration?  And if that’s the case, then I think it’s cause for concern.
 
The Red Zone Offense. I thought last week’s performance against Tampa Bay in which the Giants were three of three in the red zone would finally get this aspect of the game back on track. I was incorrect as this week the Giants went one for three in the red zone, making them four of 16 on the season. 

MUSINGS
When Tom Coughlin was hired, there were many questions about how he’d work out as head coach. Would he expect to much from his team and thus rob them of the fun that comes with playing with the game? Would he ultimately evolve into more of a player’s coach and erase any reputation he had as a tyrant?

Sure, we know about the dress code –jackets and ties on the road, certain colored socks, etc. However, as I said some time ago, if you dress the part of a professional, you’ll start to believe you’re really a professional and you’ll act like a professional. That is what this team has done.

Let’s give Coughlin the credit he deserves because he chose the latter. Evolving into more of a player’s coach, Coughlin and his staff have really done a fine job as far as getting this team prepared every week. They’ve placed more emphasis on learning the rules, and in doing the little things that make a team successful.

Let’s cite a couple of examples. There was the play near the end of the first half in which TE Kevin Boss caught a pass inside of two minutes and suffered a knee injury. Rather than lie on the ground though waiting for aid, Boss quickly got himself up and back to the huddle as time was winding down, thus avoiding a ten-second run off that would have happened had the Giants been force to tend to him. That of course extended the drive that cumulated in Lawrence Tynes’ 25-yard field goal at the close of the half.

The other example that came to mind was the attempted onsides kicks by the Chiefs, none of which were successful. During the week, the media is allowed to watch a part of the practice and the part we’re able to see includes special teams. So clearly, the extra work that the Giants did in practicing to defend the onsides kick paid off this week.

The Giants are far from being perfect – Coughlin will be the first to admit that. They still have some recurring problems that they MUST find a way to fix – the red zone offense, for example, reverted back to shaky status as they were one for three today on their attempts and are four of 16 on the season – not the mark of a top shelf offense.

However, the thing you have to like about Coughlin is that he’ll keep after a problem until it goes away, even if it might take a while or the issue to disappear from the landscape. We all remember how in the early years of his tenure with the Giants, New York was often one of the heaviest penalized teams in the NFL, which we chalked up to a lack of discipline and attention to details.

In the last few years though, the Giants, save for the occasional slip-up, have gotten much better with their on-field discipline and with paying closer attention to their technique to avoid the technical infractions.

Therefore, with a 4-0 record, the Road Warriors head home for an upcoming game next week against Oakland. If there’s one thing that we’d like to see them really work on it the coming days is finishing their games stronger. Today’s game against Kansas City was a little loser than it needed to be considering the strengths the Giants brought to the field, and this stretch of games in which they play teams that they clearly outmatch isn’t going to last forever.

The good thing to come of this stretch is that they’re building momentum, and knowing Coughlin the way we do, that momentum will continue as they continue to take care of their weekly business.

INACTIVES
GIANTS: DT Chris  Canty, LB Clint Sintim, RB Danny Ware, CB Aaron Ross, WR Domenik  Hixon, OL Adam Koets, WR Ramses Barden, OL Guy Whimper

CHIEFS: QB Matt Gutierrez (3rd QB), WR Quinten Lawrence, CB Mike Richardson, RB Dantrell Savage, OL Ikechuku Ndukwe, TE Jake O'Connell, TE Brad Cottam, LB Pierre Walters

INJURIES/LINEUP CHANGES
TE Kevin Boss suffered a sprained ankle at the end of the first half but returned to the action. Boss indicated that he was sore after the game, so it will be interesting to see how he does over the course of the next 24-48 ours. 

Perhaps the most concerning of the injuries though was the one suffered by starting QB Eli Manning, who injured his right heel on a pass. The replay showed he wasn’t hit, so it might have been something earlier, but whatever it was, the Giants smartly removed Manning from the game and will monitor him closely, as after the game, he was seen walking around with a  slight limp. 

