Seeing light at the end of the tunnel

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As hard as it might be to believe, the New York Giants are still in contention to win the NFC Eastern Division. Despite their 3-7 record, which included 4 losses by seven points or less, the Giants are only 1 game out of first place in the extremely challenged NFC East.

The fact that they are still in the race, in and of itself, should not be the sole reason for optimism. Whoever emerges as the NFC East division champion will still have to face what is likely to be far better competition. The real reason for optimism regarding the New York Giants is that they are playing better each week. And their marked improvement is tangible.

Revisiting last week’s 27-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, all one had to do was look into Daniel Jones eyes to know that the outcome of this game would be different from the 6 losses incurred earlier in the season. Jones gritty determination and improvement with ball handling was clearly evident. No longer willing to be a laughingstock, Jones put this team on his back for the entire 60 minutes and drove them to a complete game 27-17 win which included two long rushing touchdowns by himself (one of which was negated by a holding penalty). Although probably deserved, Jones can’t be given all of the credit for the win.

Assisted by quality performances for a second week in a row by Wayne Gallman and free agent acquisition Alfred Morris, the Giants running game is clearly improving. Gallman ran for 53 yards on 18 carries and had two rushing touchdowns in the game. He appears to be implementing a jump cut which has helped him gain a few extra yards per carry. Morris, who had a very impressive game against his former team (Washington) the week earlier, continued his effective running to the tune of 34 yards on 8 carries. Without a homerun threat like Saquon Barkley, the Giants appear to be forging ahead with a running game that is finding its identity thanks to improving offensive line play.

Whatever they are doing with this offensive line, it is resulting in increased production with at least 160 yards on the ground in each of the past 3 games. Whether it’s rotating players in and out of the lineup, the insertion of Shane Lemieux into the left guard position when Will Hernandez was out, improved performances by Andrew Thomas at left tackle or the encouraging performance of Matt Peart whenever he has been in the game, it is working. Hopefully the surprise firing of offensive line coach Marc Columbo and the hiring of Dave DeGuglielmo will not be too disruptive to the development of the line.

As for the receiving corps, Darius Slayton continues to be their highest production player with 5 receptions for 93 yards against Philadelphia. Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate, Dion Lewis and Tight End Evan Engram formed a competent supporting cast. Newly inserted free agent rookie Austin Mack has the appearance of a keeper after his long reception in last week’s victory over Washington.

Now for the “bend but not break” defense which up until last week both bent and broke. Not this week (or last). Although the Giants D gave up double digit leads in six straight games this year, perhaps a statement is being made with this second straight win. We have said it repeatedly; there is talent on this defense. However, there is a clear lack of talent in some key places, like cornerback opposite the impressive James Bradberry. Isaac Yiadom gives up more big plays than he makes. The rookie cornerback covering the slot receiver, Darnay Homes appears to be instrumental in defending more big plays. The same can be said of Safety Jabrill Peppers, who led the team with 7 tackles including a ½ sack against the Eagles. Rookie safety Xavier McKinney will be coming off the IR soon. There are great expectations in place for him.

Patrick Graham’s defense did what it was supposed to do. With the exception of allowing a Boston Scott 50-yard catch and run, the Giants D limited the Eagles big plays. Perhaps most importantly, unlike several of the games played earlier in the season, the Giants were able to get off the field on third down. Pressure up front continues to be provided by Dexter Lawrence, Dalvin Tomlinson and Leonard Williams. Newly acquired Trent Harris contributed by providing an important sack. The linebackers, led by the overachieving Blake Martinez, continue to be effective.

Our friend and renowned football enthusiast Gregory Frank provided his insights on the Giants 27-17 win last Sunday. Here are his observations:

Although Daniel Jones has gotten the brunt of the blame for his tendency to be turnover prone, much of that blame can be also be attributed to an offensive line that still has far to go in being an effective pass-blocking unit. According to ESPN, the Giants are last in the NFL in pass blocking win rate, at 44%. What is pass blocking win rate, you ask. An offensive lineman needs to sustain his block for at least 2.5 seconds. If he can do so, that’s a win. Whether that statistic is what led to the recent firing of offensive line coach Marc Columbo is unclear, but it certainly didn’t help.

James Bradberry showed Sunday that he is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL right now. Against the Eagles, Bradberry allowed just two completions for a mere 15 yards, while breaking up two passes. Those two break-ups, by the way, added to his tied-for-the-league total of 14.

The NFC East intra-divisional record is 8-8, and is an abysmal 2-18-1 outside the division. If the Giants can beat Dallas later this season, they will finish with an intra-division record of 4-2. One or two more wins, perhaps against Cincinnati and Cleveland, may be enough to secure the division title. Yes, it’s that kind of season for the NFC East, but a playoff berth is a playoff berth, however you get there.

The Giants undoubtedly played their best game of the season against the Eagles in last week’s victory. Can they keep the momentum going and ultimately take charge of the NFC Eastern Division? Time will tell. One thing seems clear; head coach Joe Judge appears to be leading the New York Giants in the right direction.

Huddleball.com welcomes all fan insight and opinions. If you want to blog with us this season, please email us at huddleball@gmail.com

All bets are off in the NFC East

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The Giants week 6 win over the Washington Football Team was not the most decisive victory in team history. It was won when Washington’s head coach Ron Rivera (aka “Riverboat Ron”) decided to go for a two-point conversion after scoring a touchdown in the final minutes which made the score 20-19 in favor of the Giants. The two-point conversion failed and the Giants won.

Still there were positives to be taken from this game. And perhaps, in the dismal NFC East, the Giants are still alive in the competition. It appears that the NFC East Division winner will be decided by the outcome of head- to-head games within the division since it is clear that none of the teams can generate a victory outside of the division.

