Meat and Potatoes Football, bullbrown rules

1) Patrick Crayton hates the Giants. Brandon Jacobs hates the Cowboys. DeMarcus Ware hates the Giants. Chris Canty is being asked to hate the Cowboys. What else is new?

2) Lots of turnover in the Giants roster. Gone are Douzable and Reyes. The Giants have flopped a set of Johnsons (Michael, Bruce, Gartrell). Wonder color on the new roster addition:

RB Gartrell Johnson: a STEAL off the waiver wire..solidly built 5-10 or so 220-225....quick and strong...was a FOURTH round pick... Chargers SCREWED UP trying to "store him" on practice squad...like Jets did with Derrick Ward...hope he does as well !!

Separate and independent confirmation from Cody:

"I love this G Johnson kid. GREAT addition; I remember watching him @ Colorado St. He can run straight through people. I think this is a total steal. GMen were at the right place, right time with this one. Reese is a total stud. He isn't the fastest guy out there - but he is a one cut runner (perfect for the Giants run blocking scheme) and will absolutely run through people. He might be a factor and I think he can definitely play the Brandon Jacobs bone-crusher role for those inevitable weeks that B.J. is nicked-up. The lesson as always: In Jerry R we trust."

We have noted this before. It is not as if the Giants need a RB and then look at who is out there. They are constantly evaluating other team's rosters and practice squads so that they are ready when (a) a player goes down on their team or (b) someone else cuts a player of interest from one of the other 31 rosters. It shows in the way they got Hedgecock, Hixon, Ward and now Gartrell Johnson.

We play the Chargers later this season. Ya think Johnson is going to be fired up and have something to prove? He needs plenty of carries that game.

The Giants also added two new players to its practice squad..
TE Bear Pascoe: rookie "journeyman" type TE who won't amount to anything...but maybe gives them some blocking depth if needed
CB Michael Coe: 190 lb... mediocre...played some for Colts...won't provide anything

3) Oh yah, I forgot. Will someone pls explain to me the insanity of the ruling/rules where Louis Murphy (where did you hear that name before?) catches his first of two rookie TD passes on Monday night, only to have it disallowed? You catch the ball with possession, you get two feet in bounds, that is a catch. This is ludicrous. It is enough to drive Al Davis insane. Oh wait, he already is.

4) Speaking of insane, Michael Crabtree needs his head examined. He drops from where he is expected to go, ~3rd to 5th in the draft, to the 10th spot and gets selected by the 49ers. So now he wants Heyward-Bey 7th-draft-pick money. YOU WERE PICKED 10th! Get over it. This is right in line with Jerry Rice's rant on the state of the WR in professional football. Nothing professional about it.

If Crabtree keeps cutting his nose to spite his face and re-enters the draft in 2010, he'll blow all the countless millions he would have made this year and will not even be able to work out for any of the other 31 teams. PLUS, and this is where it gets really browned up, he'll drop in the draft FURTHER next year and then... he'll want SOMEONE ELSE'S MONEY ABOVE HIM AGAIN?!!! He and Plaxico should compare notes- they're both WR divas without a team, out of football, trying to save themselves thousands when it ends up costing them millions. Our free advice to Crabtree, a la Adam Schiff (Steven Hill) of Law and Order: "Make the deal."

5) Don't look now, but here comes Shockey in Week 6. I'll never forget the quote he made after around 3 or 4 seasons in NY when asked about his latest injury. Paraphrased, he said that you were not playing hard enough if you were not playing hurt. Whereas everyone else in the NFL was trying to take care of their bodies, Shockey was looking to pound on enough opponents to make sure he was not. Maybe Brees and Payton have been reprogramming that pea brain: "I've come to realize that being healthy in this game is a privilege," he said. "You've got to work on it to earn that privilege." I was always a big proponent of Shockey while he was here. He was not coached properly. Where was the coaching staff to knock some sense and discipline into someone who openly admitted he needed to be playing hard enough to assure he was hurt? Yah, and I could see Parcells tolerating that, as well as those 1st down celebrations. Not. The revamped TE hosts the Giants Week 6.

Wednesday Morning QB

1) Hat's off to Jim Zorn on the Fake FG at the end of the half. He's down 17-0, the argument you always hear from the broadcasters (ie Madden) is that you have to get those first points, they'll kick the FG and be happy to go into the H2 with something to build on. Instead they faked and scored a TD. Rule #8, Do the Unpredictable. There were 77,000 people in the stadium that were completely faked out. Half of our section was already filing out to the bathroom. If the fake does not work, you can rest assured that everyone will be questioning it, but you know on this blog that one of the things we like is shooting the moon. Taking chances. You can only lose the game once. Zorn was smart enough to know his offense was going to need a little help. He gets his team to within one score and an onside kick in part because of this fake.

Parcells faked the punt with Gary Reasons vs the 49ers, or else I am afraid there are probably only two Super Bowl titles up there at the top of this blog instead of three. You can only lose the game once.

