Big Blue View - Giants at Lions 2014: Giants lose opener to Lions in 'nightmare performance'Your place for year-round New York Giants discussion and informationhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47371/bigblueview_fave.png2014-09-09T15:00:02-04:00http://www.bigblueview.com/rss/stream/58851682014-09-09T15:00:02-04:002014-09-09T15:00:02-04:00New York Giants vs. Detroit Lions: PFF Review
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<figcaption>Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Yuck. Really not much else to say about this game, but we'll try. Let's take a look at how PFF graded out this game.</p> <p>That was terrible. A crushing loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Detroit Lions</a> by our <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> to open up the season was not what anybody was looking forward. I certainly was not looking forward to writing this review since I'd rather just forget this game altogether, but alas, here we are. We can't just review the good, we got to hit the bad as well. So without much further ado, let's check out the post mortem of this 35-14 loss through the lens of Pro Football Focus.</p>
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<h4><b>Offensive MVP</b></h4>
<p><i><span>Larry Donnell</span> (+1.3)</i> - Kind of obvious here, with Donnell grabbing mostly everything thrown his way, included a nice 4th and goal fade from Manning. Maybe it's because everything else seemed infinitely worse, but it looks like for now, tight end is the least of our troubles. He performed particularly well going up the seam and working the middle of the field as a safety blanket.</p>
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<h4><b>Key Offensive Contributors</b></h4>
<p><i><span>Eli Manning</span> (+1.2) -</i> This was a bit of a surprise for me. I did not expect Eli to show up in this column because in my opinion, he had a pretty bad game. He was no doubt put in difficult situations as he was under duress for 22 percent of his snaps on Monday and his receivers had four total (though it seemed like more) drops. All in all, he went 18-31 for 163 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs. Not nearly good enough, regardless of what this number says.</p>
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<h4><b>Offensive GOAT</b></h4>
<p><i><span>Weston Richburg</span> (-3.0)</i> - Let's be clear here. I like Weston Richburg. I think if you had to create a center from clay, he'd be very close to what I'd make. That doesn't mean he won't have growing pains. He's a bit too small to play guard but what choice does he really have with all of the injuries? He was perfect in pass protection, allowing no pressure, but his run blocking was atrocious going up against <span>Nick Fairley</span>.</p>
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<h4><b>Key Offensive Villains</b></h4>
<p><i><span>John Jerry</span> (-2.1) -</i> Similarly to Richburg, Jerry was very good in pass protection, allowing only one hurry, but he was incredibly bad in the run game, scoring a -2.8 in that area. His mechanics are inconsistent and he didn't get out into space as much as I'd hoped he would based on the Patriot preseason game.</p>
<p><i><span>Victor Cruz</span> (-1.9) - </i>Multiple drops and an inability to get open along with getting no YAC will do that to a grade. Cruz was among the most disappointing Giants to take the field on Monday, and that's saying something. Going against third-string CBs, even when Manning had time, Cruz still struggled to separate.</p>
<p><i><span>Jerrel Jernigan</span> (-1.8) - </i>Seeing a pattern? Jernigan also had a drop and missed a few easy catches to get this grade. Troublesome times for the once high-powered offense.</p>
<p><i><span>Rueben Randle</span> (-1.4) -</i> The 6-foot-3, 212 pound 2nd round pick managed to nab two catches on three targets for 1 yard. What?</p>
<p><i><span>Will Beatty</span> (-1.2) - </i>PFF didn't have him down for as terrible a performance as some of the other OL, but he still allowed two QB hits and one hurry, and thus received the grade he did.</p>
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<h4><b>Defensive MVP</b></h4>
<p><i><span>Prince Amukamara</span> (+3.1) - </i>PFF does not grade cornerbacksvery high, so Prince is actually a top five CB by their grades after Week 1. He deserves every bit of it, too. He allowed one catch for 9 yards on four targets in coverage along with two very nice and crucial passes defensed. He threw in some great work in the run game as well, notching three defensive stops. What a terrific performance for this young man in a game where terrific performances were few and far in between.</p>
