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Week 1 Analysis

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To be frank, it wasn’t good. In case you are not aware, the New York Giants played the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. It was the first Sunday Night Football game of the year and there was a large amount of anticipation. Some story lines coming in to the game were Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys star running back, and his suspension. As well as the status of Giants star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. In the preseason it seemed likely that Beckham Jr. would play and Elliott would not. However, just the opposite of that happened. Elliott filed a lawsuit delaying his suspension to take place until after the Cowboys week one game. Beckham Jr. on the other hand, warmed up but it was decided that his ankle, injured during the preseason, was not ready to go. So even before the game the Giants suffered a loss and the Cowboys gained perhaps their best player.

The Game:

Dallas received the opening kickoff and was forced to punt shortly there after. I remember thinking at this point that I was not particularly worried about the defense. However I was very concerned about how the offense would perform, especially missing one of its top weapons in Beckham Jr. My concerns soon materialized as the Giants went three and out. Eli being sacked on third down, leading me to my next thought. The defense was one of the best in the league last year. Led by the likes of Landon Collins and Damon “Snacks” Harrison. The offense coming into this year had promise. Steady, but aging Eli Manning at the helm of the ship. With weapons like running back Paul Perkins, who showed spurts of promise last year, a solid receiving core of Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard in the slot, and a new weapon in tight end Evan Engram. However there was and is a glaring weakness in the Giants offense. The offensive line. It seems the past few years this unit has been weak. However, this year it is clearly evident as it seems the offense should do well. Eli has plenty of weapons to choose from but he often doesn’t have time. Some of the running game woes can surely be attributed to the struggling offensive line. Ereck Flowers, the left tackle, had a rough rookie year. But he reportedly trained very hard in the off season. He appeared to be making some progress on Sunday. The other side of the line right guard John Jerry and right tackle Bobby Hart appear to be struggling the most. On the Giants third offensive play the Cowboys ran a stunt and beat Jerry and Hart for a sack. The Cowboys ended up with three sacks on the game. The offense gained only 35 yards rushing and 198 yards passing. Ending up with a meager 13 first downs. Another key stat was time of possession. At the end it was rather even 25:46 for the Giants and 34:14 for the Cowboys. However, in the early going the Cowboys were dominating T.O.P, due to the Giants offense or lack there of, likely tiring out the Giants defense. So all of this combined lead to certain defeat for the Giants, losing 19-3. The Giants play the Detroit Lions on Monday. The Lions had a good comeback win against a solid, although less so now because of the David Johnson injury, Cardinals team.

Follow @NYGsblog on twitter for updates about new blog posts. 

There will be another post later in the week previewing the Giants vs Lions.

Until then thanks for reading feel free to leave any comments.

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Week 9 Preview: New York Giants vs. Los Angeles Rams

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The Giants season continues against the Rams this week. The Giants are now 1-6 on the season and the Rams are 5-2. This will be a tough game for the Giants as the Rams are a good team. They are coming off a dismantling of the Cardinals 33-0. The Rams have a high powered offense often scoring 30 a game. While the Giants offense has struggled, in part to some injuries. Lets look at some of the match ups.

Offense:

Quarterback: Jared Goff is at the helm the Rams he has 9 touchdowns on the season and only 4 interceptions. While Eli has 10 touchdowns and 5 interceptions on the season. I’m going to give the nod to Eli on this one.

Edge: Giants

Running Backs: Todd Gurley leads the Rams running game. He is having a good year with 627 yards on the season and 5 touchdowns. Orleans Darkwa is making the best out of a struggling offensive line which has hampered the overall offense. He has 274 yards and 1 touchdown. The adavatedge here is fairly obvious.

Edge: Rams

Overall Offense:

The Rams put up much more points, plain and simple. The Giants have a solid defense but the Rams offense has been excelling as of late

Edge: Rams

Defense: This match up is fairly even. Both teams have very good players such as Aaron Donald for the Rams and Landon Collins for the Giants. The Giants defense has struggled as of late partly due to the time spent on the field because of the offense or lack there of.

Edge: Rams

Prediction: 28-14 Rams

Trade Deadline: No Moves?

