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According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Chase Blackburn's sack of Mark Brunell in the last two minutes of the game wasn't a sack at all, but a tackle behind the line on a running play. So the sack was taken away, giving the Giants a grand total of zero sacks for that game.
Seems appropriate, somehow.
EP
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Old Friend Kurt
The Cardinals have the sixth-rated passing offense in the league, and former Giants quarterback Kurt Warner is right in the middle of it. A
nd as far as Justin Tuck is concerned, Warner is a changed quarterback.
nd as far as Justin Tuck is concerned, Warner is a changed quarterback.That's not good news as far as the faltering Giants pass rush is concerned. The front four, including Tuck, put no pressure at all on Drew Brees, partly because he got the ball out of there in about as much time as it takes a CC Sabathia fastball to get from his hand to Jorge Posada's mitt. Maybe that's exaggerating a bit, but you get the gist of it, no? Well, Warner is getting the ball out faster this year, too.
"They haven't given up a lot of sacks because Kurt is doing a good job of finding receivers early," Tuck said. "Hopefully, we'll find a way to get up there."
It probably won't be easy if Warner has changed as much as Tuck said he has. The old Warner used to hang onto the ball for endless stretches, just waiting for his receivers to come open. That made him a sitting duck for any kind of pressure, and in 2007 a veritable fumble machine. But he's not holding it as much anymore, even though his current 10-sack total would seem to indicate otherwise. Keep in mind, though, that the Cardinals make little pretense of being a running team. Warner has 201 passing attempts so far, more than double the 99 rushes the Cardinals have run.
"We've studied the film on Kurt and he's not holding the ball as long as he used to," Tuck said. "He still holds it longer than Brees, but we just have to come in and play our game."
Tuck watched film of Warner from last year and admitted to "licking my chops" at the prospect of a rejuvenating sack-fest. But then he looked at the games from this year and thought differently.
"You see he's getting the ball out in an average of 2.2 seconds," Tuck said. "It's just a drastic change. Last year, it was like, five. But this year he's really changed it up and he's getting the ball out quick."
Sounds like a bit of blitzing may be in order if the front four can't bring sufficient heat to disrupt Warner's timing with Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and the lesser-known but dangerous Steve Breaston.
EP
Pierce Leaves Practice
A little injury news. LB Antonio Pierce left practice early with a back injury of some sort. The Giants had no further information on it, but Pierce's clothes were still in his locker during the media access afterward so it didn't appear he'd been taken for tests -- yet. We'll probably get more on this later or tomorrow.
As for Mario Manningham, he said he took a knee to the back during the first half of Sunday's game. He did return to play, but was sore. He said he went through practice well, and expects to play Sunday night against Arizona.
"I'm good," Manningham said. "I got a knee to the back and I came back and it started hurting again. With the shoulder pads and padding on, I'll be good."
Meanwhile, the ever-mysterious Kareem McKenzie had this to say about working through his groin injury.
As for Mario Manningham, he said he took a knee to the back during the first half of Sunday's game. He did return to play, but was sore. He said he went through practice well, and expects to play Sunday night against Arizona.
"I'm good," Manningham said. "I got a knee to the back and I came back and it started hurting again. With the shoulder pads and padding on, I'll be good."
Meanwhile, the ever-mysterious Kareem McKenzie had this to say about working through his groin injury.
That streak he spoke about involves 38 straight games where the offensive line has played intact. That's a nice thing for a quarterback to have.
Also, RB Ahmad Bradshaw took his first midweek limited practice in weeks. A good sign that he's back to work this early and not wearing a boot.
EP
Some Special Teams Stuff
Here's a special teams video for you. Of course, Domenik Hixon keeps his job as kickoff and punt returner. But notice that Corey Webster was also back there for a few punts. Kind of interesting in light of Sinorice Moss' relative value to this team right now, which is kind of like the value of AIG stock to its stockholders.
EP
Practice and other stuff
Guard Kareem McKenzie and WR Mario Manningham were back out at practice today, preparing to take limited snaps. I'm pretty sure Manningham will play Sunday against Arizona, but not so sure that McKenzie will continue the line's 38-game streak of playing as an intact unit. I explain myself in this video.
The players were on the other end of the field and even with the zoom up full it couldn't pick out the numbers. But I promise you McKenzie is there. More important is to listen to what I'm saying.
The players were on the other end of the field and even with the zoom up full it couldn't pick out the numbers. But I promise you McKenzie is there. More important is to listen to what I'm saying.
If McKenzie can't go, second-round pick Will Beatty will likely make the start there. Coughlin said he did okay once McKenzie went out Sunday. "He did okay," Coughlin said. "He's a young, talented kid who just needs to play. In this particular game, Chris Snee was next to him, so he could help him."
In other issues, RB Danny Ware continues to take limited practice, but Coughlin said he needs to get past a few more physical tests before his dislocated elbow is deemed healed and ready to go.
Also, I promised you guys I'd ask a question about Sintim, and Uncle Ern never goes back on a promise. As I suspected, he's not to a point in his development where he's a sure thing to be activated on gameday. Nothing to do with his health, but special teams numbers.
"At this point, no," Coughlin said when asked if the pass-rushing linebacker was ready to make a significant contribution, even in a situational sense. "He's been injured, and there's special teams numbers. We'd like to see him advance toward that. He is a player, and he's going to be a physical guy who can help us down the road. We'd like to move in that direction, but we have to deal game in, game out with what our situations are, what our needs are, how our numbers are going to come down."
In other words, don't expect to see Mr. Sintim on any consistent basis for a while. Sounds like the missed time obviously had effected the learning process, which is a big curve for any rookie, regardless of position.
EP
Preliminary Injuries
Here's the preliminary injury report. Keep in mind that DT Chris Canty (calf) is still not ready to practice, as per Coughlin on Monday. And LB Michael Boley is still a couple of weeks away from resuming work after arthroscopic knee surgery following the Kansas City game.
LB Michael Boley (knee), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot and ankle), DT Chris Canty (calf), QB Eli Manning (foot), WR Mario Manningham (back), T Kareem McKenzie (groin), CB Aaron Ross (hamstring), G Rich Seubert (shoulder), and RB Danny Ware (elbow).
The Giants have also placed DT Anthony Bryant on the practice squad injured list and have signed DT Dwayne Hendricks to the practice squad.
EP
LB Michael Boley (knee), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot and ankle), DT Chris Canty (calf), QB Eli Manning (foot), WR Mario Manningham (back), T Kareem McKenzie (groin), CB Aaron Ross (hamstring), G Rich Seubert (shoulder), and RB Danny Ware (elbow).
The Giants have also placed DT Anthony Bryant on the practice squad injured list and have signed DT Dwayne Hendricks to the practice squad.
EP
Waiting
Sitting in the press room waiting for Tom Coughlin's press conference, at which time I'll get more info on Kareem McKenzie's groin injury and a number of other things, including any fixes to the safety situation.
And yes, I'll try to get in a question on Clint Sintim, even though I'm convinced the presence of a second-round rookie linebacker in no more than a situational pass rush role would have changed the outcome of the Saints game one iota. Disagree if you wish. All comments welcome.
Oh, and speaking of comments, let's keep'em clean, okay. Had a commenter on the blog just before this one who decided to rip me a new one, which is fine. But let's be mature about it and keep the swearing and dirty language to a minimum. I assume there are some kids reading this thing, and you don't want to contribute to the delinquency of a minor, right? So rip me all you wish, but keep the rhetoric down.
I'm leaving that comment up as an example of what not to do. I will say, however, that for the most part we've had some intelligent discussion here. I thank you for that.
EP
And yes, I'll try to get in a question on Clint Sintim, even though I'm convinced the presence of a second-round rookie linebacker in no more than a situational pass rush role would have changed the outcome of the Saints game one iota. Disagree if you wish. All comments welcome.
Oh, and speaking of comments, let's keep'em clean, okay. Had a commenter on the blog just before this one who decided to rip me a new one, which is fine. But let's be mature about it and keep the swearing and dirty language to a minimum. I assume there are some kids reading this thing, and you don't want to contribute to the delinquency of a minor, right? So rip me all you wish, but keep the rhetoric down.
I'm leaving that comment up as an example of what not to do. I will say, however, that for the most part we've had some intelligent discussion here. I thank you for that.
EP
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Just To Make It Official...
For everybody who wanted Jerry Reese to trade half a draft to get whatever safety is leading his team to a 1-5 record, forget it. The trade deadline came and went at 4 p.m. and the Giants, typically, did absolutely nothing.
That makes them no different than most of the other 31 teams in the league. You see, the NFL trade deadline is hardly like baseball's deadline, where stars and near-stars change uniforms with alarming frequency.
