Giants - Indy
1999 Game 9 - 1PM ET

Eagle

Giants Nov. 14 vs. Colts 1 p.m. TV: Cha. 2 Radio: WNEW-FM (102.7) Never mind that apparent aberration of a 31-point outburst last week. All was back to normal yesterday at Giants Stadium, with coach Jim Fassel besieged by questions about his sluggish offense for the fourth time in five morning-after news conferences following Giants victories. Fassel does not deny there are problems that must be addressed before the team begins a daunting second-half schedule. But he admitted it is frustrating to be hounded continually about the offense when the team is 5-3 and in second place in the NFC East. "Along that path to 5-3, we've had to fight and scratch," he said. "We've taken a lot of heat over a lot of things, but we're 5-3, and I'll deal with it from there. I would rather be doing that than dealing with it from 3-5, I'll guarantee you that." Still, the questions keep coming, from the reporters Fassel faces nearly every day and the fans who scream at their television sets every week, even after a victory as dramatic as Sunday's 23-17 overtime thriller against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants resume play after their bye against the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins, the top-scoring teams in the AFC and NFC, respectively, so the defense likely will need more help from the offense. The biggest area of concern remains the running game. With starting tailback Gary Brown out for the year and rookie Joe Montgomery out at least one more game with a broken foot, the Giants have done little. Starter LeShon Johnson has 51 rushes for 104 yards, only three more yards than quarterback Kent Graham has gained on 20 fewer runs. Fassel did not use rookie Sean Bennett on Sunday for fear his ballhandling would be shaky after a one-month layoff. That might change after the bye. He also hopes to get fullback Charles Way more carries. But yesterday, Fassel at last said it is time for him to get third-down back Tiki Barber more involved, even in regular offensive sets, regardless of concerns over wearing him down or getting him injured. "We got to the halfway point and he's healthy; I'll do whatever it takes now," Fassel said. "He will be more involved. I need to have him more involved . . . I'll take whatever risks I have to take, being not dumb about it, to get us over the hump." That is fine with Barber, who had one carry against the Eagles and has 14 for 58 yards this season. His 4.1 average is best among Giants backs. "I have never said I need 25, 30 touches a game," said Barber, who admitted he became frustrated on Sunday over his lack of action early in the game. "I just want to touch the ball 10, 15 times, get an opportunity to make something happen." The problems in the running game go beyond the backs. The line has been shaky, with first-round draft pick Luke Petitgout enduring a rough day on Sunday after missing one game with an ankle sprain. Fassel said he will examine all aspects of the running game during the break, but has few personnel options among the linemen. The lack of a running attack helped the Eagles' strategy of keeping their secondary in deep, zone coverage to keep the Giants from going downfield. The alternative was the kind of short passes that have led to criticism of Fassel for being too conservative. Graham completed 11 passes to backs, nine to tight ends, one to himself and only five to wideouts. "They just sat there in that same old stuff and said, 'We are not letting you down the field,' " Fassel said. Said Graham: "We have the luxury of having a good defense. That's the way our offense has gone this first half. The second half, I'd like to see us open it up more, but that's up to Jim." Fassel praised Graham for avoiding turnovers against a team that entered the game with an NFL-high 19 takeaways. Protecting the ball has been a mark of Graham in particular and the Giants in general under Fassel. But the coach acknowledged that avoiding mistakes is only part of the formula. "In order for us to get to that next level, our offense needs to be more productive," he said. "That's what I know has to happen." hj

