No other way to put it but inexplicable, the New York Giants failed to show up against the Washington Redskins week 15. The final score 23-10.

If you didn't know the records or positioning of each team you would have thought the Redskins were fighting to get into the playoffs. In fact it is the Giants who are fortunate enough to even be in a position where they control their own destiny. Unfortunately they still found a way to play uninspired in this crucial game.

Week 15 was another embarrassing performance reminiscent of week 12 when they played the New Orleans Saints. Pathetic would also accurately describe the performance by Big Blue. The only New York Giants player who can hold his head up high is Jason Pierre-Paul. JPP had 11 tackles and he recorded the only sack of Washington QB Rex Grossman.

What Went Wrong with the New York Giants vs Redskins

Besides the aforementioned play of Jason Pierre-Paul everything else went wrong for new York. It was a let down which fans did not expect after such an inspiring win week 14 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Coaching in this game was horrible, both coordinators once again left a lot to be desired from their play calling and schemes. Kevin Gilbride has become pass happy even when Jacobs and Bradshaw have been running with much better results. Taking shots down field on 3rd and shorts consistently and absolutely no imagination in the red zone.

Perry Fewell once again had a confused and disoriented group out there. They seemed under coached and just not very prepared for Washington's offense. New York cannot stop teams in crucial 3rd down plays even in 3rd and long situations. New York's secondary is deficient in so many areas and no one is stepping up as a leader on the defensive side of the field. Antrel Rolle is a joke, constantly talking to the media and spewing out garbage which never translates to good play on the field. He missed several tackles ad one which changed the game.

The offense which has been a plus for the Giants was horrendous today. Eli Manning threw 3 interceptions and went 23 of 40 for 257 yards with no TD's. His receivers really let him down, one of those INT's was clearly a bad route ran by Mario Manningham in the end zone.

Hakeem Nicks who I boasted about last week as our best wide receiver dropped 3 passes 2 of them clear touchdowns. One in the first drive which would have put the Giants ahead, he was wide open with defenders about 7 yards behind him. He would have just jogged in for the score. The second TD drop happened late in the game when there was still hope for the Giants to make a comeback. The ball went right through his hands, he jumped up for some reason on a ball which was thrown perfectly by Manning and he just missed it. The other drop occurred  on a crucial 3rd down in the first half. Another perfect pass by Eli which Nicks could not hang onto.

Jake Ballard also had a couple of drops, Victor Cruz as well. Cruz really needs to learn how to catch the ball before he starts running. I know the kid wants to make a big play every catch but he is not doing a great job of securing the catch so he drops one or two a game.

Giants Hopes for the Playoffs?

The GMEN's playoffs chances are fading away but they still control their own destiny. Incredibly enough if they win the next two games they win the division, this includes a week 17 game against the Dallas Cowboys. They would first have to get by the New York Jets next week. The problem is that you just do not know what team is going to show up on a weekly basis for New York.

Their Jekyll & Hyde routine is wearing thin on fans and it must be wearing thin on players and their confidence. They play extremely well against teams like the 49ers and Green Bay Packers but then they can turn around and allow a team like Seattle and Washington to beat them

Unlike other games, this game wasn't even close! The Redskins wanted it more and played with passion, the Giants truly looked uninspired and it really is inexcusable when you take into account their playoffs lives are on the line. Disappointing and embarrassing performance by the New York Giants against the Washington Redskins week 15.

The New York Giants fail to show up and embarrassed themselves against the Philadelphia Eagles at home in one of the most important games of the season, final score 17-10.

A win versus their divisional opponent would have practically destroyed any aspirations the Eagles had for the playoffs. It would have also meant that the Giants would be in sole possession of first place in the NFC East. New York now has company in the form of the surging Dallas Cowboys.

It's almost inconceivable to think New York could lose this game. Two of the Eagles best players were out, QB Michael Vick and WR Jeremy Maclin. The Giants stopped LeSean McCoy holding him to 53 yards until he broke a 60 yard run in the last seconds of the game which was pretty much inconsequential. Vince Young threw 3 interceptions during the game and Philadelphia scored only 17 points. If you knew all this information but had yet to watch the game, I'm sure most would have thought the Eagles lost the contest. Unfortunately for Giants fans anything and everything is possible.