The Eagles are the only ones I know of who pulled off a trade today, acquiring Rams LB Will Witherspoon. The only other trades that happened this year even remotely close to the deadline was the one the Bears pulled off for Tampa Bay defensive lineman Gaines Adams last Friday, and the one that sent Kansas City defensive end Tank Tyler to the Panthers yesterday. So, as far as I know, the rest of the teams passed on doing anything today.
The Giants will just have to find the solution to their problems either on the waiver wire or inside their own locker room. That means either standing pat with C.C. Brown at safety until Aaron Ross returns to give them flexibility to move over a cornerback, elevating the bigger but not as fast Aaron Rouse to starter, or giving practice-squadders Vince Anderson or Sha'reff Rashad a chance. That last scenario presents a tough situation, however, since there's a reason those guys are still on the practice squad despite the undermanned roster situation.
Reactions, anybody?
EP
That makes them no different than most of the other 31 teams in the league. You see, the NFL trade deadline is hardly like baseball's deadline, where stars and near-stars change uniforms with alarming frequency.
The Eagles are the only ones I know of who pulled off a trade today, acquiring Rams LB Will Witherspoon. The only other trades that happened this year even remotely close to the deadline was the one the Bears pulled off for Tampa Bay defensive lineman Gaines Adams last Friday, and the one that sent Kansas City defensive end Tank Tyler to the Panthers yesterday. So, as far as I know, the rest of the teams passed on doing anything today.
The Giants will just have to find the solution to their problems either on the waiver wire or inside their own locker room. That means either standing pat with C.C. Brown at safety until Aaron Ross returns to give them flexibility to move over a cornerback, elevating the bigger but not as fast Aaron Rouse to starter, or giving practice-squadders Vince Anderson or Sha'reff Rashad a chance. That last scenario presents a tough situation, however, since there's a reason those guys are still on the practice squad despite the undermanned roster situation.
Reactions, anybody?
EP
Proper Attitude
Here's a video of Eli Manning saying exactly the right thing in the wake of Sunday's loss. As they say, never get too high after a win or too low after a loss.
EP
Called Out
Plenty of players got called out in the team film review yesterday of the weekend's 48-27 mess in New Orleans. You could just imagine defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan going right down the list: "C.C. Brown, where the heck were you on that play? Danny Clark, the object of running from Point A to Point B is to get there on time. Corey Webster, hands, much?"
Not that the offense got any pats on the head, either. But that defense. Oy.
Well, now it's our turn. We saw it. Now we'll grade it. And believe me, the report card is not, shall we say, stellar.
QUARTERBACK: Can't pin this one on Eli Manning, although he was decidedly mediocre in a 14-of-31, 178-yard effor with a touchdown and an interception. He never should have let that pressured third-quarter pass go, especially when he saw he was about to be hit. Instead, it wound up as an interception with the Giants down 17. Worse was his fumble off a sack just before the half after he'd moved the ball into Saints territory, down by 10. I won't fault him for taking those deep third-down shots to Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon, but you've got to complete at least one of them. It's not good enough that the balls missed by mear inches. David Carr did a nice job mopping up, and even came up with a long touchdown throw to Hakeem Nicks. GRADE: C.
RUNNING BACKS: That interception was Ahmad Bradshaw's fault for not picking up a blitzer. He went inside when he should have stayed outside. Very bad. Bradshaw recorded the Giants' only rushing touchdown and had 48 yards on 10 carries. Brandon Jacobs had his problems again, and the stinger he suffered in the second quarter didn't help a seven-carry, 33-yard effort. No matter who gets the bulk of the yardage, they're going to have to do better than 84 total yards in the future. GRADE: C-.
WIDE RECEIVERS: They got open frequently enough. Manning just couldn't hit them. The more I see of Nicks, the more I like him. In addition to a 37-yard touchdown reception, the kid had a 58-yard catch-and-run, and he finished with a team-high five catches for 114 yards. Mario Manningham had four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown, and Domenik Hixon returned as a legit downfield target. He would have had a huge gainer, perhaps a touchdown, had Jabari Greer not made a nice play on the ball. Steve Smith continues to run good routes and would have had a huge gainer, perhaps a touchdown, had Manning thrown it an inch shorter so Smith could get more than his fingertips on it. Jacobs had an amazing touchdown catch in traffic, only to have it called back on what appeared to be a phantom holding call on Shaun O'Hara. GRADE: B.
OFFENSIVE LINE: It wasn't like Manning was battered all day, but the line couldn't keep him safe in key situations. Losing Kareem McKenzie to a first-half groin injury didn't help. The run-blocking wasn't outstanding, but one wonders if it would have improved had the score not turned the Giants one-dimensional late. The grade stays as a passing one because I don't believe O'Hara pulled down anybody on Jacobs' TD. GRADE: C.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Did they play? You wouldn't have known it. If hiding the four-man pass rush warrants a grade, they'd get an A. But that's not the way it works. Justin Tuck, Fred Robbins, Osi Umenyiora, the whole gang; none of them got within spittin' distance of Drew Brees. Not that he needed a long time to look over his receivers because the ball came out just that quick. But somebody still should have gotten close enough to hit him, or at least give him second thoughts about making the airways look like one of those WWII dogfight movies. They couldn't stop the run, either, as the Saints gained 133 yards and three touchdowns on 39 carries. Nice goal line stand at 27-17, but it's not enough to bring up the overall score. GRADE: F.
LINEBACKERS: Kind of sad watching old Danny Clark trying to keep up with Jeremy Shockey on that touchdown throw to the back of the end zone. Poor guy never had a chance. Antonio Pierce also was seen chasing Marques Colston in vain on his 28-yard completion to the 1. They didn't blitz a lot, but the few times they did, they never came close to getting home, unless you count Chase Blackburn's sack of Mark Brunell. We don't. GRADE: F.
SECONDARY: This group offered a pleasantly entertaining blend of the Keystone Cops and "Car 54 Where Are You?" C.C. (Tootie) Brown did plenty of running around, usually to the wrong spot. On the few occasions he was there, he didn't make the play. For example, he never left the ground to challenge Robert Meachem's leaping grab of Brees' 36-yard touchdown pass, despite having good coverage. Don't let the team-high 13 tackles fool you, Brown was not good. That's not to say the other guys were great, either. Had Webster at least knocked down that first-possession, third-and-7 pass to Lance Moore that went for 17 yards and a first down at the Giants' 25, the whole game might have changed. Instead, his failure kept the touchdown drive going. Webster also had a questionable 35-yard pass interference call when his legs got tangled with Colston's on a second-quarter scoring drive. They picked on Terrell Thomas, and he didn't respond. And Kevin Dockery had a perfectly horrible day as he and Brown constantly tried to get on the same page and failed. All you need to know here is that Brees completed 15 straight passes at one point in his 23-of-30, 369-yard, four-touchdown day. Can't win if your secondary is allowing those kinds of numbers. GRADE: Z. No. Gotta be fair. Can't go lower than an F. Board of Ed rules, ya know.
SPECIAL TEAMS: The only true bright spot. Domenik Hixon is for now and for all time (at least until he gets injured again) the Giants' returnman after being a one-man field position machine. His seven kickoff returns for 230 yards bested Sinorice Moss' entire 2009 production by nearly 100 yards, and he nearly broke his 68-yard return for a touchdown. Bruce Johnson blocked a point-after, and the Giants came close on another. Lawrence Tynes was 2-of-2 in field goals. GRADE: A.
COACHING: Look. Everybody wants to get on Sheridan for sticking with the four-man rush and keeping the blitz to a minimum. But if he blitzed, he'd have left all those DBs on islands, and they did bad enough playing zone coverage. So I'm not going to bang him too hard on that. But he should have come out of base coverage earlier and gone with more nickel. The individual players did such a bad job of things, however, I'm not sure even that would have helped. Kevin Gilbride's offensive gameplan wasn't perfect, but it wasn't the reason they lost, either. The Giants did move the ball against a very good defense. Have to hold off on Coughlin's grade until this week, when we find out if he can pull his team back up emotionally after such a disaster. GRADE: C-.
The floor is open, people. Have at it.
EP
Not that the offense got any pats on the head, either. But that defense. Oy.
Well, now it's our turn. We saw it. Now we'll grade it. And believe me, the report card is not, shall we say, stellar.
QUARTERBACK: Can't pin this one on Eli Manning, although he was decidedly mediocre in a 14-of-31, 178-yard effor with a touchdown and an interception. He never should have let that pressured third-quarter pass go, especially when he saw he was about to be hit. Instead, it wound up as an interception with the Giants down 17. Worse was his fumble off a sack just before the half after he'd moved the ball into Saints territory, down by 10. I won't fault him for taking those deep third-down shots to Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon, but you've got to complete at least one of them. It's not good enough that the balls missed by mear inches. David Carr did a nice job mopping up, and even came up with a long touchdown throw to Hakeem Nicks. GRADE: C.