NO illusions, no deception, no believing the standings and ignoring what's in front of your own eyes. If mid-season were the end of the season, the Giants would be host of a wild-card playoff game. But it is November, not January, and there cannot be any feeling of security with a team like the Giants, no security with a team that cannot score. "We can't continue to win like this," GM Ernie Accorsi declared earlier this week. No illusions here. Where they are is not bad at all, but how they got there is alarming. At 5-3, one-half game behind the first-place Redskins in the NFC East, owners of the fourth-best record in the conference, the Giants on paper have positioned themselves for a serious late-season run. On the field, though, are the lingering, nagging reminders that half a team is not going anywhere. Here's a guarantee: If the Giants serve up the same offensive slop in the second half of the season, they will not make the playoffs. Their defense can carry them only so far, and cannot be expected to bludgeon the high-powered opponents remaining on the schedule the way they slapped around the lousy competition they've already encountered. This is no knock on a proud, talented unit, but any defense that gets to brutalize the inept Buccaneers, Cardinals, Saints and then the Eagles not once, but twice, should look fearsome. The Giants were excellent against two quality offenses (the Patriots and Cowboys) and awful against the one superior offense they faced (a 50-21 debacle against the Redskins). Everything changes after this week's bye. The Giants take on, in succession, the highest-scoring team in the AFC (Colts) and the highest-scoring team in the entire league (Redskins). The Colts are averaging 28.3 points a game and in Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James it's quite possible the next great triad, following the aging Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith, now resides in Indianapolis. The Redskins are averaging 34.6 ppg and look a whole lot like one of those old AFL clubs that has no problem winning 37-31 games. Up ahead are meetings with the Rams, Vikings and Cowboys, three teams that have no trouble finding the end zone. The Giants on defense set a goal of allowing no more than 17 points, but it's unrealistic and unfair to believe that goal will become reality against such potent attacks. The days of 17-13, 16-15 and 13-10 victories are nearing an end. To squeeze out as much success as they have, the Giants on defense have allowed an average of 5.3 points in the second half of games. That's an incredibly low total, a total that is certain to rise. "I'm very concerned," Accorsi said. "The thing I'm pleased about is we're in there, the record puts us in it, but we're going to have to score more points. Even if our defense continues to play the way they're playing, it's hard to hold those teams down. All you got to do is look at the scores. They score against anybody." And the Giants score big against nobody, other than the lowly Saints. In 99 possessions (excluding two end-of-game kneel-downs) the Giants on offense, by itself, managed to put together drives for eight touchdowns and eight field goals. That's 80 points, an average of 10 per game, which is an indictment of Jim Fassel as the offensive mastermind and Kent Graham as the quarterback. Graham's rating of 82 is a career-best and puts him ahead of Aikman, Brett Favre and Randall Cunningham, and yet Graham is going to need to make many, many more plays. He and the entire offense cannot continue to think backwards, that protecting the ball and limiting turnovers is sufficient. Real offenses are threats and the Giants are not that. This might have looked different had Gary Brown remained healthy to fuel the running game and rookie Joe Montgomery been healthy to gradually accept some of Brown's load. "Our plan never had a chance to sail," Accorsi said. Fair enough. But this is no way to stage a playoff push. Accorsi admits he has "walked out of the stadium kind of rattled after almost every one of our wins" but is pleased that, unlike last season's 3-7 record after 10 games, the Giants are in fine shape, in terms of where they are in the standings. "There's a lot to be happy about," Accorsi said. "We're resourceful, we're competitive, we stay in games, we don't quit. But we have to put more points up."

osted by G_Men on 11/4 10:55 pm Every team in this league has problems. How frustrated would you be if you had Aikman, Smith, Rocket and a huge, experienced offensive line and still couldn't move the ball consistently (unless your playing the 2nd worst D in the NFL - Washington). How about Bret Favre as your QB ... throwing 4 awful INTs and putting the ball on the ground 2 other times on MNF ... how could a potential Hall of Famer dare do that in a big game ... it would rip your heart out as a fan. What if you had Barry Sanders as your RB and still couldn't win ... Detroit is better w/o him ... how can anyone explain that? ... is he just a highlight film and not an effective north - south, tough yardage, positive yardage, clutch game player - well, you'd have to say right now he's just a highlight film and not a winner. We have problems ... no doubt, but, we've given ourselves a chance to continue to find ways to win while we work on our problems and heal our injuries. Believe me, they're teams out there saying God, if we just had Armstead or Strahan or Sehorn or Keith Hamilton or Toomer or Hilliard or Mitchell or Brian Williams or Sparks or Ellsworth or Garnes (in fact, there are fans of a couple of teams that would love to have Kent Graham - Bucs, Ravens, Saints, etc.). Remember don't evaluate another team by looking at their stats or highlights and don't let one good game fool you. If you want to make a statement that any team in this league is significantly better than the Giants, then go out and get tapes of their past 3 seasons and turn yourself into a passionate fan of that team and watch the games as if you don't know the outcome ... then tell me how everything with your new team is all OK and there are no problems and if only the Giants were more like that team. If your really struggling to remain positive, then just imagine being a Jets fan ... most of them are not old enough to have enjoyed the Championship Namath and co. gave them and they've had to suffer through some horrible seasons and just when it looked like they might just win ... Vinny blows out his Achilles ... now that s#cks. The mighty G-Men have given us 2 Super Bowls in the last 13 years and even when things aren't clicking on all cylinders ... no one looks forward to playing us ... because they know even if they win they'll be battered and bruised by a great, physical defense. Hang in there Giants fans ... continue to constructively criticize and continue to demand and expect improvement, but, stay behind this team and their coach and their QB and by the end of the year you might just have had an enjoyable ride despite the frustrations along the way. If your still not convinced, then get a tape of the Giants - Broncos game last year or the regular season finale in '97 against the Skins and you'll see some familiar faces doing some big time things. It can all happen again ... remember the Giants are 7-0 in December the last 2 seasons. Go Big Blue!

