New York Giants Starring in Road Warriors Part II?

November 9, 2011

NEW YORK – The Giants have been winning games lately and I noticed that they have already won 3 out of 4 on the road. The will play in road game number 5 on Sunday against the 49ers. If they win that game, could we be looking at the Road Warriors Part 2 here? They have also won 3 out of 4 home games. Winning more on the road and having your Christmas Eve game against the Jets away (still played at MetLife stadium), the G-Men could go for 6 or 7 wins on the road this year. The last 3 road game will be against tough opponents. They will face the New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets Jets on the road after playing the 49ers in San Francisco this Sunday. If the Giants win in Frisco, they will be 4-1 on the road and I think they would finish by beating the Cowboys and Jets. The Packers are the biggest test of the entire schedule though and that is a home game at MetLife stadium.

Why am I bringing all of this up? Because of the obvious similarities to the 2007 team, that fans have been comparing the 2011 team to for weeks. The ‘Road Warriors’ nickname was bestowed on them in 2007 by the fans and media. I try not to buy into that too much because I don’t want to throw any bad karma on what’s happening this year. I am very excited to see them play the 49ers this Sunday and think a win there would really make their playoff chances shoot up exponentially. Is it too early in the season, at week ten, to start wondering about a possible playoff game from the G-Men this season? I certainly hope so after missing the playoffs for the past two years in a row. Last year was a joke. How the Giants did not get into the playoffs with a 10-6 record shows the flaws in the system. Coach Coughlin said you can kiss his butt if you don’t like it. He said that 10-6 is a winning season and a good record. I agree with him. The 2011 season is a different story and looks very promising. If the Giants beat the 49ers, then to be true to myself, it makes me think the Giants are almost a lock to get to the playoffs. It would take a historical collapse or something for them to miss the playoffs in 2011.

Let’s get something straight, QB Eli Manning is an ELITE Super Bowl Champion, Super Bowl MVP, Pro Bowl player, Road Warrior and franchise quarterback who happens to be an Iron Man in the game of NFL football. Give him the respect he has earned. If Manning does not get voted into the Pro Bowl this year, I will know the game is rigged. By the way, fan voting has already started at NFL.com. He is playing out of his mind this year and deserves these few words of acknowledgment for what he has built this year. He is also the team MVP for the year in my opinion. Manning continues to prove the doubters wrong and play the game on his own terms. He is a great leader on the field and a role model for kids off the field. What more can you ask of a quarterback for an NFL team?

Speaking of the Pro Bowl, if I had to guess, I can see a bunch of Giants players that deserve to go to Honolulu. Players like QB Eli Manning, OL Chris Snee, WR Hakeem Nicks, WR Victor Cruz, TE Jake Ballard, DE Osi Umenyiora, DE Jason Pierre-Paul, LB Michael Boley, S Antrel Rolle, P Steve Weatherford. How many of these guys get in will be revealed down the road. I say at least four or five of these guys will be in Hawaii. I think everyone can agree the 2011 NFL MVP will most likely be Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers will be in Hawaii and Manning deserves to be there too. As of this date and halfway point of the 2011 season, QB Eli Manning has thrown for 2,377 yards 15 TD’s 6 INT’s.

How many of the 3 road games (Saints, Cowboys and Jets) left to play this year will the Giants win? How do the Giants playoff chances look mid-way through the year?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please Support George Martin’s “A Journey for 9/11” Charity. Never Forget!


Giants Still Rolling at Halfway Point of the 2011 Season

November 8, 2011

NEW YORK – The New York Giants are 6-2 and in first place of the NFC East. Things could not be going any better for them at this point in the year, they are coming off an emotional win against the New England Patriots and facing the elite teams on their 2011 NFL schedule during the next few weeks. I am very pleased to see them winning games. They are winning games even when they are not playing very well or fielding their best players. I have tremendous confidence in the G-men and most of our readers could confirm that fact. But even I thought the Giants would be having a much tougher time then they seem to be having. I never lost faith but was very concerned about the depleted squad. The Giants have made believers out of everyone, including the haters.

