Big Giants Boom

New York Giants: What's next on tap?

2012-02-11T15:12:00.001-05:00

Frank Gray
BGB Editor

Okay, this was a very busy week for the New York Giants and their fans. It all began almost a week ago when they hoisted the Vince Lombari Trophy in Super Bowl 46. It continued with trips to Disney World for a certain MVP QB and multiple interviews for every player the day after.

It extended into a spectacular ticker-tape parade in Manhattan into a City Hall ceremony and extended into the Giants home turf of Metlife Stadium. With the victors come the spoils.

Also with victory in the NFL comes another set of problems: free agents, contract hold outs and low draft picks. These are all good problems to have.

Throughout the next few months Big Giants Boom will be examining each of these. We'll also be introducing a podcast in the coming weeks. More information on that at a later time. But I digress.

Without going into too much detail right now, the Giants will have to face the issue of re-signing Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham, replacing injured TE's Jake Ballard AND Travis Beckum, among others, and deciding whether or not to alienate new superstar Victor Cruz or established star Osi Umneyiora, both have recently addressed the issue of their contract.

Before we even deal with that, the NFL will hold its' annual scouting combines and their amateur draft. While the Giants hold the last spot in each round because they are the Super Bowl winners, there will still be a lot of talent to be had. The trouble is sorting it out.

Jerry Reese and his staff have done a good job of doing that in the past. They have to rely their instincts to recognize talent for this upcoming off-season. While the future is uncertain for the defending champions, one thing is for sure. They will face a tough climb next year too.

Their schedule has yet to be released, but their opponents have already been named. Among them: New Orleans, Green Bay, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and, of course Dallas and Philadelphia two times each. All were playoff teams last year, with the exception of our division rivals.

Facing injuries and contract issues, it will be an interesting few months to see how the Giants front office deals with each issue without making any of them a distraction as they prepare for another grueling season.

A season that fans like you and us here at Big Giants Boom can't wait to start. In the meantime, let's go GIANTS!!!

Notable upcoming dates for the off-season:

February 22-28, 2012: NFL Combines
March 13, 2012: NFL Free Agency Begins
April 26-28, 2012: NFL Draft

What's in the Water in Indianapolis? (Or Things We Learned from the 2011 Season)

2012-02-09T22:32:00.004-05:00

by A. Daniel Carman, BGB Assistant Editor

It still has not sunk in for me. The New York Giants...World Champions! While the meaning of this season and the break down for the various positions will be covered in weeks to come, I wanted to wrap up a few lessons from the New York Football Giants this season.

1. Something is in the water in Indianapolis that makes Bill Bellichik a desperate gambler...and he loses every time. Remember the decision to go for it on 4th and 2 leading the Colts by 6? Peyton Manning got the ball deep in Patriots territory with plenty of time left. Yeah, good plan, genius. While I appreciate the gifted Bradshaw touchdown that put the Giants up for good in Super Bowl XLVI, it's still incomprehensible to me. Yes, time was running out and it's unlikely even Lawrence Tynes would miss from inside the ten. But if Bradshaw stops, the Patriots still have two timeouts and a chance to force a turnover and escape with the win. Yes, Tom Brady has worked miracles in the past (at least seven or eight years ago he did), but he was not able to throw the ball deep on the Giants all night. His only two successful drives came because he had the time to throw short and run the ball and grind it out. With less than a minute to go and the Giants defense in fired-up mode, even Tom Brady was a long-shot to make anything happen.

2. The media will hype up anything. They ate up all week as Chad Ochocinco said, "Nobody believed we'd be here," and Wes Welker talked about, "All we've been through this season." Refresh my memory: what exactly had the Patriots been through this season? Were they ever written off as a playoff team? No. Did they lose their stars to injury? No. Did they get screwed out of a close game by the referees? Not to my knowledge. Yet the media allowed the Patriots to spin it as if they were somehow the plucky underdogs heading into this matchup.

3. The NFC is the dominant conference. The media has portrayed the AFC as the dominant conference for the past decade. What gets lost in the shuffle is that since 2002 (Oakland Raiders), only three teams have represented the AFC: The Patriots, the Colts and the Steelers. So three teams have been dominant. But the rest of the conference is weak so when these three teams get real competition, they find themselves unprepared for it. Meanwhile, the Giants are the first team in the NFC to play in more than one Super Bowl the past 12 years: Giants, Rams, Bucs, Panthers, Eagles, Seahawks, Bears, Giants, Cardinals, Saints, Packers, Giants. In 2007, a 10-6 NFC team beat an 18-0 AFC team. Last year, a 10-6 wildcard knocked off the number 2 AFC seed. And of course this year.

4. The NFC East is still the best division in football. Many people complained all year that the NFC East has declined because only one team, the 9-7 Giants, made the playoffs. But records aren't everything. Sometimes the stronger divisions have fewer good records because the teams are all equally strong. The proof? A 9-7 NFC East team was still stronger than a 15-1 NFC North team, and a 13-3 AFC East team.

5. Eli Manning is the greatest quarterback in Giants History. I've been saying this for some time and our loyal readers know it better than anyone. But it's worth repeating. Manning broke the Giants passing record all to pieces this past season: 4933 yards to 4,084 for Kerry Collins. Phil Simms only played in one Super Bowl and that towards the end of his career. Manning has just hit his stride and he's already in pretty exalted company. People are mentioning him in the same breath as Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Johnny Unitas. Two Super Bowl titles and two MVP awards lifts him past his brother, Ben Roethlisberger, and Tony Romo. He's not just elite; he's legendary.

In the meantime, I'm sad to see the season end, but what a way for it to end. My next purchase will be the championship DVD to relive yet another magical season. I can't wait for next year to start defending the title. GO GIANTS!

New York Giants' Super Bowl XLVI Championship Parade Recap and Reflections

2012-02-08T03:10:00.007-05:00

Shale Briskin
BGB Contributor

Today, I went into downtown Manhattan to check out the Giants' ticker tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes and into City Hall. I had missed the 2007 Giants' ticker tape parade, so I was sure to make up for it by going to it this time.

Being at the parade itself was a great experience. The fans were all pumped up and excited about the Giants winning their second Super Bowl title in five years. At least one million fans showed up decked out in Giants jerseys and caps. Heavy police security and even a SWAT team was present to make sure the event did no go completely out of control. Television and radio reporters were at the parade as well into provide coverage to those that were not able to make it. In fact, the Fox 5 reporter even let the fans cheer in front of the camera for a few minutes and a select group of fans stayed in that small area the whole time just so they could be seen on television.

In order to get a good view at the parade itself, people had to show up early in order to claim their spots. If a group of people arrived even within an hour before the start of the parade, it would have been way too late to get a good spot to view. Some tried to climb onto lamp posts and vans, but police told them all to climb down. All in all, the earlier you arrived, the better your spot was going to be.

The parade began on time, but being that I was near City Hall, I did not see any floats until around ten minutes after the parade began, but once floats actually came by, it took a while to see the players themselves because there were other floats that featured press writers and season ticket holders, among others. In fact, less than half of the actual floats contained the Giants players themselves. Furthermore, the floats that contained Giants players moved at a much faster rate than the other floats, which made photographing more difficult than it should have been. Being in a crowd that contained many people raising their arms to take pictures with their cell phones did not help the cause either.

The Giants players appeared in different groups. Tight end Bear Pascoe was one of the Giants players to be spotted on a float. The defensive backs had their own float. Other defensive players such as Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora had their own float. Ahmad Bradshaw was on one of the earlier floats. And finally, Eli Manning and Justin Tuck, the two biggest icons on the team were on the same float as co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch, head coach Tom Coughlin and New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. Manning and Tuck shared the Super Bowl XLVI trophy.

As the parade itself came to a close, many fans left for the day while a select group ventured to City Hall to watch the Giants players get presented with keys to the city. Former defensive end and future Hall of Famer Michael Strahan was there as well and even gave a brief speech to the public. Manning, Tuck, Coach Coughlin and Mayor Bloomberg all made speeches as well before the team ventured to MetLife Stadium for a pep rally. This was more designed for the Giants fans in New Jersey. The fans in attendance there were treated to a highlight film of the season and Coughlin and Tuck addressed the crowd before the festivities came to an end.

I personally had a blast at the ticker tape parade, although looking back, I wish I had arrived earlier so that I could have gotten a better view. Nonetheless, I still had a better view than most, so with this being said, I feel I should be thankful for the experience I had. I can only hope that the Giants will win another Super Bowl in the near future so that I can plan the parade experience better for myself.

All in all, if you arrive early to the parade, you will be thanking yourself once the parade actually starts. Traffic can get hectic, especially during rush hour, so if possible, try to use mass transit and express lines, if there are any. Be prepared to be surrounded by many people and to hear all kinds of crazy noises and air horn blares. But most importantly, have fun and enjoy the experience because you never know if and when it will happen in the future.

Video coverage of the Giants Victory Parade

2012-02-07T19:45:00.002-05:00

Jim Mancari

BGB Assistant Editor

Check out my video footage from the Giants Super Bowl XLVI victory parade, held Feb. 7 in Lower Manhattan.

I was on the corner of Broadway and Liberty Street, which was rather close to the start of the parade route.

Hopefully, I'll be able to attend many more of these parades in my lifetime.

New York Giants Cap-BOOM: Week 21 vs the Patriots

2012-02-06T14:33:00.000-05:00

Frank Gray
BGB Editor

The New York Giants collided with the New England Patriots for one last time this season. This time, it was for all the marbles. At stake was the Vince Lombardi Trophy and bragging rights for an entire year. For two weeks, the Giants talked about how confident they were.

For two weeks, the Patriots talked about their after game plans back in Boston. For two weeks, the media talked about and re-aired every second of their first Super Bowl meeting four years ago at least 100 times. The time for talk and reminiscing was over. It was time for football. At the end of the night, someone would hoist a trophy and someone would have a long, sad flight home.

The game started with the Giants on offense. After a mid-field drive forced a punt, they pinned the Patriots back to the six yard line. The Patriots first offensive play of the game led to points on the board. Not the way you may think, though. In the face of fierce pressure from Justin Tuck in the endzone, Patriots QB Tom Brady heaved the ball downfield to throw the ball away. Without a receiver near it, he was called for intentional grounding in the endzone and a safety. The Giants were on the board 2-0.

On the ensuing drive, the Giants moved the ball well on the strength of a Henry Hynoski 13 yard catch, reminiscent of Mark Bavaro in the Super Bowl years before him, and a 24 yard run by Ahmad Bradshaw. They capped their safety off with a TD pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz to take a 9-0 lead at the end of the 1st Qrt.

The 2nd Qrt went much differently, though. The Patriots began it by kicking a field goal when their redzone offense was halted on the strength of solid tackling by Chase Blackburn on consecutive plays. The Giants led 9-3. Both teams traded punched, literally and figuratively for most of the Quarter until the Patriot final possession of the half.

They drove down the field for 99 yards on 14 plays on the strength of Brady screens to Danny Woodhead and Wes Welker. They capped it off with a 4 yard TD to Rob Gronkowski to take a 10-9 lead at the half. A stunned Giants team went into the locker room to regroup and adjust. A bit of foreshadowing here: the Giants trailed Super Bowl XXI to the Denver Broncos by that exact score.

After an extended half time, not worth discussing, the 3rd Qrt the Patriots began with the ball. They once again marched downfield. This time Tom Brady got a few others involved. Chad Ochocinco and Benjarvis Green-Ellis along with Woodhead and Welker all had key catches to extend the drive. Brady capped it off with a 12 yard TD pass to TE Aaron Hernandez for a 17-9 score and a game that was beginning to look like it could get out of hand.

The Giants offense took possession after sitting for almost an hour and watching the Patriots offense score two TDs without being able to muster any answer. Led by Eli Manning, they marched down the field on a 10 play drive to settle for a field goal to draw closer at 17-12. After the defense forced a three and out on the strength of Justin Tuck's first sack, the Giants offense had another chance to get back in the game. They again marched down the field, but again had to settle for a field goal. The Patriots lead was 17-15 at the end of the 3rd Qrt.

The 4th Qrt began for the Patriots with a play that started out looking similar to the Giants miracle catch four years ago. Brady was nearly sacked and shook out of it just to heave the ball downfield on a wing and a prayer. The difference was, this wasn't David Tyree on the other end. The ball was intercepted by Chase Blackburn. After another 10 play drive, the Giants offense sputtered and was forced to punt.

The Patriots tried to put a nail in the Giants on their next possession, but the defense would have none of it. After a 19 yard completion to Danny Woodhead, the Patriots offense was slowed down with some solid open field tackling. They had to punt.

The Giants finally seized what would be their final opportunity. With 3:46 left in the game, Manning led the team down the field on a 9 play, 88 yard drive. The longest play of the game, and the most talked about one too, came on the very first play. Manning threw the ball to the sideline in a place where only his receiver, Mario Manningham could catch it.

Manningham proceeded to get both feet down and take a big hit on his way out of bounds while picking up 38 yards to the 50 yard line. The Patriots lost a timeout when they challenged the play. Needing just a field goal and to take as much time off the clock as possible, the Giants continued to draw closer and closer.

A 16 yard catch by Manningham followed by a 14 yard catch by Hakeem Nicks set them up inside the redzone. A few plays later, Ahmad Bradshaw, while trying to down the ball at the 1 yard line accidentally fell into the endzone for a go ahead TD. After a failed two-point conversion, the Giants led 21-17.

The Patriots had 00:57 seconds left in the game and tried to march down for the final TD to win it. The Giants defense forced them the burn their final time out when Justin Tuck got another sack on Tom Brady with just 00:36 seconds left.

After back to back completions to Deion Branch and Aaron Hernandez set them up at midfield, the Patriots had one last chance for glory; a Hail Mary pass to the endzone. This was the play the Giants scored on to end the first half in Green Bay just weeks before. Now they were trying to defend it to win the Super Bowl.

After the throw was batted away by Kenny Phillips and nearly caught by Rob Gronkowski for a miracle, the Giants escaped with a 21-17 victory and their 4th Super Bowl Championship!

In addition, amidst the confetti, Eli Manning was given a brand new Corvette for being named the Super Bowl MVP. It was his second such honor and put him in a class with only Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Terry Bradshaw and Bart Starr as multiple Super Bowl MVPs.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Eli Manning threw for 296 yards and 1 TD with zero turnovers. He managed the clock effectively and did what he needed to do to get the team another trophy. He started the game with nine consecutive completions for a new Super Bowl record.

RUNNER-UP: Justin Tuck had two sacks and totaled three tackles. His other tackle resulted in a safety. Both sacks were very important because they came in key moments of the game.

DUD OF THE GAME: Brandon Jacobs wins this award for one reason. He spent the entire two weeks talking about how he was going to run hard and have a big game. He had zero catches and only 37 yards on nine carries. His lone big play was an 11 yard run in a drive that led to a punt.

TURNING POINT: Many would point to the Manningham catch in the beginning of their final drive as being the turning point. However, if the defense does not stop the Patriots on their previous possession, that catch means very little. The three and out by the defense before that drive was huge. A Patriots TD there and the Giants would trail by nine points. A field goal and the Giants trail by five and the Patriots only need three points to tie or win the game at the end, not a Hail Mary and a TD. A very different outcome had the defense, led by Justin Tuck's two sacks, not stopped them there.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Special Teams play was the best they had been all season. Lawrence Tynes was perfect in field goal attempts and Steve Weatherford was exceptional in punting. He pinned the Patriots inside the 20 three out of four times. Two of those were inside the 10. Jernigan and Blackmon combined for good ball control on their kick and punt returns.

BIGGEST LETDOWN: Lack of pass rush was a surprise in a bad way. Tom Brady at times looked like a gifted genius . He had plenty of pocket protection for most of the game and torched the secondary as a direct result. The defense only mustered two sacks against a O-Line that was known to give up pressure.

PROGNOSIS: Three words: SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS!!! The parade will be held Tuesday and the Giants will be fitted for their rings and make their commitments to travel to the White House to meet the President. To the victor goes the spoils!

New York Giants vs Patriots: Boom Super Bowl Preview

2012-02-04T13:52:00.000-05:00

Frank Gray
BGB Editor

The New York Giants have waited two weeks for this moment. They are merely hours away from kicking off their fifth Super Bowl when they play the New England Patriots tomorrow night with the entire world watching. Both teams are extremely confident.

The Giants dispatched long-time playoff nemesis the San Francisco 49ers two weeks ago on the strength of a Lawrence Tynes OT field goal. The Patriots out-lasted the Baltimore Ravens narrowly escaping on a missed field goal by the Ravens kicker as time expired. This is a matchup of familiar foes.

They played one another in Foxboro in a Week 9 showdown that the Giants came back to win. The bigger game that seems to be the comparison, however, is of course Super Bowl 42 when the Giants came back in the final minute to deter the perfect season for "the best team ever". The truth is that these are two very different teams with only a combined 21 players returning from that previous Super Bowl.

With that said, there are many similarities leading up to this game however. An entire series of articles could be devoted to that point. We'll just stick with the facts right now. The Pats are the top seed out of the AFC and won two very different games (a blowout and a close call) to get here.

As I mentioned in an interview this week, they rely on their explosive passing attack led by Tom Brady to multiple receivers like the league leading Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski and clutch red zone receiver Deion Branch. They also have a dominant front defensive line led by Vince Wilfork.

Like last time, they are the favorites in this game. This time, however, the spread is not very high. They are a confident team that is led by an experienced vocal leader in Brady and a hard-nosed, no-nonsense coach in Bill Belichick.

The Giants come in the hotter team, however. They won three playoff games like last time (an easy win, a hostile road game and bad weather conditions in OT). They are led by their seasoned QB Eli Manning and their player-friendly, yet all business coach Tom Coughlin.

They have a much more explosive offense this time around. Unlike the previous Super Bowl, this offense relies heavily on the passing attack with weapons like Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham. They have gotten the running game going in the playoffs, though. Led by Ahmad Bradshaw, the running attack has brought a much needed balance to the Giants offense.

On the defensive side, the Giants still can bring it. Like the last Super Bowl, the Giants enter this one with the unique ability to rotate fresh linemen into the game. They are led by Pro bowl selection Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. The defense is healthier than it has been all year. It's no coincidence that the Giants have played better as the defense has become healthy.

This is a rematch that fans from both sides have hyped and anticipated for two weeks. In the end, if the Giants hope to raise the coveted Lombardi Trophy, they will need to stick to a few keys to emerge as the champions.

Offensive Keys:

#1 Balance!! The Giants will be looking to take full advantage of the weak secondary on the Patriots. Because of this, the Patriots will be looking to pressure Eli Manning in the passing game. The Giants need to keep the Pats D-line honest by running the ball effectively to the outside. Why the outside? Vince Wilfork playing the interior will shut the inside run game down most of the game.

In short yardage, Brandon Jacobs must play like he is a man that stands 6'4" and weighs 265 lbs. If he tip toes or stutter steps in the backfield, look for a loss on that particular play. Ahmad Bradshaw has to get open on his screens and make them pay for it. He also needs to beat their weaker linebacker corp to the edge on run plays to the outside.

#2 Keep your composure! This is the biggest game of their professional careers. For most of these Giants players, it is their first time. The impulse of the moment can force them to commit a false start penalty accidentally, an off sides or a holding penalty are also possibilities.

The receivers may have a tendency to lose focus and drop a ball while looking upfield for the big play. These are all factors. The players that have been here before must act like it and lead by example. They must keep their demeanor calm and the players that are new to it all will follow suit.

#3 Conserve your energy! This is the Super Bowl! That means a championship will be awarded at the end, but it also means an average of 90 million viewers worldwide. With that type of viewership, expect the extended halftime show and the festivities prior to kickoff to be drawn out and prolonged.

This has an impact on stamina and intensity. If the players let it, that is. They must pace themselves accordingly so that when they need to play strong in the second half, they have some energy in reserve. This is another case where the players that have been there before can lead by example.

Defensive Keys:

#1 Stop the run! The Giants have been great at stopping the running attack of playoff teams. They stopped Frank Gore, Ryan Grant and Michael Turner dead in their tracks. They are capable of doing the same to BenJarvis Green-Ellis. The Pats will be looking to mix their packages to limit the Giants pass rush.

They may put TE Anthony Hernandez in the full back position for a carry or two and for extra blocking on the run game. They utilize their two TE's very well in their passing attack. This is another way they utilize them both in the run game. If the Giants control the run game, they make the Pats predictable and will be able to proceed to the next phase.

#2 Put cover boy Brady on his back!!! Tom Brady respects the Giants pass rush. There is a simple reason. He fears them! Why? They rotate fresh D-linemen in at all times and can put pressure on him consistently. They knocked him around in the last Super Bowl and they knocked him around in Week 9. He knows they are more than able to do it again tomorrow night.

He will run a hurry-up offense with an emphasis on getting rid of the ball quickly in response and therefore try to keep the same players on the field. The Giants have to be able to be ready for this and keep the freshest ones on the field when they can and continue to pressure him while they are in that offense.

The players on the field have to get to him. It will not be enough to make him hear footsteps. They have to disrupt his pocket on every play. A closed pocket to throw in makes for a claustrophobic QB and one that is forced into making mistakes.

#3 Avoid and capitalize on mistakes! The Patriots will rarely make a mistake. If the Giants pressure them into a few, they have to take full advantage of it. Off sides, holding and other penalties committed by the Pats combined with dropped passes and fumbles or INTs all have to be used to slow down or stop their offense. They all have to be big. The Giants must turn those errors into drive-ending stops. If it is a turnover, the offense has to turn it into points.

On the other hand, the Giants must avoid late hits, pass interference and encroachment penalties. The bad calls that will surely come in this game must not phase this Giants team. They have to remain focused and steady to recover form them and prevent Brady and the Pats offense from getting extra yards or points handed to them unnecessarily.

Predictions Time:

Player of the Game- Eli Manning faces a very over-matched secondary. The weapons he has to work with will be far too much in the end. Manning has developed the ability to stay calm under pressure to go to the open receiver as opposed to constantly targeting one guy. This has made the biggest difference this year, thus two different 1,000+ yard receivers. He will throw three TD's and over 400 yards to raise the MVP trophy.

Runner Up- Jason Pierre-Paul will be the difference maker on the defensive side of the ball. While Tuck will help stop the run and make the Pats rely on the pass, J.P.P. will take full advantage of his pass rushing opportunities along side Osi Umenyiora. I see him getting 2 sacks and multiple QB hurries in this game. Perhaps even a forced fumble or recovery.

Final Score and MVP- For those who have followed this portion of the preview throughout the season, I humbly announce that I was the winner during the regular season. As you will see, however, it will be a tie in the playoffs. All of those involved chose the Giants throughout the playoffs and have done so again.

Either we all end with a 4-0 record or we all end with a 3-1 record. Either way, it will be a tie. Since our staff has been so very good at choosing the score, though, let's look at the final prognostication of this football season including their take on who will hoist both the MVP and the Lombardi trophies.

Jim- 20-17, Giants: Bradshaw MVP
Adam- 31-24, Giants: Victor Cruz MVP
George- 24-17, Giants: Eli Manning
Shale- 31-27, Giants: Victor Cruz MVP
Frank- 30-23, Giants: Eli Manning MVP
Tom- 24-10, Giants: Eli Manning MVP

Top 5 Giants Super Bowl Moments

2012-02-03T10:42:00.002-05:00

Jim Mancari

BGB Assistant Editor

With the big game right around the corner, it’s important as Giants fans that we relive some of the best moments in our team’s Super Bowl History.

The Giants are 3-1 all-time in the Super Bowl and will hope to earn their fourth win Sunday against the New England Patriots.

Of course, there can always be a debate about any top-plays list, but here is my ranking of the top five Giants Super Bowl moments:

5) “I’m Going to Disney World”

The fifth best moment isn’t exactly a play in the game, but it’s more about the aftermath of the game. After trailing 10-9 at halftime, the Giants had a huge second half in Super Bowl XXI, outscoring the Denver Broncos 30-10 en route to a 39-20 victory and the team’s first-ever Super Bowl win.

Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms finished the game 22-of-25 with 268 passing yards and three touchdowns and still owns the Super Bowl record with an 88 percent completion rate.

After the game, Simms coined the famous phrase, “I’m going to Disney World,” which has become a Super Bowl tradition.

4) Mark Ingram’s Third-Down Conversion

Super Bowl XXV was a tight battle throughout the entire game. One of the defining moments came right after the start of the second half. The Giants trailed the Buffalo Bills 12-10, but Big Blue put together a 14-play, 75-yard scoring drive.

The highlight of this drive came as the Giants faced third-and-13. Quarterback Jeff Hostetler hit wide receiver Mark Ingram well short of the first-down marker, but Ingram proceeded to break through five Bills’ tacklers to pick up 14 yards on the play—just enough for the first down.

Later that drive, running back Ottis Anderson rushed for a 1-yard touchdown to give the Giants the lead.

3) Wide Right

Plain and simple, “Wide Right” says it all.

Up 20-19, the Giants gave Hall of Fame Bills quarterback Jim Kelly one final chance to lead a game-winning drive in the closing minutes of Super Bowl XXV.

Kelly drove the Bills into Giants’ territory, setting up kicker Scott Norwood with a 47-yard game-winning field goal attempt. Norwood’s kick had plenty of distance, but it sailed wide right—giving the Giants their second Super Bowl victory within a five-year period. (Sound familiar? The current Giants will attempt the exact same feat).

The Bills’ loss started a streak of four consecutive Super Bowl defeats.

2) Plaxico Burress’ Fade Route

The Giants’ final drive in Super Bowl XLII against the Patriots was certainly a rollercoaster ride.

But Eli Manning and company were somehow able to drive the ball down to the Patriots’ 13-yard line with about 40 seconds to play.

The Giants line up trips receivers left, which left Plaxico Burress in single coverage against Pats’ cornerback Ellis Hobbs. Manning noticed this mismatch right away and change the play at the line.

Burress caught the fade pass in the corner of the endzone, cementing the Giants epic 17-14 Super Bowl win.

1) The Catch

Where were you when the Berlin Wall came down?

Where were you when JFK was shot?

Where were you when man first landed on the moon?

And where were you when David Tyree somehow held onto one of the greatest catches in football history?

Besides Big Blue faithful, not too many football fans knew about David Tyree before the Super Bowl. He started gaining recognition earlier in the game when he caught the Giants’ first touchdown.

However, it was his miraculous one-handed, leaping grab that he secured against his helmet that made him a household name.

Not to be forgotten on that play, Manning did a Harry Houdini impression by escaping from three potential sacks that would have killed the drive. He somehow kept his balance and heaved the pass downfield, as Tyree out-jumped Pro Bowl safety Rodney Harrison on the play.

This play will forever be included on lists of the top Super Bowl moments. Hopefully, the Giants can create a few more of these moments Sunday against the Pats—just maybe not as stressful as this catch.