RUNNING BACKS: That interception was Ahmad Bradshaw's fault for not picking up a blitzer. He went inside when he should have stayed outside. Very bad. Bradshaw recorded the Giants' only rushing touchdown and had 48 yards on 10 carries. Brandon Jacobs had his problems again, and the stinger he suffered in the second quarter didn't help a seven-carry, 33-yard effort. No matter who gets the bulk of the yardage, they're going to have to do better than 84 total yards in the future. GRADE: C-.
WIDE RECEIVERS: They got open frequently enough. Manning just couldn't hit them. The more I see of Nicks, the more I like him. In addition to a 37-yard touchdown reception, the kid had a 58-yard catch-and-run, and he finished with a team-high five catches for 114 yards. Mario Manningham had four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown, and Domenik Hixon returned as a legit downfield target. He would have had a huge gainer, perhaps a touchdown, had Jabari Greer not made a nice play on the ball. Steve Smith continues to run good routes and would have had a huge gainer, perhaps a touchdown, had Manning thrown it an inch shorter so Smith could get more than his fingertips on it. Jacobs had an amazing touchdown catch in traffic, only to have it called back on what appeared to be a phantom holding call on Shaun O'Hara. GRADE: B.
OFFENSIVE LINE: It wasn't like Manning was battered all day, but the line couldn't keep him safe in key situations. Losing Kareem McKenzie to a first-half groin injury didn't help. The run-blocking wasn't outstanding, but one wonders if it would have improved had the score not turned the Giants one-dimensional late. The grade stays as a passing one because I don't believe O'Hara pulled down anybody on Jacobs' TD. GRADE: C.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Did they play? You wouldn't have known it. If hiding the four-man pass rush warrants a grade, they'd get an A. But that's not the way it works. Justin Tuck, Fred Robbins, Osi Umenyiora, the whole gang; none of them got within spittin' distance of Drew Brees. Not that he needed a long time to look over his receivers because the ball came out just that quick. But somebody still should have gotten close enough to hit him, or at least give him second thoughts about making the airways look like one of those WWII dogfight movies. They couldn't stop the run, either, as the Saints gained 133 yards and three touchdowns on 39 carries. Nice goal line stand at 27-17, but it's not enough to bring up the overall score. GRADE: F.
LINEBACKERS: Kind of sad watching old Danny Clark trying to keep up with Jeremy Shockey on that touchdown throw to the back of the end zone. Poor guy never had a chance. Antonio Pierce also was seen chasing Marques Colston in vain on his 28-yard completion to the 1. They didn't blitz a lot, but the few times they did, they never came close to getting home, unless you count Chase Blackburn's sack of Mark Brunell. We don't. GRADE: F.
SECONDARY: This group offered a pleasantly entertaining blend of the Keystone Cops and "Car 54 Where Are You?" C.C. (Tootie) Brown did plenty of running around, usually to the wrong spot. On the few occasions he was there, he didn't make the play. For example, he never left the ground to challenge Robert Meachem's leaping grab of Brees' 36-yard touchdown pass, despite having good coverage. Don't let the team-high 13 tackles fool you, Brown was not good. That's not to say the other guys were great, either. Had Webster at least knocked down that first-possession, third-and-7 pass to Lance Moore that went for 17 yards and a first down at the Giants' 25, the whole game might have changed. Instead, his failure kept the touchdown drive going. Webster also had a questionable 35-yard pass interference call when his legs got tangled with Colston's on a second-quarter scoring drive. They picked on Terrell Thomas, and he didn't respond. And Kevin Dockery had a perfectly horrible day as he and Brown constantly tried to get on the same page and failed. All you need to know here is that Brees completed 15 straight passes at one point in his 23-of-30, 369-yard, four-touchdown day. Can't win if your secondary is allowing those kinds of numbers. GRADE: Z. No. Gotta be fair. Can't go lower than an F. Board of Ed rules, ya know.
SPECIAL TEAMS: The only true bright spot. Domenik Hixon is for now and for all time (at least until he gets injured again) the Giants' returnman after being a one-man field position machine. His seven kickoff returns for 230 yards bested Sinorice Moss' entire 2009 production by nearly 100 yards, and he nearly broke his 68-yard return for a touchdown. Bruce Johnson blocked a point-after, and the Giants came close on another. Lawrence Tynes was 2-of-2 in field goals. GRADE: A.
COACHING: Look. Everybody wants to get on Sheridan for sticking with the four-man rush and keeping the blitz to a minimum. But if he blitzed, he'd have left all those DBs on islands, and they did bad enough playing zone coverage. So I'm not going to bang him too hard on that. But he should have come out of base coverage earlier and gone with more nickel. The individual players did such a bad job of things, however, I'm not sure even that would have helped. Kevin Gilbride's offensive gameplan wasn't perfect, but it wasn't the reason they lost, either. The Giants did move the ball against a very good defense. Have to hold off on Coughlin's grade until this week, when we find out if he can pull his team back up emotionally after such a disaster. GRADE: C-.
The floor is open, people. Have at it.
EP
Monday, October 19, 2009
Too Much Speed?
If you listen to the players and Tom Coughlin, the Giants' problem wasn't a matter of speed yesterday. It was execution.
I'm not sure I agree with that entirely, especially after watching guys like LB Danny Clark chasing Jeremy Shockey vainly into the endzone, or seeing C.C. Brown scramble to catch up with the small village of receivers who caught passes downfield.
But we'll let Clark have his say about what went wrong, just because we're a fair bunch here.
I'm not sure I agree with that entirely, especially after watching guys like LB Danny Clark chasing Jeremy Shockey vainly into the endzone, or seeing C.C. Brown scramble to catch up with the small village of receivers who caught passes downfield.
But we'll let Clark have his say about what went wrong, just because we're a fair bunch here.
As for Coughlin, he indicated that the speed of folks like wide receiver Devery Henderson may have taken a minor part in the problems.
"You have to start first by saying they were the No. 1 scoring team in the league. Thirty-six points a game is a lot of points in the NFL," Coughlin said. "They made some plays on some simple things like they just went up and got the ball. The quarterback is confident enough to throw it up, and they elevated, got in position to make plays on the ball even though we had people there. We had guys there, but weren't able to get up to where the receiver was to challenge the catch.
"We all know Henderson is very fast and Reggie Bush is very fast, but I don't know that that was the reason for the big plays. The big plays over the top, I felt we had people in position. We just didn't make plays on the ball."
EP
Some News
We're going to be talking about those linebackers and secondary for a long time this week. And we'll have some video for you later on. But before we do that, here's some news on the offensive front.
Tom Coughlin said RT Kareem McKenzie's groin injury may not be as serious as first thought. At least the way it looked today. Coughlin said there wasn't as much bleeding in there.
"He seemed to be doing better," Coughlin said. "There wasn't as much bleeding as there could have been, so strain or tear."
Coughlin said he won't know if McKenzie is a possibility for Sunday until Wednesday at the earliest.
Also, it appears the back injury that sent WR Mario Manningham to the bench late in the game wasn't serious, though Coughlin won't know that definitively until Wednesday. "We're hoping he's going to be fine," the coach said.
The other injury news isn't as glowing. DT Chris Canty, who refused to acknowlege that he underwent a procedure to stem the bleeding in his injured left calf last week, is listed as out for Wednesday's practice. Though he said he's listed as "day-to-day," it could still be a while before he gets back to practice, much less resume his role in the interior rotation.
He did say the excessive swelling, reportedly caused by the bleeding, has diminished.
"I'm getting antsy right now," said Canty, who hasn't even been out in the rehab area the last two weeks, at least during the media's allotted time at practice. "This is the best it's felt since I injured it (in Kansas City). It feels very good. I'm excited about the progress."
CB Aaron Ross said it remains a matter of time before his hamstring tear heals enough to allow him to practice. He said he wanted to run today, but the medical staff held him back.
"It's getting better, but I can't tell until I'm out there," Ross said. "I'm ready. Anytime I feel better, I'm ready to try it out. I just want to be out there."
Coughlin wouldn't mind having Ross out there, either. Or Canty. Or linebacker Michael Boley, who is still some time away from coming back after arthoscopic knee surgery.
A suggestion on whether Ross might be well-suited for safety, thereby providing an upgrade in speed over the slower C.C. Brown, was shrugged off by Coughlin. Not necessarily because it's an outlandish thought, but because until Ross gets back, it's not an issue.
"I sure would like to get our whole roster back again," Coughlin said. "That's not for me to say just yet."
Sounded like it could be a future move, though.
EP
Tom Coughlin said RT Kareem McKenzie's groin injury may not be as serious as first thought. At least the way it looked today. Coughlin said there wasn't as much bleeding in there.
"He seemed to be doing better," Coughlin said. "There wasn't as much bleeding as there could have been, so strain or tear."
Coughlin said he won't know if McKenzie is a possibility for Sunday until Wednesday at the earliest.
Also, it appears the back injury that sent WR Mario Manningham to the bench late in the game wasn't serious, though Coughlin won't know that definitively until Wednesday. "We're hoping he's going to be fine," the coach said.