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Well, the trade deadline came and passed and no moves were made by the Giants. There were several rumors surrounding the Giants approaching the deadline. But none came to fruition. Some included DRC with his suspension earlier in the season and possibly a blockbuster trade involving the aging Eli Manning. Nothing happened with either of these players. It was also rumored that the Giants might try to add a offensive lineman. Such as Duane Brown, formerly of the Houston Texans, who was traded to the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks only gave up a 2018 third round pick and a 2019 second round pick. I am surprised the Giants didn’t take a look at this as it seems like a good deal for both parties. Jay Ajayi was traded to the Eagles for a fourth round pick. And the Bills sent a 2018 third and seventh round for Kelvin Benjamin. Odell Beckham Jr. was seen lobbying for his former teammate and friend Jarvis Laundry of the Dolphins.

Nothing came of this either. It is interesting that the Giants made no moves because of how bad the season had gone so far. I think that the Duane Brown trade could have been good for the Giants. Perhaps the front office was reluctant to make moves that they wouldn’t be able to see through because they are on the hot seat. Either way it will be interesting to see how the Giants finish out the season. In the mean time Giants fans, stay strong and keep the faith.

NFL Draft Prospect: Sam Darnold

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The next prospect that should be looked at is Sam Darnold, a quarterback from the University of Southern California. It is no secret that Eli Manning is getting older. I do not have any contacts with Giants executives so I do not know their feelings on Davis Webb. The Giants drafted Ryan Nassib a quarterback from Syracuse a few years ago and he did not pan out. If the Giants higher ups are not to fond of Davis Webb, Sam Darnold could be an option. However, in a recent development, Darnold is not set on entering the draft. Regardless, lets take a look.

Darnold is a good size at 6 foot 4 inches. He is not necessarily a rushing quarterback but can but when flushed out of the pocket can make some plays and or avoid a sack. He seems comfortable in the pocket. He has a good arm but not necessarily a cannon according to scouts. And he is rather accurate. Scouts say that he could improve his intangibles and going through his reads faster but most quarterbacks at college need to improve these. According to some sources he is a good leader as well. Which is a major positive for teams when going through the interview process.

If the draft happened right now. The Giants would be picking third and the only team above them that might have interest in Darnold, assuming that he enters the draft, might be the Cleveland Browns. Based on DeShone Kizer’s rough start. So depending on Davis Webb and obviously if Darnold enters the draft. Darnold could be a good option to be drafted and hopefully become the Giants next franchise quarterback.

 

NFL draft prospect: Saquon Barkley

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As this dismal season drags on, I look forward to the draft. The Giants are now 1-6 after suffering a loss to the Seahawks. Doing recaps of these games just make me angry so I have decided to start looking into draft prospects. This week it is the outstanding running back out of Penn State, Saquon Barkley. Barkley will likely be off the board in the top 10. So unless the Giants have a complete turnaround, they will likely have a good chance at getting him. Running back is not necessarily a need but he is a great talent and Jerry Reese has shown that he will often take the best available talent. Lets get to Barkley

Barkley is 5 foot 11 inches and weighs 223 pounds. He runs a 4.33 40 yard dash, benches 380 pounds and can squat 525 pounds multiple times. He is very explosive as was demonstrated by his 69 yard run versus Michigan on Saturday on his first touch of the game. Some analysts, including Daniel Jeremiah, say he is a better draft prospect than Ezekiel Elliot was. That he has a great combination of size, power, explosiveness and elusiveness. Todd Mcshay saying that he is the best prospect since Adrian Peterson. He is in the running for a Heisman. He had a statement game against Michigan, who Penn State dismantled. They face Ohio State coming up another big challenge and another opportunity for Barkley to further showcase his stuff. Perhaps his biggest effect on the field, as I have observed, is how the defense is drawn to him. Trace Mcsorley is a good quarterback for Penn State. I was watching the Michigan game, and they ran several options. Each time the linebackers were looking for Barkley and often over pursued allowing Mcsorley to break off huge runs. The Giants would be wise to continue to watch him as the College Football season heads toward the playoffs.

