SuperFan: Giants vs. Steelers (10/28/08)

Legitimacy, Thy Name is G-Men

By SuperFan

     In a game where the referees had me questioning whether or not football was still intended to be a contact sport, our G-men came out victorious in what I’ll consider to be the most physical game this season (in your face, refs).  I mean, to go into Pittsburgh, against a team playing as well as any anyone else in football right now, and out-tough them?  Heads better start turning our way again.

            With the exemption of two big plays, our defense completely shut them down.  It was incredible.  Our secondary had four picks!  I can’t remember the last time a Giants defense has done that (if it happened more recently than I remember, and I simply forgot about it, please don’t e-mail me telling me how wrong I am – just trying to make a point).  This defense is about as top-of-the-line as it gets in professional football.

            I know some has been said about our offensive and defensive lines, but it’s still not enough in my opinion.  I’m making the argument, right here, that we have the best lineman (on both sides of the ball) in the league.  Anyone can feel free to try and prove me wrong. 

            Now, onto the play-calling.  Maybe we held back because the game was supposed to be a low-scoring, grind-it-out nail-biter, but am I the only one who sat there the whole time thinking, this should be a blowout?  Our defense played so well, I felt bad we didn’t give them much of a cushion at all.  What ever happened to the play-action pass?  Eli’s always at his best when he’s running the play-action (our one touchdown came on one).  Why not try it more?  Also, what’s the point of worrying whether Plaxico’s going to play or not if we’re going to decide to stop trying the deep ball?  Given the types of plays called for him, Eli played extremely well.  To his defense, it’s hard to have an explosive offense if they’re not given the opportunity to create big plays.  Finally, and if you’ve been reading these blogs long enough, you know it’s coming – WHAT HAPPENED TO AHMAD?!?!?!  He can’t be much of a weapon if he’s only brought in to change the pace with a cushioned lead.  Last week, we went to him in the first half on a 4^th and 1, and he made some moves to get the first.  A three-headed monster becomes far less dangerous when one of its heads gets discarded.  Maybe he got in trouble and was limited only to kick returns.  I don’t know.  But I do know that I’m not the only Giants fan who’s very confused by his lack of play.  The guy can create big runs both on the ground and after the catch.  He’d certainly be the primary running back on most teams in this league, yet I feel we don’t take advantage of having him.

            Okay, enough complaining.  Bottom line, we had to get a HUGE win on the road against a very good team, and we did.  There shouldn’t be any confusion anymore as to who the best team in the NFC is.  That’s all I’m saying about it…on to the next game… 

           

            IT’S DALLAS WEEK!!!!  Especially after a win, it’s one of my favorite weeks of the season.  We get to spend all week thinking about the recent match-ups between these two teams, and therefore remember just how much we hate the Dallas Cowboys.  And make no mistake – WE HATE THEM.  Don’t forget, this is the same team who was the hands-down favorite during the pre-season to win the NFC, and most likely the Super Bowl , even after we beat them (in Dallas) in the playoffs and went on to win it all.  Time to make another big statement and prove to everyone (especially Cowboys fans) why we’re the better team.  Don’t give me any of that “Romo’s out” crap – Brad Johnson is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback (something Romo isn’t, I’ll remind everyone), and they still have a great o-line and plenty of weapons at the skill positions.  No excuses if we beat you, Dallas fans!  As you can tell, Sunday can’t get here fast enough for me.

            Lastly, and I don’t normally do this, I wanted to give a shout-out to a fan from Rockville, Maryland, who sent me one of the best e-mails I’ve ever received.  His pride, optimism, knowledge of the team, and enthusiasm gave me goosebumps!  Ironically, I haven’t written him back yet (which I’m sorry about), but it’s because I didn’t know how to respond to such a well-written note without feeling like a copycat.  Nicely done! 

            While I’m giving them, I wanted to send a shout-out to the troops writing me from overseas.  The fact that you guys find time to care so much about the Giants while putting your lives on the line to defend us is, well, AWESOME.  You definitely bleed blue through-and-through, and it’s quite inspiring.

            So, on that note, keep sending me your e-mails!  The address is gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  I shouldn’t have to tell everyone how excited we should be for this game – if you’re like me, you’ve already started pacing.  Until next week, GO G-MEN!!

            

SuperFan: Giants vs. 49ers (10/21/08)

    Back on the Wagon

            By SuperFan

  Sundays can never just happen normally for me anymore.  First it was my roommate being all up on our couch (I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s important nonetheless).  Then, it was helping my cousin kick his door down.  This past Sunday, our satellite dish’s channel guide BETRAYED me.  Before I called it a night on Saturday, I made sure to check the guide to see whether or not the game would be on locally.  To my pleasant surprise, it said it would be.  However, when I woke up around 9:30-ish the next morning, the guide displayed not my G-men, but the Cowboys-Rams game!  I had thirty minutes to wake up, shower, and find a bar airing my game.  Luckily, notebook in hand, I arrived in one just after kickoff.