The other injury news isn't as glowing. DT Chris Canty, who refused to acknowlege that he underwent a procedure to stem the bleeding in his injured left calf last week, is listed as out for Wednesday's practice. Though he said he's listed as "day-to-day," it could still be a while before he gets back to practice, much less resume his role in the interior rotation.
He did say the excessive swelling, reportedly caused by the bleeding, has diminished.
"I'm getting antsy right now," said Canty, who hasn't even been out in the rehab area the last two weeks, at least during the media's allotted time at practice. "This is the best it's felt since I injured it (in Kansas City). It feels very good. I'm excited about the progress."
CB Aaron Ross said it remains a matter of time before his hamstring tear heals enough to allow him to practice. He said he wanted to run today, but the medical staff held him back.
"It's getting better, but I can't tell until I'm out there," Ross said. "I'm ready. Anytime I feel better, I'm ready to try it out. I just want to be out there."
Coughlin wouldn't mind having Ross out there, either. Or Canty. Or linebacker Michael Boley, who is still some time away from coming back after arthoscopic knee surgery.
A suggestion on whether Ross might be well-suited for safety, thereby providing an upgrade in speed over the slower C.C. Brown, was shrugged off by Coughlin. Not necessarily because it's an outlandish thought, but because until Ross gets back, it's not an issue.
"I sure would like to get our whole roster back again," Coughlin said. "That's not for me to say just yet."
Sounded like it could be a future move, though.
EP
What To Do?
Obviously, the Giants need help on defense, particularly at the linebacker and safety positions. But what's the solution.
With the trade deadline looming a little more than 24 hours away, the Giants might want to consider picking up a faster safety to replace C.C. Brown, who was last seen chasing another Saint toward the goal line. But who, and how much would they be willing to give up? This year's second or third-rounder plus? Besides, they also have Aaron Rouse on the roster. Could he not be elevated to replace Brown?
The linebacking problem will be solved in part when Michael Boley returns from his knee surgery. However, he's still a couple of weeks away from even running, so the Giants will have to continue to make due with a starting three of Chase Blackburn, Antonio Pierce, and Danny Clark. That's certainly not ideal speed-wise, but one would think substituting Gerris Wilkinson and Bryan Kehl would at least help the situation.
I haven't heard any rumblings yet about a potential trade, and given the Giants' history one won't be forthcoming. The only member of the current roster who came via a non-draft day trade is Lawrence Tynes, and he arrived in May of 2007.
So I ask you. What's your solution? If it's a trade for a safety, who would you trade for and what would you give up for him? What would you do about the linebackers? Or would you just stand pat and hope for the best?
Personally, I don't think the Giants have many options outside the existing roster here. I think whatever solution they come up with will lie right inside that locker room.
On other issues, we're waiting for the locker room to open up so we can gauge how severely Kareem McKenzie's groin was injured. I'll also look into Manningham and a host of other items. And believe me, after yesterday's debacle, there are plenty.
EP
With the trade deadline looming a little more than 24 hours away, the Giants might want to consider picking up a faster safety to replace C.C. Brown, who was last seen chasing another Saint toward the goal line. But who, and how much would they be willing to give up? This year's second or third-rounder plus? Besides, they also have Aaron Rouse on the roster. Could he not be elevated to replace Brown?
The linebacking problem will be solved in part when Michael Boley returns from his knee surgery. However, he's still a couple of weeks away from even running, so the Giants will have to continue to make due with a starting three of Chase Blackburn, Antonio Pierce, and Danny Clark. That's certainly not ideal speed-wise, but one would think substituting Gerris Wilkinson and Bryan Kehl would at least help the situation.
I haven't heard any rumblings yet about a potential trade, and given the Giants' history one won't be forthcoming. The only member of the current roster who came via a non-draft day trade is Lawrence Tynes, and he arrived in May of 2007.
So I ask you. What's your solution? If it's a trade for a safety, who would you trade for and what would you give up for him? What would you do about the linebackers? Or would you just stand pat and hope for the best?
Personally, I don't think the Giants have many options outside the existing roster here. I think whatever solution they come up with will lie right inside that locker room.
On other issues, we're waiting for the locker room to open up so we can gauge how severely Kareem McKenzie's groin was injured. I'll also look into Manningham and a host of other items. And believe me, after yesterday's debacle, there are plenty.
EP
The Lowlights
At the risk of ruining your morning coffee, here are some of the highlights (lowlights) from yesterday.
Watch at your own risk.
EP
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Game 6 Summary
Well, that was something. I had a feeling the Giants would lose this one, but watching the Saints cover the over all by themselves? Didn't see that one coming.
Despite the lopsidedness of the Saints gaining 493 yards against what ranked as the NFL's top overall and pass defense, there's still something to be said for the Giants as a legitimate team. One loss, even a blowout like this one, does not turn a power into a schmoe. But it does raise questions as to whether the Giants have what it takes to go deep into the playoffs. Getting there shouldn't be much of a problem, considering there remain beatable teams such as Philadelphia (twice), Dallas, Washington, and Carolina coming up. So don't go throwing in the season just because of this one, albeit huge, misstep.
The Giants do appear to be in need of a fix for the secondary, however. The loss of Kenny Phillips was evident at safety by the disastrous play of C.C. Brown, who several times had coverage but was unable to make a play, and at other times just did the wrong thing entirely. The linebackers are either too old or too slow to cover. And Brees' uptempo style and quick release made it all but impossible for the front four to get any pressure on him.
At least the Giants won't play anyone who operates as effectively as Brees, who completed 15 straight passes at one point in the second half, at least until they run into Philip Rivers in three games. For now, chalk this one up as a hard lesson in The Big Easy.
BIG PLAYS:
Any one of the endless string of big passes for Brees, but especially the knife-in-the-heart touchdown throw to ex-Giant tight end Jeremy Shockey that produced a 14-0 first-quarter lead. Linebacker Danny Clark looked sick trying to cover him. It was evident right there that the Giants didn't have the defensive ammo to stop the New Orleans offense.
Domenik Hixon's 68-yard kickoff return that set up a second-quarter touchdown that narrowed the gap at 27-17 and momentarily gave the Giants some hope of a comeback.
Saints safety Roman Harper's strip sack of Manning and fumble recovery by Scott Shanle with 18 seconds left in the half that led to Reggie Bush's deflating 7-yard touchdown run with nine seconds left for a 34-17 halftime lead, thus ending the game for all practical purposes.
Brees' 28-yard completion to Robert Meachem on third-and-8 with just over seven minutes remaining in the game, the Saints up 41-20. That set up Heath Evans' touchdown run from the 2, a little dig the Giants might want to remember if the two meet in the postseason.
Danny Clark's and Osi Umenyiora's stop on Pierre Thomas at the 1 in the second quarter. Ultimately, it didn't matter because the Saints scored anyway after Harper's strip-sack on the ensuing series. But it was just about the Giants' only defensive highlight.
THE VETS:
Eli Manning: Given the circumstances, it could have been worse. He barely missed Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon on deep shots, and he finished with 178 yards. But he only went 14-of-31 along the way.
Ahmad Bradshaw: He carried 10 times for 48 yards and a touchdown, and is beginning to look more like a featured back than Jacobs. Speaking of Jacobs, Bradshaw had a better per-carry average again, 4.8-4.7. Jacobs carried seven times for 33 yards, in part because of the stinger he suffered in the first half.
C.C. Brown: The safety probably sat in an ice bath just to cool off those burnt tailfeathers. He got beat for two lengthy passes, including a touchdown, and was out of position on another touchdown.
Kevin Dockery: Like Brown, he got beat on two big passes, including a touchdown.
Domenik Hixon: He was a field position machine, bringing back seven kickoffs for 230 yards and a taking back one of his two punt returns for 27 yards. He may have turned Sinorice Moss into the ultimate spare part by singlehandedly besting the 10-for-153 total the entire team had on kickoff returns.
THE KIDS:
Hakeem Nicks: He continues to look like a quality first-round wide receiver, something the Giants haven't had for ages. He caught five balls for 118 yards, including a 58-yard non-scoring catch and run. He also caught a 37-yard scoring pass off David Carr in the fourth quarter.
Bruce Johnson: He's back on special teams since Dockery got well, but he blocked an extra point. In another game, that would have come in huge. In this game, just something nice to mention.
THE UGLY STUFF:
Plenty. But let's start with the D's inability to stop Marques Colston, who caught all eight balls thrown his way for 166 yards and a touchdown. Then you can throw in all the others who scored touchdowns -- seven players in all.
Corey Webster, who played his first five games at a Pro Bowl level, failed to intercept a first-possession, 17-yard throw to Lance Moore, allowing the touchdown drive to continue. A pick there might have changed the whole complexion of the game.
