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I don't get how people have turned on the defense and made excuses for the offense with the spin that the offense did enough to win the game since they gave the defense a lead with a little over 1:30 left in the game and the defense blew it. The fact of the matter is that the defense kept this game close so the offense could bring them back in the game in a position to win while the offense played like crap for most of the game. Here are some facts to prove this point:
1.) This was the first game all year that any game went into halftime 0-0. That was a testament to the defense and damnation on the offense and special teams.
2.) The only points that were scored in 3 1/3 quarters by the Giants were off of Patriots turnovers. The only TD the Giants got in that time was a TEN YARD DRIVE because the Pats offense gave up a strip sack on the Pats' ten yard line.
3.) Prior to the Pats scoring their first points, the Pats' offense had 8 drives in which resulted in 4 punts, 2 interceptions, one strip sack, and a missed field goal. The Pats had two drives for negative yards, one drive for 8 yards, and only two drives over 50 yards. Even the first score by the Pats was a drive that went 19 yards and resulted in a field goal.
4.) Every drive the Giants had in the first half resulted in a punt. Their longest drive was 32 yards. The only drive they crossed the 50 yard line in the first half was a drive that started on their 49 yard line and ended on the Pats' 45 (a six yard drive).
5.) The only drives that the Giants had over 57 yards the entire game were the final two.
Yes, the defense fell apart in the end especially since they lost Spikes, Guyton, and Barrett on or before those drives (which definitely hurt the defense since White and Brown are definite downgrades) and two PI penalties. But if the Pats' offense doesn't turnover the ball and Gostowski doesn't miss the field goal, the Pats win this game by 1-2 TDs. Brady's first INT cost the Pats at least 3 points. The strip sack on Brady was going to guarantee the Giants 3 points (they got seven on a ten yard drive).
If you ignore the first three quarters, you can put the blame clearly on the defense. But watching the first three quarters, it is clearly more on the offense and special teams. The offense didn't score until 5:29 minutes left in the third quarter. The offense's screw up was the reason why the Giants score a TD before that.
1.) This was the first game all year that any game went into halftime 0-0. That was a testament to the defense and damnation on the offense and special teams.
2.) The only points that were scored in 3 1/3 quarters by the Giants were off of Patriots turnovers. The only TD the Giants got in that time was a TEN YARD DRIVE because the Pats offense gave up a strip sack on the Pats' ten yard line.
3.) Prior to the Pats scoring their first points, the Pats' offense had 8 drives in which resulted in 4 punts, 2 interceptions, one strip sack, and a missed field goal. The Pats had two drives for negative yards, one drive for 8 yards, and only two drives over 50 yards. Even the first score by the Pats was a drive that went 19 yards and resulted in a field goal.
4.) Every drive the Giants had in the first half resulted in a punt. Their longest drive was 32 yards. The only drive they crossed the 50 yard line in the first half was a drive that started on their 49 yard line and ended on the Pats' 45 (a six yard drive).
5.) The only drives that the Giants had over 57 yards the entire game were the final two.
Yes, the defense fell apart in the end especially since they lost Spikes, Guyton, and Barrett on or before those drives (which definitely hurt the defense since White and Brown are definite downgrades) and two PI penalties. But if the Pats' offense doesn't turnover the ball and Gostowski doesn't miss the field goal, the Pats win this game by 1-2 TDs. Brady's first INT cost the Pats at least 3 points. The strip sack on Brady was going to guarantee the Giants 3 points (they got seven on a ten yard drive).
If you ignore the first three quarters, you can put the blame clearly on the defense. But watching the first three quarters, it is clearly more on the offense and special teams. The offense didn't score until 5:29 minutes left in the third quarter. The offense's screw up was the reason why the Giants score a TD before that.