Die Hard Sports Fan

It seemed like the coaching staff of the Giants sat around and determined that the best way to game plan against the Ravens was by attacking their strengths rather than exploiting their weaknesses. I figured that the G-MEN would’ve increased the ratio of passes knowing that the Ravens have been one of the best at stopping the run for nearly a decade, but the Jints developed a game plan to win the hardest way possible. Boy, did that work out for them. I guess it isn’t that crazy because the rushing attack is the Giants best weapon. So what happens when the #1 rushing team in the NFL goes up against the #1 team at stopping the run? This dominant New York Football Giants team bullied the Ravens as they rushed for 207 yards and went on to beat the Ravens 30-10. As soon as Jacobs gained 36 yards on the second play of the game, I knew this game was over.  The thing that impressed me the most was how much the Giants rushed for because the Ravens were only allowing 65.4 yards per game. Baltimore did not allow any team to rush for more than 100 yards all season, and New York amassed over 200 yards.

Offense

The Giants offense consisted of a whole lot of running. Eli Manning had another Eli outing as he went 13/23 which is a 56.52% completion percentage and threw for 153 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. Manning threw his only Touch Down pass of the game to yet another weapon in Darcy Johnson early in the 2nd Quarter. Derrick Ward finished the game with 4 receptions for 54 yards. The O-Line was outstanding as they allowed Earth, Wind, and Fire to rush for 207 yards on 33 attempts which is an average of 6.27 yards per carry. It was the 3rd consecutive game in which the Giants rushed for over 200 yards so props to them. Brandon Jacobs rushed for 73 yards and 2 TDs in the first half alone, and then he was taken out of the game since he was banged up. It was actually Ahmad Bradshaw who led the team in rushing yards with 96 because he broke one open for 77 yards on one play. The Giants’ offense put up 20 of the 30 points.

Defense

The Giants defense was solid even though they did not exactly fill up a stat sheet. The Giants were harassing Joe Flacco throughout the game, but the Giants were unable to sack the rookie until Mathias Kiwanuka chased him down midway through the 4th Quarter. That was the only sack of the day for Big Blue. I was surprised that Flacco was able to run around on the Giants’ D, and he ended up leading the Ravens in rushing yards with 57. Aaron Ross was the defensive player of the day for getting 2 interceptions, and one of them was a pick 6 which he returned 50 yards to the house late in the 3rd Quarter. That was when the Giants said checkmate. It was bizarre watching the Ravens run so much in the 4th Quarter being down three scores like time is not a factor in football.  Baseball is the only sport I can think of which does not have a clock so maybe Flacco thought he was playing baseball. Did the Ravens quit? The Giants’ defense put up 7 of the 30 points.

Special Teams

Lawrence Tynes was 1/1 in Field Goal Attempts. It went threw, but it was not pretty. It is also worth noting that Tynes missed an Extra Point Attempt. Carney has been perfect this season except for the one blocked field goal so it may not be the best idea to put Tynes out there until Carney gets cold. The Giants’ special teams put up 3 of the 30 points.

I guess Big Blue got a little bit of redemption as they took revenge on the team who dominated them in Super Bowl XXXV. The Giants won their ninth game which makes them 9-1. How will Big Blue fair in the next 6 games? They have the toughest schedule remaining of any team in the NFL. I predicted them to be 8-2 after the first 10 games, and they are 9-1. 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 4-2 down the stretch giving them a 12-4 record. The Giants will make a trip to the desert to take on the Cardinals on Sunday.

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Eli Manning discusses the Giants 30-10 victory over the Ravens with ESPN.

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Eric Allen of ESPN is impressed by the Giants 30-10 win over the Ravens.

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The Giants came into the game as the best rushing team in the NFL and rushed for 207 yards and 2 TDs against the Ravens who came into the game as the best at stopping the run in the NFL giving Big Blue their ninth win of the 2008 Regular Season.

1st Quarter

During the Giants’ opening drive, Jacobs hit a wall and redirected to the left side for a 36-yard gain which quickly got the Giants into Ravens territory. On 2nd and Goal from the 1 yardline, Brandon Jacobs dove over a defender to break the plane of the end zone for a 1-yard Touch Down run giving the Giants a 7-0 lead with 8:45 remaining.

Three penalties of 25 yards by the Giants’ defense really helped the Ravens on this drive, but the Giants were able to stop the Ravens from getting into the end zone. Then the Giants blocked the 32-yard Field Goal Attempt by Matt Stover, and the ball was recovered by Jones at the Ravens’ 33 yardline with 4:26 remaining. So the Giants took over at the where the Ravens downed the ball.

The Giants took advantage of the great field position, and Brandon Jacobs ran up the gut for a 1-yard Touch Down run to cap off the drive with 0:59 remaining giving. A low snap by Jay Alford did not allow Feagles to get the snap down on the Extra Point Attempt so the Giants only have a 13-0 lead.

2nd Quarter

Backed up on their own 10 yardline, Ward picked up 47 yards on 2 attempts which propelled the Giants to another scoring drive. On 3rd and Goal at the 1 yardline, Eli Manning threw a 1-yard Touch Down pass to a wide open Darcy Johnson in end zone giving the Giants a 20-0 lead with 7:14 remaining.

