Giants Need a Miracle

The Giants are used to winning when they have to and putting on miracle runs down the stretch.  They are going to need a whole lot of magic this Sunday.

After two blowout losses to the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens on the road, the Giants record stands at 8-7.  They return home Sunday to face the Eagles, who beat the Giants in Philadelphia, 19-17, in week 4 when the Eagles were still relevant.  Now, Philadelphia sits in last place in the NFC East at 4-11 and have only won one game since their victory over Big Blue.  The Giants have lost give straight home games to the Eagles and eight of nine overall in this series.  Sunday will be no easy task with Michael Vick making his return at quarterback as rookie Nick Foles broke his hand.  Vick is 3-1 as a starter with the Eagles against the Giants and Sunday could be his last game in a Philadelphia uniform.  It will also be the last game Andy Reid will coach on the Eagles sideline as this lost season will have him out.

For the Giants to sneak in the playoffs, they will need to not only beat the Eagles, but have the Bears lose to the Lions, have the Vikings lose to the Packers, and hope the Cowboys lose to the Redskins.  There is no question that crazier things have happened.  They will need to beat the 4-11 Eagles.  Could happen.  They need the 9-6 Bears to lose in Detroit to a 4-11 Lions team that has lost eight games by one possession.  Could happen.  They need the 9-6 Vikings to lose at home to the 11-4 Packers, who are still trying to hold on to a first-round bye.  Could happen.  Finally, they need the 9-6 Redskins to lose at home to the 8-7 Cowboys.  Could happen.  

All of these situations COULD HAPPEN, but will they? Probably not.  First off, the Giants need to beat the Eagles and winning has been hard to come by for the G-Men.  They were destroyed the last two games showing no life on both sides of the ball.  They have lost five of their last seven games.  Beating the Eagles with Michael Vick out to prove he can still be a successful starting QB in the NFL will not be a walk in the park.  The Giants need to come out with energy and intensity with the season on the line.  Eli Manning will need to carry this team as he has done in years past.  They also have to avoid scoreboard watching and focus on the task at hand.  

It might take a miracle, but the Giants are holding on for their playoffs lives.  They'll need a lot to happen Sunday for them to slide in as the last seed in the NFC.  If they somehow do get in, you just never know with this team.  Sure, they might not deserve to make it, but if they're in, anything can happen.  Tom Coughlin's team has gone on two improbable Super Bowl runs before.  You just never know on an NFL Sunday what can go down.  Manning and company hopes that the unthinkable happens in week 17.  

Is Eli the Best QB in the NFL?

It's about time time Eli Manning got some love.  The guy has won two Super Bowl rings.  He's a two-time Super Bowl MVP.  Manning has become Mr. Clutch in the NFL.

Sunday afternoon, he did it again. 

Down by 3 with 1:32 remaining in the game...everybody knew that Big Blue would win this football game thanks to the man behind center.  Manning led the Giants to another comeback win in the 4th quarter and this time it only took two plays.  On the second play of the drive, Manning make a beautiful pass right into the arms of Victor Cruz.  Cruz took it to the endzone for a 77-yard touchdown to give the Giants the lead and their defense would finish it off for the win.  Manning did it again. 

It was Manning's 8th game-winning drive in the 4th quarter or overtime since the start of last season.  Eight 4th quarter comebacks in a season and a half.  That is unheard of.  Anytime the ball is in the hands of Eli Manning late in the 4th quarter, it has become a given that the Giants will win the game.  It's a great feeling for Giants fans to be able to have confidence when trailing in a football game.  No matter what the score is, Manning can lead this team to comeback wins and he continues to do it week after week.  

So the guy who used to be referred to as Peyton's brother is now on his way to becoming the best Manning.  Not only is he on his way to becoming the best Manning, but he is on his way to becoming the best quarterback in the NFL.  Without a doubt, there is nobody I would rather have in the 4th quarter than Eli Manning behind center.  He has arguably become the best quarterback in crunch time in NFL history and he's barely halfway into his football career.  

The Giants are 5-2 and CRUZ-ing in first place in the NFC East.  Big Blue looks like one of the best teams in the NFL with arguably the best QB in the league.  The way the Giants offense is rolling, it would not be a surprise if this team makes a run for a repeat.  We might just see Eli's brother watching his little bro in February holding a third Vince Lombardi Trophy. 

10/07/2012-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

10/07/2012-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

Listen to the podcast from my show "The 5th Quarter in New York Sports" Sunday on AM1240-WGBB.  We discussed the Giants win over the Browns, the Yankees-Orioles playoff matchup, the MLB playoffs, the struggling Jets, and the rest of the week 5 NFL games. Callers discussed Eli Manning, the Giants, the Yankees, and Andrew Luck with me.