Doing the unpredictable, taking a gamble.. has other side benefits. It tells the team you are there to win. It tells the team you as a coach have skin in the game. Every player has to know that Snyder is watching Zorn. So if that does not work, Zorn is going to have a lot of egg on his face. Or does he? Maybe because it was the right thing to do, he earned himself some respect. Now as for that offense of his, that is another piece of egg..

2) One great way to learn is (as an example) listen to Michael Strahan on the voiceover of the Super Bowl DVD. The entire set is worth it just to be able to hear his commentary. He noted how the coaches emphasized to the players to "do the ordinary" things... collectively if they all did those things it would amount to something extraordinary> winning the Super Bowl! What ordinary things? BLOCKING AND TACKLING. Staying in your lane, not abandoning your assignment.

3) Notice how (in the same link above) Umenyiora fessed up on the opening 37 yard running play by Portis. Do you think that mistake happens because, in part, it is Osi's first game (not counting preseason) since the Super Bowl?! You have to give him that. And the defense too. Look at Chris Canty: "It felt like I played 50 plays and I only played 20. I was a little gassed," Canty said. "It's hard to simulate game action in practice. It's something I was glad to have an opportunity to experience. If I had my preference, don't miss preseason. Preseason is important." That was fantastic giving Canty enough plays to tire him but not enough to injure him. The coaches will step up Canty's plays again this weekend. Pierce wants to see a lot of Canty against his old team.

4) We noted yesterday that the Jets had won only one game. So did Simms. Simms is the trusted voice of reason amidst the hyperbole.

5) The Giants picked up RB Gartrell Johnson off of waivers (Chargers). They released Allen Patrick from the practice squad.

6) Is it me, or are there plenty of poor decisions on fielding punts inside the 10 and returning kickoffs from inside the end zone? Go to minute 1:50 and watch McKelvin return the kickoff. The setup is even more important, because with ~2 minutes remaining the kickoff team of the Bills has a number of players up at the 40 yard line IN CASE OF AN ONSIDE KICK. So why is your return man taking the ball out when 6 to 8 of his ten men will clearly not be set up properly for a normal return AND the kick is 3 yards deep in the end zone? Of course we get to Wednesday morning QB that one, but with two minutes left in the game you have to be protecting the ball and the game.

7) Another big loss for the Eagles.

8) Giants are +3 this weekend in Dallas.

9) Justin Tuck- NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He was saddled with injuries on the back end of the 2008 season, so this is nice to see. Is there anyone on this team (on either side of the ball) who is able to play at a higher and more consistent level than Tuck? I don't think so. If you do, pls share. Guys like him do not even get much discussion because you know what you are going to get. When we discuss how great the defense can be, it ASSUMES that Tuck will be his typical disruptive self and that we just need the others like Canty and Boley to come around and assist.

10) Speaking about getting the defense to be dominant, healthwise we still need Ross, Sintim and Dockery back. Ross is (99%) out again this weekend. Between Coughlin being pleased with Bruce Johnson, Thomas aok and the chances for Dockery coming back, it seems rather reasonable to let Ross heal that hamstring.

They'll walk through a wall for you

1) We talk about how the difference between teams #1 thru #26 in the NFL is not very large. Intangibles like coaching and emotion can make a #26 play like a #1 and we have numerous examples of coaches who turn good teams into underachievers in crunch time (think Marty Schottenheimer, Wade Phillips). It is only Week 1, it does not mean anything YET long term, but they are playing for Rex Ryan so far.

2) Wonder and I discussed the red zone problems. Everyone knows this is not a new problem. Remember the Steelers game last season? 1 for 6 in the red zone, the lone success at the end of the game on.. PLAY ACTION?! The Giants were 0 for 3 on Sunday vs the Skins. SAME STORY.

So what is going on? When the Giants are down by the goal line in 3rd and 1 from the 1 or thereabouts, Wonder reminds us of Marino to Bruce Hardy. The Dolphins would play action OFTEN. Fake handoff into the line.. Marino would hit one of his plethora of putrid and slow Tight Ends in the back of the end zone for a (usually) wide open TD. The Dolphins LIVED on this. And it made their run attempts more effective because it created doubt in the minds of the opponent about what they were going to see.

Part of the problem here is (my apologies for being redundant) predictability. You are not making the job of the OL any easier by using play action infrequently. Wonder swings to the other side of the coin... USE IT OFTEN. PRACTICE IT OFTEN. PLAYERS LOVE ROUTINE. They get comfortable executing it and they want to do it. It should be a staple of your offense, not an exception. Use play action with Nicks, Smith and Boss. And you benefit Eli too, because he needs to be comfortable executing this OFTEN. Wonder is so right about this.. Eli gets very good when he is comfortable back there. You can see a player like him who is long on smarts being every bit as effective as any other QB with this kind of play.

Manning offered this on the topic of 3rd and short: "Coach talked a little bit about it today - we just assume that on third and short we are going to be able to run and be able to get it. We have to throw the ball a little bit more possibly in some of those situations. But down there, we're a team that is going to be physical, we have a big back, and we should be able to get that surge and should get a first down in those situations."

