Thoughts on my visit to Giants Stadium

[Ochmed Jones]

The Giants came out and played harder, faster and with more intensity than the Patriots for the first three quarters of the game. If the Giants offense would not have started taunting the Pats Defense near the end of the third quarter, the game might have turned out differently. I was close to the field and could hear a lot of jawing by the Giants players. Even the Giants on the sidelines were taunting.

Other observations:

1.) Now that the records are out of the way, can Brady please go back to hitting the open receiver and taking what the defense gives. We are so much better as an offense when the guy that fights to get open gets the ball.
2.) Watson was beyond rusty as a receiver and blocker. He looked bad!!!!!
3.) We desperately need a pass rush. When Vrabel was in coverage, as he was most of the night, we struggled to get pressure without blitzing.
4.) Thomas is not the answer at OLB as a run defender or pass rusher. He needs to go back inside next season.
5.) IF we can't get excited and match our opponents speed and intensity from snap#1, our playoff run will be short. Maybe they were tight because of the perfection streak, maybe the Giants played over their heads with their hair on fire, whatever it was, we just couldn't match them and they took it to us a bit. Now is the time to correct that.

 

[ALP]

i dont understand that....about Adalius

he was an OLB...wut happened? wut made u come to ur conclusion?

 

[richpats]

After I left I thought they should rename it "Brady Stadium" after the owner

 

[BradyToMoss]

The Giants came out and played harder, faster and with more intensity than the Patriots for the first three quarters of the game. If the Giants offense would not have started taunting the Pats Defense near the end of the third quarter, the game might have turned out differently. I was close to the field and could hear a lot of jawing by the Giants players. Even the Giants on the sidelines were taunting.

Other observations:

1.) Now that the records are out of the way, can Brady please go back to hitting the open receiver and taking what the defense gives. We are so much better as an offense when the guy that fights to get open gets the ball.
2.) Watson was beyond rusty as a receiver and blocker. He looked bad!!!!!
3.) We desperately need a pass rush. When Vrabel was in coverage, as he was most of the night, we struggled to get pressure without blitzing.
4.) Thomas is not the answer at OLB as a run defender or pass rusher. He needs to go back inside next season.
5.) IF we can't get excited and match our opponents speed and intensity from snap#1, our playoff run will be short. Maybe they were tight because of the perfection streak, maybe the Giants played over their heads with their hair on fire, whatever it was, we just couldn't match them and they took it to us a bit. Now is the time to correct that.

Is this Michael Felger, happy new year Mike

 

[Water Boy]

We desperately need a pass rush. When Vrabel was in coverage, as he was most of the night, we struggled to get pressure without blitzing.

At the risk of getting throttled by the-patriots-are-16-0-why-cant-you-just enjoy-it-police, I share some of your concern about the Pat's pass rush.

In the games the Pats have struggled in (Philadelfia, Baltimore, NY Giants) a common theme was the inability to get after the QB. IIRC in the Giants game, the Pats rushed 5 or 6 several times but only got to Eli once on a play where they completely sold out and brought the house. You have to credit the offensive lines for these teams, but I think this is an area that needs improvement. I think having Colvin out hurts us a little here.

 

[stcjones]

The Giants came out and played harder, faster and with more intensity than the Patriots for the first three quarters of the game. If the Giants offense would not have started taunting the Pats Defense near the end of the third quarter, the game might have turned out differently. I was close to the field and could hear a lot of jawing by the Giants players. Even the Giants on the sidelines were taunting.

Other observations:

1.) Now that the records are out of the way, can Brady please go back to hitting the open receiver and taking what the defense gives. We are so much better as an offense when the guy that fights to get open gets the ball.
2.) Watson was beyond rusty as a receiver and blocker. He looked bad!!!!!
3.) We desperately need a pass rush. When Vrabel was in coverage, as he was most of the night, we struggled to get pressure without blitzing.
4.) Thomas is not the answer at OLB as a run defender or pass rusher. He needs to go back inside next season.
5.) IF we can't get excited and match our opponents speed and intensity from snap#1, our playoff run will be short. Maybe they were tight because of the perfection streak, maybe the Giants played over their heads with their hair on fire, whatever it was, we just couldn't match them and they took it to us a bit. Now is the time to correct that.

Agree......about #1....need to start looking at other WR more......2) Watson looked awful....maybe needs more reps...made a big catch late when we needed it.......hope he gets his sh## together..........3) Felt like they were getting the rush going late in the game....but it was absent early on....and has not been stunning all year........4) Thomas seems to have lost a step or is being hampered by injury.......at least that is what it seems like.......5) I think we were seriously tight out there because of all the hysteria of the PERFECT SEASON.......I think this is now like a "monkey off their back" and you will see them go back to their dominating play........I DO think that we need to never leave Hobbs one on one with any big time receiver.......We need to shore up our running game........We need to play ALL 4 QUARTERS OF FOOTBALL...Right from the kickoff they need to increase their INTENSITY.....

 

[FrontSeven]

The Giants came out and played harder, faster and with more intensity than the Patriots for the first three quarters of the game.

I got skewered here for saying that even though players and coach admitted it.

I called it the team's "biggest problem" and I think people took that to mean that they were flawed because of it. Nope. I don't call that a flaw; I call that an inevitable result of playing with a bullseye on your back, and playing with a perfect record.

And I also think that this biggest problem goes away in the playoffs because they'll be just as pumped and jacked at the outset as the other guys.

I really think that if they were going to lose a game this year it was one of those games like the Ravens or Eagles. From here on out they have a big advantage of being equally jacked up, the most experienced, the most talented, and the best coached. If they were going to lose, we'd have seen it by now. Now they have everybody intimidated, and they have endured the worst of the pressure, which was having to win when the other guy was super jacked for their personal best.

