Offensive Line

-Rich Conforti

Week 15 grade sheet

...collectively the offensive line graded out at an appaling -18 and that number was only so low becuase Andy had the decency to spare them any more humiliation by cutting off the template after the Giants 2nd play of the 4th quarter. In reality the game was over before it even began. Individual numbers: Beatty -1, Boothe -6, Baas -4, Snee 0, Diehl -4, Cordle -3. Consider those grades generous as there were plenty of plays where everyone was rewarded (emphasis on rewarded) with a 0 grade because the play had turned into such a chaotic pile of people that it was too difficult to tell who deserved the negative grade.

...hate to do this because I know the whole goal of the Ultimate22 is objectivity via tangible data, but after watching this film some other intangible things are painfully obvious. For one, this group should have never boarded the flight to ATL. They didn’t want it early on and if they did from the get go they gave up quickly. No fight, no interest in a fight. Unreal. 

...I believe it was mentioned by Andy in the game review that some feel the Giants offense currently lacks technique---Another point about the Giants offense was noted by Roman Oben and Amani Toomer in the postgame- the Giants OL is blocking too high on these run plays and not digging down for push at the line of scrimmage. They both questioned aloud how bad technique could be present this late in the season.---  count me in as one of those guys. There really isn’t a stat to reflect it well, BUT it is painfully obvious that the Giants offensive line has been showing some AWFUL technique in the run game and never did that show more than this game. The coaches end zone film angle consistently shows run plays where all you see is the Giants OL and not the players they are blocking. Why? Because the group seemed hell bent on standing straight up at the point of attack. Taking false steps. Pivoting and maneuvering instead of drive blocking. All things that go along with accusations of "half-assing" it. Look, I understand that it is the NFL. You aren’t going to be able to establish push all that easily on a regular basis but it just seems like this group is more interested in turning, pivoting and positioning defenders. 

...this may be some sort of exaggeration out of frustration, but understand that it is not by much. Nearly EVERY Giants run play (including the 2 or 3 successful ones on the day) was more or less a big pile of bodies in the middle (representing the OL and the D who is doing their job) followed by an RB bounce to the outside. 

...another result of this issue (especially in this one) is the Giants losing the LOS to the front four, especially in pass pro. Counted about five times where an OL wasn’t beat (3 by Boothe alone), but rather just driven backwards right into the face of Eli, thus compromising the play. It really becomes difficult to see who should get the -1 and not on a given play. They were so bad in this one collectively that it is tough to single out who REALLY is at fault. 

...throughout this game there were countless plays that I could have used to show you just how poorly this   group played, specifically getting any type of push in the run game. I think to drive the point home all we need to do is take a look at one of the most crucial plays in this one, the Giants 1st of 3 failed 4th down conversions. 4^th and 1-- and the run play comes in and this is how you get off the ball? If you have the game DVR'ed, watch the play and you decide who wanted it more. Look how high they fire off the ball. Whose helmets do you see on all 5 blocks? Giant. That is cause they are playing higher than the Falcons with no technique and getting beat at the point of attack. Seriously---are Beatty's feet even on the ground? He couldn't be playing any higher. As we all know this 4th down wasn't converted and was one of many disappointing efforts for this group and the whole team in this game. 

...having said all of this I thought that this was a relevant article to share. 

Quarterback

-Peter Grudin

Week 15 QB grade sheet

...this humiliation was very much a team effort. Just about every Giants’ unit pitched in unselfishly.  From the start, however, it was Eli Manning who set the tone. Eli established a level of play in the first quarter and his teammates, after some hesitation, sank to that level too.

...I don’t know whether any one has ever proved that momentum (as a psychological thing) really shifts in a game.  But I think we can draw some conclusions about timing. Throwing an interception on your first pass is a bad time to throw one, and the timing is just as important, I think, as the fact Manning threw that one deep in his own territory inside of the Georgia Dome. Instant 7-0 Falcons. Instant diminishment of the Giants’ momentum or chance at building any. After that interception, however, there was still plenty of time and plenty of hope. The offense kept amassing yardage. The running game was alive. Eli made some good throws.  But there were no points. A few ill-timed misguided throws reared their head to ensure that every drive would crumble slowly and painfully.