Some of the football “experts” will say the Giants haven’t played any elite teams yet or the level of competition has been subpar. My message for those people is to just be quiet, take a look at every single NFL team schedule and you will see a balance of good and bad teams. People need to start giving the Giants credit for what they have done with a completely decimated roster. I’m sick of the New York bashing that fans have to endure with these television programs, who give too much personal opinion and not enough factual accounts of the events that take place. Even the haters out there cannot deny the fact that Big Blue is in first place and cruising through their schedule. I’m not being egocentric but simply stating the facts of the Giants current situation. It was nice to see Archie Manning come out and voice his displeasure with the Joe Buck and Troy Aikman FOX Sports pairing, that can’t seem to help bashing the Giants at every possible opportunity. Fans have been extremely vocal about their displeasure with this situation and Papa Manning validated what we were all thinking.

I am here to report that the state of the New York Giants is strong heading into week 10. The Giants have four difficult opponents coming up starting with the revamped 49ers this weekend. This is a game that Big Blue can absolutely win. The 49ers have a very good defense but so do the Giants. If it comes down to the quarterbacks having to win the game, which I think it will, I’d take Eli Manning and wouldn’t look back. I’m not taking San Francisco lightly because they are a good football team but I still think the Giants “shock and awe” road tour will continue with another victory. My final score prediction is Giants 19 – 49ers 13.

What are your thoughts about the Giants performance at the halfway point of the 2011 season?

Side Note: I would like to say RIP to a boxing legend, Joe Frazier. One of the greatest boxing champions in history!

RD – nygreporter.com

Please visit www.hampscamp.com and donate/contribute to Rodney Hampton’s charity for the kids!


NFL Week 9: Giants vs. Patriots, Game Notes

November 6, 2011

NEW YORK – The Giants went into this game today without a few of their star players (Nicks, Bradshaw and Baas). This would have been a tough game even at full strength with the way New England has been playing. The Giants really needed this win to create more of a separation from the pack in the NFC East. Not only did the Giants beat the Patriots 24-20, they did it in dramatic fashion with only 15 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. This game was without a doubt the greatest game to watch all season for Giants fans so far. My heart was in my throat for most of the game and the final drive nearly gave me a stroke. The Giants improve to 6-2 on the season and continue to hold onto first place in the NFC East.

The first half of this game was a defensive battle. Nobody expected these teams to go into the locker room at halftime with the score tied 0-0. Even I was wrong about the shoot out that I predicted would happen. There wasn’t any scoring but it was a fun defensive battle to watch with lots of turnovers in this game. The second half was a completely different story, with all 44 combined points scored in the second half. The special teams performance for both teams was atrocious today. There was also too many penalties once again but a win is a win. The G-men took care of business and will face another tough opponent next week when they play the 49ers in San Francisco at 4:15 PM EST.

There is a reason why the TV networks called this the “Game of the Week”. Both of these teams fought hard the entire contest and it truly could have gone either way in those final seconds of the game. I’m glad the Giants were able to beat the Patriots today because it is deeper then the surface stuff. This was New York versus Boston to a lot of people, so put another notch on the win belt for the Greatest City on Earth! 18-1.

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

QB Eli Manning – Eli Manning is an elite quarterback in the NFL, period. He finished the game with 250 yards 2 TD’s and 1 INT.

RB Brandon Jacobs – Brandon the Bull stepped up today and ran the ball hard. He finished with 72 yards rushing, 28 yards receiving and 1 TD.

DE Jason Pierre-Paul – JPP was able to play today and came away with another sack. This guy is a machine.

WR Mario Manningham – Super Mario stepped up today and finished with 33 yards and 1 TD.

LB Michael Boley – Boley is simply a beast and has become one of my favorite players on the team. He led all tacklers and had 1 sack and 1 forced fumble.

DE Osi Umenyiora – Osi had a solid game and was in on a bunch of key plays. He was also in a fight with Patriots player Matt Light.

WR Victor Cruz – This Jersey Kid is stepping up each and every week. He lead all WR’s and finished with 91 yards.

LB Jacquian Williams – The rookie LB had his work cut out for him today and handled himself very well.

TE Jake Ballard – Ballard is quickly making a name for himself throughout the entire NFL. He continues to move up the TE rankings and finished with 67 yards and 1 TD.

S Antrel Rolle – Rolle left the game for a while but returned. He had a solid game and continues to ball on opponents.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw – Bradshaw did not play in this game and is nursing a broken bone in his foot. Get well soon AB!

