by Craig Santucci @NYGiantsRush
Rant and Rave: Week 5
Rant: Eli Manning is not washed up or done; however his play, his mindset and his willingness to get it done…needs to improve. The “King of the check downs” is not looking downfield. The O-Line is not great but has played better as of late. However, the aftermath of having a terrible line since 2012 now resurfaces in a QB who is tentative and is afraid to step up in the pocket. And Shurmur is “full of it” when he says the game plan is not about trying to go downfield. So breaking the bank on Odell Beckham is a bad idea? I’m confused. Don’t they want a guy who “can’t be covered” and goes downfield? Throw Beckham the ball, let the play develop if the franchise is paying a 20MM a year for a QB.
Rave: Love me some Snacks. This guy just balls. Someone give this guy a commercial or something. This guy earns every dollar he gets. He makes Tomlinson and Hill even better. I saw somewhere that he was ranked at the top of the run defenders. The defensive Tackle donated $20,000 of his own money to aid recovery in the Carolina’s. Cheers Snacks!
Rant: Can the New York Giants please find a return guy. It has been a decade. At this point just kneel in the end zone. Do not take the ball out. Time and time again the Giants have crap field position because the kick returner is busy going sideways or backward. North and South people. Coley or Clay…it doesn’t matter. These guys are terrible. Why do we keep making excuses? The Giants signed a new returner this week. What’s his deal?
Rave: Hats off to Left Guard, Will Hernandez. He is figuring it out and it shows. The pocket for Eli Manning is much better and it seems like he is starting to feel comfortable with the protection and role. Four weeks in and we can confidently say that his talent still has a very high ceiling.
Rant: Why do people make excuses for a player who doesn’t perform. As a New York Giants fan, you should have the highest expectations for your pass rushers: Lawrence Taylor, Leonard Marshall, Osi Umenyiora, Carl Banks, Jessie Armstead, George Martin, Justin Tuck. None of these players ever had a contract for 80MM and did the bare minimum. Stop telling me Olivier Vernon is a beast. You have to be on the field and running in the top 5 in a meaningful category: Sacks, tackles for a loss, tackles, QB hits, even forced fumbles to be a BEAST! Vernon is never in the top ranking of any category. Lastly, stop with the “Pressures”. It’s a meaningless term if the rest of your game is pedestrian.
Rave: Tight End, Rhett Ellison has had a few nice pass receptions and run after the catch. While he is not a dynamic runner like Engram, he is a big guy who carries corners and safeties on route to a critical 1st down. Good to see him step. Now, if we could get Shurmur to add back in the “roll out” play where Eli Manning hits Ellison in the flat would be ideal.