• Posted on: December 22nd, 2008
  • By: DB
  • Under: NFL

FLYING HIGH AGAIN

The NFC road to the Super Bowl will run through the Meadowlands (Exit 16W) because the New York Giants did what they had to do against a hot Carolina team in cold and windy conditions — run the ball!

Derrick Ward ran for career best 215 yards and set up Brandon Jacobs’ winning 2-yard touchdown run with 9:57 left in overtime and the Super Bowl champion Giants re-established themselves as the team to beat by earning the NFC’s top seed for the postseason with a wild 34-28 comeback victory over the Panthers Sunday night.

The last two weeks had been disgraceful running the ball for the Giants, I witnessed it first-hand last week in Dallas with my Buddy Brent. The doubters came out in full force after losing to Dallas, led by the Cowboys’ biased closet fan, Deion Sanders. But Sunday night was different than the previous two weeks because they had their beast back (Brandon Jacobs). Jacobs gives the team an attitude that is tough to match. The Giants are a physical team who sets the passing game up with their nasty and powerful running game. That’s the New York Giants identity…nasty and powerful!

Sunday Night’s game was not only exciting to watch but it was a clean fast moving game. It had no turnovers, only 4 penalties (first one called in the 3rd Qtr), and if you enjoy a running attack then this was the game to watch. Both teams combined for 459 yards on the ground and the Giants’ 301 rushing yards was their most in a game since 1959.

It goes without saying that the Giants will need to continue to run the ball with Earth, Wind, and Fire to be able to make another run at the Lombardi Trophy. However, their key component will be Jacobs (Earth) and his health. By winning Sunday night they locked up the #1 seed and afforded themselves to rest some players for a couple weeks. With a healthy and rested Jacobs in the playoffs the team can do what they do best…play nasty and power football!

GO BIG BLUE!

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  • Posted on: December 15th, 2008
  • By: DB
  • Under: NFL

GIANT CONCERN?

It’ hard to believe that the team that most were calling the best team in the NFL are on the brink of disaster. It is hard to comprehend that a team that was so hot for 3 straight months is limping towards the finish line. It is hard to understand that a team that was leading the league in rushing and scoring offense , cannot find the end zone in the last two games. Then you clear the cobwebs and realize that his is not the same team.

These are not the same World Champion New York Giants that won 11 of their first 12 games. That team had one of the best wide receivers in football that commanded a double team on every single play and an MVP candidate at running back, that puts fear into anyone that has to tackle him. Last night it became apparent that the reason for their last two losses came down to lack of talent on the offensive side of the ball.

Plaxico Burress’ role in this offense is big. He forced teams to shade a safety to his side, leaving only 7 men in the box to stop the run. He was just as big of a reason for the 200 yard rushing games, as was the Earth, Wind and Fire combination.

Speaking of Earth, they need him back, badly. However, there is no reason to rush Brandon Jacobs back from his knee injury if he is not close to 100%. Last night, there were times that Derrick Ward was able to hit the hole, but unable to create that extra yard or two on the run. Brandon Jacobs does not get knocked down if he is able to hit the the hole full speed, if you don’t hit him behind the line, he is getting 5+ yards, no matter what. His ability to run through blitzes keeps teams honest, and opens up the play action calling. I think every Giants fan understands that this team needs a successful running game to establish their passing game. That is how their offense flows. If they cannot do this, things become ugly.

And then you have that nasty offensive line. However, the last two games they have been anything but good. They need to wake the hell up and make a block. A lot of it has to do with above mentioned missing pieces, but they have to make adjustments, that is what great lines do.

This lowly bloggers suggestion (until Jacobs is 100%) is to install more check down plays in the offense. More screens to the running backs and TE, and more draw plays. The Cowboys and the Champs both played great defense last night, utilizing the blitz on more than one occasion. Neither team was never able to get their running games going. Disregard that last run by Tashard Choice with less than 2 mins left. The big difference in the game was that Jason Garrett slowed the blitz with the screens and draws. Except for one ugly broken play, Tony Romo was not really able to stretch the defense. The majority of Dallas’ big plays came when the Giants would blitz, leaving Tashard Choice open for screen plays.

A team should not have to change its identity this late in the season, but with the losses on offenses, the Champs have to change something if they want to be successful in January. They cannot continue to try to play the same style when they do not have the same team.

The road to the playoffs does not get any easier these last two weeks with Carolina and Minnesota left on the schedule. A win against the Panthers gives the defending Champs a bye week and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, regardless of what happens against the Vikings. They need the bye week to rest up injured players, like Jacobs, and also the time to figure out who they are going to be offensively in the playoffs. Right now it is a ‘Giant’ concern…but I have faith that they will figure it out.

GO BIG BLUE!

