Let's face it, it's been a real shitty year. Giants football is back and even though the fans won't be there to back us up, it still feels like the best night of the year. Here are some things I'll be looking for:
1. Andrew Thomas - let's see how he holds up in his very first game against a good defensive, on Monday night. Obviously Jones is the key to our franchise, but if we are being real with ourselves, we are going nowhere if Thomas isn't at minimum, a good player. He just can't be bad. He can't be! Right...?
2. Game Prep - since 2017 we have felt like the gameplan/players being prepared was essentially a net loss going into the game. That's pretty unbelievable when you look at it that way, but it's true. McAdoo's last season and the 2 years of Shurmur, it seemed we were outcoached and outplayed, outhustled basically every single game (aside from a few good ones), and that's no hyperbole. What kind of style of team are we going to be under Judge? Are we going to actually fight like hell from the first whistle? Are we gonna be smart with the football and smart with playcalls and in game situations? Are we going to finally not be a team that doesn't make dumb penalties basically all the time? God I hope so. I really hope so. I want to see Judge making adjustments and coaching this team up to be competitive throughout the whole game. The days of being down 17-0 when you haven't even sat down yet should hopefully be over.
3. Patrick Graham - to me he's the wildcard of this season. We know and have seen Jason Garrett for awhile and are pretty confident he's going to be a very solid coordinator and helpful with DJ. Graham - he'll be a first time play caller and the first time the majority of us have really ever seen him on the national stage. Everyone loves the guy but it's a results business. Let's see how he has this defense ready to roll. Bettcher was the hot name and completely tanked. It's been awhile since we felt comfortable with our defensive coordinator. Looking forward to seeing how he calls a game against a good offense.
4. Imrpovement of the 2nd and 3rd year players - guys like Will Hernandez, the time is now to prove you can be a pro bowler. Carter - it's time to see whether or not you're a good NFL player and can make a difference. Lawrence - kick some fucking ass out there all night and become a star in year 2. Ximines - show us those athletic traits and get to the QB all night, excited to see what this guy can bring in year 2 where we didn't expect much as a rookie, something tells me he will be more than what we thought Carter was going to be for us. Slayton - can he make the jump to that possible WR1 status and solidify his connection with DJ? Or did we see what he basically will be last year? And Love - be a solid, heady chess piece out there and make a good jump from year 1.
5. Goes without saying, Joe Judge. I don't really need to say much as everything has been said but, it's quite the first test for him, after a pandemic offseason, Monday Night against a long tenured successful coach and a good team. Let's see what ya got Joe.
7 PM can't come soon enough. Let's go boys.
He could look terrible tonight and end up with an all-Pro career.
May it begin tonight, regardless of outcome.
He could look terrible tonight and end up with an all-Pro career.
CT, i get that, but if Thomas looks terrible, something tells me he will not have an all pro career. I just want to see that he belongs out there. Not too much to ask from a guy we took 4th overall. He needs to be good, and fast.
:thumbsup:
Quote:
have we had? And Thomas has played how many games against professionals? Heck, how many HOURS has Thomas PRACTICED against professionals?
He could look terrible tonight and end up with an all-Pro career.
CT, i get that, but if Thomas looks terrible, something tells me he will not have an all pro career. I just want to see that he belongs out there. Not too much to ask from a guy we took 4th overall. He needs to be good, and fast.
He is more likely going to struggle a lot tonight...tough opponent and first game on this OL for several guys.
It's up to you, but you may want to cut him some slack before any All-Pro votes are cast as to his overall career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQfECOLL2Zo - ( New Window )
Not to miller the thread, but from what I've seen and heard, the other first round picks certainly didn't light the world on fire. Wills left his game late with an injury, but again, Thomas' first game, without any real action, at one of the hardest positions on the field...
Whatever it is tonight, I'd like to think that going into next year, Thomas will be a complete different player.
He's going to have his hands full. I expect for Garrett to be looking to get the ball out of Jones' hands quickly, run the screen game with Barkley and Engram, and some decent 12 personnel groupings.
What I really want to see is Barkley used smartly, the maturation of Jones (and good ball security), and a defense that is relentless. Want to see some good linebacker play.
Finally, would like to see some growth out of Ballentine, who wasn't very good last year, but will probably be counted on a lot this year. We definitely need some guys in the secondary to step up.
2) Stop the Run
3) 1 or less sacks allowed.
If you can do that you will have a decent team.
2. Jones ascending to the next level. If the pocket collapses, get outside and make a play either by running or throwing a dart downfield. When he's in the pocket, pick apart the Steelers secondary - there are enough good skill position players to make that happen.
3. Barkley being a complete mismatch all over the field.
4. Engram being a mismatch in the middle of the field. Cause their linebackers heartache all night like we've seen TEs do to this team for years.
5. A defense that doesn't completely crap itself. Not a top D or a middling D, just make some stops now and again.
In 1981, the Giants sucked. They had come off of a full decade of sucking, were a laughing stock. But they had some pieces - a promising young QB, a solid defense and a red hot rookie LB in LT.