The Giants are playing on Thursday night this week in an important division game against the Philadelphia Eagles. (I am glad we don’t have to call them the “Philadelphia Football Team”; that would just make things too weird). Since we are on a short week, rather than providing a lengthy game analysis from the victory over Washington, here are a few key observations courtesy of our friend and sports aficionado, Gregory Frank:

Daniel Jones is a legitimate running quarterback, and among the best running quarterbacks in the NFL. Sunday, he ran for 78 yards on only four carries, including one run for 49 yards. And on the 49 yard run, he reached a speed of almost 21 mph. That’s not Derrick Henry speed necessarily, but it was among the highest speeds attained that weekend.

Jason Garrett’s play calling is too conservative and unimaginative. When the Giants needed to pick up important yards, either to get a first down or to get past midfield, they invariably gave the ball to Devonta Freeman to run up the middle, which usually gained only three yards or less. It seems clear they’re trying to limit the number of times Daniel Jones makes a mistake, but they need to take bigger risks to open up the offense.

Ryan Lewis appears to be a solid addition to the Giants secondary, playing opposite James Bradberry. True, he was targeted by Dallas quarterback Andy Dalton for the 38 yard play that set up their winning field goal, but he was quite effective for most of the game, and seemed to be a significant upgrade from Corey Ballantine.

Good points, Greg. I like the addition of Lewis as well as it became increasingly frustrating to see Ballantine get beat on every pass thrown in his direction. I also agree with the comments about Jason Garrett. I would say thus far his play calling would be significantly underwhelming.

Tonight’s Giants matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, although dominated by Philadelphia in recent years, is anyone’s game. The rivalry, which dates back to 1933, is still pretty even at 88-86-2 over the history of the two franchises. Despite the Eagles more recent success (they have won the division twice in recent years), I will always maintain a fair amount of disrespect for this team as I grew up in the Ron Jaworski years.

Jaworski, also known as The Polish Rifle, was terrorized by Lawrence Taylor in the 80’s. I believe he still has nightmares of seeing Taylor lined up near the line of scrimmage. Jaworski was sacked by Taylor 12.5 times in his career beating Joe Theismann’s glowing number of 8 sacks by Taylor.

On a final note, like many, I have joined a fantasy football league in this year of Covid confinement. While amusing at times, this has created no end of mixed loyalties when viewing games this season. Tonight’s matchup is no different. While I will be routing for my GMEN to win the game, I will also be pulling for Philadelphia running back Boston Scott to register some impressive stats.

Huddleball.com welcomes all fan insight and opinions. If you want to blog with us this season, please email us at huddleball@gmail.com.

Close is just not good enough…

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When you’re 0-5, it is probably safe to say that you are what your record says you are. That holds true for the New York Giants.

Blowing a 14 point lead early in the game, the 2020 New York Giants looked for every possible way to give up their lead. Most notable guffaws from Week 5 included eight penalties for 81 yards which resulted in two touchdowns being taken off the board; far more points than would have been required in their 37-34 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Throw in a clear missed pick-6 by cornerback James Bradberry and one has to be wondering where the team’s concentration is during the games played thus far.

The truth of the matter is that the Giants have been in the thick of 3 winnable games in 2020. The scores included the following:

Week 2: 17-13 loss to the Chicago Bears

Week 4: 17-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams

Week 5: 37-34 loss to the Dallas Cowboys

Their only blowout in 2020 thus far came at the hands of the San Francisco Forty Niners who, playing a number of backups, handily beat the Giants 36-9. Throw in a 26-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season opener as another game in which the GMEN were manhandled on both the O-line and D-lines.

Looking under the hood, one can see that there is plenty wrong with this team. Let’s look at the Giants Regular Season Statistics through 5 games (courtesy of Espn.com):

2020 Regular Season Statistics

Offense

GP	YDS	YDS/G	YDS	YDS/G	YDS	YDS/G	PTS	PTS/G
5	1,412	282.4	1,017	203.4	395	79.0	81	16.2

Ranking: 30^th

Defense

The Giants defense, on the other hand, while keeping things close during most games played in 2020 continues to allow game-winning drives.

GP	TOT. PTS	PTS/G	RUSH YDS	RUSH YDS/G	pyds Pyds/game	TOT YDS	YDS/G
5	133	26.6	553	110.60	1162 232.40	1715	343

Ranking: 20^th (Per Pro Football Focus)

This is the third time this season Jones had a chance to win the game on the final drive, against the Bears, Rams, and now Cowboys, and has come up empty each time. Joe Montana, he’s not, Obviously, that’s an unfairly high bar, but he needs to convert some of these drives into wins if he’s going to be anything more than a journeyman quarterback.

This game saw a significant step in the right direction for the Giants offense, although it’s difficult to discern whether this was due to an improvement in Jason Garrett’s play calling or just a consequence of playing against arguably the worst defense in the league. Devonta Freeman, who had 60 yards on 17 carries, showed good field vision, finding holes a still developing offensive line created for him.

The Giants secondary remains a major weakness despite their offseason attempts to improve it. James Bradberry looks to be a bright spot, as he was able to contain Amari Cooper most of the game, but Ryan Lewis allowed a 38 yard gain by Michael Gallup that set up the winning field goal. And unfortunately, the Giants number 2 pick in this season’s draft, Xavier McKinney, who was arguably the best safety in this draft class, has yet to see the field due to injury.

It is safe to say that this team does not inspire any confidence in maintaining a lead. Even after the Giants took a 34-31 lead with 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter (after an Andy Dalton fumble resulting from a bad snap), this 2020 team does not let you rest assured that a victory is in sight. The Cowboys game winning drive saw Dalton connect with Amari Cooper on a 15 yard pass, wide receiver Michael Gallup on a deep pass for 19 yards, and then Gallup again for a 38 yard reception. That basically sums up the Giants season thus far; inability to make the big stop when needed. Cowboys kicker Greg Zuerlein proceeded to kick a 34-yard field goal to win the game, 37-34.