...at 12:18 in the 2nd quarter, for instance, Manning throws his second interception. Like the first, it’s deep in Giants’ territory and a head scratcher. At 1:14 in the 2nd quarter, Manning throws hurriedly to Cruz who is blanketed by Samuels to bring the Giants to 0-2 on 4th down early in the game. Samuels makes a great play but as the commentators mention, Manning has tons of time to let Cruz or another receiver get free (Rich: yes there was a debatbable potential DPI call but it was bang/bang and could have gone either way. Cannot let the officials play a role) for the higher percentage pass on 3rd down.  A completion there gives us first and goal with plenty of time to bring the score to 17-7 going into the intermission.

...as Rich and Andy explain, the rest of the team soon fell into line and the disaster took on its own momentum. The quarterback who was throwing badly already soon had to contend with a flood of rushers overwhelming his porous (Rich: AND DISINTERESTED) offensive line.  In the end, however, if a good quarterback often “leads his team to victory,” here is a case where this quarterback led his team to defeat.

The Giants are like a box chocolates- you never know what you are going to get.  From one week to the next, do any of you know who shows up? That inconsistency smacks of poor coaching and preparation.  To be fair, the Giants did not have Amukamara and Bradshaw, and those players' absences were felt.  (Boley was activated and mostly invisible.)  But 34-0? It is an embarrassment.  And we have learned over the years to watch as these Giants get embarrassed more often than they should, which should be almost never.  

This week we got the sloppy Giants, the low energy Giants, the ones who needed a win desperately but left their energy at practice.  The Giants just were not moving as quickly as the opponent and they certainly weren't as physical as the opponent.  It should be noted that both picks of Eli occurred on routes that Hakeem Nicks was running.  I am sure that Nicks is doing everything he can out there to fight through his injury, but he is simply playing at less than 100%, and the entire team is paying for this.  Asante Samuel was going jump the route no matter who was running it, but Nicks makes it easier because Nicks just doesn't have the physical ability to fight for the ball.

It should be pointed out that the Defense essentially gave up 7 points in the first half.  Not a "bad" showing.  But overall the defense allowed Ryan to go 23 for 28 on passing and they allowed the Falcons to run right up the gut of the defense.  Tuck and JPP, two players that the Giants need to make plays, were essentially invisible.  They are playing through injuries too, even if they don't talk much about it.  When the game was over in Q4, Tuck has Snelling wrapped up for a small gain but is tackling him high and gets shed like a rag doll.  Justin Tuck, the Giants All-Pro DL, is a shell of himself.  There is no one who loves Tuck's football game more than us at UltimateNYG Giants blog, but this team misses the Real Justin Tuck badly right now.  Last year, he gutted it out right at this moment in the season and was able to fight through to assist the Giants to another title.  If the Giants are going to find their Super Bowl, which I severely doubt, it will get done with players like Tuck and JPP somehow getting healthier and making impact plays.  Without them, the Giants are also rans.

(Injuries are never an excuse in football.  Every team in the NFL has to weather a series of injuries and have your second and sometimes 3rd stringers step in to make up the difference.  In each of the 4 SB runs for the Gmen, reserves stepped in and filled holes.  In 1986, when Terry Kinard tore his ACL in Week 14, it was a seemingly devastating blow, yet the Giants plugged it up w no-names like Welch and Lasker.  In 1990, the Giants lost no less than Phil Simms, but we all know what Hoss did thereafter.  In 2007, it was guys like Kiwi, Ward and Shockey lost with players like Corey Webster answering the call down the stretch into the playoffs.  Last year, it was TT, Osi lost for half a season, as well as Ballard down the stretch.)

