Sorry everyone, no Manningface this week.
Why? Because even though the Giants were their own worst enemy this week, we can absolve Eli Manning of all blame in this "nightmare" start to the season. The Lions game got out of hand early on, and little seemed to click for the G-Men, which makes this week's loss all the more painful. The Giants did click, and they did so - albeit in an unattractive fashion - for the majority of the game; of course, the biggest difference between the Giants and the Cardinals on Sunday was that the Cards took their chances when they were there.
The first quarter was a particularly rough affair for the Giants. Frequently the Giants' defence would force third-and-long, only for the Cardinals' playmakers (notably John Brown and Andre Ellington) to convert these opportunities for first downs. The offensive line play was also poor, with Eli Manning unable to find a rhythm early on as a result of pressure from the Cardinals notoriously physical (even without Darnell Dockett and John Abraham) defensive line.
So, a bad start for Big Blue, but their fate was still far from decided. After two strong quarters in which the offense scored two touchdowns on long drives and the defense held the Cardinals scoreless, the Giants were undone in two fleeting moments of madness that unquestionably turned the tide of the game for the worse. Ted Ginn, Jr. stunned Metlife Stadium into silence with a phenomenal 71-yard punt return in the fourth quarter, and on the ensuing kickoff Quintin Demps handed the ball back to the Cardinals with a fumble. Prior to the Ted Ginn, Jr. 'incident', the Giants had allowed only 33 yards on punt returns. They gave up 71 in one nightmarish moment, and the Cardinals were back - inexplicably - in the driving seat.
Eli Manning said it best: "we've got a one-point lead, and the next time we touch the ball, we're down eight".
From there on the game became a comedy of errors. Preston Parker slipped in the endzone, with Patrick Peterson almost picking Eli Manning off as a result, and on the next play Rashad Jennings capped another potential scoring drive by falling over and fumbling the ball.
The Cardinals could only manage a field goal, and with nearly five minutes on the clock the Giants had time to salvage the game. Chasing the lead, the Giants understandably turned to their receivers and were let down spectacularly. This was the toughest pill to swallow, and Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle either failed to make crucial catches or dropped balls that hit them in the hands. Cruz dropped three passes - one of which was for a potentially huge gain prior to the Ginn, Jr. punt return, and another that would have given the Giants a big first down late in the day.
It wasn't all bad though, and Eli Manning rightly commented that there were signs of improvement. The result and the implosion in the fourth quarter had 'Same Old Giants' written in bold neon signage all over them, but in the second and third quarters the Giants showed exactly what type of team they can be.
Despite some early shakiness defending the run and a perplexing plethora of penalties from the secondary, the Giants defence gelled as the game went on.
Jason Pierre-Paul and the Giants' pass rush put pressure on Drew Stanton with ten hits and four sacks, but - to a composed Stanton's credit - were unable to force a turnover. The Giants stopped the Cardinals plenty on third down, and often forced third-and-long situations, but were unable to force a single interception or fumble. Almost all of the Giants' turnovers were self-inflicted wounds, but Cardinals defenders were always there to make plays when the opportunities presented themselves.
After a week one disaster that saw Matt Stafford pile 346 yards and two touchdowns on the Giants' secondary, that same unit held the potentially lethal duo of Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd to just 70 yards and no scores.
Another sign of encouragement for Giants fans was the continued emergence of Larry Donnell. Fans were left despairing after an offseason that left the team without a clear starting tight end, but over the first two games Donnell has emerged as the team's best pass-catching threat. Manning looked to Donnell often and the second-year pro caught seven passes for 81 yards.
As always, any review of a Giants game starts and ends with Eli Manning. The Giants' beleaguered signal-caller has felt the wrath of many (misguided) fans this week, who for some reason feel fit to lay the blame for the team's struggles at Manning's feet.
He quietly had a strong outing, with two picks (one bounced off the shoulder pads of an Arizona lineman, the other a desperation throw when the game was all but lost) unfairly underlining a game in which he often led the Giants on long drives into Cardinals' territory. He spread the ball around well, put the ball in tight spots and placed the Giants in scoring positions, with the game highlighting just how methodically dangerous (also known as 'Peytonesque') he can be when given time by his offensive line. Manning finished 26-of-39 for 277 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
This game wasn't a question of 'who wanted it more?' - a ridiculous philosophy I don't subscribe to because, at this level, everyone 'wants it more' - but several players on both sides of the ball need to at least look like they are trying to win the game. The Cardinals were unspectacular but smart, opportunistic and mistake-free. Sometimes that's all you need to win in the NFL, and it's what the Giants should aspire to be right now.
No comments:
Post a Comment