Long gone are the days of Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyoura, Justin Tuck and Matthias Kiwanuka. The fact is that the current Giants squad does not have one defensive player on the roster who can be counted on to secure a win. And if you thought that special player was going to be Defensive End Lorenzo Carter this season, you would be wrong. He left the game and the team for the season with a torn achilles. Yet another bit of misfortune in a horrendous season.

Bad drafting (Eric Flowers), bad luck (Saquon’s injury), Covid-10… all must improve before the Giants emerge from the cellar of the NFL.

Special thanks to our friend Gregory Frank for sharing his intimate thoughts about the week 5 matchup vs. the Cowboys.

Huddleball.com welcomes all fan insight and opinions. If you want to blog with us this season, please email us at huddleball@gmail.com.

The Giants lost to the Rams 17-9 this past Sunday. Is there still reason to cheer?

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It’s OK, Nick. I do believe you are telling it like it is. Having been a Giants fan since 1970, I can remember many more bad years than good. The past four seasons, as you have stated, have been garbage.

It’s not for lack of trying. More likely, bad hiring decisions by the Mara/Tisch ownership group. Starting with the decision to keep coach Coughlin on for too long as well as an aging Eli Manning, management thinking should have turned proactive. The decisions to hire Ben Macadoo and then Pat Shurmer as head coach were both bad moves. Neither one of these hires was ready to be a true head coach. Unquestionably competent as position coaches, they did not operate with the vision needed by a head coach. Quite frankly, they lacked the overall management skills required to keep their teams together.

Now let’s fast forward to present day. I actually like what I’ve heard coming out of the mouth of Joe Judge. Coming from perhaps the most respected coaching tree in the league, namely the New England Patriots, as well as the Nick Saban college ranks, Judge will eventually see success in the NFL. Giants fans of course hope this will be sooner as opposed to later.

Believe it or not, the defense is improving

On Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, the Giants became closer to becoming a winning team. Their defense is improving. Notable stars are emerging on the D-line, in the linebacking corps and in the secondary. Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams are providing some push up the middle. Blake Martinez and Kyler Fackrell are making names for themselves from the linebacker group. (Who doesn’t like the addition of Martinez, who always seems to be around the ball?). Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham appears to be doing a good job with his personnel. Although they are likely to be a few players away from being consistently competitive, I do feel the defense is headed in the right direction.

No real threats on offense

With Saquon Barkley in the game (and as was the case when we had O’Dell Beckum Jr. on the team), there was the belief that the GMEN could score on any play in which they touched the ball. The closest thing the current team can claim to having a home run threat is wide receiver Darius Slayton (3-48 against the Rams). Slayton is off to a quiet start of the season thus far. The talented yet extremely unreliable Evan Engram is not doing the job at Tight End and the often- injured Golden Tate and Sterling Shepard are, often injured. Without the game-breaking talent of a Barkley or a Beckum, the current squad is having difficulty scoring touchdowns at the moment. Kicking field goals, as we know, is a recipe for losing games. Thus, the 0-4 start with 2 defeats (Bears and Rams) which were winnable games.

The GMEN are still feeling around for their best five offensive lineman. This is something that teams often do during the preseason (oh that’s right, there wasn’t a preseason this year!). Well, the shuffling around of linemen on the roster is likely to continue until there seems to be consistency on the offensive line with some inkling of ability to run and/or pass block, hopefully both.

I do believe there is talent on the offensive line. If Marc Columbo can unlock the motivational key on Will Hernandez (am I the only Giants fan who thinks that he should be playing better than he is… ?), along with rookies Andrew Thomas, Matt Peart and Shane Lemieux, the core of the offensive line might be set for a few years. Imagine if the Giants don’t have to focus on drafting offensive lineman in the next NFL draft ?

I know that Pro Football Focus has Cameron Fleming rated as the top offensive lineman for the Giants thus far this season. If that’s the case, yikes! I have found his contributions to be serviceable at best. I liken him to a Kevin Booth. (Booth could take up a lot more space though). It will be interesting to see if coaches try to work in Shane Lemieux in to one of the guard positions or swing new Center, Nick Gates out to the Right Tackle position which I believe he played in college. Inserting Lemieux would bring a bit of nastiness to the offensive line (something we thought would be provided by Will Hernandez) which this team could undoubtedly use.

Back to the offense, the backfield consisting of the newly acquired Devonta Freeman, Wayne Gallman and Dion Lewis is not likely to inspire too much fear in the minds of opposing defenses. Coaching has to be more creative in using their running back’s best attributes (screen passes?). Handoffs from the line of scrimmage aren’t going to do the job until the offensive line demonstrates the ability to open running lanes. Devonta Freeman’s workload should increase each week as he is learning more of the playbook. The good news is that it appears that he has something left in the tank.

Last but not least

Now let’s talk about Daniel Jones. Is the glass half-full or half-empty? Both, I guess. He certainly does appear to be a work-in-progress. Having grown up during the Phil Simms years, I have seen the evolution of a Giants quarterback. It took Simms 4 or 5 seasons trading starts with his backup Scott Brunner before he took command of the position and went on to greater things, including a victory and mvp in Superbowl XXI.

So does Daniel Jones have a Superbowl victory in him? Impossible to tell at this point. You have to believe he is doing his best to control his turnovers at this point. Improvement on the offensive line will be essential to his development. We must also see better decision making from Jones, especially in the Red Zone. Personally, I want to see more of the fire that we saw in Phil Simms turnaround as the QB for the GMEN. Jones needs to take control of this offense and show his linemen that he has the ability to lead this team to winning games this season and beyond.

