AUTHOR: Anthony Fucilli TITLE: Giants and Jets have their work cut out for them DATE: 12/15/2006 09:52:00 AM ----- BODY:
The New York Giants are back to their winning ways. Confidence is obviously going in the right direction after a dominating performance in Carolina. But this week it will be a different story. Philadelphia’s defense, although they are really bad against the run, will have some healthy corners. They have Brian Dawkins back there and Jeremiah Trotter in the middle. Look for the defense to be a little more difficult to deal with for Eli Manning and company; however, the Giants' game plan shouldn’t waiver. They must come out early, they must establish a running game, they must run Tiki Barber and Brandon Jacobs up the middle of that defense and keep pounding until Philadelphia is put away. Once that happens then Manning can work his magic, the play-action passes to Jeremy Shockey and Plaxico Burress. One thing Giants fans should keep an eye out for is the cornerback formerly known as William Peterson. He is now called William James, and hopefully he doesn’t turn into Jesse James in this game, a thief stealing the ball away from that Giant offense. That would be a big kick for Ernie Accorsi and company to have former defensive back William Peterson a.k.a William James come back and steal the show. He knows a little bit about the Giants' receivers and he knows a little bit about Eli Manning. But you can say the same thing about the Giants; their offense knows a little something about him. It should be an interesting matchup. One thing's for sure, the Giants are in position to get themselves back into the playoff hunt. They have to think bigger than the Wild Card. They have to think that hopefully the Cowboys stumble somewhere and they can put themselves back atop the NFC East. They must understand that there is going to be an angry Eagles team who remembers blowing a 24-7 lead to the Giants in Philadelphia, only to watch themselves lose. Also, you have to remember that ridiculous penalty in the wee moments of the fourth quarter by their defensive end Trent Cole. If not for that penalty, on a drop-kick to Kareem McKenzie, the Eagles probably would have held on with a victory. But the Giants know as well as any other team in the NFL that it is not over until it’s over. Just ask them about Vince Young and Tennessee. The Giants will be back in front of their fans, who I’m sure will be pumped up knowing what’s at stake. Anytime the Giants and Eagles get together it's usually an emotional, physical, competitive contest. And although Jeff Garcia is now the quarterback, very similar to what Donovan McNabb wants to do with the Eagles' offense, he wants to get out of the pocket and create havoc, he wants to get the ball down field and let the Eagles' receivers run under it. Also, Brian Westbrook usually gives the Giants fits whether it’s in the air or on the ground. So look for a game that I think the Giants will squeak out. But again, it will be a different story from the one in Carolina. This is one that the Giants will have to work at it and will have to work at it long into the fourth quarter, it maybe Jay Feely deciding this one.
TIME TO GET AGGRESSIVE As far as the New York Jets are concerned, if you want to talk playoffs and you want to go to the playoffs, eventually you will have to beat someone good. I understand that earlier in the season the Jets beat the New England Patriots, but this time they have to go to Minnesota, and that’s a difficult matchup for the Jets. If the Jets want to say that they are one of the elite teams in the AFC, then Eric Mangini and company must rebound. They must figure out a way of stopping the Vikings' running game and also turning over Brad Johnson. More importantly, the Jets have to figure out a way to somehow hold onto the ball against a team that is dominant against the run. They are ridiculous this year when it comes to holding opponents under 55 yards on the ground. So that means Chad Pennington and company will have to somehow victimize that Viking defense in the air, which is not that difficult to do. Will Chad be 'Erratic Chad' or will he be Chad Pennington bouncing back from a tough performance against the Buffalo Bills? Chad Pennington usually does bounce back and they usually have that short passing game that is very effective. But understand this, you can’t be one-dimensional in the National Football League and be successful, especially on the road in a hostile environment where it’s going to be loud and the 6-7 Vikings think that they have something to play for. Mangini got conservative last week. When it was fourth-and-inches on the 38, he decided to punt. And that, in the biggest game, is a mistake. Well now he is in the next biggest game of the season with a lot on the line. It’s time to be a gambler again. It's time to be aggressive because after this week the Jets may not have another chance.
