There's a game this week

yeah, I know, I know. Trust me, I talk draft so much I'm always a willing participant. But all the same, it's been weird as hell that some games we've had more draft talk (generally following a loss, FWIW) than game talk preceding the game.

I don't mind the personnel talk, God only knows. I talk with people on two boards and numerous running emails year-round. But where's the game talk?


Do people give a shit about this game? Playoffs. Win or go home. Sudden Death. You know, Sunday at 1 and all that.

 

I figure the way the last 8 games went we just played our good game and will get destroyed in this game. Unless the playoffs are a reset button. I really want to beat the bears in Chicago. That is all I want.

 

Pretty much feels like we've covered the bases regarding the Giants. We have to stop Tiki, we have to win the turnover battle, and we have to do a decent job on their ends. Is there anything more to talk about?

 

keeping Gibril Wilson out of the box is on my mind right now, for one.

I don't think there are tons of bases uncovered, but that's never stopped people from talking about the game coming up. Till this year. Weird fucking year.

And I don't want it to end here.

 

I've been wondering what people think about how they're gonna defend us. From what I gather it would be a risk for them to force Jake to throw, I don't hear good things about anyone on D besides their ends and they seem to be depleted/thin in their back 7. Opinions?

 

Robbins is a good run stuffer, and I guess Clancy is decent enough. Our run game will be tested to root out Robbins if he challenges the A gap, but if he's head up on Wahle I like what we have. Both are strong enough that you have to watch the bull rush a little bit.
Their LBs are awful. Former PS players and backups. They're not a starting unit right now at all, and shouldn't otherwise be.

Inexperienced corners, with only Allen having cred; and his cred's never been great. Lots of speed, and not necessarily much else. He's fast enough to stay with Smitty, but I don't know if he's talented enough. But the DEs will keep Jake from being able to follow Smitty through a double move.
Experienced safeties; we know the story with Alexander.



I'm growing increasingly worried of their OL, they're not that bad with the run obviously. I'm also still worried we're not going to spend enough time accounting for Gibril Wilson, but maybe for once our playaction will work right.

 

I think we'll see pretty vanilla defense from the Giants. I doubt they feel they have to commit any extra guys to stop our run, and they won't want to expose the secondary any more than they have to. I look for them to press Carter, or at least recognize that he really only runs a handful of routes and thus cut off his streaks, and then give help on Smith. With those ends they can get pressure just from the front four, although if I were them I'd bring one guy up the middle on a fairly consistent basis since we don't use the backs or TEs in the middle of the field that much. They can vacate that zone without too much risk, while the gain is getting pressure in Jake's face, which is obviously his biggest problem.

 

Don't know much about the Gmen. I have NO IDEA what to expect from our guys. They seem to be a different team each week. Hence no talk from me about the game. But I'm very excited. I'm just going to watch, cheer, wear my lucky stuff, and see what happens. (I was hoping other people would talk about the game so I could read it.)

 

With their linebackers hurting, I'd like us to use the middle of the field with Goings and Foster on that middle screen we pull out now and then. Mangum can get open.

Their linebackers are really fucked up right now. We were able to expose Atlanta's safety and outside linebacker play last week, particuarly Williams and Heard. We got them to overcommit with the flow. Our blocking seemed to influence that, so I think we scouted that. This week the Giants may overpursue some, because they lack some speed at the position.

Their DTs don't get much pressure, but they can be fairly active. Robbins is a big guy. Clancy isn't that talented, but he had a big game last week.


I hope Henning doesn't go too vanilla. I want to run, but let's give them some different looks and formations. Run the reverse, run out of three wide, bunch up and spread, do some of the things we did last week. It will work against this team. They'll play off Smith, so the smoke will be their until the suck up. Make em bring up Wilson. Brent Alexander in deep coverage sounds good to me.

 

I'd also try a bit more of the crossing route stuff, especially that RB drive that was a WCO staple. All of that. Of course, they're not exactly stout deep, either, and I think we can get Carter or Proehl in space against Wilson, where he's a bigger liability. Webster is a good spot to throw at, too; too bad Keary's not more reliable.

Jackson should be as easily swayed. Can't say for Griesen.

gotta wonder how good they'll be at pursuit at this point, yeah. I do think 3 wide is a help to us, too, they're not a great nickel matchup either. The LB advantage is still in our favor, although it's now down to 2 incompetent players, but DeLoatch is a bit of a weak spot, too. Proehl should eat him up, and nickel gives us one on one up front to block the run. Doesn't give us the ability to double both DEs as easily, but it's still doable. The TEs oughta be working all week on how to chip a guy like Peppers. I'd put Thomas Davis on rush duty outside to give Wharton and the outside blockers a bit of a look of what Umeniyiora is going to look like - he's obviously not that small, but he's almost that quick. And I'm not worried about Wharton blocking him head up, I'm worried about that first step.


The idea of "different looks and formations" is a big help, too. Hell, look at how our own defense has to adjust to shifts like Tampa's, and we're vets. There really isn't anyone out there to lead that banged up LB unit.