Last month, much like Dorothy following the yellow brick road, the Eagles took the turnpike into Giants Stadium, coming in with no wins and 3 losses.
They played with their hearts and minds and yes, with courage that day causing 5 Giants turnovers, but it wasn't enough and they lost the game 16-15. However, the Giants played sort of a Dorothy role in this semi-analogy, and the Eagles left the Meadowlands with so much confidence, they went on to beat both Dallas and Chicago.
After those 2 wins, the Eagles lost a close one to the Dolphins when a Norm Johnson 42 yard field goal attempt went wide right with 52 seconds left. So here they are again, and one thing is for sure, win or lose against the Giants this week, the Eagles will end up with an extra dose of confidence by games end.

The Eagles and Kent Graham
The Eagles lead the NFL in takeaways with 19, and they're 2nd in interceptions with 14. Three of those interception came against Kent Graham, and it's a matter of fact that the slant play with which the Eagles picked off 2 passes against the Giants is still in the playbook.
Kent Graham talked about it, saying that it would be used, but only under the right circumstances, and that he would be extra cautious before throwing it.
"We called the same play against Dallas and they played it the same way the Eagles did," Graham said. "So, I pulled it down and ran the ball and everybody booed. They were yelling, 'Throw the ball!' No thanks. Been there, done that.".
The Eagles intercepted him three times in that game, nearly cost him his starting job and left him with a concussion. Graham is fully recovered from the concussion, mostly recovered from the quarterback controversy, and is ready to face the Eagles again.
"I feel comfortable," said Graham. "I feel I'm starting to get into my mode where I was last year. This is why this week is so important to me personally, I want to keep that going, especially going into the bye week. I've just gotta be smart with the ball ... and not get a concussion; that'll help too."
Then Kent turned serious again, "I feel more confident going into this Eagles game, but when you take a beating like we did last time against them, and how I played, obviously you have that in the back of your mind, and you want to overcome that.".
Graham went on to say that he has a healthy respect for the Eagles defense, but feels he and his offense are playing at a higher level than a month ago, thanks to a last-minute drive for a win against the Cowboys and then a 31-point explosion against the Saints.

Eagles are no Saints
Don't look for the Giants to score 31 points against the Eagles this week. In their worst beating of this year, the Eagles gave up 26 points.
Their last 4 games have been decided by 4 points or less, and they've lost three of their games this season by a grand total of five points.
In fact, they almost continued their win streak against the Dolphins last week. Miami controlled the ball for 36 minutes in that game, and still you couldn't count the Eagles out. On the final drive QB Doug Pederson overthrew a pass to a wide open Charles Johnson for what could have been the game winning touchdown. After that, there was a missed 42 yard field goal in their attempt to tie it up for overtime.

