Say Hello to the Bad Guy: It’s the Playoffs, I’m not that Angry Edition
I don’t see any reason to stray from a formula that has been working. Especially when it is extremely appropriate for this particular scenario. So while I don’t intend to be too agitated today, I will be utilizing yet another comparison to the 2007 championship season.
In 2006, Tiki Barber served as the face of an underwhelming Giants franchise. In the fall of 2005 (a season in which he would break off a 95 yard run and accrue 235 rushing yards in a single game), he would accompany Jeremy Shockey to the bedside of a dying Wellington Mara. The two were described as the football patriarch’s favorite current stars.
But after years of serving as the lightening rod for an otherwise underachieving offense, Barber abruptly left pro football. His departure left a significant hole in the Giants roster. The hole was not much unlike the one that Jerry Reese found himself staring at when Steve Smith hobbled out the door and into the Eagles arms.
Between ’06 and ’07, the Giants finally gave up their attempt to mold project slot receiver Tim Carter into a dangerous weapon. Carter, who is the cousin of former MLB Outfielder Gary Sheffield, appeared to be a physical specimen. He was easily one of the fastest players in the league. Unfortunately, he lacked the ability to consistently haul in catches.
Despite his stone hands, he was attractive enough to draw interest from the Cleveland Browns, and was swapped for RB Reuben Droughns.
Much like this season, there were doubts if Brandon Jacobs could take on the mantle of feature RB. Fans’ worries were not abated by the acquisition of a similar style running back. The “Thunder&Lightening” approach had been reasonably successful. Many felt that Jacobs and Droughns would not be able to replace Barber’s production.
Their fears were not entirely unfounded. The Giants ground attack did not suffer, but rather blossomed into the predecessor of the marquee 2008 season that produced two 1,000 yard rushers. But the success was for the most part due to the play of two other individuals who came out of the woodwork and outperformed expectations.
Immediately following a Jacobs injury in Week 1, Derrick Ward found himself inserted into a nationally televised game against hated rival Dallas. Displaying elusiveness and agility, the former 3rd string running back leaped from fringe of preseason cuts to valuable offensive asset.
Following Ward would be Ahmad Bradshaw. A 7th round pick, Bradshaw moved into the second rushing spot behind Jacobs after Derrick Ward broke his leg.
This year, Victor Cruz has been the unexpected solution to what could have been a devastating problem. The one impressive preseason game non-withstanding, the undrafted New Jersey native had yet to show much more than raw potential before Week 3 of the current season.
The Giants were so concerned about the 3rd receiving slot that they brought on an aging Brandon Stokely to compete with Domenik Hixon for the role. After Hixon was lost (probably for good) to a second torn ACL and Stokely proved ineffective, the job became Cruz’s alone. His stellar season speaks for itself.
When the Giants enter Lambeau on Sunday, they will be relying on their passing attack to carry the offense and clear the way for the ground game.; A reversal from the 2007 post-season matchup.
While Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, and Mario Manningham plan to figure into the aerial assault, one receiver does not. Ramses Barden has been one of the Giants healthy scratches over the past two weeks. His slow development has been frustrating for the organization, as his height would add a desirable new dimension to the passing game.
But who the Giants do and don’t have dressed on Sunday has less to do with an aerial preference then who the Packers have. Their 15-1 record masks the fact that when Green Bay played the Giants this past November, they were ranked 31st in pass defense. They haven’t significantly improved.
Also, the Giants are likely to be down their third man at RB. Though DJ Ware practiced yesterday, he still suffered his 3rd career concussion (2nd this season) on Sunday. With a relatively healthy roster, he may fall into a grey area that lands him on the inactive list in order to make room for another healthy player.
The Giants didn't see enough of this in November and ultimately the Packers were able to overcome with a late offensive drive to pull ahead for good. Photo Courtesy: Giants.com
On defense, the Giants should have Aaron Ross back. This could have major implications. Even if Prince Amukamara was prepared to start against the top tier WR’s in Green Bay, Big Blue needs depth at the position to withstand Aaron Rodgers and his plethora of weapons.
It is no secret that the true key to stopping the Packers will be the pass rush. A returning Osi and a healthier Tuck has sparked the return of the DLine of old and the comeback was just in time. The pass rush was certainly not playing at this level during the earlier meeting between these two teams.
While the ends were not applying adequate pressure to the QB, DT Linval Joseph enjoyed a break out performance on the interior of the line. Chris Canty, Joseph, and Rocky Bernard can play a big roll on Sunday if they can help collapse the middle of the pocket and force Rodgers to scramble.
Though dangerous on the move, Rodgers has yet to face the rejuvenated Tuck, Osi, and JPP on the corners.
I ultimately see this game coming down to the Giants ability to take control early. If the game does become a shootout, then a cushion and margin for error could be critical for a road team in wintery conditions.
I see a hard fought matchup ahead where both teams are without question more evenly matched than they were only weeks ago. If the right Big Blue shows up, then I project an outcome similar to that of Rocky II. Despite losing to the defending champ after an impressive and competitive battle in the original meeting, the challenging Giants walk away with a victory on the second attempt.
I don’t see any reason to stray from a formula that has been working. Especially when it is extremely appropriate for this particular scenario. So while I don’t intend to be too agitated today, I will be utilizing yet another comparison to the 2007 championship season.
