Running Analysis of NY Giants @ Dallas Cowboys (9/9/2007)
-Giants defense looks a little porous to start things out. Witten vs Kiwanuka is an incredibly lopsided match-up, lets hope they fix that up, because Mathias can’t be expected to cover a WR-caliber TE.
-Osi injured already. This could be a long game.
-Jacobs is given some big holes to run through and he’s executing. The O-Line is doing their thing. We’re yet to see power vs. power with Jacobs, which I’m excited to see if he can pull off for a whole game.
-Giants choose the worst possible play on 3rd and Short… the pitch back to Ward. I’ll never understand why a team would pitch back 4 yards to attempt to get 3 yards. The pitch back should only be used on 1st or 2nd downs, no exceptions.
-Coughlin is trying to make his presence known as a coach by going for it on 4th down early. I like the gutsy call, even though they didn’t get the 1st down. Good spot on the field to try it anyway. Personally, I would’ve punted after Dallas burned a Time Out.
-Witten continues to kill us. Cover 2 type defense is NOT working for 3rd down. We have to pressure Romo and fill in the middle. I understand that we fear TO, but they do have other weapons. Our weak secondary has compromised our entire defensive scheme, it seems. Especially with Osi out and Strahan out of shape.
-Great having Toomer back in action. Eli seems much more comfortable having him back. He’s not our big money receiver, but he’s Eli’s favorite go-to guy as far as a possession guy.
-Feagles seemingly still has it. Nice punt.
-Witten continues to kill us (repeat).
-Eli threw a pick. Not his fault, Plax fell down on the post pattern after the ball was released.
-Now Jacobs is hurt with 3 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. Fantastic. Are these injuries from over-working the squad in the off-season? Can we start blaming Coughlin already?
-Witten continues to kill us over the middle. Can we do something about this guy please?
-Coughlin continues to have the glossed over, angry-at-something-but-not-sure-what-exactly look in his eyes. Not exactly what I want to see. He never seems to exude confidence from the sidelines. He always looks defeated.
-First time in the red zone. Eli has to score in order to prove himself and hush the critics a little here.
...Great look. Quick adjust to Plax from a fade route to a post pattern when the CB was playing off of him. That shows their chemistry and Eli’s quick decision making abilities.
END FIRST HALF
-Apparently Tiki is going to comment on the Giants at halftime. I’m going to watch Cartoon Network instead.
BEGIN SECOND HALF
-T.O. finally involved as he burns their DB’s for a TD. Again, the secondary is the weak link in our chain. And without significant pressure on Romo, we’re not going to stop that passing game.
-Al Michaels already jinxing the Giants, talking about “what a great win this would be for the Giants” while they’re down by 5 points and setting up for a 3rd and 5 in the 3rd quarter.
-Witten continues killing us. We apparently haven’t learned from the first 5 times they ran this play.
-We still can’t collapse on Romo, as he sprints around our battered D-line to score a rushing TD. I can’t help but wonder if things would be different if we had Osi, an in-shape Strahan, and (I can’t believe I’m saying this) Willie Joseph in there.
-Still missing Jacobs, but hell of a run by Ward. I’m actually pretty impressed with our O-Line, I really thought we’d be getting stuffed a lot more, what with the loss of Petitgout and all.
-Eli in the red zone again. Lets see if he can show and prove again.
…instead, they call 2 up-the-gut handoffs in a row to Ward, for a loss of 4 yards, giving Eli little chance to do much from here. Poor decision-making on the OC’s part.
…Steve Smith drops the ball on an out-pattern, adding to drops by Shockey and Plaxico earlier.
-More injuries! Kevin Dockery is down, and even Kicker Laurence Tynes is having a cramp massaged out.
… apparently the Giants refused a shoulder-pad cooling system to keep their guys fresh, likely because Coughlin is scared that he’ll be “coddling” them, and instead chooses to let them dehydrate and cramp up. The difference on the field? Giants look like they just ran a triathlon, and the Cowboys seem much fresher. Good call, Coughlin. Who needs fresh legs when they can tell stories of their pain & suffering to their grandkids one day?