If the Giants don’t win any games this season, fans will be calling for Jones head on a plate as well as those of head coach Joe Judge and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. They are facing an underachieving yet offensively talented 1-3 Dallas Cowboys team this week. Always a favorite rival, this game will be a good barometer of how much the Giants defense has improved thus far in the 2020. season. Stay tuned and get your popcorn ready…

Huddleball.com welcomes all fan insight and opinions. If you want to blog with us this season, please email us at huddleball@gmail.com.

Run Forrest Run !

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When your quarterback is the leading rusher for your team, as was the case with Daniel Jones of the New York Giants this past Sunday against the San Francisco Forty Niners, this is usually telling of the outcome of the game. Jones was the Giants leading rusher with 5 carries for 49 yards. When this appears to be the best play that you have going for you on offense, it is likely to be a long day.

Week 3 against the San Francisco Forty Niners offered very few positives for the New York Giants. The GMEN were thoroughly dominated by the Forty Niners on both sides of the ball. Time of possession said it all. The Niners had the ball 39:44 to the Giants 20:16, their lowest time of possession since a December 24, 2006 game against the New Orleans Saints. Worst of all, the Giants were soundly beaten by a team comprised on backups. No Garoppolo, no Kittle, no Mostert. The Niners backups Nick Mullens (QB), Jerick McKinnon, Brandon Aiyuk, Kendrick Bourne, J. Wilson Jr. (RB & WR’s), and Ross Dwelley (TE) torched the GMEN to the tune of 25 completions on 36 attempts passing in a thoroughly dominant 36-9 victory.

What is wrong with the Giants?

Pretty much everything. Whereas most analysts predicted that the Giants were at most a 6-game winner this season, it is possible they won’t win any games. This season is not for the faint hearted.

The Giants are at best a work-in-progress. They look competent on some plays but don’t sustain drives. Their defense makes the occasional sack, deflection or run-stop, but can’t seem to make any critical plays when needed. As the statistics indicate, the defense was on the field for what felt like the entire game on Sunday against the Niners, unable to make any needed key third down stops. This makes it easy to say this is a horrible team. Perhaps they are, at the moment. Their record and stats for the 2020 season thus far would indicate as much.

It isn’t like the Giants don’t have any talent. They do, on both sides of the ball. A number of players have shown signs of playmaking capability. Perhaps they simply needed the offseason and 4 preseason games, all lost to the Coronavirus epidemic. Perhaps they need more direction from their coaches and head coach.

Some defensive linemen and linebackers have flashed. Leonard Williams finally appears to be wrapping his arms around the quarterback (2 sacks); Lorenzo Carter has shown the ability to pressure the quarterback although the sacks have been slow to come. Oshane Ximinez and Kyler Fackrell have to get home more in their limited opportunities. Is it as simple as saying that their play is the result of not having an offseason or any preseason games to assess their strengths and weaknesses? Perhaps to an extent, but at some point coaches have to start making a difference. Kyle Shanahan’s play calling gave the Giants fits all game. The Niners scored four touchdowns and two field goals on six visits to the red zone. The Giants, on the other hand, did not run one play inside the Niners 20 yard line. Total domination by the Niners!

The secondary has been spotty at best. Free agent cornerback signing James Bradberry has made several pass breakups in addition to a few interceptions. Julian Love has an interception and has been involved in some quality defensive plays. I think I saw Logan Ryan check in for a play or two against the Forty Niners. However, the other corner position, as expected, has yielded too many key plays.

The Giants are too predictable. When their opponents need a key third down reception, an opposing receiver can always be seen steaking across the middle of the field untouched. The fact is, nobody is making key stops.

The offense has been equally unreliable. As easy as it is to say the team’s fate rested in Saquon Barkley’s hands, they must move on after his devastating season-ending injury. All teams are experiencing a plethora of major injuries this season. The who’s who list includes Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, Jimmy Garoppolo, Richard Sherman, Michael Thomas, Davante Adams, Julio Jones and others.

The injury wave can’t be the result of coincidence. It is the ramification of forcing a league to begin on time without the benefit of an offseason as well as preseason games.

As for the GMEN, growing pains had to be expected for Daniel Jones in Season 2. The bloom has come of the rose. It is time to determine if Jones has what it takes to be the quarterback of the New York Giants. His “dear in the headlights” face from operating behind an offensive line that lacks coherence and continuity is growing thin on fans. He is going to have to make plays on his own. He has definitively shown us that he has the running ability to do so. He must also demand play-calling which keeps opposing teams guessing.

It is indeed a trying time to be a Giants fan. Even though we have been spoiled with 4 Superbowl wins in the last 30 years, we have not had a winning season since 2016 when they went 11-5. It is not too much to ask for a team with a winning record. Look at the models of consistency in the NFL. Look at the Patriots, Saints, Seahawks and Forty Niners; teams that have consistently winning records.

I am not asking for this team to be in the Superbowl this year. Far from it. I am simply requiring progress in some areas; offense, defense, special teams. Just show me improvement week to week that can be built on regardless of the outcome of the game. That is all I am asking for. Without progress, you become a lesser franchise perennial cellar-dweller.

If you watch Sean Payton (head coach, New Orleans Saints) call a game, you know to expect the unexpected. Although he does have a Superbowl-winning quarterback at the helm of his offense, he brings in another quarterback turned jack-of-all-trades Taysom Hill in on offense to mix things up. I am not saying that gadget plays are the key to a New York Giants turnaround. I am saying that more creativity from the coaching staff will be required if the Giants are to achieve any wins in this bizarre virus-impaired season. Up next week: a visit to the Los Angeles Rams.

