Big Blue Review: Giants @ Cowboys

The Giants entered week seven on the back of a 27-0 humbling at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles and responded with a shrug and a whimper rather than a necessary emphatic performance at AT&T Stadium on Sunday.

The Giants walked into Philadelphia aware that, if they pulled off wins in their next two weeks, they would enter the bye week 5-2, with three wins over division rivals and a firm hold of the NFC East. Dallas and Philadelphia have looked good this season, but close wins over poor teams have led some to question how strong they really are.

But both Dallas and Philadelphia are too good for New York, and Sunday was a reminder to all that the Giants are not yet contenders. The Giants had hoped that the script would be that of the plucky underdogs bloodying the nose of the playground bullies, but it played out more like a horror movie.

If the Philadelphia game was a crushing capitulation, it was a case of 'good, but not good enough' against the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants had pressured Tony Romo (Jason Pierre-Paul had a phenomenal game, besting Tyron Smith for two sacks, six tackles and three hits/hurries), kept DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant in check, showed some offensive prowess of their own and went into half time tied 14-14.

One thing that had categorically not worked in the first half was the run game. The offensive line simply could not run block, and yet Tom Coughlin and Ben McAdoo religiously stuck with rushing on first down, even when Eli Manning had the time necessary to pass all over the Cowboys' defence. I understand that you cannot simply abandon the run altogether, but I'd have expected to see the ratio of pass plays to run players edge in favour of the former while chasing the game. It led to a lot of 3rd-and-long situations, and quick passes could have both neutralised the Cowboys blitzing defence and put the ball into the hands of the Giants' most dangerous playmaker - Odell Beckham, Jr.

Coaching can also be called into question when discussing the Giants' discipline. If Tom Coughlin's time in New York can be given a storyline, it is that of a harsh disciplinarian who tapped into his softer side, won the locker room over, and led the team to victory in Super Bowl XLII. Despite this, he has always preached mental toughness and maturity, so it is surprising to find the Giants so plagued by indiscipline. Larry Donnell fumbled twice on Sunday (one of which sealed the Giants' fate), and the offensive line had another night to forget, with Will Beatty responsible for two drive-killing penalties.

These issues are all, fortunately, correctable. What isn't, however, are injuries. The Giants have thus far lost David Wilson, Jerrel Jernigan, Victor Cruz, Trumaine McBride and Walter Thurmond III to season (or in Wilsons' case, career) ending injuries. On top of that Geoff Schwartz will be out of action until at least week nine, and Rashad Jennings, Jon Beason and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are all hugely limited by injuries of their own. The Giants are a middle-of-the-road team, and now they are a middle-of-the-road team with an increasingly depleted roster. It's not a good position for any team to be in.

Tom Coughlin's men could pull off an upset at home later in the season, but for now Big Blue are 3-4, and have a number of major issues that need to be corrected before Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts roll into MetLife stadium in week nine.

Put simply, the Giants are what everyone expected. The three-game win streak raised expectations - and power ranking positions - through the roof, but ultimately the giants are a team still very much in the process of rebuilding. The pieces are there to be successful, and 3-4 is a better record than the 1-6 record they had in 2013, but the 2014 Giants are an incomplete team that will feast on weak teams and come undone against the tougher teams on their schedule.

What We've Learned About The NFL Through Four Weeks

The Patriots are in trouble

Let's clear some things up: the Brady-Bellichick 'era' is not over. There is no 'quarterback controversy' brewing. Jimmy Garoppolo will not start against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

As bad as the Monday Night Football loss to Kansas City was, it doesn't change anything in New England. It does, however, confirm the Patriots' status as a team in trouble. Through four weeks the Pats have lost a divisional game against the Miami Dolphins, scraped past the lowly Oakland Raiders and been dismantled 41-14 by the Kansas City Chiefs. That they beat the Minnesota Vikings by a sizeable scoreline does not disguise the fact that they are suffering from an atypically anaemic offence.
Only a few weeks ago, Tom Brady said: "when I suck, I'll retire". I don't see him retiring any time soon, but Brady, for the first time in his career, sucks right now. Brady has looked like a shell of his 2002-2013 self, and the offensive line, now without Logan Mankins, have not helped him out. The Patriots are 23rd in rushing offense, and a mind-boggling 30th in passing.
Brady has talent around him, but he does not have the time to work his magic and bring them into the game. Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins are talented, but redundant because Brady is jumpy about getting rid of the ball before getting laid out.

The defence, too, were horrible against Kansas City, but they will still be able to keep the Pats competitive this season. Unfortunately, I don't think that will be enough to make the playoffs. Of course, they looked bad through four games in 2013 and still ended up in the AFC Championship game, so there's still hope for Pats fans.

The Cowboys are not a guaranteed playoff team...

It was hard not to be impressed by the Cowboy's dominant win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Their offensive line looked unstoppable as DeMarco Murray ran riot over the Saints' struggling defence, and Tony Romo went 22-of-29 for 262 yards and three touchdowns.

