Die Hard Sports Fan

Before I begin, allow me to provide you with this disclaimer…I hate the Cowboys more than any professional sports franchise. Jerry Jones flew his pathetic, injured team to New York, and the Giants showed America how small his Cowboys are. When it rains, it pours…and it’s pouring in Little D. The Cowboys began the game with their second string quarterback, Brad Johnson, and finished it with their third string quarterback, Brooks Bollinger. Johnson was unable to put together a successful drive, and Bollinger only put together one successful scoring drive in the 4th Quarter when he found the wide receiver that was crying after Giants beat the Cowboys in the Divisional Playoffs, yeah T.O. Do you remember when Troy Aikman said the Cowboys have a “great defense” during the Cowboys-Cardinals game? Of course you do. This “great defense” was ranked 10th in the NFL in yards allowed (298.6) and 17th in points allowed (23) prior to kickoff. When was the last time you saw a “great defense” give up over 20 points per game? I guess the last time you watched a game through the eyes of Troy Aikman. I have no idea how Aikman is able to not only keep his job when speaking in absolutes without anything to back it up. FOX Sports doesn’t even remove him from their #1 team. The Giants’ offense put up all 35 points on the Cowboys’ “great defense”. Now the team that was already crowned the Super Bowl Champions before the season began already has 4 losses, it forces them to have to go at least 6-1 after their bye week to have any hopes of winning the NFC East. It doesn’t look like that is happening. Oh well…I cannot wait to hear what Jerry Jones has to say to his pathetic team this week. I absolutely loved how the Giants never let up when they were down, and I hope that Big Blue can continue to dominate the rest of their opponents in ‘08.

Offense

The Giants offense was extremely productive yesterday, but they did have a few miscues worth noting. The offense found the end zone 5 times, but they turned the ball over 3 times. Eli Manning had decent statistics as he went 16/27 which is a 59.26% completion percentage and threw for 147 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT. I was really pissed off when Eli threw the interception because of where they were on the field which made it way to easy for Mike Jenkins to return it 23 yards to the house. Besides the interception, the Cowboys’ defense had 3 Sacks and 2 Forced Fumbles which were recovered by them. WR Steve Smith had 5 receptions for 29 yards while WR Plaxico Burress had 3 receptions for 34 yards. Eli threw his 3 Touch Down passes to Kevin Boss, Steve Smith, and Amani Toomer. The Cowboys didn’t want any part of stopping the Giants’ rushing attack because the Giants rushed for 200 yards on 34 attempts which is 5.88 yards per carry. Brandon Jacobs led with 117 yards on 17 carries. Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward each had 1 rushing TD. The Giants’ offense put up 35 of the 35 points.

Defense

The Giants defense put on another show for America yesterday. They were just nasty for all four quarters. The Giants’ defense had 4 Sacks, 3 INTs, and 1 Forced Fumble. Justin Tuck had 2.5 Sacks, Mathias Kiwanuka has 1 Sack, and Jay Alford had a 0.5 Sack. Corey Webster had 2 Interceptions during the game, and James Butler had 1 interception. Antonio Pierce stripped the ball out of Terrell Owens’ hands which made me laugh. I was surprised that AP did not give T.O. any popcorn. You cannot ask for better stat lines than this against one of the best teams in the NFL. The Giants’ defense put up 0 of the 35 points.

Special Teams

Carney was 0/0 in Field Goal Attempts which shows you how much of a lead the Giants had. The Cowboys also didn’t have any field goal attempts. Domenik Hixon along with the defense gave the Giants great field position all day. The Giants’ special teams put up 0 of the 35 points.

So the Giants won their seventh game which makes them 7-1. How will Big Blue fair in the next 8 games? I predicted them to be 7-1 after the first 8 games, and they are 7-1. I got 2 games wrong so far because I had the Giants beating the Browns but losing to the Steelers. I predicted the Giants to be 5-3 down the stretch giving them a 12-4 record. The Giants will travel to Philly to take on the Eagles on Sunday Night Football.

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The Giants devoured the Cowboys who came limping into Giants Stadium today giving Big Blue their seventh win of the 2008 Regular Season.

1st Quarter

The Giants scored on their opening drive as they went 75 yards, and Eli Manning capped it off by throwing a floater to Kevin Boss who was along the right sideline at the 1 yardline and ran in for a 13-yard Touch Down with 8:47 remaining.

On 1st and 10 at the Giants’ 25 yardline, Brad Johnson threw an interception to Corey Webster who returned it 57 yards down the right sideline to the Cowboys’ 27 yardline with 2:48 remaining.

