Giants Edge Niners in OT 20-17

January 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Eli Mannings Vs 49ers

Eli Poised in the Pocket

Eli Manning has a chance to become the greatest  quarterback in Giants’ team history.

The NFC Championship did not come easy for the Giants, but they fought their way through and now have punched their ticket to Indy.

Eli Manning led the way for the G-Men.

32/58, 316 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Eli set a Giant record with pass attempts and completions.

The other hero for the Giants was wide receiver Kyle Williams. No, you won’t find a Kyle Williams on the Giants team, but he helped the Giants more than his own team, the 49ers.

Kyle Williams muffed one punt and fumbled another which completely screwed the Niners. I hate blaming it all on one guy, but it doesn’t get much closer than this.

The muff came when the Niners were up 14-10, and this miscue kept the Giants in the game and gave them momentum.

This was a CRUCIAL mistake by Williams. Every punt returner is taught to treat the ball as posion if you can’t field it cleanly. You can’t cough the ball up deep in your own territory when your defense has been relentless.

If you thought that mistake was bad, the second one was even worse. In OVERTIME, Williams decided that ball security is not something to be worried about and then got stripped by rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams.

That was a fatal turnover and led to the Giants victory over the Niners.

I give so much credit to Eli. Despite the lack of a consistent running game to support him, he still found a way to win. The defense also stepped up and matched the intensity of the 49ers defense.

Jason-Pierre Paul

JPP Getting it Done

There was one thing that impressed me from the perspective of the Giants’ defense:  San Francisco’s offense was 1-13(8%) on 3rd down.

That is GREAT team defense.

The 49ers are the type of offense that needs to get first downs to wear down the opposing teams defense. They have to grind it out, and they could not do that Sunday evening because they had basically no success on third down.

Instead they had two big offensive plays, both involving tight end Vernon Davis. Davis had 3 catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

Besides those two big plays, the 49ers offense really did not do much.

There is one more Giants player that deserves mention: Victor Cruz.

Cruz was a nightmare for the 49ers, as he racked up 10 catches for 142 yards. Cruz just kept making big plays and prolonging drives for the Giants.

And you know what else?

Tom Coughlin is one of the best coaches in the NFL.

All Coughlin does is win in the playoffs.

 To think Giant fans wanted him out the week before Christmas!

It’s sad how unappreciated Coughlin really is. He is steady, honest, and firm with his players. How he goes unnoticed is beyond my comprehension.

If he can win his 2nd Super Bowl  (both wins over Tom Brady and Bill Belichek) he has to be considered one of the best coaches in Giant history. 

Kyle Williams, 49ers

IDIOT PLAYER?

In the end, the Niners will have an offseason to think about how a couple of poor special teams plays cost them a trip to the Super Bowl.

To think, some people claim special teams play isnt important…..

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NFC Championship Breakdown: Giants At 49ers

January 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment

What a great matchup we have this week for the NFC Championship.

Lets break this game down by position:

Eli Manning Leading The Way

Quarterback: Advantage Giants.

Eli Manning is not only a better passer than Alex Smith, but he is also much more clutch. Although Alex Smith had a breakout game against the Saints, Eli still gets the nod.

Also, Eli has the experience that is  needed for pressure packed games like this. Eli is no stranger to tough situations on the road and with the exception of Tom Brady, Eli Manning is the most successful and experienced quarterback left in the playoffs.

Running Backs: Advantage 49ers.

The combination of Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter seemingly gives the Niners the advantage over the Giants in the run game. Jacobs and Bradshaw are good backs, but Gore is an elite caliber running back and Kendall Hunter is an excellent change of pace for him.

Both of the Niners’ backs will need to have an excellent game in order for the Niners to have any chance to pull off a victory and punch their ticket to Indianapolis.

Offensive Line: Advantage 49ers.

The Giants offensive line is excellent but their run blocking has been sub par the whole year. However, in the passing game the Giants have kept Eli upright and given him enough time to find his receivers downfield.