Back to the game, the offense could not buy a 4th down conversion, going 0-3 and torpedoing its chances to score points.  For my money, at the end of Q2 w the score 17-0, you kick the FG and get something on the scoreboard.  The calculus is even simpler because you just failed previously in short yardage and needed to make it a 2 score game.  Instead, it was a little too desperate.  I respect Coughlin trying to ignite something there, but the Giants had already failed before in that situation. Another point about the Giants offense was noted by Roman Oben and Amani Toomer in the postgame- the Giants OL is blocking too high on these run plays and not digging down for push at the line of scrimmage.  They both questioned aloud how bad technique could be present this late in the season.  It would certainly explain in some part why the Giants were failing on the 3rd and 4th down conversions.

0-2 in the red zone.  Once again, there was a distinct lack of use of the TE by the Giants, and we keep preaching how critical the TE is in the red zone.

Eli did not have a lot of time throw.  This is where Gilbride must adjust and take the edge off the Atlanta pass rush with shorter routes, 3 step drops, screens, slants, flares. Rhythm.  Yada yada.

So where are the Giants? They are no longer in control of their own NFC East destiny, but still are at the controls for a wild card berth. Win the last two games and the Giants are assured at leas the 6 seed.  After going 6-2, they have gone 2-4 and are on the outside looking in.  The Ravens and Eagles are both winnable games--but that is only if The Good Giants show up.  The ones with energy.  If Good Eli is there, if Tuck fights through like he did vs the Jets et al on that SB run, if JPP can start making some impact plays, if Nicks can get healthier, if some other teams lose. 

IF. 

Linebacker

-Steve Hardin

Week 14 LB grades

...Blackburn was maneuvering as well as I have ever seen him in the box.  More and more, he has begun to use his hand to pop offensive linemen and create space to react to the play rather than burying his should into them.  When he does this, yes you do maintain your gap responsibility, but give yourself very little opportunity to make plays elsewhere.  As I noted in the play sheet, if he continues to improve on this, we are going to see him show up even more in the stat sheet.

...in coverage, we got beat twice (once Boley and once Williams) not resisting the urge to jump on short routes.  This is the NFL and especially against an offense like the Saints, they are not looking to complete 4 yard ins.  Almost every time we saw a route of this nature, there was something being run behind it, and both times we failed to recognize it, Brees hit the deeper route for a nice gain.

FILM STUDY

...it seems that Rivers, barring any more setbacks, will be counted on for significant snaps on the defense going forward. I want to be careful here because this has not been a trend throughout the season, and it is a point based on a fairly limited number of snaps due to injuries and what not, but I like Rivers much better in the 7 technique lined up on a tight end, then I do on the second level in a traditional LB alignment. He is very aggressive setting the edge when he is on the line, but when coming from depth, he appeared to have some issues in this game finding the correct run fits and missed one or two tackles when left in space. There is an example below which occurred twice on the film, which makes me hesitant to point out because they may be coached this way, but if that is the case, it is very unusual.

The Saints are going to motion the “H-Back” inside to double our tackle with the right guard as is drawn up below.  The fullback is going to be responsible for Rivers.

My belief is that Rivers should be meeting this block with his inside shoulder to force the play to Blackburn and all others who are flowing from the inside.

Instead, he uses his outside shoulder, which is not how the technique typically taught, and the running back can break this outside, where all we have is a safety coming from 12 yards. This essentially takes Blackburn and everyone inside of Rivers out of the play, because the RB will bounce this outside when seeing the leverage that the FB has. 

In this case, the safety makes the play, but you can see how we have already given up 5 yards, and with this much space, how easily it can turn into a big play.

Interesting to see how something as small as shoulder positoning when taking on a blocker can have such an impact on any given play.