After the game, head coach Tom Coughlin reported that Manning had some “discomfort” in his foot and couldn’t have gone back in.  Manning meanwhile said it was not an Achilles injury, though he’s going to have a battery of tests done on his right foot when the team plane touches down in New Jersey. Therefore, while it sounds like it’s nothing serious, though we won’t know for sure until at the earliest tomorrow.

THE FINAL WORD
If Eli Manning has to miss any games – and I want to say that I don’t think that will be the case, though I’m not a doctor and can only go by the information I have at the time I write this – this team is in trouble.

Maybe it was just me, but I thought the offense looked like a completely different group when Manning came out of the game. I realize that David Carr needed to just nurse the lead; however,  what I found to be particularly disturbing is those two times he was asked to pass, he wasn’t sharp.

So get well soon Eli – your team and the legions of Giants fans who felt their hearts leap into their throats when witnessing you limp off the field need you.

Hits, Misses & Musings: Giants 24-Tampa 0

HITS
Ahmad Bradshaw. Having dedicated this season to his late father who passed away unexpectedly earlier this year, Papa Bradshaw must have been smiling from the Heavens as his son had his breakout game as a pro. Not only was Bradshaw the leading rusher with his 14 carries for 104 yards (7.4 yards per average), but what was more impressive was the number of times he made would be tacklers miss en route to picking up additional yards after initial contact. I have to go back and look at the tape, but I’d be willing to bet that Bradshaw had at least 60 yards after the initial contact. And let’s thrown in his work as a punt returner for good measure here as he ran back four punts for 39 yards, a respectable 9.8 yards per return. Simply a fantastic game for this young player.

Steve Smith. Thrown at seven times, Mr. Clutch had seven catches for 63 yards and a touchdown. No, not gaudy numbers by any stretch of the imagination, but the receptions came in clutch situations (hence the nickname “Mr. Clutch.) Further, maybe one of the seven catches was an easy one. Smith sis quickly mastering the art of the acrobatic catch.

Mario Manningham.Attention media and fans. Can we now stop worrying about the Giants receivers? Manningham had four catches for 55 yards. Again, not gaudy numbers, but he certainly made them count for something.

Will Beatty.Pressed into action at right tackle when the Giants lost starter Kareem McKenzie to a knee injury, the rookie didn’t miss a beat. And I think it says a lot about how far he’s come that he was chosen to go into the game over veteran Guy Whimper, the latter of whom eventually did get inserted into the game to give David Diehl a breather – but well after the game had turned into an exhibition.

Terrell Thomas.After struggling a bit in his first two games, Thomas came up big today. He only had three tackles, all solo, but he also managed to hit QB Byron Leftwich once, break up a pass and pick off a pass. Let’s hope this was his breakout performance as it remains to be seen how much longer starter Aaron Ross will be sidelined.

Kevin Gilbride.I’ve killed him in this column the first two weeks (and rightfully so, I think), but now let’s give credit where it’s due. Gilbride called a wonderful game today, and extra kudos to him for FINALLY abandoning those stupid slow developing plays in the red zone which yielded zero or negative yardage. In fact if you look at the numbers, the Giants had an impressive 27 first down, 12 by rush, 12 by pass and three via penalty, which to me indicates a well-balanced game. 

Tampa Bay/RJS. Hands down the best pregame spread of any stadium I’ve ever been to. Carving stations…gourmet sandwiches and pastries, and then bananas foster at halftime. We’re talking the good stuff here folks. Where most teams only offer a couple of items, here it’s like a high quality cafeteria.

MISSES
Sinorice Moss. As a receiver, Moss did his job -- one catch for an 18-yard touchdown. On special teams, however, Ugh! For starters, there was one punt coverage play in which Moss, lined up as a gunner, totally let his competition push him too easily out of the picture. Then there was a punt return in which he started up field and, sensing the charging pressure, slid into third base before he could be touched, totally oblivious to the cutback lane that had opened up. I like Moss as a receiver, but on special teams, nah.

