Giants - Cards
1999 Game 11 - 1PM ET

The Quarterback Spot

What happens to Kent Graham?
So is this where it ends for Kent Graham? Will he one day pull out his dusty scrapbook and point to the time when he took over as the starting quarterback for the Giants, and with 6 games left went 5-1, including a win over the undefeated Denver Broncos?
The year was 1998, and he helped the Giants avoid a losing season by having them close out with an 8-8 record. Will that be the highlight of this quarterback's career? I'd say no.
In some respects, Kent Graham's failures this year can be attributed to many things. Early injuries to the running back squadron, breaking in rookies and near rookies in key positions, retraining some returning players who had big layoffs, and of course the coaching.

Kent Graham was a much better QB last year, and not just because of that one Denver game. Jim Fassel, the recognized QB coaching genius, has slowed Kent Graham down.
His "Don't make mistakes" philosophy has turned an emerging quarterback into a lifeless statue, gaping out across the field, looking for that perfect opportunity to throw a pass. This plan would actually succeed if the Giants offensive line was better, and if they had a better running game, but they don't.
Instead, what we get is an unaggressive offense playing not to make mistakes, and a quarterback who holds onto the ball way too long.

Jim Fassel is somewhat responsible for what Kent Graham is today, with one exception.
Somewhere along the way, Kent Graham should have had a rebellion similar to what teenagers experience growing up with their parents..
Kent should have done it his way, failing at times, while slowly gaining respect from his elder 'parent' coach for doing things his way.
No parent can live his child's life for him, it was Jim Fassel who was on the sidelines while Kent Graham was in the mix on the field, desperately searching for those opportunities that Jim Fassel promised him would be there. The way things were working out with this careful play, Kent Graham would be the best QB statistically in football while sporting the worst win - loss record, and both he and Fassel would have been gone at the end of this season.
Our message here to Kent Graham on being benched - Don't take it so hard, get healthy, and grow up and be your own man.

Now we have some "lets" for the Giants.
Let the offensive line gain confidence as Kerry quickly releases the ball and takes the heat off them.
Let Kerry take the heat from Fassel for throwing the ball when and where he shouldn't.
Let the receivers take the heat from Fassel and Kerry for not being where they should and for dropping balls.
Let Fassel learn that there is no such thing as "perfect football" as his team makes mistakes with all this, and still goes on to win the game.

What will Kerry Collins do for the Giants.
Kerry Collins will mask the fact that the Giants have no running game. He will do it with confidence and by soliciting fear from opposing defenses who will have to respect his arm and the fact that this quarterback will force the ball downfield, even if it doesn't look like the right thing to do.
Collins is the perfect fix for the Giants right now, and he should be successful. Kerry should listen to Fassel with one ear, take any advice the ex-quarterback coach can give about hitches in his throwing arm and such, and everything about opposing teams and strategies.
Then Kerry should go on the field and do it his way, making mistakes sometimes going for the big plays that weren't really there, getting yelled at on the sidelines at times by Fassel, all the while being his own man, leading the Giants team to victory.

The best advice for Kerry Collins
Don't listen to Jim Fassel.
Don't let him tell you - not to make mistakes.
Don't let him tell you - to wait for the perfect opportunity.
Don't let him tell you - how to be a quarterback.
Kent Graham beat Denver when they were unstoppable.
Then the more he listened to Jim Fassel, the worse he played.
Finally, he had to listen to Jim Fassel telling him to take a seat, just like all the rest of Fassel's quarterbacks.
Bottom line - Shake your head "Yes" to Fassel on the sidelines, but then forget it, and go out there and play 'Kerry Collins'.

Yes Kerry, try to get Fassel, the fans, the reporters, and even the players used to victories and touchdowns at the cost of a few interceptions by playing something less than 'perfect football'.
If you want to win, you have to play 'real football', and it won't be an easy lesson to teach around these parts, but it's a lesson everyone needs to learn if the Giants have any shot at all this year.
We have said it here before, and will repeat:
"If you take more chances and air the ball out more, sure you get more INTs, but also more TDs and points.
We don't like the drive stopping INTs, but depending on field position, 3 and out and a punt, is almost the same thing.
Maybe we should let our superior defense worry about the extra interception per game. They get paid for that.
They don't get paid for scoring points, like they've been asked to do."

