Very Good Game Analysis from Garafolo

[Mr. P]

 

GAME BALLS QB Eli Manning. He's a streaky player and those streaks always seem to last a few weeks - good and bad. He's never been one to be up and down from week to week but rather weeks to weeks. After being in a rut for a couple of games, he's back out of it now and in a groove. The accuracy we saw early in the season is back.

 

K Lawrence Tynes. If you kick the game-winning field goal, you get a game ball - no matter if you missed earlier. You know, now that I think of it, has he ever made a clutch kick without missing one earlier in the game?

 

WR Mario Manningham. His catches were made 30, 26, 16, 15, 10 and 9 yards from the line. He also should have made a catch 11 yards off the line. My point being he was a downfield threat for a passing game that needed one.

 

Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and coach Tom Coughlin. I really liked the game plan and the pass plays. More on that down bottom.

 

TE Kevin Boss. My pick for breakout player on this team is finally starting to break out. Just watch the way he catches the ball with his hands. So soft in bringing it in. Very fun to watch.

 

CB Corey Webster. What a game he played after struggling the past two. "If you're a competitor, it shows character to respond after a game like (the one he had against the Chargers)," he said. Boy, did he ever respond by recording five passes defensed and keeping Falcons WR Roddy White in check. He also made a nice play to come across the field with White on a PD for a pass thrown to WR Michael Jenkins in the end zone. Yes, Jenkins dropped it, but Webster's presence and his hand on Jenkins' arm probably contributed to that drop.

 

WR Steve Smith. Remember a few weeks ago, on the deep ball to Manningham against the Cardinals, how Manningham cleared the CB but stayed too close to the sideline, giving Manning less room to throw the ball and leading him to throw it out of bounds? Well, with that in mind, go back and watch Smith's 51-yard catch. After he stutters and runs past CB Chris Houston on the outside, he immediately accelerates and gets on top of Houston toward the inside - right where he was lined up. That gives Manning a much bigger cushion to throw the ball and allows him to be more comfortable and accurate. Textbook route running by Smith there. And to make things even better, he came back on the next play and delivered a sweet crack-back block to free up RB Ahmad Bradshaw for a 12-yard run.

 

FB Madison Hedgecock. Not for the TD. But for resisting the urge to do the whole rowing-to-Hawaii-for-the-Pro Bowl celebration he did after his first career TD last year in Arizona.

 

DE Justin Tuck. He got consistent pressure and his first sack in five games. I'll even forgive the dropped INT because I'm betting the injured shoulder had something to do with that. Plus, he shouldn't be in coverage!!!

 

LB Michael Boley. Again, I see him getting into the groove. He's an impact guy and he's starting to look like he did before his knee surgery in Week 4.

 

S Aaron Rouse. Very physical performance by a guy who has quietly eased concerns about the back end of the Giants' secondary. Perhaps he can instill enough confidence in the coaching staff to allow Aaron Ross to go back to corner and help out those guys because Ross should be a corner, period.

 

WR Hakeem Nicks. Though FOX analyst Moose Johnston was right - put that ball away on that screen pass in OT. Nicks is very lucky another defender wasn't there to come over the top and knock it loose.

Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez. Big-time catch there at the end. Huge. I'll have a thought on that play right about...

 

GASSERS

Defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan. ...now. I just think it's not a good sign when a defense can't make stops at the end of a game. Remember, I told you the Giants were 7-for-7 under Steve Spagnuolo when opponents needed a late TD. Sheridan's group is now 0-for-2 in such situations. This time around, I didn't hate the coverage call as much as I did when they played man against the Chargers because the Falcons don't have as many weapons. But I just can't believe Gonzalez was left to be covered alone by Boley. S Michael Johnson should have been paying more attention to Gonzalez like San Diego did to Steve Smith around the goal line a few weeks back. Then again, give Atlanta credit for running a similar play to the Chargers' game-winning touchdown by forcing Johnson to choose between White breaking right or Gonzalez going over the middle. The Giants need to realize Johnson is being targeted and made to choose between two top targets. Sheridan has to be creative to fix that.

 

DT Rocky Bernard. He's getting paid a lot of money for very little right now. He got absolutely creamed by a double team on an 8-yard run late in the first half that would have gone for much, much more if the Falcons had either of their top two RBs - Michael Turner or Jerious Norwood - in the game instead of Jason Snelling. Three plays later, Bernard jumped offside. And in the goal-line defense, he got no push.