The Ravens began at the 40 yardline due to the Giants kicking it out of bounds during the Kick Off. Flacco put a little drive together before the Giants stopped the Ravens at the Giants’ 20 yardline, and Matt Stover made a 38-yard Field Goal Attempt with 4:08 remaining making it a 20-3 game.

On the first play of the drive by the Giants, Jarret Johnson pushed Hedgecock on his back on his way to sacking Eli Manning for a loss of 7 yards with 3:59 remaining which ultimately led to a punt.

On 1st and 10, Joe Flacco threw an interception to Aaron Ross who returned it 11 yards to the 47 yardline with 1:51 remaining giving the Giants another opportunity to put more points on the board before the half.

Eli Manning was marched the Giants down to the Ravens’ 18 yardline, but then he threw an interception to Ray Lewis at the 5 yardline with no return with 0:12 remaining.

3rd Quarter

Flacco had to run it himself a few times to get things going for the Ravens offense, and then as Joe Flacco was backing up from the blitzers and threw it to Jameel McClain at the 8 yardline who ran it into the end zone untouched for a 10-yard Touch Down pass with 4:26 remaining cutting the lead to 20-10.

At their own 46 yardline, Joe Flacco threw a pass to Derrick Mason which went in and out of his hands and ended up being intercepted by Aaron Ross who returned it 50 yards to the end zone for a Touch Down with 0:14 remaining.

4th Quarter

Bradshaw ran up the middle for a gain of 77 yards which placed the Giants at the Ravens’ 2 yardline, but then the Ravens made a goalline stand so Lawrence Tynes connected on a 19-yard Field Goal Attempt with 12:02 remaining making the Giants lead 30-10.

Since the Ravens are down by 20, Flacco kept the drive alive by finding Heap on the Ravens first 4th Down conversion of the drive. However, Mathias Kiwanuka chased down and sacked Joe Flacco for a loss of 10 yards on their second 4th Down attempt with 5:22 remaining giving the Giants the ball at the Ravens’ 48 yardline.

Wrap Up

Eli Manning went 13/23 and threw for 153 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT.

Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward led in Rushing Attempts with 11 and Ahmad Bradshaw led in Rushing Yards with 96.

Derrick Ward led in Receptions and Receiving Yards with 4 and 54 respectively.

Brandon Jacobs had 2 Rushing TDs, Darcy Johnson had 1 Receiving TD, and Aaron Ross had 1 INT returned for a Touch Down.

Lawrence Tynes went 1/1 in Field Goal Attempts.

Antonio Pierce and Aaron Ross led the team in Tackles with 6.

Mathias Kiwanuka had 1 Sack.

Aaron Ross had 2 INTs.

The Giants had no Forced Fumbles.

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

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The Baltimore Ravens will face the New York Giants at Giants Stadium.

TV Info:

Game: Baltimore Ravens (6-3) @ New York Giants (8-1)
TV: CBS (Greg Gumble, Dan Dierdof)
Radio: WFAN (Bob Papa, Carl Banks, Howard Cross)
Time: November 16, 2008; 1:00 p.m. ET

Game Notes:

• Baltimore is the final AFC opponent the Giants will face during the 2008 Season.
• The Ravens lead the regular season series with the Giants, 2-0.
• The Ravens also hold a 1-0 advantage over the Giants in the Postseason which was in Super Bowl XXXV.
• This is the first meeting between these teams since Dec. 12, 2004 and the first at Giants Stadium since Sept. 14, 1997.
• Both teams are coming into the game on four game winning streaks.
• Last week, New York defeated Philadelphia 36-31 to improve to 8-1.
• Last week, Baltimore beat Houston 41-13 to improve to 6-3.
• The Giants’ total offense is ranked fourth in the NFL averaging 374.7 yards per game. The Giants are first in rushing (168.9), seventeenth in passing (205.8), and third in scoring (29.1).
• The Ravens’ total offense is ranked seventeenth in the NFL averaging 323.1 yards per game. The Ravens are third in rushing (149.7), twenty-eighth in passing (173.4), and thirteenth in scoring (23.6).
• The Giants’ total defense is ranked third in the NFL allowing 264.8 yards per game. The Giants are seventh against the run (87.7), second against the pass (177.1), and sixth in points allowed (17.8).
• The Ravens’ total defense is ranked second in the NFL allowing 258.4 yards per game. The Ravens are first against the run (65.4), ninth against the pass (193.0), and fifth in points allowed (16.7).
• Last week, Brandon Jacobs got the game ball for his resolve even more than his impressive gaudy statistics. He lost a fumble for the first time this season in the second quarter but did not let the mishap deflate him as he wore down the Eagles defense, rushing for both of his touchdowns and 58 of his 126 yards in the second half.
• Last week, QB Joey Flacco got the game ball after finishing the game 15-of-23 for 185 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. The rookie has not turned the ball over in 111 straight pass attempts.
• The Line: The Giants are favored by 7. Over/Under is 40.5.

