OFFENSE – Needs – OL, RB

The offensive line was been slowly dissolving into a weaker unit as a whole. Chris Snee and David Diehl are both getting up there in age, and the need for a rock solid starter for years to come should be a focal point at some point early in 2013. Luckily for the Gmen this year is a great year for lineman and they should have their pick of whoever may fall out of the top 15 this year, or even have the opportunity of taking a solid starter in rounds 2-4. The ability for that prospect to learn the nuances of the line from veterans like Snee and Diehl would also work in the Giants favor.

It’s believed up to 7 offensive linemen could go in the first round. I would not expect the top 4 lineman, Joeckel, Fisher, Cooper, and Warmack to be available at 19; however, guys like D.J. Fluker, and Melenick Watson would be an excellent addition for the Giants. Fluker earned preseason All-SEC recognition in 2012 and went on to earn many honors, including second-team All-America by AP and Walter Camp and first-team All-SEC from the coach and second-team from the media while starting each of the Crimson Tide’s games en route to the national title. Menelik Watson recorded a 27.5-inch vertical jump and 19 strength lifts. He played right tackle at Florida State but the feeling is he can play left tackle. If the Giants decide to go in another direction in round 1, look for Justin Pugh in round 2, or Barrett Jones in Round 3. Both players versatility is unparalleled to the entire lineman class outside of the top 4 lineman in the draft. Pugh may be the biggest reason Ryan Nassib is considered to be a good QB prospect since he kept him on his feet throughout his college career, while Jones was D.J. Flukers’ teammate and has won a national championship playing 3 separate positions on the offensive line (C, OG, and OT.)

Running back is a much smaller need since we’re really talking about a back-up here. David Wilson will be the #1 back going forward and Andre Brown can’t stay healthy, so were looking for a versatile back with some pass catching ability to be a fill in while Wilson and Brown get some rest. Brown will be a free agent after next season so there should be an interest in having some security at the position, but it won’t be until round 4 or lower. Guys I love like Michigan State Le’Veon Bell and North Carolina Giovanni Bernard will be long gone, so the Giants will be looking for a RB who can also be used as a punt returner, or a great blocker on special teams. Enter Florida RB Mike Gillislee. Gillislee went crazy in his senior season after finally getting the starting gig. He totaled 1,152 yards and 10 touchdowns in the SEC. That takes talent, and this kid has some serious upside. Considered a top prep-school prospect coming out of high school, Gillislee sat behind Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps before they both left for the NFL. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not going to be a starter, but he would be more than helpful. He should be chosen in rounds 4 or 5.

DEFENSE – Needs – LB, DB

Dan Connor, Mark Herzlich, Mathias Kiwanuka, Keith Rivers. Those are the best ILB’s on the Giants roster as of now. Kiwanuka is no slouch. He’s a heck of a player and a great LB, but he’s not a natural MLB. Rivers was just signed to a 1 yr. deal, but he’s not a MLB either. Herzlich is a fantastic story, and an inspiration in the locker room, that being said he’s not going to the pro-bowl this year, though I wish him the best on making it one day. The glaring need for a captain in the middle has been a problem for the last two years, and it should be a priority.

The problem is this isn’t a great class of ILB. As a matter of fact I only really like two of them and that’s LSU’s MLB Kevin Minter and Georgia LB Jarvis Jones. Just like Gillislee at Florida, Minter and Jones played in the SEC, which is a tutoring lesson for the NFL. So many great NFL players come from that conference. Minter was clearly the best defensive player on his team at LSU, but is he worth the #19th pick overall? Jones on the other hand would be a gift if he somehow falls to #19. Teams are very skeptical of Jones because of some pretty serious medical concerns. Jones was diagnosed with Spinal Stenosis, a narrowing of the spine that can result in numbness, loss of muscle control, and in some cases paralysis. He has since been cleared by doctors, saying that it was a miss-diagnosis, but that really tainted his draft stock. He is a top 10 talent that will fall some but I’m not sure he makes it to 19. If he should, would the Giants consider him healthy enough for them to draft? That’s a question for Jerry Reece. I think it would be an easy pick myself. Jones isn’t even considered a true MLB, which goes against my own thought process. He’s just too good to pass up if he’s still there. Now if he isn’t I think the Giants should look at OL or a CB in the first round.