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<h4><b>Key Defensive Contributors</b></h4>
<p><i><span>Jason Pierre-Paul</span> (+2.4) -</i> He might not be the pass rush phenom that he was in 2011, but he showed up as every bit the run defense monster. He notched five defensive stops in the run game and was simply unblockable at the point of attack in that regard. He used his length and his burst to stop or disrupt run plays all night long. He also notched three quarterback hurries as well.</p>
<p><i><span>Antrel Rolle</span> (+2.2) - </i><span>Will Hill</span> might be gone, but many forget that the Giants had TWO safeties ranked in the top 10 last year and one of them is still here. Along with some strong work in the run game, Rolle wasn't tested all that much in pass coverage aside from one mis-communication with DRC.</p>
<p><i><span>Robert Ayers</span> (+2.2)</i> - Ayers played a decent amount of snaps (32) and made the most of them. He was consistently applying pressure (two hurries, one sack) and did some very good work in the run game. A pattern emerges here as well, all the run defenders are getting credit.</p>
<p><i><span>Cullen Jenkins</span> (+1.3) - </i>Some decent work (again) in the run game as well as throwing in two hurries gives Jenkins a decent performance here.</p>
<p><i><span>Johnathan Hankins</span> (+1.2) - </i>Three hurries and being stout at the point of attack has this 4th member of the Giants defensive front making an appearance in the awards section.</p>
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<h4><b>Defensive GOAT</b></h4>
<p><i><span>Mathias Kiwanuka</span> (-4.1) - </i>Did I jinx both Jerry and Kiwanuka for the season by praising them in my previous film studies? Must be, as "Kiwi" finds himself in a familiar place, both for being ineffective rushing the passer as well as giving up the edge in the run game.</p>
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<h4><b>Key Defensive Villains</b></h4>
<p><i><span>Jacquian Williams</span> (-2.7) - </i>Not a banner game for the furth-year linebacker. He looked lost in coverage and missed several tackles, so this was an easy move to make. Let's hope he gets it together versus the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a> offense.</p>
<p><i><span>Mike Patterson</span> (-2.5) - </i>Didn't really notice Patterson during the game but PFF stated that he was blown off the ball, registering -1.7 run defense grade.</p>
<p><i><span>Jon Beason</span> (-2.3) </i> - Like Patterson, I didn't notice much wrong with Beason, but run defense was apparently an issue for him as well.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2014/9/9/6127247/ny-giants-detroit-lions-recap-analysis-score-pro-football-focus-reviewInvictus XI2014-09-09T12:01:03-04:002014-09-09T12:01:03-04:00Two Plays That Changed The Game
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<p>It's time to autopsy the Giants 2014 season opener and find the exact cause of defeat. </p> <p><i>[Note: This is going to be a recurring piece after every game day. As you may have guessed, I'll be looking at a number of plays that changed the game. It might only be one play, it might be five, they might be offensive, defensive, special teams, or a mix of all of the above.]</i></p>
<p>Well that sucked.</p>
<p>But it really didn't have to. The <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Giants</a> didn't make two plays that essentially sealed the game for them. So let's start at the beginning, it's a good place to start.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for us (and the New York Giants) the tone for the game was set early on with a <span>Calvin Johnson</span> touchdown on one of the ugliest busted plays I've seen in some time (at least since the last time I watched Major League).</p>
<p>It might not be pleasant, but let's take a look at what went so wrong:</p>
<h4><span>Play 1</span></h4>
<p><a href="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2374342/megatd.0.gif"><img alt="Megatd.0_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2374342/megatd.0.gif"></a></p>
<p>via <a href="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/689570/megatd.0.gif">cdn1.vox-cdn.com</a></p>
<p>This play actually doesn't start all that bad. The coverage is initially good, and the pass rush collapses the pocket, forcing Stafford to scramble. Then it all goes awry pretty quickly.</p>