----- -------- AUTHOR: Anthony Fucilli TITLE: Crucial time DATE: 12/07/2006 09:13:00 PM ----- BODY:
What a difference a year makes with the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers. John Fox against Tom Coughlin. Last time these two met it was at Giants stadium in the playoffs, and the Giants had home field advantage. John Fox and the Panthers beat up on the Giants that day, and it was one of the worst losses in franchise history. That day the Giants were a hurting football team on defense, now they are a hurting football team in confidence. But the Carolina Panthers also come in banged up at the quarterback position. Will it be Chris Weinke or Jake Delhomme? They also come in after a horrible loss to the Eagles. So both teams are definitely going in different directions since the last time they met. Although the Panthers still have the dangerous Steve Smith and a pretty reliable defense and explosive offense, you have to wonder why things aren't clicking for the team this year. And why have they been so inconsistent? With that siad, John Fox and his company of defensive coaches will come up with a great scheme against Eli Manning and company. They were able to shut them down last year by primarily taking away Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey, and also rendering Tiki Barber ineffective. I would think Tiki Barber would also be chomping at the bit to get back at a Carolina team that had him questioning the coaching and the offense after the playoff disaster. Four straight losses have the Giants still in the hunt, but on life support. They need a win and it's at Carolina, and they need it desperately. Eli Manning showed some flashes last week against the Cowboys, getting back into a rhythm, getting the ball to Shockey and Burress, but he will have to do even more this week. Michael Strahan, who didn't practice this week, won't play. Osi Umenyiora probably will. And the Giants will have Sam Madison back obviously. This time around the middle of the defense will be different, because Antonio Pierce is here. The last time they rushed for over 200 yards, and the Panthers ran the ball over 40 times. It should be a different story this time. The Giants are solid up the middle, but the question will be if the quarterback -- Delhomme or Weinke -- can get the ball to Keyshawn Johnson or Steve Smith. If Smith can get the ball, he should give the Giants' secondary fits. He is a valubale player, and someone who can take it to the house at any moment. Look for short passes to him, especially if it's Weinke taking the snap, and let Smith do the rest. This is going to be a close game. The Giants' offense can move the ball, but the question is will the Carolina Panthers generate enough offense to beat the Giants if Chris Weinke is the quarterback? After four straight losses, and the Giants finding ways to lose games, I think this could possibly be their opportunity to break their streak and win a close one down in Carolina. However, don't be surprised if it goes the other way, on a Panthers field goal, and the Panthers squeak out the win. All and all, I think it's a three-point game either way.
WHO SAID PLAYOFFS? As far as the Jets are concerned, this is another week where they play a team that doesn't have a great record, a team that isn't going to the playoffs, and a team with a quarterback, who is a turnover waiting to happen. JP Losman, or JP "Lousy" as I call him, can either be very good at times, or horrific. Usually, when you pressure him, he has a tendency to turn it over to the opponent. However, the Jets come in with a 7-5 record, and their fans should give them a lot of support. But will the Jets be able to slow down Willis McGahee, who has owned them in recent history? McGahee gives them a chance, if they keep the ball on the ground against the Jets' defense, and hopefully, hopefully they won't rely on a quarterback who is usually a mistake waiting to happen. As you can hear, I am not a big Buffalo Bills QB fan, and that's the reason I think the Jets will squeak this one out. Chad Pennington looked as good as a QB can look last week. He was in perfect rhythm, and in a cold situation in Green Bay. It's hard to imagine that the Bills, and JP Losman, can come in this week and beat the Jets. Anything can happen against that Jets' defense. The question is: Can someone get to Chad Pennington and break him out of that rhythm? I don't think it's possible. I like the Jets by 10, and I think they will move on to an 8-5 record.
----- -------- AUTHOR: Anthony Fucilli TITLE: A Must-Win Situation DATE: 11/24/2006 05:37:00 PM ----- BODY:
The New York Giants return to the field this weekend at Tennessee. The Titans are an opponent that, all of a sudden, like Jacksonville, poses an interesting matchup. Tennessee is coming off a win at Philadelphia. They have also beaten the Redskins this year. They now have a chance to vanquish yet another NFC East opponent when the Giants arrive in Nashville at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday in a must-win situation. Tennessee's defense has been lit up this year. However, they showed flashes of brilliance against the high-powered Indianapolis Colts. Vince Young and the Titans have also shown that if they limit their mistakes, they can be a thorn in their opponents' side. But this week is more about the Giants finding out what caliber team they really are. Some people have said that they should open up the game in a no-huddle situation. I say, no. The Giants need to get back to basics. A no-huddle offense puts even more strain on the and already banged-up Giants defense. However, I often say, if you're going to be strong, be strong up the middle. And the core of the Giants defense in the middle of the field remains in tact. Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield are still the defensive tackles, defensive MVP Antonio Pierce patrols the field at middle linebacker, and Will Demps and Gibril Wilson are the hard-hitting safeties. But anytime you get into a run-and-gun situation with your offense, you run the risk of not allowing your defense to get enough rest by constantly having them on the field. The Giants need to keep their defense off the field for as long as possible. They need to be proficient on the ground with both Tiki Barber and Brandon Jacobs in short yardage situations. Jacobs adds a much-need physical element to the Giants' ground attack. Focusing on pounding their opponents early with the run should greatly benefit Eli Manning and the passing attack as well as the Giants defense, proving them some down time. Instead of putting more pressure on Eli Manning by implementing a no-huddle offense, having him throw pass after pass followed by the occasional draw play, the Giants must be physical early with the running game. Eli Manning does function well in a no-huddle situation. Therefore, there are times in the game where the no-huddle can and should be utilized in order to compliment the Giants' physical ground game. The Giants need to find a way to get their players to perform at a peak level. They also need to find a way to restore confidence to Eli Manning. The best thing they can do is to get the ball early to Jeremy Shockey. The likes of 6'6" playmaker Plaxico Burress and little-used slot receiver Tim Carter must also actually catch the passes that are thrown in their direction. Carter must not invisible throughout Sunday's contest. These are the ways in which you get your quarterback into a rhythm. Eli Manning isn't going to hit his receivers between the numbers on every pass attempt. All quarterbacks have to back-pedal, side-step, and continuously run from pressure at times. So not every ball is going to be thrown perfectly. going to be between the numbers. But no one can tell me that the two passes that Eli Manning threw to Plaxico Burress could be thrown any better. And that's how you lose confidence offensively. When you lose the opportunity to put a defense back on its heels by dropping sure catches, you give your opponents confidence. The Giant receivers dropped those passes last week and with that, they gave the Jacksonville Jaguars confidence. And because the Jaguars were so confident that they could take Eli Manning's abilities out of the game, the Giants failed to generate many points. The Giants need to make the plays when they present themselves. And they must do that against a struggling Tennessee team, who although they have played better, still have a record of 3-7. The Giants have no one else to blame but themselves for their recent struggles. In Week 11 in the National Football League, everyone has injuries. As I told you in the beginning of the year, if the Giants had a chance at 6-4 to go to Tennessee and play against a rookie quarterback in Vince Young, most fans would say, where do I sign up? Now the Giants need to go out there and prove that they're a first place team. SURPASSING THE LEVEL OF MEDIOCRITY As far as the Jets are concerned, the task is much different. They have to play against a team that on paper, hasn't been successful. But this Houston team has beaten Jacksonville twice. The Jets were kicked around by the Jaguars, 41-0. If anything gets the attention of this Jets football team, it would be that one fact. This Texans team is capable of playing physical and matching the intensity of a very determined opponent. That's something that the Jets have to prove that they can do. The Jets have already had two opportunities to do so. One came at Jacksonville, and the other at home against Chicago. In most situations during both of those games, the Jets were bullied. The Bears put an awful lot of pressure on Chad Pennington last week. As a result, Chad was picked off quite a bit. Chad needs to get back to being what he's been throughout his career. And that's a very efficient, heady