The pass rush was almost non-existant. Chase Blackburn got the only sack on a fourth-quarter blitz on Marc Brunell, and Antonio Pierce had the only hit -- and that a slight one -- on Brees. Other than that, they never got close enough for Brees to feel their breath.
THE MISS:
Ahmad Bradshaw's missed blitz pickup on Manning's pressured throw that resulted in the interception in the third quarter when it was still a somewhat tenable 34-17.
THE BUMPS:
RT Kareem McKenzie strained his groin in the second quarter when he stepped on the ball during Manning's strip-sack just before halftime and did not return.
RB Brandon Jacobs pinched a nerve in his left shoulder in the second quarter but returned.
EP
Despite the lopsidedness of the Saints gaining 493 yards against what ranked as the NFL's top overall and pass defense, there's still something to be said for the Giants as a legitimate team. One loss, even a blowout like this one, does not turn a power into a schmoe. But it does raise questions as to whether the Giants have what it takes to go deep into the playoffs. Getting there shouldn't be much of a problem, considering there remain beatable teams such as Philadelphia (twice), Dallas, Washington, and Carolina coming up. So don't go throwing in the season just because of this one, albeit huge, misstep.
The Giants do appear to be in need of a fix for the secondary, however. The loss of Kenny Phillips was evident at safety by the disastrous play of C.C. Brown, who several times had coverage but was unable to make a play, and at other times just did the wrong thing entirely. The linebackers are either too old or too slow to cover. And Brees' uptempo style and quick release made it all but impossible for the front four to get any pressure on him.
At least the Giants won't play anyone who operates as effectively as Brees, who completed 15 straight passes at one point in the second half, at least until they run into Philip Rivers in three games. For now, chalk this one up as a hard lesson in The Big Easy.
BIG PLAYS:
Any one of the endless string of big passes for Brees, but especially the knife-in-the-heart touchdown throw to ex-Giant tight end Jeremy Shockey that produced a 14-0 first-quarter lead. Linebacker Danny Clark looked sick trying to cover him. It was evident right there that the Giants didn't have the defensive ammo to stop the New Orleans offense.
Domenik Hixon's 68-yard kickoff return that set up a second-quarter touchdown that narrowed the gap at 27-17 and momentarily gave the Giants some hope of a comeback.
Saints safety Roman Harper's strip sack of Manning and fumble recovery by Scott Shanle with 18 seconds left in the half that led to Reggie Bush's deflating 7-yard touchdown run with nine seconds left for a 34-17 halftime lead, thus ending the game for all practical purposes.
Brees' 28-yard completion to Robert Meachem on third-and-8 with just over seven minutes remaining in the game, the Saints up 41-20. That set up Heath Evans' touchdown run from the 2, a little dig the Giants might want to remember if the two meet in the postseason.
Danny Clark's and Osi Umenyiora's stop on Pierre Thomas at the 1 in the second quarter. Ultimately, it didn't matter because the Saints scored anyway after Harper's strip-sack on the ensuing series. But it was just about the Giants' only defensive highlight.
THE VETS:
Eli Manning: Given the circumstances, it could have been worse. He barely missed Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon on deep shots, and he finished with 178 yards. But he only went 14-of-31 along the way.
Ahmad Bradshaw: He carried 10 times for 48 yards and a touchdown, and is beginning to look more like a featured back than Jacobs. Speaking of Jacobs, Bradshaw had a better per-carry average again, 4.8-4.7. Jacobs carried seven times for 33 yards, in part because of the stinger he suffered in the first half.
C.C. Brown: The safety probably sat in an ice bath just to cool off those burnt tailfeathers. He got beat for two lengthy passes, including a touchdown, and was out of position on another touchdown.
Kevin Dockery: Like Brown, he got beat on two big passes, including a touchdown.
Domenik Hixon: He was a field position machine, bringing back seven kickoffs for 230 yards and a taking back one of his two punt returns for 27 yards. He may have turned Sinorice Moss into the ultimate spare part by singlehandedly besting the 10-for-153 total the entire team had on kickoff returns.
THE KIDS:
Hakeem Nicks: He continues to look like a quality first-round wide receiver, something the Giants haven't had for ages. He caught five balls for 118 yards, including a 58-yard non-scoring catch and run. He also caught a 37-yard scoring pass off David Carr in the fourth quarter.
Bruce Johnson: He's back on special teams since Dockery got well, but he blocked an extra point. In another game, that would have come in huge. In this game, just something nice to mention.
THE UGLY STUFF:
Plenty. But let's start with the D's inability to stop Marques Colston, who caught all eight balls thrown his way for 166 yards and a touchdown. Then you can throw in all the others who scored touchdowns -- seven players in all.
Corey Webster, who played his first five games at a Pro Bowl level, failed to intercept a first-possession, 17-yard throw to Lance Moore, allowing the touchdown drive to continue. A pick there might have changed the whole complexion of the game.
The pass rush was almost non-existant. Chase Blackburn got the only sack on a fourth-quarter blitz on Marc Brunell, and Antonio Pierce had the only hit -- and that a slight one -- on Brees. Other than that, they never got close enough for Brees to feel their breath.
THE MISS:
Ahmad Bradshaw's missed blitz pickup on Manning's pressured throw that resulted in the interception in the third quarter when it was still a somewhat tenable 34-17.
THE BUMPS:
RT Kareem McKenzie strained his groin in the second quarter when he stepped on the ball during Manning's strip-sack just before halftime and did not return.
RB Brandon Jacobs pinched a nerve in his left shoulder in the second quarter but returned.
EP
The Game
UPDATE: That's it. So much for a happy homecoming for Eli Manning. Final 48-27 Saints, so Giants go 5-1. Summary will be up in a bit. Now we'll have to wait and see if this proves a playoff tiebreaker between the two teams.
UPDATE: David Carr's going to end the game nicely, having hit Nicks for a 37-yard touchdown. Only 3:15 remaining, however. 48-27 Saints. Gotta love Nicks. Great draft pick so far, and not because of that easy catch. He actually had a pretty nice game today under the circumstances.
UPDATE: Replay upheld the completion, so it's first-and-goal from the 2. Evans takes it in to become the seventh player this game to score a touchdown. Talk about a balanced, diversified offense. 48-20 Saints.
UPDATE: Oops. No timeout. Play clock didn't start, and then Coughlin challenged the completion. Maybe they'll just wash this one out of their memories.
UPDATE: Wow. Payton's running it up. He gets a 28-yard shot from Brees to Meacham, and then calls timeout at the 2 with like 7:07 left. If nothing else, the Giants are going to remember this one for the postseason.
UPDATE: Example of how today's going: Manning makes a great fourth-down scramble at the 10 and hits Jacobs in the end zone, only to get it called back on a hold. Tynes goes out for a senseless field goal from 38 is good. 41-20 Saints. The nephew looks good, wayno2424!
UPDATE: Bottom line here, the secondary is going to be answering a lot of questions this week on whether they got exposed. I say it goes half and half. Yes, there was a lot of poor coverage, expecially by C.C. Brown. But the secondary thrived on the Giants' up-front pressure this year, which was non-existant today. So the whole defense gets blamed for this one. Just didn't have the speed to keep up and make the adjustments.
UPDATE: Saints were moving, but Brees uncharacteristically underthrew Henderson on a deep shot that had Terrell Thomas beaten, and the Saints will punt when the fourth quarter starts. No big deal, this game's over.
UPDATE: See what I mean? Dockery tried to jam Colston at the line, couldn't do it, and left him open in the end zone for Brees touchdown pass. 41-17 and there's still four minutes left in the third.
UPDATE: Big break on illegal touching as Colston stepped out of bounds before long completion. It's third-and-17 now, and Giants desperately need to stop this one. But Moore grabs a 21-yarder for the first down. At this point, Giants don't deserve to be in this game. Giants: Done.
UPDATE: Manning just gave Bradshaw an earful for missing the blitz pickup. Lesson learned. Lesson reinforced: Brees just found Colston for 26 to the Giants 34. Ball at the 31 on third-and-7 timeout.
UPDATE: Manning was moving the team until he threw a pressured pass to Nicks that was intercepted by Greer at the Saints 20. I'm thinking this one might be over, barring a miracle. And it's not Christmas yet.
UPDATE: Hey, the front four finally got some third-down pressure on Brees, and he couldn't complete the pass. Then Hixon had a nice return on the punt. Offense has to capitalize here on the first three-and-out of the game.
UPDATE: Here's the real bad news. I wouldn't expect Payton to sit on this lead. Bet Brees goes to work deep.
UPDATE: Here we go. Hixon to the Giants 26. Jacobs is back in with the shoulder and he bangs for three. Jacobs again for no gain. Better get Bradshaw back in there. Deep shot to Hixon fails, but Hixon had offensive pass interference anyway. Giants punt. Not a good sign at all.
UPDATE: Giants will get the ball to start the second half, so at least Hixon will have a chance to gain field position. First possession is going to be huge for this offense.
