NFC East Champs Should 'Air Attack' Falcons

By  Eeeeeeeegs

Our defense has played well enough in these consecutive "must-win" games to restore my confidence.

The entire team went into a coma for the first 20 minutes of the 2nd half against Dallas on Sunday Night. I was less concerned with the defense over this stretch, and more concerned with what the offense was asking them to do.

In the 3rd quarter we got the opening kickoff. We moved the ball, but did not score on our first drive. After that, we went 3-and-out THREE consecutive drives without attempting to throw the ball past the first down marker even once. In fact, we ran FIFTEEN consecutive offensive plays without throwing a pass past the 1st down marker. Finally, Eli threw that deep pass down the middle...Cruz went up and got it and our momentum was immediately restored. We scored a FG on that drive, the defense responded with a sack/3-and-out of its own. Then we immediately got the ball back and scored a TD throwing to Nicks in a running situation.

We had "re-established the pass."

We ran the ball 31 times for an average of 3.4 yards per carry. We passed the ball 33 times for an average of 9.5 yards per pass and completed 24 passes for an average of 14.4 yards per completion.

I believe it was Coughlin's (not Gilbride's) foot on the brake pedal. And there were times in the 3rd quarter where I was SCREAMING for the Giants to accept "who they are and what the game has become." It's a passing league and we're a passing team. Teams that embrace this notion are more likely to succeed in this league. Look at the #1 seed in both conferences. New England and Green Bay don't run the ball well, and it doesn't bother them.

Check this out. In a list in order of VARIANCE of NFL teams' (Yards per rush MINUS Yards per pass) eight of out of the ten teams with the WORST rush/pass ratio made the playoffs. And there we are at #2 between GB and NE. We are #4 in yards per pass attempt (8.04) and DEAD LAST (3.47) in yards per rush attempt!

We need to stop trying to prove to ourselves (and others) we're a running team. We need to stop letting it bother us. If we soften up defenses with a successful passing game we can run it effectively 30-35% of the the time. Passing is what we do best.

Let's chuck the thing around versus Atlanta? Shall we?