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Redskins-Giants: Run Like the “Wind”
Published: September 14, 2009
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For all the talk of the New York Giants having to rely heavily on their backfield as their main source of offense, it was the young corps of wide receivers that paved the way to a victory over the rival Redskins on Sunday.
Although Big Blue’s running game was solid enough to pass the century mark and help move the chains, it was not the driving force fans expected after growing accustom to last year’s effort.
While it’s only the first week, it was also the first glimpse of how Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw would perform without Derrick Ward, whose numbers from earlier in the day (62 yds, 1 TD) they were each hoping to match or better.
The season got off on a sour note, as Danny Ware—a developing talent the club was hoping would help make up for the loss of “Wind”—was injured on the very first play of the game. After being tackled 17 yards into his kick return, Ware fell awkwardly, dislocating his left elbow.
Realizing that the backfield had suddenly been reduced to a two-headed monster, the Giants resorted to passing more than rushing early on, though the duo were among the targets of those passes.
Having only caught six balls last season, Jacobs said he was determined to become more of a threat through the air. By the end of the night, he was already one third of the way to 2008’s total, with a respectable 17 yards.
For the most part, however, the two stuck to what they do best and rushed down the field with the help of their offensive line. Late in the first quarter, some solid outside blocking helped Bradshaw gain 22 yards, while his partner followed with his own dash down the sideline on the next play.
Heading into the second frame, Jacobs managed to get into the red zone, but fell just inches short on 4th-and-1 only a few yards from the end line. Bradshaw also started to have difficulty finding space, leading to another string of passes over runs.
After one of Manning’s throws once again found the hands of Jacobs, the offense returned to him and Bradshaw, who had a nice fake to the outside before the half.
In the third quarter, Jacobs continued to gain ground on the outside, while 6’6” ‘Skin Albert Haynesworth began giving the 5’9” Bradshaw some trouble.
Luckily, the air game continued to get the job done and the defense absolutely dominated the middle portion of the match.
In the final fifteen minutes, New York continuously deployed Bradshaw in order to eat up the clock. At that point, “Fire” was warmed up and made a few notable plays, like following FB Madison Hedgecock to a nine-yard gain before eventually earning a new set of downs.
Without Ware to help distribute the workload, Jacobs spent most of the last quarter on the sidelines to avoid adding to the bumps and bruises his charging style inevitably leads to.
While Osi Umenyiora actually outscored his rushing teammates, the fact that the G-men were still able to win by more than a field goal can be viewed as a good sign.
The 23-17 triumph over Washington proved that even when the ground game isn’t at its collective best, it doesn’t always need to be for the team to have success.
In fact, the main concern going forward isn’t the sub-par play of the backfield in Week One (the top two have proven that they’re capable of much more), but rather the durability of the group through a 16-game season.
With Ware joining rookie Andre Brown on the injury list for an indefinite amount of time and Jacobs’ penchant for injuries, another bad break could easily turn one of the team’s biggest strengths into of its biggest weaknesses.
Next Sunday, when the Giants visit another long-time rival in the brand new Cowboys Stadium, the game plan in regards to moving the ball on the ground should remain largely the same.
The offensive line has done a good job of creating space on the outside, but they need to create more holes up the middle, especially when Jacobs is on the field.
The actual number of times they’ll be looked upon for such run-blocking depends on the status of Ware.
If he’s in the lineup, the Giants should run more in Week Two; if not, they should maintain their current pass-rush ratio in order to keep Jacobs and Bradshaw as fresh as possible for the last portion of the season.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
New York Giants 2009 Preview: G-Men Looking For More O
Published: September 4, 2009
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After improving their record for three straight seasons, the New York Giants are looking to continue the trend with consecutive division championships, but may struggle to attain any success beyond that.
The main reason some pundits are hesitant to designate New York as early favorites to win it all is the club’s revamped offense.
While anyone familiar with the team knows that it has and will continue to rely heavily on the defense to put tallies in the win column, the offense is more of a question mark and thus warrants a closer look.
QUARTERBACKS
Eli Manning returns as the main man behind center and is only two seasons removed from a Super Bowl-winning performance that proved many doubters wrong. While at times his play within games has been a bit inconsistent, his overall numbers over the last three years have been steady. If he maintains his pocket presence and improves his decision making, there’s no reason to believe he won’t continue to fulfill his first round billing.
Returning as Manning’s backup is David Carr, whose 75 completion percentage and two touchdowns in only three games impressed the team enough to renew his contract for another season. He should continue to be a reliable substitute if called upon at the end of a blowout or even as an injury replacement.