Cornerback/Safety

-Andrew DeLoach

Week 14 CB/S grades

...the grades make is seem like the secondary played worse than they actually did. Collectively the group came in at -4 overall (+1 S, -5 CB) with Prince receiving a -3, Webster a -2, Rolle a +1, Brown -1 and Hill +1 Considering the Saints prolific passing attack, the defensive backs played a very solid all-around game. The Giants are becoming a team that can rely on the defense generating a turnover or two, so the yardage along the way becomes less of an issue. Especially when playing with a lead, the "bend-don't-break" mentality is perfect for a team who has been shaky against the pass. Early on, when the defense was at its best, coverage down the field great, and the Giants were doing a good job of rallying to the ball and tackling when Brees found an underneath receiver.

...the big concern, and the root cause of most of the bad marks, was the play late in the third and early in the fourth quarter.  With a lead, the focus has to be on protecting against big plays down the field.  Beyond that, if you lines up correctly, know your assignment and tackle, you are in pretty good shape.  The Giants got a little too complacent against a high-powered offense and although no harm was done, it's not the way you want to see your secondary playing. Missing tackles and letting receivers behind you is the best way to give a team like the Saints momentum and blow a big lead.  I hope that Rolle, along with the veterans on the DL, can keep the focus and intensity up in the future.

...again, all around great job keeping Brees and the Saints in check - a few big plays along with (generally) solid defense otherwise is going to be enough for Eli and the offense to get it done on most Sundays.

Defensive End

-George Richford

Week 14 DE grades

Rich: 

...like the defensive backs, the DE's graded out at a fairly unimpressive combined total of +1-- +1 for Osi and Tuck, 0 for Kiwanuka and -1 for JPP. This is in large part due to their inability to do anything that would resemble stopping the run. They have been poor in this area nearly all season and this one was no different. Whether this is a physical issue or an assignment issue, it is something that needs to be sured up FAST. And how about this--suring up the run defense will ultimately lead the opponent to pass more, with the opponent passing more the group will have increased opportunity to get at the quarterback.

...although they failed to get a sack until the 4th quarter the Giants DEs did a much better job of getting to the QB in recent weeks. According to PFF, the Giants were able to pressure Brees on 18 of his 44 drop backs in this one, an acceptable but not outstanding total. And although it sounds like an excuse for not compiling sacks, Perry Fewell swears that the plan in this one wasn't so much to get at the QB with reckless abandon, but rather, attack with a purpose and alter the dangerously-accurate QB's launch point: 

"It's kind of the strategy that I put them in last week," Fewell said. "Our guys are very cooperative. It took a lot for them to do what I asked them to do last week. It wasn't the most sack-friendly game for them, but it was the way that we felt we had to win that football game."

Wide Reciever/Tight End

-Steve Gesuele

Week 14 WR/TE grades

...feed Martellus Bennett. The Black Unicorn signaled this much to Eli Manning after a 2nd quarter catch and the Giants did just that. It resulted in one of Bennett's most complete games of the season. Although his 5-32-1 line wasn't gaudy he graded out to a season-high +6. He was one of several who was featured in the passing game with eight targets and even had one long catch called back by a holding penalty. To UltimateNYG's delight Bennett's touchdown grab came in a place we like to see the tight end used: the red zone. Perhaps the most pleasing takeaway from Bennett's performance was his consistency in the blocking game. He only had one negative play in the contest which was a great sign.

...the wide receivers as a whole put together a tremendous effort themselves. Cruz (+9), Nicks (+6), and Hixon (+4) graded out to an unbelievable +19 and didn't have a single negative play between them. Cruz's routes were sharp as usual, his best one coming on his touchdown grab where he undressed his man at the line of scrimmage and was wide open for the score. Rich: the route looked a little something like THIS. Cruz's line was impressive, finishing with eight grabs for 121 yards and a touchdown. He is steadily putting together and All-Pro type season and has yet to disappoint in his sophomore campaign.

...Nicks had some highlights of his own as well. He was open not only on his touchdown but also on play 27 when a similar fade route would have led to another score. He hasn't been putting up monster numbers that Giants fans know he is capable of but considering that most reports have Nicks hobbling on BOTH legs during the week it is remarkable what he is still doing on gameday. His solid performance over the last few weeks is a testament to the raw ability and determination of one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL.

