Carolina Panthers kicker Graham Gano nailed of 43 yard field gold with seconds winding down to seal the game for the Panthers 38-35 over the New York Giants and improving their record to a perfect 14-0.

The Five takeaways from the Giants vs. The Panthers

Let’s begin with the facts that we are all aware of: the Giants made a frantic comeback from 35-7 to tie it up with minutes left in the final quarter. Odell Beckham Jr. Created his own story, resulting in a 1 game suspension. No need to discuss these two topics here the tabloids, talk radio and sports channels will cover these them until they are blue in the face.

So where does that leave us? Sunday’s game was a microcosm of the entire Giants season. Not only are the 5 takeaways as a result of this week…they have been the 5 glaring takeaways from the Big Blue season.

1. Defense
Again Big Blue cannot make the necessary “big” stop. From the season opener in Dallas, to the game against undefeated New England and followed up by the disaster against the Jets the Giants defense melts into a blue streak at the end. Teams go down the field in 4, 5 or 6 plays for winning or tying score. You can blame coaching, injuries (like Beason), scheme, but at the end of the day it is the players fault. No excuses. Period.

2. Running back by committee
Does not work. I have written before Jennings, Darkwa, Vereen and Williams have all shown flashes of becoming the feature running back. Yet, week after week, we never have an answer. Shane Vereen has too much talent to have handled the ball as little as he did this year. If nothing else he should have been a “slot receiver” on this offense. Jennings seems to get going- then he doesn’t get a carry for entire quarters. Darkwa has had few opportunities (Dallas at home) but then disappears like he is in the witness protection program. Williams has one good run, then gets stuffed at the line for the next three rushes. So in the end who do you blame? I go with the Offensive Coordinator- McAdoo. He should have chosen one (in my opinion, Jennings) and “ran” with it.

3. Consistently inconsistent
I can’t imagine a team that has been more frustrating to watch than the G-men. Dropped passes, costly turnovers and mind boggling plays have occurred all season and the Carolina game was no different. ODB has to catch the ball from Eli in the 1^st Jennings fumble at the end of the half was a costly game changer. Then Rodgers-Cromartie drops a sure fire pick-6. Finally, Nicks tripping over the goal line leading to an interception in the end zone. (I realize Carolina fumbled on the following series, but events like that are too rare to consider.) These are signs of a bad team.

4. Coaching
I have said it before, I am a HUGE Tom Coughlin fan. Yet, all good things must come to an end. Gen. Coughlin allowing ODB to continue to play after 3 personal fouls was a clear sign of a coach trying to save his job. In the past Gen. Coughlin would have benched ODB in a heartbeat. Or at least blasted him on the way back to the bench (see Plaxico 2008). If it is the end for Gen. Coughlin on the Big Blue sideline hopefully the Giants, can find a nice way to for him to “fade away”-retirement or another position in the organization.

5. Eli Manning
Eli has been the model for the Giants for 10 years. He is steady, calm and continues to be a master of leading the Giants down the field. Time and time again, he stands there and makes the passes that have to be thrown. Even with a depleted offensive line that has seen numerous starters go down to injury. Does he make mistakes? – Yes- but remember he is throwing the ball 25-35 times a game. Interceptions are going to happen. Especially since, the Giants all too often have been forced to go strictly with the passing game (see reasons 1-3 above).
The Good- Not quitting after being down 35-7.

The Bad- a 6-8 team…that could be 9-5 or 10-4 with a defense.

The Ugly-Not finishing-again.

Guest Blogger
This post was written by our guest blogger Bill Mcauliffe, who shares their passion for the New York Giants, offering unique insights and perspectives on our Giants. We invite you to share this post and leave your feedback in the comments section below. Your thoughts and opinions are highly valued, and we would love to know what you think about the New York Giants and the insights shared in this post.

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The Giants were unable to mount a come back against the Washington Redskins, as they drop to 5-6 for the season. The 20-14 loss also drops the Giants into second place in the NFC East, and currently out of a playoff spot. Below are 5 quick take always from Fed Ex field.