<p><span>Damontre Moore</span> has a clear shot on Stafford, which he takes. However, he lunges forward aggressively, and gets juked (Really Damontre? Getting juked like that by a QB not named Vick? Granted, I've never seen Stafford move like that before, but still). That opens Stafford up to launch the ball deep down field.</p>
<p>Meanwhile in the secondary this happened:</p>
<p><a href="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2374396/megat_1.0.jpg"><img alt="Megat_1.0_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2374396/megat_1.0_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p>via <a href="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YtRT5Ghs3IP3sUlrat7j_FqMZ9I=/725x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/689572/megat_1.0.jpg">cdn1.vox-cdn.com</a></p>
<p><span>Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie</span> was in coverage on Johnson, and it was good enough to keep the ball in Stafford's hand long enough to force him out of the pocket. As Stafford was flushed from the pocket, <span>Stevie Brown</span> came over to help with the coverage on Megatron.</p>
<p>What I can only assume is a mis-communication first caused both the safety and the cornerback to turn their eyes off the incredibly dangerous receiver (I'm guessing at least one was supposed to actually still be covering him) to look back at the quarterback. Then one ran into the other.</p>
<p>This was the first of several busted coverages that actually made me more nervous when the <a href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Lions</a> were in a long down and distance than when they were in third and short.</p>
<p>If there's one thing the defense needs to work on this week, and going forward, it is buttoning down the communication in the secondary and getting them all to play to their talent level (not just Prince and Rolle).</p>
<h4><span>Play 2</span></h4>
<p>Despite two busted coverages that led to touchdowns, it was still only a one score game going into the half. With the Giants making several impressive defensive stops putting together a nice scoring drive, and getting the ball to start the second half, it seemed we actually had a ball game on our hands.</p>
<p>Whatever momentum the Giants had scraped together slipped way at the start of the second half.</p>
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<p>via <a href="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/689636/lionsint.0.gif">cdn1.vox-cdn.com</a></p>
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<p>This play is just a blatant communication breakdown. While Eli is audibling before the play we can see him signal directly to Donnell, likely putting him on alert with the blitz coming. This is designed to be a very quick hitting pass over the middle to pick up the first down.</p>
<p>The Giants are in shotgun, with Eli taking a quick two-step drop -- Jon Gruden pointed out last night that one of the changes McAdoo is making to Eli's mechanics, is that instead of the three-five- and seven-step drops Eli took in Kevin Gilbride's offense, McAdoo is having Eli take two- four and six-step drops -- and throwing the pass over the middle to (roughly) the 27-yard line. It looks as if Eli is expecting <span>Larry Donnell</span> to run a stick route, come back to the ball suddenly, then get up-field to pick up the firstdown. Instead, Donnell runs a post route, and doesn't even look for the ball until he makes his break at about the 33-35-yard line.</p>
<p>Oops!</p>
<h4><span>Final Thoughts</span></h4>
<p>With the offense still figuring out how to play offense, the Giants needed to play a clean game when they had the ball, and do their best to contain the Lions' explosive offense. For a while, it seemed like they might actually pull it off.</p>
<p>A couple blown coverages put the Giants in a deep hole early, but it looked like they had managed to shut down the Lions' rushing attack and mostly contain their passing attack. The offense was even showing some signs of life an coherency as they strung together a scoring drive.</p>
<p>Then the mis-communications that have plagued the offense all preseason reared their ugly heads, and robbed the Giants of any chance they may have had to escape with a victory (or even a close loss).</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2014/9/9/6126095/new-york-giants-week-1-two-plays-that-changed-the-gameChris Pflum2014-09-09T09:49:21-04:002014-09-09T09:49:21-04:00What can we learn from Monday's snap counts?
