The Disappearance of Home Field Advantage

Some very interesting stats:
Last 25 years (1983-2008) Homefield team outscores Visitor by +3.1 ppg
Last 10 years: +2.8 ppg
Last 5 years: +2.5 ppg
Last 3 years: +2.1 ppg

So homefield advantage is eroding. Simmons at ESPN has an interesting theory on why, and I STRONGLY urge you to read what he had to say.

I bring these things up naturally because of what the Steelers did in the 2005-6 playoffs and what the Giants did in in the 2007-8 playoffs. Homefield is not what it is cracked up to be. There are many games at Giants Stadium that are worthy of a funeral march as opposed to the energy of the 12th man. Still, to be fair, the Giants are a pretty good homefield in the playoffs, having been there for Washington Jan1987, Eagles Jan2001, Vikings Jan2001. Yes, I am 3-0 in Giants playoffs games and have been there for both NFC Championship victories in the Super Bowl era. I will not be at the stadium this playoff run because I am one of those hdtv guys who does not miss the stadium anymore. I ask myself whether the new Stadium being built will make the 'advantage' grow even narrower. Between all the PSL stories and the Simmons article above (what, you didn't read it? READ it!) I think it is obvious that the new stadium will lose some of its energy.

The sage of the locker room, elder statesman Amani Toomer was succinct and perfect in stating the advantages and disadvantages of homefield in the playoffs: "(Home-field advantage) just gives you an opportunity. It didn't help the Cowboys much last year. That's how I look at it. They're not going to give us an extra seven points when we start the game." To reach the Super Bowl again, the Giants — spared the road and the wild-card round — need to win only two games at home. So how does it feel for them to be the bull’s-eye in the target instead of the arrow in the bow? Is it different? “Not very much,” the veteran wide receiver, said. “I don’t think we get much respect from a lot of teams that we play. A lot of experts really don’t pick us to win it all. There’s definitely that feeling in this locker room.”

Barring Eli Manning learning how to throw a tight spiral in the wind, the Giants do not have a distinct homefield edge. The only edge they have is a week off, turning the tournament of 12 to a tournament of 8. And the time to heal some inuries. Once was a time when being the #1 meant a lot more. The Giants have the maturity and discipline to leverage that and not waste the opportunity. If Toomer plays half as well as his words, the Giants are in pretty good shape.

Rest for the Weary Interior Defensive Lineman

The Ultimatenyg Wife and Daughter made cookies for the New Years Party last night.

The rest will be a positive for the DL- an oppty for Tuck, Robbins and Cofield to get back to their early season energy with a few less bumps and bruises to contend with.

When we lost Osi in August, we knew that was a BIG hurdle to getting another title. Well, here we are. All it means is that the Giants need HELP. They need the offense to get more points. They need the kickoff coverage to help them with field position. Yes, they need the Safety to pickup the RB out of the checkdown, not Pierce. (Wonder agrees, says Pierce should not be on the field on 3rd and long.) They can commit a few less penalties. The Giants have enough to win it all, they just need to be a little tighter from here on in. Gilbride needs to get more than 21 points per game this offseason, it will NOT be enough unless guys like Robbins ARE BACK.

Like we have said before, IF ROBBINS IS BACK IN EARLY SEASON HEALTH, they'll be on Broadway on Feb 2nd. But when did an interior DL ever finish STRONGER as the season wore on? I am willing to bet that that extra week off for Cofield may have saved him in ways we do not know. Interior DL is like playing Catcher in Baseball. The length of the season is a major grind. The physical demands every game wear you down like no other position on the field. It is not a coicidence that these guys get hurt and eventually cannot play well enough with their injuries and must take a week off to heal.

We looked at the 4 Pro Bowl picks this season (Haynesworth, Jenkins, Ratliff and Williams), added in Cofield and Robbins, and looked at their combined tackles and sacks in the first 11 games and then looked at the same stats in the last 5 games of the season.

