McAdoo implicates the defense

from my perspective. They gave up 1 TD that was the result of an absurd PI call against Jenkins.

this D bailed out the O all last year, if he doesn't see that, they are in trouble. How many games last year did the giants have a one score fourth qtr lead and the O would continually go 3 and out, putting tremendous pressure on the D and very few comfortable wins. It's time for this pathetic O to start pulling its weight if this team has any chance of improving on last year!

I understand what he is saying. Look, the defense allowed four scoring drives in six first-half Dallas possessions.

You want to be a "great" defense? Get the other team off of the field, even when your offense is doing nothing.

He has to be careful not to lose his defensive players when he should have been calling out his OL.

with no Zeke or Dez TDs was admirable. The D was solid and gassed for all the time they spent out there.

Not 37-3. Is getting your offense to produce a couple of TD's too much to ask these days?

fall down and hit his head after the game?

He said that it falls on all three phases: defense has to get off the field (this is absolutely true; there were a lot of extended drives by Dallas), special teams has to help with field position, offense has to improve in all areas (and he specifically noted doing a better job of possessing the ball).

None of that is inaccurate.

then rush 4 on 3rd down... let the DEs go upfield and abuse the opposition... Spy Dak, and drop the other 6 in coverage.

we didnt do that and it was infuriating.

of a guy whose tenure as a HC is not going to last very long. Refuses to look at the real issues, and throws everyone else under the bus.

That makes me think McAdoo is good coach. Nothing

and also that you have mischaracterized what he said.

He very clearly stated that the offense was a big problem, and he complimented the defense.

Yes, the failure falls on all three phases. While the defense did it's part to keep the score down, they didn't get the ball back to the offense in favorable ways. Dallas enjoyed long drives. Even when forced to punt, the offense had to start around the 10 yard line repeatedly.

A great defense will force some 3 and outs of their own.

That means the Defense must play spectacular

because the offense is terrible right now

The defense has to dominate offenses and play lights out

That's the only way to compete right now until the offense develops.

is getting to his brain.

He needs to put down the chinese menu and starting actually watching the game.

same demeanor and reactions

he played back most of the game, didnt seem defense was agressive at all...

and mcadoo didnt blame the defense, he said the offense was putrid and the defense played hard and battled all night

In comment 13593695 Rflairr said:

Quote:

That makes me think McAdoo is good coach. Nothing

so 11-5 is nothing?

The D is getting a major pass due to how inept the offense was, but for a D that many were comparing to the '86 D, they were not very strong:

1 sack (on a blown screen)
No 3 and outs
No TOs
Little pressure

Drives of:
9 plays, 33 yards (punt)
9 plays, 51 yards (FG)
15 plays, 41 yards (FG)
7 plays, 35 yards (punt)
7 plays, 65 yards (TD)
7 plays, 51 yards (FG)
6 plays, 40 yards (punt)
11 plays, 38 yards (punt)
10 plays, 34 yards (FG)

Even when the D 'stopped' them, the Cowboys were pinning the Giants inside the 20 or even the 10 which further limits an offenses playcalling ability. I guess if by 'top 5 D' everyone meant bend-but-don't-break, then sure, the D did their job.

The guy is a clueless disaster so far.
I didn't like his BS comments about the DAL secondary. I don't like his approach to practice. And his offense is as boring and ineffective as any pro offense I can ever remember.

I'm rolling my eyes at the defense too, but it's McAdoo's incompetent offense that is killing this team.

Complimentary football? LMAO. There was a late-game shot of Snacks on the sideline that said it all - right after the 12 men in the huddle penalty. Just shaking his head. The D was getting pissed at the offense last year and has probably had just about enough of this sh#t ALREADY. Week 1.

In comment 13593679 Eric from BBI said:

Quote:

I understand what he is saying. Look, the defense allowed four scoring drives in six first-half Dallas possessions. You want to be a "great" defense? Get the other team off of the field, even when your offense is doing nothing.

And the starting yard line for Dallas' first half scoring drives? Last night's misery was 90% on the offense, and that is being generous.

In comment 13593706 nygiants16 said:

Quote:

In comment 13593695 Rflairr said: Quote: That makes me think McAdoo is good coach. Nothing so 11-5 is nothing?

No because we all know that was mostly Spags defense. McAdoo's shitty offense was one of the worse in the league

It was prefaced by saying all three phases of the game were at fault. I don't remember anything terrible from special teams besides penalties.