The Top 11 Giants Super Bowl Moments, from which this Top 5 list was compiled, was originally featured on Newsday.com/sports.

Super Bowl: Giant Spark Plug

2012-02-02T10:39:00.005-05:00

Alyssa "G-Men Girl" Franklin

BGB Featured Columnist

The running game of the Giants which in the past have been the team’s trademark has been less than stellar this past season.

However towards the end of the season it seemed that the Giants have had a spark ignite it back to life.

The spark was Ahmad Bradshaw. He had started the season and by the bye week it had come to light that he had a broken bone in his foot. He would miss the next four games.

When Ahmad started returned back from his injury it seemed to have ignited the fire that the team was needing after some devastating losses.

On his return back the Giants faced the Cowboys in Dallas and even though he did not start the game because of a team violation he seemed to have fired up everyone including his best buddy Brandon Jacobs.

Since then having the little guy back in the game the Giants have made a fantastic run to the Superbowl. It has been amazing watching him play. He may not be the biggest or strongest guy but he shows so much heart and resilience.

No matter if he only gains a couple of yards or 20 yards, he will fight for every yard possible. He’s a fighter and that has been shown over and over again. He is a major contribution on this team and his teammates know it.

They see the energy and the heart that he brings to the game. No matter how much he hurts, he never complains and never is negative. He is a true competitor.

For such a little guy you would never know that he is one of the best at picking up a blitz if he is not running the ball and is a great option for Eli when Eli has to get it out quick. I honestly believe he is a jack of all trades.

Not a lot of people cared if he signed back with the Giants back in the preseason or not but I bet if you ask them that question now they care a lot that he is a part of this organization. The team feeds off of him and you can see the change in the locker room with him there.

They see what he goes through as far as pain and being tired but he never lets it get to him. That’s motivation right there. No one will even bother to complain about anything when you got a guy with a broken bone in his foot fighting and clawing for everything out on the field.

A lot of strong guys in the league are big guys. The kind of guys you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. They are the kind of guys that you take notice of as soon as they take the field.

Well, Ahmad isn’t the big and tall guy but he has a huge heart and loves his team. People take notice of him but it’s not because of his size. It’s because they know the kind of power back he is and he will fight for it all.

At 5 foot 9 inches, no one would look at him as a Giant but he’s the biggest and best little Giant on the squad.

Giants vs Patriots: Five Greatest Moments in the NY-Boston Sports Rivalry

2012-02-01T17:30:00.008-05:00

Shale Briskin
BGB Contributor

For over a century, the New York vs Boston sports rivalry has been among the most intense city rivalries in all of sports, especially because the rivalry has touched upon all four major American sports. So many unforgettable memories have occurred between the two cities, which made it very difficult to come up with five top moments. Nonetheless, here are the top five moments in the New York vs Boston rivalry:

Moment #5: Bucky Dent's Home Run in 1978

On October 2, 1978, the Red Sox had to beat the Yankees in order to make the postseason. The Red Sox blew a 14 game lead in the AL East and had to win their final eight games just to force a one-game playoff against the Yankees. However, after doing all that, the Red Sox ultimately fell short as the light hitting Yankees shortstop Bucky Dent hit a three-run home run that became the difference in the game. The Yankees won the division, and ultimately the 1978 World Series, while the Red Sox would not get back to the World Series until 1986.

Moment #4: David Tyree's Amazing Catch in Super Bowl XLII

Just four years ago on February 3, 2008, the Giants made an improbable run to Super Bowl XLII to take on the undefeated 18-0 Patriots, who were going for a perfect season. Thus, the Patriots were heavily favored to win the game. However, the Giants' defense swarmed Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and gave the Patriots' explosive offense a lot of trouble moving the football. It was a very close game for most of it until Giants quarterback Eli Manning evaded a sack and made a tremendous pass to David Tyree, who used his helmet to catch the ball. It instantly became one of, if not the greatest moment in Super Bowl history. This reception helped Manning set up a 14-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress, which ended up being the game winning score as the Giants won 17-14.

Moment #3: The Red Sox Defeating the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS

A year after Aaron Boone's walk off home run sent the Yankees to the 2003 World Series over the Red Sox, the two teams met in the ALCS once again in 2004. The Yankees won the first three games of the series, but in Games Four and Five, the Red Sox rallied in extra innings to win both of those games. Game Six was marked by Curt Schilling's "bloody sock", but despite his ankle injury, he still managed to pitch seven solid innings as the Red Sox won 4-2. The Red Sox then went on to win Game Seven to become the first team in MLB history to win a seven game championship series after being down 3-0. The Red Sox ultimately won the 2004 World Series, which broke their 86 year championship drought. Thus, the ALCS win was very critical to the Red Sox' championship run that year.

Moment #2: Bill Buckner's Error in Game Six of the 1986 World Series

After losing to the Reds in the 1975 World Series, it took the Red Sox until 1986 to get back to the World Series. With an offense led by former MVP's Jim Rice and Don Baylor, plus All-Stars Wade Boggs and Dwight Evans, plus a pitching staff led by 1986 AL Cy Young Award Winner and MVP Roger Clemens, the Red Sox were favored to win the World Series. Their opponent in the World Series was the Mets, who had dominated the National League and were led by former Cy Young Award winner Dwight Gooden. Their offense was just as explosive, with players like Gary Carter, former MVP Keith Hernandez and Darryl Strawberry in the middle of the lineup. The Red Sox won the first two games at Shea Stadium before the Mets came back and won the next two in Fenway. After the Red Sox won Game Five, the Mets returned to Shea Stadium with their backs against the wall.

The score in Game Six was tied 3-3 after nine innings, but in the 10th inning, the Red Sox scored two runs to take a 5-3 lead. In the bottom of the 10th inning, the Mets were down to their final out when their offense started a big rally, which was capped by Mookie Wilson's grounder on the first base line that Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner did not field and the Mets ended up winning Game Six 6-5. The Mets would go on to win Game Seven as well, which continued the Red Sox' championship drought.

Moment #1: The Red Sox Selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees

The origin of the New York vs Boston sports rivalry began when former Red Sox owner Harry Frazee ultimately decided to sell his star pitcher and outfielder Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Ruth had demanded a raise that was twice as much as his previous salary. When Frazee rejected the offer, Ruth stated he would refuse to play until he his salary doubled. Frazee ended up losing patience and sold him to the Yankees. The Red Sox would end up regretting this move for years. While the Yankees ended up winning a record 27 World Series championships since acquiring Ruth, including the first four with Ruth leading the team, the Red Sox would win another World Series until 2004. Thus, the selling of Ruth to the Yankees became known as the "Curse of the Bambino". The years after the move was made ended up becoming very frustrating for Red Sox fans, whose team seemed to always choke in the big games. Nonetheless, the Red Sox finally won a World Series championship in 2004 and won again in 2007. As a result, the "Curse of the Bambino" no longer exists.

Unsung Heroes

2012-01-31T19:18:00.004-05:00

by A. Daniel Carman, BGB Assistant Editor

The story of Super Bowl XLII has been played and replayed this week as we get ready for the rematch in Indianapolis. The Giants aren't as big of underdogs this time around, and they won the regular season matchup, so the Patriots and their friends in the media are spinning it as 2007 in reverse. "You guys never thought we'd be here," said Chad Ochocinco, than whom no more insufferable receiver exists. Really, Chad? The Patriots have been the #1 seed two years in a row, 14-2 last season, 13-3 this season. I'm pretty sure that just because Vegas has learned something about Super Bowls over the years doesn't mean that ANYONE ever counted the Patriots out. On the other hand, the Giants were 7-7 and on the verge of elimination when they went on this streak. Who is the real underdog here?

Across the board, this team is better than the 2007 team. They may not be the extreme underdogs this time, but they've been playing with the eye of the tiger for two months now and I believe with Antrel Rolle that they will not be denied. I could break down both teams as many media outlets have been doing ad nauseam and I think the Giants would do well. But as we learned last time, it's the intangibles that count. Then it was little-known special teamer, David Tyree, who scored the first go-ahead touchdown and then made the amazing helmet catch that kept the game-winning drive alive.

So who is this year's David Tyree? The Giants are a perpetual Island of Misfit Toys, as new heroes emerge from everywhere on the roster. Jake Ballard came from nowhere to become the best Giants tight end since Mark Bavaro. Jacquian Williams proved he was worth the fifth round draft pick. Steve Weatherford demonstrated that he was better than the Jets gave him credit for. But the one that sticks in my mind is special teamer and wide receiver, Devin Thomas. Picked up from the Redskins last season during the wide receiver holocaust down the stretch, I remember seeing him snag some balls and thinking, "This kid could be good." Then he was banished to return duties where he notoriously struggled until he was benched in favor of questionable rookie Jerrell Jernigan. I began to think I was wrong.

But he's had a key catch to continue a scoring drive in the season finale against Dallas. Then last week in San Francisco, he proved his worth. He recovered two fumbles, including the one that set up Lawrence Tynes' game winning field goal. Both were extremely head's-up plays. If he didn't pick up that first ball, the refs would have gotten another one wrong and perhaps the 49ers win without overtime. He also had a key blocked punt in a win over Washington last year. Like Tyree, Thomas is virtually overlooked out there. Opposing defenses know they have to guard Nicks, Cruz and Manningham and that is hard enough. Look for Devin Thomas to slip through the cracks and I think Eli will be finding him for a touchdown at some point. GO GIANTS!

New Jersey Gov. Christie’s Call for Super Bowl Parade Embodies Jealousy

2012-01-30T21:55:00.004-05:00

Tom Uddo

BGB Contributor

Only a few weeks into the new year, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has already stirred the pot between the Garden State and their big brother, New York. After a short run in the 2012 Republican Presidential nominee race, the controversy has yet to end. On the “Today” show, one week before the New York Giants played the San Francisco 49ers, Christie proclaimed that if the Giants win the Super Bowl, the parade should be held in Jersey.
Fast forward two weeks and the stage is set for a rematch against the New England Patriots in Superbowl XLVI. Luckily, the football gods chose not to jinx the Giants after Christie’s remarks (as the baseball gods did to the New York Yankees in 2010 after NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg claimed that they would win the World Series).
Christie stated that since the Giants play in New Jersey, as well as train there, the parade should be setup within their state lines. When he was questioned on the “NY” logo that appears on the team helmet, Christie responded, “That’s about it,” in reference to the association that the team has with their hometown.
Apparently, Gov. Christie does not understand that a majority of the fans that attend the games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, hail from the 5 boroughs as well as Long Island. To make the matter worse, Christie is a die-hard New York Jet fan and Rex Ryan supporter. When the Giants and Jets faced off on Christmas Eve this season, Christie told the media, “The Jets have been the more consistent team this year.” Proclaiming that the, “Jets are going to win.” As we all know, they did not and many believe it was the loss against the G-Men that brought the Jets into a total downward spiral.
The question remains though, is Gov. Christie serious about a Giants parade next week if all goes according to plan at SB XLVI? There could only be one reason to explain the nonsense and dare I say it, but it is jealousy. It is pure and evil loathing of their neighbor and the accomplishments of the city that never sleeps.
Christie has to give the sports fans of New Jersey something to be proud of. The New Jersey Nets are on the verge of heading to Brooklyn and the Devils haven’t looked like a championship team in the past three seasons. The last time a team brought home a trophy was in 2003 when the Devils won the Stanley Cup, a memory that is long forgotten. For many Jersey fans, they see the Giants and Jets as their teams, but their is another state, a MUCH bigger state and city especially, that feel entirely different; the one directly across the Hudson River.
For New Yorkers, any parade is not a real parade if it is not down the “Canyon of Heroes,” with memories of 2007 when the Giants completed the route. It is true, the Giants do not play in New York, every knows this, but that does not mean that they cannot be OUR team. Christie is looking for any idea to latch onto in order to promote his platform as governor, and you cannot blame him, but this idea is one that is shortsighted and not thought through.
There is perhaps no greater sight then the sidewalks cramming with millions of fans as the players travel down the street with confetti streaming down from the rooftops. What could Gov. Christie possibly have in store to top an event like this?
In case everyone forgot, when the Devils won the Stanley Cup in 2003, the “parade” was held in the parking lot of the Continental Airlines Arena in front of a mere 20,000 in attendance.
New York has done championship parades right every single year and there is no reason to stop now. If Christie wants a parade in his state, maybe he should support the team that is on the edge of winning their second championship in five years; the NEW YORK Giants.

Eli Manning: Three Reasons the Elite Debate is a Thing of the Past

2012-01-30T02:58:00.004-05:00

Jake Silver

BGB Contributor

Over the summer, Eli Manning turned heads and raised eyebrows when he suggested in an interview that he is in the same class as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and big brother Peyton. His comments were largely met with scorn and derision from most of the football world, which has seen Eli as nothing more than a glorified game manager for most of his career.

Rather than wither under the weight of his own expectations, Easy E came out and dominated 2011 in record-setting fashion, augmenting arguments based on his previous achievements and forever ending the "Is Eli Elite" debate.

Here are three reasons why the argument is old news now.

Reason #1: Elite Conquests

During his two Super Bowl runs, Eli Manning has vanquished some of the greatest names the game has to offer as far as his counterparts go. While it could be argued that quarterbacks do not directly play against each other, elite quarterbacks are not expected to be outplayed in the postseason. In '07/'08, Eli defeated Jeff Garcia, Tony Romo (widely considered the better QB at the time), Brett Favre, and then Tom Brady, all on the road and in hostile environments. He decisively outplayed all of them in each contest.

During this 2011/2012 run, Eli has defeated the young upstart Matt Ryan and superstar Aaron Rodgers, heading into a second showdown with Tom Brady. All are impressive notches on Manning's belt, and they prove he can stand toe-to-toe with any QB in the league and win.

Reason #2: Captain Clutch

2011 was not an impressive season for Big Blue by any stretch. Featuring the league's bottom ranked rushing attack, 27th ranked defense and a throng of injuries, the playoffs were no more than a flicker of hope in the minds of die-hard fans. Yet Manning decided to put the team completely on his back, leading the G-Men to six fourth quarter comeback victories in 12 wins counting the playoffs. During those comebacks, Eli became the only quarterback in NFL history to throw 16 fourth quarter touchdown passes in a single season, breaking the record co-owned by brother Peyton and Johnny Unitas. Not too shabby for a "Game Manager".

Reason #3: Elite Numbers

During the 2011 season, Eli posted the best yardage numbers of his career by nearly 1,000 passing yards, narrowly missing the 5,000 yard club with 4,933 regular season yards, finishing in 4th. He finished 7th in overall passer rating with 92.7 after spending much of the season in 3rd place. His 29 touchdowns were good for 6th, while the other five QBs who threw for more TD's probably can't tell you what a running back does.

Eli Manning has crossed the threshold into the class of elite QB's, there is no arguing the point after his 2011 campaign. When the "NFL's best quarterbacks" are mentioned, Eli must be given the respect he has earned

When he faces off again with Tom Brady on Sunday, a victory this time will not make him elite, but rather launch him from elite to legendary. That is the threshold upon which Big Blue's signal caller now stands.

Super Bowl Rematch: Three key match ups this time around

2012-01-29T14:24:00.008-05:00

Shale Briskin
BGB Contributor

Super Bowl XLVI is now only a week away and the Giants will try their best to bring the franchise a second Super Bowl title within four years, and their fourth Super Bowl title overall. Ironically, it will once again be against the New England Patriots, whom they defeated in Super Bowl XLII. The Giants have also defeated the Patriots in New England in Week 9 of the regular season this year. Thus, despite the numbers that the Patriots' explosive offense has put up, the Giants should be considered favorites to win Super Bowl XLVI, simply based on past performances. Here are three key match ups to watch for during the game.

Key Match up #1: Giants' Defensive Line vs Tom Brady

The Giants' defense revolves around their defensive line, which is arguably the best in the NFL. It includes premier defensive ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, plus rising star Jason Pierre-Paul. The interior of the line includes Rocky Bernard, Chris Canty, and Linval Joseph. Back in Super Bowl XLII, the Giants' defensive line sacked Patriots quarterback Tom Brady six times en route to winning the championship. Tuck and Umenyiora were on that team and Pierre-Paul has proved this year that he can fill the shoes of future NFL Hall-of-Famer Michael Strahan, who was a big part of the Giants' Super Bowl XLII run. The Giants' defensive line is so versatile that they can line up with four defensive ends across the line. With these defensive ends being a lot more agile than the Patriots' offensive line, look for the Giants' defensive line to have a field day with Brady, who does not like to get hit at all.

Key Match up #2: Giants' Linebackers & Defensive Backs vs Patriots' Tight Ends

While Wes Welker is one of the premier game-breaking receivers in the league, it's safe to say that the Patriots' offense is built around their tight end duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. With the many different formations the Patriots could present, it's critical that the Giants find way to cover both Gronkowski and Hernandez. Gronkowski has been having one of the best single seasons ever for a tight end, and with his 6'6 265 pound frame, he will be very tough to cover. He has become Brady's new favorite weapon, so don't be surprised if the Giants put in an extra defensive back or two to have two players cover him. Hernandez on the other hand is more versatile and can line up as a receiver or running back, so it's critical that someone on the Giants' defense is always lined up against him. Gronkowski is more likely to see more passes come his way, but this means that the Giants should still expect Hernandez to get targeted at any given moment.

Key Match Up #3: Giants' Wide Receivers vs Patriots' Defensive Backs

Like the Patriots' offense, the Giants' offense is built around their passing game. Eli Manning has been working very well with his group of young receivers that include Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks. Nicks has become the big star among this group, but Cruz has had an amazing breakout season as well. He has become a very explosive receiver who has turned receptions into 70+ yard gains in multiple games. Not to be outdone, Manningham is another good option for Manning in case Cruz and Nicks are covered well. On the flip side, the Patriots' defensive backs have been one of the worst units in the NFL. It's a big reason why the Patriots were the second worst defense in the NFL against the pass during the regular season. If the Patriots want to have any shot of winning the Super Bowl, their defensive backs must limit the Giants' receivers from turning 10 yard gains into 50 yard gains, for example. If the Giants' receivers pick them apart, the game will be over very quickly in favor of the Giants.

Puttin' Up Points: The Offensive Gameplan

2012-01-28T23:26:00.003-05:00

by Adam Carman, BGB Assistant Editor

Kevin Gilbride doesn't get much love on Giants fan pages, including this one. It is said, and not without merit, that he lacks creativity and remains mired in the past, utilizing shotgun formations and draw plays that tend not to work in today's high-powered NFL. More than one of us, including myself, have expressed the wish that he would just let Eli Manning call his own plays, since Manning excels in the two-minute drill. If you want to be old-fashioned, just go all the way back.

But the fact remains: Kevin Gilbride has successfully called one Super Bowl and now has a chance for another. And as much as this is going to shock many fans: I hope he calls it the way he always does. It worked once, and it will work again. The New England Patriots are not set up to defend the kind of game that Gilbride calls. The way I see it, there are several key strategies from Super Bowl XLII that will serve the Giants well...and if all goes well, this time the Giants will win this game in a walk. This is a better team than last time. We had one deep threat and two possession receivers in 2007; now we have three deep threats and four possession receivers. We had a talented but unproven quarterback in 2007; now we have an elite passer, one of the best in the league. And our running game is essentially the same.

1. Balance. We say this every week of course, but the Giants defense is good enough that they can shut down a team forced to hurry up. The key is going to be keeping the Patriots offense on the bench. Another ten-minute scoring drive to open the game should net seven points this time, and the Giants will never look back.

2. Be aggressive. No matter how far ahead the Giants get, they need to keep their foot on the gas. This is one thing they tended to abandon last time, leading to a way-too-frantic fourth quarter. Manning can throw the ball. Let him throw the ball. Victor Cruz > Steve Smith. Hakeem Nicks > Plaxico Burress. Mario Manningham is about equal to Amani Toomer. You have better tight ends and a better halfback. Run up the score if you have to.

3. Ball control. I think Perry Fewell needs to take a page from Bill Bellichek's gameplan for Super Bowl XXV. Gilbride might want to study the Giants' gameplan from that game too: Trust your QB and hold onto the ball. Drain the clock. It's what they tried to do last time, and this time they're built to do it even more.

4. Ride Ahmad, not Brandon. They did this to some extent last time. Brandon Jacobs still has a role to play and he will play it. But as they said about the Otis Anderson-Rodney Hampton comparison in 1990: Ahmad Bradshaw can win games for you; Brandon Jacobs is the guy who simply keeps the game going. Tire out the defense chasing Ahmad, and then let Jacobs pound them into submission in the 4th quarter.

5. Trust Eli Manning. He's earned it. Let him craft the game plan. He knows these guys better than anyone and the debacle in San Francisco proved he's a tough son of a gun. The Patriots defense will not rattle him. Trust him. Trust your instincts. And the Giants will not need a 4th quarter comeback drive.

Landeta Reminisces on Super Bowl Victories

2012-01-27T11:46:00.003-05:00

Jim Mancari

BGB Assistant Editor

Two-time Giants Super Bowl champion Sean Landeta was honored by the Nassau County (N.Y.) Legislature on Jan. 25 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Giants first Super Bowl win.

Landeta spent nearly half of his 22-year NFL career with Giants and was part of the 1987 and 1991 Super Bowl teams. He said he’s excited to see Big Blue back in the big game.

“This year is a rematch of one of the most exciting Super Bowls in recent memory,” Landeta said. “When these teams met in 2008 with the title on the line, the Giants upset the Patriots to claim their third Super Bowl championship and end the Patriots’ undefeated season. I predict a New York victory is on the horizon.”

Landeta will never forget playing in his first Super Bowl—a 39-20 victory over the Denver Broncos.

“I woke up 25 years ago on a nice sunny day in California, getting ready to play a game that as a kid, I’d always dream would happen,” he said. “Not only did I get to play in it, but we got to win the game.”

The whole Super Bowl experience was a treat for Landeta. Luckily for him, he was able to play in a second Super Bowl with the Giants—the famous “Wide Right” 20-19 win over the Buffalo Bills.

“Media day…there’s 2,000 people from all over the world,” Landeta said. “Not that you didn’t know it already, but you say to yourself, ‘Wow, this is really a big deal.’”

Though the Giants have played in four Super Bowls, Landeta’s record in the big game was 2-0.

“As difficult as it is to make it to the Super Bowl, it’s even harder to win the game,” said Landeta.

Landeta’s final piece of advice to this year’s team is simple: “Win the Super Bowl.”

Click here to see video coverage of the Nassau County ceremony.

Being Special Just In Tynes

2012-01-26T11:02:00.006-05:00

Alyssa "G-Men Girl" Franklin

BGB Featured Columnist

All year long fans of the New York Giants knew that there were talented guys on the squad that truly are special. But I believe on Sunday, January 22nd, other guys stepped and proved that they are just as special.

The special teams units on the New York Giants have had a pretty good year. I wouldn’t say great but it’s been pretty good. The best free agent signing this season was Steve Weatherford which I would have to say is a huge upgrade from Matt Dodge. He has done such a wonderful job. He came over from the Jets and has just been a great asset to the organization.

The return game hasn’t been stellar but I would have to say that the coverage unit has performed very well.

Now let’s skip to why I am writing about a part of the team that is under valued.

On Sunday, January 22nd, for the NFC Championship game the Special Teams unit truly epitomized the meaning of special.

The game was an absolute slug fest in true NFL football style. The weather was horrible, both teams struggled to get any kind of momentum going and the running game was really going no where. It was up to someone to make some plays.

Eli managed to get the ball downfield before the half giving Tynes good field goal range. Tynes gets it in to put the Giants up by 3. If it wasn’t that three then the ending would have been a lot different.

Now with 11:14 into the 4th quarter, Devin Thomas, who was taken off of kick returns earlier in the season for muffing a punt shows that he has true concentration. The way he was able to see after the punt that the ball grazes the knee of Kyle Willams and picks up the ball and takes it into the end zone. How special is that?? I mean he had enough focus to see something that some people who are not able to see because in all honesty I did not notice it til the replay, and recover the ball?

The ball went back and forth with a couple of touchdowns in between. Then all of a sudden it’s a tie game and it’s going into overtime.

Anyone thinking déjà vu? At the time I was so into the game that I had not thought back to the NFC championship games in Lambeau Field in 2007. The rules were different this time but in a minute you will see a eerie similarity.

Eli did what he could under nasty conditions to get the ball down for a TD but to no avail. The weather conditions were nasty. It was wet, muddy and that San Fran pass rush was getting to Eli. It was time to punt.

Now as a Giant fan I was too stressed out. It was hard for anyone to get down the field with two monstrous defenses on the field. Someone again from somewhere else was going to have to make a play.

Now something special happens. The punt is sent into the air, Kyle Williams catches the short punt and takes off only to have a chance meeting with Jacquain Williams where Jacquain strips the ball out of Kyle Williams’s hands and Devin Thomas makes another play landing on the ball to recover for the Giants.

If that isn’t special I don’t know what is. It puts the Giants in perfect position to take over the game and kick a field goal to go to the Superbowl. But again, like in 2007, it may just rest on the shoulders of Lawrence Tynes.

You can’t make this kind of stuff up!

It was time for Weatherford and Tynes to shine. No pressure. Weatherford gave a nice little voice of encouragement to Tynes. The snap was low and in the conditions of the wetness and the weather and Weatherford did a great job on the hold and Tynes did a spectacular job in making it through the uprights.

GIANTS ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!

The guys who play on special teams don’t really get a lot of accolades and kickers don’t really get a lot of respect. You don’t have to be in the spotlight every week to be special. If you can step up and make a play when the team really needs you in a pressure moment to go to your ultimate goal and you can be counted on in the time of need then that makes you special.

Because of the Special Teams unit the Giants are going back to the Superbowl in Indy. Now THAT’S special.

2011: A Success!!

2012-01-24T10:41:00.006-05:00

Adam Carman
BGB Assistant Editor

This title might seem presumptuous. Our New York Giants are NFC Champions but they face the mighty New England Patriots and if they come up short in the Super Bowl, it was all for naught wasn't it? Isn't that what we said four years ago about the 18-1 New England Patriots? No...and yes.

We did say that about the Patriots but only because they made such a big deal about the possibility of going 19-0. If they had been willing to accept that 16-0 was a great milestone and the rest just icing on the cake, and give it a rest with this greatest team ever schtick, we'd have been less brutal to them. But they pinned all their hopes on perfection so 18-1 was as bad as 1-15.

But I am not one of those Giants fans like this buddy of mine (we'll call him Craig because that's his name) who says if we don't win the Super Bowl, we should just go 2-14 and get better draft picks. He mocks the rest of us for buying hats or shirts that celebrate winning the division or the conference. Those are only milestones towards the real goal: a Super Bowl trophy.

He's not entirely wrong of course, but just because you only attain ultimate success by winning the Super Bowl doesn't mean there aren't other successes you can celebrate. The 49ers have nothing to be ashamed of--they went from 6-10 to being a field goal away from a Super Bowl berth and since their division sucks, they'll probably be big dogs for quite some time.