Injury Report:

Ravens - Out of Game: WR Terrance Copper (Shoulder). Questionable: T Willie Anderson (Ankle), WR Derrick Mason (Shoulder), S Ed Reed (Thigh), CB Samari Rolle (Neck), TE Daniel Wilcox (Thigh), S Tom Zbikowski (Thigh).

Giants - Out of Game: LB Gerris Wilkinson (Knee). Questionable: LB Jonathan Goff (Concussion), CB Corey Webster (Groin), S James Butler (Knee), CB Kevin Dockery (Back). Probable: RB Reuben Droughns (Neck).

Quote of the week:

“They are talented and patience is something. They are great against the run, I think they are the best team against the run right now, and they do a good job on blitzes. Nothing comes easy against them, so you can’t force things. They make plays on defense, they cause turnovers, and it can be tough at times moving the ball, so you just have to stay patient, play smart football, don’t give their offense a short field, and just try to make plays when they are there.” - QB Eli Manning on the Ravens run defense

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 made a Ravens vs. Giants Preview.

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The feedback on Jason Campbell and the entire QB situation, on this blog as well as on The Redskins Blog has been most vigorous. I’d like to offer my own comment for discussion and/or feedback that is in reference to a number of posts, like the one below.

‘JClarke’ / ‘Campbell Sucks’ says:

Did the Redskins magically get healthy in the 2nd quarter of the Bears game last year? Thats when Collins came in and the offense was playoff caliber. Most teams don’t give a QB this much time. 4 years is pretty much the limit. So we can’t wait till next year. When Campbell was drafted I said he would not be a skin in 09. Because he is not a NFL QB!

To that, I say let’s remember that Todd Collins had been in the same offense for like 10 years. He followed Al Saunders around the league and I’d bet he could teach that offense just as well, if not better than Mr. Saunders himself. So, I don’t believe it to be a fair comparison to judge Campbell’s performance last season to Collins performance during our playoff run.

Let’s have fun and extend this conversation a little bit…

If Saunders was still here as the O.C., I’d bet dollars to donuts that there would have been an open competition between Collins and Campbell for the starting job this year. Without fear of contradiction, I think everyone would agree that Collins would have won that battle. And, although I have nothing to base this on, I’d bet you even further that for that specific, and primary reason, Saunders was kicked out.

Still, and for whatever reason that is still unclear to me, we insisted on paying top dollar for Collins to backup Jason Campbell this season, even though Collins has ZERO experience in this offense, too. So, if Campbell goes down, what do we really have in our backup? Is he capable, sure. I believe he is. But, at the same time, I think he would be struggling just like Campbell.

Now, let’s walk down memory lane…

Steve Spurrier brought a no blocking, no structure offense to town. Nearly everyone, including me, thought that he was overmatched, especially after the Eagles emasculated us on Monday Night Football. But, as I recall, he said that with the right QB, his offense would be proven to work. And, you know what, he might have been correct. If Danny Wuerffel could have been more physically ‘gifted’ and sturdy, Spurrier may have proven us all wrong. When Wuerffel was in the game, limited as it was, and when he wasn’t running around scared, he knew how to get the offense in the right play, get the ball out of his hands, and move the team down the field. But, one hit from a LB or a DE and he was done.

What’s my point - the knowledge of the offense is the number one key for any QB to be successful. Regardless of physical ability, if a quarterback knows the offense and can stay healthy, they can manage the game successfully. Case in point: Wuerffel. And, even another example: Trent Dilfer with the Baltimore Ravens.

Jason Campbell doesn’t know much of anything, relatively speaking, right now with regards to how Jim Zorn wants his offense executed. Personally, I’d like Zorn simplify things. And, perhaps that is exactly what he is trying to do by allowing Campbell to play from the shotgun. As he becomes more comfortable in the offense, his natural abilities, such accuracy, arm strength, intelligence, intuitiveness, recognition, etc., should take him to the ‘franchise QB’ level. At least, that’s the hope.

If the argument is that “Campbell sucks” because he hasn’t shown us anything, I’d continue to say, be patient. If the argument is that Campbell is lacking the natural abilities to be a QB in this league, well that’s a matter of subjective opinion.

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I am one of the many who do not want see Jeremy Shockey go but regardless we still have a team. Big Blue has not stood out because of one player really, it is about the whole squad.

There’s no speculation about Shockey wanting to leave the team. He has mentioned where he would like to play and that’s the man’s decision. I will look past that and focus n who we could get that will be a good fit to our team. Over the weekend I heard something on CNN radio about trading Shockey to Baltimore for Ray Lewis. I know Lewis is above age but he’s not washed up. He can also be a great locker room influence and with the heart these Giants are known to play with it could be a positive experiment.

In general, I will miss Shockey if he decides to leave but I won’t be sad about it. I’m focused on the team as a whole and I’m tired of the commentators still giving the Giants no props. We are still being categorized under the Cowboys and can’t wait to turn these knuckleheads’s brains around.

We are the Superbowl champs and can make the impossible happen. We are the real thing baby…bring it!

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