3) As for short yardage woes of the Giants to run for 1 yard, be it red zone or otherwise, Wonder suspects it is scheme. Where is the design trap? He puts half the blame on the OL and the other half on Gilbride. He does not put the blame on the RB.

3a) When I asked him about the (Rule #5) pitchout in the red zone, he completely agreed, but noted one minor exception which actually bolsters the rule even more. He said the one time it actually works is when you have a two back set, you fake handoff the ball to Jacobs going right and then very quickly pitchout to Bradshaw on the left side. Everyone including the safety are frozen on the right side and the other RB can usually walk into the end zone. Fwiw, the Giants do not have Jacobs and Bradshaw in a 2 back set.

4) I was ribbing Wonder on Manningham; he is not conceding that one so quickly. But he did tip his hat to Corey Webster. "Impressive" job on Moss.

5) Injury update: "Coughlin said rookie wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (foot) and running back Danny Ware (dislocated elbow) will probably be sidelined a minimum of two weeks and then be evaluated week-by- week."

6) The Gatorade bath of Sheridan at the end of the game was good to see. Pierce: "He (Sheridan) was deserving of it. (He) called a great game and we went out and executed well."

7) The fake FG that the Skins scored a TD was Coughlin's fault. He called for an all-out block.

Giants 23 Redskins 17

For those of you who watched, you know the final score was not indicative of the way the Giants outplayed the Redskins. This was a very good win for the Giants in every way except the injuries.

1) Just like the Giants lost to Philadelphia last year in W14 20-14, the Skins got beat by the Giants in much the same way. Both games saw a special teams TD at the end of the half (punt block by Giants, Skins fake FG), both teams got off the schnide at the half after getting outplayed, both teams scored a late TD w/o much hope of winning and both teams lost by 6. This time we were on the other side of that type of game, a nice win.

2) Every win is a good win early in the season while the defense comes together. We're buying time.

3) Did Mario Manningham look like Plaxico Burress out there, or what?!! He looks so good against single coverage. He has the separation. He has the moves. 3 catches for 58 yards. Eli Manning on Manningham: "He has a lot of talent, a lot of ability."

4) How many times have we mentioned what great hands Kevin Boss has, that he is the secret weapon for the entire season?!!! 3 catches for 62 yards. 1 of those catches was an improvised checkdown from Eli, so Gilbride DOES NOT get points for dialing this guy up. HE NEEDS MORE THAN 2 CALLS OF HIS NUMBER. If Manning and Boss have to go over Gilbride's (vacuous) head to get it done with more checkdowns, more power to them. At least Gilbride had him out in a route, that is an upgrade from chaining him to the line of scrimmage every play.

5) The Rules For Winning in the NFL... Rule #5- Pitchouts do not work in the red zone. So there it is, the pitchout to Bradshaw on 3rd and short, stopped for no gain. Red zone efficiency was a problem last year and it will continue to be a problem when you make blatantly BAD playcalls like this one. Folks, this was written years ago, the observation has been made from over decades of anecdotal evidence. It is a slow-developing play that is being called in an area of the field that has no luxury of time. Next.

6) DeAngelo Hall taketh and giveth away. He is an opportunistic Cover 2 cornerback that is in the right place at the right time for his INT, but he missed the tackle on Mannngham's TD and he gets roasted by Steve Smith for the big catch (3rd and 5, 26 yard reception) in Q4 that seals the game.

7) Eli Manning was very good today. He had one delay of game when he got to the line with 10 seconds left on the playclock that was his fault. The fumble turnover was a face mask 15 yarder that the refs conveniently missed. The INT was reminiscent of him throwing off his back foot in the end zone of the Eagle playoff game last year to Asante Samuel. This time a tip was needed to cause the INT, but it still was a floater which started the same problem. (Even Eli himself notes how he has to step into that throw. See transcript link in (3) above.) Otherwise, he did a great job everywhere else and was the leader of a strong offensive performance. You can't put the red zone woes on Manning. The score is a much wider margin of victory if he has help there (see points 5 and 12). Marvelous said before the game that he loved Eli today, and boy was he right on the money. Eli was particularly sweet on the Smith 26 yarder when he looked off the safety before threading the needle on a great pass. That pass was money and the setup was just as important.

8) Let's throw a bone to the USC boys. Terrell Thomas got nicked on one Randle El play but did fine otherwise. Steve Smith was 6 for 80, a big part of this win.

9) Defense Wins Championships. We saw a lot of uneven play from the defense, but this was EXACTLY WHAT WE EXPECTED. We KNEW the defense was not going to be air tight today by any means. Simms also alluded to it this morning. This is a work in progress. But in the meantime, we will single out three players who were noteworthy:
a) Tuck, who stopped the Redskins after the Hall INT set them up at the 11 yard line. A loss of 6 on a run play on 1st down. A sack on third down. That is how you win games and win championships, with impact plays like that. That is LT-glory-days defense.
b) The Osi-Trifecta. The sack-strip. The fumble recovery. The TD. We were transplanted back to 2007's 49er win. A good omen. We miss those plays. Nice to have him back.
c) Corey Webster. Let's read Santana Moss's line stat from today: 2 receptions for 6 yards. I do not give a rat's a** who goes to the Pro Bowl at CB, I love Webster, the silence from his corner of the field is deafening.

