The refs clearly were not on point tonight. Three times I could count calls that could have had great impact on the game that went in the Redskins favor:
1) On their scoring drive, the Redskins got a fifteen yard facemask that set up the touchdown. Not a five yarder, but fifteen. The replay clearly indicated that not only was there no personal foul on the play, but there was absolutely no contact with the facemask on the defender's part. Madden pointed this out as well, stating that it wasn't even a garden variety facemask.
2) On an after-play scuffle between Pierce and a 'Skins O-lineman, no flags were thrown. Pierce had his helmet yanked off of his head, but nothing from the officials, and that's a call you can't miss.
3) On the Giants final drive, it looked as though Jacobs had broken the first down marker pretty clearly. The officials gave him a bogus spot, and there was no review from the booth. If the Redskins could run a two minute offense, that could have been dangerous. There at least should have been a review on something so close.
Additional Notes:
The Giants defense played exceptionally well. Had the refs not made that ridiculous facemask call, it could've been a measly three points from the 'Skins. All in all though, considering the Redskins were being hyped as a playoff contender and many called the Giants' D into question considering their losses, they did exceptionally well to hold the Redskins to seven points, as well as never let this team get into any kind of rhythm. Kiwi and Tuck both looked great, and they generated pressure and stuffed the run.
The Giants ground game was phenomenal as well. The tandem of Jacobs/Ward posted a combined 155 yards on 30 attempts, with Jacobs averaging 5.5 a carry. The scary part is that they didn't even have to show Ahmad Bradshaw. That's going to be very tough for D coordinators to game plan against, when you consider that Bradshaw adds another dimension to an already explosive backfield.
The questions regarding the Giants receiving core should be answered. Burress posted 133 on 10 catches looking rejuvenated with a healed ankle and new contract, and it looked as though the defense couldn't keep the ball from him when they had him covered. Six other players had catches as well, and three of them had two a piece. Considering how conservative Gilbride ran his offense in the second half, those are solid performances.
Eli Manning was solid. His rating and one pick might suggest otherwise, and he did make a couple of bad decisions. Still, he played well enough to win, and his TD run was nice, even though Gilbride didn't give him many opportunities to throw TD passes in the second half.
This Redskins team didn't look good at all tonight, from start to finish. No rhythm in the offense, not a whole lot of defense until the second half, and what the hell happened to the concept of a four and two minute offense? How do you run the ball multiple times when your under four minutes and down by two scores? This team looks like it's heading for a rebuilding phase, not the playoffs.
I agree that the Giants could've made it a look a little bit better, but you can't say that they didn't control the ball and the game throughout.
The offense was motoring in the first half but then got conservative and broke rhythm in the second. They better not expect to do that against better teams. You have to keep pouring it on until your at least ahead by three scores.
You can't ask for much more out of a defense though. Granted, it looked as though the Redskins offense had a world of problems, the Giants' D didn't allow them to complete a pass until a decent amount of time had ticked off in the second quarter. They stuffed the run up just as well, and overall, a solid performance from a unit being into question.
My greatest concern with this Giants team is the playcalling on offense. If you're up nine points, you cannot afford to say "Hey, I think we're good." and go conservative. You put greater pressure on a defense for no good reason. If you're up seventeen, hell even a two touchdown lead would be sufficient, that's an appropriate time to turn it over to your defense and let them close it out. Not nine points.
rugged'
If you think that it was only poor officiating that made this season opener a bore. Then all I can say is that after the first two quarters I'm glad I shut down my laptop coverage of it. I went elsewhere for my evening's entertainment.
The 'skins are awfully bad and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.
Some people were of the hope that Zorn's schemes would put the team on the right track. But that'd be like saying that giving Paris Hilton an honorary doctorate makes her an intellectual ingenue' .
The Giants themselves looked rusty and lackadaisical to say the least. If they hope to return to the championship game then they'll have to play a hell of a lot better than what was on view last night.
Typical officiating for a Giants home game. Give the visitors the benifit of the doubt. Defense was as good as ever. Offense was too conservative in the second half. It was time to put the lid on instead of keeping it close. The Undefeated World Champion New York Giants! How Sweet it is!
Last edited by cjs1946 on September 5th at 5:39 AM.
I think there may be a new rule to prevent tackling by grabbing the shoulder pads near the neck which may have prompted the Face mask call. I don't think you can collar a player that way this year. I can't reference the new rule though.
cis...Defense was as good as ever? What are you talking about? Redskins SUCKED!!!!! You can't be boasting over that. Granted a win is a win but,#### it was a terrible game. All scoring was in the first half And there was no offense in the second half. No defense for the skins and all you could manage was 16points. The skins offense,OMG it was awful!!! They looked lost. Never the less your G-NATS earned a victory,but nothing to brag about.
Guerra'
I'd have to agree with you on this and I was watching the game via it being streamed over my laptop. The 'skins su*cked out loud and that tells you need to know. The 'skins weren't able to move the ball over the Giants' 50 yd line all but three times throughout the entire game. If that doesn't suggest how woefully inept on offense they are. Then whoever thinks that they're in with a chance of winning their division let alone have a winning season, has to be drinking too much of the Kool-Aid.
And if anything the Giants weren't all that impressive. If anything they showed some rustiness in their game.
Neither team looked very capable on offense. Eli Manning might just be the most overrated QB in the NFL. The Giants pass rush looked weak. Campbell had tons of daylight to throw the football.
Washington has a ways to go, but the Zorn era showed promise.
justan'- The officiating had nothing to do with the second half being a bore, but there were some bad calls and lack of calls.
This Redskins' team isn't looking like all they were hyped up to be, but a win is a win, and all that matters for the Giants is that they won a game they were supposed to win. It could've been prettier and the second half could have looked better, but they did play very well in the first half, and there's no dismissing that.
As for the 'Skins, it's still early in the season, and learning a new scheme can make you look bad. When Spagnuolo implemented his new defensive scheme in New York last year, they gave up 80 points in the first two games. Though, they did stick with their scheme, as opposed to Zorn who completely backed down on his West Coast offense and decided to run something different.
Generally, even a poor team can complete at least one pass in the first quarter. They couldn't run the ball in the first half either. You have to credit the Giant defense for sending them on their way with one three and out after another.
You can't judge the game by the second half as far as the Giants' offense goes, as the play-calling was much more conservative and completely broke the rhythm. In the first half, they moved the ball well and put up points.
As far as Eli Manning goes, to call him overrated is a matter of opinion, but to say his performance wasn't solid is to say that you did not watch the game. There were several instances where he stood in the pocket, took the hit, and made the completion. He managed the game well.
Last edited by ruggedest on September 5th at 3:35 PM.
G-men played 2 solid quarters and coasted....a W is a W is a W.
Who the heck did Portis wipe out in the third quarter....man that will be a "Proper Running Back Blocking Techniques" highlight for ages.....I was online but I said "holy ####" when I caught the replay.
Last edited by WrenchWizzard on September 5th at 4:10 PM.