Five takeaways from Fed Ex Field

1. Dropped passes

Were too numerous to count. Balls that should have been caught were intercepted. All too often they helped stall potential drives. Just completely unacceptable by every receiver on the team.

2. Consistently inconsistent

The Giants allow teams to hang around. Fail to play big at crucial moments. I truly believe Tom Coughlin is an excellent coach. But at some point he has to be held accountable. Now is the time to make a change. When I say now I mean – end of the season.

3. The running game

The Giants abandoned it way too early. Down 3-0 and 10-0 the Giants to the passing game almost exclusively. They acted like they were down 30-0 in the first half. Instead of playing smartly and working their way back into the game.

4. Fed EX Field

By far the worst stadium in the NFL. It is awful- poor sight lines, obstructed views, and simply behind the times. Giants fans enjoy Metlife Stadium it is by far superior in every aspect!

5. Geoff Schwatrz

It was obvious that his absence severely impacted the Offense. After his injury manning was pressured constantly. Plays were often wrecked before they had a chance to develop. Sad he can’t stay on the field because when he is in the field the protection is much better.

The post Giants Comeback Falls Short Vs Washington first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

5 takeaways from section 123

The post Takeaways From The Giants Win Vs Dallas first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

Takeaways from section 123

1. The front seven (especially the d-line) do not get to the quarterback.

No matter the situation they lack push. Too often Cousins had 5-7 seconds to complete passes. (They performed better against the run.) The Redskins are not one of the better offenses in the NFL and they were able to make 3rd down conversions and complete long pass plays.

2. The running game continues to be in slow motion with Jennings.

He fails to get holes quickly. Regularly if you watch close he dances and stutter steps. He had one nice run but that does not make up for another poor performance overall. Vereen is a better running back period. Vereen is their best option. Andre Williams also put forth a solid effort and can tough to take down. Nice touchdown run for him in the 1st quarter.

3. Defensive backs played well.

They blocked passes, interceptions, and made numerous tackles in the open field. Which brings me back to point number one. The de- backs are making too many tackles which means the front 7 are getting pushed around and not making tackles. This is not a good trend.

4. Randle got the memo

Whether it was Parker being released, maybe a conversation with Eli during the short week or studying the playbook. Ruben Randle had a nice game. Highlighted by his touchdown late in the game to put the cherry on tonight’s victory. Gave Eli another option.

5. Eli Manning

He takes a lot of the heat when the team plays poorly. He gets a lot of the credit when they win-deservedly so. This guy was so solid it was scary. He makes the plays. The issues we saw the last two weeks -were not present.

The Good
Odell Beckham Jr. Enough said.

The Bad
The kickoff returned for a touchdown.

The Ugly
Dropped passes by Larry Donnel. Unless it is in his stomach he does not catch the ball.

Please leave a comment below!

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Five Takeaways from Section 123

Watching today’s game was like getting a molar extracted from your mouth. As much as you hoped there would be no pain inevitably it was more painful than you imagined.

Simply there are “5 takeaways” from the disaster.

Wide Receivers
First ODB simply can’t do it all himself. What an impressive catch and run for a touchdown. The wide receivers and tight ends were all but invisible. With the exception of touchdown drive that increased the lead to 20-10 Parker, Donnell, and Randle were basically useless. Too many dropped passes especially late in the game. The offense needs Cruz back and quick.

Special Teams
This kid Harris seems to be something special. Twice he “almost” broke it to go the distance. Unfortunately, he lost his footing. Harris also made a nice play, catching the punt at the Falcons 2 yard line. It was wasted by the defense.

The Running Game
Jennings does not get up field quick enough. Shane Vereen was a pleasant surprise. The Giants need to use him more often and not strictly on 3rd down.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Was having a very solid game until suffering a concussion in what looked like a tough shot to the head. Hopefully he will be back soon Big Blue needs him big time!

