Die Hard Sports Fan

The Giants scored 13 points before the Redskins who claim they are not the same team as they were in Week 1 got on the board, but it was the Giants put up 10 more unanswered points and came out victorious in our nation’s capital giving Big Blue their eleventh win of the 2008 Regular Season.

1st Quarter

The Giants scored on their opening drive as Manning kept hooking up with Hixon on third and long to keep the chains moving, and Eli Manning capped off the drive with a with 40-yard Touch Down pass to Amani Toomer along the right sideline giving the Giants a 7-0 lead with 9:56 remaining.

Manning kept on finding receivers in the middle of the field to keep their second drive alive, but Anthony Montgomery sacked Eli Manning for a loss of 5 yards on 3rd and Goal from the Redskins’ 7 yardline with 2:35 remaining so the Giants had to settle for a 31-yard Field Goal Attempt made by John Carney with 2:11 remaining giving the Giants a 10-0 lead.

2nd Quarter

The biggest play of the Giants third possession was when Manning threw a short pass to Ward who broke one for a 48-yard catch and run along the right sideline, but the Redskins stopped the Giants from getting into the end zone so they had to settle for a 38-yard Field Goal Attempt which was made by John Carney with 12:01 remaining giving the Giants a 13-0 lead.

The Redskins fourth possession began at the 43 yardline. On 2nd and 5, Barry Cofield and Danny Clark sacked Jason Campbell for a loss of 8 with 11:17 remaining which the Redskins were able to overcome, and the Redskins scored their first score on a gadget play where Devin Thomas followed Moss on a reverse 29 yards into the end zone for a Touch Down with 8:31 remaining making the score 13-7.

The Giants moved from their 20 yardline to the Redskins 34 yardline when Eli Manning threw an interception to DeAngelo Hall, on a pass intended for Hixon, who returned it 5 yards to the 29 yardline with 4:10 remaining.

Campbell marched the Redskins to the Giants’ 30 yardline where they got stopped and attempted a 42-yard Field Goal Attempt by Suisham which went wide right with 0:04 remaining.

3rd Quarter

The Giants took advantage of great field position as they began their drive at the Redskins’ 48 yardline, and then Jacobs finally found a hole up the middle for a gain of 23 yards. On 2nd and Goal from the 1 yardline, Brandon Jacobs ran upright into the end zone for a 1-yard Touch Down run giving the Giants a 20-7 lead with 8:33 remaining.

The Redskins were marched their way down to the Giants’ 43 yardline where Jason Campbell aired out an interception to Aaron Ross at the 3 yardline without a return with 5:53 remaining.

On 1st and 10, Andre Carter sacked Eli Manning for a 2-yard loss with 3:19 remaining on a drive which ultimately led to a punt.

4th Quarter

The Giants began at the Redskins’ 39 yardline due to a failed fourth down conversion, but the Giants could not get into the end zone again so they tried a 39-yard Field Goal Attempt which was made by John Carney with 6:26 remaining giving the Giants a 23-7.

On 1st and 10, Renaldo Wynn sacked Jason Campbell for a loss of 3 yards with 4:13 remaining on a drive where the Redskins ultimately turned it over on downs at the Giants’ 35 yardline with 3:25 remaining.

On 1st and 10, Jason Campbell was sacked by Justin Tuck for an 11 yard loss during their final possession with 1:32 remaining, but the clock was against them.

Wrap Up

Eli Manning went 21/34 and threw for 305 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT.

Brandon Jacobs led in Rushing Attempts and in Rushing Yards with 22 and 71 respectively.

Amani Toomer, Derrick Ward, and Domenik Hixon led in Receptions with 5, and Amani Toomer led in Receiving Yards with 85.

Brandon Jacobs had 1 Rushing TD, and Amani Toomer had 1 Receiving TD.

John Carney went 3/3 in Field Goal Attempts.

Michael Johnson led the team in Tackles with 7.

Justin Tuck had 2 Sacks, and Barry Cofield and Renaldo Wynn each had 1 Sack.

Aaron Ross had 1 INT.

Terrell Thomas and Barry Cofield each had 1 Forced Fumble.

