The Giants get off to a strong 2-0 start this season, and their level of play against the Rams is a strong sign for this Giants team. Granted, we are talking about the St. Louis Rams here. However, anytime you have a 28 point difference in the box score, the team that comes out on top is playing at a high level, regardless of how poor the other team is. The most impressive thing about this Giants team right now is the fact that, as a team, they are playing just as well as anybody across the board. Several different players came up with plays on defense. The ball distribution on offense was just downright scary. Whatever there might be to say about the state the St. Louis Rams are in, a 41 to 13 point victory can never be underestimated. Let's recap. Offense: The Giant offense picked apart the porous St. Louis defense pretty thoroughly. They put up the stats last week against the Redskins as well, but the difference-maker in this game was the fact that they could translate yardage into points. Eli Manning did a beautiful job spreading the ball around, with 8 different receivers hauling in passes on the night, and 3 of those receivers with 60 yards or more. This is a huge improvement over the Giants and how they played for much of the regular season last year, as they were largely one-dimensional in the passing game with inconsistent receivers behind an unhealthy Plax. Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith both showed some serious big play potential (though Smith ended up ruled down after review on a play he had stretched for an additional 18 yards, that was still one hell of a run after the catch).
Still, the first sighting of a three-headed beast is what should have the rest of the league worried. Between the trio of Jacobs, Ward, and Bradshaw in the backfield, the Giants running backs posted 203 yards on a mere 28 carries. Considering that each back contributed over 50 yards on the ground, it is clear that each one of these backs is just as effective as the next. Each back had a reception as well, and though Bradshaw got the least amount of playing time, he posted 2 of the team's 4 offensive touchdowns.
This Giants' backfield is the best in the league. Better than Dallas. Better than Minnesota. Better than Jacksonville. Granted, they haven't stacked up against great defenses. However, it's hard to say that any single running back or even duo of backs can match their versatility. And when push comes to shove, it is invaluable to be able to have a play-making back that virtually never gets tired. The only thing that could slow this group down is injury.
Defense: The defense shut down the only hope the Rams had in this one, and for another week, the Rams were unable to move the ball on offense. The Rams' O-line was embarrassed for another straight week, surrendering 6 six sacks to this Giant D. Unexpectedly, three of those sacks would come from Robbins and Alford, two of the guys on that line that don't get a whole lot of credit. There's not a whole lot else to say here, so I will put the spotlight on one particular individual.
Justin Tuck: This guy has showed up big in the absence of Strahan, and for those that do not believe him to be the real deal, expect to by the end of the season. Tuck fought off countless holds that were not called (for anybody that watched the game, you would have seen this, and if you ignored it, then Troy Aikman pointed it out at one point for you), adding two sacks in this one. Being able to come down with an interception and run it in for the score shows you that he is on his game and playing heads-up football.
Coaching: I have to say I disagree with the no-call on the St. Louis touchdown play, and there's no excuse for Coughlin not throwing the challenge flag on that one. At that point, there wasn't a whole lot of separation in the score, and while whether or not it was actually a legal catch will never be known, the call was clearly in question. Had the game been a lot closer, it would have meant quite a bit to have that one possibly called back.
Overall, the Giants look like they are ready to rumble with the best in the league, and thus far, there is nothing to suggest that they are not amongst the best in the league. They are in a heavyweight division, but this is a heavyweight team. Anybody that thought it would be Philly and Dallas in the East, not to take anything away from those teams as they are both very talented, ought to remember that the Giants can trade hands just as well as anybody.
Side Note: The NFC East will be 6-2 heading into week 3, getting off to a collective 4-0 start against out of division opponents (Browns/Saints/Rams twice). The East has outscored these opponents 136 to 50. There is a team that can challenge scattered here and there throughout the NFC, with the Packers and Panthers looking good thus far, but the NFC is all about the East this year, and with the Chargers taking an 0-2 start and Tom Brady going down, the team that comes out victorious in this division is more than liable to be favored to run away with a Lombardi trophy. each of these teams scheduled to play six divisional games a piece, this is a going to be a hell of a year for fans of NFC East teams.