On Quarterbacks, how about Dave Brown and Jake Plummer?
It looks like Dave Brown, who was with the Giants from 1992-1997, will start against his former team. Dave started against the Jets a few weeks ago at the familiar Meadowlands.
He was 12-of-18 for 122 yards and was sacked 5 times in the Cards 12-7 losing effort.
Dave is 2-2 as a starter since replacing Plummer, and is suffering a strained right shoulder. Plummer, who also has had hip, groin and rib injuries this season, suffered a broken finger against Washington on Oct. 17. It has healed, but Jake has a sore right thumb which he feels will continue to bother him the rest of this season.

Jake Plummer hasn't been spectacular this year, having thrown 14 INTs with only 3 TDs, and his 39.6 passing rating is last in the NFL.
Coach Vince Tobin is hoping to use Dave Brown for the whole game, but if he struggles with the injury, Jake is available to play.
Plummer has said of Dave Brown, "He limits the errors he makes. He's a good field general. The guys trust him, which is what you want. He's done a great job to get us back in the hunt."
Brown's numbers are 73-of-152 for 818 yards, with 2 TDs and 6 INTs.
His QB rating is 52.5, 3rd worst in the NFL.

Last time
In their last meeting in Arizona in October, Plummer scored on a one-yard run and tossed an 11-yard TD pass to rookie WR David Boston in the 2nd quarter.
Dave Boston came up big that game, with 8 receptions for 101 yards.
DE Andre Wadsworth's stripped QB Kerry Collins of the ball for one of the two turnovers, as the Cards went on to win that game 14-3.
Kerry's stats last time against Arizona were 24-38 for 202 yards, 1 INT, 0 TDs, and 3 sacks.
A recap of that game with links to stats and all is here at:
Cards beat Giants 14-3

Tricky Cards
Last week in their win over the Cowboys, the Cards used 3 trick plays against an aggressive Dallas defense.
One was a flea-flicker to Rob Moore coming across the middle of the end zone for a TD.
Another came on 4th and 1, and was a short snap to Pat Tillman, who hadn't carried the ball since high school, and he ran it 4 yards.
The last was in the 4th quarter when David Boston gained 8 yards on an end-around.

Last Notes
RB Joe Montgomery might play for the first time since breaking his foot on Oct. 24 against New Orleans.
David Patten will replace Joe Jurevicius who had 3 drops last week.
Brian Alford might dress and get a shot as the fourth wideout.

Cards are 29th in total offense, 28th in rushing, 27th in passing.
Giants are 20th in total offense, 26th in rushing, 17th in passing.

Cards are 19th in total defense, 29th against the rush, 7th against the pass.
Giants are 9th in total defense, 13th against the rush, 11th against the pass.

Cards have given up only 12, 19, and 9 points in their last 3 games.

Cards have lost 14 of their last 15 at Giants Stadium.

The Cardinals remain the only NFL team without a 1st quarter TD and have been outscored, 83-6, in the first quarter this season.

The Cardinals have not had a season sweep of the Giants since 1979.

Fassel's record starting his backup QB 12-4-1
Fassel's record starting his starter 11-14.

Giants lead the all-time series against the Cards, 74-38-2.

Next week
The Giants host the Jets on Sunday Dec 5, at 1 PM.
The Cards host Philadelphia on Sunday Dec 5, at 4 PM.

Click on the Team Giants logo to be informed of all Giants game previews and reviews.

1999 NFC EAST - Week 11
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	Home	Away	AFC	NFC	DIV	Streak
Washington	6	4	0	.600	310	270	3-2	3-2	1-1	5-3	3-3	W1
NY Giants	5	5	0	.500	170	188	3-2	2-3	0-2	5-3	3-3	L2
Dallas	5	5	0	.500	235	182	4-0	1-5	0-1	5-4	3-3	L1
Arizona	4	6	0	.400	128	196	3-3	1-3	0-3	4-3	3-2	W2
Philadelphia	3	8	0	.273	166	256	2-4	1-4	0-3	3-5	2-3	L1