Forget about everything that happened tonight; this game was all about one play. On a 33 yard run by Reuben Droughns, one of the New York Giants was hustling unlike anyone I'd ever seen before. They shot up the field so fast that they literally passed Droughns on the way. So, who was this extremely intense player? It was none other than back-up quarterback J-Load, Jared Lorenzen! If you didn't see the game, I kid you not; Lorenzen sprinted up the field in effort to make a lead block for the very man he had just handed the ball to. What more can you say? It was very inspiring to see -- it's obvious Lorenzen is constantly giving his all.
Unfortunately, that was the only highlight of the night for Lorenzen. Although he's had a rather impressive preseason to date, his weak points were made abundantly clear tonight. He seems to struggle under pressure and holds onto the ball entirely too long. Many people will probably attribute that to the substitute offensive lineman, but J-Load certainly didn't help his case.
On the other hand, Eli Manning ended his preseason on a high note. He only played the first series, but was able to go five of eight (two drops) for 58 yards and led the Giants down the field for a touchdown. Manning really appears to be primed for that breakout season everyone says they are waiting for.
On the defensive side of the ball, first-round pick Aaron Ross has to be concerning some Giants fans at this point. He was picked on constantly tonight and repeatedly looked lost out there. Obviously, he has a long way to go, but he's not shown me anything to be remotely confident in him.
Another thing that raised some red flags was the running of Brandon Jacobs. Don't get me wrong, I think Jacobs is a beast and will have a great year, but he runs upright at the goal line and that could cost the Giants some points this season.
Other Observations:
- Don't chastise me, but I think Ahmad Bradshaw looks like the Giants best all around running back.
- Ryan Grant performed well enough on special teams tonight to warrant a roster spot.
- As I said last week, it would be a Giants game without an injury. Prior to the game, linebacker Reggie Torbor was scratched due to a calf strain suffered in warm-ups, while offensive lineman Guy Whimper went down with an ankle injury late in the fourth quarter.
- Jeremy Shockey's value was extremely evident tonight, especially on third downs. The Giants are an entirely different team when he's on the field.
- Manny Wright, who is fighting for a roster spot, had a hell of a game. While he did get called for a facemask (bad call), he also added a backfield tackle and a sack.
- Safety Craig Dahl had his first solid game of the preseason. Unfortunately for him, it probably wasn't enough to save his job.
- Fred Robbins may be the most underrated player on the Giants -- this guy gives 110% on every play.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-31-2007 @ 10:56AM
fanfor55years said...
Hope you're right about Jacobs but I am still a skeptic. There's a possibility that he will have big fourth quarters when the defense is worn down and he can use his size and speed to break off a few big runs, but I think his lack of elusiveness is a big negative and will hurt early in games. I agree that Bradshaw is the best all-around back on the team, and still think that the next great Giants running back is currently in college. Everyone will miss Tiki a lot more than they thought. Whatever you think of him and his big mouth now, he was a great back and can't be easily replaced, certainly not by anyone on the roster currently. Where Jacobs could be helpful is forcing the safeties to cheat up and allowing for more opportunities to hit seam passes for big gains. But I'm not getting too excited about him yet. He has to show me something first. Robbins is a big plus in the middle. Playing defensive tackle for the Giants is a tough job because besides bringing pressure up the middle on the passer you've got to try and keep offensive linemen off Pierce, who isn't enough of a force to plug the holes if he has to also fend off blocks. Way too many plays were run last year where he was making first contact four yards past the line-of-scrimmage and being pushed back a few yards after impact. The Giants will need a better MLB if they're going to be a championship team. I like Pierce as a smart, savvy player with good character and leadership ability. I just don't think he's good enough.
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8-31-2007 @ 11:05AM
bo said...
If any of the starters go down with significant injuries this team is finished. Being so thin at left tackle and the continuing poor play of the secondary will haunt this team this year. Who is actually going to be healthy enough to start next week? Torbor seems to get hurt all the time and Arron Ross should be better than he has shown. It is time to scan the waiver wire for some back up help because the depth isn't here yet. I've always said that Reese has a two year plan to really become competitive and I'm sticking to that assumption.
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8-31-2007 @ 3:56PM
fanfor55years said...
Bo, I agree with your "two-year plan" comment, and think Reese has gone a long way down that road already. But Ross is part of that plan. Expecting a rookie cornerback to look really good in his first season (especially the first few games) is naive. Only the Deon Sanders' of the world can do that, and they come along once per decade. Give the kid a chance. On the other hand, I agree that the defensive secondary is a weak spot and needs both better starters and more depth. This should mean emphasis on that area in the next draft (along with left tackle, running back and linebacker) and a very careful approach to free agency. If Reece is as smart as I think he is, he will be watching for the late cuts from superior teams that just need to cut the roster and have to let a relatively young player with NFL-talent go because they can't afford to develop him in a "Win Now" league. Get a few young guys who can develop into superior defensive backs with a few years of seasoning. Someone like a Corey Webster who may have been put in a defensive scheme where his skills aren't utilized, or a Gibril Wilson who just seemed confused last season but clearly has lots of talent. There will be a few of those guys out there this week. I hope Reese picks up two or three of them. I would definitely go that way rather than pick up some veterans who were cut one season too early. That won't do the Giants a lot of good since they need to develop young talent. They aren't going deep into the playoffs this season so need to keep building while remaining reasonably competitive (which I think will prove the case this season).
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9-01-2007 @ 1:03PM
john said...
Why do they keep Lorenzen around?...there is not a snowballs chance in hell that this kid will play 1 down or 1 reg season game for NYG. I wish they would let him go so he could catch on with somebody else. I also wish the G-Men would get serious about a decent back-up. Wright and Hasback do not cut it.
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