But the offense still could not find consistency. That changed when they traded for Rob Carpenter - the change was immediate - the offense could sustain drives, the defense had breathing room to excel.
I don't know where this Giants version finds that groove, finds that player or that moment where everything shifts back to a consistent, winning Giants team.
I hope it's tonight, I hope it's this Offensive Line finally gelling, and letting Daniel Jones be all that he can be.
Just want to say that -- after last season -- the Giants had so many holes to fill, it was impossible to fill them all.
And one of the critical holes was an NFL bottom-dwelling pass rush. The Giants really never brought in any new, significant talent to address that issue, unless you look at Kyler Fackrell through beer goggles and see the reincarnation of Lawrence Taylor.
Markus Golden is a given. But he is hardly the entire answer for a pass rush. That leaves us at the mercy of third year Lorenzo Carter, second year Oshane Ximines and a few first year, low-drafted outside rush linebackers.
We won't win tonight, nor win very much this entire season unless this coaching staff somehow cobbles together some semblance of a pass rush from assorted odds and ends.
(if he doesn't get injured...)
That hasn't happened for the Giants since about 2012.
I really think it's an exciting time to be an NYG fan, but it needs to come to fruition and so much can derail progress. I so want this team to surprise early and build off it. I keep thinking that if by some chance this team is more ready than we think or maybe more talented than we think, and they establish something, with such a young team across the board man would we have some serious staying power.
Need some guys to emerge as difference makers. Carter, Xman, Love, Lawrence, Peppers on D and Thomas, Engram, Slayton, Gates and Jones on O. All these guys except for Thomas are veterans. It's time. Thomas likely needs time and that's fine, but the excuses run dry on a lot of these kids and that's why I can't get behind any acceptance of terrible play this year. If you accept that, than you're accepting that about 8 2nd and 3rd year players all likely shit the bed.
The 2nd and 3rd and 4th year guys? It's put up or shut up time. And I love that about this team. If things go right this year or even close to right, we won't be signing a bunch of outside FAs, we will be re-signing our own. That's the way it should be.
In 1981, the Giants sucked. They had come off of a full decade of sucking, were a laughing stock. But they had some pieces - a promising young QB, a solid defense and a red hot rookie LB in LT.
But the offense still could not find consistency. That changed when they traded for Rob Carpenter - the change was immediate - the offense could sustain drives, the defense had breathing room to excel.
I don't know where this Giants version finds that groove, finds that player or that moment where everything shifts back to a consistent, winning Giants team.
I hope it's tonight, I hope it's this Offensive Line finally gelling, and letting Daniel Jones be all that he can be.
Maybe that player is on defense this time around. The O, even on its worst day, hasn't been THAT bad the last 5-6-7 years, save for 2017 of course. But the defense? It has only been good once, 2016, every other year, hot trash.
MAybe that player is on D and it's Logan Ryan. He really does seem to posses everything this secondary needs and has lacked lately. He's savy, tough, versatile and forces turnovers. Here is hoping Ryan is the Rob Carpenter of this defense.
What a sight that would be. I think BBI would collectively pass out if we ran it 40 times and won the game tonight
I really think it's an exciting time to be an NYG fan, but it needs to come to fruition and so much can derail progress. I so want this team to surprise early and build off it. I keep thinking that if by some chance this team is more ready than we think or maybe more talented than we think, and they establish something, with such a young team across the board man would we have some serious staying power.
Need some guys to emerge as difference makers. Carter, Xman, Love, Lawrence, Peppers on D and Thomas, Engram, Slayton, Gates and Jones on O. All these guys except for Thomas are veterans. It's time. Thomas likely needs time and that's fine, but the excuses run dry on a lot of these kids and that's why I can't get behind any acceptance of terrible play this year. If you accept that, than you're accepting that about 8 2nd and 3rd year players all likely shit the bed.
2) Stop the Run
3) 1 or less sacks allowed.
If you can do that you will have a decent team.
I'd like to add a 4th. Win the turnover battle.
Graham and the defense are far more difficult to predict and while the expectations are basically 0, there are good players. Yesterday beat writers were commenting on the noticeable absence of Martinez in the Packers D in a way far different from how we commented on the absence of Alec Ogletree whenever he was out. Ryan, Bradberry, and Williams are 3 potential playmakers who weren't here a year ago. Lawrence, Carter, Hill, Love, Ximines, etc. are among the 2nd/3rd year players we are hoping to see make improvements with this staff.
The Steelers defense is as loaded as any team in the NFL. But their offense is basically a 38 year old Ben off surgery getting the ball to Conner and JuJu. Solid players no doubt but far from intimidating.
So while it's rarely mentioned if there's an upset tonight it's the defense that could be the key, if Graham has improved it from where it's been in recent years when it was the reason for brutal defeats at the hands of practice squad players like Boston Scott. Or retreads like Randall Cobb. Or backup QBs.
The more of these six things you see on the football field in 2020, the better it looks for pointing the arrow up for 2021.
I really appreciate the enthusiasm on display, great to hear from Giants fans who still have a passion for the Giants.
Much preferable to the doom and gloom scenerios.
Still surprised there are games being played
Go Giants!