 

CB Bruce Johnson. Early on this season, he got credit for things like toughness and endurance from Coughlin. But now, it's not just about hanging in there; Johnson must start improving. He had a rough day and once again appeared to get lost a few times on receivers coming out of their breaks. That's been a problem for him. He also didn't get deep enough on a 28-yard out by Jenkins. And I'm not sure, but he might have screwed up the coverage when Jenkins got open in the end zone on the ball he dropped. Johnson and Michael Johnson got their coverages screwed up and I'm not sure which was at fault. If I had to guess, I'd say Michael Johnson was at fault because he was lined up inside and probably had the inside guy.

 

Falcons S Erik Coleman. I know he was hurting, but as players always say, if you're going to play, you can't use injuries as excuses. Coleman had plenty of lowlights Sunday, but I think his lowest was when he made one of the worst tackle attempts I've ever seen on a 13-yard run by RB Danny Ware late in the first half. Coleman just froze and got stuck in the mud.

 

Houston. No injury for him to lean on as an excuse.

 

Falcons CB Brent Grimes. Anybody teaching these guys how to play the ball?

 

SECOND-GUESSES

I said in Friday's game preview the Giants would probably run out of passing formations and pass out of running formations after self-scouting themselves during the bye. And on the first series, they came out in 22 personnel (2 RBs, 2 TEs) and threw the ball. Okay, so it didn't end well because the ball slipped out of Manning's hand for a fumble, but at least they were being more creative. In the second half, they ran out of that grouping again and that might have fooled LB Coy Wire, who grabbed TE Darcy Johnson as he went out for a pass and was flagged for holding. Better job of mixing things things up out of that package than the Giants did against the Chargers.

 

I also said in the preview the Giants should target Falcons CB Tye Hill, but Atlanta must have known that would be the case because they benched him for Grimes. That didn't work out so well for the Falcons, either.

 

I'm really tired of seeing the Giants act like every team has Devin Hester deep. What's with the squib and angle kicks every game? Kick it deep. Did Atlanta KR Eric Weems really scare you enough to squib it after your first TD? RB Aaron Stecker picks it up at the 17, runs 18 yards and suddenly the Falcons have the ball at the 35. Nine plays later, they're in the end zone. Same thing to start the second half. Hester, Ted Ginn or Dante Hall in his prime? Okay. But Weems? Come on, boot it downfield already and let LB Jonathan Goff, DE Dave Tollefson or LB Bryan Kehl whack somebody.

 

Saw this live and just watched it again without looking for it because I had honestly forgotten about it but saw it right away: where's the call for holding on Falcons OT Sam Baker when he tackles LB Danny Clark on a 10-yard run late in the first half? It happened right on the end of the line, so it should have been easy for the side judge to see.

 

But the one call that killed me was the late hit on DT Barry Cofield, who had no idea whether Snelling was in bounds or not from the angle he had. And I wasn't sure until I watched it Monday morning and heard the whistle blow after Cofield made contact with Snelling. I mean, it would be one thing if he could have heard a whistle, but there was none. That's a bad call right there. Or at the very least, a bad late whistle. And I'm not so sure about the one on Rouse in the second half. Technically, I don't think it should have been a penalty because Snelling wasn't out of bounds until Rouse made contact. But I guess Rouse, who had a much better angle than Cofield, should know when a guy is letting up and you whack him, you will get flagged. If Snelling doesn't give up there, it's not a penalty. I wonder what the league will have to say about that one. Oh, and the hold on Tollefson on the fourth-quarter kick return? Come on. That was brutal.

 

I just realized I'm complaining about calls that all went against the Giants. Please don't misconstrue this as my being a homer. I'm objectively looking at those calls and it just so happens they all went against the home team.

 

Late in the second quarter, the Giants went with an empty set on second-and-8 from their own 28. On the left side, they had Boss, Smith and Nicks against only two DBs - one of which was CB Chevis Jackson, who was lined up well off the ball. Right before the snap, I remember thinking this was big trouble for the Falcons. But then, the Giants ran one of the ugliest bubble-looking screens to Boss. Smith didn't block anyone and DE John Abraham came free to knock the ball away as Boss tried to bring it in. That play must have driven the coaches nuts when they watched it on film because they had Atlanta right where they wanted them. And if Manning checked to that screen, that was a bad audible. You have to believe your line will give you enough time to get a pass off there. And you know your receivers will get open.