quarterback that commits very few turnovers in the red zone. The Jets don't generate many opportunities to score with their offense. However, when they do get those opportunities, they need to cash in. Chad Pennington is one of the smarter quarterbacks in the NFL. There's no excuse when he repeatedly turns it over. The physical nature of the Chicago Bears and the continuous pressure that they put on Chad Pennington forced him to get rid of the ball about a half second sooner than he would have liked. And interceptions followed soon after. But this week against Houston poses an interesting matchup in the trenches. It's D'Brickishaw Ferguson vs. Mario Williams, a matchup between two top draft picks that comes along with much hype. Fortunately for both players, neither is where they will be potentially in their careers. And although these two won't see each other on every play, it should be fun to watch these two rookies battle. This Houston team can hang around if their opponents allow them to. As long as the Texans don't shoot themselves in the foot with turnovers, the Jets could be staring a fourth quarter deficit. Especially if the Jets fail to limit turnovers of their own. The Jets have found a way to give team after team an opportunity to run the ball. And that's what Houston needs. They need to establish Wali Lundy against this Jets defense. If they can do that, they will no longer be one-dimensional. Andre Johnson will run wild in the Jets secondary if he only draws man coverage. That is a situation that the Jets don't want to be in. They can blitz David Carr who has been a turnover waiting to happen. But if the Jets don't stop the run, and David Carr is allowed to operate in and out of the pocket, it'll be a long day for Eric Mangini and company. Let's see if the Jets are better than that 5-5 record, or if they're just a team that's very average right now.
----- -------- AUTHOR: Anthony Fucilli TITLE: A Giant loss DATE: 11/08/2006 05:54:00 PM ----- BODY:
The New York Giants were dealt another blow this week after the news that Michael Strahan would be out two to four weeks due to a foot sprain, and Osi Umenyiora not expected to come back against the Bears with a hip flexor. It was expected that the Giants would be 100 percent offensively, but then came the devestating news that Amani Toomer suffered a partial tear in his ACL, ending his season. It is a 'Giant,' blow because Toomer was having a productive year with 32 receptions for over 200 yards and three touchdowns, and is an 11-year veteran, who was a huge locker room presence. He is no longer the primary target for Eli Manning, but he accepted his role and was very instrumental to that Giants offense, as a player that Eli looked for in key situations. Especially when defenses looked to take away Shockey and Burress, Toomer was able to strive. It was a new role for him, because he went from the number one option to the third, but it was also a very effective option for the Giants offense, and distracting for opposing defenses. His speed made him very difficult to defend. He could go over the top or he could make critical receptions over the middle. Now Eli Manning will have to somehow find another target, a reliable target. The question now is whether Tim Carter will be able to take on that role. He has shown flashes that he is ready to take on that role, but he has never been a consistant receiver for that Giants offense. He has had his drops in the past and this year, this is his time for him to pick up the slack that Amani Toomer left. It is a devestating blow for the Giants because of the respect that they have for Amani in the locker room. He isn't a vocal leader, but he is a presence that explains to the younger guys how to prepare on and off the field. Tiki Barber, playing in his last year, now will be the last true veteran on that offense. Eli Manning, becoming the leader on that offense, will also have to step up. It's not good to be playing the Bears coming off their loss to the Dolphins, coming into Giants Stadium very angry. The Giants will have to circle the wagons, knowing they got past the Texans, and knowing they are a better football team. It will make for great theater on National TV, with Brandon Jacobs blasting through the middle towards Brian Urlacher (if he plays). Barber coming out of the back field and somehow trying to find a way to create space and day light. Plaxico Buress now will have his jersey and opponents will find out where he is on that field; he will draw much attention. Unfortunately the Giants won't have Amani around to take advantage of opportunities in that area of the offense. We will see Sunday night if Tim Carter is ready, if Ernie Acorsi was right after drafting him in the second round out of Auburn, a guy who could make plays and be a factor in this Giants offense.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:11/08/2006 10:44:00 PM Fooch:

Should the Giants bring in a Proehl or another veteran wideout? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:11/18/2006 01:24:00 PM Fooch:

I'm not sure why all the cast of the Giants Online jumps all over you when you make intelligent commentary on the lack of good coaching by Coughlin's staff in critical situations such as the 3rd and 22 incident. You were totally right: it was as much of a coaching blunder as a physical miscue by Demps. They should have had more than one player play the draw.

Jae Lee
Washington, DC
Long time Giants fan ----- -------- AUTHOR: Anthony Fucilli TITLE: Giants, Jets, and Bears...Oh my! DATE: 11/03/2006 11:30:00 AM ----- BODY:

The Giants look to improve to 6-2 in the NFC East this Sunday against the Houston Texans, a matchup that's as close as you can possibly get to a college homecoming game for Big Blue. The Chicago Bears are playing the Miami Dolphins in Chicago, who are also terrible. It's going to be interesting to see if these two teams look past one another to their scheduled clash the following week, or if they will actually take their opponents seriously and play a full game while limiting mistakes. For the Giants, making sure all personnel remain healthy coming out of this game is a must. What Coach Coughlin must not allow his team to take the field Sunday and play mistake-filled football. The Giants need to take care of business from the opening kickoff, and look like a team that's a playoff contender. They cannot allow the Houston Texans, who are 0-3 this year on the road and in NFC competition, to have any thought of contending against the Giants this Sunday. And the Giants better not come out rusty at the start. Their fans will instantly become restless at the notion that the Texans actually might even put up a fight in this game. The stadium has been quiet over the last few weeks, but it could get ugly if fans are staring at a Giants team struggling in the second quarter against a David Carr captained Texans offense. David Carr is back behind center once again after being benched in the second half of last week's game. He's sure to be fired up. And I know they have a very good receiver in Andre Johnson, but I'm not taking this game seriously. And yes, the Giants will take the game seriously, but they will also be looking to get their guys out of this game healthy and get ready for the big one Sunday night, November 12th, against the ferocious Bears. And I know on any given Sunday you have to respect your opponent, because anything is capable of happening. I'm just not buying it this week. There's no way, NO WAY, that the Texans are going to come up here from the Lone Star state with hopes of knocking off the Giants. I don't say this like a fan, I say this like someone who watches the National Football League. They just don't have the horses to play with the Giants. Even if the Giants are missing some of their key guys, there are no excuses this week. The Giants will roll and get ready for the big Bears showdown. TIME TO SWITCH THINGS UP Now for the Jets. They get a week off to figure out how they lost that game in Cleveland. Some people will say that they were robbed, and that they should have had that touchdown. However, someone still needs to explain to me how you're down by that many points to the Cleveland Browns in a state of turmoil, a team who's pathetic offensive output led to the resignation of its coordinator. In addition, how the Browns were able to find a way to shut down the Jet offense. Now I know the Jets have flaws. I know they are not very efficient running the football. And I know they don't get to the quarterback very well. But this was a perfect opportunity for the New York Jets to improve to 5-3 going into a bye week with the Bears and Patriots waiting in the wings. And even if you're 5-5 after those two games, you're still in good shape. But now the Jets are going to have to think about the debacle in Cleveland, and how they let a 1-5 team take them from being a 5-3 team to a .500 team. I hope they think hard about it. And I hope that finally Eric Mangini figures out, one way or another, that in the NFL you can't let every team run all over you week after week. And if, by some chance, you keep giving up 100-yard games on the ground, eventually you might try something different defensively. Maybe Mangini will use the week off to meet with Bob Sutton and finally agree that the Jets just don't have the personnel to run an effective 3-4 defense. They ought to take a page out of the book of Tim Lewis and the Giants. When things were going wrong coming off the game in Seattle, they went back the drawing board and came up with something different. It's time for Eric Mangini and Bob Sutton to do the same.

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:11/03/2006 01:13:00 PM I agree w/ Fooch wholeheartedly! The J-E-T-S need to make the change off of a 3-4 scheme!! They can't get any pressure with 3 linemen on passing downs and it is destroying them, besides the main point which is that they aren't stopping the run whatsoever! What is the point in using this 3-4 if it doesn't help the rush OR pass defense?!?!?!

