Approach to the Game – New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons, October 8, 2000: Alright, enough of this crap. It’s time for the LEADERS of this team to stand up and be counted. It is time for QB Kerry Collins, WLB Jessie Armstead, DE Michael Strahan, HB Tiki Barber, MLB Mike Barrow, WR Amani Toomer, SS Sam Garnes, LT Lomas Brown, and LG Glenn Parker to elevate the play of the entire team by (1) playing well themselves and (2) grabbing their teammates by the face mask and saying, “Follow me and let’s kick some ass.”
I don’t give a damn about the match-ups this week (though I will point them out for my audience) and neither should the players. Just beat the man in front of you. You’re better than this and now go out there and prove it.
Giants on Offense: The casual observer will say the most important thing for the Giants’ offense to get back on track is to get the running game going again. And that is very true. However, I firmly believe for that to happen Kerry Collins is going to have to get out of his current funk and get back to ACCURATELY and DECISIVELY throwing the football. Only in this way will the Giants force opposing defenses to stop crowding the line of scrimmage against Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne. Collins has looked too sheepish…he’s got to step forward and exert his WILL on this team…a “This is my team and I’ll be damned if anyone is going to stop us attitude.” If adversity strikes during the game (and it always does), don’t become unglued and start making dumb mistakes. Remember your fundamentals and hit the open man! Head Coach Jim Fassel concurs: “I don’t want him to throw a couple of interceptions (and become cautious). I want him to go back and hit that foot and chuck it, throw it with assertiveness and confidence.”
Now, the guy I would use heavily is H-Back Pete Mitchell. For a variety of reasons, the Giants haven’t been able to get Mitchell into the flow of the offense. This has to stop. Mitchell is too smooth for most linebackers to cover and too big for most safeties to knock off stride. Sending him out in the 8-12 yard range should be a “gimme” almost every time. I would also send him deep once or twice down the seam. By getting Mitchell involved in the passing game, the Giants will accomplish two things: (1) they will force the linebackers and safeties from being less aggressive in run defense, and (2) they will help prevent these same defenders from helping out on the wide receivers.
Another guy I’d like to see get involved in the passing game is Tiki Barber. Yes, I know the Giants are already throwing to him. But I don’t think they have used him enough early in the game. Many of his receptions have come in the last couple of games when the Giants are already facing a big deficit. Tiki is a nightmare for linebackers to cover. I love the screen pass, but the Giants should not just run this with him. Get Tiki down the field. If you can match him up on a linebacker or strong safety, a big play very may well develop. WLB Keith Brooking, perhaps the best Falcon defender, is out. MLB Jessie Tuggle is starting to feel his age. SLB Henri Crockett is solid, but unspectacular.
Alright, now we have a rhythm going with our intermediate passing game and Collins is starting to feel good about himself because he is making a lot of easy completions underneath. The linebackers and safeties are starting to play back on their heels some. Let’s take some shots deeper down the field to Amani Toomer, Ike Hilliard, and Ron Dixon. The Falcons are still expecting run so let’s not give it to them yet. Use play action. Cornerbacks Ray Buchanan and Ashley Ambrose are fine players, but so are the Giants receivers and with the safeties still looking run, these are match-ups the Giants should win (their safeties do little to inspire regardless). Before you know it, New York is up 7-0 and it was all done through the air.
Next possession. You may even want to start off on first down one more time throwing the ball just to create some more doubt, but now it’s time to get the running game going, and specifically Ron Dayne. Tiki has shown some wear and tear (i.e., the kick to his knee) and I think it would be wise to get the Dayne Train moving full speed. Pound the ball now. It won’t be glamorous or exciting, but it will take the life out of the Falcon defense. Ron started to hit the holes more aggressively against the Redskins, but seemed to regress in his very few carries last week. Ron, just take that damn ball and attack the defense like you did at Wisconsin. Stop thinking and just react naturally. The Falcons have an OK front seven, but it is nothing special. LT Lomas Brown faces DE Brady Smith (who’s big claim to fame was humiliating Roman Oben at the Senior Bowl with three sacks); LG Glenn Parker faces DT Ed Jasper; RG Ron Stone faces the talented but ailing DT Travis Hall; and RT Luke Pettigout faces 1999 first rounder Patrick Kerney. The rest of the league has started to notice that the Giants like to run right behind Stone and Pettigout. Most of the left side game now seems to consist of Tiki cutting back or pitch outs where the Giants attempt to seal the corner with the tight ends and fullback. The Giants need to diversify a bit more, but the bread and butter will remain running behind the right side. Thus Luke and Ron must bring their “A” games and punish their respective opponents. Parker and FB Greg Comella need to lead the halfback effectively into the hole and Dayne needs to attack the defense aggressively through that hole. No indecision – just go.