Statistic First11 Last5
Starts 100% 84%
Tackles/game 3.1 2.8
Sacks/game 0.52 0.08

So the number of tackles this squad made dropped off by 11% per game. Given that the number of starts also dropped by 16%, you can argue that the run-stopping stayed consistent. But the total number of sacks plummetted from 34 in the first 11 games to 2.5 in the last 5 games, a drop of 84%. These guys simply lose their wheels. ALL OF THEM. I did not inspect the assists/solo tackles ratio, but anecdotally it looked like there were less solos and more assists in the latter part of the season.

EIGHT FOUR PERCENT. THE SACKS DRIED UP. COMPLETELY! For Robbins, his last sack came on October 19th. For Defensive Ends, they may come in "bunches," but for Defensive Linemen, they come in the earlier part of the season. You can argue, but hey, he got injured! But injuries alone only would account for a 16% dropoff in production, which is almost exactly what we see from the number of tackles. And this dropoff in sacks was for all the probowlers, not just (the alternate Pro Bowler) Robbins.

One factor which cannot be ignored is that Robbins collected 5.5 sacks in his first 6 games vs. weaker competition with a winning percentage of 30.7%. In the last 10 games, the Giants and Robbins faced opponents with a winning percentage of 61.8%. So some of the dropoff in his personal performance may have been related to that variable.

The Giants pass rush misses the push from Robbins up the middle. All teams miss this, but it has been especially acute for the Giants. Even if Robbins does not get the sack, if he getting the forward push this will help Kiwanuka and Tuck because the QB will not be able to step up into the pocket. At this point in the season, all we need is the hurry, knockdown, push. Sacks just confirm the other three and generally cause change of possession.

Separately, if you have a site which tracks INDIVIDUAL HURRIES and KNOCKDOWNS for defensive players, pls let us know.

The Jets head coaching vacancy

Yes, this is a New York Giants Blog, but it is not every day that your co-tenant is out there looking for a new coach. And it is certainly not every day that Spags gets this much attention nationally. There has been a great deal of news on Brett Favre, not the least of which is that he has a torn biceps tendon that has likely been hurting his throws near season's end.

Separately, linked is a piece on the Mangini firing that I could not have said any better. Favre still has a shot with the Jets in 2009 considering the injury story, and how that was probably mismanaged too.

Wonder's head coach list for the Jets, in order of preference:

1) Bill Cowher. Cowher coaches a 3-4, which is the Jets' defense. And if there is one guy who knows that defense and can save Gholston, it is him. Cowher and the Jets are reportedly going to meet.

2) Steve Spagnuolo. We all know the story here. And the Jets have asked to interview Spags during the bye week.

3) Jim Schwartz. Defensive Coordinator for the Titans. Non-media town for 8 yrs as DC.

4) Steve Mariucci. Would bring the West Coast offense to the Jets, some of which is already there. Would only make sense if Favre is not severely injured (which was confirmed with the mild tear in the tendon) AND if they could groom Brett Ratliff. Wonder is HUGE on Ratliff, fyi, the next long term Jet QB, and a good one.

5) Josh McDaniels. Offensive Coordinator of Patriots. A political hot potato, given Mangini and Belichick and Parcells all coming from NE, so it is doubtful, but would work if they didn't concern themselves about that issue.

addendum: this was done Monday afternoon with links afterwards, Wonder likes Shanahan on this list also.

Wonder on the NFL- Wild Card Round through to the Super Bowl

Wonder is convalescing, still in withdrawal from his Jets' implosion. He'll be back to posting eventually, but in the meantime I spoke to him last night and he was full of nuggets and his typical wisdom.

WILD CARD ROUND

1) MINN-PHL. Thinks Minnesota is 'live,' likes Minn +3 with Pat Williams playing, and thinks they have a (decent) shot at beating the Eagles. Like all of us, he understands how vulnerable the Vikings are on turnovers, so he says the Vikes have to RUN THE BALL. This will make Jackson's job a lot easier, less decisions, less opptys for mistakes. And you can run the ball vs the Eagles. Get behind Birk, Hutchinson and McKinnie and just run it. Make the Eagles blitz you and then dump the ball off, small ball, to Peterson, he beats one guy and it is either 20 yards or a TD. On defense, Kevin Williams will collapse pocket and Allen will be on the edge. And Westbrook is always one play away from injury. The DOME is why Minn has a chance vs the Eagles. Minn is playing with house money.

