Lions 13, Giants 10: 'Kudos & Wet Willies' returns
by Ed Valentine on Aug 8, 2008 6:00 AM EDT
in Kudos & Wet Willies
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In sticking with tradition, let's review Thursday night's 13-10 exhibition season-opening loss to the Detroit Lions in 'Kudos & Wet Willies' style.
If you're new here, that's our version of 'thumbs up, thumbs down' or 'heroes & goats,' or whatever you want to call it. I will review every game with 'Kudos & Wet Willies,' often with some commentary spliced in.
Anyway, let's get down to business.
Kudos to ...
- Anthony Wright and David Carr: The two quarterbacks who are battling to be Eli Manning's primary backup were both impressive. Wright was crisp, completing 9-of-13 passes for 116 yards. Carr was also sharp, completing 10-of-13 for 104 yards and one touchdown. If there was a negative, it was the two big penalties Carr took. One was for an illegal forward pass, crossing the line of scrimmage and throwing. The second was an intentional grounding that killed the Giants with about a minute to go.
- Kenny Phillips: The Giants' No. 1 pick looks like the real deal. He led the Giants with eight tackles, including a couple of impressive open-field plays, and was clearly the best athlete on the field in the second half.
- The wide receivers: Take your pick here, it's pretty much impossible to single out one guy. Sinorice Moss (two catches, 55 yards, including a 46-yarder), Domenic Hixon (two catches, 23 yards, and a 14-yard punt return), Brandon London (three catches, 46 yards, including a brilliant 29-yard catch-and-run), Michael Jennings (two catches, 16 yards) and Craphonso Thorpe (a 13-yard touchdown catch) were all impressive. Plaxico who?
- Danny Ware: Maybe Reuben Droughns has competition for the last running back slot on the roster after all. Ware had only 18 yards on six carries, but he ran hard, had a 35-yard kickoff return and caught a pass. He earned a longer look.
- Chase Blackburn: The backup middle linebacker had a solid night. He made seven tackles and played well. With the injury suffered by rookie Jonathan Goff, Blackburn's path to a roster spot just got clearer.
- Bryan Kehl: The rookie outside linebacker had five tackles, and showed speed getting off the edge to make tackles up the middle and in the backfield.
-
Wet Willies to ...
- Zak DeOssie: If he keeps playing like that, the Giants will be in the market for a new punt snapper. DeOssie had a rough night at linebacker, missing a couple of tackles and getting chewed out by Steve Spagnuolo after jumping into a pile when a Detroit runner had been stopped and pushing the pile FORWARD to give the Lions a first down.
- Corey Webster: I am not going to worry about him -- yet. Webster did get turned around in coverage a couple of times, though, looking more like the overmatched corner who had been buried on the bench than the playoff hero he became last season.
- Reuben Droughns: Four carries for six yards and a fumble. Reuben needs to do better than that to keep his job.
NOTES:
Bad news for rookie linebacker Jonathan Goff, who suffered a fractured back last night. ... Rookies Robert Henderson and Wallace Gilberry suffered ankle injuries. ... The Giants are admitting to having some interest in Chad Pennington.
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Carr
impressed me quite a bit. After all that had been written about him in recent weeks I was expecting a live version of South Parks’ “Tweek”. Even after taking a big hit at least you can say he throws a great looking ball and wasn’t running for his life at the snap. Simms used to run very close to or over the line too so he gets a pass from me at least on that one.
Phillips looks like an opening night starter, not the usual Giants first rounder(not meaning Ross). Bryan Kehl was very impressive , solid tackler good hitter , Any Giants linebacker stopping the run BEHIND the line gets big kudos.
Too bad about Goff but , how can you possibly suggest letting Blackburn go?He’s a monster on teams and solid otherwise.
We're only gonna score 17 points?
by big blue wrecking crew on Aug 8, 2008 6:35 AM EDT reply actions
Blackburn
Well, with Goff down now Blackburn has to stay. With Goff, I wasn’t sure there would be room. Now, there definitely is.
Carr = Tweak
well done BBC, well done.
by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Aug 8, 2008 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Hey Ed
Been a long time since you had to give out a “wet willie”, you got back in the swing nicely
Giants fan from the womb to the tomb
by Jim Schmiedeberg on Aug 8, 2008 7:42 AM EDT reply actions
Haha!!
All I know is I’ll be 48 in a couple of days and I think I could have made at least one of those tackles DeOssie whiffed on last night!
Plaxico who?
You can see why JR is apparently so reluctant to “reward” Plax. Giants have great depth with younger recievers with lots of tread on their tires. At this point, Plax is something of an unknown quantity. I’ve been wondering what JR has in mind for him. Why no Wet Willie for Wli. The accounts I’ve read make it seem he looked horrible. Lots of good news overall, though, particularly the play of some of the younger players.