On the other hand, the 49ers offensive line is not only massive, but they impose their will on defenses. Joe Staley is one of the best Left Tackles in the league that no one has heard about.

Right Tackle Anthony Davis has also been great for the Niners all year-long. One of the key matchups in this game will be Staley/Davis against JPP and Tuck: I believe the winner of this matchup will tip the game in their team’s favor.

Wide Receivers: Advantage Giants

This was easy because the Giants receiving core is so much better than the 49ers.

Giants fans hope they see a lot of this.

Giants fans hope they see a lot of this.

With play-makers Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, and Mario Manningham on the outside look for Eli to get it to his weapons early and often.

I am very interested to see how the Niners deal with this three-headed monster. The Niners contained the Saints offense until the final 5 minutes of the 4th quarter. Simlilarly, they can not allow Eli to torch them late and they must stop him on 3rd downs.

Tight Ends: Advantage 49ers

Beckum and Ballard have been good surprises for Eli and the Giants passing attack. Both players will need to have an impact on this game whether it be through the passing game or picking up the 49ers blitz.

But make no mistake about it, the 49ers have the clear advantage here. Vernon Davis is a beast and force to be reckoned with.

Also one of the major strengths for the 49ers is one of the Giants major weaknesses.

Expect A Big Week From Vernon Davis

If for some ridiculous reason Vernon Davis is being covered by Michael Boley or Chase Blackburn, look for Alex Smith to exploit that matchup EVERY TIME.

Kenny Phillips will probably draw Vernon Davis on man coverage, this is a critical matchup that both teams need to win so it will be very interesting to see how the Perry Fewell decides to cover Davis.

Defensive Line: Advantage Giants

Not by much, but the Giants get the advantage in my opinion because of their pass rush ability. The key for the Giants is stopping the run; you can not allow Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter to dictate the pace of the game.

The key is if the Giants D-Line can stop the run on 1st and 2nd down and set up 3rd and longs for the 49ers offense.

Than the Giants will have a huge advantage and can use their speed on the d-line to their advantage against a stronger but slower 49ers offensive line.

Do not underestimate the 49ers defensive line, though. They consistently pressured and knocked down Drew Brees and thus held the great passing attack of the Saints more or less in check.

Linebackers: Advantage 49ers

Giants fans DON'T want to see this.

Giants fans DON'T want to see this.

The 49ers have two of the best inside linebackers in the NFL with Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman. In addition they have defensive rookie of the

year Aldon Smith and Aaron Brooks coming from the outside. All four of their linebackers are individually and collectively better than the Giants linebacker core.

I believe the Giants could have one of the worst linebacker cores in the NFL. Everyone wants to make comparisons to the ’07 Super Bowl team but the one player that the Giants do not have is Middle Linebacker Antonio Pierce.

Pierce was the leader and signal caller for the Giants defense in that Super Bowl run. His skill and attitude are missed and the Giants have never had a linebacker of decent caliber since.

Defensive Backs: Advantage 49ers

The 49ers led the league in takeaways this season and forced 5 turnovers against one the best offenses in the Saints.

Despite the secondary’s great play in Green Bay, I still feel that the Giants rely on their pass rush way too much and with the great running game the 49ers posses, the secondary could be exposed with one on one matchups.

The Giants knew Green Bay was not a good run team and very one-dimensional. This matchup will be the Giants’ biggest test in terms of balance between run and pass.

Special Teams: Advantage 49ers

Ted Ginn is a potential game changer from the kick and punt return positions. The Giants do not possess a specialist on kick and punt returns which can hurt the Niners in this aspect.

David Akers has been money all year. He broke the team points record set by JERRY RICE and set the record for most field goals made in NFL history. If you break a record held by Jerry Rice you instantly have the advantage in my opinion.

Andy Lee has also been a major weapon for the 49ers from the Punter position. He has consistently switched field position for the Niners defense all year.

Getting a short field for the Giants is CRUCIAL to their victory, but if Andy Lee is on his game the Giants will have to go the distance of the field against the best takeaway team in the league.