Lawrence Tynes.I like the guy. I really do. But seriously, these missed field goals – I believe he’s missed one per game – have  to stop. It just seems that unless the snap and the hold are perfect – which they’re not going to be every time – Tynes has some sort of lockup which causes him to miss what should be a chip shot. This week, he blew a 21 yarder, which from the replay the snap wasn’t the best and the hold was a little shaky, but still, Jeff Feagles managed to get the ball placed in time only to have Tynes pull it wide left. I can’t help but shake the feeling that at some point, this inconsistency is going to cost the Giants and I certainly hope that Tynes figures this out sooner than later. 

Derrick Ward. Yes, yes, I know he’ll always be a Giant. But not having the blue jersey on today meant that Ward couldn’t get in on the fun his former teammates were having in the ground game. Ward rushed five times for a total of two yards. Credit Antonio Pierce and Fred Robbins for stuffing Ward at least three times.

Tampa head coach Raheem Morris.Why did he wait until the fourth quarter to pull struggling starter Byron Leftwich. Ok, granted his replacement Josh Johnson, couldn’t put points on the board, but he did something that Leftwich was unable to do: he moved the ball down the field, converting one fourth down play, until his luck ran out on the Giants’ five on another fourth down.

Tampa Marriott Airport. Okay, I now it’s been at least seven or eight years since I was here last, but as I recalled, this hotel served the best key lime pie (a favorite of mine) outside of the Florida Keys. But not anymore. What I got in the form of a key lime pie is something I could easily get back home – it was pedestrian. Very, very disappointing, though they did make it up to me in the form of a free breakfast after screwing up that service.

THE QUOTE OF THE DAY
Tampa head coach Raheem Morris: “We were beat by a grow man today, a team we want to be like one day.”

MUSINGS
As I was waiting for the elevator to take us down to the ground level for the post game locker room, I overheard a colleague tell a member of the Tampa press that the Giants should have easily score more points than they did given their dominance of the play clock and their yardage production.

I initially thought that too, but you know what? In this heat, I think the Giants did an excellent job of pacing themselves throughout the game so that they were fresh well into the fourth quarter. In fact, You could see the Tampa defense really start to wear down at the end of the second quarter, at which point you kind of figured that the Giants were going to lock it up barring a complete meltdown.

Not only did they deliver, but what probably more impressive is that seven days removed from an emotional and hard-fought game against their bitter NFC East rival Dallas, these Giants came out angrier and more determined than I think I’ve seen them this year.

The defense was seething over having been gashed the week before, so much so that they held the Tampa rushing game to ten carries for 28 yards. The offensive line was stewing over having been criticized for not opening holes for the running backs, so they blocked their tails off as the backs ran wild for 226 yards.

The receivers, who people are still criticizing, came up big again with clutch receptions when needed, combining for 16 catches and 171 yards and two touchdowns.

And the starting quarterback, who, take away his fourth quarter heroics last week had a shaky three quarters against Dallas, came up huge as he went 14 of 24 for 161 yards, no interceptions and two touchdowns for a 106.4 rating.

This was a Giants team that had something to prove, ladies and gentlemen. They knew that last week’s win was a gift from a higher authority. Well, these Giants aren’t in the business of accepting gifts. They look to earn everything they get, and today the Road Warriors certainly earned this victory with some good old fashioned smash mouth football. 

INJURIES/LINEUP CHANGES
For the first time that I can remember, the Giants inactive list consisted of ALL injured players, as follows: WR Hakeem Nicks (foot), DT Chris Canty (calf), CB Aaron Ross (hamstring), LB Clint Sintim (groin), OL Adam Koets (ankle), RB Danny Ware (elbow), CB Kevin Dockery (hamstring), and WR Domenik Hixon (knee)

DE Justin Tuck (shoulder), who was listed as questionable for this week’s game, was dressed for it, but was limited. I tried to find something in the rules about the max of players that a team must dress, but all I could find is that each team is required to “dress” 45 – they are not required to play 45. (Just look at a game book any given week and you’ll see players listed as “did not play.’ 

