GB - Week 1 Quick Hits

[Aven8]

My problem with a Dez is he is STILL a mental midget. Quit the patty cake and play football already. Jenkins is a stud though.

 

[CowboyMort]

The Giants are built to neutralize our o-line. We played much better this year than we did against them last year. This was a great game that we played and totally made them inept the entire game.

 

[kramskoi]

While we did win, I hope no one is patting themselves on the back too hard after this one. Play like this isn't going to beat top teams. It isn't going to win playoff games. It isn't going to win super bowls.

Coaching
I would say some poor 1st half clock management and timeout management cost us 4 points and a poor decision not to run it on the goal line on with three back to back passes cost us an additional 4. Starting the second half 24-0 would have really helped put this game away early.

I continue to be unimpressed with Garrett and the mentality and persona he brings to this team. He has no killer instinct nor does he have a view for smash mouth football. Someone in the comments for the game mentioned it best that under Garrett 3rd and 2 has turned into a passing down. I understand they think it gives them more options, especially with a mobile QB like Prescott, but it just isn't smart football.

Marinelli catches a lot of flack, but he is without a doubt the best coach on our team and has made the best use of the players he has available. You also don't see him play around much with best player available. For some reason Cooper, Rush, and McFadden were scratched for the night. This made no sense.

Offense
Passing Game
Dez Bryant continues to disappear when he is needed the most. Part of it is Dez not being the same player he used to be, but the other end is Prescott simply isn't as good as many people think he is. He's a good young quarterback, but he isn't elite, nor is he a gunslinger. Beasley continues to elevate his game. He is truly dependable.

At the end of the first half Prescott had 28 passes... This is stunning to me. 39 passes in all...

I have to say, I was not pleased with the offensive game plan. The best player on this team is Ezekiel Elliott and he needs to be spotlighted in our offense. Linehan and Garrett treat him like a nice to have, while trying to overuse Dak Prescott as if he were Peyton Manning (he isn't).

Running game
Every time I see Morris in the game it reminds me we could have had Peterson for roughly the same value as Morris and McFadden combined. Instead we almost always see Morris struggle in there. Nothing stalls a drive faster than putting Alfred Morris in the backfield. Stunned more people weren't onboard with getting Peterson who would have been an excellent backup.

Offensive Line
The offensive line isn't what it was last year or the year before. The 40 percent turnover on the line has created an issue for what was the working mechanism for this team. I have to hope that they improve as the season goes on. I think the ceiling on Collins is obviously much higher than Doug Free. This team needs to rediscover its identity on offense quickly.

Defense
Now the defense on the other hand performed very well, but that should be expected with the Giants missing OBJ.

Defensive Line
I was surprised by the pressure the defensive line was able to generate, but that was also to be expected as the Giants don't have a great offensive line. Lawrence is playing for his contract and as hard as we all are on Crawford, he isn't a bad player, just has a terrible contract.

Linebackers
Sean Lee had an absolutely great game and I think we can all be pleased with where Smith is now and where he will go from here. Damien Lewis on the other hand shouldn't be expected to play a lot. Can't wait til Hitchens returns.

Secondary
They were decent for all the weaknesses and injuries, but disappointed Scandrick once again can't stay healthy. Anthony Brown continues to be an absolute diamond in the rough.


Kicking Game
Ryan Switzer just doesn't give you anything at the NFL level as a returner. Absolutely nothing. Much more interested in how he can integrate in the offense. We've also got to have the worst blockers. We've never been able to handle gunners. When was the last time we actually had a punt return?

Speaking of which I hate the 25 yard touchback on kickoffs and how close they're kicking from. They've really ruined a great part of the game.

Dan Bailey continues to be money.

I think it is "long past" time for fans as a whole to disabuse themselves of the notion that the running game will ever harken back to the halcyon days of the nineties. You have TWO guys at the top who have never been particularly enamored with running the ball. As creative as Linehan likes to be, his tendencies toward finesse and trickeration in the red-zone are sometimes misplaced. This will hurt this team again as the season goes forward.

Your view on Switzer and the o-line might be premature in my opinion. Prescott was protected pretty well all night (1 sack surrendered)...and it showed on the stat sheet (90.5 passer rating), regardless of his inaccuracy. Elliot broke 100 yards on the ground, and had 140 all-purpose yards (something they need to do more of against the Giants). I would say accuracy was the biggest reason why Dallas didn't totally take the Giants to the woodshed tonight. If the Giants defense is as legitimate as it was last year, then tonight was a progression of sorts for Prescott. A team that went 1 for 15 on third down in December of last year, was 8 of 15 sunday night (53%).

 

[kramskoi]

You would never hear me refer to the Giants as a Super Bowl contender. They're a middling team. We dominated them, yet the game remade within reach until the end. That's because this team still doesn't know how to put teams away even when they're much more talented. It's also why we don't play up to the competition when it matters the most, i.e. the playoffs. That all comes from the head coach.

Come on dude. The Giants defense is legitimate...until further notice. Prescott, regardless of his accuracy, had his best game against the Giants. The Giants were not a Superbowl contender last year either...their offensive line is just not good enough...forcing Manning to play "Sam Bradford" football against better d-lines.

 

[links18]

Lot of negativity in that post given the circumstances.

It was a dominant win. Against our chief competition for the division and a team that many have labeled Super Bowl contenders.

