Die Hard Sports Fan

The Giants flew out to Glendale, AZ where they won Super Bowl XLII and outscored the high octane Cardinals offense. I must admit that I was nervous for a few days prior to kick off. The first reason was because the G-MEN are due for a loss, and the second reason was because they have not had to defend a high-flying offense like this maybe since the Super Bowl. This victory along with a Titans loss now puts the Giants and the Titans in a tie for the best record in the NFL, 10-1, with five games to go. Who team will finish the ‘08 season with a better record? We’ll see, but I do know that Big Blue will move up to the #1 spot on all of the Power Rankings.

Offense

The Giants offense consisted of a whole lot of passing yesterday. Eli Manning had a great game as he went 26/33 which is a 78.79% completion percentage and threw for 240 yards, 3 TDs, and 0 INTs. This is the first time he threw for over 200 yards since the Seattle game. Every time the Cardinals scored, Eli marched the team right down the field for a score never giving the Cardinals the opportunity to take the lead. Manning spread the love by throwing his 3 TD passes to 3 different receivers which included Amani Toomer, Madison Hedgecock, and Kevin Boss. Domenik Hixon replaced Burress after the first series and led the team in Receptions and Receiving Yards with 6 and 57 respectively. Earth, Wind, and Fire were not able to show themselves off as a trio to the Cardinals defense because Jacobs was inactive. Ward and Bradshaw were not as successful without the big man. Derrick Ward led the ground game with 20 touches for 69 yards and 1 Rushing TD. The running game only amassed to 87 yards on 27 carries. The Giants’ offense put up 28 of the 37 points.

Defense

The Giants defense was solid even though they gave up 29 points. The defense came out and pressured Kurt Warner throughout the game and the defensive backs were extremely physical with the Cardinals’ receivers. Justin Tuck got the only sack of the game as well as a forced fumble. Rookie Kenny Phillips had his best game yet with 7 Tackles. It seemed like Phillips was involved in every play, and his best play of the game was when he punched the ball out of Larry Fitzgerald’s hands in the end zone for what would’ve been a TD. Ross was also playing very physical, but too physical for the Refs because they kept throwing flags out on the field. The other rookie, Terrell Thomas, got a pick. The Giants have been allowing an average of 17 points per game so they were fortunate that they got the win after allowing 29 points. The Giants’ defense put up 0 of the 37 points.

Special Teams

John Carney returned and was 3/3 (perfect again) in Field Goal Attempts. I already mentioned how Hixon filled in really well for the injured Plaxico, but he was even better on special teams. Domenik Hixon had 201 return yards which constantly gave the Giants’ offense great field position which they took advantage of. Most of Hixon’s return yardage came on a 83-yard return and a 66-yard return. Hixon left the game with 269 total yards so props to him. The Giants’ special teams put up 9 of the 37 points.

Heading into this weekend, I felt like all four NFC East teams were going to win because there were not any head-to-head games or really challenging opponents. The three teams with the better records won while the Eagles with the worst record lost. I was hoping that either the Redskins or Cowboys would’ve lost rather than the Eagles. The Giants won their tenth game which makes them 10-1. How will Big Blue fair in the next 5 games? They have the toughest schedule remaining of any team in the NFL. I predicted them to be 9-2 after the first 11 games, and they are 10-1. I got 3 games wrong so far because I had the Giants beating the Browns but losing to the Steelers, and then I had the Giants and the Eagles splitting the season series with each of them winning at home. I predicted the Giants to be 3-2 down the stretch giving them a 12-4 record. The Giants will make a trip to the nation’s capitol to take on the Redskins on Sunday.

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The Giants and the Cardinals came into the game as the first and second best scoring teams in the NFL, but it was the Giants who won the shootout in the desert giving Big Blue their tenth win of the 2008 Regular Season.

Note: Brandon Jacobs was inactive due to a knee injury.

1st Quarter

Note: Plaxico Burress left the game after the first possession by the Giants and his return is questionable.

The Cardinals kept converting on third and long as they went 79 yards on 13 plays during their opening drive, and Neil Rackers made a 34-yard Field Goal Attempt giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead with 6:18 remaining.

On 2nd and 6, Bertrand Berry sacked Eli Manning for a loss of 8 yards with 5:08 remaining on the Giants’ second possession which ultimately led to a punt.

2nd Quarter

The Giants converted on a 4th and 1 play which kept the drive alive as they went 62 yards on 11 plays, and Derrick Ward capped it off with a 1-yard Touch Down run up the gut with 11:38 remaining giving the Giants a 7-3 lead.