Atlanta’s defenders see what is going on. They start swarming more and more aggressively to the point of attack. “No way we let this Heisman Trophy winner get going on us,” they yell. But wait, where the heck is the ball? Dayne doesn’t have. That kid Dixon does and he’s going the other way on a wide receiver reverse. Damn that guy is fast and he’s heading down the sideline. 14-0.
The sparse crowd is already booing and the Atlanta defense has no idea what is coming next. Game, set, match.
Giants on Defense: These Giants’ defenders know the legacy. They hear it all the time. This is the team of Sam Huff, Arnie Weinmeister, Emlen Tunnell, Andy Robustelli, Harry Carson, George Martin, and Lawrence Taylor. The heart and soul of this team has almost always been defense. The Ghosts of the Past are there because we fans remember them and we expect that legacy to be upheld. On Sunday, the Giants’ defense needs to forget about the previous two games and just go out there and kick some butt. Stop worrying about this or that…dictate the game to your opponent. You know what Atlanta will do. They like to run the ball with Jamal Anderson behind FB Bob Christian and H-Back Brian Kozlowski. QB Chris Chandler then likes to use play-action to get the ball deep down the field to his wide receivers (Shawn Jefferson and Terance Mathis). They also have a new weapon in impressive-looking TE Reggie Kelly. The Giants are going to have to keep Sam Garnes on him or get a much better job out of the linebackers in coverage this week. But they KNOW what will be coming. Play smart, stuff the run, cover the receivers, and get after the passer. Ohh, the pass rush…
We all know the problem. DE Michael Strahan is underperforming, DE Cedric Jones seems to have left his pass rush at Oklahoma, DT Christian Peter never had a pass rush, and DT Keith Hamilton is being double teamed. The first five games are history and nothing can be done about that. These four guys have to get their act together and get after the quarterback. BE RELENTLESS – this is something that their position coach remarked was missing so far from this group this year. Chandler is not a mobile quarterback and he is playing behind a make-shift line that was just re-structured before last week’s game. Jones faces the sternest test vis a vis LT Bob Whitfield. But there is no reason for Strahan not to dominate rookie RT Michael Thompson. Domination doesn’t just come in the form of sacks, but also penetration against the run as well as CONSISTENT pressure on the passer. Let him know you are there. Peter faces a rookie in RG Travis Claridge. Defensive Coordinator John Fox needs to take advantage of these two young guys by blitzing a lot from the left side of the defense.
But for the blitz to work effectively, the Giants need to cover Kelly and their third-down specialist Tim Dwight. The match-up between Dwight and the Giants’ nickel corner is HUGE. It will be interesting to see if Emmanuel McDaniel keeps this job and responds to his poor game last week. Andre Weathers, who is recovering from a knee injury, may replace him. CB Dave Thomas will also be much more severely tested this week by a passing game that likes to throw the ball down the field. So whether he has Mathis or Jefferson, he needs to do a credible job. But their jobs will all be made much easier if the Giants can get after Chandler. Hit him and force him to get rid of the ball before he wants to (it is not all about sacks). Make him make poor decisions and let’s get some turnovers.
Again, the keys…stuff Anderson, don’t get suckered by play-action, cover Kelly and Dwight. Combine those things with a consistent pass rush and you will have a victory.
Giants on Special Teams: The most important aspect will be punt coverage on Tim Dwight and kick coverage on Darrick Vaughn and Dwight. Vaughn is averaging over 33 yards a kick return. Dwight is always dangerous. The Giants need PK Jaret Holmes and P Brad Maynard to come through with booming kicks again and solid coverage down the field. Cutting down on penalties in their own kick and punt returns would help. It’s time for Tiki Barber and Ron Dixon to start breaking some returns.