Sun Oct
1, 1:00 pm (Fox) - Giants at Tennessee
Adelphia
Stadium
The
Titans are 10-0 at Adelphia Stadium, going 9-0 last
season and 1-0 so far this year. You can imagine
how excited the Nashville fans are about this. Buffalo
almost beat the Titans at home last year in the
AFC wild-card game. Giants Center Dusty Zeigler
was with the Bills last season, and remembers how
his former team lost to a 75 yard kick return, when
Titans tight end Frank Wycheck fired a pass across
the field to wide receiver Kevin Dyson. Kevin went
sprinting untouched down the left side into the
end zone for a 22-16 Titans win. It all happened
with 16 seconds to go at Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville,
and the fans call it the "Music City Miracle".
Can the Giants make history by being the first team
to beat the Titans in their own home? After last
week's performance, maybe you have your doubts,
so let me remind you of a recent Giants victory
that might have slipped your mind. Not that long
ago, in week 15 of the NFL season the 5-8 Giants
were about to face a team that had beaten some pretty
impressive competition. In fact they had beaten
ALL the competition to the tune of being 13-0 with
only three games left to play.
Right, now you remember. It was 1998, and the undefeated
Denver Broncos were coming to the Meadowlands for
a pitstop on their way to an unbeaten season. The
Giants, lead by quarterback Kent Graham at that
time, beat the Broncos and finished the season up
at 8-8. The depressed Broncos lost the next game
to a Miami team, who had a need to further protect
the record set by the '72 Dolphins, and then finished
at 14-2, beating the Seattle Seahawks. The Broncos
ended up winning the Superbowl that year, beating
all the teams in post season with lopsided victories,
including Miami 38-3, and John Elway retired on
top of his game. In his career he accomplished just
about everything a quarterback can in football,
with one big exception. He couldn't get past the
5-8 Giants that week to lead his team onto an unbeaten
season. So this week the 3-1 Giants, armed with
better weapons than they ever had in 1998, play
the 2-1 Titans. We'll see what happens in Adelphia
Stadium.
What
signs start to tell you that you need a new Quarterback?
Before
everyone gets too excited, we're not saying that
Collins isn't the man. Now back to the question.
Redskins quarterback Brad Johnson was really on
the spot after three games, with the knock being
that he wasn't able to throw deep. His longest pass
completion was only 26 yards, but then Brad showed
his stuff against the Giants, completing 14 of 20
passes, including those all important long bombs
of 53, 48 and 46 yards, burning the Giants for big
plays in that Redskin win.
A quarterback who can't throw deep, is a quarterback
that can't take you to the Superbowl. Remember former
Giants' quarterback Danny Kanell? The Giants needed
him to throw deep to take pressure off the running
game. He couldn't do it. When they forced him, he
threw interceptions, and he was gone. Kent Graham
took over and was better, but couldn't do the things
downfield like Collins can, and so he too was soon
gone. Now everyone will be watching this game against
the Titans to see if Kerry Collins can really do
it big time.
Kerry had been in a comfort zone the first three
games, handing off the ball, controlling the defenses
with a two headed running game, catching them by
surprise with some passes here and there when opposing
teams went all out to stuff the run. Most all of
the passing was done from the commanding position
of being in the lead. In the first three games,
the Giants got out in front and stayed there for
the entire game. Also, the Giants caught Arizona,
Philadelphia and Chicago at the right time, either
plagued with injuries or not playing their best.
Then
came the Redskins
The
Redskins came to town and the Giants literally ran
into a brick wall. Kerry Collins and the rest of
the Giants looked like they were in a daze last
Sunday as they kept banging up against that wall.
It grew higher and higher as the Redskins scored
points and they weren't able to throw over it. The
Giants haven't taken many shots down the field so
far this season, because they haven't had to. They
even seemed to resist doing it, and after they fell
too far behind, they couldn't do it.
Wake up Kerry Collins and the rest of the Giants.
Your comfort zone is gone. You'll be facing tougher
competition this week. Just staying in the middle
lane has worked and gotten you this far, but you've
just been cut off and passed by the Redskins as
they veered out into the left lane, flipping you
the long deep bird as they did so. Luckily for the
Giants, Kerry Collins has all the skills he needs
to pull out and keep up with aggressive NFL traffic.
The Giants just have to let him take off that old-man
driving hat he's been accustomed to wearing and
go full bore with that high-octane arm of his.
Giants
secondary
Giants
cornerback Dave Thomas will be on his toes this
game. He was with the Jacksonville Jaguars last
year, and they finished the regular season at 14-2.
Those two loses came at the hands of these very
same Titans. Then in post season play, after the
Jaguars beat Miami 62-7, they lost once again to
the Titans in the Conference Championship game.
Three big losses, all in one season, all to the
same team.
Last week the Redskins had success and opened up
the game when they started throwing to Dave's side
of the field, and he's out to show this week that
it's the exception and not the rule. Dave said,
"The secondary has to play as one, and that's
what didn't happen. We weren't on the same page,
and just having one guy out of place can make it
really tough."
