I just re-watched the Giants' first three offensive possessions of the game, focusing mostly on the OL.
Drive #1: 9 plays, punt
Drive #2: 9 plays, downs
Drive #3: 10 plays, TD
The OL actually played pretty darn well on the first three drives. There wasn't much running room, but the Giants did pick up some tough yards. The one glaring disappointment was the failed 4th-and-1, but it wasn't the case of an OL missing the block.
Pass protection was very sound except for Chris Snee getting beat very badly on the 9th play of the 1st drive on 3rd-and-8. McDonald ran around Snee to sack Manning and cause a fumble than pushed the Giants into a 4th-and-21.
The tackles blocked well early. So did Boothe and Baas in pass pro. There was one play where a LB charged into Baas and knocked him backwards on a running play, but Baas played well. When he got hurt late in the 3rd drive, Boothe went to OC and Petrus to LG. Petrus immediately gave up a pressure as he was late in recognizing a stunt.
a FA OT/G or 2 instead of draft...it takes a few years
to develop them and we will need at least 1 player w/
experience to step in if Mac is gone,,,
Not to make excuses - the Niners had to play in the same weather and did a phenomenal job of rushing Eli, but that factor made it that much harder on us. Baas' injury didn't help matters either.
Watching it again, it was truly a bloodbath at points. The pressure in the 2nd half was unrelenting, and it generally wasn't just one guy coming free, it was multiple 49ers meeting at the QB. Eli just took some vicious hits. To take all that, and then to hang in there as long as he did on the play down the sideline to Bradshaw late in the game says a ton about him.
Luckily, we're not going to face a defense like that in Indy.
Yes, I will watch the rest of the game.
On the 4th-and-1. A DB (#31) shot into the gap and Hynoski picked him up. McKenzie took out his man and so did Ballard. Bowman came flying in low on Jacobs. Cruz couldn't cut him off. Great play by Bowman, but you can also say Jacobs should have not gone down so easily.
Looking at the upcoming Patriots-Ravens game, his friends were telling him to completely ignore the most recent games against Denver and Houston. They were telling him to look at the Patriots games against teams most similar to the Ravens in their ability to pressure Brady. The Patriots' opponents with the most sacks were the Steelers, Giants, Cowboys and Redskins. Well, the Patriots were 2-2 and a cumulative +1 in points against these 4 teams. The two wins (Cowboys and Redskins) were narrowly decided.
On that basis, his friends were telling him the Ravens were the way to bet.
This is my long winded way of saying that in attempting to dope out what we might expect in the Super Bowl, the game against the 49ers is utterly useless. Everything that happened in it is best forgotten until the off-season. San Francisco and New England are almost polar opposites.
As for moving forward, I think Beatty proved he can handle pass pro at LT. Incidentally, as I've mentioned, Beatty played very well against the 49ers in November.
Baas will be OC and Snee RG.
? are at LG and RT. Diehl will have to make transition to RT or be cut IMO. McKenzie won't be re-signed. As area junc says, they may look at a FA like Carl Nicks. Remember Brewer and Petrus are still in the picture and Boothe. Obviously and OL or two will be drafted.
wide. It would help if we had better blocks from our TEs.
I'd be surprised if we don't improve this line next year.
i'll read only
throw in 1 more good corner or safety, and it cant get any better imo
I hope we consider drafting DeCastro or Zeitler get a blue chip guard. It is exactly what we need to help the run game. It will also keep Petrus and Boothe as the backups (though I expect Petrus will start out as starter.
As for Tackle. Beatty is young and a good pass blocker and we are passing more than ever. Diehl should be able to hold down RT until Brewer is ready. I would take a tackle in the later rounds again and hope to strike gold to push beatty and or Diehl
SO If we go after a guy like Nicks I imagine it'll be at LG since we like to pull our guards and he has good lateral movement. Then hope that Diehl plays well at RT since that does seem like the ideal spot for skillset.
The Patriots have nowhere close to that team speed.
The two big negative plays by the OL were by Chris Snee. He gave up both first half sacks and both of them to McDonald.
The OL was pretty decent other than that. Terrible start by Snee.
Re-Focused: Giants @ 49ers, Championship Round - ( New Window )
I'll tell you...McDonald was a brute inside. He gave Boothe all he could handle on another rush.