Giants - Colts
1999 Game 9 - 1PM ET

The Bratzke Meadowlands Curse

What is this all about?
We'll get to the Bratzke Meadowlands curse thing in a minute.
Don't get me wrong, we like Chad, and know that he would still be with the Giants except for the salary cap.
We can't cheer for him too much this week as he goes up against his old friend Roman Oben, but we certainly welcome him back to the stadium.
Chad was the Giants fifth-round draft pick in 1994, and the Giants wanted to keep him, but knew they could not afford both him and Michael Strahan and still make the salary cap.
Chad had a great season, recording 11 sacks in 1998, leading up to his free agent status, and he did go expensive, getting $30 million for six years, including a $9-million bonus.

Jim Fassel said,"He is a young man the Giants took a chance on, and he worked and developed into a good player. All things being equal, we would have loved to have kept him. When he left I was happy for him, but hurting inside for us."
Strahan got a $12 million signing bonus and $32 million spread over four years in case you're wondering.
Meanwhile, some questioned if Bratzke was worth all that money he got, thinking that Chad excelled only because Strahan was on the same defense and pulling most of the double blocks.
It turns out that he was. Chad Bratzke currently has as many sacks as Michael Strahan and his replacement Cedric Jones combined.

Cedric Jones steps up.
Cedric Jones was the Giants former first round pick, drafted fifth overall in 1996, and he battled injuries early on. Cedric had trouble stopping the run, but has since improved on his skills.
Cedric said. "I've been doing extremely well against the run; I've been concentrating on that. I know I can do a lot better overall, though. Now that I'm starting, every week I'm seeing things I haven't seen before."
In 8 games, Cedric has been credited with 23 total tackles, (21 solos), with 2.5 sacks and hopes to build on that sack number as time goes on.
It's interesting to note that Chad Bratzke finished his first full starting year with 52 total tackles (43 solos), with 5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries.

On to the Indy trio.
They are being compared to the Dallas Trio that we know so well, Dallas QB Troy Aikman, RB Emmitt Smith and WR Michael Irvin.
Every time you write a review on the Cowboys, those are the guys you say you have to "contain".
For the Colts, it's QB Peyton Manning, RB Edgerrin James and WR Marvin Harrison. The Giants will have to "contain" these guys this week, and the only good part is that they won't have to face them twice a year like those other three guys.
While the Giants have time on their side with the Dallas trio showing some age, there is no such luck for Miami, Buffalo, New England, and the Jets.
The Indy Trio is young and and should be around for quite some time.
Marvin Harrison leads the NFL with 58 pass receptions and 887 yards, and he's tied for first with nine touchdown catches.
Edgerrin James is tied with Curtis Martin as the NFL rushing leader, with 746 yards. He has five games of 100 yards or more, and no other Colts running back has a carry.

QB Peyton Manning, son of former star Archie Manning, gets rid of the ball quickly, and has been sacked only 9 times this year.
He has 15 TD passes for an average of almost 2 per game, while throwing only 9 INTs, or about 1 per game. He also has 2 rushing TDs.
Kent Graham has 7 TD passes for an average of almost 1 per game, while throwing only 5 INTs, and 1 rushing TD.
Math-wise, his numbers are about half of Meaning's.

Coincidentally, the Giants put up a little over half of what the Colts do on the scoreboard week after week.
Anybody getting the point of all this?
Maybe 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, and that's what the offense can do by throwing deep a little more often, even at the risk of an interception.
The Colts are 3rd in the NFL on total offense, 24th in rushing, and 1st in passing.
The Giants are 24th in the NFL on total offense, 27th in rushing, and 22nd in passing.

More on Manning
Manning leads the AFC with his 15 touchdown passes, and he's second in the NFL with 2,282 passing yards.
The Giants defensive unit has been studying him.
Safety Percy Ellsworth says,"If you just woke up and saw him, you'd think he was a 10-year veteran. After one step as he drops back, he pretty much knows what the defense is doing and where he wants to throw. That's the most impressive thing, how quick he's reading defenses."
LB Jessie Armstead said. "He's looking at the defense as he comes to the line, making checkoffs. You don't see many young guys do that."
CB Phillippi Sparks is aware of Manning's play-fakes. "Manning stretches out like he's going to give the ball to James and then pulls it back and throws it." Sparks says he'll watch for the fake, and come up only when he's sure James has the ball.

Let's wrap this up with what Defensive coordinator John Fox said, referring to the 20-16 upset of the previously unbeaten Broncos.
"Hold them to field goals instead of touchdowns, that was a big key last year when we beat Denver. You know the Colts are going to make some plays on you, they're just too good an offense to stop.
But you try to hold them to whatever it takes to win, and to do that you can't get beat deep a bunch."