Tuck, by the way, threw a nice left jab at the goal post during pre-game warm-ups – his left shoulder is the injured one as if to tell everyone that he’s going to be okay. He did have a harness on though, and was limited to the nickel package, where he lined up at defensive tackle.

For Tampa, the inactive players were Josh Freeman (3rd QB), RB Earnest Graham (hamstring), C Jeff Faine (triceps), T Marc Dile, T Demar Dotson, WR Maurice Stovall (knee), DT Dre Moore, and DE Kyle Moore. 

BY THE NUMBERS
* The Giants converted 63% of their third down attempts (10 of 16). Meanwhile their defense shut out the Bucs in this category, as Tampa went 0 for 9.

* Great job by Eli Manning picking out the right receivers. Manning’s passes averaged 6.3 yards per gain. Not  tremendous numbers, but effective to the point where he was able to keep the chains moving and dominate the time of possession, 43:38 to 16:22.

* Awesome job by the Giants defense today. They had ten QB hits, one interception, and four passes defensed. No sacks or forced fumbles/fumble recoveries, but anyone who isn’t happy with the effort they put forth wasn’t paying attention.

* Equally awesome job by the Giants offensive line, who limited the hits Eli Manning and David Carr took to just two. As I said earlier, the running game’s production was huge thanks to the big guys up front and special kudos to Will Beatty and Kevin Boothe for stepping in when starters Rich Seubert and Kareem McKenzie had to come out of the game. Neither Beatty nor Boothe missed a beat.

THE FINAL WORD
As I sat watching this game unfold, all I could think about was head coach Tom Coughlin’s Wednesday press conference in which he spoke about the Bucs and how dangerous they really were despite their record.

“They have all kinds of big play ability,” Coughlin said. “Their running game is strong with (Cadillac) Williams and Derrick Ward. Their big-play ability to get down the field is enhanced more if (Antonio) Bryant plays. They’re aggressive, they run extremely well, and play the defensive side of the ball well. They’re averaging 401 yards per game and they’re 0-2 so it doesn’t quite jive together.”

Sorry coach. I didn’t buy it then and having seen what this Giants team did to the Bucs, I still don’t buy it. Oh sure, I know it’s all about being polite and paying the opponent respect. Certainly Coughlin isn’t going to go up there drooling over the thought of playing a weaker opponent.

However, if you don’t have something nice to say, isn’t it better to just say nothing at all or at the very least, talk about your team rather than heap praise on a team that despite all these great things that Coughlin pointed out still comes up short in one key category, and that is wins and losses?

Giants 33-Dallas 31: Hits, Misses & Musings

HITS
Bryan Kehl.He had a big night on special teams. The first was a forced fumble and fumble recovery on a kickoff return by Felix Jones toward the end of the first quarter. He then followed that up with a gorgeous play in the second quarter in which he stopped a Jeff Feagles punt from hitting the end zone and batted it backwards so that Terrell Thomas could down it at the Dallas 5.

Bruce Johnson. On a night where very few defenders made any plays with consistency, the rookie gets some kudos for his first quarter interception for a touchdown  which at the time gave the Giants a 10-7 lead.

Mario Manningham.The Giants leading receiver tonight had his way with Orlando Scandrick, logging 10 receptions for 150 yards and one touchdown. Along with Steve Smith, who also had a productive night, the performance of the receivers against a decent Dallas defense should put to rest any concerns about whether they can get the job done.

Steve Smith. Ten catches, 134 yards, one touchdown. Any questions?

Mathias Kiwanuka.One of the bright spots in the front four, Kiwanuka had two tackles for a loss as part of his four total tackles (3 solo). While he didn’t come up big on the stat sheet, eh was often times a disruptive force. ….