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  • Posted on: October 28th, 2008
  • By: DB
  • Under: Misc News

TIME TO HOLD THE REF’S ACCOUNTABLE


Meet Wilbur Hackett, Jr. (Referee pictured in video). Not only is this person a referee in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) but he obviously has what it takes to still play ball. Notice how he comes to the breakdown position, shuffles his feet and then delivers an old school Dick “Night Train” Lane forearm to the QB. Not bad technique Mr. Hackett but allow me to vent if you will…

How the hell does this guy in his position get away with this and yet we still see players (NFL and NCAA) get fined for throwing balls into stands, wearing the wrong color shoes, or even penalized for “excessive” celebration after scoring meaningful touchdowns.

A perfect scenario (video above) to the “excessive” celebration happened back on September 6, 2008 (Washington vs BYU) with two seconds left Washington quarterback Jake Locker made a nice run, scoring the potential game-tying touchdown and capping off an exciting drive. After he crossed the goal line, he threw the ball over his shoulder and went to celebrate with his teammates. The back judge called an unsportsmanlike penalty, turning a simple game-tying extra point into the equivalent of a 45-yard field goal try, a try that was eventually blocked, and caused Washington to lose the contest.

This was just the case of a young kid getting excited about scoring the tying touchdown. These unnecessary penalties cost teams on a much bigger scale than simply the win/loss column for one game. There’s a huge ripple effect – Unnecessary or incorrect penalties cause players to become frustrated and their play on the field suffers. As a result, multiple games are lost, lost games result in lost coaching jobs, and the vacancies move right up the ladder until they reach the top, all because of a bad call.

I like to believe that the games are won in the trenches and decided between the players and coaches but when we continue to see unnecessary and horrendous calls from these overpaid punks in the zebra suits, it makes it tough when you have to compete against these ridiculous calls.

It’s time to hold the officials accountable for blown calls and unnecessary penalties, they need to be suspended, fined, or even fired if deemed necessary, otherwise, what the hell is the point of having them out there.

Oh…and some advice to our forearm shivering official, Mr. Hackett, next time rap up!

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  • Posted on: September 6th, 2008
  • By: DB
  • Under: NFL

G-MEN START THEIR TITLE DEFENSE RUN

The New York Giants kicked off their Super Bowl title defense with a “truck” and what else — defense.  As the cleanup crew at Giants Stadium dealt with the usual morning of paper cups, beer bottles and hot dog wrappers, they should’ve checked the 35-yard line for pieces of Redskins safety LaRon Landry.  Brandon “The Beast” Jacobs supplied the “truck” as he literally ran over Landry for a punishing 17-yard run (see video above).  Jacobs racked up 116 yards on 21 carries.  Overall, the Giants had 154 rushing yards, averaging 4.8 per play.

Meanwhile, the defense that was suppose to feel the “pain” from both the loss of Michael Strahan (retirement) and Osi Umenyiora (injury) instead inflected pain to Jason Campbell and the Redskins all night.  Justin Tuck, Strahan’s replacement and a force in Superbowl XLII – just ask Tom Brady, started the defensive series with a sack.  Any doubts on whether the Giants’ defense can be nearly as dominating as last year’s run were answered Thursday night.  The Redskins only got in New York territory three times all game…Dominating to say the least.

Last season, the Giants started with two straight losses.  The reflection in the Lombardi Trophy on Thursday night looked just fine to me.

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  • Posted on: July 21st, 2008
  • By: DB
  • Under: NFL

A SHOCKER?

The trade Jeremy Shockey wanted finally came true. Will the fans miss the unnecessary penalties, the fumbles after getting hit, the spiking the ball after a 5 yard catch, the throwing up the arms when the ball didn’t come his way? Of course not. However, even though this trade makes a lot of sense for both sides, I still will miss his enthusiasm and talent on the field. While most fans (me included) are taking their shots at Shockey, I’d like to take a moment and remember Shockey for the good things he did while in a Giants uniform.

Shockey had some great moments with the Giants, maybe none better than that fade he caught for a touchdown over the Eagles’ Dawkins to put us in the playoffs back in 2002. My wife and I remember that game vividly because we were there waving our “Win & In” towels going crazy! Some other great moments:

- The Hall of Fame game in his rookie season against the Texans…’nuff said
- Losing his helmet against the Eagles in 2006 (see picture above)
- Making Dallas’ safety Roy Williams his beotch
- Killing the Skins with 11 catch games (my brother-in Law won’t miss that)
- Running over Colts’ safety (Gibson) after he called him out in the media
- Handing touchdown balls to soldiers on the sidelines

I’ll miss his tenacious attitude, brashness, and excitement. He’s not just made the team better, but he’s made other guys act that way on the field with the confidence he has. No one can ever say he didn’t play his heart out everytime he stepped on the the field. This ended ugly, but both teams got what they wanted and hopefully the Giants we’ll be better because of it. I have no hard feelings and I wish him success in New Orleans…until we face them of course.

Thanks Shock…Good luck with Saints.

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