            It was a pretty cool, low-key dive bar here in Culver City.  Go figure, I wasn’t the only Giants fan in the bar.  The bartender was a nice guy, and seeing as how it was 10:00 in the morning I didn’t really feel pressured to by a whole bunch of drinks just for sitting there.  That’s not to say there weren’t a handful of guys throwing a few early morning drinks back.  I remember walking in and hearing one guy order a jack and coke, and it clearly wasn’t his first of the morning (what he ordered was a “jaghhh ann cochhlll”).  A buddy of mine met me at the bar, because he too didn’t want to have to settle for watching the Cowboys at home (although it sure was a great game to glance over at time and time again during commercial breaks).

            The game wasn’t the most electric to watch, nor was it flawless.  Aaron Ross is still in a bit of a funk, though he’s very talented and should get right out of it.  Brandon Jacobs still runs like a monster, and takes on average five opposing players (plus a few flailing arms) to get to the ground.  Eli looked a lot better than he did the last week, but still not quite at the level he was nearing prior to the Cleveland game.  Maybe it’s all the press about him playing better than his brother right now (obviously kidding – I’m sure Eli could care less what anyone writes about him).  But his touchdown to interception ratio was 1:0 last week, which I’ll gladly take every game.  Derrick Ward is turning into a key player both running the ball and catching it, and Ahmad Bradshaw will always provide a perfect change of pace when he carries the ball late (although he has to avoid what looks like an oncoming case of Tiki-itis – hold onto the football). 

            Hey, how ‘bout Michael Johnson!  We needed a playmaker – he stepped it up.  That deserves an ‘atta boy’!  Speaking of playmakers – is it just me, or does it seem like every time Steve Smith catches a pass, it’s for a first down?!  That’s clutch, baby.  And regardless of whatever happened with a certain player’s reaction to a certain HORRIBLE call last Sunday, Plaxico Burress has caught a touchdown pass in each of his last two games.  Not too shabby. 

            So here we stand, 5-1, on the fringe of what is most likely the hardest remaining schedule in football.  Most Giants fans I’ve spoken to lately are a little tense and nervous about the weeks to come.  Can I tell you something?  I’m excited for them.  Bring it on.  It’s time for the Giants to re-establish themselves as the elite team to beat, and what better way to prove that legitimacy than by taking on some of the league’s toughest teams? 

            Get excited, Giants fans!  We’ve got St. Louis doing our dirty work for us, so all we have to do is worry about our own schedule.  And we’ve got a few great months of football ahead of us.  If your excitement gets too overwhelming and you feel as though if you don’t share your fandom with others, you’ll implode, feel free to contact me.  The e-mail address is gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  Until next time, GO GMEN

SuperFan: Giants vs. Browns (10/14/08)

This Humble Pie Tastes Bitter As Hell

By SuperFan

 

            The possibility of Monday night being a trap game was the furthest thing from my mind.  It wasn’t supposed to be a trap – it was supposed to be a statement.  A statement that we were the one NFC East team that WASN’T going to implode like everyone else had recently.  Boy was I wrong.

            I should have seen it coming though.  Watching the pre-game, this wasn’t the way people should be talking about the Giants.  Monday Night Countdown on ESPN looked like homage to the majesty that was the New York Football Giants.  Not that I had a problem watching it or anything – it’s always great to bask in your favorite team’s glory – but with this team, if things appear too good to be true, they always are.  We’re the team that’s supposed to be overlooked, not over-hyped.  On top of that, my copy of Madden NFL 09 got so scratched earlier in the day that it was unplayable, making me unable to play out the match-up beforehand, which has become a new ritual for me this season.  On top of all that, my roommate was home for the entire game, and you can bet he was sitting right there on the couch the whole time.  Just a bad night altogether. 

            The only thing worse than watching your favorite team getting embarrassed in primetime by what was supposed to be a far lesser opponent is having to listen to Tony Kornheiser the whole time.  Talk about adding insult to injury.  By the end of the game, I was so humiliated that I actually turned up the TV’s volume and forced myself to listen to every word he was saying, the worst kind of punishment I could think of for myself.

            But, it’s in the past, and there’s nothing anyone can do to change it.  It’s not like we were going to go undefeated throughout the season, so at least we got a bad loss out of our system.  On the bright side, the loss couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.  After the way the other NFC teams played, we’re still alone atop the division.  Also, we lost to an AFC team, leaving our conference record intact.  Like I said to a friend of mine who’s a Redskins fan after their stunning loss to St. Louis on Sunday, if this were any other sport but football, it would simply go down as a bad game and the team would try and rebound next time.  Unfortunately, next time isn’t for a week, and in the meantime we’ll have to hear about it on sports radio, NFL Live, NFL Network, Inside the NFL, and online. 