A 55-yard kick off return by Arrington gave the Cardinals great field position in Giants’ territory, and they took advantage of that when Tim Hightower ran up the middle and into the end zone for a 2-yard Touch Down run. The snap on the Extra Point Attempt was mishandled so the Cardinals have a 9-7 lead with 7:51 remaining.

An 83-yard kick off return by Hixon set the Giants up at the Cardinals’ 17 yardline, but they were only able to walk away with a 33-yard Field Goal Attempt made by John Carney with 6:51 remaining giving the Giants a 10-9 lead.

Warner hit Urban over the middle for 41 yards to begin the drive, and Neil Rackers finished the drive by connecting on a 20-yard Field Goal Attempt giving the Cardinals a 12-10 lead with 3:49 remaining.

A 66-yard kick off return by Hixon set up the Giants at the Cardinals’ 32 yardline, and Eli Manning threw a 12-yard Touch Down pass to Amani Toomer who caught the ball at the 7 yardline and ran it into the end zone with 1:08 remaining giving the Giants a 17-12 lead.

3rd Quarter

During the opening drive of the Cardinals, Kurt Warner was scrambling on 3rd and 9 when Justin Tuck knocked the ball lose and it was recovered by Mathias Kiwanuka at the Cardinals’ 40 yardline with 12:39 remaining.

Manning aired out a 28-yard pass to Smith along the right sideline which gave the Giants 1st and Goal at the 2 yardline, and then Eli Manning threw the ball to the left to Madison Hedgecock who ran it into the end zone for a 2-yard Touch Down catch giving the Giants a 24-12 lead with 10:35 remaining.

A bunch of Giants’ penalties assisted the high flying Cardinals offense to a 90-yard scoring drive which was capped off by a 1-yard Touch Down run by Tim Hightower as the Cardinals tried to cut into the Giants lead 24-19 with 0:49 remaining.

4th Quarter

The Giants immediately responded with an 80-yard scoring drive of their own, and Eli Manning hooked up with Kevin Boss for a 9-yard Touch Down pass giving the Giants a 31-19 lead with 11:15 remaining.

On 2nd and 7, Kurt Warner threw an interception to Terrell Thomas who returned it 13 yards to the Cardinals’ 29 yardline with 10:30 remaining.

The Cardinals’ defense was able to keep the Giants out of the end zone which led to a 27-yard Field Goal Attempt by John Carney with 6:17 remaining giving the Giants a 34-19 lead.

The potent offense of the Cardinals would not quit as they assembled a 55-yard scoring drive, and Kurt Warner threw his first Touch Down pass of the game to Anquan Boldin making it a 34-26 lead with 4:02 remaining.

The relentless Giants failed to get into the end zone again so John Carney connected on his 33-yard Field Goal Attempt with 1:55 remaining giving the Giants a 37-26 lead.

The Cardinals had to settle for a 44-yard Field Goal Attempt made by Neil Rackers on their final possession of the game which was not enough.

Wrap Up

Eli Manning went 26/33 and threw for 240 yards, 3 TDs, and 0 INTs.

Derrick Ward led in Rushing Attempts and in Rushing Yards with 20 and 69 respectively.

Domenik Hixon led in Receptions and Receiving Yards with 6 and 57 respectively.

Derrick Ward had 1 Rushing TD, Kevin Boss had 1 Receiving TD, Amani Toomer had 1 Receiving TD, and Madison Hedgecock had 1 Receiving TD.

John Carney went 3/3 in Field Goal Attempts.

Kenny Phillips led the team in Tackles with 7.

Justin Tuck had 1 Sack.

Terrell Thomas had 1 INT.

Justin Tuck had 1 Forced Fumble.

The NFL.com Game Center: Post Game is attached.

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The New York Giants will face the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium.

TV Info:

Game: New York Giants (9-1) @ Arizona Cardinals (7-3)
TV: FOX (Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston)
Radio: WFAN (Bob Papa, Carl Banks, Howard Cross)
Time: November 23, 2008; 4:15 p.m. ET

Game Notes:

• The Giants will return to the University of Phoenix Stadium where they won Super Bowl XLII for the first time on Sunday.
• The Giants lead the regular season series with the Cardinals, 78-41-2.
• Both teams are coming into this game atop their division.
• The Giants are coming into this game on a five-game win streak.
• Last week, New York defeated Baltimore 30-10 to improve to 9-1.
• Last week, Arizona beat Seattle 26-20 to improve to 7-3.
• The Giants’ total offense is ranked fourth in the NFL averaging 372.5 yards per game. The Giants are first in rushing (172.7), nineteenth in passing (199.8), and first in scoring (29.2).
• The Cardinals’ total offense is ranked second in the NFL averaging 392.7 yards per game. The Cardinals are twenty-ninth in rushing (86.9), second in passing (305.8), and second in scoring (28.9).
• The Giants’ total defense is ranked second in the NFL allowing 265.8 yards per game. The Giants are eighth against the run (91.0), second against the pass (174.8), and fifth in points allowed (17.0).
• The Cardinals’ total defense is ranked eleventh in the NFL allowing 299.8 yards per game. The Cardinals are seventh against the run (89.8), sixteenth against the pass (210.0), and eighteenth in points allowed (22.8).
• Last week, Aaron Ross of the Giants got the game ball for having his first two interceptions of the season. Both came at crucial moments, with the first coming as the Ravens were driving at the end of the 2nd Quarter.
• Last week, Adrian Wilson of the Cardinals got the game ball for forcing a fumble on the Seahawks’ first possession in the 2nd Half, which led to a Neil Rackers 26-yard field goal. Seattle had built a little momentum at the end of the 1st Half, but Wilson’s play shifted it back to the Cardinals.
• The Line: The Giants are favored by 3. Over/Under is 48.5.

Injury Report:

Giants - Questionable: WR Plaxico Burress (Hamstring), S Sammy Knight (Hip). Probable: LB Chase Blackburn (Neck), RB Brandon Jacobs (Knee), LB Gerris Wilkinson (Knee), DE Jerome McDougle (Knee), CB Aaron Ross (Hamstring), LB Jonathan Goff (Concussion), CB Kevin Dockery (Back).

Cardinals - Questionable: CB Rod Hood (Not Injury Related), LB Clark Haggans (Foot), DE Travis LaBoy (Ankle). Probable: T Mike Gandy (Ankle), DT Darnell Dockett (Hamstring), CB Eric Green (Knee).

Quote of the week:

“Yeah, I think it will be neat going back to that stadium. But I think it will be a different feel this week just because we are going to be in Arizona’s stadium. And we are going to be the away team. It should be a different crowd; a different feel.” - QB Eli Manning on returning to the stadium where the Giants won Super Bowl XLII

Open Thread:

Please feel free to comment below or in the tag board in the sidebar to chat with Giants fans from around the world.

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ESPN previews the upcoming game between the New York Giants and the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

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Buffalo Bills pro bowl defensive end Aaron Schobel was in a walking boot during practice today.  He didn’t practice earlier in the week and now that he has on a walking boot, the injury could be serious. 

Schobel was injured during the Bills 41-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.  He missed almost all of the 4^th quarter of that game. 

Schobel said there is no additional injury and nothing is broken. He is just wearing the boot for support. He said just call him questionable for the Chargers and wouldn’t elaborate.    

CB Terrence McGee, CB Ashton Youboty and FS Ko Simpson are returned to the practice field, but all participated in a limited role. 

 <a href="http://WGR550.com" title="http://WGR550.
" target="_blank">WGR550.com had this to say on the injured players:

“Youboty was favoring his left leg. No new players on the field to replace the traded John McCargo. Dick Jauron said only McGee and Schobel did not participate in practice. Simpson said he’s over 90-percent and he thinks he can play Sunday. McGee had no idea if he is going to be able to practice with the team this week. I can say he didn’t seem all that optimistic.”

QB Trent Edwards was also practicing again and looks like he will be good to go come Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.  Slot man Roscoe Parrish was also full go, and it looks like he will be ready also.

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News has come out that Buffalo Bills starting QB Trent Edwards is expected to play on Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.

Edwards was injured early in the 1st quarter of the Bills vs. Cardinals game last weekend.  On 3^rd and 5 from their own 30 yard line, the Bills lined up in a shotgun formation with two wide receivers to the left side of the field (Lee Evans as the wide out and Josh Reed in the slot) and one to the right (James Hardy).  Tight end Robert Royal was also lined up on the right side of the formation, on the line.  Marshawn Lynch was in the backfield, to Edwards left side.  Hardy went in motion from his wide out position on the right and moved closer in to the line of scrimmage.  The ball was snapped and the Cardinals brought a heavy blitz.  Hardy ran a quick slant to the middle of the field where Edwards hit him in straight for the 1^st down. 