The 2011 New York Giants are a success. Pre-season prognosticators picked them to finish third behind Philadelphia's Dream Team and the revamped Dallas Cowboys. Add to this the mountain of injuries suffered in the preseason and throughout the early going and a schedule that was nothing short of brutal, and they should have been lucky to finish third, especially since they got swept by the Washington Redskins and lost at home to the Seattle Seahawks.

For them to make the playoffs, win the division and then beat three VERY GOOD teams en route to a fifth conference championship and a rematch with New England in the Super Bowl is nothing short of amazing. Of course we all want them to go out and win in two weeks...and I think they will. But even if not (knock on wood), no one can say this hasn't been a great season for the New York Giants and their fans...if a tad nerve-wracking at times. Let's review some things we've learned.

1. Tom Coughlin deserves to coach the Giants until HE decides to retire. I've been saying this for years, but people tend to get caught up in the moment. Coughlin is not just a good coach, he is a GREAT coach. The injuries and bad luck he's had and he still makes this team relevant each and every year. Now he's on the verge of bringing back that second trophy, just like Bill Parcells.

Win or lose, the guy needs to stay. Something about him just works with this team and the reason that teams like Pittsburgh and New England stay so good for so long is that their owners do not willy-nilly change coaches. Stability is a good thing. Are you listening, Raiders front office?

2. You can't spell ELITE without ELI. The media said before the regular season Giants-Patriots gave that Eli had to beat Brady to prove he belonged in the same class...as he said in a interview. Eli already had beaten Brady on the biggest stage imaginable but just for good measure he did it again. Now he will do it again and he will pass Peyton Manning's number of rings. He is also the first Giants QB to take his team to two Super Bowls.

Win or lose, though, Manning has shattered Giants passing records: He has a 99-yard TD pass, 4933 passing yards and 29 touchdowns. He set records for most playoff road wins, most attempts and completions by a Giants QB in a postseason game, more 4th quarter touchdown passes than any QB in history and six 4th-quarter comebacks (seven if you count the NFC Championship). Steve Serby of the New York Post, only months after saying Mark Sanchez was a better quarterback than Manning, now says Manning is the greatest QB in Giants history.

3. This is a young team getting better. I'll admit: one reason I'm afraid of losing this Super Bowl is this could be it for awhile. We do have a lot of older veterans like Osi Umenyiora, Brandon Jacobs, Chris Canty, who will probably only have a couple more good seasons. But we also have to realize this is an incredibly young team. Our oldest wide receiver is 25 years old. Our best running back is only in his seventh season.

Eli Manning has a good 5-6 seasons left and our best defensive player is in his second year. These guys are the perfect mix of youth and veterans to be viable for a very long time. Of course, what I'm hoping for is a win this year and next year, but win or lose this team has accomplished something special in coming so far, so fast.

4. The island of misfit toys mentality is back and I love it. Victor Cruz was an undrafted free agent. Jason Pierre-Paul was on nobody's radar. Devin Thomas???! Jake Ballard?? Jacquian Williams, the no-name guy in this year's draft? We don't need big names, just Eli Manning under center and a good group of guys making plays when it counts.

The New York Giants have validated their style and made this season a success against all odds. Now let's put the cherry on top: a Vince Lombardi Trophy.

New York Giants Cap-BOOM: Week 20 vs the 49ers

2012-01-23T00:46:00.001-05:00

Frank Gray
BGB Editor

The New York Giants faced off with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship. Both teams entered confident and ready. The weather forecast was to be rainy, windy and muddy. This made for a potential hard-hitting and lower scoring game. It did not disappoint. This game started out with violent hits and a lot of muddy collisions.

The 49ers started off the scoring with a 73 yard strike down the sideline from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis and they led after the 1st Qrt 7-0. The Giants answered at the beginning of the 2nd Qrt when Eli Manning hit Bear Pascoe on a 6 yard pass to tie the game. In a game that developed into a smash-mouth battle of field position, neither team had great success running the ball.

They both relied primarily on short passes to move the chains. At the end of the 1st half, the Giants drove down the field on the strength of a 10 play drive that saw Eli Manning hit Victor Cruz four times. They managed to turn this into a field goal with :02 seconds left to basically end the half.

The 3rd Qrt went the same way the 1st half did; slow and both teams were feeling each other out. Like the 1st Qrt, the 49ers struck gold with the combination of Smith to Davis, this time for 28 yards to take a lead 14-10. The Giants continued to try to establish field position and take advantage of their limited opportunities.

They spent most of the second half looking for their break. It finally paid off in the 4th Qrt when, during a Giants punt, the 49ers muffed the play and created a turnover recovered by the Giants. The punt hit 49er Kyle Williams' knee and was originally called 49ers ball, but was awarded to the Giants after they challenged the play.

Then, with 8:34 left Manning hit Mario Manningham for a 17 yard TD to take the lead back at 17-14. The next 49ers drive, they managed to move the ball down the field on the strength of a questionable penalty on Kenny Phillips for a hands to the face and a 17 yard QB scramble. It led to a game-tying field goal, 17-17.

Neither team were able to capitalize on their chances at the end of regulation and the game went to overtime. In overtime, the Giants won the toss, but failed to move the ball early. On the Giants second possession, they found one last opportunity to win the game. Eli Manning took a sack and the Giants had to punt.

Things looked bleak again. They punted and once again 49ers returner, Kyle Williams, fumbled the punt. Once again, the Giants recovered. This time they recovered the ball at the 49ers 24 yard line.Three Ahmad Bradshaw carries, a QB kneel and a delay of game penalty later, the Giants were at the 49ers 14 yard line setting up for another Lawrence Tynes NFC Championship game OT field goal.

Unlike 2007, it didn't take a few tries this time. Tynes nailed the 31 yard attempt and sent the New York Giants packing for Indianapolis and the Super Bowl by a score of 20-17.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Devin Thomas gets the nod here. This was a team win. The offense did just enough, the defense did just enough and the special teams did just enough. Out of that special teams unit, Devin Thomas had both fumble recoveries. His hustle on both of those plays led to the offense converting 10 points, the final three for the win. If he isn't there to react so quickly, the first one doesn't happen and the second one doesn't get recovered.

RUNNER-UP: Eli Manning did just enough in this game to lead the offense to a victory. He made the throws when he had to and took the sacks when he needed to. The O-Line allowed him to get hit 12 times and sacked six times. Still, he finished with 316 yards and 2 big TDs.

DUD OF THE GAME: Brandon Jacobs has won this award more than once this year. Hopefully he doesn't win it in two weeks. He had five carried for 13 yards. They handed the ball to him on 3rd and short repeatedly. He never picked up a first down in that scenario. His longest carry was for a whopping five yards.

TURNING POINT: This would seem obvious. It's the game winning field goal, right? Wrong. It's the play that set it up. The 49ers return man, Kyle Williams, while returning a punt in OT, had the ball stripped by Giants rookie Jacquian Williams. The Giants recovered it and a few plays later won the game.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Victor Cruz had a huge first half. He slowed down a bit in the second half, but managed to total 10 catches for 142 yards. He was targeted 17 times and had a longest catch of 36 yards. He was very busy all day and kept the 49ers secondary on their toes. As a result, they played more single coverage on the outside receivers and Manningham and Nicks made them pay for it when they combined for six catches and 72 yards with one TD.

BIGGEST LETDOWN: The pass rush combined for three sacks between Osi, Tuck, Kiwi and JPP. This was a bit of a surprise. The 49ers are a team that will give up sacks and the Giants did not do a good enough job rattling Alex Smith. This may be a combination of poor footing due to the field conditions and a primary four man pass rush, but it seems that they should have done more. They will need to in two weeks if they expect to win one more game.

PROGNOSIS: The New York Giants are NFC Champions! They can now say they are the best team in their conference and can contend to be the best in all of the league in two weeks. Win or lose, they have hardware to show for their efforts this year. They had to face a team in bad weather and in OT to get the chance to play the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Just like they had to do in the 2007 season.

With all this said, they still have one more game. Their Pro Bowl players (Eli Manning and JPP) will most likely not be attending next week's exhibition game in Hawaii and if they do, they will not be playing. They have a much bigger game to get healthy for.

Speaking of getting healthy, the Giants have one thing they have not had since Week 7, a bye week. Now, they get a break and they can relax and rest on their laurels just long enough to get serious for one last showdown with the New England Patriots.

New York Giants vs 49ers: Boom Playoff Preview

2012-01-21T15:00:00.001-05:00

Frank Gray
BGB Editor

The New York Giants continue their playoff push Sunday evening in San Francisco against a long-time nemesis 49ers team in the NFC Championship. This game is just another key component in what Giants fans like our own Jim Mancari have called "the Revenge Tour". This playoff run, like the one in 2007 has pitted the Giants against several opponents they have suffered defeats to. This is one of many similarities between this season and the 2007 run as our own Shale Briskin points out.

One of those teams the Giants are trying to avenge a loss from is these 49ers. These teams have shared quite a history in the playoffs. For example, as our Adam Carman pointed out, it was the Giants (actually Leonard Marshall specifically) that knocked the great Joe Montana out of the game en route to a Super Bowl thriller against Buffalo in 1991.

It was the 49ers that eliminated a 38-14 deficit and won the game as a result of a bad snap on a game-winning field goal attempt by the Giants in 2003. In that game, the 49ers benefited from a bad non-call on a hold of Jeremy Shockey on that last play. All we can hope for this time, like our own "G-Men Girl" pointed out is that the referees make the right calls this time around, unlike last week's Packers game.

The Giants have entered this game very confident and they have great reason to be. They knocked out the number one seed and defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field to get here. They also took this same 49ers team to the wire in San Francisco nearly two months ago in a thrilling comeback that came up just short.

The 49ers are a confident team too after eliminating the New Orleans Saints at home last week in a shocking last second comeback win and setting up this improbable championship match up. They have every reason to feel good about themselves. They entered the playoffs as the number two seed and boast the best rushing defense in the league and a top ten rushing offense. Both have carried this team to a 14-2 regular season and a remarkable first game in these playoffs.

The Giants. on the other hand, are a team playing red hot. Their defense has been healthier in this playoff run than they were all season and it has shown. They shut out the Atlanta Falcons offense and limited Green Bay to just two TD's. They have totaled 17 sacks in the past four games going back to the Jets game on Christmas Eve.

Their defense is playing cohesive and dominant football. The Packers did not have a single receiver over 45 yards. This from a team that passed for over 5,000 on the season. It's not just the pass rush and secondary, though. The week before, the run defense limited the Falcons 6th best rushing offense to only 64 yards total. The defense is giving a complete effort while the offense continues to click under a confident and steady Eli Manning spreading the ball around to all of his weapons.

The 49ers will be looking to hit hard and hit often to ruin the timing and take advantage of possible bad field conditions due to a rainy forecast. This game should be a return to smash-mouth football from another time. A time when fundamentals were more important than TD celebrations. This should be a great game.

With the stage set for a phenomenal event, here are a few keys the Giants need to do in order to punch their ticket to Indianapolis and the Super Bowl.

Offensive Keys:

#1 Spread it out! Last time these two teams played, Eli Manning hit seven different receivers. Three of therm (Manningham, Cruz and Ware) were outside or underneath routes. This suggests one thing: this secondary is not as strong on the outsides as the numbers would suggest.

They rank 16th against the pass, while the Giants rank 5th passing the ball. Even if there is some rain and a bit of mud on the field, the Giants should be able to pass effectively against this team. Manning threw for 311 yards last time, he can do that again. But it starts by involving everyone.

#2 Run Ahmad, run! This playoff run has, offensively speaking, come down to an improved balance between the run and pass. The Giants are less predictable and, therefore, more dangerous. While Brandon Jacobs has had the bulk of short yardage and late game carries, it starts with Ahmad Bradshaw. He is the elusive back and the one that can and will maneuver through mud and small rushing lanes to pick up tough yards in order to establish the run.

He said earlier this week that he hopes to get more carries if the field conditions lend to a slower game. If they do, don't expect that to necessarily be a detriment or disadvantage for the Giants. They ranked last during the season with 89.2 yards rushing per game, but have averaged 133 yards during the playoffs. This rushing attack is not to be taken lightly. Even against the number one ranked rushing defense of the 49ers. Especially if Ahmad Bradshaw has his way.

#3 Limit mistakes! The Giants offense has done a good job in the past few games of not drawing the bad penalty or making the big fumble. Even the INT last week in Green Bay turned into the equivalent of a short punt that Green Bay gave right back. This is winning football. This is fundamentals. The fewer mental mistakes that are made, the better your chances of winning.

The Giants have to once again avoid the holding calls and off sides penalties that disrupt an offensive timing and ruin a drive. Rather, they have to play clean football even as the field and opposition around them are not. The ability to avoid penalties will be crucial.

Just as important is the ability to hold onto the ball in the bad weather conditions. Even if the field conditions are wonderful, the 49ers are a hard-hitting and opportunity-seeking team. They will go for the ball strip and the big INT to change the momentum. The Giants have to combat this by securing the ball at all times before making the needed cut upfield. If they are thinking fundamentals first tomorrow, they will go a long way toward winning.

Defensive Keys:

#1 Think run early and often, even if they're passing! The last time these teams played, 49ers QB Alex Smith performed well enough to show he has a few weapons in the passing game. The problem is that they can't get them going without the aid of the running attack.

The 49ers, led by Frank Gore's 1.211 yards rushing this season, have a lethal rushing game that ranks 8th in the NFL. The Giants, during the season, ranked just 19th against the run, but have stepped it up in the playoffs. They are capable of stopping Frank Gore and Co. just enough to allow time for the offense to build a lead and force Alex Smith to pass from behind to beat them. That's what the 49ers don't want.

They will try to limit the Giants pass rush by keeping them honest with their running attack. This way, Smith can utilize the play action option and pass when the Giants may be expecting the run. The game has to be close to do this though. If the Giants limit the running game and build a lead, all bets are off and the Giants front defensive line can get a green light at Alex Smith.

#2 Put Cinderella in his carriage! The 49ers have had a surprise run coming our of a weak division in the NFC West. They have lived a fairy tale so far this season. The fact that they finished 14-2 with a great home win against an explosive team is impressive, but not out of the realm of possibility. They had a weak schedule and faced a dome team at home. These are not headlines that beckon dominance.

Against teams with good pass rushes, they struggled. For example, the Baltimore Ravens sacked Smith nine times on Thanksgiving and the Cowboys sacked him six times in week two (both games were 49ers losses). The Giants failed to get to him enough to rattle him in their loss on November 13th. This time, the pass rush is healthy and clicking.

They need to establish themselves early and often. If they do this, Alex Smith will be rattled this time and see what it was that made MVP QB Aaron Rodgers look so bad last week. If they do, the story will have a happy ending, for the Giants.

#3 Act like you've been there before! A lot was made about the so-called penalty to Aaron Rodgers' head supposedly committed by Osi Umenyiora last week. It accomplished one thing: it gave the Packers momentum to score and temporarily gave them some life. This has to be avoided this week. In a game of this magnitude, with no many players on the 49ers being here for the first time, it's important for the Giants to act like you've been there before.

They have. So, they have to show the composure that comes with that experience. A few of the defensive players (J.P.P., Chris Canty and Antrel Rolle to name a few) have not, but many of these players were part of the 2007 run. It is these players that have to establish the mood and dictate the emotion of the team.

Particularly on the defensive side of the ball. There will be a lot of excitement and trash talking. There is no doubt there will be cheap shots and hard hits too. None of that is an excuse to lose your temper and commit a penalty that will change the face of the game. If the refs make up a bad call (like they did last week) the defense just has to move on and make the best of it..

There is no room to hold onto grudges in this game. There will not be a second chance to get to the Super Bowl if they allow one or two plays to determine their game. They have to keep their composure and avoid the things that change the tide of a game against them.

Predictions Time:

Player of the Game- Eli Manning will have a better day this time around. When the schedule affords him a chance to study an opponent a second time, he is usually better off for it and so are the Giants. He limits mistakes and takes advantage of match ups better when given a second chance. I see him improving mightily on his 311 yards passing from the first game.

Runner Up- Victor Cruz will win his match ups frequently this week against a thin secondary. Manning has become more comfortable going to Cruz in the slot and on third downs. Last week, Cruz had a few big catches to extend drives that eventually led to Giants TD's. Though Cruz, himself, has not found the end zone in the playoffs so far, he has been a frequent target. This week, he will turn that into points.

Final Score- This week the predictions get even more fun. Our group of prognosticators turned out to all be correct in picking the upset last week. No one saw the final score being so lopsided, but, still, at least they were right. Everyone is 2-0 in the playoff edition of the Staff Challenge. Can we all make it 3-0? We'll see.

Jim- 24-20, Giants
Adam- 31-24, Giants
Shale- 24-17, Giants
Frank- 30-23, Giants
George- 24-17, Giants

Continuing the ‘Revenge Tour’

2012-01-20T08:53:00.003-05:00

Jim Mancari

BGB Assistant Editor

Based on how our G-Men were playing midseason, who would’ve thought that they’d be suiting up Sunday in the NFC Championship game.

Granted, the schedule was extremely difficult, but the team just didn’t seem to have that spark accustomed with Giants football.

However, they have made a complete turnaround the last three weeks in what is being coined the “Revenge Tour.” Rarely does a team get to play a team from the regular season in the playoffs, but the Giants have been granted a chance at revenge.

The Revenge Tour started Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys. In a game that both teams needed to win to earn a playoff berth, the Giants trampled Romo and company 31-14.

Though the Giants defeated Dallas three weeks prior, it took some late heroics by Eli Manning and Jason Pierre-Paul to secure the nail biter. But the second time around on the Revenge Tour, it was all Big Blue.

The game against Falcons doesn’t exactly qualify for the Revenge Tour. It was just a terrific performance against an Atlanta team that just couldn’t keep up with the Giants.

Then the Giants took on the Packers. Green Bay should really have been 14-2 this regular season instead of 15-1, and that other loss should have came to the Giants.

Manning orchestrated an improbable late game comeback against the Packers at home to tie the game at 35 with time winding down. However, Aaron Rodgers tore apart the Giants secondary late, which set up Mason Crosby for the game-winning field goal.

That game was almost like the last game of the season in 2007 against the Patriots. The Giants developed the realization that they can play with those guys, and if they got another chance, they would capitalize. Well, that’s where the Revenge Tour comes in. The Giants took it to the Packers on the road in Green Bay for a decisive 37-20 victory.

As fate would have it, the San Francisco 49ers defeated the New Orleans Saints in an epic playoff battle last Saturday. Either way, the winner of this game would be featured in the Giants’ Revenge Tour. The G-Men got blown out of the water in Week 12 against the Saints.

The game against the 49ers, however, was another game the Giants could have and should have won. Manning's fourth down pass was batted down on the final drive, which sealed the 27-20 home win for San Francisco.

So the Giants will have the chance to continue their Revenge Tour as they head out west to Candlestick Park this Sunday (hopefully there won’t be any power outages this game!).

Big Blue is playing great football right now, but the 49ers are coming off a gutsy win and cannot be taken lightly. Not only would the Giants be seeking revenge for the regular season loss, but who could forget the last time these two teams met in the playoffs in 2003?

The Giants led 38-14 late in the third quarter, but it was all downhill from there. Jeff Garcia hit Tai Streets on a 13-yard touchdown pass with one minute remaining to give the 49ers a 39-38 lead. The Giants drove down field, but a bad snap on a game-winning field goal attempt left a sour taste in all our mouths.

Revenge can be sweet, and that’s the goal Sunday. And if the Ravens can beat the Patriots, revenge from the 2001 Super Bowl would be the icing on the cake of the Revenge Tour.

New York Giant Playoffs: Make the Right Call

2012-01-19T12:48:00.001-05:00

Alyssa "G-Men Girl" Franklin
BGB Featured Columnist

I usually don’t do a rant but after last Sunday’s game, I have a lot to rant about. You are probably wondering why since the Giants won but still there is the principle of it all.

After watching the game on Sunday I was livid afterwards. I was excited and livid at the same time. If the Giants had lost that game the officials would have a lot of questions to answer.

Back in Week 13 when the Giants hosted the Packers there were a lot of questionable calls. After viewing replays the officials were still confirming the plays that should have been taken away. Here are some examples:

1) Greg Jennings TD – Now how can anyone look at that play and say that he had full control of the ball? He didn’t! Prince knocked it out of his hands because he never had control of it. I have seen many TD’s get called back because it would have been called an incomplete pass. It was a terrible call and had a significant impact on that game.

2) The Jake Ballard TD – I’m calling this one a TD because it just simply was. This one really grinded my gears. I really want to know what the officials look at when they go to review a TD. After seeing photographic evidence of Ballard’s knee being in bounce I was floored. How could they have missed that??!! It’s another thing that significantly changed the game. I honestly believe the Giants would have won the game.

Those were huge game changers. There were some other calls that were also bad but those stand out in my mind the most.

Now let us fast forward to the Divisional Championship game in Green Bay.

I could not believe the incompetence in that game with the officials especially the head official Bill Leavy. How bad can you be?? I will let the first fumble go but the one with Greg Jennings clearly fumbling the ball was clearly the worst call of the game. I didn’t think it could get any worse but the explanation of the call was even more disgusting.

The ball clearly came out and the Giants recovered it, took off with it since it wasn’t called dead and then the officials called it down by contact. Are you serious???!! I mean come on man! Are you going under the hood to watch reruns of Family Guy?? I couldn’t believe it.

The other call was placement of the ball after a clear first down. DJ Ware got the first down and the officials placed the ball like 4 inches behind the first down line. REALLY?! The same thing was done in the Wild Card game against Atlanta where Giants clearly had the first down and the officials did the exact same thing. To have that call made two weeks in a row was utterly repulsive.

There was one other thing that really I couldn’t understand. The officials called a personal foul on Osi for a so called helmet to helmet hit to Rodgers. I was floored! How are they going to call a helmet to helmet hit on Rodgers when they didn’t bother to call the late hits on Eli?? I mean how one sided can it be??

Heck I was seriously shocked that they even called a holding call on the Packers. So shocked that I cheered and I don’t usually cheer for a holding penalty. That’s how bad it was.

I am not one of those fans that blame losses on the officials but in the Divisional game, if it had had a different outcome then I would start a petition to get the official fined. And that is what should happen to officials who make calls that are ridiculous. They should get fined just like players do and if they are getting fined I don’t think it’s enough.

The other thing that just burns me up is that the NFL apologized. What good does that freaking do?? I mean REALLY???! Is the apology going to get us a rematch if need be? Is there a “do over”? I mean seriously an apology is just bunk. I as a fan don’t want to hear an apology. It honestly doesn’t do anything for anyone. I want to know what happens to the official who made the calls. Tell me that.

These games are men’s jobs and it just seems like these officials don’t know what is at stake when they make these calls. It sometimes looks like they are being paid for calling against the opposing team. That’s never a good look.

Mr. Goodell needs to take a closer look at these officials and making sure that they are being fair and making the best calls possible and hold them responsible for these huge mistakes that they make.

I have never been one to place blame on a Giants loss but if Sunday had turned out different I would have blamed them. Thankfully the G-Men overcame those bumps in the road and are off to the NFC Championship game where I hope the calls made are the right kind of calls.

New York Giants: Five Similarities Between This Team and 2007

2012-01-18T16:09:00.011-05:00

Shale Briskin
BGB Contributor

Now that the New York Giants have upset the Super Bowl favorite Green Bay Packers, many comparisons are being drawn between this team and the team that won Super Bowl XLII over the Patriots, which was also in upset fashion. The coaching staff and most of the player personnel between the two teams are very similar and this current group of Giants looks poised to win another Super Bowl.

With this being said, here are five similarities between this current Giants team and the Super Bowl XLII champions.

Similarity #1: Both Teams Have an Explosive Defensive Line

The Giants' defense for years has been built around their defensive line. Defensive ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora are still leading the defensive line today, just like they did four years ago at this time. Although the Super Bowl XLII champions also had the legendary Michael Strahan, who is arguably the greatest defensive end of all time in his last professional season, this year's Giants team has the young Jason Pierre-Paul, who has had a breakout season en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance.

The defensive tackles have changed with Fred Robbins now playing for the Rams and Barry Cofield signing with the Redskins last offseason. Rocky Bernard, Chris Canty and Linval Joseph are the three defensive tackles of the current Giants team and all three have had solid seasons. Hopefully, Canty will be healthy enough to to play in all of this coming Sunday's game against 49ers.

Similarity #2: Eli Manning is Confident and Poised

Although Eli Manning played extremely well back in 2007-2008 en route to his first Super Bowl appearance, it's quite obvious that he has made tremendous strides in his game from then. He looks more and more poised and confident than ever before. Back during the Super Bowl XLII run, Manning barely made any critical mistakes and so far in this postseason, he has been on point with his passes and decision making.

At the beginning of this season, many people were critical of Manning when he considered himself as one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL. However, with everything he has done this season, it's clear that he now belongs in the same class as Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, whom Manning outplayed last week. If Manning wins his second Super Bowl this season, his legacy will automatically overtake that of his older brother Peyton Manning. All in all, nothing stopped Manning in Super Bowl XLII from doing what he had to do to win, and at this rate, nothing should stop him now from repeating the trick.

Similarity #3: The Giants' Running Game is Clicking at the Right Time

The Giants' running game was one of the worst in the league this season, which was unlike the dominant running game that Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs brought to the Giants in recent seasons. However, in this postseason, Bradshaw has been healthy and has been playing very well as he continues to assert himself as one of the better running backs in the league. Bradshaw's health has a lot to do with how well he has done, but some credit should also go to Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, who has been calling the right plays in this postseason, just like he made the right moves during the Super Bowl XLII run.

As long as Bradshaw stays healthy and avoids any fumbles and turnovers, there is no reason why he should not have a big game, even if it's against the 49ers' dominant defense. As for Jacobs, he could also present matchup problems due to his size. While the Giants will need to rely on their passing game more against the 49ers, the running game should be able to hold its own as well.

Similarity #4: The Players are Buying Into Tom Coughlin's Philosophy and it Has Paid Off Once Again

During the Super Bowl XLII run, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin got his team motivated once the playoffs began. The Giants then won three consecutive playoff games on the road and then won Super Bowl XLII by upsetting the previously unbeaten New England Patriots. Even though the Giants were heavy underdogs in most of those series', Coughlin told his players to keep playing the same football they have always played and motivated them enough to win all those upsets. The Giants also defeated some of the NFL's best quarterbacks during the process, including Tony Romo, Brett Favre and Tom Brady.

In this current season, the Giants entered the year coming off of two consecutive late season collapses and the goal was to get back into the postseason. It took until the very last regular season game to clinch the NFC East title, but the Giants have turned into a much better team during this postseason. Coughlin knew his job would really be on the line if the Giants had missed the postseason, so he buckled down and really prepared his team for their recent games and they have not lost a game since Week 15 against the Redskins.