What Went Wrong for The  Giants Against The Eagles?

Pretty much everything went wrong for the Giants against the Eagles, they didn't catch, run, block, protect or apply pressure on QB Vince Young who had all day to throw the ball. The GMEN did actually stop the run for about 59 minutes of the game but then that too changed in the blink of an eye.

Lets start with pass protection, Eli Manning was harassed all night, the Giants offensive line was manhandled  by the Eagles defensive line. Manning was sacked 3 times but was hit, pushed and knocked down a ton of times. He seemed to have someone in his face almost every pass play and was never allowed to get comfortable. You can credit Philadelphia's D line to some degree but you cannot excuse New Yorks offensive line.

On the opposite end New York's defensive line went MIA - Missing in Action recording only 1 sack by Jason Pierre-Paul and rarely getting in the face of QB Vince Young. As a matter of fact Young looked uncomfortable the first half due to rust and lack of playing time but once he realized the Giants defenders weren't pressuring he became comfortable and began throwing the ball much better. Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck were held in check by Philadelphia's "O" line. Despite the lack of pass rush there did not seem to be adjustments by defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. The lack of pass rush seems to be an ongoing thing now, it began in the last quarter against Tom Brady and the Patriots week 9, continued against Alex Smith and the 49ers week 10 and now in week 11.

Perry Fewell continues to send his front 4 and sprinkles in a blitz here and there and even if it doesn't work there doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency to try something different. I'm sure this makes Giants fans miss the aggressive style Steve Spagnuola.

The Giants receivers also had some huge drops. The usually sure handed TE Jake Ballard dropped 3 catchable passes from  Eli Manning including one in the first quarter where he was wide open and would have given the GMEN a first down. Hakeem Nicks was unable to hold on to a ball which he had in his grasp, it would have been a great catch that would have continued the drive. The refs completely missed an obvious pass interference call on Asante Samuel who practically mugged the NY WR. Victor Cruz also dropped and easy catch with about 40 seconds left in the 1st half. Cruz did have a solid game though with 6 receptions for 128 yards and TD.

The Giants running game was non existent, it's almost comical to say that Brandon Jacobs led the way with 21 rushing yards on 12 carries, Darrell Scott had 11 yards on 2 carries.

Kevin Gilbride and Brandon Jacobs Continue Hurting New York

Once again Offensive Coordinator Kevin "KillDrive" Gilbride and his favorite running back Brandon Jacobs hurt the New York Giants. As stated in my previous article on Gilbride, he tends to fall in love with plays and becomes incredibly predictable.

Against the 49ers last week on a crucial 3rd and 2 he called a draw play for Brandon Jacobs which got stuffed. So what does he do this week? In the 3rd quarter after RB Darrell Scott runs for 9 yards and puts Big Blue in a 3rd and 1 situation Kevin Gilbride calls a draw play for Brandon Jacobs. The result is the same as last week, Jacobs gets stuffed! Any reasonable person would think that maybe it would be a good idea to call another play and to allow Scott to continue running. Why would that make sense though? Scott is just faster and more elusive than Brandon Jacobs and running a more talented rusher would probably mean a first down which would hurt Kevin Gilbrides reputation as "KillDrive".

Tom Coughlin addressed the media after the game and was visibly upset and disappointed. His team did not show up to play on Sunday night. There were ample opportunities to win this game yet New York as usual made mistake after mistake. Coach Tom Coughlin cannot afford another second half melt down by the Giants, I am certain he will be fired if that were to happen. The NY Giants embarrassed themselves against the Philadelphia Eagles week 11 and this loss may turn out to be the one that starts that dreaded second half collapse.

Is Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride's conservative and predictable play calling hurting the New York Giants?

No one is perfect and I'm not advocating firing the man but he has a history of making bad play calls at crucial times, I still remember his horrible play calls in the 4th quarter in 2009 against the San Diego Chargers which cost the GMEN the game. He is very conservative at the start of games and only opens up the playbook in 4th quarters when the Giants find themselves behind.

