After a preseason marred by injuries, free-agent defections and controversy caused by Osi Umenyiora's unhappiness, the New York Giants opened the 2011 season in Washington against the Redskins. They certainly did not start out playing like champions, falling, 28-14.
In a game played on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 the Giants were torched by Washington quarterback Rex Grossman, who threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns. The year also started like the 2010 season for Giants quarterback Eli Manning when Washington's Ryan Kerrigan returned an interception 9 yards for a touchdown.
In recapping the game, I wrote:
Not a whole lot to feel good about for Giants fans. Uneven offense, a secondary that allowed the mediocre Rex Grossman to look like a Pro Bowler, throwing for 305 yards and two touchdowns.
Umenyiora and Justin Tuck did not play. Jonathan Goff was lost in the days leading up to the game with a season-ending knee injury sustained in practice.
Lots of negativity after the game in the comments. Go back and read the comments. Too much nastiness for me to re-post any of it, much of which looks silly now.
Two things I wrote in the 'Kudos & Wet Willies' that are worth pointing out.
First was this:
Rex Grossman is one of the worst quarterbacks the Giants will face this season. The fact that he threw for 305 yards is a horrible sign. The Giants look helpless in the secondary.
There was also this:
One final note before we move on to the 'Kudos & Wet Willies.' Sunday was not good, and many of you have written off this season already. Don't jump off the bridge yet, though. If the season is lost for the Giants, it is also lost for theNew Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers -- and we know all of those teams are Super Bowl contenders.
This game revealed the pass coverage deficiences that would plague the Giants right up until their six-game run to Super Bowl XLVI glory at the end of the season. Here is what I wrote at the time:
After watching Redskins receivers run free pretty much the entire game I have one question. How on earth are the Giants going to cover anybody this season?
You know what I think we are going to learn as we go through this series of posts? I think we are going to learn that is pretty amazing to go back and look at the tone of the posts and the comments within the context of knowing how the season ended up.