With Coughlin still leading the Giants, another Super Bowl victory is something that could definitely happen, and this time, it will not be in as much of a surprising fashion.

Similarity #5: History Has Repeated Itself in the Past

The Giants won their first ever Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXI, which occurred in January of 1987. They won their next Super Bowl championship during Super Bowl XXV four years later in January of 1991.

The Giants then went on a championship drought until Super Bowl XLII, which they won in February of 2008. Four years later, the Giants are in the NFC Championship Game against the 49ers and are ready to potentially repeat history by attempting to win their second championship within five years. The Giants have won two championships within five years between 1987-1991 and with history on their side, they could do the exact same thing and win two championships between 2008-2012.

San Francisco: The New York Giants' Road to the Super Bowl

2012-01-17T01:06:00.006-05:00

Adam Carman
BGB Assistant Editor

They did it. Despite the worst officiating in a season filled with awful officiating, and facing the defending champs on their own turf, the Giants are once again one step away from a Super Bowl and once again they have a chance to exact revenge for a regular season loss, this time at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

That's right, one of the all-time great rivalries from my childhood is being re-enacted and I am excited! When I first learned to love the game of football, the Giants and the 49ers were the perennial two best teams in the NFC, which was the dominant conference at the time, so much so that many sportswriters suggested doing away with the Super Bowl and just letting the Giants duke it out with San Francisco for the world title.

I hated the 49ers--Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Charles Haley--with a passion. I hated them more than I hated the Cowboys, Eagles, Redskins and Bills combined. To this day, despite the fact that the 49ers have largely been irrelevant, I still love to see our boys in blue whip them (as they did in 2007 and 2008) and agonize over the losses (like week 10 of this year, or the absolutely horrendous playoff collapse in 2002).

We've been here before. In January of 1991, the New York Giants traveled to Candlestick to meet the San Francisco 49ers. The Giants had lost to San Fran, 7-3, in a defensive battle during the regular season and had finished 13-3 while the 9ers finished 14-2 and got to host the game. The 49ers were also coming off back-to-back Super Bowl titles with a realistic shot at the three-peat.

Indeed, so confident were the 49ers that they had already booked their hotels in Tampa Bay, the site of Super Bowl XXV, and even pre-ordered their meals (lobster mostly). Nobody gave the Giants a chance, although Bill Parcells was also confident. He told his team to pack for ten days when they left for San Francisco because if they won, they were going straight to Tampa.

Not only were the 49ers the best team in the league, but the Giants were emphatically second-best. After starting 10-0 (both teams did), they went 3-3 down the stretch and limped into the playoffs after finishing the season with a lukewarm 13-10 win over the 1-14 New England Patriots. Also, in a regular season loss to the Buffalo Bills, all-star quarterback Phil Simms had broken his foot and been lost for the season.

While the Giants were a healthy team, they were sans their starting quarterback. At the helm was Jeff Hostetler, a seven-year veteran who had gotten most of his playing time on special teams and was actually in the process of demanding a trade following the 1990 season. There were lingering questions about others too. Lawrence Taylor had missed all of training camp and the preseason in a contract dispute, while defensive end Leonard Marshall had actively sought a trade to the more-exciting New Orleans Saints.

In the divisional round rout of the Bears, the Giants had also lost their exciting rookie running back Rodney Hampton, who gave their running game its steam. In his stead they were forced to rely on their third down back, David Meggett, and a supposedly washed-up 35-year-old veteran named Otis Anderson. So it was anybody's guess how it would all play out. I remember watching the game with my cousin, a die-hard 49ers fan, and man, was it tense. But it has become one of my favorite games to rewatch.

It was a defensive struggle from the get-go. Cornerback Mark Collins shut down Jerry Rice but the 49ers had other weapons. While a 60+ yard touchdown pass early in the 3rd quarter was largely a fluke, the 49ers proved capable of something extraordinary: keeping the Giants out of the endzone. In two meetings that year, the Giants never scored a touchdown and John Madden confidently predicted, "The Giants cannot win this game if they don't score a touchdown." A trick-play pass from David Meggett was dropped by a wide-open Myron Guyton, and it seemed the Giants were doomed.

Of course you know, they were not. Stellar defensive play limited the damage and kicker Matt Bahr (who also wore number 9) kept chipping away at the 49ers lead. Down 13-9 in the fourth quarter and facing fourth down, Parcells called a direct snap to linebacker Gary Reasons who almost took it the distance, but in the end the Giants settled for another field goal. Time was running out when the defense came up big.

Angry over a dirty hit on their quarterback that left Hostetler's return in doubt (and third stringer Matt Cavanaugh couldn't hit the broad side of a barn), Leonard Marshall set his sights on Joe Montana. In one of the greatest hits in NFL history (though it would cost them fifteen yards and probably a fine today), Leonard Marshall fought through blockers and laid Montana out on the ground. Watch number 70 all the way to the hit.

That's why Leonard Marshall was my favorite player growing up. The guy just never stopped. Hostetler came back. Montana didn't. In fact, that was the end of his career for the most part. The Giants made it 13-12 but time was running out. Then Erik Howard and Lawrence Taylor teamed up to give the Giants hope with a huge fumble recovery and a suddenly revitalized Jeff Hostetler moved his team into position for Matt Bahr to nail the game-winning field goal. The Giants were off to the Super Bowl and it could not have been sweeter.

Why bring it up? We shouldn't dwell in the past, right? Of course not. This is a new year. But there are important continuities. First and foremost, Tom Coughlin was there. He was the team's wide receivers coach. He remembers. Secondly this is a team that is playing better now than it did when it met San Francisco during the regular season.

This age-old rivalry is being re-ignited and once again these are two teams that stress hard-hitting defense and powerful offense. The difference is, this time we have an explosive offense too. The Giants seemed poised to make history repeat itself--although since the 49ers have also been successful win or lose, they won't have the same edge they had in Green Bay--and it just seems fitting that the road to more Super Bowl glory lies through San Francisco rather than New Orleans.

New York Giants Cap-BOOM: Week 19 vs the Packers

2012-01-15T21:42:00.001-05:00

Frank Gray
BGB Editor

The New York Giants met the Green Bay Packers in a Divisional round showdown in the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. The Packers were coming off a bye week and looking to defend their title as reigning Super Bowl champions.

The Giants were coming off a decisive 24-2 victory in the Wild Card round last week against the Atlanta Falcons. With both teams ranked in the top five in passing yards and the bottom five in allowing passing yards, this was set to be a dramatic shootout rematch from their previous encounter, won by Green Bay in Metlife Stadium a month ago.

What the game turned out to be was a battle of turnovers and lost opportunities. The Giants led the way with an early 10-3 lead at the end of the 1st Qrt on the strength of a 66 yard TD strike from Eli Manning to Hakeem Nicks. The Packers tied it up a minute into the 2nd Qrt, though.

As the half was coming to a close and the Giants held a slim 13-10 lead, they were looking to run out the clock and go into the locker room leading. Ahmad Bradshaw took a carry and picked up 23 yards before stopping the clock by stepping out of bounds at the Green Bay 37. Manning heaved a deep jump ball to Nicks on the next play and Hakeem Nicks came down with a 20-10 Giants lead as time expired in the half.

The 3rd Qrt came and went with only Green Bay scoring a field goal to draw within 20-13. The Giants opened up the 4th Qrt by stopping the Packers on a 4th and 5 thanks to Michael Boley sacking Aaron Rodgers. They cashed in on that turnover on downs by adding three points and taking a 23-13 lead.

The next Packers drive came to an abrupt ending. Kenny Phillips forced a Ryan Grant fumble and Chase Blackburn returned the fumble 40 yards to the Green Bay 4 yard line. The Giants turned that into a TD pass from Manning to Mario Manningham and took a 30-13 lead.

The next Packers drive was controversial. The Packers were about to go three and out but they were awarded a roughing the passer call and an automatic first down. When Osi Umneyiora hit Aaron Rodgers high, but clearly not a hit to the head, the referees decided to give the Packers a break and call a hit to the head anyway.

Six plays later, the Packers scored a TD to pull back to within ten at 30-20. The next drive, the Giants pulled away for good. After the second failed on-side kick attempt of the quarter by Green Bay, the Giants started out with great field position at the 50 yard line. Three plays later, Brandon Jacobs rushed 14 yards and a TD.

The defense continued their pressure and Deon Grant intercepted Rodgers to turn the ball over one last time. After that Manning took a knee and the Giants punched their invitation card to San Francisco for the NFC Championship game with a 37-20 victory.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Eli Manning wins this outright as I predicted yesterday that he would! He threw for 330 yards, three TDs and one INT. He kept the offense in the game early and went for the throat with accurate passes (even the Hail Mary was in a spot where only Nicks could reach it) at just the right time.

RUNNER-UP: Hakeem Nicks gets the nod over Michael Boley's inspired defensive effort. Boley needed to have a great game as Jim Mancari suggested here on Friday, but Nicks celebrated his birthday yesterday in style today. The birthday boy pulled in seven catches for 165 yards and TWO BIG TD's. Both of his scores were keys early in the game.

DUD OF THE GAME: The officiating was atrocious today. The referees called late hits on Aaron Rodgers but not on Eli Manning. They awarded Green Bay the ball late in the game on an upheld challenge when the play clearly resulted in a fumble and Giants possession.

Video evidence showed it was the Giants ball and even the announcers stated it was. The refs didn't though. They're the only ones that count. In the end, none of the bad calls mattered in helping Green Bay.

TURNING POINT: The 37 yard Hail Mary from Manning to Nicks to end the first half was the shift in momentum that Green Bay never fully recovered from. They entered the locker room deflated and the crowd went to the bathrooms in shock.

The Green Bay second half was played trailing, which changed the game plan for the Packers immensely and forced them to pass on almost every down. That played right into the strength of the Giants defense: their pass rush. The front line did the rest.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: The Giants secondary was outstanding! In a week filled with heaping praise on Aaron Rodgers and the explosive passing attack, the Giants secondary got little love. They gave everyone reason to believe after this game.

They held Aaron Rodgers to under 300 yards (264 total), had the receivers so well defended that Rodgers was forced to scramble several times and ended up leading all rushers (not by much over Bradshaw's 63, though) in rushing yards with 66. Also, they did not allow a single receiver to have more than 45 yards.

BIGGEST LETDOWN: Jake Ballard was targeted eight times. He had one catch for 17 yards. He had his chances but was more of a weapon in blocking than he was in the passing game. He did have one tremendous leaping catch in the 2nd Qrt to sustain a drive, but the drive ended when Manning was picked off.

PROGNOSIS: The news is all good right now for the Giants. They are playing their best football right now. They avenged the last second loss to the Packers last month today. This one mattered more. Ask any Packers fan which game they'd rather have back.

The Giants now head to the "City by the Bay" San Francisco to face the 49ers in the NFC Championship. It will be a rematch of another close loss from this season. It was on November 13th. We all remember that game; the deflected pass as the Giants were driving to tie the game on the final play. This game will be another one that the Giants will feel confident in playing.

They entered Green Bay knowing they could win because they were only a play or two away from running away with it last time. They were right. They will be confident for the same reason against the 49ers. The 49ers are coming off a dramatic win against New Orleans and will be just as confident being the home team. It should be a great game.

New York Giants vs Packers: Boom Playoff Preview

2012-01-14T22:00:00.000-05:00

Frank Gray
BGB Editor

The New York Giants continue their playoff run on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. The Giants are coming off a dominant performance against the Atlanta Falcons in last Sunday's Wild Card round. They netted a 24-2 (not a typo) victory against those Falcons in what was a complete team effort.

This week, the Giants look to continue the trend of their collective chemistry and produce another upset in the frozen tundra of Green Bay's Lambeau Field. There is no need to remind fans and players of these two teams of what happened the last time the Giants were underdogs in the playoffs and visited Green Bay.

A dramatic win that sent Big Blue into an improbable Super Bowl championship in the 2007 season was the end result. The Giants are looking for the same result. While the Packers are the defending champions, the Giants are the ones that must play the role of road warrior this year. Both teams won their rings as the lowest ranked playoff teams.

This year, the Packers are the top seed (a role they don't do well in) and the Giants are the lowest remaining seed (#4). These teams know each other, though. The Giants feel confident in the fact that were a play or bad call away from defeating them a month ago. There is an even bigger reason for the Giants players to feel confident.

They are playing better now than they were then. Furthermore, they are healthier now than they were then. The Packers are just as confident. They are 15-1 on the season and have the reigning Super Bowl MVP in Aaron Rodgers. This is the first playoff game to ever pit two Super Bowl MVP's against each other.

Both offenses are ranked in the top 5 in passing yards in the NFL this year. Both teams have explosive receivers across the board. Both teams have defenses that give up tons of yardage in the passing game. With the emotion of the moment and the memory of the last meeting fresh in the minds of these teams, they will be effectively prepared and motivated for round two. All this adds up to an epic game.

With that said, here are some things the Giants have to do to punch their ticket to the NFC Championship Game next week.

Offensive Keys:

#1 End drives successfully! It's not enough to move the ball 40 yards and punt. Against Green Bay, the Giants will need to make sure that they convert on third downs and extend their drives effectively. Then, get the ball in the end zone. They can't trade touch downs for field goals against this team.If they do, they will lose. They have to utilize every possession in this game effectively.

#2 Balance! Lat week against the Falcons (a better ranked defense than that of Green Bay), the Giants ran for over 100 yards to keep the Atlanta pass rush honest. After they established the run with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, Eli Manning was able to exploit the confused and mismatched secondary.

The same can happen this week against a similar Packer defense. However, it starts with dominating up front and gaining yards on the ground. This slows down the tempo and keeps Aaron Rodgers on the side line. It all depends on how well they run to open up the pass.

#3 Use the moment properly! It's a big game. The Packers have some big play makers on defense that get hyped up for these type of situations. An audible here and a hard count there can throw them off sides. Also, the Giants can target their physical corners. In particular, Charles Woodson. He can be rattled at the line. He will throw high hits and late hits.

The more he gets physical, the more he makes mistakes that favor the opposition. Let him get physical. He will not out muscle Hakeem Nicks, but he will grow increasingly frustrated and make a mistake. Anyone remember how many penalties he had against the Giants last time they played in a playoff game? That's the perfect example of why the offense needs to and can do it.

Defensive Keys:

#1 Wrap them up!! I've said this all season long, but the Giants have to limit long gains by making good open-field tackles when they get their chances.They have to take good angles and follow all the way through on their tackles. A missed tackle or a broken tackle against Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings and this receiving core will most often result in big yardage given up that lead to scores for the opposition.

The same is true against the rushing attack. Ryan Grant and James Starks combined for over 1,000 yards rushing and are capable of breaking tackles on their carries and screen options. The Giants have to limit their yards by getting to them in the back field.

#2 Ain't no discounts here! Aaron Rodgers might make a few semi-funny commercials mocking his TD celebration, but the Giants will be looking to make sure he doesn't do his discount double check dance Sunday. They can do this by putting him on the ground. Their pass rush can and will get to him.

The key is containing him in the pocket. He can scramble when the protection breaks down and make an accurate throw on the run for a big gain. The Giants need to keep him in the pocket and force him to either hurry his passes into bad decisions that may lead to an INT or take a sack. This hurts the Packers Offense.

As Jim Mancari wrote, it all starts with pressure on the outsides by Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul. When he steps up in the pocket, he'll have to be met by Chris Canty up the middle that should force him to throw or concede the loss.

#3 Keep your wits about you! Just like the pressure of the moment can cause the Packers defense to make mistakes, the same can be said for the Giants defense. Defense is all about playing with intensity and passion. If the defense plays with too much of it, however, they can make mistakes.

Penalties like an encroachment, unnecessary roughness and pass interference calls can all be detriments to the defense and help Green Bay sustain drives that they turn into points. They have to be sure to keep their emotions about them and contain themselves within the pressure of it all. If they do, they will avoid these mistakes and play a game that doesn't give the opposition extra opportunities.

Predictions Time:

Player of the Game- Eli Manning will have a big day! Against these Packers a month ago, he had fewer healthy options and a less healthy O-Line and still managed to throw for 347 yards and 3 TD's. This time, he faces a secondary that STILL ranks last in passing yards allowed and one that he knows the tendencies of a little better. He will take full advantage of all of that.

Runner Up- Ahmad Bradshaw is capable of having a solid game all around. Manning will look to him in the short passing game and hand it off to him to establish balance and keep the defense honest. Look for him to score 2 TD's and have 100 or more combined yards against an eager but poor tackling Packers defense.

Final Score- The Giants vanquished the over-matched Falcons last week en route to a 24-2 victory that no one saw coming. Our staff (who has done a great job at choosing the outcomes this year) couldn't see that type of blowout.

This week, the Giants have to travel to the frozen landscape that is Green Bay for the Divisional Playoff round. A match-up of two explosive offenses, two opportunistic defenses, a team hitting their stride at the right time and a top ranked team who hasn't had their MVP candidate play in three weeks all spells an exciting and emotional confrontation for the right to play in the NFC Championship game next week.

If the Giants do their part, they will on their way to New Orleans or San Francisco. Either way, they have to win a difficult game to earn the right to go back on the road again.

Shale- 34-27, Giants
Adam- 38-28, Giants
George- 31-27, Giants
Jim- 27-24, Giants
Frank- 34-31, Giants

Giants vs Packers Rematch: Three Reasons Why the Giants Will Win in Green Bay

2012-01-14T13:55:00.013-05:00

Shale Briskin
BGB Contributor

In this NFC Division Round game between the Giants and the Packers, the Giants are considered to be the heavy underdogs against a Packers team that went 15-1 this past season. They will face off on Sunday at 4:30 PM EST. Both teams are now healthy and it should be a great re-match to the game they had in Week 13 at MetLife Stadium, in which the Giants narrowly lost by a score of 38-35.

It would be reasonable to expect a similar outcome in this game, being that both team's offenses are widely known for their explosive passing games. Although many people may think that the Packers will simply win by outscoring the Giants, there are three ways as to how the Giants could end the Packers' season.

Reason #1: The Giants' Pass Rush Will Contain Rodgers

Sure, Aaron Rodgers may be the best quarterback in the NFL, but if he keeps getting sacked by the Giants' defensive line, which is arguably the best unit in the league, he won't be able to make as many good passes to his receivers.

The three-headed monster that consists of Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora will cause a lot of problems for the Packers' offensive line, which has not been particularly healthy all season. The Packers' offensive line may be healthy now, but being that some of those players have not been playing for a few weeks, it could potentially lead to false starts and missed blocks.

It's pretty much a known fact that the Packers rely heavily on their passing game in order to score points. As a result, look for Rodgers to make at least 40-50 passing attempts in this game. Furthermore, look for the Giants' defensive line to sack Rodgers at least four or five times, if not more. If the Giants' defensive line can do what they do best all game long, this will significantly limit the number of points that the Packers will put up.

Reason #2: Eli Manning is the Master of 4th Quarter Comebacks

Eli Manning is not as good as Aaron Rodgers overall as a quarterback, but Manning has been able to put together six game-winning drives this season, which accounted for more than half of the Giants' regular season wins. With this type of track record, there's no reason why Manning cannot find similar results, even if it's against the Packers at their home field.

If the Giants are losing midway through the 4th quarter, but are clicking well offensively, I think that they should definitely be able to win in such a situation. They have done it all season and they should now be expected to continue this trend.

Reason #3: History Has Repeated Itself Before

Despite the fact that the Giants lost to the Packers in Week 13, the score was very close and they gave the Packers their biggest scare of the season up to that point. Furthermore, what happened the last time that the Giants had an important postseason game at Lambeau Field? Not only did they upset the Packers, but they also ended up winning the Super Bowl that year.

This of course happened during the 2008 postseason. Current Giants fans will never forget the amazing Super Bowl that the Giants won that year, but they also will never forget the very exciting NFC Championship game that occurred prior to that. The weather was as cold as it gets and the Giants won this game in overtime thanks to a Lawrence Tynes field goal. It was also the last game that Brett Favre played in as a member of the Packers. His last pass of the game turned into a Corey Webster interception.

Over the years, the Giants' defense has been able to stop offenses led by high profiled quarterbacks before in the postseason. During their Super Bowl run in the 2008 postseason, the Giants were underdogs in their games vs the Cowboys, Packers and Patriots. All three of those teams were led by elite quarterbacks and the Giants defeated them all. If the Giants can get past the Packers this week, they can add Aaron Rodgers to the list as well.

Victor Cruz: Will He Rebound Against the Packers?

2012-01-14T10:51:00.004-05:00

Ian Hollenberg
BGB Contributor

As the New York Giants head to Lambeau Field to take on the Packers, a major question looms large for the Giants:

Which Victor Cruz will show up?

Hopefully for Giants fans, Victor Cruz, the super-talented Pro Bowl snub, shows up. This Cruz has been making game-changing plays all season, with explosiveness that Giants receivers have been lacking for decades.

Cruz's most notable plays this season include two touchdowns in New York's first meeting against the Philadelphia Eagles, a 99-yard touchdown catch against the New York Jets, a 74-yard touchdown catch in the season finale against the Dallas Cowboys, and a catch on an Eli Manning desperation heave in the same game, which all but clinched the Giants NFC East championship.

Though he has made some mistakes this season (the controversial near-fumble against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6), Cruz has become one of football's most lethal weapons. But, the Victor Cruz of last week could show up too.

Last week against the Atlanta Falcons, Cruz amassed only two catches for 28 yards, and looked more like a rookie out of UMass than an NFL star. In last week's game, fellow wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, who had taken a backseat to Cruz the past two weeks, had a monster two-touchdown performance. Even Mario Manningham, a non-factor most of the season due to injury, recorded a touchdown against Atlanta. However, don't expect Cruz's struggles to last long.

First, the Packers will need to pay close attention to Nicks this week. Last Sunday Nicks proved to everyone that he can take over a game, so Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers will have to make sure his defense knows where Nicks is at all times.

Secondly, the Packers' secondary should give Cruz plenty of chances for success. They play very risky football; they lead the NFL in takeaways, but have given up a whopping 4,796 passing yards this season (which ends up not mattering because Aaron Rodgers and the offense bail them out every game). The Packers will probably come up with some beautiful plays on passes thrown to Cruz, but Cruz will receive enough targets to still have a productive afternoon.

So, in the matchup between two former Super Bowl MVP's, Eli Manning and Aaron Rodgers, both QB's will throw early and often, and you will see wide receivers on both teams put up big numbers. Cruz will be no exception, as he shakes off his weak playoff debut to return to his superstar status.

Three Giants players that need to step up to beat the Packers

2012-01-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Jim Mancari

BGB Assistant Editor

The Giants have an uphill battle ahead of them as they will head to Green Bay Sunday to take on the 15-1 Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs.

It will take a total team effort for the Giants to walk away with the victory. Naturally, Eli Manning, Ahmad Bradshaw, Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Jacobs, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Jason Pierre-Paul and Antrel Rolle will have to show up in full force.

But three players could hold the keys for success for the Giants in beating the Packers.

The first is offensive guard Chris Snee.

Snee is normally a rock along the offensive line. Lineman often don’t get enough credit, since they play a position in which it’s best if the fans aren’t constantly hearing their names.

But against the Falcons, Snee was flagged for several uncustomary penalties. Manning will need time in the pocket to pick apart the Packers’ secondary, and the offensive line, especially Snee, will play an integral role in allowing him to do that.

B.J. Raji is a force for Green Bay’s defensive front and can create havoc if allowed into the backfield. Snee will need a bounce back effort. He’s Tom Coughlin’s son-in-law, so hopefully he gets back on track as to avoid being pestered at family dinners.

The next player who the Giants need to step up is defensive tackle Chris Canty. Canty has made his share of big plays this season playing in the shadow of Pierre-Paul, Umenyiora and Tuck.

If Canty can get some pressure on Aaron Rodgers straight up the middle, it will force Rodgers to have to scramble to the sides. Pierre-Paul and Tuck will be waiting there to gobble Rodgers up.

Most likely, Pierre-Paul, Tuck and Umenyiora will get into the backfield often. However, if Rodgers can step up in the pocket, he’ll easily be able to deliver the ball downfield to one of the Packers’ talented wide receivers.

So if Canty can cause havoc in the middle, Rodgers will have to resort to scrambling. He does throw well on the run, but it’s tough to throw when JPP has you flattened on the turf.

Finally, cornerback Corey Webster can play a huge role in a Giants victory.

Not too long ago, it was Webster who intercepted Brett Favre’s pass in the endzone at Lambeau Field, which eventually set up Lawrence Tynes’ game-winning field goal in the 2008 NFC Championship game.

As previously mentioned, the Packers have a bevy of talented receivers who can turn a short-yardage catch into a big gain. The Giants corners will have to be physical in knocking the receivers off their routes, which would give the defensive linemen a chance to get to Rodgers.

Webster has played on this stage before: a playoff game on the road in Green Bay when the Giants were the heavy underdogs. Creating turnovers may be the difference in the game.

If Webster could come up with a huge interception at an opportune time—even early in the game—it could set the tone of the game.

Once again, a total team effort from Big Blue can result in an impressive road playoff victory. But Snee, Canty and Webster can be game-changing players for the G-Men.

New York Giants Postseason: Dirty Dancing

2012-01-12T11:09:00.000-05:00

Alyssa "G-Men Girl" Franklin

BGB Featured Columnist

The touchdown celebration. It's prolific in the NFL. Every wide reciever or running back has one. Sometimes it is the same thing or they come up with something special depending on the team that they are playing.

We have seen them all. Terrell Owens had his popcorn, Deion Sanders had the little skip jump dance and Stevie Johnson from the Bills had his best Plax impersonation followed by a Jets crash and burn dance that he was fined for.

The Giants players all have a little ditty that they like to do as well. Brandon Jacobs has what I call the pump dance, Ahmad gets animalistic with his as he spikes the ball when he jumps and does this lion like roar and everyone knows the ever so graceful Cruz and his salsa.

Last Sunday, Hakeem Nicks who is usually kind of low key with his touchdown celebrations, took the opportunity to do the "Dirty Bird" after his amazing 72 yard touchdown in the second half against the Falcons.

Now there had been talk all week before the game that the Atlanta Falcons offensive line had a reputation of being "dirt bags" and the NY Daily News had a funny picture during the week taking a lead from the application game Angry Birds. So I figure that Hakeem just rolled with the punches by doing the dirty bird dance.

When asked why he did it he simply put it back on one of his teammates. "Antrel told me to do it." Classic!

Some people took offense to it. Heck even Jamal Anderson the man who brought it to life had something to say tweeting afterwards, " No he didn't!".

I myself found it simply funny. I didn't think there was anything wrong in doing it. And he did it quite well.

I mean did anyone have an issue when Brandon Jacobs went and did his pumping on the Dallas Cowboys star back on Dec. 12th? Of course not. One because it's the Dallas Cowboys and if you are a Giants fan then you hate the Cowboys and second cause it was funny!

