This has been the theme for the giants all season long. Dallas Atlanta and NE were all games we could have won. There were those plays that we could have won (Eli not throwing it away vs Dallas, Landon Collins holds on vs NE) however, the real reason the giants are blowing leads is the lack of run game. Not the lack of pass rush, or the beat up defense.
The giants are trying to close the game out vs these teams. The had opportunities on offense with the lead late in the forth to kill clock and close the game out. This O-Line can't seem to establish a consistent running game or push defenders back when they want. The offense tries to run, but we are stuck in 3 and 7's or the offense just tries throwing on all 3 downs (NE). If the giants were able to run the ball, they would at least be in 3rd and manageable or be in victory formation.
The lack of run game is really hurting our team. To me, it is costing us games. If we could run the ball, Atlanta would not have come back, NE would not have come back, and Dallas would have less time to come back.
So might disagree, but if you are up double digits in 3 of the 5 games you lost, it is because you can't run the ball when you want. You can't get those 6 yard runs at the end of games. Every run is 2 yards. And what is sad is 3 or these guys are 1-2 rounds picks and another was a "top" Lineman in FA. If something doesn't get fixed over the bye, who knows how many "should have won" games we will have to come.
Although the lack of running game had nothing to do with Eli forgetting how many TOs Dallas had left ( he didn't realize they got a called TO back on the Cowboys own penalty) or not falling down instead of throwing the ball out of the end zone in the first Dallas game.
Atlanta - The lead quickly went from 10 to 3 on Atlanta's first drive of the 4th quarter. Here the offense had several chances to add to the total but did nothing. D allowed a late drive and offense couldn't respond.
New Orleans - Giants scored 49 points but except for 35 seconds at the end never got the ball back after taking the 49 - 42 lead. I can't blame the running game at all in this one.
New England - The O took the ball 91 yards in the final 6 minutes with a nice mix of pass and run. Eli audibled to a sure TD pass but OBJ dropped the ball (maybe). After that at the 2:01 mark a pass made sense since the clock was going to stop regardless. So again how do you fault the running game.
I can see the running game at fault in one game - maybe Atlanta where we had several chances in the end game to grind out a first down to run the clock but failed to do so. Dropped INTs, bad calls, poor clock management and let's face it lousy pass defense and punt return coverage cost more than the running game.
The defense finally would have made a big stop against a real opponent for the first time in God only knows how long.
Got the pressure and hit on Brady and he chucked it up. That play must be made.
Collins drop and Randle not getting to that deep pass against the Saints are haunting me.
--Convert short yardage first downs.
--Run in for TD's when the field gets small in the red zone.
--Run when the opposition knows you will run to grind out those last four minutes when you have a lead.
Big Blue's run game struggles with all of those things.
And if Odell tucks that ball away we also aren't (having this discussion) and one could really argue that (Odell's play) was the far easier of the two.
For that matter if the special teams just doesn't give up that long return it likely never comes down to either of those two plays being difference makers.
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to pick on one guy, but if Landon Collins catches that football, we're not having this discussion.
And if Odell tucks that ball away we also aren't (having this discussion) and one could really argue that (Odell's play) was the far easier of the two.
For that matter if the special teams just doesn't give up that long return it likely never comes down to either of those two plays being difference makers.
Collins play was it. TC said it himself, catch that ball he sends out the victory formation.
Play must be made.
and 4 games the Giants lost in the last seconds
it is getting in their heads that the 4th quarter there were be some sort of meltdown
we had multiple chances to put game away on NE and yet these weird plays happen which caused the game to unravel
Maybe not but my point is to blame the loss on a defender for not holding the ball while hitting the ground trying to make an INT seems a little bit of a reach when if only your stars WR would have held onto the ball in the end zone it wouldn't have likely come down to that.
Games aren't won or lost in a vacuum of it being one play only. Yes that one play could have ensured a victory, but so could have other plays if only they had been successfully made by other players.
or if Harris goes down in the field of play when he makes the catch at the 5 yard line. We could then have run the ball 3 times, kick the FG and give the ball back to the pats with about a minute and no TO's. I don't see anybody talking about this...
Also, if you try to sit on the lead and milk the clock with the run game, you wind up giving the ball back. Futilely attempting to run the ball in the 4th played a big role in the losses to both Dallas and Atlanta.
That said, Sunday's game in particular had so many plays that could have been made to finish that damn thing, it's hard to pinpoint one.
Better pass rush, better coverage from our DBs and LBs, better execution on O, finishing drives, recovering fumbles, not letting up big ST plays. All it takes to lose is have everyone take turns making 1 mistake.
we have one- Darkwa
the others cannot run through a paper wall
and he cant move the pile or get more than 2-4 yds at a time
Darkwa is theanswer
Coughlin is spoon feeding us Darkwa in small doses
We are the worst passing defense in the league and have been for most of the season! Poor run game is a good argument but it's still second to a terrible defense.
It's 4th and 10, no worries, the Giants defense will just give you the entire center field and wait behind the first down marker. Go ahead and throw a duck deep down the center of the field on 1st down because the Giants safeties can't cover or catch. Don't worry if you're off target today, none of the Giants defenders are anywhere near the receiver anyway.
Want to know how to beat the Giants? Throw to any receiver that DRC is not covering (or Prince for half a season). Wash, rinse, and repeat. It doesn't matter how much time is on the clock.
Or if Casillas plays in the right position on the 4th down pass to Amendola, we are not having this discussion.
Or if Eli did not fumble in FG range, we are not having this discussion.
Or if we did not get sacked taking us out of FG range, we are not having this discussion.
Or if our TE was able to catch that pass in the end zone, we are not having this discussion.
Or, if we don't give up an 80 yard punt return that leads to a Pats TD, we are not having this discussion.
Or, if we did not give up an 87 yard TD to Gronk, we are not having this discussion
Finally, if OBJ just secures the ball in the end zone and stops thinking about show boating, then we are not having this discussion.
I am not sure why the LAST mistake is always the one that makes everyone forget about all of the other ones. When you consider the fact that both the punt return and the Gronk TD both were 7 points for the Pats, then we could have been up by 9 points at the end and not just 2.
unaware another Giant had a better angle
unaware of how to secure the ball or land in that situation
The gist is thankfully we lost no ground and tested our mettle against the best
its a long way to Santa Clara, but our possibilities are good
Our QB is AWESOME
2) Our offense plays with a lead in every game but two. If we had a more consistent run game, there would be less time for these last minute come backs. We wouldn't try closing teams out by trying to convert 3 and longs
3) I know there were other key plays that cost us the game, but my point to all this is that because we don't have a solid, not even good, but a solid run game, it would not have to come down to these high pressure clock management situations.
The run game sucks. and the ONLY rb that has upside is darkwa. every game he runs with a burst. it was not just one game. I would make him start and play vereen along with him. Maybe that will light some fire to williams and jennings.
i thought daniel in MI said it: wtf were we doing throwing the ball to harris at the sideline anyway? what was the ultimate goal there?
our strategy should include the clock at that point, but it just didn't.
tom said "i'll take the TD thank you very much".
how about winning the game instead?
part of "finish" is having a strategy to finish the game. it's tough to stop great QBs in those situations particularly w/the rules. part of finishing games is the coach "bringing it home" with wise tactical moves. maybe that's why we're 1-10 in close games.
But hey, keeping talking out of your ass, Thomas. Maybe you can invent a story where the coaching staff is divided to a point where they're having physical fights over McAdoo like you once did Eli and the players. Or maybe McAdoo can be doing meth in the locker room like Bradshaw did in your world.
Once the run game comes around this team will be unstoppable, theyre right there.