-Defense continues to resemble Swiss cheese.
-GAME OVER. T.O. putting the nail in the coffin with a huge TD and putting the Giants out of commission.
-Ware jumps way off-sides to smash Eli, but mysteriously there’s no call on the play.
-Could Ward be the real deal? Doesn’t matter much for this game, since it’s not looking too good, but our O-Line is really impressing me tonight, and might be something to keep an eye on this season. If he can stay healthy, he might just steal that starting job.
-We finally collapse the middle on defense, and pick the ball off. Gibril Wilson played the spy on that one, and expected the pass down the middle. You can fool us 7 times, Cowboys, but not 8.
-Giants refuse to air it out. They’re sticking with Ward with 6:30 left in the game and 2 possessions to get the lead. Time is a factor right now, and to not go to Plax as much as possible is really a shame.
…that said, finally goes to Plax and scores a TD
…3 point ball game—was I too quick to call that GAME OVER before? With our D playing the way it is, I’m going to say I was not too quick, but I really hope they prove me wrong here.
…It seems as though we either force a mistake on the Cowboys end or we’re going to get burnt again. If Dallas sticks to a game plan, they will be tough to stop, or even slow down. Our defense just seems too battered and tired to dig in and force them to punt.
-Dallas with a big return on the ensuing kickoff. Now even more pressure on the defense, as Dallas is almost in Giant territory to begin their drive.
-GAME OVER. (pt. 2) – Another huge pass by Romo down the right sideline for a TD. My fears about our defense are justified. Our defense really looks to be a liability this year. Shame, because our offense is looking sharp, even with Jacobs out.
-MORE INJURIES! Eli may be out for the game (hopefully that’s all) with a messed-up shoulder. Bring on the Hefty Lefty.
…fat fuck slides before the marker on 4th down, and the game has ended.
Thoughts:
-Anyone criticizing Eli for losing this game will forever be considered as having an agenda. Any unbiased, objective viewer will realize that he was one of the main positives for this team. He is showing the poise of a veteran in the pocket, has apparently stopped throwing off of his back foot altogether (a HUGE improvement), and did not panic during their drives.
-Coughlin is really making it tough to root for him. I’m trying to be patient, but he already is pissing me off. He’s refused to make concessions to his players: refusing the shoulder pad cooling system? Also, calling for 2 up-the-gut runs by Ward on essentially 1st and Goal from the 8 yard line was bull headed.
-Some positives: the offense looks really good, even without Jacobs back there. The O-line was mistake-free, and provided great holes in the running game, Eli has been mentioned already, and the receiving corps, although a little droppy, had a solid game. Would’ve liked some more throws Plax’s way, but can’t have it all.
-The defense looked tired, uninspired, and outclassed at the corners. I had held out hope that our weak D-backs would be offset by our pressure on the QB and that strong front 4, but with Osi knocked out early, Joseph out altogether, and Strahan not in game shape, Romo had all the time in the world to pick our weak cover 2 apart. We adjusted way too late in regard to Witten burning us in the middle all game, but in all honesty, that may not even be our D-coordinator’s fault. It might just be that we don’t have the talent to stop both long passes and the short game. We chose to contain T.O. in the 1st half, and Witten burned us. We attempted to close off the middle in the 2nd half, and were partially successful in that regard, but then we got burnt over the top. Hopefully we get that essential pressure, because that’s the only way we can hope to disrupt an offense. Perhaps more blitzing is necessary.
-Our injuries may come back to haunt us in the very near future. Lets hope these are all minor and aren’t a blight on the already-battered team.
NEXT WEEK: bring on Green Bay
-Osi injured already. This could be a long game.
-Jacobs is given some big holes to run through and he’s executing. The O-Line is doing their thing. We’re yet to see power vs. power with Jacobs, which I’m excited to see if he can pull off for a whole game.