Eli Manning
Seemed to be getting into a grove but it all went away quickly. First the fumble deep in Falcons territory was inexcusable. Eli has to put that ball away and get 3 points. Secondly, the delay of game penalty (and almost a second one on consecutive plays) proves their is a disconnect on offense. Those are the times Eli must be elite.

In conclusion the good, the bad and the ugly:
Good- introducing the Super Bowl XXV team at halftime.

Bad- Giants defense unable to stop 3rd down conversions.

Ugly- the penalty on 4th down killing the Giants drive in the 1st half.

The post Giants Fall To Atlanta first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

As Brady, Belicheck and the Ball Boy “derail” the Super Bowl with “deflate gate” let’s focus on one of the true culprits that “derailed” the Giants 2014 season-injuries. The truth be told Big Blue led the NFL in players on injured reserve 20 and “man games lost” xover 100. Besides turnovers probably the last statistic a team wants to lead the league. The “big black & blue” were down big players for long stretches of time.

The “past is prologue”- and there are five Giants players to keep your eyes on big time for Big Blue to be big time in 2015. Victor Cruz, Jon Beason, Robert Ayers, Geoff Schwartz and Prince Amukamara, these guys are starters, game changers and veterans that the Giants expected to be big in 2014 and need going forward.

At the top of the list Victor Cruz, we all know what he can do for the Giants-change a season with 99 yard catch and run (run Forest run) against the Jets. Salsa his way to the end zone and keep the chains moving. Seriously he is an 80 receptions and 1,000 yard receiver yearly. When he tore his knee up in Philly the Giants were 3-2…they would not win another game for over a month.  Until “OBJ” would emerge- coincidence…I think not. Considering Cruz’s injury don’t expect him to be himself until game 8 in 2015. It takes these guys one calendar year to truly recover…see All-Star John Tavares of the Islanders.  But the visual of Cruz and OBJ on opposite sides has to be giving Big D, the Skins and the Birds nightmares.

Jon Beason could be the “beast of the east” for the defense and Steve Spagnoulo.  When this guy is healthy he is an absolute stopper in the middle. He can simply man up and guarantee 100 plus tackles a season. However, he just seems to be a constant member of the “tub club”. He needs a big 2015 season because he not getting younger and Giants will not wait much longer. Look for the Giants to draft a middle linebacker in the mid to late rounds of the draft in April.

Robert Ayers – credit to Jerry Reese for signing the hometown boy (Jersey City) last offseason. In 5 seasons Ayers is just coming into his prime and has shown tremendous consistency. He is the exactly the kind of defensive lineman a team like the Giant’s needs. He was just getting going when he went down against Jacksonville (the worst loss of the season). Ayers had pushed his way to 5 sacks in 12 games on a poor defense. Look for a big, big year in 2015.

Geoff Schwartz– such a disappointing season- brought in as free-agent in 2014 by Jerry Reese to be a big and I mean big lineman (6 foot 6, 340 pounds) and give Eli time…none of that happened. The Giants are his fourth team in 6 seasons previously with Carolina, Minnesota and Kansas City. All summer and first 10 games of the season fought injury problems. Finally got back in the line-up for two games and yet again was put on IR after the Jags game with an “ankle/tendon injury”. Needs a full season on the field – or will be his last in big city.

Prince Amukamara-the secondary was supposed to be the big strength for the Giants defense but it crashed and burned. Prince was having a solid season when he went down in week eight with 37 solo tackles, 3 interceptions and 11 blocked passes. This guy is the closest thing the Giants have to a “shut down” corner. I really like this guy a lot and so does Antrel Rolle. He is not afraid to tackle and never seems to be out of position. Look for Prince and the Revolution in the secondary next year!

Prediction time– Super Bowl Seattle 31- Patriots 28. The triple B’s “deflated” their own season. Besides Marshawn Lynch will be MVP with over 100 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns.

