1) Another great win by this team, thoroughly dismantling the Skins. The score is not even doing it justice. But no complaints, a nice quality win.
2) There were so many reasons to lose this game for the Giants. All the distractions, no Burress, Pierce caught up in the criminal activity (Burress will be charged with felony possession tomorrow). No Robbins. No Bradshaw. Redskins emotional pregame honors for Sean Taylor. Redskins NEED this game. Hixon not 100%. To come ready to play, to be so professional, to play and match that intensity early and finish this game with a solid win, what more is there to say?
3) No Giants team has ever been 11-1. We have been saying all season that this is not your father's Giants offense- this offense is loaded. And the record is part of that proof.
4) The Redskins said 'we are going to put 8 men in the box to stop your run game' and Gilbride/Manning answered by passing successfully. That was the main reason why this Giants offense got it done.
5) The Giants defense was excellent. Phil Simms nailed it once again, remarking that the Redskins offense was not getting it done and would not get it done today. He was correct. The Giants defense stopped their run, stopped Portis and ...
6) COREY WEBSTER stopped Santana Moss. What can you say about Webster? He is a rising star. The refs (browning brown) had a terrible call on him to take away his INT. Joke. Even Daryl Johnston and Howie Long (addendum: and Bob Costas on the NBC pregame!) criticized the call, which means it was HORRIBLE. Webster had a few more plays defensed, and his play to breakup (and almost intercept) the bubble screen to Moss in Q4 was just awesome.
7) Kevin Gilbride did really well, mixing up the playcalling, not using too many runs when the skins showed so much loaded box. Two slip screens to Ward, that is a great playcall vs the 8 men in the box. After the Ross INT, it is 1st and 10 and everyone on the planet is thinking run from your own 3 yard line, out of a run formation they throw a quick slant to Hixon for 18 yards. FANTASTIC. That is what you see from Walsh, attacking with Montana to Taylor or Rice when everyone is thinking run. We criticize Gilbride for his predictable playcalling, and while he was not perfect today (running plays in H1 not needed at all!), he was very good and answered with the pass playcalls.
8) Manning said it was a lot of 8-9 men in the box, so he threw the ball well too in order to get it done. 305 yards in the air. Manning remarked that his receivers juked the DBs because of the slick surface, that they had the advantage. There were a lot of dropped balls on both sides, but nonetheless Toomer, Hixon, Ward all had 5 receptions, they got it done.
9) Giants OL gets it done yet again. Nothing on them in the run game, too many bodies to block. And in pass coverage they gave Manning plenty of time to throw. The two sacks were caused by (a) Boss and (b) Manning holding the ball too long.. it will get charged to Seubert but it was not on Seubert.
10) Carney is a machine on FGs, but our kickoff coverage and nets are terrible.
11) Aaron Ross with an important INT. That was a point in the game when the Skins were moving the ball, and even though it was like a long punt to the 3 yard line, it was an important turnover, derailing and demoralizing the Redskins offense.
12) Fundamentally, the Giants made the tackles. No excessive yards after the catch, exception being the one TD play which was a reverse, taking advantage of the overpursuit. Spags/Pierce fingerprints were all over the place, in proper coverages so often.
Summary: This Giants team is playing as consistently and at as high a level as I have seen in a long time. The score did not reflect how well the Giants played. The Giants win vs winning teams, at home, on the road, with subs, with distractions. There is nothing that I can see that can derail the offense except not adapting to other teams trying to overload run, and lately the Giants are adapting just fine. Eli Manning did it all on offense and Corey Webster is making a big difference to the team on defense. The silence from his receiver (Santana Moss), yet again deafening.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
NY Giants 23 Redskins 7
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22 comments:
yawn, that game was boring, but Giants played great.
The 4th down stop was symbolic of how Giants Defense is the heart of the team.
Tuck is worth every dollar the Giants paid him.
Unlike the Giraffe who likes to drink and do a 2 step while having a loaded pistol in his pants.
I'd never thought I'd see the day. This team has turned into a machine, and I think they are playing with a definite purpose: to prove that last year wasn't a fluke. No SB hangover here. They happily flew under the radar all preseason thanks to you know who, quietly ignored all the pundits who still had Cowboy/Romo fever, and just played.
This team is something special. Some fans go a lifetime without seeing a team like this, and I'm enjoying the hell out of it (I'm also a Mets fan so this team has been a real pick me up these last two years.)
After being a Giants fan 45 yrs, yes 45, I feel like I'm in dreamland.After all the pain & disappointments in the past. We now have a truly amazing team, with an amazing offense.
This team is absolutely incredible With NO big name superstars, they
just keep finding ways to win. One week they run for 200+ yards, another week Manning is hot & passes for 300+ yards. I am blown away by the efficiency, flexibility, staying power & depth of this team.
Enjoy it Giants fans. This may be the best Giants team for a few decades. I just hope that this bubble doesn't burst in the near future.
Gilbride was great today. I have to give him his props when they are due.
Nature
I don't think I have missed a single play in 20 years, let alone a game. Please try to keep your comments civil. You are more then welcome to argue with me about the team, I like that but don't insult.
