The Pack creamed the Jints. But anyone else think Cobb pushed off on the hail mary reception?
I'm surprised there's no mention today of Beckham punching a hole in the visitors' locker room wall at Lambeau... and I saw something this morning about the Giants trashing the plane they flew home on. Lack of playoff experience is one thing, lack of discipline is another thing entirely.
What's missing here is acknowledging the late season rise in the play of GB. Over the last seven games Aaron Rodgers is playing beyond what any other NFL QB has accomplished in many many years, if ever. Coupled with GB's offensive line play, Rodgers had time to find the open receiver time and again. An impossible task for any defensive unit.
GB's weakness is their defense - many young, inexperienced players, with many injuries throughout the season. Typically a great defense (NYG) versus a good offense (GB) suggests that the defensive team wins. However, given the quick release, plenty of time and accuracy of Rodgers is what cost the Giants that game.
GB's weakness is their defense - many young, inexperienced players, with many injuries throughout the season. Typically a great defense (NYG) versus a good offense (GB) suggests that the defensive team wins. However, given the quick release, plenty of time and accuracy of Rodgers is what cost the Giants that game.
Excellent analysis. Baring their chests reminds me of a 49ers-Bears cold winter playoff in Soldier Field, the Bears were in shirt-sleeves like mocking, those sissy coasters, it ended up with that famous 1-yard stand off and a framed picture of the moment at Ed Debartolo's office.
Wait til Victor Cruz signs w the Pats! Ha, ring #5 on its way!
1
How does a cold weather team that emphasizes the run game start the season without a fullback? Especially with a porous OL, it's on Jerry Reese, lack of talent wins/loses playoff games.
In the real working world, anyone who was out partying before a major presentation or deal and who then failed would be shown the door. These immature children are undisciplined and, living in their star bubble, fail to understand the importance of preparation as well as perception. And really, they can say the Miami trip didn't matter but their performance suggests otherwise, and do the post-defeat waterworks.
2
I commend you on an insightful article. Ultimately, the team who doesn't let opportunities slip away wins playoffs and the championship. The Giants do not yet exhibit this quality. What I will add is the bad call on a short running play by the coach. Additionally, these past seasons, no one has called to task Beckham's immature and oftentimes offensive behavior that has cost us games. That blame goes to management, the coaches and the veterans who should lead by example. Ending on a positive note, as a lifelong Giants fan, the defense they exhibited and seeing Eli pass and sometimes scramble like yesteryear, gave me some measure of hope. Good luck to the Saints.
1
Y'all have some young players but seriously? I just did a Google comparison and they aren't that young. The respected and mature QB is supposed to be able to keep his players in form....That says something about the "younger" players and how they didn't bother to listen. Just remembering 2007 Cowboys defeat after boys decided to take a party vacation on their bye week. At least they had a bye...
Wow, reading the comments I'm amazed to see that so many fans are knocking the team for questionable hits, a lack of discipline, the team colors--whatever. What seems to unfortunately often happen in New York is that credit is not given to the winner. Instead we turn on our own and blame a defeat entirely on our own supposed shortcomings.
The Packers won the game---we did not lose it. The Jints deserve a lot of credit for winning 11 of 16 games under a first year head coach. Be good sports and give credit to both Green Bay and the Giants. We are contenders and perhaps next year will be a different story.
The Packers won the game---we did not lose it. The Jints deserve a lot of credit for winning 11 of 16 games under a first year head coach. Be good sports and give credit to both Green Bay and the Giants. We are contenders and perhaps next year will be a different story.
5
You're dreaming Billy, from where I am sitting. I agree, that Green Bay should get a little attention for winning the game, but they will with the next game of the playoffs. In the meantime, the Giants have a problem and this playoff season, the way they have handled it has illustrated it very well. It isn't young players, it's owner/GM/coach decisions and lack thereof. If you want to stick your head in the sand and say everything is fine, wait until next year….go right ahead. [g]
The bottom line is that the Packers have better players. The Giants mentioned in the article are inferior to the people on the other side of the ball, week in and week out. The players mentioned, Flowers, Rainey, Apple and, the last two years, Manning, are not winners. They are consistently inferior in contrast to the capabilities of their opponent.
The Giants find themselves weak at a number of positions because they have drafted poorly (they have no replacement for Manning). Their strength is in players they have bought from other teams. They must ask why they don't recognize talent at the college level.
The Giants find themselves weak at a number of positions because they have drafted poorly (they have no replacement for Manning). Their strength is in players they have bought from other teams. They must ask why they don't recognize talent at the college level.