How quickly MacAdoo's stock has descended.

I took no offense in his comments. The defense did give up too many drives, left a clean pocket too often and had no turnovers

They were ok, certainly not great

on the first drive, when Dak was clearly stopped short of the line to gain, and the refs gave him a hometown spot?

You want the defense to get off the field? Start by having their back

In comment 13593736 mfsd said:

Quote:

on the first drive, when Dak was clearly stopped short of the line to gain, and the refs gave him a hometown spot? You want the defense to get off the field? Start by having their back

Bingo!

In comment 13593719 M.S. said:

Quote:

In comment 13593679 Eric from BBI said: Quote: I understand what he is saying. Look, the defense allowed four scoring drives in six first-half Dallas possessions. You want to be a "great" defense? Get the other team off of the field, even when your offense is doing nothing. And the starting yard line for Dallas' first half scoring drives? Last night's misery was 90% on the offense, and that is being generous.

The starting yard line for all of the Giants drives'? The D definitely shares in the blame. We got destroyed in the field position battle.

In comment 13593736 mfsd said:

Quote:

on the first drive, when Dak was clearly stopped short of the line to gain, and the refs gave him a hometown spot? You want the defense to get off the field? Start by having their back

You're never going to get that call reversed. It was literally inches.

In comment 13593725 Rflairr said:

Quote:

In comment 13593706 nygiants16 said: Quote: In comment 13593695 Rflairr said: Quote: That makes me think McAdoo is good coach. Nothing so 11-5 is nothing? No because we all know that was mostly Spags defense. McAdoo's shitty offense was one of the worse in the league

isnt he the head coach?

so spags won the super bowl in 07? not coughlin?

Yes, the game was mostly on the offense.

But Dallas' four scoring drives were 9 plays, 14 plays, 6 plays, and 7 plays for a total of 208 yards.

That is not insignificant.

Get off the field. Force a turnover. Get sacks.

The defense essentially played an entire game in the first half.

If his standard is '00 Ravens, then yea I suppose the defense came up short.

The offense has to at least move the ball and kick some FGs. Even the '00 Ravens had a strong running game w Lewis.

That said, Apple didn't have his best game. Neither did the safeties. On the Witten TD, the safety was frozen in the middle of the field.

Four first-half scoring drives

if this offense was able to move then ball at all the defense would not have been on the field as much as they were in the first half alone. To me the mark of a good defense is when things aren't going your way like a pitcher they keep their team in the game. And with all that went wrong they played their asses off and in the second half kept giving the ball back to the offense until Eli's interception sealed the deal. I don't know how you can put any of this on the defense. Like someone posted tone deaf.

I agree, the defense wasn't spectacular. I think that play where little Cole Besley caught the ball on his should pads, Apple needs to just wrap him up force the punt, the slip screen to Zeke which netted about 30 yards, the pass down the field to Dez, this defense was unspectacular and even got gashed in the big spots. But, anyone who thinks the defense is the problem with the Giants just isn't paying attention. People are laughing at the Giants offense. And McAdoo doesn't have any idea how to fix the offense.

I thought towards the end of last season that McAdoo seemed like a good organization guy but what he knows about Xs and Os is not a lot. Unfortunately that leaves us hoping that Sullivan will have some answers for the offense and I just don't think there's any reason to even hope that Sullivan is going to figure this thing out.

In comment 13593679 Eric from BBI said:

Quote:

I understand what he is saying. Look, the defense allowed four scoring drives in six first-half Dallas possessions. You want to be a "great" defense? Get the other team off of the field, even when your offense is doing nothing.

.

They kept them in the game, but were far from great last night. Whoever started comparing them to the '86 team,
it's a bit premature for that. This offense needs to get more creative, that part has to change.
Even an average defense like the Cowboys,
had no trouble with this offense.
Marshall didn't even looked engaged last night,
maybe not throwing him the ball early didn't help that?
One catch at the end of the game, two targets I believe.

In comment 13593679 Eric from BBI said:

Quote:

I understand what he is saying. Look, the defense allowed four scoring drives in six first-half Dallas possessions. You want to be a "great" defense? Get the other team off of the field, even when your offense is doing nothing.

I have to agree here but will say, we got robbed on a very early stop where the ball was poorly marked. Yes, we stopped the drive anyway but field position changed a lot.