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<figcaption>Rashad Jennings runs with the ball | Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Let's break down the snap counts for the Giants Monday vs. the Lions</p> <p>Who played a lot for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> Monday night vs. the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Detroit Lions</a>? Who didn't play much, or at all? What can we learn from those numbers? Let's look at the snap count data from Monday's 35-14 season opening loss and see what we can learn.</p>
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<li><span><span>Larry Donnell</span> played 52 snaps at tight end and caught five passes, one for a touchdown. <span>Adrien Robinson</span>, the 2012 fourth-round pick, did not play a single snap. If you need an extra tight end for your Fantasy Football team, Donnell might be a guy to grab.</span></li>
<li><span><span>Rashad Jennings</span> played 42 snaps at running back and rookie <span>Andre Williams</span> played 18. That snap distribution might be the way things go for a while.</span></li>
<li><span>Fullback Henry Hynoski played only six snaps. Many Giants fans wanted to see the team keep two fullbacks on the 53-man roster. That snap count provides evidence as to why they kept only one.</span></li>
<li><span>Wide receiver <span>Corey Washington</span> played only two red zone snaps. <span>Eli Manning</span> tried to hit Washington on a fade from the one-yard line on the first snap and Washington, who was well-covered, nearly made a tremendous catch.</span></li>
<li><span><span>Mathias Kiwanuka</span> played 57 unimpressive snaps. <span>Damontre Moore</span> played only 10. Considering that the Giants really don't look like a good football team there really isn't any reason for them to be keeping Moore off the field. That snap distribution needs to be even, if not tilted in Moore's favor.</span></li>
<li><span>Middle linebacker <span>Jon Beason</span> played 43 snaps in his return to action after missing the preseason with a broken foot.</span></li>
<li><span>Rookie linebacker <span>Devon Kennard</span> played two snaps early in the game, but left with a hamstring injury.</span></li>
<li><span>Linebacker Jacquian Williams played all 67 defensive snaps. <span>Spencer Paysinger</span> played none. I understand Williams is a superior athlete, but I still believe Paysinger is a superior player. Let's see if Williams continues to play so much after struggling mightily Monday night.</span></li>
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https://www.bigblueview.com/2014/9/9/6126183/new-york-giants-snap-counts-vs-lions-larry-donnell-adrien-robinson-damontre-mooreEd Valentine2014-09-09T09:14:48-04:002014-09-09T09:14:48-04:00'Kudos & Wet Willies' Review: The ugly truth
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<figcaption>Larry Donnell has five catches Monday, but also a costly mis-communication with Eli Manning | Joe Sargent</figcaption>
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<p>Let's review Monday's loss to Detroit in our traditional 'Kudos & Wet Willies' style.</p>
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</div> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/33146/wetwillies_468.jpg"><img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/33146/wetwillies_468_medium.jpg" class="photo" alt="Wetwillies_468_medium"></a> <br id="1410268152135"> The 2014 <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Giants</a> looked way too much like the bumbling 2013 New York Giants during Monday night's one-sided 35-14 season-opening loss to the <a href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Detroit Lions</a>.</p>
<ul>
<li><span>There was quarterback <span>Eli Manning</span> taking hit after hit and throwing two interceptions.</span></li>
<li><span>There were mis-communications with wide receivers.</span></li>
<li><span>There were too many times when receivers had opportunities to make plays and did not make them.</span></li>
<li><span>There were a plethora of defensive assignment breakdowns.</span></li>
<li><span>There wasn't enough pressure on Detroit quarterback <span>Matthew Stafford</span>.</span></li>
<li><span>There were problems on special teams.</span></li>
<li><span>The Giants' running game was non-existent.</span></li>
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<p>Does all of this sound familiar? Many of the faces on both the roster and the coaching staff have changed since last season. The results, and the problems, remained the same.</p>
