SB Nation User Blog: GAgiantfan

Chris Henry dies

GAgiantfan — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:04:22 -0000

The Cincinatti player passed on this morning. So young. Apparently he had some trouble early on, and the team never gave up on him and basically gave him a second chance. This would've made such a great story and now it's been cut short.I don't know all the details but just heard the news on ESPNs morning show. I think he was 26 years old.

I'll be praying for his family and the others left behind.

Defense? What defense?

GAgiantfan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:04:40 -0000

Where was our defense that played with a zealous fire only a week ago? Where was our defense that once swarmed to the ball to make a stop on a screen pass?

We did miss several opportunities. Eli's and Brandon's fumbles were boneheaded mistakes, and we suffered because of them. But I can't recall when our defense EVER stopped the Eagles, with the exception of the interception. I mean, the Eagles really stopped themselves: McNabb threw a couple of bad passes to wide open guys on a few third downs, and they weren't completed for first downs, but those weren't really wins by our defense. You say "Well I'll take a stop any way I can get it!" Well good for you - to me the defense outrightly SUCKED and I'd wager that the Valdosta High School Wildcats offense could score against the Giants' defense. I'm offended to even call it a defense at this point.

I surely hope the defense that played the Cowboys shows up again, and really soon. Or else it's back to the drawing board.

A Must Win?

GAgiantfan — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:20:38 -0000

Well, I concede that we NEED to win this game. I won't say it's a "must win", but it's a very important game.

First let's look at these scenarios:

Oakland beating Philly, Oakland beating Pittsburgh, Green Bay losing to Tampa Bay, Arizona losing to Carolina, and Kansas City beating both Washington and Pittsburgh all lead me to believe this (and there are more examples) -
When all of the factors have been figured in, we have a good chance of taking the Eagles. If there's anything that has been stable and consistent, it has been inconsistency. With that inconsistency, we just don't know what will happen to other teams fighting against us for a playoff spot. We need to win mostly because we don't just want to leave our playoff entry/exit up to the wind. A little more control would be nice.

You say "Yeah, but Pittsburgh is having a time with injuries," or "Yeah, but Oakland is bound to beat someone," or "Yeah, but Kansas City is a better team than their record shows" - to all of that, I say "True!"

However, there are so many immeasurable things that happen, such as injuries, team chemistry, and the like. Injuries can be measured but their impact can't be, at least right off the bat. We can speculate about injuries, I did when we lost AP - I thought he was playing slow (and hated it) and that I would not miss, but I thought his knowledge on the field would be sorely missed. Looks as if that's not necessarily true. Truth is, there are so many factors outside of the numbers that can determine the game. For instance, what if Philly doesn't "show up" as they say? What if we DO show up? I know that McNabb, like Eli, has been stove-hot in one game and freezer-cold in the next.

That's why we play the games. Not many talking heads made it known that they believed we would beat the Cowboys. And I think we have one of those non-measurable things going on, and I believe in it : M-O-M-E-N-T-U-M. You say "Momentum?! We can't string together two wins!"

I think more happened to our team during this last win than has happened all season. For the first time, Giants fans everywhere had at least a little more confidence that the defense might actually make some stops. The offense made enough plays, and we didn't always settle for field goals. Our special teams got a score. This is the kind of togetherness we have not seen until this past Sunday.

Last Sunday, we actually played with fire, we played with zeal, and we made plays when plays had to be made. If we continue with that type of play, we can beat anyone. And there's ultimately only one way to measure THAT - with another check mark in the WIN column.

Bring your wing clippers to this one, guys. It's time to ground a few birds and get some revenge.

Ironically

GAgiantfan — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:05:49 -0000

The player I trust the least was the most trustworthy tonight. Tynes did what he was supposed to do, even kicked off into the endzone for once and we couldn't even cover that one reasonably. Maybe it was because we're not used to him kicking it that deep.

Notes for the defense:

Tackling is important, and we didn't do it. Being in the correct position defensively is important; again, we didn't do it. Getting pressure on and through the opposing offense is important, and we didn't do it. Challenging the opposing offense is important, and we didn't do it. Yes we had a number of good plays, a small number. Good job on those. To me, the stupid penalties offset these. Personally, I was embarrassed as we couldn't even stop their token runs at the end of the first half when they were just trying to run out the clock. They ran when they wanted to and passed when they wanted to with success. Really the only thing that stopped them was themselves. Sad to say.

Notes for the offense:

Scoring TDs instead of field goals is important, and we didn't do it. FYI, penalties against you make your team go backwards. Running the ball was once a staple of our team. We didn't (or couldn't) do it. Holding on to the ball is important, and we didn't do it. FYI, having a sustained drive is not only important in helping us demoralize the opposing defense, but it also gives our defense a rest. I'm not sure of the numbers, but I'll bet our defense was on the field more than the offense in the first half alone.

What DID we do? Not hard to figure out that we just didn't do much at all tonight.

At least I am thankful today. Thankful that this game is over.

Problem is, I'm feeling more and more like this defense is, too.

Trust me, I'd rather be proven wrong.

