In case you were wondering, should the Giants finish tied with either the Dallas Cowboys or Green Bay Packers, they would earn the wild card by way of tie-breakers.

The Giants would leapfrog the Cowboys on the strength of their two head to head victories.

As for the Packers, since the two teams have not played each other, the next tie-breaker is conference record.  Green Bay currently has a one game advantage in conference record.  However, given that their next two opponents are NFC foes, if the Packers and Giants end up tied in the standings, they will have identical conference records.

So the next tie-breaker would be record versus common opponents, which are the Vikings, Cowboys, Cardinals and Buccaneers.  The Giants are 3-1, with the Vikings remaining, while the Packers are 1-3 with the Cardinals remaining.  So based on common opponents, the Giants would win out over the Packers.

So now, aside from rooting for the Giants, we have to root for the Redskins and Seahawks next week, and the Eagles and Cardinals next week…In a perfect world, the Cowboys, Packers and Eagles will lose next week, and the Vikings will win, giving them the #2 seed so they will rest their starters in week 17 against the Giants…

I may be analyzing this too much…

NFC East Swing Will Test Big Blue’s Mettle

In the next three weeks we’re going to find out a lot about the New York Football Giants.

Will they put up a fight against their division rivals, or continue to spiral downward towards the front of the draft?

Will the team’s pride, which has slowly dissipated with each painful defeat return in time to salvage the season, or will it continue to seep out the window?

Will the coaches and players who now find themselves on the bubble rise up and embrace the much-needed changes or continue to be blind and stubborn?

These questions and others will be answered before you have your first eggnog.

Stuck in the Mud

Suddenly the Giants seem like a plodding, methodical team reminiscent of the 1950’s NFL. They slam Brandon Jacobs into the line and their passing game looks like something out of the Steve Owen era.  They are so predictable, opponents cannot believe how easy it has become to prepare for, and to defeat them.

They appear to have little team speed.  That could not further from the truth. Their wide receivers and reserve linebackers are all fast. The coaches just don’t know how to properly employ them.

If they are going to find out which direction this team is headed, they must begin to increase the playing time of the following players: LBs Clint Sintim, Bryan Kehl and Jonathan Goff, TE Travis Beckum and WR Ramses Barden.

Tom Coughlin has to get the speed out on the field.

Outdated in Just Two Seasons?

I find the scheme on defense to be the major culprit in the unit’s poor performance this season. On offense, it’s the playcalling.

The NFL has altered and created several new rules to protect offensive players the past two years. All of those rules promote the passing game.

On offense, the Giants continue to assert themselves as a  power running team.  That is no longer the way the game is played.  It is a passing-oriented game, almost touch-football in nature compared to years past.

Just like that, in two years, things changed.  The coaches didn’t get the memo, but the GM, Jerry Reese did.

Jerry Reese made Eli Manning the highest-paid player in the game and used four of his first five selections in Aprils’ draft on two wide receivers, a tight end and an offensive tackle.

What did the coaches do? Nothing. They not only failed to integrate the new pieces (with the exception of Hakeem Nicks), they conservatized their philosophies negating almost every one of their strengths.

This is the 21st Century NFL and the Giants’ coaching staff is guilty of hoarding latent talent on the bench.  The time to make the changes is past due.

With the NFC South and NFC North all but locked up, there are four remaining playoff births up for grabs in the NFC.

While divisional leaders Dallas and Arizona have the upper hand, their hard work is not nearly over.  The Eagles, Packers, Falcons and Giants are all 5-4, and are right in the playoff hunt.

At 4-5, the 49ers, Panthers and Bears are on life support, but their dreams are not dead yet.

What it all boils down to is that with seven games remaining, there are nine NFC teams fighting for four spots in the playoffs.

Cardinals (6-3)

The Cardinals have a two game divisional lead over the 49ers, and have by far the easiest remaining schedule.  They still get to face the Lions once and the Rams twice, giving them three easy wins.  They must travel to Tennessee to play an improved Titans team and finish up at home against an improved Packers team, but these are two games they should win.

A home game against the Vikings will be tough, and they must also travel to San Francisco to play a huge divisional game on Monday night.  But even with these tribulations, the Cardinals missing the playoffs would be an epic collapse.

Opponents Record: 23-40

Opponents Over .500: 2

3 Home, 4 Away

Cowboys (6-3)

The Cowboys have a one game lead on the Giants and Eagles, and they have yet to play divisional doormat Washington.  They still face tough battles against the Giants, Eagles, Saints and Chargers, but a game against the Raiders should be a gimme.