I don't see anything wrong in doing a touchdown celebration. The only time I don't find it funny is when I see players trying and I put emphasis on the word trying, to do Cruz's salsa. Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson don't ever try that mess again.

In my opinion, everyone feeds off a touchdown celebration. It fires up the crowd and the players. There is only one situation that it is not appropriate. That is when you are losing by a large margin or when it really doesn't even matter cause there is like 1 minute left in the game and you are down by 20.

Case in point when the Giants were getting their butts beat by the Saints, Cruz caught a TD pass and didn't even attempt to do his salsa. I thought that was classy.

I don't find the dirty dancing wrong. Everyone has their thing. In football its a classic. I wouldn't want it to be changed or eliminated. Heck it's bad enough that if you take it too far, the team can get a dumb penalty.

If you don't like the dancing then stop watching the game. These days it's just not a touchdown that gets a chorograhed dance. Defensive linemen have gotten into the celebrating too and you never hear of any of those guys getting fined or being talked about going too far. Just don't celebrate if the guy you sacked is still on the ground. I have never been one to celebrate an injury.

I guess in the end I say celebrate! It's all entertainment. If you don't agree with that then think of it this way. If guys are dancing then that means you are winning.

Icing on the Cake

2012-01-11T22:18:00.003-05:00

by Adam Carman, BGB Assistant Editor

The Giants have made it to the final eight. A rematch is looming with the defending Super Bowl champions this week in Lambeau. JPP has turned heads by declaring, "WE WILL WIN," and the rest of the Giants, while giving the Packers their props, sound equally confident. So let's journey inside the next couple weeks and see how our beloved New York Giants might fare on the march towards Super Bowl XLVI.

Second round @ Green Bay: The defending Super Bowl champions finished 15-1, including a heartbreaking 38-35 win over the Giants on December 4th. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and the greatest set of receivers in football. They've had a week off and relaxed the week before while the Giants fought hard to beat Dallas and then Atlanta. And it's their homefield. While Giants players and fans are hopeful, the conventional wisdom will have the Packers as easy victors. The only thing some will grant is the so-called trap game mentality: That the Packers will somehow overlook the Giants.

I don't buy it. These teams are all professionals and the Packers are one of the best. If they overlook the Giants after a gimpy three-straight-loss team took them to the wire in December, then they do not deserve the title of champions. But there is one thing I do believe in and to me it explains some of the more frustrating Giants' losses in recent weeks: Pressure. Before the divisional game with Dallas back in 2007, radio announcer Bob Papa declared, "Win or lose, Big Blue's season a success. The Dallas Cowboys can't make that statement." This is profound and most fans and sportswriters miss it. The New York Giants were not supposed to be here. They were relegated before and throughout the season to third or fourth place in their division. Playoffs? Maybe next year. Division winners? Fuggedaboutit. Against all odds they won their division over a tough Dallas rival and an imploding Dream Team and then annihilated the Atlanta Falcons. They took the Packers to the wire. There is no pressure on the Giants. This season was a success. Now let's look at the Packers. They've had a great season, but they are now under the gun. Will they be yet another imploding, one and done first seed in the NFC, following last year's Falcons, the 2008 Giants and the 2007 Cowboys? Or will they go on to defend their title? If they beat the Giants, it's business as usual; if they lose, the world has come undone. If the Giants win, it's icing on the cake; if they lose, all their fans will still love them and give them a parade. They overcame injuries and bad luck (plus bad officiating) to this point. The Packers may well weather this pressure and win the game, but history suggests the Giants have reason for hope. As Brandon Jacobs said back in 2007, "Momentum is more important than rest at this point."

Assuming they get past the Packers, what next? Probably a rematch with San Francisco. Another narrow loss they might avenge. This defense could play tough against the 49ers. A rematch with New Orleans worries me more, but even there I think their chances have improved over the last six weeks. The defense is playing better than they have since that great 2007 season and with the offense lighting up the scoreboard, and the running game has suddenly evploded; this team is dangerous. If I were the Packers, the 49ers, or even the Saints, I would want to play anybody but them at this point. But win or lose, our New York Giants have made us proud this year, so it's time for us to take the pressure off.

New York Giants Cap-Boom: Week 18 vs the Falcons

2012-01-08T18:06:00.000-05:00

Frank Gray
BGB Editor

The New York Giants enter the Wild Card round of the playoffs today by facing off with the Atlanta Falcons. The Giants were looking to build on the momentum of their final few wins and make an extended run in the playoffs. If today's game is any indication of how this playoff run will go, we're all in for a treat.

The Falcons came into the game with a fierce rushing attack, as Jim Mancari pointed out a few days ago here. Though they ranked 17th, Michael Turner and Co. were capable of pounding the ball and slowing this game down in their favor.

The Giants defense would have none of that. They limited the Falcons total rushing yards to just 64. This made their offense predictable. The Giants handled the several threats the Falcons passing game has as a direct result.

The Falcons started out the scoring with a safety in the 2nd Qrt. Eli Manning was looking for a screen to develop when the play broke down. He was called for intentional grounding in the end zone and the Falcons had a 2-0 lead. Their only lead of the game. In fact, their only scoring of the game. From there on, it was all New York Giants.

Manning quickly responded to the safety with a TD pass to Hakeem Nicks. That scoring drive was set up by two big runs from Brandon Jacobs and Eli Manning. They took a 7-2 lead at half time. The 3rd Qrt started out the way the 2nd Qrt ended.

The Falcons offense sputtered on a few 3rd and 4th down attempts against the resurgent Giants defense, while the Giants offense continued to get hot. Manning threw a 19 yard strike to Nicks and a 22 yard strike to Victor Cruz, while Ahmad Bradshaw had a 30 yard run to set up a Lawrence Tynes field goal for a 10-2 lead.

Their next drive, Manning hit Nicks again, but this time for an explosive 72 yard TD to make it 17-2. The Giants put the nail in the coffin early in the 4th Qrt on a 27 yard TD pass from Manning to Manningham to take a 24-2 lead.

The Falcons were frazzled and clearly beaten at that point. Matt Ryan threw for only 199 yards and zero scores. The Giants, on the other hand, showed themselves to be the better team in every phase of the game as they held on to a 24-2 blowout win and a defensive shutout.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Eli Manning gets the clear choice here. He threw for 277 yards and 3 TDs. Also, he surpassed Phil Simms for all-time Giants playoff TD passes with 11.

RUNNER-UP: Hakeem Nicks gets the slight nod in this category. His six catches for 115 yards and 2 TD's led all receivers in this game and both of his scores were huge. Brandon Jacobs will get an honorable mention too. His 92 yards rushing prevented the offense from being predictable and making the Falcons depend on their pass rush.

DUD OF THE GAME: The O-Line gets a half-hearted vote here. They did a good job later in the game, but they had a bad start. They allowed an early sack (the only one they allowed) and a ton of pressure on Manning. This led to the offense being pinned deep in their territory and Manning being called for the intentional grounding safety.

TURNING POINT: The 72 yard TD pass from Manning to Nicks was easily the turning point. It extended the Giants lead late in the 3rd Qrt and forced the Falcons to abandon their run game. That allowed the Giants to lean on their pass rush.

SURPRISE OF THE GAME: The running game combined for 172 yards. Jacobs had 92, Bradshaw had 63 and Manning had 13 (for those counting, D.J. Ware had four yards to total 172). This sudden sign of life to the Giants rushing attack helped allow the Giants to keep the Falcons defense honest and not over-blitz.

LETDOWN OF THE GAME: Jake Ballard got involved a little bit today, but helped more in the run game than in receiving. He spent the last few games injured and the passing attack really missed him. He had a big first down catch in the 2nd Qrt, but only settled with two catches for 16 yards.

PROGNOSIS: The Giants are moving on to the Divisional Playoff round. They will face the Green Bay Packers in a rematch of last month's 38-35 OT loss at home. This time, the Giants will play it in Green Bay. The last time these two teams met in the playoffs was the 2007 NFC Championship OT win that sent the Giants to Arizona for the Super Bowl.

With a close loss to a, then, undefeated Packers team last month combined with the fact that 14 players on the current roster were part of that last playoff game in Green Bay, look for the Giants to head to Wisconsin as a very confident underdog.

New York Giants vs Falcons: Boom Playoff Preview

2012-01-07T13:52:00.012-05:00

Shale Briskin
BGB Contributor

The NFC East Champion New York Giants face off against the Atlanta Falcons during the NFL Wild Card Weekend on Sunday (January 8) afternoon at MetLife Stadium. This is the first postseason appearance in three seasons for the Giants.

The last time the Giants played in a postseason game occurred against the Eagles in the 2008 postseason and the Giants lost that game 23-11. With this being said, Tom Coughlin, Eli Manning and company would very much like to win another Super Bowl in the near future, and if all goes well, this could be that season.

The last time the Giants faced off against the Falcons was in November of 2009 when the Giants defeated the Falcons 34-31 in overtime. Eli Manning threw for 384 yards and three touchdowns that game and will look to attain similar results tomorrow.

Unlike certain portions of the regular season, the Giants will have just about everyone healthy and ready to go for the postseason, with the lone notable exception being backup LB Mark Herzlich. It will be interesting to see how tight end Jake Ballard, who is healthy for the first time since Week 14, plays even though his knee is not at 100%. He will not be wearing a brace for the game. On the other hand, the Falcons may have to play without their top cornerback, Brett Grimes, who is questionable with a knee injury of his own. If Grimes is out, this could be great new for the Giants' receivers.

If the Giants can provide a good pass rush, limit their mistakes on pass coverage, get a good running game from Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, and have as few mistakes as possible from Manning, they should definitely have a good chance to advance in the postseason. With this being said, here are a few keys that can lead to a Giants victory.

Offensive Keys:

#1 Make sure Eli Manning does not throw off his back foot! As many fans have seen over the years, whenever Manning throws off his back foot, his throws generally tend to be either incomplete or intercepted by the opposing defense. If Eli uses good judgment while making his passes, his receivers can help him score a lot of points, and he has two explosive receivers in Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks. Cruz in particular has become one of Manning's new favorite weapons, so if Manning makes some good passes to him, he could have yet another huge touchdown run, which he has done in each of the past two games. Furthermore, with Mario Manningham healthy, Manning should also make some passes to him in order to keep the Falcons' defense guessing.

#2 Maintain balance between the running and passing game! The Giants got 106 combined rushing yards last week against the Cowboys. In order to have a better chance of winning, the Giants will need big games from both Bradshaw and Jacobs. Jacobs in particular is due for a big game. If he can get as much motivation as he had against Rex Ryan and the Jets, he can definitely provide problems for the Falcons' defense. As for Bradshaw, the key for him has always been to limit the fumbles. If he can hold onto the ball and make some good cuts, the sky is the limit for him.

#3 Limit the penalties! As stated by Frank last week, every inch matters, especially now that it's the postseason. The Giants cannot let false starts and other silly penalties get in the way of their gameplan. Being that they're home at MetLife Stadium, there hopefully will not be too many penalties. Nonetheless, if the Giants are called for penalties, they will only be shooting themselves in the foot. It's the first time they have been in the postseason in three years. There is no excuse for any pointless penalties to occur.

Defensive Keys:

#1 Hit Matt Ryan frequently! The heart and soul of the Giants' defense for years has been their defensive line, which widely considered the best group in the entire NFL. With three All-Pro defensive ends in Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, the Giants should be able to get to Ryan and get him to make bad passes and potentially turn the ball over.

#2 Don't let Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rogers run all over you! Much of the Falcons' offense is built around their passing game with Ryan and his top receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White. Yes, the Falcons will be passing the ball a lot, but don't overlook Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rogers. Turner rushed for 1,340 yards and 11 touchdowns this season and if the Giants are not careful, he can add another dimension to the Falcons' offense. Rogers plays mostly in 3rd Down situations, but don't overlook him either. The Giants' defense needs to expect the unexpected in order to keep themselves on their toes and not get burned by a big run.

#3 Avoid penalties! This concept applies to the Giants' defense as well, especially in light of the comments Justin Tuck made towards the Falcons' offensive line. If the Giants' defense can avoid as many penalties as possible, and particularly all the ones that involve mental mistakes, they should be able to somewhat contain the Falcons' offense, even if the Giants' defensive backs are over-matched by Jones and White.

Predictions Time:

Player of the Game- Victor Cruz has been on a roll in the last two weeks. With a three receptions and 164 receiving yards performance in Week 16 against the Jets and a six receptions and 178 receiving yards performance last week against the Cowboys, Cruz should have another big game. If Grimes is inactive for the game, this will only help Cruz become more and more explosive.

Runner Up- Mario Manningham has not been healthy all season, and with a lot of the attention now going towards Cruz and Nicks, look for Manning to find Manningham on shorter routes to try and fool the Falcons' defense. Having more weapons on the field will benefit Manning greatly, and with Manningham is not likely to get as much coverage, he could be a great option in critical situations.

Final Score- The Giants are very fortunate to have home-field advantage in this game, simply because the Falcons have been dominant at home. The Giants are more likely to perform well in cold weather and although this will be a very close game, the Giants should be able to pull out a victory and will likely go to Green Bay to face the #1 seed Packers in the Divisional Round.

Shale - Giants, 34-28
Adam- Giants, 34-24
Jim- Giants, 27-20
George- Giants, 38-17
Frank- Giants, 31-24

Stopping the Falcons’ Running Game Key for Giants Victory

2012-01-06T12:08:00.002-05:00

Jim Mancari

BGB Assistant Editor

When we think of the Atlanta Falcons, the following playmakers automatically come to mind on the offensive side of the ball: Matty “Ice” Ryan, future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez and big time wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones.

The Giants secondary will have a difficult enough time trying to defend these players, but Big Blue’s defense cannot lose sight of the Falcons running game.

One of the key matchups in this game will be the Giants front seven against Atlanta’s running backs.

The Giants enter Sunday’s game as the 19th ranked team against the run in the NFL at 121.2 yards per game. They’ll have to bear down up front to stop a three-headed Falcons’ attack.

Michael Turner is the featured back, and he finished third in the NFL with 1,340 yards rushing behind only Maurice Jones-Drew and Ray Rice. That averages out to 4.5 yards per carry. He also scored 11 touchdowns, making him one of the league’s most underrated players.

Turner is a big physical back that picks up speed once he gets into the open field. If he finds holes early, it could be a long day for the Giants defense.

The Falcons also employ running back Jason Snelling. Based on his rushing total of just 151 yards, you would think he isn’t an effective backup, and you’d be wrong.

Snelling is the third and short option. Give him the ball with a yard or less to pick up, and he’ll get it done. He’s another physical back who can wear down a defensive front.

If these two options weren’t enough, Jacquizz Rodgers is the shifty third back on the team. At just 5-feet 6-inches, Rodgers’ quickness provides a change of pace to Turner and Snelling. He’s averaged 3.6 yards per carry on the year.

In addition to carrying the ball, all three backs, especially Turner, can be dynamic pass catchers out of the backfield. They serve as check down options for Ryan if the receivers are covered down field.

One thing is certain heading into Sunday’s game: The Giants top-rated defensive front will put pressure on Ryan. In passing situations, Big Blue will send the kitchen sink into the offensive backfield.

But that’s when the linebackers need to step up and defend against the run. Ryan can read blitz and audible to a draw play, which would send Turner, Snelling or Rodgers into the secondary untouched. That’s what the Giants need to avoid.

Meanwhile, the Giants are the 29th ranked defense against the pass, so much of the focus will be on stopping Gonzalez, White and Jones. But once again, if the Giants don’t take care of their run assignments, the Falcons could have a field day.

Former Falcons and current Giants linebacker Michael Boley said he’s eager to take on his old mates. Containing the Falcons backs on the outside will be his responsibility.

The Falcons have an explosive offense, so it’s imperative that the defense puts together some early stops to allow Eli Manning to put some points on the board to give the G-Men a cushion. It worked against Dallas, and now it has to work in the playoffs.

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but the road to the Super Bowl starts Sunday at 1 p.m.

New York Giants: All For One One For All

2012-01-05T10:05:00.004-05:00

Alyssa "G-Men Girl" Franklin

BGB Featured Columnist

Makes you think of the Three Musketeers right? Well there is another group of proud men that have been using the phrase “All in.” It is different but in my opinion holds the same kind of meaning.

The New York Giants have a new mantra working for them. From the coaches to the players, everyone has moved their chips to the middle of the table and they are giving it their all.

Coach Tom Coughlin has always been one for the inspirational quotes. We all remember the great one in 2007 “Talk is cheap, play the game.” I have also heard “No toughness, No championship.” The one that all the players are buying into is sweet and simple. “All in.” It doesn’t get as simple as that.

There are many great stories that have come out of the organization this season. Many of them have lead the team to where they have gotten themselves into the playoffs. And they are great stories because so many wrote them off as average and not getting into the big dance. What is greater than proving people wrong?

How great is it for Tom Coughlin to be in this situation? Every week it seemed like everyone was calling for his head on a platter. I heard many analysts say that he should not be the head coach if the Giants don’t make it into the post season. It was nothing that I was saying. I knew that the team did not quit on him and after reading a story over the weekend about his and Antrel Rolle’s relationship and how it has grown it was solidly confirmed.

Coach Coughlin is known as a hard nosed coach. He doesn’t accept excuses and doesn’t handle his players like little kids. He doesn’t take a lot of stuff and he coaches with discipline. But the man has a heart and he shows his appreciation as much as he shows his disgust for certain things. But I also like to think that after the hit he took after the win over the Jets he showed that he was a person and a strong person at that. He doesn’t hold himself to higher regard over the players. I think it showed that he is just like them. I think that struck a cord with some of the guys.

Another great situation is Justin Tuck. He battled week in and week out with injuries. He made the comments about his play and said that he sucks. It ties in with how Coach Coughlin is a factor as a coach by taking his player aside and says basically “I need you. I need your leadership.” How awesome is that? It woke Justin up. And it was release the beast time.

The emergence of JPP has been amazing to watch. His energy has lit this team up. This kid comes into his second year, makes the pro bowl, ranked #4 in sacks, double digits in tackles and like I said this is second year! I mean it doesn’t get more exciting than that if you are a Giants fan. The veterans are hyped and therefore the passion that JPP has about this sport inspires those guys to get fired up too.

Eli has been amazing. If people are still arguing about his status as an elite quarterback in this league then they need medication. I haven’t seen him play better. In August everyone blasted him for saying he thinks he deserves to be in the elite class. 17 weeks in and 4,933 yards and 5 4th qr. comebacks later I think he has backed up his statement. Eli deserves credit and a lot of it. His interceptions have been reduced, his passes are accurate and precise, and he’s making good decisions and most of all he shows a quiet leadership that can’t be duplicated. I wouldn’t want anyone else being the Giants quarterback.

Now I have saved my favorite story for last. Who wants to go on a CRUZZZZ??? That’s right! Victor Cruz has got to be my favorite story. Who knew he would be like this??? Well I would like to say that I did but honestly I didn’t think he would make this big of an impact. I knew from last preseason against the Jets he would be a great receiver. However, I did not see him exploding onto the scene in this fashion. His skills are sick! The kid can catch double covered, one handed, between his legs (anyone remember that??), on the run and pretty much anywhere Eli puts it Cruz can catch it. It’s freakish!

I can’t even remember who didn’t get resigned in free agency. I think his name was Stan or something like that.

It’s the most exciting time of the season. The postseason is everything these guys have worked for. They are definitely all in. I am seeing great unity between these gladiators that we call Giants. It’s great to see that everything is coming together at the right time.

They are very much like the Three Musketeers. They have each others back, fight as a unit and want to be in control in their destiny.

Being all in IS being all for one and one for all.

New York Giants 2011 Playoffs: How Far Can They Go?

2012-01-03T19:19:00.003-05:00

Adam Carman
BGB Assistant Editor

All Giants fans are still rejoicing. They vanquished our most hated divisional rival to clinch their first playoff spot since 2008. But as birthday boy Eli Manning noted today, he would spend his special day preparing for the Atlanta Falcons. Nobody wants just to get into the playoffs; every team wants to go further.

My wife always likes to ask, "Is [insert opponent's name here] a good team?" All twelve of these teams are good--unlike hockey or basketball where half the teams make the postseason, the NFL postseason is more selective.

Given that we have spent the last month debating whether or not the Giants would even be here, it's worth asking, how far we we reasonably expect this team to go. I do not have the answer of course, but I would venture a few reasons this team can potentially go far.

In what is unfamiliar territory for die-hard Giants fans, the New York offense can match up favorably against any defense in the postseason. They've already proved they can hang with Green Bay and San Francisco. Detroit and Atlanta don't have powerful defenses. Even in New Orleans, the offense proved capable of moving the ball if not always scoring.

Eli Manning smashed the New York Giants single-season passing record by throwing for 4,933 yards. He had 15 4th quarter touchdown passes, breaking the record set by Johnny Unitas in 1959 and tied by Peyton Manning in 1999. Victor Cruz has broken almost every Giants receiving record there is, with a 99-yard touchdown catch, 1, 546 yards, and the most 20+ yard plays in Giants history.

He's a humbler version of Desean Jackson, except Cruz is better. And Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, Jake Ballard and Bear Pascoe aren't bad either. This offense is explosive and can carry the team, as Manning's numerous 4th quarter comebacks this season attest.

The big question is defense. While Jason Pierre-Paul is having a phenomenal season which earned him a Pro Bowl berth, other members of the banged-up defense has struggled. Against the Jets and twice against the Cowboys, this unit seems to be coming out of its funk. But is it enough? The Atlanta Falcons have a stellar QB in Matt Ryan, with one of the great tight ends in Roddy White, and dangerous receivers and runners. No one needs to mention what Green Bay and New Orleans have.

Still, defense is historically a Giants strongpoint and with the return of a pass rush, the signs are good. But the key is playing to their strengths. Perry Fewell has to abandon forever the 5 or 6-defensive back scheme. When our secondary is confident that the pass rush is working, they will cover their assignments. Even Antrel Rolle has been playing better of late.

The Falcons have one weakness: they have a predilection for the pass. They have one of the most dangerous runners in the league in Michael Turner, but it has been easy for Falcons' opponents to turn the Falcons to a one-dimension team by shutting down the run and forcing Ryan to throw. With the offense on a scoring binge, the Giants could easily follow suit...and the win is inevitable.

But what about beyond the Falcons? The Giants themselves can't afford to look ahead, but we can. Assuming the Saints beat the Lions, a victory over Atlanta earns the Giants a rematch with Green Bay, this time in the frigid North. We came close last time and we'll be hungry for blood. I won't predict a win over the Packers in their homeland, but it's within the realm of possibility. The Packers are human.

The Giants have a better offense than the Lions and a vastly better defense. If somehow the Lions do defeat the Saints (fingers crossed), the Giants will get a rematch against San Francisco. Once again, a team that narrowly defeated them. Offense and defense, the Giants are playing better now than they were in week eight when they faced San Fran last.

Honestly, if the Giants continue to play the way they have over most of December (the only bad game in the last six weeks has been the Redskins loss), the only opponent we need fear is New Orleans, and the Giants at 9-7 are better than any of the teams in the AFC.

Will we see a repeat of 2007? I don't know, but keep your eyes open. This team is peaking at just the right time and the last time that happened...well, you know what happened.

New York Giants Cap-Boom: Week 17 vs the Cowboys

2012-01-02T13:58:00.000-05:00

Frank Gray
BGB Editor

The New York Giants (8-7) faced off with the Dallas Cowboys (8-7) in a prime time, winner-take-all divisional showdown last night. With the pressure of the moment built to extraordinary heights throughout the week, the anticipation was intense.

The Cowboys came into the game with their QB Tony Romo hurting. The Giants had injury woes of their own. Osi Umenyiora, Hakeem Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw all played despite injuries. The Giants opened the first half red hot.

In a scoreless game in the First Quarter, Eli Manning hit Victor Cruz for a short crossing route that, with the help of good blocking up field, he was able to turn into a 74 yard TD strike and an early lead. Then Ahmad Bradshaw got into the scoring fun. He had a five yard TD run and toward the end of the first half, a ten yard TD catch from Manning.

The defense showed up hungry too. The Giants Defensive Line managed to get to Romo repeatedly en route to bringing him down six times. Osi Umenyiora had two sacks to lead the way, Justin Tuck had one and Pro Bowl DE Jason Pierre-Paul had one as well. The Giants built a 21-0 lead going into the locker room.

The second half was a little more anxiety-ridden, however. The Giants came out flat on both ends of the field, while Dallas came out fired up to shift the momentum and get back into the game. After the Cowboys scored 14 points in the Third Quarter and early in the Fourth Quarter on TD passes from Romo to Laurent Robinson to draw to within one score at 21-14, the Giants finally answered.

The defense, thanks to a leaping tackle over the pile by Michael Boley, stopped the Cowboys on a 4th and inches play minutes later to turn the ball over. Then, led by Eli Manning the Giants converted a 3rd and 7 opportunity on a play that was eerily reminiscent of the Tyree Super Bowl catch.

Manning scrambled in the pocket and wrestled his way out of a would-be sack, to heave the ball down field into the leaping arms of Victor Cruz for a 44 yard catch. That set up a Lawrence Tynes field goal and a 24-14 lead.

The Offense put the nail in the coffin when Manning hit Hakeem Nicks on a fade route in the end zone with 4:55 to go in the game. The party was on in MetLife Stadium as the New York Giants captured their 16th division title en route to their 31st playoff appearance on the strength of a 31-14 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Eli Manning gets the very slight nod for this. He threw for 346 yards, 3 TD and no INT. He also had completions to nine different receivers. He was extremely effective at spreading the ball around and buying time for his receivers to get open. This led to big plays down field and an explosive offensive output. He set an NFL record with 15 4th Qrt TDs this season when he hit Nicks in the final minutes.

RUNNER-UP: Victor Cruz could easily be the Player of the Game here, but he would gladly settle for Runner-up honors in this case. He salsa danced his way to 178 yards receiving, 1 TD on six catches and one huge, leaping catch to extend an eventual scoring drive.

DUD OF THE GAME: Brandon Jacobs had seven carries for just 16 yards, but that's not the worst part of his day. Late in the Third Qrt, the Giants went for it on a 4th and 1. Of course, they handed the ball to their 6'4", 264 lbs running back, thinking he would smash someone's teeth in to pick up the needed yard. Instead, he tiptoed sideways before getting hit well short of the first down marker. The play resulted in a turnover on downs.

TURNING POINT: The 44 yard pass and catch in the Fourth Qrt from Manning to Cruz easily gets this title. At the time, it was a 21-14 game and the battle for momentum was shifting back and forth. After this play, everyone (even Cowboys owner Jerry Jones) knew this game was going to be a Giants win.