We did allow way to many short passes that hurt us. However, if the offense did anything I think we would have seen things differently. The Cowboys benefited with great field position and some penalties but still only managed FG's for the most part. Again, stop them from scoring as you are supposed to but the defense can't be expected to dominate when they are playing on half the field.

In comment 13593706 nygiants16 said:

Quote:

In comment 13593695 Rflairr said: Quote: That makes me think McAdoo is good coach. Nothing so 11-5 is nothing?

on the backs of a 200 million defensive spend a scheduled that was half filled with rookie qb's and a blow out loss
In the playoffs. He's a genius.

It's one game. See how the team responds next week.

In comment 13593703 PatersonPlank said:

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same demeanor and reactions

Ray Handley?

In comment 13593758 trueblueinpw said:

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I agree, the defense wasn't spectacular. I think that play where little Cole Besley caught the ball on his should pads, Apple needs to just wrap him up force the punt, the slip screen to Zeke which netted about 30 yards, the pass down the field to Dez, this defense was unspectacular and even got gashed in the big spots. But, anyone who thinks the defense is the problem with the Giants just isn't paying attention. People are laughing at the Giants offense. And McAdoo doesn't have any idea how to fix the offense. I thought towards the end of last season that McAdoo seemed like a good organization guy but what he knows about Xs and Os is not a lot. Unfortunately that leaves us hoping that Sullivan will have some answers for the offense and I just don't think there's any reason to even hope that Sullivan is going to figure this thing out.

Saying that the defense needs to get off the field is not the same as blaming the defense.

Very rarely is football - success or failure - just about one solitary thing.

all is better. 0-2 would not be fun.

has been playing against this offense all offseason and they know the Offense stinks.

The D didn't have a great game but it's got to be demoralizing knowing that you must score at least 2 TD's by yourself to even have a chance.

Everyone on the Coaching Staff, Front Office and Offense (aside from OBJ/Engram/Shepard) has to feel their seats getting warm today.

mfsd said:

Quote:

on the first drive, when Dak was clearly stopped short of the line to gain, and the refs gave him a hometown spot?

+1.

I understand not wanting to spend a challenge on the third play, but that was a pretty big moment (and a fairly generous spot), and McAdoo had a good chance of success. Didn't the crowd groan when they saw the replay overhead?

That said, McAdoo's remarks don't bother me. The whole team needs to play better.

when your own offense doesn't give you much of a breather?

In comment 13593687 Gatorade Dunk said:

Quote:

He said that it falls on all three phases: defense has to get off the field (this is absolutely true; there were a lot of extended drives by Dallas), special teams has to help with field position, offense has to improve in all areas (and he specifically noted doing a better job of possessing the ball). None of that is inaccurate.

it may be accurate but it is a BS way to earn trust. The defense did its job and honestly special teams held dallas's teams in check. We had one good Kickoff return called back on a hold and Harris missed downing the ball inside the one but our special teams did its job. Defense did its job. The offense sucked. There is no hiding or avoiding that. That was a pitiful performance.

They loaded him up on D and he has a DC in Spags who will
Help this team win more Games Than they lose. We are stuck w him.and his defenders will pretend he has something to done the D and the wins.

It could just as easily be said that the O needs to get more than 50 yards in a half. Wonder why he didn't say that. My dislike for this guy as a coach was already there. This type of statement shows he's not going if tobbeone to take the lane for anything on husband plate.

In comment 13593745 Eric from BBI said:

Quote:

Yes, the game was mostly on the offense. But Dallas' four scoring drives were 9 plays, 14 plays, 6 plays, and 7 plays for a total of 208 yards. That is not insignificant. Get off the field. Force a turnover. Get sacks.

Very true, but in fairness to the Giants defense, Zak Prescott is a low risk QB and his rookie year indicates he's going to be a low interception QB. And as for sacks, he's exactly the type of QB that can kill a fierce pass rush with his athleticism. Defenses just can't rear back and charge Zak... he's way too damn dangerous.

has to look at things from a team perspective.....

However, the defense didn't play great. But, they did play well enough to win.

Special teams did their job.

The offense was no where near good enough.

Offense is the problem right now, plain and simple.

last night was more than just a loss.

It was the worst case scenario - after all the hype and (read: bullshit), we're the same unwatchable offense. Nothing's changed. McAdoo continues to oversee an offense that doesn't execute and is easy to stop. Eli continues to be a QB that cannot make plays. Every other game I watch the QB is escaping pressure and making plays to keep the chains moving. Ours just falls down. His accuracy on the move is a joke.

