TheDude
McLovin
- Messages
- 12,203
- Reaction score
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I am sure this has been touched upon, but you can't help but to be very encouraged by the attitude, hustle and concentration last night.
while I admit, I had resigned myself to a 31-30 loss after they converted the 3rd down to midfield, I was still ecstatic to see the defense actually convert turnovers. For the last 5 years, it seemed that a tipped ball bounced harmlessly through a safety or CB chest and arms, or a loose ball was kicked or punched just enough for the other team to get in the scrum. Plays that get buried in stats and boxscores that no one remembers.
The Giants basically played the "typical" Cowboys game yesterday. They didn't convert the int when Romo threw to Dez in triple coverage and to the CB on th blitz. Screw it ..... its about time another team and their fans get to feel the self-inflicted misery. Maybe it was one game, but the defense and ST did not miss any opportunities. I am not expecting multi turnover games being the norm, but the hustle and attention was there.
Hats off to Murray, that 4 point save on the Int changed the face of the game. That is another buried in the stat/boxscore that was much more huge than it will be remembered for at the end of the year. You can play what-ifs all day long, but if the score was 30-28 vs 30-24, that would have changed the giants last 2 drives from a playcalling perspective. Perhaps you would have seen more runs to kill the clock or the giants would have slowed their drives down and Eli would have had 80 less yards. These are the little things that you build on. You create your own opportunities with hustle and perserverance.
Yardage in a nutshell doesn't bother me as much how the yardage was attained. Eli's last 80 yards wasn't much of a concern. With No timeouts, teams will make a yards for seconds trade. More concerning cause concern is having receivers open with 10 yard cushions on multiple occassions - and there was some of that.
I thought the Oline did a good job. The NYG Dline is very good. Murray ran 20 for 86 (4.3 avg). Nothing wrong there. They got 2 sacks (and one vicious hit). However, I put some of Romos hits on him. One thing you RARELY see from Romo is a sideline throw away. I love that he is always wanting to make a play, but I wish he would incorporat that in his game - if only just a little. Rogers, Flacco, E&P Manning, Kaepernick all do this. The spike at Murrays feet is a great start. Can't wait for Waters to replace Bernadeu though.
Was pleased with the front 7, I think each Dlineman had an impact play:
- Ware - INT opening drive (tackled at last 5 times)
- Hayden - FF (Church recovered for a TD)
- Selvie - Sack on 2nd and goal from the 2 after the int. and Fumble recovery
- Hatcher - 4th quarter sack to force a 3 and out when Giants just got a punt at their 45yd line down by 6 with 5 minutes to play
My main beef will continue to be the offense. The baffling thing is that some players play just becaus of investment - Dwayne Harris really has earned the 3rd reciver slot over T Williams. If they are "taking away Dez", I trust Harris way more right now. If the 2 TE offense is the main formation, 1 for 7 to a TE not named J Witten seems pretty low - especially considering they are "taking away Dez." THat and the continued 1 yrd stop and turn routes on 3rd and 3.
Seems every week, the opponents defense out schemes the Dallas offense in the first half. Very troubling when you get dictated TO in the first half so often with a vet QB and a Ivy League HC.
But that aside, props to the Defense...it wasn't perfect, but they cretae opportunities and executed opportunities. Could care less about 450 yards from Manning. FFs, holding Wilson to a 2.7yd avg and 50 total Giant rushing yards was not what I expected prior to the game
while I admit, I had resigned myself to a 31-30 loss after they converted the 3rd down to midfield, I was still ecstatic to see the defense actually convert turnovers. For the last 5 years, it seemed that a tipped ball bounced harmlessly through a safety or CB chest and arms, or a loose ball was kicked or punched just enough for the other team to get in the scrum. Plays that get buried in stats and boxscores that no one remembers.
The Giants basically played the "typical" Cowboys game yesterday. They didn't convert the int when Romo threw to Dez in triple coverage and to the CB on th blitz. Screw it ..... its about time another team and their fans get to feel the self-inflicted misery. Maybe it was one game, but the defense and ST did not miss any opportunities. I am not expecting multi turnover games being the norm, but the hustle and attention was there.
Hats off to Murray, that 4 point save on the Int changed the face of the game. That is another buried in the stat/boxscore that was much more huge than it will be remembered for at the end of the year. You can play what-ifs all day long, but if the score was 30-28 vs 30-24, that would have changed the giants last 2 drives from a playcalling perspective. Perhaps you would have seen more runs to kill the clock or the giants would have slowed their drives down and Eli would have had 80 less yards. These are the little things that you build on. You create your own opportunities with hustle and perserverance.
Yardage in a nutshell doesn't bother me as much how the yardage was attained. Eli's last 80 yards wasn't much of a concern. With No timeouts, teams will make a yards for seconds trade. More concerning cause concern is having receivers open with 10 yard cushions on multiple occassions - and there was some of that.
I thought the Oline did a good job. The NYG Dline is very good. Murray ran 20 for 86 (4.3 avg). Nothing wrong there. They got 2 sacks (and one vicious hit). However, I put some of Romos hits on him. One thing you RARELY see from Romo is a sideline throw away. I love that he is always wanting to make a play, but I wish he would incorporat that in his game - if only just a little. Rogers, Flacco, E&P Manning, Kaepernick all do this. The spike at Murrays feet is a great start. Can't wait for Waters to replace Bernadeu though.
Was pleased with the front 7, I think each Dlineman had an impact play:
- Ware - INT opening drive (tackled at last 5 times)
- Hayden - FF (Church recovered for a TD)
- Selvie - Sack on 2nd and goal from the 2 after the int. and Fumble recovery
- Hatcher - 4th quarter sack to force a 3 and out when Giants just got a punt at their 45yd line down by 6 with 5 minutes to play
My main beef will continue to be the offense. The baffling thing is that some players play just becaus of investment - Dwayne Harris really has earned the 3rd reciver slot over T Williams. If they are "taking away Dez", I trust Harris way more right now. If the 2 TE offense is the main formation, 1 for 7 to a TE not named J Witten seems pretty low - especially considering they are "taking away Dez." THat and the continued 1 yrd stop and turn routes on 3rd and 3.
Seems every week, the opponents defense out schemes the Dallas offense in the first half. Very troubling when you get dictated TO in the first half so often with a vet QB and a Ivy League HC.
But that aside, props to the Defense...it wasn't perfect, but they cretae opportunities and executed opportunities. Could care less about 450 yards from Manning. FFs, holding Wilson to a 2.7yd avg and 50 total Giant rushing yards was not what I expected prior to the game
