Let's talk Giants

[Om]

... turns out there's a game this weekend.

Figured this would make a good launching point for some actual nuts and bolts talk about our boyz chances to upend the champs up NY way.

Some good nuggets here. Particularly find the Eli stats relevant. If we're going to walk out of there 4-3, seems this pattern will probably need to continue.

ESPN: Final Word NFCE

Blasts from the past: Yes, it's a passing league, as you hear all the time. But the Washington Redskins haven't got the memo. Rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III (379) and rookie running back Alfred Morris (538) have combined for 917 rushing yards in Washington's first six games. That's the highest combined rushing yardage total by two rookie teammates through six games in the Super Bowl era, according to ESPN Stats & Information. And it goes back further than this for the Redskins. Washington as a team has rushed for at least 100 yards in each of its last 12 games. The second-longest such streak in the league is two games, by the New York Giants and the St. Louis Rams. In conclusion, the Redskins like to run the ball, and for many reasons pose a different game-planning challenge than any other team the Giants have faced or will face this season.

Washington QB Robert Griffin III has a chance to earn a rare achievement with a win over the Giants on Sunday.

Upstart vs. champ: If the Redskins win, Griffin would be the fourth rookie quarterback to defeat a defending Super Bowl MVP quarterback head-to-head. Really interesting list. Colt McCoy of the Browns beat Drew Brees and the Saints in 2010. Dieter Brock of the Rams beat Joe Montana and the 49ers in 1985. And of course, Kent Nix of the Steelers beat Bart Starr and the Packers in 1967. But seriously, no way you clicked on this blog today expecting a Dieter Brock note. Guy was 34 in 1985, but it was his only year in the league.

Burgundy kryptonite: In two games against the Redskins last year (both losses), Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw four interceptions and no touchdowns. ESPN Stats & Information tells us that Washington is one of six teams against which Manning has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in his career. The others are Tennessee, Minnesota, Chicago, Baltimore and Buffalo.

Giants can run, too: Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw is the only player in the league who has rushed for at least 100 yards in each of his last two games. The last Giant to rush for 100 or more in at least three games in a row was Tiki Barber in 2006. Bradshaw has 16 rushes of at least 10 yards so far this year, in 92 attempts. Last year, he had 16 such rushes in 171 attempts. The Giants' offensive line is a much better run-blocking unit than it was a year ago. Their average yards per rush before first contact is 2.75, which is the fifth-best figure in the league. Last year, the Giants' average yards per rush before first contact was 1.89, which was second-worst in the league.

Got to go deep: Last year, on throws that traveled 20 or more yards downfield, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo posted a 53.2 completion percentage, 21.6 yards per attempt, 10 touchdowns and only one interception. This year on such deep throws, Romo is 4-for-18 (22.2 percent) for 8.5 yards per attempt, one touchdown and one interception. The two bits of good news on this are that the Cowboys' offensive line looked much better last week in Baltimore and could start to give Romo more time to throw, and that Carolina's pass defense is allowing a 54.5 completion percentage on throws 20 or more yards downfield -- the second-worst such mark in the NFL.

 

[Bulldog]

The pocket may be the least safe place for Griffin on Sunday.

Roll him out and get the ball out quickly.

On defense, Manning could eat this defense alive on third downs. Cruz downfield is a big concern.

Do you gamble and blitz or do you rush 3 and drop 8 and hope Eli has an off day?

 

[Pravda]

Giants have seemed to have a history of playing up and down to their opponents in recent years.

How else do you explain our sweep of the Super Bowl champs last season?

I think coming of a big win against San Fran last week, this could be a bit of a trap game for the Giants.

Hopefully we see a lot of Eli Face and not a repeat of the only game I attended at the Meadowlands: 36-0 after Wellington Mara passed away.

I tend to agree with bulldog: the game turns on whether Eli is in sync with his receivers. If so, could get ugly. (I still have a hard time believing that Reed Doughty is starting -- not a great sign about the strength/depth of our secondary.)

 

[micks113]

Keys in my mind are:

1. Play to our strenghts.....running game, I see on espn someone rated Redskins line 4th of top 5. OK whatever, but run blocking is their forte.

2. Alfred Morris left, Morris right, Morris on the play fake. Will keep them honest and hold back on the rush. We can option play fake, that is, play the option, but pass instead. The Giants have not seen the whole playbook, none of us have, but the good news is that Griffen has, and has it memorized.