BURNBABY51 ----- -------- AUTHOR: Anthony Fucilli TITLE: Giants living up to hype; Jets take advantage of schedule DATE: 10/26/2006 08:37:00 PM ----- BODY:

The New York Giants got physical this week. They made a statement Monday night in Big D, after they beat the Dallas Cowboys in pretty much every way you could beat them. The one apparent thing was that the Giants did indeed get physical. They were aggressive, they put pressure on Bledsoe, and they ran the football with Tiki Barber and Brandon Jacobs. And now, the Giants are where some people thought they would be after six games. They're in first place in the NFC East. Fortunately for the Giants, they've overcome some bad performances early on and have rediscovered what it will take to be a perennial playoff contender in the NFC conference -- defense, running the football, special teams and forcing turnovers. These factors have been the key to Big Blue's success over the last three games. Unfortunately, the Giants suffered some significant injuries Monday night. LaVar Arrington, after showing some glimpses of why the Giants signed him for $35 million in the offseason, tore his achilles tendon and will miss the remainder of the year. Arrington, who complained of his achilles tendon being sore all training camp, finally ran into an unfortunate situation where it just gave out on him. It's one of those injuries that is like a tire with a slow leak. Eventually, it will just pop, and it did. You have to wonder what the future for Arrington will be. Also injured is Osi Umenyiora. A hip flexor will probably force Umenyiora to miss some time, but it certainly won't be as bad as the Arrington situation. Due to the Giants schedule over the next two weeks, hosting Tampa and Houston, the Giants might be able to get by without Osi. And with two weeks rest, they can actually get him healthy. The drafting of Mathias Kiwanuka at the defensive end position makes this situation a lot less drastic. The rookie has had some flashes, showed some promise and looks ready to get on the playing field for an extended period of time. Justin Tuck also hurt his foot after being stepped on, so he also may not be available this week against Tampa. So the Giants will have to overcome some injuries. However, they're playing their best football at a time when Tampa comes in after an emotional win over the Eagles courtesy of 62-yard field goal by former Giant kicker Matt Bryant. This is a different situation for Tampa. They travel to Giants Stadium on Sunday. They won't be able to play in their cozy, warm weather. They're coming up north with a young quarterback and with a Giants defensive line that has been overpowering the last three games staring them right in the face. Fred Robbins is having a career year in the middle, and the emergence of rookie defensive tackle Barry Cofield, who has been a steadying force, has helped the Giants stop the run and put teams in third and long situations, which allows the likes of Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora to get to the quarterback. They've harassed quarterbacks the way they did Bledsoe Monday night. Six sacks and four interceptions: that's the Giants defense that will get them deep into the playoffs. On offense, Tiki Barber has been a force the last three games. Defenses have come in with some pretty impressive stats and have left embarassed. The Falcons were number one in the league against the run and Barber ran all over them. The Cowboys were next in line behind Atlanta in the run defense department, and Tiki did the exact same thing. And when the Giants really need to get physical, they'll bring Brandon Jacobs inside the red zone on a short-yardage situation. That really demoralizes the defense. It's like a truck coming at you, and you have to hope you don't get hit. In addition, if you haven't noticed, the yellow flags have not been coming as much as they had been during the first three games. The Giants have found a way to stop taking silly penalties and stop beating themselves. It's a formula that the Giants hope they can continue to utilize in order to pick up wins. And with Tampa and Houston coming up, they should get their record ready for a tremendous contest. 6-2, against a possibly undefeated Bears team during primetime, Sunday, November 12. It doesn't get any better than that. Giants fans will be going crazy with the Bears coming into town. We'll get to find out just how physical this Giant team is, because there isn't a more physical team than the Bears this season in my mind. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE HAND YOU'RE DEALT As for the Jets, is it me or do they keep playing 1-5 teams every week? But you know what, you can't blame Eric Mangini and his Jet team for taking advantage of what's up next on their schedule. They're not playing down to their competition, they're beating their competition. And although the teams they've been playing have had their problems, the Jets haven't helped them out by turning the ball over or by letting them believe that they can steal a game. This week, they go on the road to play the Browns. However, this is a Cleveland team that has many problems and is currently in a state of controversy. Maurice Carthon is out as offensive coordinator, and now Romeo Crenel, who worked with Eric Mangini in New England, has to find a way to turn this thing around and quickly, or he'll be back to doing what he does best: being a defensive coach. The Jets bring in a team that has confidence, is in the midst of a winning streak, and has the look to improve to 5-3, one more win than they had last year. And that to me is the biggest story. But make no mistake about it, the reason behind the Jets success, number one and number one only, is health. They're healthy at the quarterback position. They're healthy for the most part at the remainder of the positions. And last year, they were an accident waiting to happen, playing with third and fourth string quarterbacks. It makes a big difference. If you don't think so, you really don't know the National Football League. You can't win when your quarterback can't play the game or isn't ready to play the game. The Cowboys found that out in the second half Monday night. So look for the Jets to continue what they have done, beating bad football teams. But Bill Parcells said it best: you are what your record says you are. And with a win against Cleveland this week, the Jets will improve to an impressive 5-3 on the season.