The catch led to a 10 point lead after the Tynes field goal. Then, the defense knew the Cowboys needed to pass to get back into it. That fell right into the strength of the defense; their pass rush. The rest is now history.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Ahmad Bradshaw having a good game is not a surprise, but doing so while injured is. He was listed as questionable most of the week. He turned in a 57 yard rushing performance and added 12 yards receiving on three catches. He scored two very important TD's. Without his first half efforts, the Giants would not have built the lead the Cowboys never overcame.

BIGGEST LETDOWN: The two fumbles in this game could have been crucial. One on a punt return by Will Blackmon and the other by Brandon Jacobs on a carry. What they turned out to be were close calls, but either one could have turned the game into the Cowboys favor.

When Jacobs fumbled the ball in the second half, the game was still close. Had it not been for Eli Manning being alert and falling on it, the Cowboys surely would have had the turnover. Ball security is a must in the playoffs. If they do that consistently next week, they'll be out of the running very quickly.

PROGNOSIS: With the triumphant victory and the NFC East title captured, the Giants have a day to rest on their laurels, but they must rest fast. Next Sunday, at 1pm in MetLife Stadium, the next chapter begins. They host the Wild Card winning Atlanta Falcons.

Led by QB Matt Ryan, RBs Michael Turner and Julio Jones, WR Roddy White and future Hall of Fame TE Tony Gonzalez, the Falcons are a formidable and explosive opponent. One that is extremely capable of winning a tough road playoff game. The Giants need to be at their best and continue this high level of play if they are to be successful.

Happy New Year from Big Giants Boom!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

The staff of Big Giants Boom would like to wish you a Happy New Year. May it be a healthy, happy, prosperous and magical 2012 for you, your family and the New York Giants. The staff here at Big Giants Boom looks forward to continuing to help share in your Giants experience in the coming year.

May the new year bring forth a successful offseason, draft and upcoming season. As always, we will be here the entire way to bring you our take on it all. In the mean time, may your new year be everything you hope for it to be and more. Happy New Year!

New York Giants vs Cowboys- Round Two: Boom Preview

2011-12-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

Frank Gray
BGB Editor

The New York Giants (8-7) face off with the Dallas Cowboys (8-7) on Sunday night in the final game of the regular season in a winner-take-all divisional showdown. The stakes have not been this high in a Giants/Cowboys game since their playoff game in January of 2008.

Their last meeting was a dramatic 37-34 win in which the Giants, on the strength of two TD's in the closing minutes, pulled out a tremendous comeback victory. With the lead and the clock down to just seconds, Jason Pierre-Paul blocked the Cowboys game-tying field goal attempt to seal it for Big Blue.

Entering this pivotal matchup the Cowboys are hobbling. Their leader, Tony Romo, is nursing a bruised right hand that he injured last week against the Eagles. The same injury that forced him to sit out more than a half of football and led to a Cowboys loss in Philly.

He has practiced this week with and without it wrapped. Without it wrapped, his passes were flat and inaccurate, with it, he had a little more zip on them. Whether he wraps it on Sunday night or not remains to be seen, but as our own Jim Mancari writes, it will create extra drama. In addition to this, they will be without their leading rusher DeMarco Murray who was injured in the first meeting with the Giants and lost for the season.

The Giants enter the game with some injury woes of their own. They will be without Jake Ballard and Mark Herzlich. Both have been ruled out. Defensive End Osi Umenyiora is listed as questionable and will try to play, though he stated earlier this week that first time Pro Bowler Jason Pierre-Paul should be the starter.

Even if JPP starts, a healthy Umenyiora would be a major boost to a tired defensive front and help the secondary by hurrying Tony Romo into making mistakes, thus allowing for less time the corners have to cover the explosive Dallas receivers. With all of that said, here are a few keys, similar to the last game, that can lead to a Giants win in this all important final regular season game.

Offensive Keys:

#1 Keep up keeping your composure! In their last meeting, the Giants committed six penalties for 55 yards. A few of those killed drives for the offense. Last week, they committed only five for 45 yards and used the Jets aggressiveness against them as the Jets committed ten penalties for 95 yards.

In both games, the offense killed themselves repeatedly with foolish penalties like holds and false starts. Last week, they limited these just enough to pull out a win. This has to be improved on even more this week if the Giants are to host Detroit next week.

#2 Maintain balance! Last week against the Jets, the Giants rushing attack, still ranked last (32nd) in the NFL, managed to have a good game. Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs and D.J. Ware combined for 115 yards. This helped the passing attack immensely. New Pro Bowl selection Eli Manning threw for only 225 yards but had a record breaking 99 yard strike to Pro Bowl alternate selection Victor Cruz.

It was set up by a Giants devotion to running the ball early. The Jets defense was thinking run defense on the one yard line and an accurate pass combined with a few missed tackles led to Cruz being off to the races for a score. That balance will be not only crucial against the Cowboys this week, it will be a requirement.

#3 Fight for every inch! In a game so vitally important, the Giants have to show some heart, grit, defiance and determination. They have to be tenacious. If they aren't they will find this to be a very difficult game to win. Every yard in this game matters. Every cut and every juke in this game has to lead to extra yardage.

If they have 3rd and long situations, they will make it extremely hard to convert into 1st downs and extend drives. The receivers have to make their opportunities matter this week more than any other game. The running backs have to make the most of their carries. If the offense doesn't take on this mentality, they will not get another chance in the playoffs.

Defensive Keys:

#1 Hit Romo frequently! With the Cowboys most important game of the season, their QB is pushing himself to play. This could be a big mistake, but a necessary risk for Dallas. The Giants have to take every opportunity to make him regret starting this game that they can.

When he is back throwing, they have to hit him. They have to make contact. They need to follow through with their sacks and make Romo feel the pain of playing in a game of this magnitude. They have to get their hands up and try to bat passes down. If they don't, Romo will take full advantage of their 27th ranked passing defense.

#2 Make them predictable! If Romo gets a chance to use his explosive receivers, the Giants will have a lot of trouble. It all starts with the Cowboys running game. Felix Jones will try to establish himself on the ground. By doing this, Dallas will have a balanced offense that will be hard to stop.

If the Giants can stop Jones and limit the run game, the Cowboys will be forced to pass. When they become that predictable, the Giants will be able to use their biggest strength; the pass rush. The pass rush will buy time for the secondary to do a good enough job at staying with the speedy receivers that Dallas has and force Romo to get rid of the ball when he doesn't want to. That will lead to mistakes and abrupt endings to drives.

#3 Avoid penalties! The defense will be hyped for this one. So will the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants have to avoid committing the stupid mistakes that come with a lack of composure. Things like defensive holding, taunting, pass interference and unnecessary roughness are all avoidable penalties, but penalties that help the Cowboys. They have to refrain from these mistakes and keep their wits about them.

Predictions Time:

Player of the Game- Brandon Jacobs will have a big game. The Giants need to throw their weight around and Jacobs gets especially amped up for these types of scenarios. Expect him to score at least once and set up a few other red zone visits.

Runner Up- Hakeem Nicks has 71 catches for 1,116 yards and six TD's. He is capable of breaking a catch at any time. He has finally been given a clean bill of health and is a "go" for Sunday night. With Dallas becoming more aware of Victor Cruz in the slot and occasionally lined up opposite to Nicks, expect Nicks to get more touches and more big plays than normal.

Final Score- With the final week of the regular season upon us, it comes down to one game to decide the winner of the Big Giants Boom's Prediction Challenge. Tom earned three points last week by being only two points away from the correct score of the Giants/Jets game. By doing so, he has pulled into a tie for first.

Adam earned two points and has inched his way into a tie for second and only a point behind the leaders. Jim is still just two points away from winning as he, too, earned last week. Like the game on the field, this week is a winner-take-all scenario for this challenge too. The winner will be announced on our facebook page next week. You can follow it here.

Frank (9)-Giants, 31-27

Tom (9)- Giants, 24-10

Alyssa (8)- Giants

Adam (8)- Giants, 35-24

Jim (7)- Giants, 31-20

Romo’s Bruised Hand vs. Schilling’s Bloody Sock

2011-12-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

Jim Mancari

BGB Assistant Editor

We all know the story about Curt Schilling’s bloody sock.

Schilling took the mound with an injured ankle in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS for the Boston Red Sox against the hated New York Yankees. The Yanks had held a 3-0 series lead, but the Red Sox battled back to make the series 3-2.

The famous “bloody sock” was the remnant of seven strong innings from Schilling and a 4-2 Red Sox win.

Fittingly, the Red Sox won Game 7 and eventually beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

One of Schilling’s bloody socks is now in the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown

So you might be thinking, what relevance does the bloody sock have to the New York Football Giants? It’s not even the same sport.

Well, in the battle for the NFC East, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will be playing with a bruised hand that he suffered in last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Wednesday in practice, Romo did not wear any protective brace on his hand, since X-rays came back negative. However, his throws reportedly had very little zip on them. But Thursday, he practiced with a hand wrap and was said to be throwing the ball well.

Sunday night’s game will determine the NFC East champion and the destination of a home playoff game. To say it’s a big game would be a complete understatement.

Now back to the bloody sock. This is a similar stage that Schilling was in back in 2004: on the road, in New York, facing possible elimination and playing injured.

Sports are uncanny, aren’t they?

However, this time around, I hope that we don’t wind up seeing any hand brace or glove or anything that Romo wears on Sunday in the Pro Football Hall of Fame at Canton.

In fact, a best-case scenario would be for the Giants defensive front, led by Pro Bowler Jason Pierre-Paul, to knock Romo around early and often. It’s unlikely that Romo will come out of the game due to its importance, but his effectiveness will certainly be compromised.

Seven years later, the bloody sock still lives in infamy. Let’s hope “Romo’s brusied hand” is forgotten after one week.

New York Giants: New York Resolutions

2011-12-29T13:40:00.009-05:00

BGB Featured Columnist
Alyssa G-Men Girl Franklin

Well 2011 is 2 days away from being over and 2012 walks right on in. It’s been quite a year if you are a football fan.

We have had the lock out, then a crazy free agency period, quick preseason and a whole lot of drama from there. Who would have thought that the Giants season would come down to the very last game against the Cowboys?

What other way to top it all off but to have New Years in New York?

Everyone makes a New Year’s resolution and tries to stick through with it until about 3 weeks into the New Year. Then at that point you say forget it and go back to your old ways.

Resolutions are about change. To make a change for the better and that’s why we make them. I bring that up because a lot of fans are saying for the Giants organization need to make a change if by some chance they do not make it into the post season for the third time.

They believe that a change will make things better. Fire the coach, the defensive coordinator, the offensive coordinator and the GM. That is the change that being chanted through chat rooms and blogs.

Do I believe that is the right thing to do? Well my opinion doesn’t reach the upper levels of Giants Royalty but I don’t believe it will.

People believe that a Bill Cowher will be happy to jump right in and take over the reigns in New York. I don’t see that as a possibility. Plus he hasn’t coached in so long that he will take some time to get in the groove of things.

Call me sappy, but I would not want to see anyone lead our GMEN other than Tom Coughlin. I don’t think that the team has tuned him out at all. I believe in the way he leads and handles adversity. His resolutions should to stay the same strong coach that he has always been.

Now I am okay with a change with the offensive coordinator. There needs to be some spice there and Kevin Gilbride is either too stubborn or too comfortable with what he does. His resolution needs to be an innovator and change it up. Make the offense exciting. The Giants have an amazing QB in Eli Manning and electrifying wide receiving corp. Utilize it!

Perry Fewell’s fire has gone up and down. Last season he was bringing the pain and I understand when you lose a lot of the starters it makes it difficult but come on! You guys are pros!!! Perry’s resolution is simple. Find the fire within! Do what ever it takes to fire up your squad and lead them back to the dominance that they are known for.

Resolutions are like rules. They are made to be broken. The New York Giants don’t need to make a ton of resolutions. To me they need to just do some tweaking. This is a fine team and when all the missing parts are back together then all resolutions may seem useless. But if they want things to go their way then these are resolutions that they need to keep working on.

Well I hope that everyone has a blessed New Year and it’s going to be an exciting beginning to the New Year in New York. Let’s start it off with a win and a pass to go into the post season!

New York Giants Playoffs: The Cup Runneth Over with Hate

2011-12-27T14:22:00.000-05:00

In a season that begins with gifts and ends with a New Year's kiss, it's only fitting that the New York Giants go against the flow of the holidays this year. In their upcoming winner-take-all game against the Dallas Cowboys, the Giants enter a scenario in which they have exchanged verbal gut punches with a team they hate.

The Cowboys have players who have stated their disdain for the Giants and it is reciprocated by New York. Before we continue, though, let's examine exactly what the word "hate" means. According to Webster's online dictionary,

"Hate: To have a great aversion to, with a strong desire that evil should befall the person toward whom the feeling is directed; to dislike intensely; to detest; as, to hate one's enemies; to hate hypocrisy."

Based on this definition, that's a strong statement. But it is not without merit in this case. The Cowboys have long been a thorn in the side of the Giants and their fans. The Cowboys/ Giants rivalry may have its earliest beginning with the birth of the Cowboys franchise in 1960. From 1956 to 1959, the Giants had two young, promising coordinators.

One was Vince Lombardi (Offensive Coordinator). The same man they named the Super Bowl trophy after. His success with the Packers after leaving the Giants has been the basis for the long standing feud with Green Bay. Second, the Giants had a great mind as the defensive coordinator. His name was Tom Landry.

Together, these legendary coaches led the Giants to an NFL Championship (before the Super Bowl era) and three title games in four years. The Giants were a dynasty. Landry left for greener pastures and became the first head coach of the new expansion team in Dallas. The rest is history.

Much in the same way that Lombardi's success fueled the rivalry with the Packers, Landry's impact on the Cowboys made this rivalry far more intense than it ever could have been. After that, the two teams became more and more competitive.

These days, it's all about the rings (Cowboys have five and the Giants have three) to the average fan, but if you were to ask a fan that really knows and respects the history of the sport of football, they'll tell you it's about the bond players and coaches have with various organizations. This is one of those cases. These two teams hate each other for a reason. It has much less to do with titles than one would think.

Though continued success has a massive effect on it, the rivalry is mainly fueled by history. When these teams say they "hate" each other, they are not lying or exaggerating. They loathe the very core of one another. They really do wish evil on the other as the definition would suggest. On Sunday night, one of them will be wishing it a little more after they are eliminated from playoff contention.

So after all the gifts are unwrapped and returned for what you really wanted and the well wishes and kisses have all been exchanged for the New Year, remember that there's a time and a place for hate to grow and build and readily be on open display for the entire country to partake in: It's in Metlife Stadium at 8:20 pm on Sunday night.

New York Giants Cap-Boom: Week 16 vs. the Jets

2011-12-26T20:35:00.003-05:00

Adam Carman
BGB Assistant Editor

Well, it was a blue Christmas in New York. Rex Ryan had his fat mouth shut hard. It is already being heralded as one of the most difficult defeats of Ryan's tenure, as the big brothers of New York football toppled the perennial second-best 29-14 on Christmas Eve. The Giants have now swept the AFC East. If somehow you missed it, you missed a fantastic game. Without further ado, let's get right down to basics.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: The entire Giants defense. There were still some hiccups here and there and the tuck rule continues to rear its ugly head and demonstrate its idiocy, but overall the unit showed up and played hard for four quarters. JPP is a one-man wrecking crew, Webster and Phillips had picks, Jacquian Williams recovered a fumble and Chris Canty recorded a safety. Justin Tuck and Dave Tollefson also had sacks.

Meanwhile, the Jets running game was shut down early and just like the Eagles game the week before, Rex Ryan's offense was jolted out of its comfort zone and resorted to the pass. And Sanchez is no Eli Manning. If this defense continues to show up, the Giants will be playing well into January.

RUNNER-UP: Ahmad Bradshaw. Most people probably thought I'd say Victor Cruz, but he's been so praised on this page, I figured it was somebody else's turn. Bradshaw carried the ball 15 times for 54 yards and most importantly scored two rushing touchdowns. The last clinched the game.

After Canty's safety, the Jets tried an onside free kick. When it didn't work, they stacked the line against the run. Usually that's a good move, but just as before when his touchdown run forced a Jets safety from the game, Bradshaw smashed through the 11 men and raced for the touchdown.

TURNING POINT: Late in the second quarter, the Giants had 1st and 10 on their own goal-line. Two straight incompletions left them 3rd and 10 and the commentators were already saying, "You just need some yards to make a decent punt." Obviously no one told Eli Manning or Victor Cruz. Manning found Cruz right at the marker.

A quick move made both Darrell Revis and a linebacker miss and Cruz raced downfield for the first 99-yard touchdown in Giants history. While this only made it 10-7 and there were many opportunities for the Jets to take back control, it was clear for the rest of the afternoon that the Giants were inside the Jets' heads and not even the refs doing all they could to help could salvage the game.

DUD OF THE GAME: Hakeem Nicks. It's too late in the season to be dropping easy passes and tipping balls to the defense. Manning should have looked elsewhere during the game but even with Revis Island on him, he should be able to make some plays. If he wants top billing as a receiver and not to be outshone by Victor Cruz, he has to start making these plays.

SURPRISE OF THE GAME: Special teams. Returns continue to be an issue for the Giants, but coverage has improved quite a bit. The Jets were starting with bad field position for many of their drives, including the second-to-last one which led to a safety and then a Giants touchdown.

PROGNOSIS: Now 8-7, the Giants host the similarly 8-7 Dallas Cowboys on New Years Day. Winner gets the NFC East and the number four seed. This game will be hard-fought as all of them are, but the Cowboys have different strengths than the Jets. Eli Manning and his receivers struggled against the Jets, but the Cowboys' strength is in their line, not their secondary.

Look for a big passing day from Manning. The defense will also have to account for a better passing game on their end as well as a dangerous running game, but beating the Jets should give them a good practice for what's to come.

Happy Holidays from Big Giants BOOM!

2011-12-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

The staff of Big Giants Boom would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a wonderful, safe and happy holiday season. May your every wish come true. We also would like to thank each and every one of you for reading, following and helping to spread Big Giants Boom.

The staff work very hard all year long to make this an enjoyable experience for everyone that is a fan of the New York Football Giants. With that all said, may the season be warm and inspirational to us all, making way to a successful playoff run for our favorite team.

New York Giants vs Jets: Boom Preview

2011-12-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Frank Gray
BGB Editor

The New York Giants (7-7) are at a crossroads. They must win out the remainder of their season in order to make the playoffs. They only find themselves in this position after an embarrassing loss last week against Washington. Also losses to the Seahawks, Washington in week one and a four game losing streak didn't help matters either. They are in a dire state.

The team they face in a few days, for a rare Saturday game, is just as dire. The New York Jets (8-6) have lost both of their games to the Patriots this year, lost to the Oakland Raiders earlier this season and were blown out just last week in an embarrassing game of their own at the hands of the Eagles. Both the Jets and the Giants have spent the week talking unnecessary and unearned smack through the media.

Players and coaches alike have exchanged their opinions through reporters and other sources. The end result is a game that is overly-hyped for all the wrong reasons. These are two teams that sit in second place in their respected divisions. Neither one has taken care of their own business. Neither one can stop shooting their mouths off.

Fans on both sides are getting irritated by their team running at the mouth like verbal diarrhea without showing an ounce of anything to back up their words. Both teams have a great passing attack, under-the-radar QB's, no running game worth writing about and an over-rated defense. They are almost identical. With that said, both teams are dangerous if they get into the playoffs.

Both teams have the ability to turn the switch on at any given time in order to hit a hot stretch. The Giants have shown this against the toughest competitors this year. They have lost in the final seconds to San Francisco and Green Bay. They have defeated Dallas and New England. They can hang with the best teams when they play well.

The Jets can too. They have defeated Dallas and San Diego. They can be a tough assignment this week for the Giants. Even though it is at Metlife Stadium, it is a road game for the Giants. They face a tough receiver that once led them to glory and a secondary that is talented enough to take away the big passing threats that Eli Manning uses every week. If the Giants are going to win, they have to do a few things.

Offensive Keys:

#1 Mix it up! The Jets are ranked 7th against the pass. They are great at defending receivers and being physical at the line of scrimmage to offset the receiver's routes. As talented as they are, they are suckers for play-action passes.

The secondary, led by Darell Revis, are not good at run stopping. When teams commit to the run, they get into the mindset of run-stopping and can be caught off guard by the big pass play. If the Giants hope to pass on them, they have to take what this secondary gives them and not force anything.

#2 Keep your balance! This will be an extremely tense game. Forget the war of words for a second. Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives. This is the closest thing to a win or go home scenario. The temptation will be very strong to play on raw emotion. The trouble is that doing that is a double-edged sword. While playing with emotion brings out passion, heart and intensity, it also brings out a lack of composure.

There is a delicate balance that the Giants have tried to walk all season between these two extremes. Both are necessary but too much of one and the team is not going to be effective. Too much emotion and they commit far too many penalties, thereby ruining their drives. Too much composure and the team is lifeless.

#3 Spread the ball around! The Jets are good on the corners. There is no doubt about that. Their biggest weakness in defending the pass is down the middle. Last week, Eagles TE Brent Celek had a season high game against this defense with 156 yards and a TD. In the second meeting with the Patriots, the New England TE (Gronkowski) had eight catches and two TDs.

If Eli Manning is to be effective, he needs the TE position to play more like the TE position of earlier this season as opposed to recently. They have to attack the middle of the field. Especially since the Jets best safety (Jim Leonhard) is out for the season. They are susceptible to the short passes and comeback routes up the middle, particularly when an offense that has a good TE runs an effective play action pass.

Defensive Keys:

#1 Stop Shonn Greene! The Jets rank 21st in rushing. They're not great at running the ball, but they don't stink at it either. Their best running back option is easily Shonn Greene. He is a local product (from Southern New Jersey) that will be looking to have a huge game. He has amassed 941 yards rushing this season and most likely will top the 1,000 yard mark Saturday.

But the Giants have to limit his red zone effectiveness. If they keep him out of the end zone, the Giants will force field goals more often than not. He will get into open field and will try to make plays. The Giants need to get him wrapped up when they have him stopped in order to limit the damage he can do.

#2 Get in Plax's head! Plaxico Burress is known for being a physical receiver. In fact, in his greatest game (against the Packers in the 2007 playoffs) he was repeatedly seen pushing and shoving to gain separation on his routes. He is a passionate player that plays the game on nothing but emotion and body position. If the Giants let him be physical and hit back early in the route, he will eventually take it too far.

The emotion of the game, the atmosphere and the opponent (his former team) will all get to him. Expect to see him get flags thrown his way for offensive pass interference, holding and taunting. These will kill their drives. The Jets will let the emotion get the best of them and literally shoot themselves in the thigh (pun intended). Plax will be a big reason why.

#3 Knock Sanchez around! Mark Sanchez is not a great QB. The stats back that up. He's better than most think, but he is far from Eli Manning's status. If he didn't have the receivers he has, he would be even worse than he is. He leads a passing game that ranks 21st (just over 201 yards a game) with receivers like Plaxico Burress, Santonio Holmes and Dustin Keller. Personally, Sanchez has 3,009 yards passing, 23 TD's and 13 INT's. He also has five fumbles, losing three of them, and a weak front line in front of him.

He, like Manning is not a mobile QB, but he, unlike Manning, will stay idle in the pocket. If you were to take away his one 25 yard carry this season, he has 13 carries for seven yards, or a half a yard per attempt. He does have five TD's rushing as the Jets like to call the QB sneak in goal line situations, but the point is, he stays well inside the pocket. He is easily rattled into mistakes. His worst games have come against good pass rushing teams.

Take last week as an example. Against Philly, he was sacked four times, picked off twice and held a 67.8 passer rating after their defense knocked him around. I'm sorry, but the Eagles don't have a pass rush anywhere close to the level of the Giants. Justin Tuck, J.P.P. and company should get to him repeatedly. If they do, it will be a long day for Fireman Ed and the Jets fans.

Predictions Time:

Player of the Game- Ahmad Bradshaw has the chance to step up this week. With a balanced rushing attack and taking advantage of his touches in the passing game, he could combine for a big day with multiple appearances in the end zone.

Runner Up- Eli Manning will have a good game. He has shown his best performances against the better teams in big situations. He will show up clutch. With all the wide receivers available and Jake Ballard down, he will have to go to multiple players throughout the game. As long as they make the catches, he will post the numbers we all expect.

Final Score: After last week's ridiculous loss to Washington where all of the staff got the score wrong, there is no change in the standings. With only two games left, it all comes down to the next week and a half to find out who wins this heated competition.

Frank (9)- 31-24, Giants

Alyssa (8)- Giants

Adam (7)- 21-17, Giants

Tom (6)- 31-14, Giants

Jim (5)- 24-17, Giants

Let’s Go Cowboys?!?!?!

2011-12-23T11:54:00.002-05:00

Jim Mancari

BGB Assistant Editor

Say it isn’t so, but it looks like Giants fans need to be cheering for the Dallas Cowboys this weekend.

The Cowboys take on the Philadelphia Eagles, who all of a sudden are still alive in playoff contention after getting off to a terrible start.

At 6-8, the Eagles can win out to finish 8-8. They’d have to beat the Cowboys and the Redskins. If so, the Eagles would have a 5-1 divisional record—the best among any NFC East team.

The Cowboys meanwhile can lose to the Eagles but then beat the Giants, and they’d finish 9-7 and still win the division. But if the Cowboys lose both games and the Eagles win both, both teams would be 8-8, but the Eagles would have won both head-to-head matchups—the first tiebreaker—and would thus win the division.

So as Giants fans, we actually need Dallas to win, even if (and hopefully when) the Giants beat the Jets in the highly anticipated Battle of New York. The Giants would move to 8-7, but their division record of 2-3 would remain intact.

If the Cowboys beat the Eagles, Philadelphia is officially eliminated. They’d have nine losses with only one game to play.

If the Eagles win, they’d be 7-8, 4-1 in the division, 2-0 against the Cowboys and 1-1 against the Giants. They would have to defeat the Washington Redskins at home (a definite possibility), thus improving their divisional record to 5-1.

Even if the Eagles win this week, they would need the Giants to beat Dallas in the final game for the Cowboys to finish 8-8. If the Giants lose this week, all three teams have the potential to finish 8-8, in which case it’s the Eagles that make the playoffs based on divisional record.

This is some mess the Giants have gotten themselves into. If the Giants lose to the Jets, their playoff hopes are basically done. But actually, there is still a scenario in which they could win the division.

The Eagles would have to beat the Cowboys and then lose at home to Redskins to finish 7-9. The Cowboys meanwhile would have lost to the Eagles and then must lose to the Giants. Dallas and the Giants would both be 8-8 atop the division, but Big Blue would have won both head-to-match ups over the Cowboys giving them the tiebreaker.

But the safest bet for Giants fans is to just root for Dallas to beat the Eagles and then hope the Giants can win the final two games. The Eagles would be done, and it would come down to a one-game playoff for the NFC East title.