WR Hakeem Nicks – Nicks did not play in this game because he is dealing with a hamstring injury. Get well soon Hakeem!

C David Baas – Baas missed another game due to injury and really put Manning in a tough spot. Get well soon David!

S Kenny Phillips – Phillips was the second leading tackler on the team and had another great game.

DE Justin Tuck – Tuck made his presence felt on the field and knocked Brady down a few times.

WR Ramses Barden – Barden was taken off the PUP list and got involved today finishing with 22 yards.

CB Deon Grant – Grant was simply making plays all over the field today. He finished with 1 INT.

LB Mathias Kiwanuka – Kiwi was playing like a man possessed today and finished with 1 INT.

CB Prince Amukamara – The rookie CB will have to wait at least another week for his debut.

P Steve Weatherford – The Weatherman had an outstanding game today. He is a bright spot on special teams.

K Lawrence Tynes – Tynes made his 1 FG attempt and all 3 of his extra point attempts. He has played well this year.

Giants Defense – The Giants D came up huge in this game. They finished with 2 sacks, 2 INT’s and 1 forced fumble.

Giants Offense – For a squad that lost 3 key starters (Nicks, Bradshaw and Baas) before game time, they did an outstanding job today.

Giants Special Teams – This group still needs a lot of work and the returners had a horrible day dropping a couple of kicks/punts.

What did you think about the Giants performance against the Patriots?

RD – nygreporter.com

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Giants Playing Without Their One Two Punch

November 6, 2011

NEW YORK – Someone make this ride stop, I want to get off. When I heard that WR Hakeem Nicks, RB Ahmad Bradshaw and C David Baas would sit against the Patriots, in the most important game of the year, all I could do was shake my head. When are the New York Football Giants going to play a game at full strength? When is this madness going to end? Why are New York Giants players dropping like flies? What changes need to be made to the staff to prevent this epidemic from spreading beyond this season? The Giants have lost their number one running back and number one wide receiver for the New England game. How long will they be out and how does this change QB Eli Manning’s game plan? I don’t know but I do know the G-Men better focus on the middle of the field when Brady has the ball in his hand.

Some good news has been announced about rookie CB Prince Amukamara and WR Ramses Barden both returning from their respective injuries. I guess fans should be grateful to get a couple of guys back but there is still that word, injury. How much these guys will play is another story entirely. As a Giants fan, I have been anxiously awaiting the debut of Prince and look forward to seeing what he can do on the field. The Giants secondary can certainly use the help after losing a bunch of guys to, well you know, injury. Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell is going to need a solid game plan to counter the Patriots genius head coach. I expect the Patriots short passing game to be a huge factor as I’ve mentioned already. There will be three or four bomb plays thrown in to keep the balance but the middle of the field is going to be attacked often. Some football “experts” are talking about a lot of no huddle offense being used and it would make sense if you’re using the short game. I predict the Giants leading tackler will be a linebacker in this game.

I am going to remain positive and predict a Giants victory in a shoot out between QB Tom Brady and QB Eli Manning. I expect a high scoring game with the final being 35-33. Everyone knows the Patriots defense isn’t very good, so the G-Men should be able to put up a bunch of points on them. I am very concerned about the Patriots using those TE’s and stopping them will be the difference between victory and defeat for Big Blue in my opinion. WR Wes Welker is the biggest threat but those TE’s could kill us. I guess there is nothing left to say but 18-1! Go Giants!

Who do you think will win the game between the Patriots and Giants?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please Support George Martin’s “A Journey for 9/11” Charity. Never Forget!


NFL Week 7: New York Giants, Bye Week

October 23, 2011

NEW YORK – The New York Giants had their bye week this weekend and hopefully the players are getting healthy with their time off. News of players returning to their home towns or vacation homes were all over the news this week. For example, safeties Antrel Rolle and Kenny Phillips made it perfectly clear they would be heading down to Miami during the break. Other players headed to Massachusetts like LB Mark Herzlich and others went to small towns all across America. I’m glad the guys will be getting a much deserved break before the hard part of the schedule begins. Many fans are very excited to see rookie CB Prince Amukamara get on the field for the first time. The secondary could use a boost of talent and Prince might be able to provide a spark.