----- -------- AUTHOR: Anthony Fucilli TITLE: Common goal: Stop the run DATE: 10/12/2006 12:15:00 AM ----- BODY:

The Giants went back to basics last week as they defeated the Redskins rather easily at home in a game that they had to win and a game that they won convincingly. The defense now has their confidence back. They said the right things, learned to communicate, found their pass rush and they also showed the ability to cover again. That all goes out the window this week as they head down to Atlanta to the Georgia Dome. First of all, they will see an Atlanta offense that is very tricky. They are not as effective in the air with Michael Vick at the helm, but it's not how he beats you in the air, it's how he beats you with his legs. Obviously he's one of the top runners at his position. This year, the Falcons lead the NFL with 234 rushing yards per game and they throw several running backs at you in Warrick Dunn, Jerious Norwood and Vick, players who give them the ability to go the distance on a very fast track. On that Big Blue defense, it will be vital that Antonio Pierce and company tackle well. The Giants don't plan on having a spy for Vick. They don't feel as if one person can keep up with him, and that's true because it will take an entire front seven to track him, not over-pursue, and when he beats them, keep him to a minimum gain. Let's get one thing straight, Vick will run the ball against the Giants, he will have some eye-popping plays, but the key is to contain him as much as possible. The fans get behind their team, and most importantly, the Falcons are playing terrific defense this year. They are the second best team in the NFL against the run. They are giving up 69.2 yards allowed per game. That right now is a key statistic going into this game. If the Giants look to establish their running game, and I always felt they aren't a power running football team, they usually get the pass going and then establish Tiki Barber. But this Sunday against the Falcons, they are going to have to turn things around with Brandon Jacobs. They need to keep the Falcons' offense off the field and develop a power running game by trying to build off the offensive line play against the Redskins. They need to keep their offense on the field and dominate time of posession. It's a very difficult task. Jeremy Shockey is still hurting and I think the Giants recievers will come through as far as the passing game is concerned with Amani Toomer having a terrific year and Plaxico Burress, when he concentrates and focuses, is still a weapon for Big Blue. Eli Manning's has upped his completion ratio to 67 percent, and it was only a matter of time, Obviously, until their quarterback put it together and was able to understand the offense, but more importantly understand the opposing defenses and not try to force it. It's going to be loud in Atlanta, and that's something the Giants haven't been able to overcome, as we saw in Seattle. it's a good test for the Giants. Are they back to where we thought they would be? Or was this week's win against the Redskins just a mirage? Time will only tell, but I do like the Falcons in this game, and I think it will be a good game, but I don't think the Giants have enough to corral Michael Vick and company. BRING THE PASSION As far as the Jets are concerned, we've seen the good, the bad and the ugly. The ugly is the run defense. I don't understand how the personnel on that defense that is primarily the same as they were two years ago -- and I know that Abraham is playing for the Falcons now, but it's not like there are a lot of new faces on this Jets defense -- got so bad, so fast. I think they are No. 29 against the run. With exception of the Tennessee game, every team has run over the 100-yard mark against the Jets' defense. It's one of the most demoralizing things that a team can do to a defense, and that's what teams are doing right now. I don't think the Miami Dolphins, who have had their own problems, aren't going to try and get Ronnie Brown going, and are going to play their new young quarterback Joey Harrington and make him throw a few times, but basically beat them with the ground attack, every team has had that approach so far. I don't understand how this defense go so bad. I understand that Eric Mangini is a new coach, but with Donnie Henderson they were sound. They have Jonathan Vilma, who made himself into an all-pro linebacker. I understand that Mangini runs the 3-4, but they are going to have to change something in order to stop the run. As Chad Pennington goes, so will the Jets. He turned it over early last week and they suffered. Another enigma is the fact that they can't score early. Before the third quarter, they haven't been able to put points up. Again, this is something that against the Dolphins at their home stadium they must get their lead and make Miami play the way they don't want to play. As I said Miami is going to want to try and run the ball, establish it and stay conservative. Well, if you get an early lead, maybe you force Joey Harrington to do what he does best, which is turn it over.

