SI's Banks makes some valid points
by Ed Valentine on Dec 22, 2009 11:00 AM EST
in News
71 comments
Don Banks of SI.com makes five points in his column this morning regarding last night's New York Giants-Washington Redskins Monday Night Football slaughter.
I agree with much of what Banks had to say. There were two points he made about the Giants in particular that I feel a need to highlight.
- The Giants responded to a must-win situation like a veteran team that still knows how to take care of business in big games. Week 15 in the NFL featured four games where a winning team fell to a losing club playing the spoiler role -- Oakland over Denver, Carolina over Minnesota, Atlanta over the Jets, and Pittsburgh over Green Bay -- but not for one second did the Giants come close to falling victim to that trend.
- The Giants running back who gives defenses the most headaches is Ahmad Bradshaw, not Brandon Jacobs. It was Bradshaw who provided New York an early jump-start against Washington, not Jacobs, the Giants lead rusher and starting tailback. Despite playing with a nagging ankle injury, Bradshaw looked quick and elusive in the first quarter, scoring on a 3-yard third-and-goal run on New York's first possession, and a 4-yard burst on the Giants' second drive.
My take: On the first point, this tells you Tom Coughlin is firmly in control of this team and it still has the desire to win. On the second point, it's clear that the big plays from the running back position are going to come from Bradshaw and not Jacobs. AB is not the 'changeup' back any longer, even though he generally gets fewer carries. He has become the play maker.
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I think this has always been the case no?
Jacobs got his big gainers…but generally, just the guy that softened up the D for D-Ward.
Now..AB’s the ‘#2’.
Should be an interesting end to the season. Giants clicking on all cylinders like that, can beat anyone (yes..ANYONE). THe proven pass rushers did their thing (don’t wanna hear about backup lineman…what was the excuse the games before this for the Redskins not allowing sacks?)
Dallas has to lose one of these games..2 would be nice.
Washington plays the Pies a whole lot better then they do the Giants (Giants have dominated them past couple years). Eagles never lose the season series to them.
The Packers can go 1-1 too. THe Seahawks stink..but they can lose to the Cardinals who may wanna get a higher seed if possible.
Giants play like this…they’re winning out.(I thought they’d win out after the way they played the Eagles…)
We’re getting into the playoffs people, naysayers, Eagles fans.
Who wants to play a Giants team firing on all cylinders like this?
"It ain't over till its over"---
3rd down + Steve Smith = 1st Down.
"I just saw Avatar, and Sean Avery was hands down the best character!"
One thing for sure
No body takes out the NFL garbage like the Giants do. I am happy about this win, but i am still taking it one game at a time, we got to beat Carolina next.
by Late for Dinner on Dec 22, 2009 11:38 AM EST up reply actions
UNBEATABLE???..........
“Can beat ANYBODY”???? Because they beat a 4-10 lousy team that packed it in to go fishing in Florida? Are you kidding? “Firing on all cylinders” against one of the dregs of the league is nothing to get overly excited about. Not that I’m not optimistic after the great performance last night, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s get in the playoffs first and then go from there.
FB, I hope that you’re getting paid for all your ‘work’. I log on to this blog occassionally and you’re always here………….. are you a professional lobbyist-blogger?
He's a professional
Homer, like me. Quit being inflammatory, Mr. Realistic.
You play to win the game!
by Simms-McConkey on Dec 23, 2009 9:21 AM EST up reply actions
easy Zillag....
how come they Redskins were so good..a so called spoiler before the Giants game.
They were a FG kicker away from beating the mighty Saints and Cowboys..and held their own with the Eagles?
Dregs of the league? Yes….but how come they are only the dregs of the league after the Giants beat the crap out of them?
Naysayers must be consistent in their thoughts…cuz the Redskins sure as hell weren’t the “dregs of the league” to all the ‘experts’ before they played the Giants.
"It ain't over till its over"---
3rd down + Steve Smith = 1st Down.
"I just saw Avatar, and Sean Avery was hands down the best character!"
by FreeBradshaw on Dec 23, 2009 1:35 PM EST up reply actions
Sheesh, FB, after the way the Giants looked last night,
can’t you cheer us up by being a little more positive? It’s crazy I know, but last night’s game made me feel like our last two insane runs into the SB. I know, I know..just sayin’.
unfortunately though
the cowboys winning was just as bad for the giants as them winning was good
by Ahmad Bradshaw on Dec 22, 2009 11:46 AM EST up reply actions
Giants have no clear # 1 RB ...
that you want in there for the full game.
Jacobs does soften them up a bit for the more explosive Bradshaw.
Would love to see them use Jacobs on some of those middle screens to get him to that second level, where he can just run over people and intimidate.
Middle Screens to Jacobs
The problem with a middle screen to Jacobs is that by the time he catches it, turns around, and starts to get his momentum going, linemen on the other team can catch him. Middle screens are much more effective to a quick guy like Bradshaw.
I like Jacobs to still get carries up the middle to soften up the defense a little bit, but I think it is clear that Bradshaw is the better back right now.
time out
Bradshaw has his first good game in weeks and he’s clearly the better back? I know we’re all down on big boy for releasing his inner Cassius, but give him some credit. he was running well the first half(10 carries for like 45 yds – 4.5 a clip) last week he had about 60 yards on limited rushes vs. the Eagles, and he’s been getting positive gains for the most part of the second half of the season. he’s gotten into the endzone more, and let’s not forget that before yesterday, the last big play from a running back was….the big boy taking a swing pass to the house. please let’s not start with the give bradshaw more carries thing again, as we see what happened the last time TC listened to y’all.
on a different note, did anyone notice the graphic that ESPN put up last night of the big 3 on the line(osi, kiwi, tuck) sack production for the last few years? I may have been crazy, but i paused it when i saw it. they had individual pictures of the 3 fellas put together like a mobile(isn’t that what they called it in elementary school) but instead of a pic of Kiwi, they had a pic of #97 instead!!! Last i checked, Clint and Kiwi don’t come close to looking alike, and neither does the number 4 and 7! wet willie to espen!
Kiwi used to be #97
He changed it this season to #94.
I think the #1 RB should...
depend on whom we play.
"The Dallas Cowboys might be America's Team, but the New York Giants are America's DREAM team." -- Robert Tisch
by xMattex on Dec 23, 2009 12:59 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Question....
who controls the tie breaker should GB and the Giants tie?
"If you don't know what you're doing... just rush the quarterback" - LT
And here is why....
Our conference record is 6-4 and Green Bay’s is 7-3. Assuming we win out and they lose 1 of their final 2, we will both have 8-4 conference records.
The next tiebreaker is record against common opponents. We have each played (or will have played) Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Dallas, and Arizona. So far, we are 3-1 against those teams. Green Bay is 1-3 against those teams (lost 2 times to Minnesota and to Tampa Bay, but beat Dallas).
If we win out and Green Bay and Dallas both go 1-1 down the stretch there will be a 3 way tie at 10-6. Since Green Bay beat Dallas, Dallas gets left out.
I'm not convinced
yet, I’m very happy with the win, I have all the confidence in the world in Eli, so offensively I feel good, but on defense, until we do this against a good team who is playing for something I will have my doubts, if we beat carolina convincingly, I will still not be comfortable. That being said, if the Girls or the Pack can lose a game, and we win out and beat the Vikings in meaningful game to them, then we are indeed back and should be feared, we all know a confident team in january is a scary thing.
IN ELI, I TRUST!!!!
by BigBlueCrew_jfl on Dec 22, 2009 12:25 PM EST reply actions
+10
i felt that same way bbc_jfl. very happy with the win. yet, it followed our pattern this year of winning the ones we are supposed to with dominant fashion.
First two drives
OLD time Giant Football!!!
by Late for Dinner on Dec 22, 2009 12:27 PM EST up reply actions
No doubt..
It felt like someone had turned the clock back a couple of decades. That was more than a rout, that was a physical beating that the Gmen put on the Skins.
Do you mean SB XXV against the Bills?
Coming out of halftime, the Giants had that 9 minute and some change drive. Thats the last time i can remember the Giants having this much of a time consuming drive!
Agreed
the middle screens are more up Bradshaw’s alley, however, I think we can throw to Brandon in the flats get him the ball in space.
by Late for Dinner on Dec 22, 2009 12:26 PM EST reply actions
It's physics
Get the big guy the ball while he is already moving forward and let him barrel downhill on defensive backs.
Getting the ball first
The Giants need to try to get the ball first whenever we can. If we win the toss, I think we should always receive.
When we get the ball first, we seem to go down the field and score and set the tone for the game. Using up clock is an added bonus. Our defense feeds off the momentum that the offense gives us.
When we don’t get the ball first, teams have been marching down the field on us and scoring. This puts our offense into a panic mode and we start falling behind the 8 ball. Our defense loses confidence and doesn’t seem to play with as much intensity.
Yep.
