but I never like to blame officials - only losing teams blame officials - because you only blame officials when you weren't good enough to win despite them. And as the rest of your write up shows, the Giants had plenty of reasons of their own making to explain why they lost.
Agree that the Linebackers were a clear liability in this game. Â
First couple series of the game for Pittsburgh they threw numerous swing passes to L Bell and not one of our Linebackers were ever ready for it. No way this was overlooked in the film room and practice sessions.
Our defensive lineman are making the tackles on the running plays (i think Snacks had another 9-tackle game!). So this begs the question...what the hell are the LBs even doing other than making tackles 8 yards down the field on guys that were supposed to be covering.
Other than maybe the first couple games, Casillas and the LB boys have had their games deteriorate or regress to the norm I guess...
I know what we spent in picks on the O-line but if you
think back Pugh was basically the last O-line pick
that year in the first round I like him he has settled
in at LG much better than when he played Tackle .
Flowers was billed as guy that was labeled uncoachable
and needed work .. He doesn't look like a LT really
and he was a #9 pick right ?
Richberg a 2nd round pick who has regressed a bit and
has had problems with bigger DT's and he hasn't been
that great this year . We saw the problems last year
and really nothing has changed except the injuries
and the line hasn''t jelled like we hoped it would .
It a combination of problems with the Offense but
it begins with them ...
You've got to respect them. They had a good plan - cover 3 with CB's in off coverage but playing straight downhill. FS jumping all the crossing routes. Did not respect the deep ball (smart). Had Eli confused on pre-snap reads and unsure of himself playing off but aggressive on the short stuff. Consistently mugged Beckham knowing A-he would get frustrated and B-the refs wouldn't give him the calls.
Offensively, they used motion and hard counts to decipher man/zone/blitz. If zone, they attacked Casillas (who frankly looks lost). They got rookie Eli to bite on a pump fake for a big gain. They relentlessly attacked our LB's and S's with the TE and RB.
In other words - they knew our weaknesses and exploited them.
Beyond that, my takeaway: Big Ben, Bell and Brown are the top "Big 3" in the NFL. Great chemistry between all 3. Ben's play extension combined with Bell's timing out the backfield is almost unstoppable. Tiki-like. When a pass play doesn't work Ben just improvs a pass to Bell. They beat us fair and square, from the front office down.
I agree with your view that this game is an L if you look at the schedule and the least important remaining game. That's important to put in overall perspective a day after a loss.
I tend to disagree that a couple key plays swung the game. That analysis can cut both ways. Pittsburgh also allowed some big plays that could have been determinant. I think a team that gets out gained by 150 yards and 9 minutes less TOP deserves to lose. Yes, they could have won if some plays broke their way. How ever they did not compete with a team that has more talent on O and was able to minimize their weaknesses on D and exploit the Giants O weaknesses effectively. The Giants run D was not as effective as I would have liked. All of the above concerns me going forward. It would have been great to lose a close game in which they competed in terms of quality plays, yards, and yards per play because then you have something to build on.
Coming into this game, my view was the same as Aikman's...almost everything Pittsburgh did went through Brown and Bell. The Giants did a great job on Brown. But Bell and Green killed them. And Bell as a pass receiver should not have surprised them. There was a number of plays where I said, "Where the hell are the linebackers?"
In many ways, Green was THE difference in this game.
I will say this too... Pittsburgh's OC did a great job. They had some superb plays called.
More than half of his rushing yards came on PITT's final 2 drives after the game was no longer in doubt. The defense wasn't great, but I would give them more of a pass than you did Eric. I put a third of PITT's 24 points on the offense. It's great if the defense can hold a team to a FG after such a momentum swinging play like the Timmons' pick, but I don't expect it. This isn't the '85 Bears we're talking about. However, the linebackers were badly exposed and Leon Hall showed why he has been inactive lately.
I primarily blame the offensive line for the team's offensive woes. Looking at highlights from the past 2 seasons, the pass protection was better than this. Not great, but better than it is this season.
The Eli pick was easily the biggest play of the game. Everything about it was soul-crushing.