            Last week I mentioned that there was very little bad to talk about regarding this year’s team.  Aside from the new concerns raised Monday night, one concern that was true before was very apparent again – clock management.  It was the only thing we hadn’t corrected yet this season, and the other night it stood out like a sore thumb.  There’s absolutely no reason for a championship-caliber team to have to waste precious timeouts when they’re behind in the fourth quarter because the play clock is running low.  Inexcusable.  Another thing that stood out was the defense not taking advantage when the Browns offense kept shooting themselves in the foot.  They must have had about as many false start penalties as Steve Smith had receptions, yet every time they would lose yards on a penalty, they would follow it immediately with a huge play.

            It wouldn’t be the Giants’ style to go a whole season without giving their fans something to feel miserable about once in a while.  Believe it or not, we happen to thrive on it.  Disturbing, yes.  True, absolutely.  Let’s face it – Monday night, we flat out got beat.  Do I think we’re about to go head first into a downwards spiral?  Absolutely not.              Unlike previous years, I still feel this team is too complete and confident to not learn and bounce back from a loss like this in a big way.  Our entire defense should feel embarrassed, which hopefully will make them a very scary group to line up against in the weeks to come.  Eli was brought back to reality (as was our offensive line), and they’ll have plenty of film to watch and improve on.  Plax and Eli I’m sure will work on their timing quite a bit this week in practice (a luxury they didn’t have last season).

            Like the Minnesota game last season, we as fans need simply to chalk this one up as an ugly, humiliating, degrading loss, and flush it away.  We’re very fortunate that it will end up doing more damage to our team’s perception than our playoff hopes (right now).  So, fans, stew on it a little, hit a pillow, take a deep breath, and move on.  There’s a whole lot of football left, and I’m actually really excited to see how well we’re able to bounce back and re-establish ourselves as an elite team.  Losers sulk about it all week, winners learn from it and get better.  I see no reason why we shouldn’t believe the Giants will react like winners.

            I’m sure you fans have a whole lot you’d like to get off your chest, so feel free to vent to me all you want – the e-mail address is gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  Keep your heads up, and GO GMEN!!

           

             

SuperFan: Giants vs. Seahawks (10/7/08)

Still the Top of the Class

         By SuperFan

 

            When you’re writing about the Giants, it’s not often that you consistently have nothing bad to say about them.  Sad but true.  Yet, the Giants are currently still unbeaten and looking very good after a dominating victory over Seattle.  Everyone’s playing at the top of their game, so much so that our backups are making the highlight reel, and our younger guys are scoring all our touchdowns.  It’s unbelievable watching them play this year.  Week after week, Eli’s continued growth and mastery at the helm is nothing short of spectacular, and Brandon Jacobs is completely redefining the running back position.

            Seeing them play the last couple weeks, I’m feeling really glad that we played and beat the Redskins when we did – they’re on fire right now.  Then again, so are the G-men.  It’s funny how suddenly all NFC teams that aren’t in the East are viewed by people as second-rate teams.  That’s how tough our division is right now. 

            Fortunately for me, the game was on the local Fox channel out here in Culver City, so I got to watch the game from home as soon as I woke up.  At first I wasn’t quite sure if I was completely awake, seeing how well we were manhandling the Seahawks.  Finally I realized I was in fact up, we were in fact playing amazingly well on all cylinders, and I was very happy.  Plus, our secondary finally got into the stats column!  Atta boy, Kevin Dockery.  Watching the game yesterday, as good as our offense was playing, I couldn’t get over how great our secondary’s coverage was.  I understand the Seahawks wide receiver core has been plagued with injuries, but still the guys they had on the field were completely shut down.  Every short pass seemed like it was immediately met with blue jerseys.  It was awesome.

            It was so awesome, as a matter of fact, that I couldn’t even watch the end of the game.  No, I mean it.  It was such a big blowout that Fox switched it over to the telecast of the Reskins-Eagles game.  I had to watch the rest of the game on NFL.com’s play-by-play gamecast.  Television has done so much for the sport.

            I never thought I’d say this, but after sitting through another mind-numbing telecast of Monday Night Football, I actually miss Dennis Miller.  Honestly, you could throw Howard Stern in there and he would sound smarter about the game than Tony Kornheiser.  How that guy gets to be in the booth of a primetime football game every week is beyond me.  Howard Cosell used to work in that booth!  What the hell happened?!

            As you can see, it’s hard to find a lot to write about when your team’s playing very well.  It pretty much means everything is as it should be, all jobs are being performed the way they’re supposed to, which leaves nothing more than stating the obvious more often than not.  Believe me, I’d much rather have the G-men be playing as well as they are and have little to indulge on than the other way around!

            Right now, we’re looking like an elite team.  We’re beating the teams we’re supposed to beat.  Therefore, I see no reason why the next few games should pose any real problems.  Let’s see our G-men keep making a statement every week as to why they’re the team to beat in the NFC!

            If you have any comments or questions, the e-mail address is gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  GO G-MEN!!