12th's Five Reasons To Be Encouraged

fair point, but it should have never come to that...and in the end, the yard may as well have been 99, because we didn't get it...football ain't horseshoes

To quote Pacino in Any Given Sunday...."This is a game of inches....there are inches all around you." I love it!

I couldn't disagree with you more on that one. The Giants blew off the ball like nobody's business on the 4th down play. They got so much penetration that they knocked Sellers back into Betts, and Betts tripped over Sellers at the 3 for a loss of two yards.

Playcall or not, the Giants got into our backfield against the stronger side of our offensive line.

The spike on 1st down was questionable, there was no need to hurry so much on 4th down, so that was questionable too. But I'd run left all day long given the status of our team right now.

They made 1 play out of 3 (should have been 4, never give up a down inside the 5 yard line) chances.. Of course they blew it up, the offense ran the same exact play the play before.. Don't you think the defense was expecting the play to run to the left 'all day long' also? Same formation, same motion, same play, same result.

I would like to be optomistic about our team. Fact is i am just not seeing it. Yes, we are 2-1. that is great, better than 1-2 or 0-3. As far as encouraged, I dont know that I am encouraged about what I am seeing.

Defensively - no pressure from front 4 continues to be an issue, which is not going to change during the season. We lack aggressiveness. Corners play has been sub par really. I just dont understand why we went away from what made GW "the great defensive mind"? His aggressiveness is what made him great, we are just not aggressive the last two years. We bend, but dont break. well we broke last week, against a team that has options. Had McNabb hit some of his misthrows last week, it would have been a different story. I remember the 1st two years of constant pressure, forcing teams hands, making them react instead of us reacting. Every team we faced those two years said we were one of the best D's they have or will face. I believe we have the players to be more aggressive. Our corners just aren't that good at covering people for extended times, we need to force the offenses hand, make them get rid of the ball. they sit back there and have all day, we will and HAVE been picked apart.

offensively - what transpired against the Giants was absolutely a joke. This is the same crap that we have dealt with for years. We played really good in the 1st have, mixing up plays. Why in the hell did Portis run the ball 6 times in the second half? we were up 14 freaking points. We were up 10 and trying freaking reverses?? what the hell is that? Playcalling, clock management, timely penalties has been the song we have been singing for years also. I like Jason Campbell - I think he will be a really good QB for us, but we can't have him out there throwing 35 times a game. The Giants did not take the lead until 5 minutes left in the game. This reminded me of the Atlanta Game last year, were up 14 points, and all of the sudden we forget to run the damn ball, and lost giving up 17 unanswered in the second half. WE are a running team, that is our identity. Where are the screens we ran so well last year? I understand Jansen and Thomas are hurt, but hey they aint coming back anytime soon, so that excuse has to stop.

Its only 1 game - correct, but how many years have we had the same issues?? and when the hell are we going to be able to cover the middle of the damn field??

I would like to be optomistic about our team. Fact is i am just not seeing it. Yes, we are 2-1. that is great, better than 1-2 or 0-3. As far as encouraged, I dont know that I am encouraged about what I am seeing.

Defensively - no pressure from front 4 continues to be an issue, which is not going to change during the season. We lack aggressiveness. Corners play has been sub par really. I just dont understand why we went away from what made GW "the great defensive mind"? His aggressiveness is what made him great, we are just not aggressive the last two years. We bend, but dont break. well we broke last week, against a team that has options. Had McNabb hit some of his misthrows last week, it would have been a different story. I remember the 1st two years of constant pressure, forcing teams hands, making them react instead of us reacting. Every team we faced those two years said we were one of the best D's they have or will face. I believe we have the players to be more aggressive. Our corners just aren't that good at covering people for extended times, we need to force the offenses hand, make them get rid of the ball. they sit back there and have all day, we will and HAVE been picked apart.

offensively - what transpired against the Giants was absolutely a joke. This is the same crap that we have dealt with for years. We played really good in the 1st have, mixing up plays. Why in the hell did Portis run the ball 6 times in the second half? we were up 14 freaking points. We were up 10 and trying freaking reverses?? what the hell is that? Playcalling, clock management, timely penalties has been the song we have been singing for years also. I like Jason Campbell - I think he will be a really good QB for us, but we can't have him out there throwing 35 times a game. The Giants did not take the lead until 5 minutes left in the game. This reminded me of the Atlanta Game last year, were up 14 points, and all of the sudden we forget to run the damn ball, and lost giving up 17 unanswered in the second half. WE are a running team, that is our identity. Where are the screens we ran so well last year? I understand Jansen and Thomas are hurt, but hey they aint coming back anytime soon, so that excuse has to stop.