The Giants capitalized on the Cowboys’ turnover as Eli Manning completed a 5-yard Touch Down pass to Steve Smith who was in the middle of field at about the 1 yardline and ran it into the end zone for a Touch Down with 0:41 remaining.

2nd Quarter

On 3rd and 7, Justin Tuck sacked Brad Johnson on the first play of the quarter for a loss of 5 yards with 14:56 remaining which led to a Cowboys punt.

On 3rd and 12, the ball came out of Eli Manning’s hands as he brought his arm back, and DeMarcus Ware recovered the football at the Giants’ 16 yardline with 11:25 remaining.

On 2nd and 11, Johnson fired a 5-yard pass to Owens over the middle, but Antonio Pierce stripped the ball out of Terrell Owens‘ hands and Michael Johnson recovered it at the 6 yardline with 10:40 remaining.

On 2nd and 8, Mike Jenkins jumped the route as Eli Manning tried to hook up with Burress along the right sideline, and Jenkins returned it down the sideline untouched a 23-yard Touch Down return with 8:38 remaining.

On 2nd and 6, Bradie James sacked Eli Manning for a 6-yard loss with 7:43 remaining. Ward reception for 17, Ward for 9, Jacobs, . Later on during the same drive, Chris Canty also sacked Eli Manning for a loss of 12 yards on 3rd and 10 with 4:58 remaining which led to a Giants punt.

The Cowboys were marching down the field as Barber kept moving the chains, but then Brad Johnson threw an interception to Corey Webster along the right sideline and he ran it out of bounds at the 48 yardline with 2:48 remaining.

The Giants ate up 1:20 as they went on a five play scoring drive before the end of the first half, and Eli Manning found Amani Toomer in the middle of the end zone for a 11-yard Touch Down with 1:28 remaining.

As the Cowboys were trying to put some points on the scoreboard before Halftime, Brad Johnson got sacked by Jay Alford and Justin Tuck for a loss of 7 yards on 2nd and 10 with 1:09 remaining.

3rd Quarter

The Cowboys replaced Johnson with Bollinger, and Brooks Bollinger threw an interception to James Butler on his first pass attempt as Butler returned it to the Cowboys’ 18 yardline with 14:06 remaining.

It only took the Giants two running plays by Jacobs to reach the end zone, and Brandon Jacobs ran up the middle breaking three tackles for a 12-yard Touch Down run with 13:16 remaining.

Bollinger handed the ball off to Barber who gained 3 yards before Barber lost 12 yards on the next reception which set up a 3rd and 19 where Justin Tuck and Fred Robbins sacked Brooks Bollinger for a loss of 9 yards with 11:51 remaining which forced the Cowboys to punt from their own 2 yardline.

The Giants second possession resulted in a Punt.

The Cowboys third possession resulted in a Punt.

With 7:31 remaining, DeMarcus Ware knocked the ball out of Eli Manning’s hands on the first play of the drive and James Bradie fell on it at the 25 yardline.

4th Quarter

The Cowboys were finally able to put a successful scoring drive together as they went 75 yards, and they capped it off when Brooks Bollinger hooked up with Terrell Owens in the left side of the end zone for an 8-yard Touch Down pass with 14:07 remaining.

The Giants immediately retaliated on their next possession as Jacobs had a huge 31-yard run which moved the Giants into Cowboys’ territory, and Derrick Ward ran 17 yards up the middle for a Touch Down on 2nd and Goal with 8:20 remaining.

The Cowboys fifth possession began at the 33 yardline. With 7:32 remaining, Mathias Kiwanuka came around and sacked Brooks Bollinger from the blindside for a loss of 4 yards on a drive which ultimately led to a punt.

Wrap Up

Eli Manning went 16/27 and threw for 147 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT.

Brandon Jacobs led in Rushing Attempts and Rushing Yards with 17 and 117 respectively.

Steve Smith led in Receptions with 5 and Plaxico Burress led in Receiving Yards with 34.

Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward each had a Rushing TD, and Kevin Boss, Steve Smith, and Amani Toomer each had 1 Receiving TD.

John Carney went 0/0 in Field Goal Attempts which shows you what kind of game it was.

Sammy Knight and Justin Tuck led the team in Tackles with 5.

Justin Tuck had 2.5 Sacks while Mathias Kiwanuka had 1 Sack and Jay Alford each had 0.5 Sacks.

Corey Webster had 2 INTs, and James Butler had 1 INT.

Antonio Pierce each had 1 Forced Fumble.