...in a game filled with plenty of them, the best play of the day was play 37. It was a jaw-dropping throw and catch for a touchdown that came at an important time right before the end of the half and was one of the prettiest balls that Eli has thrown all season. But the most rewarding aspect of the outstanding catch was who made it: Domenik Hixon. Some Giants fan may have put Hixon on the proverbial back burner as he has battled injuries over the last few weeks and other receivers have filled the WR3 role (to varying success). With that one play Hixon reminded Giants fans that he is more than capable of filling that pivotal role in the lineup. Hixon can take a lot of pressure off of Cruz and Nicks when teams focus in on shutting them down (see Manningham, Mario on the run to SB XLVI for a reminder on how important that can be).

...minus two mishaps from Jernigan and Barden, the Giants receiving corps graded out to an unheard of +25. Yes, that is as good as it sounds. Easily the best performance of the year for this group. Had Eli been a little more on target the score would have been Madden-esque and a better representation of how well this group played. 

Offensive Line

-Rich Conforti

Week 14 OL grades

...a very, very, very outstanding overall performance by the ENTIRE unit with a combined score of +23 highlighted by a +9 from Will Beatty and a bounce-back +7 from Chris Snee along with a +1 from Kevin Boothe, +4 from David Diehl and a +2 from David Baas. While the effort was certainly outstanding, a strong performance was to be expected against the underwhelming Saints DL. I'd imagine the Giants were not the only team this season to have one of their top offensive line performances against a Saints group that is last in the NFL against the run (by a comfortable 7 ypg margin) and bottom five against the pass. Regardless of the opponent, these are a group of professionals, one that was physically dominated by the Giants OL.

...again, we know that the Saints have struggled all season long, especially on the DL, but it was refrreshing  to see an explosive Snee full of the that leg drive that has made him a top-flight guard. Snee was  back to being aggressive out of his stance and more importantly "finished" blocks regularly against an overmatched Saints DL. On one particular double team, Snee and David Baas (+2) each earned the elusive 2 rating with a tag team block that you only see in football movies. The two powered the helpless Saints DT nearly 10 yards off the line of scrimmage right into the LB that the two was responsible for picking up. Take a look at the screen grab to the right for a better idea where you can see the two mid block already about five yards into their block.  Wilson only gained three yards on the play, certainly with no blame going to Snee or Baas. Good to see from an offensive line that has struggled with push in the run game all season long. 

...while we don't have the data sorted to back up this claim yet, the Giants did an excellent job on play action plays and a lot of the credit goes to the offensive line for firing off the ball and selling the run. They moved as a unit and often had the defense WAY out of position. I also expect the data to highlight a new wrinkle--PA pass out of the shotgun. Our season long data shows they have done this only 4 times prior (last week's game vs Wash not included) and have not showed it since way back in Week 5. It was very successful drawing in the defense, who like all of us know how much the Giants (and rightfully so) enjoy running the ball out of the shotgun. Keep an eye out for plays like this going forward.

...and as usual, hats off to this group for keeping the Giants' prized possession, Eli Manning, clean in this one. The group does a great job of providing a pocket and throwing lanes for the QB and he certainly understands the need for urgency in getting rid of the ball. While there is no data compiled to support this, I count on every passing play and it is rare that I ever get to "three-one thousand" with him. As many have noted also, Manning is one of the best at the league at a. taking hits and most importantly b. adjusting/turning his body just before being hit so as to reduce the impact of it. Think of it as the complete opposite of what Michael Vick does did.

Quarterback

-Peter Grudin

Week 14 QB grades

...just as he wasn’t responsible for the loss last week, Eli Manning wasn’t really responsible for the win this week, not with the sensational play of Stevie Brown once again, and for the first time of David Wilson. Eli was 22 for 235 (63%) for 259 yards with four TDs and no sacks. Even with two interceptions, his overall QB rating was 99. These are good numbers, and they mirror good play. All things considered (expectations, his ability to excel, defense, etc) the grade of 0 seems just right.