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

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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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I sat on the edge of my seat for hours as I watched the Giants leave Philly with a ‘W’ over the Eagles, but I was not impressed with the efforts of either team. The Eagles deflected a pass by Eli which set up a Touch Down in the first 90 seconds, and the stadium was rockin’. I was nervous as soon as that happened thinking we would be in for a long night, and I was correct even though the G-MEN won the game. The lead went back-and-forth, and the game was excessively long for a game that did not go into overtime. The only thing that matters is the result. I have to credit Tom Coughlin and his staff more than any of the players for this win because they did not make any mistakes. Many of the players did many good things, but almost all of them made at least one mistake as well. Coach Coughlin had the team prepared to play the Eagles in a hostile environment, and he out-coached Andy Reid last night. The most noteworthy would be the challenge when Eli was on the line of scrimmage and flicked the shovel pass to Boss which ultimately gave Big Blue the lead in the 3rd Quarter. Props to whoever informed T.C. to challenge that play because I thought he was across the line.

Offense

The Giants offense put up plenty of points but got stopped in the red zone three times. Eli Manning had decent statistics as he went 17/31 which is a 54.84% completion percentage and threw for 191 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT. I already discussed how disturbed I was when Manning threw the pick to Mike Patterson in the first 90 seconds of the game. Eli led the offense on a scoring drive on the next possession where he found Plaxico Burress in the end zone to tie the game. That was Burress’ only reception of the game. Manning threw his second Touch Down pass to Kevin Boss during the first play of the 2nd Quarter. Kevin Boss had 6 receptions for 69 yards. Boss hurdled over an Eagles’ defender which he should not have done after he saw Jacobs do the same thing but turned the ball over. The O-Line was outstanding as they allowed Earth, Wind, and Fire to rush for 217 yards on 44 attempts which is an average of 4.93 yards per carry. Brandon Jacobs had 2 rushing TDs, but he also fumbled the ball while hurling an Eagles’ defender. Jacobs led the ground game with 126 yards on 22 carries. The Giants’ offense put up 27 of the 36 points.

Defense

The Giants defense was not as impressive as they were in the previous two games, but they got the job done. The Giants were not able to sack Donovan McNabb, but Sam Madison got the only Giants’ turnover which was an Interception in the 2nd Quarter. The Giants were able to stop the Eagles on multiple drives without racking up a pretty stat sheet, especially in the 4th Quarter when the game was on the line. The Giants’ defense put up 0 of the 36 points.

Special Teams

John Carney was 3/3 in Field Goal Attempts. The Giants had trouble on their coverage after placing David Tyree on IR earlier in the week. The Giants’ special teams put up 9 of the 39 points.

So the Giants won their eighth game which makes them 8-1. How will Big Blue fair in the next 7 games? I predicted them to be 7-2 after the first 9 games, and they are 8-1. 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 5-2 down the stretch giving them a 12-4 record. The Ravens will travel to New York to take on the Giants on Sunday.

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After keeping fans on the edge of their seats for a few hours, the Giants came out of the City of Brotherly Love with a victory over the Eagles giving Big Blue their eighth win of the 2008 Regular Season.

1st Quarter

The Giants were able to get one first down on their opening drive before Eli Manning threw a pass that was deflected at the line of scrimmage, intercepted, and returned to the Giants’ 9 yardline by Mike Patterson with 13:30 remaining.

The Eagles quickly capitalized on the turnover on 2nd and Goal as they direct snapped the ball to Desean Jackson who broke to the right side and dove over the right pile on for a 9-yard Touch Down run with 13:18 remaining.

The Giants evened up the score on their next possession going 80 yards on 10 plays, and Eli Manning threw a bullet to Plaxico Burress who was in between two defenders in the middle of the end zone for a 18-yard Touch Down reception with 8:21 remaining.

When the Giants kicked off, Quintin Demps caught the ball at the 5 yardline and returned it to the 25 yardline where Ahmad Bradshaw knocked the ball out and Chase Blackburn fell on the ball at the Eagles’ 14 yardline.

The Eagles were able to stop the Giants from getting into the end zone after giving them great field position, but John Carney made a 27-yard Field Goal Attempt with 6:48 remaining giving the Giants a 10-7 lead.

2nd Quarter

A few runs by Ward along with a few passes to Toomer helped set up the Giants on 1st and Goal at the Eagles’ 1 yardline, and Eli Manning capped it off by throwing a 1-yard Touch Down pass to Kevin Boss in the back of the end zone giving the Giants a 17-7 lead with 14:55 remaining.

On 1st and 10 at the Giants’ 43 yardline, Eli Manning got sacked by Trent Cole and Mike Patterson for a loss of 9 yards with 11:04 remaining on a drive which ultimately led to a punt.

On 1st and 10 at the Giants’ 35 yardline, Manning handed the ball off to Brandon Jacobs who broke towards the left sideline and jumped over defenders near the first down marker but had the ball stripped out of his hands by Chris Gocong and recovered by Mike Patterson at the Giants’ 44 yardline with 6:39 remaining.

