Giants Vs 49ers week 9.

The Giants Offensive line moved the pile vs the Pats last week. On all but one running play Jacobs got positive yardage. Look at the Matchup of Justin Smith and David Diehl on passing downs. If the Giants are running effectively the run fake might help out Diehl in pass protection.

Alex Smith has a 60% accuracy percent when hes under pressure, expect the Giants Dee linemen to make it understood that Smith will see lots of pressure. I think the pressure on Smith will yield 2 picks and a number of batted balls.

The 49ers have one of the best running backs in the league in Frank Gore. Expect the Giants to play LB Greg Jones in running downs, check out Jones to see how he does, if he makes run reads and fills the gap Gore may have trouble making long runs. Deon Grant will be used as a hybrid Linebacker/Safety, playing close to the line of scrimmage. Grant is capable vs the run. Look to see Jones, Grant and Michael Boley to make timely run stops. This might tip the balance towards the Giants run Dee in containing Frank Gore.

Ramses Barden made 2 nice catches last week and was open 3 other times. Coach Coughlin praised Barden during the week and I think we can expect to Barden to be targeted more often. Nicks and Manningham look to be game day decisions.

The 49ers are very good in the redzone, the Giants need to force field goals, and I think the 49ers will settle for 2 or 3 field goals to add to 1 or 2 touchdowns.

If the Giants expose Alex Smith and can slow down Gore I see the potential for a solid win by the Giants: 31-20 or 24-16.


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Prince Amukamara had 2 tipped balls last week in practice, will he play Sunday?

In my gut I think Prince Amukamara will play Sunday against the Patriots. With the injury to Justin Tryon, the pressure to have Prince play is greater. Even with the Prince on the field the Giants will only have 3 legit corners, and cant play a legit dime, though the Giants will be able to play a legit nickel package. Most teams we face carry 5 or 6 corners on the roster, and our thinness at the position is extremely concerning.


Perry Fewell has been playing safeties in place of corners, sometimes Deon Grant will play down low, or Antrel Rolle will play corner on a slot receiver. Having Justin Tryon on the field meant Perry Fewell could have 3 legit corners line up with 2 or 3 safeties over the top in nickel and dime packages, and he could throw some different coverages out there to try and confuse the offense, and keeping the quarterback guessing as to weather he'll be throwing into man or zone coverages. This issue is part of the reason the Giants secondary has given up some big plays. On the other hand the secondary has shown that second half of the last 2 games.


I think we will see Prince Amukamara plat against slot receivers, especially in Nickel and dime situations. Coach Fewell likes that 4-2-5 alignment, and the Prince being on the field means Fewell can have his 4-2-5 and it can be effective.






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You got to Rolle with it baby.....

Giants starting safety Antrel Rolle is always good for a few comments, this week was no different. The Giants didn't have a sense of urgency, didn't feel like we had the energy, we're better than that.

“Just watching the film, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was, but it can definitely get a whole lot better. And next time we face them, I can pretty much guarantee the outcome will be different.”

Mike Garafolo of the Star Ledger:

Maybe, as I noted in my game review, the Giants should get back to playing more man coverage. For whatever reason, they played a lot of zone after being a predominantly man-coverage team during Perry Fewell’s first season as defensive coordinator.

The results were less than spectacular, with Rolle giving too much of a cushion on a fourth-and-5, the linebackers struggling at times to provide coverage support underneath and rookie safety Tyler Sash late to break up on a ball thrown up the seam.

I have to agree. Rex Grossman has all to often fallen prey to a good defensive scheme, mixing up coverages, blitzing and covering out of the same personal package can and has led to a pick or 2 of Rex. At the very least play man on the 2 wideouts within zone coverage. 20 years ago Quarterbacks were taught at the college level to see the seam in the zone coverage and how to take advantage. Its no surprise a career journeyman, Grossman, fed a steady diet of zone coverage, ate it up.

The Giants would like to be able to blitz and cover out of the same personal package, facing an offense in a hurry up scheme you dont want to let substitutions tell the offense what you're going to do. Unfortunately the Giants may not have much of a choice, going from the base dee, to a nickel or dime package may require substitutions. Antrel Rolle did play a little corner in college, but he's just not that good, his forte is playing a safety who likes to do little freelancing, and Rolle flourishes as a blitzer, run stop, safety over the top guy. He's also the perfect compliment to Kenny Philips, who has the speed to cover deep passes from sideline to sideline and reads the run very well, and with his speed gets up on the line for a run stop as good as anybody in the league.

So my advice, hey Coach, leave Rolle as a safety.... Maybe a corner will come off of someone's practice squad, no one of any quality most likely, but a body, maybe competent in nickel and dime packages, can help add some depth.

Antrel Rolle can be used as a linebacker, hes a fearsome hitter defending the run, has the speed and moxie to blitz, and get to the quarterback. Its gonna take the linebackers helping out with good execution on the underneath plays, and better than average man coverage from Ross and Wester as well as solid play from 10 year vet Brian Williams, who at 5'11" might see time as a nickel back,  or 4 year man, the 6 ft Michael Coe.

Interesting note, Kenny Phillips and Deon Grant are both 6'2" making them easily the 2 tallest members of a secondary that otherwise is a bit short, at 6 foot and 5'11".