In 2006, Tiki Barber served as the face of an underwhelming Giants franchise. In the fall of 2005 (a season in which he would break off a 95 yard run and accrue 235 rushing yards in a single game), he would accompany Jeremy Shockey to the bedside of a dying Wellington Mara. The two were described as the football patriarch’s favorite current stars.
But after years of serving as the lightening rod for an otherwise underachieving offense, Barber abruptly left pro football. His departure left a significant hole in the Giants roster. The hole was not much unlike the one that Jerry Reese found himself staring at when Steve Smith hobbled out the door and into the Eagles arms.
Between ’06 and ’07, the Giants finally gave up their attempt to mold project slot receiver Tim Carter into a dangerous weapon. Carter, who is the cousin of former MLB Outfielder Gary Sheffield, appeared to be a physical specimen. He was easily one of the fastest players in the league. Unfortunately, he lacked the ability to consistently haul in catches.
Despite his stone hands, he was attractive enough to draw interest from the Cleveland Browns, and was swapped for RB Reuben Droughns.
Much like this season, there were doubts if Brandon Jacobs could take on the mantle of feature RB. Fans’ worries were not abated by the acquisition of a similar style running back. The “Thunder&Lightening” approach had been reasonably successful. Many felt that Jacobs and Droughns would not be able to replace Barber’s production.
Their fears were not entirely unfounded. The Giants ground attack did not suffer, but rather blossomed into the predecessor of the marquee 2008 season that produced two 1,000 yard rushers. But the success was for the most part due to the play of two other individuals who came out of the woodwork and outperformed expectations.
Immediately following a Jacobs injury in Week 1, Derrick Ward found himself inserted into a nationally televised game against hated rival Dallas. Displaying elusiveness and agility, the former 3rd string running back leaped from fringe of preseason cuts to valuable offensive asset.
Following Ward would be Ahmad Bradshaw. A 7th round pick, Bradshaw moved into the second rushing spot behind Jacobs after Derrick Ward broke his leg.
This year, Victor Cruz has been the unexpected solution to what could have been a devastating problem. The one impressive preseason game non-withstanding, the undrafted New Jersey native had yet to show much more than raw potential before Week 3 of the current season.
The Giants were so concerned about the 3rd receiving slot that they brought on an aging Brandon Stokely to compete with Domenik Hixon for the role. After Hixon was lost (probably for good) to a second torn ACL and Stokely proved ineffective, the job became Cruz’s alone. His stellar season speaks for itself.
When the Giants enter Lambeau on Sunday, they will be relying on their passing attack to carry the offense and clear the way for the ground came.; A reversal from the 2007 post-season matchup.
While Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, and Mario Manningham plan to figure into the aerial assault, one receiver does not. Ramses Barden has be one of the Giants healthy scratches over the past two weeks. His slow development has been frustrated for the organization, as his height would add a desirable new dimension to the passing game.
But who the Giants do and don’t have dressed on Sunday has less to do with an aerial preference then who the Packers have. Their 15-1 record masks the fact that when Green Bay played the Giants this past November, they were ranked 31st in pass defense. They haven’t significantly improved.
Also, the Giants are likely to be down their third man at RB. Though DJ Ware practiced yesterday, he still suffered his 3rd career concussion (2nd this season) on Sunday. With a relatively healthy roster, hey may fall into a grey area that lands him on the inactive list in order to make room for another healthy player.
On defense, the Giants should have Aaron Ross back. This could have major implications. Even if Prince Amukamara was prepared to start against the top tier WR’s in Green Bay, Big Blue needs depth at the position to withstand Aaron Rodgers and his plethora of weapons.
It is no secret that the true key to stopping the Packers will be the pass rush. A returning Osi and a healthier Tuck has sparked the return of the DLine of old and the comeback was just in time. The pass rush was certainly not playing at this level during the earlier meeting between these two teams.
While the ends were not applying adequate pressure to the QB, DT Linval Joseph enjoyed a break out performance on the interior of the line. Chris Canty, Joseph, and Rocky Bernard can play a big roll on Sunday if they can help collapse the middle of the pocket and force Rodgers to scramble.
Though dangerous on the move, Rodgers has yet to face the rejuvenated Tuck, Osi, and JPP on the corners.
I ultimately see this game coming down to the Giants ability to take control early. If the game does become a shootout, then a cushion and margin for error could be critical for a road team in wintery conditions.
I see a hard fought matchup ahead where both teams are without question more evenly matched than they were only weeks ago. If the right Big Blue shows up, then I project an outcome similar to that of Rocky II. Despite losing to the defending champ after an impressive and competitive battle in the original meeting, the challenging Giants walk away with a victory on the second attempt.
About Dan Orlando
Dan Orlando is a graduate of Syracuse University where he majored in Communications&Rhetorical Studies. He worked for Howard Stern On Demand and iN DEMAND as a public relations intern from May 2009- August 2010. Dan served as a long time contributor to the Morris County Daily Record, the flagship news publication of Morris County, New Jersey. He was also a staff writer at one of the premier college papers in the country, The Daily Orange. Dan enjoyed a successful stint as a member of the Nygiantscast team alongside ESPN radio's own Kyle Bonn (host of the Bonnfire) and Kevin Brown. This informative podcast has been featured on Giants beat writer Ralph Vacchiano's Blue Screen. Dan is currently the Giants Correspondent for Brent Axe's Chopping Block which airs weekdays on TheScore1260 FM/TheScore1260.com. Dan can be reached at (201) 572-1157 or @ Dorlando44@gmail.com View all posts by Dan Orlando →-
PickNY