The Eagles took advantage of the great field position again as Donovan McNabb found Jason Avant at about the 5 yardline who ran it into the end zone for a 10-yard Touch Down catch with 4:01 remaining cutting the deficit to 17-14.

On 3rd and 12 at the 13 yardline, Donovan McNabb threw an interception to Sam Madison who returned it 19 yards to the Eagles’ 14 yardline with 2:05 remaining.

The Eagles kept the Giants out of the end zone again, but John Carney made his 26-yard Field Goal Attempt giving the Giants a 20-14 lead with 1:49 remaining.

McNabb led the 2:00 offense to the Giants’ 11 yardline with 0:05 remaining so David Akers came out to try a 29-yard Field Goal Attempt which he made with 0:00 remaining cutting the lead to 20-17 before the half.

3rd Quarter

McNabb was spreading the love during the Eagles’ opening drive of the half, and Donovan McNabb lofted an 8-yard Touch Down pass to Hank Baskett who came down with the ball in the left corner of the end zone with 11:24 remaining giving the Eagles the lead 24-20 .

The Giants gave the Eagles’ defense a big dose of Jacobs who kept moving the chains to the Eagles’ 21 yardline before Manning scrambled and threw a shovel pass to Boss at 3 yardline which was ruled a penalty initially, and then the play was challenged and overturned. On 2nd and Goal, Brandon Jacobs bulldozed his way into the end zone for a 3-yard Touch Down run giving the Giants the lead 27-24 with 5:56 remaining.

4th Quarter

The Giants continued to wear down the Eagles’ defense as Earth, Wind, and Fire got them to the Eagles’ 6 yardline before getting held out of the end zone for the third time, but John Carney connected on his 28-yard Field Goal Attempt making the score 30-24 with 13:28 remaining.

Hixon returned the ball all the way to the Eagles’ 15 yardline, but a holding penalty backed them up to the Eagles’ 40 yardline. Bradshaw had a 23-yard run which immediately got the Giants into the redzone. On 2nd and Goal at the 3 yardline, Brandon Jacobs with the help of his blockers broke the plane of the goal line while losing the football which was initially called a Touch Down, and then it was challenged and the ruling on the field was upheld. The Giants failed on their Two Point Conversion Attempt so their lead is now 36-24 over the Eagles with 9:30 remaining.

The Eagles opened up their passing attack on the Giants prevent defense marching all the way down to the Giants’ 2 yardline, and Donovan McNabb rolled to the right and threw a 2-yard Touch Down pass to Kevin Curtis in the back of the end zone on 4th and 2 with 5:30 remaining cutting the lead to 36-31.

The Giants held the Eagles on 4th and 1 at the Eagles’ 45 yardline forcing the Eagles to turn the ball over on downs with 1:48 remaining.

The Giants picked up a first down on 4th and Inches to run out the clock.

Wrap Up

Eli Manning went 17/31 and threw for 191 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT.

Brandon Jacobs led in Rushing Attempts and Rushing Yards with 22 and 126 respectively.

Kevin Boss led in Receptions and Receiving Yards with 6 and 69 respectively.

Brandon Jacobs had 2 Rushing TDs, and Kevin Boss and Plaxico Burress each had 1 Receiving TD.

John Carney went 3/3 in Field Goal Attempts.

Antonio Pierce led the team in Tackles with 7.

The Giants had no Sacks.

Sam Madison had 1 INT.

The Giants had no Forced Fumbles.

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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My expectations of what the Giants would do to the 49ers in the week following the giant embarrassment on Monday Night Football were not fulfilled, but a win is a win is a win. This was also the last opponent on the Jints schedule that was considered relatively easy. The final 10 games on the schedule are much more difficult, and we will see just how good the G-MEN are once they start playing better competition. We’ll discuss the schedule later on in the week so let’s get back to yesterday’s game.