<p>The Giants tried to remain optimistic after the game, but after watching Monday's game it is hard to believe this season will end up any differently than 2013 did.</p>
<p>To win games you have to block, you have to catch the ball, you have to know and carry out your assignments, you have to limit turnovers, you have to force the other team to make turnovers and you have to play clean on special teams.</p>
<p>The Giants didn't show the ability to do any of those things on Monday night in what head coach Tom Coughlin rightly called "a nightmare performance."</p>
<p>The thing is, after watching the Giants live through this same bad dream a year ago Monday's loss has to leave you wondering if they are ever going to wake up.</p>
<h4>Kudos</h4>
<p><span>Steve Weatherford</span> -- Simply for gutting out the final three quarters after suffering a high ankle sprain in the first quarter thanks to the Giants' inability to protect him. Weatherford punted twice after the injury occurred, and even managed to hit a 51-yarder. You know how uncomfortable he was if you saw him try to stand up after holding for <span>Josh Brown</span> on extra points. He could barely get off the ground.</p>
<p><span>Prince Amukamara</span> -- Maybe it should have been Amukamara shadowing Detroit's Calvin Johnson. He was the only member of the Giants' secondary making any plays. Amukamara forced Megatron out of bounds on one play, sprinted downfield to blast Johnson on another to prevent a long reception. He ripped a potential touchdown out of Detroit tight end Joseph Fauria's hands. Amukamara had three stops and received a defense-best +3.1 Pro Football Focus grade. He earned every bit of it.</p>
<p><span>Jason Pierre-Paul</span> -- Pierre-Paul was a force against the run and did put pressure on Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, generating three hurries.</p>
<p><span>Johnathan Hankins</span> -- Hankins was a force against the run with five tackles. He was not credited with any pass rush pressures, but I thought I did see him flush Stafford out of the pocket on a couple of occasions.</p>
<h4>Wet Willies</h4>
<p><span>Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie</span> -- Well, maybe it isn't such a good idea to have DRC shadowing the opposing team's best receiver. Johnson absolutely had his way with Rodgers-Cromartie. DRC couldn't stay with Johnson long or short, couldn't seem to get on the same page with safety <span>Stevie Brown</span> and in general had a miserable Giants debut. Stafford targeted him nine times, had six completions and ended up with a 146.8 rating throwing at Rodgers-Cromartie. Yes, I know it was largely against Megatron, but the Giants are paying DRC a ton of money to cover guys like that, and his performance was not encouraging.</p>
<p><span>Jacquian Williams</span> -- An NFL linebacker should never, ever get embarrassed by an NFL quarterback in the open field the way Williams was embarrassed by Matthew Stafford Monday night on Stafford's fie-yard touchdown run. Stafford, not one of the NFL's running quarterbacks, juked a flailing Williams at the two-yard line and scored easily. The Giants talked a lot during preseason about how they thought Williams had grown into a three-down linebacker. Well, maybe not. Three missed tackles, a penalty and a whole lot of chasing guys who just caught passes instead of actually covering them.</p>
<p><span>Victor Cruz</span> -- The numbers say Cruz was targeted six times and had only two catches for 24 yards. Cruz, who has to be a guy Eli Manning can count on, was anything but that on Monday night. Manning's second interception was a ball he probably shouldn't have thrown, and yes it was floated because he was running left. Cruz, though, is simply standing still waiting for the ball. Unfortunately, Detroit's Glover Quin was actually going to the ball -- which is what you are supposed to be -- and made the pick. Cruz also dropped a pair of passes that would have gone for sizeable gains.</p>
<p><b>Giants Pass Protection</b> -- Manning was sacked twice and hit or hurried nine other times. That's 11 times in 35 drop backs that the quarterback was under duress. That is also pitiful. It's not even worth singling out individual linemen. Every Giants' lineman who started the game finished with a negative PFF grade.</p>