In the end, for some ridiculous reason I’m picking the Giants to win 24-21. After I’m done throwing up, check out my AFC Championship Breakdown coming soon!

Winner Gets A Chance

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Tom Terrific and Patriots Crucify Tebow and Broncos

January 14, 2012 by 3 Comments

Tom Brady

It’s Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski’s world.

We just live in it.

There is not much to talk about in this game so I will keep it brief.

Brady and the Patriots came out firing early in this one and by halftime it was already 35-7 in the Patriots favor.

Brady tied a record for touchdown passes in a post-season game with 6.

Tebow and the Broncos looked very sluggish on offense to start. The option play wasn’t looking as good as it did back when Tebow was a Gator.

Brady and the offense poured it on in the first half.

Brady threw for 5 touchdowns, 3 of which were to his top tight-end target, Rob Gronkowski.

Gronkowski has had a stellar year.

In the regular season, Gronkowski set the record for tight ends with 17 receiving touchdowns and also tacked on a rushing touchdown as well.

It is almost too easy when you are 6’6 and 265lbs up against defensive backs maybe half your size.

Mr. Gronkowski

Brady has been here before and he knows how to win in the playoffs. This is why he gets my notch as the best quarterback ever to lace up. Brady has been to the super bowl 4 times, and won three only to lose his last one in 2007 to my boys in blue, the New York Giants.

Brady looked flat out phenomenal in this game and unless he begins to cool down, I don’t see how anyone can beat the Patriots.

I mean, if Jesus Christ (Tebow) himself can’t be up to the task, who else can?

Congrats to the Niners in their divisional win today as well. It was a well deserved win and they showed some great resilience against Brees and the Saints.

John 3:16

Tomorrow will be some great games as well.

The early game at 1:00 has the Texas squaring off against the Ravens in Baltimore.

Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates will likely have some problems against Baltimore’s smash mouth defense. Quarterback Joe Flacco will have to step up as well if the Raven’s want to win this game. There has been a lot of questions whether or not Flacco has what it takes to win.

He can prove it tomorrow.

At 4:30 the Giants face off against the Packers at Lambeau for a rematch of the 2007 NFC Championship game.

Eli Hoisting the Main Prize

The Giants have ton of momentum and are very dangerous in the playoffs when they are firing on all cylinders.

Their defense will have to step up and stop Aaron Rodgers from walking all over their secondary. It comes down to the defensive line. When they play good, the rest of the defense follows suit.

Expect Eli to show up as usual, and if Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw can run the football like they did last week, the Giants have a good shot to win this game.

 

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Wild-Card Recap: Divisional Preview

January 10, 2012 by 3 Comments

Wild Card weekend has come and gone but will not be forgotten anytime soon.

There were many good match ups this past weekend and they did not disappoint.

Big Ol' Brandon Jacbos

Giants Pound Falcons 24-2 – This game was a combination of bad play from Atlanta and flawless execution from the Giants. Eli Manning led the way with 277 yards passing and 3 touchdowns. Besides an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone, Eli played flawless. Another important note for this win was the re-emergence of the Giants running game.

Jacobs and Bradshaw combined for 172 yards on the ground. If the Giants can sustain a run game, look for this team to make a Super Bowl run.

Last but not least, the Defense showed up to play. Atlanta has one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL and the Giants completely shut down the pass and run. The Defense was also stout in 3rd/4th and short plays. Atlanta went for twice on 4th and inches and were denied both times, tipping momentum and the game in their favor.

As for Atlanta, another year without a playoff win. Matt Ryan was ineffective and the defense was soft. This marks the 3rd straight year the Falcons have been one and done in the playoffs under the Mike Smith/Matt Ryan era.

Matty “Ice” has not lived up to his nickname in the playoffs and questions will only get tougher to answer the longer Ryan does not win in the playoffs.

Saints Muzzle Roar, Defeat Lions 45-28 – After falling behind early, the Saints showed their championship pedigree and experience and completely outplayed the Lions. Drew Brees was outstanding throwing for 466 yards and three touchdowns. The Saints displayed their offensive greatness by setting playoff records for total yards(626) and first downs (34).