Kenny Phillips.Despite having a knee injury that he’s going to have to play through this season, he still managed to come up with two big interceptions, including one off the foot of TE Jason Witten and then one late in the third quarter at his own five. Also give Phillips kudos for getting up and running to the end zone on the Witten deflection despite the fact that the whistle had been blown.

Eli Manning.I debated whether to give him a miss this week as by my count, at least four third down pass incompletions were his fault. However in the end, he not only recorded his 100th career TD on the Giants’ final drive of the first half, he also engineered the game winning drive  with 3:40 left in the game in classic Eli Manning fashion. 

Michael Boley.With his team leading seven tackles(six solo), Boley was active and looked no worse for the wear in his first game action since coming back from off-season hip surgery.

The new Cowboys Stadium. Judging from the energy in the building pregame, the house that Jerry Jones built was a resounding success. Of course it should be remembered that a fancy new building complete with enough hoopla to make Ringling Brothers look like amateurs doesn’t translate into a championship team. 

MISSES
CC Brown.Brown is proving to be good for one costly error per game so far. This week it was a first quarter block in the back penalty that nullified the Giants’ best punt return of the night, this one by Domenik Hixon to wipe out a nice return by Hixon

Sinorice Moss. Went down to the ground sliding like a QB on a kickoff return as a guy came charging at him. Runs right into the teeth of coverage and cowers. 

The Offensive Line. This one was another toss-up for me. Last year the Cowboys beat them for eight sacks. This year, the Dallas defense once again beat the Giants offensive line in the trenches, as Dallas stuffed New York runners  They were dominated as Dallas recorded nine tackles for no gain or minus yardage. However on the plus side, if you want to call it a plus, the line didn’t allow any sacks, though there were a handful or pressures and hits on Manning.

MUSINGS
Often times when one mentions the NFC East, the initial impression is that it’s one of the better divisions in football. 

I however, beg to differ with that assessment, and to prove the point, let’s take a closer look at the teams and what I see.  

I see an off-season champion in the Washington Redskins, who every year seems to make a big splash with their off-season acquisitions which gets their fan base excited and thinking Super Bowl — that is until the team takes the field and reality sets in.  

It is then that the Washington faithful finds out that their team’s management neglected to address more important issues, having gotten caught AGAIN with stars in its collective eyes.  

Specifically, the Redskins went out and grabbed DT Albert Haynesworth for a monster contract this past off-season, a move that was supposed to boost their already stout defense.  

Yet they failed to address their offensive line, which is aging, and more importantly, their quarterback situation, which is not a great fit for the type of offense their head coach wants to run. 

Then you have the Philadelphia Eagles, who every offseason seem to be the kinds of controversy. Whether it’s the head coach’s family issues, the controversial signing of Michael Vick, or the on-going love-hate relationship with longtime starting quarterback Donovan McNabb, when it comes to controversy, the Eagles are your undisputed NFC East champions. 

The Dallas Cowboys? If there was an award given for annual marketing and promotion efforts, this team would win it hands down. Their new football stadium is spectacular, if not just a bit overdone. There is no shortage of memorabilia to choose from, whether it’s a replica model of the new football palace, a Barbie doll likeness of its cheerleaders, or a get-fit video led by its cheerleaders.   

While I am  grateful for the hospitality the Cowboys offered — they are truly one of the best in that area — the bottom line is that a football field is 100 yards long and now amount of flash and dash is going to take away from the simple fact that while you can put a fancy new dress on a hog, that doesn’t mean that it is suddenly going to be a contender for a beauty contest.  

That brings us to the Giants, a team that doesn’t believe in making splashes with its off season acquisitions, but who rather focuses on finding the right players — the “All Joe’s” as LB Antonio Pierce once said — even if they’re castoffs that other teams don’t want, like Domenik Hixon, Madison Hedgecock, and Gartrell Johnson, just to name a few.  

The Giants are also a team that, while having had their share of controversies (thanks in part to a certain ex-receiver who by the way is due to report to prison this coming week), they have managed them well to the point where they’ve become stronger in the face of adversity.  

