Approach to the Game – New York Giants at St. Louis Rams, September 15, 2002: I love games like this. The Giants are heading into a hostile arena to face what many consider to be the best team in football. Not many give the Giants a chance. Indeed, the Giants are an amazing two touchdown underdogs.
Love it!
There’s nothing to fear here. If the Rams are truly the better team, then they deserve to win. If they are dramatically better than the Giants, then they deserve to win by two touchdowns or more.
So let’s play the game and end all the speculation. I – for one – am looking forward to it.
Giants on Special Teams: We’ll start here again this week since there are still big questions surrounding the kicking game. PK Matt Bryant made both of his field goals last week, but neither was from long distance. One of his kick-offs was ugly. P Matt Allen hit one beauty and shanked two – let’s hope the latter were a case of opening day nerves.
Field position, field position, field position. It is always important in every game, especially big games like this. The Giants’ punt and kick coverage teams must. Punt returner Terrence Wilkins is dangerous due to his speed. He has sore ribs so rough him up.
Ron Dixon did a good job of returning kickoffs last week because he didn’t dance around so much. I’m still not sold…he has to continue to hit open seams aggressively and with little hesitation.
The big wild card is the punt returns. It looks like rookie Daryl Jones will see his first action since getting hurt early in the first preseason game – ironically on a punt return where he fumbled the ball. Jones is capable of breaking a big return, but his primary task needs to be ball security.
Giants on Defense: Last week’s game against the 49ers can serve as a blueprint. Play great coverage in the secondary and be physical with the receivers after they catch the ball. Disrupt the timing of the passing game by knocking receivers off of their routes. But there is one big difference this week and that is the presence of HB Marshall Faulk. Faulk places a tremendous amount of pressure on a defense with his running and pass receiving. In particular, linebackers have a hard time staying with him in coverage. This often forces teams to put a defensive back on him, thus weakening the rest of the secondary coverage on the wide receivers. Linebackers Mike Barrow, Dhani Jones, and Brandon Short will really be on the spot in this game. In fact, I would be very tempted to not play Short much. I think I’d stick with a nickel package or play rookie Wes Mallard more. I doubt the Giants do this as Mallard is very inexperienced, but I fear a Faulk-Short match-up problem. If the Giants are lucky, Barrow brings his “A” game and provides solid coverage. Same story with Dhani Jones.
The Giants must be wary of reserve HB Trung Canidate when he spells Faulk…Trung has been somewhat of a disappointment in St. Louis, but he still can run like the wind. FB Chris Hetherington and TE Ernie Conwell are used in the passing game at times as well.
Because Faulk is going to deserve so much attention, the last thing the Giants need (aside from the Rams’ ground game to get going) is for the Rams’ wide receivers to start causing big problems. It is absolutely essential that Will Allen, Will Peterson, and Jason Sehorn play well against Isaac Bruce, Tory Holt, Ricky Proehl, and Terrence Wilkins. These guys can’t dwell on last week’s press clippings. If they slip here, the Giants lose. If they continue to shine, New York has a good chance to pull off the upset. Bruce and Holt get all the press, but it seems that it is Proehl who is always making the game-turning play. Safeties Shaun Williams and Omar Stoutmire can make a big impact here by not only providing sound coverage, but also by making big hits AND sure tackles. Like the 49ers, the Rams throw a lot of short passes and rely on their receivers and backs to break tackles and make big plays. Sure tackling is absolutely critical.
Great pass defense starts up front with the pass rush. Last week, the down four had to be wary of a mobile quarterback. This week they’ll have much more freedom to get after the passer. Kurt Warner is an amazing story – you’ve heard all about it. His greatest strengths are his decision-making and accuracy. To take him out of his game, the Giants need to pound on him. Get sacks…get hits. The Giants will probably blitz a bit more this week, but that is always a dangerous game with the Rams. You have to pick your spots and pray you are right. The more the Giants can pressure Warner without the blitz, the better (obviously).