 

Props to Mike Sullivan

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The Giants beat the Broncos on Sunday, which came as a surprise to most. This is because the Giants opened as 9 point underdogs. Before Sunday, all facets of the Giants had been bad. Offense, Defense, Special Teams and even coaching. A large part of this was the recent injuries sustained. Sullivan went into the game without his three best receivers, starting center and running back. Yet some how he managed to put up 23 points. In fairness, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnulo and defensive players deserve a pat on the back as well. They played spectacularly well. Even returning an interception for 6. However, this article is not about the defense because that is how they should be playing. They have all the players, they just need to perform. Like they did on Sunday, exceptionally well. So back to Sullivan. He took on the play calling duties and the offense prospered, even with all of the injuries. The offensive line, which had been poor all year played very well after being reshuffled. Justin Pugh went one on one with Von Miller most of the game and did an excellent job. Others such as D.J. Fluker opened up massive holes for Darkwa to run through, racking up 117 yards. Eli had a good day while not throwing many passes because of the dominant run game. Evan Engram picked up some of the receiving core slack catching 5 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. Sullivan calling the plays made the offense appear rejuvenated. When McAdoo was calling them, sometimes the offense looked stagnant or repetitive. If I had to guess, Sullivan will most likely keep the play calling duties next week against the Seahawks. It will be interesting to see if the offense continues to play well under Sullivan’s play calls. Because, I think I can speak for most Giants fans in this, Sundays game is what we expected game one. Especially with play makers like OBJ still in the lineup. So keep up the good work Mike Sullivan.

Week 6 Recap: New York Giants vs. Denver Broncos

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Disclaimer: I am not sure that the Giants played this game. The players were wearing Giants uniforms but played much differently.

The coveted first win came in week six. The Giants are now 1-5 and look to turn around what has been a dismal season. The Giants played a Denver team with one of the best defenses in the league and prospered. The Final was 23-10 Giants. Now lets take a look at the game.

All around a complete turn around from previous games. The defense played extremely well. Only allowing 3 points through 3 quarters and 10 total. JPP had 3 sacks terrorizing the Broncos right tackle. Collins and Jack Rabbit each had a pick. Jenkins returned it for six. 46 total rushing yards were allowed to a good run offense. And Siemian had a rating of 71.8. The defense reverted to its form last year when it was one of the best in the league. Perhaps the only weakness currently being the injury depleted linebacker core. The offense played uncharacteristically well. Eli had a 95.9 passing rating while only throwing 19 pass. Eli not not having many attempts was a byproduct of the dominant running game. Darkwa had 27 rushing attempts for 117 yards averaging 5.6 yards a carry. The offensive line switch up paired Offensive Coordinator Mike Sullivan calling the plays proved to be effective. Justin Pugh did a spectacular job moving from guard to tackle against one the best in the League, Von Miller. I would suspect that Sullivan would keep the play calling duties based on how well the offense played. McAdoo’s seat would get much hotter if he began ceiling the plays and the offense struggled again.

The Giants play the Seahawks (3-2) next week. One of the best teams in the NFC. It will be interesting to see if the Giants good play continues. Check back later for a preview of this game.

Week 6 Preview: New York Giants vs. Denver Broncos

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And so the season drags on. For the Giants and the remaining fans, the season cant end soon enough. However it is only week 6 and the Giants face a good Broncos team. Lets look at some of the match ups.

Offense: The Giants have Eli. Thats about it at this point. Perkins is hurt, three wide receivers are done for the season and Sterling Shepard is injured. The offensive line is sub par. The Broncos have an average offense with a good a running game lead by C.J. Andersen. Average is far better than the what ever the Giants have.

Advantage: Broncos (This might be a trend throughout)

Defense: The Broncos have one of the best defenses in football. Especially with Von Miller coming off the edge. Against the Giants offensive line, this spells disaster for Eli. The Giants defense is pretty good, when they are at full strength. Landon Collins, Olivier Vernon, and Johnathon Casillas all didn’t practice. And obviously the whole DRC predicament. With all this being said, you can probably guess who gets the edge.

