That was a game we could've and should've won. Unfortunately, the entire team conspired against themselves, against the hopes of the fandom, and collapsed mid-performance. There were few brights spots in a loss that has ultimately been overshadowed by the suspension of two of our most important offensive players.
False Start
For the second week in a row, our offense managed to put together an opening drive that culminated in seven points. Roy Helu put our first points on the board and went on to have a 100 yard game for the second week in a row. That was the best thing that came out of the game.
Freddy Delight
It was an awfully mixed bag for his last game of the season - and, no, I don't mean someone mixed the schwag and the nugs to ruin the spliff (first and only one, I promise). He had two great catch and runs for over thirty yards or more, breaking tackles a long the way and racking up 99 yards for the day. That is the tough and fast Freddy D we love to see. Unfortunately, he also made a rookie mistake on a very nice sideline pass from Grossman, not managing to drag his foot inbounds to secure the catch. I don't know where we'll see Davis on the field next, but if it is in Ashburn, he better have his head on straight and be ready to produce better results.
Ridiculous Rex
Other than the great sideline pass to Davis, Rex put on a performance that even his biggest fans can't defend. Thanks to some inattention and slippery fingers on the Jets D, he only recorded one INT, but there were almost many more. Some times I want to applaud his seeming obliviousness to distraction in the pocket, but, mostly, I want to ask him how his peripheral vision is and if doesn't see the blitzes and sacks coming or if he actually gets pleasure out of getting hit, losing yards and throwing the ball away. When he did manage to get passes off, he consistently overthrew the receivers, especially the receivers ready and waiting in the end zone. Our receivers can't do it all on their own, the QB has to at least give them a chance. And when Special Teams came away with the Riley fumble recovery on a punt return, Rex still couldn't produce, leaving us with three points courtesy of Gano. Ditto Banks's nice fourth quarter return.
Dependable No More
I can't say I blame them. Our defense has been carrying the weight this season and the burden became too much. We struggled to stop the run all game, most noticeably on the Q4 TDs. DHall had several opportunities for INTs, but couldn't complete the transaction. We need big plays on D, big plays like the Bowen bat-down, and lots more of them. Kerrigan and Riley both continue to impress, and Fletcher remains the leader, but, overall, it was an unimpressive outing for our D.
Meager Management
Back on my list again - Kyle the Wunderkid. The nice balance we saw in play calling last week went missing and we struggled to convert third downs. It was the red zone offense that got me most worked up. I just couldn't understand his decisions, especially when seven points were so close. But it is Pappa Shanny I'd like to take to the mat for the fourth quarter woes. We mismanaged the clock and took too much time when there wasn't any to spare. Rex proved once again he cannot run a no huddle offense, but that is old news, and the father-son super duo couldn't seem to dial up any remedy to give us even a fighting chance. And then came the final blow - a lost on-sides kick with two minutes left in the game. I usually admire Pappa Shanny's moxie - going for it on fourth downs and throwing challenge flags - but that call seemed like an admission that our defense could not be relied upon to stop the Jets or make the big play. While that may, in fact, have been true of the D, it seemed like a desperate, even foolish, act.
Other
Where was Gaffney? He's a spark when we need fire and yet was seen very little Sunday. Gano showed both good and bad, as usual, but my favorite performance of his was by far his sideline tackle of the Jets returner. A3 had a nice 30-ish yard return and then disappeared for the remainder of the game.
Bonus
The rest of the division lost this week as well. If the Giants can defeat the Cowboys this weekend, they'll be tied in both overall and division records, meaning there is still a chance that Dallas will won't see the post season after all.
Broadcast Miscasts
The CBS commentators proved far superior to the D-class slough Fox has been producing, but they weren't without their fair share of gems. There was a 30 second close up of Sanchez's Jets mouthguard that had them all aflutter. And later they noted that is was a good thing a player had a face mask or else he'd have a bloody nose. Well golly guys, it's a good thing the kickers wear shoes or they might stub their toes. Of course, it could've been worse, we could've had Troy Aikman announcing the game.