The Saints offense has just been amazing this season and just looks unstoppable. This team is just unbeatable at home going undefeated so far this season (including playoffs).

Make no mistake about it, the Saints completely outmatched Detroit.

However, the Lions are coming. The Lions just happen to have run into the worst possible match up for their team.  Stafford is the real deal, Calvin Johnson is a beast, and the defense will get better with time. 4 seasons ago this was an 0-16 team, since than this team has made significant progress and have only gotten better.

Trust me, the Lions will be good for a long time and the future looks bright.

Houston Outplays Cincy, Defeats Bengals 31-10 - Congratulations to Houston for their first playoff win in team history. The Texans won their first division title and playoff game and played like a team that has been there before. What made this so impressive is the journey this team has taken this season and winning the style in which they won this playoff game.

If you told me the Texans would lose Matt Schuab, Mario Williams for the season and not have Andre Johnson consistently this season , I would have thought you were crazy.

Arian Foster torched the Bengals defense with 24 carries for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns.  Clearly Arian Foster is the MVP for this team. Ben Tate’s emergence gives the Texans an excellent two-headed monster in the backfield.

Another impressive point, the Texans defense was dominant with forcing turnovers and holding the Bengals to only 10 points.

These are not the same old Texans, with no defense and just a prolific passing game, this team runs the ball extremely well and has a dominant defense.

And to think, the Texans had one of the worst pass defenses in NFL HISTORY.

Wade Phillips is the best off season acquisition of the year.

The Bengals had an impressive year going 9-7 and making it to the playoffs.

Nothing was expected of this team pre-season.

However, they have found their quarterback of the future in Andy Dalton and their go-to guy in A.J Green. With two first round picks in this upcoming draft, look for the Bengals to improve and become a force in the AFC North.

Tebow Throws For 316 Yards

Mile High Victory, Broncos Defeat Steelers 29-23 – The first postseason playoff game in history under the new overtime rules did not come into effect.

Why?

Tim Tebow on the first play from scrimmage in overtime, threw an 80 yard touchdown pass to Demaryious Thomas to seal Pittsburghs fate.

This was by far the most exciting game of the weekend.

Besides Ike Taylor getting completely owned by Thomas to end the game, The Steelers just looked old and confused. Poor tackling and man coverage along with an unhealthy Big Ben  and Pouncey also led to the Steelers demise.

Tebow threw for 316 yards (John 3:16 reference) and 3 touchdowns against the #1 RANKED DEFENSE.

I’m sorry Tebow Hater Nation, but now I am a believer.

The Defense stepped up also. They shut the door on Big Ben twice in the final minutes when the game was tied, so i give the Broncos defense an enormous amount of credit in this win.

Big Ben was sacked 5 times and threw an INT. This is not the Big Ben we are used to seeing in the playoffs.

Of course the Steelers would forget how to tackle and have important players out (Ryan Clark, Pouncey) against the Broncos.

Tim Tebow has GOD on his side

Despite my sarcasm, it is remarkable how Tebow has turned around this 1-4 team under Kyle Orton into one of the most talked about and inspiring teams of the year.

Matchup Ratings for Divisional Games:

1.) Saints At 49ers, 5 Stars - Great offense meets great defense. Old school versus new school football, this will be a great game in my opinion.

Can the Saints stop the run?

Can the 49ers contain Drew Brees?

Which philosophy will dictate the game and eventually win?

So many questions and such an intriguing match up, I “can’t wait” (Bart Scott reference)  for this match up, it should be a great one.

2.) Giants At Green Bay, 5 stars – Both teams have suspect defenses and great quarterback play.

Which quarterback will have the better game?

Both Eli and Aaron have had historic seasons and in my opinion, which ever quarterback has the better game will win it in the end.

This match up gave us one of the great games of the regular season with the Packers staying perfect and edging the Giants 38-35 (the same score they lost to the Patriots to when they went on to win the Super Bowl).