The Giants have always been a “score-first” team. When they don’t, they get all uptight.
I left my swagger in my other pants.
jacobs
Didn’t he have that 74 yard romp vs Dallas when Bradshaw was bottled up?
It seems they complement each other well, one always seems to pick it up. I doubt either would be as effective without the other
74 yard reception, yes
but Jacobs is also averaging 3.8 yards per carry compared to Bradshaw’s 4.9 yards per carry. 4.9 is a great average whereas 3.8 is below average.
And lets not forget
that Bradshaw is doing that on a bad ankle and bad foot.
Special thanks to Nicks and Tynes
They were the last two to play and gave me just enough points for a two point victory and a spot in the championship game of my fantasy league.
The Giants didn't just beat the Redskins. They beat the Giants.
As much as it hurt to lose that last Iggle game, we all ended up talking about how good the “O” looked, right? Right. I think Eli & co felt it, too. And they were psyched to get back on the field to see how far they could take it. As for the"D," Sheridan stripped things way way down, which was probably the right thing to do. They still suck, but at least they’re using their strengths. Anyway, now they’ve got a little confidence, too. A team as horrendous as the foreskins will do that for you.
Bottom line? Sky’s the limit for the offense. In a year or two they could be the best in football.
Defense? Well, there’s only one direction to go, and they seemed to be pointed that way last night.
I left my swagger in my other pants.
The one consistent thing about the Giants this season
Has been their ability to beat the teams that they should beat.
very true
normally we fall, or play down to crappy teams. Not this year.
Saying that, we consistently fail to play up to good team’s standards, minus a few games
Never assume skill at bouncing a ball makes you smarter than the guy who built the court.
When there's a WILL there's a WAY
The Giants Running Back Situation
It was great to see Bradshaw and Jacobs have solid games against a strong Redskin Run Defense.
But…
Jacobs is clearly slowing down with all the abuse he has taken through his career. Bradshaw could easily be killing his future value by shredding his ankles and feet.
It seems like a regular occurrence to see either of the backs limping off the field signaling for the other to come in.
I am nervous now, for the Giants to win the next two games with a hobbled backfield. If one of them goes down (which the odds are with) would DWare be able to pick up the slack and not fumble?
I am nervous looking to the future with our two best backs constantly adding to their lengthy medical history. Additionally, Andre Brown (our 4th rounder this past year) had a season ending Achilles injury and we all know about the long term ramifications an Achilles tear can have.
I see your point, btb
I wanted to pit AB on injured reserve to protect him from futher damage. Keeping him in has worked out. Keep your fingers crossed.
Yeah we need AB
could you imagine the 1-2 punch of jacobs and Gartrell Johnson? They must have zero trust in Ware at this point for some reason. Maybe that elbow injury is a bit more serious than they originally thought. I can’t call it though.
LET'S GO G-MEN
by I_Formation27 on Dec 22, 2009 2:51 PM EST up reply actions
Ware is Danny?
They might as well deactivate him, cause he is done as a Giant
by Late for Dinner on Dec 22, 2009 3:16 PM EST up reply actions
He's injured
and wasn’t even active for the game
Never assume skill at bouncing a ball makes you smarter than the guy who built the court.
When there's a WILL there's a WAY
Good running backs, yes ...
The Adrian Peterson variety are not.
Minnesota might play starters against G-Men
Keep in mind that the Eagles are only 1 game behind the Vikings for the #2 seed, and consequently a first round bye. This will in-turn force the Vikings to play their starters against the Giants to try to hold down their seed. Just something to think about.
I thought about it too...
and you know what…who cares?
They aren’t that strong.
They have the same OL problems as the Redskins.
Giants get a pass rush…they’re unbeatable. There..I said it.
"It ain't over till its over"---
3rd down + Steve Smith = 1st Down.
"I just saw Avatar, and Sean Avery was hands down the best character!"
by FreeBradshaw on Dec 22, 2009 3:11 PM EST up reply actions
I agree....
I’m not worried about whether or not they play their starters. I was just trying to provide information for the masses since there has been a lot of discussion about the Giants having an easy road down the stretch with Minnesota resting their starters.
I would like to see the Giants take a well-rounded teams best shot to prove they deserve to be in the playoffs.
you know what…who cares
I was thinking the same thing, If we make the playoffs and got in because we beat the panthers and the Vikings at full tilt, I will have some confidence the Giants are gonna make some noise in the playoffs
by Late for Dinner on Dec 22, 2009 3:30 PM EST up reply actions
Not to be rude....but so what,
Minnesota played their starters against Carolina. I think the Cats proved that their “starters” can be beat.