Glimmers of Hope

GAgiantfan — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:59:04 -0000

We all know what a difference 4 weeks make. The roller coaster that has been our season can turn out to be a fun ride afterall, though. Here's why:

I never would've though that Carolina would edge out Atlanta today; I never would've thought Tennessee would CRUSH Buffalo today; I never would've thought St. Louis would give New Orleans the run that they did today; I never would've imagined that Washington would beat Denver; and I surely wouldn't have given Cincinatti the nod over Pittsburgh.

My thinking may be skewed in all of these situations, I'll give you that. Maybe I am not the NFL-cyphering guru that many here are.

And yet, these unthinkable things, however mighty or small, have happened.

There's hope for us yet. Now let's get healthy and play to win instead of playing not to lose.

Whoah

GAgiantfan — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:56:29 -0000

First time I've seen THIS. I believe it could compete with...well, I will have to plead the 5th, other than to say: Dayum lol...take a gander and let me know what you think. At least this will provide a break during the bye.

We oughta make some kind of calendar, and if you think about it, have all the chicks wearing NYG blue, and it would be so easy to name it - "The Big Blue View"

wow

What the heck?!

GAgiantfan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:07:00 -0000

The play calling was a little better. The running game was OK. The passing game was better than it's been in
weeks (as far as taking what they gave us). The defense played better, in my opinion, than in recent games.
So what happened?

I think this week's breakdown was a result of a weaker-than-recognized offense. Here's why:

You can't give me any reasonable excuse, try as you might, that we should kick a field goal when we start
out with a 1st-and-10 inside the 5 yard line. There's just no excuse, no excuse. The defense, which has been
made fun, has been critiqued, and has been re-critiqued, stepped up and secured an important turnover. The
opportunity for the offense to capitalize was there like a Christmas gift just waiting to be opened. I'll be
damned if we just took the gift and put it back under the tree. Who in the hell does that? We do, apparently.

People might blame this loss on the defense, and many will focus on the defense because the press has done so
recently. The game ended with a defensive breakdown, so that's the impression that stays in peoples' minds.
Some of the aforementioned criticisms are deserved, but there was one point in the game where the announcers
were discussing that the Giants' possession time was twice that of the Chargers', and we had nothing to show
for it. Why? It's because we POSSESS the ball while scoring NOTHING or scoring VERY LITTLE. Mere possessions
are good sometimes, but not if they happen drive after drive after drive.

The offense can move the ball, they just can't move it once they get inside the 15 - at least on a consistent
level. You say "But the Giants scored two touchdowns!" True. So what? I've noted on several occasions that
we just don't sustain scoring drives regularly enough. And I still maintain that position. Bad play from the
defense has masked the offensive problems that we've had for weeks.

We have so little confidence in our offense that we can't get a TD with a 1st-and-10 inside the 5. To me,
that is just not acceptable. "Well, we had penalties" you say. Yes, we did. It doesn't make it any more
acceptable, does it?

To me, that field goal was more demoralizing than having the TD scored on us at the end. It was a POSSESSION
that meant nothing for us. Scoring a TD would have put it out of reach for the Chargers.

I'm not saying that the defense played with "Steel Curtain"-esque play . In fact, they couldn't be further from that. What I am saying is this: We have to take advantage of the opportunities that our defense DOES give us. People have knocked the defense for weeks, myself included, but they produced turnovers for us today and our offense
didn't get it done. When in the position to be "hero" today, we asked the offense to step up, and they didn't.

We kicked a freakin' field goal. This one took some wind out of the sails for sure. This game will be marked as a "defensive letdown" but the offense sucked when we needed them to step up.

The Recipe

GAgiantfan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:42:28 -0000

Here's what can bolster success for us in the upcoming games:

We have to be less predictable on play calling. Pass on first down sometimes, and I don't mean going for a bomb. Try the intermediate routes from time to time, or better yet, take what they're giving. Let me ask you this: If we try a run on first down and get 6 yards, then what do you think we might call for 2nd and 4? Point is, let's get them to backpeddle, unsure of whether we will pass it or run it in that situation. We can use the short-medium passes to back the defense up a bit, and then run. Or we can run, run, and run more, and then pass when everyone's playing too closely. Either way, we can't be predictable with this chess match. If we can do these things, our offense should be able to sustain long drives, thus giving the defense time to rest and prepare for their next series.

We have to win the turnover battle. The bottom line here is, we can't afford a turnover PERIOD. This will require Eli to make the best decision, as far as pass distribution. It will also require Eli to put the gun back into the holster and back down from the gunslinger mentality. Running backs must protect the ball at all times. If we win this battle, we have a great chance of getting the win.

We have to catch the passes we're supposed to catch, whether we are challenged or not. Wide receivers, you'll have to get open often and early. You'll have to catch passes that hit your hands; you may have to dive for a catch every now and then. You may have to extend for a catch with the knowledge that you may get your block knocked off. And you surely have to catch them if you're wide open. Fight to get open and stay on your routes. Look at some Kevin Boss footage if you're still unsure about what I'm saying.

Special Teams have to tighten up. We absolutely cannot punt bricks, let returners run freely, or be timid about returning kicks or punts. Get out there and make the play, and get off of the field. Quit giving the opposing team so much of a field advantage.

