Posted in NFL Offseason, NFL Regular Season, tagged 2012, football, giants, New York Giants, nfl, prediction, preview, shrederdude63 on June 20, 2012 | 2 Comments »
A popular series from last year has been revived. Expect one for each team this offseason. Today, I’ll be talking about the Super Bowl Giants.
Results from the Past:
Last year, the team was expected to go 10-6. The offense was supposed to struggle early on without key players such as WR Steve Smith, but the defense was deemed to put the team on their back. The team ended up similar to what the (more…)
Posted in NFL Super Bowl, tagged Ashwin Anbu, Bill Belichick, eli manning, football, giants, Gronkowski, Hernandez, intotheendzone.com, nfl, Ochocinco, patriots, shrederdude, shrederdude63, super bowl, super bowl XLVI, tom brady, Tom Coughlin, Welker on February 5, 2012 | 2 Comments »
This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for Super Bowl XLVI is here, and the winner will be immortalized forever in football history. In a rematch of Super Bowl XLII and the week 14 matchup, both teams have something to prove.
For the Giants, the team has a chance to cement themselves as an elite team. It’s also a chance for Eli Manning to finally get rid of the Peyton monkey on his back. As for the Pats, they yearn for redemption. Following the embarrassing and eye-opening Super Bowl loss in ’07, the Pats have never been the same. Prior to this year, the Patriots hadn’t won a playoff game since. Their defense has played at a lower level consistently, and the offense lacks to star power it once had. A win would cement Brady’s Hall of Fame status, and would return the Pats to their place as world champs.
So which story line will it be? Will it be Eli surpassing his brother in Super Bowl wins on Peyton’s turf no less? Will it be Brady win his first Super Bowl carrying the team on his back? Let’s find out:
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Here are several aspects in the game that will determine the outcome:
Pass Rush:
In Super Bowl XLII and this year’s regular season rematch, the Giants won thanks to constant pressure on Brady. To any sane quarterback, the words Tuck, Pierre-Paul, and Co. will strike fear in their hearts (unless your Eli Manning, who is fortunate to have these guys) Despite Tom Brady’s greatness, constantly hitting him will rush him into throws and eventually interceptions.
As for why this key is crucial for the Pats, well I think it’s obvious. The Giants offense is the real deal. Let me make this clear: The Pats secondary suck and it probably not going to change Sunday. Yet if Manning’s running for his life ever play, even this secondary will be dangerous. In the regular season matchup, the defense thrived when blitzing, especially from their dime and nickel packages. If the Pats have similar and more frequent success, expect a check under the win column. With a d-line consisting of Vince Wilfork, I don’t see that posing too much of a problem. However, I don’t see the Pats blitzing often, so I chose the Giants.
Edge: Giants
Secondary Play:
Its obvious, for why the Pats need to step this aspect up. Why do the Giants? Two words: Tom Brady. Since the devastating SB loss, the Pats have transformed from a high-flying offense to a West Coast oriented one. The West Coast was created to counter teams notorious for their pass rush (i.e 70s Steelers and 80′s Bears) with quick plays rather than long developing ones. Even then, a well orchestrated blitz will generate pressure and sacks. The Giants still thrashed Tom Brady in the regular season game.
I expect Bill Belichick to have added some new wrinkles to stop the ferocious pass rush the Giants possess. That’s why the secondary must step up. Knowing Belichick, he will prevent the Giants from getting to Brady every single play. Brady will have time , but even the best of schemes will only fend the rush for a few seconds. The secondary will have to have great coverage for those seconds. Brady doesn’t have the mentality of a gunslinger; he won’t force passes because he’s a smart guy. If he tries though, the Giants will take advantage. I think the Giants will step up.
Edge: Giants
Here are some minor keys for each team. They may be specific areas of the above categories, or areas the named team needs to step up:
For the Giants:
*Run the Ball efficiently. Not only do they have great backs in Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, but running the ball will control the clock. Controlling the clock will keep Brady on the bench, which is always a good thing. It also sets up the playaction, which is deadly in the long run.
* Run the trips set consistently. The Giants have Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham, and Hakeem Nicks. All three are explosive in their own rights. Put them on one side of the field, and the Patriots will have no answer.
* Protect the underneath. The Pats are not built for the long bomb, so preventing the underneath will make Welker, Gronkowski, and Hernandez ineffective.
For the Pats:
* Utilize Ochocinco. How can anyone with his personality disappear? Yet that is exactly what happened. Ocho hasn’t done anything this season; its time for him to erupt. In his first Super Bowl, you can expect him to make himself known. The Giants will have their hands full with the TEs and Welker. Some corner will defend the man once known as Johnson. Big mistake.
* Stop the run. You don’t want to let the Giants control the tempo of the game, and that is exactly what will happen if the Giants run well.
* Special Teams. The Giants are better in every aspect of the game so far, so good special teams could determine the outcome.