Huddleball.com welcomes all fan insight and opinions. If you want to blog with us this season, please email us at huddleball@gmail.com.

Do you remember when we traded for this running back?

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A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, New York Giants General Manager George Young pulled the trigger on a trade with the Houston Oilers for a backup running back named Rob Carpenter. A fifth year pro, Carpenter became relegated to fullback duties when the Oilers drafted Earl Campbell in 1978. Apparently the Giants had their eyes on Carpenter for a few years. He was a good blocker, good runner and had excellent hands. Perhaps most importantly, he was tough. Carpenter had been averaging 300 yards per season for the Oilers in his 3 + seasons with the team but was deemed expendable in head coach Ed Biles scheme which featured Earl Campbell and Tim Wilson as the blocking back.

I have some not-so-fond memories of this time as a young Giants fan. I remember full-well hearing Leon Perry’s name being called on third and one. The result more often than not was Fourth and One. The Giants were forced to punt the ball. (Going for it at that time was all but unheard of).

The Giants traded undisclosed draft picks for Carpenter, thought to have been as low as a third round pick. As it turned out, the trade was a good one for the Giants. Lifting up a weak running game that featured Billy Taylor, Doug Kotar and Leon Perry, Carpenter went on to have the best season of his career rushing for 833 yards including 4-100 yard games.

Carpenter led the Giants to their first playoff victory in decades with 33 carries for 161 yards as well as 4 receptions for 32 yards in a 27-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He continued to play for the Giants until 1985.

Fast forward to present day. The Giants have lost their all-world back Saquon Barkley to a season-ending acl injury. As if anything more could go wrong in the world this season, the best player on the Giants went down with a major injury in Game 2. Barkley was the key to the Giants offense. So heavily relied upon to move the chains for the Giants, his backup, Wayne Gallman was not even activated for the game.

The Giants slept walked through the first half against the Chicago Bears making the Mitch Trubisky-led offense look better than they were. The Bears wide receivers featuring Allen Robinson, Cordarrelle Patterson, Anthony Miller and Darnell Mooney effectively offset the run game led by David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen. The Bears led the Giants, 10-0 before the Giants’ Daniel Jones threw his first interception of the day. Total yardage thus far in the game was entirely in the Bears favor; 81 yards to the Giants 4.

On their final drive of the first half, Trubisky operated like a surgeon. Using weapons Darnell Mooney, Javon Wims and Ryan Nall, Trubisky ended the drive with a touchdown pass to Moody over struggling cornerback Corey Ballentine. Trubisky was 5 of 5 on this drive for 56 yards. The Giants pass rush on this drive was nowhere to be found.

The Giants, on the other hand, were rumbling, stumbling and fumbling. Their first three possessions featured a fumble, a punt and an interception before Barkley went down with his season-ending injury. The Giants attempted a 57-yard field goal with 2 seconds left in the half. The result was a miss. The GMEN had 31 passing yards in the first half. The score was 17-0 at the half. For those of you scoring at home, the last time the Bears shutout the Giants in the first half was 1991. Surprising as it was, the Giants were still in the game.

In the words of NFL coaching immortal Knute Rockne, “build up on your weaknesses until they become your strong points”. Perhaps these words were among the half time speech given to the team by head coach Joe Judge as the Giants made a valiant effort in the second half.

After an opening drive that included a third down sack of Daniel Jones by the Bears’s Akiem Hicks, the Giants showed some life on the next drive when Julian Love intercepted a Trubisky pass that was tipped by cornerback James Bradberry. The Giants proceeded to turn the drive into 3 points and they were on the board… score 17-3 in favor of the Bears.

After losing wide receiver Sterling Shepard to what would be a season-ending toe injury, the Giants used an assortment of players including Wide Receiver C.J. Board and Tight End Kaden Smith on an 8-play, 91 yard scoring drive resulting in a Dion Lewis touchdown for the GMEN. The Giants were back in this one, 17-10.

On the Bears next drive, Giants cornerback James Bradberry proved his worth with an amazing interception of Trubisky. Using his newest favorite weapons, CJ Board and Kaden Smith, Daniel Jones drove the Giants down to field goal position where new kicker Graham Gano made the score 17-13… game on!

The Bears followed up with a drive that caught the Giants defense off guard with 57 yards on the ground. They attempted to end it with a long field goal attempt which was no good. With 2:02 left in the game, the Giants would get the ball back on what would wind up being their final drive of the game.

The GMEN proceeded to keep to keep their drive alive with two fourth down conversions. Finally, with time winding down to 8 seconds left, the GMEN were called for offensive pass interference as Wide Receiver Golden Tate pushed off his defender. Game over. The Giants lost 17-13. Although nobody likes a loss, it is easy to see the positive in the Giants second half performance. One can’t help but believe that they could have pulled out a victory with additional time on the clock.

Moving forward, the Giants signed free agent running back Devonta Freeman to fill-in for the injured Saquon Barkley. Freeman is a 28-year old two-time Pro Bowler who can do it all; run, catch and block. Some think Freeman’s best years are behind him. I ask all fans to remember the Rob Carpenter lesson. An early-mid season key addition to your team can infuse energy and enthusiasm.

Whereas I am not necessarily looking for a playoff visit this year for the 0-2 Giants, I do think that the addition of Freeman will help the GMEN on putting a few more W’s on the board this year. I do see some positive signs on both sides of the ball for the GMEN and loved the second half effort displayed in the Bears game, albeit in a loss. With the addition of Freeman and continued improvement on both sides of the ball, I think this team might surprise. Just some thoughts from an ignorantly optimistic Giants fan!

Huddleball.com welcomes all fan insight and opinions. If you want to blog with us this season, please email us at huddleball@gmail.com.