Big Blue defense will rank in the top 1/3 in 2015…somewhere between 12^th and 8^th…wih Steve Spagnoulo as defensive coordinator.

All stats courtesy of Giants.com, NJ.com and Fox.com

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The Final Nail…err Report Card for 2014

The Giants closed out their 2014 season the same way they ushered it in back in September, with a loss. And as NFL coaches get their walking papers, it is time to evaluate, especially if you did not receive an invitation to the playoff dance.

So let the grading begin at the top of the Giants class is no surprise

Odell Beckham Jr. (Rookie of the Year).

The numbers are awesome 91 recs 1305 yards 12 TD’s and 108 yards per game. ODB brings so much, a player that can stretch the field. A dynamic play maker not seen since the days of LT, he will make other players better, defenses will have to game plan for him, has swagger and excitement. Big Blue fans the “future is bright you gotta wear shades” Grade A+.

Antrel Rolle

At 10 years in the league, Rolle often proves why he is a captain of the team. With 71 tackles and 3 interceptions his numbers are devastatingly consistent over his career. More importantly he is a leader in the locker room. I even enjoy listening to him when he appears on WFAN. He is upfront ,direct and believes in what they have begun…”Once a Giant always a Giant”. Grade A

JPP-“the free agent”

It is tough to say go and spend 50-100 million dollars on a defensive lineman. However, if you don’t it is just as difficult to think of replacing JPP. No one can ignore his 12.5 sacks this year or the 42 sacks he has amassed in 5 years. He often is double teamed, which should give others opportunities on defense. Remember you win or lose in the trenches. Grade A-

Eli Manning

The numbers 4410 yards 30 TD’s and a completion percentage of 63% should have earned an “A”. Well unfortunately for Eli this year just too many critical interceptions (like at the end of yesterday’s game against the Eagles). Why so many interceptions? The answer is simple “too many times playing from behind” (Mike M. in the parking lot). The truth be told there are not many other QB’s you would rather leading your team. He is cool, accepts the responsibility of a leader, and prepares. Grade B+

Jameel McClain

Hopefully reaching his potential. Each year he has steadily improved. Seemed to be everywhere on defense (74 tackles, and 2.5 sacks) against the Eagles. Grade B

Devon Kennard

Also giving the Giants hope at the linebacker position.. Unfortunately did not play in the season finale due to a toe injury. He has the NFL genes and in 12 games 35 tackles with 4.5 sacks. Not a bad season for a rookie. Grade B-

The Coaching staff

Took too long for McAdoo’s offense to take hold. By the time the offense looked in sync the Giants were 3-7. Defensively way too much time for opposing quarterbacks see Tony Romo 8 seconds. Special teams was an issue all year. Tom Coughlin unable to get the red flag out of his pants. The positive, they kept the team motivated and had tremendous effort down the stretch. Grade C+

The Running Backs

The tandem of Jennings and Williams combined for almost 1,400 yards and 11 TD’s. Hard to imagine just too many injuries . Honestly this is a spot that Reese should address in free agency with the likes of a Frank Gore available. Grade C

The Home Record

3-5 just unacceptable- home field is too important in the NFL. The division record 2-4 simply can’t lose the way they did as often as they did to Dallas and Philly. Two lowly victories over the Redskins. Grade D

Victor Cruz, Jon Beason and Geoff Schwartz- out for the season- Grade INC

The Offensive Line

Eli Manning sacked 28 times. Way too many times no “push” on short yardage situations. Their lack of protection and inability to establish the run game often resulted in “3 and outs”. Injuries shifted players to other positions. Just too poor. Grade F.

The post New York Giants Report Card 2014 first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

If Clint Eastwood directed a football movie todays Giants-Rams would have been The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

The Good
Let’s be honest  Odell Beckham Jr. was absolutely the best player on the field. His numbers were lights out 8 recs for -148 yards; average of 18.5 yards per catch and 2 TD’s. Highlighted by the 80 yard bomb for a touchdown from Manning and has cemented  Rookie of the Year .