2
Leon Hall should have been ejected from the game, fined and suspended for next year. The hit he gave Jordy Nelson was meant to injure, not to stop forward progress. Hall should pay for this in some very clear way.
The Giants organization should be ashamed of itself for allowing, or shall we say promoting, this kind of play on the field.
What this showboating team seems not to understand is that there is far more fan pleasure in watching someone doing his job with such unabashed joy than in seeing the antics of a selfish and immature bunch of jerks who have so grossly let their team--and their fans--down.
Better luck next year--but I fear the team culture will continue to take the team down. So be it.
The Giants organization should be ashamed of itself for allowing, or shall we say promoting, this kind of play on the field.
What this showboating team seems not to understand is that there is far more fan pleasure in watching someone doing his job with such unabashed joy than in seeing the antics of a selfish and immature bunch of jerks who have so grossly let their team--and their fans--down.
Better luck next year--but I fear the team culture will continue to take the team down. So be it.
8
I think you are way too hard on them and I'm not even a Giants fan. They made the playoffs against expectations and were really the only team to beat the Cowboys (the last game didn't really count) despite having virtually no running game (29th!). Everyone is waiting for them to pass, especially to OBJ and yet, he was still 3rd in the league in receiving yardage. That's impressive, even if he is a young man who needs to grow up a little. Give him a chance. He will. I'm not a fan of showboating myself, but that is an epidemic throughout the NFL encouraged by the league itself to a degree and a big favorite of many fans, however degrading others find it. What they really need is a good running back.
I'm not so sure about the hit - he didn't hit him in the head, but with his head. I watched it many times, and I don't think it was intentional (again, I'm not a big fan - trying to be objective). He could have done it more gently, but Nelson is a very elusive player who turns ordinary catches into tds quite readily. What would people including his coaches and teammates have been saying if that happened - well at least he didn't hurt him? I doubt it. I'm very against intentional spearing with the helmet and if it was that, which we'll probably never know, then you are right.
I'm not so sure about the hit - he didn't hit him in the head, but with his head. I watched it many times, and I don't think it was intentional (again, I'm not a big fan - trying to be objective). He could have done it more gently, but Nelson is a very elusive player who turns ordinary catches into tds quite readily. What would people including his coaches and teammates have been saying if that happened - well at least he didn't hurt him? I doubt it. I'm very against intentional spearing with the helmet and if it was that, which we'll probably never know, then you are right.
Amen - the hit on Nelson ws dirty. Can't believe there was no penalty. Ageee with everything else stated. There is a culture problem in the Giants right now and Beckham is the source, Talented though he is, he could be a Terrell Owens or Rixky Henderson, instead of a Lynn Swann. He needs to grow up or get out -a cancer in the locker room. The Miami trip proved it.
5
Come on Pat. You sound like my old Uncle Bill, a curmudgeon if there ever was one. Hall was trying to make a play on a close out of bounds situation. I don't believe he was trying to injure Nelson. As for the showboating, this is 2017 not 1950. The kids are different today and they think the NFL is about entertainment as well as football. I think the celebrations are great and I probably have seen more Giants Games than you dating back to the 1950s. I think next year McAdoo will have more control over the team as he will not be a rookie any longer. The players know they can win for him and will respect him more.
Evidently Giants management has understood the need for discipline and the tone is finally changing for what will be the good of the players and team. Time for responsibility no matter the star.
2
Good article. I would add Palmer the rb standing clueless as a fumble is recovered at his feet.
2
Teams with real quality that move the ball as well as the Giants did in the first quarter yesterday would have scored 14 points, not six points. That would have given the Giants a major chance to win the game. Year after year, the Giants have failed to exhibit the creativity, and execution, needed to finish off drives with touchdowns instead of field goals. Sometimes they get away with it, particularly against weak teams. Against Aaron Rodgers, in Lambeau Field, there was no getting away with it.
3
The dirty leading with the helmet hit on a defenseless receiver in the first quarter by Leon Hall that injured and sidelined the Packer's Jordy Nelson was horrible. Leon should have been thrown out and the packers should have been given a first down and fifteen yards. The Giants deserved the humiliating loss after that malicious intending to injure hit on Jordy, one of the NFL's star receivers.
14
Totally agree - That type of dirty play does not fit with rhe Mara's clean culture, nor does Beckham's behavior. Talented or not, they are cancers on the team Get rid of them.