Big Blue Blows by Carolina

The Giants were playing without starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw and starting wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, wide receiver Domenik Nixon, and right tackle David Diehl. 

That would not be an issue Thursday night in Charlotte.

The Giants played a nearly perfect game of football against the Panthers Thursday.  Big Blue crushed the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium, 36-7.  The Giants' defense showed up for the first time this season only allowing one touchdown.  They forced Cam Newton into 3 interceptions.  If that was not enough, the Giants' offense was absolutely stellar.  

The offense got big performances from running back Andre Brown and wide receiver Ramses Barden.  Brown, who had a breakout performance last week running for 71 yards and a touchdown, showed the NFL that he could be a big time running back in this league.  Brown had a career night running for 113 yards and two touchdowns.  Keep in mind, this guy had negative one career rushing yards before last week.  Barden also had a career performance catching 9 passes for 138 yards.  The Giants have been waiting for Barden to break on the scene and they saw it Thursday.  Barden filled in very nicely for the injured Nicks.  

Of course the offense all starts with Eli Manning, though.  Manning was 27 for 35 for 288 yards and a touchdown.  Manning was breezing by the Panthers' defense in the first half.  His throws were perfect hitting his targets all over the field.  Even a couple of wobbly throws from Manning ended up in one of his receivers' hands.  It was a perfect night for Manning and his offense as they shredded Carolina's defense.  

The Giants needed this type of performance tonight after the scare in week two at home against Tampa Bay.  They came out firing and Cam Newton had no answer for the defense that forced three interceptions and two fumbles.  The Giants improve to 2-1 with the win and will get a couple of extra days to rest before they get back to work next week.  

Big Blue hopes to keep the momentum going as they travel to Philadelphia for a big primetime matchup with the first place Eagles.

Man-ning the Comeback

Eli Manning had a first half to forget throwing three interceptions.  The Giants lost their running back Ahmad Bradshaw, their right tackle David Diehl, and wide receiver Domenik Nixon all to injuries.  It seemed as if the Giants were on their way to an 0-2 start to the season.

Then the fourth quarter began and that's when Manning and his offense came alive as they have done so many times before.

The Giants would score 25 points in the fourth quarter and go on to win their first game of the season, 41-34 over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The two-time Super Bowl Champion quarterback had a career day throwing for 510 yards to go with three touchdowns.  His top two receivers also had career days.  Hakeem Nicks caught 10 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown while Victor Cruz had 11 receptions for 179 yards and a touchdown.  Manning went 7 for 9 with 229 yards and two touchdowns in the last 7:41 of the game.  If that's not clutch, I don't know what is.

Sparingly used running back Andre Brown filled in very nicely for Bradshaw carrying the ball 13 times for 71 yards and a touchdown.  Amazingly enough, Brown came into the game with negative one career rushing yards on just two carries.  Yeah that's right, less than zero career rushing yards.  The inexperienced tailback looked like a ten-year veteran when he dove to the ground at the two yard line allowing the Giants to run more clock off.  Brown would go on to run in the game-winning touchdown leaving the Buccaneers with just 31 seconds remaining on the clock.  That would turn out to be pivotal as Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman would make it interesting in the final drive getting the ball in Giants' territory.

A huge 80-yard touchdown from Manning to Cruz on a gorgeous connection ignited the Giants' offense with 7:41 remaining.  The salsa was broken out.  MetLife Stadium had finally come alive.  The Giants' defense would force a three-and-out to give the fired up defending Super Bowl MVP a chance at the lead.  He would do just that.  Manning hooked up with tight end Martellus Bennett for the score.  After Tampa Bay scored their only touchdown of the second half, the Giants would get the ball back and Brown would take it to the endzone for the victory.

It was a big game for the Giants to take after trailing early and dealing with key injuries to starters.  They evened their record to 1-1 on the season.  There are definitely a lot of concerns the Giants have going forward with their defense.  They need to get improved play from their secondary.  They cannot be giving up as many points as they have every week.  There is a lot this team has to work on.

Despite the loss to the Cowboys and the bad first half Sunday, Big Blue heads down to Charlotte for a Thursday night matchup with the Panthers riding high with a big win.  Both teams are coming off their first wins of the season.  The Giants could be playing without Bradshaw, Nixon, and Diehl Thursday against Cam Newton's squad.  Tom Coughlin's resilient team hopes to get their second straight win in an anticipated NFC primetime matchup.

2012 Giants Season Preview

The New York Giants are riding high going into the 2012 season.  Big Blue is coming off their second Super Bowl victory in the last four years.  Tom Coughlin's resilient squad comes into this season being overlooked by many.  The Eagles and Cowboys are being picked by many to finish ahead of Big Blue.  While the G-Men have lost Brandon Jacobs and Mario Manningham, they still have one ELI-te man behind center.

