Disappointing!? You Bet it's Disappointing!

Well I imagine it really is the loneliest of holidays for the 2009 Giants. The kind that leave you wondering what went wrong, and why couldn't we have more (wins!) everyone else does?! I can't help but see the Fox NFL coverage of Mr. Tuck, Super Bowl hero but regular season average man, shaking his head repeatedly, as the Giant defense got beat, missed a tackle, or just left a gaping hole - over and over again. It makes a baby booming fan of this ramshackle collection of talent and over achieving "once and medium rare" defensive players, want for the days, when no one ran for more than 3 yards on our front four, and the db's consistently tackled every receiver ( just after making a first down).

I really have been unable to stomach our newspaper clip reading, over rated defensive ends and "play making" linebackers. While I am not sure which players need to be replaced, and I am sure that next year will be better; I believe that Tom Coughlin new all along that this team lacked the intensity that you need to win in this league. Tom rebuffed interviewers when guys like Canty and Boley couldn't stay on the practice field during the summer. Tom would say "I
t's all on paper." And, although we thought Pierce was pretty good, - he apparently wasn't good enough and he certainly wasn't dominating - especially when not in the line-up. Our db's were never on the field in the same configuration as the Super Bowl run - and it showed!

On offense we got soft upfront following our 5-0 start, and when the going got tough, well, our rookie recievers began dropping a passes here and there while the running game was getting stuffed, and it all began to unravel.

The only other thing that is hard to stomach is the irony of The Eagles and Cowboys, suddenly playing better and looking like, in spite of their up and down seasons, that one of them may very well be the 07 Giants incarnate.

I am convinced that were the schedule 24 games long that the Giants would finally have a chance to play to their best capability once again, while other teams returned to the trough of their "bell curve" charted seasons. And who knows who would be on top at the end?

In closing I'll say that I now do believe that it is just too hard to play with the coaches expected intensity week in and week out, when your motivating force is not the fear of losing, or being benched, but - rather, ending up on the wrong end of the highlight reels on Sports Center. $$$$

Final Game at Giants Stadium Ends in Elimination

By: Evan

A must win game Sunday was the last game the Giants would ever play in Giants stadium, but you would not be able to tell any of this by the way they played. The defense could not come up with any stops against an average Panthers offense, and Eli and the offense were unable to get anything going for the entirety of the game. The Giants were humiliated 41-9 in what can be considered the most disappointing game in an extremely disappointing season. With victories by the Packers and Cowboys, the Giants are officially eliminated from the playoffs. This will be the first time they miss the postseason since Eli’s rookie season.

The offense was the one constant you thought you could count on for the rest of the season, but they were even worse than the defense was. The offense seemed to be able to move the ball with ease as the game began, but after the Manningham fumble the offense just went into a shell. Following that point, the Giants could not get a running game going, and Manning was having no luck connecting with receivers. The truth was, for this offense to play well they needed Eli to continue putting up big numbers and carry this team. He was unable to do that today playing average at best. Without getting the threat of a passing game, the running game was unable to get going.

Defensively they started out strong. They gave up a field goal and Matt Moore had a lot of time in the pocket, but they were shutting down the run. The problem was that after falling to a ten point deficit it appeared Sheridan panicked. Instead of having his guys play the run first, he started to send waves of blitzes to rattle the young quarterback of the Panthers. Like all season, these blitzes did not hit home and Moore was able to make some completions. Also with more attention being paid to the passing game, the Panthers were able to get the running game going. With the balanced offense the Panthers were able to keep the Giants on their heals and marched down the field with ease on almost every possession.

The Giants offensive problems crippled the team. It is no secret this defense is not a solid unit. When it became apparent the offense was not going to be able to put up lots of points the defense tried to make some big plays. Unfortunately that put the unit into situations they are not good at. They have been awful with blitzes this season and by failing to get pressure with extra men, Sheridan left an already depleted secondary with a bigger chance to get burned. Without Eli carrying this team they were unable to get points on the board to compete. Before anyone knew what was happening, the game was out of reach and so were the Giants chances of making the postseason.

The Nightmare After Christmas

By Nicholas Alfonse  12/28/09

 

            The final day in Giants Stadium was an event for the ages. People purchased tickets, brought friends, cooked food and reminisced on memories and good times shared throughout the years spent there. Everyone was invited to the party, only the football team never showed up. On an afternoon where the New York Giants needed to win in the worst way, the team failed to take control of any and all aspects of the game.