I stand by my conviction that Plax is more important than Antonio. Plax has been out 2 games and the running game has gone no place. He is a big part of that. If Hixon can light it up a few times then maybe he can begin to draw that kind of attention but I don't think he is good enough. He is good but not great. Plax for all his personality faults is great. The offense this year is way more important than the defense so if I’m going to have to lose a player it's on the defense. Pierce can be replaced with a good player, Plax can't.
George
Georgie, I gotta disagree with you. I think what we are all seeing from this organization is the ability to plug players into an offensive system that works and get production from players who would appear average on other teams. Look at what happened today at wide receiver for Hixon. Look at what happened for Kevin Boss when Shockey left. In contrast, Pierce is essential on defense, as he is the onfield extension of Spags. He understands what Spags wants and positions the defense for success. Without Pierce, somebody else would have to quickly become "the leader", not just a middle linebacker. That is a title that cannot simply be filled with another player.
To J.Blaze...
I never find a Giants game boring...especially a great win like today.
To James Allen...
I agree with you they are a machine and they are out to prove it was no fluke. All the players keep saying that they have not accomplished anything yet. Love that 'tude.
To Bob...
Nice to see there are some other longtime Giants fans on this site. I go back to 1961 and Yelberton Abraham Tittle. (47 yrs)
To all Giants fans who come to this site...
This is a special team...and they are on a mission. Lets all just enjoy this. I just hope they stay healthy and everthing will go according to plan.
Costas quoted a telling stat which demonstrates the focus and maturity of this team... only 4 teams of the 41 prev Super Bowl champions have come back the following year to win more games than they did when they won the Super Bowl. The Giants have just become the 5th. Those 4 teams won 3 Super Bowls the following year. Good company. Enjoy every minute of it.
Pierce at this point, for this team...is very hard to replace. He is the leader of the defense and as someone else pointed out, is the on-field extension of Spags.
A perfect example of how valuable Pierce is was during the Cards game last week--he changed Terrell Thomas's positioning on the field based on what offensive formation he was reading. This led to TT being in position for an important INT. He also read WR screen perfectly today to Moss (watching the game you could even hear him yelling SCREEN! to his teammates) which led to the D being all over it and Webster almost getting a pick.
Burress is replaceable. Just look at what Hixon has done in the 3 games he has played in Burress's spot. The guy is on his way to being a star....and the great thing about our offense is that it doesnt revolve around one receiver. Its not as if without Burress the offense cant function. All it means is that someone like Hixon steps in and gets his catches, Toomer/Smith take on a bigger role, Boss gets more looks, Ward out of the backfield and occassionally lining up at WR is used more, and eventually Moss and Manningham will get their chance.
Reese and Coughlin have done a fabulous job of building a TEAM. It has interchangeable parts, great depth and guys who are capable of stepping up when their number is called. Its a team thats greater then the sum of its parts. It's great to watch really.
Sorry guys but I don't agree about Plax. I agree 100% that Antonio is the heart and soul of the defense but unlike other Giants teams, this teams’ heart and soul is Offense, not Defense (LT and Carson forgive me my blasphemy) and Plax helps make that go. When he is not in there its 8 men in the box and no running game. Yes we won with the pass when teams did that but if we play a team with 2 good corners and you don’t have a sure thing like Burress to beat his man one on one your done. I love Hixon but he is not a sure thing one on one. Plax is. There is not a corner in the NFL that can stay with him alone and shut him down without a safety over the top providing help. It simple math. If a team brings 8 in the box that gives them a one man advantage in the running game. The offense is always 2 men short. The QB who can’t block and the guy with the ball also can’t block. That leaves the defense with 1 guy unblocked (BTW, that’s where Bradshaw comes in so handy because he can beat the one guy left. Think Ray Lewis on the 77 yard run) Take away the 2 wideouts and it’s 8 on 7.
If you send a TE out on a pass pattern it’s one on one across the board in the secondary. With Plax in the game the defense can’t load up to stop the run because they are leaving a corner one on one and there is no corner that can stay with him. Without catching a ball Plax helps this team on every play. Yes, Antonio is very good but Plax is more vital.
The difference in winning a losing in the NFL is outrageously small. Heck, we got shellacked by the Browns for crying out loud.
George
Pastime, your point is reasonable- that Burress one-on-one would torch you, whereas Hixon one-on-one will only beat you. If this is so, then the gmen/Gilbride/Manning have to be that much more vigilant to throw to Hixon and Boss and Toomer (those eligible receiving options in the base set, who not so uncoincidentally got 13 receptions) to beat the loaded box.
I still respectfully disagree with your assertion comparing Burress to Pierce. If we did not have a WR option in Hixon, the falloff would be too great and Manning would have too difficult a job. But the dropoff is not great. Hixon is geting it done. He is going to have to consistently make the catches and continue to get better. We know he has breakaway speed, so I imagine a time soon enough where he could start hurting teams more significantly in man coverage. Hixon did it vs Seattle, so it is just a matter of time before he improves with all the repetition of 1st team and becomes an occasional torch option for the Giants. Then 7 men in the box again.