-Giants choose the worst possible play on 3rd and Short… the pitch back to Ward. I’ll never understand why a team would pitch back 4 yards to attempt to get 3 yards. The pitch back should only be used on 1st or 2nd downs, no exceptions.
-Coughlin is trying to make his presence known as a coach by going for it on 4th down early. I like the gutsy call, even though they didn’t get the 1st down. Good spot on the field to try it anyway. Personally, I would’ve punted after Dallas burned a Time Out.
-Witten continues to kill us. Cover 2 type defense is NOT working for 3rd down. We have to pressure Romo and fill in the middle. I understand that we fear TO, but they do have other weapons. Our weak secondary has compromised our entire defensive scheme, it seems. Especially with Osi out and Strahan out of shape.
-Great having Toomer back in action. Eli seems much more comfortable having him back. He’s not our big money receiver, but he’s Eli’s favorite go-to guy as far as a possession guy.
-Feagles seemingly still has it. Nice punt.
-Witten continues to kill us (repeat).
-Eli threw a pick. Not his fault, Plax fell down on the post pattern after the ball was released.
-Now Jacobs is hurt with 3 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. Fantastic. Are these injuries from over-working the squad in the off-season? Can we start blaming Coughlin already?
-Witten continues to kill us over the middle. Can we do something about this guy please?
-Coughlin continues to have the glossed over, angry-at-something-but-not-sure-what-exactly look in his eyes. Not exactly what I want to see. He never seems to exude confidence from the sidelines. He always looks defeated.
-First time in the red zone. Eli has to score in order to prove himself and hush the critics a little here.
...Great look. Quick adjust to Plax from a fade route to a post pattern when the CB was playing off of him. That shows their chemistry and Eli’s quick decision making abilities.
END FIRST HALF
-Apparently Tiki is going to comment on the Giants at halftime. I’m going to watch Cartoon Network instead.
BEGIN SECOND HALF
-T.O. finally involved as he burns their DB’s for a TD. Again, the secondary is the weak link in our chain. And without significant pressure on Romo, we’re not going to stop that passing game.
-Al Michaels already jinxing the Giants, talking about “what a great win this would be for the Giants” while they’re down by 5 points and setting up for a 3rd and 5 in the 3rd quarter.
-Witten continues killing us. We apparently haven’t learned from the first 5 times they ran this play.
-We still can’t collapse on Romo, as he sprints around our battered D-line to score a rushing TD. I can’t help but wonder if things would be different if we had Osi, an in-shape Strahan, and (I can’t believe I’m saying this) Willie Joseph in there.
-Still missing Jacobs, but hell of a run by Ward. I’m actually pretty impressed with our O-Line, I really thought we’d be getting stuffed a lot more, what with the loss of Petitgout and all.
-Eli in the red zone again. Lets see if he can show and prove again.
…instead, they call 2 up-the-gut handoffs in a row to Ward, for a loss of 4 yards, giving Eli little chance to do much from here. Poor decision-making on the OC’s part.
…Steve Smith drops the ball on an out-pattern, adding to drops by Shockey and Plaxico earlier.
-More injuries! Kevin Dockery is down, and even Kicker Laurence Tynes is having a cramp massaged out.
… apparently the Giants refused a shoulder-pad cooling system to keep their guys fresh, likely because Coughlin is scared that he’ll be “coddling” them, and instead chooses to let them dehydrate and cramp up. The difference on the field? Giants look like they just ran a triathlon, and the Cowboys seem much fresher. Good call, Coughlin. Who needs fresh legs when they can tell stories of their pain & suffering to their grandkids one day?
-Defense continues to resemble Swiss cheese.
-GAME OVER. T.O. putting the nail in the coffin with a huge TD and putting the Giants out of commission.
-Ware jumps way off-sides to smash Eli, but mysteriously there’s no call on the play.
