Regular Season: Tied at 5-5
Post Season: Colts lead 2-0
Approach to the Game – Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants, November 14, 1999: It wasn’t pretty, but the Giants managed to put together a 5-3 record during the first half of the season. This start should ensure that New York will be in playoff contention until at least mid-December. But even their diehard fans know that if the Giants are to make the playoffs, they will have to play better. There are no more Saints and Eagles on the schedule; there are plenty of teams with playoff aspirations of their own. It’s November – the month that playoff teams begin to find their stride and set the tone for the remainder of the season. It’s time for the players and coaches to pick up their intensity and bring some glory back to this flagship franchise.
The Colts are a better team than the Giants because they are a more balanced team. They have an explosive offense and an improving defense. But the better team doesn’t always carry the day. Intangibles can play a huge role in determining the outcome of a contest. The Will is a very powerful concept. Just ask the 1990 Giants team. Teams can impose their Will on others by playing intense, physical, and smart football – they can win games by simply wanting it more than their opponent. The Giants need to set the tone early against the Colts and impose their Will upon them.
Giants on Defense: Setting the tone starts with the very heart of the Giants team – the defense. Punish Indianapolis. Play NFC-style football and beat them up physically. Hit QB Peyton Manning often. Gang tackle HB Edgerrin James. Hurt WR Marvin Harrison every time he touches the ball. Play the type of physical, aggressive, in-your-face defense that the 1990 Giants did in San Francisco. The Colts have excellent talent on the offensive side of the football, but they are still young. They may not be prepared for the intensity of playoff football in November.
The fate of this game largely depends on the front seven on defense, and particularly the front four. Defensive ends Michael Strahan and Cedric Jones, as well as defensive tackles Keith Hamilton and Christian Peter, need to play stout against the run and get after Manning in passing situations. First, the most important thing will be to take away the running game and make Indy one-dimensional. That won’t be easy. Fortunately for the Giants, they got a taste of what is to come when they faced Eagle HB Duce Staley a couple of weeks ago. Edgerrin James is a big back who is equally adept at running between the tackles as he is outside of them. He can run with power or put on a move or two. The key is to give him no place to run. Fill the holes forcefully and then get a bunch of hats on him. Hit him hard. James is apt to fumble. But do gang tackle. If the Colts get their running game going, it will be a long, long day. Instrumental in run defense will also be the play of the linebackers of course. It is time for MLB Corey Widmer to have an impact game. He will be on the spot taking on blocks inside and flowing to the ball on outside runs. WLB Jessie Armstead will be tested, along with DE Cedric Jones, on the weakside. Jessie’s strength is not taking on blocks directly, but out-quicking his intended blocker and getting to the ball carrier. It will be interesting to see what the Giants do on the strongside. James is such a dangerous pass receiver, that one is tempted to play Marcus Buckley in lieu of Ryan Phillips. However, Phillips is the better run defender. The Colts may alter their plays depending on who is in there. Regardless, Buckley and Phillips will be under the spotlight to play a well rounded game.
Stopping James as a receiver, as much as a runner, is critical. I would keep Armstead on him all day long. Jessie is probably one of the few linebackers in the league who can cover him. If the Colts can get James locked up on Phillips, it could get ugly. Besides, the other linebackers and SS Sam Garnes will have their hands full with TE Ken Dilger, one of the better tight ends in the game. Jam Dilger at the line and don’t allow him a clean release. TE Marcus Pollard is a solid second-stringer as well.
With the secondary of the Giants beat up and missing three of their top seven defenders (Percy Ellsworth, Conrad Hamilton, and Shaun Williams), the defensive backs may be in for a tough time. Manning is an intelligent performer with a quick release. He normally does not make the dumb mistake and does a remarkable job of reading defenses for one so young. Still, the Giants need to try to confuse him by mixing up their coverages and keeping him off balance. The Colts’ receivers are very quick and very fast. Allow them a clean release and to run freely throughout the secondary and you are asking for trouble. Get in their face at the line of scrimmage and jam them. Yes, one risks giving up a big play, but I think that is a risk that needs to be taken. Defensive Coordinator John Fox may take the opposite route and try a bend-but-don’t-break approach and look to punish the receivers after they catch the ball in front of the corners. We’ll see.
The big match-up will be CB Phillippi Sparks against WR Marvin Harrison, who may be the most dangerous receiver in the game today (apologies to Randy Moss). Sparks doesn’t have the speed to stay with Harrison, so he will need help. Unfortunately with safeties Percy Ellsworth and Shaun Williams ailing, that help will have to come from inexperienced overachiever Brandon Sanders. That could get ugly. If I were Fox, I’d be tempted to move Jason Sehorn around to follow Harrison, just like the Giants did with Michael Westbrook two years ago.
But the match-up problems don’t stop there. With Conrad Hamilton and Shaun Williams out, nickel defense becomes a problem. When the Colts go to a 3-WR set, covering WR Jerome Pathon or starter Terrence Wilkins in the slot could be a big problem. Cornerbacks Andre Weathers and Jeremy Lincoln will have to step it up.