Ruben Randle had a coming out of the “dog house” party today with 6 catches for 132 yards and 1 TD and  proves Tom Coughlin has not lost the room .Yes, it is simply- “Coughlin’s way or the Turnpike”! Lesson to be learned – be on time.

Eli Manning- 25/32 for 391 and 3 TD’s…the guy is very good and tough.  Enough said.

Andre Williams-the “beast” with 26 attempts and 110 yards . Superb run for 46 yards in the second quarter.
MacAdoo – west coast offense starting to reap rewards.

The Bad
Easy to say penalties and Big Blue lead all the way in yellow hankies (12 for 149)-unacceptable. Coughlin lead teams are supposed to be more disciplined.

Will Beattie played “The leader of the hankie” with 3 holding penalties.  (Actually called for 4 holding penalties but according to David Diehl they called his number in error).Given Beattie has the difficult task of defending Manning’s back side. But three holding penalties just can’t happen. If they were playing a better opponent those will come back to bite you in the “you know what”.

Rodgers-Cromartie- going down in the second half with a “stinger”. Have to feel for a guy like that who has battled injuries all year.

The Ugly
No introduction needed ; “The Brawl” on the Giants sideline after the late hit on Beckham Jr. Some call it “passion”, some say “tempers flared” in my humble opinion “ridiculous”. Throughout the game the pushing and shoving was way beyond what we normally see between the lines.  The late hits and hits out of bounds by the Rams were dangerous. “This is nothing new for a Jeff Fisher coached team”- Roman Oben

Not saying Big Blue was innocent by any means with the “trash talk” and celebration between the Giants offense (Beckham) and St. Louis defense.

Have to say Big Blue got each other backs- again proves how much the players like each other and the fact Coughlin still has them motivated.

The last time I saw fighting of this magnitude during a pro game was the Islanders and Penguins back in 2011.

The post Giants Vs Rams Recap first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

On Super Bowl Sunday every Giants fan was filled with Big Blue pride when Michael Strahan, was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame. He is election was well deserving and his accomplishments have been well chronicled. I personally want to congratulate him! However, it got me thinking…

What if I told you there is one former New York Giant also deserves to have Hall of Fame honors. Who is it? Think hard! Answer: OJ Anderson. Shocked? Before you LOL…take a moment.

OJ Anderson retired in 1992, at the time he was ranked 8th all-time in rushing (10,273 yards) and 7th all-time in touchdowns with a career total of 86. He has more rushing yards than long time Hall of Famers, Gale Sayers, Frank Gifford, Larry Czsonka, Jim Taylor and Earl Campbell.

I know people will say he is only 26th on the all-time rushing list now. But the explosion of running backs reaching 10,000 yards has been in the last 10 years. Players like Adrian Peterson and Corey Dillon have benefited from rule changes that benefit the offense. OJ played in era with stifling defenses like the ’85 Bears, Doomsday, and the Steel Curtain which only proves how impressive it was for him to get to 10,000 yards and make it as high on the rushing list as he did.

OJ was selected in the 1979, NFL draft and was a first round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals (8th overall). (By the way, guess who was picked 7th overall in the ’79 draft…don’t think too hard.) From 1979-1984, OJ Anderson was the second leading rusher in the NFL, the only player with more yards during those five years was the immortal Walter Payton, member of the Hall of Fame. In the first 6 years of his career, all with the perennial cellar dwelling Cardinals (in the old NFC East) he gained 7,999 yards (Cardinals all-time leader) and averaged over 4 yards a carry. In his rookie year alone he gained 1,605 yards and earned the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. He followed up his rookie season with rushing for 1,352 yards in 1980, 1,376 yards in 1981, 1,270 yards in 1983, and 1,174 yards in 1984. The only seasons he did not rush for over 1,000 yards with the Cards were the 1982, strike shortened season when he rushed for 587 yards in 8 games. And again in 1985, he rushed for 479 yards in 9 games due to injury.