It was just 1 loss, but the implications go far deeper. This was supposed to be the best team since '08. We took it on good faith that BM didn't have the pieces last year and we would never EVER see anything so inept again. But we were inept again, which probably means McAdoo, or at least McAdoo/Sullivan, isn't the guy. Which already means wait till next year.

Plus, our pride and joy D did not show the killer instinct great defenses have. They lacked intensity and looked passive. 2 hopefuls we had for DPOY (JPP and Landon Collins) did nothing. (Was Collins on the field?)

Combine all of that with OBJ's injury and it's as disappointing a start as could be imagined.

In comment 13593748 Eric from BBI said:

Quote:

Four first-half scoring drives

You can try to put that on the defense but the Offense killed the Giants. if the Gmen had a few first downs and missed a play here and there, then I would agree the defense has to do better. BUT, when you give the ball back immediately and by leaving the defense a very short field, then the issue is the offense not the defense. We played from mid field back most of the game!

.

In comment 13593687 Gatorade Dunk said:

Quote:

He said that it falls on all three phases: defense has to get off the field (this is absolutely true; there were a lot of extended drives by Dallas), special teams has to help with field position, offense has to improve in all areas (and he specifically noted doing a better job of possessing the ball). None of that is inaccurate.

That's fair. If you're struggling on offense starting at the -8 all the time doesn't help.

he opened the press conference saying the defense played good enough to win and battled all night, he said the offense was awful...

saying the defense had some trouble getting off the field is not blaming the defense, it is the truth...

also saying they have to play complimentary football is bad? the offense started on their own 10 basically every possession...

last night was on the offense but to completely exonerate the defense is not exactly fair...

The Giants seem to be relying on a truly elite defense to win games at this stage. If that's the case, I understand the criticism. The team needs three and outs, turnovers, etc. to succeed.

I think that's a hard way to win. I also think the offense improves.

40% game management, 40% offense, 20% bad luck, no OBJ and homer refs. There is no need to throw anybody under the bus, except yourself, McAdoo, with 8 months to plan an offensive strategy against a defense with a substantial rookie component, just didn't get it done.

i did not want mcadoo as the head coach and still dont but to say he had nothing to do with last year because the defense was good is utter bull shit...

don't understand why Spags did the same thing as the first
Dallas meeting last year. He neglected bringing pressure from the corners or crossing linebackers in the gaps to create pressure. Dak was all over the place last night, especially early and you are telling me we had to respect Beasley or Witten in coverage? Second game last year he (Spags) brings it from everywhere and we disturbed his cadence. Just unbelievable IMHO! BTW, and has been mentioned, that interference call on Jenkins was absolutely putrid, he played Dez textbook! Eli looks like shit and moves like he's 56. Did he roll out ONCE last night?

was the number of Dallas plays that netted 6 or more yards (especially on 1st and 2nd down). They were rarely in 3rd and long situations and they were picking up yardage in large junks.

In comment 13593807 BrettNYG10 said:

Quote:

The Giants seem to be relying on a truly elite defense to win games at this stage. If that's the case, I understand the criticism. The team needs three and outs, turnovers, etc. to succeed. I think that's a hard way to win. I also think the offense improves.

when you are missing your star wide receiver you are absolutely trying to win that way

holy shit some of these posts...

This is essentially conceding the defense needs to be perfect

In comment 13593837 christian said:

Quote:

This is essentially conceding the defense needs to be perfect

Well, if the gameplan is to expect to win games while scoring 3 points, then...

In comment 13593811 Marine One said:

Quote:

don't understand why Spags did the same thing as the first Dallas meeting last year. He neglected bringing pressure from the corners or crossing linebackers in the gaps to create pressure. Dak was all over the place last night, especially early and you are telling me we had to respect Beasley or Witten in coverage? Second game last year he (Spags) brings it from everywhere and we disturbed his cadence. Just unbelievable IMHO! BTW, and has been mentioned, that interference call on Jenkins was absolutely putrid, he played Dez textbook! Eli looks like shit and moves like he's 56. Did he roll out ONCE last night?

eli after the first sack looked jittery, even if he got time he was always bouncing around...

there were times he stepped up and had no one near him and he would rush the throw

In comment 13593807 BrettNYG10 said:

Quote:

The Giants seem to be relying on a truly elite defense to win games at this stage. If that's the case, I understand the criticism. The team needs three and outs, turnovers, etc. to succeed. I think that's a hard way to win. I also think the offense improves.

