5 BOROUGH SPORTS

With last night's performance, Jason PIerre-Paul proved he's one the best defensive players in the league

When the Giants were down by 12 with just under five minutes to go in the game, I gave up on this team. Dez Bryant had just walked into the end zone and all but ended Big Blue’s season. I believed this era of Giants football was over – let Coughlin retire, replace half the roster, get rid of Fewell, etc. Who knew that the Giants were about to pull off the most incredible comeback of the season?

In a season full of Eli Manning comebacks in the fourth quarter, this was by far the most epic. Every time Eli pulls off these heroic efforts late in the game, I always bring back his “elite” status. But after last night, who doesn’t believe this guy is one of the best? He has single-handedly kept the 2011 Giants season afloat. With last night’s performance, Eli has surpassed 4,000 passing yards for the third straight season. He has led six fourth quarter comebacks this year – the two best being in Foxboro and in Dallas. Obviously there are much better candidates for MVP this season (Rodgers, Brady, Brees), but Manning should definitely be considered a candidate.

For the third straight season, Eli Manning has thrown for over 4,000 yards

Now let’s shift our focus to last night’s player of the game – Jason Pierre-Paul. In a game where the secondary was better off on the sidelines, Paul single-handedly shut down the Cowboys in the fourth quarter. Of course, everyone will look at the blocked field goal as the play of the game. But what didn’t JPP do last night? Let’s see: a safety, a forced fumble, two sacks, and a key open-field tackle late in the game that saved the Giants’ season. Out of the Cowboys’ first eight drives, they didn’t score on two of them . Those two drives ended in a Pierre-Paul safety and a sack. I haven’t seen this kind of defensive performance since LT.

This week we can finally celebrate a Giants victory, the first since the epic battle in Foxboro. But this team still has a long way to go. The Giants can’t sleep on the Redskins. Even though the Skins’ record isn’t impressive, they played the Patriots very well yesterday. Plus, they defeated the GMen in the first week of the season. Game time is next Sunday at 1pm.

Did Perry Fewell and the Giants coaching staff even prepare for this game? Did they watch any film on Drew Brees? The defense couldn’t do anything right. The Saints rushed for 202 yards and passed for 372 . Coming into the Monday Night showdown, the key to the Giants stopping the high-powered Saints offense was to put pressure on Brees. Not only did they not get to the quarterback, they had no sacks or TFLs. The result: 577 yards of total offense for New Orleans. How could this happen in such an important game?

Here’s a scouting report for the rest of the teams playing the Giants this season: if you want to gain yards on offense, just run a no-huddle. How many times was the defense in complete disarray while Brees was running up to the LOS to hike the ball? There was one play where the Giants only had ten men on the field! I even think Kiwanuka lined up as a safety on one play. Hasn’t this been a problem since the St. Louis game in Week 2 when Deon Grant had to fake an injury to stop the Rams’ offense? Where’s the adjustment? Lack of preparation + lack of execution = complete failure.

Drew Brees was Unstoppable

I’m sick and tired of hearing people say, “The Giants are too injured…the defense is depleted.” Fuck that! It’s Week 12 – every team has injuries. Just look at the Cowboys. They lost their top runningback (Felix Jones) and wide receiver (Miles Austin). How do they respond? DeMarco Murray and Laurent Robinson step up big time. The Giants lost Michael Boley and Terrell Thomas. Who’s stepped up? No one. Successful teams in the NFL are the ones who have depth. In order to have depth, backups must take advantage of their opportunities.  This hasn’t happened for the Giants. This team is soft and scared. Once the Saints went up by two touchdowns, the defense quit. You could see in their body language. Pathetic. I would love to talk about the much the offense improved, but who cares? The defense sucked too much for it to even matter.

If the Giants have another second half collapse, I find it hard to believe Tom Coughlin will return next season. Even though he won the Super Bowl four years ago, it’s hard for a coach to stay after missing the playoffs three years in a row. Coughlin was completely outcoached by Sean Payton tonight and this has been too familiar for Giants fans, and I’m sure for the Mara family as well. In a span of three weeks, the Giants went from being on top of the NFC East to out of the playoff picture. And it’s not looking too bright as the Giants will play host to the undefeated Green Bay Packers next week.