<p><b>Giants Punt Protection -</b>- The Giants had a punt partially blocked, almost got two others blocked and might have lost Steve Weatherford for a while thanks to their inability to keep the Lions away from him. Three first-quarter punts, three awful efforts. And I thought Manning was the Giant most likely to suffer injury thanks to faulty protection.</p>
<p>Stevie Brown -- The fact that Brown led the Giants in tackles with nine is misleading. He wasn't good in his regular-season return after missing last season with a torn ACL. What, precisely, was he doing on Johnson's 81-yard touchdown run? It looked like he thought he was covering Rodgers-Cromartie, because he was running away from Megatron and laid a nice tackle on DRC. He seemed to be late in coverage all night.</p>
<p><span>Rueben Randle</span> -- Two catches for one yard? Really?</p>
<h4>Kwillies</h4>
<p><span>Larry Donnell</span> -- Donnell actually led the Giants in receptions with five and receiving yards with 56. He was, truthfully, the only guy who made plays for Manning all night. The problem was the one play Donnell didn't make. I'm not a scout or a coach, but on Manning's first interception Donnell was the 'hot' receiver on a Detroit blitz and clearly never got his head around to look for the ball. Manning fell on his sword after the game and tried to take the blame off the young tight end, but it certainly looked like that interception was the tight end's fault. Other than that one play, though, it was an encouraging night for the tight end.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2014/9/9/6125947/lions-35-giants-14-kudos-wet-willies-reviewEd Valentine2014-09-08T23:22:12-04:002014-09-08T23:22:12-04:00Instant Analysis: Five things we learned Monday
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<figcaption>Calvin Johnson makes a diving catch for a touchdown | Gregory Shamus</figcaption>
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<p>Five things we learned during the Giants loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> 35-14 loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Detroit Lions</a> on Monday was certainly not how the Giants hoped to begin the season. Let's look at five things we learned on Monday.</p>
<h4>Megatron Is Pretty Good</h4>
<p>The Giants thought high-priced free agent signee <span>Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie</span> could compete with <span>Calvin Johnson</span> . Neither he, nor anyone else, had a chance. Johnson torched the Giants for seven catches, 164 yards and two touchdowns. There was a 67-yarder on which Rodgers-Cromartie and <span>Stevie Brown</span> mis-communicated and slammed into each other. Brown appeared to get lost on the play, not realizing where Johnson or DRC were. There was a beautiful diving 16-yard catch by Johnson, as well.</p>
<p>The Giants, distressingly, had a number of mis-communications in the high-priced secondary that is supposed to be the strength of their defense. <span>Matthew Stafford</span> completed 22-of-32 passes for 346 yards and two touchdowns.</p>
<p>Yes, Megatron is incredible. This, however, was not a good opening act for the Giants' highly-regarded secondary.</p>
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<h4>The Giants Can't Pass Block</h4>
<p><span>Eli Manning</span> was sacked only twice. I have no idea, however, how many times Manning was hit, hurried or left to run for his life. The Lions managed to get pressure off the edges a number of times. On Manning's second interception <span>Nick Fairley</span> overwhelmed center <span>J.D. Walton</span> and forced Manning to run left, a recipe for disaster. Manning won't make it through the season if he has has to absorb weekly beatings like that.</p>
<h4>The Giants Might Have A Tight End</h4>
<p><span>Larry Donnell</span> ended up as the Giants leading receiver on Monday night, catching five passes for 56 yards and one touchdown. Raise your hand if you saw that coming. Like I thought, no hands in the air. Donnell made a couple of impressive catches down the middle. He also had a terrible mis-communication that cost Manning an interception, failing to get his head around when he was the hot receiver on a Detroit blitz. By the time Donnell looked for the ball it had already hit him in the foot and been picked off.</p>
<h4>Wide Receiver Is A Problem</h4>