 

How do you like those third-and-short deep throws to Manningham now? Thought so. Actually, my thoughts are they're perfectly fine throws early in the game or when you're ahead. It was when they chucked it deep on third-and-2 late against the Cardinals when they absolutely needed a first down that drove me nuts.

 

I was very, very surprised the booth didn't take a look at White's incomplete pass late in the second quarter. The ball came loose as he hit the ground and Webster ripped it out. I'm not sure it would have been ruled a completion, but I can't believe they didn't take the time to look at it.

ODDS AND (TIGHT) ENDS

I really loved the design of the Giants' pass plays. In no particular order, my top three were: the second TD to Boss (bunch formation drew the attention to the left side and then Boss runs a quick in over the middle from the right), the clutch 7-yarder to Nicks to convert a third down in OT (Boss and Smith went deep up the left middle and seam to clear out Nicks on the in cut) and the 30-yard flag to Nicks in the second quarter (a short out by Boss out the backfield to freeze the corner and a deep in by Smith to hold the safety and keep him away from Nicks near the sideline). The Giants ran a similar scheme to that last one on Boss' TD a few plays later. From the looks of things, it appeared they really thought they could exploit the deep sidelines against the Falcons. Perhaps they knew Coleman would be slowed by his knee injury. Or maybe they realized this entire Falcons secondary just isn't that good.

 

The Giants were excited about Ware as a third-down back because of his running and passing ability but also because of his blocking. The pickup he made on Coleman on a second-and-4 from the Falcons' 23 in the first quarter was absolutely outstanding. What a job he did to come across the backfield from right to left to get Coleman. But what really impressed me was he didn't just nudge Coleman away from Manning; no, he was able to get into position to get his helmet into his shoulder and give Coleman a real good shot. Incredible ability to get there and stick him good like that.

 

Blackburn played okay. He had two stops for no gain, but I had him down for a few missed tackles. Plus, he had the bad holding penalty on what would have been a third-down stop. And then, there's the things we'll never know, such as whether he should have changed the call on Snelling's 7-yard TD run early in the second quarter. The Giants slanted right but the run went to the defensive left. Makes you wonder if that would have happened if Pierce was in there.

 

RB Brandon Jacobs' wife is pregnant again. Last time Jacobs involved her in a celebration while she was with child, he got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for using the ball as a prop when he stuffed it under his jersey to salute her belly. This time, he just flipped the ball to her. "I thought about tucking it, but that cost me money," Jacobs told me. "That's money that my son Brayden is not going to get now because she was pregnant with him when I got that fine. I thought about it the second time around, but we really need it."

 

You can't see it on the TV broadcast, but after Manning throws an incompletion on third-and-8 with 1:25 left in the second quarter, he turns back and pumps his fist in frustration because Abraham pushed LT David Diehl back into his throwing lane. Is it just me or is Manning showing way, way, way more frustration on the field this year? It's almost like not having the guys who used to show him up (Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey) has allowed him to start doing the same to others, including Bradshaw, whom Manning shoved after an interception in New Orleans.

 

Just a hunch, but I'm thinking LG Rich Seubert's shoulder injury is hurting him a lot worse than we realize. Also, anybody else thinking there are going to be changes on this O-line in the off-season? I'm not quite sure what yet, so I won't guess specifics but I'll go out on a limb and say the same five guys won't line up on opening say 2010.

 

Before Boss' second TD, the Giants tried one of their go-to routes down near the goal line on a

"Z" in by Smith. It was the route he ran for a TD against the Chargers and Jackson seemed to have a pretty good idea what was coming because he wasn't fooled by Smith's faking the out before breaking back in.

 

On a 13-yard run by Snelling early in the third quarter, the Falcons easily got to the edge on their left side. FOX analyst Tony Siragusa noted someone lost contain but a replay was never shown. That someone was Clark, who got completely pancaked by Falcons FB Ovie Mughelli. Hardcore Giants fans will remember Mughelli’s name because he was the guy the Giants targeted in free agency two years ago, but Mughelli accepted Atlanta's offer of six years and $18 million instead.

