The New York Giants are coming off one of their worst losses in team history, here are the keys to defeating the Atlanta Falcons in week 2.
By Steven Cifuentes
It is time for Tom Coughlin to hold up the New York Post front cover, showing Eli Manning in a dunce cap, and let his team know it is time to shut everyone outside of their locker room up.
The Atlanta Falcons come to town after doing the Giants a favor and taking out the Philadelphia Eagles in week one. Dan Quinn won his head coaching debut and will look to build off it when he comes home to face the G-Men in MetLife Stadium.
The Giants are not in must-win mode just yet, but after giving away game one they must treat this game with a sense of urgency to get rid of the taste week one left in their mouths. The Falcons are looking to rebound from a dreadful 2014 and a 2-0 start would send them on their way.
Two teams enter MetLife Stadum this weekend, one to prove week one was no fluke and the other to prove week one was just a bump in the road.
Here is how the Giants will take down the Falcons this weekend and even their record at 1-1.
3. Improve the Pass Rush
The first time Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo gets hurried this weekend will likely be the first time this season. The Giants may not love Jason Pierre-Paul right now, but a 3.5 fingered Pierre-Paul would not do any worse then the Giants front line did in Week 1.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuola must figure out a way to pressure Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. If it means leaving Prince Amukamara and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on an island, so they can blitz all day, then it has to be done.
Ryan must have looked at game one clips last week and felt like he wont have to even clean his jersey after this game. By either blitzing like crazy or the defensive line finding a way to get to Ryan, improving the amount of pressure on the quarterback is a must in Week 2.
While the front seven doesn’t need to record 5 plus sacks this week, the amount of time Ryan is hurried or harassed must improve.
2. Steady Dose Of Ball Control Offense
One thing you can say about the Falcons is they have offensive weapons galore. Julio Jones leads a skill position attack that is second to none. Manning the other wide receiver spot is veteran Roddy White who seems to be a forgotten man when people discuss the Falcons offense. White could be a number one receiver on most teams, but has to take a backseat to Jones.
All that means for the Giants is they must give the ball to Rashad Jennings and hold onto the ball to keep the dynamic Falcons offense off the field. Even if they don’t want to run all day the Giants must get Shane Vereen involved in the passing game.
Vereen is the ultimate check down weapon who can allow the Giants to control the clock and get important third down conversions.
Hold onto the ball and keep Jones off the field and the Giants are looking at a 1-1 record. Get in a shootout or have a lot of three and outs and we are looking at an 0-2 start to the NFL season.
1. Prove The Critics Wrong
Eli Manning took way too much heat for his week one performance. I don’t care how much money he makes or how long he has been in the league, a coach needs to coach his players.
There is no reason the coaching staff should not remind Manning to make sure to not throw the ball away, or let him know how many timeouts the opposing team has.
A quarterback has a lot on his plate at the end of any game and the coaching staff should never assume he knows the best action to take. It is time for the Giants to shut up all the outsiders that jumped on all the mistakes that were made and win this game with conviction.
A professional player should not need motivation to win at the highest level, but when it presents itself the coaching staff and players need to seize it and use it. Play with a chip on your shoulders this week and a week 2 win will shut everyone up.
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