<p>Read that blurb above. Tight end Larry Donnell was the Giants' leading receiver Monday night. <span>Victor Cruz</span> had as many drops (two) as he did receptions. Cruz also deserves some blame for Manning's second interception. Sure,Manning floated the ball and probably shouldn't have thrown it, but Cruz has to do more than stand still and watch <span>Glover Quin</span> of the Lions break on the ball and make the pick. Cruz also had a couple of opportunities to make plays and couldn't get the job done. <span>Rueben Randle</span> was invisible with two catches for one (yes, one) yard. <span>Jerrel Jernigan</span> caught four passes, but had a couple of plays where he and Manning did not appear to on the same page in terms of where Jernigan would be.</p>
<p>There is a reason why the Giants drafted Odell Beckham Jr. in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. That was on full display Monday night.</p>
<h4>Punt Team Issues Remain</h4>
<p>Eli Manning isn't the only Giant who is going to get killed if the Giants can't block any better than they did Monday night. Punter Steve Weatherford had a punt blocked, nearly had two others blocked and got his ankle rolled awkwardly when hit on a punt. The play resulted in a roughing penalty and helped the Giants to their first touchdown, but Weatherford obviously felt the effects for the rest of the game. The lack of ability to do a simple thing like protect the punter is a huge concern.</p>
<p>Weatherford reportedly left Ford Field with a boot on his left foot <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/TomRock_Newsday/status/509173952879788033">thanks to a high ankle sprain</a>. Not good.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/nfl-schedule-2014-week-1-giants-vs-lions-monday-night-football-espn/2014/9/8/6124975/giants-at-lions-instant-analysis-five-things-we-learned-monday-night-recap-final-scoreEd Valentine2014-09-08T22:08:04-04:002014-09-08T22:08:04-04:00Giants routed by Lions, 35-14, in season opener
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<img alt="The Lions brought Eli Manning and the Giants to their knees Monday night" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DxuIqHhPo0y2u5w1hOuicWdYlxk=/0x0:3990x2660/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/38234620/20140908_ajw_af2_163.JPG.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The Lions brought Eli Manning and the Giants to their knees Monday night | Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Giants were soundly beaten by the Detroit Lions on Monday night.</p> <p>If Monday night's 35-14 thrashing at the hands of the <a href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Detroit Lions</a> is an indication of things to come, the 2014 season might be a long one for the <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Giants</a>.</p>
<p>The Giants fell behind 14-0 after two Detroit possessions, rallied briefly to get within 14-7, but never really recovered. Yes, it was this kind of day for <span>Eli Manning</span> and the Giants.</p>
<p><a href="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2373802/wtf.0.gif"><img alt="Wtf.0_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2373802/wtf.0_medium.gif"></a></p>
<p>via <a href="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/689640/wtf.0.gif">cdn2.vox-cdn.com</a></p>
<p>Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has consistently referred to the Giants, particularly on offense, as a work in progress. After Monday's performance it's fair to ask 'where was the progress?'</p>
<p>The new Giants looked a whole lot like the old 2013 Giants. There were the obligatory two Manning interceptions. There was little pass blocking. there were mis-communications with and missed opportunities by wide receivers, there was a blocked punt and a couple of near blocks, one that resulted in punter <span>Steve Weatherford</span> suffering an ankle injury.</p>
<p>The Giants defense couldn't handle Detroit superstar wide receiver <span>Calvin Johnson</span>, who caught seven passes for 164 yards and two scores. Those two TDs came the first two times Detroit had the ball, one a 67-yarder off a blown coverage.</p>
<p>Head coach Tom Coughlin couldn't believe what he saw on the first Johnson touchdown.</p>
<p>"How did that happen? Two of our people knocked each other down and off went 81," Coughlin said.</p>
<p>We saw this act from the Giants a year ago. It wasn't good enough then. It wasn't good enough Monday night. It won't be anywhere near good enough the rest of this season.</p>
<p>"There's a lot of work to do, obviously. In a short week we'll see what we can accomplish," Coughlin said. "The bubble's been burst. There' a lot of things that have to be improved upon, and they've gotta happen pretty quick."</p>