2) AZ-ATL. Arizona to beat the Falcons. This is another reason why it will be so good if the Vikings win.. not only do you knock out Philly, but also there is 0.0 chance that AZ will beat the Giants in the next round.

3) SD-IND. SD has a shot to beat IND. Some of it depends on whether the Tomlinson injury is serious or not. If not, Wonder likes SD a lot more.

4) BAL-MIA. Ravens will win. Miami does not belong in the playoffs, a weak 11-5 team. Separately, Wonder points out that next year you have to love the 'Under' for the Dolphins, their schedule is impossible in 2009. AFC East will have Bills healthier and better, Brady back. AFC South was difficult this year, Houston was a good 8-8 team, Jax was decimated by injuries, they will be back. NFC South is top to bottom a tough division, New Orleans was 8-8 in the basement, and then their two other opponents are Pittsburgh and SD with Merriman back. Good luck!

DIVISIONAL ROUND

1) In the NFC it does not matter, form will hold and the Giants and Panthers will both win their games. If there is a prop to take these two coming out of the conference, then go for that.

2) Pitt to beat SD.

3) Titans to beat Ravens.

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

1) NYG-CAR. The Giants are the team to beat. Barring stellar play by one team or the other, the line should be ~ 3 pts, and the homefield will help the Giants win.

2) PIT-TEN. This is a coin toss. If they were playing in Pit it would be Steelers by 5 or 6 points. Collins to get rattled at some point, is this the spot? Either team can win this one.

SUPER BOWL

Giants have the inside track here. Lots of things, injuries, too far away, but all things being equal will like the Giants. Much tougher game vs the Steelers, but if the Giants faced Tennessee it would be an easier matchup and an easier game.

Misc: Giants get the #45 pick in the draft from the Saints, as they will pick 1 slot higher in Round 2 because of the NFL Draft Tiebreaker Rules. (Separately, the NFL Draft tiebreaker rules are completely flawed. The subject only comes up once per year, but this is my opportunity to deprogram your brains from the Stone Age thinking of the NFL.)

The Road to the Super Bowl

You need not be a rocket scientist to already understand that we will likely be facing the Eagles. Having just seen Minnesota up close and personal, barely losing to them in the home advantage stadium without ~half of our roster, we were not impressed. Nor was the betting public, who make the Eagles a -3 FG FAVORITE IN MINNESOTA. As long as the Eagles show up, which they will, they will beat this team. They are perfectly suited for Tarvaris Jackson. Jim Johnson will disguise their looks and throw the blitz at this turnover machine. Jackson will get eaten up, make enough mistakes and the Eagles will head to the Meadowlands. If for some inexplicable reason the Eagles pull a boner (the worst enemy of Andy Reid is Andy Reid) and somehow lose to the Vikings, then all the more power to the Giants... Just expect the Eagles.

We will have plenty of time to analyze another Eagles-Giants matchup on Jan 11th. But for now all we will say is that the NY Giants' chances for seeing the Vikings again this season is nil.

On the other side of the bracket, the Falcons fly into Phoenix for a game with the Arizona Cardinals. I am sure you are not shocked to find that the Falcons are road favorites there too, -3. The rookie QB will have his moment in the sun, probably beat AZ (but I do believe AZ has a better shot of an upset than MINN does vs the Eagles), and then get his NFL wakeup call vs the Carolina Panthers.

So without getting too far ahead of ourselves, the joy of the bye is that you can fairly see how straightforward the path to the Super Bowl is. Probably face the Eagles. Probably face the Panthers. For those of you who are waving your finger at me for getting the gmen too far ahead of themselves, the Giants have been around the block enough times to know not to look past WHOEVER they face two weekends from now. All we are saying here is that this is not Everest. This is the NFL is 2008, and there is no one who the Giants are not capable of beating. If the Giants should face the Eagles and/or Panthers and lose to either one of them, they are not deserving of ANY consideration. But if the Giants play their hand properly, heal up, take one game at a time, properly game plan each opponent and play with the urgency of the playoffs, the Giants will be more than ready to not only get to the Super Bowl but go all the way. We predicted a Super Bowl victory for the Giants after the Eagles loss in W14 and see no reason why this cannot and will not happen.

