Giant Dissapointment

I did everything I could to support the Giants yesterday.  I came back home to a cold New Jersey after being poolside in Florida, I flew JetBlue so I could have DirecTV so I could watch the game.  And I thought of a great idea, lets see where it goes.  "FAN FLIGHTS"  It seemed like most of the screens were on the game and it felt like a Sports Bar without any drunks and more crying babies.  Curses when there were dropped passes, applauding after a good rush, I was thinking a chant was gonna start.  So my idea is we fly a bunch of fans to watch a game and then go somewhere after the game.  Just an idea.  Anyways, I watched the first half and the first part of the third quarter.  I listened to the rest of the third quarter and the first part of the fourth on the radio coming home (where the game ended) and then I got home to watch the official end of the game.

What a tough loss.  It's disappointing when a team plays so hard to earn home field advantage throughout the playoffs.  They went 11-1.  Then Plaxico Burress shoots himself in the leg, and the season goes downhill.  Eli Manning wasn't the same.  I heard a stat, in the last four games of the season and the one and only post season game, Eli only threw two touchdown passes.  And they were both to tight ends, not to wide receivers.  The coverage to Plax aloud other receivers like Steve Smith and Amani Toomer to get open.  Ward and Jacobs were able to get open for short passes.  Eli lost his big target.  A 6'5" wide receiver is tought to replace.  And it showed.  I like Domenik Hixon, but he's not ready to be a #1 yet, Steve Smith can be real good, but he's not there yet.  They lost their #1 WR and it showed.  Look at Eli's numbers without Burress....

• 12/7 vs PHI LOST 20-14 - 13/27, 123 yards, 1 touchdown (Darcy Johnson - TE) 
• 12/14 at DAL LOST 20-8 - 18/35, 191 yards, 2 interceptions
• 12/21 vs CAR WON 34-28 - 17/27, 181 yards, 1 touchdown (Kevin Boss - TE)
• 12/29 at MIN LOST 20-19 - 11/19, 119 yards
• 1/11 vs PHI LOST 23-11 - 15/29, 169 yards, 2 interceptions
  

The numbers are just not good enough, He didn't have a wide receiver he was comfortable.  The young receivers were not ready to put big enough numbers up after Burress was done.

But, granted, even without Plax, I still felt this team was good enough to win.  But, what hurt the Giants yesterday was a lot.  What went wrong?  I could tell you that.  Here's the offense low moments 

1. The game opens up with an Ahmad Bradshaw kickoff return for 65 yards, Giants start at the PHI 35.  And they can't score.  They were down to the 9 on third down.  It would be great if they could do a play action pass to Burress.  But, there's no one there that could do it.  Manning has to do a short pass to Ward and they don't get enough for a first down and only get a FG by John Carney to make it 3-0 Giants
2. The Giants start on their own 13.  They should be running the ball, cause its a dangerous area to be throwing, especially against the wind.  What happens?  Eli throws a floater To Asante Samuel for an interception.  McNabb scores to make it 7-3 Eagles
3. Two drives in a row end on long passes, one to Toomer the other to Smith.  Both are close to being grabbed, but the wind takes the ball too far and they can't complete the catches.  
4. In the second quarter, Manning tries on 2nd and 3rd down to pass, but both are incomplete.  Instead of running and going for a closer Field Goal, Carney has to kick a 46 yarder which goes wide right.  7-5 Eagles still.  They had two kickers, Carney and Lawrence Tynes, the hero from last year's NFC Championship.  Tynes was supposed to do kickoffs and long FG's.  This should have been kicked by Tynes in my opinion.
5. The last drive, the FG opportunity was made possible by Kevin Boss who got a 21 yard reception.  This drive, another opportunity set up by Boss with a 25 yard reception.  Jacobs then runs for 21 yards.  Then after a penalty, the Giants have 1st and 5 on the PHI 25.  1st down, pass incomplete.  2nd down, pass incomplete, 3rd down, pass to Ward for 4 yards.  No first down.  Giants have to settle for another FG.  1st and 5, i don't see how you can't run Jacobs there after he just had a huge run.  But, still 8-7 Giants
6. Third quarter, a great interception by Fred Robbins sets up the Giants on the PHI 17 yard line.  Jacobs runs for 11 first down.  He then runs for 5.  2nd down, pass incomplete.  3rd down, pass incomplete.  2nd and 5.  Run the ball again!  Passing didn't work the first half.  Keep the run game going!  They settle for ANOTHER Field Goal by Carney.  11-10 Giants
7. Fourth quarter, with the Giants down 20-11.  Still plenty of time to play.  Giants have a 4th and 1 on their own 44.  With Jacobs, Ward, and Bradshaw, anyone that could get a yard I'd say.  They try a QB sneak, Eli doesn't get it.  Next drive, 4th and 2.  Jacobs can only get 1 yard and they turn it over.  And both drives they had 3rd and 3 and 3rd and 5.  And they can't do anything.  Eagles get the ball back and kick a field goal to get ahead 23-11 and win the game.

