Big Blue View Q&A

by Ed Valentine on Oct 15, 2008 10:57 PM PDT Comment 27 comments

EDITOR'S NOTE 11:00PM: It's preview time again. Thanks to Ed for swinging by to answer our questions. I'm answering questions over at Big Blue View and I encourage you guys to help answer questions if you'd like. I'd say no trash-talking, but we don't exactly have a lot of smack to talk. But, nonetheless, please be respectful over at Big Blue View.

This is Ed from the Giants blog Big Blue View, and I am here at 'Fooch's' request to drop a little wisdom about the Giants and answer questions if you have any.

Let's get right to it.

Offense

The Bruce Springsteen song 'Born to Run' is an appropriate moniker for the Giants offense. With 265-pound Brandon Jacobs, backed up by Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw, the Giants are built to run the football. Eli Manning is coming off a bad three-interception game Monday against Cleveland, but has been terrific most of the season. Eli has an embarrassment of riches in terms of weapons to throw to, led by Plaxico Burress. The Giants also have a workmanlike, experienced offensive line in front of him.

Defense

The Giants are all about the pass rush, and that pass rush has sometimes been missing in action this season. Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka are terrific defensive ends, but the Giants miss Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora. When they can't get to the passer, the Giants are vulnerable. They have also been just so-so against the run.

Special Teams

John Carney has been perfect this season, but he still might get replaced as placekicker by the rehabbing Lawrence Tynes. Jeff Feagles is the best directional punter in the business. As for return guys, Domenik Hixon is a dangerous punt return and Ahmad Bradshaw is a quality kickoff returner.

Feel free to fire any questions or comments at me that you want. Keep it friendly, and I'll be happy to have a conversation with you.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors.

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The Giants are all about the pass rush, and that pass rush has sometimes been missing in action this season.

The Niners have had massive problems in pass protection, both from the O-line not doing its job a lot of the time and from O’Sullivan holding the ball for a ridiculously long time (and in Mike Martz’s scheme, the QB does take a lot of sacks). Do the Giants beat up on teams with bad offensive lines, or are they inconsistent against whoever they play?

Trent Kline: Decentish. Also, my website is called ChatterBalks Dot Com. It's not being updated right now. Hope for more at your own risk.

by groug on Oct 15, 2008 9:20 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Well

That is interesting. Giants d-line got dominated by Cleveland. One thing that has happened this year is teams are using three-step drops and rolling the pocket away from the Giants blitz. Also, this year they depend more on simply winning the physical matchup since they don’t have quite as many pass rushers. Last year it was all about overwhelming the other team with mismatches.

by Ed Valentine on Oct 16, 2008 3:17 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

One thing that has happened this year is teams are using three-step drops and rolling the pocket away from the Giants blitz.

Whelp, you won’t be seeing that coming out of us. 5-7 step drops are our universal gameplan because in Communist Martz, game adjusts to you.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Oct 16, 2008 6:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Martz

If you want to 7-step drop with a bad offensive line the Giants will say ‘thank you very much’ and pound your QB all day.

by Ed Valentine on Oct 16, 2008 7:35 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well then, it won’t be any different than 5 of our last 6 games.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Oct 16, 2008 8:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

I like the Simpsons reference

Simply by pulling on both ends, Patrick Willis can stretch diamonds back into coal

by 49erLou on Oct 16, 2008 8:02 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think it’s a Yakov Smirnoff reference, which is what the Simpsons were referring to.

And Howie, that is one of the best all-time uses of that joke. Well done.

Neglectful father of David Quinowski

by marcello on Oct 16, 2008 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

the D-Line

was looking pretty good in the first few games, and against Seattle (though that was more just Seattle’s ineptitude on offense). Like Etval said, the key to beating the Giants is the 3-step drop and quick passes over the middle. The Patriots killed us with Wes Welker in the season finale last year, the Cowboys killed us with Jason Witten over the middle in both regular season games last year, and that’s how the Bengals stayed competitive and the Browns blew us out. In all of those games except the Bengals game, the Giants D had to overcompensate, and then they finished us with long balls (to Moss, TO, and Braylon, respectively). I don’t know enough about the Niners to know if a) Martz will adapt that style offense for this game, or b) If you guys have any deep threats like the above 3.

by cjmulrain on Oct 16, 2008 8:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm scared about this matchup

I have a bad feeling about this. The Giants, coming off a loss, might be in the backfield all day. We may see Shaun Hill before this is over, and not because JTO gets benched
….I hope I’m wrong though

If I gotta play, I'm gonna play 'till I win,
Since I gotta be here, I can´t wait to begin

by albertoleecho on Oct 15, 2008 11:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Of Course

I hope you are wrong too.

