NEW YORK – The second contest between the Giants and Eagles this year had become the most anticipated game of the season for both teams. Once the playoff picture and divisional championship picture became clear, it was obvious that this game was going to decide the future of both clubs in the NFC East. The Giants simply dominated the Eagles for the first three quarters of the game and then became undone in the fourth quarter. This was not a very enjoyable game to watch for Giants fans, as Big Blue lost by a score of 38-31 on a punt return by DeSean Jackson with 12 seconds left in the game. The Eagles improve their record to 10-4 and take sole possession of first place in the NFC East, as the Giants fall to 9-5. There were a lot of fights during this game as well. It seemed like there were players locked up with each other after every single play. I almost got physically sick after watching this embarrassing loss.

The Giants were dealt some bad news this week after losing star WR Steve Smith for the rest of the season. Fans were concerned that this would have a negative impact on the Eagles game but the Giants took care of business in that department. The Giants have placed at least 14 players on the season ending injured reserve list. These are star players that I’m talking about in most cases and not just reserve backup players. The G-Men have been devastated by these injuries for the past two years and I’m not sure how they continue to compete at this high level. I guess we need to give GM Jerry Reese credit for making Big Blue a deep team, something that I do with pleasure because Mr. Reese is a genius and I’m glad he is working with the Giants.

The G-men gave fans a scare in the fourth quarter by letting the Eagles get back into the game with a couple of late TD’s. They needed to close the game out strong but were not able to do it. It was much more nerve racking to watch on TV, then it sounds here in words, when the Eagles tied the game up 31-31 with 76 seconds remaining in the game. I was literally pacing around the room for the remainder of the fourth quarter. I found myself on the floor when punter Matt Dodge punted the ball straight to DeSean Jackson, who proceeded to run the ball back for a TD, with zero time on the clock and giving the Eagles the win. My jaw dropped and I could not believe what I had just saw. If the Giants miss the playoffs this season it is their own fault. It’s really horrible that they lost this game today and it will be something that could take years to get over, if ever.

The Giants travel to Wisconsin next weekend to face the Green Bay Packers at 4:15 PM EST in a game that should prove to be a great one with playoff implications.

Let’s take a look at some of my notes from the game.

– QB Eli Manning had a good game today and controlled the offense most of the game. He finished with 289 yards 4 TD’s and 1 INT.

– RB Ahmad Bradshaw contributed on some key plays and finished with 66 yards.

– WR Mario Manningham was thought to have an injury today but had a great day. He finished with 113 yards and 2 TD’s.

– WR Hakeem Nicks continued to roll since his return and finished with 63 yards and 1 TD.

– RB Brandon Jacobs got involved in the offense today and finished with 34 yards.

– TE Kevin Boss had a few nice catches and finished with 59 yards and 1 TD.

– WR Derek Hagan got into the game and made a few catches. He finished with 36 yards.

– DE Justin Tuck played like a madman today and gets my game ball. He led all defensive tacklers and finished with 1.5 sacks.

– S Antrel Rolle continues to show why he was the most important addition to the team in recent years.

– DE Osi Umenyiora had more of an impact on the game then the stats show with some play disruptions.

– K Lawrence Tynes continues to have a solid season by making all of his FG attempts (1) and extra point attempts (4).

– DE Dave Tollefson left the game with a knee injury and did not return.

– P Matt Dodge had a decent game but is still an inconsistent punter by NFL standards. The kid made a horrible punt to DeSean Jackson at the end of the game that was returned for a TD.

– The Giants offensive line was shaky in the first quarter but then returned to form to close out the game. They gave up 2 sacks.

– The Giants defense was all over the field today. They are playing like the second ranked defense that they are. They finished with 3 sacks, 1 INT and 1 forced fumble.

– The Giants special teams continues to be the biggest disappointment of the 2010 season. Today was horrible because they gave up an on-side kick possession and punt return for a TD.

– DC Perry Fewell has done a masterful job in containing QB Michael Vick in both divisional games with the Eagles this year.

RD – nygreporter.com

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This entry was posted on Sunday, December 19th, 2010 at 4:52 PM and is filed under 2010 Fantasy Football, 2010 New York Giants, 2010 NFL Regular Season, Big Blue, Chris Mara, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Front Office, Giants Injuries, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Jerry Reese, John Mara, Jonathan Tisch, Justin Tuck, Kevin Gilbride, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Playoffs, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG Exclusive, NYG Fantasy Football, NYG Injury Report, NYG Playoffs, NYG Regular Season, NYG Reporter, NYG Story, NYG Update, NYG Website, nygreporter, Pat Hanlon, Perry Fewell, Steve Tisch, Tom Coughlin, Tom Quinn. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.