Pittsburgh didn't come close to getting flagged for PI and the play in the end zone or unnecessary roughness after driving Manning to the turf well after the whistle. Why? The officials never considered throwing those flags.
I re-watched that play a few times and still can’t for the life of me understand what Hall was doing on that play? He looked like he was ready to leave the field rather than finish the play?
I get blown assignments happen but doesn’t there have to be a player in the area to justify a reason for even being there? Pittsburg didn’t have a player remotely close to that area of the end zone. If Hall was in the area he should have been at the very least he has a better chance than Rabbit to pass defend if not intercept it.
Great write-up Eric this game IMV was painful to watch simply for the fact many of our issues were self inflicted but the Steelers deserved this game not us.
I think we he saw Roethlisberger scramble that he felt he was going to throw the ball to the corner of the end zone and was surprised he cut back towards the middle of the field. It was a bit of a risky throw for Roethlisberger to make (the corner throw would have been safer).
Yes Hall was completely lost. A Free Safety who has the back Â
playing zone and just doing it poorly. Some credit to Big Ben who found his TEs sometimes over the LBs and sometime under the LBs. Again though, my point is they are not really all that helpful in run defense, and they are exposed in the passing game so what the hell are you doing?
Collins was outsmarted by Ben and the TE for the touchdown who were clearly on the same page.
The Free Safeties were occupied with Brown and often never in the picture when balls went elsewhere...and they did.
would appear the Giants were outcoached by a large margin. I certainly agree with your point about the running game. Running the ball is a commitment that has to be there on the part of the coaching staff and McAdoo seems too quick to abandon the run in many games this year. In addition, I have questioned the game plan and play calling all year and I think you made reference to that as well.
On the Flowers issue, and I don't want to get into any Front Office stuff, but if Flowers strength is run blocking then either our offence is wrong for him or why do you draft a guy for this type of offence whose strengths do not fit. Also, does this suggest that perhaps he is better inside playing guard or, at the very least, right tackle? Don't you try to draft guys that match up with your scheme?
I think the review just points to the disjointedness on the Giants currently. And yes, big point about Eli...he is not confident in that line and no question he has happy feet this year.
This team has a lot of warts and does have a fundamental flaw, but this game did hinge on a few plays.
I really hope Pugh + Vereen can help get this offense to a sustainable level.
People forget that even during the Superbowl years, we had horrendous losses. Hell, in 2011, during the Washington loss after the JPP field goal block in Dallas, I had the thought enter my head that maybe Coughlin's time had run its course for the first time. We know how that ended.
went their way. It's tough to win when you can't control the line of scrimmage.
This to me is the best line in the piece: "But you also have to wonder about the Giants personnel acquisition versus scheme. For example, Flowers’ strength is his run blocking. He can muscle and maul as good as anyone in the NFL (think Jumbo Elliott when he played left tackle for the Giants). But the Giants run a pass-centric, finesse offense that runs the ball as more of after-thought out of the shotgun. Imagine Flowers playing left tackle for the Steelers. I bet you he would be a heck of a player in their scheme."
Again, a disconnect between player acquisition and usage.
And personally, I don't enjoy watching this type of offense. It's boring, 2 hand touch style football. No domination of the other team. It's unmanly, un-Giant-like football. On top of that, as JonC and B in ALB have pointed out, it's very easy to gameplan for this offense. so in addition to being passive and soft, it doesn't even fool anyone.
Look the Steelers deserved to win, but man, we were a play or two from this being a totally different game.
Our defensive lineman are making the tackles on the running plays (i think Snacks had another 9-tackle game!). So this begs the question...what the hell are the LBs even doing other than making tackles 8 yards down the field on guys that were supposed to be covering.
Other than maybe the first couple games, Casillas and the LB boys have had their games deteriorate or regress to the norm I guess...
think back Pugh was basically the last O-line pick
that year in the first round I like him he has settled
in at LG much better than when he played Tackle .
Flowers was billed as guy that was labeled uncoachable
and needed work .. He doesn't look like a LT really
and he was a #9 pick right ?
