Giants allow opportunity to slip past them
EAST RUTHERFORD – Every time you think they are good enough, they should you that this season, they simply are not good enough.
Just when there appears to be a glimmer of light, darkness falls.
Going into Sunday under the light at Giants Stadium, the football gods provided the Giants with yet another gift. Less than an hour before kickoff, the Cowboys saw their December slide continue with a loss at home to the Chargers. That defeat meant that with a win over the Eagles miraculously would be back in first place despite everything that has gone on over the last two months.
Instead, they fumbled it away.
Literally and figuratively.
There have been signs all year of leaks within this team and last night was a culmination in which an interconnection of all three phases to dash any hopes of taking back the NFC East in the Giants 45-38 shootout loss to the Eagles.
It was already bad enough that the Eagles marched down the field with ease for a touchdown on their opening drive 3:32 into the game as once again head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb (along with some help by Mike Vick) found the same holes in the defense that existed in the first game. It got worse when Brandon Jacobs had the ball stripped by Trent Cole and the ricochet went off Kevin Boss’ foot and into the hands of Sheldon Brown, who ran it back 60 yards for a touchdown.
The score 14-0 and the game was not even five minutes old. Just like the first game when it was 13-0 before you could blink. One common theme to these losses has been the turnovers on offense allowing the Eagles to convert them into points.
In the playoff game, Asante Samuel’s interception led to the game-changing touchdown. Another Samuel interception in November led to a touchdown. Now it was Brown with the fumble recovery.
At 17-10, the Giants punt looking to directionally kick and pin DeSean Jackson (perhaps the league most dangerous playmaker) along the sideline. Jeff Feagles’ punt pins Jackson at the 28, but poor coverage allows him to slip free and streak down the right sideline untouched for a 72-yard touchdown.
If you are scoring at home, this means the Eagles have scored a touchdown on offense, defense and special teams. It was a perfect combination for Philadelphia and severe red flag for New York.
Down 24-17 with 0:44 remaining, Osi Umenyiora comes around the end and sacks McNabb from behind, causing the ball to come out of his hands before his arm comes forward. Michael Boley has both hands on the football and nothing but open space to take it back for a touchdown and tie the game.
Instead, he drops the ball.
While this is going on, the ball remains on the ground and no one picks it up as players claim to have heard the whistle blow, stopping the play. The ruling was an unrecovered fumble that allows the Eagles to retain possession. On the next play, McNabb found a wide open Jackson and tight end Brent Celek for 44 and 23 yards down to the 1. Vick ran for a touchdown on the next play for a two score advantage.
It was a game where the Giants were moving the well with ease, but the Eagles were getting their points in an instant.
Turnovers, blown coverage and miscues all showing up at once. If it wasn’t for the magic of one of the scoreboard operators allowing the clock to roll to 0:00 after Domenik Hixon’s fumble was recovered by Philadelphia, it could have been worse.
The Giants get within 30-24 and then linebacker Jonathan Goff intercepts a McNabb pass in the middle of the field, setting up great field position. Only problem is that on the next play, Manning, while scrambling for additional yards, slides headfirst and the ball comes free, giving the ball back to the Eagles.
While it did not cost the Giants, it was another blown chance.
Even with all that, after Hixon broke away for a 61-yard touchdown catch-and-run, the Giants had the lead. There was a 200-yard discrepancy between them and the Eagles and yet the difference wasn’t reflective in the scoreboard.
One play after taking the lead, McNabb goes deep and finds Jackson again, blowing past the Giants secondary for a 60-yard touchdown to retake the lead.
From 30-17 down, they rallied to lead 31-30. Whatever initial euphoria engulfing Giants Stadium for those few moments when they held a one-point lead left in an instant. McNabb dropped back and found Jackson streaking down the middle of the field untouched past Aaron Ross, strutting to the end zone backwards for a touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, the Giants were moving the ball again and had the third-and-five on the Eagles 43, but Ahmad Bradshaw did not make the first down on a shotgun draw (gaining two yards) and rather than going for it on fourth down, elected to punt.
At no point in this game did the defense step up and make a stand against the Eagles offense. When they needed yardage, McNabb and his assortment of playmakers had no trouble doing so. Considering how they have been unable to stop them, it was unconceivable that they would do so this time.
True to form, they didn’t.
91 yards in 12 plays without so much as a third down was what it took the Eagles to march down the field for the clinching touchdown and a 45-31 lead. A disgusting performance was congruent of the entire night for a defense that has seen it fall so far in such a precipitous period.
From dominating to dominated all in a flash.
With 0:26 left, the Giants still had a chance. In reality, they didn’t have much of one. Manning scrambled to look for an open receiver, Darren Howard knocked the ball out of his hands and the Eagles recovered.
It was the fourth turnover of the game for the Giants.
It officially gave the Eagles their four consecutive win over the Giants.
What took minutes for them to score on offense; it took the Eagles mere seconds.
The game was there for the taking and seizing control of first place in the process. It did not happen.
Two games and 85 points this season scored against a defense showing to be as soft as toilet paper.
Now the Giants are in a situation where they need to win out to give themselves a chance to make the playoffs.
It is just another blown opportunity.
