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No Plax on Sunday

by David Jacks on November 28th, 2008 at 4:09 pm

According to Tom Coughlin Plaxico Burress is out for Sunday’s game against the Redskins. While coach Coughlin acknowledged Burress’s hamstring is improving he will rest up for the following week. Jonathan Goff is also out.

With Burress out Domenick Hixon will again be able to show off his skills. In two games without Plax the Giants passing game has flourished. Two games is barely a sample size, but we will get a third look this Sunday. Again, the Giants are better off with #17 on the field, but it will be interesting to see just how much they miss him this week, especially if the Skins try and drop a safety into the box.

Fred Robbins, Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs are listed as questionable but Jacobs is expected to play.
  • http://www.matttracy.com Matt Tracy

    even though i’d love to see it, i don’t expect Hixon to have a big game now that defense are aware of him and what he can do.

  • David Jacks

    Matt, I am not so sure I agree, at least not from a wideout standpoint. Yes, he had a great game against the Cardinals but the majority of that came from the return game. Other then that he has had one phenomenal half against the Seahawks depleted secondary, which hardly warrants a double team. If they do treat him as the game changer Plax can be, their front 7, which could be without fletcher and carter is sure to suffer. If anything I expect one on ones for him all day. What would you rather have, the power house of the offense (the running game) beat you, or take a chance with an upcoming wide receiver who has yet to see the field as a starter more then once in his career? I am not saying hixon won’t be good, but I don’t see the skins paying extra attention to him and hopefully he can burn them for that. As the year goes on I think teams will continue to throw 8 in the box (seeing that even the Ravens 7 could not match up), leaving one on ones for wideouts, and force eli to continue to beat them, a feat I think he is capable of, but will certainly be more difficult as the weather is turning.

    As for the return game, they won’t change anything there, and it will come down to blocking and his individual efforts, which we know to be very good.

  • BigJohn

    I’d love to see Steve Smith as a deep threat…..He is great on third down as we all know but why not throw him a deep ball once and awhile….He seems to have the speed to beat a corner off the ball….I remember him at USC being a big play guy alongside Jarret….Any Thoughts?

  • David Jacks

    Big JOhn,
    I would say that the majority of the big plays are called for the x spot in the giants offense (plax and now hixon), occasionally for tooms as well. With smith lined up in the slot he is generally running shorter routes or up the seams to move the chains, in a wes welker mold. Smith certainly has has the ability to go deep,as he did last week in a one on one battle against the cards (that was his longest catch of the year) but his true skill lies in his ability to get open underneath with his quickness and precise routes. He is also a great force on the double move, but his frame is not built for the deep ball. I’m not saying smaller receivers can’t go deep (the other steve smith and santana moss certainly do) but generally the smaller shiftier receivers make there big plays off of YAC, unless they can blaze like moss (our steve smith is not as fast). If you throw the ball deep it’s nicer to have a bigger target be able to out jump or out muscle smaller corners. I wouls say guys like the panthers steve smith and moss are the exception not the rule. I believe the gmen utilize smith to the best of his abilities. thoughts?

  • BigJohn

    No I definitly agree that we use him to the best of his ability and you make some great points which I did not even consider. It’s just for some reason, maybe I am just being cynical, but I watch sportscenter and every team seems to go deep and get these big 60-80 yard TD passes and then I look at the Giants who I feel don’t go deep enough or when we do it is an incomplete pass, or if we catch it we immediatly get tackled….but you know what if it aint broke don’t fix it right?

  • David Jacks

    Big John,

    Plax was definitely the deep threat, but that hasn’t gotten going most of the year for several reasons.

    1) Teams are taking away the big plays by throwing a safety over the top.

    2) He decided to shoot himself

    With plax out indefinitely and maybe for good hixon/moss and even manningham may get a chance to see some deep balls, but no one on this team is as well equipped for going down field as was plax – based on size alone. Moss has the speed but is a tiny target, I think manningham would be the best bet, but he is still processing the offense so it may be hixon’s turn.