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

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The Giants went into the Steel City and beat the Steelers at their own game…hard nosed, old school, smash mouthed football. The NFC East is historically known for that as well so it is no shock, but I loved every minute of it. All year, I’ve had to listen to the media say that the Giants haven’t beaten anyone yet. Now we did and came out with the same result. On top of that, we did it on the road in one of the most hostile stadiums in the country…again. The Giants completely lost momentum until John Carney kicked the field goal cutting the deficit to 14-12 with 8:18 remaining in the 4th Quarter. That’s when the Terrible Towels were being waved a little less. Then emergency long snapper James Harrison snapped the ball over the punter’s head which resulted in a safety tying the game at 14-14. The Terrible Towels were being waved even less. Then came the Giants only TD of the game when Eli found Boss in the back of the end zone with 3:07 remaining, and the Giants silenced the stadium. I absolutely loved this game, and I hope that Big Blue can continue to dominate the rest of their opponents in ‘08.

Offense

The Giants offense was average yesterday even though they only got into the end zone once. They came out strong in the 1st Quarter but could not regain momentum until the 4th Quarter. Eli Manning did not have a good night statistically. He went 19/32 which is a 59.38% completion percentage and threw for 199 yards, 1 TD, and 0 INTs. New York was able to move the chains, but Pittsburgh’s defense was able to stop the Giants from reaching the end zone. The Giants’ defense constantly gave the offense great field position, but the offense did not capitalize on as many possessions as they should have. The Jints offense only put up 7 points, but they were playing one of the best defenses in the NFL. Since the Giants were able to move the chains and get into the red zone, they did make 4 Field Goals. On one occasion, Coach Coughlin decided not to kick a field goal on 4th and Inches early in the 2nd Quarter which could have came back and bit them in the buttocks. RB Derrick Ward had 5 receptions for 43 yards while WR Steve Smith had 3 receptions for 45 yards. Plaxico Burress sat the 1st Quarter for missing treatments for his sore neck on Friday. Burress keeps on pissing me off with this crap, but I guess Coach Coughlin feels the same way. As I said last week, I wouldn’t care if this was a one-off incident, but his behavior is reverting. After getting his mega-contract, he has acted like a fool. Instead, he should be helping his teammates improve. The more Burress acts like T.O. or Chad Johnson, the faster the Giants will let him go like they did with his best friend Jeremy Shockey. Kevin Boss was the only Giant to find the end zone yesterday. Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward only compiled 84 yards on 31 touches which is only 2.71 yards per carry, but that is a lot more than the Steelers defense gives up. The tandem was also able to wear down the Steelers’ defense in the 4th Quarter which led to the Giants winning this game. The Giants’ offense put up 7 of the 21 points.

Defense

The Giants defense put on a show for America yesterday. They were just nasty for all four quarters. Not only that, they got better as the game went on. The Steelers were able to score on their first drive when Roethlisberger handed the ball off to Mewelde Moore who ran it 32 yards to the house. The Giants missed a tackle which cost them 7 points. The Steelers opened up the 2nd Half by Ben Roethlisberger throwing a 65-yard bomb to Nate Washington for a TD. This was the only play were the Giants’ defense broke. Besides those two bad plays, the defense dominated the Steelers’ offense all day. The defense sacked Ben Roethlisberger 5 times. Mathias Kiwanuka got to him three times, and Justin Tuck and Dave Tollefson got to him once. Add 14 knock downs to that. Kenny Phillips, Corey Webster, James Butler, and Bryan Kehl each had 1 pick yesterday. Mathias Kiwanuka and Antonio Pierce each forced 1 fumble. These stats are similar to what to what they did last week against the 49ers. There’s a big difference between the talent level of these two teams. You cannot ask for better stat lines than this against one of the best teams in the NFL. The Giants’ defense put up 0 of the 21 points.

Special Teams

The bes play of the game took place on Special Teams when the Steelers snapped the ball to high giving the Giants a Safety. John Carney was 4/4 in Field Goal Attempts. The Special Teams unit needs to improve on returns and coverage. The Giants’ special teams put up 14 of the 21 points.

So the Giants won their sixth game which makes them 6-1. They now will face the Cowboys and the Eagles back-to-back which are huge games to set the tone. I’m can’t wait to watch these games. How will Big Blue fair in the next 9 games? I predicted them to be 6-1 after the first 7 games, and they are 6-1. I got 2 games wrong so far because I had the Giants beating the Browns but losing to the Steelers. I predicted the Giants to be 6-3 down the stretch giving them a 12-4 record. The Cowboys are next on the schedule.

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The Giants beat the Steelers in an extremely physical matchup and came out on top giving them their sixth win of the 2008 Regular Season.