DE Kenny Holmes draws the toughest assignment this week, facing All-Pro LT Orlando Pace, who outweighs him probably near 100 pounds. Holmes is going to have to buckle up his chin strap and play all out for this not to be a huge mismatch for the Giants. Kenny needs to play with great technique, leverage, and passion. He also needs help. It’s time for Keith Hamilton and Cornelius Griffin to start dominating some games on their own. Hamilton has a personal vendetta against LG Tom Nutten for a cheap shot from last year’s game. I hope it inspires him, but Keith also has to play smart and not hurt his team.
Griffen faces RG Adam Timmerman…one of the league’s better guards. But Cornelius needs to start making plays again like he did his rookie year. He has the tools to excel, but he has disappointed. This is a big game for him.
People are making a lot of DE Michael Strahan’s match-up with RT John St. Clair. But the kind of publicity this match-up has been getting makes me uneasy as the “experts” are often proven wrong by what transpires on the field (see the write-ups leading up to the Scott Gragg-Strahan match-up last week). St. Clair will undoubtably receive help…still Strahan needs to dominate this personal battle in order for the team to do well. If Strahan is double-teamed, then it is up to Hamilton and Griffen to make the Rams pay. These two need to stop riding Strahan’s coattails and earn their paychecks. Best defensive line in football my ass.
The Rams are just as upset about their running game’s lack of productivity last week as the Giants are. Marshall Faulk rushed for only 32 yards against Denver. You had better believe that the Rams look to change this around against New York. The Giants must guard against the passing game first and foremost in my opinion, but they must not let Faulk get going on the ground either. Look for the Rams to run left at Holmes and Jones. These two had better get ready.
One last note: turnovers can be the great equalizer in a game like this. The Rams run a high-production, but also high-risk, offense. Teams that beat them usually win the turnover battle in a big fashion. New York needs to get after the ball and create some turnovers.
Giants on Offense: I could go on and on about match-ups here like I always do. Yadda, yadda, yadda. What it comes down to is putting points on the board. The Rams have a decent defense with some very good players (i.e., DE Grant Wistrom and CB Aeneas Williams). There are some match-up concerns up front such as Wistrom on LT Luke Petitgout and pass-rushing LDE Leonard Little versus RT Mike Rosenthal. The Rams will also count on Aeneas Williams to shut down whoever he is covering, be it Amani Toomer or Ike Hilliard.
But screw all of that. The Giants have a ton of firepower and it is time for them to start dictating to opposing defenses. TE Jeremy Shockey needs to make some game-winning plays – hey Shockey, the preseason is over and you’ve done jack squat out there so far. Toomer needs to come to play each and every game – only that way will you go to the Pro Bowl Amani. You want a big contract Ike? Stop making mistakes and score some touchdowns. These three can AND SHOULD feed off each other. Catch the ball, break some tackles, get into the endzone. This can be a very fun time for all three of these guys.
The X-factor in a game like this can be a guy like Ron Dixon. He has a chance to be a Ricky Proehl-like hero with the others drawing so much attention. I sense a big game for Ron.
QB Kerry Collins played well last week, but his big problem in the past has been his inconsistency. The last thing the Giants need from him are untimely turnovers at critical junctures of the game. At the same time, Collins needs to let it rip and start tearing up some other teams with touchdown passes. I do disagree with Fassel. I don’t think the Giants need to play a perfect game. This isn’t the old 1997 team with Charles Way being the only offensive threat. Collins, Shockey, Toomer, Hilliard, Barber, Dixon…there is a lot of talent in that group. They can overcome a mistake or two and still win a game going away. But get the ball in the endzone. Not once, not twice, not even three times. Put 31 points or more on the board. Yes, this team is capable of doing that.
I also don’t think the Giants need to be pre-occupied with running the ball early in this game. Use the pass to set up the run. Get a lead, then hit the Rams with the ground game. Use play-action to put the game away.
To me, the only real question is whether or not to play Tiki Barber. If Tiki’s toe is bothering him at all, the last thing you want to do is play him on astroturf. Plus, Ron Dayne is capable of producing big-time when given a chance. Fassel and Payton can use Sean Bennett as their 3rd-down back (but just don’t ask him to pick-up the blitz!).
You know what? One team IS going to win this game by the point spread. But it’s not going to be the Rams.