I wonder sometimes if having an aggressive offensive coordinator could help New York win without having to mount these late come backs which do not always work as seen this past week against the San Francisco 49ers. On twitter he is known as "KillDrive" and after watching his play calling for several years now there is evidence to back up that nickname.

Kevin Gilbride Wants To Force A Rushing Attack

I understand that teams need to rush the ball in order to control time of possession and to vary plays on drives but you cannot force a run game when you do not have the personnel to play that way!

The offensive line has been weak and banged up for the Giants this season, they have slowly improved and definitely played much better against the 49ers. But they still aren't good enough to create a top level rushing attack especially when you have Brandon Jacobs running the ball. In order for Jacobs to be effective he needs an opening the size of a black hole and no offensive line can do that especially ours. Without Ahmad Bradshaw the Giants running game is not consistent even with better line play. DJ Ware did much better this week after they allowed him to play more at the end and sidelined Jacobs, but it took to long to make that decision.

Kevin Gilbride falls in love with a play to the point that you know when it is coming. The first 2 drives of this past game the Giants scored 2 field goals, it could have easily been 2 touchdowns. Eli Manning was picking apart the 49ers secondary and drove Big Blue to the red zone instead of allowing Eli who was hot to continue throwing, he kills the momentum and starts calling runs. We have Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and a huge target in Jake Ballard yet he calls upon our big, slow ballerina RB Brandon Jacobs. These calls are made against the number one rushing defense in the NFL. Are you kidding me? How does that make any sense?

There were several play calls which boggle the mind during this game, but then again I guess New York fans should be used to it. The worst of them all occurred in the 4th quarter, Eli Manning had saved us with some incredible throws under pressure even on 4th downs to continue the drive. Eli positions the Giants 11 yards from a TD to possibly tie the game and on 3rd down Kevin Gilbride calls a shotgun draw play. Is that the best possible call when the game is on the line? A screen pass would have been better than that call especially the way the 49ers were crowding the line, it's a ridiculous call which positioned the Giants in an all or nothing 4th down. The funny thing is that as I watched this game with friends and family we all kept saying don't call a draw play, we knew it was coming and apparently so did the San Francisco 49ers. If you cannot fool fans watching the game, how can you expect to catch an NFL defense by surprise?

Kevin Gilbride's Predictable, Conservative Play Calling Costs Giants Wins

I'm going to take you back to one specific drive which I referred to above, if you want to read the full article you can go to NY Giants Shoot Themselves in Foot vs Chargers.

New York takes a 17-14 lead against San Diego in 2009 in the 4th quarter. The defense had played a great game against Philip Rivers and on the next Chargers possession Terrell Thomas intercepts the ball and runs it back to the 4 yard line. You can seal the win with a TD from just 4 yards out. First play called by Gilbride is a run with Jacobs who tippy toes his way no where and during this an offensive lineman holds which costs the Gianst 10 yards.

Second play is a mess, looks like some kind of draw which gets nothing. On 3rd down Kevin Gilbride calls Jacobs number again and of course he gets stuffed. New York settles for a field goal and not one ball was thrown into the end zone to try and get a TD. Philip Rivers drives on the Giants with less than two minutes remaining and scores a TD to win the game 21-20.

That in a microcosm is how Kevin Gilbride's conservative and predictable play calling hurts the New York Giants offense.

The NY Giants season may be over. They shoot themselves in the foot by giving away a football game which was practically won vs. the San Diego Chargers in week 9.

They start the game with a good drive but like in previous weeks mistakes and mental lapses lead New York to a field goal attempt which they fail to convert. It's almost comical but for fans it hurts so much to watch this team just self destruct week after week.

The defense played much better than in past weeks, you could see the front four truly pushing and fighting in the trenches to try and apply pressure on Phillip Rivers.

The game goes into the 4th quarter with the Giants down 14-7. The defense stepped up in a huge way in this quarter, Justin Tuck was a beast and after a field goal and a touchdown Big Blue is up 17-14. It even gets better when Terrell Thomas intercepts a pass from Rivers and runs it back to the 4 yard line. The game at this point seems out of reach if New York scores a touchdown but the question loomed, could the G-Men put this game away or would they lack the killer instinct which has plagued them in the past?