Conclusion: This game will ultimately come to which defense stops the opposition’s offense better. I think it’s the Giants by four. Yet if history is any indication, this could be another upset in the making. In the end, this will be a good game, and one of these teams will reach the pinnacle of their career.
Posted in NFL Post Season, tagged Ashwin Anbu, coughlin, cowboys, eli manning, felix jones, giants, nfc, nfl, tony romo on December 29, 2011 | 6 Comments »
Giants. Cowboys. When those two teams are mentioned, a long history between these two rivals come to mind. These two teams have played well for much of the season. Yet, the loser of this week’s game will not make the playoffs. The division is up for grabs, and these two teams will be playing their best. But who do I think will win? Let’s find out.
Last Game:
Last time these teams played, the Giants prevailed 37-34. The Giants were in a four game losing streak, and things looked bleak. Eli Manning lead the Giants to two TDs in the final 3:14 of the game. The Cowboys appeared to have tied the score as time expired, but Coughlin and the Giants called a timeout in the nick of time. The Dallas Cowboy’s next chance was blocked and the Giants comeback was sealed.
The game was one of the best games played this year. Eli Manning threw for 400 yards and 2 TDs, while counterpart Tony Romo threw for 321 yards and 4 TDs. Brandon Jacobs went berserk and ran for 109 yards on 19 carries. Felix Jones ran 106 yards on 16 carries. Although they both played great, the Giants just made a play when it was needed. With the rematch approaching, you can expect another classic.
Here are the keys to the game:
Pass Rush:
Last time, there were only two sacks in the entire game. This allowed both QBs to take over and electrify the game. The winning team is gonna have to step up and knock the QB around. These two teams both have top ten offenses, mainly due to having a lethal aerial attack. Give the opposition time, and it will be a long day for the defense. The key to success in this one is which ever pressures the other more. The pressure will cause turnovers, give the team’s great offense the ball and more importantly, puts the other good offense on the bench. Pressure = Turnovers = Win. Simple math.
Look out for DeMarcus Ware and Jason Pierre-Paul in this game. Both lead their team in sacks with 18 and 16 respectively. The key to winning in the pass rush department would be a whole lot easier for the team that neutralizes the others best pass rusher.
Who do I think will win this department? I hate to use statistics, but one team has done better than the other at dialing up the pressure and knocking down the QB.
Edge: Giants
O-line Play:
Any team can dial up the pressure. But not every team can do it successfully against a good offensive line. Both QBs are not known for being mobile. Both QBs easily disect defenses with ease, so the smart thing to do would be to rush their timing and force them into bad decisions. The question is which O-line will stop the other team more. The O-line will also have to open holes up for the running game. Last time, both teams were extremely successful in that aspect of the game, each team with over 100 yards in rushing. A repeated success would keep the defense on their toes. On one side its the Giants O-line of Diehl, Boothe, Baas, Snee, and McKenzie vs the Cowboys front seven of Coleman, Ratliff, Hatcher, Spencer, James, Lee, and Ware. On the other side, its a Cowboys O-line of Free, Dockery, Costa, Kosier, and Smith vs the Giants front seven with players Pierre-Paul, Tuck, and Co. Who wins?
Edge: Cowboys
Aerial Attack:
Both these teams rank in the top eight passing offenses. That isn’t much of a surprise, seeing that both teams have a Pro Bowl QB. Both these teams also share a horrendous secondary, ranking 23 and 27 in pass defense. Eli Manning has set the Giants all-time record for yards in a season (4587) and Tony Romo has been torching defenses as well. In the end, I have to pick the Giants winning this area for several reasons. One, Eli Manning does not have a swollen hand while Romo does. Two, the Giants have playmakers in their secondary like Webster (6 int) yet Dallas doesn’t.
Edge: Giants
Conclusion:
Giants win. I’m sorry Cowboy fans, but your team will not make the playoffs. This game will be at New York and your QB has a swollen hand. On top of that, the Giants have had your team’s number these last few years, winning 4 out of 5 match-ups. I know I’m gonna get a lot of heat for this post from my numerous Cowboys friends. But this is how I see it. Until next time, this is Shrederdude63 signing off.