UPDATE: I'm not trying to be a homer here, but I have a feeling the second half is going to be a lot of fun. If the defense can clamp down a little (God knows how you do that against this quarterback and such a diversified offense), I think Eli has the capability of finding 17 points of offense. It all depends on the D, though.
UPDATE: Manning kneels out the first half and goes into intermission down 34-17. How bad is the defense today? They've given up over 300 yards of total offense already, and Marques Colston already has 100 receiving yards. Brees has been amazing, going 17-of-20 for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Giants haven't even breathed on him, let alone put him on his back. Worse yet, the second half has to be all passing for the Giants, which means Saints are gonna tee off on Manning. Bleak, bleak, bleak.
UPDATE: Result of review was the the ball didn't come loose at the 7, so it's the Saints' ball at the 7 with 18 seconds left. Brees had 15 straight pass completions before Tuck just knocked it down. Reggie Bush brought it in from the 7 thanks to a good block by wide receiver Moore at the 1. They'll go into halftime down 34-17. Still not out of reach, but the defense isn't helping anything today.
UPDATE: No breaks today as Manning gets sacked and Shanle recovers fumble and returns to the Giants' 7. On top of that, Kareem McKenzie got hurt stepping on the ball as it came out of Manning's hand. Play is being reviewed as McKenzie gets taken off on a cart. Doesn't look good all around.
UPDATE: They're looking at Thomas' run upstairs, but confirm it was short of the goal line.
UPDATE: Great goal line stand and an unsportsmanlike conduct call gives the Giants the ball on the 16. Maybe this is where the turnaround starts.
UPDATE: Nice stop on third-and-goal from the 1, but Saints are going for it on fourth down.
UPDATE: That turnaround? Ain't gonna happen this half. Brees just found Colston for 40, and again for like 22 at the two-minute warning. Figure the Saints for another touchdown before halftime at this rate.
UPDATE: That was some move replacing Moss with Hixon. He just returned one like 66 yards to the Saints' 37. Singlehandedly giving the Giants a chance. Great touchdown catch by Manningham, taking it out of Eli's old friend Darren Sharper at the goal line to get back to 10, 27-17. It's not over, but the defense has to do a 180 to give the offense and special teams a chance.
UPDATE: Nope. Brees ran a good play-action, freezing the DBs and allowing Moore to get wide open in the end zone for a touchdown and a 27-10 lead. Everything is getting exposed here.
UPDATE: Huge break on the pass interference call on Webster, but Giants can't stop anything anyway. Let's see what happens afteer the hold on Evans marches it back to the 18. If Giants get out of this with a field goal, they'll be lucky.
UPDATE: Any suggestions on how to deal with the Saints' offense. Can't get pressure from the four-man rush, and the ball comes out too fast for blitz to be effective. Besides, you blitz, and you leave fewer men for coverage, which seems self-defeating at this point. By the way, it's Jacobs' left shoulder. Possible stinger.
UPDATE: On-field call is upheld, so New Orleans gets a timeout and Giants get the first down. Bradshaw's finally in and responds with a 13-yard run to the 38. Suggestion: Giants might want to consider keeping Bradshaw in there until they at least catch up. Manning got a huge break on the roughing the passer call on Jonathan Vilma that nullified a pick and a touchdown from Darren Sharper. Jacobs had a nice run but got hurt and is being looked at by the medical staff. But Bradshaw takes it 11 yards for a much-needed touchdown. Talk about turnabout. Could give the Giants the momentum they so sorely need right now.
UPDATE: Quick count. Brees has already completed passes to six receivers. Manning, meanwhile, is having all sorts of problems, but completes a big first-down pass to Hixon, although Sean Payton is challenging the spot.
UPDATE: Brees is just killing the Giants right now. Shockey's going wild with four catches for 37 yards, and then Brees finds Meacham on a 36-yard touchdown against C.C. Brown, who had decent coverage on him but was unable to even challenge the catch. At least Bruce Johnson blocked the extra point to keep it at 20-3. But unless something drastic happens starting now, the Giants are going down. They simply cannot cope with the tempo and Brees' quick release.
UPDATE: Tynes' 49-yarder goes through. 14-3 Saints. Travis Beckum's horse-collar tackle on the kickoff gives the Saints the ball on the 42 as the quarter ends, Saints up 14-3.
UPDATE: Don't know about you, but I'm surprised at how easily the Giants' pass defense is getting exposed. Ball is coming out too fast for any pass rush pressure to be effective, and the DBs aren't covering well. But nice return by Hixon to the 50 on the kickoff. Notice the difference between him and Moss? Then Jacobs breaks off a 14-yard run for a first down, but good coverage prevents Manning from following up with a long pass to Manningham. Then, Manning barely over throws a potential touchdown shot to Smith, forcing a field goal attempt as only three seconds remain in the first quarter.
UPDATE: Replay reversed the touchdown call, but it's first down on the Giants' 1. Brees throws a 1-yard touchdown pass to Shockey as the Giants try to cover him with Danny Clark. Clark just isn't fast enough to keep up with him, so it's a huge mismatch. Saints 14-0.
UPDATE: That's the first failed opening drive for the Giants all season. Not a good sign. Even worse, Brees is throwing it all over the lot to everyone and anyone. He's already hit like five or six different receivers, and the Giants are scrambling to keep up. Then Brees throws a 29-yarder to Colston in over-under coverage by C.C. Brown and Antonio Pierce for an apparent touchdown that Coughlin is challenging. This is not good, either way.
UPDATE: See now where Hixon will fit into the passing game, as he gets a deep try on third-and-3. But Jabari Greer just gets a hand on it with Hixon well behind him to force a punt. Saints are getting some decent pressure on Manning, and have knocked him down once.
UPDATE: That was a 15-play drive by the way. A few more of those, the Giants will be exhausted. Hixon is back at kickoff returner, and brings it back to the Giants' 23.
UPDATE: Shockey just caught his first pass, a seven-yarder to Giants 45. Corey Webster almost broke up a pass to the 25, but didn't knock it down. Giants are clearly having trouble with the Saints' uptempo style, but they did stop Pierre Thomas on third-and-3 at the 2. Saints go for it on fourth and 1 and Mike Bell dives over for the touchdown. No surprise there, since the Saints have scored on all their first possessions this season. But the Giants are going to have to figure out this passing game. Saints 7-0.
UPDATE: New Orleans receives, so the defense gets tested right away. Brees went right downfield on second down but threw long. Then scrambles for a first down. Defense is going to have its hands full today.
About 10 minutes from Giants-Saints. Remember, leave the comments right here. Hope we can get a good conversation going. First question: Shockey or Boss, who wins?
EP
UPDATE: David Carr's going to end the game nicely, having hit Nicks for a 37-yard touchdown. Only 3:15 remaining, however. 48-27 Saints. Gotta love Nicks. Great draft pick so far, and not because of that easy catch. He actually had a pretty nice game today under the circumstances.
UPDATE: Replay upheld the completion, so it's first-and-goal from the 2. Evans takes it in to become the seventh player this game to score a touchdown. Talk about a balanced, diversified offense. 48-20 Saints.
UPDATE: Oops. No timeout. Play clock didn't start, and then Coughlin challenged the completion. Maybe they'll just wash this one out of their memories.
UPDATE: Wow. Payton's running it up. He gets a 28-yard shot from Brees to Meacham, and then calls timeout at the 2 with like 7:07 left. If nothing else, the Giants are going to remember this one for the postseason.
UPDATE: Example of how today's going: Manning makes a great fourth-down scramble at the 10 and hits Jacobs in the end zone, only to get it called back on a hold. Tynes goes out for a senseless field goal from 38 is good. 41-20 Saints. The nephew looks good, wayno2424!
UPDATE: Bottom line here, the secondary is going to be answering a lot of questions this week on whether they got exposed. I say it goes half and half. Yes, there was a lot of poor coverage, expecially by C.C. Brown. But the secondary thrived on the Giants' up-front pressure this year, which was non-existant today. So the whole defense gets blamed for this one. Just didn't have the speed to keep up and make the adjustments.
UPDATE: Saints were moving, but Brees uncharacteristically underthrew Henderson on a deep shot that had Terrell Thomas beaten, and the Saints will punt when the fourth quarter starts. No big deal, this game's over.
UPDATE: See what I mean? Dockery tried to jam Colston at the line, couldn't do it, and left him open in the end zone for Brees touchdown pass. 41-17 and there's still four minutes left in the third.
UPDATE: Big break on illegal touching as Colston stepped out of bounds before long completion. It's third-and-17 now, and Giants desperately need to stop this one. But Moore grabs a 21-yarder for the first down. At this point, Giants don't deserve to be in this game. Giants: Done.
UPDATE: Manning just gave Bradshaw an earful for missing the blitz pickup. Lesson learned. Lesson reinforced: Brees just found Colston for 26 to the Giants 34. Ball at the 31 on third-and-7 timeout.