The two most important scores I will be giving you today are the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys scores. The Giants needed both of these division rivals to lose to keep a solid pace in dominating the NFC East and making it back to the playoffs. The first game up today was the Redskins game. The Panthers came through for Big Blue and beat the Redskins 33-20. QB Cam Newton is the future of football and runs like a big Mike Vick who can actually throw the ball too. Washington now falls to 3-3 on the year and stays in second place in the NFC East.

The second game on today was the Cowboys game. Unfortunately, the Cowboys didn’t oblige Giants fans this weekend, they beat the Rams thoroughly 34-7 and improved to 3-3. It seems like the Redskins were playing better then their 3-3 record and the Cowboys were playing much worse then their 3-3 record. In reality, they are both only one game out of first place. You can bet the Giants will be doing everything in their power to hold onto first place and keep both of these teams at bay.

It will be nice to see Big Blue get back to work next weekend (10/30/11) when they play the Miami Dolphins at 1:00 PM EST. I expect the Dolphins to play like a bunch of crazed dogs (Thank you Mr. Taylor) after another heartbreaking loss to the Broncos and QB Tim Tebow today. Congrats to Tebow on winning his first NFL football game as a starting QB.

Are you relieved that the Giants bye week has now officially come and gone?

RD – nygreporter.com

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New York Giants Bye Week Survival Tips

October 21, 2011

NEW YORK – We here at nygreporter understand how difficult it can be for a true blue Giants fan to endure the dreaded bye week. It seems like it becomes much harder each year to sit out a weekend and root for whoever plays our rivals. So I thought we would give you some tips on how to make it through the worst week in the NFL season for Giants fans. Some of you may have read our article called New York Giants 2011 NFL Lockout Survival Kit and this article will be similar to that one. Try to stay sane and remember that it is only one week.

The first thing we will look at, is the opponents of our division rivals and who Giants fans will need to root for this weekend. The two teams that Big Blue fans need to root for this weekend are the Carolina Panthers and St. Louis Rams. The Panthers play the Redskins on Sunday at 1PM EST and the Rams face the Cowboys at 4:15 PM EST. We need both of these teams to lose so the Giants continue to lockdown the NFC East. The final team in the NFC East, the Philadelphia Eagles, are also on a bye week this weekend and probably “dreaming” about making the playoffs this year. Hopefully, QB Cam Newton will ball on Washington and knock them down a peg because believe it or not, the Redskins are a bigger threat to Big Blue this year.

I still say every Giants fan should own a copy of Super Bowl XLII on DVD for an occasion like this. Having copies of the glory days in 1986 and 1990 wouldn’t hurt either. Sitting down and watching those games is extremely uplifting and something that should be done once per year anyway. Check out the Giants shop for merchandise and gear. You can find a link to the Giants store on the sidebar of our website here. I know that some of the items there are expensive but they also have some reasonable prices on other items. Buying a piece of Giants merchandise might make you feel better. You can also hit twitter and talk Giants football with other fans. There is nothing better then having a good conversation with Giants fans who know what they are talking about. You can also go to Giants.com and check out any contests they may be running. This would be a perfect week (bye week) to hold an annual fan contest, don’t you think Giants? wink wink

Another possibility for this weekend is to get out of the house with your family or friends and take in some of this fall weather before it gets too cold. Once the boys get back on the field, it is unlikely that die hard fans will miss a single game. So take advantage of the break and go have some fun. Take your kids to the park or out for lunch. Take your girl to the mall. Take your man out to shoot some pool or go bowling. The most important thing is to enjoy yourself and figure out what suits you the best. I hope our readers find this helpful and I hope you enjoy your off weekend.

What will you be doing during the bye week?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please Support George Martin’s “A Journey for 9/11” Charity. Never Forget!


Giants Become King of the Mountain in NFC East

October 18, 2011

NEW YORK – The New York Giants have done what they needed to do before the bye week. They have won more games then they’ve lost and have entered the bye week on a high note. They are in first place in the NFC East and face the lowly Dolphins (0-5) upon their return to the field in two weeks. Only three teams in the entire NFC have a better record then Big Blue (Packers, 49ers and Lions) which will help them out with their playoff hopes down the line. Other NFC East teams like the Cowboys and Eagles will find it extremely difficult to make it to the playoffs this year with their pitiful records. The Redskins have played surprisingly well this year including beating the G-men in week one. The Giants will have an opportunity for some payback in week fifteen when they face the Redskins again at home.