With that being said, let’s talk about the CB / S class for the 2013 NFL Draft. This class has some serious talent. Dee Milliner barring any major injury will be a shutdown corner in the NFL. The Giants would need to move way up in the draft to even think about Dee and that’s not Mr. Reece’s style. Instead the Giants should be looking at 3 guys in particular.

(1) Florida State CB, Xavier Rhodes – Rhodes, like Jarvis Jones would have to fall in the draft according to most mock drafts. According to what you read, he could go to the Dolphins at 12, the Bucs at 13 and the Saints at 15. The kid has a 40.5” vertical leap, an 11’ broad jump, and he ran a 4.39 40 at the combine. All 32 teams were present at his pro-day, and is considered by most to be the second best CB prospect in this class.

(2) Texas FS, Kenny Vaccaro – Vaccaro emerged as arguably the best safety in the Big 12 as a junior, posting 82 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, eight passes broken up and two interceptions. While the Longhorns’ talented defense struggled in 2012, Vaccaro registered a career-high 107 tackles and five turnovers (two interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery). He has great instincts and hits hard, 2 qualities needed to be successful as a FS in the NFL. Giants’ fans should be thrilled if Vaccaro is taken at #19.

(3) Houston CB, D. J. Hayden – Hayden, also has similarities to Jarvis Jones. Hayden had what could have been a fatal injury last year. Hayden suffered a heart issue — a torn inferior vena cava — which was called the “most unique injury in the history of the draft” by a Packers executive, but he’s getting good news in his team physicals after checking out at the Combine. Hayden was elected to the 2012 ALL Conference USA team even though he only played 9 games after the heart related injury. He was a team Captain at Houston, and shows the willingness to fight through adversity. I would take him last of the three only due to the unbelievable injury he suffered in a practice! Still, he’s very talented and would be a good pick for the Giants.

For those of you who follow my draft and are wondering how I could have written this entire piece without mentioning Florida State DE Bjoern Werner after having him as the Giants pick for many weeks now, I say… I just did. (HA!) I would like to remind everyone reading this that the article is about players the Giants should be looking at to fill a need, not who they think is the best player available at the time. I know, semantics but hey! What can you do?

Follow me on Twitter @Jferguson631

Still you couldn’t count out the 49’ers.  Not after the miraculous performance of Colin Kaepernick, and he wouldn’t let his fans down as he found Michael Crabtree for a 31 yard score with his trademark speed and accuracy leading his team to an 80 yard drive with 7:20 left in third only to score another touchdown only 2 minutes 21 seconds later.  Finally we had a game.  That surge of power was blasted from the lights right into the hearts of the 49er players.  They were playing with an electricity and intensity where all the momentum was turning in their favor.  Then the dagger… Rice fumbles the ball.  The invigorated Ravens were now flat and lifeless.  The Niners still down 8 needed to do something when Ravens DB Carey Williams deflects a possible touchdown for Ted Ginn.  Akers who had 2 completed field goals already misses, but the play comes back on a penalty.  He then completes his second chance to make it a 5 point game.

The fourth quarter immediately starts with a field goal for Baltimore to make the score 31 to 23.  The 49’ers waste no time as Colin Kaepernick runs in for a 15yard touchdown.  Only down 2 and mathematically eliminated, Jim Harbaugh calls for a 2 point conversion that failed thanks to a great defensive call by his brother.  This was turning out to be a game of wits by both men as they toiled through their playbooks searching for a way to put this game away.  The Ravens would add another field goal, and with 4:19 left in the fourth kicked off the 49’ers started their drive.  On first down Kaepernick throws to Vernon Davis on the sideline and misses him by inches.  Kaep later hands off to Gore for a monster gain down the left hand sideline for 31 yards.  The two minute warning sounds with the 49’rers in the goaline.  At 3^rd and goal with 1:55 to play Kaepernick throws to Michael Crabtree for an incompletion.   On 4^th down The San Francisco 49’ers throw a lob back to Crabtree in the right side of the end zone with Jimmy Smith and Ed Reed on the coverage that misses his target by a yard.  The football gods had spoken.  It was only a matter of time now before Baltimore would run out the clock and waste it down to 11 seconds.  With the advantage in favor, the Ravens purposely allow a safety to make the score 34-31.  The Ravens kick the free kick for the last play of the game.  Ted Ginn made a valiant effort in bringing it back to the 50, but it wasn’t meant to be.  The Baltimore Ravens would walk away champions with their quarterback Joe Flacco winning the Superbowl MVP.  Flacco threw for 287 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions.  Anquan Boldin finished with 6 receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown, while Ray Rice managed 59 yards on 20 carries and 4 receptions for 19 yards.

