Jerry Reese, to his credit, has managed to orchestrate (or at the very least, keep intact), a combination in the backfield that resembles that of a mythical beast or god. A three-headed monster, if you will. Or, perhaps one might view the power trio of Jacobs, Ward, and Bradshaw as a one-headed beast, with Jacobs being the component that drives it while his two fists, Ward and Bradshaw, clean up what is left over. This backfield combination has an arsenal of its own to throw at a defense, and the scariest part is that the beast never gets tired.
Brandon Jacobs, at 6-4 and 264 pounds, is the definition of impact back. Not to mention, for a running back of that size, he has speed and pretty good moves. It's safe to say that nobody else in the NFL can finish quite like Jacobs, and while he posts great numbers (1009 on an exceptional 5.0 yards per carry in '07), his influence on a defense is still underestimated. Every game, he seems to find a defender or two to lay flat on the ground and embarrass on the highlight reel. Landry was the victim in the season opener. But to have a guy that virtually hits a defense back every time he has the ball is invaluable to an offense. That is exactly what Jacobs does, and just when a defender gets low enough to tackle him safely, he makes a cut move to pick up five more yards and level somebody else. At running back, he's an absolute phenomenon.
It does not end with Jacobs though, unfortunately for opposing defenses, as the Giants have two legitimate starting backs behind him. Starting with Derrick Ward, who posted 602 yards on just 125 carries in '07, the Giants have a downhill runner who can make cuts as well as catch the ball. He's a change of pace as well as a fresh pair of legs, and it's difficult for a defense to plan against that. In the opener, he moved the ball with efficiency and played his role exceptionally well, posting 60 total yards on nine carries and a pair of catches. While Jacobs' hands are apparently made of stone, Ward provides power and yet, flexibility out of the backfield.
Now, to this point a dangerous one-two punch has already been discussed. This is where the Giants backfield goes from great to groundbreaking, as yes, they can hit you with a mean one-two punch. But the one-three punch out of Big Blue's backfield is just a devastating, and while it may only make a rare appearance or two throughout the season, the two-three punch provides as much versatility and entertainment as the other two varieties.
The rookie out of Marshall has proven to be just as effective, whether it be as a compliment or as an every down back (posted 151 yards on 17 carries against the Bills). Ward was down with an injury during the playoff run, but Bradshaw filled in brilliantly. He is smaller and quicker than his two backfield counterparts, but he is making a strong case to have just as much pound for pound power as the other two. At 5'9" and 198 pounds, he was reminiscent of Tiki Barber in the Super Bowl, as he dragged multiple New England defenders to stretch yardage. Both running backs, generally too small to see when they are moving a pile, showed incredible strength for their size. Just as well, Bradshaw has the best hands of the trio, making him just as much of a threat as the other two. The Giants did not show Bradshaw in the first game, but let us not forget that he can be deadly. More importantly, defensive coordinators better not forget to have their defense prepared for when the Giants call on number forty-four.
The creature that inhabits the backfield of the New York Giants is an intriguing beast and of a nature that the NFL is going to have trouble absorbing over the next few years. Loaded with perhaps every weapon a coach could ask for within his running game, this is a trio that punch, cut, and sidestep a defense. As a great boxer would, the three can pound a defense hard and then hurt them when it comes to going to work on the cuts that have opened up. It must be a miserable experience for a defense, as injury is perhaps virtually the only way to slow this beast down. Sixty minutes between as many as three talented backs means that there will never be fatigue, and that is what makes the Giant backfield arguably the most potent in the league, not excluding the likes of Minnesota, Jacksonville, San Diego, and Dallas.
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.
