Giants - Redskins
1999 Game 2 - 1PM ET

Will the offense please take the field

The last time
The last time the Giants had less than 107 yards of total offense in a victory, as they did last week against Tampa Bay, was on Dec. 11, 1960. They beat the Redskins with 51 yards, including minus-1 yards rushing.
Yes, these two teams have a long history. The Giants have played the Washington Redskins 132 times, more than any other opponent.
The Giants have also defeated the Redskins 75 times, more than any other opponent, and they lead the all-time regular season series, 75-53-4.

What the Redskins will remember most though, was last year.
The Giants sent them onto an 0-7 streak after beating them on opening day at the Meadowlands 31-24.
The Giants also were the cure, as that winless streak was broken when the Giants traveled to Washington and lost to the Redskins 21-14.
In that game, the Giants had no offense. Review of that game is HERE.
The Redskins went on to win 6 of their final 9 to finish at 6-10.
When Norv Turner is busy showing his team the tapes from the Giants - Tampa game, they will see the same thing, no offense.

I picture the players shuffling out of the room as Norv tries to get their attention.
"Wait guys. Look at these preseason tapes! We have to take the Giants seriously. They do have an offense... I think. Wait up." Someone might call back over his shoulder, "Preseason tapes of the Giants on offense? You want to show us preseason tapes? Come on Norv, it's almost lunch time. We beat them last game and we'll beat them this game. We play these jokers every year. We know who they are, 107 yards of offense and only 4 first downs, longest pass - 12 yards. That's them. That's the Giants. We got it!"
That could well be the attitude the Redskins defensive unit has towards the Giants, even if they don't openly admit it.
It's up to Kent Graham and crew to show the Redskins, fans, and maybe even themselves that "these jokers" are indeed Aces, even without their Trump card, Gary Brown.

Stuck on 28
In 1997, the Redskins finished 28th against the run.
They decided to address that situation, and added former first round picks Dana Stubblefield and Dan Wilkinson.
Somehow that didn't work, and they were 28th again last season.
After giving up 186 rushing yards Sunday, they rank 28th again.
Looking back to last week, the Redskins defense is actually bigger than Tampa's, but they don't have the same speed, and that one necessary ingredient was used to shut down the Giants running game last week.
Rookie RB sensation Sean Bennett (OK - only preseason sensation thus far), will be able to get to the outside and make some good gains.
He should be effective this week, and then running up the middle will work, spearheaded by a very anxious to play, LeShon Johnson, and Charles Way.

Redskins on offense.
QB Brad Johnson is 15-9 as NFL starter. He threw for career-high 382 yards vs the Cowboys last week, completed 20-of-33 passes, had 2 TDs and no interceptions, and the Redskins are very excited about Brad.

Who is Brad Johnson?
He was a ninth-round draft pick for the Vikes in 1992, picked 227th overall, 16 places after the Giants took Graham in the same draft.
Brad broke his leg early last season in Minnesota, and Randall Cunningham took over.
Randall led the record-breaking Vikings offense, and Johnson was being dealt.
In fact, the Giants were giving Brad Johnson a look before Kerry Collins was signed this offseason. The Vikings wanted a lot for him, and he cost the Redskins 1st and 3rd round draft choices this year and a 2nd-round pick next year.

That game
By all respects, the Redskins should have won that game last week against Dallas.
Overall, they racked up 504 total yards, RB Stephen Davis gained 109 yards, and receivers, Michael Westbrook and Albert Connell combined for 296 yards and 2 TDs. What happened?
The Redskins were playing a good game and brought a 35-14 lead into the fourth quarter.
New owner Daniel Snyder and the largest home crowd in Redskin team history were almost ready to celebrate. Then everything went to hell.

The Redskins offense stopped moving the ball, and the defense was hit by numerous penalties. The Redskins let the Cowboys recover an onside kick, they even jumped offsides 4 times on one Dallas TD drive, had 12 men on the field on another late play, three of their DBs had to leave the field with heat induced leg cramps.
The Cowboys went 90 yards without a timeout in barely more than a minute for the tying TD.
Washington actually had a chance to win the game on the last play of regulation, but holder Matt Turk fumbled the snap on what would have been a 41-yard field-goal attempt.

In the end, the Redskins blew a 21-point lead and lost to the Cowboys, 41-35, in OT, on Troy Aikman's fake handoff to Emmitt Smith and ensuing 76 yard TD pass.
The Washington defense gave up five touchdown passes and an average of 5.5 yards per carry, and the game has been labeled "the biggest choke in Redskins history" by the Washington media.
The Skins gave up 541 yards, the most of any team in Week 1.

