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.
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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.
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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.
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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.