Enough about the future for now, let’s enjoy the fact that New York is in first place and playing pretty good football considering they lost 1/5 of the team to injury. Even Coach Coughlin couldn’t help himself in a press conference this week by saying he hopes to get some of his guys back after the bye week. Don’t we all Coach! We have to give credit to these rookies and second string players who have really stepped up and made a difference. Rookies like LB Jacquian Williams, LB Greg Jones, S Tyler Sash and LB Mark Herzlich have really made an impact. RB Da’Rel Scott has shown flashes of what he can do when given an opportunity. Other players like CB Aaron Ross, P Steve Weatherford, WR Victor Cruz and TE Jake Ballard have also helped out tremendously. With week six behind us, the Giants find themselves ranked the 12th best offense in the NFL and the 20th ranked defense. Keep in mind, the defense took a particularly brutal hit with injuries that decimated their secondary and linebacker corps.

The Giants will get an entire week off to rest and then get back to work next week for the remainder of the season. I hope the players get a much deserved rest and come back ready for the fight of their lives. Giants fans will have to wait out the bye week to see their team play but it may be prefect timing. You never want your bye week to arrive too early or too late in a season. Having a week seven, eight or nine bye week is preferable to the week five or eleven bye weeks. So in that sense, the G-men were lucky. I really believe the Giants have a good shot at winning the NFC East this year. They will need to win six of their final ten games to have a shot at doing that and a shot at making it to the playoffs. Winning seven games would be even better but for now, the G-Men are King of the Mountain. The Giants next game will be October 30, 2011 at 1:00 PM EST against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife stadium.

Do you think the Giants can continue their winning ways after the bye week and the beginning of their brutal schedule?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please visit www.hampscamp.com and donate/contribute to Rodney Hampton’s charity for the kids!


NFL Week 6: Giants vs. Bills, Game Notes

October 16, 2011

NEW YORK – I’ve mentioned how I truly felt this was a must win game for the Giants. I wrote an entire article about this a few days ago. The Giants must have read it because they were able to get the win today by beating the Bills 27-24 in a battle. After losing to the lowly Seahawks last weekend, the G-Men needed not only a moral victory this weekend but also another “W” in the standings to keep their playoff hopes within reach. The Giants were also without some key players today including RB Brandon Jacobs, OL Chris Snee and DE Justin Tuck, all sitting out due to injury.

This was really an entertaining game to watch. I thought I was going to have a heart attack at certain points in the game because it was filled with so much drama. The first half of the game was going back and forth. The Giants gave up two huge plays that made up the majority of the Bills offensive production. Still, both teams went into the locker room tied 17-17. The second half was equally entertaining and saw the game go back and forth once more with both teams being tied 24-24 with under two minutes left in the game. The Giants had the ball at the end of the game and drove down the field to the Buffalo 1 yard line. The Giants were unable to score a TD but K Lawrence Tynes knocked a FG through to give the G-men a 27-24 lead. That was all they would need to secure the victory and improve to 4-2 on the season.

The Giants definitely needed this win as they head into the bye week next weekend. The players need the rest and the team needed this win to keep up in the NFC. They are still committing too many penalties and will need to work on that during the break. Giants fans will have to endure the hated “bye week” and try to pretend they are interested in the other NFL games. They will be rooting for whoever plays the Cowboys, Eagles and Redskins, you can count on that.

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

QB Eli Manning – Manning seems to be improving week to week. He had another solid game and finished with 292 yards 0 TD’s and 0 INT’s. His one TD pass was called back.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw – Bradshaw is a beast and might have had the best game of his career today. He finished with 104 yards rushing, 26 yards receiving and 3 TD’s.

WR Hakeem Nicks – Nicks led all receivers with 96 yards on 4 receptions. He was quiet most of the game but still contributed.

CB Corey Webster – Webster gets my defensive game ball for coming up huge in this game with 2 INT’s. Nice to see C-Webb playing well out there.

DE Osi Umenyiora – Who still thinks Osi isn’t worth elite money? You’re crazy! Osi had another good game and finished with 1 sack.

LB Mathias Kiwanuka – Kiwi was balling today and had a solid game. He finished with 1 sack and 1 forced fumble.