It's impossible to sustain.

This is the modern NFL, which is a high scoring league. Every team that won yesterday scored over 20 points, except Dallas and Green Bay who were at 19.

This isn't the 80's. We can't win if we can't score 20 points.

In comment 13593837 christian said:

Quote:

This is essentially conceding the defense needs to be perfect

no it isnt, if you are missing your star wide receiver of course you expect the defense to carry you...

In comment 13593849 nygiants16 said:

Quote:

In comment 13593837 christian said: Quote: This is essentially conceding the defense needs to be perfect no it isnt, if you are missing your star wide receiver of course you expect the defense to carry you...

We were not missing Odell when the offense failed to crack 20 points during the last 6 games of the season last year.

The defense played much better than that terrible offense. ELI was running scared all night dumping off 2 yard desperation passes. No ball control at all. Defense ran out of gas after the first half because they could not get any rest because of this.

We're mostly invisible. Now, I give the Dallas OL credit but the stars have to play like stars. They didn't.

They always started with good field position. Why? Because the offense did nothing. If anyone thinks you can start a season with that offensive effort they are kidding themselves. Coaches and players have to be accountable and that game was pathetic to watch.
Not good enough Coach. NFL means something for coaches too. Get that clown show fixed.

I am disappointed in the D too, just do not want to hear it from McAdoo.

But what was Spags doing? Rodney Harrison said the same thing at halftime - where is the pressure package?

We have the best secondary in the NFL right? That should allow us to blitz.

In comment 13593778 jvm52106 said:

Quote:

In comment 13593687 Gatorade Dunk said: Quote: He said that it falls on all three phases: defense has to get off the field (this is absolutely true; there were a lot of extended drives by Dallas), special teams has to help with field position, offense has to improve in all areas (and he specifically noted doing a better job of possessing the ball). None of that is inaccurate. it may be accurate but it is a BS way to earn trust. The defense did its job and honestly special teams held dallas's teams in check. We had one good Kickoff return called back on a hold and Harris missed downing the ball inside the one but our special teams did its job. Defense did its job. The offense sucked. There is no hiding or avoiding that. That was a pitiful performance.

Go look at the drive stats that giants#1 posted. The defense played adequately, but at some point, if they're going to be a dominant unit, they have to force a 3-and-out or a turnover. The offense may have hung them out to dry, but they didn't do themselves any favors either.

It was a performance that should have been good enough to win with had the offense been even remotely competent, but it wasn't a great performance by the defense if you're looking at it in a vacuum. All three units lost the field position battle. All three.

the O was horrible and the D pretty good. But it would be stupid for the head coach to say it.

The defense played WELL. They kept the Giants in the game until nearly the end. I would go so far to say they played VERY WELL, considering how poorly the offense did.

But we're being told that this defense has the potential to be GREAT. They were not GREAT last night.

Here are the Cowboys' drives from last night.

9 plays, 33 yards (punt)
9 plays, 51 yards (FG)
15 plays, 41 yards (FG)
7 plays, 35 yards (punt)
7 plays, 65 yards (TD)
7 plays, 51 yards (FG)
6 plays, 40 yards (punt)
11 plays, 38 yards (punt)
10 plays, 34 yards (FG)

First drive of the season. Offense hasn't been on the field yet. Cowboys run nine plays for 33 yards, cross midfield. Pinned the Giants back at their own 6. Class Bend-but-don't break defense. Not GREAT.

Pinned back deep, Giants go three and out. Give the Cowboys the ball at midfield. Apple gives up a long pass to the 3. Giants' defense forced a field goal, partly because Prescott tried to force the ball to Bryant on all three plays. Jenkins was GREAT. Apple was SUBPAR.

In comment 13593748 Eric from BBI said:

Quote:

Four first-half scoring drives

I think the D did well. Unlike the Giants, Dallas has an OL that controls the trenches, and a superstar in the making at RB. With them you have to be patient, and bend without breaking; which is what the Giants D did. Holding Dallas' O to 19 points, is not too bad a night for the D.

should bring in peyton manning to run the offense. stick sully up in the vip booth..

