The Giants looked good in their 24-0 win on Sunday against the Bucs. I hope it’s because they are that good and not just because they were playing the Bucs.
The running backs were having their way with the TB defense and Eli looked solid, though he didn’t have to be as the running game was so on-point. But with that much time in the pocket it’s hard not to be legit. Plus, I can’t say enough about the play of the O-Line. They played well and did their job.
Bradshaw looked like a champ and Jacobs was pretty good, but still I don’t understand why they ran it on that 3rd-and-10 from the 12 in the third quarter. That was dumb, especially when Eli had more time than he knew what to do with in the backfield. They did get the win so I guess it’s a moot point.
(The real) Steve Smith had another good game: seven catches for 63 yards and a score, but I would have liked to have seen more catches from Manningham. Smith is going to be a big part of the offense this season, I like the way he plays. Manningham has a lot of potential too.
Big Blue shut the Bucs down in the first half, allowing just 19 total yards and no first downs. They kind of let up a little bit in the second half, they can’t do that against a real team. But I guess when you have that big of a lead it’s hard not to. But overall, the defense played great. They made life a nightmare for Leftwich, stopped the run and kept the goose egg in tact.
The time of possession was heavily in favor of NY, TB failed to convert on any of its nine third-down attempts, the G-Men outgained them 397-86 and it was just a lopsided game all around. I was happy with the outcome and hope that it was a sign of things to come.
Also, don’t be surprised if you see Josh Johnson playing more if Leftwich continues to struggle. JJ looked OK, then again it’s hard not to when you’re following Byron Leftwich.
Next up: the Queefs in KC.