As a giants fan I want to see JTO hurried and uncomfortable, but not injured. Hopefully he can be unscathed at the end of the game.

by Woogie526 on Oct 16, 2008 6:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

JTO might be unscathed after the game....

but his interception/fumble total sure won’t be. He will be chuckin and duckin the whole game unless we get Gore a bunch of carries to slow down the Giant’s pass rush. This might get ugly. ETVAL, how do the Giants typically react in a game following an embarassing loss? When the Niners were a dominate team, the team that played them after a loss like the Giants had last week didn’t have a chance.

by illini49er on Oct 16, 2008 10:06 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Reaction

I am as interested as you are to see how the Giants react to Monday’s loss. They are a more mature team than they were even in the middle of last season, and some players did hint that they thought some guys were beginning to take too much for granted. I would expect the Giants, at home, to be emotional and to really get after it. If they are mistake-free, which they usually are (Monday they weren’t) they win the game.

by Ed Valentine on Oct 16, 2008 10:42 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I almost wouldn’t be surprised if Jamie Martin played instead of Hill if JTO goes down.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Oct 16, 2008 7:00 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Martin

isn’t active for the games, I don’t think.

Still defending Rich Aurilia, and the Niners' classic unis

by wjackalope on Oct 16, 2008 8:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

o rly?

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Oct 16, 2008 9:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If

If that really did happen (neverminding the fact that as the emergency QB, he can’t come in until AFTER Hill has to depart), Rishi would probably blow a gasket.

Announcer: Now coming in for the 49ers, Shaun Hi… What’s this? They’re bringing in the age-less Jamie Martin?

Rishi: Gdfldafjklh4t! Why does Shaun Hill never get the chance?!?! OMG, FJLAD NOLAN! [Head explodes.]

by sfgfan on Oct 16, 2008 10:17 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Running game

Even in the loss, the Giants put together an impressive rushing performance. I didn’t get a chance to watch the game so I’ve got two questions:

1) How much of that was garbage time yards that really weren’t helping since they were significantly behind?

2) Will we see a pretty even split between Jacobs and Ward? Is this like the Thunder and Lightning days of Barber and Jacobs?

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by Fooch on Oct 16, 2008 10:26 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Running game

1. Some of it might be called ‘garbage time’ running for Ward. But, the Giants are an outstanding running team.
2. Ward will come in and slash and he is also very good. Jacobs averages 5.7 yards per carry, and that is the least of the 3 backs the Giants use. Ward averages 7.4 per carry, and Ahmad Bradshaw 6.6. They go by the moniker ‘Earth, Wind & Fire.’ Jacobs gets the most work, but Ward will get 8-10 carries. Bradshaw is generally used as a finisher or momentum changer.

by Ed Valentine on Oct 16, 2008 10:47 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just to stir the pot a little...

…since we don’t have much to brag about now, especially in comparison to the Giants.

Wasn’t this a great day?

More seriously, how do Giants fans view that day and the outcome of the game? Obviously, it ended on a pretty controversial call.

Neglectful father of David Quinowski

by marcello on Oct 16, 2008 10:59 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

All I remember

Is I had to watch the Browns game after with my roommates in college and the whole apartment drank themselves into oblivion that night.

by Woogie526 on Oct 16, 2008 11:12 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Did you have to

go there? and we were having such a nice, friendly conversation. Now you have gone and ruined my whole day. LOL!

by Ed Valentine on Oct 16, 2008 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Anyone

Have highlights of that game?
I’ve been looking forever for them.

MURS for President!!!!!!!

by jtoj on Oct 16, 2008 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Highlights?

There were highlights?

by Ed Valentine on Oct 16, 2008 12:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

highlights

That’s the last time the 49ers had “highlights.”

Niners Nation - The premier 49ers blog on the Internet!

by Fooch on Oct 16, 2008 12:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

that game was so awful.

I was moving back into my dorm for the 2nd semester of my freshman year, but I was moving into a new room (out of a triple…oh, college). On the drive down my dad and I were listening to the game and figured we had a safe lead. We started moving all my stuff in, and when we got the TV set up and plugged in in my new room, it was just in time to see replays of the Niners taking the lead. The muffed snap and the terrible call (should have been pass interference, but they wrongly ruled ineligible man downfield) were brutal. The worst part was that one of my best friends who lived in my building was a huge Niners fan, another of my best friends is an Eagles fan. That was a rough playoffs….

by cjmulrain on Oct 16, 2008 5:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Completely and totally OT, but you're a Giants fan, so I'm throwing it out there anyway

Anyone here watch Chuck? Michael Strahan was in the last episode as a total douche working for a local sporting good store. And he got beaten up by a tiny girl. Good show.

"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler

by JRPhillips on Oct 16, 2008 2:26 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs