Big Blue Huddle

11 days to prepare and you manage a long FG for offense. 

The AFC has the better QBs, by a lot. The NFC has the better line play, offensive and defensive, by a lot.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on September 30, 2023, 12:19:03 PMExcellent point.

If I told you back in August that the Giants would be 2-2 coming out of week four, would you really have been shocked and devastated by that?

Through four games we will have played two of the best teams in football, plus a third team that beat us last year and made the playoffs. Not to mention we will have gotten our road Thursday night game out of the way. I'm sorry but if you're 2-2 coming out of that start, that's not the end of the world.

That's why winning on Monday is so damn important. If we can get that done, we're right where we were supposed to be.

I can't speak for everyone but for me the non-competitive nature of those losses is the issue.

I guess I thought they would fair a little better than a combined score of 70-12 in those games. I didn't expect a 4-0 start or even 3-1, but I thought maybe they would score more than 6 points in the 1st half of those 1st 3 games.

I think just using the record as a barometer/expectation is very different than what you saw on the field. 

I get that a 1 point loss counts the same as a 40 point loss and those 1 point losses can even sting more for the fans and players.   It's just tough to stomach that after what most thought was a good offseason, 2 of 3 games thus far have looked like a Sun Belt team visiting Georgia or Bama.

As you mentioned if the team gets to 2-2, I would have taken it and it's still early in the season and improvements can be made.

Big difference in who Ezeudu will face in this game vs SF.  It will be a good barometer for him.

Before captains were announced I heard someone say this on the radio:

"If you have 8 captains, you have no captains"

Not sure where I heard it, but I think it was Pat Kirwan on NFL Radio (honestly could have read it on this forum).  And I keep thinking back to that statement and trying to figure out, who is a real leader on this team.

Someone once told me, if you don't expect much you won't be disappointed. Not really a philosophy that I have ever been able to embrace. 

This team right now, there are a few things:

1)  There was hope/expectation that the OL would improve significantly this year.  So far after two games against top 5 (in the NFL, NOT NFC) front 7s, it doesn't look better.  The worst part of it is that they will face one of those defenses again and another top 5 front 7 twice (Philly if you are not sure).  Maybe those of us who had expected rather than hoped for the OL to be able to hold their own against a top defensive front are a victim or our expectations

2) The defense has been worse than most hoped/expected.  As mentioned above, its a young group.  I have been disappointed by the tackling, but I was expecting a certain amount of mental mistakes.  The IDL is still solid, but the groups around them seem to be inconsistent at best.  For me the key is whether the rookie CBs pan out.  If they do, there is a lot of potential with a guy like Dex up front.  And like the OL, this D faced two really solid offenses with good OLs in 2 of three outings.  And again they will also face one of them again and Philly with the best OL in the NFL twice. 

On the topic of defense I also wonder if the aggressive style needs to be reigned in some.  I get wanting to blitz on 3rd and 15 or 3rd and 13.  Of course when you have been blitzing all game and the offense expects it, they will run plays that will be short, quick and give them the opportunity to make one guy miss to get a 1st down.  Backing out of a blitz and playing zone here or there to create some element of surprise probably wouldn't hurt.

3) Getting behind every game.  Some of this goes back to what I just mentioned about the aggressive defensive style.  But the bigger issue IMO here is scoring a total of 6 first half points in 6 quarters of first half play.  I don't think my expectations are the issue here.  I don't think it's out of line to expect a touchdown or two in the first half of the first 3 games of the season.  Not sure what it is about this team, but they look completely overwhelmed in the 1st half of games.  How are the game plans that poor?  Or how are they being executed that poorly? 

Really not sure.  Until I see 4 quarters of play in a game, its tough to imagine thinking this team will be what we have seen for 2 of 12 quarters thus far.

Geno seems to have done some growing up Seattle.  Perhaps with the Giants he was the same guy he was with the Jets.  I didn't see anything while with the Giants that would convince me otherwise.

Seattle hasn't changed much about their D style of play.  Front 4 like to get up field, play a lot if zone behind it. 

If the OL blocks the pass rush well then it should allow for good movement on offense.  If their DL is better than the Giants OL, it could get ugly.

What's their time of position and amount of plays run vs the opposition's?

I know that's not the only issue, but it doesn't help when through 3 games the team has scored 6 points in the 1st half.  Tough to rush the passer down 20

Quote from: shadowspinner0 on September 26, 2023, 04:14:47 PMNot citing some conspiracy that the NFL gave Carter to the Eagles but how teams allowed this ultra promising prospect to fall to one of the best teams in the NFL. People keep citing "character concerns" yet that didn't stop the Eagles from drafting him and making a great team even better. Eagles go to the Super Bowl and they draft Jalen Carter. The Giants have this miserable season and draft Thibs. 

 This incident:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/16/sport/jalen-carter-uga-crash-plea/index.html
 

Jets need more than just a QB.  Their OL pass blocks poorly.

If they are going to pursue a QB it should be someone who is mobil.  Cousins would be a mistake IMO. 

The run game can help, but I think they will still need someone who can move around and buy time in the passing game. 

Curious to see if Vita Vea and company will he able to slow down the Eagles running attack.  I think Kevin White is out though.

Quote from: Rambo89 on September 25, 2023, 09:09:58 AMInjuries or not there is zero reason for the Cowboys to lose that game except for them beating themselves which they did yesterday.

Seattle didnt make any excuses without several starters this week.

Quote from: Ed Vette on September 25, 2023, 09:46:33 AMI don't see how the Raiders thought he was an upgrade over Carr.

I think McDaniels specifically wanted Jimmy G, because he had success in his system.   Carr seemed somewhat lost last year.  That's on the coach more than the player IMHO, but I think that's why they made that swap.