I'm not worried about Minnesota.
Looks like Favre gonna drag the team down. They’ve already lost to Arizona and Carolina when they could have put the NFC North earlier.
"The Dallas Cowboys might be America's Team, but the New York Giants are America's DREAM team." -- Robert Tisch
Of course Minny will have something to play for
the question is, how much guts does Childress have during the game?
You play to win the game!
by Simms-McConkey on Dec 23, 2009 9:23 AM EST up reply actions
Gotta sack the FS outta favre
You play to win the game!
by Simms-McConkey on Dec 23, 2009 9:23 AM EST up reply actions
also..
run Jacobs at 14-16 carries per game.
That’s his strength too.
"It ain't over till its over"---
3rd down + Steve Smith = 1st Down.
"I just saw Avatar, and Sean Avery was hands down the best character!"
by FreeBradshaw on Dec 22, 2009 4:02 PM EST up reply actions
+27
Too many sweeps. Its ok to run 1 or 2, to keep the defense honest, but keep it between the tackles
Never assume skill at bouncing a ball makes you smarter than the guy who built the court.
When there's a WILL there's a WAY
agreed....
they said Jacobs is running Ward’s old plays….which is a little odd.
"If you don't know what you're doing... just rush the quarterback" - LT
is it just me?
or is big boy’s best play the counter? i’ve always thought that and it seems like he’s run less this year. loved the new formation they ran the counter from, with hedgecock in like an H-back set.
I love the counter
can’t go wrong with it. The few ones I remember have been for some good yardage.
Never assume skill at bouncing a ball makes you smarter than the guy who built the court.
When there's a WILL there's a WAY
Loved the play from the O line
Maybe it’s because Seubert and McKenzie have been hurt, but the O-Line seemed to work better yesterday. I think Beatty is going to be our new tackle next season, and I would hope he plays a role in the coming games as he looked great yesterday. I’d love to see him on the line more often as we might get a better rush out of it.
Defense, defense
The defense came to play today, The Offense has played well the last few weeks.
It’s good to see the team play in sync for a change.
Thanks for the X-mas gift Giant team.
I am steadily growing tired of Brandon Jacobs..
Everyone says he’s been hurt, he’s been asked to run like Ward, blah, blah blah..He is perfectly fit..the most healthy back on the team..He just has become all talk and no action..just a do nothing big-mouth who has the balls to think he speaks for this team..Idiot..Get rid of that bum…Everyone says oooh!!..he’s a 265 lb load to tackle!!!..Bulllshit.Tynes would probably be harder to take down than that big mouth whimp..he’s a 265 lb bullshit artist..He’s Ron Dayne with a spouting mouth..He is useless.
dunno about that..
Jake was not useless yesterday…
Regardless of how he’s running…he’s still a load to tackle.
Little stuff like forcing a DB or safety to tackle him…will make them slower for the next play or 2. Then..AB runs by them.
..or better yet, Steve Smith/Nicks/HAM runs by them, or makes a cut to get open easier.
Jacobs is effect.
He’s more or less this year’s 2008 Plaxico..on the field Plaxico. A “decoy”. Someone who does produce a bit, but forces the defense to key on him.
He’s effective.
"It ain't over till its over"---
3rd down + Steve Smith = 1st Down.
"I just saw Avatar, and Sean Avery was hands down the best character!"
by FreeBradshaw on Dec 22, 2009 10:31 PM EST up reply actions
This
Jacobs knocks people around, hurts them, and demoralizes defenses (In a perfect world at least).
Maybe he’s lost a step or two, but I still want to hand the rock to him 15-20 times a game.
Never assume skill at bouncing a ball makes you smarter than the guy who built the court.
When there's a WILL there's a WAY
Bobbi... BOOO
Watch Jacobs give us a big game and an emotional spark in the next two three weeks
You play to win the game!
by Simms-McConkey on Dec 23, 2009 9:24 AM EST up reply actions
LOL!!!....That's great!!
I hope he does show up the next two weeks..Just tired of all his yapping and on fields antics Monday was an embarrassment..Also, alot of folks all year have been pointing fingers at our O-line..I would like to know how AB, with two bad hooves can hit a hole and BJ can’t, the holes are there..I did like him running straight ahead for a change even though he only averaged 3.2 ypc…Maybe if they brought Michael Buffer in to announce his name, he’d do better.
C'mon, Bobbi
stop all this pussyfooting (tiptoeing?) and take a stand for a change.
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