In comment 13593969 Beer Man said:

Quote:

In comment 13593748 Eric from BBI said: Quote: Four first-half scoring drives I think the D did well. Unlike the Giants, Dallas has an OL that controls the trenches, and a superstar in the making at RB. With them you have to be patient, and bend without breaking; which is what the Giants D did. Holding Dallas' O to 19 points, is not too bad a night for the D.

You can't play bend but don't break against a team specifically designed to control the clock and wear your defense down physically, or you're going to be gassed in the 4th even with a good offense (look at Super Bowl XXV for evidence). Likewise, your offense can't afford to be a 3-and-out machine against a team like Dallas because it exacerbates not only the TOP and fatigue issues, but also because you have to make them face a long field occasionally on offense.

The offense bears the majority of the responsibility for last night, but everyone shares in it to some degree.

Late to the party here, but I do agree with McAdoo to some extent. Fundamentally, a great defense provides for a larger number of opportunities to score points: turnovers, out-right scores, number of offensive drives, shorter fields, time of possession, etc. I understand a bad offensive can end up tiring a defense out; but that should not happen in the first half. That should be largely independent of offensive performance throughout the early parts of the game. Sure we possibly hold them to a field goal, but time is off the clock, and we likely start with poor-ish field position. Bottom line- a great defense needs to provide the opportunities for easier scores than having to consistently drive the length of the field. Until that happens, I would hesitate to call it a great defense.

But they still don't put enough pressure on the QB rushing 4 guys...need another body that gets to the quarterback.

In comment 13593803 nygiants16 said:

Quote:

he opened the press conference saying the defense played good enough to win and battled all night, he said the offense was awful... saying the defense had some trouble getting off the field is not blaming the defense, it is the truth... also saying they have to play complimentary football is bad? the offense started on their own 10 basically every possession... last night was on the offense but to completely exonerate the defense is not exactly fair...

ITA... he said the defense played well, but intimated they could've played better.

However, the defense is going against one of the best offenses in the sport. Since the start of last season, the 2 lowest scoring home games for the Cowboys are yesterday and last season's opener. The defense did what needed to be done.

The only TD was a gift with a bogus PI call on Jack Rabbit
otherwise it was 3 fg's .
Dallas ran 45 offensive plays in the 1st half and you wonder
the defense had not played much more that 30 snaps a game all pre-season .
Before the Garrett was laughing and smiling he watched the tape on the Giants all last year and he got his Boy
Zeke back
He spent the entire game in the referees ear while Mac ran his garbage offense that didn't cross there own
35 yard line the entire half.
The O-line was a joke are running backs are barely average to boot no power no speed . Dallas shrunk the pocket up the middle made easy pickens for the DE's . How many more games do you have to watch an offense that
can't put 20 points on the board .

In comment 13594057 Gatorade Dunk said:

Quote:

In comment 13593969 Beer Man said: Quote: In comment 13593748 Eric from BBI said: Quote: Four first-half scoring drives I think the D did well. Unlike the Giants, Dallas has an OL that controls the trenches, and a superstar in the making at RB. With them you have to be patient, and bend without breaking; which is what the Giants D did. Holding Dallas' O to 19 points, is not too bad a night for the D. You can't play bend but don't break against a team specifically designed to control the clock and wear your defense down physically, or you're going to be gassed in the 4th even with a good offense (look at Super Bowl XXV for evidence). Likewise, your offense can't afford to be a 3-and-out machine against a team like Dallas because it exacerbates not only the TOP and fatigue issues, but also because you have to make them face a long field occasionally on offense. The offense bears the majority of the responsibility for last night, but everyone shares in it to some degree.

Sometimes you don't have a choice when you go up against a great OL with a great RB running behind them.

You should win the gam e because you must must score 20 or more with today's offenses and passing game. That said we could do it last season, but not two seasons in a row.

In comment 13593956 Bramton1 said:

Quote:

The defense played WELL. They kept the Giants in the game until nearly the end. I would go so far to say they played VERY WELL, considering how poorly the offense did. But we're being told that this defense has the potential to be GREAT. They were not GREAT last night. Here are the Cowboys' drives from last night. 9 plays, 33 yards (punt) 9 plays, 51 yards (FG) 15 plays, 41 yards (FG) 7 plays, 35 yards (punt) 7 plays, 65 yards (TD) 7 plays, 51 yards (FG) 6 plays, 40 yards (punt) 11 plays, 38 yards (punt) 10 plays, 34 yards (FG) First drive of the season. Offense hasn't been on the field yet. Cowboys run nine plays for 33 yards, cross midfield. Pinned the Giants back at their own 6. Class Bend-but-don't break defense. Not GREAT. Pinned back deep, Giants go three and out. Give the Cowboys the ball at midfield. Apple gives up a long pass to the 3. Giants' defense forced a field goal, partly because Prescott tried to force the ball to Bryant on all three plays. Jenkins was GREAT. Apple was SUBPAR.

