NYG 16 PHI 13

The Giants defense played a very good game and played courageously in limiting Westbrook.

But this game should not have come down to Akers missing from 56 yds at the end of regulation, deflected off the right post. Once again the Giants escape with wins against weaker teams because the opposition does not capitalize on our mistakes the way better teams (which beat us) do. NOTHING HAS CHANGED. WE ARE SLATED FOR THE WILD CARD, JUST AS WAS MENTIONED ALMOST A MONTH AGO.

1) The Giants went into the prevent offense and prevent defense and if the Akers FG is just slightly left we are all ranting at how it kills us. The fact that it came down to that is disgraceful and unacceptable. This is how losers lose. This is not how you build a championship. Winning teams get the first down when they have the ball with ~1:30 left at midfield and a 3 pt lead. They end the game right there. Instead we do the run-run-run-kick. Here, have the ball. AND we are SO LUCKY that Madison does not get called for a delay of game by holding Westbrook after the play is over. That would stop the clock, it would give them 5 extra yards. It would give them another play or two, and we are in OT or we lose in regulation.

2) Remember what Jacobs said after the Jets game? Click this link to refresh your memory. So this time after coming back from injury he puts the ball on the ground for two turnovers. UNACCEPTABLE. UNACCEPTABLE. He played at less than 100%, got strength and effectiveness as the game wore on, but he killed us with those fumbles. The Giants defense bailed him out.

3) Droughns MUST score on that large run where he gets tackled at the 1. Any other RB shakes the tackle long enough/has enough speed/stiff arms enough to get into the end zone. When we have FOUR tries at the end zone and fail, Coughlin makes the right decision to kick the FG. Nice miss by Eli on the pass to Shockey which fails to get us the TD.

4) Manning (who had an ~8 yard scramble today) should be running when he has the field wide open. He does not do that enough and it would aid the offense in more ways than just the big pickup.

5) Burress is not enough of a deep threat. He played a great short game considering that his injury gives him so little mobility. After the game he said to Siragusa that after all this time his ankle is beginning to get better. At face value that would be HUGE. But I saw little in the game that made me think he was any healthier than previous weeks. If he were healthy he would have had 237 yards, not 137 yards.

6) Diehl has been overachieving all year yet Trent Cole got to him with 2 sacks. One of them pushed us out of FG range. We have been very fortunate to have health this year at OL and would be wise to get a LT to eventually move Diehl back to guard. Diehl goes up against the opposing team's best pass rusher and gives up the majority of sacks. It is a very tough job and he must be commended for being a 5th rounder that has not missed a single START for us in 5 years. But he is a nice guard, not a tackle. Reese should be reminding himself of this in the offseason when he is looking at free agents and his draft needs.

7) What more can you say about the defense? They really settled down after the first TD. Westbrook was contained well. Dahl and Johnson recovered well as starting rookie safeties. With the exception of that offsides penalty on Johnson it was an impressive day for the kids.

8) Toomer was down by contact. Period. Daryl Johnston's opinion that Toomer fumbled was wrong, and he tried to backtrack by saying it was a judgment call, he knew he was wrong, the officials called it right. Next play TD to Burress, BIG SWING.

9) 1st and Goal from the 6, and a pass over the head of Shockey (who had two steps on his defenser) and another pass behind Burress for a second chance at the same TD. FGs on the road lose games, certainly against the better teams.

10) And finally the Manning moment. His boosters will say he did enough for us to win. His (ultimatenyg) detractors will point out that while Manning makes the check read to Burress for the score, there are still way too many points left on the field by this mediocre QB. Manning admission after game: "Shockey should have had two touchdowns today." Same Eli. Caretaker.

11) 9-4 is a mirage. It is nice enough to get the Giants some respect as postseason entrants, but we are not a crisp team that has played up to its potential for a single game this season. It hides lots of problems which are in our way to getting a championship. It is enjoyable to beat Philly, but I have not seen anything today that makes us any closer to being a championship competitor since our loss to Dallas (..which confirmed that second class status).