Final thoughts...

I don’t know if the play calling was a bit on the conservative side but it could just seem that way because NY was so careful to defend the deep ball. They willingly gave JC the middle of the field and he did a good job taking advantage of it. Post-game, JC did mention that they were sandwiching Santana so that could explain his reliance on ARE and Cooley.

Props to Danny Smith for having the juevos to run the fake field goal in the first quarter.

Last but not least, for the Skins fans that maintain the BADLY informed standpoint that JC and Zorn gotta go if DC doesn’t make the playoffs- please take a CLOSE look at what the Raiders did Monday night against San Diego because that’s what a team with a rookie QB and head coach look like.

DEFENSE

Led by Mr. Underappreciated, All-Decade Linebacker London Fletcher, the Skins’ D stonewalled Jacobs and Co., only allowing 3.3 YPC. They stopped them on 4^th down, caused 2 turnovers and downright skunked the Giants’ offense all 3 times they entered the red zone. That’s playoff-caliber right there folks. So why are Skins fans still unsatisfied? Easy. Where were the million dollar plays Big Al and DeAngelo are getting paid for?

The Skins D-line had 2 QB knockdowns and 1 sack, all 3 hustle plays belonging to Andre Carter. They had 1 fumble recovered by 18^th string Lorenzo Alexander. OK, Big Al had 4 tackles and one for a loss but those are average numbers from a $100 million player. And I don’t think I could count on all my fingers and toes the number of times DeAngelo got beat- TOO MUCH CUSHION. How do you think he ended up being the 4^th leading tackler on Sunday?

And don’t come running and screaming, “But Sam, he had that crucial interception.” Thank Landry for that one because it basically fell into DeAngelo’s hands after Dirty 30 made a spectacular play on the ball. While we’re on the subject of MIA players, was Brian Orakpo on the flight to NY when the team departed last weekend? The stat sheet has him down for 2 tackles. That’s news to me.

MVP goes to London Fletcher- no explanation needed but I’m going to explain it anyways because the man belongs in the Pro Bowl. Props to Horton too but Fletch racked up 18 tackles, 1 pass deflection, and a TEXTBOOK “Coach, I’m gonna need a few plays” hit on Brandon Jacobs. You’re welcome Landry.

And the running game?

WHAT RUNNING GAME? Zorn dialed up only 21 running plays on Sunday, and only 4 of those has some kind of impact on the ballgame: a 34-yard-dash by Portis on the opening series, and 3 other 1st downs.

Minus Portis’s early scamper, he got the ball 15 times for only 28 yards. It’s no secret that Zorn was a QB for the Seahawks back in the 1840’s and prefers to sling it, but nobody’s taking home the Lombardi trophy with that kind of J.V. performance. Zorn’s play-calling is partially to blame but before you demand that Vinny trade “the back formerly known as Southeast Jerome,” don’t forget he’s running behind 5 linemen aged 32, 29, 31, 33, and the question mark, 25-year-old Stephon Heyer.

O-line, particularly run blocking, is undoubtedly the Skins’ most glaring weakness and NEEDS to be addressed in the 2010 draft. Until then no one, including NY on Sunday, is going to respect DC’s play-action until the running game starts bumping out 5 and 6 yard carries. Back to basics Bugel.

How about JZ's pass offense?

The passing game, I felt, was sub-par but not because of a lack of production from Campbell. Rather, two sweet disappearing acts from starting wideouts Moss and Kelly. They lined up against replacement corners due to injuries in NY’s defensive backfield but only managed to combine for 3 catches and 12 yards receiving. Downright saucy. But Campbell’s performance wasn’t exactly immaculate either.

The difference on the scoreboard was Osi’s sack-forced fumble-recovery-touchdown, which might have been prevented if JC would have moved up in the collapsing pocket or thrown the pigskin O.B. Also, his foot-over-the-line pick to Webster left much to be desired. Excluding those 2 botches, JC had a very respectable game. He completed 73% of his passes for 211 yards and a touchdown. He had a 93.6 QB rating, which topped Eli’s and would have earned JC seventh in the NFL at the end of last year.

Also he took advantage of what the Giants gave him: the middle of the field. Randle El and Cooley both showed up to play on Sunday hauling in 7 catches each for 98 and 68 yards respectively. However, Randle El DID botch that WR reverse pass in the first quarter so offensive MVP goes to Cooley. As for pass blocking? They allowed 3 sacks (1 was Campbell’s fault) and 4 QB knockdowns. Suck it up Zorn. You can win with that kind of pass protection. As Al Davis once said, “Just win baby."

9/13/09: Giants top Skins 23-17 in the Meadowlands... Most Alarming Stat?

TIME OF POSSESSION!

The Giants smacked the Skins in T.O.P. by almost an entire quarter: 36 minutes to a measly 24. The offense ran only FOUR plays in the entire first quarter.

That can be attributed to the offense not being able to convert on 3^rd down (5 for 12) and the defense not being able to stop NY on 3^rd down. The Giants had drives of 7:19 for a FG, 4:58, 3:10 for a TD, 4:30, 4:47 for a FG, and 6:11 for a FG. The Skins managed one drive over 3:32 and that was a five-minute drive to start the second half that ended in a punt. The penalties sure didn't help either.

The Skins have to maintain drives to change field position and keep their defense’s legs fresh. Especially with older and injury-prone players like Daniels, Griff, Big Al, and Rogers.