Sidenote: in the next 13 days we are going to hear from media pundits about how the Giants have lost 3 of the last 4, how the Eagles (or Falcons) have won 5 of the last 6, how the Giants are not that great, blahblahblah. These people do not know what they are talking about. Fact: the Giants had a Plaxico hangover vs the Eagles, played a stinker, next. Fact: Gilbrown showed his illustrious talent in not adapting to the Cowboys or else we win that one easily. Fact: the Giants got their mojo back vs the Panthers. Fact: the Giants could have easily won yesterday if (to borrow a term from Simms) there was no money in the bank. With the exception of the Dallas game, Coughlin has done a very good job and the Giants are exactly where they are supposed to be.

Minn 20 NYG 19

If we are going to have our choice of Kasey missing last week or Longwell missing this week, I take Kasey. And so it really did not matter whether the FG makes or misses today, it makes, this is purely cosmetic. The important thing out of this game was that the Giants played with plenty of second and third stringers and did fine. David Carr played behind a decent offensive line and did well. He hit Hixon (TD) where Eli missed him. Carr's mobility is good, it gives the Giants a little bit of that Hostetler dimension. I wish Manning would run the ball once or twice per game just to break the back of the defense. He is always given enuf daylight for that. We saw the TE move the chains on a few occasions; keep using that TE.. on the lone TD drive, it is a TE reception by Johnson which keeps the drive alive on a nice 3rd down pickup. Everyone out there who wants to run the ball down the opponent's throat must realize that you need that TE to extend these drives. Without it, they will not get the touches you want. Butler had some bad plays, but he almost (and should have) single-handedly won the game with his INT. Webster missed a pick-6, but played well. Moss looked very good. He has the speed to stretch the defense, not as big a target as a Boss for that long reception, but use him to keep the defense honest. You have to love those quick slants to these WRs, Manningham. As noted in the intragame comments, Tuck looked very good in stopping one drive for a FG and another on downs. Only loss was Sam Madison, who broke his ankle. Considering how many games he was inactive, this will not be a loss unless our secondary goes thru another injury run like last offseason. Ware looked good. The kickoff coverage is atrocious, put Tynes on the active roster so that we can get some distance on kickoffs. This was a freaking dome that Carney was kicking in, those pooch kicks are an embarrassment. I know we are all biased about the officiating, but I thought the Giants got screwed on more than a few calls today... this is why you have to shoot to get 'quality' wins (>10 pts) in the postseason because these refs couldn't buy a good call if their life depended on it. You can easily argue today's outcome was caused by the officials. Good thing it does not matter.

Summary: The Giants punched their time clocks today, they played hard, they had all subs in by the end of the game, NEXT. Well deserved and well needed rest, JacobsBossRossCofield all did not even dress, my bet is that all would have played if necessary. Kudos to Coughlin for getting the Giants in there with focus and out of there with their health, building on last week and getting ready for the postseason.

Separately-1: they switched to the Saints, up by 1, and then the kick by Carolina. Some of you may have been looking for Carolina to lose and drop to #5, but for my money, I was rooting for the Saints to get the extra loss and the better draft pick for us.

Separately-2: Dal vs. Phl for a playoff spot. I hope these two teams kill each other, go into quintuple OT and need Garrett and Reid to suit up.

MINN-NYG intragame commentary

Phil Simms W17

Part I- Showtime Phil Simms

1) Dal-Phl. Philadelphia offense so limited, not going to be able to run the ball. Dallas will be able to get to McNabb. Romo has been borderline fantastic. He'll make the play, Dallas to win.

2) Pats-Bills. NE will move the ball, NE to win.