Stay Classy Desean

Another underachieving performance by the Giants. Last night, the Giants had a chance to put an end to the Eagles season and remain ahead of the Cowboys for the division lead. But with the loss, they fall into second place in division while only leading Philadelphia by two games.

The Giants actually played some good defense last night. With the exception of not being able to stop the Eagles on SIX third down conversions on Philly’s final scoring drive, the defense looked strong. The secondary had three picks against the struggling Vince Young, while the defensive line contained LeSean McCoy. I blame this loss fully on the offensive line. That was one of the worst performances I’ve seen by an O-Line for as long as I can remember. It was their fault the Giants couldn’t run the ball. It was their fault Eli didn’t have time in the pocket to make better passes. Finally, it was their fault Eli fumbled the football on the Giants’ final drive. Cullen Jenkins and Justin Babin abused this line all game. Completely unacceptable, especially if the Giants want to compete against the Saints and the Packers in the next two weeks.

Like I said last week, I hate bashing Kevin Gilbride. But this is the second week in a row where he had horseshit play-calling. When the run isn’t working, don’t run the fucking football. When the offensive line is sucking, don’t call draw plays for the incompetent Brandon Jacobs. Plus, why isn’t Da’Rel Scott getting the ball more? He had two rushes, for 11 yards. To put that in perspective, Jacobs had 12 rushes for 21 yards. Why not create some screen plays for Scott or something? Maybe that work instead of trying to run the ball on first down every single time. Things have to change before next Monday night in New Orleans.

It always sucks losing the Eagles. Given they are such a disgusting organization, I hate losing to them. I mean, seriously, is this team so classless that they try to injure opposing quarterbacks after the whistle? Is this team so disrespectful that they have wide receivers mock opposing coaches right in front of their faces? There is a reason why this franchise doesn’t have a Super Bowl ring. Guys of this kind of douchebag-caliber don’t win and never will. Like I’ve said before, I guess 50 years of losing brings out a lot of anger.

Usually when the Giants lose, I’m pissed all week. But after their game in San Francisco on Sunday, I’m not disappointed in this team at all. This wasn’t a typical Giants loss where they would beat themselves. The 49ers simply outplayed them and deserved to win that game. The Giants made some crucial mistakes, but overall they had a strong performance against one of the toughest teams in the league. Plus it’s always tough to win on the west coast, no matter what team you’re playing. Was I upset about this defeat? Of course, but I didn’t lose any sleep because of it.

Even though Eli didn’t lead yet another fourth quarter comeback, he still had a strong performace. His interception late in the game wasn’t his fault (why did Manningham stop running?). Also if Manningham caught the ball in the endzone on the final drive, we would’ve been headed for overtime. With the exception of a few bonehead plays, the defense was exceptionally strong. When Michael Boley went down, the game changed. Since Boley has anchored this defense all season, losing him hurt big time. I love our rookie 6th rounder Greg Jones, but he’s not ready to start (the Vernon Davis and Kendall Hunter touchdowns were technically his fault). I never like to question offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride but I believe he ruined the Giants’ final drive. On 3rd and 2 inside the red zone, Gilbride called for a draw play to D.J Ware. This play didn’t work on the Niners all day, so why would you call this in the most crucial part of the game? Especially when you have the most clutch quarterback in the game? Can’t do anything about it now. Have to look forward to next week as the Giants take on Philly on Sunday Night at Giants Stadium. The Eagles may look like they’re out of it, but crazy things happen when two division rivals meet. The Giants must come prepared, or Philly will beat them once again at home.

In what was the greatest Giants game since their Super Bowl victory, Eli Manning finally proved that he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and the most clutch player in the game. It was eerie how similar this game was to that memorable Super Bowl in Glendale: Eli leading the final drive, with a phenomenal catch by #85, and a go ahead touchdown in the corner of the endzone with seconds to go. This was a special victory for the Giants since this was the beginning of their brutal part of the schedule. With Ahmad Bradshaw and Hakeem Nicks out with injuries, Eli stepped up and led the Giants to a victory against perhaps the best team in the AFC.