3. Still need to insert the screen on obvious passing downs, that will negate that strong pass rush.

4. Flea flicker, they will fall for that, hook line and sinker. We need Moss on the receiving end of that one.

5. Maintain time of possession. Keep Eli on the bench. The problem with that is, Shanahan always elects to receive to open the game, which I don't like personally. We go down by a score to start the game, we must immediately play catch up. I prefer to spring a quick score and make them play catch up.

6. 4 field goals, minimum. Sorry but that's what its going to take.

7. The trap play. An awesome called play that takes advantage of the rush of the Giants, and will spring Morris for 10+ yards. The good news is, that is the type of play that once its successful, will continue to be successful. But, it doesn't play to the strength of the zone blocking scheme. We need to be a little bit more creative here.

8. On defense, be aggresive, I still think man to man rather than zone. With Eli, he will pick apart the zone.

9. Kerrigan match up. Put him on the weakest link, move him around.

10. I also go with Alexander for pass rush. The guy's motor is high and won't quit. Pressure is the key, he has got what it takes.

11. Once again, and I hate to cite this one, is turnover. Can't coach turnovers. We have been exceptional there, even though the defense is pourous. We have an int every game, need another. We don't want to coach stripping the ball, we want to coach wrap up tackling, they are hard to bring down, and that's what we have to do.

12. As always, must outscore the opponent. We never had the ability to do that until this year, so we must run it up at every opportunity. And I am content with starting every drive at the 20.

 

[China]

5. Maintain time of possession. Keep Eli on the bench. The problem with that is, Shanahan always elects to receive to open the game, which I don't like personally. We go down by a score to start the game, we must immediately play catch up. I prefer to spring a quick score and make them play catch up.

Shanahan has changed his MO, this is not always the case anymore. From his presser earlier this week:

On deferring possession at the coin toss:
“I’ve always been the other way. I’ve always taken the ball in the past. This year, I’ve done it because I saw a percentage I hadn’t seen before – that people that defer win well over 60 percent. I said, “Hey, that’s an interesting stat. Why not go with the percentages?’ I kind of like it, too. Coming out at halftime and having a chance to get the ball first kind of fires up the team at halftime. I know when we get the ball, we have a chance to go the distance.”

On percentages for deferring:
“There’s a few – if you win the toss, if you defer to the second half, if you win the toss, then there’s about three or four percentages. The one that was the heaviest was winning the toss and deferring to the second half. It’s nothing earth-shattering, but that’s the way we went. I kind of like starting the second half off with the ball.”

 

[Boone]

It'll take every damn Redskin at every position simply deciding we aren't going home without a win. I see almost no advantage for us, save Griffin, in this one. You can point to last year's wins all you want - but the truth is that last year was an aberration and the Giants have perenially owned us for years. Having been the sole source of embarassment last year, we won't sneak up and surprise the Giants this time.

We'll have to beat them straight up. To do it will require a pure pride game with the Redskins playing inspired ball and dominating physically across the board.

Short of the best effort of the season, I don't see us winning. This isn't a 'game plan' game. It's a beat down game. Whichever team leaves it all on the field will prevail. I'll also venture a guess that it'll take some trickery and gambling to pull off a win on the road two years in a row against the G-Men. That means converting some 4th downs, an onside kick, or a fake punt somewhere along the way. Fortune favors the bold.

 

[Jimbo]

My biggest concern is stopping Bradshaw. If he gets cranked up early and Eli has 2nd and short or 3rd and short, he'll eat us alive.

I'm hoping the Giants come out flat after the big win against the Niners last week but after losing to us twice last year, I don't see that happening. This is an extremely tough game to predict.

 

[Beans]

Skins just need to engage destroy mode and dump Eli on that big ass head of his every opportunity. I actually hate the Giants more than the Cowboys....thought that was impossible, but here we are....

 

[micks113]

Shanahan has changed his MO, this is not always the case anymore. From his presser earlier this week:

Good grief you're right, was thinking defer and typed received,duh, is that a typo or dyslexia?

 

[ThatDaveGuy]

I think Boone nailed it, this game needs to be a statement of pride by this team. No one will be shocked if we lose in NY, no one in the media anyway, so there don't need to be any expectations, all we really have going for us is the psychological edge of the player's faith that Griffin is that guy, that spark, that leader that can keep it rollin' and keep us in games. That may be enough, it may not, but I for one am anticipating this one in a way I haven't for a long time.

 

[DieselPwr44]

As I said in another thread....this is a big game for the Redskins...even this early in the season.

A big time spot where they can make a statement. If things are really different, we will find a way to win.

If nothing's changed, we do what we usually do: wilt in the spotlight.

The ball is in the Redskins' court tomorrow and I hope I like their response.....