Whoever makes the schedule certainly made things interesting over the final two weeks in the NFC East. It’s really a matter of each of the three contending teams underachieving for most of the season.

Philadelphia was the heavy favorite in the preseason, Dallas has lost so many close games and the Giants experienced their typical second half collapse.

So in the end, find some “Big-D” stars, Giants fans, and display them proudly because we could use some help.

But then again, all of this mishmosh is irrelevant if the Giants win both of their games.

Eli is Our King: Why ELI Manning Should Be NFL MVP

2011-12-22T22:54:00.003-05:00

by Adam Carman BGB Assistant Editor

Eli Manning is the New York Giants' MVP. He is the one constant, and his play is only getting better. He has already shattered Kerry Collins' single season passing yardage record and there are still two games left. Hopefully whatever else there might be debate upon, Eli Manning's status as an elite passer in a passing-dominated league had better not be one of them.

Still, being the best quarterback in Giants history is rarely seen as a prerequisite for NFL MVP. But this season in particular, Eli has been quietly building a case that he belongs in the conversation for the League's highest honor. The Giants haven't had an MVP since Lawrence Taylor did it in 1986. I am not delusional enough to believe the Giants will get any honors from the League this year: Eli Manning finished 5th in Pro Bowl balloting and will probably be passed over for MVP for Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees. But here are three reasons why ELI Manning deserves consideration this year.

3. Eli Manning is threatening Dan Marino's passing yards record. For twenty-seven years, the single-season passing yards record has stood at 5,084. set in 1984 by the legendary Dan Marino. All season we've been treated to predictions that Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, or Tom Brady (and perhaps all three of them) would pass it this season. But over the last few weeks, Eli Manning has suddenly entered the conversation. Racking up only 200+ yards against Washington last week set him back somewhat but he still stands at over 4300 yards and with good passing days against the Jets and the Cowboys, he could still hit Marino's number, and is a very real threat to be the first Giants quarterback EVER to pass for more than 5,000 yards in a season. That's right: not Phil Simms, not Kerry Collins, not Charlie Conerly, not Y.A. Tittle, ever passed this mark. Giants fans are not used to having an actual elite quarterback, and that he has done it without any big name receivers and coaches that prefer the running game is astounding. We all know how good Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz are, but they are not famous for stretching the field. Eli Manning has taken a group of no-name receivers and made them all-pros. This deserves recognition beyond his team's hardcore fans. Which brings us to point #2.

2. Eli Manning makes his receivers better; they don't make him better. I admire Aaron Rodgers, and have a certain grudging respect for Tom Brady, and God help me, I'm actually becoming indifferent to Drew Brees. But it cannot be escaped: These three have succeeded because of their stellar teams. Just watch one of their games. Rodgers and Brees could flick the ball with their left hands anywhere within ten yards of one of their guys and he'll come down with it, nine times in ten. They have solid offensive lines and decent running games backing them up and defenses that, while not among the greatest, still hold firm more often than not. Eli has none of these things. He has had them in the past, but this year with a defense that ranks in the bottom five, a reshuffled offensive line that struggles and a running game that has definitely not lived up to its reputation, and a group of receivers that nobody outside New York City recognizes as genuine deep threats, Eli Manning has carried this team. Even against Green Bay, as the defense surrendered points like it was giving them up for Lent, Eli Manning tied the game in the waning seconds. He drove down field to win against New England and led the bounce-back on the road against Dallas. Green Bay, New England and New Orleans can outlast subpar performances by their quarterbacks and manage to carry the day. The Giants cannot win without Eli Manning. It's not exactly an exciting admission for a die-hard Giants fan to make: I'd like to believe they're a solid team but I have no evidence of that based on this season. My evidence says Eli Manning is our only hope.

1. The Giants still control their playoff destiny. This is not only good for Giants fans. Without Manning, the Giants would be long gone in the playoff picture. He orchestrated the wins in Philly, Arizona, New England and Dallas; he kept them in the game vs. Green Bay and San Francisco, and the Philly rematch. Even Sunday, plagued by bad balls from his receivers and a horrendous defensive showing, Manning kept the Giants threatening until the very end. Giants fans tend to think our beloved team could have already clinched a playoff spot, but the truth is, and NFL fans should appreciate this: Without Manning the Giants could easily be 0-14 at this point. Without Manning, they would be the Indianapolis Colts. And if Peyton deserves consideration from all these years, and even this year when his absence is so keenly felt in Indiana, then his younger brother deserves it. I doubt the NFL will see things my way, but they should, and for reasons beyond the fact that I am one of Eli's biggest fans.

New York Giants Boom: Naughty or Nice

2011-12-22T13:09:00.005-05:00

Alyssa "G-Men Girl" Franklin

BGB Featured Columnist

With this being the holiday weekend, I figured what better than to write my opinion on who deserves a lump of coal in their stocking and who deserves a gift of praise. I know after last Sunday’s debacle no one should get a candy cane for their efforts but I am looking at the season as a whole up to this point. So let’s take a look at who gets a bunch of presents under the blue tree and who just ends up with coal in their stockings.

NAUGHTY LIST:

Antrel Rolle: He is the only person on this list that is solely based on Sunday’s performance. And you know what? He probably wouldn’t be on this list if it wasn’t for his mouth. I am all for talking a big game and trash talking but only if you can back up your words. He failed to do that in a huge way. He got all mad after the blown coverage in the Dallas game talking about the commentators which in a way I can agree that commentators are there to fill in the silence, but to come out swinging like he did and then fall completely flat is unacceptable. He is the only person out there making his statements known to the public. Maybe he should realize that the Giants organization isn’t that type of party and keep his comments to himself to save himself from further embarrassment.

Defense EXCLUDING JPP: I usually would not single a guy out since he is on the defense but I will explain in a bit since JPP made the nice list. I also would give the defense a pass because of the surplus of injuries to linebackers and the rest of the secondary but I just can’t do it. It just seems too easy of an excuse. These guys get paid big money to play pro ball and if someone goes down then its next man up. You can’t let teams run all over you game in a game out and you can’t afford big plays down field. If the front four can’t make a stop then it’s up to the secondary to get there and prevent the play. They have given up way too many points and if they want to contend on the big stage, then fix the issues and fix them fast.

Perry Fewell: Yes coach even YOU can make the naughty list. Perry Fewell had one of the most feared defenses in the league this year. As fans we were like finally!!! After Bill Sheridan, the Giants needed someone to bring the fire back to the team. With the amount of beasts on the defense you would think that Fewell would be like some mad scientist and create complete mayhem with opposing teams. Unfortunately, it’s been less than stellar. When the Giants play huge opponents like Green Bay or New England he brings the fire but when teams like Seattle come in his defense lays a huge dinosaur egg and loses. Someone there needs to tell and drill into his brain that there are only two games left and if they want to make the playoffs then play every game like its Green Bay.

NICE LIST:

JPP: If there is anyone working their tail off on defense, it’s JPP. He is 5th in the league with sacks and leads the team in sacks with 12.5. In the game against New Orleans he stopped a trick play called by Sean Peyton and prevented a TD by the kicker. His continuous hustle all over the field is mind blowing. He had a huge game against Dallas, creating a safety, popping the ball out of Felix Jones’s hands and creating a fumble and of course the well documented blocked field goal that won the game for the Giants. Then on Sunday against the Redskins, he was the only one who recorded a sack on Grossman and it seemed he was the only one with any energy who came to play. He is only in his second year and is already amazing many people. Thank god he is a Giant.

Eli Manning: Eli has been carrying the Giants offense all season long. After all the talk about his interceptions from last season he has come up huge this season. He has done a better job of protecting the ball and making smart decisions. He has over 4,000 completed yards and he is in the top 5 in the league along the elite QB’s. The running game has been less than stellar and he has still managed to play at such a high level and the Giants are 8th in the league for offense.

After all the hype over he said he believes he should be listed as elite or in the same class as Tom Brady I think that he has or at least quieted his doubters a little bit.

Victor Cruz: There was so much hype after the Giants failed to resign Steve Smith but with the emergence of Victor Cruz everyone is pretty much saying “ Steve who?”. Cruz has done such a fantastic job for the Giants. I pretty much like to say this is like his rookie year since he didn’t play at all last year after the preseason. He has over 1,000 yards and has become a huge security blanket for Eli. Eli trusts him and Cruz 85% comes through. Yes he does have his off games and that happens. But for the majority of the season he has stepped up and played great.

Well there you have it. I think I was fair and there are some people who deserve to be on both lists but I had to be able to cut it short.

It is the holidays after all and there is a huge game on Saturday. It will be the battle of New York against the Jets. For both teams this will determine their destiny.

I for one have been a pretty good girl this year and I would love nothing more than to have a Big Blue win and go into the post season with another win on New Year’s Day.

Finally, I want to wish everyone on the Big Boom Staff and our readers a very blessed holiday and hope that everyone has a very merry BIG BLUE Christmas!!

New York Giants Playoffs: Three reasons why they can still make it

2011-12-20T13:54:00.001-05:00

The New York Giants didn't just suffer a crushing defeat to the Redskins the other day, they suffered a massive blow to their playoff chances. However, even with the embarrassing effort they gave on Sunday, this team can still control their own path into meaningful January games. There are three things that factor into the chances of their playoff run becoming a reality: The Dallas Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles and themselves.

First, the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas currently resides in first place after they handled the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday. They are still not as impressive as that win, though. Their running game is inconsistent and their defense is filled with holes that can be exploited by the opposition. Teams that have high octane passing attacks can and will shred their secondary.

The Cowboys, unfortunately for them, face two teams with multiple passing threats in their final two games. Both the Eagles and the Giants can spread the ball out among multiple receivers and take full advantage of mismatches. If the Cowboys lose both games, they are done. If they lose to the Giants but not the Eagles, they are done.

Speaking of the Eagles. If Philly wins out, and the Giants lose one more game, they win the division. This makes this weekend's slate of games excruciatingly important. It will be painful if the Eagles beat Dallas and the Giants lose to the Jets.

The Eagles, despite their slow start and poor play against inferior teams, actually can pull out this division if all the chips fall their way. That's shocking. What is most shocking to me about that last statement is that it also implies that the two teams above them failed to take care of their business.

With that said, the last team that has to take care of their business is the Giants. If the Giants do exactly that, this entire scenario is irrelevant. Should the Giants win out, they take the division as an 8-8 team. They would do so by winning a tie-breaker against Dallas due to head-to-head record and against Philly due to conference record. If they do what they are capable of doing, the division is theirs to lose.

How insane is that? This is a team that continues to run its' mouth after tragic losses and dramatic upsets, points the finger at each other (Antrell Rolle) and at everyone but themselves (refs, other phases of the team, etc) and still has a chance to control their fate.

They said three weeks ago that their playoffs started then. Since that time, they have lost two games. They would have been eliminated twice by now if it really was a playoff scenario. Thankfully it's not, but it's now as close as it gets to being "win or go home".

If they lose this weekend, they may still have an outside chance at the playoffs should they beat Dallas and Philly does too, but why chance that? Take care of your own business New York Giants and the rest will handle itself.

New York Giants vs Redskins - Round Two: Boom Preview

2011-12-17T15:08:00.008-05:00

Frank Gray
BGB Editor

The New York Giants (7-6) come back home to take on the Washington Redskins (4-9) this week. In their first meeting, the Redskins defeated the Giants 28-14 in the opening game of the season. The Giants enter this game on a dramatic high. After taking the Green Bay Packers to the limit two weeks ago, they invaded Dallas last Sunday night.

They proceeded to break the hearts of Cowboys fans all over the country with help of two TD drives from Eli Manning and a blocked field goal attempt from Jason Pierre-Paul. This week, the Giants have retribution on their minds. They want revenge for that week one loss and they know Washington wants to embrace the role of spoiler to the Giants playoff chances. The Redskins can do it too.

They have a talented runningback that has emerged in recent weeks by the name of Roy Helu. Helu has has three straight 100 yard rushing games for a lackluster Redskins offense that ranks 31st in the run and 12th in the pass. The Giants defense still ranks 22nd against the run and 29th against the pass.

They have been playing better on both sides of the ball as of late, but the defense has to dominate the line of scrimmage if they want to eliminate the biggest weapon the Redskins have. Overall, the Giants will have to step up their game and protect their house if they want this magical run to continue.

Offensive Keys:

#1 Air it out! With the Redskins ranked 13th against the pass and the Giants Offense 4th overall in passing, it's a no-brainer that the Giants need to pass. How they do it is the question. With safety LaRon Landry ruled out, it may be wise to use the middle of the field as opposed to the outside matchups with DeAngelo Hall and Phillip Buchanon.

Players like Victor Cruz and Jake Ballard in the middle of the field, along with an effective screen game to Bradshaw, should make a very difficult afternoon for the Washington secondary.

#2 Maintain balance! The Giants won last week with the help of a more balanced offense. Brandon Jacobs ran for 101 yards against Dallas, thereby reducing pressure on the passing game and making the offense less predictable. That last part is the ultimate goal and final byproduct of a balanced offense. When an opposing defense doesn't know what's coming, they can't always defend it.

#3 Don't raise the flags! Make the refs hold onto their flags. They can do this by avoiding costly and dumb penalties. If they don't have delay of game calls, false starts, holding, etc, they will keep their drives alive and the ball moving. They will keep the clock ticking and limit the damage the Redskins offense can do.

Defensive Keys:

#1 Make them predictable! The Giants have to eliminate the Redskins running option. With that out of the way, they will be forced to pass and that makes the playbook against them much smaller. Therefore, they are more predictable. When that happens they can hit the opposing QB much more consistently.

#2 Sack the QB, whoever it is! The Redskins have an identity crisis at QB. But as I mentioned above, the Giants can make their offense predictable and get to those QBs. The one thing Jon Beck and Rex Grossman have in common is that they can be rushed into mistakes. If the defense gets in their heads, they will force a throw that isn't there and turn the ball over.

#3 Stop the insanity! The defense has looked incredibly bad late in games this season. A lot of that is due to extended drives they allowed by committing untimely penalties. If they want to be in a better position to limit the opposition late in games, they have to limit those penalties.

The bad late hits, pass interference and illegal touching (my personal favorite) penalties have to stop. If not, this game will be much closer than it needs to be. All of these things added up to a loss in week one. A loss that the Giants hope not to repeat.

Predictions Time:

PLAYER OF THE GAME- Ahmad Bradshaw has every chance at having a big game. Coming off of an injury and a very disappointing game last week, he is healthy and hungry. Expect him to be used more in the passing game and use his elusiveness in smaller holes for the running game.

RUNNER UP- Mario Manningham has been the forgotten man in the passing game. With Hakeem Nicks as the potential big play receiver and Victor Cruz lighting up the crowds with his salsa moves, Manningham has become the "other" guy in the offense. He is said to be healthy for this game. If so, he is a reliable target that Eli Manning will look to exploit in slants and outside posts.

Final Score: After last week, the standings in our competition have undertaken a dramatic change. Alyssa fell out of first place for the first time in nearly two months. Adam pulled into third alone. Tom fought his way out of the cellar for the first time this season and Jim is nipping at his heels to regain his former position in the standings.

Overall, there is only four points between first and last with three games left to play. Remember that the closest prediction gets awarded three points, second closest gets two and the third closest gets one. This is anyone's race.

Frank (9)- 37-20, Giants

Alyssa (8)- Giants

Adam (7)- 34-21, Giants

Tom (6)- Giants

Jim (5)- Giants

Captain Comeback: Eli Rising

2011-12-16T14:16:00.005-05:00

by Adam Carman, BGB Assistant Editor

Eli Manning has more than earned the title of comeback king this season. Five of the Giants' six wins have come with dramatic 4th-quarter comebacks by Eli Manning. This past week was only the most recent, however; Manning has been delivering when the chips were down for years. If the NFC didn't contain Aaron Rodgers, and Giants fans weren't blind to greatness until after retirement, he'd be leading the Pro Bowl balloting and in the NFL MVP discussion, as our own Jim Mancari so ably put it. In honor of Eli, therefore, the Big Giants Boom offers this trip down memory lane: Eli Manning's top five comebacks.

5. Week 7, 2005: Comeback win against the Denver Broncos. The Broncos were playing well. At the start of the 4th quarter, they led the hometown Giants 23-10, and it was 23-17 with less than three minutes to go. ESPN remembers, "With less than a full season as a starter under his belt, Eli Manning is already developing a flair for the dramatic finish." They had no idea. The week before, Manning had driven the Giants the length of the football field to tie Dallas before the Giants lost the game 16-13 in overtime. This time, he made sure he got it done. Backpedaling furiously from the Broncos 2, Manning lofted a desperation pass and hit Amani Toomer in the back corner of the endzone for a shocking 24-23 victory that snapped a five-game winning streak for the Broncos, their longest since 2000, and started the Giants march towards an NFC East title and their first playoff appearance since 2002.

4. I can't get out without mentioning Super Bowl XLII. Now, thanks to a defense that ranks with the best of all-time, Manning never had to deal with significant deficits in this game. But what he did face with 2:42 left in the game was a Patriots team that hadn't lost a game all season, and had never lost on the Super Bowl stage. Every Giants fan knows the story: Eli's unflappable poise on football's greatest stage; the magnificent catch by David Tyree after Eli shrugged off three sacks; the third down conversion by rookie Steve Smith and the touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left to pin the 2007 Patriots forever at 18-1. This drive went down in Giants' and Super Bowl lore and helped cement Manning's reputation for late-game heroics. The defensive efforts had kept the game close but as the seconds ticked down, it was the quarterback that won the game.

3. Week 17, 2004, First Career Win (vs. Dallas): I was not always a Manning fan. I liked Kurt Warner and didn't want to wait for Eli to blossom like Peyton. When he took a 5-4 playoff team to 5-10 laughingstock, I thought my suspicions were confirmed. Then came week 17 and a home date with the Dallas Cowboys. For 3 3/4 quarters, the Cowboys outplayed the Giants as everyone had since Manning took over. With just over ninety seconds left, the Giants had the ball on their own 30 yard line and trailed Dallas 24-21. Ninety seconds proved to be just enough for the young quarterback who had already shown flares against Cincinnati and the 15-1 Pittsburgh Steelers. The game ended with a stunning Giants victory, 28-24, and gave us all a taste of what was to come.

2. Week 2, 2006, at Philadelphia. The Giants had a good opening drive, capped by a 30-yard touchdown pass to Amani Toomer for an early lead. But thereafter bad offensive line play and the inability of the defense to get off the field had New York staring down the business end of a 24-7 deficit as the 4th quarter wound down. Manning refused to panic, however, even as late turnovers made the situation desperate. Buoyed by Eli's confidence and the over-confidence of Donovan McNabb, the Giants rallied to tie the game at 24 on Jay Feeley's field goal. Suddenly the raucous crowd was quiet. In the eerie silence, in overtime, Eli Manning found Plaxico Burress behind the Eagles defense for the score and a 30-24 OT victory against our most hated divisional rival.

1. Week 14, 2011, at Dallas. Is this guy actually saying that this past week was the greatest comeback of Eli Manning's career. Yes, indeed, you read that right. I have always had the utmost faith in Eli Manning. Even in Super Bowl XLII I said, "He's got this. The Patriots left too much time." But facing a deficit of 12 with just over five minutes to play, I admit I doubted. Not so much Eli as the strength of the defense, but two touchdowns in that time is a lot to ask. As we all know, Manning did it. After bringing the game within five with a touchdown pass to tight end Jake Ballard and then after a strong defensive stand and Tony Romo's usual late-game incompetence, Manning had another shot, which he took utmost advantage of. If the Giants do accomplish anything this season, it's going to be because of their all-star quarterback and their undeniable MVP.

Why Is Eli 5th in Pro Bowl Voting?

2011-12-16T11:49:00.003-05:00

Jim Mancari

BGB Assistant Editor

You must be kidding me, NFL fans!

Though I was never a big fan of the annual Pro Bowl, I am appalled that Eli Manning is currently ranked fifth among NFC quarterbacks in the voting.

Naturally, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees are well ahead in the No. 1 and 2 spot, respectively.

But from there, rookie Cam Newton and Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford lead Manning by over 100,000 votes.

While many fan voters just vote for their hometown players, there are also fans that actually vote for who they think is the best player at a given position.

If that’s the case, there’s no way Manning is fifth in the NFC. He may be fifth overall in both leagues, but Newton and Stafford just aren’t there yet.

Manning has led his team to five fourth-quarter comebacks, and hopefully he has his team on the right track as they make their playoff push.

He’s also on pace to pass for over 5,000 yards and could possibly challenge Dan Marino’s single season passing record (5,084).

Keep in mind, Manning doesn’t exactly have the receiving core that Rodgers and Brees have. Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jermichael Finley, Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver and Randall Cobb have all been impressive for the Packers, while the Saints employ Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Lance Moore, Jimmy Graham, Darren Sproles and Robert Meacham.

Manning has turned Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and Jake Ballard—normally mediocre players—into top receiving targets. Cruz is having a Pro-Bowl type season, but he’s not even on the voting ballot.

Newton has been a nice story in his rookie season and Stafford has also been a comeback expert, but Manning deserves that third quarterback spot.

Luckily, the fan voting only makes up one third of the total voting, as the league’s players and coaches also have a say. I’m sure that opposing coaches and players that were burned by Manning will give credit where credit is due.

Manning can even make a case for NFL MVP, depending on how the Giants finish this season. Rodgers has been brilliant all season, but once again, look at the Packers receiving core compared to the Giants. It’s been Manning that has orchestrated the late game drives and who has turned average players into stars.

So once again, I can care less about the Pro Bowl voting, especially if the Giants wind up in the playoffs. But I would like to see the players that deserve respect actually receive it.

Big Giants Boom interview: "License Plate Guy" Joe Ruback, Part Two

2011-12-14T12:00:00.005-05:00

Frank Gray

BGB Editor

We conclude our interview with the passionate and always inspiring "License Plate Guy". You can follow him on twitter here or visit his facebook page here. In the last interview, we talked about how he became a fan, how he started up with the license plates and what his favorite home games were.

In the second half of the interview, we get a little more in depth and we share some of his personal photos. Without further ado, the second half is coming your way right now.....

BGB- What is your least favorite live moment?

LPG- Why don't I just give it to you by names:

1. Desean Jackson

2. Flipper Anderson

3. Clyde Simmons

4. Herman Edwards

5. Randall Cunningham

6. Brian Westbrook

BGB- Who was the greatest and/or worst player that you've ever had an experience with?

LPG- In my younger days, I played a few rounds of golf with Lawrence Taylor and babysat Joe Morris' kids. For the past few years, I've been friends with almost everyone on the 53 man roster - and they're all great people. Especially Brandon Jacobs, Chase Blackburn, Zak DeOssie, Chris Canty, Dave Tollefson and Kevin Boothe, to name a few. I'm true blue, there is no worst player.

BGB- Is there a favorite story from your years of attending games?

LPG- You would need to write a book - this is not a concise Q & A response. I have more stories than you can imagine. Here's one from the infamous Giants vs Minnesota in Detroit game from 2010:

I should be in Yonkers at my school where I work. Instead, after five flights, seven hours driving in a blizzard, a plea for an extra day off and an empty wallet, I'm in Detroit for the Giants game versus the Minnesota Vikings.

I'm being interviewed by the local news; they're intrigued by my license plates around my neck. It's a surreal scene involving collapsed domes and orphaned football teams and I'm the only fan on the sideline!

I tell my story 'when I was 16, I wore one plate, G1ANTS. License Plate Guy has been around for 25 years. Not until a decision to sit front row for every away game for the historic 2007 season, did LPG become a signature fan. In the playoff run, players interacted with me "Hey LPG! Fabio! Lucky charm!".

After Tampa, friends emailed me AP photos. After Dallas and Green Bay, I was in the newspaper and on NFL Films. After Super Bowl XLII, I was on the DVD after Tyree's catch, cemented in Giants history.'

On Giants.com, people thanked me for doing what they wished they could. I'm told "you really are the Giants number one fan." This will be my eighth complete season going to every game. I'm lucky to live the Giants #1 fan dream.

BGB- What are your future plans with the plates phenomenon you have created?

LPG- Honestly, this whole License Plate Guy thing has taken on a life of its own. I didn't have any specific intention or aspiration when I started nine years ago with a few plates sitting behind the Giants bench. I'm going to ride this wave for as long as I can afford to. And just to set the record straight, no, the Giants do NOT pay my way.

BGB- How many plates do you have or have you had over the years?

LPG- Currently there are 11 plates - which were accumulated over the course of my nine year run. The coolest thing about this run is that people have begun to notice me as "The License Plate Guy" and now send me license plates from around the United States.

I received one from a guy in Boston, "Pats 19-0", an old Connecticut License Plate from a guy who currently lives in Georgia "GIANTZ" and an Alaska license plate from a couple that simply reads "GIANTS".

For more behind the scenes pics and perspective from LPG, be sure to follow him on facebook and twitter.

Big Giants Boom interview: "License Plate Guy" Joe Ruback, Part One

2011-12-13T12:00:00.003-05:00

Frank Gray

BGB Editor

There are fans of the New York Giants and then there are "super fans". Every team has them. For example, the Jets have that annoying guy in the fireman's hat that can only spell four letter words. The Giants have a slightly classier representative in their stands.

A die-hard Giants fan that has been through all the joy and pain that it is to be a fan of the New York Giants. A fan that goes to every home game and takes his show on the road for every game to support his team. His name is Joe Ruback. You may know him better as the License Plate Guy.

He's the one that you always see on TV wearing a string of license plates around his neck. He has a widely popular facebook page and a twitter link that has blown up due to those plates. They say all kinds of fantastic pro-Giants slogans.

But how did he get his start doing this? What was his favorite game? How about his favorite plate? We posed these questions and a few more when we had the great privilege of sitting down with him for an exclusive interview.

BGB- How did you become a Giants fan?

LPG- Giants fans are bred into the family. That's how I became a Giants fan, because my dad is a fan, his dad was a fan, etc.

BGB- How did the sign thing gets its start?

LPG- When I was 16 and got my first car, I loved it and my license plate so much -"G1ANTS"- that my Dad saw how proud I was to get the plate and said I should wear it around my neck to a Giants game. Which is exactly what I did. License Plate Guy was born!

BGB- What is your favorite sign and why?

LPG- Because it's my first, my favorite plate is the old orange NY plate, "G1ANTS ". I have kept the name all these years and it's on my car (and neck) today. "18END1" is my next favorite plate. Both will stay my cars until the day that I die.

BGB- What is your favorite moment from Giants Stadium?

LPG- I have several... Here's my list of all-time favorite games AT Giants Stadium:

1. 1986- 49ers at Giants Stadium, 49-3

2. 1986- NFC Championship Game vs Washington Redskins

3. 2000- NFC Championship Game vs Minnesota Vikings, 41-0

4. 12/19/81- OT win vs Dallas Cowboys

BGB- Can you describe a Super Bowl from your unique perspective?

