Newly confident Giants blow out Texans, 34-10, as Hakeem Nicks stars

[Mr. P]

 

HOUSTON – The latest crisis has been averted.

 

There’s surely another one that will pop up eventually. But for now, there were successful plays being drawn up by Eli Manning practically playground-style in the dirt, defensive linemen once again harassing the passer and batting down balls and sideline dances being led by Antrel Rolle as the final seconds ticked down.

 

The Giants, a team recently believed by many (cough, cough, Tiki Barber) to be on the verge of slipping out of Tom Coughlin’s grasp, are now one with a winning record after today’s convincing 34-10 blowout of the Texans. It was the second straight victory, marking the first time they’ve recorded consecutive wins since they started the 2009 season by winning their first five games.

 

“It’s nice. I kind of forgot that feeling a little bit,” Manning, who completed 27 of 42 passes for 297 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, said of the winning streak before adding:

“We always knew we had talent on this team. Sometimes it takes a few weeks for everything to

sink in, to trust your surroundings. You have new people on the team, new leadership and I thought we’ve responded well these last few weeks.”

 

They also have a new top receiver in Hakeem Nicks, who recorded career-highs with 12 catches and 130 yards receiving. Nicks also hauled in a pair of touchdowns – a 6-yard fade to open the scoring and a 12-yarder in the second quarter. Nicks could have easily notched his second three-touchdown game of the season but was tackled at the 1-yard line on one catch and dropped a deep ball up the left sideline that could have been a 51-yard touchdown.

 

“Took my eyes off the ball, man,” Nicks said.

 

Said Manning, “I gave him hell. I guess he didn’t want a four-touchdown day. But two’s good enough.”

 

Nicks can thank Manning he caught his second touchdown. It was an in cut at the back of the end zone made possible by Texans safety Bernard Pollard’s biting on a short out route by Ahmad Bradshaw.

 

During Manning’s weekly players-only film session with his receivers on Friday, he told his targets Houston would play it that way. (“It’s not sound,” he said of the coverage.) Manning told Bradshaw on the spot to run into the flat, even though that wasn’t the called route.

 

“It’s fun when those things work,” Manning said. “It’s not always what the coach had drawn up and what the coach wants me to do. As I get older and as the receivers get older and more confident in understanding when I’m telling them something it’s for their own good, they might get a touchdown out of it.”

 

That touchdown made it 21-0 Giants with 12:56 left in the second quarter. Realizing the Texans erased a 17-point deficit to beat the Redskins in Week 2, the Giants didn’t let up defensively.

 

With two sacks from Osi Umenyiora (both of which were forced fumbles), one from Justin Tuck, four balls batted down at the line, constant pressure on Matt Schaub (16-for-34 for 196 yards and an interception) and sound gap control to limit the Texans’ league-leading rushing attack to only 24 yards on 15 carries, the Giants never let Houston back into this game.

 

The Texans’ only touchdown, which made it 24-10 midway through the third quarter, was due to Manning’s ill-advised throw to Mario Manningham that was intercepted and gave Houston the ball at the Giants’ 17-yard line.

 

“We did a great job of shutting them down,” Tuck said of the Texans’ running game. “After that, it really made them one-dimensional and it allowed us to get some pressure on the quarterback.”

 

By the middle of the fourth quarter, thanks to a field goal and a 4-yard touchdown from Manning to Steve Smith, the pressure was off the Giants. Rolle, who was critical of this team’s passion and even Coughlin’s road schedule, was “gettin’ jiggy wit’ it” like he was Will Smith in 1998.

 

But it’s 2010 – a season that looks a lot more promising than it did two weeks ago.

 

“All of a sudden after winning two games, the media and everybody changes their mind really quickly and they’ll be saying new things,” Manning said. “We can’t listen, whether it’s good things or bad things, we just have to listen to our teammates and coaches and trust each other.”

 

Said Coughlin, “Two wins in a row. Let’s keep it going.”

 

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2010/10/newly_confident_giants_blow_ou.html

[BIGBLUE01]

Like I said from the get go.....HAKEEM NICKS, BEST IN THE NFL!!!!

 

 

GO GIANTS!!

[Storm]

Like I said from the get go.....HAKEEM NICKS, BEST IN THE NFL!!!!

 

 

GO GIANTS!!

 

The Football Scientist Agrees With You

 

Football Scientist: Why Nicks may be the NFL's best WR soon

October, 5, 2010

Oct 5

12:56

PM ET

 

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By KC Joyner

I made a comment during the Sunday night Bears-Giants in-game chat that Hakeem Nicks is fast on his way to becoming the best wide receiver in the NFL.