1st Quarter

The Steelers marched 60 yards into the end zone on their first possession, and Roethlisberger handed the ball off to Mewelde Moore who broke to the right side for a 32-yard Touch Down run to cap it off with 11:15 remaining.

During the Giants’ second possession, Manning mixed up some passes along with an efficient running game before getting stopped at the Steelers’ 8 yardline where John Carney made a 26-yard Field Goal Attempt with 4:39 remaining.

Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception to James Butler who lost the ball, and then various players tried to fall on it and Mathias Kiwanuka came up with it at the Steelers’ 42 yardline with 2:53 remaining.

2nd Quarter

The Giants marched right down to the 2 yardline after the interception, but the Steelers came up with a goal line stand which was poor play calling by Coughlin who should have put the field goal unit out there.

The Giants’s defense was successful in making the Steelers go 3-and-out, and Hixon returned the punt to the Steelers’ 19 yardline. The Steelers stopped the Giants at the 17 yardline so John Carney connected on a 35-yard Field Goal Attempt with 10:30 remaining.

Roethlisberger zipped the ball to Nate Washington, but Butler hit Washington so hard that the ball popped out and into the hands of Bryan Kehl who returned it to the Steelers’ 44 yardline with 7:54 remaining. The Steelers were called for a Personal Foul on the play which advanced the Giants another 15 yards so the Giants took over at the 29 yardline instead.

The Steelers were able to stop the Giants from getting into the end zone again, but John Carney connected on a 25-yard Field Goal Attempt with 3:31 remaining.

With 3:21 remaining, Justin Tuck sacked Ben Roethlisberger for a loss of 6 yards. The Steelers were successfully marching down the field using the no-huddle offense until Mathias Kiwanuka sacked Ben Roethlisberger for a 9-yard loss on 3rd down with 0:56 remaining which forced the Steelers to punt.

3rd Quarter

The Steelers opened up the half, but Dave Tollefson sacked Ben Roethlisberger on third down for a loss of 8 yards with 12:30 remaining so the Steelers had to punt.

Off play action, Ben Roethlisberger aired out a 65-yard Touch Down pass to Nate Washington who ran down the left sideline and into the end zone with 10:00 remaining.

4th Quarter

The Steelers were at the Giants’ 34 yardline on 4th and 4 so they went for it rather than kicking a field goal, but Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception to Corey Webster who returned it to the 32 yardline with 14:00 remaining.

The Giants began their fourth possession at the 32 yardline. Coughlin had the offense go for it on 4th and 6 at the Steelers’ 35 yardline, and Manning hooked up with Toomer who got tackled at the 4 yardline. Once again, the Steelers’ defense stopped the Giants from getting into the end zone so John Carney made a 24-yard Field Goal Attempt with 8:18 remaining.

On 3rd and 14, Mathias Kiwanuka sacked Ben Roethlisberger for an 8-yard loss with 7:16 remaining which forced the Steelers to punt the ball away. When punting, James Harrison snapped the ball over the head of Berger and beyond the end zone which resulted in a Safety.

The Giants possession began at the 47 yardline. Manning hit Smith over the middle for 25 yards, and then he found Burress along the left sideline who got tackled at the 10 yardline. Ward broke to the left and got tackled at the 2 yardline. Off play action, Eli Manning fired a 2-yard Touch Down pass to Kevin Boss in the back of the end zone with 3:07 remaining.

The Giants’ defense made the Steelers go 4-and-out so they took over at the Steelers’ 37 yardline.

The Steelers’ defense made the Giants go 3-and-out forcing the Giants to punt.

On 4th and 15, Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception to Kenny Phillips at their own 49 yardline and no return with 1:24 remaining.

The Giants went into victory formation and ran out the clock.

Wrap Up

Eli Manning went 19/32 and threw for 199 yards, 1 TD, and 0 INTs.

Brandon Jacobs led in Rushing Attempts and Rushing Yards with 18 and 47 respectively.

Derrick Ward led in Receptions with 5 and Steve Smith led in Receiving Yards with 45.

Kevin Boss had 1 Receiving TD.

John Carney went 4/4 in Field Goal Attempts.

Danny Clarck and Justin Tuck led the team in Tackles with 4.

Mathias Kiwanuka had 3 Sacks while Justin Tuck and Dave Tollefson each had 1 Sack.

Kenny Phillips, Corey Webster, James Butler, and Bryan Kehl each had 1 INTs.

Mathias Kiwanuka and Antonio Pierce each had 1 Forced Fumble.

