By Joe DeLessio - New York Magazine 12/24/11
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Secondary shuts down Jets WR's
In a week when the defense as a whole was being questioned, the Giants came through in that department on Saturday. It all started with the week of practice from the starters to the practice squad.
By Dan Salomone - Giants.com 12/24/11
Giants vs. Dallas Game Moved to 8:20 p.m.
The NFL announced Saturday evening that the Week 17 Giants-Dallas Cowboys game will kick off on New Year’s night at 8:20 p.m. in MetLife Stadium.
By Michael Eisen - Giants.com 12/24/11
Giants Defeat Jets, 29-14
A 19-point second half gives the Giants a 29-14 win against their hometown rival, Jets.
By Michael Eisen - Giants.com 12/24/11
Jets, Giants each eye win today to keep postseason hopes alive
By Brian Costello & Paul Schwartz - NY Post 12/24/11
Vote: Key Matchups Giants vs. Jets
Vote on which player you think has the advantage this weekend in the Giants vs. Jets Key Matchups.
By Dan Salomone - Giants.com 12/24/11
InReeseWeTrust: New York Giants vs. New York Jets Week 16 Game Preview
New York Giants (7-7) at New York Jets (8-6), 1 pm Eastern
on Saturday, December 24th at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford,
New Jersey
By Ben Kelly - InReeseWeTrust.com 12/24/11
What happened last week
If you watched SportsCenter or caught any sports talk this
week, you might not have known the Jets even played a game last week, let alone
that they caught the wrong end of a 45-19 beat down by the surging Eagles. Despite
entering last week on a three-game win streak, the Jets were mugged early by a
healthy Eagles squad. Rex Ryan employed his usual trash-talking tactics and successfully
diverted attention away from the blowout loss in Philly and onto the
king-of-the-hill matchup against the Giants, which will determine bragging
rights for the next four years over who is the NFL’s best team from New Jersey.
The Eagles scored three rapid-fire touchdowns off turnovers from the first
three Jet drives en route to an insurmountable 21-0 first quarter lead. A
scoreless third quarter for the Jets nullified a within-reach 28-13 halftime
deficit and the Eagles tapped on another seventeen by the start of the fourth
quarter.
The home field effect
Which team has owned MetLife Stadium this year? That would
be the Jets, the proud bearers of a 6-1 home record. Meanwhile, the Giants’
uneven 3-4 home record includes three consecutive losses in the Meadowlands. The
Jets left Philadelphia with their tails between their legs but will have the
benefit of an invigorated Christmas Eve crowd hoping to claim the New York “big
brother” title from the Giants. Buried
in the Jets’ home effect is that it provides an ideal game day setting for an
upset minded team like the Giants. After an embarrassing performance in
front of its own home crowd last Sunday, the Giants get to play in front of a
road crowd at their own stadium. Instead of hearing boos roll in for a dropped
pass or a missed tackle, the screaming Jet crowd will make the Giants play
better, and will motivate the Giants to silence the crowd throughout the game. The comfort of a home stadium commute for Giants
players and coaches coupled with the laughable hostility of Jets fans in the
Giants’ home stadium could be the right formula for the Giants to jump the Jets
early. Though their 2011 road record doesn’t inspire much at only 4-3, Tom Coughlin’s
teams have a knack for playing tough on the road, going right back to the 2007
Super Bowl run. The assertive win at Philadelphia in week three, the last
second comebacks in Arizona, New England and Dallas and nearly another comeback
in San Francisco all speak of the Giants’ resiliency in facing a road crowd. A
couple early scores for the Giants could deflate the home crowd for much of the
game.
That would require some early turnovers, but if I remember
correctly…
Two first quarter Rex Grossman interceptions resulted in
zero points for the Giants. After the interceptions the Redskins went
conservative on offense and won the field position battle by scoring points from
59, 52, 41 and 9 yard drives. Whether the Giants came out flat against a 4-9
Redskins team or were flattened by the frigid conditions, the offense could not
spark a drive when it counted. Against the Jets last week, the Eagles took
advantage of turnovers on all three Jets opening drives and scored 21 points,
forcing the game onto Mark Sanchez’ weary shoulder. The difference between the Giants loss to the Redskins and Eagles dismantling
of the Jets was converting turnovers into points. There is no question the
Jets will cough up turnovers; they have squandered at least two turnovers in
ten of their fourteen games and rank fourth worst in the NFL overall. The
Giants will win if they can successfully translate a Sanchez interception into
seven points.
Look ahead no more
The Giants looked like a very bad team last week. You could even
feel the game slipping away on the Giants’ second offensive series when Hakeem
Nicks clanked a beauty off his facemask with the end zone in sight. Nicks lost
the pass because he saw the open field ahead of him. The Giants similarly lost
the game by looking ahead to the Jets matchup. As strange a loss as it was, the
Giants can still plot their own path to the playoffs, if they want to. Rex Ryan’s defensive scheme will test the
Giants offensively in a way they have not seen very much this year by taking
away the long ball. Eli Manning’s vertical passing game will be limited in
coverage by Darelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, who thrive in defending the
long ball. Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz are also strong vertical threats, so
expect to see some early Manning bombs to test the secondary. As long as the
deep threat is there, Revis and Cromartie will be forced to play off coverage,
allowing Nicks and Cruz to navigate short and medium routes. Eventually, I
think you’ll see both Nicks and Cruz finish the game nearing ten catches each
but both for fewer than one hundred yards. The middle of the defense should
have some holes in through linebackers Bart Scott and David Harris coverage
weakness. Nicks and Cruz will make their money over the middle. Anticipate a
much lower yardage total than usual from Manning and for Brandon Jacobs and
Ahmad Bradshaw to power a Giants win the way games should be won in late
December. Giants win, 17-14.
Giants must make most of opportunity
ANTHONY J. CAUSI,
KNOW YOUR ROLE: Though Hakeem Nick and the Giants’ offense know what they’re capable of doing, it will be Jason Pierre-Paul (left) and the defense who will have to come up big against the Jets today.
By Paul Schwartz - NY Post 12/24/11
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