10) We'll talk about the injuries as we get more definitive information. As we understand it right now, Ware is the serious one and the rest do not look as serious but need more eval.

11) Cooley 7 receptions for 68 yards. You have to know that the Giants are vulnerable to a good TE. We see Witten next.

12) Let's not get too crazed this early in the season about the playcalling. We'll make it very simple for now- get Boss more involved in the red zone.

13) Canty is going to see more work next week. He did fine this week in limited snaps.

14) CC Brown was garbage on the last TD. Is there anyone better out there we can get at Safety? We threw out some ideas of Bernard Pollard, Emanuel Cook, Kevin Kaesviharn and Brian Russell. I'd bring them all in for tryouts and put one on the roster to compete with Brown. At the moment we have ONLY three Safetys. Why does this guy have a free pass?

15) Osi, this may sound like nitpicking, but pls no Leon Lett's with the ball as you are about to cross the goal line.

Giants Redskins Intragame Comments

It's a swan song appearance today for Andy at the "old" Meadowlands in Section 307.

Is our OL able to get to the second level (LBers) on run plays with Haynesworth and Daniels potentially blowing things up? Is the DL of the Giants playing cohesively, keeping Campbell inside the pocket, staying in their lanes and winning that battle? How well conditioned are the Skins and Giants in Q4? (Big break for these big guys to be playing at 415PM instead of 1PM.) How is Bruce Johnson doing, are the Skins picking on him? I'll leave it to Nature to police our friend Gilbride. See you after the game.

Phil Simms Comments, and Marvelous too

Phil Simms was blunt with his (paraphrased) comments:

1) GIANTS- "Very curious" (to see) about this team. I saw them do a lot of good things in the offseason, they looked good on paper. But I did not see it, not even a glimpse of it in preseason. I saw big passing plays against them, I saw lots of time, too much time, for the opposing QB. This team still needs that big play WR and I do not see it there yet. Eli Manning needs that. This is a tough matchup for the Giants later today vs the Skins. "I have more concerns for the Giants at this point than I thought that I would." (Note that Simms picked the Giants to win the game on Showtime... this is why I am thinking the Giants can somehow eek out a narrow win.)

2) Sanchez- the real deal. Franchise QB. VG thrower of the football. Good feet. Good character. Not surprising that he won the job from Clemons, he was not handed it, he earned it. Simms thinks he is going to have a very good career.

3) Upticks and positive comments on: Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Matt Hasselbeck, Gerrard, Brady, Cutler, Seattle team, Patriots team.

4) Negative (neutral at best, which was not perceived as positive) comments on: Jake Delhomme, Brett Favre, the rest of the Bears offense helping Cutler enough (singled out Pace), the Panthers offense.

5) Believes we will see more wildcat early this season but that it will fade (again) as the season wears on.

Marvelous comments:
"Giants 24-14 today. The Giants have a lot to prove. We will be tested. It is up to us to take this game to the Skins. We must be aggressive out of the gate in Q1. If Gilbride gives Eli a chance and plays to Eli's strengths, we will be ok. One way to do that is to give Eli the 2 minute drill at the beginning of the game, he is very good with that. If the Giants come out with a sense of urgency we win 24-14. Re Mario Manningham, I know him from (seeing a ton of him in) college, he is a special kind of player. He is going to be very good. Get him involved. I am sold on Nicks. Do not pussyfoot around, get these kids in the game- I'd start Nicks and Manningham. I am not sold on Heyer and I think Samuels has lost a lot, so the Giants can eventually get to Campbell because the OT position of the Redskins can be a battle we win. I love Eli today."

Ultimatenyg comment:
The poll for breakout WR is closed, the winners are Manningham and Nicks. Play these guys. Only one team wins the title, the other 31 lose, so shoot the moon, by the time the end of the season is here you'll have answers instead of more questions.

Carl Banks comments on the Giants

Carl Banks was on WFAN Friday with Roberts and Benigno. Go to the middle (~55% or 60% of the way through) of the audio clip to start listening to the section on the Giants.

Quick summary: Giants should be a playoff team, the back 7 of the defense has the question marks and the upside to determine the fate, good or bad, with the team.

Banks believes the WR issues are overblown. He specifically singled out Nicks and Manningham as having breakout potential.

On Hakeem Nicks: "He's a fighter now. I like the way he fights back and makes tough plays."

On Mario Manningam: "Mario Manningham is a guy who Eli Manning HAS to get adjusted to... If you watch Ocho Cinco- the best route runner in football. He gets in and out of cuts great. This Mario Manningham has the potential to be that because he is in and out of his breaks. He is ..starting to run crisp routes, but he's got quick feet and he runs a screen or an out cut.. ELI HAS TO TRUST THAT THIS KID IS GOING TO BE OUT OF IT. He's got to throw the ball, can't wait, because he'll be behind him."