Colts on defense
A lot is being said about how the scary Colts defense is knocking quarterbacks out of the game, but if you look at the actual situations, they get "credit" for Dan Marino, but he played the full game and avoided being sacked. He does blame the Colts for a bone spur in his neck that has sidelined him since.
Jets QB Ray Lucas was sacked by defensive tackle Ellis Johnson and suffered a sprained ankle, but that was on the final play of the game and didn't affect the results.
Chiefs QB Elvis Grbac was knocked out of the game, but it was in the final minute of the game when he was rammed in the back by blitzing safety Jason Belser.
Dallas QB Troy Aikman was hit in the head by blitzing cornerback Jeff Burris in the 4th quarter, sat out a series and returned.
Bengals QB Akili Smith hurt his ankle when defensive end Mark Thomas fell on him while attempting a sack. They didn't return him to the field with 9:17 left in the 4th quarter trailing 31-3.

In actuality, the Colts defense ranks only 15th in the NFL with 21 sacks, thanks mostly to the 7 from Chad Bratzke.
They are 13th against the rush, and 22nd against the pass.
The Giants defense ranks 8th overall in the NFL, 5th against the rush, and 13th against the pass.

Giants on defense
The Giants are solid against the run.
Is RB Edgerrin James better than the Cowboys Emmitt Smith?
In the Dallas game, Emmitt was held to 26 yards on 22 carries.
If the Giants can stop James, they'll be able to go after Manning.
Is QB Peyton Manning better than Troy Aikman?
Troy's numbers in that game were 20-33 for 266 yards, 1 INT, 0 TD and 3 sacks, by Michael Strahan, Robert Harris, and Corey Widmer.
The Giants can stop talented offenses and are looking forward to this weeks challenge before facing the Redskins next week.
Giants cornerback Jason Sehorn will be up against Colts receiver Marvin Harrison. Jason has been feeling his way along this year.
Look for him to come up big this week if there's enough pressure on Manning.

The Giants running game - who's up this week?
This week it's LeShon Johnson who once rushed for 634 yards on 141 carries for the Cardinals in 1996. He hasn't managed anything like that this year, and he's the one the Giants look to, to take the ball up the middle.
LeShon gets help this week from Tiki Barber and rookie Sean Bennett.
Dump offs and screen passes will probably be the way to go, with a little bit of the no huddle, which Fassel won't use if things are working without it. On passing, the thought is to get the ball to TE Pete Mitchell who had a real good game last time out, and hopefully try some deep ones to Amani Toomer, Ike Hilliard and Joe Jurevicius.

Back to Bratzke
Chad Bratzke is hot. Last Sunday he made 10 tackles in the win over the Chiefs to earn one of the game balls, and he's tied for 3rd in the NFL with his 7 sacks.
This week Chad goes up against his old friend Roman Oben who says,
"I've been studying his moves, his games. He has a good motor, good second effort. That's how he makes some of his plays, when other guys would have given up. He plays hard and I expect extra effort from him this week."

Now onto the Curse
In 7 games the Colts have scored just about 30 points every game against all sorts of teams, win or loose.
At the Meadowlands they were lucky to clear just over half of that.
It was 1 TD and 3 FGs for the power offense against the Jets as Chad Bratzke returned for the first time to his former digs as an opponent.
So I'm coining the term right now, and you heard it here first.
I call it: "The Bratzke Meadowlands curse."

Not Playing
Safeties Percy Ellsworth (foot) and Shaun Williams (hamstring)
Corner Conrad Hamilton (knee), and RB Joe Montgomery (foot)

Last Notes
Safeties Percy Ellsworth (foot) and Shaun Williams (hamstring), won't play
The last time the Colts had a 6-2 record was 1977, when they were known as the Baltimore Colts.

Manning has thrown a TD pass in 21 straight games

Although Manning has been sacked only 7 times all season, 3 came just last week against the Chiefs.

Chad Bratzke had 3 of his 7 sacks in the opening game.

Colts have won four straight while Giants have won their last three.
If the Giants win, they will be 6-3, just the same as the Colts.

In the last 3 games, Kent Graham has completed 60 of 92 passes (65.2 percent) for 662 yards, 3 TDs & 1 INT for 92.8 passer rating.
Kent Graham's 82.4 season rating ties for 4th in NFC.

Last game, Kent Graham was 26-for-42 for 240 yards and a TD, and he also rushed for 40 yards.

Last game, TE Pete Mitchell had 6 catches for 41 yards and a TD.

Jessie Armstead leads the Giants with 6.0 sacks, most among NFC linebackers. He also has 2 INTs and 71 tackles.

Safety Tito Wooten and CB Thomas Randolph return with Chad Bratzke to play against their old teammates.

Next week
The Giants are at Washington on Sunday Nov 21, at 4 PM.
The Colts are at Philadelphia on Sunday Nov 21, at 1 PM.

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1999 NFC EAST - Week 9
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	Home	Away	AFC	NFC	DIV	Streak
Washington	5	3	0	.625	259	222	2-2	3-1	1-1	4-2	2-2	L1
NY Giants	5	3	0	.625	138	138	3-1	2-2	0-1	5-2	3-2	W3
Dallas	4	3	0	.500	199	156	3-0	1-4	0-1	4-3	3-2	L2
Arizona	2	6	0	.250	92	168	1-3	1-3	0-3	2-3	2-2	L3
Philadelphia	2	7	0	.222	114	184	1-3	1-4	0-2	2-5	1-3	L3