With three games they should win easily, the Cowboys only have to beat one more good team to secure ten victories.  It’s tough to imagine the Cowboys missing the playoffs.

Opponents Record: 33-30

Opponents Over .500: 4

4 Home, 3 Away

Eagles (5-4)

Though their remaining schedule seems similar to the Cowboys, they do not get to face a cupcake team like the Raiders, and only get to face the Redskins one more time.  On the flip side, they have already played the powerful Saints.

Still, Philadelphia’s schedule includes some tough road games, including the Bears, Falcons, Giants and Cowboys.  Home games against the 49ers and Broncos wont be walks in the park either.

Opponents Record: 33-30

Opponents Over .500: 4

3 Home, 4 Away

Giants (5-4)

The Giants do not have an easy game on their schedule, and if they lose at home to the Falcons, they can pretty much forget about the playoffs.

Their easiest opponent is the Redskins, but that game is in a hostile opponent’s stadium on Monday night.  If the Giants are going to make the playoffs, they’ll have to win some games in prime time, as three of their remaining five games are at night, including a Thanksgiving battle in Denver.

The good news is that their key games against the Eagles and Cowboys are home games.

Opponents Record: 37-26

Opponents Over .500: 5

4 home, 3 away
Read more…

Coughlin Firmly In Charge

Head Coach – Tom Coughlin
Offensive Coordinator- Kevin Gilbride
Defensive Coordinator – Bill Sheridan

Offensive Assistants: Jerald Ingram (running backs), Chris Palmer (quarterbacks), Pat Flaherty (offensive line), Jack Bicknell, Jr. (asst. offensive line), Mike Pope (tight ends), Mike Sullivan (wide receivers), Sean Ryan (quality control)

Defensive Assistants: Mike Waufle (defensive line), Jim Herrmann (linebackers), Pete Giunta (cornerbacks), David Merritt (safeties), Al Holcomb (quality control)

Special Teams: Tom Quinn, Thomas McGaughey

Strength and Conditioning: Jerry Palmieri, Markus Paul

********************************************************
Tom Coughin- Head Coach (6th Year)

Down-to-Earth and genuine, Coughlin almost lost his job after the 2006 season. He had always been known as a disciplinarian and his rigid tactics and unbending rules caused a rift in the locker room. His style was a 180-degree turn from his predecessor, the flexible and lenient Jim Fassel. Players felt he was taking the regimentation a tad too far.

With his contract due to expire at the end of the coming season, ownership extended Coughlin for a year in January of 2007 so he would not be a ‘lame-duck’ coach. With that extension came requests that he loosen up on the players. He did. The rest is history.

As a coach Coughlin was treading water after three seasons. He was 25-23 with two playoff losses and the team was stuck in neutral. Then Jerry Reese took over as GM and began bringing the young talent that would help turn his team into a serious contender. This season, Coach Coughlin has another crop of young studs to deal with. They will get the full treatment and he turn them into professionals.

Analysis: Coughlin tends to wear his heart on his sleeve, but since the Giants won a championship, that’s now seen as a positive. He’s outlasted the stubborn veterans who staged a mini-mutiny a few years back and has currently has more security and control than ever. Coughlin has built a solid staff of veteran coaches that adds to the success of the team. He rarely hires coaches with little or no experience. The Giants are pleased they stuck with Coughlin because he has become an excellent game coach: his strategy is usually right on and his ability to adjust in-game is up there with the best.

Offense

Coach Coughlin’s stamp is all over this group. He likes to surround himself with familiar faces. OC Kevin Gilbride held the same job under Coughlin in Jacksonville. So did RB coach Jerald Ingram. WR coach Mike Sullivan and QB coach Chris Palmer were also on Coughlin’s staff with the Jaguars. Jack Bicknell, Jr was a player at BC when Coughlin was the QB coach there under Bicknell’s father. TE coach Mike Pope coached with Coughlin in both New England and under Bill Parcells with the Giants.

Only OL coach Pat Flaherty and Quality Control coach Sean Ryan did not have prior working experience either next to, or under Tom Coughlin. That hasn’t put them at a disadvantage, though. This group understands what it needs to do to win ballgames. The major challenge has been having to go from a veteran team to a young team without losing any productivity.