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

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The New York Giants beat the Cleveland Browns by a score of 34-37.

1st Quarter

The Giants won the toss and elected to receive on the opening possession. The Giants first possession resulted in a Punt.

With 13:24 remaining, Anderson dropped back and completed a pass to Winslow on the right side for a 10-yard gain. On 1st and 10, Anderson handed it off to Lewis who ran up the gut for a gain of 9. On 2nd and 1, Anderson handed it off to Lewis who ran up the middle for a 3 yards. On 1st and 10, Anderson scrambled to the right side and connected with Ali for a 5-yard completion. On 2nd and 5, Anderson handed it off to Lewis who ran up the gut for no gain. On 3rd and 5, Anderson from shotgun threw an incomplete pass to Stallworth in the middle of the field. On 4th and 5, Phil Dawson made a 56-yard Field Goal Attempt making the score Browns 3 - Giants 0.

With 9:59 remaining, Manning dropped back and aired it out down field to Moss, but Pass Interference was called on the play which advanced the Giants 53 yards. On 1st and 10, Manning handed it off to Jacobs who ran to the left for a gain of 6. On 2nd and 4, Manning overthrew a pass to Hixon near the left corner of the goalline. On 3rd and 4, Manning scrambled to the right for a 10-yard gain. On 1st and 10, Eli Manning from shotgun fired an 11-yard Touch Down pass to Domenik Hixon in the right corner of the end zone. The Extra Point Attempt by Lawrence Tynes was good making the score Browns 3 - Giants 7.

The Browns second possession resulted in a Punt.

With 7:22, the Giants third possession began at the Browns’ 49 yardline due to a 15-yard Interference penalty committed by the Browns during the punt. On 1st and 10, Manning completed a short pass to Moss on the right side to for an 8-yard gain. On 2nd and 2, Manning handed it off to Jacobs who ran to the left and Jones knocked the ball lose, but the ball bounced forward and it was recovered by McKenzie one yard shy of the first down marker. During the play, the Browns were called for a 15-yard Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty which advanced the Giants 15 yards. On 1st and 10, Eli Manning from shotgun fired 24-yard Touch Down pass to Domenik Hixon in the back of the end zone. During the play, the Browns were called for an Offsides penalty which was declined. The Extra Point Attempt by Lawrence Tynes was blocked but still made it through the uprights making the score Browns 3 - Giants 14.

The Browns third possession resulted in a Punt.

The Giants fourth possession resulted in a Punt.

The Browns fourth possession resulted in a Punt from their own 1 yardline. Joshua Cribbs ended up kicking the ball into his own teammate Thomas so the Giants ended up with a Safety making the score Browns 3 - Giants 16.

With 0:21 remaining, Domenik Hixon returned the Kick Off 82 yards for a Touch Down. The Extra Point Attempt by Lawrence Tynes was good making the score Browns 3 - Giants 23.

With 0:09 remaining, Steptoe returned the Kick Off 90 yards to the Giants’ 9 yardline to set up the Browns with great field position to begin the 2nd Quarter.

2nd Quarter

With 15:00 remaining, Anderson connected with Ali on the right side for an 8-yard gain. On 2nd and Goal, Anderson handed it off to Jamal Lewis who fumbled the football, and James Butler picked it up and returned it for a 98-yard Touch Down. The Extra Point Attempt by Lawrence Tynes was good making the score Browns 3 - Giants 30.

The Browns sixth possession resulted in a Punt.

The Giants seventh possession resulted in a Punt.

The Browns seventh possession resulted in a Punt.

The Giants eighth possession resulted in a Punt.

With 6:04 remaining, Quinn fired it to Heiden along the right sideline for a 9-yard gain. On 2nd and 1, Quinn handed it off to Ali who ran up the gut for 3 yards. On 1st and 10, Quinn dropped back and overthrew the pass to Wilson along the right sideline near the goalline. On 2nd and 10, Quinn handed it off to Harrison who ran up the middle for a 23-yard carry. On 1st and Goal, Brady Quinn threw a backword pass to Syndric Steptoe on the right side who ran it in for a 7-yard Touch Down run. The Extra Point Attempt by Phil Dawson was good making the score Browns 10 - Giants 30.

With 7:02 remaining, Wright from shotgun launched the ball to Moss for a 46-yard gain on the right side. On 1st and 10, Wright handed it off to Bradshaw who ran it up the gut for a gain of 3 yards. On 2nd and 7, Wright fired it to Hixon over the middle for a 12-yard gain. On 1st and 10, Wright threw an incomplete sidearm pass to Matthews near the right hashmarks. On 2nd and 10, Wright dropped back a lobbed the ball to the right side of the end zone, and Hixon made the catch but came down with only one foot in bounds. On 3rd and 10, Wright from shotgun threw the pass through the hands of Bradshaw in the middle of the field. On 4th and 10, Lawrence Tynes made a 33-yard Field Goal Attempt making the score Lions 7 - Giants 3.

