Brandon Jacobs and his luxury ride are ready to roll over the Eagles’ front four tonight, as we recover from two great games (one expected to be so, one not so much, but elevated by announcer and surprising play) by heading right into what should be another good one.
“The Giants won both meetings last year [with the Eagles].” – Al Michaels
“And all 4 of those games came down to the last play.” – John Madden (via JFein)
Madden, forgetting basic math in the NFL schedule. No teams meet more than twice in one year, of course, unless they happen to be division rivals who play each other in the playoffs.
Andrea Kremer in the purple coat, telling us about the defensive coordinator mentor-student match-up in Philly’s Jim Johnson and NY’s Steve Spagnuolo. Giants will receive the kickoff. Ahmad Bradshaw brings it out to the 22. Jacobs gets the first carry for four yards. Eli Manning spreads out in the shotgun and throws over the middle to Amani Toomer. Manning’s next pass is tipped by Mike Patterson, and the defensive lineman comes down with it and rumbles to the Giants’ 10! Philly ball.
Donovan McNabb gets rushed by Justin Tuck, and has to sail one out of bounds on 1st and goal. Wildcat formation with DeSean Jackson in the shotgun — he rushes to the sideline, stretches, and TOUCHDOWN, EAGLES! Akers kick is up and good, 7-0, Eagles.
Everyone’s got a fuckin’ Wildcat package now. Derrick Ward kneels on the kickoff after bobbling it.
Alright we get the Manning Face early. – 49er16.
The Eagles using the wildcat, wow, who knew Andy Reid was capable. Wait, is it still the wildcat if the wide receiver takes the direct snap like Jackson just did? – JFein
It is to me, anyway. Jacobs gets 9 on first down and then Ward gets a few more to move the chains. Manning hits Kevin Boss at the 35 yard line, complete with Jeremy Shockey reference by Al. Handoff to Ward, and he gets about four after getting bumped around early in the rush. Manning hits Boss again past midfield on a 3rd down play fake and rollout for 21 yards. Shotgun on first, the pass to Michael Matthews sails over his head.
“Ward, it’s a 3-headed, or, hydra-headed monster” – Al Michaels, trying to describe the triple-RB attack of the Giants. (Via JFein)
Jacobs rumbles inside the 20 for another first. Ward runs out of the shotgun for two or three, and they’re talking about Chris Snee, Giants right guard and son-in-law of Tom Coughlin.
“We asked him about that, what it’s like when he has a bad day and is complaining about his coach. He told us that his wife says, ‘Suck it up.'” – Al
“She’s her father’s daughter.” – John
3rd and 9, Manning to Plaxico Burress in the back of the end zone for a score, TOUCHDOWN, GIANTS. Kick is up and good, 7-7 tie.
That was quick. Kickoff to Quentin Demps, and he catches a case of fumbleitis! Chase Blackburn recovers it at the Philly 15. Nice job by Ahmad Bradshaw to knock the ball away. Manning misses Madison Hedgecock on 3rd down, and the Eagles limit the Giants to a field goal try.
Heh….Hedgecock. John Carney to try an FG, up and good, 10-7, G-men.
“So it’s a 86-year old combination to try a field goal, and it’s good.” – Al, as we are taken to break by Stone Temple Pilots. Demps takes the kickoff out to the 36, and we get Seal’s cover of the Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like An Eagle.” Hey, it’s better than “Gonna Fly Now,” right? Right.
It’s hard to believe Donny Mac has been in Philly for 10 years. Man, that’s a long time for Syracuse football to be completely irrelevant. L.J. Smith drops the first down pass. Westbrook gets his first carry for a couple. Incomplete again to Smith, and the Eagles are gonna punt. Sav Rocca boots one into the end zone. Touchback, as NBC gives us the Black Crowes covering Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle.”
Ward picks up 7 yards on the first carry.
“Kareem Ward looking very professorial.” – Al
“They’re gonna catch heck for that. There’s an old rule: offensive linemen never pose.” – John, after a display of mag shot type photos of the Giants’ offensive line
Toomer catches another one over the middle near midfield, breaking down the anti-bodies in the Philly D’s immune system. Ward gets eight more, 2nd and 2, then catches the next play and gains 14. He’s tackled by Joselio Hanson, who isn’t notable save for being caught naked during a locker room interview a while back.
Brandon Jacobs busts through for some more yardage, as John says, “That’s a lot of weight to fit into one hole.” 3rd and 7 at the Eagles’ 10 now, after a couple of failed plays. Manning throws to Toomer again at the 1-yard line, and the first quarter ends with a first and goal for the Giants.
Madden has a rager over Toomer because he went to De La Salle High School in the Bay Area. Madden speaks every year at their football awards show. – 49er16
Useful, and good to know. Manning, play fake, hit as he throws — right to Kevin Boss in the back of the zone again over the middle. Touchdown, Eagles. Kick up and good, 17-7, Giants.