Some equal time for Norv that NY/NJ area fans will respect.
Norv Turner - "Everyone wants to jump to judgment off of one performance. The New York Jets were an outstanding defense last year. They gave up almost 600 yards to San Francisco in Game 1. I'm certainly not pleased with the way we played in some areas on defense, and we can play a lot better. But I'm not going to sit here and say we're not going to be a good defense. We'll be a good defensive football team."

Giants on defense
The Giants Defense has been talking about Brad Johnson also, and they say, "Bring him on".
In response, Redskin fans say that Johnson is no Trent Dilfer.
The Giants listen and say, "Bring him on." They know that Brad did his stuff against a weak Dallas secondary without Deion Sanders and Kevin Smith.
Jessie Armstead wants to see if Brad can make the same kind of throws when his unit puts on the pressure, and "We're going to put pressure on you," Armstead warned, "Nobody can sit back there and get some hits and throw accurately."
It's unlikely that Jason Sehorn will play except in an extremely limited role, but it would be exciting for the fans if he works his way in there. Conrad Hamilton is also listed as "questionable", so it will be up to cornerbacks Lincoln, rookie Weathers, and Sparks who will be tested far more extensively than they were in Tampa.

The troops.
Sehorn wants in for this game against the Redskins. He's feeling real good, running and cutting in practice, but it's the quick stops, sudden accelerations and bursts that will test his hamstring injury. Just think how much more comfortable Fassel will be if he does these things on a real grass field, like the one the Patriots have in Mass the following week.
Kent Graham when asked about the lack of offense, and about the game, said that every defense is different, and the Redskins defense is not the Tampa Bay Bucs defense.
LeShon Johnson knows he can take the ball up the middle, and was told that he would split time with Sean Bennett against Tampa Bay last week, but Fassel didn't use him.
Fassel was concerned about his ability to hold onto the ball with his bad hand against the tough Tampa Bay defense.
Another week of healing has gone by, and Fassel insists the RB will carry his share of the load this week.

Under Fassel
Giants are 16-5-1 when they rush for 100 yards or more.
Giants are 3-8 when they rush for less than 100 yards.
Giants are 2-8 when an opposing back gains at least 100 yards rushing.
Giants are 6-10 under Fassel when an opposing team gains at least 100 yards.
Giants are 13-3-1 when they hold the opponent to less than 100 yards rushing.
Giants are 15-3 when they score first.
Giants are 11-0 when leading at halftime.
Giants are 17-1 when leading heading into the final quarter of play in the regular season.

Notes:
The last time the Giants won in week 2 was 1994, at Arizona 9/11.
A win on Sunday would give the Giants their first in week 2 under Coach Fassel.
Fassel is the only active coach with at least 3 decisions and a perfect opening-day record.
QB Brad Johnson has the NFL's 2nd-highest QB rating - Dan Marino is number 1.
Last week, Kent Graham was 12-of-23 for 91 yards.
Last week, Brad Johnson was 20-of-33 for 382 yards.
Redskins cornerback Darrell Green, started in 1983 when Graham was in junior high.
The Giants had 19 interceptions last year without Jason Sehorn in the lineup, down from 27 in 1997, but had 4 without him last week.
Giants have won past 2 at home vs. Redskins by total score of 61-34.

I like that average for this week as well - look for the Giants to win 30-17.

Next week
The Giants are at New England for an 8:30 PM game.
The Redskins play the Jets at the Meadowlands at 1 PM.

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

	Opening Day at Last
	The Last Preseason Game
	Subway Series
	Who are these Jaguars anyway?
	We don't need no stinkin' Running Backs!!

1999 NFC EAST - Week 1
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	Home	Away	AFC	NFC	DIV	Streak
Arizona	1	0	0	.1.000	25	24	0-0	1-0	0-0	1-0	1-0	W1
Dallas	1	0	0	.1.000	41	35	0-0	1-0	0-0	1-0	1-0	W1
NY Giants	1	0	0	.1.000	17	13	0-0	1-0	0-0	1-0	0-0	W1
Washington	0	1	0	.000	35	41	0-1	0-0	0-0	0-1	0-1	L1
Philadelphia	0	1	0	.000	24	25	0-1	0-0	0-0	0-1	0-1	L1