This game will answer the questions as to whether Flacco was an elite level quarterback.  With the confetti streaming down, the Ravens watch their leader on the field walk away from the game after 17 seasons and redefining how to play the linebacker position in today’s NFL.  Lewis wins his second Superbowl and goes out the way most kids dream, on top of the world.  When asked how do you describe it by Jim Nantz, Lewis says “When God is for you, who could be against ya? It’s not greater way …to go out on your last ride than with my teammates.”  His indelible mark on football can be seen in the way defense is played on all 32 NFL teams, and the league may not see a player of his caliber for generations to come.

Despite the Giants doing their part today, they still needed plenty of help to reach the playoffs this season and it turned out to be just too much to overcome. They were eliminated from playoff contention because of Chicago’s win over the Lions. (more…)

WHAT HAPPENED

The Bengals wasted no time punching the Giants right in the mouth by jumping out to a 14-0 first quarter lead. The Giants showed signs of life towards the end of the first half and were able to trim the lead to 17-6 at the half, however they could not get anything going in the 3rd quarter and two crucial turnovers by Ahmad Bradshaw (fumble) and Eli Manning (interception) were cashed in for 14 points from the Bengals. That pretty much was the ballgame as the Bengals took a commanding 31-6 lead heading into the 4th quarter. A late 2-yard touchdown run by Andre Brown gave the Giants at least something to feel good about on offense, however this game was already over.

Eli Manning has now gone three straight games without a touchdown pass. He came close to getting one in the second half, however Victor Cruz dropped a beautifully thrown pass to him in the end zone. It pretty much was symbolic of how things went for the Giants on offense today. Cruz was a non factor in this game with 3 catches for 26 yards.

Andy Dalton was electric in the first quarter for the Bengals at quarterback, and threw a career high 4 touchdowns in the game. Big play wide receiver AJ Green backed up his observations of the Giants defense by finding the holes in the secondary. Green finished with 7 catches for 85 yards, 56 of those yards came on a touchdown pass from Dalton in the opening drive of the game that got the Bengals off and running.

Manning was sacked 4 times today and Ahmad Bradshaw again could not deliver a solid running game for the Giants. Throw in a few dropped passes and the Giants just looked like they were just going through the motions out there and the result was the final score.

OUTLOOK

The Giants lost to a team that came into today losers of 4 straight games and clearly on the verge of being knocked out of the playoff picture. This lost hurts just as much the one last week to the Steelers and the case can be made that it hurts even more. Head coach Tom Coughlin already went out and called his defense “Soft” and they went out today and did nothing to challenge that assessment. This team needs to go back to the drawing board and figure out what is it going to take to fix what’s gone wrong over the last month. They had a golden opportunity the last two weeks to put a choke hold on the NFC east division and failed to do so. They’ve went from a team being talked about as the best in the league to fighting off the growing thought across the league that they are on the verge of another November where they struggle.

WHAT’S NEXT

If there is team that should be happy to see the bye week, it’s the Giants. They look tired and mentally may just need the time off to recharge. They’ll have to figure things out now because when they return in two weeks, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers will be waiting for them.

The Giants defense kept Ben Rothlisberger and the Steelers offense in check for most of the first half and took advantage of a few favorable calls by the referees to take a slim 14-10 lead into the 3rd quarter. However they were unable to contain the running game as Issac Redman ran for 119 yards on 25 carries with a touchdown. Redman was pressed into a heavier workload this week because of injuries that kept Rashard Mendenhall and Johnathan Dwyer off the field for today’s game. The Giants had absolutely no answer for the big, brusing running back.

Eli Manning and the Giants offense could not get on track today and once the Steelers sinced this they turned it up with aggressive playcalling to keep the momentum on their side. It was the third straight week that Manning looked out of synch with his receivers. His throws were off target and his decision making has not resembled anything near what it was in the first part of the season.