Like the Giants, the Eagles have had trouble getting points on the board. The Eagles offense went 18 straight quarters without a touchdown earlier this season, and now has a 6 quarters no TD streak going. Last week's Eagles TD was scored by the defense, when Brian Dawkins returned an interception 67 yards.
Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid said that Doug Pederson will start Sunday against the Giants. Many Eagles fans would like to see rookie QB Donovan McNabb get a shot, especially after that overthrown pass by Pederson last week. He was 13 completions on 25 passes for just 108 yards with one interception.
Andy Reid wants to bring McNabb along slowly, and says, "I've got to go on what my expertise is. I can't let outside influences be an influence on this decision. I'm going to do this when I think it's right. I want to make sure Donovan McNabb grows, as hard as that is. I'm looking at the big picture."
That may make sense, but Andy will be under a lot of pressure to make some changes.

The Giants running game - who's up this week?
This week it's LeShon Johnson. For the Cardinals in 1996, Leshon rushed for 634 yards on 141 carries. This guy has raw talent that can't be tamed. It seems he can't wait to run, he breaks some and then gets stopped for no gains. The problem is he tries to power his way through, but picks the wrong spots. Last week against the Saints LeShon ran for only 36 yards on 18 carries. Fassel says, "He missed some reads.".
Leshon says, "I have to know when to use my speed and when not to use it. I feel like I've gotten a lot better, but once I get it down, I'll be the back I want to be."
Johnson and Bennett weren't able to make the running game work very well before Gary Brown returned to action in Week 4. So we might expect to see Tiki Barber in there to get things going if the running game stalls this Sunday.

The Defense
The Giants really need their defense on the field, and they were pretty banged up after last week's game. LB Jessie Armstead, who had said he might not practice this week, was back on the field with his bruised ribs. You just can't stop that guy, and he will be starting this Sunday. Luke Petitgout will also play. The Giants will be starting Sanders, 5-8 and 185 pounds, who has never started an NFL game.

Watch out for
Brian Dawkins, who had a 67-yard INT return for a TD in Miami last week.
Bobby Taylor, who returned one 18 yards for a score in the first Giants game. Dawkins said the Eagles felt they should have won that first game.
He also says, "We feel we have a great chance of winning this game."
Also watch to see what Jason Sehorn does with the ball if he gets his hands on one this game. In the first game, he lateraled and the ball ended up in the end zone, recovered by Phillippi Sparks who was tackled by Charles Johnson for a safety.

NOTES

Eagles
Rank 30th in total offense, averaging only 209.7 yards per game.
RB Duce Staley ranks sixth in the NFL, and has 505 yards.
Duce Staley and Emmitt Smith are the only 1,000-yard rushers from last season who are on pace to reach that mark this season.
Tight ends Luther Broughton and Jed Weaver have 21 receptions. - Last year the Eagles tight ends caught just 23 passes all season.

Defense is now being run by new coordinator Jim Johnson.
Have forced 19 turnovers. Last year, total was an NFL-low 17.
Have totaled 14 interceptions. - Last year, total was 9.

Giants
Lifetime are 70-58-2 against the Eagles, but in Philadelphia, Eagles are 33-30-1 Have forced 12 turnovers, with 10 interceptions.
Have 17 sacks, with 9 1/2 split between linebacker Jesse Armstead and defensive end Michael Strahan.
Rank 27th in the NFL in total offense, but are only one-half game behind Washington and Dallas in the NFC East.
Have allowed just 11.8 points per game in 6 games, excluding the Redskins blowout.
Amani Toomer has 37 receptions for 470 yards, which puts him on pace for an 80-catch, 1,000-yard season.
Jim Fassel is 5-0 vs. Eagles.

Streaks
Longest Giants Winning Streak 9 games - 1938-42.
Longest Eagles Winning Streak 11 games -1975-81.

Giants - Eagles first game - Recap

Next week
The Giants have a bye week.
The Eagles are at Carolina on Sunday, Nov 7 at 1 PM.

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1999 NFC EAST - Week 7
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	Home	Away	AFC	NFC	DIV	Streak
Dallas	4	2	0	.667	158	95	3-0	1-2	0-0	4-2	3-2	W1
Washington	4	2	0	.667	194	166	1-1	3-1	1-0	3-2	2-2	L1
NY Giants	4	3	0	.571	115	121	3-1	1-2	0-1	4-2	2-2	W2
Arizona	2	4	0	.333	82	129	1-2	1-2	0-1	2-3	2-2	L1
Philadelphia	2	5	0	.286	90	128	1-2	1-3	0-2	2-3	1-2	L1