On the Linebackers, very positive remarks on Wilkinson IF he can stay on the field. Wilkinson can play all three LBer positions and is MORE ATHLETIC, smart. Especially with Boley still out, who do you want covering the TE or the RB in passing situations? Carl Banks trusts Wilkinson's speed. The LBers are younger, but they are better than last year.

Xtian correctly remarks that technically speaking, yes, the LBers are not 'younger' with Clark and Pierce out there. The assumption here is that Clark is a placeholder and Pierce is slowing down (especially as each season continues).. the very near future of the LBers will be looking something like Sintim/Boley/Wilkinson/Kehl. The Giants need this move toward the younger and less experienced LBers because they have more range.

Is Bruce Johnson ready?

Kind of scary that with Dockery looking to be out, Rookie Bruce Johnson will be the nickel back. You still want to lay -6.5 points and say this is going to be an easy win? I hope the Giants win 30 to nothing, but anyone who thinks tomorrow should be an easy meal ticket game is not paying attention. This is also Terrell Thomas's first start. While we are high on him and believe he is ready, he will not be spotless. Add a young LBer corps and this defense will have breakdowns tomorrow. How many? Do not draw conclusions about the Giants from Game 1.

Uptick

1) Good news yesterday from Tom Coughlin.

a) Nicks is going to have a very big role in the WR rotation

b) Hixon, Smith and Manningham will be the other 3 that are used actively in the WR rotation.

c) Hixon is expected to return kickoffs.

Sounds logical. Sounds good. Sounds GREAT.

2) What do the following players all have in common???
Clint Sintim (minicamp)
Sinorice Moss (minicamp)
Travis Beckum (minicamp)
William Beatty (minicamp)
Chris Canty (training camp)
Rocky Bernard (training camp)
Aaron Ross (training camp)
Kevin Dockery (post training camp)

THEY ALL HAD OR HAVE HAMSTRING INJURIES. Coughlin called injuries a cancer. Well, Tom, if injuries are a cancer, what do you call strength and conditioning coach Jerry Palmieri?

We spoke with our Doctor friend, you know, the one who alerted us to the seriousness of the Alford injury by politely saying that you better wait until Sunday or Monday for confirmation that it was just a sprain. When we asked Ultimatenyg Doctor about the rash of hamstring injuries, whether it could be the staff not giving the players proper instruction, the answer was "VERY POSSIBLE, TOTALLY POSSIBLE." So we have no evidence, other than 8 players (did I miss any?.. ya have to know we needed an abacus to keep track of them) who all mysteriously have the same problem. Add that guys like Canty have never missed a game (before putting on a Giants uniform), add that three rookies all got it very early, and it sounds like poor professional supervision. We were not the first ones to suggest this. We first read about the notion on the nj.com blog from a commenter. It has been there in the open. Coughlin better take care of this 'cancer,' because it is man-made.

3) 1 or 2 months ago, a friend (one of the original Giants email group which predates this blog) gets informed by his wife that they will be going out to San Diego on Sept 10-14 to visit her mother. He told his wife, no, that he will not be going out that weekend to San Diego. The wife replies with a look.. Why Not? The husband matter-of-factly explains that the Giants are opening the season that Sunday and that he'll be watching the game. The wife went to San Diego without him. The husband is distraught (wink ; ) about missing an opportunity to be with his mother-in-law...!! Talk about hitting the exacta.

4) Assuming Phil Simms has signed on for another year of the NFL Now, we'll be bringing you a recap of his commentary as often during the season as we can. Phil Simms is an unofficial guru of the Ultimatenyg NY Giants Blog for a very good reason- he knows football and shares his insights with a frankness that respects us as listeners. The guru likes the Giants over the Skins tomorrow.

5) Vacchianno (yesterday): I get the sense from the defensive players that they don’t know yet what their identity is, and that it may take a few weeks to establish it.

6) Jeter

The regular season is here!

It is the Friday before Week 1. All this talk, now it is time to play the games. THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! God, I love football.

The Skins game. We chatted with some folks over at DC Pro Sports Report to get a sense of what we will be seeing on Sunday. Here are the answers to our questions.

1. Why should we expect the Redskins offense to be better than it was in 2008, when it was anemic? Who is going to make the difference?

A: Maybe you shouldn't. The Redskins offense is a big unknown. The offensive line should be better, with the addition of Derrick Dockery at guard and some health at offensive right tackle. However, the depth is young and completely unproven. Any injury could be a disaster and the only offensive line I know lucky enough to go a full season [or more] without a serious injury is the Giants offensive line -- which is both lucky and good. If Washington's offense improves in 2009 it will be because the offensive line does not collapse under age and injuries, as it did in the second half of 2008.