The only problem with the play was that Edwards was plastered by Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson.  He was able to come in unblocked because the Bills had no one over on his side.  Lynch picked up the blitzer on the left side, but because tight end Robert Royal went out for a pass, without even touching the blitzing safety, Wilson got a free shot at Edwards coming from the right side, and took the most of it (there was no flag on the play but later in the week Wilson was fine by the league.  You can see that story HERE).      

Edwards suffered a concussion on the play, the 1^st of his football career.  He was knocked out of the remainder of the 47-17 loss.

Edwards practiced for the first time today after being sent home each day he reported during the bye week to the practice facility by the Bills staff.

Edwards was running the offense and looked sharp and was firing passes according to Chris Brown from BuffaloBills.com.  He also did not have an incompletion.    

If Edwards can indeed go on Sunday it would be a must needed boast to the Bills team that needs to be able to compete with the Chargers high scoring offense.  The Chargers defense isn’t too shabby either.  They defeated the New England Patriots 30-10.

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Arizona Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson was fined for his hit on Bills QB Trent Edwards that knocked him out of the game last week, 3 plays into the ball game.  Wilson will have to send $25,000 to the league.

Wilson hammered Edwards on the third play of last Sunday’s 41-17 win, knocking him out of the rest of the game. The hit was not helmet-to-helmet and there was no penalty on the play, but the league said that Wilson unnecessarily drove Edwards to the ground.

Wilson has developed a reputation for being a pretty dirty player, and was warned by the league that his next infraction will draw a one-game suspension and a $50,000 fine.

He was fined twice last season.  Once for a late hit and once for a horse-collar tackle.  It is being reported that Wilson will appeal the fine, but it isn’t likely he will win this one seeing as he has a list of hits like this.

Personally, I thought it was a clean hit.  It was a saftey blitz that never got picked up by the Bills, and Wilson came through and drilled Edwards.  Yes he did sort of take him into the ground a little hard, but this is football.  I thought it was clean and Wilson does not deserve a fine.  I think it has more to do with his past hits, then how bad this one really was.

Edwards looks like he will be ready to start in the Bills Week 7 game, at home against the San Diego Chargers.  The Bills are currently on a bye week.

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Instead of you reading me complete bash this Bills team that didn’t even bother showing up against the Arizona Cardinals yesterday I will instead give you a much needed injury update on the starting QB Trent Edwards. 

It is being reported by multiple sources that the concussion Edwards suffered early in the 1st quarter is minor, which is great news for us Bills fans.  He is not expected to miss any real game time.   Here are the multiple sources reporting the injury news.

From rotoworld.com (two updates):

Bills coach Dick Jauron considers Trent Edwards (concussion) to be “day to day.”
Edwards has 13 days to get his head straight before Week 7 at San Diego. The concussion looked severe at first, but Edwards seems to be fine now.

Trent Edwards (concussion) was seen smiling with and speaking to family members after Sunday’s game and posed for some pictures.
The flash was probably off because Edwards was likely still a bit sensitive to light, but it sounds like he’ll be fine with some rest during the Week 6 bye. He probably won’t practice any during the off week, though. 

 <a href="http://WGR550.com" title="http://WGR550.
" target="_blank">WGR550.com:

…Bills quarterback Trent Edwards was feeling better one day after suffering a concussion in the team’s 41-to-17 loss to Arizona. Edwards was knocked out on Buffalo’s third offensive play. Coach Dick Jauron said his starter felt better and will be evaluated throughout the week….

AP:

Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards was described as alert but still experiencing post-concussion symptoms Monday, leaving his status uncertain as the team enters its bye week.

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The Buffalo Bills came out flat in this one and got blown out 41-17 by the Arizona Cardinals.  Not only did the Bills lose the game to drop to 4-1 on the season but they also lost QB Trent Edwards to a concussion early in the 1st quarter. 

1^st Quarter

After Edwards was lost for the game (and possibily even longer), the Bills offense could get nothing going.  The only score of the 1st, came when Cards QB Kurt Warner threw a TD pass to a wide open Larry Fitzgerald.  After 1, Cards lead 7-0.

2^nd Quarter

The Bills attempted to make this one a ball game but their defense could not stop the Cardinals offensive attack.  Rookie RB Tim Hightower added a 17 yard run for a TD and vetran Edgerrin James also had a short TD run in the quarter. 

The Bills would get two touchdowns this quarter as they tried to get back into it.  The first one came on an absolute strike by backup QB JP Losman to Lee Evans.  The play went for 86 yards and the Bills finally got on the board.  The 2nd TD came on a Losman QB draw from the 2 yard line.