Reading your post you'd almost think we got spanked by the Browns.

Whoever labeled the Giants Super Bowl contenders needs to have their head examined.

 

[links18]

We need some kind of deep threat receiver and I don't mean Butler....

 

[MRV52]

Is this an analysis or attempt at comedy...

It's called being intoxicated. By that writeup you would have thought we got killed on the scoreboard tonight.

 

[alicetooljam]

Dez just isnt a deep burner..........certain matchups with him that dont work, especially if the scheme doesnt slant or run cross patterns with him more than they did tonight.........up the sidelines against a solid cb wont pad his stats.
****

This....I dont get it.

 

[waving monkey]

While we did win, I hope no one is patting themselves on the back too hard after this one. Play like this isn't going to beat top teams. It isn't going to win playoff games. It isn't going to win super bowls.

Coaching
I would say some poor 1st half clock management and timeout management cost us 4 points and a poor decision not to run it on the goal line on with three back to back passes cost us an additional 4. Starting the second half 24-0 would have really helped put this game away early.

I continue to be unimpressed with Garrett and the mentality and persona he brings to this team. He has no killer instinct nor does he have a view for smash mouth football. Someone in the comments for the game mentioned it best that under Garrett 3rd and 2 has turned into a passing down. I understand they think it gives them more options, especially with a mobile QB like Prescott, but it just isn't smart football.

Marinelli catches a lot of flack, but he is without a doubt the best coach on our team and has made the best use of the players he has available. You also don't see him play around much with best player available. For some reason Cooper, Rush, and McFadden were scratched for the night. This made no sense.

Offense
Passing Game
Dez Bryant continues to disappear when he is needed the most. Part of it is Dez not being the same player he used to be, but the other end is Prescott simply isn't as good as many people think he is. He's a good young quarterback, but he isn't elite, nor is he a gunslinger. Beasley continues to elevate his game. He is truly dependable.

At the end of the first half Prescott had 28 passes... This is stunning to me. 39 passes in all...

I have to say, I was not pleased with the offensive game plan. The best player on this team is Ezekiel Elliott and he needs to be spotlighted in our offense. Linehan and Garrett treat him like a nice to have, while trying to overuse Dak Prescott as if he were Peyton Manning (he isn't).

Running game
Every time I see Morris in the game it reminds me we could have had Peterson for roughly the same value as Morris and McFadden combined. Instead we almost always see Morris struggle in there. Nothing stalls a drive faster than putting Alfred Morris in the backfield. Stunned more people weren't onboard with getting Peterson who would have been an excellent backup.

Offensive Line
The offensive line isn't what it was last year or the year before. The 40 percent turnover on the line has created an issue for what was the working mechanism for this team. I have to hope that they improve as the season goes on. I think the ceiling on Collins is obviously much higher than Doug Free. This team needs to rediscover its identity on offense quickly.

Defense
Now the defense on the other hand performed very well, but that should be expected with the Giants missing OBJ.

Defensive Line
I was surprised by the pressure the defensive line was able to generate, but that was also to be expected as the Giants don't have a great offensive line. Lawrence is playing for his contract and as hard as we all are on Crawford, he isn't a bad player, just has a terrible contract.

Linebackers
Sean Lee had an absolutely great game and I think we can all be pleased with where Smith is now and where he will go from here. Damien Lewis on the other hand shouldn't be expected to play a lot. Can't wait til Hitchens returns.

Secondary
They were decent for all the weaknesses and injuries, but disappointed Scandrick once again can't stay healthy. Anthony Brown continues to be an absolute diamond in the rough.


Kicking Game
Ryan Switzer just doesn't give you anything at the NFL level as a returner. Absolutely nothing. Much more interested in how he can integrate in the offense. We've also got to have the worst blockers. We've never been able to handle gunners. When was the last time we actually had a punt return?

Speaking of which I hate the 25 yard touchback on kickoffs and how close they're kicking from. They've really ruined a great part of the game.

Dan Bailey continues to be money.

19-3

 

[ConstantReboot]

Hey GB. I disagree with most of what you said. Anyways, I'm enjoying the win more than its worth debating over. Thats all.

 

[ConstantReboot]

Whoever labeled the Giants Super Bowl contenders needs to have their head examined.

That would be Al Michaels.

 

[EMMITTnROY]

Hahaha. This is EXACTLY what I thought when I read it. Jack Burton approves.

 

[AmericanCowboy]

Not exactly upset at all wth Dez.

If Dak hits him on an easy slant we are talking about what a good game he had.

Jenkins is probably a top 3-5 corner. Dez was able to get open.

 

[Satchel89]

They won the game. It wasn't pretty but the Giants always play the Cowboys tough. The offense has to be better and there's some stuff to work on but I just don't understand why some fans always go for the negative angle.

 

[Risen Star]

This guy has a good feel on Prescott.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Is this an analysis or attempt at comedy...

It doesn't show, but I hit the like button with extreme aggression.

 

[casmith07]

I figured the Dez Bryant hate would come out.

Time for people to give Janoris Jenkins his credit. He's very good.

 

[bud914]

This guy has a good feel on Prescott.

 

[bud914]

who said we could have had AP for the same price as DM/AM???

 

[noshame]

Is this an analysis or attempt at comedy...

you beat me.