Big Blue Huddle

Great stuff, Rich.  That looks like Curt Warner and Mike Martz back in Greatest Show on Turf days. It might even be their terminology. It also could be the Eagles who run stuff like that a lot. It is not the Giants terminolgy although they run a bunch of Hi-Lo routes. Not often with a Back and TE, however. They run them with Cruz crossing underneath and a TE running a 12-15 yard square-in, and vice versa with the TE running a shallow cross; Cruz running a Hi dig-route.

In the PO game against the Niners, they began anticipating Cruz running a shallow cross, so he began pivoting and running back outside, a so called jerk-route because it makes the defender look like a jerk. That made them switch from Man to zone underneath. I don't know if it's read or not but it fits Gilbride's style.

And while on that subject, it's more likely that Gilbride would "run and shoot" a deep dig route out of Trips with Nicks isolated on the single side. Often the route is a quick ad hoc decison between Eli and Nicks to run either a streak or a bend with the underneath receiver sitting in open area of the zone. He runs the same kind of thing with an inside receiver. Not Run and Shoot but an echo.

A great QB and a really savvy OC have made stars of Nicks and Cruz; especially the latter, and has made rather ordinary TEs quite productive.

Cheers!

The switch to the T Formation was 1949, jimv.  As for the other date, Columbia ended Army's 32 game winning streak in October 1947. I was at that game with my mom who was a huge fan of Lou Little's Lions, and the reason Columbia later became my alma mater. What she didn't know at the time was that I was rooting for Army. In any case, it wasn't Pitchin' Paul Governali but Gene Rossides who threw the famous pass to Bill Swiaki who caught it with his finger tips to cut the score to 20-14. He made another 4th Quarter catch on the Army 3 yard line after which Lou Kusserow ran it in to make the final score 21-20. Rossides and Kusserow were known as the Gold Dust Twins.

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Yes, indeed the fullback was a ball carrier- often the major one- back in the day. There were three backs behind the Quarterback who was "under the Center" in the T formation. They crossed the T which is where it is got its name. The guy in the middle might be a half to a full step deeper than the other two which is why he was called, Fullback; the others were called, Halfbacks. In those days, Mel Triplett was the fullback, Gifford and Webster, the halfbacks. Chuckin' Charlie Connery was the QB, the Giants first ever T formation Quarterback. But even before then Connerly's FBs included Gene "Choo Choo" Roberts and Eddie Price with Joe Scott, and Skippy Minisi, and Kyle Rote as the Halfbacks.


Before the Charlie Connerly era began, the Giants played the Steve Owen's "A formation" which was a variation the single wing. Paul Governali was the Wingback; Ken Strong was the Fullback, Joe Sulaitis the Blocking Back, and Howie Livingston was Tailback.

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You got that right, king of the bronx.

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A truly accurate assessment, Ceri.  You certainly nailed Courtney Upshaw but alas he wont be there when Giants pick, and I don't see the trade happening. In any case, I've decided to not expend any more mental energy adducing and deducing. It's close enough enough now; I can wait.

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Really well done, and spot on as usual.

Many thanks.

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Ceri, I share your views on RBs so closely, I need not comment except in regard to "trading out" of 32. Two things would be required for it to even be a consideration: 1. Someone would have to make them a really good offer. 2. It would not cost them a shot at a player they really wanted.     

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I figured that might be your reasoning, Ceri.  Actually, it's what makes your board so good. It's realistic.
Teams with needs may overvalue to address those needs, most particularly when the need is for a starting (franchise?) QB. Both the Browns and 'phins may see Tannehill as their only realistic opportunity. A decision reached to pass on Richardson, Blackmon, and Floyd may depend on whether either can imagine Brandon Weeden as an Andy Dalton.

As for Cousins, I agree that 43-52 is way too high for a guy who projects as a backup on a WCO team.

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Well done, Ceri. No room to even quibble. Maybe just a little uncertainty as to whether Tannehill with only 19 starts at QB is full value in the Top 10. Of course, that's where he may go given the needs of teams like the Browns and Dolphins. But that is franchise QB territory.

Great job, my friend.

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Big Red always will be one of my all-time favorite Giants. I had the pleasure of having a few pops with him in Gallagher's on more than one occasion. Just a really nice man.

May he rest in peace with all the great Giants who have gone before him.

His false steps will result in more big plays for the offense than it ever did in college, so he's going to have to get  better with anticipation and route recognition. I suppose you think that's an Amukamara reference. The fact is it's someone's notion of a chink in the glistening armor of one Patrick Peterson. If you are of a mind, you can find a negative to cherry-pick for every player in the Draft, or already in the NFL for that matter.

I share Todge's view; I think what he has said is accurate and appropriate. The Giants got themselves a player at 19 who was ranked among the Top 10 in the Draft irrespective of position, and for good reason. Is that a problem?

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Nice analysis, Ceri I don't think the Giants would hurt themselves if they took any of the five at 19. Personally, I rate Costanzo and Solder higher than you do. I think if the Giants do take an OT at 19, it will be either one of them.

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I think Ceri's reasoning is sound, Rich. And the fact that Boothe was offered only an original (6th round) tender rather than a "we want to keep him", 2nd Rounder also may be indicative.

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Rich's descriptions are quite adequate in characterizing the nature , roles, and responsibilties of those two LB positions. It may also be worth emphasis that the reason the "Mike" linebacker is so often referred to as the Quarterback of the defense is because normally he is the one who receives defensive playcalls from the sideline and relays them to the rest of the team. He has to correctly identify the offensive formation and adjust the defense accordingly. As such, he has to be a pretty savvy guy with more than a little leadership skill. 

As Rich has indicated, the Will LB provides backside support on runs as well as outside contain.  He also is the one most often deployed in coverage especially against backs in the left flat and against WR screens.

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I might, Eli. I sure would be tempted.  But I don't think the Giants will for the reasons I've given.

If McClain is there, I think they'll take him. If not, I suspect that they'll go for a Dlineman (Dan Williams, Derrick Morgan) at 15, a LB at 46, and an Olineman at 76

Cheers!