Prediction: Manning will continue to start every game he’s capable of, but will see his numbers drop as he’s forced to hand off the ball to a RB core that is much more experienced than his receivers.
RUNNING BACKS
Speaking of the veteran backfield, the group literally lost some of the “Wind” driving its sails when Derrick Ward jumped the figurative ship for a literal one in Tampa Bay.
The Giants are not too concerned–nor should they be–with a formidable rushing attack still remaining.
Brandon Jacobs remains the key to the running game. When he’s not using his speed on the outside, he’s powering through the opposition’s line like an angry bull.
Relieving Jacobs in-between his body-bruising charges will be Ahmad Bradshaw, who has some muscle of his own, especially for a player his size. The third-year back has certainly earned his nickname with his ability to dance around defenders like flames.
Joining “Earth” and “Fire” is Danny Ware, a second-year player who is looking to make teams regret not drafting him. Speed is the name of his game; which, combined with the dedication he has shown while training with Osi Umenyiora this summer, bodes well for the Georgia native’s chances of establishing himself as an everyday back.
Madison Hedgecock knows that as a full back his primary role is to lead the man behind him through traffic and he does his job well. While he may not be a passing threat, he will give his teammates that extra space they need for the first down or six points.
Prediction: Ware will show that his last name isn’t the only thing similar to the man he is essentially replacing, as he will surpass Bradshaw on the depth chart and use his fleet feet to reach at least 700 yards by the end of the season.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Unquestionably the biggest hole in the Giants’ lineup is their set of receivers, with a depth that looks quite shallow after the release of both the controversial Plaxico Burress and long-time G-man Amani Toomer to free agency.
Leading the group are Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon, who are both coming off their first full season in East Rutherford. The two have unfortunately become the living embodiments of fans’ fears, as they’ve each failed on numerous occasions to come up with the big catch when their team needs it most.
Also struggling a bit this preseason is Mario Manningham, though like Smith and Hixon, he has plenty of potential and will have many opportunities to show that he is capable of reaching it. In fact, he has looked good enough to challenge Sinorice Moss for the third flanking spot.
Despite two TD receptions in the preseason finale, Moss may end up in another uniform by this time next year. The 24-year-old is losing confidence in his future with Big Blue, as he was given very few looks in August.
Sinorice could be joined by Super Bowl hero David Tyree, who has largely been an after thought since making “The Catch” that turned the tide of Super Bowl XLII in the Giants’ favor. It doesn’t help matters that he has been sidelined by knee complications since that memorable night in Glendale.
One of the reasons for Tyree’s lack of job security is rookie Hakeem Nicks, though he may have an injury of his own to deal with. The former UNC Tar Heel has been very dependable, as shown in the annual bragging rights game against the Jets, when he brought in two touchdowns and surpassed 100 yards.
Prediction: Moss will be packaged in a trade for a veteran wideout at some point in the season, making room for Manningham and Nicks to alternate starts as the third receiver.
TIGHT ENDS
Kevin Boss is an above average tight end with the ability to get open in the short field and a good set of hands to bring the ball in after finding that space. While he may not have the speed or superior receiving ability of his predecessor, Jeremy Shockey, he is a better blocker and is much more low maintenance.
Travis Beckum, the Giants 3rd round pick in this years draft, will beat out Michael Matthews and Darcy Johnson for the backup position if he continues to use his size and blocking ability to his advantage.
Prediction: With the previously-mentioned lack of depth on the flanks, Boss should get more looks than he has in the past and parlay those extra passes into extra points on the board.
OFFENSIVE LINE
With David Diehl, Rich Seubert, Shaun O’Hara, Chris Snee, and Kareem McKenzie all returning, the starting line remains unchanged–and with good reason.
Diehl and McKenzie both move well for men of their size and cover a lot of ground to make room for runners on the outside.
Seubert is a powerful and versatile presence on the left side, while Snee creates holes on the right with his solid positioning and overall strength.
O’Hara plays a simple-yet-smart game as he provides protection for the signal-caller after snapping the ball back to him.
Prediction: This five-some will continue to be one of the best units in the league and help the backfield once again break 2,000 yards.
Taking a look at each component of the roster that will come together to form the 2009 edition of Big Blue, it’s clear that strength on one side of the ball may have to balance out weakness on the other.
If the running game can continue to dominate and the young receivers emerge as reliable options, New York can truly establish itself as the Big Blue Wrecking Crew—and not the one getting wrecked.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
