Did anyone else wonder about the play call/throw by Eli on third and eight with 1:48 to play and the ball on the Saints' 36 yard line? ( Saints had 1 timeout remaining )
Obviously I am pleased that it turned out to be the game winning play of the game. However, it was a very risky ( 50/50 ) throw to make given the game situation and given that Cruz was tightly covered the entire route. An interception would have been devastating and might easily have cost the Giants the game. Only a great play by Cruz saved the day.
Why not a safe, short throw for the first down. An incompletion at that point would still have left the Giants within field goal range.
In any case, Eli was dialed in tonight, and he deserved to have a guy make a play for him after 2 clear dropped TDs, etc.
.... if you re-watch the play, you will see that the pass should have been
intercepted.
What Brit said. I was pretty blown away on the replays by how gutsy this throw was. But Eli is a gunslinger who is willing to put a lot of trust in his receivers to hold up their end and make the play. Sometimes it works, sometime it doesn't but it's guys like him who win you hardware.
did not intend to suggest safe --- but a safer, easier throw with less risk of pass being intercepted.
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and about 27 or so other QB's.
.... if you re-watch the play, you will see that the pass should have been
intercepted.
But it wasn't. Because the WR made the play on the ball. You gotta go trust your guys to make a play on the outside.
AMEN!
bingo. Eli wants to win and is immune to whether his QBR or something is affected
Going for the first down is NOT playing to lose ---- the deep throw which was almost intercepted was very risky. Only the great play by Cruz prevented a disaster.
You could point to many "if this hadn't gone the NYG way" moments--like the uncatchable PI against the Saints on that last drive, but if all those ridiculous punch-in-the-nuts losses counted against them last year, I'm happy to have this one in the win column with the Giants sitting at 2-0.
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As someone else mentioned - playing to win vs playing not to lose. The difference between those 2 is night and day.
Going for the first down is NOT playing to lose ---- the deep throw which was almost intercepted was very risky. Only the great play by Cruz prevented a disaster.
You claim he should have taken a safer throw. Ok, who was open and where?
the Money both times ...
Cruz made a great play Eli has confidence in him ..
and that nice to say right now about a month ago 3/4 of this
board had him dead and buried ..
FF the video to the 1:22 mark.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/new-york-giants/0ap3000000705104/Giants-postgame-press-conference
If you look at the play he starts by looking left but throws almost immediately to the right.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/new-york-giants/0ap3000000704637/Can-t-Miss-Play-Victor-Cruz-makes-incredible-35-yard-grab
Agree --- but still was no need to take very risky DEEP shots.
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. . . I was thinking "two plays to get 8 yards" and a fresh set of downs already in FG range. I yelled out "No!" On the long pass to OBJ and ""No!" even louder on the pass to Cruz. Initially, I thought it was horrible play calling. But then I realized that they were throwing to two, premier wide receivers (Welcome back Victor!) against two rookie undrafted free agent corners. I then understood their thinking.
Agree --- but still was no need to take very risky DEEP shots.
You didnt answer my question. Who would you have thrown it too instead?
VC seems to be able to home in on those high contested passes. Think back when he beat some top of the line CBs on 50/50 passes in important situations. It is not new
Now how he managed to hold that ball is a mystery - the DB made a good play on the ball.
I am now certain Cruz is back.
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and about 27 or so other QB's.
.... if you re-watch the play, you will see that the pass should have been
intercepted.
But it wasn't...so...
The need to second guess is so compelling that we're going to criticize the game-winning play.
No --- have seen McAdoo make boneheaded calls in the past.
Only a GREAT play by Cruz prevented this play from falling into the same category.
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Oh my gosh and Drats
The need to second guess is so compelling that we're going to criticize the game-winning play.
No --- have seen McAdoo make boneheaded calls in the past.
Only a GREAT play by Cruz prevented this play from falling into the same category.
Why wont you answer my question. Its a pretty simple one.
You are right. VC said Eli gave him the sign to run that route.
i really don't get this fucking place more and more.
Try and enjoy it, Eli, Shep and OBJ and Cruz are gonna make a lot of DBs look silly this year.
Try and enjoy it, Eli, Shep and OBJ and Cruz are gonna make a lot of DBs look silly this year.
trueblue you hit the nail on the head. After two games, I now feel confortable Cruz is back. Damn three very good to outstanding WRs. Would like to see King get into a 4 WR set....
NO was stacking the middle of the field, betting Eli would not go deep in that situation. They bet wrong.
Also the pass really should have been broken up or even intercepted - we'd be killing a Giant DB who let Cruz make that catch.
Exactly! Well played, Sir!
And to some extent why he has 200 INTs in his career, and not considered "elite" by some.
But like you said, its those kind of plays that gave us 2 magical SB runs & wins. I'll take the 2 SB wins, & the SB MVPs, thank you very much.
It sucks that when Favre did the same, he was referred to as a "gunslinger", a great HOF QB, who knows when to take chances, but in Eli's case its "but but but..."
The thread wouldn't be here about Cruz, if Beckham does his
job, on a relatively easy catch. They came out on top,
but they still have work to do.
That was a gutsy call in that situation, and while I would've been pissed if it didn't work and we lost, I cannot argue that that is Eli, always has been. He is a gunslinger.
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pass to make it a more reasonable FG. They were at the the 36 - that's a 54 yarder. Not sure Ben even tries it. Brown missed from 52 earlier. You can't risk giving Brees the ball back at the 44. A 5-6 yard pass brings the FG under 50 and of course the receiver could pick up the extra couple of yards for a first down. It was a gutsy call by either Ben (if Cruz was the first option) or more likely Eli.
Also the pass really should have been broken up or even intercepted - we'd be killing a Giant DB who let Cruz make that catch.
Exactly! Well played, Sir!
Brown's missed 53 yarder was a football width or less outside the post with plenty of distance. It wasn't hooked or poorly struck. He just didn't have it lined up correctly. Not a bad miss at all.
Not sure BM attempts the 54 yarder there, just in case of a miss that would have given the Saints the ball on the 44 with less than 2 minutes. If it was earlier in the game, he would definitely try the FG.
Great GiFs NFL4... !