The Eagles have landed, early.
“Nobody misses Tiki Barber, I mean, he’s a great guy, but…” – Al, backtracking so as not to make it awkward when he and Barber run into each other or talk before games on FNIA any more than it has to be. Demps takes the kickoff to the Philly 48, but they won’t be happy with him until he takes one to the house to make up for fumbling.
Westbrook to midfield for three yards. McNabb is nearly picked off by Aaron Ross on 2nd down, he read the pattern easy and had safety help. 3rd and 7 is incomplete, as Kenny Phillips gets right in McNabb’s face. Sav Rocca will come on to punt again. Domenik Hixon fair catches inside the 20.
The boo-birds are already out at the Linc, and they beat my O/U of 5:30 in the 2nd. Damn.
Jacobs rumbles out to the 34, Ward get ssome more after that and Manning throws to him on 2nd down for about six or seven.
“And if he gets 1,000 yards a year for a while, he’ll be the one owning movies. What do they call them, investors….moguls.” – John on Derrick Ward, who used to be a production assistant for TV after college at Fresno State.
Play fake and all the receivers are covered, so Trent Cole gets ahold of Eli Manning for the first sack of the game on the younger slack-jawed yokel. Philly takes a timeout to an NBC bump of Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way” (which is probably the last good song he’s written and that was 17 years ago.)
John does a useful breakdown of why the Eagles can’t load up on the run: safety has to stay back to keep Plaxico Burress honest. Kevin Boss gets the catch, but nearly gets to the first down. Jeff Feagles comes on to punt to DeSean Jackson. Punt goes out of bounds at the 18.
Yeah, the prevent defense. We all know what that means. – James Craven
Yup, it means you want to prevent yourself from winning. Jackson goes end around for a first down. McNabb overthrows again; he’s still lacking a completion. He hits Reggie Brown for six yards to get off the schneid. Donny Mac goes over to Jackson at midfield, and it’s dropped on third down. Here comes another punt.
Oh yay, an Eli Manning Citizen EcoDrive ad. Y’know, we made fun of those for the longest time, and then he actually justified those ads calling him “unstoppable” last year. Followed two ads later by Paula Creamer, lady golfer, getting her own EcoDrive ad.
Yes, and more please.
Jacobs, rumbling….FUMBLE!! And Mike Patterson comes up with another turnover. McNabb hits Jason Avant inside the 25.
“The Eagles offense trying to get on track, and when they get on track, it will be Westbrook doing the on-tracking”. – Al (via JFein)
DeSean Jackson on the end around again, gets to the 15, and Sam Madison hits him out of bounds, so make that first and goal at the 8. So, let’s see: get ball in DeSean Jackson’s hands, get massive amounts of yardage. How hard is this, Andy Reid? McNabb to Avant, who drags a defender with him into the end zone, TOUCHDOWN, EAGLES! Akers’ kick is up and good, 17-14, Giants.
“He beats the rookie Terrell Thomas from USC, who looked like a rookie on that play.” – Al
Derrick Ward takes it out to the 34, and as we get a reel of the Giants’ errors, Al describes them as “ignominious.” +1 for a $50 word, Al. Manning throws it into the ground on the play fake, and we got a Joe Biden sighting in Jeff Lurie’s owners’ box. 3rd and 4 is incomplete, as Steve Smith is tackled by Joselio Hanson and his extra appendage. Big stop for Philly, and Jackson is back for the punt return. Feagles kicks it out of bounds.
“Most coaches have muttered minds. Most wedge-breakers have muttered minds.” – John
McNabb throws to Jackson on a screen, but it loses yardage. That coordinator story was good: Spagnuolo wanted to leave Philly to go join Brad Childress in Minnesota, but Reid said no, and said he could take the next DC job he was offered — which turned out to be the Giants.
“Andy said, ‘I made a bad move there.'” – Al, on that move.
McNabb goes for Jackson again in double coverage, and gets picked by Sam Madison at the 35, who gets a nice chunk of yardage on the return. Ward buries in for a few, it’s 3rd and 4 after a couple plays at the Philly 8. Manning goes for Boss, it’s incomplete, and here comes Jay Carney again. FG try is up and good, 20-14, Giants.
McNabb on a screen to Westbrook for 9, after John finishes rambling about how good of a cook Donovan McNabb’s mom was. Gunned over the middle to the Giants 44 to L.J. Smith, Philly calls time out. Another pass completed, and McNabb spikes it to stop the clock.
Ah yes, it’s nice to see we’re channeling Iowa at the end of the first half with our clock management. – JFein
Westbrook lunges outside for a first down at the 32, and Philly takes another time out with 36 seconds left in the half. McNabb hits over the middle, then runs another play to Westbrook, who scampers to the 11 and gets out of bounds. Shot at the end zone to Kevin Curtis is incomplete, and the FG team comes on.
Akers bangs it through, and the half ends 20-17, Giants. Be seeing you in the second half thread.
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