So will history repeat itself for the Giants? or will Aaron Rodgers continue his dominance this season and lead the Pack to the NFC Championship game.

We’ll wait and see..

3.) Broncos At Patriots, 4 1/2 Stars - Literally 30 minutes after the Broncos win, the Patriots released an AP report stating that Josh McDanniels will be on the sideline for the Patriots as an offensive consultant.

Classic Belichek, congrats on your playoff win Denver, now i will hire your former head coach from last season that drafted both Tim Tebow and Damaryious Thomas.

Perfectly done, Mr. Belichek

It just seems that Patriots always have an edge and in this match up they are clearly the team with the edge.

Despite Tebow’s dramatics, Tom Brady is too good and rarely loses at home in the playoffs.

The biggest factor in this game will be if the Broncos can control the clock and keep Brady off the field.

Something that is very possible, the Patriots have one of the worst defense in the league. However, with the signing of McDaniels, the Patriots have gained an inside advantage on the Broncos most important offensive weapons, Tebow and Thomas.

The Road To The Superbowl

4.) Texans At Baltimore, 4 Stars – I love defensive struggles so this might be a high ranking depending on the style of football you enjoy.

The Ravens seem to have a clear advantage across the board on paper.

The Ravens are more experienced, have home field advantage, and are healthy.

I feel that the Texans have been a great story, but their end could be near.

Both defenses are stacked and are the clear strengths of both teams. Also both teams present excellent running back play (Rice from Baltimore, Foster from Houston).

Which quarterback makes the mistake to cost their team the game?

The pressure is all on Baltimore, with Pittsburgh out, this could be their best chance to finally obtain a Super Bowl birth.

On the other hand, Houston is playing with house money, they do not have their quarterback and best defensive player. However, they have played inspired football and i could see this backfiring on Baltimore with the pressures of finally being home in the playoffs.

Can Flacco perform at home and not lose it for his team? or Will Arian Foster carry Houston to an upset?

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Move Over Jevon Kearse, Jason Pierre-Paul Is The New “Freak”

December 19, 2011 by 2 Comments

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Weekly Giants Report

December 13, 2011 by 2 Comments

JPP is a stud

In their most important game of the season, the New York giants were able pull off a thrilling comeback to beat the Dallas Cowboys 37-34.

Down by 12 with just under 6 minutes left in the game, the Giants, powered by Eli Manning, were able to score 15 unanswered points and regain control of the NFC East. Once again Eli Manning proved that he is indeed “Elite”, throwing for 400 yards, 2 TD’s, and 1 INT and leading the Giants on two consecutive  touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to cap an improbable win for the G-Men. Jason Pierre Paul aka JPP made big plays all night, sacking Tony Romo twice, forcing a fumble, and blocking a Dan Bailey field goal that would have sent the game into overtime.  JPP is quickly becoming one of the most feared and versatile defensive players in the league in just his second season and should be a big time player in this league for many years to come.

If not for Aaron Rodgers, Eli would be in the running for MVP

If not for Aaron Rodgers, Eli would be in the running for MVP

Despite the big victory in Dallas on Sunday night, the Giants still have a lot of work to do if they plan on making the playoffs. The giants defense has been dreadful the past three weeks allowing opposing quarterbacks to throw for a combined 1,080 yards, 12 TD’s, and just 1INT. Two weeks ago Aaron Rodgers drove down the field :58 seconds and put the the Packers in position to kick the game winning field goal, and if not for JPP tony Romo would have done the same thing, but this time with :46 Seconds. If the Giants plan on making the playoffs this year they need to fix the problems they are having on defense.  The pass rush has not been there consistently in the second half of the season, the linebackers are struggling to stop the run, and the secondary can’t cover anyone. You can count on Aaron Ross being burned at least twice a game, and Prince Amukamara‘s youth and lack of playing time have been evident these past three games. The Giants play the Redskins, the Jets and than they close the season with a crucial game against the Cowboys. The G-men must fix the problems on defense and continue to get MVP like performances from Eli Manning if they have hopes of getting into the playoffs and making a deep run.

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