3) Denv-SD. SD has weapons at every position, Demver will try first to stop SD's pass, but SD will be able to run the ball and win the game.

4) Hou-Chi. Bears defense keeps getting shredded all the time. Plus, the Houston offense is terrific. Houston to win.

5) Also likes BAL, MIN, ATL, CAR, no comments in these games.

Phil Simms on Sunday morning. If you have his remarks, fill them in in the comments section.

The Immaculate Reception

December 23, 1972. This game cemented my love of football. I was 9 years old. The Giants teams of the 1970s were horrible, and the playoffs meant the Steelers and the Raiders. What games, what rivalries! I looked forward to the divisional round of the playoffs with such anticipation, because all 4 games were going to be feasts. I was only 9, but something told me that the single elimination of football made the playoffs different and special. This one was a classic. Listening and watching it again, I am not sure what is better, the play itself or The Voice of God (aka John Facenda). Long live football.

Brandon Jacobs Day

Some very good links to check out, highly recommended Brandon Jacobs-NY Giants history.

The Journey of Brandon Jacobs. Interesting how some of the pieces of the puzzle come together.. all of a sudden a lot of the trash-talking in between plays seemed to disappear in the middle of the season, and now we know why. And now, if you notice, he is actually patting guys on the helmet after the play is over. This guy is easy to root for.

Marvelous, one of the original email group predecessors of the Ultimatenyg New York Giants Blog, was quick to point out what always struck him about getting Jacobs in 2005. "I have NEVER forgotten the words of our GM when asked how he felt his draft selections went... the KEY to this draft was getting Jacobs down there."

"The player I got the most excited over in two days was Brandon Jacobs,” Accorsi said. “The biggest worry that I had is that any time you have a chance to sleep on it and start looking at the board, size and speed usually catches people’s eyes. I was worried sick he was going to get picked.”

Accorsi was referring the resumption of the Draft on Day 2, when everyone could reexamine who was left on the board. Accorsi was nervous to the point of paranoia about someone drafting his nugget before him.

And a quick FYI to the Broncos.. Brandon Jacobs remembers you passing him in the 3rd Round for Maurice Clarett, so you better hope that he is not with the Giants next year because the Giants face you in 2009 and Jacobs has not forgotten.

A Christmas Gift to the New York Giants: Kevin Boss

In Sunday night's recap, we highlighted the significance of Kevin Boss in this offense.

Wonder highlighted the need to get an offensive "rhythm" after Burress was lost for the season.

At this juncture of the season, three players who will have the opportunity to make an impact on the MARGIN are:

1) Fred Robbins, if he can get healthy.
2) Ahmad Bradshaw, if he can get touches as a 3rd down scatback.
3) Kevin Boss, if he can get touches.

Any of these three things will have a big impact on this team. But the low hanging fruit here is clearly Kevin Boss. Kevin Gilbride has to be wondering how he is going to make up for the loss of his best Wide Receiver. Give those touches to Boss. BOSS IS NOW THE GIANTS' MOST DOMINATING RECEIVING OPTION. Look at the difference he makes in a game.

In games where he has had 3 or more receptions, he has had a TD in those games 6 of 7 times. In games where he has had 1-2 receptions, he has zero TDs. The clear message is that this player turns 3's into 7's in the red zone.

In games where he has 3 or more receptions, the Giants are 7-0. In games where he has 2 or less receptions, the Giants are 5-3.

Now contrast those 33 receptions with the numbers from another second year TE, Mark Bavaro in 1986. This is a perfect example of coaching. Ron Erhardt looked at his personnel and said Joe Morris and Mark Bavaro. Boss is still under the radar, he gets singled. Keep using him, and use him MUCH more until defenses realize what we know. If he gets doubled, then you have even more reason to use him, draw a crowd on this guy and run the ball with only 7 in the box. Boss gets 2 receptions per game, Bavaro had 4 per game.