3
Totally disagree Sally. Leon Hall made a football play on a very close sideline situation. I absolutely don't think he was trying to injure Jordy Nelson. And by the way, there is no way you can prove that he did.
Ed, are you serious? He lowered his helmeted head right into his rib cage. Any time a player lowers his helmeted head and leads with it, it is a dangerous play that could result in a serious injury.
2
That's a simple twitter type story that has little to do with playing football. Most Giant fans knew that without O line help, this season would be compromised. Eli hasn't has time to pass all year; there have rarely been holes for the running game either. To blame this outcome on a couple of young receivers who took selfless on a day off is stupid.
5
Beckham had a terrible game, but he's gained over 4,000 yards in 3 seasons, a lot of them on dumping passes that he turns into big gains. Getting rid of him is a crazy idea. They need a consistent running game.
1
The came they played they got whipped in the second half. Football is 4 quarters not 11/2 and not on the road in Green Bay.
2
The receiving corps' little jaunt to Miami may or may not have affected their performance but the thing is this - athletes who are serious about having success in the post season don't go partying on a boat in Miami, even on their day(s) off. They spend their day(s) off studying tape and otherwise mentally preparing themselves for their opponents. Miami could have waited until the post-season. Plus the optics weren't good and this created an unnecessary distraction.
Ultimately, this team lost yesterday because the receivers were butter-fingering it up all over the field. The defense showed up to play, Eli Manning showed up to play, even the offensive line showed up (at least in the first half, giving Manning time to see the field and make those throws). Save for that lapse on the hail Mary play, the defense did exactly what it was supposed to do in the first half by holding Rodgers at bay. Now imagine how different the complexion of the game would have been if the offense had scored a few touchdowns and had given the defense a lead with which to work. The problem with Rodgers is that no matter how good a defense is, he's going to make the opposing team pay if they don't put points up on the board because he's so mobile and good on the run that it is difficult to contain him. The Giants defense did an admirable job containing Rodgers in the first half but a defense can only do so much if the offense does not also do its part.
Ultimately, this team lost yesterday because the receivers were butter-fingering it up all over the field. The defense showed up to play, Eli Manning showed up to play, even the offensive line showed up (at least in the first half, giving Manning time to see the field and make those throws). Save for that lapse on the hail Mary play, the defense did exactly what it was supposed to do in the first half by holding Rodgers at bay. Now imagine how different the complexion of the game would have been if the offense had scored a few touchdowns and had given the defense a lead with which to work. The problem with Rodgers is that no matter how good a defense is, he's going to make the opposing team pay if they don't put points up on the board because he's so mobile and good on the run that it is difficult to contain him. The Giants defense did an admirable job containing Rodgers in the first half but a defense can only do so much if the offense does not also do its part.
9
Nice management-like spin on the "year early" thing. The millions they spent on defense was a win-now move. The better team just won.
7
I'm not sure how Jesus and Joseph feel, but Mary sure loves Aaron Rodgers.
16
Just because you get a pay check doesn't mean you're a professional with high standards. These guys behave like adolescents even though they are in their 20's and older. They are not alone, the country is in a state of arrested development. Look not further than the incoming President. It's time the adults take charge again. I despise the self- congratulatory attitude of these so called professionals. Oh look at me I'm doing my job! Big deal.
14
If you go back to the real Giants -- Tittle/Huff; Simms/Taylor -- our not-so-spectacular receivers (Shoffner, Giffford, etc) knew how to catch the ball. Even when they were rookies, they were adults.
2
NYG have not had a meaningful running game in over five years and seem to devalue Perkins with each outing. Is it their offensive line that needs most attention? Possibly, but what NFL offense can't use an upgrade in the trenches? Anyway, an anemic running game and the fact that their receivers, particularly Beckham and Cruz, are the most overrated in the NFL, mean anything they attempt on offense is scripted. No team thrives much less survives on web gems, not even in NYC. Manning can be criticized ad nauseous, but he can't fly like an eagle with a couple of flailing turkeys.
2
Have you watched Beckham in any games other than this one? Beckham, whatever you may think of his antics, is a super star. He learned a big lesson about playoffs and how to prepare for them. Let's hope the Giants can re-tool the O Line and get JPP back for next season. Go Giants!
If you told me at the beginning of the year the Giants would be in the playoffs, I'd say you were crazy. But, they got there mostly because of great young players like Collins, Apple, Beckham and Shephard. Veterans drop passes and make errors too. Though the Miami thing was perhaps immature, it is ridiculous to claim it as a cause of the loss. Players should not suffer b/c the media makes a circus. The fact is that great receivers dropped great passes and the defense did not play up to its own standards against perhaps the hottest team in the league. I wouldn't blame it on their youth.