2. Everyone knows and respects Haynesworth and Daniels. What should opposing offenses do to attack the Redskins defense?

A: Attack the linebackers in pass coverage. London Fletcher is a tackling machine and a real stud against the run, but he's not a speed demon and quicker running backs can really exploit him. WLB Rocky McIntosh isn't great in pass coverage either. SLB Brian Orakpo is extremely quick, but he is still learning the position after starring as a defensive end at Texas, and he looks a bit stiff in pass coverage. The more the Giants can make Orakpo play pass defense instead of rushing the quarterback, the better off the Giants will be. Rookie or not, the Giants must watch Orakpo carefully in all passing situations. He's scary fast.

3. Is Kelly good enough to play opposite Moss? How do you beat a defense that gives help over the top against Moss and lets the other WR get singled?

A: Kelly fell in the draft last year because of well-known concerns about a history of knee injuries and those concerns were justified when he missed 11 games to injury. He's healthy now, though, and his decent speed, good hands and great size [6'4" and 220 lbs] make him an ideal complement to Santana Moss. Of course, whether or not Kelly can stay healthy long enough to do some real damage is another matter entirely. The Redskins can move the ball through the air, even with Moss doubled, with TE Chris Cooley, who caught over 80 passes last year. However, they can't beat a good team like the Giants with just Moss and Cooley. Someone else will have to step forward -- a wide receiver like Malcolm Kelly. If the Redskins receiving options are Moss and Cooley again, Washington's 2009 offense will look a lot like the 2008 edition.

4. Clinton Portis has had his share of injuries. Will he last the season?

A: Who can say? Portis is still only 28 [hard to believe], but he's had a ton of carries. If he's healthy, he's a top running back who can do everything. The Redskins plan to spell him more this season with Ladell Betts who ran for over 1100 yards in 9 starts in 2006 when Portis missed half the season. The idea is for Portis to get the ball about 300-315 times this year instead of 350 or more. It would help Portis a lot if the offensive line could stay healthy. When the OL was healthy last year, Portis was leading the NFL in rushing. When it fell apart in November, Portis' health and productivity went with it.

5. Who wins? What score?

A: Washington has more weapons offensively and defensively than it did last year. The offensive line didn't allow a single sack of Jason Campbell in the preseason, but let's see how they do in a real game against a big-time defensive line. The Giants are a good team and are playing at home. They should win. I don't expect a romp like the season opener last year, but I think the Giants win in a close game, something like 20-17. I expect a hard-hitting NFC East battle.

Ultimatenyg back here again. I think the Redskins are fortunate to be playing the Giants in Week 1. It is not who you play but when you play them. And the Giants are vulnerable here early in the season because the defense has not played together. All it takes is ONE miscommunication on defense or one play where CC Brown is subbing in for Johnson/Phillips and all things can go south. If we know Gilbride is dialing up Bradshaw and Boss as an important part of the passing game, if we know that our defensive players are healed, if we know that Wilkinson's speed is going to be used over Blackburn (who will be "starting") on passing plays to neutralize Portis/Cooley.. the Giants can roll easily. But if the Giants make a few mistakes and Daniels/Haynesworth wreak havoc, the Skins will be in the game and have a shot. I'll predict the Giants win a tight one. Wonder likes the Giants to win and cover.

Schedule Preview and Prediction

One of the things to do OBJECTIVELY when ascertaining what kind of record your team will have in the coming season is to look at your team's OVER/UNDER + all the oppositing teams' OVER/UNDER.

Giants 10 wins over/under

The way the objective system works is that you add 1.5 games to whoever is playing at home and whoever has the higher total wins the game. As an example, when they play WASH at home, the Giants have 10 + 1.5 = 11.5, which is > than Washington's 8 total wins this season, hence a win.

OPPONENT O/U W/L
WASH 8 W
at DAL 9 L
at TB 6.5 W
at KC 6 W
OAK 5.5 W
at NO 9 L
AZ 8.5 W
at PHL 9.5 L
SD 10 W
ATL 8.5 W
at DEN 6.5 W
DAL 9 W
PHL 9.5 W
at WASH 8 W
CAR 8.5 W
at MIN 9.5 L

Using this metric, the Giants collect 12 wins, in part because they are playing TB, KC, DEN and WASH on the road, and they do not lose a game at home. Is that realistic? We know that Eli is not necessarily a force at home, so perhaps he loses one in December that the system is inking a win for, making the team go 11-5. Considering Las Vegas has them winning 10 games, 11-5 is plausible. So this objective system is not bad in getting to a ballpark estimate.

At this point making a prediction on the number of games the Giants will win this year is full of too many question marks. We simply do not know about the health and effectiveness of their two most important offseason acquisitions: Boley and Canty. Remember that Reese saw a need to open up the wallet and go after his first two high profile free agents in 3 years as GM. That should tell you how important these two players are in addressing needs he felt the Giants had this offseason.

THESE TWO MEN HAVE YET TO PLAY A SINGLE DOWN FOR THE GIANTS!

