At least this game is over. This was Medusa’s head. I was forced to watch it on DVR via NFL Network because the NFL Pass did not work. The only thing that showed more malfunction than the NFL site was the NY Giants. For those of you who missed the game, consider yourselves lucky. It was 3 hours of pure pain. The score did not do it justice. It may as well have been 40-10.
Guys like Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap are men. The Giants offensive line is not, certainly not right now. But hey, its preseason. Can’t get too high or too low about anything just yet. I’m still expecting the team to be 3-5 after the first 8 games with a shot at a good run in the easier 2nd half schedule. But right now the Giants have a ton of work to do.
The Giants offense started getting a little bit of rhythm when they ran some draws and a screen to slow down the Bengals (by now, backup) defensive line. Otherwise it was a weenie roast. Eli and the receivers were not in synch, even when they had a spare microsecond to run a play. It is not as if I (or anyone) was expecting a lot. But both first teams got manhandled. Remember that the defense is learning a new system too. So you cannot be too critical. Everyone is going to correctly point out that Spagnuolo’s defense was run over in the first 2 regular season games of the 2007 season. One of my friends said to me in the Giants parking lot after the game that “we may not win another game all season.” They won a Super Bowl. So that is a reminder that you cannot get too high or too low.
A bright spot? Special teams.
Another game, another opportunity for injuries. This time the secondary had 4 of them. The most serious is a torn Achilles by Round 5 draft pick Myykele Thompson. Thompson may be a rookie, but he was supposed to help the Giants with depth at Safety, where the team is especially thin. Collins also was hurt (knee), as was Hosley and McBride. The latter 3 are not deemed serious, but McBride’s injury is a hamstring. Apparently McBride has been suffering with the hamstring through camp. Another soft tissue (muscle) injury. Remember, tendons (Thompson) are luck, but muscles (McBride) are generally not.
In preseason, you look for flashes. You want to see certain players that are playing faster than their teammates and the opposition. Two notables were Darkwa and Wade. Both were active. Neither may even make the team, but it is a start. Given how depleted the secondary is, Wade will certainly have an opportunity with plenty of minutes.
In an effort to keep my food down from my last meal, I will stop the recap here. It is bad enough having to sit through 3 hours of ugliness. It is an entirely different matter having to relive it. The coaches and players have a lot of work to do. (Hey? Didn’t I say that already?!) It is preseason. It is slop. They’ll get better. The goal is to be 3-5 after the first 8 games.
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