9
I say enough with the Odell Beckham traveling clown show. In addition to his antics, he misses a lot of easy catches. He's also a decidedly poor influence on other young players. I say we package him to the Browns for their first round pick in '17, then again in '18. And with the pick, let's get a true left tackle. How many years do we have left with Eli?
10
Ridiculous! Picks are nothing more than a crap shoot. (Flowers?) Instead, how about actually coaching Beckham and others? Not tough love, just plain tough!
Sometimes the heartache of being on the receiving end of a can of whoop ass lays the foundation for success - in sports and in life. The '84-'86 Giants and '05-'07 Giants are perfect examples. Eli understands this. It's surprising to me that Victor Cruz couldn't impart more of this wisdom on his younger teammates given the road he's traveled. There are only two possible paths forward from a game like this. If a person is competitive enough to succeed in the NFL, there should really be only one.
It's really not about the boat or the locker room wall...
It's really not about the boat or the locker room wall...
There were distractions, and there will always be dropped passes, especially in games played in low temps. The Giants lost because their lines were outplayed by the Packers' lines. Despite the sacks, Rogers had too much time to throw. The o-line protected Eli, but did not do enough to open up the running game.
The only unit that played well was the defensive backfield, except of course for the huge failure on the Hail Mary.
The only unit that played well was the defensive backfield, except of course for the huge failure on the Hail Mary.
7
I don't know. I saw TERRIBLE and predictable play-calling from the sidelines. For example, the Giants were backed up and ran 3 running plays, rather than throwing the ball when it was clear the running game wasn't working. Thus, they were forced to go 3-and-out giving the Pack excellent field position. If I, watching on my TV at home, can predict the Giants coming plays, why wouldn't the Packers defensive coaching staff not be able to do the same? The answer is, they were. Yes there were some really bad dropped passes by young players. OBJ had probably one of his worst games, ever.
While I was shocked that Eli's arm whacked while he was making a forward pass was ruled a fumble, in general the officials were unusually fair and equal-handed. OBJ might have thought he was interfered with, but a similar play where the Packer receiver could have been ruled "interference" wasn't either.
But when the fullback runs right where the defenders are clogging the line instead of finding the holes, when receivers can't hold on to the ball, and when the offensive plays are plainly telegraphed, even a great defensive effort can't save a team.
While I was shocked that Eli's arm whacked while he was making a forward pass was ruled a fumble, in general the officials were unusually fair and equal-handed. OBJ might have thought he was interfered with, but a similar play where the Packer receiver could have been ruled "interference" wasn't either.
But when the fullback runs right where the defenders are clogging the line instead of finding the holes, when receivers can't hold on to the ball, and when the offensive plays are plainly telegraphed, even a great defensive effort can't save a team.
1
"By then the Giants fearsome defense was overextended and fatigued"???? All week we have been bombarded with this over-hyped defense, peaking at the right time, that was going to destroy the Pack and after already beating the Cowboys before, move on to another Super Bowl. "FEARSOME, all-world defenses don't get "overextended and fatigued" in playoff games. The Giants weaknesses, and there are many, not just inexperience and immaturity, were exposed, as happens in playoff games.
11
Despite the two championships I never felt Manning was that good. He had his moments but a lot of his career has been disappointing. This year was a throwback to his first years where he was just awful. His liabilities are obvious. He easily panics and makes bad decisions leading to too many interceptions. His lack of mobility is glaring. His fear of getting sacked is palpable which again causes rushed throws leading to interceptions. The Giants need to find his replacement pronto as he has seen his best days.
9
No super bowl rings without Tyree's catch of a wild desperate Manning throw, and that sideline catch in the second one. His receivers saved him from embarrassingly bad decisions.
You are way out of line here. Did you see what he did with the little time he had? One of the next 2 seasons will show him up top again.
Pats fan here. I have a twelve year old son and when we play catch with the football, all he wants to do is try to catch it one-handed like 'OBJ.' The result? He catches far fewer passes than he would if he practiced the fundamentals.
13
I'm despondent over the loss,and fascinated at the level of detail about our team we sports fans consume---If only we applied the same level of scrutiny to those who run for public office-- examining facts and searching for meaning in every move these athletes make. The game the game because preparation, talent, experience and attention to detail can at once be subverted by a human lapse or an arbitrary call. We accept that as fans and as much as we all wanted things to turn blue we need to be grateful for the opportunity to root along one more week-- It is understandable that we reach all the way to Miami for an excuse but the outcome is the outcome-- The NFL is not our family, or our government or our best friend- and as Jets and Cubs fans know there is always next year...
