|
Giants (6-4) vs Jaguars (6-4)
The Jaguars moved
into first place in their division with a 24-20 win over the Browns. They managed
to do it despite turning the ball over 6 times in the game. This is a trick the
Giants need to learn.
The Giants dropped into second place in their division
with a 27-17 loss to the Eagles. They turned the ball over 5 times in their game
and can't seem to break that habit win or lose. Lately it's been lose. Jacksonville
Jaguars.
Tom Coughlin 'invented' this team back in 1995
and was with them for eight seasons until 2002. He was head coach, general manager
and had full control over all decisions. Under Coughlin,
the Jaguars were the most successful expansion team in NFL history. The Jaguars
made the playoffs every year from 1996-99, the only expansion team to make the
playoffs in four of its first five seasons. Coughlin was proud of saying
that he hired everyone from the players to the receptionist in the lobby. Things
changed when the Jaguars went 19-29 over his last three years, attendance dwindled,
and Coughlin was fired.
For the Jaguars, it's only been Tom
Coughlin and current head coach Jack Del Rio, who took over a coaching job on
a team stuck with huge salary-cap problems. Del Rio is
coming off two losing seasons (12-20) and like Coughlin before him, he could be
three and out. Jacksonville is a small-market franchise and fans tend to drift
away when disinterested. Last season seven of the eight home games were blacked
out but currently they are 6
for 6 on having their regular-season games televised locally, although they needed
an extension to the NFL blackout deadline last week.
Their
current three game win streak comes about from beating the Colts on a last-play
59-yard field goal, stealing the next one against the Texans on a Hail Mary pass
as time expired, and coming back in the final two minutes against Cleveland after
committing six turnovers. The way they've been playing they could be one of the
few teams that brings into question the old Bill Parcells adage, "You are
what your record says you are." Coach Jack Del Rio says, "I think this football
team has a flair for the dramatic. Wow." Jaguars
Offense.
Running back Maurice Jones-Drew
is doing for the Jaguars offense what the Giants haven't been able to do for themselves.
He's taking the pressure off their passing game at a time when they are hurting
for healthy receivers (sound familiar?) Jones-Drew is fourth in the NFL in rushing
with 878 yards and has rushed for 100-plus yards in three straight games for the
first time in his career, picking up a career-high 220 total yards from scrimmage
last week including his 133 on the ground.
Jones-Drew did account for two
turnovers last week. His first career pass on a trick play was intercepted and
returned for a touchdown. He was also a contributor to the Jaguars five
consecutive second-half turnover possessions. He bailed himself and the team out
when they were trailing 20-17 in the closing minutes. He took a screen pass 75
yards to the one yard line and later took it in for the score.
Quarterback
David Garrard 's three interceptions and lost fumble are not typical, although
he did have four turnover interceptions in the second week against San Diego and
was pulled from the game. The current win streak has him with 856 yards and 8
touchdowns. Garrard likes to use tight end Marcedes Lewis who has 8 touchdowns
this season. He'll be missing his starting left tackle Eugene Monroe, and maybe
receiver Mike Sims-Walker, who didn't play last week with a sprained-left ankle. Jaguars
Defense.
The way their offense was playing,
they had their work cut out for them last week and they handled it. They put six
sacks on Cleveland's quarterback Colt McCoy and played tough enough to limit the
damage caused by their offense handing the ball over to the Browns offense six
times. They kept the Browns offense from making a first down after each turnover.
On the next to last play of the game they intercepted a Colt McCoy pass from the
Jaguars 29-yard at the 3-yard line to secure the win.
Although they are the
worst in the league allowing 6.2 yards a play, over the last three games they
have improved their run defense, allowing only 73 yards per game. Still, they
are ranked 28th in the league in pass defense, giving up 264.6 yards per game.
Some of their starters have only one or two years playing experience. It will
be interesting to see how the Giants patchwork offense does against a young defense
that may be starting to come together. Giants
Offense.
The beast is back! Brandon Jacobs
was hit with a heavy fine for mixing it up (hurling obscenities) with some Eagle
fans and now he'll bring that fire to the Giants on the very first offensive play
of the game. Jacobs will get his first shot as the starting running back this
season. Tom Coughlin seems to have figured that the best way to cut down on Ahmad
Bradshaw fumbling is to keep him on the field less. There's even talk of D.J.
