Literally, the New York Giants leap over the Dallas Cowboys week 14 and win 37-34 in an NFC East showdown. The win places the GMEN in first place.
This was a crazy game, there is just no other way to describe it. A seesaw battle full of lead changes and dramatic moments which ultimately defined the game.
Early in the game Giants RB Brandon Jacobs leaps over Cowboys Safety Gerald Sensabaugh in a spectacular run. Late in the game New York's Jason Pierre-Paul leaps and blocks a Dan Bailey FG attempt which preserves the 3 point lead and gives Big Blue a needed victory over their arch rivals. A positive and exciting win for sure but Giants fans need to be cautious as the defense continues to be extremely porous and is a serious concern going forward.
New York Giants Who Played Big vs Dallas Cowboys
Despite bad defense by New York and some miscues on offense by a few players there were some standout performances.
Jason Pierre-Paul (JPP) is a BEAST! He ranks 5th overall in sacks with 12.5 among NFL players. More impressive than that stat is how valuable he has become for New York, he may be the best defensive player on the Giants. Week 14 against the Cowboys Jason Pierre-Paul recorded 2 sacks, 6 tackles and forced a fumble and blocked what would have been the game tying field goal. He gives the Giants 100% effort week in and week out. As I have written in previous articles, I am very impressed with this young man who sometimes finds himself making tackles 20 yards down field.
Brandon Jacobs had himself a game reminiscent of his glory years when he would punish defenders who tried tackling him. He rushed 19 times for 101 yards and 2 TD's. I have not been very kind to the big bruiser because he has not committed to running the ball the way he should. Jacobs is effective when he runs north and south straight into a hole. In previous weeks he has straddled the line looking for holes, that doesn't work for him. Brandon is way to big to start, stop and start again, he needs to be a locomotive and week 14 he was just that!
Hakeem Nicks had 7 receptions for 154 yards, he did not score a TD but helped set up a couple of scores. He caught a 64 yard bomb early in the game which led to a field goal. WR Victor Cruz gets most of the hype every week because he has also performed at a high level but Nicks is the best wide receiver the Giants have. He is big, strong and reliable. Hakeem also does a great job blocking down field for other players.
Eli Manning has to be the coolest customer in the NFL. I have argued many times that his demeanor is a plus for New York. He is never to high and never too low, nothing seems to faze him. His calm demeanor may be seen as a negative to some such as Tiki Barber but the truth is that Eli is one of the most competitive players in the NFL. If anyone questions that just look at all the comebacks he has orchestrated this season. Manning went 27 of 47 for 400 yards, 2 TD's and 1 INT in week 14 versus the Cowboys. He never gave up and had two GREAT late drives to put the Giants in a position to win once again.
Week 14 Negatives for New York
Unfortunately it isn't all good for New York. A win is a win no matter what but this could have easily been another close loss. The Giants defense as mentioned above is extremely porous. Tony Romo torched the secondary week 14, he threw for 321 yards and 4 TD's. Wide receivers such as Dez Bryant, Laurent Robinson and Miles Austin found themselves wide opened on several occasions leaving the Giants secondary looking at eachother perplexed trying to figure out who blew the coverage.
Granted the GMEN have a lot of key injuries, this does not go unnoticed. I mention this fact every week but that still is no excuse for the team to be so unprepared defensively. I'm not an NFL player and I know it's hard to get out on that field to compete especially for rookies but on certain plays New York looks completely lost. This isn't a rare occurrence either, seems to happen on a weekly basis. Perry Fewell needs to tighten up the defense if the Giants have any hope of making the playoffs and/or making an impact once they get there.
Kevin Gilbride is not my favorite offensive coordinator, as I have written before he is predictable and too conservative and in love with the draw play. Maybe it's time to consider running a fast pace offense, I'm no expert but Eli Manning excels in the 2 minute offense. Running a version of a hurry up offense would help Eli who seems to like the flow and would also put a lot of pressure of opposing defenses.
Many people compare this team and season to the 2007 championship run. There are some similarities but a glaring difference with this team as compared to the 2007 squad is DEFENSE. The 2011 version of the Giants currently does not play good enough defense to duplicate such a run.
