I have been thinking about this first game debacle quite a bit. An interesting (pathetic, catastrophic) series of events happened that absolutely torpedoed this game. The penalty for false start, the bad snap, blocked kick ret TD and then momentum being completely wiped out by an overmatched Online a FG and then int TD. Right there the game now no longer was a competitive battle but a David vs Goliath battle with David just running for his life..
If we scored any points on that first drive I believe the tone of the game would have shifted. I believe we still lose but not by the lopsided score we saw. But, that's kind of the point isn't it. We lose that game no matter what and a better showing may have given a false sense of accomplishment. We are 0-1 and a bad 0-1. We have to own it and make changes. A not so bad 0-1 might say hey, we just need to clean up protections or cut down on penalties..
Truth be told the season is very long and the first game means very little to end possibilities. Last year game one meant this team was going to take chances and would be competitive after years of failure. This year, maybe we were pretty cocky, arrogant about our place in NY with the Jets hoopla and media love and perhaps we read our own clippings a bit much..
I think this team is far better than it showed but there are serious cracks that still need to be filled.
Giants need to get back to a more balanced attack. We need to be able to do play action passing and get Hyatt deep (needs to start catching the ball though), Waller across the middle (use him up to get wins, this is a one year deal), and get Slayton and Hodgins more involved.
I am not sold on Evan Neal (I do think Guard is his eventual position) but it is fellow 22 first rounder Thibs that has me most worried. He is a hanger around- around the pile, around the QB, Around the ball carrier but not the force he was drafted to be. Ojualri is a one trick pony and that pony didn't do any tricks Sunday. Thibs though, was there, was close by but many times was watching the tackle, was casually disengaging from the block and just never created much of an energy or sense of attack..Hopefully that changes this week.
Last year we went 9-7-1 after a fast start to the season. Perhaps we go 9-8 this year off a slow start to the season. This team needs help on the Online ( new guards and RT possibly,) so work will happen in the off season. Right now focus on beating up on teams you should beat then hopefully take more 50/50 contested games and maybe steal 1 or 2 underdog games .
Everything starts Sunday with Arizona..
The OL looks bad, Schmitz will get better. His 1st game in bad weather didnt go so well. Neal looked the same as last year which is a huge red flag. Bredeson and Glow are the same as last year, on a good day they are average.
And then beat Dallas in Dallas
Bench Glow. Give
Neal a few more games and if he cannot get it done he needs to sit.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and hoping for different results.
They were NEVER in a down or distance where they HAD to pass the ball.
of the thrashing the Giants received last season by Dallas (and Philly.) The 40-0 score makes last Sunday's thrashing look even more severe than 2022... but it's all of a piece.
So, if we can draw any conclusions from just the first game of the 2023 Season (and we really can't), maybe the bottom line is the Giants have not closed the gap with Dallas (and Philly) because the offensive line still needs a good deal of work.
I feel like we beat the piss out of the Cardinals. I bet the Giants in my survivor league. There is no way we lose Sunday. None. It's not going to be competitive.
He HAS to be angry and embarrassed after looking at the tape of his performance last week.
A little more fire out of him, having his size lay the wood a bit (even if he messes up technique), would encourage me.
He still looks like he's thinking too much and not acting or reacting to what he sees. As a result, he looks slow, unbalanced. He does play in a Top heavy manner, and has to minimize that. But if he's thinking too much about technique, that exacerbates this serious issue.
I expect him to improve as the year continues, but he needs to have a little more fire in him.
When I see people predicting that maybe we go 9-8 this year after the loss on Sunday I see desperate people who base their thoughts on feelings and not reality. We are not a deep team, our offensive line is average at best, and our quarterback has never proven to be very good for over three games straight. If we go 7-10 with this team it will be an accomplishment, which ironically is where Vegas had us at the beginning of the season.
I feel like we beat the piss out of the Cardinals. I bet the Giants in my survivor league. There is no way we lose Sunday. None. It's not going to be competitive.
Love your optimism and (along with every BBIer) would love to see a decisive victory against the Cards! But I'll gladly take a 1-point victory. Why?
Because -- notwithstanding the late-season Indy game -- the Giants played in several very close games last season against bad-to-mediocre teams. They won... but it wasn't easy.
I'm not expecting that much different this season, especially if Year 2 Evan Neal looks like Year 1 Evan Neal.
We’ll play better as long as the Gates of Evan are closed!