Ware being involved for a change. He'd had only two carries this season until
the last time you saw him in the fourth quarter of the Seattle game when the Giants
were wrapping up their 41-7 win (Ware - 66 yards on 13 carries). There have been
two straight losses since then with no chances for any 'wrapping up'.
Left
tackle Shawn Andrews has been to the hospital for severe back pain and was listed
as "doubtful" and David Diehl (hamstring) won't be back, so Will Beatty
is expected to start at left tackle. Reshuffling the offensive line seems to have
affected the direction and type of running plays that can be used and the Eagles
picked up on that last week. Hakeem Nicks was hurt last week and Eli Manning will
again be throwing to some fresh faces like Michael Clayton and Devin Thomas who
both signed just this week. Derek Hagan who was cut in preseason, was signed back
the week before, and Manning will rely on seasoned regular (just 3 years in the
NFL) Mario Manningham and rookie Calhoun. Giants
Defense.
This game should be all about
run defense and the Giants are allowing just 89.5 yards per game on the ground
which is the fourth-fewest in the NFL. They could have an edge as the Jaguars
starting fullback, Greg Jones, missed some
practice because of an ankle injury and their star running back, Maurice Jones-Drew,
was listed as limited the same day with an abdomen injury. Three of the Jaguars
four losses happened when Jones-Drew was held to under 60 yards on the ground.
Jaguars quarterback David Garrard has been very 'sackable' this year and will
be playing without his starting left tackle. Best
to worst.
The best
record is held by two AFC teams that played Thanksgiving Day games that they each
won. The 9-2 Jets and 9-2 Patriots will face off next week in a head to head matchup.
The Atlanta Falcons in the NFC have an 8-2 record and they play this Sunday against
the visiting Green Bay Packers (7-3). The worst
record in the NFL belongs to the Panthers (1-9) who have scored 117 points over
their 10 games, by far the league lowest. They play in Cleveland against the Browns
(3-7). NFC East.
The Giants play the Jaguars at 1pm at the same time the Vikings will be playing
in Washington. Later at 4:15pm the Eagles (7-3) play in Chicago (7-3). The Giants,
Redskins and Eagles are all favored to win their games. Dallas (3-8) lost their
game 30-27 on Thanksgiving Day to the Saints (8-3). 
Check
out.
The Team Giants Store,
and see some of the really unique items we put together.
There are some items
you certainly haven't seen elsewhere, and each sale helps out our site.
Notes.
Giants last played the Jaguars on November 20, 2006. It was Jaguars 26, Giants
10. Giants Brandon Jacobs, a starter
last season, has not had more than 12 carries in a single game to date. The
Giants have turned the ball over an NFL-worst 30 times. Giants
Steve Smith, who set a team record with 107 catches last year, will miss his third
straight game. Giants Hakeem Nicks with
62 catches for 800 yards and 9 touchdowns in 10 games of the season,
is out for at least three weeks. Jaguars
under Tom Coughlin were 72-64 and had two AFC title game trips
in eight seasons. Jaguars under
Tom Coughlin were 40-28 in games against division opponents, and 21-3 in games
in which they scored a touchdown on their initial offensive possession. Jaguars
quarterback David Garrard played for Tom Coughlin as a rookie. Jaguars
Guy Whimper (five seasons with the Giants) may start in left tackle Eugene Monroe's
place. Jaguars won the division title
last time they were in first place this late in the season. That was 1999 when
Tom Coughlin was the head coach and took them to within a game of the Super Bowl. Jaguars
have lost their last 7, and 10 of their last 11 road games after Thanksgiving. Jaguars
are 6-1 in games this year when they rushed for more than 100 yards.
Next
Games
Dec
5 - Redskins at Giants
Giants Tickets
- Buy or
Sell 800+ tickets! (as of
11/26)
Dec 12 - Giants at Minnesota
Giants Tickets - Buy
or Sell 1300+ tickets! (as
of 11/26)
| 