The Giants ninth possession came to an end as Anthony Wright threw an Interception into the hands of Eric Wright who ran it into the end zone for a 14-yard Touch Down. The Extra Point Attempt by Phil Dawson was good making the score Browns 17 - Giants 30.

The Giants tenth possession came to an end as the First Half came to an end.

Halftime

3rd Quarter

With 14:54 remaining, Quinn threw an incomplete pass to Heiden in the middle of the field. On 2nd and 10, Quinn tossed it back to Harrison who ran it to the right side for a 3-yard gain. On 3rd and 7, Quinn from shotgun gunned it to Heiden on the right side for a gain of 9. On 1st and 10, Quinn dropped back and connected with Ali on the left side for a gain of 7 yards. On 2nd and 3, Brady Quinn off play action aired it out to Steptoe along the right sideline, but Dockery got his hands on it first and somehow Syndric Steptoe got it back and ran it into the end zone for a 44-yard Touch Down. The Extra Point Attempt by Jason Reda was good making the score Browns 24 - Giants 30.

With 12:47 remaining, Ware returned the Kick Off 58 yards to the Browns’ 41 yardline. On 1st and 10, Carr threw it sideway to Thorpe on the left side, and Thorpe picked up 9 yards along the left sideline. On 2nd and 1, Carr handed it off to Bradshaw who ran up the middle for a gain of 2. On 1st and 10, Carr gunned it to Jennings along the right sideline for a 7-yard gain. On 2nd and 3, Carr handed it off to Bradshaw who ran up the gut for 5 yards. On 1st and 10, Carr handed it off to Bradshaw who ran to the right for a gain of 3. On 2nd and 7, Carr dropped back and connected with Bradshaw near the right hashmarks for a 10-yard gain. On 1st and Goal, Carr handed it off to Bradshaw who ran left picking up 3. On 2nd and Goal, Carr handed it off to Bradshaw who ran to the left for a yard. On 3rd and Goal, Carr overthrew Thorpe in the right corner of the end zone. On 4th and Goal, David Carr handed it off to Ahmad Bradshaw who jumped over the pile at the goalline and into the end zone for a 1-yard Touch Down run. The Extra Point Attempt by Lawrence Tynes was good making the score Browns 24 - Giants 37.

The Browns eleventh possession resulted in a Punt.

The Giants twelfth possession resulted in a Punt.

The Browns twelfth possession resulted in a Punt.

4th Quarter

The Giants thirteenth possession resulted in a 42-yard missed Field Goal Attempt by Huston.

With 10:03 remaining Dorsey passed the ball to Thomas on the left side for a yard, but the Browns were called for a Holding penalty which backed them up 10 yards. On 1st and 20, Dorsey dropped back and aired it out to Hill along the right sideline for a 34-yard completion. On 1st and 10, Dorsey hit Dinkins over the middle for a gain of 18. On 1st and 10, Dorsey hit Thomas on a screen in the middle for no gain. On 2nd and 10, Dorsey tossed it back to Thomas who ran it up the middle for 3 yards. On 3rd and 7, the Browns were called for a False Start penalty which backed them up 5 yards. On 3rd and 12, Dorsey from shotgun threw it incomplete to Dinkins in the middle. On 4th and 12, Jason Reda made a 44-yard Field Goal Attempt making the score Browns 27 - Giants 37.

The Giants fourteenth possession resulted in a Punt.

With 5:18 remaining, Dorsey from shotgun fired it to Dinkins over the middle for 23 yards. On 1st and 10, Dorsey from shotgun had his pass batted down at the line of scrimmage. On 2nd and 10, Dorsey from shotgun connected with Hubbard on the right side for a gain of 8. On 3rd and 2, Dorsey handed it off to Thomas who ran it up the gut for 3 yards. On 1st and 10, Dorsey from shotgun completed the pass to Dinkins on the left side for a 9-yard gain. On 2nd and 1, Dorsey threw an incomplete pass to Thomas on the left side, but the Browns were called for a Pass Interference penalty which backed them up 10 yards. On 2nd and 11, Dorsey from shotgun aired it out to Leggett along the left sideline for 28 yards. On 1st and 10, Dorsey from shotgun connected with Sanders on the right side for a gain of 5. On 2nd and 5, Ken Dorsey from shotgun connected with Lance Leggett in the left side of the end zone for an 8-yard Touch Down. The Extra Point Attempt by Jason Reda was good making the score Browns 34 - Giants 37.