LPG- I've been to all three Giants Super Bowl victories. We won't talk about 2000. My favorite is 2007 because it is the most memorable and the most recent. The Super Bowl is the ultimate football experience. Half of the 100,000 eyes are on one team, the other half are on the other team.

This is it - the culmination of half a year's effort and the last team standing is the World Champion! And when you've gone to every game and sat behind the bench for every game, you almost feel like you are personally part of the run.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The second part of our exclusive interview will be posted tomorrow. You don't want to miss it. In the mean time, feel free to check out the rest of this site or visit the License Plate Guy's links provided about for behind the scenes photos and information from the ultimate Giants fan.

New York Giants Cap-BOOM: Game 13 vs Cowboys

2011-12-12T00:44:00.006-05:00

Frank Gray

BGB Editor

The New York Giants (6-6) took a four game losing streak into Dallas to face the Cowboys (7-5) in the hopes of leaving Big D with a share of the lead in the NFC East. Dallas entered the game looking to essentially clinch the division, or at least come closer to doing so with a big win.

In the end, it was the kind of game we've come to expect between these two bitter rivals. The Giants started out strong on defense. A huge safety by Jason Pierre-Paul led to an early lead for the G-Men. The two teams traded leads several different times.

With the Giants trailing in the Fourth Qrt 34-22, Eli Manning and Brandon Jacobs led the offense down field for two TDs in the closing minutes. The first was a eight yard pass to Jake Ballard from Manning and the second was a TD run by Brandon Jacobs with only :46 seconds remaining. D.J. Ware scored on a two point conversion to give the Giants a 37-34 lead.

The Cowboys marched down the field effortlessly and set up a game-tying field goal. Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey nailed an attempt with just :06 seconds left. Giants coach Tom Coughlin called a wise timeout just before the snap, however.

The second attempt would be blocked. Guess who? J.P.P., that's who. Jason Pierre-Paul capped his coming out party with a game winning block to help his Giants hold onto the lead and first place in the division by the score of 37-34.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jason Pierre-Paul wins this award hands down. I know Eli Manning led the team down the field with just 3:00 left for two scores and an eventual win, but he would not have been able to without J.P.P. The fact is that J.P.P. had eight tackles, two sacks, one safety and a blocked field goal to clinch the win. Unbelievable!

RUNNER-UP: Speaking of unbelievable, Eli Manning was exactly that in the final minutes of the game. He showed his usual poise as he shook off a 4th Qrt INT that would have crushed most NFL QBs and ended up throwing for 400 yards and two TDs.

DUD OF THE GAME: Ahmad Bradshaw gets the vote here. He was forced to sit for the entire first half for team disciplinary reasons. When he had a chance in the second half, he only racked up 12 yards. Clearly, he was affected by missing the first half.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: The secondary was pleasantly surprising tonight. At one point, they held Dez Bryant and Miles Austin to three catches, 57 yards and no scores. They ended up allowing a TD to each but neither receiver made as big of an impact as the Cowboys had hoped.

BIGGEST LETDOWN: The Giants struggled in two red zone opportunities early in this game. Both times, they settled for a field goal. Had they converted just one into a TD, this is a different game. While the Giants did win it in the end, squandered chances will cost a team eventually.

TURNING POINT: This game had so many plays that could be considered a turning point. I will choose the short punt by Cowboys punter McBriar in the closing minutes of the game. The Cowboys had a chance to bury the Giants deep in their territory with just 2:12 left to go. A 33 yard punt failed to do that. The Giants efficiently moved the chains and took the lead for good.

PROGNOSIS: The Giants have two things going for them immediately. One, a short week for the Cowboys could mean a Dallas loss that helps the Giants in the standings even more. Two, the Giants face a Redskins team that has all but been beaten down this season.

The Giants struggled in week one against them, however, and need to take this Washington team seriously. If they are able to make up for that week one loss, they will be in a good position the next time they play the Cowboys in the final week. Even if they lose to the Jets in between.

A Cowboys loss or two combined with a Giants win can put the Giants in the complete driver's seat heading into the playoffs. With just three games left, anything can happen. Now is the time to believe. Eli and Co. certainly gave us enough reason to do just that after this game.

New York Giants vs Cowboys: Boom Preview

2011-12-10T01:02:00.007-05:00

Frank Gray

BGB Editor

The New York Giants (6-6) enter this weekend with confidence. After taking the defending Super Bowl champions to the brink of their first loss and nearly pulling it out (had the refs not put in the fix), the Giants take their intensity to Texas to face off with the Dallas Cowboys (7-5).

This week is a must win scenario for the Giants, but as our own Jim Mancari reminded us yesterday, they currently control their own destiny. They trail Dallas by one game in the standings and need to sweep them in both games this season while winning out the rest of the way in order to take the division crown home.

A tough task? Possibly, but the Giants have swept the Cowboys before. Recently in fact. It was only 2009 when they ruined the home opener of their brand new stadium in Texas and then defeated them later that year at home.

The Giants are 4-2 versus them overall since 2008 and 2-1 in Dallas. I wrote a few days ago about how Eli Manning has excelled in recent years against them. The truth is that he has turned a corner to an extent when it comes to Dallas.

The Cowboys are coming off of a close game last week against Arizona. One that they easily could have won. With a combination of poor clock management and bad use of timeouts, they limped out of it with an embarrassing loss and having squandered an opportunity to clinch the division this week.

The Cowboys know, however, that the Giants need to sweep to catch and surpass them for the NFC East crown. The desire to spoil that for a division rivalry that is so fierce will be very strong. This is something they will be certain to keep in mind as the two teams face off Sunday night in prime time.

Offensive Keys:

#1 Keep your composure. The Giants can't afford to let the intensity of the moment carry them away. They need this win far too badly to allow themselves to slip in old habits. False starts and holding penalties will kill drives and stop momentum.

#2 Balance! The Cowboys rank 14th against the pass, 9th against the run. They have a balanced defense, but one that can be exposed. The Giants have the weapons to expose them. This is the game where they should come out passing to open up the run game, then as the run game is getting established, use the play-action pass efficiently. A proper balance on offense can thwart a balanced defense like this one.

#3 Over-aggression can be used for good. The Cowboys are filled with play makers on defense. None more imposing than DeMarcus Ware. His 15 sacks make him a player the Giants have to account for. He will be aggressive all day.

Use that aggression against him by calling draw plays and screens to Ahmad Bradshaw. Be less predictable when running these plays. Opposing teams know that every time D.J. Ware is in, he will get a screen pass. Mix it up and they will catch the defense off guard.

Defensive Keys:

#1 Keep Romo flustered. Tony Romo is a solid QB. He has 22 TD passes to just nine INTs for 3,325 yards. However, he can be forced into mistakes when he gets frazzled. In fact, six of his nine picks came in losses. He makes mistakes that hurt the team. The problem is that he is mobile and can make things happen outside of the pocket.

Don't get me wrong, he will not be reminding anyone of Michael Vick, or better yet, Randall Cunningham when these teams meet, but he can and will make plays when forced out of the pocket. He has to be kept in the pocket and frazzled simultaneously. Sounds difficult, I know.

If the Giants can't wrap him up in the pocket, they have to cover their gap assignments to keep him close, then it's just a matter of time to get to him or to get their hands up for a favorable deflection.

#2 Stop the run and you'll stop the pass. The Cowboys have a dynamic group of receiving options. They rank 7th in the league when passing the ball. It's the rushing attack, however, that opens things up for them.

Despite being ranked 14th, they use the running game to set up play-action situations and extend drives in short yardage scenarios quite effectively. They are led by the surprising DeMarco Murray. His explosiveness helped revitalize the run game after Felix Jones went down to injury earlier this season.

Now, with both of them healthy, the Cowboys will be looking to use the tandem to cause some damage and help Romo manage the game better. The Giants need to take this option away as best as they can in order to render the Cowboys offense more predictable and one-dimensional; a passing team.

#3 Continue to be physical, bit don't overdo it. The Giants defense has to remain physical with the receivers that they oppose. Just because the refs threw some bad flags last week does not mean the defense was wrong for making contact within the five yard limit.

By doing this, the secondary can and will disrupt the timing of the routes that the speedy wideouts run and possibly force a turnover. At worst, this repeated action will cause a lot of drops and incompletions.

Predictions Time:

Player of the Game- The Giants player of the game will be Ahmad Bradshaw. He will notch his first 100 yard rushing effort of the season. Combined with yardage on screens and other opportunities in the passing game he should have a complete game with one or two TDs.

Runner Up- The other player that should have a solid game will be Justin Tuck. He comes in motivated and ready to make some noise. With Osi Umneyiora listed as questionable, the opposing O-Line for Dallas will have a hard time with the combination of Tuck and J.P.P.. If Osi does play, they will be focusing in on him and Tuck will make them pay for it. Either way, expect a good game from Justin Tuck.

Final Score-

Last week, the Giants suffered another crushing loss. Two of our staff wisely, but insincerely picked the Packers. For that, they get one point. The rest of us remain idle as the Giants losing streak rolled on. The pack is tightening up for the final four weeks as Adam has moved into a tie for second place.

Both he and I are just two points away from Alyssa for the lead. Jim is one point behind us, with Tom just one point behind him in last place. Remember, the closest prediction of the final score of a Giants win gets three points, the next closest gets two and the third closest gets one. There are four games left and anything can happen.

Alyssa (8)- Giants

Frank (6)- 34-27, Giants

Adam (6)- 31-24, Giants

Jim (5)- 23-20, Giants

Tom (4)- 31-27, Giants

We Control Our Own Destiny

2011-12-09T10:06:00.003-05:00

Jim Mancari

BGB Assistant Editor

Usually around this time of year, we constantly hear NFL analysts and broadcasters saying that a team “controls its own destiny.”

This phrase is often overused and gets old after a while.

However, this year, it’s the phrase that I want to hear over and over again as a Big Blue fan.

“The Giants control their own destiny.”

On Sunday night, the G-Men will embark on their quest to win an NFC East title, despite what has happened the past four weeks. Even with four straight losses, the Giants can win the division crown.

But it will take four straight wins, and two of these wins must come against the rival Dallas Cowboys.

While the Giants know what they have to do, it’s all about taking one game at a time. Rather than worrying about the second matchup against Dallas, Big Blue must focus on beating the Cowboys this weekend. Only then will the team turn its attention to the Redskins the following weekend.

This thought process goes hand in hand with controlling one’s destiny. If the Giants win Sunday, they keep their destiny alive. The same is true if they beat the Redskins and then the Jets on Christmas Eve.

The goal is to host the Cowboys on New Year’s Day with a chance to play themselves into the playoffs: “Win and your in!”

I’m sure many of your are familiar with the Giants playoff scenario. They have to win at least both games against Dallas to hold the tiebreaker and will also have to finish at least one game better than the Cowboys over the final four games to have identical records—assuming Dallas beats Tampa Bay and Philadelphia.

If the teams split their head-to-head matchups, the next tiebreaker is divisional record. The Cowboys enter Sunday 2-1, while the Giants are 1-2. A lot would have to happen for the Giants to be ahead in this category.

So the Giants truly control their own destiny. If they win all four remaining games, they are the NFC East champions. Rather than having to worry about tiebreakers and divisional records, let’s just win four straight.

It won’t be easy, but it’s definitely a strong possibility. Dallas will provide the steepest challenge, but if the G-Men can’t beat the Redskins and the Jets, then maybe they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs.

The postseason quest begins Sunday night at 8:20 p.m.

New York Giants: Why Eli Manning will be Elite against Dallas

2011-12-08T13:46:00.005-05:00

Frank Gray

BGB Editor

This past off season, Giants QB Eli Manning was asked a not so simple question. He was asked if he thought he was in the same elite class as Tom Brady. Without hesitation, Manning answered "yeah, I consider myself in that class and Tom Brady is a great quarterback".

At the time, many people, including Giants fans, scoffed at the notion that he was a top-tier QB in the NFL. They are scoffing no more. Though his team is just 6-6 and backed into a corner of must-win games, Eli Manning has been the one consistent in their offense.

A man that was being mentioned in regards to how short he would come to Dan Marino's passing yards record. Imagine that. A Giants QB being mentioned in the same breath as Dan Marino's passing record. It's unfathomable for a team with such a rich history of ground and pound-style offense.

Yet, here we are discussing the fact that a Giants QB is just 295 yards from his third consecutive 4,000 yard passing season. In Giants history it would be the fifth such season and Manning will have three of them. In fact, he is 368 passing yards away from tying Kerry Collins for the most in a single season at 4,073. With four games left, I like his chances of shattering that mark.

Last season, he passed Charlie Conerly in all-time passing yards at 19,488. This season, just a few games ago, he passed Conerly for career TD passes with 173. He now stand at 179 and will pass the legendary Phil Simms next year when he reaches 200.

He also will be right on Simms' heels for total passing yards by the end of next year and looking to break Simms' record 33,462 yards passing at some point the following season in 2013. With all of this elite talk and the stats backing him up, it's easy to see why he is quickly building an argument for the greatest QB in Giants history.

Fast forward to present day. He leads the current Giants into Dallas for a pivotal game against the Cowboys with playoff implications. The Cowboys are not an easy team, but even they know the greatest weapon the Giants have; Eli Manning. Manning's Giants were 3-4 against Dallas in his first four seasons.

Since, he defeated them, 21-17 in the 2007 playoffs, however, it has been a very different story. They are 4-2 against them and 2-1 in Dallas, including the Cowboys new stadium unveiling in 2009. The Giants and Manning especially, have been a thorn in their side and a big reason that Cowboys QB Tony Romo has not been able to have success at the next level.

Of course, there is that fumble in Seattle and other lapses in concentration that he has shown from time to time, but make no mistake, the Giants have hurt them just as much in key points of their seasons.

Manning, in particular, has 3,106 yards passing in his career versus Dallas in 13 games. He has 26 TD passes to 17 INTs. That's nearly a two to one ratio, not too bad. The Eli Manning of the past few seasons, though, has seemed to "get it" against them.

In the last four games versus Dallas, he has had three 300 yard games and at least two TD passes in all four. One of those games he had four TDs. He has turned it on, especially against the Cowboys. This is not a fact that has been lost on Dallas. They know the Giants have weapons and that Manning knows how to use them.

Earlier this week, Cowboys safety Abram Elam had this to say.

"you've got a lot of guys to account for, and you always have to be aware that they can beat you with the big play in the passing game."

When combined with a rushing attack that ranks 32nd (dead last) in the league and a passing game that ranks fourth in the NFL behind only Green Bay, New Orleans and New England, it's safe to say the Cowboys know who they have to stop. Their problem is that they haven't done it in a few years.

In fact, no one really has this season. Manning has passed for at least 250 yards in every game but one this season. In week two he passed for 224 yards against the Rams. Even then, though, he threw two TD passes.

Dallas has to know that Manning is the heart and soul of this offense and plan accordingly. Almost as if he was an elite QB. If opposing defenses are treating him like he is elite, maybe he is. Maybe Eli Manning has it right and the writers and fans that scoffed all have it dead wrong.

He is in that class and he is the star pupil sitting int he front row by the blackboard. Class is in session.

New York Giants Cap-BOOM: Game 12 vs Packers

2011-12-05T13:01:00.006-05:00

Frank Gray

BGB Editor

The New York Giants (6-5) hosted the Green Bay Packers (11-0) in a game the Giants needed to have. The Giants had been destroyed by the New Orleans Saints just a few days before and needed to come out with some emotion and intensity against the Packers. They did.

The defense showed up early and Eli Manning quickly hit Travis Beckum for a big 67 yard score to take the first lead. That was one of three TD passes on the day for Manning en route to a 347 yard passing game. This game turned into exactly what the Giants didn't want: a shoot out.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was running for his life, literally. The Giants defense pushed him out of the pocket repeatedly, but had no answer for his scrambling and ability to make plays on the run. While he was sacked twice and hurried countless times, the stats wouldn't show it.

He responded to being hurried by racking up 32 yards on four carries to lead his team in rushing. That's not all he did, though. He passed for 369 yards and four TDs. He was picked off once by the prodigal son Chase Blackburn, who was just re-signed this week.

The Giants tied up the game with just :58 seconds left on the strength of a Manning TD to Hakeem Nicks and a two-point conversion run by D.J. Ware.

However, :58 seconds was more than enough time for Rodgers and his offense to move the chains and kick a last second field goal to win the game as time expired. The Packers remained undefeated by the score of 38-35.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Eli Manning has to get the vote for the Giants player of this game. He calmly led his offense down the field in a moment that eerily was reminiscent to the several comebacks he had posted this year already.

With his team down by eight points, he never broke a sweat. He left the field with his team tied. That's all any NFL QB can ask for against the Green Bay Packers. He finished with 347 yards passing, 4 TDs and 1 INT for a 100.7 passer rating.

RUNNER-UP: Even though Victor Cruz has become a play maker that we have written about several times and even Fox raved about during the game, the runner-up award has to go to Chase Blackburn. Here's why. Cruz had a dominant game, yet again. He posted 119 yards receiving on seven catches. He didn't score, however.

Chase Blackburn gave the defense as much of a spark as Cruz did the offense. He had seven tackles, two deflections and an INT. The INT was important as it came when Green Bay was moving into scoring position to extend their lead further, possibly take the game over for good.

DUD OF THE GAME: The referees. I never, ever get on the officiating for a loss, but this game was ridiculous. It was almost as if the refs were Packers fans. There were four plays that could have gone either way. All four went in Green Bay's favor. Two turned into Green Bay TDs. Both for Donald Driver.

The other two were a Jake Ballard TD that was taken off the board and became a field goal in the first Qrt and the other was a long pass to Hakeem Nicks in the third Qrt that was overturned and ruled an incompletion. The Giants lost both challenges and the right to challenge anything later on.

Furthermore, Prince Amukamara was called for a foul after the five yard limit and it turned a 4th down into a 1st down for Green Bay, yet, when Charles Woodson blatantly held Hakeem Nicks' jersey in a fourth Qrt drive, that was never called. A very lopsided job of officiating.

The trouble for the Giants is that there is no way they can protest it and get a win, so they need to move on. The best the NFL offices would do is offer an official apology. Useless. Like the refs were in that game.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Devin Thomas continues to impress in the return game. He had three kick returns for 79 yards and was close to breaking all three. Some time soon, I expect to see a kick return TD in the Giants favor.

BIGGEST LETDOWN: The Giants screen game was a big disappointing. When the Giants substituted Bradshaw or Jacobs for D.J. Ware, the Packers knew what they were doing. Ware ended up with just two catches for eight yards on screens against a team that is susceptible to the big play on a screen. If the Giants are to use this play properly, they have to be less predictable.

TURNING POINT: In the fourth Qrt, the Giants had a chance to take the lead. They were down 28-27 with about 8:00 to play. They went three and out on three incompletions. They didn't even take time off the clock. Had they scored, even a field goal, the ending would have probably been very different.

The Packers responded by scoring a TD immediately after they got the ball back, which forced the Giants to go for two when they scored with :58 seconds left. Had they scored a field goal at the very least, the TD they had would have given them 38 points and forced the Packers to get a TD to tie it in the end, not a field goal to win it. Big difference.

PROGNOSIS: The Giants are now in a must win mode in every game. They fall to 6-6 and lost out on a chance to get back into a tie for the division after Dallas lost yesterday. The schedule is not any easier, though. They face Dallas twice, and the Jets. They also have a Redskins team that usually shows up for their games with the G-Men. They have to win all of them or at least three of four with sweeping Dallas.

Tough task. It all starts next Sunday night in Dallas. With this Jekyll and Hyde team, we'll see which Giants team shows up. If it's the one that showed up against Green Bay, we'll be okay. If the one that played in New Orleans rears its ugly head, there will be trouble brewing in the Meadowlands.

New York Giants vs Packers: Boom Preview

2011-12-03T16:00:00.004-05:00

Frank Gray

BGB Editor

The New York Giants (6-5) continue their horrific stretch to their 2011 schedule with a home game against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers (11-0). The Packers, by the way if you haven't heard, are not just the best team in the league at this point, but they are the only remaining undefeated team.

The Giants meanwhile, are far from that. After an embarrassing loss, to be frank, the Giants are in a state of shame and fear. Shame for their awful performance this past Monday and fear that they will once again collapse in the second half of a season.

The truth is, the Monday loss to New Orleans has exposed the many weaknesses that were building up; their lack of a run game, their recent lack of a pass rush, inability to catch the ball consistently. This all came to a boiling pint earlier in the week when defensive coordinator Perry Fewell commented about their effort.

He said,

"Being the coach and the leader of the defense, that was disheartening. It was disappointing more than it was disheartening." He went on to say, "We were outplayed, outhustled. They played with more effort, more energy. We got outcoached. We just didn't play well last week."

This team has beaten a light schedule along the way and not convincingly. Now that they are onto the deepest and most meaningful part of the season, they seem unprepared. It's almost as if they went down to the level of their previous opposition and can't find their way back up.

This most certainly has to change and not just because of their upcoming opponent. The Giants need to win out to take the division. At the very least they have to defeat Dallas both times if they lose one other game. This is a nearly impossible spot to be in, but they have no one to blame but themselves.

They are a desperate team. Desperate for a win. That desperation can be dangerous against a team like Green Bay. Make no mistake about it, the Packers are not underestimating the New York Giants. They have all the weapons to attack a team, especially one that's in the situation like the Giants are in: a team that is down.

The Packers are eerily similar to the Saints. They are a high octane passing attack, not a very good running team and not too good on defense. In fact, this Packers squad ranks 13th against the run and 31st against the pass. They have given up 20 points or more four times this season and 30 points or more twice.

Sounds like a good old-fashioned shootout doesn't it? Not if the Giants want to win it won't. The Packers, led by Aaron Rodgers are well equipped to win a shootout. Like the Saints last week, the game plan has to be to keep the ball out of the hands of the offense as much as possible for as long as possible.

I mentioned Green Bay's weapons. What many New York fans don't realize, other than seeing the occasional nationally televised game, is that the Packers have three top wide receivers (Donald Driver, Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, who combined total over 1,800 yards and 22 TDs) and a dominant tight end (Jermichael Finley, 513 yards for 5 TDs) that are all capable of making big gains.

There is a reason this is the 3rd passing offense. Aaron Rodgers has emerged as a premiere QB in the NFL and he runs that passing game like a fine tuned automobile. In order to even compete in this game, the Giants have to (I stress and reiterate the words HAVE to) do the following things.

Offensive Keys:

#1 Control the tempo. Just like last week, the Giants face a high-strike offense that doesn't need a lot of time to do damage. This week, the Giants offense must help the defense by keeping them fresh and off the field for as long as they can. Otherwise, it will become an exhausting track meet, and we all know what that means: a repeat of the Saints game.

The receivers must catch the ball and fight for those extra yards. They have to turn 2nd and 6 into 2nd and 4. That alone will keep the clock ticking, the chains moving and the big pass rushers on the bench. This is something they failed to do last week and the defense paid a steep penalty for it by the tune of 42 points and 577 total yards allowed.

#2 Welcome back Ahmad, now do your thang! This week sees the probable return of Ahmad Bradshaw. I mentioned last week that the Giants should forget Brandon Jacobs in the running game. I mentioned it for good reason. He has only 320 yards this season on 103 carries.

Against one of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL, he only could muster 46 yards on 13 carries. It is clear, he is not the back he used to be. It's time to move on now while they still can salvage the season. Bradshaw is a better fit for the style of offense they need to run this week anyway; a dink and dunk screen attack to counter the deep threats on the outside.

If Bradshaw can't go at the last minute, the Giants still can utilize this plan by substituting D.J. Ware in his place getting the bulk of the carries split with Da'Rel Scott with Jacobs relieving them occasionally.

#3 Avoid the brain lapses. The Packers are an experienced team with experienced players that know how to keep a team down and go for the throat. The last thing they need is help from the Giants offense.

When the Giants commit dumb penalties and erase big gains or push themselves back further, it only makes it easier for Green Bay to win. They have to be disciplined. I understand that they really haven't shown this the entire season and it is unlikely they start now, but they have to keep their heads and wits about them.

Their concentration in this game is paramount. Otherwise, they make the massacre that much easier and that much more painful as the playoff noose gets tighter and tighter around their necks.

Defensive Keys:

#1 Wrap them up! I said it last week and the Giants defense didn't listen. They stopped short on several potential tackles and gave up huge amounts of yardage. Maybe this week, one of the players will read this and realize that I'm right. They have to wrap these receivers up when they get the chance. Especially in open field.

They have to take good angles, makes clean hits and follow all the way through to the ground. If they don't, the 577 total yards against the Saints will look like a day at the local carnival compared to what the champs do.

#2 Another item I mentioned last week is containing the middle of the field. With players like Ryan Grant (former Giant) being so good at screens, this is a very real possibility for Aaron Rodgers to go to. This week, the Giants will be without Mark Herzlich or Michael Boley. They have to have other young players and leaders in that linebacker core step up. Mathais Kiwanuka needs to have a good game, particularly against the Green Bay TE Finley.

#3 You must protect this house! The Giants have had a love/hate relationship with their home crowd. They love to blame them when the team is coming up short (just google Brandon Jacobs and "boo birds" to see what I mean). They love the fans but they hate when the fans ride them for poor play.

Personally, I can understand to a point, but they are looking for support while the fans are looking for effort. Neither side is giving what is needed. If the Giants want their fans to cheer them and pump them up when they need it the most, they have to give maximum effort all four quarters.

If they are not capable of that, they must find a way to drown out the crowd. My suggestion is ear plugs and a crash course in sign language. Because the fans are not going to stop anytime soon with passionately booing the disgrace of an effort this team has given to this point.

This is the Giants house. The fans live there too. To get along, the players have to provide what has been lacking so far this year: heart. Show some this Sunday and I guarantee the fans will love you. Even in a loss. They'll say, "at least they showed up". Don't believe me?

Anyone remember the feeling of the fans after that regular season finale against the Patriots in 2007? The fans are respectful, but demanding. Give them what they want. Show them you want it as badly as they do. They'll love you for it.

Predictions Time:

Player of the game- Ahmad Bradshaw will have a big game out of the backfield. The Giants offense faces a defense in Green Bay that can't stop the run and can't stop the screens that well either. This is a perfect chance to make some noise in his first game back since his injury.

Runner up- Eli Manning has every chance to explode this week. He is up against a weak defensive secondary that he and his potent passing attack will be looking to exploit. He could have a three or four TD game. If the receivers catch the ball.

Final Score-

Lat week Adam and Tom went against the grain and wisely, but without passion, picked the Saints to beat our beloved Giants. Neither came close to the score, but they do get a point each for being right. That pushed Adam into a tie with Jim for third and right behind the leaders. The rest of us stayed steady.

Alyssa (8): 24-21, Giants

Frank (6): 38-31, Giants

Jim (5): 27-24, Giants

Adam (5): 34-28, Packers

Tom (3): 31-14, Packers