Again, it's up to the Jets to show up after that embarrassment against Jacksonville and show their fans they aren't as bad as they showed. I knew the Jets weren't great, but not as bad as 41-0, that was an embarrassment, and it's something the Jets players realize they have to fix. They need to step on the field during the first play and show passion. And then maybe, just maybe, they can get by the Fins and play some winning football.

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:10/12/2006 01:45:00 PM Fooch is right, the Giants need to stop the run this week to win. The Falcons are an awful passing attack, 31st in the NFL, so if the Giants can stop their #1 ranked rushing offense, they should win this game.

As for the Jets, Fooch and I agree about the Jets 3-4 issues. That is actually the subject of my column this week. The Jets don't have the right personnel to run this system.

Whatever line configuration the Jets play this week, they should be able to get some decent pressure on Joey Harrington because the Dolphins line is weak. And if they put pressure on Harrington, like Fooch said, he will make a lot of mistakes.
I don't know what is wrong with me, but the last few blogs I've agreed with Fooch. Either he is getting smarter, or I'm getting soft. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Anthony Fucilli DATE:10/13/2006 06:30:00 PM Hey Dan, thanks for the support. Saying all that they have to do is stop the run sounds a lot easier than what will happen Sunday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. It's easily said, but I don't know how easy it's going to be to do it.

And if you want to get into the obvious, then tell me why the Jets are so poor against the run when most of their personnel, two years ago, was pretty tough against the run. How about that one, Dan?

And don't me about a different scheme. The guy is a defensive coach. Stop the run! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:10/16/2006 01:56:00 PM Check your facts Fooch. "Constant blitzing" by the Giants? Which game were you watching? You and the rest of the clueless media you hang out with should stop parroting each other and realize that Tim Lewis' defense is not an "exotic blitzing" defense but just the opposite: rush four defense. As a matter of fact thats why they had problems the past three years. They play zone defense dropping LBs into coverage all the time under Lewis and when the D-line struggles they get burned.
I blame Ernie Accorsi and the coaches for this problem because there is clearly a miscommunication between them. When Lewis came in, he inherited personnell not suited to play his style of defense. The Wills and the rest of the secondary were man coverage types with good LOS skills but with stone hands and "lost in space" zone skills. Right off the bat they were playing 10 yards off the receivers tripping over linebackers who were tripping over safeties in that defense. Every year since, it's the same BS. They start with that D until they are the worst in the league and then they "simplify it" by bringing more pressure and man cover plays in. But the problem remains and Accorsi didn't do anything to improve the situation but got us more of the same with Madison and Arrington and Demps who are clearly not a zone D players.Only Webster and McQuarters are suited to play it right now and its not enough. I actually like this type of defense if its played correctly its a big play D with numerous coverage sacks and interceptions. But you need the right personnel for it not some high priced hot shots. Wilkinson and Webster were good choices but the free agents were all wrong picks for Accorsi, unless they change the defensive coordinator ofcourse. ----- --------