Overall, Eli couldn't pass in the wind, they didn't use the run enough, and they don't use the Field Goal kicker they brought in for long kicks....for long kicks.

The defense was good most of the game.  They should have held them for the last 1 minute 24 seconds of the second quarter.  Instead they let them get down the field to get another Philly Field Goal which got them the lead 10-8.  And Of course they should have taken care of business on 3rd and 20.  Which led to a Philly Field Goal and made it 13-11.  Two big drives for the Eagles that gave them back the lead.  The latter lead they never lost.  But, i can't blame the defense, they did their job.  This loss is on the offense.'

So, a dissapointing loss at home in the playoffs against a rival.  It hurts, it does.  But, the Giants did better than were expected this year.  They weren't expected to win the division.  They weren't expected to be a 11-1.  They weren't expected to finish the season with 12 wins.  This was the Cowboys division this year and they didn't make the playoffs.  The Eagles, a team that there was a possibility they could make the playoffs at the beginning of the year.  Donovan McNabb, who didn't know there were ties in Football.  Andy Reid who was coaching terribly.  They tie the horrible Cincinnati Bengals.  McNabb gets benched after playing so poorly against the Ravens.  At 5-5-1, there was no way they'd make the playoffs.  They get hot, McNabb gets the starting position against Arizona on Thanksgiving.  Can you even believe that was even a debate?  They beat the Giants in the Meadowlands.  They beat Cleveland.  They lose by a yard to Washington.  They were 8-6-1.  A small possibility they could make the playoffs.  They needed Oakland to beat Tampa Bay (who had to win to clinch a playoff spot), they needed either Minnesota (who was playing the Giants) or Chicago to lose in Houston, both teams were playing to win the NFC North.  Oakland beats Tampa Bay and eliminates them.  Minnesota beats the Giants to win the division.  Houston beats Chicago to eliminate them from the playoffs.  Then they had to beat the Cowboys, a team that was expected to win the NFC East, possible Super Bowl contender just to make the playoffs.  And the Eagles destroy the Cowboys 44-6.  They go to Minnesota and win 26-14 in the Wildcard.  And then yesterday, they go to the Meadowlands and beat the Giants 23-11 to advance to the NFC Championship.  It is their 5th in 8 years.  As much as I hate the Eagles, you have to give them credit for battling into the playoffs and now they are road warriors, much like the Giants were last year in the playoffs.  

Now the Eagles play the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship in University Of Phoenix Stadium, where the Giants won Super Bowl XLII against the Patriots only 12 months ago.  And they will face a Cardinals team with Kurt Warner, the same Warner that was benched by the Giants so that the Eli Manning era could start in 2004. 

And what an Era it has been.  4 straight playoff appearences, 3 dissapointing losses (2 of which were at home), 4 playoff victories (all on the road), 1 Super Bowl victory.  That victory will always stay.  

So, the Giants will take time off and think about this game this lost season.  After the perfect ending from the year before to the lost season of this year.  They have some decisions to make.  Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward are both free agents.  They should definately resign Jacobs.  Ward, unfortunately I think will look for more money elsewhere and want to be a #1.  If he can stay, that would be great, but I don't expect it.  Will Plaxico Burress come back to the team or will he go to jail?  Will the Giants allow him back.  Personally, I don't think they should after he destroyed this season.  The Giants should go sign a #1 Wide Receiver, my choice being TJ Houshmandzadeh.  He's the biggest name on the free agent market in 2009.  Go after him.  The defense will stay strong.  Osi Umeniyura will come back and he will be healthy, and hopefully stay healthy.  So what advice to I have for the Giants in the next season?  Let someone else win the NFC East, win a Wildcard position and be road warriors again.  I expect them to be good again, and they should be able to win the division again.  If they do, make sure not to have a bye. 

So football season is over for me.  I hope the Cardinals win it all.  But my pick is the Steelers.  And now, it's 32 days until pitchers and catchers report in Florida.  And this could be a big year for the Yankees.  So I say, PLAY BALL! 

And for you sad Giants fans out there today.  Just think, we'll always have that 17-14 victory over the Patriots destroying their perfect season.  It happened, we'll always have it.