 

That observation drew a lot of inquiry from Giants fans wanting to know specifically why I said this. Many fans also indicated that while Nicks is good, he might not be in the class of, to quote Creston in Louisville, "Andre Johnson, Vincent Jackson, Calvin Johnson, Greg Jennings, Reggie Wayne, Steve Smith (CAR), Steve Smith (NYG), Miles Austin,Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco, Randy Moss, Wes Welker or Brandon Marshall".

 

Let's start with the case for why Nicks is a great wide receiver. What started this train of thought rolling was when Nicks posted double-digit yards per attempt (YPA) totals in eight of the 11 main metric categories I tracked in 2009. A double-digit showing in any category is a sign of superb play and that Nicks did this at multiple route depths and against varying levels of competition showed he was capable of top-level performance in pretty much any environment.

 

Another feather in his cap is how well he runs his routes. One of things I track during my tape breakdowns is the route the pass-catcher ran on the play. There are nearly 200 route types that can be run (if the routes for running backs and tight ends are included) and Nicks can run a very wide variety of them.

 

It isn't just the volume of routes that is impressive. Nicks is also very precise in his routes. For example, one of the most common route types is the hook route. This is supposed to be a nine-yard route but I cannot begin to tell you how many receivers will either go eight or 10 yards on a hook because they aren't precise enough in their route running.

 

This isn't the case with Nicks. His hook routes are almost always run at nine yards except in the case where coverage dictates he has to run the route shorter. This is but one case of his running textbook routes and that ability is rare and valuable.

 

Lastly, many of the wide receivers named above have certain limitations that would prevent them from ever vying for the No. 1 WR spot in the NFL. Welker and Marshall are primarily short pass route runners. Ochocinco and Owens both struggle against top-level competition. Steve Smith south hasn't been an elite wideout for a couple of years now and Steve Smith north is also more of a possession receiver than an all around threat. That leaves only a few top-name wideouts on the board and Nicks is fast closing in on that group. It might not happen this season, but if he keeps playing like he has the past year and change, he'll be a Pro Bowl and All-Pro candidate before long.

[BIGBLUE01]

The Football Scientist Agrees With You

 

Football Scientist: Why Nicks may be the NFL's best WR soon

October, 5, 2010

Oct 5

12:56

PM ET

 

* Email

* Print

* Comments

 

By KC Joyner

I made a comment during the Sunday night Bears-Giants in-game chat that Hakeem Nicks is fast on his way to becoming the best wide receiver in the NFL.

 

That observation drew a lot of inquiry from Giants fans wanting to know specifically why I said this. Many fans also indicated that while Nicks is good, he might not be in the class of, to quote Creston in Louisville, "Andre Johnson, Vincent Jackson, Calvin Johnson, Greg Jennings, Reggie Wayne, Steve Smith (CAR), Steve Smith (NYG), Miles Austin,Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco, Randy Moss, Wes Welker or Brandon Marshall".

 

Let's start with the case for why Nicks is a great wide receiver. What started this train of thought rolling was when Nicks posted double-digit yards per attempt (YPA) totals in eight of the 11 main metric categories I tracked in 2009. A double-digit showing in any category is a sign of superb play and that Nicks did this at multiple route depths and against varying levels of competition showed he was capable of top-level performance in pretty much any environment.

 

Another feather in his cap is how well he runs his routes. One of things I track during my tape breakdowns is the route the pass-catcher ran on the play. There are nearly 200 route types that can be run (if the routes for running backs and tight ends are included) and Nicks can run a very wide variety of them.

 

It isn't just the volume of routes that is impressive. Nicks is also very precise in his routes. For example, one of the most common route types is the hook route. This is supposed to be a nine-yard route but I cannot begin to tell you how many receivers will either go eight or 10 yards on a hook because they aren't precise enough in their route running.

 

This isn't the case with Nicks. His hook routes are almost always run at nine yards except in the case where coverage dictates he has to run the route shorter. This is but one case of his running textbook routes and that ability is rare and valuable.

 

Lastly, many of the wide receivers named above have certain limitations that would prevent them from ever vying for the No. 1 WR spot in the NFL. Welker and Marshall are primarily short pass route runners. Ochocinco and Owens both struggle against top-level competition. Steve Smith south hasn't been an elite wideout for a couple of years now and Steve Smith north is also more of a possession receiver than an all around threat. That leaves only a few top-name wideouts on the board and Nicks is fast closing in on that group. It might not happen this season, but if he keeps playing like he has the past year and change, he'll be a Pro Bowl and All-Pro candidate before long.

 

HAKEEM THE DREAM!!!!

[CrazedDogs]

If nothing else, Nicks has one hell of a push-off.