Giants win, but problems still linger
EAST RUTHERFORD – Lawrence Tynes lined up for a 39-yard field goal in overtime. If the kick were good, the Giants would snap their four game losing skid.
A miss would give the ball back to Atlanta and with the way the defense was playing in the fourth quarter, would all but assure another devastating loss that have ended their playoff hopes.
The kick was good.
With the ball going through the uprights, the team could finally congratulate each other in victory. At 6-4, they could have something positive to look reflect upon.
However, a victory covered up some of the team’s biggest problems that did not find a cure.
Eli Manning was playing one of the best game had ever played inside Giants Stadium and his touchdown pass to Madison Hedgecock had just given the Giants a 31-17 lead with 12 minutes remaining. The task of the defense was to make one stop and the game would have been over.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan drove his team down the field 65 yards to cut the deficit to seven points with 6:01 left and after the Giants offense stalled at their own 41 and punted the ball back to Atlanta with 3:24 left.
76 yards separated them from the tying score. The defense of the Giants gave up points to the Falcons on each of their last three drives to the tune of 17 points and there didn’t appear to be much of a chance they were going to stop them here.
As expected, Ryan directed his offense towards the end zone and scored when Tony Gonzalez for an 11-yard touchdown strike to send the game into overtime.
To the Giants luck, they were able to win the coin toss in overtime and without current rules to give each team a possession otherwise, the Falcons would have won the game.
Manning (25-of-39, 384 yards) efficiently moved the offense in sudden death and Tynes won it with his right foot. After 42 days, the Giants were finally back in the win column. It wasn’t too long ago where even in victory, there were plenty of issues with the team to complain about. While one should never complain about a win, this game came away with more questions than answers as they continue with six more “one game seasons”.
First, what happened to the defense in the second half?
At no point did the Giants make a stand and force either a punt or a turnover. Pressure applied to Ryan was non-existent in the final 30 minutes as he was able to find open receivers all over the field. After holding Atlanta to just one third down conversion in six attempts in the first half, the Giants defense could not get off the field in the second. The Falcons converted 8-of-10 and committed four defensive penalties.
Second, what happened to the Giants running game?
After 10 games, it is obvious now the offensive line that dominated last season has gone AWOL. Whether teams have countered everything the Giants did well, or are simply being beat at the line of scrimmage by defenders.
Once again, the pronounced strength of the team, its running game, has not been the same. Brandon Jacobs’s pile pushing style of last year has not appeared this season. Perhaps the loss of Derrick Ward hurts more than anyone could have realized. Ahmad Bradshaw has been serviceable, but in has not been able to replicate the production Ward brought to the offense last year.
Most of the penetration on the Giants running plays have come straight up the middle and guard Rich Seubert and center Shaun O’Hara have had subpar years after being recognized (in O’Hara’s case) as a Pro Bowl player in 2008.
There have been very few explosive running plays out of either Jacobs or Bradshaw and this stunning inconsistency has put the game on Manning to deliver a performance as he provided Sunday. The problem is that yesterday was a rather comfortable day at Giants Stadium for throwers because the wind was not a factor.
The final three home games for the Giants will begin December 6 against the Cowboys and the percentages are likely that wind and other weather elements will be in place. Without a running game of any consistency, eventual failure is sure to come, as Manning is sure to have an off game.
Not having a good enough defense (worst in the NFL in the red zone) combine that with the current plight in the red zone on offense (despite converting 3-of-5 chances Sunday) and the Giants have a lot more problems than solutions.
The win is nice. However, they have six games left to fix these problems.
EAST RUTHERFORD – Lawrence Tynes lined up for a 39-yard field goal in overtime. If the kick were good, the Giants would snap their four game losing skid.
A miss would give the ball back to Atlanta and with the way the defense was playing in the fourth quarter, would all but assure another devastating loss that have ended their playoff hopes.
The kick was good.
With the ball going through the uprights, the team could finally congratulate each other in victory. At 6-4, they could have something positive to look reflect upon.
However, a victory covered up some of the team’s biggest problems that did not find a cure.
Eli Manning was playing one of the best game had ever played inside Giants Stadium and his touchdown pass to Madison Hedgecock had just given the Giants a 31-17 lead with 12 minutes remaining. The task of the defense was to make one stop and the game would have been over.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan drove his team down the field 65 yards to cut the deficit to seven points with 6:01 left and after the Giants offense stalled at their own 41 and punted the ball back to Atlanta with 3:24 left.
76 yards separated them from the tying score. The defense of the Giants gave up points to the Falcons on each of their last three drives to the tune of 17 points and there didn’t appear to be much of a chance they were going to stop them here.
As expected, Ryan directed his offense towards the end zone and scored when Tony Gonzalez for an 11-yard touchdown strike to send the game into overtime.
To the Giants luck, they were able to win the coin toss in overtime and without current rules to give each team a possession otherwise, the Falcons would have won the game.
Manning (25-of-39, 384 yards) efficiently moved the offense in sudden death and Tynes won it with his right foot. After 42 days, the Giants were finally back in the win column. It wasn’t too long ago where even in victory, there were plenty of issues with the team to complain about. While one should never complain about a win, this game came away with more questions than answers as they continue with six more “one game seasons”.
First, what happened to the defense in the second half?
At no point did the Giants make a stand and force either a punt or a turnover. Pressure applied to Ryan was non-existent in the final 30 minutes as he was able to find open receivers all over the field. After holding Atlanta to just one third down conversion in six attempts in the first half, the Giants defense could not get off the field in the second. The Falcons converted 8-of-10 and committed four defensive penalties.
Second, what happened to the Giants running game?
After 10 games, it is obvious now the offensive line that dominated last season has gone AWOL. Whether teams have countered everything the Giants did well, or are simply being beat at the line of scrimmage by defenders.
Once again, the pronounced strength of the team, its running game, has not been the same. Brandon Jacobs’s pile pushing style of last year has not appeared this season. Perhaps the loss of Derrick Ward hurts more than anyone could have realized. Ahmad Bradshaw has been serviceable, but in has not been able to replicate the production Ward brought to the offense last year.
Most of the penetration on the Giants running plays have come straight up the middle and guard Rich Seubert and center Shaun O’Hara have had subpar years after being recognized (in O’Hara’s case) as a Pro Bowl player in 2008.
There have been very few explosive running plays out of either Jacobs or Bradshaw and this stunning inconsistency has put the game on Manning to deliver a performance as he provided Sunday. The problem is that yesterday was a rather comfortable day at Giants Stadium for throwers because the wind was not a factor.
The final three home games for the Giants will begin December 6 against the Cowboys and the percentages are likely that wind and other weather elements will be in place. Without a running game of any consistency, eventual failure is sure to come, as Manning is sure to have an off game.
Not having a good enough defense (worst in the NFL in the red zone) combine that with the current plight in the red zone on offense (despite converting 3-of-5 chances Sunday) and the Giants have a lot more problems than solutions.
The win is nice. However, they have six games left to fix these problems.
No comments:
Post a Comment