No one is taking that win off them, but, as should always be the case with the Dallas Cowboys (but rarely is), expectations must be tempered. They beat a Saints team that had allowed Matt Ryan to break the Falcons' single-game passing record and then lost to the Cleveland Browns the week after. The Cowboys laid an egg against the San Francisco 49ers and followed that up with unimpressive performances against St. Louis and the Tennessee Titans. The win does not magically erase the Cowboys' inability to get into the postseason over the past few years, and - although they played exceptionally well against New Orleans - it doesn't hide the fact that their defence is still porous. They are allowing nearly 380 yards per game, and in a division that features high-powered offenses courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants, that could be disastrous.

Four games is too early to anoint them NFC East champions, but it is also too early to completely rule them out. Get back to me in week eight and, if the Cowboys have strung together some performances of the calibre of that Saints win, then we can start seriously discussing them as contenders.

But the Cincinnati Bengals are...

In much the same way that it is too early to rule out the Dallas Cowboys from making the playoffs, it is also too early to really lock anyone in for a playoff berth. However, if you had to bet on one team playing football in January, the Bengals would have to be it.

As so many pundits, journalists and analysts are so fond of saying, the Cincinnati Bengals are "the most complete team in football". They currently sit - after a bye week - seventh in total offense and 11th in total defence, with convincing wins against division rivals the Baltimore Ravens, the Atlanta Falcons and the Tennessee Titans under their belt.

Andy Dalton is hardly setting the league on fire, but he is playing smart, mistake-free football in a scheme that allows him to maximise the considerable talents of players like A.J. Green, Giovanni Bernard and Mohamed Sanu. On the other side of the ball, the Bengals boast a deep and stingy defence that leads the league in one of - if not the - most important statistical categories: scoring defence. Through three games, the Bengals are officially the best at keeping opposing offenses out of scoring positions, and have a league-leading +15.7 point margin that should only increase when they face the floundering Patriots offence this Sunday.

J.J. Watt is the NFL MVP

I am one of those people who, almost every season, hopes and prays for a defensive MVP. The last overall MVP to ply his trade as a defensive player was Lawrence Taylor in 1986. Taylor is widely - and rightfully - hailed as the greatest defensive player of all time and revolutionised the concept of pass-rushing outside linebackers, who had previously played the game in a reactionary capacity. 'LT' dominated opponents during his revolutionary career with the New York Giants, and his uncanny speed and strength meant offences had to game plan around this one man. Defences often did - and still do - this for offensive players, but rarely the other way round.

Fast-forward to 2014 and J.J. Watt is dominating opposing offensive lines in a manner reminiscent of Taylor. When Jadaveon Clowney was drafted by the Texans with the first pick in the 2014 NFL draft, many expected Watt to benefit from the extra attention his new team-mate would bring; Clowney has been inactive for the better part of four weeks due to injury, and in that time Watt has been nothing short of dominant. He currently has 16 quarterback hits, more than 15 teams have, and in week four alone Watt had more hits (nine) than any other team had. His total means that the Texans have a league-leading 34 hits, and his 31 pressures would have seen him finish inside the top 20 at his position for the entirety of last season.

Oh, and he also caught a touchdown while lined up at tight end against the Oakland Raiders, and returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills.

Andrew Luck and Philip Rivers are great at passing for touchdowns and yardage through the air, but they are simply doing what they are being paid to do well, and currently Watt is doing his job better than they are doing theirs. J.J. Watt lives in a world all of his own, and he breathes the rarefied air reserved for the Best Player in the League. Should his play remain at this level for the rest of the year, you are looking at your league MVP.

The Next Man Up

John Feinstein's 2005 book 'Next Man Up: a Year Behind the Lines in Today's NFL' is a gripping, no-holds-barred account of the highs and lows of the Baltimore Ravens' 2004 season. It's an essential read for anyone remotely interested in American football or, indeed, sport at any level.

While the book may have covered the season of just one team, the title applies to all 32 NFL teams and is a phrase that always rears it's ugly head around July and August: training camp. Between organised Team Activities (OTA's) through to the end of the four-game preseason, NFL players are at risk of every kind of season- limiting injury - from torn ACLs and sprained MCLs to herniated discs and dislocated elbows.

Scheduling changes - including the 2014 NFL draft being pushed back until early May - have seen the offseason shortened in an attempt to eliminate overzealous workouts and mini training camps, and yet teams have already seen vitally important players in key positions fall victim to injuries. This article aims to shed some light on the impact of their loss on their respective teams.

Chris Hairston

You are forgiven for being unfamiliar with Chris Hairston. The fourth-year pro replaces not one but two Buffalo Bills offensive linemen after illness sidelined starter Cordy Glenn, and injury struck Seantrel Henderson - his replacement.
Glenn may not be out for the season, but seeing as coach Doug Marrone is reportedly "not allowed to speak" about his illness, we can assume he'll be out of action for a while.
The significance of this comes in the strength of Buffalo's run game. Glenn was a stud in 2013 (he scored a +23.0 on Pro Football Focus last season) and was the stand-out player on a disappointing line (ranked 22nd and given a -12.5 overall rating by PFF). The Bills have stocked up on offense, but a misfiring run game could pile pressure on EJ Manuel and make shutting down an explosive passing game that much easier for defenses.