The Giants’ post-game locker room reaction seriously gave me chills. Led by Osi Umenyiora and Brandon Jacobs, the players decided to carry Coach Coughlin during their celebration. Just two months ago, this was a team in complete disarray. Players were calling out the Coughlin for being mean and orderly, Osi was talking trash about Jerry Reese not giving him a new contract, Brandon Jacobs was crying like a bitch, and starters were dropping like flies with season-ending injuries. Now with half the season over, the Giants stand at 6-2 leading the NFC East and feel more confident than ever before.

But we must remember, it’s only Week 9. I remember in 2006, the Giants were sitting pretty at 6-2 and I saw them play the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football. They lost a heartbreaker (Devin Hester returning a field goal for a touchdown), and went all downhill after that. Whenever the Giants have to travel to the West Coast it’s always tough, especially when they are going to face the 7-1 49ers who are one of the hottest teams in the league. Yesterday was an epic win for the ages, but the Giants can’t fall asleep on San Francisco.

Does this look like a team in disarray??

Strahan with an epic celebration. I love this guy. Also, notice Jimmy Johnson’s face…priceless:

In August, Eli Manning claimed that he believed he is an elite quarterback in the NFL. Fans and the media laughed at this statement saying that Eli didn’t even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers. As a Giants fan with full trust in Eli Manning, I backed his statement by agreeing with him 100%. As we reach the half-way point of the 2011 season, Eli ranks fifth in the league in passing completion, third in quarterback rating, and seventh in total passing yards. Clearly these stats prove that this guy is a top five quarterback in the NFL. He is hands down the leader and the MVP of the Giants this season. With a suspect/injured receiving core, Manning has made these guys look like pro bowlers. Yesterday, Eli saved the Giants from handing the Dolphins their first win with his accurate and clutch passing. Critics believed the Giants were going to have a miserable season since they didn’t sign any big-time free agents and lost a number of key players to injuries during the preseason. But Eli has lead the GMen to have a 5-2 record and the future is looking bright for Big Blue.

As the Giants reach the gauntlet part of the season, I have confidence with this team. The defense looked suspect in the first half yesterday, but came through with a strong fourth quarter and stopped Miami on their final five drives. With Tuck back in the lineup after missing the last three games, this squad is getting healthier and stronger. Like I said at the beginning of the season, it’s better for a team to have injury problems at the beginning of the year as opposed to down the stretch. Losing Terrell Thomas in the preseason hurt for the Giants, but they had plenty of time for Aaron Ross to get accustomed to start at corner. The Giants are in Foxboro to take on New England next Sunday, followed by San Francisco then home against the Eagles. We are already know the Giants have an elite quarterback, but it’s now time to find out if the GMen are an elite team.

Ahmad Bradshaw had a Monster Day with Three Touchdowns

Isn’t it weird that when the Giants don’t turn the ball over, they win ballgames?? Pulling out a victory against the surprising Bills is just what this team needed. But after Fred Jackson’s 80 yard touchdown rush in the first quarter, I thought the Giants were doomed. I even texted Sammywestside, “The Giants are going to get their ass kicked.” But unexpectedly, the Giants made the right adjustments and put together a win. Corey Webster was able to come back from his embarrassing missed tackle on the Bills’ second touchdown and had two crucial fourth quarter picks. After not being able to establish the running game early, Ahmad Bradshaw bounced back and ran for over 108 yards and three touchdowns. Eli Manning looked pretty elite as well. Even though he didn’t throw a touchdown pass, he was consistent and he didn’t put the ball in harms way.  It also seems like he found his new favorite target in tight end Jake Ballard. The former Buckeye had five catches for 81 yards. Coming into the bye week, I am satisfied with the Giants’ 4-2 record. After next week, the Giants have another must-win game against the win-less Miami Dolphins. Let’s hope the GMen can grab all the wins they can get before they reach the brutal part of the schedule.

Victor Cruz has been a Pleasant Surprise

After an embarrassing let-down loss to the Seattle last Sunday at home, the Giants have found themselves at 3-2 after five games. Overall, I have found that the Giants have met their expectations through a third of the season. With all of their unfortunate injuries, the GMen were still able to beat the Eagles in Philly and have an incredible fourth quarter comeback in Arizona. They’ve also, however, had terrible losses to the Redskins and the Seahawks. In both games, the Giants were simply overplayed, outworked, and played flat all game long. After watching the Giants take care of business in Philly, I think Giants fans felt that this team was invincible. But after losing to Seattle this past weekend, the criticism has returned to the Big Apple (fortunately the Jets’ three-game losing streak has put the Giants on the back-burner in the media). What happened to the running game? Is this secondary strong enough to last this season? When will Eli cut down the turnovers? Suprisingly, I am not concerned about the state of the Giants.