Giants vs. Steelers: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

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Before we begin this version of the Sergio Leone classic, allow me to say how great it was to enjoy NFL football this weekend. In light of the year we are all experiencing, NFL football is a much welcomed diversion from Covid- related news updates. Amazingly enough, it appears that the NFL has found a way to provide us with a revised version of entertainment, albeit with few-to-no fans in the stadium and sideline personnel wearing masks. (One recommendation I do have to make; lay off the closeups of Chiefs coach Andy Reid if he continues to wear the plastic mask shield. His shield was covered in an unappealing moisture fog cloud). And let’s all keep our fingers crossed that there are no health repercussions as a result of the games being played this past weekend.

Now for the much anticipated season opener between the Giants and the Steelers, whose outcome came at no surprise. The Steelers won the game, 26-16, but for Giants fans, it could have been worse. The truth of the matter is that the GMEN were in the game much of the first half and were actually leading the Steelers 10-3 after their third drive of the game. Then reality set in. There was a tougher, more polished team in this game that was not from New York with a Superbowl-winning quarterback leading them named Ben Roethlisberger. Truth be told, the Steelers were manhandling the Giants on several fronts. After the Giants held a brief 10-3 lead, an impressive New York drive was stalled when the Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt intercepted a Daniel Jones pass. Ben’s pass to Ju-Ju Smith Shuster over new Giants cornerback James Bradberry made the score 10-9. The tide had indeed turned.

The Giants were unable to get Saquon Barkley going pretty much the entire game. Run blocking was non-existent. The Steelers stated after the game that their primary mission was to render Saquon Barkley ineffective during the game. They succeeded in achieving this goal. This is how the Giants linemen fared against the Steelers:

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Linemen Rankings From Pro Football Focus:

LT-Andrew Thomas: 60.8

LG-Will Hernandez: 46.3

C- Nick Gates: 54.4

RG- Kevin Zeitler: 49.6

RT- Cameron Fleming: 51.6

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The Giants proceeded to go nowhere on their next possession. Saquon continued to get stuffed on or near the line of scrimmage. At this point in the game, he had 7 rushes for -6 yards. This is not a recipe for winning the game. And when James Connor went down with an injury for the Steelers, his replacement, Benny Snell ran hard on the Giants to the tune of 19 carries for 113 yards.

The Giants and the Steelers exchanged possessions leaving the ball in the hands of the Steelers. Big Ben looked to be in form as he continued to find Ju-Ju Shuster Smith open. Rookie Darnay Holmes was unable to stay with him. A 13-yard pass from Ben to James Washington made it 16-10 at the half. Ben was 5-7 for 67 yards and a touchdown on this last drive.

With the Giants trailing 16-10 in the third quarter, Daniel Jones ended a heroic 19-play drive that could have put them ahead with an awful interception just outside of the end zone. This blunder was a key point in the game for the Giants, who never recovered. Pittsburgh took control of the remainder of the game.

The Steelers went on a 9-play 62 yard drive that made the score 19-10, Steelers. The inability of Barkley to gain positive yards on offense combined with the inability to stop linebacker Bud Dupree from getting to Daniel Jones was a theme that remained constant throughout the second half of the game.

The Giants did score again on Darius Slayton’s second touchdown reception of the day. The Steelers added one more score. The final score was 26-16 Steelers. Now for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly !

(cue music)

The Good

The Giants were in this game, for the most part
Rookie LT Andrew Thomas was not abused by TJ Watt and Bud Dupree. The remainder of the Giants O-line were.
Darius Slayton is a star. He picked up where he left off last season with 2 TD receptions and over 100 receiving yards
Both Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence registered sacks in this game
LB Blake Martinez was all over the field in this game. As advertised, he recorded 12 tackles (8 solo)
We didn’t really expect to win this game, did we?

The Bad

Nick Gates struggled in his first attempt at the Center position for the Giants
Cam Fleming struggled in his first outing at Right Tackle for the GMEN
The Giants run-blocking was non-existent against the Steelers
The Giants could not stop the Steelers from converting any key plays, a disturbing issue that seems to have carried-forward from last season.
Both Cornerbacks James Blackberry and Isaac Yiadom were beaten for touchdowns

The Ugly

Saquon Barkely had 15 rushes for 6 yards
Evan Engram continued to no-show in key games with 2 receptions for 9 yards. He dropped passes and missed blocks.

Next week we are off to Chicago. It will be interesting to see if Joe Judge’s young squad can build off this outing against the Steelers.

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So You’re Telling Me There’s Still A Chance ?

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Believe it or not, there is… at least on paper. At 2-4, the New York Giants are only 1 game out of first place in a fairly dismal NFC East. This is where the optimism ends and reality set in. Although the GMEN are very much in the race in the NFC East, anyone who has watched the NFL this season realizes that there is a great divide between elite teams and pretenders. This Giants team falls into this latter category.

Early losses to the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills were forgotten after the Giants inserted Daniel Jones into the role of starting quarterback. He proceeded to orchestrate an exciting tug-of-war win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a convincing win over the Washington Redskins. The legend of “Danny Dimes” was alive and well. Optimism ran rampant that they had found the steal of the draft; Giant fans began to think that perhaps anything was possible. That was until the Minnesota Vikings entered their building in East Rutherford.

The Vikings defense battered the GMEN, sacking Daniel Jones 4 times and hitting him countless other times. Welcome to the NFL, lad! The Vikings were far more physical than the Giants and won the game 28-10 (it could have been worse). The Vikings had 490 yards on offense including 211 yards on the ground. Whatever was accomplished in the Giants two previous victories appeared to be gone.

Next up was the New England Patriots who highlighted the Giants deficiencies even more in their 35-14 victory. The Patriots forced 4 turnovers and dominated the GMEN as the game went on. The legend of “Danny Dimes” took a hit again with a 3 interception game. It didn’t help matters that they were playing against the best defense in the NFL.