<p>The Giants need to make some progress. Fast.</p>
<h4>Stats</h4>
<p>-- Manning finished 18-of-33 for 163 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He was sacked twice. Manning's passer rating was 53.0.</p>
<p>-- The Giants ran the ball 22 times for only 53 yards, 2.4 yards per carry. <span>Rashad Jennings</span> had 16 carries for 46 yards.</p>
<p>-- Tight end <span>Larry Donnell</span> had five catches for 56 yards.</p>
<p>-- <span>Victor Cruz</span> had only two receptions for 24 yards.</p>
<p>-- The Giants finished with only 197 net yards on offense, Detroit had 417.</p>
<h4>Injury Update</h4>
<p><span>Jason Pierre-Paul</span> left the game during the first defensive series with an apparent neck injury, but returned during the first half. Linebacker Devon Kennard left the game in the first half with a hamstring injury.</p>
<h4>What's Next For Giants?</h4>
<p>The Giants play their first home game of the 2014 season when they host the <a href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Arizona Cardinals</a> Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Game time is 1 p.m. ET. The Cardinals are playing the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-diego-chargers" class="sbn-auto-link">San Diego Chargers</a> in the Monday Night Football nightcap.</p>
<div style="position:relative;padding-top:62.5%;padding-bottom:37px;" class="snappytv-embed"><iframe style="position:absolute;top:0;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" height="100%" width="100%" src="http://www.snappytv.com/snap/coach-tom-coughlin-s-postgame-reactions-following-monday-s-l-about-giants-postgame-on-new-york-giants-nfl_ha"></iframe></div>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2014/9/8/6124221/giants-lions-final-score-lions-35-giants-14-recap-nfl-monday-night-footballEd Valentine2014-09-08T20:41:48-04:002014-09-08T20:41:48-04:00Lions 14, Giants 7: Second-half open thread
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/a72Vbe2EzacCkHVv0poRyOv1C0A=/0x0:3990x2660/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/38231756/20140908_ajw_aw3_090.JPG.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Giants and Lions have reached halftime of their Monday Night Football clash. Here is your second-half open thread.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> trail the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Detroit Lions</a>, 14-7, at halftime of their season-opening Monday Night Football game.</p>
<p>Things could be much worse for the Giants, who surrendered touchdowns to the Lions on their first two possessions. Both went to <span>Calvin Johnson</span> on receptions of 67 and 16 yards.</p>
<p>The Giants were able to stabilize the game after that, scoring their only touchdown on a fourth-and-1 completion from <span>Eli Manning</span> to <span>Larry Donnell</span>.</p>
<p>Manning is 10-of-20 for 67 yards. For Detroit, Johnson already has five catches for 131 yards. Lions quarterback <span>Matthew Stafford</span> is 14-of-17 for 212 yards and two touchdowns.</p>
<p>The Giants saw <span>Jason Pierre-Paul</span> leave the game with an apparent neck injury on their first defensive series. Pierre-Paul returned to the game after undergoing X-rays. Linebacker Devon Kennard is questionable to return with a hamstring injury. No word on when that happened.</p>
<p>Here are a couple of the early lowlights.</p>
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<p>Good coverage <a href="http://t.co/mWetzXgczk">pic.twitter.com/mWetzXgczk</a></p>
— Mike Tunison (@xmasape) <a href="https://twitter.com/xmasape/status/509118217504432128">September 8, 2014</a>
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<p>MEGATRON <a href="http://t.co/PM0od79RJi">pic.twitter.com/PM0od79RJi</a></p>
— Steve Noah (@Steve_OS) <a href="https://twitter.com/Steve_OS/status/509123086487396352">September 8, 2014</a>
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https://www.bigblueview.com/2014/9/8/6124067/giants-lions-halftime-score-giants-14-lions-7Ed Valentine2014-09-08T19:56:37-04:002014-09-08T19:56:37-04:00Well, the truth hurts<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="/rss/stream/5885168">Well, the truth&nbsp;hurts</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>Yes, it was this kind of start to the game for the Giants.</p></p></div>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2014/9/8/6124493/well-the-truth-hurtsEd Valentine