The next set of play calls by Kevin Gilbride were horrendous to say the least. They run Brandon Jacobs who is still running like a ballerina, he rushes to the right and runs into his own offensive linemen who in turn holds the defender in order to open a hole for the big back. The penalty costs New York 10 yards of field position and my head starts spinning knowing that the G-Men may actually find a way to mess this up. The second down play gets us no where. Now it is 3rd down and we are in the red zone. You would think that Gilbride would take a shot at the end zone to put this game out of reach but instead he calls Brandon Jacobs number and the one time bruising back runs and gets stopped short of scoring. This call is absolutely ridiculous even if Phil Simms claims to understand the play call during the CBS broadcast. Why would you not take a shot at the end zone? Why wouldn't you try to do everything possible to win the game? The Giants settle for another field goal in the red zone and now lead 20-14 with 2 minutes to go.

The defense who had played so hard and applied so much pressure ran out of gas and Rivers exploited the secondary with short, crisp passes to his wide receivers. Corey Webster was outmatched all game long by Vincent Jackson and on the last Charger offensive play Rivers throws a ball to the corner of the end zone to a wide open Jackson for the winning touchdown. The San Diego Chargers drove the ball on the Giants defense with one timeout left and only 2 minutes on the clock to break our hearts! This was a MUST WIN game, the players played like it especially in the 4th quarter but the coaching staff did not.

Tom Coughlin and/or Kevin Gilbride displayed zero confidence in Eli Manning on that last 3rd down play where we could have sealed the game. New York is a team that is coming off 3 straight losses and has a chance to win a game by being aggressive instead they call a safe play which results in a field goal which leaves the Giants in a position to lose the game by 1 point. This has to be the most frustrating game I have watched all year.

Every week the NY Giants find a new way to lose a game, this week the players came ready to play and gave it all they had but the coaching staff let us down. The season seems like a lost cause at this point in time, even Tom Coughlin said we had to win this game and play as if it were a playoff game. Great way to show confidence in the players and Eli Manning by calling that "safe" 3rd down play in the red zone. Where is the killer instinct needed to be a Champion?

Carlos Caicedo
GiantsKickoff.com - Copyright 2009

GiantsKickoff.com

Whether you call it the Red Zone or the Green Zone like Tom Coughlin refers to it, the Giants have major issues when it comes to scoring from inside the 20.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has expanded the playbook this year when it comes to the passing game but he has yet to address the issues in the zone.

Last year we were ranked twentieth in the NFL when it came to scores within the twenty yard line. This is surprising considering the potent running attack the NY Giants had last year. New York was the number one rushing team overall and had an ability to power run with Brandon Jacobs. They provided a change of pace with Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw who were great in the open field but seem to bottle down when we hit "The Green Zone".

The first two weeks of this 2009 season are a continuation of 2008 it seems. I watched both games and noticed how we moved the ball with ease especially in the Dallas game where our passing attack could not be stopped. As soon as Big Blue gets within the twenty yard line our offense stalls. The plays called by Gilbride have to be questioned sooner or later. We were one of the best regular season teams last year despite shooting ourselves in the foot (no pun intended to Plaxico, it was the leg) with our red zone deficiencies. Can we get away with these issues this year? We have till now but sooner or later our luck will run out and we will lose a game due to our lack of scoring the easy touchdown. It may even happen at the worst time during a playoff game.

Kevin Gilbride needs to be more creative when it comes to our green zone plays. We are too predictable, run on first down, run on second down and throw on third. The plays being called when we are not within scoring range are more creative and unpredictable, we need more of that when we are close to the end zone.

Brandon Jacobs also has some blame, he runs right into the pile instead of bouncing the run out and then looking for the hole to explode into. He also needs to be more assertive, he dances around as if he was a 185 pound back instead of his 270 pound frame. The G-Men could have had a very easy win this past Sunday vs The Cowboys if they would have scored within the twenty yard line. They made that game harder than it should have been, I cannot stress that enough.

Here is a stat for you, in 2008 the Giants had sixty nine plays within the red zone but only converted thirty five touchdowns. That is unacceptable!

Carlos Caicedo
GiantsKickoff.com - Copyright 2009