Still, there were moments early in the game that reminded us of the magic that occurs when the Giants play the Patriots. When Lorenzo Carter (where has he been?) sacked and stripped the ball from Tom Brady only to be picked up and ran into the end zone by Marcus Golden for a Giants touchdown, flashback memories of Strahan, Tuck and Umenyoura came into the minds of Giants fans everywhere. At least for a little while.

Tom Brady did not have a good first half but did enough to keep the Patriots ahead at the half, 21-14. The second half was another story. Belichek’s defense made their necessary adjustments and dominated the GMEN exposing their injuries to their RB’s and WR’s. When Jon Hilliman fumbled the ball late in the game which was recovered by Kyle Van Noy and returned for a touchdown, the Giants were down 28-14 and the game was officially over.

The Giants were severely outmatched in this game both on offense and defense; that much was clear. With injuries to several offensive players including running backs and wide receivers, and injuries to their defense at the linebacker position, the outcome of this game was a surprise to nobody. Was it too much to count on David Mayo to have another 9 tackle performance as he did against the Minnesota Vikings? (He actually had 13 tackles in this game).

Who, by the way, is David Mayo? David Mayo is the next man up or an undrafted free agent, the Giants answer to a depleted linebacking corps. The Giants all but neglected the linebacker position relying on often injured Alec Ogletree and BJ Goodson who, by the way was beaten out of a starting job by rookie Ryan Connolly. Connolly, after playing well the first few games of the season went down with a torn ACL in week 3. Thus, the Giants had no choice but to turn to free agency using the likes of David Mayo. Mayo actually had 13 tackles in the Patriots game and has to be credited for being around the ball often.

Linebacker was not the only position that the Giants failed to backup adequately going into the 2019 season. Against the Patriots, the Giants suited up the feared duo of Jon Hilliman and Elijah Perry at Running Back. The result of this decision; 16 carries for 52 yards. Hilliman’s late game fumble was likely the reason he was cut promptly after the game to be replaced by veteran running back Buck Allen, a castoff from the Baltimore Ravens. The Giants better hope to have Saquon Barkley back in week 7 if they are to have any chance in a wide- open NFC East race.

So where do we stand at 2-4 after losing the last two games? IN THE THICK OF IT IN THE NFC EAST!

Best case scenario:

Looking at the Giants remaining schedule, I believe they can defeat the following teams: Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins

This would give the GMEN 6 wins. Throw in a few possible win games against inconsistent but talented teams such as the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears and the GMEN are 8-8. Not good enough to get into the playoffs. This, my friends is the best we can hope for I believe.

The Giants will not go further than this until they can beat the more physical teams including Dallas, Philadelphia, Green Bay and others. Winning the game on both sides of the ball is what is required, even if the magic of Danny Dimes returns anytime soon.

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Good things come in 3’s today for the New York Giants

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Three was the magic number of the day, today for the New York Giants as they were able to generate 3 sacks, 3 interceptions and held the Redskins to just 3 points in total on this fourth game of the 2019 season. Although it did not always have the feel of a great win, the men in blue soundly defeated the Washington Redskins today, 24-3 in front of a home crowd. This was the second consecutive win for rookie Daniel Jones who went a respectable 22 of 31 for 225 yards.

Jones, however proved that he was human today by throwing two interceptions to Washington’s Quentin Dunbar. He also showed Giants fans what he is capable of doing with his feet as he got out of a multiple defender rush with a scamper which was reminiscent of Eli Manning’s escapism that occurred in Superbowl XLII on February 3, 2008. In it nice to see a level of athleticism for Jones which hasn’t been enjoyed in decades by Giants fans. (The last Giants QB with this degree of mobility was Jeff Hostetler in 1991). You know how that story ended with a Superbowl win against the Buffalo Bills.

As for the role players on the Giants offense today, Wayne Gallman filled in unspectacularly well for the injured Saquon Barkley rushing 18 times for 63 yards with two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. Gallman was also a factor in the passing game making 6 catches for 55 yards. With over 100 yards from scrimmage rushing and receiving, Gallman’s workhorse performance was instrumental in today’s win. Sterling Shepard had another strong day contributing 7 receptions for 76 yards. It is starting to appear that Shepard was worth the big money thrown his way after the offseason Beckum Jr. megatrade. Evan Engram contributed to the tune of 4 receptions for 54 yards.

The long awaited debut of Dwayne Haskins at QB for the Washington Redskins occurred just before the half with Haskins completing two first downs on this drive. With nobody open, Haskins showed some ability to scamper by running it down to the 1 yard line. The Redskins had to settle for a field goal on his first drive. The score at the end of the first half: 14-3, Giants.

That drive was as good as it got for Haskins all day. He completed 9 of 17 passes for 107 yards. The highly touted rookie who many thought would be the Giants selection in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft looked like a rookie. His entrance undoubtedly spells the end for Case Keenum as the Redskins starting QB.

The star of the day was the New York Giants defense. Any time you hold a team to 3 points in total, your defense usually has something to do with it. The Giants were strong against both the run and the pass today, holding the Redskins to just 176 yards on offense with 121 passing yards and 55 rushing yards. It seemed like the Giants secondary were in the right place for the first time all season. Jabril Peppers had a particularly strong day, most notably for picking off Redskin QB Case Keenum and returning it all the way to the house for a pick-6. Janoris Jenkins also bounced back from a rough day against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with at 2 interception day.