Anyone that can tell us unequivocally how the gmen will do this season is guessing about the impact these guys make. Did these guys heal? If so, do they gel with the defense? When do they gel? If anyone knows the answer to these questions, pls do share. We can see scenarios where the Giants are anywhere from 9-7 to 13-3. Wonder has them subjectively at 11-5 or 12-4. As was mentioned earlier in the week, Week 6 vs the Saints is the first test, and you can see how the numbers also verify that... the Saints are 9 +1.5 = 10.5 which gives them a win 'objectively' over the Giants. We will learn about Boley and Canty in the first 5 weeks, so Week 6 is the first big test. Of course we will learn plenty about the team vs their 2 divisional rivals too, but those datapoints will not mean as much because those 2 players will not be making an impact. (Boley does not even dress in W1.)

Summary: 11-5 or 12-4 is plausible, but Canty and Boley will determine a lot more as the season unfolds.

Extras:
(1) Terrell Thomas to start on Sunday. Were you surprised???
(2) "Loaded box" "opportunity" "GOOD", didn't we just say this?!

Ahmad has it right

The national view of your team is sometimes valuable because they take a step back and put things into more perspective. You have to see the forest for the trees. Sports Illustrated does a good job of focusing the offense's success on the running backs.

Offense> Running Game
Defense> Loads the Box
Offense> Bust the Box

There is a book called 'Who Moved My Cheese.' A fifth grader can read this book. The message of the book is simple- things are always changing, adapt to the change and find new answers. When we lost Burress, our cheese got moved.

Here are 5 specific ways to find new cheese:

Box Buster #1
PLAY ACTION BY ELI MANNING

Box Buster #2
SCREEN TO BRADSHAW (AND WARE)

Box Buster #3
MIDDLE SCREEN TO BOSS

BOX BUSTER #4
SLANT TO HIXON and/or SMITH

BOX BUSTER #5
MANNINGHAM IN SINGLE COVERAGE

Note how each one of the prescriptions above leverages DIFFERENT talents of DIFFERENT players. Eli Manning excels in play action. Even the rookie Nicks can get in on some crossing routes here, says Wonder. Bradshaw and Ware have both shown great skill in the open field on screens. Boss has the hands and the big target. Hixon and Smith each have big play ability but you can set that up by using them in slants, where they also do very well. Last but not least, Mario Manningham has shown great skill in getting separation from his defender.

There are more than enough ways that the roster can keep opposing defenses honest. It all starts with the success of the running game and it ends with the effective utilization of this team's skills to exploit the OPPORTUNITY of 8 men in the box. Yes, it is an opportunity. Most teams and head coaches would die to have an OL and running game that was so good that it would force defenses to overweight the run. This leaves so many ways that an offense can further exploit a defense. This is a GOOD problem to have. Ahmad has it right, it starts with the running game.

Bill Sheridan

You have to know that this NY Giants blog hates puff pieces. Here is a piece on Sheridan that has some of the puff but does help us to understand what we'll look like this season.

A few takeaways:

1) There is no substitute for motivation. If Sheridan thinks he can figure it all out and let the X's and O's do all the talking, he is in for a rude awakening. The last time we heard this kind of laid back X's and O's w/o the motivational element, it was none other than Ray Handley. Keep in mind that Handley was a head coach, not a coordinator, so there is room in there for the defense to get their motivation from others like Coughlin. But there is no getting around the fact that the players loved playing for Spags. You saw him on the sidelines with all of that energy he was feeding his players. Never underestimate the importance of motivating these professionals. There is little to separate 45x32=1440 players on game day. Every ounce of motivation puts you over the top or else it leaves you shy. Coughlin, to his credit, wanted Sheridan on the field, down and dirty, there with the players. Good. No remote control detachment.

2) "Sheridan said his linemen and linebackers would charge ahead more to stop runs and passes and not be responsible for as much coverage of receivers." Did you notice the comments made by Wonder last week on how he would attack the Giants defense? He said "Opp teams max protect and air it out against the D...plus run screens, bubble screens, quick slants." Max protect thwarts the pressure and the screens and slants are exactly what OUR offense needs to do to other teams to stop the loaded box. If the Giants defense is going to be using more pressure at the line, they must get there. There is a great deal of faith in Phillips, Webster and Thomas as part of this plan to handle their responsibilities inside this scheme. That confidence drops off a little with Johnson and it drops off a ton with CC Brown.

Do not forget that Thomas will have growing pains- he'll get beat from time to time. All CBs do. Since we keep seeing more and more improvement from Thomas, there is the expectation that he can be solid back there. And dare we say, very solid by the end of the season if his improvement continues. You can get away with more pressure when guys in your secondary are handling their assignments well.

One of the ways the 'Sheridan pressure plan' will work better as the season wears on is by having guys like Canty, Kiwanuka and Boley helping the pressure and by having guys like Thomas covering better. As 2007 taught us, it is not how you start, it is how you finish. You have to expect the defense to be disorganized at the beginning, making breakdowns, not getting to the QB and getting exposed. But by the end of the season, you have to see the pressure working better and the defense getting stingy.

The way the schedule unfolds, do not read into the first 2 games vs WASH and DAL. And the next 3 vs garbage opponents (TB, KC and OAK) will give the defense the time to come together. The measuring stick for whether this team is really ready to be contenders for a Super Bowl title will come AT NEW ORLEANS. They will be going against an improved team that plays well at home, with a veteran QB that WILL rip the team to shreds if the pressure is not working OR if the secondary is not excellent.