Analysis: This year, that challenge gets even greater. The Giants will be asking their rookie receivers to step up and attempt to help re-establish the passing game. That will not be easy to do. The running game and the offensive line are staples on this team and both are amongst the leagues’ best. QB Eli Manning still remains an enigma – one game on, one game off. He needs to become more consistent. If he does, the Giants will be at the top of the standings again.

Defense

The Giants like to choose defensive coaches that have a history of sticking to basics and regimentation. DC Bill Sheridan coached at Army, Michigan and Notre Dame before joining the Giants in 2005. LB coach Jim Herrmann actually had Sheridan on his staff at Michigan in the early part of the decade. Herrmann played and coached at Michigan for a quarter-century and began his career under the great Bo Schembechler.

CB coach Pete Giunta coached at Penn State and was the Rams’ DC when they won Super Bowl XXXIV. Safeties coach David Merritt is a former NFL linebacker who once coached defense at VMI. Al Holcomb is a former phys ed teacher that toiled in the NCAA Division II coaching ranks before being hired by Coughlin last year to become the defensive quality control coach for the Giants. Finally, DL coach Mike Waufle has a long resume. Waufle has been coaching defensive lines in both the collegiate and professional ranks for nearly 30 years.

Analysis: The defensive line rotation when it gets cooking under Waufle is practically unstoppable. Last year, the rotation took a hit when Michael Strahan retired and Osi Umenyiora missed the entire year with a knee injury. This year, they are stacked again with bodies. They will bring the pressure big time, which will alleviate the stress on the back seven. The linebackers are going to shock people. Herrmann loves the possibilities of having Michael Boley and Clint Sintim flanking captain Anotnio Pierce. Look out. The secondary has benefited from three top draft choices – Corey Webster, Aaron Ross and Kenny Phillips. Giunta and Merritt work well together and this group has the potential to become great, not just good.

Special Teams

Tom Quinn and Thomas McGaughey are back running the show. Last year, the Giants sent 3 special teamers to the Pro Bowl: punter Jeff Feagles, kicker John Carney and long snapper Zak DeOssie. This year, Carney is out and Lawrence Tynes is back in. The Giants will see how much Ahmad Bradshaw and Domenik Hixon are needed on the offense before deciding on whether to switch them out of their returner roles. The Giants are one club that actually makes out on the new wedge rule. They normally don’t run many kicks back for big yardage, and they usually fend the kickoff very well.

Analysis: The Tynes for Carney switch makes everyone uneasy, but Tynes has a long-term deal with four years left so live with it. The coaches would prefer that Hixon continue his returner role. That would happen only if the rookie wideouts unseat him in the starting lineup.

Strength and Conditioning

Jerry Palmieri is another guy who has been following Coughlin around. From BC to Jacksonville to the Giants, Palmieri has been keeping the Giants in top physical form. He was awarded the NFL’s S&C Coach of the Year in 2007. His assistant, Markus Paul, is a former DB for the Chicago Bears and has worked in an S&C capacity for the Jets, Patriots and Saints before joining the Giants in 2007.

Analysis: The Ginats just recently moved into a brand new training complex, just west of Giants Stadium. The 199,000 square-foot complex contains all of the modern amenities for proper training, including a 7500 square-foot weight room and four full practice fields: 3 grass and one FieldTurf.

Quick Question: What is the job of an NFL quality control coach? A quality control coach helps break down tape of the opponents, monitors his team’s tendencies so that measures can be taken to make his team less predictable and helps keep the players on script during practices. He is available to the head coach for whatever else needs to be done during practice or in preparation for the upcoming opponent. – Thanks to Steve Corkran of the Contra-Costa Times

Lets break down why the Giants season ended yesterday at the Meadowlands. I think several factors contributed to the loss.

Eli’s Passes Were Consistantly Bad All Day

I don’t think I remember seeing a game where Eli threw so many ducks. If wind was a factor, it didn’t seem to bother McNabb. Almost every one of Donovan’s passes were tight spirals, while Eli’s passes were quacking all the way down the field. You can’t win if your quarterback can’t deliver the ball to his receivers. Eli had no zip. After the game, he said the wind wasn’t that bad, so there is less reason to blame the conditions. I wish someone would have asked Eli why he was having so much trouble if the wind didn’t play into it.

Gilbride Insisted On Trying To Pass

Despite the inability of Eli to get anything going in the air, Glibride continued to pass. Nobody was expecting him to completely abandon the pass, but he used it at key moments in the game when a run would have been more effective. There were several situations where the Giants needed short yardage, that could have easily been gobbled up by Earth, Wind or Fire, but Gilbride inexplicably went to the air. It was frustrating to watch.