This debate has been good in that we are essentially understanding some of the week to week challenges of the OC.
Eli and the passing game have been phenomenal the last two weeks. Eventually, teams will have to respect that more then they have been the last and will have to stop solely focusing on the run. if not? well then Eli will keep doing what he's been doing the last 2 games.
I think you need to realize how good Hixon is. The only thing he lacks that Burress brings in his size, but IMO he has better hands and much better speed. He isnt afraid to go over the middle. He can kill you on the slants, intermediate routes, but can also beat you deep (him and Eli missed connecting on a 30 yard TD by about an inch at 20-7, after Hixon ran right past Smoot).
Im not trying to discount Burress. He's a very good WR and I appreciate what he's done for this team, esp last season. But we have guys who can step up and the offense will not drop off at all.
This is why this Giants team is so good. They can beat you many ways.
The truth is that we are very fortunate to have Hixon on this team. I do believe he is a rising star, but we are a better team (talent wise) with Plax. He is a physical freak. Height, Strength & Speed. But he is immature and obviously an unstable person. I'm quite sure he has played his last game as a Giant.
A very interesting note from friend Peter King, who said tonight on NBC: Burress suffered “a $23 million gunshot wound.” He said that $23 of the 27 million in his contract was all based on future earnings. He also said that Burress is due a $1 million bonus on Dec. 10 and, said King, "The first real test of the Giants’ love of Plaxico Burress is whether they pay him that bonus in 10 days.” The deal, which has a max value of $35 million over five years is filled with incentives. I didn’t know about that Dec. 10th bonus, it should be very interesting. Stay tuned...
The truth is that we are very fortunate to have Hixon on this team. I do believe he is a rising star, but we are a better team (talent wise) with Plax. He is a physical freak. Height, Strength & Speed. But he is immature and obviously an unstable person. I'm quite sure he has played his last game as a Giant.
A very interesting note from friend Peter King, who said tonight on NBC: Burress suffered “a $23 million gunshot wound.” He said that $23 of the 27 million in his contract was all based on future earnings. He also said that Burress is due a $1 million bonus on Dec. 10 and, said King, "The first real test of the Giants’ love of Plaxico Burress is whether they pay him that bonus in 10 days.” The deal, which has a max value of $35 million over five years is filled with incentives. I didn’t know about that Dec. 10th bonus, it should be very interesting. Stay tuned...
Without Plax this is a very very good Offense. With Plax we are truly great.
The defense is good and getting better and better but I believe most of that is the play of the secondary and the front four stopping the run. The LB's are the weak link on this team now. If Antonio goes down Blackburn will step in a do a good job. Will he be as good as Pierce? No way, but the drop-off will not be as large as with Plax.
But with all that said, I hope I’m wrong because I don't see how the NFL lets Plax play anymore this year. The only way I how he does play is if the NFL waits for the verdict in the criminal case before handing out punishment.
George
I disagree that the dropoff from Burress-Hixon is bigger then Pierce-Blackburn...I just dont see it at all.
This offense is still "great" even without Burress. We scored 23 (and should have scored 30+) and put up over 400+ yards against a very good defense in terrible weather.
Someone noticed Pierce calling the play where Webster almost got the pick today -- if I remember correctly, it was Webster who first signaled what play was going to be called. Pierce normally gets those (and I am so glad he's on my team to do that) but I distinctly recall Webster at the top of the screen jumping up and down and waving his hands, followed by Pierce waving off the run defense and sending everybody back into pass coverage. Freaking awesome; no other team is so well coached to recognize plays.
Maybe it's 'cause I'm in Baton Rouge, but Corey Webster's the bomb.com.
the 08 gmen are special. but only if they win it all. if they do, then and only then will they be compared to the best teams ever. if they don't they will be another 07 cowboys or patriots. so march on!!!
Pastime Princes....
im not sure what i said to offend but my bad...
but i still disagree with the PLAX thing. i cannot think of 1 situation in NFL history where a team couldn't replace a WR. they are replaceable and thats the truth. i think you will have a harder time finding a GOOD MLB than a good WR...Chase Blackburn cannot replace #58 im sorry, i love his intensity but i dont think he knows the OPPONENTs like #58...Pierce has been a STARTER in this division all his career (redskins,giants) blackburn has trouble getting on the field over CLARK, and WILKINSON so it is hard for me to think he can just STEP in for a long period of time and still produce like #58
In my personal opinion, every WR in the league can be replaced
Pastime my bad if you thought i was trying to offend you not the case. at times i can be an A-HOLE but not towards you guys, just GILBRIDE(who had his best game)
and since you put it out there im a fan since '85 bears championship, so uhh i got over 20 years of Big Blue Love also.
STICK WITH PLAX!
The 2008 Giants are all about TEAM, right? Well, now they have a troubled teammate. Help him through this, maybe suspend him for the season, but help him get his head on straight. Because he is an AMAZING receiver, and I still want him on this team.
Hey, I appreciate and enjoy your blog. But can you please find another way of saying "getting it done"? Six times in one post!
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