With Burress gone, this offensive personnel looks almost exactly like 1986:
1) a set of WRs without gamebreaking ability ("possesion receivers")
2) a second year TE with great hands
3) a running game that is near/tops in the league. (#6 in 1986, #1 in 2008)
4) a smart QB who can make plays (#13 in 1986, #14 in 2008)
5) a cohesive OL

The difference is that you have to recognize right now how things have changed, how Boss IS THE MAN FOR LEADING THE TEAM IN RECEPTIONS FROM HERE ON OUT. The running game needs Boss to keep the sticks moving so that the running game can keep pounding the ball. Gilbride has been deficient with the use of his TE, but with Burress gone he has NO CHOICE. If he does not use Boss more, it is a cardinal sin and a complete admission of failure to adjust. He got the ball to Boss 5 times and the result was a win. That is all he needs, 5 passes per game and the Giants will have another trophy.

Btw, Boss sat out practice, ankle. Rest him Sunday if he is not 100%... he'll definitely be healed in 3 weeks, and you can always play Johnson and Matthews in his place to keep the rhythm going.

World's Most Expensive Snowball

1) pretty expensive piece of snow

2) this talk about what to do with playing the Vikes is moot. Coughlin is going to rest the weary and he is going to play to win with the rest of them. Considering the number of areas the team still needs to improve in, it is what you have to do. Coughlin caught a lot of brown for the injuries in W17 last year, he'll catch the same brown again after this one too. Confront the brutal facts: the team still needs to improve.

3) Improvement? The Giants are #32 in kickoff distance, LAST place. They are #31 in net yards on kickoff distance.

4) Improvement? the LBers, throwing to RBs, offensive rhythm, pass rush, dropped balls, penalties, Diehl's pass protection.

5) Why is Feagles going to the Pro Bowl? Because he is #3 in the league in Punt return distance, and it is not because of our gunners.

6) Each division's non-divisional record:
NFC South 27-11
NFC East 26-11-1
AFC South 25-13
AFC East 26-14
AFC North 17-20-1
and the other 3 divisions are such schtick dreck, it will hurt my hands to type them.

The NFC East is 4-0 vs the NFC South.

7) Jaworski was asked: of the Titans and the Giants, which one has the edge in getting to the Super Bowl? Jaws' answer was unequivocal- the Giants, because of experience.

8) I am not sure who I'd rather see suffer more, Eagles fans or Jerry Jones. It's close though. Probably Eagles fans..

9) Giants +6.5 points this weekend, tells you enough about how they expect Coughlin to bench plenty of guys, specifically Tuck.

10) The gmen are the #1 seed, the Super Bowl champs, they have already done more than the 1986 and 1990 teams: they are in the playoffs the year after. They have a better record, they have the focus, resolve and pride to repeat. Enjoy every minute of this.

Carl Banks

1) Carl Banks on WFAN yesterday. I am beginning to think that Banks reads this blog for his material. You can argue that I listen to him on radio for mine (!), but I've got the big screen hdtv with the Madden comments on how dead the Giants are on 3rd and 10, so I am not that good!

2) In 1984, the first week of training camp, George Young calls Bill Parcells, tells him 'win or you are fired.' Parcells then called up players and told them he was cutting players and he specifically asked each of them individually if they were going to play for him or not.. the loyalty to his core group of players began.

3) Jacobs makes everyone better. Resilient bunch. Mentally strong, consistent. Force Delhomme to drive the team down the field. Gmen sacrificed pass rush for bend-dont break. Shut Steve Smith down for 2nd half. Giants wanted slugfest, which won out over the Carolina shootout. Giants needed to settle down, Ross near INT.

4) Banks talked a lot about the lack of the short pass leading up to the game.

"I give the offensive coordinator a lot of credit" (for making the necessary changes).

5) "Did you see Kevin Boss become a factor? The intermediate passing. He stayed in there, he blocked, he leaped out in the middle of the field and they hit him on some big plays and he kept the offense in rhythm. They did not do a lot of things in terms of playcalling that kept the team out of rhythm... They went with intermediate rhythm-type plays."

6) Hixon made some big plays. We are without Plaxico. We don't need you to make a spectacular (Plax) play, we just need you to make the Hixon plays.

