I’ve noticed it as well, especially with the Skins. My thinking is that it the reasons are twofold:
the offense becomes a little more willing to take chances with their backs up against the clock, knowing that there’s little time for their opponent to capitalize on a mistake (though it happens all the time)
offenses go into a “hurry up” offense that limits the defense’s ability to change personnel effectively, coupled with the defense often playing very loose… that is, letting the underneath stuff and playing almost solely to prevent a “big” play. If you’ll notice, a lot of the times an offense will charge down the field, but the defense will hold firm(er, anyway) once they get into the red zone.
Ultimately, what’s the difference between 1 big play getting them there and several short to medium plays? Perhaps a few seconds off the clock. Perhaps a statistical increase in a chance at a fumble or an interception, but historically the offense shoots down the field and gets into FG range pretty handily. I don’t quite get the reasoning behind the strategy, but that’s my take on why it happens so regularly.
I hated that game. The Vikings didn’t win so much as the Giants handed the game to them.
The Giants’ defense was solid and the Vikings shouldn’t have scored more than a couple of field goals. Even with two collossal special teams screwups and Eli looking like he’d never taken a snap in his life the Giants still had a chance to pull out a win.
A home loss to a team as lousy as the Vikings is inexcusable.
Exgineer, that was an understatement. That had to be one of the fugliest games I’ve ever seen, and I saw Pisarcek hand off to Csonka (sorry for the potential misspelling. Two special teams touchdowns and a defensive touchdown. What more can the defense do - three consecutive games, no touchdowns, 9 points. No way this should have been anywhere close. Eli really looked like the rookie, and it didn’t help that when the ball got to the receivers, they were so surprised that they dropped it. Tiki was the only bright spot…again. Should have given him another dozen handoffs.
Eli’s greenery got exposed a little bit yesterday. The Vikings were disguising a lot of coverages in their defensive secondary and suckering him into throwing into double coverage or confusing him into holding the ball too long. Look for other teams to do the same from now on. With the Giants turning over the ball as many times as they did yesterday (twice inside their own 20 yard line) they should have been blown out. The only reason they were in the game at all was because the Vikings offense was dead in the water all day (except for the final drive when they needed it). Only the Vikings would come away with zero points off those first two turnovers in the redzone. The decision to trade Moss is looking worse all the time.
Birds win tonight, back in the hunt, one game back of NYG & haven’t played them yet… not bad. All that disaster this year & we’re still not dead.
Just a heads up, I leave on vacation for 2 weeks in a couple of days, so if I’m not gloating or eating crow after the next 2 Sundays I’m not ducking you folks, just not logging in…
David Tyree is the reason our special teams were #1 in the league, and with him out yesterday we all got a painful reminder of how our special teams played the last few seasons.
I was unhappy with Hufnagel’s play selection to start the game. The first few passing plays were to Jamaar Taylor, Visanthe Shiancoe, and Tim Carter. Drop. Drop. Drop. If anyone reading those names is asking themselves “Who the fuck is that?”, that’s my point exactly. Doubling Plax and Shock should result in passes to Toomer and checkdowns to Tiki, not the ever-fragile JV receivers.
The most annoying moment of the game was Feely choking a chip shot. WTF?!
The best moment, of course, was Tiki running for the two point conversion, after running for the touchdown, after running for that same touchdown only to have it called back for holding. Anyone who thinks Tiki is over the hill needs to have their head examined.
One good thing about this game is that it is excellent ammo for the overtime debate. The last Vikings drive was exactly like the first Dallas drive in overtime a couple weeks back. In Dallas it was unfair, but now against the Vikes it’s perfectly fair?
Speaking of that final drive, when the ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, how many Giants fans flashed back to the MNF Dallas game in 2003? During that stupid-ass hook & ladder play, I just shook my head sadly. Obviously, only the Giants can lose a game with 11 seconds left by kicking the ball out of bounds. Stupid Cowboys.
Boy, did the Cowboys ever pull that one out of their asses!
They just did to the Eagles what Washington did to them earlier in the season. I hope they get their running game going better against Detroit next week. But a sweep of the Eagles, for the first time in ages…
Sea took home field advantage
Car took South Crown
Chi took #3 seed
Dal took East Crown
NYG knocked down to wildcard spot
Wash got knocked out of wildcard spot
DALLAS (9-7, 4-2 Div.)
Nov 20 Detroit -w
Nov 24 Denver
Dec 4 @N.Y. Giants
Dec 11 Kansas City
Dec 18 @Washington -w
Dec 24 @Carolina
Jan 1 St. Louis -w
NYG (9-7, 3-3 Div.)
Nov 20 Philadelphia -w
Nov 27 @Seattle
Dec 4 Dallas -w
Dec 11 @Philadelphia
Dec 17 Kansas City
Dec 24 @Washington
Dec 31 @Oakland -w
WASH (8-8, 3-3 Div.)
Nov 20 Oakland -w
Nov 27 San Diego
Dec 4 @St. Louis
Dec 11 @Arizona -w
Dec 18 Dallas
Dec 24 N.Y. Giants -w
Jan 1 @Philadelphia
PHIL (8-8, 2-4 Div.)
Nov 20 @N.Y. Giants
Nov 27 Green Bay -w
Dec 5 Seattle
Dec 11 N.Y. Giants -w
Dec 18 @St. Louis
Dec 24 @Arizona -w
Jan 1 Washington -w
The way things are going, this whole thing will likely be proven wrong as soon as next week