Winners win by playing right; losers lose by making mistakes. An over-hyped character who feels he's the world's greatest (gee, where else do we hear this?) because of one catch two years ago misses at minimum two critical, highly-catchable passes. These are passes that must be caught in this situation. Another receiver misses an easy and critical touchdown pass - lack of concentration, just lack of skill? Multiple players stand around with their heads up their helmets while a fumble rolls around on the ground - inexcusable, almost always players will cover the ball even after multiple whistles. Pass protection is negligible, an aging QB is undefended - ridiculous. On the other hand, away and above one of the most awesome QB performances one could ask for; alternate receivers stepping up and taking on the task when the lead receiver is knocked out of the game by an illegal hit; an offensive line that played one of the best games you could ask for, just because it was important to them...more important than a jaunt on a yacht; and a defensive player who not only created a fumble, but hollered for teammates to recover it, and when they did not he took it upon himself to make a great finish to a great play. That is how players win a game; and how non-players lose a game.
5
This is about football, Giants, youth. Don't make it about politics
1
Perhaps OBJ and his posse should have played with their shirts off not only in warm ups - their effort couldn't be more comical
2
The local news media is always about how the New York team lost. The Giants did not lose. They were beaten, soundly, by a better team with a far better QB and a better offense, playing at home. OK, maybe the Giants could have lost 38-20 but more likely 45-20 if Green Bay had another set of downs. "Dominating" for the first half doesn't mean anything more than running faster wind sprints in practice. As soon as #12 laced up his cleats it was SEE YA. Show a little sportsmanship.
20
It's not about not giving credit to Green Bay - they won it, true. It's about the valid criticism and evaluation of a team that believes they are going in the right direction, when their performance and events leading up to the game, tell a different story. Fans of the team, I guess, feel a need to explore reasons why they didn't win. If you want to see Green Bay get credit, do a google search of Green Bay, must be plenty of articles about how well they played.
another crucial mental mistake: not covering Eli's fumble and letting Clay Matthews get it instead. That's a basic principle from Pop Warner days-- play until you hear the whistle. Giants players (and Packers too) were just standing around.
30
The Giants' young fillies cost the team the game. Their inexplicable visit to Miami Vice is on Ben McAdoo's desk, too. He's the coach; he's responsible, or is supposed to be.
He had to have known about the Miami trip. If he didn't, Jerry Reese should have fired him at Green Bay last night. In pro football, the players, no matter how decorated or shoved in front of the nation via Head and Shoulders shampoo commercials, *do not* run the team; the (a) coach and (b) general manager do.
Young Odell Beckham, because of a specular one-handed grab two seasons ago, now thinks of himself as the NFL template for wide receivers. His iconic catch, doubling with the location of his work station (NY/NJ) surely have inflated and magnified his considerable arrogant self-esteem.
Unfortunately, with a house money playoff berth in
hand, the dyed-blond wideout wonder forgot about his team early on when it seemed the Packers, in shocking retreat on their hallowed frozen tundra, were a series away from coming completely unglued. Alas, foolish youth cries out to be schooled.
Did he learn from this, a wasted year in which Eli nears the end with no replacement in sight?
He had to have known about the Miami trip. If he didn't, Jerry Reese should have fired him at Green Bay last night. In pro football, the players, no matter how decorated or shoved in front of the nation via Head and Shoulders shampoo commercials, *do not* run the team; the (a) coach and (b) general manager do.
Young Odell Beckham, because of a specular one-handed grab two seasons ago, now thinks of himself as the NFL template for wide receivers. His iconic catch, doubling with the location of his work station (NY/NJ) surely have inflated and magnified his considerable arrogant self-esteem.
Unfortunately, with a house money playoff berth in
hand, the dyed-blond wideout wonder forgot about his team early on when it seemed the Packers, in shocking retreat on their hallowed frozen tundra, were a series away from coming completely unglued. Alas, foolish youth cries out to be schooled.
Did he learn from this, a wasted year in which Eli nears the end with no replacement in sight?
10
Sure, fire an 11-5 first year HC for the harmless actions by a handful of players on their off day.
He had numerous opportunities to step up and prove he is an elite receiver in a cruicial (i.e., playoff) game, and he didn't do it. At this point, I'd take David Tyree.
