Giants Leave Jerry World 1-0
For the first time in a long time I'm not venting about the Giants after week 1. I don't have the perennial anxiety that if we don't turn it around we might go 0-16. I'm not angry with Eli or the coaching staff for in game decisions and play calling, while optimistically reassuring myself that the game was a 'fluke.' For the the first time in a while I feel inner peace with the Giants' week 1 result.
The 20-19 win at Dallas wasn't the prettiest performance I've ever seen and I thought the Giants could have, and should have, won by more, but 1-0 is 1-0 and right now they're sitting (tied) atop the NFC East standings. After a piss poor preseason, I was a little worried about facing Dallas on the road week 1, even without Tony Romo. The game ended a little more stressfull than I would have liked, but any time you can open the season with a road win at a divisional rival, especially the Cowboys, it was a great success and there was plenty to be happy about:
- Eli looked solid. So what if he didn't throw for 400 yards, Eli looked confident and didn't make any horrific decisions. Any time Eli doesn't throw multiple interceptions is a small victory for the Giants, especially since Dallas had such long, time consuming, drives. It was good to see Manning recognize that and try to give the defense a rest. It was also good to see Eli distribute his passes to multiple receivers. Obviously Beckham is the number 1 and one of the top receivers in the league, so it was refreshing to see that Eli trusts other options on offense. 5 different players had multi-reception performances on Sunday and 7 different players caught at least 1 ball. A more balanced passing attack will help the Giants be lethal moving forward as it should free up Beckham for more one-on-one opportunities downfield or leave the other receivers with single coverage or open space in other areas.
- Speaking of receivers, we finally got to see Victor Cruz back on the gridiron and he looked great for a guy who hasn't played a down in 2 years. I always hold my breath whenever I hear any 'positive' news about Cruz's injury updates, but this time it looks like he's actually healthy. Having Beckham and Shepard on the field relieves him of the burden of being the Giants' biggest offensive threat, and will help him find his footing and confidence going forward. He finished by catching all 4 of his targets for 34 yards and the game winning touchdown - relatively modest stats by his standards 2 years ago, but as long he is able to walk into the tunnel by his own power after the game I will take it. As long as he can remain healthy, I expect more good to come from Cruz this year.
- Sterling Shepard will be very good. Shepard finished with 3 receptions for 20 yards and a touchdown, which is not too shabby for a rookie in his NFL debut on the road. There is obviously a significant learning curve in the NFL, but Eli and the coaching staff clearly have a ton of confidence in the rookie. His tremendous touchdown reception on an under thrown ball was just a glimpse of the skill he already possesses, and Shepard will only continue to improve as the season progresses.
- The offensive line played well. Considering they're a patchwork of players who looked miserable in the preseason, I was pretty impressed with how the O-line played on Sunday. They got good pushes on running plays and even though they gave up 2 sacks, looked decent in pass protection. The Cowboys front aren't exactly world beaters, and they're 2 best pass rushers were suspended, but hopefully the win in Dallas can instill some confidence going forward.
- How about the Giants ground game? For the first time in a while, the Giants actually had some semblance of a rushing game. In the second half, especially in the 4th quarter, Rashad Jennings looked like vintage Raiders Rashad Jennings. He hit the hole hard and showed his strength and toughness between the tackles. If the offensive line can continue to give him just a little bit of daylight, expect Jennings to continue this type of production and hopefully more. Shane Vereen also demonstrated why he's one of the most dynamic backs in the league. After failing to live up to expectations last season, Vereen looked solid as not only a good third down back, but also as a runner. He finished with 6 carries for 38 yards, and will continue to be an invaluable check down option for Eli and viable 3rd down back for the G-Men.
- Defense played....pretty well. After an abysmal showing last season, the Giants made addressing their defensive deficiencies their primary off season priority. The Giants shelled out a lot of money to bring in defensive end Olivier Vernon and defensive tackle Damon Harrison to bolster their front line who struggled to get any sort of pressure on the quarterback last season. They also brought in star corner back Janoris Jenkins from St. Louis and used their 1st round pick on Ohio State corner Eli Apple to add depth and skill to their secondary. While the Giants didn't record any sacks on the day, primarily due to Dallas rookie QB Dak Presoctt's elusiveness, they did get pressure on him and flushed him out of the pocket. Dez Bryant was held to only 1 reception for 8 yards and star rookie running back Ezekiel Elliot was held in check, rushing for just 2.5 yards per carry. Following the mantra of 'bend don't break' and facing the best offensive line in the league, the Giants defense got the job done when it mattered most - in the red zone, where they held Dallas to just one touchdown.
When you factor in the immense disparity in time of possession, Dallas's 36:43 to New York's 23:17, their victory is all the more impressive. The defense was able to weather long grueling drives, especially the defensive line who had the tough task of battling with the best offensive line in the league. Also, the lack of possession on offense illustrates just how efficient Eli and the offense were, scoring touchdowns on 3 of their 9 total possessions and going 3 for 3 in the red zone.
My only big qualm on the afternoon was coach McAdoo's decision to punt the ball on 4th and 1 from the Cowboys 37 yard line with less than 2 minutes to go in the game. The Giants were driving and Jennings was running the ball effectively. The Giants offense looked in sync and I have no doubt that they would've converted the first. The decision to punt was eerily reminiscent of questionable coaching calls from last season that had directly led to several last minute collapses by the Giants. The decision reflects the confidence that McAdoo has in his defense, but as a fan it was mind boggling. The Cowboys had no time outs and a rookie QB, but Giants nation collectively held their breaths for the final minute plus of regulation. Prescott actually led a decent drive down the field and got the ball danger close to Dan Bailey's field goal range, but was derailed by a Terrence Williams brain fart when he went down in bounds and the clock trickled down to zero.
All in all, it was a good win for the Giants, who earned their first season opening victory since 2010. It was a bit of a white-knuckler down the stretch, but I'll take 1-0 any day. The Giants face Drew Brees and the pass-happy Saints this weekend for the home opener in a big test for the improved New York defense.