 

Still, I thought Clark played okay. And he got most of the snaps, with rookie LB Clint Sintim only getting a few plays in the second half. As Vinny DiTrani of the Bergen Record noted in the press box after the game, that was probably because of Pierce's absence. Remember, Sintim said Pierce helped him with his assignments during the Chargers game.

 

And finally, I realize the importance of winning every game right now, but I think the upcoming matchup with the Broncos is about as much of a non-must-win (is that a word) as there could be right now. It's a non-conference game, so even if the Giants lose, they get to come right back against the Cowboys and Eagles at home. Even with a win in Denver, they'll still have to win those games if they want to win the NFC East. Just saying it'll be a good break for the Giants to not have to worry about their season collapsing with a loss this week.

 

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2009/11/a_look_back_at_the_ny_giants_o.html

[JMFP]

Agreed. Solid stuff.

[Treehugger]

K Lawrence Tynes. If you kick the game-winning field goal, you get a game ball - no matter if you missed earlier. You know, now that I think of it, has he ever made a clutch kick without missing one earlier in the game?

 

Get fucked. If he didn't miss there wouldn't have been any overtime and no glory kick. If Elam hadn't shanked one too, thankfully, we'd have lost.

[NeMesiS]

I'm happy somebody else noticed Rocky Bernard is waste of place.

[Sephiroth]

Get fucked. If he didn't miss there wouldn't have been any overtime and no glory kick. If Elam hadn't shanked one too, thankfully, we'd have lost.

 

Agreed.

 

Like when he missed THREE FUCKING TIMES in the NFC Championship Game.

[NightFire]

Agreed.

 

Like when he missed THREE FUCKING TIMES in the NFC Championship Game.

 

Those are actually more forgivable as nobody had ever hit those distances at Lambeau and his game winning was the first ever.

[Storm]

Damn, that guy wasted a lot of money buying game balls for nearly the entire team.

 

But I disagree, every game from here on out is a must win for the Giants. We're 6-4, not 10-0. If we drop one to Denver and we're 6-5 compared to the Cowboys and Eagles 7-3, that makes the Cowboys and Eagles games definite must wins, just to make the Wildcard spot. If we're 7-4, we're two games up on Atl for the wildcard, how is Denver not a must-win? Non-conference or not, we need to find 4 or so games in our schedule that we can win, just to have hopes for the playoffs at 10-6...other than Denver, we're going to be facing teams such as Dallas, Philly, Minnesota, even Carolina is not nearly as bad as their record may say.

[JMFP]

Get fucked. If he didn't miss there wouldn't have been any overtime and no glory kick. If Elam hadn't shanked one too, thankfully, we'd have lost.

 

Agreed...probably the only part of his analysis that I disagree with.

 

If he were 3-3, or 4-4, yeah, he deserves credit. But once again, Tynes' puts the Giants on the brink of a loss because of yet another fucked up chipshot.....that should be the headline for this clown.

 

And as Seph said, when I think of Tynes, I think of the guy who almost cost us a trip to the Super Bowl.

[JMFP]

Damn, that guy wasted a lot of money buying game balls for nearly the entire team.

 

But I disagree, every game from here on out is a must win for the Giants. We're 6-4, not 10-0. If we drop one to Denver and we're 6-5 compared to the Cowboys and Eagles 7-3, that makes the Cowboys and Eagles games definite must wins, just to make the Wildcard spot. If we're 7-4, we're two games up on Atl for the wildcard, how is Denver not a must-win? Non-conference or not, we need to find 4 or so games in our schedule that we can win, just to have hopes for the playoffs at 10-6...other than Denver, we're going to be facing teams such as Dallas, Philly, Minnesota, even Carolina is not nearly as bad as their record may say.

 

If we split the last 6 (a definite possibility), that puts the Giants at 9-7, which could be good enough to get in. It would likely take some tiebreaker help, but there's been a lot of f 9-7 wildcards, so it's not outside the realm of possibility.

 

I'm thinking 10-6 would be almost a guarantee of a playoff spot....maybe last seed, but still in it.

 

If they beat Denver, 7-4 puts the Giants in very solid shape.....three of the last 5 would get them to 10-6.