Photos Brought To You By Laham/Getty
Posted in NFL Post Season, NFL Regular Season, tagged 49ers, afc, Ashwin Anbu, bengals, broncos, chiefs, cowboys, falcons, football, giants, jets, nfc, nfl, packers, patriots, playoffs, raiders, ravens, shrederdude, shrederdude63, steelers, texans, titans on December 27, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Into The Endzone. Shrederdude63 is back. With the season winding down, several teams have already made the playoffs. For others, they’re guaranteed a spot on the couch following Week 17. As of now, here are the standings if the season ended today:
AFC Playoff Picture:
1. New England Patriots (12-3) – Y
2. Baltimore Ravens (11-4) – X
3. Houston Texans (10-5) – Y
4. Denver Broncos (8-7)
Wildcard Teams:
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) – X
6. Cincinnati Bengals (9-6)
In The Hunt
Oakland Raiders (8-7)
Tennessee Titans (8-7)
New York Jets (8-7)
NFC Playoff Picture:
1. Green Bay Packers (14-1) – Z
2. San Francisco 49ers (12-3) – Y
3. New Orleans Saints (12-3) – Y
4. New York Giants (8-7)
Wildcard Teams
5. Detroit Lions (10-5) – X
6. Atlanta Falcons (9-6) – X
In the Hunt
Dallas Cowboys (8-7)
Z = Clinched Home-field Advantage Y = Clinched Division X = Clinched Playoff Berth
How The Rankings Could Change:
I’m going to start with the AFC, since next week could change the entire positioning. The New England Patriots are the top seed, and clinch home-field advantage if they win the season finale vs Buffalo. Due to tiebreakers, the Pats need the Ravens and the Steelers to lose in order to keep the top spot if they lose the game at home vs the Bills. The lowest the Patriots could be is the second seed, since they already have clinched a first round bye.
The Ravens have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, so they will play following Week 17. The question is when. If the Ravens win against the Bengals, they win the division and get a first round bye. If the Patriots lose, the Ravens get home-field advantage as well. But if the Ravens lose and the Steelers win, the Ravens drop from the second seed to the fifth, lose the bye, and venture on a harder road to the Super Bowl.
The Texans have the division title and No.3 seed. Even if they win their Week 17 game, they can not get a bye. They are guaranteed their spot. They should rest their starters in Week 17.
The Denver Broncos have not wrapped up a playoff berth yet. The only reason they are the No. 4 seed instead of the Raiders is because of strength of schedule. In order to clinch their division, they must defeat the Chiefs in Mile High Stadium or the Raiders lose at the hands of the Chargers. They can be no other seed; it’s either No.4 or at home.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have already wrapped up a playoff berth. They can only go up. If the Steelers win and the Bengals miraculously win against the Ravens, they get the division, first round bye, and No.2 seed. If the Patriots lose on top of that, the Steelers have home-field advantage. The Steelers can not get knocked down to the sixth seed, so its either enter the playoffs as a fifth, second, or first seeded team.
The Bengals have not clinched the playoffs. A win versus the Ravens will get them into the playoffs. In the first post Palmer season, the Bengals are playing better then they have in years. They most certainly will give their all versus Baltimore.
The Oakland Raiders is the best team in the hunt. In order for them to capture the division spot from the Broncos, they need a win vs San Diego and a loss by the Broncos vs a Kyle Orton led Chiefs. In order for them to achieve the sixth seed, the Raiders need to win, the Broncos lose and either/both a Titans loss and/or a Jets win.
The New York Jets will have to be very lucky if they are to get into the playoffs this year. They need a win, a Titans loss, and a Raiders loss. No other way.
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For the Packers, they have already got the top seed locked up. They can rest their starters.
T he 49ers have clinched their division. In order to lock up the No. 2 seed, they need to either win or the Saints lose due to having a better conference record. The lowest the San Francisco 49ers can go is the No.3 seed.
The Saints have locked up their division. They can have the No.3 spot at lowest, but a win and a 49ers loss will get them the first round bye.
The New York Giants are the current division leaders due to a victory against Dallas in a head-to-head matchup earlier in the season. They will clinch the division and the No.4 spot if they beat Dallas in their second head-to-head matchup next week.
The Lions have locked up a wildcard spot. They maintain the No. 5 seed if they beat the Packers or if the Falcons lose to Tampa Bay.
The Falcons clinched a wildcard spot. To get the fifth seed however, they need a win and a Lions loss.
The Dallas Cowboys are on the outside looking in. Their only chance of making the playoffs is if they can somehow walk out of New York with the W.
The playoffs are approaching. Here’s how I see the season ending:
AFC:
1. New England Patriots
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Houston Texans
4. Denver Broncos
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
6. Oakland Raiders
NFC:
1. Green Bay Packers
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. New Orleans Saints
4. New York Giants
5. Atlanta Falcons
6. Detroit Lions
Conclusion:
Looking at my predictions, Green Bay automatically gets the top spot. I feel the Ravens will beat the 49ers because they have a chance at the division crown for the first time in more than 3 years. They will not blow it. Because of this, the Bengals will not clinch the playoffs due to not having as good of a conference record compared to the teams in the hunt. I feel the Broncos, Giants, and San Francisco 49ers will win, along with the Falcons. I will be putting Keys To The W post for the Giants-Cowboys game, Bengals- Ravens game, Broncos-49ers game, so my prediction may change over the next few days. But until then, here’s what I think. Comments, questions, feedback? Type it in the comments, and I will respond. This is Shrederdude63 signing off. ~
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