3
The loss also showed that there isn't a leader in the locker room. Do you think Tom Brady would have condoned the boat crew's diversion? Belichick would have had them watching game film. They weren't mentally prepared for the game.
12
...and Belly and Tommy Boy don't need an oversized call sheet to hide behind like McAdoosie
1
Do you think that Belichek and Brady knew about Aaron Hernandez off duty shooting activity? Come on
1
First I want to applaud the Giants' efforts as a team this season. They could easily have given up many times during the season but didn't. The playoff game was a well deserved reward.
That said, there is obvious room for improvement. Particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Eli is a good quarterback still, but he is on the back side of his career and has shown tendencies this year that reinforce that fact. An heir apparent (which Ryan Nassib is not) is absolutely necessary.
The offensive line needs some re-tooling. Erek Flowers should be shifted to RG/RT and a new LT identified. Working with Justin Pugh helped Flowers but not enough to protect Eli from getting destroyed too many times.
Running Backs - Rasheed Jennings is OK but easily replaced. Paul Perkins will develop and Orleans Darkwa can be scary IMHO. If the Giants repair the O-Line, these guys will be good.
Tight Ends - What happened to the tight ends? 'Nough Said. Will Tye is OK but not the answer
Receivers - The Giants misused Victor Cruz, IMHO and became extraordinarily predictable with OBJ. Sterling Shepard, King, Lewis, in addition to Cruz and OBJ should make dbacks scared. But if the Giants throw only to OBJ, and only occassionally the others, then dbacks can double/triple him and take him out of the game (no matter how talented he is). Coach McAdoo needs to plan things better here.
IMHO, the Giants were far better in total, this year than last year and I think will be better next year.
That said, there is obvious room for improvement. Particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Eli is a good quarterback still, but he is on the back side of his career and has shown tendencies this year that reinforce that fact. An heir apparent (which Ryan Nassib is not) is absolutely necessary.
The offensive line needs some re-tooling. Erek Flowers should be shifted to RG/RT and a new LT identified. Working with Justin Pugh helped Flowers but not enough to protect Eli from getting destroyed too many times.
Running Backs - Rasheed Jennings is OK but easily replaced. Paul Perkins will develop and Orleans Darkwa can be scary IMHO. If the Giants repair the O-Line, these guys will be good.
Tight Ends - What happened to the tight ends? 'Nough Said. Will Tye is OK but not the answer
Receivers - The Giants misused Victor Cruz, IMHO and became extraordinarily predictable with OBJ. Sterling Shepard, King, Lewis, in addition to Cruz and OBJ should make dbacks scared. But if the Giants throw only to OBJ, and only occassionally the others, then dbacks can double/triple him and take him out of the game (no matter how talented he is). Coach McAdoo needs to plan things better here.
IMHO, the Giants were far better in total, this year than last year and I think will be better next year.
8
I wonder how many Super Bowls the Giants would have won with Philip Rivers instead of Eli?
My hunch is more than 2 but it is a debatable issue.
The truth is that both Mannings have left a lot on the table in terms of titles.
My hunch is more than 2 but it is a debatable issue.
The truth is that both Mannings have left a lot on the table in terms of titles.
1
and how many would Eli and Coughlin won without Tyree and Manningham - that would be a big fat 0
Refresh my memory, how SBs has SD won since the Rivers-Manning trade?
1
And Philip Rivers has won how many Super Bowls? AFC Championships? AFC West?
Playoffs are, and always have been, a bit of a crap shoot: teams/players need a certain amount of good fortune first to get into the playoffs, then to win.
Playoffs are, and always have been, a bit of a crap shoot: teams/players need a certain amount of good fortune first to get into the playoffs, then to win.
1
Look, when you loose the biggest game of your career, talk a lot of smack and your contribution was four dropped passes, ( one for a touchdown ), I'd be questioning EVERYTHING! Let's see if he goes on a yacht trip next year!
7
Had the players who took a day in Miami( a scheduled day off) been better at the game had they stayed in the New York area? I think not. This is a straw man.
14
You're absolutely right. It wasn't the trip. But, whatever it was, they all squandered multiple opportunities to show themselves as elite players in crucial situations (i.e., playoff games).
Pennington's article is spot on. The boat trip put added pressure on Beckham to perform and that added pressure caused him to "choke". I don't mean "choke" in a pejorative (negative) sense. As Malcolm Gladwell pointsx out in his book "What the Dog Saw" what sports fans refer to as choking is really overthinking the basics of what you do naturally mand suddenly, you can't catch a pass. A classic example of this was in golf when Greg Norman blew a six stroke lead in the final round of the Masters many ye3ars ago and lost to NIck Faldo by four strokes. When you think your way through catching a football you will likely drop it.