7) Crazed Giant Fan was all over the poor playcall when Gilbride went to Hedgecock on 3rd and 1. Banks agreed.

8) The Giants will have to beat themselves in order for them to lose in the playoffs. If they continue to function as a team, they will be hard to beat. They are back on track. The teams that can bring pressure will give the Giants the most problems.

9) Jacobs, use him for 5 plays on Sunday and take him out. Tollefson and Bradshaw, get out there and play. GET HEALTHY. What is best for the Giants 2008 team is to get them rest and practice them well to keep them sharp.

10) It was painful, I had to sit through them talking Jets for like 40 minutes crying about the coaching staff. Tell me something we don't already know. We said it here many weeks ago, that the coaching staff of the Jets was the weakest link.

New York Giants 34 Carolina Panthers 28

Ward and Boss, the TWO keys to the Ultimatenygame

This was as gutty a performance as I have seen from this team since the Redskins W3 2007. The similarities were many- 2 consecutive losses, lots of doubters, a double digit deficit. When the Giants defense was getting manhandled early, giving up 3 TDs on the first 3 drives, down 21-10, there was no realistic way we were going to win this game. That this team came back from that proved so many things to us. But most importantly, the victory proved so much to themselves. It reminded them of what they have done this year in winning 11 games prior. It reminded them of what they have done last year, when they could come from behind and win despite so much adversity.

Victory tonight was icing on the cake. That the Giants somehow managed to tie the game was a mini-miracle. There were so many positives that were going to come from this game, and the recap was going to take that angle, the Patriots Week 17 Angle, where that loss was a BIG POSITIVE. If Kasay hits the FG, there is still a lot to be positive about. That the kick misses and the Giants go on to win in OT may very well be the luck needed to make this team go all the way. Wins like this galvanize a team. The Giants may have to play this team again, but they will not be afraid. They took this team's best punch, got knocked down, got back up and were the last team standing. The Giants got the confidence back that they lost when Burress was removed from the roster, and they are learning to how to win with who is left. Barber, Strahan, Umenyiora, Shockey, Burress? How many daggers do you put in this team? It keeps coming. The Giants have faced NINE consecutive teams with winning records, a combined 82-51-2. Every team took their best shot. The Giants are 12-3, they have the all-important bye to heal up, they have homefield through the playoffs. And they have the resolve and the resiliency of a team that is capable of anything they believe in.

THE POSITIVES WERE MANY:
1) The offense is back. Wonder talked about the Giants offense getting into a new rhythm now that Burress is no longer there. They did exactly that. They stayed with the run. But they were able to do so because, unlike in Dallas, down and distance was manageable enough. Manning held the ball less, threw into shorter routes, and this way there were not the countless debilitating sacks that caused horrendous 2nd and 3rd downs.

2) Eli Manning found his wind legs. He managed the wind, threw shorter passes, stepped into the passes, and threw the ball a little lower on shorter routes to keep the ball from sailing. This was important, dare we say vital, for Manning's confidence. And once again he led his team down the field to score near the end of Q4, got the 2 pt conversion pass to Hixon (what a play fake, we were sold on the ball being handed off to Jacobs along with all of the Panthers!) to tie the game, and then led them again in OT. Everyone knows that Manning is capable of anything at the end of a game. His confidence after the game was obvious: "You never know what the weather is going to be like here. We're used to playing in those cold and windy games and I would like to think we would have the advantage in some of those. I think it will be fun playing the games at home."

3) Derrick Ward, Brandon Jacobs and the offensive line were excellent in the running game. Gilbride gets credit for not giving up on the run. How do we begin to discuss the superlatives of Derrick Ward, who gashed this team time and time again, amassing 215 yards from scrimmage as the backup?!!