Of course, pass defense becomes much, much easier if the Giants can get into Manning’s face. Manning hasn’t been sacked (or hit) much this year due to fine offensive line play and his quick release. But if the Giants jam his receivers at the line and/or provide solid coverage – thus forcing him to hold onto the ball a second more – the Giants may get to him. But the pass rush will largely have to come from the front four. This is a big game for all four of these guys in terms of the pass rush. It’s time, in particular, for Strahan and Jones to start making more of an impact. Timely blitzes can help matters too, but you don’t want to live with the blitz against the Colts.
Giants on Offense: The Giants also have very little chance to win this game unless they start generating more points. The Colts will score on the Giants. The Giants simply cannot afford another unproductive offense day – not against this team. The man who may spark the offense with his big-play ability is the frequently criticized Tiki Barber. Barber is growing in confidence and seems to have regained his quickness and tackle breaking ability. No, he is not a power back and should not be compared with one. But he has home run speed and elusiveness. His biggest challenge in this game will be to hold onto the ball – both catching it and preventing fumbles. “It’s up to us now to get some points,” says Barber. “We’re going to have to against Indianapolis because we know they’re going to. They have a lot of weapons, and we have to counter that in whatever way we can. We don’t necessarily mind the defense making it easy for us, but we don’t want to keep putting them under so much pressure.”
The way teams have been defending the Giants of late is largely ignore their running attack and loading up against the receivers down the field. That is one of the reasons why QB Kent Graham has had a hard time getting the ball to WR Amani Toomer, WR Ike Hilliard, and TE Pete Mitchell. They simply are not afraid of LeShon Johnson and Charles Way. It will be up to Tiki, and possibly Sean Bennett, to change that. It’s also time for LeShon to stop running like a rookie, follow his blocks, read the holes, and break one.
The guy really in the hot seat is Graham, who is obviously playing very conservatively. He is also getting that message from his coach. “We can’t go out there Sunday and turn the ball over and keep going three and out if we want to win this game,” said Head Coach Jim Fassel. “This is a hell of a matchup. Any time you get a matchup like this, with our defense and their offense, unless one side just totally dominates, other factors are going to come into play and decide the game.” I have no problem with playing it safe on offense, especially when you have a very good defense and talent weaknesses on the offensive side of the ball. Heck, that’s how the Giants won it all in 1990. However, you have to play smart as well. Graham is taking far too many sacks instead of throwing the ball away. He also seems a tad overly cautious to me – afraid to take any chances. That’s not how he got the job done in 1998 and he should remember that. If the Giants fall behind in this game – which is likely – the onus will be on him to bring the team back with his right arm. Poise, accuracy, and leadership will be the keys. Kent has to get back to the confident, aggressive play that he demonstrated during the 5-1 finish last year. He has to stop looking over his shoulder. Kent also has to get the ball into the hands of his play makers: Toomer, Hilliard, Mitchell, and Barber.
The Colts are improving on defense, but they are not as scary as some of the teams the Giants have already faced. The receivers ought to be able to do some damage against the defensive backs and linebackers. In particular, it is time for Toomer and Hilliard to make more game-deciding plays. “We’ve executed well in practice all year,” says Hilliard. “It’s a matter of doing it in a game. We have the talent. We have the great schemes. It’s just a matter of going out and executing it.” CB Tyrone Poole is a quick and fast player, but Toomer should be able to use his height against him. CB Jeff Burris is solid, but not special. Hilliard should be able to get open against him with some regularity. The safety combo of SS Chad Cota and FS Jason Belser is pretty strong. I would think the Colts would keep Cota on Pete Mitchell, but if Mitchell gets locked up on the linebackers, Graham has to go that way.
This is all moot unless that the offensive line starts kicking some tail. LT Roman Oben has struggled with injuries (knee/hamstring) and he faces an old friend in DE Chad Bratzke, who has been playing very well and has seven sacks. But Oben is capable of shutting him down. He certainly is able to exploit him when the Giants run the ball. LG Luke Petitgout had a rough game last week and I look for him to rebound – though he will face the tough DT Ellis Johnson who combines decent size with quickness. RG Ron Stone will be up against DT Tony McCoy. Both tackles can get after the passer, but both have had problems with the run in the past too. RT Scott Gragg will face DE Shawn King. The linebackers are quite average. The Giants can push these guys off the line of scrimmage if they play their game. Getting solid blocks up front from OC Brian Williams, FB Charles Way, and the tight ends will be key.
There are a couple of guys who I’d like the Giants get the ball to – one is WR Joe Jurevicius, who I feel continues to be vastly underutilized. The other is 3rd string TE Dan Campbell. I think the Giants could sneak Campbell past a linebacker in a short yardage situation and get a big play out of it.
Giants on Special Teams: Giants have to keep punt/kick returner Terrence Wilkins under control. The game could be decided here. And it could be decided by Bashir Levingston – just a feeling.