A word about Eli - yes, he had a bad year, ranked in the bottom 5 in the league for QB rating. BUT. he almost never had more than 2.5 seconds to survey the field because of the hole at left tackle, he had no pass catching back, no downfield threat at tight end, and a sadly diminished wide receiver in Victor Cruz. The game he played yesterday was a classic Eli playoff performance. We would all be toasting him now if Beckham and Shephard had not dropped easy touchdown passes. He made every critical throw that he could have made.
A word about Eli - yes, he had a bad year, ranked in the bottom 5 in the league for QB rating. BUT. he almost never had more than 2.5 seconds to survey the field because of the hole at left tackle, he had no pass catching back, no downfield threat at tight end, and a sadly diminished wide receiver in Victor Cruz. The game he played yesterday was a classic Eli playoff performance. We would all be toasting him now if Beckham and Shephard had not dropped easy touchdown passes. He made every critical throw that he could have made.
29
agree....also, a pass rush would help. yeah, i saw the "sacks"; but they were attributable to the coverage from the back end. all day rogers had all day to throw.
Well, at least they are not blaming Tom Coughlin for this loss. In my memory, the Giants have never had a player who thought he was bigger than the game, maybe that contributed to their failure in the end. Accommodating that ego might just be the reason for the failure.
3
Coughlin turned out to be the ultimate hypocrite for letting OBJ continue his shenanigans against Josh Norman last year. He feared for his job and let his military, 50's era discipline disappear to save his season and job.
How'd that turn out phony?
How'd that turn out phony?
1
And I guess McAdoo should have learned as well homer
I wouldn't say I am glad they lost but I am not sorry either.Let them learn from this and Beckham needs to be more humble.
3
The offense was terrible the entire season. The primary reason they lost is because the offense never gained any rhythm, which was nothing new. Eli had his worst season to date, and it's time to start wondering if he is past prime because he can't move and panics in tough situations. The play calling and creativity has been AWOL since maybe 2012. They can't run the ball, so they run the ball more to prove the point. The fact that they had five sacks, and had a yardage lead of about 200-5 at one point, but only a six point lead speaks to how this offense cannot score.
Combine that with being the away team, some bad luck at the end of the half, an injury to the fantastic DRC, and a weak day from special teams and they were blown out. This was not a surprising outcome. Saying that trip to FL had anything to do with implies that you missed the rest of the season. They hung in for a half, and the D was good enough to beat most average teams, but not Aaron Rodgers, in the tundra.
Combine that with being the away team, some bad luck at the end of the half, an injury to the fantastic DRC, and a weak day from special teams and they were blown out. This was not a surprising outcome. Saying that trip to FL had anything to do with implies that you missed the rest of the season. They hung in for a half, and the D was good enough to beat most average teams, but not Aaron Rodgers, in the tundra.
5
Look, I'm not saying that Eli is on a level with Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady and certainly he's entering the twilight of his career, but you can't entirely blame the Giants' offensive woes this season on him, and you certainly can't blame last night's loss on him. With respect to the regular season, Ereck Flowers was continually letting Eli down at left tackle. When you can't be confident that your blind side is going to be protected, it's going to cause you to make hasty and potentially costly decisions with the ball. Last night the o-line finally gave him some protection in the first half, and you could see how much that helped him.
With respect to last night's game, Eli was generally on target with his passes, particularly in the first half. It was his receiving corps that blew the game.
Regardless, it's obvious the Giants have to work on their offense this offseason.
With respect to last night's game, Eli was generally on target with his passes, particularly in the first half. It was his receiving corps that blew the game.
Regardless, it's obvious the Giants have to work on their offense this offseason.
Who are these many people who will forever believe that the wide receivers' "notorious" trip to Miami, during which (gasp!) they apparently posed shirtless on a boat, had a palpable impact on the Giants' loss? Do all of them work for the media?
6
No, they are Giants fans. They want to believe that the GIants' young stars are actually talented and would play well unless distracted or impaired by events off the field.
2
I'm young, and when I'm at work I work hard, consistently. The key word here is "consistently." The young Giants players have a lot to learn about playing hard consistently.
Stop jogging, Giants. HUSTLE. And while you're at it --
Treat EVERY play as if it may be your LAST play.
Stop jogging, Giants. HUSTLE. And while you're at it --
Treat EVERY play as if it may be your LAST play.