Richberg a 2nd round pick who has regressed a bit and
has had problems with bigger DT's and he hasn't been
that great this year . We saw the problems last year
and really nothing has changed except the injuries
and the line hasn''t jelled like we hoped it would .
It a combination of problems with the Offense but
it begins with them ...
Offensively, they used motion and hard counts to decipher man/zone/blitz. If zone, they attacked Casillas (who frankly looks lost). They got rookie Eli to bite on a pump fake for a big gain. They relentlessly attacked our LB's and S's with the TE and RB.
In other words - they knew our weaknesses and exploited them.
Beyond that, my takeaway: Big Ben, Bell and Brown are the top "Big 3" in the NFL. Great chemistry between all 3. Ben's play extension combined with Bell's timing out the backfield is almost unstoppable. Tiki-like. When a pass play doesn't work Ben just improvs a pass to Bell. They beat us fair and square, from the front office down.
I tend to disagree that a couple key plays swung the game. That analysis can cut both ways. Pittsburgh also allowed some big plays that could have been determinant. I think a team that gets out gained by 150 yards and 9 minutes less TOP deserves to lose. Yes, they could have won if some plays broke their way. How ever they did not compete with a team that has more talent on O and was able to minimize their weaknesses on D and exploit the Giants O weaknesses effectively. The Giants run D was not as effective as I would have liked. All of the above concerns me going forward. It would have been great to lose a close game in which they competed in terms of quality plays, yards, and yards per play because then you have something to build on.
BUT... 14-7 with 6:30 to go in the 3rd despite all the crap that had happened up to that point. This was a VERY winnable game.
In many ways, Green was THE difference in this game.
I will say this too... Pittsburgh's OC did a great job. They had some superb plays called.
I primarily blame the offensive line for the team's offensive woes. Looking at highlights from the past 2 seasons, the pass protection was better than this. Not great, but better than it is this season.
The Eli pick was easily the biggest play of the game. Everything about it was soul-crushing.
I get blown assignments happen but doesn’t there have to be a player in the area to justify a reason for even being there? Pittsburg didn’t have a player remotely close to that area of the end zone. If Hall was in the area he should have been at the very least he has a better chance than Rabbit to pass defend if not intercept it.
Great write-up Eric this game IMV was painful to watch simply for the fact many of our issues were self inflicted but the Steelers deserved this game not us.
Collins was outsmarted by Ben and the TE for the touchdown who were clearly on the same page.
The Free Safeties were occupied with Brown and often never in the picture when balls went elsewhere...and they did.
On the Flowers issue, and I don't want to get into any Front Office stuff, but if Flowers strength is run blocking then either our offence is wrong for him or why do you draft a guy for this type of offence whose strengths do not fit. Also, does this suggest that perhaps he is better inside playing guard or, at the very least, right tackle? Don't you try to draft guys that match up with your scheme?
I think the review just points to the disjointedness on the Giants currently. And yes, big point about Eli...he is not confident in that line and no question he has happy feet this year.
I really hope Pugh + Vereen can help get this offense to a sustainable level.
People forget that even during the Superbowl years, we had horrendous losses. Hell, in 2011, during the Washington loss after the JPP field goal block in Dallas, I had the thought enter my head that maybe Coughlin's time had run its course for the first time. We know how that ended.
This to me is the best line in the piece: "But you also have to wonder about the Giants personnel acquisition versus scheme. For example, Flowers’ strength is his run blocking. He can muscle and maul as good as anyone in the NFL (think Jumbo Elliott when he played left tackle for the Giants). But the Giants run a pass-centric, finesse offense that runs the ball as more of after-thought out of the shotgun. Imagine Flowers playing left tackle for the Steelers. I bet you he would be a heck of a player in their scheme."
Again, a disconnect between player acquisition and usage.
And personally, I don't enjoy watching this type of offense. It's boring, 2 hand touch style football. No domination of the other team. It's unmanly, un-Giant-like football. On top of that, as JonC and B in ALB have pointed out, it's very easy to gameplan for this offense. so in addition to being passive and soft, it doesn't even fool anyone.