The Giants led 20-10 heading into the 4th quarter and that’s pretty much where the Steelers took over from there. While the Giants offense continued to sputter on offense, the Steelers offense was beginning to come to life. Wide receiver Mike Wallace scored on an exciting 51-yard run into the end zone as he showed his speed off on the play, blowing by the Giants secondary and bringing their lead to 20-17. The Steelers then decided to get ultra aggressive with a fake field goal attempt that was snuffed out by the Giants defense. However Manning and the offense were unable to take advantage and gave the Steelers back the football, leading to Redman’s 2-yard touchdown run to take the lead for good. This time there would not be any 4th quarter magic from Manning.

This was about as bad a loss as can get based on the standards head coach Tom Coughlin has set for this Giants football team. They couldn’t run the ball and they couldn’t stop the run. Add that up with a few momentum-killing penalties and there you have it. They also missed out on a chance to create more breathing room between them and their NFC east rivals within the division.

What’s Next?

The Cincinnati Bengals will be hosting the Giants next week who will be looking to head into the bye week with a bounce-back win and some momentum. The Bengals will be looking to save their season after coming off of a tough loss at home to Denver.

After a back and forth first half, both teams seemed to stall on offense in the 3rd quarter. It looked as if the Redskins would pull out the thrilling victory after RG3 connected with Santana Moss on a 30-yard touchdown pass that helped give them a 23-20 lead with less than 2 minutes to play. However Manning was able to pull out another 4th quarter comeback, hitting Victor Cruz for a 77-yard td pass to regain the lead for good. The Giants defense sealed the deal after forcing a Moss fumble to regain possesion of the ball.

This was a big win for the Giants, they were 0-2 in the NFC East coming into today’s game and another division loss could have been disastrous at this stage in the season. This game at halftime had all the makings of being decided in the 4th quarter and that’s exactly how it turned out.

Robert Griffin III continues to show no fear of the spotlight, the Redskins quarterback was electric again today with highlight-worthy moves that almost won the game. The 4th and 10 conversion in the 4th quarter that had him scrambling all over the place was beautiful to watch and would have been the play of the game had the Redskins came away with the win. Fans of Washington are going to be in for a treat watching this youngster continue to develop his game.

Good teams make the necessary halftime adjustments and the Giants found a way to slow down the ground attack of the Redskins which wore down the defensive line in the first half. Redskins running back Alfred Morris was a beast in the first half with relentless runs up and through the middle of the Giants defense. Morris racked up 94 of the Redskins 146 rushing yards in the first half. However the Giants slowed him down in the 3rd quarter and then cranked up their pass rush. The Redskins turned the ball over 4 times today.

Eli Manning saved his best for when it mattered, however overall he was off. Manning missed today on passes he normally connects with Cruz on and the two interceptions he threw today didn’t help the cause either. Nevertheless with 2 minutes to play and the game on the line, Eli Manning is the quarterback you should want on that field and he proved it yet again today.

Notables:

The Giants pass rush came alive in the second half. Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, and Osi Umenyiora all registered sacks today on RG3.

Jayron Hosley was beat on the touchdown pass from RG3 to Moss that looked to be the game-winning play late in the 4th quarter, however he redeemed himself when he recovered the Moss fumble that basically clinched the victory for the Giants.

The Giants needed this game today because of what it means in the division standings for them and they will need next weeks game too in Dallas. The Giants loss their season opener to the Cowboys at home.

There were many excellent Giants performances:

• Ahmad Bradshaw, 30 carries, 200 yds rushing, 1 td, longest carry was 37 yds
• Eli Manning 25/37, 259 yds, 3 tds, 1 int
• Rueben Randle stepped up and made 6 receptions for 82 yds, the longest reception was 36 yds
• Stevie Brown had 1 fumble recovery and 1 interception
• Victor Cruz 5 receptions for 50 yds, 3 tds, the longest reception was 28 yds
• Domenik Hixon 5 receptions for 55yds, the longest reception was 17yds
• Will Hill1 forced fumble
• Chase Blackburn 1 interception
• Corey Webster 7 tackles, 1 assist
• David Wilson 2 carries, 44 yds rushing, 1 td, longest carry was 40 yds

The Browns are not a strong opponent so the win is a surprise to nobody. However, this is just the kind of win the Giants need after their tough loss in Philadelphia a week ago. They used many offensive players to move the ball down field and the execution was excellent. If they can continue to execute this well then you can expect to see them in the playoffs.

There was one injury of note. Andre Brown left the game in the first quarter with a head injury and did not return to the game. He left the field of his own power.

The Giants seemed primed for another comeback victory, however quarterback Eli Manning could not pull it off this time as the Eagles come away with a 19-17 win in Philadelphia. The Giants have now dropped 8 of their last 9 to the Eagles as they clearly still have their number.

The action in this game definitely picked up after halftime with both teams cranking it up on offense. However, the Eagles were able to find their running game which proved to be a huge turning point in the game as it helped open up their passing attack. LeSean McCoy posted 123 yards on 23 carries as the Giants defense may have been worn down from all of those cutback runs.

It was the Eagles struggles to captilize in the red zone with touchdowns instead of field goals that kept the Giants in this game long enough to have a chance to win the game at the end. However Lawrence Tynes couldn’t connect on a 54 yard field goal attempt and that was that.

The Giants may have found a role for rookie David Wilson while he continues to develop into the running back they want to put out on the field. Wilson was explosive returning kicks tonight against the Eagles and consistantly gave the Giants solid field position.

The Giants secondary is already banged up and extremely thin. They took another hit tonight when safety Kenny Phillips left the game in the first quarter with a knee injury. Cornerback Prince Amukamara played well in his first NFL start for the Giants and that’s a huge plus for them.

What’s Next?

The Giants will welcome in the 0-4 Cleveland Browns for a home game at Met Life Stadium next Sunday for a 1pm et game. They’ll need to put tonight’s tough loss behind them because that’ game has trap written all over it. The Giants must make sure they don’t look past the Browns to their week 6 matchup against the 49ers in San Francisco. Beware of the trap game.

Tony Romo and Kevin Ogletree had their way with the Giants secondary tonight. The Cowboys passing game definitely opened things up for Murray and the running game which would begin to wear down the Giants defense.

Demarco Murray, 20 yards carries for 131 yards … after a slow start, the Cowboys running game went into another gear.

Kevin Ogletree came up huge tonight for the Cowboys. 8 catches 114 yards, 2 tds

The story tonight was how comfortable Tony Romo looked running the offense for the Cowboys.

Eli Manning didn’t throw any interceptions tonight, however it was basically an uphill battle for him and the Giants offense throughout the second half.

The secondary already banged up takes another hit … Cornerback Michael Coe had to leave the game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. Coe started in place of the injured Prince Amukamara.

The Giants defense didn’t play well tonight. The defense had a chance to stop Dallas and get the ball back for their offense late in the 4th quarter however could not get it done. …. The pass rush wasn’t there and Romo had plenty of time in the pocket to hit his receivers. The secondary is a patchwork job right now and unless the Giants can get healthy in a hurry they may struggle this season. Their one consistent starter at cornerback Corey Webster was burned on plays by Dez Bryant and Ogletree.

Penalties … Dallas had 13 for 84 yards.

Martellus Bennett had an impressive debut for the Giants tonight. 4 catches for 40 yards, 1 TD

Victor Cruz … 3 big dropped passes tonight. A False start and called for an illegal block. Cruz had a long night out there.

David Wilson didn’t have the rookie debut he was hoping for tonight. Wilson only carried twice for 4 yards. The fumble he had in the first quarter may have played a factor in how much he saw the football after that.

The Giants are going to have to tighten up that secondary as best they can going forward. Their really going to need Amukamara to be ready to play in week 2.

What’s Next?

Week 2 at home for Tampa Bay. Head coach Tom Coughlin is going to have his work cut out for him this upcoming week as the Giants are going to have this shake this loss off quickly and be ready to go against the Bucs.

If anyone was expecting this game to be a rematch of the Super Bowl, well I just wouldn’t know what to tell them except that they might need some sort of help. New England didn’t play any of their regulars tonight. There was no Tom Brady or Wes Welker. However, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin had other ideas for some of his starters. Quarterback Eli Manning and wide receivers Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks all saw action in the first half.

What stood out the most to me about Eli Manning tonight was perhaps the fact that Coughlin played Manning so much. In a preseason game where both teams are hoping they come out at the end injury-free, playing Manning at all tonight was a roll of the dice by Coughlin. Giants fans had to have been a little nervous everytime Manning dropped back to attempt a pass. He finished the night going 4 of 6 for 29 yards.

It’s possible that one of the reasons Coughlin decided to play Manning so much tonight was because he may have wanted him to get a few reps in with Nicks. It was his first and only game played in the preseason. Nicks caught 1 pass for 6 yards, however he also was able to get some game-action under his belt before going forward with his preparation for the regular season.

Notables

The Giants came into tonight’s game knowing they have to prepare to trim their roster down to 53 on Friday. This was the last chance for players fighting for spots to make a worthwhile impression on head coach Tom Coughlin and his staff.

Andre Brown ran with authority in the third quarter on an impressive drive that led to a Giants field goal from Lawrence Tynes. Brown also had a fumble in the fourth quarter while fighting for extra yards. The Giants were able to recover the fumble. Despite that mishap, Brown made a solid case for himself tonight finishing with 14 carries for 55 yards. It could make things very interesting for what the Giants decide to do with their running back depth chart after Ahmad Bradshaw and David Wilson. Da’Rel Scott could be on the bubble now.

Wide receiver Ramses Barden finished tonight with 4 catches for 31 yards. Barden may have done enough to ensure himself a spot on the 53-man roster.

Adewale Ojomo continued his impressive preseason and he may have forced the Giants hands with his play on defense.There is definitely a buzz now based off of his play. He had two run-stuffing tackles,  and it was his strip and sack that set up the go-ahead field goal by Tynes in the fourth quarter.

What’s Next

No more preseason games !!!  The Giants start defense of their championship next Wednesday at home against the Dallas Cowboys.

The offense continues to come together for the Giants. This week the spotlight was on the highly talked about rookie running back David Wilson. Wilson took reps with the first team this week and with Ahmad Bradshaw inactive because of a hand injury, he was expected to touch the football often tonight and he didn’t disappoint. Wilson looked elusive and explosive against the Bears first team defense. He broke tackles and showed a great change of pace. Wilson finished with 5 carries for 49 yards and 2 receptions for 26 yards. It was exactly what Tom Coughlin wanted to see from him tonight.

Right at the top of the list of concerns for the Giants has to be their secondary. It’s been an issue throughout the preseason and now it’s reaching red flag status. Cornerback Prince Amukamara went down after tackling wide receiver Brandon Marshall in the second quarter and had to be carted off the field. Amukamara went to the locker room for x-rays which came back negative, however Coughlin did announce that he suffered a high ankle sprain. The Giants are dangerously thin at secondary with Terrell Thomas already out and they were counting on Amukamara to step up. This injury could very well cause him to miss the regular season opener against Dallas.

Eli Manning played well tonight and shook off a slow start to get the Giants offense cranked up in the second quarter. He finished the night going 17 for 21, 148 yards and a touchdown. Manning caught fire with a 10-play drive that saw him go 7/7 for 59 yards, topped off with an 11 yard td pass to Ramses Barden. Barden made the most of his opportunities tonight. The 6’6 wide receiver made an array of dazzling catches, using his height to cause matchup problems in the Chicago secondary. Barden needed a big game, it seemed as if he could very well be on the bubble heading into this week and he may have brought himself some more time to start showing consistently that he can get it done.

Manning also continues to build chemistry with tight end Martellus Bennett. Bennett’s blocking will be key for the Giants, however the former Dallas Cowboy is shaping up to be another big target for Manning in the passing game.

The Giants first team defense put a hurting on the Bears first team offense in the 1st half. Quarterback Jay Cutler struggled to get any consistency with the passing game and running back Matt Forte couldn’t get going against the defensive line of the Giants. Forte was held to 4 rushing yards on 8 carries in the first half.

Special Teams came up big tonight for the Giants with a blocked punt by Da’ Rel Scott and recovery by Greg Jones. Mark Herzlich also forced a Bears fumble on a kickoff return.

The Giants have a short week to prepare for their preseason finale against the New England Patriots. Starters are most likely going to have the night off. It could be the last chance for players who are on the bubble as teams will soon begin trimming down their rosters for the regular season.

The offense seems to be coming together, although the execution could have been better. The chemistry between Eli Manning and Victor Cruz already looks to be in midseason form. Cruz gave the Jets secondary fits in the first half, finishing with five receptions for 51 yards.

Ahmad Bradshaw didn’t see much playing time tonight. He left early in the first quarter to get x-rays on his right hand which turned out to be negative.

The battle for Bradshaw’s primary backup didn’t get much seperation tonight. D.J. Ware saw early action after Bradshaw went out of the game, however didn’t really make a get that attention grabbing moment tonight against the Jets. Ware finished with 15 yards on 11 carries. Rookie David Wilson had 26 yards on eight carries and it seems the first round selection may have the inside track on getting more time.