...Eli showed good leadership throughout the game, but relied less on play-action (one of his strengths is the run-fake) and screens (seemingly the perfect play for a guy like Wilson) than I hoped he might. He was not called for a penalty (unlike last week), and some of his passes were things of beauty.

...specifically there is the perfect strike to Hixon in the right corner of the end zone (2nd, 0:25) easy and well—timed and put just where only 87 could reach it. There was the perfect strike to 80 (2nd, 1:14). Then there was that long easy lob falling right into Cruz’s hands like a gift from above for a TD in the 3rd (8:21).

Rich: ...another one was the sideline pass to Cruz for 35 yards. Some may assume that the throw to Cruz was missed short by Eli, but if you watch the wide coaches film you will see that it was placed there by Eli, as Cruz had burned the guy behind him but the safety over the top was still in play if the throw was left inside. If the throw is outside, the sideline comes into play. Leaving it behind Cruz (the high percentage play) ensured that the pass was completed.

...on the other side of things there were mistakes, although not lethal , that had me wondering what other games were being broadcast. The intercept on the ball thrown to Jerrigan in the 1st quarter (9:54) was as bad a pass as Eli has thrown all year. Not only was it off-target, it might well have been intercepted had it been thrown much better. Jerrigan was flailing about in a virtual mine-field of defenders. The pass failed because it was badly thrown, but probably would have failed had it been thrown well. Simply deciding to throw there was a huge mistake, something we might expect of a rookie, and not the brightest rookie, either. Right before that Eli had done nearly the same thing, underthrowing Hixon and putting the ball right into the bread basket of a defender so amazed he dropped the ball.

...in the 2nd (8:35) Nicks beats his man to the corner of the end zone, but Eli underthrows him. Deduct a touchdown. In the 3rd (5:10) it’s Bennett who has his man beat in a chunk of under populated real estate, only issue is that the Saints safety was baiting Eli into the throw (again something usually reserved for a rookie) and jumped the lofted pass for an easy INT. The only way this throw should be made is somewhere where it is out of reach for all, except for the chance that Bennett makes a spectacular catch on a throw high and outside.

Rich: ...the 1st quarter 3rd down pass to Domenik Hixon not only needs to be completed, but it needs to be completed for a walk-in TD. Not sure where the miscommuncation was, but you can see in the screen grab on the right that Hixon had gotten over the top of his man with no safety help. Instead of firing the ball inside, Eli would have been best suited lofting the ball over the top, allowing the generally sure-handed Hixon to pull in the ball for the TD. PS: This play was one of the shotgun PA passes mentioned earlier, notice how hard the safety (circled in red) bites on the effective run fake. The red X just gives an idea of where Eli should have placed the ball. Come January that opportunity needs to result in six points.

...the mistakes didn’t kill us, the great plays helped a lot, and  so things go with Eli. His general attitude and leadership were a plus. His total score was 0. That’s average (for Eli), but more than acceptable when players like Brown and Wilson are winning the game.

...Come back tomorrow for part 2 where we look at some defensive performances including a few key alignment and formation notes for the LB position and a look at a Giants secondary that played an excellent game (minus one rough stretch!) led by Rolle, Brown and NJ's own Will Hill.

What would you say if we were told before the game started that these would be the following stats:

Pretty tight game, eh?

What if we shared these stats instead?

This blog is not a stat sheet blog.  But we try to analyze the team to figure out why the team is winning and losing.  The Giants have done a lot of both this year, unfortunately, leading to a 7-5 record going into this game.  In the past 4 games, the Giants went 1-3, and the reason why is that they simply did not play enough good football.  Versus the Steelers, they did not tackle well and did not play w urgency.  Vs the Bengals, they did not play with energy.  Vs the Redskins they committed too many penalties.  Versus the Saints, the Giants defense did not do a lot of good things, but when you combine an offense that was able to move the ball, a 4-2 turnover margin, less penalties and a special teams unit that undressed the opposition, it was a strong win.  The Saints are as enigmatic in 2012 as the Giants are, but the Giants have enough order this year plus a home field to get the W.