 

[FFDan]

Yeah, I'd love to get to watch a replay of it. If I remember correctly, Watson had a few drops that could have been big plays. Yeah the run defense was inadequate as was the pass rush.

Overall, I must say the Giants fans were mostly pretty cool. Some unpleasant noise when Randy went down, some minor harrasment in the john at halftime and one Jints fan got in a Pats fan's face after TD#50. Other than that it was all good natured.

All in all, good enough to win against a good team, but room for improvement up front on D.

 

[ShrewBeer]

1.) Now that the records are out of the way, can Brady please go back to hitting the open receiver and taking what the defense gives. We are so much better as an offense when the guy that fights to get open gets the ball.
2.) Watson was beyond rusty as a receiver and blocker. He looked bad!!!!!
3.) We desperately need a pass rush. When Vrabel was in coverage, as he was most of the night, we struggled to get pressure without blitzing.
4.) Thomas is not the answer at OLB as a run defender or pass rusher. He needs to go back inside next season.
5.) IF we can't get excited and match our opponents speed and intensity from snap#1, our playoff run will be short. Maybe they were tight because of the perfection streak, maybe the Giants played over their heads with their hair on fire, whatever it was, we just couldn't match them and they took it to us a bit. Now is the time to correct that.

1. dont worry about brady.

2.watson did look like crap. but he is all we got right now, and he should at least look a little better with the next two weeks to heal up better

3. you are sorely mistaken. one game doesnt mean much. it may be a little known fact, but we have the SECOND BEST PASS RUSH in the nfl! second to the new york giants.
http://www.nfl.com/stats/categoryst...nType=REG&tabSeq=2&qualified=true&Submit=Find

4. agreed that thomas has not been elite this year. been good, but not elite like we thought

5. people are forgetting that the play calling has been dumbed-down, if you will, for the "meaningless games" before the playoffs. as for the intensity, the only one who looked like they were daydreaming was asante. yeah, hobbs got burned too, but asante looked like he was somewhere else.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

2. Watson just isn't good on quick out patterns or screens. he doesn't have the quick lateral movement like a welker or stallworth. he is more suited to going to hit spot and sit down in the zone or going down the seam on a go route which we haven't seen much lately. for all the talk on his speed and strength he isn't able to quickly turn and lower his shoulders to run a def. back over. something he needs to work on.

3. The pass rush has been conncerning all season. Vrabel had a huge Pittsburg game. I think alot of it is a function of the defense(bend but don't break). If anything you have to be curious why the Pats didn't blitz more in the first half. I think they need to add a guy in the draft(a speed guy in the lower rounds that can pass rush-specialty guy). But when the pats need to step up they do. so i'm not worried about it. stopping the run is more of a priority which set ups third and long and BB will find a way to get the opponent to punt.


4. I did notice on one occassion that the Pats lined AD up across from Plax far left. He jammed the heck out of Plax. AD is the least of our concerns. He will rise to the occassion.

5. Sure the Giants were amped up, but DID NOT plays a full 60 minutes. They can not match the Pats punch for punch, most teams can't.

The pass rush and front 7 over the Giants was a good test for the Pats. I don't see another pass rush tandem that is of that caliber(maybe SD).

The first half of the Giants game would have been much different minus one punt return(not defenses fault). and if the Pats offense had converted in the Red Zone more.

and lastly.... I was reading that the past two weeks the Pats have been in their base defense and have not shown much.

In Bill We Trust

 

[PonyExpress]

The Giants came out and played harder, faster and with more intensity than the Patriots for the first three quarters of the game. If the Giants offense would not have started taunting the Pats Defense near the end of the third quarter, the game might have turned out differently. I was close to the field and could hear a lot of jawing by the Giants players. Even the Giants on the sidelines were taunting.

Other observations:

1.) Now that the records are out of the way, can Brady please go back to hitting the open receiver and taking what the defense gives. We are so much better as an offense when the guy that fights to get open gets the ball.

True. Redskins game was a perfect example. Moss was a decoy most of the game.

2.) Watson was beyond rusty as a receiver and blocker. He looked bad!!!!!

Watson is a decent TE with great athletic talent, but if David Thomas is healthy he is the best TE on the roster.

3.) We desperately need a pass rush. When Vrabel was in coverage, as he was most of the night, we struggled to get pressure without blitzing.

The Pats have the #2 pass rush in the NFL, by sack rate per pass play. IMO the D didn;t take Eli Manning seriously in this game. He had been so awful in recent weeks that they took for granted he would suck. It took more than a half for the D to realize he could beat them, and they jacked up the intensity.

4.) Thomas is not the answer at OLB as a run defender or pass rusher. He needs to go back inside next season.

Thomas has been leaky vs the run. He may not be an elite pass rusher but he is better than Colvin, and more productive by any measure. Since the bye, Thomas has started 6 games at OLB, and has 6 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 3passes defensed in those games. That is adequate production at the position.

5.) IF we can't get excited and match our opponents speed and intensity from snap#1, our playoff run will be short. Maybe they were tight because of the perfection streak, maybe the Giants played over their heads with their hair on fire, whatever it was, we just couldn't match them and they took it to us a bit. Now is the time to correct that.

When the Pats D views an opponent with respect and as a true threat, the D seems to come out with intensity and emotion. The question is, why don't they approach every opponent with the same intensity. The D seems to be pacing itself, as though it knows it has a limited amount of energy to spread out over a whole season and doesn't want to waste it. The 1st playoff opponent, and the SB opponent, will see the Pats D at its best. It's the AFCCG, when this older unit doesn't have an extra week to rest and energize itself, that may be cause for worry.