UPDATE: Manning was moving the team until he threw a pressured pass to Nicks that was intercepted by Greer at the Saints 20. I'm thinking this one might be over, barring a miracle. And it's not Christmas yet.
UPDATE: Hey, the front four finally got some third-down pressure on Brees, and he couldn't complete the pass. Then Hixon had a nice return on the punt. Offense has to capitalize here on the first three-and-out of the game.
UPDATE: Here's the real bad news. I wouldn't expect Payton to sit on this lead. Bet Brees goes to work deep.
UPDATE: Here we go. Hixon to the Giants 26. Jacobs is back in with the shoulder and he bangs for three. Jacobs again for no gain. Better get Bradshaw back in there. Deep shot to Hixon fails, but Hixon had offensive pass interference anyway. Giants punt. Not a good sign at all.
UPDATE: Giants will get the ball to start the second half, so at least Hixon will have a chance to gain field position. First possession is going to be huge for this offense.
UPDATE: I'm not trying to be a homer here, but I have a feeling the second half is going to be a lot of fun. If the defense can clamp down a little (God knows how you do that against this quarterback and such a diversified offense), I think Eli has the capability of finding 17 points of offense. It all depends on the D, though.
UPDATE: Manning kneels out the first half and goes into intermission down 34-17. How bad is the defense today? They've given up over 300 yards of total offense already, and Marques Colston already has 100 receiving yards. Brees has been amazing, going 17-of-20 for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Giants haven't even breathed on him, let alone put him on his back. Worse yet, the second half has to be all passing for the Giants, which means Saints are gonna tee off on Manning. Bleak, bleak, bleak.
UPDATE: Result of review was the the ball didn't come loose at the 7, so it's the Saints' ball at the 7 with 18 seconds left. Brees had 15 straight pass completions before Tuck just knocked it down. Reggie Bush brought it in from the 7 thanks to a good block by wide receiver Moore at the 1. They'll go into halftime down 34-17. Still not out of reach, but the defense isn't helping anything today.
UPDATE: No breaks today as Manning gets sacked and Shanle recovers fumble and returns to the Giants' 7. On top of that, Kareem McKenzie got hurt stepping on the ball as it came out of Manning's hand. Play is being reviewed as McKenzie gets taken off on a cart. Doesn't look good all around.
UPDATE: They're looking at Thomas' run upstairs, but confirm it was short of the goal line.
UPDATE: Great goal line stand and an unsportsmanlike conduct call gives the Giants the ball on the 16. Maybe this is where the turnaround starts.
UPDATE: Nice stop on third-and-goal from the 1, but Saints are going for it on fourth down.
UPDATE: That turnaround? Ain't gonna happen this half. Brees just found Colston for 40, and again for like 22 at the two-minute warning. Figure the Saints for another touchdown before halftime at this rate.
UPDATE: That was some move replacing Moss with Hixon. He just returned one like 66 yards to the Saints' 37. Singlehandedly giving the Giants a chance. Great touchdown catch by Manningham, taking it out of Eli's old friend Darren Sharper at the goal line to get back to 10, 27-17. It's not over, but the defense has to do a 180 to give the offense and special teams a chance.
UPDATE: Nope. Brees ran a good play-action, freezing the DBs and allowing Moore to get wide open in the end zone for a touchdown and a 27-10 lead. Everything is getting exposed here.
UPDATE: Huge break on the pass interference call on Webster, but Giants can't stop anything anyway. Let's see what happens afteer the hold on Evans marches it back to the 18. If Giants get out of this with a field goal, they'll be lucky.
UPDATE: Any suggestions on how to deal with the Saints' offense. Can't get pressure from the four-man rush, and the ball comes out too fast for blitz to be effective. Besides, you blitz, and you leave fewer men for coverage, which seems self-defeating at this point. By the way, it's Jacobs' left shoulder. Possible stinger.
UPDATE: On-field call is upheld, so New Orleans gets a timeout and Giants get the first down. Bradshaw's finally in and responds with a 13-yard run to the 38. Suggestion: Giants might want to consider keeping Bradshaw in there until they at least catch up. Manning got a huge break on the roughing the passer call on Jonathan Vilma that nullified a pick and a touchdown from Darren Sharper. Jacobs had a nice run but got hurt and is being looked at by the medical staff. But Bradshaw takes it 11 yards for a much-needed touchdown. Talk about turnabout. Could give the Giants the momentum they so sorely need right now.
UPDATE: Quick count. Brees has already completed passes to six receivers. Manning, meanwhile, is having all sorts of problems, but completes a big first-down pass to Hixon, although Sean Payton is challenging the spot.
UPDATE: Brees is just killing the Giants right now. Shockey's going wild with four catches for 37 yards, and then Brees finds Meacham on a 36-yard touchdown against C.C. Brown, who had decent coverage on him but was unable to even challenge the catch. At least Bruce Johnson blocked the extra point to keep it at 20-3. But unless something drastic happens starting now, the Giants are going down. They simply cannot cope with the tempo and Brees' quick release.
UPDATE: Tynes' 49-yarder goes through. 14-3 Saints. Travis Beckum's horse-collar tackle on the kickoff gives the Saints the ball on the 42 as the quarter ends, Saints up 14-3.
UPDATE: Don't know about you, but I'm surprised at how easily the Giants' pass defense is getting exposed. Ball is coming out too fast for any pass rush pressure to be effective, and the DBs aren't covering well. But nice return by Hixon to the 50 on the kickoff. Notice the difference between him and Moss? Then Jacobs breaks off a 14-yard run for a first down, but good coverage prevents Manning from following up with a long pass to Manningham. Then, Manning barely over throws a potential touchdown shot to Smith, forcing a field goal attempt as only three seconds remain in the first quarter.
UPDATE: Replay reversed the touchdown call, but it's first down on the Giants' 1. Brees throws a 1-yard touchdown pass to Shockey as the Giants try to cover him with Danny Clark. Clark just isn't fast enough to keep up with him, so it's a huge mismatch. Saints 14-0.
UPDATE: That's the first failed opening drive for the Giants all season. Not a good sign. Even worse, Brees is throwing it all over the lot to everyone and anyone. He's already hit like five or six different receivers, and the Giants are scrambling to keep up. Then Brees throws a 29-yarder to Colston in over-under coverage by C.C. Brown and Antonio Pierce for an apparent touchdown that Coughlin is challenging. This is not good, either way.
UPDATE: See now where Hixon will fit into the passing game, as he gets a deep try on third-and-3. But Jabari Greer just gets a hand on it with Hixon well behind him to force a punt. Saints are getting some decent pressure on Manning, and have knocked him down once.
UPDATE: That was a 15-play drive by the way. A few more of those, the Giants will be exhausted. Hixon is back at kickoff returner, and brings it back to the Giants' 23.
UPDATE: Shockey just caught his first pass, a seven-yarder to Giants 45. Corey Webster almost broke up a pass to the 25, but didn't knock it down. Giants are clearly having trouble with the Saints' uptempo style, but they did stop Pierre Thomas on third-and-3 at the 2. Saints go for it on fourth and 1 and Mike Bell dives over for the touchdown. No surprise there, since the Saints have scored on all their first possessions this season. But the Giants are going to have to figure out this passing game. Saints 7-0.
UPDATE: New Orleans receives, so the defense gets tested right away. Brees went right downfield on second down but threw long. Then scrambles for a first down. Defense is going to have its hands full today.
About 10 minutes from Giants-Saints. Remember, leave the comments right here. Hope we can get a good conversation going. First question: Shockey or Boss, who wins?
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Inactives
Here are the Giants and Saints inactives.
GIANTS:
RB Danny Ware
T Adam Koets
LB Michael Boley
LB Clint Sintim
DT Chris Canty
CB Aaron Ross
T Guy Wimper
WR Ramses Barden
Domenik Hixon is active, and you may want to look for him as the starting kickoff and punt returner in place of Sinorice Moss. Have to wait until gametime for that, though.
SAINTS:
QB Chase Daniel
PK Garrett Hartley
CB Leigh Torrence
RB Lynell Hamilton
LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar
C Nick Leckey
DT Kendrick Clancy
TE Darnell Dinkins
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GIANTS:
RB Danny Ware
T Adam Koets
LB Michael Boley
LB Clint Sintim
DT Chris Canty
CB Aaron Ross
T Guy Wimper
WR Ramses Barden
Domenik Hixon is active, and you may want to look for him as the starting kickoff and punt returner in place of Sinorice Moss. Have to wait until gametime for that, though.
SAINTS:
QB Chase Daniel
PK Garrett Hartley
CB Leigh Torrence
RB Lynell Hamilton
LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar
C Nick Leckey
DT Kendrick Clancy
TE Darnell Dinkins
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Live-Blog Alert
Oh, yeah, baby! Big game today, and we'll be live-blogging it all the way through, starting at the 1 p.m. kickoff. Same as always, leave the comments on the game page.