The teams would head into the tunnel at halftime with the Cardinals leading by 10, 24-14 over the Bills after K Neil Rackers hit a 47 yard FG as time expired.

3^rd Quarter

The Bills were able to get the game back to a 1 score game when K Rian Lindell hit a 48 yard FG of his own.  The Cards would not be shut out though in this quarter.  Towards the end of it, Larry Fitz caught his 2nd TD pass of the game and Arizona still lead 31-17 going into the 4th.

4^th Quarter

The Bills would end the game putting up a goose egg in the 4th where they are usually very good.  Neil Rackers hit another FG and Hightower scored his 2nd TD of the game on a short run inside the redzone.  The Cards high power offense was able to overmatch the Bills, winning the game 41-17.

Game Notes

• JP Losman sucks (Sorry not really a stat just had to throw it out there.  I’ll get more into that with the post tomorrow)
• The Bills turned the ball over 4 times in this one, while Arizona didn’t have any. 
• Marshawn Lynch had anothe subpar game with 55 yards on 13 carries.  In his defense though, the Bills started passing more and more as the game went on.
• The Bills also got killed in the time of possesion battle with the Cards holding onto the football for 36:16.
• This is the Bills last game before the bye week.  They take on the San Diego Chargers at home in their next game.

More to come on this game tomorrow.  As you can tell I am not very happy with the outcome or the way the game was played by the Bills in general.

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The Buffalo Bills will face the Arizona Cardinals tomorrow afternoon at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Broadcast Info:

Game: Buffalo Bills (3-0) @ St. Louis Rams (0-3)
TV: CBS (Bill Macatee, Steve Beuerlein)
Radio: 97 Rock (Buffalo), 103.3 The EDGE (Buffalo), WHAM 1180 AM (Rochester), WNSS 1260 AM (Syracuse), FAN 590 AM (Toronto). All done by John Murphy, Mark Kelso and Paul Peck on the Bills radio network.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET

FOR BILLS FANS WATCHING THE GAME IN THE BUFFALO AREA:

Remember you will need to bust out the rabbit ears for this one if you have Time Warner Cable.  With the local CBS channel being pulled off the air for the time being you will have to unplug your cable from the back of your TV and then plug in the antenna.  The quality for this game won’t be too great though seeing as it is coming over the air.  Try to find a friends house with satellite, as they will not be affected by this.

Game Notes:

• The Bills have won four consecutive games against the Cardinals and lead the all-time series, 5-3.
• Quarterback Trent Edwards is only the second Bills quarterback to win three consecutive games after trailing in the fourth quarter
• Bills defensive tackle Marcus Stroud leads all NFL defensive linemen with four passes defensed.  He is questionable in this game.
• Following a loss at Washington in Week 3, the Cardinals spent the week leading up to their game at Buffalo on the East Coast in order to avoid traveling across three time zones in consecutive weeks. Arizona was 2-0 before losing both games on the road trip.
•  Steve Breaston will have to step up his game because Boldin can’t go. Breaston was one of three receivers for the Cardinals with 100-plus receiving yards against the Jets.
• The Bills have scored 45 fourth-quarter points this season
• Buffalo hasn’t had a 5-0 start since 1991.
•  Larry Fitzgerald reached 350 receptions in his career in only his 64th game, the third fastest in NFL history. Only Boldin (58) and Lionel Taylor (63) were faster.
• The Line: The Cardinals are favored by 1. Over/Under 44.5.

Injury Report:

Bills - Out of Game: TE Derek Fine (Hand) and WR Roscoe Parrish (Thumb).  Doubtful: CB Terrence McGee (Knee).  Questionable: DT Marcus Stroud (Shoulder) and DE Aaron Scobel (Foot).

Cardinals - Out of Game: WR Anquan Boldin (Head).  Doubtful: DE Bertrand (Groin).  Questionable: TE Leonard Pope (Ankle), SS Adrian Wilson (Hamstring), and TE Jerame Tuman (Hamstring).  Probable: G Elton Brown (Shoulder), DT Darnell Dockett (Hamstring) and DT Gabe Watson (Knee).

Quote of the Week:

“It’s exciting.  I feel like we’ve come a long way. Working together this offseason and through these four games, I feel like we’ve developed something that I think this organization respects and seeing that, I think they’re rewarding a very valuable commodity to this team.”

-Bills QB Trent Edwards on the Lee Evans contract extension

Open Thread:

Please feel free to comment below or in the tag board in the sidebar to chat with Bills fans from around the world.

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