The lingering effects of a long week that included the arrest of receiver Plaxico Burress, the suspension of Burress by the Giants for the remainder of the season, and the police questioning of Antonio Pierce, might have spilled over to their game vs. the Eagles, but in the end, we’ll never know.
One thing we do know is that the Giants came out flat on Sunday and were thoroughly beaten at their own game by the division rival Philadelphia Eagles.
On a cold, windy day at the Meadowlands, the Eagles did to the Giants what the Giants normally do to the league: punished them physically. Sticking with their running game, which is something Andy Reid is normally quick to abandon, Westbrook was able to find holes behind his mammoth line all afternoon.
Late in the second quarter, when the Giants put nine guys into the box, Westbrook was able to sneak through a hole and go untouched for a 30-yard score to put the Eagles up 10-0.
A major reason that the Eagles’ offense was able to create such rhythm was because the Giants were without starting LCB Aaron Ross from the end of the first quarter on. With fourth-string CB Kevin Dockery forced to play on the outside, the Giants kept a safety back to help in the passing game and the Giants were unable to bring a man up to help out vs. the run and bring extra pressure at McNabb.
The Giants on the hand, never found their rhythm on this day. The media will question Burress’ loss and what it meant to the offense, but New York had its chances. In the beginning of the second quarter, from their 15-yard line, Manning threw a beautiful pass 50-yards down the field that should have resulted in an 85-yard TD.
Only the football went right through Domenik Hixon’s hands. It was that kind of day all afternoon.
Then trailing 10-0 right before the break, the Eagles tried a FG attempt which would have put them up 13-0. Instead, DE Justin Tuck broke through the line, got his hand on the football, blocked the attempt, and it was picked up by CB Kevin Dockery and returned 71-yards for the score. 10-7 at the break.
The Giants felt this might have been the play to ignite their sluggishness but that wouldn’t be the case.
In the ever important third quarter, when the Giants would have the wind with them, they only managed one drive and six total plays because McNabb and Westbrook methodically executed in the running game and short passing game and kept converting third downs to move the chains.
And to cap off the third quarter, after holding the ball for over 12 minutes, on a 3rd-and-11 from the 40-yard line, McNabb was able to buy time and locate his fourth read on the play, Brian Westbrook out of the backfield, and he raced away from Antonio Pierce for the 40-yard TD reception.
Game over.
The Eagles moved to 7-5-1 and kept their slim playoff hopes alive and the Giants, who actually won the NFC East Division a short time later when the Steelers reallied to beat the Cowboys late, moved to 11-2 and still hold a one-game lead for home field advantage throughout.
I Love Me Some Me
December 8th, 2008 at 22:32
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I have to apologize for my earlier blog. I was upset at another case of the bias racist media trying to hold down the true great of the NFL, TO. TO just wants to win, thats all he wants. He doesn’t bring a gun to the club and shoot himself…no, you wanna know what TO is doin on a friday night when all the hoodlums of the league are cappin’ people? TO is in his driveway doing situps, thinking of how he can further cement his legacy as the greatest in sports. Yet this week the media will headline this, the 3 lies:
1) Giants were distracted and that caused them to get their behinds kicked by the Eagles (Note to Giant fan, Plaxico was your whole team. The only reason you had an offense because all attention was on him, the same is true in Dallas with TO)
2) We will hear the crap of how passionate and classy Romo and Wittin is, while the egotistical TO is complaining. (The truth is that a classy guy doesn’t walk around the field laughing off interceptions he throws 5 ft over or under his intended receiver’s head. A classy tight end doesn’t hold back a young buck like Martellus Bennett just because he doesnt feel apart of his team’s success while he is getting his chest examined in the locker room for the 10th straight week. You want class? Class is TO yelling and calling out an offense that would rather massage egos than win football games. Why not keep Martellus in there? Why not keep throwing to TO? You are throwing interceptions anyways, it can’t get much worse. People hate TO, but TO stands up for the little man, he signs footballs and throws them in the crowd so people can sell them on ebay. He gives cheerleaders the night of their life just by touching their pom poms. I will give you 25 million reasons why TO is a god amongst men in the NFL)
3) Mr. 49er, this isnt a lie, I ran outta headlines so I will focus on you….Damn you know what, you got it hard enuff, think I’ll leave you alone for now. Be warned.