5
Excuses excuses. Never make them for other underachievers.
A). Not the youngest http://www.phillyvoice.com/ranking-nfl-teams-age-after-53-man-cutdowns-2...
B). They were destroyed.
A). Not the youngest http://www.phillyvoice.com/ranking-nfl-teams-age-after-53-man-cutdowns-2...
B). They were destroyed.
1
There is a lack of maturity or character among several players that has needed to be addressed but that has rather been excused.
17
The idea that the receivers' trip on their day off affected the outcome of the game is ridiculous. In fact, the idea that the unit would spend their day off TOGETHER demonstrates the kind of unity that wins football games. As a Jet fan, I can only wish that our players had that kind of cohesiveness. McAdoo has done a good job building a fraying collection of individuals back into a team, and that showed on the boat trip. Jet players would have been throwing each other overboard - which they did in the locker room after every game.
27
Well good for you, it's ridiculous that it had any affect. lol Your assessment of the situation is off track to me. They went to Miami the week before a playoff game in Wisconsin in frigid temperatures.??? I am a Patriots fan, and I'm very well versed in what BB and his staff do with their team. If he is preparing to go into cold conditions, then they practice all week in cold conditions. If it's forecast for rain, they soak the balls in water for practice. You don't go into tropical temps and humidity and then get used to that, and expect to feel comfortable a few days later in single digits. [g]
Your idea that they would need a day off together to develop cohesiveness, after 16 regular season games…lol…Patriots players are cohesive all season and particularly by the end of the season, if injuries have not wreaked havoc on that. You get cohesive playing together, not partying in Miami.
BB is the master of building a team and knowing what it takes to win championships. He has 40+ years of experience to draw from. He would never in a million years, accept any member of the team going to Miami the week of a playoff game.
Hope they go to Miami every year. :-)
Your idea that they would need a day off together to develop cohesiveness, after 16 regular season games…lol…Patriots players are cohesive all season and particularly by the end of the season, if injuries have not wreaked havoc on that. You get cohesive playing together, not partying in Miami.
BB is the master of building a team and knowing what it takes to win championships. He has 40+ years of experience to draw from. He would never in a million years, accept any member of the team going to Miami the week of a playoff game.
Hope they go to Miami every year. :-)
1
Well, if you are correct that the boat trip didn't damage the players' focus but instead improved their cohesion, then that is much worse news for the Giants. Instead of facing a simple, correctable problem with discipline, they've tied their future to team-oriented young stars who just don't play well!
1
And enabled by a weak coach and a QB who'd rather be seen as a players coach and a cool jokester than a leader.
What a waste. What an embarrassment.
What a waste. What an embarrassment.
6
Why does Eli Manning get a pass for his play this year? They had essentially the same offense last year and played poorly, missing the playoffs in a crummy division. The difference this year? They purchased a defense and made the playoffs. Common denominator? Eli's poor play. Average scoring under 20 pts per game with the league's best receiver. Green Bay's secondary was depleted and terrible. I'm looking at you, Eli...
17
mmmm, tough to pass when you have no running game which the Giants do not have. The game would have been closer if they had caught Eli's passes. The turn came with that idiotic hail mary. Eli was not on the field.
18
They had no run game. Last season, the giants were able to pick up their running game way better than they did this year. Eli was underpressure all season and to blame him only would be unfair. He has to go into passing mode because the run game dies within the first quarter, The offensive line has to be upgraded in order for Eli to have a clean pocket as Flowers got harassed by even lower DEs
10
Eli started the game on fire but the receivers dropped a TD and a couple of other first down passes. An early TD and a couple of catches to extend the drives could have conceivably led to more points and changed the entire game. The offensive live did not open up holes for the running game, and when the Giants fell behind, they allowed Eli to take some big hits. So while Eli did not have his best year, he was playing behind an offensive line that regressed, was certainly one of the worst in the league, and in need of a serious upgrade at left tackle, provided they move Erik Flowers back to his natural position of right tackle. Eli generally had little time to throw, and in the little time he did, Beckham, Jr. was the only one able to get open. Eli rarely had time to hit on deep throws which take longer to develop. If Eli had played behind the Dallas O line he would have pick apart opposing defenses.
10
1. The Giants beat the Packers in GB twice in their superbowl runs
2. The Giants are the only team to beat Dallas, and did it twice
3. The Giants are the only team to beat Brady in the Superbowl, and did it twice
So you guys thought the Packers, Dallas and New England would just mail it in?