Antrel Rolle and David Wilson made impact play after impact play.  It took too long for the Specials coach of NO to adjust and stop kicking to Wilson.  Even Jerrel Jernigan got into the act with a great return of his own.  For his part, David Wilson has been ripping off many great kickoff returns this year, but so many were negated by the other 10 men committing penalty after penalty.  This time the penalties were cut out and each run was able to stand.  If this happened vs WAS (2 Cordle penalties negating huge returns), the Giants could have easily won the game.  If I am facing the Giants, I am very concerned about this rookie named Wilson killing me on specials.  He is that good.  He runs full speed through holes and he is hard to catch.  This "Hidden Yardage" is not so hidden when the Giants AVERAGED 48 yards per kickoff return.  Very big stuff.

Rookies are very big stuff in the NFL.  We have been talking on this NY Giants blog for many years about how important it is to have rookies get you over the top.  In today's Salary Cap League, you better get meaningful contributions from your rookies because these are the cheaper players making your roster that WILL be called upon to fill in when veterans go down.  In 2007, it was Ross filling in and getting meaningful playing time, Boss lighting it up when Shockey went down, Bradshaw stealing Jacobs' thunder, Johnson filling a huge role at Safety, Steve Smith on 3rd and 11 in the Super Bowl... In 2011, it was faux-rookie Victor Cruz who carried the entire team.  In 2012, we have the emergence of Wilson on specials and 3rd year player (but really his first chunk of starts in the NFL) Stevie Brown.  It is pretty amazing that Stevie Brown broke a NY Giants franchise record with most return yardage for a season on INTs.  These are impact plays, and you need them to win games.  The Giants were in an offensive dogfight until Brown blew the game open with a huge INT at the NYG 8 yd line that was returned all the way to the Saints 22.  That is a 70 yard return.  Add another 21 yards of INT return yardage on the first play from scrimmage in Q3, and you get a football field from this faux-rookie.

This is as good a moment to praise Antrel Rolle as I can think of.  That Q3 pick by Brown was created by great coverage of TE Jimmy Graham by Antrel Rolle.  Antrel Rolle has been as consistent a player as anyone on the NY Giants this season. JPP is up there in impact, but even the great JPP has been held silent in sacks the last 3 games (as well as victimized by edge/run).  Eli Manning, who threw two awful picks (again, 1 for a TD the other way) vs the Saints, has simply not been consistent.  Cruz has gotten more attention this year from defenses, and has dropped too many balls.  Nicks is the walking wounded.  Antrel Rolle caused one fumble, picked up another, caused an INT and made a key stop on 3rd down.  Did I miss anything? He plays Corner, he plays Safety. He guards slot receivers, he guards TEs. This defense needs a credible LBer to stuff the run and some revitalization on the DL.  Antrel Rolle and Stevie Brown are making tons of plays for the defense.  They will make even more if the front 7 can stop the run and get to the QB.

So where are the Gmen right now? At 8-5, they are still in control of their own fate. They need to win out. RGIII (barring a positive MRI) is lighting up the Skins.  One game at a time for the Giants. Beat ATL in Atlanta.  Everyone says that ATL is vulnerable, and I am not buying their stock either.  They haven't shown the ability to beat the best teams, especially in January.  So next Sunday will be a good test for both teams. Because the Giants were sloppy enough earlier this season, they lost games they could have and should have won.  Now they need to win a few games they can lose. 

This is what the regular season needs to be.  For the NY Giants, they need to improve in order to win a title. Eli needs to protect the ball better and play 4 solid Qs.  The DL needs to play better.  Rivers and Williams need to help the LBer corps.  Hixon's huge grab is what the WRs need to do to take the pressure off of Cruz and a hobbled Nicks.  Wilson needs to learn his protections so that he can be used down the stretch in passing situations (the run keys are killing him and Gilbride).  There is still plenty of time to improve, win games and start peaking for the playoffs.