            It’s difficult to select the main problem with Giants’ performance yesterday. Was it the four turnovers? Could it be the holding penalty that called back Steve Smith’s touchdown catch in the first quarter? Or possibly the complete lack of any sort of rushing defense? The Giants were poor in literally every aspect of the game, and the final score of 41-9 told the harsh truth.

            Many fans were especially upset with the horrendous defense, as Jonathan Stewart successfully rushed for over 200 yards and a touchdown. “It’s obviously not working, I don’t know why he doesn’t change the schemes,” said Brian Dunn of Connecticut.

            Not only did the team constantly turn the ball over, but also the entire offensive effort was practically non-existent. Eli Manning fumbled three times, and Mario Manningham lost the ball in the Carolina red zone during the Giant’s opening drive. What should have been a close game turned into an absolute embarrassment for the team and their loyal fans. 

            “We’ve had so many happy times in the stadium, its too bad the G-men didn’t show up today,” said Mike Loundy of Point Pleasant Beach.

Notoriously known to be a hostile environment for visiting teams to play in, the 12^th man was absent for most of this game. The cheers and roar of the crowd was taken out early, as the Panthers scored 24 points in the first half. “Giants stadium is stunned,” said Bob Papa during his broadcast of the game on 660AM WFAN.

            The stunned audience began to pour out of the stadium by the fourth quarter, as the Panthers were up by 31 points. What many people were expecting to be a joyous occasion had turned into a disaster. The team embarrassed themselves in front of thousands of people and also did a real disservice to their fans. As fantastic as the team played last week in Washington, was how terrible their performance was yesterday. Tom Coughlin even apologized to the media in a press conference this morning for the team’s complete lack of effort and pride. 

            The Giants season and playoff hopes came to a bitter end, much sooner than most people expected. Hopefully this terrible memory of the closing game will be replaced by new, enjoyable ones next season.  Its just a shame that we will all have to wait that long. 

Panthers at Giants Preview

By: Evan

The Giants go into week 16 essentially having to win out in order to make the playoffs. They got off to a fast 5-0 start but have since stumbled to an 8-6 record and more importantly, haven't won consecutive games since. They now have to hope they can win three in a row and have either the Packers of Cowboys drop one of their next games. For now let's focus on the next and thus most important game at hand: this week's showdown against the Panthers.

Unlike last week, the Giants should not expect to get tons of pressure from their front four. In fact, it might be more likely that the front four will get pushed around as the offensive line for the Panthers is possibly the strongest part of their offensive team. For the Giants to win this game, they have to shut down the Panthers running game. The passing attack for Carolina is not terribly frightening, especially with undrafted back-up Matt Moore starting. While he has played well in the starts he has made, you have to believe if he truly was that good, Fox would have started him long ago when Delhomme was struggling to keep his turnovers down. Even with Steve Smith I believe if the Giants can hold the Panthers running game in check, Moore will have trouble beating the Giants through the air. If the Panthers can not score early and Eli can put up some quick points, the Panthers will have to become one-dimensional, making it easier for the pass rush to pick up.

Offensively I believe the Giants are more adept to handle the Panthers defense than the Vikings were. Last week the Vikings struggled to run the ball and moved almost exclusively to the pass. This allowed Peppers to do what he loves most and focus only on bringing down the quarterback. Left tackle Mckinnie was unable to contain him and the Vikings never slid protection over, giving Favre less time to pass. While the Giants do not have a far better offensive line, I believe the Giants have a better chance of keeping a balanced offense. The Panthers will not be trying to shut down the running game as they know they have to focus on shutting down Manning. With the open running lanes, Gilbride can compliment Eli and this top passing attack with the running game to keep Peppers and the rest of the defensive line on their heals. If the Panthers can not get a good rush going the Giants will rip through them with a good possibility of having another game of 30+ points.

As long as the Giants stick to their game plan they should be able to beat the Panthers. Offensively the Panthers should not provide too many problems for the Giants. The way the Giants will lose this game is if the defense can not contain the Panthers running game. If the improved run defense can continue for another week, the Panthers will have trouble sustaining drives and putting up points.