S Antrel Rolle – Rolle was all over the field as usual and making plays. Fans love this guy and I can see why.

WR Mario Manningham – Super Mario had a nice game and finished with 56 yards. He had a nice TD late in the game but couldn’t hold onto the ball.

DE Jason Pierre-Paul – How do you Spell JPP? B-E-A-S-T! JPP had another great game and finished with 1 sack.

LB Jacquian Williams – The rookie LB had a quieter game then he normally does. He is still going to be a force in the NFL.

RB Brandon Jacobs – Jacobs had to sit out his second straight game due to a knee injury. Get well soon Brandon!

WR Victor Cruz – Cruz continues to make big strides and had another game where he saw extended playing time.

DE Justin Tuck – Tuck had to sit out another game due to his neck injury. He will get the bye week next week to rest more.

LB Michael Boley – Boley is awesome and led all defensive tacklers for the G-Men. I love this guy!

S Kenny Phillips – Phillips got a bit banged up in this game but played through it. He had a solid game today.

TE Jake Ballard – Ballard is quickly becoming one of Manning’s favorite targets. He had another great game and finished with 81 yards.

CB Aaron Ross – Ross had a good game and made some nice tackles out there today.

LB Greg Jones – The rookie LB Jones had another quiet game today as Big Blue was trying out a 4-2-5 defense.

C David Baas – Baas was able to return to the field this week after missing last weeks game against the Seahawks.

P Steve Weatherford – The Weatherman continues to pay dividends after the Giants brought him on board. Great punter.

K Lawrence Tynes – Tynes made two of his three FG attempts and made all three of his extra point attempts.

Giants Defense – Despite giving up some huge plays and a ton of yardage, the Giants finished with 3 sacks, 2 INT’s and 1 forced fumble.

Giants Offense – The Giants offense had a great game today. I really liked how they spread the ball around and made plays when they had to.

Giants Special Teams – The special teams played a pretty good game despite allowing a blocked FG attempt by Tynes.

What did you think about the Giants performance against the Bills this weekend?

RD – nygreporter.com

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The Giants Must Beat The Buffalo Bills on Sunday

October 13, 2011

NEW YORK – I know that some of our readers will say that I am out of my mind but I truly believe the game against the Bills this Sunday is a must win. The argument goes back and forth all the time about this subject of “must win” games. I was very vocal about the Giants needing five wins before the bye week in order to have a good shot at making the playoffs. There is no way they can do that now but getting four wins will help a lot more then going into the bye week at the 500 mark with a 3-3 record. Asking Big Blue to win at least seven of the final ten games is a huge task and very difficult to imagine with such a depleted roster due to injuries. I have faith in my team but that is a remarkably difficult obstacle to overcome.

What was once a “easy win” on the schedule has become anything but that. The Buffalo Bills are one of the hottest teams in the NFL this year and will give the G-Men a run for their money. I still believe the Giants have the talent to win this game but a lot of factors will need to come together in order to do so. The biggest thing the Giants must do is not turn the ball over. The Giants have so many players injured, that they may have to re-think their entire insurance policy for players or they could go broke. I get physically sick when I think about the past three years and the absolute dismantling of my beloved Giants due to injury. It has become a running joke among football fans and is truly embarrassing. You can save the whole “it’s a part of the game” speech when talking to me because I don’t want to hear it. Many fans feel like I do and don’t mind losing a game if our starters are on the field and they get outplayed. Losing a dozen guys within the first two weeks is simply horrible and absolutely effects a football team.

Everyone will be giving you their “expert” opinions and strategies for this game, so I will spare you my own opinion. The only thing I have to say to Big Blue is win the game. I don’t care how you do it but the team needs this win, the fans need this win and your playoff hopes need this win. I projected five wins for the Giants in the second half of their schedule before the season started. I am sticking to my prediction and hope that I am wrong. If the Giants enter the bye week at 3-3, I am going to say the chance of them missing the playoffs for a third straight year is about 75%. These are only my opinions and as I said, I hope that I’m wrong.

RD – nygreporter.com

On behalf of the nygreporter, I would also like to say Happy Birthday to the United States Navy on turning 236 today. God Bless and Protect you all and thank you for your service!

