Bob Papa and Carl Banks

Bob Papa was quite frank in expressing the viewpoint that the Giants SHOULD WIN this weekend as long as they take care of their business. Papa is always understated, so even though he is a company guy, he is not sticking his neck out. He brings up the following points:

1)They needed this bye week. Offseason was compacted by SB win this past year. Bye week 3+ months ago. Mental rest important and helpful.

2) Giants let game get away from themselves in W14. "For some reason" the Giants reversed to Manningham.. "This (reverse) is not part of the Giants offense."(read: what the brown are you doing, Gilbrown?)

3) Hixon drop, squandered opportunities.

4) Do not put Pierce on Westbrook.

5) Tuck had the flu.

6) Jacobs banged his knee, once he got hurt it went downhill.

7) The more chances you give Westbrook and McNabb, the easier it becomes for the Eagles to win.

8) Vikings could not run the ball because the Eagles knew the Vikings had no passing game. Tarvaris Jackson was an amateur out there yesterday. Manning is no Jackson. Manning changes plays, has poise, knows the Eagles defense, has much more command of the offense.

9) Carton paraphrased: "If the Giants do what they do, they should beat this Eagles team." Papa:"I agree with you. If they run the ball the way they can run the football and the way ..they have with Ward and Jacobs.. they are going to be very tough to beat in this football game."

Carl Banks

Giants and their fans should be nervous about the Eagles. The things you do not do well get magnified to the highest level in the playoffs.

Giants are inconsistent at best in the red zone, it is a problem where the Giants have to be good. If the Giants have a bad game in the red zone, they will come back and be ok in the next game... these are the things which will come back to haunt you though because in the playoffs there is no next game and you have to do it consistently. Third down and manageables.... where are the difference-makers? Third and 5, a fielder's choice, they have to look at the plays they are calling... defenses do not know what you are going to call. This was the difference in the game W14. On 5 or 6 occasions they had these situations and flopped.

GILBROWN??!!!!!

Giants were 27% converting these. Giants had 5 third and manageables last game and did not convert. This is it. When you have these opportunities, the play calling has to be very good, the execution has to be very good. When you move the ball on 1st and 2nd down, you need to get the first down and complete the drive.

When you have the opportunities, get ahead of the Eagles. Make Westbrook strictly a passing back. They don't run it well anyway. Don't let Westbrook get into a rhythm.

Giants also at a disadvantage in punt returns.

This should be a close game. The Giants need to take care of their housekeeping. That is Kevin Gilbride, Tom Coughlin, Ahmad Bradshaw, the Offensive Line.

Avant is a sleeper, runs very good routes, effective in the red zone. Giants need to be wary of him.

Giants tidy it up. The Giants have enough time to clean it up. The way they got beat last time, they should have the pride to turn it around this time, and if they do that they will make it tougher for the Eagles.

Ultimatenyg New York Giants Blog comments: Banks' number one issue in this session was the RED ZONE OFFENSE. He could not have been more pointed in his criticism of Gilbrown while being employed as the radio color man for the Giants. HELLO KEVIN BOSS. With Boss on 3rd and manageable, he is the player who you get the ball to to move the chains. And in the red freaking zone? Boss leads the team in TD receptions with 6, and he should have many more because if they simply throw him the ball (tied for 25th in the league, are you kidding me?!!) with the PLAY ACTION it works every time. Banks mentions execution, meaning CATCH THE BALL when it is thrown. Boss catches the ball, great hands. The Giants are as inconsistent in the red zone as Gilbrown's inconsistency in using the TE.
Boss:
0-2 receptions in 8 games, Giants 5-3 record.
3+ receptions in 7 games, Giants 7-0.
When the Giants are in the red zone 6x vs the Steelers and win, it is Boss who finally gets the ball on the LAST of those 6 possessions (see video~ minute 6:13) . On play action. (I am not sure who loves what more, me with the TE, or Wonder with the play action. On that one we had both.) WAKE THE BROWN UP. GET CONSISTENT IN YOUR USE OF THE TE AND WIN THE SUPER BOWL.

Nature asks yesterday, hey why should we be so confident when Gilbrown keeps us at bay with his mistakes? It is a very good point, and I am optimistic that the last game which Boss played (Carolina, where Boss got 5 receptions) is the wakeup call where the offense got in rhythm. Wonder thinks the push by Robbins is more important than the use of the TE, but I think they are both equally important. At this point if we have either we will win the whole thing. If we have neither and Gilbrown is found dead from a letter bomb, send them to me, I will be the first suspect.