Just so you're prepared, this isn't going to be like the Oakland game, where everything was settled by halftime. So get the chips ready for a good one. And for those who stayed up until the 1:10 AM finish to the Yankees' game last night, WAKE UP!!!!!!
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Just so you're prepared, this isn't going to be like the Oakland game, where everything was settled by halftime. So get the chips ready for a good one. And for those who stayed up until the 1:10 AM finish to the Yankees' game last night, WAKE UP!!!!!!
EP
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Game 6 Scouting Report
GIANTS (5-0) vs. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-0)
THE TEAMS: In case you haven't heard, this is the biggest game of the year for the Giants to date. It bears repeating that the Giants are off to their fastest start since the Super Bowl title season of 1990. But in their five wins, they've beaten one semi-serious playoff contender in Dallas, one divisional mediocrity in Washington, and three patsies in a row. Now comes New Orleans, a balanced team that put up 48 points in Week 2 victory over Philadelphia. Eli Manning will make his competitive debut in his hometown Superdome, and frenemy Jeremy Shockey will face his old Giants squad for the first time. There's plenty of juice to go around in this one, a big change from the humdrum nature of the Giants' last three games.
THE HISTORY: The Giants lead the series 14-10, but the Saints are up 5-4 in games in Louisiana. This is the Giants' first visit to New Orleans since 2003, an infamous 45-7 loss in which former wide receiver Joe Horn pulled a cellphone from the goalpost padding after a touchdown. Ah, those were the days. The Saints also won their most recent meeting in Giants Stadium, 30-7 on Dec. 24, 2006.
THE INJURIES: Giants -- CB Aaron Ross (hamstring), DT Chris Canty (calf) and LB Michael Boley (knee) are out. QB Eli Manning (heel), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot and ankle), TE Kevin Boss (ankle), G Rich Seubert (shoulder), S C.C. Brown (shoulder) and RB Danny Ware (elbow) are probable.
Saints -- CB Malcolm Jenkins (foot) and CB Leigh Torrence (hamstring) are questionable. RB Mike Bell (knee), T Jermon Bushrod (knee and ankle), DT Kendrick Clancy (knee and ankle), and TE Darnell Dinkins (foot) are probable.
WATCH THIS: Wanna know what the biggest individual matchup is? Nope. Not Drew Brees against the Giants' secondary. Not Jeremy Shockey against the linebackers, though that should be a good one.
Nope. It's Eli Manning against safety Darren Sharper. That guy just LOVES to play against Manning. Torments him endlessly. When playing for Minnesota in 2005, Sharper intercepted him three times and brought one back a career-high 92 yards for a touchdown. Picked him again in '07 for the Vikings, this time bringing it back 20 yards for a touchdown. He signed with the Saints this offseason, and has five of New Orleans' 10 picks this year to bring his career total to 59, tops among active players. And he has returned two for touchdowns. "I’ve kept him in the Pro Bowl many years," Manning said. "I know he likes facing me. But he is a good player. Obviously I’m not the only one who he has made plays against. He has got four or five interceptions this year, a couple for touchdowns. He is a smart player. He reads and reacts and he will guess and he will take some chances. You have to keep your eye on him and try to play smart." Smart means making sure Steve Smith, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks run clean routes. Smith can expect double-coverage with a corner and Sharper, so the ball may be going the other way to Manningham or Nicks quite a bit.
The Shockey angle has been fun, given the agita he caused Manning during his Giants career. But he'll play into the game only as much as Brees lets him. Shockey does lead the team in receptions with 18 for 162 yards and two touchdowns, but Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, and Reggie Bush are right there with 17, 14, and 14 receptions each. That indicates Brees spreads the ball around, and whoever is open gets it. The trick the Giants will have in covering Shockey is finding someone with the speed and mobility to stick with him. With LB Michael Boley still out, we could see a shuttling of Chase Blackburn with the faster Bryan Kehl at weakside linebacker, especially on passing downs. Safeties C.C. Brown and Michael Johnson will also get a piece of him. Whoever takes him, however, won't have to cover long because Brees gets the ball out quickly, as his low, four-sack total indicates. Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora will want to play a combination of pressure and contain to keep the mobile Brees from doing maximum damage.
The Giants' secondary should be up to the task of covering Henderson and Colston, especially with LCB Corey Webster playing at a Pro Bowl level. "Obviously we try to match up Corey to the best guy or away from the roll of the coverage regularly," defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan said. "But really our other corners (Terrell Thomas, Bruce Johnson, and Kevin Dockery) are playing well, too. But yeah, Corey has had a solid year. No wide receiver has really torn it up against us, an individual guy who had an eight or 10 catch game against us."
As dangerous as Brees became with 5,000 passing yards and a team-record 34 touchdowns last season, he's almost as deadly this year. He moves the ball downfield and has nine touchdowns in four games. But a look behind the stats shows that six of those scores came in the opener and the other three came in Game 2 against Philadelphia. In other words, he hasn't thrown a touchdown pass his last two games. That has been left to the equally-potent ground game of Reggie Bush (36-148-1), Mike Bell (45-229-1), and Pierre Thomas (33-212-3). Bell, averaging 5.1 yards per carry, is working his way back from a knee sprain, and Bush has been as much a receiving threat. But a run defense that has come around since a 251-yard Week 2 debacle in Dallas must be strong on the edges, as Bush remains one of the fastest guys to the outside in the NFL.
The Saints play an up-tempo game and constantly shuffle personnel. It's a rarity that they'll keep the same players on the field on consecutive plays. But even when they do, they may put their skill people in completely different roles.
The best way to keep Bush and the league's highest-scoring offense (36-point average) off the field is to get the Giants' own running game going again. Brandon Jacobs, frustrated over questions surrounding a drop to a 3.6-yard per carry average, would love to kick it into high gear. But the Saints have the seventh-best run defense in the league, allowing 83.3 average rushing yards. He'll have to barrel through a front seven that features linebackers former Jets middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, reliable vet Scott Fujita, and the team's leading tackler, Scott Shanle. Nose tackle Kendrick Clancy is a 305-pound presence in the front, and Charles Grant (four sacks) and Will Smith (2 1/2 sacks) on the ends are better run-stoppers than pass rushers.
The Saints blitz a lot, but the effect is more pressure than sacks. TE Kevin Boss and Darcy Johnson will probably have to stay in a lot to keep Manning upright, but that could open things up for the screen to Ahmad Bradshaw, who took one of those 55 yards last week. Bradshaw is averaging 6.5 yards per carry and has more than made up for Jacobs' yardage shortcomings.
This one may well come down to a kicker's leg, and in that the Saints have the advantage. John Carney, last year's machine for the Giants, is 6-for-7 this year, his only miss coming from 34 yards. Lawrence Tynes went a flawless 3-for-3 last week and appears to be coming out of the chip-shot problems he's had this season. He needs to make good on everything tomorrow, or Tom Coughlin may well give a mighty tug on the short leash Tynes is on. Also, Domenik Hixon could replace the Sinorice Moss as the kickoff and punt returner following Moss' flawed performance against the Raiders. Field position in this game will be paramount, given the relative strengths of the defenses, so look for another big game from Jeff Feagles. Nobody brings punts back on this guy, and he'll be looking to pin that offense behind the 10.
PREDICTION: I've struggled with this game all week. The Giants are on a roll, but haven't played anyone since Dallas. The Saints come off a bye, meaning the injured like Bell and Thomas will be well-rested, but perhaps rusty. It's definitely going to be a close game. Only because of the Superdome being the Superdome, it's going to be the Saints, 17-14, with Shockey dropping two potential touchdown passes. Did you really think the Giants would go undefeated this year?
GUEST PREDICTION: That's Paul Schwartz of the Post over there. No? Okay. It's Keith Hernandez. But Hernandez was once a member of Schwartz' favorite baseball team. Led them to a World Series championship in '86. Die-hard Mets fan
, this guy. Smiles at their successes, weeps at their failures (he did a lot of crying this year). I figure a couple of days in the Big Easy will do him good after this year. Unfortunately for you fans, he and I seem to be in agreement about the eventual outcome of this little junket. Schwartz promises he'll come back with a full stomach, and with a Giants' loss. He's picking it 31-27 Saints, explaining that "this is the game where the injuries and deficiencies on the defense, to Boley and Kenny Phillips, will show up."
EP
Friday, October 16, 2009
Take A Look
While you're waiting for the Giants and Saints to kick off, do yourself a favor and pay a visit to Patti Traina's site at Inside Football. She's got a wonderful story on a special bond Corey Webster and Brandon Jacobs share. Well worth the read. Best thing about it: You won't see it anywhere else.
Tell her "The Big E" sent you.
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Tell her "The Big E" sent you.
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