Offense

I was not impressed by the offense yesterday. Eli Manning did not have a good night statistically. He went 16/31 which is a 51.61% completion percentage and threw for 161 yards, 1 TD, and 0 INTs. 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 21 points on a not so good team which doesn’t leave a good taste in your mouth as the G-MEN are about to face the Steelers, the Cowboys, and the Eagles. My confidence going into these games would have been much higher if Big Blue played a nice, crisp game on offense. Even Brandon Jacobs wasn’t thrilled with how the offense played yesterday because he said, “I felt like we bounced back well enough to win the game but as far as production with our offense, I think it could have been better.” The receiving corps was not very productive either. WR Steve Smith had 4 receptions for 39 yards while RB Derrick Ward had 3 receptions for 50 yards. It isn’t necessarily bad when a running back has more receiving yards than a receiver, but it is when the top receiver only has 39 yards. Plaxico Burress was the only receiver to catch a touch down, but he only had 3 receptions for 24 yards in the game. Also, Burress got heated after being called for a questionable offensive pass interference penalty. He began screaming at the Referee, and then received a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the following play. As he walked off the field, he was caught shouting 4-letter words at Cough Coughlin. Coughlin responded, and then Eli Manning and Antonio Pierce tried to calm Burress down as he was sitting on the bench. Plax is really starting to get on my nerves again like he did prior to 2007. 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. Speaking of Shockey, he had a big fumble yesterday which wasn’t his fault. He blamed the coaching and the doctors for that one because nothing is his own fault. Pathetic. Earth, Wind, and Fire compiled 116 yards on 29 touches is only 4 yards per carry. Jacobs had 2 rushing TDs. That number isn’t bad, but it is low for this group who average more than 6.0 yards per carry. The Giants’ offense put up 21 of the 29 points.

Defense

The Giants defense was outstanding yesterday. They 49ers scored 17 total points, but they only scored 10 points on the Giants defense. The defense sacked J.T. O’Sullivan 6 times. Justin Tuck got to him twice, and Chase Blackburn, Dave Tollefson, Fred Robbins, and Barry Cofield got to him once. Michael Johnson had 2 picks yesterday, and one of the biggest plays of the game was when he intercepted the pass in the end zone right before Halftime which stopped the Niners chances of tying the game. Tuck also forced 2 fumbles, and Blackburn forced a fumble. The defense came back and played like they are capable of. The Giants also had a safety. We know that the Giants can rush the passer, but you know that they had a great day when they add 2 picks, 3 forced fumbles, and a safety to that. The Giants’ defense put up 2 of the 29 points.

Special Teams

The worst play of the game took place on Special Teams when the 49ers blocked the field goal and returned it for a touch down. John Carney was 2/3 in Field Goal Attempts. The blocked field goal gave Carney the first missed field goal attempt of the season. The Special Teams unit needs to improve on returns and coverage. The Giants’ special teams put up 6 of the 29 points.

So the Giants won their fifth game which makes them 5-1. They now head into the real season. I’m can’t wait to watch these games. How will Big Blue fair in these next 10 games? I predicted them to be 6-0 after the first 6 games, but they are 5-1. I predicted the Giants to be 6-4 down the stretch giving them a 12-4 record. The Steelers are next on the schedule.

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The Giants beat the 49ers in a very ugly game giving them their fifth win of the 2008 Regular Season.

1st Quarter

Dave Tollefson sacked J.T. O’Sullivan for a loss of 7 yards during the 49ers opening drive which ultimately led to a punt.

With 10:10 remaining, Fred Robbins sacked J.T. O’Sullivan for a 4-yard loss during the Niners second possession which led to another punt.

Manning handed the ball off to Brandon Jacobs who ran down the right sideline for a 26-yard Touch Down run to cap off a 54-yard drive with 7:52 remaining.

The 49ers got stopped at the Giants’ 22 yardline so Joe Nedney connected on his 40-yard Field Goal Attempt with 4:23 remaining.

2nd Quarter

The Niners committed three straight defensive penalties putting the Giants at the 49ers’ 19 yardline, and the Giants capitalized on this when Brandon Jacobs ran 2-yards up the gut for his second Touch Down of the game with 14:55 remaining.

The 49ers immediately countered with a 74-yard scoring drive of their own as J.T. O’Sullivan hooked up with Josh Morgan in the end zone for a 30-yard Touch Down reception with 11:25 remaining.

With 3:11 remaining, J.T. O’Sullivan threw an interception directly to Michael Johnson who returned it 19 yards to the Niners’ 9 yardline.

The Giants were unable to get the ball into the end zone, but John Carney made a 21-yard Field Goal Attempt with 1:52 remaining.

In the 2:00 offense, the 49ers were marching down the field successfully until J.T. O’Sullivan threw another interception to Michael Johnson in the middle of the end zone with 0:15 remaining.

3rd Quarter

On 3rd and 2, O’Sullivan handed the ball off poorly to Frank Gore who fumbled the ball which was recovered by Mathias Kiwanuka at the 49ers’ 18 yardline with 11:07 remaining.

Once again, the Giants were able to capitalize on another turnover as Eli Manning drilled a 6-yard Touch Down pass to Plaxico Burress in the back of the end zone with 9:01 remaining.

On 1st and 10 of another unsuccessful drive by the Niners, J.T. O’Sullivan scrambled and got sacked by Barry Cofield for a loss of 1 yard with 8:44 remaining.