While you want to look at their drives how about we look at what the offense did to give the defense a rest.

3 plays -1 yard 1:44 Punt
3 plays 5 yards 1:02 Punt
5 plays 23 yards 3:18 Punt
4 plays 10 yards 2:56 Punt
3 plays 8 yards 22 secs Punt
1 play -1 yard 05 sec Punt

Thats all in the first half. You need to give your defense time to rest, especially in the first game of the year. We're lucky it wasn't much worse at the half

In comment 13593687 Gatorade Dunk said:

Quote:

He said that it falls on all three phases: defense has to get off the field (this is absolutely true; there were a lot of extended drives by Dallas), special teams has to help with field position, offense has to improve in all areas (and he specifically noted doing a better job of possessing the ball). None of that is inaccurate.

Yeah, agree ...

It seems harsh when you first read it, but it's not wrong.

The defense did well, given the circumstances. But if they don't give up some third-down conversions in the second quarter, things might have been ...

Well. You know what I mean. If the offense had done diddly squat. lol

and it reminded me of how Ray Handley used to deal with the media

In comment 13594635 EricJ said:

Quote:

and it reminded me of how Ray Handley used to deal with the media

I thought it reminded me of your posts.

This is such a batshit comical argument - it might be worth humoring if the defense left them no time at the end of the game. But the offense was absolutely handled aside from one drive in the entire game.

If anything the offense had ample time between possessions to address and adjust with the position coaches and groups. And with ample time, ample possesions, and being within striking distance most of the game, they did shit.

The staff better strike a balance with this blame game, this resembles the Hammer, Strahan, Armstead era pre-Collins where the defense had it with the offense.

In comment 13594832 christian said:

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This is such a batshit comical argument - it might be worth humoring if the defense left them no time at the end of the game. But the offense was absolutely handled aside from one drive in the entire game. If anything the offense had ample time between possessions to address and adjust with the position coaches and groups. And with ample time, ample possesions, and being within striking distance most of the game, they did shit. The staff better strike a balance with this blame game, this resembles the Hammer, Strahan, Armstead era pre-Collins where the defense had it with the offense.

Who said the offense didn't have enough time to adjust? They had plenty.

The point isn't that it was the defense's fault. Hardly so. Only the OP's misleading post suggested as much. But they weren't the impenetrable dominant unit that would be above reproach, either. They did a good job, a very good job. But they weren't great. They own a share of the TOP/field position/turnover battle responsibility. Nowhere near what the offense should shoulder, but not clear of blame entirely.

It seemed like we started every single drive from our own 10 yard line. The defense can be much better than they were last night and they're going to need to be if we want to win 10+ games this year. There was very little pass rush last night, we allowed them to convert a few big 1st downs when we needed a stop and we didn't force any turnovers.

Yes, it's clear as day that the offense was abysmal. But the defense needed to be better than that and they weren't. We're going to face much better QB's than Dak Prescott this year and we're going to need to be better. This looked like a solid defense last night - not the top 5, elite unit they've been billed as going into the year.

That means he is implicating himself.

What he needs to do is stop hoping the D will bail him out like last year and start game-planning a strategy that fits the players we have. You're not going to dink your way to a score with Sheperd and Marshall and OBJ is not always going to be able to take a 4 yard slant to the house. He's had 8 fucking months and some key additions to the Offense and yet we come out looking as abysmal as I have ever seen a Giants O that was going against back-up DE's & an LB with a patchwork secondary.

In comment 13594907 arcarsenal said:

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It seemed like we started every single drive from our own 10 yard line. The defense can be much better than they were last night and they're going to need to be if we want to win 10+ games this year. There was very little pass rush last night, we allowed them to convert a few big 1st downs when we needed a stop and we didn't force any turnovers. Yes, it's clear as day that the offense was abysmal. But the defense needed to be better than that and they weren't. We're going to face much better QB's than Dak Prescott this year and we're going to need to be better. This looked like a solid defense last night - not the top 5, elite unit they've been billed as going into the year.