For the second rate fans out there who called for us to lose for better draft position, seems your wish is coming true. For the rest of us, that was a serious disappoint and an unfortunate regression from the efficient team we saw last week.
False Start
For the second week in a row, our offense managed to put together an opening drive that culminated in seven points. Roy Helu put our first points on the board and went on to have a 100 yard game for the second week in a row. That was the best thing that came out of the game.
Freddy Delight
It was an awfully mixed bag for his last game of the season - and, no, I don't mean someone mixed the schwag and the nugs to ruin the spliff (first and only one, I promise). He had two great catch and runs for over thirty yards or more, breaking tackles a long the way and racking up 99 yards for the day. That is the tough and fast Freddy D we love to see. Unfortunately, he also made a rookie mistake on a very nice sideline pass from Grossman, not managing to drag his foot inbounds to secure the catch. I don't know where we'll see Davis on the field next, but if it is in Ashburn, he better have his head on straight and be ready to produce better results.
Ridiculous Rex
Other than the great sideline pass to Davis, Rex put on a performance that even his biggest fans can't defend. Thanks to some inattention and slippery fingers on the Jets D, he only recorded one INT, but there were almost many more. Some times I want to applaud his seeming obliviousness to distraction in the pocket, but, mostly, I want to ask him how his peripheral vision is and if doesn't see the blitzes and sacks coming or if he actually gets pleasure out of getting hit, losing yards and throwing the ball away. When he did manage to get passes off, he consistently overthrew the receivers, especially the receivers ready and waiting in the end zone. Our receivers can't do it all on their own, the QB has to at least give them a chance. And when Special Teams came away with the Riley fumble recovery on a punt return, Rex still couldn't produce, leaving us with three points courtesy of Gano. Ditto Banks's nice fourth quarter return.
Dependable No More
I can't say I blame them. Our defense has been carrying the weight this season and the burden became too much. We struggled to stop the run all game, most noticeably on the Q4 TDs. DHall had several opportunities for INTs, but couldn't complete the transaction. We need big plays on D, big plays like the Bowen bat-down, and lots more of them. Kerrigan and Riley both continue to impress, and Fletcher remains the leader, but, overall, it was an unimpressive outing for our D.
Meager Management
Back on my list again - Kyle the Wunderkid. The nice balance we saw in play calling last week went missing and we struggled to convert third downs. It was the red zone offense that got me most worked up. I just couldn't understand his decisions, especially when seven points were so close. But it is Pappa Shanny I'd like to take to the mat for the fourth quarter woes. We mismanaged the clock and took too much time when there wasn't any to spare. Rex proved once again he cannot run a no huddle offense, but that is old news, and the father-son super duo couldn't seem to dial up any remedy to give us even a fighting chance. And then came the final blow - a lost on-sides kick with two minutes left in the game. I usually admire Pappa Shanny's moxie - going for it on fourth downs and throwing challenge flags - but that call seemed like an admission that our defense could not be relied upon to stop the Jets or make the big play. While that may, in fact, have been true of the D, it seemed like a desperate, even foolish, act.
Other
Where was Gaffney? He's a spark when we need fire and yet was seen very little Sunday. Gano showed both good and bad, as usual, but my favorite performance of his was by far his sideline tackle of the Jets returner. A3 had a nice 30-ish yard return and then disappeared for the remainder of the game.
Bonus
The rest of the division lost this week as well. If the Giants can defeat the Cowboys this weekend, they'll be tied in both overall and division records, meaning there is still a chance that Dallas will won't see the post season after all.
Broadcast Miscasts
The CBS commentators proved far superior to the D-class slough Fox has been producing, but they weren't without their fair share of gems. There was a 30 second close up of Sanchez's Jets mouthguard that had them all aflutter. And later they noted that is was a good thing a player had a face mask or else he'd have a bloody nose. Well golly guys, it's a good thing the kickers wear shoes or they might stub their toes. Of course, it could've been worse, we could've had Troy Aikman announcing the game.
For the second rate fans out there who called for us to lose for better draft position, seems your wish is coming true. For the rest of us, that was a serious disappoint and an unfortunate regression from the efficient team we saw last week.
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