You can't be totally sure from that statement if
he was talking about himself or free safety Shaun
Williams. On two of Washington's big plays, Shaun
was in the wrong position. He also could have come
up with the ball for a possible interception on
another play. Working as a starter for the first
time this year, Shaun had three nice games, and
learned some lessons last week. Shaun says, "Any
time you have a subpar game, you want to go out
and perform well the next time you have a chance.
This week his plan is to "stay deep and make plays.".
This
week's competition.
The
Giants might be lucky, once again hitting a break
by playing a team that's hurting. Titans quarterback
Steve McNair looks to be back in the starting lineup
for Sunday's game against the Giants. McNair's last
start was Sept. 10, when he bruised his sternum
against Kansas City. He was effective last week
coming off the bench for Neil O'Donnell (neck injury),
and in the final minutes against Pittsburgh, directing
a game-winning drive. Both Steve McNair, and Neil
O'Donnell were listed as questionable this week
but they practiced every day, and O'Donnell (three
interceptions last week), should be McNair's backup.
With both quarterbacks on the mend, the Titans will
be anxious to keep pressure off them if possible
and feature running back Eddie George. Giants
linebacker Mike Barrow and Eddie George were teammates
with the Houston Oilers back in 1996. In case his
teammates are unaware, he's educated them as to
just how effective George can be. Here are some
game notes on Eddie George, a big running back who
just keeps coming at you. The Titans are 14-0
in the regular season when he has at least 27 carries
a game. They are 18-5 when he gains at least 100
yards.
This season he has only 191 yards rushing on 65
carries, averaging only 2.9 yards per carry. Some
of that is due to the fact that there is a lack
of a big downfield passing threat, and defenses
play the run against the Titans. They've lost top
wide receiver Kevin Dyson for the year because of
a knee injury, and Yancy Thigpen should miss this
game against the Giants after aggravating a hamstring
pull on Sunday. Tight end Frank Wycheck, a favorite
main target for McNair, will probably not play because
of a concussion. Expect Pete Monty to get some extra
playing time to help cover the run, and Jason Sehorn
will most likely baby-sit Carl Pickens, the Titans'
most dangerous deep receiver.
Giants
need to go deep
The Titans probably were happy to review the game
tapes and see how the Giants were beaten last week
by Washington exploiting their secondary. The Giants
likewise
need to supplement the running attack and short
passing game with some big passing plays to keep
defenses honest. Wide receiver Amani Toomer will
be all too glad to see the Giants take more shots
downfield. He's their
big-play receiver, and he averaged 15 yards per
catch last year, but is averaging just 9.1 yards
per this season. Thanks to ball control, his longest
reception is 25 yards. Toomer says,
"We've used the passing game to supplement the running
game, but I think we have to throw more 20-yard
routes, that type of thing, to loosen up the DBs."
Notes
Titans are 10-0 at Adelphia Stadium, going 9-0 last
season and 1-0 this year.
Injuries
Giants - Out: CB Ralph Brown (kidney). Questionable:
CB Andre Weathers (knee). Probable: K Brad Daluiso
(back).
Tennessee:
Out: WR Kevin Dyson (knee); DE Byron Frisch (ankle).
Questionable: S Blaine Bishop (neck); LB Greg Favors
(ankle); DE Kenny Holmes (back/ankle); DE Jevon
Kearse (quad); QB Steve McNair (chest); QB Neil
O'Donnell (neck); DT Joe Salave'a (neck); WR Yancey
Thigpen (hamstring); TE Frank Wycheck (concussion).
Next
Game
Oct 8, Giants at Atlanta 4PM FOX
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those very organized fans.
If you use a Palm Pilot and want to keep
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Last
Week's review, Washington
16 - Giants 6
NFC
East - after Week 4
|
Team |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
PF |
PA |
Home |
Road |
AFC |
NFC |
DIV |
Streak |
NY Giants |
3 |
1 |
0 |
.750 |
74 |
57 |
1 - 1 |
2 - 0 |
0-0 |
3 - 1 |
2 - 1 |
L1 |
Washington |
2 |
2 |
0 |
.500 |
67 |
65 |
1 - 1 |
1 - 1 |
0-0 |
2 - 2 |
1 - 1 |
W1 |
Philadelphia |
2 |
2 |
0 |
.500 |
83 |
60 |
0 - 1 |
2 - 1 |
0-0 |
2 - 2 |
1 - 1 |
W1 |
Arizona |
1 |
2 |
0 |
.333 |
51 |
81 |
1 - 1 |
0 - 1 |
0-0 |
1 - 2 |
1 - 1 |
L1 |
Dallas |
1 |
3 |
0 |
.250 |
96 |
135 |
0 - 2 |
1 - 1 |
0-0 |
1 - 3 |
1 - 2 |
L1 |
|