The Giants fifteenth possession came to and end as the Second Half came to an end.

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

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According to NFL.com, the Dallas Cowboys have reached agreements with RB Marion Barber and CB Terence Newman to long-term extensions today.

• “Barber agreed to a seven-year deal worth $45 million, with $16 million in guaranteed bonuses. The deal will total $21 million over the first three years, all of which puts him in the salary range of LaDainian Tomlinson, Edgerrin James and Larry Johnson — heady stuff for a guy whose only career start came in his last game.”
• “Newman’s deal is a six-year extension. Since he had one year left on his original contract, that means he’s also locked up through 2014, just like Barber. His contract is worth $50.2 million, including $22.5 million guaranteed.”

So now we gotta face the Barbarian for the next 7 years.  Newman doesn’t bother me because he’s so wrapped up in talking smack that he forgets to play the game.

Giants.com:

Defensive Coaches Speak - Michael Eisen pointed out that the Defensive Staff met with the media today.  Eisen provided the entire transcript.

Transcript: Safeties Coach David Merritt - Giants.com had a Q&A Session with David Merritt.

Transcript: Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo - Giants.com had a Q&A Session with Steve Spagnuolo.

New York Post:

ELI READY TO ‘SHOCK’ - Dan Martin tells us that Eli Manning is looking forward to playing with Jeremy Shockey in ‘08.

The Star-Ledger:

A late vote for SB MVP - David Merritt believes that James Butler was the MVP of Super Bowl XLII.

TE coach Pope on Shockey - Mike Garafolo lets us know that Mike Pope was asked a bunch of questions from the media about Shockey, and Pope has not spoken to Shockey.

Snee not worried about his contract

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Ralph Vacciano over at the The Blue Screen, which is the New York Daily New’s Giants blog, reported that the Giants re-signed restricted free agent Safety James Butler to a one-year, $1.417 million contract.

Giants.com:

Back to School - NFL.com pointed out that the Giants‘ coaches are getting back to doing what they do best, teaching the players to play football.

Newsday:

Giants cut five rookies - The AP further discussed the roster moves that the Giants made on Monday.

Giants bring in experienced tryout candidates - Tom Rock wrote another article on the roster moves that the Giants made on Monday.

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I just came across a very interesting article over at the Giants Blog on LoHud.com.  Ernie Palladino is trying to figure out who is going to play Safety for the Giants in ‘08.  Palladino expects Sammy Knight to play in the place of Gibril Wilson.  However, Ernie doesn’t know about the other side.  Palladino stated that he read a lot of theories about what could take place, but he didn’t provide his sources.  Here’s some of what he said could happen:

• Aaron Ross drops back to Safety.
• Move David Tyree to Safety.
• Corey Webster drops back to Safety.
• R.W. McQuarters drops back to Safety.

Ernie does not believe that Ross will play Safety because he’s only going into his second year and why mess around with a good thing.  Palladino thinks that Tyree would play the position if asked because Tyree is a team guy and plays on Special Teams and Wide Receiver, but Tyree would be like a rookie back there as a Safety.  Ernie doesn’t feel comfortable with Sammy Knight and James Butler back there, and he doesn’t really like the other suggestions that he read about so he says that the Giants should just draft a Safety and develop him “ala Michael Johnson”.

For the most part, I agree with Palladino’s perspective.  I would leave Ross where he is because he’s young and played his position really well as a Rookie.  After watching Tyree play so well on the Special Teams unit, I always thought he would’ve been a better receiver than he has been.  In Super Bowl XLII, Tyree was so effective because of the ‘element of surprise’ rather than his receiver skills.  I’m sure that the Patriots were not studying film about Tyree catching a touch down in the Super Bowl or making the greatest catch in Super Bowl history even though Tyree is listed as a Wide Receiver.  I would want to know if Tyree can tackle if he was going to play defense.  As far as moving the other Corners to Safeties, that doesn’t sound like such a bad idea to me as long as the Giants have depth at both positions.  Drafting a Safety also doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me if the Giants signed somebody high in the first or second round like they did with Ross last year.  Ross was able to make a big impact in his first year, after getting Star Struck in Big D in Week 1.