Its only 1 game - correct, but how many years have we had the same issues?? and when the hell are we going to be able to cover the middle of the damn field??


Welll I think it's easy to be negative if that's all you focus on. Like I said, somebody in our division will be 1-3 by Sunday night, and it won't be the Redskins.

We played one good half, and one bad half. Think about that, we didn't stink up an entire game, we blew it in the second half. I think we have some things to correct, yes. But you can't tell me if we beat the Lions, no matter how we beat the Lions, you'll feel good.

I think it's funny some keep complaining about the lack of pressure from up front but I really don't see it as a major issue especially when compared to recent years. Andre Carter is off to a nice start.

Welll I think it's easy to be negative if that's all you focus on. Like I said, somebody in our division will be 1-3 by Sunday night, and it won't be the Redskins.

We played one good half, and one bad half. Think about that, we didn't stink up an entire game, we blew it in the second half. I think we have some things to correct, yes. But you can't tell me if we beat the Lions, no matter how we beat the Lions, you'll feel good.


my point is this - how many games did we blow last year when leading by 10 or more in the second half. If we are still doing the same as last year(albiet on game) how is that encouraging? I find it discouraging. of course I will be glad that we beat lions. If we have a hard time stopping Manning w/ and injured shoulder and Plaxico, I think we may have trouble stopping Kitna, Williams, Furrey, Johnson. Just a huntch.

I hope I am wrong.

my point is this - how many games did we blow last year when leading by 10 or more in the second half. If we are still doing the same as last year(albiet on game) how is that encouraging? I find it discouraging. of course I will be glad that we beat lions. If we have a hard time stopping Manning w/ and injured shoulder and Plaxico, I think we may have trouble stopping Kitna, Williams, Furrey, Johnson. Just a huntch.

I hope I am wrong.

You're right about last year, but this is a bit of a different team if you ask me. Last year's team didn't start 2-1 either.

I bet we'll have something for the Lions too. And I'm not just saying that. However, if we blow this game against the Lions in similar fashion, then I'm worried. Not concerned, but worried.

I think it's funny some keep complaining about the lack of pressure from up front but I really don't see it as a major issue especially when compared to recent years. Andre Carter is off to a nice start.


why not complain about pressure - teams that can apply pressure are able to produce more turn overs, win field position battles, force more 3 and outs. Lets compare defensive units from 04 and 05 to 06 and 07. 04 and 05 - consistant pressure style of D - top 5 in 04 and Top 10 in 05. Granted the pressure was not from the front 4 on a consistant basis, but we got to the QB. year 2006 - changes styles to a cover 2 read and react, got beat like a drum week in and week out - couldn't stop the run, nor the pass - set record for fewest turnovers - ended up 31st. This year is still in question.

The pressure or lack of is an issue - even coaches talk about getting pressure on the QB consistantly. No Defense is successful sitting back and letting people pick you apart. Do you think the Lions, Pats, Packers, Cowboys aren't going to air it out and lets those QB's just pick us apart? Not saying it will, but hard to think it wont happen.

Hey, we're 2-1. If we win 2 out of every 3 games for the rest of the year, we'll have 11 or so wins. :)

We should beat the Lions, Cards, Jets, Bucs, Bills, Vikings the Giants next time and yes, even the Bears who look horrible. Favre looks great but they have no RBs, can they keep THAT up? The Pats and Cowboys won't win every game, maybe we can ensure that. Anything can happen in the NFL.

Again, I think Carter is off to a nice start and has consistently applied good pressure, and I think Washington has done a nice job rushing as well. Has the problem been fixed completely? No, but it's been improved.