Advantage: Broncos

The Broncos are 9 point favorites, for obvious reasons. And this will be a tough game considering all of the negative things surrounding the Giants right now. It will be interesting to see how the Giants play knowing that their season is essentially over. I expect some good effort from the players that are now in starting roles because off all of the injuries. All that being said here is my prediction.

Broncos 24-7 Giants

Well, the Season is all but Over

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I started this blog to write about my favorite football team the New York Giants. I had planned on blogging about each game. I figured I would enjoy doing it. However, as I’m sure as you all know, this season has gone horribly wrong. When I write about the games I find myself become saddened and angry instead of the planned enjoyment. To alleviate this stress, I plan to start blogging about the upcoming draft. Yes it is a long ways away. But the Giants will likely have a very early pick. Providing some optimism for the future of Giants football.

Possible Pick: OT Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame

In most of the big boards out McGlinchey is the top ranked tackle. Depending on how early the Giants pick, this could be considered a reach. However, the offensive line is the Giants most glaring need in my opinion. As long as OBJ had a full recovery and Wayne Gallman continues to progress the offense seems in good shape. Eli appears to still have it but he will certainly be a question in the future. The defense seems to be in good shape. Some attention could be needed in the linebacker core. Back to McGlinchey. He is listed at six foot eight inches and three-hundred and twelve pounds. So he is by know means undersized. Some scouts are impressed with his pass blocking. Saying that he is atheltic and has good knee bend. And can generate some movement at the point of attack in run blocking. He could have been one of the top tackles in last years draft but decided to go back for another year. This should help him fine tune and and prepare for the NFL. And depending on how things shake out, should be considered by the Giants front office.

 

What is going on with Brad Wing?

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The goal of this article is not to place the blame for the Giants struggles solely on Brad Wing. However, the last two games especially, Wing’s punts have been a part of the problem. Lets go back to the Philadelphia game. The game was tied and appeared to be going into overtime. The Giants had the ball left with :51 left in the game and had to score or run out the clock. The Giants went three and out and on came the punt squad. If Wing pinned them deep the game could have went to overtime and who knows what would have happened. Instead he shanked a 28 yard punt and gave the Eagles a shot which Jake Elliot took and nailed a 61 yard field goal. Game over. Again not solely on Wing. Before the Giants punted Vereen ran out of bounds stopping the clock. And even with the poor punt the Eagles were on their own 38. The defense just had to hold. Instead they allowed a 19 yard completion to Alshon Jeffery. On comes Jake Elliot, 61 yards later, game over. Fast forward to the Buccaneers game. The Giants were in the midst of a  comeback. When Brad Wing shanked a 15 yard punt this time. The Buccaneers capitalized on the good field position and scored a touchdown. The Giants ended up losing by two. So the usually reliable Brad Wing has been one of the host of problems for the Giants this year. That has contributed to this dismal season. However, there is always hope. The Giants are the favorites against the also 0-4 Chargers next week. Until then, keep the faith Giants fans.

 

Deangelo Williams Anybody?

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On twitter, a Giants fan asked Williams about joining the Giants. He simply responded “I’m available” (His tweet) . This pickup would add a power back to the worst running game in the league. The Giants average 48.7 yards a game on 47 attempts total. Williams averaged four yards a carry and had eleven touchdowns in 2016 when he was the featured back. He wouldn’t need those numbers, he could specialize in short yardage and power situations. Granted the Giants don’t often line up in the power I and Full Back Shane Smith didn’t play a single snap in week 3. But he couldn’t hurt the running game and would specialize in goal line situations. He likely wouldn’t prosper because of our offensive line, or lack there of. But would be a good addition, none the less.  Previous Giants power running backs like Brandon Jacobs have excelled in New York. The Giants struggled against the Eagles in goal situations on Sunday.  For example when the Giants had three shots from inside the three to punch the ball in before half and failed. Williams could have certainly be utilized. If not to run the ball, as a distraction for receivers like Odell Beckham and Evan Engram. Defenders would have to honor the run and couldn’t bail and drop into coverage immediately. He seems interested but I don’t know about the Giants. They reportedly had a shot at Legarrette Blount in the off season but didn’t take it. Perhaps they thought that a power back didn’t fit into the system. But its pretty clear the running game needs help. This could be it.