Manning along with some big runs out of Ward and Bradshaw went 63 yards before getting stopped, and Manny Lawson blocked the 35-yard Field Goal Attempt by Carney and Nate Clements returned it for a 74-yard Touch Down return with 1:50 remaining.

4th Quarter

The Giants marched to the 49ers’ 30 yardline, and John Carney his 48-yard Field Goal Attempt with 12:22 remaining.

The 49ers were at their own 20 yardline when Justin Tuck knocked the ball out of J.T. O’Sullivan’s hands. The ball headed towards the end zone, and Josh Morgan kicked the ball out of the end zone which resulted in a penalty which resulted in a Giants safety with 4:57 remaining.

Wrap Up

Eli Manning went 16/31 and threw for 161 yards, 1 TD, and 0 INTs.

Brandon Jacobs led in Rushing Attempts and Rushing Yards with 17 and 69 respectively.

Steve Smith led in Receptions with 4 and Derrick Ward led in Receiving Yards with 50.

Brandon Jacobs had 2 Rushing TD, and Plaxico Burress had 1 Receiving TD.

John Carney went 2/3 in Field Goal Attempts.

Chase Blackburn led the team in Tackles with 8.

Justin Tuck had 2 Sacks while Chase Blackburn, Dave Tollefson, Fred Robbins, and Barry Cofield each had 1 Sack.

Michael Johnson had 2 INTs.

Justin Tuck had 2 Forced Fumbles, and Chase Blackburn had 1 Forced Fumble.

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

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The best part of yesterday’s game between the Seahawks and the Giants was when the G-MEN roughed up Matt Hasselbeck on the first drive of the game making him ineffective and providing him with an early exit. It was similar to the last Giants game when they roughed up Carson Palmer, and the Cowboys should thank us for that since they squeaked by the Bengals yesterday. Imagine what a healthy Palmer would’ve done to the poor Cowboys defense. The Cowboys should also thank us for ending Drew Bledsoe’s time in Dallas because who knows when Tony Romo’s opportunity would’ve came if not for our nasty defense. The Road Warriors won their third home game in as many games in the early 2008 season. These are the Road Warriors that could barely win at home in ‘07.

Offense

Eli Manning had a pretty good game statistically. He went 19/25 which is a 76.00% completion percentage and threw for 267 yards and 2 TDs…in only 3 Quarters. David Carr was able to come in lead the team to a 4 Quarter Touch Down as well. The last time we saw Carr was against the Rams for a couple of minutes, but he played an entire quarter today. We knew that Eli was not going to have his favorite weapon in Plaxico so everybody needed to step up, and they did just that. Domenik Hixon, Amani Toomer, and Steve Smith led the team in Receptions. Hixon had 104 yards in the 1st Half before leaving the game at Halftime due to a concussion, and I would’ve loved to have seen what he could’ve done by playing the entire game. Surprisingly, Sinorice Moss had 2 TD Catches, and Domenik Hixon had 1 TD. Earth, Wind, and Fire had an outstanding day as they steamrolled the soft Seattle defense for 241 yards on 33 attempts which is an average of 7.3 yards per carry. WOW! Jacobs led in rushing yards with 136 and 2 TDs. The Giants’ offense put up 35 of the 44 points.

Defense

Mike Holmgren developed a pretty good game plan because Big Blue was only able to get 2 Sacks which is the lowest since the Giants opened up the season against the Redskins. With that said, the hit that Justin Tuck laid on Matt Hasselbeck on the first drive of the game, which wasn’t even a sack, was enough to make him a non-factor as the Seahawks didn’t score any touch downs. Mathias Kiwanuka and Dave Tollefson were the two players that actually got to Hasselbeck. I was extremely impressed with Kevin Dockery’s pick and 46 yard return. That was the last we saw of Hasselbeck. The Giants’ defense put up 0 of the 44 points.

Special Teams

John Carney was 3/3 in Field Goal Attempts, and he hasn’t missed a field goal yet this season. It will be interesting to see what the coaches do when Lawrence Tynes is healthy and ready to return. I would suggest that they ride out it out until he misses and then put Tynes in. The Giants’ special teams put up 9 of the 44 points.

So the Giants won their first four games which makes them perfect through the first quarter of the season. I picked them to do exactly that. The last time the Giants went 4-0 was in 1990 when they won Super Bowl XXV against the Bills. This game was over after the 1st Half. When was the last time you saw both starting Quarterbacks taken out of the game after the 3rd Quarter? The team that has so much trouble coming off of the bye week had no problem in 2008. The Giants travel to Cleveland next week to take on the Browns on Monday Night Football.

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