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Giants (5-3) vs Chargers
(4-3)
The Chargers beat the Raiders for the 13th straight
time with a 24-16 score last Sunday. If you think things like that can't happen
in football, you're almost right because in this case it's the longest active
NFL winning streak by any one team over another. They held Oakland to just 180
total yards last week.
The Giants were catching the
Eagles coming off a short week but it didn't help,
so now they are working on their own set of streaks. The Giants have lost three
games in a row, and they have lost the last three games played against the Eagles.
The 40-17 loss dropped them from first place
in the NFC East to third. It's as if the Giants have picked
up some of the worst habits from the teams they had rolled over when they started
the season at 5-0. San
Diego Chargers.
Speaking of things coming
in threes, the Chargers have won their division title the last three years. This
is their third year with head coach Norv Turner and they have started each season
with him with a 2-3 record. Watch out for the power of three, because if they
beat the Giants this Sunday, it will be San Diego's third win in a row. It will
also be the first time they beat a team with a winning record this season. Chargers
Offense.
It starts with quarterback Philip
Rivers who finished with the highest quarterback rating in the NFL last season.
Rivers is known for his accuracy and for the fact that he was instantly traded
to the Chargers from the Giants for Eli Manning. What, you forgot that he used
to be a Giant? The ex-Giant has his team ranked 4th in the league in passing yards.
Wide receiver Vincent Jackson and tight end Antonio Gates each lead the team with
37 catches. Running back LaDainian Tomlinson holds the record for the most touchdowns
in a season, but lately, 13 straight games to be exact, he has not had a 100 yard
game. Darren Sproles seconds Tomlinson and his good hands have him as third-leading
receiver on the team with 20 catches. The passing game is fine, but the Chargers
are ranked 31st in the NFL with their running game. Chargers
Defense.
They have improved from 31st last
year to 6th against the pass, but are ranked 27th against the run so they can
guess what's coming. The Giants have said they need to get back to basics so expect
them to come at this defense with their strong yet seemly abandoned ground game.
Shaun Phillips and Luis Castillo each have 4 sacks. The team has been blitzing
more this season and their improved pass rush is starting to show. Giants
Offense.
The first time Eli Manning faced
the Chargers the Giants lost the game 45-23. It's the kind of score the Giants
have been getting used to seeing lately when they exit the field. The defense
has it's problems, but the offense has also put them in some bad situations. Manning
looks stressed and certainly not at all comfortable with his receivers. His mechanics
seem off lately and to be sure, except for Steve Smith fighting to get open every
play, there aren't many easy options out there for him. Strangely, Brandon Jacobs
running average has climbed in the last three losing games. Jacobs averaged 3.6
yards per carry in the first five and 4.9 yards in the losses. Giants
Defense.
Early on, the idea of adding Michael
Boley and Chris Canty to the defense seemed like a nice way of fortifying something
that was already very good, but now it seems that they are more of a necessity
if the Giants are going to survive over the rest of the season. So the question
has to be asked. Who did the Giants lose and did it make sense? The list includes,
Safety Sam Knight, cornerbacks Sam Madison and R.W. McQuarters and defensive end
Renaldo Wynn. However you remember them, one thing's for sure. When they were
here, the Giants finished the season with a 12-4 record and there's little chance
of that happening this year. Right now they have disappointing safety C.C. Brown
being replaced by Aaron Rouse, who was claimed off waivers and has been reading
the Giants playbook for only six weeks. Giant
Concerns.
The Chargers have some dangerous
big play people and the Giants have been giving up big plays lately, some to just
average players. Also, and maybe too suspicious, Eli Manning was suddenly added
to the injury report on Friday and listed as probable because of his foot. Now
it hadn't bothered him the week before the Eagles game, after it, and even all
through practice this week. Did it flare up again, or is this maybe a convenient
excuse to pull Manning and see what David Carr can do in a real game situation
right before a long bye week of planning? Either way you see it, this is a concern. From
thirty two to sixteen to nine to seven to five to four to three to two.
The list of undefeated teams has shrunk to just two 7-0 teams,
the Colts in the AFC and the Saints in the NFC. The Colts play at home against
the (5-3) Texans and the Saints host the (3-4) Panthers. Only one team has no
wins and that would be the 0-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC. A real die-hard
fan would say that they can still finish with the same record as the last two
last seasons, 9-7, and that was good enough for their Division title in 2007.
Tampa Bay gets their shot starting with 4-3 Green Bay on Sunday. NFC
East.
On Sunday, the (2-5) Redskins
are playing in Atlanta against the (4-3) Falcons at the same time the Giants are
playing their game. The (5-2) Cowboys and (5-2) Eagles have a late night 8:20PM
matchup in Philadelphia. The Giants and Eagles are favored to win their games. 
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
offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride was the Chargers head coach for 22 games
from 1997-98.
Gilbride took the team to 6-16 before being fired. Giants
Eli Manning had 10 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the 5-0 start.
Manning has thrown 3 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in the last three games. Giants
have been outscored 112-61 over the last three games.
Giants
giving up those 112 points, have allowed the most by them in a three-game stretch
since 1973. Giants lead the NFL with
38 plays (32 passes, 6 runs) of 20 or more yards.
Giants have allowed 21 passes
and 10 runs of at least 20 or more yards. Eli
Manning and Philip Rivers were two of the top four players selected in the 2004
NFL draft. Chargers six-time Pro Bowl
running back LaDainian Tomlinson has thrown 7 touchdown passes.
Tomlinson
threw one against the Giants in 2005 and also rushed for 192 yards and 3 touchdowns.
He
took a direct snap last week from the Wildcat formation and rushed for a touchdown. Chargers
next face the Eagles and Broncos.
Next
Game
Nov.
22 Atlanta at Giants at 1:00PM.
Giants Tickets
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