Eagle-Tribune Blogs: Burt Talks Sports

If you’re a Giants fan … perfect.
The Giants game plan is evident, just run the clock, run the football and try to keep it close. For my money, that’s a loser’s mentality, as the last group of Pats’ opponents has seen.
They’re trying to lose with dignity. To beat a goliath like New England, you have to take chances.

If you’re a Patriots fan you’re happy that the halftime show is 30 minutes long because the Patriot coaches need the time to figure something out.
Here are few observations:
The Giants, especially in the second quarter, have found a way to get pressure on Tom Brady, something no other team has been able to do for any sustained period.
Some quick first-half observations:

Tom Brady is one tough kid. He’s getting pounded regularly, whether the Giants send four or they blitz.
Bill Belichick gets a “C” for clock management in the first half as the team blew two timeouts unnecessarily and did not work the clock well in that final aborted possession of the half.
Awful, awful, awful performance by the offensive line, at least the three guards and two tackles who played.
On the flip side, outstanding work by the Pats defense, especially in the red-zone.
The one play that they were burned for, the long completion to Amani Toomer, was a blatant offensive push off that cost Ellis Hobbs a potential interception.

Bill Belichick is doing a masterful job combating the strategy as his defense is getting clobber on the time of possession race.
Rashad Moore, LeKevin Smith and Pierre Woods all have rotated through and made plays defensively in the first half.

Share This