Big Blue Review: New York Giants v Atlanta Falcons

With a 30-20 win over the Atlanta Falcons, the New York Giants advanced to 3-2 and a +.500 record for the first time since the end of the 2012 season - officially making all that talk of Eli being benched and Coughlin being fired a thing of the past.

The Falcons' visit to Metlife Stadium really was a game of two halves. The first half saw the Atlanta Falcons' first-ranked offense move the ball with relative ease. The Falcons' were suffering from a depleted offensive line void of key starters in Joe Hawley, Lamar Holmes, Justin Blalock and Sam Baker, but the makeshift unit still managed to frustrate the Giants' defensive line - a performance that was underscored by a clinical ten-yard touchdown run by Steven Jackson in the first quarter. Julio Jones bested Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for eight catches and 88 yards, and Matt Ryan finished the first half going 17-of-27 for 166 yards, without being sacked once.

Giants' fans would have been concerned by the re-emergence of the self-defeating New York Giants in the first half. In a bizarre sequence of events, Quentin Demps picked off Matt Ryan on third down before fumbling the ball on the return, and a Prince Amukamara penalty gave the Falcons great field position and a first down. The defence forced a punt before a roughing the punter penalty on Jason Pierre-Paul gave the Falcons yet another first down. The defence were competitively quiet in the first half, but still managed to hold the Falcons to just one touchdown.

The Giants' emerged after half time trailing 13-10, and did so a team transformed. The Giants' class of 2014 made a huge impact, with 2014 Heisman Trophy finalist, and fourth round draft pick, Andre Williams rushing for a touchdown after Rashad Jennings went down injured. Williams ran hard all afternoon, and ran over Falcons defenders on many of his carries. Odell Beckham, Jr. finally made his Giants' debut after a preseason of injury and almost no practices. He was moved all over the offense, and early in the second half showed exactly how dangerous he can be when he got open with ease on consecutive plays. Only an overthrown pass by Eli Manning - who was otherwise consistently calm and composed - and a defensive penalty prevented them from being touchdowns. Beckham Jr. finally found the endzone in the fourth quarter with a 15 yard pass from Manning.

The defence raised their game as well, with the Falcons' offensive line finally overwhelmed by their defensive counterparts. Jason Pierre-Paul was phenomenally disruptive - repeatedly hurrying Ryan and causing penalties. Robert Ayers and Jonathan Hankins continued their good form, with the latter effectively sealing the win with a sack on fourth down late in the game. As a unit they hit Matt Ryan eight times. The Giants' were exposed at linebacker, however, with the group seemingly unable to cope with screens or short routes by running backs out of the backfield - a deficiency disguised by the dominance of the line and secondary.

The Falcons may have also been 2-2, but this win legitimises the Giants. It proves that their offence works against a tough defence, it proves they can win in the fourth quarter (they trailed 21-10 with 21 minutes left), and it proves that the defence can keep up with the best in the league. It also validates - for now - the selection of Odell Beckham Jr. in the first round. Even though their opponents have a combined twelve wins (at the time of writing) compared to the Cowboys (nine wins) and Eagles (seven wins), the Giants are still being viewed as the runts of the litter in the NFC East. This win should have changed that perception for the time being.

Big Blue Review: New York Giants v Houston Texans

When the 2014 season fixtures were announced, Giants fans were buoyed by three winnable (but not necessarily easy) games against Detroit, Arizona and Houston. In week one the Giants fell victim to the high-powered offence of the Lions, and in week two they collapsed against the Cardinals on the back of a plethora of farcical self-inflicted wounds including fumbles, dropped passes and special teams blunders.

They also picked up injuries to key players such as Jon Beason, Devon Kennard and Walter Thurmond III, weakening a side already hindered by the absence of Odell Beckham, Jr. and Geoff Schwartz.

So the Giants came into week three in desperate need of a win, and the odds were not exactly in their favour. They had floundered to a disappointing 0-2 record while the Texans, last seasons' worst team, were 2-0. In 2007, the Giants lost their first two games before rallying after a change in approach from Tom Coughlin. This week, Coughlin allowed rap music to be played during practice to lighten the mood. Ultimately it seemed to have made a difference.

Despite this, the game got off to a bad start, and it looked as if the ridiculous errors from the Cardinals' game were to continue. After a long drive, tight end Larry Donnell fumbled the ball on the Texans' five-yard line, and on the next series the usually-reliable Zak DeOssie snapped the ball over kicker Josh Adams' head. Two long drives, and no points scored. The Giants should have been 10-0 up, but had nothing to show for it.

Eli Manning was clattered by J.J. Watt early on; fans would be forgiven for thinking that it would be a long day for the Giants offensive line, but the much-maligned unit emerged as the catalysts for the Giants' first win of the season. They paved the way for a 176 yard, one touchdown performance by Rashad Jennings, and kept the Texans' defensive line at bay as Eli Manning completed 21 of 28 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns.