Giants' Linebackers

Jon Beason experienced a renaissance of sorts in 2013. He was back to his best against the run, made plays all over the field and emerged into a linchpin defensive leader that the Giants have so desperately needed since Antonio Pierce retired in 2008. His injury problems appeared to be behind him - until he suffered a sesamoid bone fracture in his foot during minicamps.
The good news is that this isn't a recurring injury, he doesn't require surgery, and he is tentatively expected back before the season. However, the unconvincing Mark Herzlich and free agent pick up Jameel McClain will be picking up the slack in his absence. His potency against the run will be missed, but it is his on-field leadership that the Giants will suffer without the most.

Falcons Linebackers

Now we enter the realm of season-ending injuries. Sean Weatherspoon missed most of last season, and it is no surprise the Falcons were porous on defence as a result. Entering a contract year, Weatherspoon would have been expected to post a statistically strong season but instead he finds himself sitting on injured reserve with a ruptured achilles tendon. Fortunately for the Falcons, they have a group of intriguing prospects with a lot of potential. Paul Worrilow (99 tackles in 2013), Joplo Bartu (3.5 sacks in 2013), rookie Prince Shembo and the injury-prone Pat Angerer attempt to replace the Falcons' defensive standout. Rough times ahead for an already struggling unit.

Nigel Bradham

As you can see, it's not been a good offseason for the Buffalo Bills. With starting left tackle Cordy Glenn already missing time through injury, the loss of Kiko Alonso for the year comes as another huge blow. Alonso overcame concerns about his size to become the team's leading tackler (third in the league with 159), and the PFWA defensive rookie of the year. That kind of production can't easily be replicated, and it spells bad news for a unit poor against the run in 2013. Thankfully the Bills brought in linebacker depth in the form of Keith Rivers and Brandon Spikes, but neither man is suited for the free-roaming role Alonso played. High starting reps in training camp suggests that the job is the athletic, playmaking Nigel Bradham's to lose, but he faces competition from Preston Brown and Stephenson Sylvester.

Cowboys Linebackers

Linebackers might want to start taking it easy in these offseason practices, however alien the concept of 'taking it easy' may seem to them. The Cowboys' most irreplaceable defensive player had the misfortune of suffering a season-ending ACL injury in first OTA of the year.
Another defence that struggled last season, the impact of Lee's loss will be seen in both on field performance and leadership. The unproven but physically and instinctively gifted Devonte Holloman is the top candidate, but is nursing an injury of his own. Justin Durant, Anthony Hitchens, Dontavis Sapp and Orie Lemon have been filling in during camp, and - in true Cowboys style - the team traded for the troubled and retirement-prone Rolando McClain, and even considered making a play for Brian Urlacher. 

Given that most teams are only just kicking off their training camps, and with four preseason games on top of that, don't be surprised if this list is far longer come the season's opening weekend.

Throwback Uniform Gallery #4: 1961-62 Dallas Cowboys

No 'throwback player' this week due to my busy week, but in honour of Thanksgiving - and the fact that they won't be allowed to wear them any more - here's a selection of Dallas Cowboy's rather fetching 1960's throwback kits worn in previous Thanksgiving games:

and here are the modern versions:

Moving The Chains: A Weekly Review Of The NFL - 24/11/2013

Due to a particularly hectic week, I've only just gotten round to writing my weekly take on the weekend's festivities. Let's get to it, shall we?

Hero of the week:

Cam Newton

Superman returns. After a mixed 2012, Cam Newton - with some help from a stingy defence - has the Panthers bulldozing their way to the playoffs. After knocking off the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots in consecutive weeks, Newton (who scored on a rushing TD earlier in the game) engineered a late-game comeback to beat a tough Miami Dolphins unit. They proved they can knock off big teams, and now the Panthers are proving they can finish strong and win close games - their ability to do both will make them a potent force in the postseason.

Villain of the week:
Kevin Gilbride

I'm biased as a Giants fan, but see 'My Team' for more on Gilbride.

Game of the week:
Patriots' unlikely comeback topples Broncos

Despite his reputation for late-game heroics, it seemed unlikely that Tom Brady would be able to bring the Patriots back from 21-0 down at half time. He did. Brady and the Patriots offense put up 31 points on Denver's suspect defence in the second half, before Stephen Gostkowski kicked the winning field goal in overtime. Credit to Bill Belichick for sticking with a game plan that eventually shredded the Broncos linebackers and secondary.

Fail of the week:
Bruce Carter and Jeff Heath

For temporarily forgetting the rules of football




My team:

An embarrassment. The struggling Giants offence faced off with the terrible Cowboys' defense...and laid an egg. Despite Andre Brown and Brandon Jacobs gashing the Cowboys for over 200 yards, dire offensive playcalling by Kevin Gilbride - in which he routinely abandoned the run game in favour of passing in adverse weather conditions at inopportune moments - prevented the Giants from scoring touchdowns on three of their possessions in the Cowboys' redzone.

Defensively the Giants were sound, but couldn't halt the Cowboys offence during the last four minutes of the game. The Giants fell to 4-7 and realistically are only playing for pride from here on out.