Yes, we need to take one game at a time. The Giants need only think about Week 1 vs the Skins. But for us as fans, do not get too negative OR too positive until we see what we have in Week 6. That will be the first true test of how Sheridan and his defense is doing.

Extras:
Pat Hanlon notes that Hakeem Nicks led the NFL in receiving yardage in preseason.

Bomar epilogue, Safety, The rich get richer

Bomar made it through to the practice squad. Good for the Giants. GROOM HIM for 2010 backup if Carr cannot be re-signed reasonably.

Enough of the future, back to the present...

The Giants need a Safety. Bernard Pollard, Emanuel Cook, and Kevin Kaesviharn are mentioned as three possibilities. The highest profile Safety cut on Saturday was Brian Russell. At this point I am willing to suit up Moe, Larry or Curly back there as our 4th on the depth chart. 3 Safeties will not do it unless these guys stay very healthy, because Spagnuolo was always rotating them in and Sheridan to our knowledge has not indicated any significant changes to that general approach. If they are tightening up the rotation, we'll find that out in six days. Then, they could bring one of their two Safeties held up on the practice squad (Anderson, Rashad) onto the roster on an as-needed basis. But given the (lack of) progress to date of CC Brown, a new body would at least bring more stability AND some competition for Brown.

Last item: the rich Patriots get richer. The Raiders traded a #1 in 2011 to the Patriots for Richard Seymour. (1) The Raiders paid a hefty price, considering Seymour is seeing more injuries in recent years and has only one year remaining on his contract. When is the NFL going to step in and declare Al Davis mentally incompetent? Just to name a few more insanities, picking

(2) Heyward-Bey at #7? If you like a guy looking to go in the 20’s, TRADE DOWN and pay him A LOT less too

(3) DeAngelo Hall for a #2 draft pick (#34 in the draft), MONSTER contract, then released after ~8 games

(4) Gibril Wilson MONSTER contract, then released after first year

(5) Randy Moss for a 4th Round Pick

LOL- Seymour from NE for a #1, Moss to NE for a #4. The Patriots are fleecing Al Davis. In broad daylight.

The Raiders organization is self-destructing. Correction- it already self-destructed. Maybe Jerry Reese can get Al on the phone and offer him a third rounder for Asomugha. Wait, that is too high, see if he'll just take a 4th rounder in 2015. If Goodell is going stand idly by while the Raiders get systematically taken apart, the Giants might as well get in on the looting.

The Rhett Bomar cut

Rhett Bomar was cut from the NY Giants. First let's listen to the words of Tom Coughlin: "I think you have to make a very difficult call when you decide to go with two (quarterbacks). That roster spot can be utilized by a worthy player, a player that deserves to be on your team. We’ve found, as we go forward with 32 teams, that it’s very difficult later on to find a quality player, a guy that can come in and help if you need one. So you are much better off to try to protect those that you have that are currently on your squad that can play the game at a high level. You’re more inclined to try to do whatever you can to take care of your roster and keep as many good players as you can."

This is the era of free agency, salary caps, resources, roster spots, WIN NOW. The operative word in the explanation from Coughlin is "currently." Everyone understands that Bomar was not going to be contributing to the team in 2009 in any meaningful way, especially considering that Manning has played in 71 straight games and that Carr is a capable backup.

But consider these words from a very knowledgeable contributor to this blog, Marvelous, who said early yesterday (before the cuts): "He has it ALL. I LOVE his arm, guts, talent. Do you see his running? Like a wounded BULL. Power, speed, authority, gumption. The full package. He is going nowhere. Carr has one thing on him-experience. Other than that, NOTHING. He is a talent, the Giant scouts knew it. He throws, releases quicker than MOST NFL QB's NOW. Sturdy, confident and raring to go. He's a keeper."

Except the Giants did not keep him. Make no mistake, the Giants want him back on the practice squad. IF the Giants are able "sneak" (a word chosen by more than a few media accounts) him back onto the practice squad, they will do so.

So the real question is: is it worth the risk to expose a guy you like just to have that extra roster spot? The Giants answer was yes. They enjoyed the fact that they could carry only 2 QBs on the roster last season. It certainly is a strategic advantage. And if Bomar clears waivers it is a great move. This NY Giants blogger feels that the risk was too great, because you must make a commitment to a QB like this, to groom him. If the position were different, like a WR or an OL or what have you, we could certainly understand and not bother discussing it. But QB is different. QBs can make or break a franchise.

Why is Bomar different? What makes him worthy of protecting? The answer here is that quick release. You cannot teach that. Either you have it or you do not.

Carr is under a 1 year contract and he may look to go elsewhere next season. Everyone knows how important QB is to a roster- these guys do not grow on trees. Bomar is a cheap call option. Parcells: "It’s a very easy thing to say, ‘Go get a backup quarterback.’ Now tell me where to get them. You just can’t dial them up."