I guess it has been hashed out on BBI and I apologize in advance if there was a thread (I searched and couldn't find one and I will delete if there was one).
I re-watched game again last night and still can't figure out if that was a catch Scott should have made. Ball came at him hard and was kind of behind him. Was Eli throwing to a spot where Scott was supposed to be? I heard some say that Scott didn't turn around quick enough but, even if he did, that ball came at him pretty fast.
I know, its yesterday's news but I'm still struggling with closure on this one. Does it come down to: A running back with good hands makes the catch?
that's what I took from the comments at least.
What scott should NOT have done is tried to catch a ball behind him and knock it up in the air, let it go and its incomplete.
Sometimes, Eli throws to a spot before the receiver makes his break, and in those situations if the receiver doesn't make the correct break and the ball is incomplete or intercepted, that's not really on Eli. But on both of those picked off screen passes, it seemed that Eli could and should have recognized that the RB wasn't in the correct spot and aborted the play instead of trying to force it.
Giants started the game with a bad screen, and they ended the game with a bad screen.
I say shelve it until everyone is on the same page.
Bad play all the way around - IMO!!!
I spoke to my son, last night about this, his take -
Scott & Eli read a blitz, so the best option is to catch the ball behind them as the LBs fly by, resulting in a big play. The problem - the LBs backed off and Scott is left with his back to the QB.
Eli throws the ball four feet behind Scott, who reaches for the ball and tips it into the Cowboy's hands - Game over.
Scott ran the wrong route, to the wrong spot, and never looked for the ball. When Eli doesnt take blame for an INT, you know something's up.
That's how it looked to me.
Scott ran the screen the wrong way, and since Eli was on a timing play, it was screwed up from the get go.
Read post game transcripts. Very telling.
Really, it's the kind of interception that happens all the time in football. Slight miscommunication or mis-timing or slightly inaccurate throw that takes a bounce and gets picked. I'm sure it happened at least 5 times around the league this season already, probably more. There are a variety of things that can go wrong when you throw the ball. A few of them went wrong on that play. And sometimes those things result in picks.
Everyone involved (Eli, Scott, and Gillbride) have made reference to a sight adjustment that caused Eli to expect Scott to sit down right where he threw the ball. It's not just a timing thing. Scott is suppose to stop and turn right where the ball goes...not continue up the field. It looks like a bad throw because Eli is throwing to where he was. He starts to unload it in anticipation of Scott stopping and turning around and that's where the ball goes.
As I interpret Eli's response in that .gif.....it's almost like a Oh come on! What are you doing!?!!?" And then after the play...he gave a "Damn it. I can't believe he screwed that up!" (This is obviously just guessing...but taken with what I perceive his comments to mean...I don't think his response was frustration with himself).