Jayron Hosley had the highlight of the night when he intercepted Mark Sanchez and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown. Hosley may have opened more eyes tonight with that play.

The battle for the third wide receiver spot remains to be a battle. Ramses Barden failed to gain any seperation from the pack of receivers battling for the position. Barden was the first on the field to receive a chance on third down and dropped the pass Manning threw his way. The next pass thrown to him also went incomplete in the end zone when he couldn’t get seperation from Darrelle Revis. Second round pick Rueben Randle’s one catch on the night was an impressive one on a deep pass from David Carr that went for 49 yards. It wouldn’t surprise me if head coach Tom Coughlin is thinking this might just be a receiver by committee scenario until someone breaks out from the pack.

If there is an area of concern it would definitely be the stability and depth of the Giants defensive line. They have been hit hard by injuries this summer. Backup middle linebacker Mark Herzlich left the game in the third quarter with a hip pointer. Herzlich has played well in camp and is pushing Chase Blackburn for that starting spot.

Next week the Giants get to play their first official “home” game when the Chicago Bears come in for week 3 of the preseason.

Has it really sunk in yet? Has your pulse rate returned to normal?

After a 20-17 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Giants are going to the Super Bowl.

It’s amazing how far this Giants team has come in a little more than a month. This was a team that was 7-7 at one point, lost to the Seahawks and twice to the Redskins, and looking maddeningly inconsistent for a good portion of the season. But they hung tough, they got key wins at the end of the season instead of collapsing, and have been rolling ever since. This Giants team is a testimony to the fact that in the NFL postseason, it’s not about who was best in the regular season but about getting hot at the right time.

Thoughts from the game-

-On a night when the offense struggled to move in the ball, especially in the second half, it was great to see the defense play so well. They didn’t get to Alex Smith as much as expected and were burned on big plays a few times but they refused to bend or break and buckled down when needed. Which, if you think about it, is really how they’ve operated in the past few weeks. The Giants defense tends to give up a decent amount of yards but they manage to keep their opponent off the board, which is what’s most important any way.

-Given San Francisco’s turnover-happy defense, one of the keys to this game for the Giants was winning the turnover battle, just like they did last week in Green Bay. Not only were they +2 in that category but both of the turnovers they recovered were huge. (Both came on special teams too, which is one area where many seemed to think the 49ers had a clear advantage.) If it wasn’t for the Kyle Williams muffed punt and Jacquain Williams and Devin Thomas teaming up on that fumble recovery, the 49ers very well could have put the Giants away for good.

Speaking of the muffed punt, was I the only one who was amazed that challenge went the Giants’ way, considering what happened last week with the Greg Jennings so-called non fumble?

-The Giants struggles in the running game reared its ugly head again, though in fairness they were playing against a very stout run defense. Eli Manning got no relief from handing the ball off to Ahmad Bradshaw or Brandon Jacobs, and there were times when he could’ve used that break. It really goes to show how much the offense has depended on him all year.

-Here’s to hoping that the injured 49ers cornerback- Tarrell Brown if I recall correctly- is alright after colliding with one of his teammates during the game. Seeing him lay on the field for so long was scary, though it was a huge relief that he was showing signs of movement. No one wants another Kevin Everett situation.

-As pointed out above, the Giants defense was stingy when needed. The 49ers were 1-for-13 on third down all game and that one third down conversion was from the end of the fourth quarter when the Giants were in prevent defense and only concerned about not giving up a touchdown with no time left on the clock.

-The offensive line didn’t have the best game. Manning was sacked six times in the game and hit infinitely more.

-When the Giants make it to the NFC Championship, they win the NFC Championship. They are now 5-0 in NFC Championship games.

-Congratulations to Victor Cruz for his first career 100 yard postseason game!

-I admit all the references to this being a “repeat” of 2007 were getting a bit old/annoying but now it’s almost creepy. The Giants win the NFC Championship game on the road, against a team who had beaten them in the regular season, thanks to an overtime field goal by Lawrence Tynes, which was set up by a turnover, in order to play the Patriots in the Super Bowl. You have to admit that’s at least a little bit weird.

At least Tynes didn’t miss two potential game-winning field goals in regulation this time. I don’t know if I could’ve taken that again, especially considering how tight this game was defensively. But be sure to brace yourself for unlimited mentions of this being a “Super Bowl XLII rematch”.