On the road to Super Bowl XLII, it was very evident that the old dogs like Madison and McQuarters were able to teach the young guys in the secondary how to stop guys like Galloway, Owens, Driver, and Moss.  Madison and McQuarters were injured in some of those games, but their knowledge of the game cannot be overlooked.  Hopefully Knight and McQuarters can do the same thing in ‘08, especially if the Giants are drafting a rookie or are going to drop a corner back to safety.

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Hopefully you guys are keeping up with all of this Free Agent stuff around the NFL.  Teams are dumping players to get ready for Free Agency which begins at midnight as well as the Draft which is in April.  We aren’t going to cover every team, but there is some intersting things taking place.  I will let you know about the NFC East to an extent, and I will let you know about former Giants.  First, the Eagles supposedly cut Jevon ‘The Freak’ Kearse because he suffered a knee injury in 2006 and didn’t get many minutes in 2007.  Maybe Brian Dawkins will retire soon too…  We’ve heard the rumors that the Dolphins are interested in Reggie Torbor.  Bill Parcells is steering that ship, and may be able to sign Torbor as soon as tomorrow.  The Tuna always has something funny to say, and he was quoted as saying that he doesn’t want any “thugs and hoodlums” on his team.  Can he say that?

Giants.com:

Free Agency 101 - Giants.com provided a glossary of NFL Free Agency terms.

Newsday:

Giants GM Reese unlikely to chase free agents - Bob Glauber reminded us that the only Free Agent that the Giants signed last year was Kawika Mitchell, and it seems like Jerry Reese is only interested in DeAngelo Hall this year.  Glauber said that Hall is asking for close to $10 million so Reese might not go after him.  Bob wrote this about the players on the Giants that are about to become unrestricted free agents,

The Giants have only three unrestricted free agents, safety Gibril Wilson and linebackers Reggie Torbor and Mitchell, and they had hoped to keep them from reaching the open market. A person familiar with the Giants’ situation said it was virtually inconceivable that they would retain Wilson, and that it was “doubtful” they would keep Torbor and Mitchell.

That can come back and bite us in the rear if  we lose one safety and two linebackers.  If Mathias Kiwanuka has a healthy return then that will help fill one of these slots.  It seems like Reese is going to fill the holes with rookies if he doesn’t sign Hall.  The defense is what made that amazing run possible.  I hope that there is a smooth transition heading into ‘08.

Bob Glauber’s top 5 FAs - This is the top 5 Free Agents on Bob Glauber’s list, and he included a brief description about each of them in his article.

• Asante Samuel
• Randy Moss
• Alan Faneca
• Lance Briggs
• Justin Smith

New York Daily News:

Tom Coughlin to get 4 years, $21M - Gary Myers noted that this is the only thing left in Coach Coughlin’s contract, “There are only minor details and contract language to be completed, and the deal could be announced as early as next week.”

Jerry Reese’s way fine by John Mara - Ralph Vacchiano stated that John Mara is very confident in the way that Reese is assembling the roster.  At the bottom of the article, Vacchiano covered three other points as well:

Safety James Butler, a restricted free agent, got a one-year, second-round qualifying offer of $1.47 million from the Giants, who can match any offer he receives, and would get a second-round pick from any team that signs him.

QB Jared Lorenzen got a one-year, $927,000 tender. The Giants can match any offer he gets, but would get no compensation.

DE Adrian Awasom, who was arrested in Phoenix on “suspicion of extreme DUI” a few days before the Super Bowl, was not tendered and will become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow.

New York Post:

BIG BLUE MAY TURN ‘CORNER’ - Paul Schwartz reported that the Giants may or may not go after Hall because of Hall’s baggage.

New York Times:

Tyree Talks the Talk, and Also Wears the Helmet - Nate Schweber described when ”David Tyree spoke to students from Montclair High at the Yogi Berra Museum Wednesday night.”

The Star-Ledger:

Agent: Gibril to test market

Ward on his way out? - Mike Garafolo reported that it is unlikely that the Giants will resign Derrick Ward.  I’m very upset about that.  Ward was solid, and he was the best receiving RB on the Giants this year.  He added to the depth of the position.

NY Giants in search of a safety net

Coughlin to get $21M contract extension, NY Daily News reports

Giants not confident on Gibril - Mike Garafolo lets us know where the Giants and Gibril Wilson stand right now.  Garafolo also stated that Wilson is looking for $5 million per year, and how the Giants might go about replacing Gibril if he ends up leaving.  In my opinion, the Giants still have 22 hours to resign Wilson.  I believe that Wilson knows deep down that he isn’t worth $5 million per year.  Even if the Giants let him go, would the Jags or the Eagles pay that much?  So maybe he will realize that and stay with Big Blue for a little less.

Butler, Lorenzen tendered

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