Eli Manning led the Giants down the stretch last season living up to his word of being an elite quarterback.  Manning has lost one of his targets in Mario Manningham as well as his tight end, Jake Ballard.  Ballard was replaced by former Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett.  Big Blue did not do much this offseason to improve their receiving depth, but Ramses Barden and Domenik Hixon should see bigger roles this season.  With Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz starting, Manning will be just fine.

Manning also lost his backup running back, Brandon Jacobs, who signed with the 49ers this offseason.  Jacobs was replaced by rookie running back David Wilson.  Wilson has a very similar running style to starting running back, Ahmad Bradshaw.  The Giants lose their power back in Jacobs, but Wilson will provide a spark off the bench and is just 21 years old.

The Giants main weakness this season is their secondary.  The offense will score points and their pass rush is arguably the best in the NFL.  Their starting corners are Corey Webster and Michael Coe, who did not see much playing time last season.  If Prince Amukamara can stay healthy and see an improvement this season, they should be fine, but that has yet to be soon.  Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle give the Giants suitable options at safety.  The only question is truly at cornerback for the G-Men.   There is not a lot of depth there, but their defensive line should make up for that.

The Giants' schedule will be nowhere near easy this season.  Outside of the division, they will play the 49ers, Packers, Steelers, Saints, Falcons, and Ravens.  Those six games to go with four against the Cowboys and Eagles will make it tough for the G-Men to win this division, but this team has too much talent to miss out on the playoffs.

PREDICTION:
10-6
2nd place in NFC East
Winning one of the two NFC Wild Card spots
Losing to 49ers in NFC playoffs.

Vince Young Does it Again to the Giants

Vince Young did it again to the Giants on Sunday night.  He beat them for the third time in his career.  Young is now 3-0 as starting quarterback against the Giants.  Young looked very sharp as he started for the injured Michael Vick Sunday night at MetLife Stadium.  Young led a nearly nine minute drive ending in a touchdown, which would turn out to be the game winning score in the 17-10 victory.

The Giants offense was silent for most of the night.  They key to this one was the lack of any running game by the Giants.  They had 29 yards total rushing by three running backs on the night.  There is no way any team can win that absolutely no running game whatsoever.  The Eagles were running very successfully and Vince Young was throwing to all different receivers.  The Eagles had 136 total rushing yards led by LeSean McCoy with 113 yards.  Young did have three interceptions, but looked very sharp throwing the ball.  He was 23 for 36 with 258 yards and two touchdown passes.  For a guy who has been on the bench all season, Young looked like the player he once used to be with the Titans.  Young has had his troubles on and off the field, but he has been a winner in his career.  He has won games.  The Giants know that very well.  The Giants are 0-3 against Young.

Giants punter Steve Weatherford was very busy in this game.  Every Giants drive in the first half ended in the punt until their last drive when they finally scored on a field goal.  Every drive in the third quarter would also end in a Giants punt.  The Giants offense was stagnant Sunday night.  Injuries have been a problem for the Giants and without running back Ahmad Bradshaw and losing offensive lineman Chris Snee really hurt them tonight.

The dagger in this one came in the fourth quarter.  Vince Young led an unbelievably long and well-executed drive that was 8:51 long and 18 plays for 91 yards.  The Eagles started the possession with 11:36 remaining in the fourth quarter.  They slowly moved down the field eating the clock away.  The Eagles went an astounding six for six on third downs on the drive.  The Giants defense had no answer and could not get stops when they needed to most.  The Giants would get the ball back with 2:45 to go.  They had plenty of time to get down the field and send it to overtime.  They were put in nearly the same position as last week.  They had the ball, down a touchdown, with a chance to tie the game.  They would get a huge completion to Victor Cruz who would have a catch and run for 47 yards getting the Giants all the way to the Eagles 21.  For the second week in a row, the Giants looked to have life late, but Eli would scuffle late again.  Manning got sacked from behind and fumbled the football and the Eagles would recover.  Two heartbreakers in two consecutive weeks for the Giants.  It was a tough way to lose another dropping them to 6-4 on the season.

The problem for the Giants now is that they have the toughest remaining schedule in the NFL.  They have to go to New Orleans next Monday night to face the Saints.  That is followed by the defending Super Bowl champion Packers.  If that is not enough, they have to go to Dallas to face their division rival Cowboys, who have been on fire of late and tied with the Giants for first in the NFC East.  Following that, they play the Redskins, Jets, and Cowboys.  Five of those six games are against teams that are .500 or better.  It is going to be a tough road to the playoffs here on out for the Giants.  The road starts in New Orleans next week.