-Could Ward be the real deal? Doesn’t matter much for this game, since it’s not looking too good, but our O-Line is really impressing me tonight, and might be something to keep an eye on this season. If he can stay healthy, he might just steal that starting job.
-We finally collapse the middle on defense, and pick the ball off. Gibril Wilson played the spy on that one, and expected the pass down the middle. You can fool us 7 times, Cowboys, but not 8.
-Giants refuse to air it out. They’re sticking with Ward with 6:30 left in the game and 2 possessions to get the lead. Time is a factor right now, and to not go to Plax as much as possible is really a shame.
…that said, finally goes to Plax and scores a TD
…3 point ball game—was I too quick to call that GAME OVER before? With our D playing the way it is, I’m going to say I was not too quick, but I really hope they prove me wrong here.
…It seems as though we either force a mistake on the Cowboys end or we’re going to get burnt again. If Dallas sticks to a game plan, they will be tough to stop, or even slow down. Our defense just seems too battered and tired to dig in and force them to punt.
-Dallas with a big return on the ensuing kickoff. Now even more pressure on the defense, as Dallas is almost in Giant territory to begin their drive.
-GAME OVER. (pt. 2) – Another huge pass by Romo down the right sideline for a TD. My fears about our defense are justified. Our defense really looks to be a liability this year. Shame, because our offense is looking sharp, even with Jacobs out.
-MORE INJURIES! Eli may be out for the game (hopefully that’s all) with a messed-up shoulder. Bring on the Hefty Lefty.
…fat fuck slides before the marker on 4th down, and the game has ended.
Thoughts:
-Anyone criticizing Eli for losing this game will forever be considered as having an agenda. Any unbiased, objective viewer will realize that he was one of the main positives for this team. He is showing the poise of a veteran in the pocket, has apparently stopped throwing off of his back foot altogether (a HUGE improvement), and did not panic during their drives.
-Coughlin is really making it tough to root for him. I’m trying to be patient, but he already is pissing me off. He’s refused to make concessions to his players: refusing the shoulder pad cooling system? Also, calling for 2 up-the-gut runs by Ward on essentially 1st and Goal from the 8 yard line was bull headed.
-Some positives: the offense looks really good, even without Jacobs back there. The O-line was mistake-free, and provided great holes in the running game, Eli has been mentioned already, and the receiving corps, although a little droppy, had a solid game. Would’ve liked some more throws Plax’s way, but can’t have it all.
-The defense looked tired, uninspired, and outclassed at the corners. I had held out hope that our weak D-backs would be offset by our pressure on the QB and that strong front 4, but with Osi knocked out early, Joseph out altogether, and Strahan not in game shape, Romo had all the time in the world to pick our weak cover 2 apart. We adjusted way too late in regard to Witten burning us in the middle all game, but in all honesty, that may not even be our D-coordinator’s fault. It might just be that we don’t have the talent to stop both long passes and the short game. We chose to contain T.O. in the 1st half, and Witten burned us. We attempted to close off the middle in the 2nd half, and were partially successful in that regard, but then we got burnt over the top. Hopefully we get that essential pressure, because that’s the only way we can hope to disrupt an offense. Perhaps more blitzing is necessary.
-Our injuries may come back to haunt us in the very near future. Lets hope these are all minor and aren’t a blight on the already-battered team.
NEXT WEEK: bring on Green Bay
posted by 44 Sports at 7:08 AM
2 Comments:
While I'm a cowboys fan, your guys played great, our "D" wasn't the best either I know how you feel brother! I'd like to say thought that, somethings you said I laughed my ass off. I was in tears at one point drooling. Some things like "Hefty Lefty.
…fat fuck slides before the marker on 4th down, and the game has ended."
and Who needs fresh legs when they can tell stories of their pain & suffering to their grandkids one day?
Those were just two, and they were witty and priceless. Great humor keep it up.
thanks man, I'll overlook your loyalty to the 'boys, since you complimented my writing
appreciate it dude
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