The Giants Didn’t Use Their Best Weapon

Brandon Jacobs had just 9 carries in the first half of the game, and 10 in the second half. The Giants are a team that has thrived by having Jacobs beating opponents into oblivion on the ground. Nine carries is simply mind boggling, especially in light of Eli’s passing impotence. If the Giants were going to lose, they should have lost using their best weapon, but they never even bothered to really take the car all the way out of the garage. The biggest disappointment today is wondering how much different the game would have gone if they had used Jacobs to their full advantage.

Carney Has Worst Game Of The Year

Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was the wind, but one of the best kickers in the NFL this season picked the worst time to forget how to kick a field goal. He missed three all year, two of which were blocked. Yesterday, he missed two, none of which were blocked.

Tuck Has Been Running On Empty

Justin Tuck has been a good solider all year, but he has not been himself the past three weeks. Chalk it up to illness, but he has looked fatigued and worn down. Its a wonder the Giants were even this effective with one of their main defensive cogs broken down as much as he was.

Putting Too Much Focus Up Front

The Giants were so geeked up to try and get those sacks that have eluded them in their first two meetings with the Eagles that they left themselves wide open in the backfield. Part of why McNabb was so effective yesterday was because he was able to find just enough time to put the ball between the safeties as the Giants pulled too much of their defense up front. This was most obvious when on a 3rd and 20, Spagnuolo appear to call for an all out blitz. Why Spags felt he needed a blitz on 3rd and 20 boggles my mind. The Giants could have played it safe and forced the punt, but instead they were left with their pants down and the Eagles continued that drive and ultimately scored.

I can think of many other reasons, but we have a lot of time to analyze this game. Post your frustration with what mistakes you saw the Giants make in the comments section below.

The Giants continue their Super Bowl defense with their third game this season against the Philadelphia Eagles. This time it will determine who goes on to play for the NFC Championship.

The Vitals:

Game: Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1) @ New York Giants (12-4)
TV: 1PM ET FOX
Radio: WFAN (660AM).

Game Notes:

• In game one, Philadelphia running backs gained 47 yards on 15 carries (3.1 yards per carry). In the second, Brian Westbrook ran 33 times for 131 yards (4.0 yards per carry).
• In their last six games (including the playoff game vs. the Vikings), the Eagles have averaged 31.5 rushes a game as opposed to 23.6 in their first 11. They’ve also averaged about five less passes a game.
• The Giants lead the regular season series with the Eagles 78-67-2. The Giants swept the season series last year.
• The Giants need to stop the Eagles running game, specifically Westbrook. In the Eagles only loss in the last six games, the Redskins held them to 16 carries for 62 yards.
• To win, the Giants need to be effective with the run. In their win against the Eagles on November 9th, the Giants rushed for 219 yards on 45 carries for a 4.9 average. In the loss on December 7th, the numbers were very different: 88 yards on 24 carries for a 3.7 average. Brandon Jacobs and Kareem McKenzie both got hurt in the December contest and missed significant time. Both will be active today. Plaxico Burress was active in the first game but not the second.
• The Eagles rush defense has allowed just over 92 yards per game on only 3.5 yards per carry, good for 4th best in the league.
• The Eagles are only one of three teams to allow a run over 40 yards the entire season. Last week they held the best running back in football, Adrian Peterson, to only 83 yards on 20 carries.

Inactives

GIANTS
RB Danny Ware
CB Rashad Barksdale
LB Gerris Wilkinson
OL Adam Koets
DL Dave Tollefson
DT Jeremy Clark
DT Leger Douzable
WR Mario Manningham.

EAGLES
QB A.J. Feely
CB Dimitri Patterson
RB Lorenzo Booker
LB Joe Mays
DE Bryan Smith
OL Shawn Andrews
WR Greg Lewis
TE Matt Schobel

Quote of the Week:

“You get butterflies every game. I do. I’m nervous because you never want to fail. Most athletes are scared of failure and going out there and not performing well. So you have that all week and once you go out and get your first hit and you are hit for the first time or you hit somebody it goes out the window. Now it is time to play football because you know what is at stake and what is going on.”- LB Antonio Pierce on his feelings on game day

Chat:

As always, to chat with your fellow Big Blue fans, head on over to the Giants Tailgate.