Stupid penalties are unacceptable. When it's 3rd and 4, could we please have at least one series where we DON'T get a false start? Quit letting other teams get into your heads, and move when the ball is snapped. Watch the holding and pass interference, but don't be afraid to coldcock someone if you have to.

The defense has to have a stop once in a while. I know the offense has been sucking lately, and I know the've put you in some tough positions recently, and I know your backfield has sucked worse than a child on a lolipop, and I know that the offense has been putting you back on the field repeatedly, but you have to keep your heads up and do whatever it takes to make Rivers antsy. Hit him often and hit him hard. Force him to make mistakes. Speaking of mistakes, we absolutely have to catch passes that hit our hands. Those are called interceptions, and we need as many of them as we can get. Do what you have to do to get into Rivers' face and cause him pain. Because you have "Can't Cover" out there, it makes it that much more important that you be in their backfield before Rivers can take his 3rd step. AP, this might also cause you to tighten your coverage at times. You will have to lead by example, and the others will follow you; however, that doesn't mean that hanging all on a running back before the ball gets there is acceptable. If we win the battle on the defensive line, we have a great chance of securing a victory. Just get mean, get pumped up, and run them over.

Focus. Put the newspapers down. Whatever your responsibility, play your "A Game" and let everything else go. Play as if your future depended on it. You never know, it just might.

3 and out

GAgiantfan — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:29:02 -0000

Hey guys and girls. My job has taken me many places and I've been around some, but I think I'm back for a while - ready to share some stuff whether you like it or not!

The most alarming thing to me, especially in this last game against the Cards, is how many times our defense was put back on the field because of our offense (or lack of it). This has increased some over the past couple of games, and it is tied very closely to play calling (Gilbride) and then decision-making (Manning). Also, there are those occasional fumbles, dropped passes, weak punts, or stupid penalties that really screw things up. Let's just hope that those things remain on the "occasional" side rather than the "frequent" side.
The play calling in this last game was very predictable. It seems that there was one play that would've gotten me as an opposing DC, and I think it was a 3rd-and-2 pass play (which was unsuccessful). We have the players on offense to beat up any defense we face, but we can't decide to throw the bomb on 3rd-and-2, and surely not when we're losing. What about an intermediate route, or even a short route on that play?

Our defense really did OK in this game, and probably would have done even better - if our offense could gain 10 yards every now and then, you know, maybe put together what we call a "drive." At least then the defense, which is already nicked up almost across-the-board, could get a few moment's rest. Long, sustained drives (which we are capable of) give the offense confidence, and at the same time, demoralize the defense. Avoiding predictable calls on 1st down would be a good start in the right direction.

Having said all of that, I still believe that the Giants are mostly "in a funk" right now; though there have been bright spots intertwined with the dark. The past two games have been indicative of this intersection we have come to of "all things bad" - dropped interceptions, dropped passes, fumbles, bad punts, interceptions, stupid penalties, and the like. Time and training solve a lot of those things, but if we remain predictable on play calling, lose the turnover battle, and can't sustain drives, there's a better-than-good chance that we're staring a loss right in the face every time. Really it's Football 101. It's back to basics, guys. Just spice up the calls a bit.

Underdog?

GAgiantfan — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:13:51 -0000

Underdog or No Underdog?

One guy says the best the Giants will do in 2008/2009 is 8-8.

Another says that he believes the answer is maybe, but not likely, that
the Giants can extend the legacy began last season.

Still, another says that he thinks the Giants could have a record of 8-8,
but they also could go 12-4. Either way, he says, they'll finish second
in the NFC East.

Here's a quote from an aspiring sports journalist: "New York: Had an
improbable playoff run ending with a spectacular superbowl win. It wont
happen again."

What this leads me to believe is that many out there really do have
"IHAG", which is surely not a new brain condition, but it seems so
prevalent today. For many years, I thought this was some type of myth or
something. "Internalized Hatred about the Giants", or affectionately -
dubbed "IHAG", runs uncontrollably through the veins of many, and it
seems as if that condition will continue to spread with the "Big Boy"
analysts as they step up to make their claims for the upcoming season.

This is nothing new. We saw the emergence and the rise of this
condition last season as the Giants made their amazing playoff run and
went on to win the Super Bowl.

To me, though, it's an awesome thing to see "IHAG" spreading like a
wildfire! All it means is that we've done something right.

Many seem to repsect the great run that the Giants went on, but most
contend that it was a fluke. What that means to me is that we can dress
in our underdog clothing again. Sure, as Harry Carson spoke about
recently, we should beware because each team we play will be out to win
against the current Super Bowl Champ. (still sounds good huh)

I understand about championship teams stumbling after they win, and that's bound to happen to us. However, I don't think we have a fluke on our hands. We have a solid team with a solid coach, and best of all, we play as a team. Those things all bode well for an excellent future.

But to get little respect is a good motivator and allows us to work under the "us against the world" line of thinking. So, we're the Super Bowl Champs and what, we weren't supposed to be? We weren't supposed to win against (insert team name here) ?

Isn't it so lovely to be hated?