First, the Giants will get the running game back on track. Ahmad Bradshaw will get going, and I believe he will have a big week this Sunday against the Bills. The running game has struggled because Brandon Jacobs hasn’t been healthy. Once Jacobs gets his knee healed, the running game will be back in full force. But while Jacobs continues to recover, look for DJ Ware to get hot. He hasn’t had that much experience, but he’s an extremely talented running back. Look for him to have a breakout game sometime soon.

Not going to lie, the secondary was terrible against Seattle on Sunday. But this season, these guys have exceeded my expectations. Aaron Ross has come out of nowhere and has become a pick machine. Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant have played strong while Corey Webster has been very effective. After Sunday’s terrible performance, it’s not surprising that the secondary is starting to feel the heat again. Even though Ross has raised some eyebrows, I still can’t see him continuing his strong play all season. The problem with the secondary is that the Giants have no depth here. If someone goes down with an injury, it won’t be pretty.

I’m sick and tired of hearing writers bash Eli on being a turnover machine. Yea I know he had three interceptions on Sunday, but only one was legit (Cruz fell down during the game-sealing pick in the redzone and the other was a desperate pass at the end of the game). This has been the epitome of Eli Manning for the last two seasons. I know he threw 25 picks last year, but I would say about ten of them weren’t his fault. People need to realize that Eli is an intangible for this season. Without him, the Giants wouldn’t even have a remote shot of making the postseason. He hasn’t had a losing record since his rookie season in 2004. Everyone needs to get off his ass because he is the last thing Giants fans should be concerned about.

These next two games for the Giants are crucial. Like I’ve said before, the back half of the schedule is incredibly tough so these next two games against the Bills and Dolphins are must-win games. It’s important for the Giants to be in a good situation before the crazy November schedule begins.

Here’s Victor Cruz’s incredible touchdown catch last Sunday:

Photos Courtesy of Bellarmine

Hakeem Nicks' game-winning touchdown catch...the same spot of the field where Plaxico Burress caught his Super Bowl-winning touchdown

Apparently the Giants play their best football in the desert. Yesterday, Eli Manning led yet another fourth quarter comeback in the same stadium the Giants won the Super Bowl four years ago. And just like that game, the Giants saved the game on another radical play. On the Giants’ final drive, Victor Cruz caught a pass well into Cardinals’ territory; however, Cruz went down untouched and let go of the football. Arizona then recovered the so-called fumble and believed they sealed their victory. Instead, the referees marked Cruz down and the Giants remained possession. In the very next play, Manning threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks.

Not to sound biased, but the refs absolutely made the right call here. In the NFL rule book, once a player gives himself up on the play and has no intention of making forward progress, he is ruled down. Even if there is no contact, the play is ruled dead. The fact that Cruz let go of the ball and headed back to the line of scrimmage indicated that he wasn’t trying to gain any more yards. This morning on Sportscenter, NFL great Eric Allen said that this play should’ve been a fumble because Cruz “thought he was touched.” That is absolutely absurd. So does that mean if a player “thought” he was in-bounds on a catch but was clearly out of bounds, the refs should call him in? Cruz was down because he gave himself up. It doesn’t matter what he “thought.”

A couple of key notes from the game: I thought Osi Umenyiora played great in his first game of the season. He was a little rusty in the first half, but his sack late in the fourth quarter all but sealed the Giants victory. Dave Tollefson also did a magnificent job filling in for the injured Justin Tuck with two sacks on the day. Eli Manning had a terrible first three quarters, but made up for it with a brilliant fourth. Let’s not forget rookie tight end Jake Ballard recording his first touchdown catch. Ballard showed some true athletic ability by keeping both feet in bounds on the late fourth quarter touchdown that started the Giants’ comeback. The Giants take on Seattle next week at home.