The Giants' offense has been described all-too-often as a "work in progress", this game appeared to see them finally clicking. It wasn't the prettiest performance, but it was effective and showcased how dangerous the Giants can be under Ben McAdoo.

Victor Cruz appeared to redeem himself after his error-strewn game against the Cardinals with five catches for 107 yards and a touchdown.

His return to form was mirrored by that of Jason Pierre-Paul. Both are vital players and the Giants need both to be at their best if the team are to succeed. Pierre-Paul was everywhere, and although he didn't pick up a sack, he was able to frustrate Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Texans' run game for much of the afternoon.

The defensive line will be frustrated to have left a number of sacks on the field, but credit should be given to Fitzpatrick, who proved to be quite elusive when pressured, rushing for a late touchdown. The Giants secondary can be pleased with a performance that saw Antrel Rolle, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Prince Amukamara all intercept Fitzpatrick, who had not turned the ball over in the first two games.

The Giants are still their own worst enemy, however. The 30-17 scoreline could have been 40-17 if not for two avoidable errors early in the game, Amukamara and Rodgers-Cromartie both dropped an interception each, and another miscommunication in the secondary allowed Damaris Johnson to score a huge 44 yard touchdown pass that slashed the Giants' lead to just seven points. That touchdown came on the back of a large gain by running back Alfred Blue, who took advantage of a

In all, this was a convincing win with some correctable errors still remaining. The Texans were void of their biggest offensive threat, running back Arian Foster, and the Giants will still likely struggle against the tougher teams on their schedule. However, after a dire preseason and a poor season opener, the G-Men needed a performance to prove that their new offense can work. Eli Manning asserted that the 2014 Giants are better than the 2013 Giants; they needed a performance to support that theory. They got one.
The Giants go into a short week and a Thursday Night Football game against the Washington Redskins, crucially, with some momentum behind them, and it would seem that the rumours of Eli Manning's demise were greatly exaggerated.

A Giants Fan's Perspective: Who Knew Losing Could Feel This Good?

A slightly misleading title, perhaps. It's *probably* a good idea for me to clarify that nothing about the first six weeks of the Giants felt 'good' - from the missed opportunities of week one in Dallas to the landslide defeat at home against Denver in week two, the lifeless performance of week three in Carolina and the second-half meltdown at Arrowhead Stadium in week four. The Giants showed some signs of life against Philadelphia and Chicago - a testament to the mental fortitude they've maintained under Coach Coughlin - and bagged consecutive wins against Minnesota and Philadelphia in weeks seven and eight.

As might be expected, there are some positives heading into the second half of the season. The Giants defense appears revitalised with Jon Beason steering the ship and defensive coordinator Perry Fewell simplifying the playbook, and the offense has followed suit: for two weeks, Eli Manning has not been playing 'flashy' football, but he has been playing 'smart' football. No complaints here. Similarly, the run game has been resurrected behind Peyton Hillis and John Conner and has brought some much-needed balance to the offense.
There's also reason for optimism when looking at the records of the Giants' NFC East inmates - the Cowboys, Redskins, and Eagles have all been struggling mightily so far.

But is optimism really a good thing during this, hopefully, unique season?

Giants fans are well-versed in late-season pushes, overcoming the odds and "getting hot at the right time", but they can in 2013.

There are some more-than-tough games on the horizon - two top 10 defences in Seattle and Green Bay, and a plethora of very good quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Tony Romo, Matthew Stafford, Philip Rivers, and Robert Griffin III.
With an 0-6 start and a fiendish second-half schedule, I am left contemplating the idea that a losing season might just be the best possible outcome this year.

The beauty of the NFL comes from the parity between its teams. A season after they finished 2-14, you only need to look at the 9-0 Kansas City Chiefs to see this system at its finest. The Giants have had some forgettable seasons recently, but since 2007 they have been picking in the winning end of the first round and GM Jerry Reese's policy of taking 'the best player available' has arguably led to a roster that is arguably mediocre throughout. Reese won't trade up the draft board, but the Giants need to be picking at the right end more than they need to be one-and-done in the playoffs.

In Hakeem Nicks and Eli Manning the Giants have some great players who have underwhelmed, but it is clear that there are far too many positions on both sides of the ball that have been neglected and are subsequently filed with ageing veterans on expensive contracts.

In the offseason, the Giants will have a chance to draft a number of prospects who can fill positions of need and make an immediate impact in 2014, such as South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney, UCLA's Anthony Barr and Texas A&M's Jake Matthews.
Jerry Reese will also have considerable cap room to play with, meaning that - as painful as it might seem - this offseason is a golden opportunity to build another championship squad, and losing now is the fastest way to win later.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments section or on Twitter: @TomMacFootball