In 1986, he was traded to Big Blue and enjoyed the Super Bowl XXI season and capped it off that championship season with a touchdown in the Super Bowl. (By the way the 7th pick in the ’79 draft was Super Bowl XXI MVP). In 1989, OJ was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year when he rushed for 1,023 yards. In 1990, he would rush for 784 yards on the way to Super Bowl XXV. In Super Bowl XXV he rushed for 102 yards with a touchdown and earned the Super Bowl MVP Award. Even today you can picture OJ barreling off tackle, right arm upper cut, fist curling and smacking into Steve Kelso one of the

truly most memorable Super Bowls moments. He is only one of 4 running backs to earn the MVP Award in the Super Bowl. Who are the other three? Franco Harris, John Riggins and Emmitt Smith (twice) last I checked all in the Hall of Fame.

Anderson not only was a dominant rusher he had 376 catches for 3,062 yards. Twice he was named to the All-Pro team. Big Blue definitely deserves one more hall of famer…even if he is shared with the Cardinals.

OJ’s on twitter give him a follow @OJAnderson24

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If the Giants offense proved anything today against the Redskins they are “consistently inconsistent”. It was truly a microcosm of the entire season. Throughout much of the game we saw the offense that started season (0-6), an offense that “put the ball on the ground” or “gave up the pic” equal to Obama’s approval rating.

Wide receivers and tight ends that failed to make “the catch” at the most inopportune times. Horrifically it seemed all those “drops” ended up going in the other direction (Meyers in the end zone-never mind it was deflected-the Redskins defense seemed to hang onto the ball).A running game that was stuck in neutral for mind boggling long stretches during the season (the entire 1st quarter of today’s game). Passes from Eli that sailed “just a bit outside” (the 3rd and 2 to Nicks), in “Christmas seasons past” Eli finds a way to get job done. Yet, we saw glimpses of the offense that went 6-3 in the last nine games. Do they make plays? At times…yes, Eli to Nicks for 35 yards, Jernigan’s 49 yard end around and 24 yard catch for touchdowns in the 2nd quarter. But, they do not make enough plays to beat the big boys (Eagles and Cowboys yuck). And that is not saying much this year.

How can an one offense have all these problems? Simply it is the offensive line. An offensive line that was easier to crack than Target’s website. This O-line needs to be gutted. Diehl the oldest and longest tenured of the group is a free agent and probably isn’t back. He simply can’t stack up anymore. Beatty obviously has to heal and has been serviceable at best. Cordle is young and shown minor improvement but not enough to justify starter material. Pugh is the lone lineman whom should return considering his age and draft status. Finally, Boothe has been beaten more times than the Confederates at a Gettysburg revival. Kevin Gilbride- this doesn’t excuse you… as previously stated in this blog…your time and place in the Giants organization has come to an end.

The Blitz- The Giants defense was outstanding throughout the game (given it was just the Redskins). Justin Tuck proved he deserves to return as a “Captain”. The guy continually wreaks havoc on the opposing offense- forces fumbles, tackles behind the line of scrimmage, sacks, and knockdowns (2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles today). Beason was a “beast” with 9 tackles 8 of them solo. Antrelle Rolle played like he had a chip on his shoulder after being snubbed for the pro-bowl with 5 tackles and 1 pass defense.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good- Jerrel Jernigan-Two impressive touchdowns-24 yard catch and 49 yard run (6catches -90 yards)
The Bad- Redskin’s losing 8 in a row to finish the season and Shanahan in D.C.
The Ugly- Will Beatty’s injury (broken leg)-enough said.
Final Thoughts
Need’s – Basketball wide receiver- The G-Men do not have the “jump ball” wide receiver against defensive backs.
“You are what your record says you are”- Bill Parcells. The 2013,Giants (7-9)- the definition of “consistently inconsistent”.

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