Today’s Giants sack team by committee consisting of Marcus Golden, Oshane Ximines, Tuzar Skipper, and Dexter Lawrence contributed 3 sacks on top of last week’s 4 sacks. Tighter coverage in the Giants secondary and modification in defensive game plan must have contributed to the pressure they were able to generate on the quarterback. Fifth round draft pick Ryan Connelly had another impressive day in the middle of the Giants D with 5 tackles and 1 sack. He did, however leave the game with a knee injury; severity of injury uncertain. The last factor helping the Giants win today was the sloppy performance of the Washington Redskins with multiple penalties occurring throughout the game. It was the type of performance that results in head coaches being fired. Tune in to see what happens in our Nation’s Capital this week.

It is far too early to consider the Giants to be a good team. Many fans would be satisfied with a 2-2 split of the first 4 games. They play a tough Minnesota Vikings team next week and then the New England Patriots at Foxboro. They could easily be 2-4 after their first six games.

In order for the Giants to continue their momentum, the must improve each week on both sides of the ball. This was indeed the case today on Defense. The offense did what it needed to win today as well. One has to ask whether the Giants are any closer to competing with a Dallas team who they lost to in Week 1.

The GMEN will be benefitted by the return of veteran wide receiver Golden Tate next week. Tate should provide a deep threat who is able to complement Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram and Darius Slayton. As long as Daniel Jones continues to improve, and the Giants defense continues to improve, the Giants may make this a three team race in the NFC East. Stay tuned, keep your seatbelt fastened. This season is just starting to get good !

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An improbable win for Daniel Jones and the New York Giants

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Just as Eli Manning was thrown in the water on November 21, 2004, Daniel Jones was given his first opportunity to start on Sunday, and from the results he did not disappoint! He can pass (23-36 for 336 yards), he can run (4-28) and he can win games in the end regardless of how bad the team around him is playing. Winning his first game, however, did not come easy.

Much like Game 1 against the Cowboys, the Giants could not stop their opponent on Defense in the first half. Passes to Tampa Bay Wide Receiver Mike Evans went virtually uncontested (8-190, 23.8 avg). One had to wonder whether the defensive game plan installed for this game was placing too much reliance on the skills of aging cornerback, Janoris Jenkins who, looked old during the game. Jenkins appeared to be overmatched throughout the first half against Evans. Having no safety playing behind him left him exposed and vulnerable. Again, one had to wonder whether the game plan installed was sound.

It was a strange day for the Giants. Down 28-10 at the half, only the most fervent believers could forecast that something special was about to happen. And then it began, on the opening drive of the second half, starting with a crossing route to TE Evan Engram (who had a monster of a game). After the long touchdown to Engram followed by a 2-point conversion, it was a 10 point game.

Enter the defense. The much maligned defense of James Bettcher began to make plays in the second half. After allowing 11 drives of 70 yards or more, the Giants forced the first punt of the game for Tampa Bay. Perhaps the tide was truly turning.

After another long drive by the GMEN capped by a touchdown to Sterling Shepard, the Giants closed the deficit to 28-25. Daniel Jones looked confident and appeared unflappable at times. Following a third straight Tampa Bay punt, the Giants pass coverage improved and was much tighter in the second half.

The half was far from one-sided. The Giants offensive line was repeatedly abused by Tampa Bay linebacker Shaq Barrett, who had his way with lineman Nate Solder to the tune of 4 sacks. He did his best to kill any thoughts about a Giants comeback on this day. Also notable in the second half was the lack of Saquon Barkley who would experience a high ankle sprain in this game and as a result was not a factor. Wayne Gallman came in as his replacement and was barely serviceable. A better solution will be required in Barkely’s absence, which is reportedly in the 4-8 week range.

After two more Tampa Bay field goals the Giants were down 31-25. If there was to be any magic finish for the GMEN, it would have to occur on this drive. Thanks to a long Darius Slayton reception, the GMEN were knocking on the door with the chance to score the go ahead touchdown. And then we were reminded why they drafted this kid. A seven yard scamper on fourth down gave the Giants a 32-31 lead. I need to remind readers that this was not a play that would have been made by Eli Manning. No way, no how.

Still, the game was not won. Tampa Bay marched back down the field putting their kicker in a good position to win the game. And then it occurred…wide left. Giants win! The comeback victory was complete.

GAME BALLS

Daniel Jones

Although this hard fought Giants victory was far from perfect, there are many players to credit for this win, starting of course with the Giants new quarterback, Daniel Jones. Jones brought a new level of excitement to the team and restored, even if briefly, the notion that winning is again possible. Jones finished the game 23-36 for 336 yards with 4 TD’s (2 running, 2 passing).

Evan Engram

Engram was a beast and is becoming a true factor in the Giants offense. He had a huge touchdown to open the second half and finished the day with 6 receptions for 113 yards, averaging 18.8 yards with 1 touchdown.

Sterling Shepard

Shepard stepped up big time with several big receptions. He had 7 catches on the day for 100 yards and 1 touchdown, averaging 14.3 yards per reception. Keep it up, Sterling. You are filling some big shoes!

Darius Slayton

The rookie made one of the biggest plays of the game in the second half. He had 3 receptions for 82 yards with a 27.3 average. Hopefully he will continue to establish himself as a deep threat this season and become a reliable second or third option on offense.

The Giants Defense

Somehow, someway the Giants D got the job done in the second half. DeAndre Baker was credited with shutting his receiver’s down, and the Giants ensemble of pass rushers including Marcus Golden, Oshane Ximinez, and Dexter Lawrence (5 hurries, 1 sack) provided some legitimate pressure on the quarterback.

Janoris Jenkins was able to salvage a rough day with a win.

It is clear that the Giants have much work to be done ahead of them if they are going to go anywhere this season. But this victory certainly felt good. There is magic in the air and until we are told otherwise, it resides in the hands of #8, Daniel Jones.

Huddleball.com is always looking for new blogger team members. If you are a passionate NFL fan and like to blog, please email us at huddleball@gmail.com.

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