4) Gilbride found his Tight End! Kevin Boss lives. In my humble opinion, this was the real key to the game. In order for Ward to run his highlight film in Q4 and OT, there HAS TO BE BOSS first, moving the chains. It is the middle of Q3, 21-13 Panthers. The Giants have the ball at their own 16 yard line. When the Giants get into a 3rd and 10 after a 5 yard penalty, and Madden is sentencing the Giants offense to death (now that Burress is gone), we are yelling for Bossssss! And to Boss it went! And on the exact type of play that Witten and Garrett killed us on last week that we needed so desperately! One game late, but good enough to save us! Boss makes his chip block, then after the delay on the right side of the line, runs out across the middle to the left, catches a 5 yarder and runs for daylight, 11 yards, and the first down. Small ball, but an important first down. You need those types of plays to keep the rhythm, because how else can you keep going to the run? The Giants controled the ball for 8:36. 5 first downs. Ward with a big 22 yarder. And when it was 3rd and Goal from the 3, who was there to clean up and convert? Kevin Boss in the end zone. So many key plays.

Boss must become the 1986 Mark Bavaro of this offense. In 1986, the Giants WRs were nothing spectacular. Indeed, guys like Lionel Manuel, Bobby Johnson and Stacy Robinson couldn't shine shoes for most teams. How on earth did the '86 team keep the pressure off the loaded box? How did they move the chains? The answer was Bavaro, who LED THE SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS IN RECEIVING YARDS THAT SEASON. That is your blueprint for success, that is the rhythm they found. Everytime the Giants were in a big spot, Boss was the answer. Your TE can get you big plays all over the field, but especially in the red zone, and especially on third down. Let's remember, who was the player that awoke the Giants offense at the beginning of Q4 vs the Patriots in the Super Bowl? Kevin Boss for 45 yards. USE THAT TIGHT END to get you a fresh set of downs so that you can have that patience in the running game.

5) I admit to being wrong about Jacobs. The Giants need the moose more than I thought. He has that attitude necessary to impose your will on an opposing team. While I still want #44 to get lots of touches, 3rd down and red zone, it is apparent more than ever how the battering of Jacobs sets up Ward on the change of speed.

6) Gilbride made the adjustments. Even when the Giants tried a RB flare which did not work, it was fine, it was stretching the LBers. The gmen used the quick slants, the draws out of the shotgun, the TE delayed pass, mixing it up enough to allow the running game to keep going, pounding away at them.

7) Webster was once again excellent. He covered Smith most of the game, but Smith only had 3 catches for 47 yards, and on 35 of them it was a zone coverage (and more accurately, a failed blitz pass rush) that got beat, not Webster.

The Negatives:
1) Still no pass rush. We'll be generous and put some of that on Tuck's leg, vomit and the flu. Without Tuck (who was valiant in effort) making an impact, you have to figure the DL becomes very average very quickly. Tuck and Robbins need two weeks off now to rest for Jan 10-11. Kiwi needs to watch tape of how Strahan does not try to overpower linemen on run defense, he sheds them.

2) To say our linebackers are mediocre is a compliment. Without Tuck and the DL at full strength, these sack of potatoes were victimized constantly. Spags gave them more help in the second half and it stemmed some of the bleeding. My kingdom for a LBer #1 in the draft. And #2 also.

3) Diehl has regressed. Is he playing hurt, or tired? If it is either, get him some rest, because he is not playing the edge nearly as well as he was playing earlier in the season.

4) Pierce is ineffective in coverage beyond a few yards past the line of scrimmage. He simply lacks the speed. On one key 3rd down conversion, a Panther player comes into the middle of the field PRECISELY where Pierce's zone of coverage is, and he still does not make the play. Unacceptable.

Misc:
1) I thought when the Giants won the toss in OT, I would have taken the wind. Manning's reaction to the decision to take the ball almost looked like he agreed. But the team did not blink, and ran it down their throats.

2) To be filed under the category of why you do not bet: Let's say you took Carolina, taking +3 points. There is almost no chance in hell of you losing your bet at any point until the very end of OT. You're up 21-10, still up 21-20, then 28-20 in Q4. The only way you will lose is if by some miracle the Giants get a TD, get the 2 pt conversion, and then somehow win with a 6 pt TD in OT.

NYG CAR intragame comments

GIANTS inactive
K Tynes
CB Madison
LB Wilkinson
T Koets
DT Douzable
WR Hagan
WR Moss
DE McDougle