EAST RUTHERFORD – Every time you think they are good enough, they should you that this season, they simply are not good enough.
Just when there appears to be a glimmer of light, darkness falls.
Going into Sunday under the light at Giants Stadium, the football gods provided the Giants with yet another gift. Less than an hour before kickoff, the Cowboys saw their December slide continue with a loss at home to the Chargers. That defeat meant that with a win over the Eagles miraculously would be back in first place despite everything that has gone on over the last two months.
Instead, they fumbled it away.
Literally and figuratively.
There have been signs all year of leaks within this team and last night was a culmination in which an interconnection of all three phases to dash any hopes of taking back the NFC East in the Giants 45-38 shootout loss to the Eagles.
It was already bad enough that the Eagles marched down the field with ease for a touchdown on their opening drive 3:32 into the game as once again head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb (along with some help by Mike Vick) found the same holes in the defense that existed in the first game. It got worse when Brandon Jacobs had the ball stripped by Trent Cole and the ricochet went off Kevin Boss’ foot and into the hands of Sheldon Brown, who ran it back 60 yards for a touchdown.
The score 14-0 and the game was not even five minutes old. Just like the first game when it was 13-0 before you could blink. One common theme to these losses has been the turnovers on offense allowing the Eagles to convert them into points.
In the playoff game, Asante Samuel’s interception led to the game-changing touchdown. Another Samuel interception in November led to a touchdown. Now it was Brown with the fumble recovery.
At 17-10, the Giants punt looking to directionally kick and pin DeSean Jackson (perhaps the league most dangerous playmaker) along the sideline. Jeff Feagles’ punt pins Jackson at the 28, but poor coverage allows him to slip free and streak down the right sideline untouched for a 72-yard touchdown.
If you are scoring at home, this means the Eagles have scored a touchdown on offense, defense and special teams. It was a perfect combination for Philadelphia and severe red flag for New York.
Down 24-17 with 0:44 remaining, Osi Umenyiora comes around the end and sacks McNabb from behind, causing the ball to come out of his hands before his arm comes forward. Michael Boley has both hands on the football and nothing but open space to take it back for a touchdown and tie the game.
Instead, he drops the ball.
While this is going on, the ball remains on the ground and no one picks it up as players claim to have heard the whistle blow, stopping the play. The ruling was an unrecovered fumble that allows the Eagles to retain possession. On the next play, McNabb found a wide open Jackson and tight end Brent Celek for 44 and 23 yards down to the 1. Vick ran for a touchdown on the next play for a two score advantage.
It was a game where the Giants were moving the well with ease, but the Eagles were getting their points in an instant.
Turnovers, blown coverage and miscues all showing up at once. If it wasn’t for the magic of one of the scoreboard operators allowing the clock to roll to 0:00 after Domenik Hixon’s fumble was recovered by Philadelphia, it could have been worse.
The Giants get within 30-24 and then linebacker Jonathan Goff intercepts a McNabb pass in the middle of the field, setting up great field position. Only problem is that on the next play, Manning, while scrambling for additional yards, slides headfirst and the ball comes free, giving the ball back to the Eagles.
While it did not cost the Giants, it was another blown chance.
Even with all that, after Hixon broke away for a 61-yard touchdown catch-and-run, the Giants had the lead. There was a 200-yard discrepancy between them and the Eagles and yet the difference wasn’t reflective in the scoreboard.
One play after taking the lead, McNabb goes deep and finds Jackson again, blowing past the Giants secondary for a 60-yard touchdown to retake the lead.
From 30-17 down, they rallied to lead 31-30. Whatever initial euphoria engulfing Giants Stadium for those few moments when they held a one-point lead left in an instant. McNabb dropped back and found Jackson streaking down the middle of the field untouched past Aaron Ross, strutting to the end zone backwards for a touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, the Giants were moving the ball again and had the third-and-five on the Eagles 43, but Ahmad Bradshaw did not make the first down on a shotgun draw (gaining two yards) and rather than going for it on fourth down, elected to punt.
At no point in this game did the defense step up and make a stand against the Eagles offense. When they needed yardage, McNabb and his assortment of playmakers had no trouble doing so. Considering how they have been unable to stop them, it was unconceivable that they would do so this time.
True to form, they didn’t.
91 yards in 12 plays without so much as a third down was what it took the Eagles to march down the field for the clinching touchdown and a 45-31 lead. A disgusting performance was congruent of the entire night for a defense that has seen it fall so far in such a precipitous period.
From dominating to dominated all in a flash.
With 0:26 left, the Giants still had a chance. In reality, they didn’t have much of one. Manning scrambled to look for an open receiver, Darren Howard knocked the ball out of his hands and the Eagles recovered.
It was the fourth turnover of the game for the Giants.
It officially gave the Eagles their four consecutive win over the Giants.
What took minutes for them to score on offense; it took the Eagles mere seconds.
The game was there for the taking and seizing control of first place in the process. It did not happen.
Two games and 85 points this season scored against a defense showing to be as soft as toilet paper.
Now the Giants are in a situation where they need to win out to give themselves a chance to make the playoffs.
It is just another blown opportunity.
No comments:
Post a Comment