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NFL Week 5: Giants vs. Seahawks, Game Notes

October 10, 2011

NEW YORK – The Giants needed to beat the Seahawks in order to start the season at 4-1 and gain some serious ground in the NFC. They were not able to do this and lost 36-25 in a heartbreaker. Everyone expected the Giants to win this game, even though the Seahawks statistically had a better defense then Big Blue. The achilles heal for Seattle was the fact that they also had the worst offense in the NFL, ranked dead last at 32. The Giants drop to 3-2 on the year and have to figure out how to recover from losing to the worst offense in the NFL.

The Giants defense had been a bit shaky in the backfield so far this year and I thought the Seattle game plan would be to continually throw the ball back there and see what happens. I was correct and a 2nd string QB took us to town. I mean the Seahawks couldn’t do worse then being dead last right? So they had nothing to lose by playing “Hail Mary” football. My pre-game advice for the Giants was to concentrate on the defensive backfield and let the defensive ends do their thing. The game was going back and forth like a playground ride and the players went into the locker room at halftime tied 14-14. I was sure the Giants would come out fired up for the second half but it never panned out that way.

In the end, it looked liked the Giants would prevail but then the wheels came off in the 4th quarter. It is hard to describe how it all went down because it was such a confusing game to watch. The turnovers and penalties did nothing to clear the fog of war from my eyes either. It was another sloppy game for both teams and really annoying to watch on TV. The Giants will need to instill some discipline in their game plan before the second half of this brutal schedule starts. Elite teams will capitalize off those errors and run up the score on Big Blue. I’m sure Coach Coughlin will be preaching discipline in their next practice session.

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

QB Eli Manning – Manning had a better game then the final stats show. He finished with 420 yards 3 TD’s and 3 INT’s. Two of those INT’s were not his fault.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw – Bradshaw had a good game and finished with 58 yards on the ground and 27 yards receiving.

WR Hakeem Nicks – Nicks was quiet most of the game but still finished with 65 yards and 1 TD.

DE Justin Tuck – Tuck did not play in this game and is on the mend from a recent injury.

S Antrel Rolle – Rolle had his usual hard hitting day and finished second on the defense in tackles.

WR Mario Manningham – Super Mario had a good game and finished with 56 yards and 0 TD’s.

DE Jason Pierre-Paul – JPP continued his monster season by finishing with 2.5 sacks. The guy is a beast!

LB Michael Boley – Boley had a great game and was all over the field as usual.

TE Jake Ballard – Ballard was balling and finished with 72 yards and 1 TD. This guy has come a long way.

C David Baas – Baas missed playing in this game due to injury and boy did the team see a difference. There were a bunch of botched snaps in this game.

DE Osi Umenyiora – Osi has been on fire since returning to the field and finished with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

LB Jacquian Williams – The rookie LB led the team in tackles once again this week and seems to be the steal of the draft for Big Blue thus far.

WR Victor Cruz – Cruz had a break out game by finishing with 161 yards and 1 TD. He has come along nicely since being injected into the starting offense.

LB Mathias Kiwanuka – Kiwi was lining up all over the field and finished with 1 sack. It’s fun watching this guy play the game.

S Deon Grant – Grant had a nice game and was administering some hard hits out there. He also finished the game with 1 sack.

RB Brandon Jacobs – Jacobs had to sit this game out due to injury and I think the team missed him in the running attack.

LB Greg Jones – The rookie Jones had a quiet day but still seems to be improving week to week.

CB Aaron Ross – Ross and the backfield had a rough day but Ross still managed to grab 1 INT.

K Lawrence Tynes – Tynes made 1 FG and both of his extra point attempts. No complaints from me about his season so far.

P Steve Weatherford – The Weatherman had another good game and continues to be a bright spot on Special Teams.

Giants Defense – The Giants let the worst offense in the entire NFL beat them and put 36 points on the board. If you look at their final stat line, it wouldn’t appear that way. They finished with 6 sacks, 1 INT and 2 forced fumbles.

Giants Offense – The Giants offense was having a tough time putting points on the board and their running game seemed non-existent. They had a decent game that could have been better.

Giants Special Teams – The achilles heel of Big Blue did the best they could once again. Still coming up short of acceptable game play.

What did you think about the Giants performance against the Seahawks this weekend?

RD – nygreporter.com

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