Finally, as far as marketing goes, you won’t see a star-studded lineup at Giants home games. You won’t see cheerleaders, fireworks or an out of control party atmosphere before, during and after a game.  

They don’t need to do all that so long as they field a competitive team, you see.  

These are the reasons why the Giants, unlike the other three NFC East teams, have been constant participants in the post season since 2005, the year their no-nonsense head coach Tom Coughlin took over.  

Since 2005 (and not counting this year’s game), the combined regular season records of NFC teams is as follows: Giants, 41-23; Dallas, 40-24; Philadelphia, 33-30-1; and Washington, 32-32.  

For as close as the records of the Giants and Dallas are, though, it should be noted that New York also has made a playoff appearance every year during this period, a stretch that also includes two NFC East championships (2008, 2005), one NFC top-seed honor (2008), and a Super Bowl championship (2007). 

Being the ‘Plain Jane’ at the dance has worked well for these Giants. But let’s face it, their style isn’t for everyone.  

So if you like grandiose things, then ‘How ‘bout ‘dem Cowboys?’   If on-going drama is your thing, then ‘Fly Eagles, Fly!’  

If you get your thrills over scoring the biggest names in free agency every year, then ‘Hail to the Redskins!’  

But if your style is consistency, non-flashy football engineered by people who make judicious decisions in the best interest of the team, then like us, you’ll probably be chanting the non-descript battle cry of ‘Go G-men, go!”

INJURIES/LINEUP CHANGES
The Giants inactives consisted mostly of injured players, as follows: WR Hakeem Nicks (foot),  DT Chris Canty (calf), CB Aaron Ross (hamstring), LB Clint Sintim (groin), OL Adam Koets (ankle), RB Danny Ware (elbow), and CB Kevin Dockery (hamstring). They were joined on the sideline by OL Guy Whimper, a healthy scratch.

Terrell Thomas got his second start for Ross. And in a somewhat surprising development, Kenny Phillips, who didn’t sound too optimistic about his chances of playing on Friday, got the start, despite missing two days of practice.

Meanwhile Kevin Dockery, who did seem optimistic about being able to play, was inactive, resulting in rookie Bruce Johnson getting his second dose of game day action. 

In new injuries, WR Domenik Hixon suffered a sprained right knee in the first quarter and did not return. DE Justin Tuck suffered a shoulder injury in the second quarter. Head coach Tom Coughlin did not have any update on their status after the game.

The Cowboys’ inactives were QB Stephen McGee (third QB); S Mike Hamlin; LB Jason Williams; G Montrae Holland; C/G Duke Preston; OT Pat McQuistan; and WR Kevin Ogletree

THE FINAL WORD
For those of you who are wondering about my impressions of the Cowboys’ new stadium , let’s say I was a bit underwhelmed. Yes, it is big, and it offers a great experience for the fans to enjoy. But in terms of being architecturally unique, it falls short, reminding me to much of Ford Field in Detroit.

I liked how we were tucked in the corner end zone which is really a good vantage point to have when watching the game, especially when trying to see how the blocking up front is developing.

I didn’t like the traffic flow, which was one big ball of mass confusion. Someone decided to close two lanes from a major artery leading to the complex, a move which created instant gridlock. The marking of the lots was a bit confusing, but let me give credit to Mike Garafolo for expertly navigating through the muck and getting us safely into a parking spot. 

The bottom line is that a building is just a building, but it’s the people who make it enjoyable or who make it difficult. The Cowboys’ game day staff were most helpful in getting everyone to where they needed to be, and really, when it comes to hospitality, let’s give Dallas their due – the do their hospitality right.

Anyway, after this big spectacle which had it all – dancing girls, balloons, a former president, the military and a video touting the new stadium as the new wonder of the world – I’m spent and I still have two more road trips to make in the next two weeks.

Seriously, though, I don’t know how anything is going to top this.