The defense held court in the same way they did all of last year. They are a built to limit the big play, limit mistakes and tighten up in the red zone.

The point is to keep the score down. If the Giants just "average" the damage they gave up last night they'll be top 5 in points against.

I'd buy more possessions being a positive if more than one drive ended with positively the entire game.

Yes, the offense was pathetic and inept. But, the defense is being given too much of a pass by most here and by the announcers last night. You can't start talking about fatigue after 2-3 drives. Early in the game, the D was just as much at fault. Just because they ultimately didn't break for more than 1 TD, it doesn't mean they didn't bend way too much. At some point, how about 1 damn 3 and out? How about forcing 1 F-ing punt from the Dallas side of the field?

The D did not step up. They got minimal pressure and they got pushed around up front.

In comment 13594977 christian said:

Quote:

In comment 13594907 arcarsenal said: Quote: It seemed like we started every single drive from our own 10 yard line. The defense can be much better than they were last night and they're going to need to be if we want to win 10+ games this year. There was very little pass rush last night, we allowed them to convert a few big 1st downs when we needed a stop and we didn't force any turnovers. Yes, it's clear as day that the offense was abysmal. But the defense needed to be better than that and they weren't. We're going to face much better QB's than Dak Prescott this year and we're going to need to be better. This looked like a solid defense last night - not the top 5, elite unit they've been billed as going into the year. The defense held court in the same way they did all of last year. They are a built to limit the big play, limit mistakes and tighten up in the red zone. The point is to keep the score down. If the Giants just "average" the damage they gave up last night they'll be top 5 in points against. I'd buy more possessions being a positive if more than one drive ended with positively the entire game.

This isn't what the defense was billed as. This looked like a Perry Fewell defense last night.

I didn't say the defense was bad. But they were better than this last year. Re-watch the 2nd game against Dallas from last season. Prescott was completely lost. He had nowhere to go with the ball, he was picked off twice. The Cowboys could barely do anything offensively all night.

This defense has been better than it was last night and will need to be better if we want to win a lot of games this year. Being good isn't good enough.

In comment 13595067 Matt M. said:

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Yes, the offense was pathetic and inept. But, the defense is being given too much of a pass by most here and by the announcers last night. You can't start talking about fatigue after 2-3 drives. Early in the game, the D was just as much at fault. Just because they ultimately didn't break for more than 1 TD, it doesn't mean they didn't bend way too much. At some point, how about 1 damn 3 and out? How about forcing 1 F-ing punt from the Dallas side of the field? The D did not step up. They got minimal pressure and they got pushed around up front.

That's a REALLY good offense... one of the best in the sport playing on it's home field. Dallas scored 19 points. That's tied for their lowest at home with Dak Prescott and Zeke Elliot. The lone TD they scored was because of a non-existent pass interference call. A team with 3 All-Pro linemen averaged less than 4 yards a carry when you take out the QB scrambles.

The Giants aren't the '85 Bears. However, I seriously doubt anyone else on their schedule holds them below 20 points in Dallas the rest of this season.

In comment 13595070 arcarsenal said:

Quote:

In comment 13594977 christian said: Quote: In comment 13594907 arcarsenal said: Quote: It seemed like we started every single drive from our own 10 yard line. The defense can be much better than they were last night and they're going to need to be if we want to win 10+ games this year. There was very little pass rush last night, we allowed them to convert a few big 1st downs when we needed a stop and we didn't force any turnovers. Yes, it's clear as day that the offense was abysmal. But the defense needed to be better than that and they weren't. We're going to face much better QB's than Dak Prescott this year and we're going to need to be better. This looked like a solid defense last night - not the top 5, elite unit they've been billed as going into the year. The defense held court in the same way they did all of last year. They are a built to limit the big play, limit mistakes and tighten up in the red zone. The point is to keep the score down. If the Giants just "average" the damage they gave up last night they'll be top 5 in points against. I'd buy more possessions being a positive if more than one drive ended with positively the entire game. This isn't what the defense was billed as. This looked like a Perry Fewell defense last night. I didn't say the defense was bad. But they were better than this last year. Re-watch the 2nd game against Dallas from last season. Prescott was completely lost. He had nowhere to go with the ball, he was picked off twice. The Cowboys could barely do anything offensively all night. This defense has been better than it was last night and will need to be better if we want to win a lot of games this year. Being good isn't good enough.

Exactly right. They were good and that's not enough.