How many of you out there have this uneasy feeling about the game on Sunday? This is really the start of the season in my eyes, and I would have to think that EVERYONE understands that, including the Giants team. I spoke with Marvelous and asked him for his perspective- he was uneasy about the game and listed his concerns:
1) Eli has not been new Eli the past few games (Yes, agreed, Mr. Berenson, we did highlight the batted balls, an Old Eli hallmark)
2) Gilbride’s playcalling
3) Linebackers
The LBers are one of need and historical neglect. Kehl is playing okay, but he has not been tested, and the Steelers offense will test him, bet on it.
But back to (1) + (2), what is the common denominator there? I think I have the answer, something we have mentioned before— LACK OF URGENCY. The playcalling is simply not in attack mode. We saw it in attack mode (correct me if I am wrong) twice this season.. early against the Redskins, and when we were behind 20-16 vs the Bengals with 5 mins left. The Giants offense, including Eli, want to attack. Sometimes they are not put in the position to do so. On the road it is harder to audible a play change at the line of scrimmage, lots of noise. Will Gilbride have the right play calls for a Steeler team that is aggressive in setting the tempo and tone of the game? Gilbride is spotty. He has grown a pair from time to time. But his reluctance to attack on offense and dictate the terms is what gives me that uneasy feeling. You tell me the odds of Gilbride attacking on offense, and I will tell you the odds of us winning this game.
p.s. attacking does not mean less running, it means unpredictability, it means spreading the field, it means going to your TE on a 25 yd post seam route, it means a well-sold screen pass out of the backfield to burn the Steeler blitzing.
p.s.s. no Burress? no problem. Hixon gives the offense a different look.
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