Eli?
I assume that’s who you meant, George. He didn’t look good, but I didn’t care. He finished the game upright, and he gets ‘kudos’ for that as far as I’m concerned.
Yeah, I meant Eli
I’d like to see more than finishing upright, even in an exhibition game. I hope it’s a combo of rust and unfamiliarity with the young receivers. From what I’ve read, he’s been inconsistent in camp as well. I was hoping Eli would emerge as a top shelf QB (i.e., among the top five in the NFL). It looks like he might not quite make it that high. There’s still time, though.
by george cronin on Aug 8, 2008 9:35 AM EDT up reply actions
depth
Depth doesn’t give you a legit number #1 who demands a double team. Just because young fast guys did well in a meaningless game against mostly backups, doesn’t mean they’re going to become a #1. I want to see Plax finish his career here.
Plax finish his career...
I hope he can. You’re right about a legit #1. As long as Plax can’t play, we don’t have one.
by george cronin on Aug 8, 2008 9:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Two words on Pennington
Won’t happen.
As for the game, I wish I could have seen it. Is it possible that Thomas could move ahead of Webster on the depth chart? I heard he looked real good last night and at this point we still don’t know which Webster will show up.
Thomas
He probably should have been on my ‘kudos’ list. It sure is nice to see young talent coming into the Giants’ secondary.
Based on the game
I’m a little worried that we’re going to get the Weeks 1-16 Eli & Webster, and not the Week 17-Super Bowl versions. I was really hoping Eli would come out strong and drive the Giants down the field in at least one of his possessions, and show that the playoffs weren’t a fluke. Now I’m a bit worried that he’s gonna regress to the same old Eli: great one week, awful the next. Oh well, at least he didn’t play like that when everything was on the line.
Eli
I just refuse to worry about Eli off 6 passes in the first exhibition game of the season. Eli will never be perfect, but we know he can win the big one and that’s what matters.
by Ed Valentine on Aug 8, 2008 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions
It's not as if...
...he was Joe Montana in the playoffs last year. He played a nice, controlled game against Tampa, made some big throws against Dallas, and was flat-out great against GB (but you’d do well to remember how conservative they played it late in that game). As for the Super Bowl, he was sharp early and sharp late, and he got a couple of breaks on the last drive – which is fine b/c generally every tipped ball Eli throws gets picked (including one earlier in that game), so he had some good karma coming to him.
I don’t think we can ever expect Eli to put up – I’ll go ahead and say it – Romo-type numbers. But that’s fine. He’s a WINNER. They’ve gone to the playoffs almost every year since he’s been here, and he’s won them a championship. I’ll take his usual 25-18/55%/low-QB-rating, and another playoff appearance this year, thank you very much.
Oh ...
You had to go and drop the Romo bomb! You trying to stir up Terry? But, generally, you are right on target. Don’t worry about Eli. He mirrors the kind of team the Giants often are—ugly, but effective.
by Ed Valentine on Aug 8, 2008 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions
To appease the mob...
...I’ll just say that I’m sure his playoff numbers are superior to he-who-must-not-be-named. :-)
Seriously!
I think Terry has some sort of an alert set on this so that whenever compares Eli to Romo he’s the first on here to blow people up! damn you drunk uncle!!! Just kidding.
It’s one pre-season game….I really want to try hard not to read anything into it. All that matters is Game 1 vs the Skins! .........right?
i dont know how i made it the whole summer
without Kudos and Wet Willies.
i’ll give the game itself a Wet Willie. preseason football just isnt the same without the Hefty Lefty out there for an entire meaningless half.
by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Aug 8, 2008 10:40 AM EDT reply actions
You could always
become a Colts fan … at least for the pre-season!
by Ed Valentine on Aug 8, 2008 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Go ahead
pick on the fat guy! I’d like to see him play a full reg season game. He has an arm to match his belly!!!!!!!!!
We're only gonna score 17 points?
by big blue wrecking crew on Aug 8, 2008 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Pennington
Nothing there – Reese takes a look at everyone – and that’s the right thing to do, But I doubt he would be willing to pay Pennington’s price, and I doubt Pennington wants to be a sub.
Spot on
Unless he, like, doesn’t want to move, there is no reason for him to take less $$ and a backup job.
I do think the Vikings rumors are overrated – is he a huge upgrade over Tavaris Jackson? 5 years ago he would have been. Now? Maybe they’ll surprise me, but I don’t see that one happening either.
KC or Miami sounds about right.
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