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Pre-Season MNF – Giants/Panthers game blog

By ArtieFufkin

Since this is the first pre-season game that I’m actually going to watch in earnest, I figured I’d keep track of my thoughts during the game … or at least the first half of it.

Warning:  I’m an unabashed Giants fan, but I’ll try to play this relatively straight.  It’s only pre-season, so let’s not get too carried away by anything we see tonight … mainly, you’re praying for no injuries, and to see that your vets look sharp, and which newcomers have a chance to make an impact.

I’ll be keeping an eye on the Giants’ receiving corps – especially rookies Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden – who are going to need to step up big this year.  The Giants defense is banged up, with all 3 of their FA acquisitions (DE Chris Canty, DT Rocky Bernard and LB Michael Boley) sitting this one out.  Also of note on the injured list, WR Steve Smith – both of them, actually.

Alright, it’s football time.  Let’s do this.

8:06pmET: Suzy Kolber interviews Eli Manning on the sidelines.  Eli is still a bit of a mushmouth, but he says all the right things.  He kinda reminds me of Nuke Laloush in Bull Durham.  “We’re just gonna take it one game at a time, and the good lord willin’ …”

1st Quarter

8:08pm: Panthers start with the ball.  DeAngelo Williams gets the first carry for Carolina.  Jon Gruden is already better than Kornheiser ever was.

8:09pm: Giants D get a 3-and-out on the first series.  Strong start for what should be one of the best units in the league.  Mario Manningham gets a big punt return.

8:11pm: Brandon Jacobs gets the first 2 carries.  I bought a #27 Jacobs jersey in the off-season.  First offensive jersey I’ve ever owned.  Jacobs is just a beast.

8:12pm: Eli Manning fires a bullet to Manningham on 3rd down, called back for Illegal Formation, but still nice to see.  Incompletion on the next play leads to a Feagles punt.

8:16pm: Nice to see Justin Tuck and Osi Uymeniora back together. Giants will be using 5-man DL fronts this season.  Osi gets a sack/strip as I type this.  Nasty.

8:24pm: Brandon Jacobs gets out in the open field and runs over his first DB of the season.  Poor #31 Richard Marshall is the victim for Carolina.

8:25pm: Domenick Hixon gets a big gain on the bubble screen.  And then Ahmad Bradshaw finishes off the drive with a 20-yd TD run.  The Panthers just cant tackle.  7-0 Giants

8:31pm: My girlfriend just ordered up Original NY Pizza – the only decent east coast pizza joint in the area (I’m in Colorado).  She’s going to drive 20 minutes to go pick it up for me “because it’s a special occasion … the Giants are on!”.  Yep.  I’m in love.

8:37pm: Panthers pick up a couple of first downs, before being forced to punt at midfield.  Jon Gruden shared a story about DeAngelo Williams, and again I have to say, he’s already appearing to be a great choice for the MNF booth.

8:40pm: Eli Manning dons the ballcap as the 2nd team Giants offense takes the field at the end of the first quarter, but don’t tell Ahmad Bradshaw that.  He rumbles for 11 yards, carrying defenders with him.  End of quarter.

2nd Quarter

8:44pm: QB David Carr completes a few passes as the Giants cross midfield.  Bradshaw continues to do most of the work.  The Panthers 1st team offense is now off the field.

8:50pm: Carr gets sacked (which is probably what he’s best at), then does a Superman move to pick up a first down on a scramble.  And let’s just say this – certain Offensive Lineman do not look good in football pants.  #70 Reyes on the Giants is one such player.

8:55pm: Raiders HC Tom Cable sucker punched one of his own assistant’s during training camp. Awesome.

8:56pm: Lawrence Tynes misses a 43-yard attempt. I’ve never been fully comfortable with Tynes.  ESPN continues to focus on Giants rookie OT William Beatty, who is holding his own against Panthers rookie DE Everett Brown.  Still 7-0 Giants.

9:00pm: Jake Delhomme has been pulled, as Josh McCown steps in under center for Carolina.  ESPN ignores the game as Gruden discusses a trip to Iraq with Tom Coughlin, and refers to him as a “grinder”, but says he’s having more fun than he’s ever had.  As he says this, Coughlin looks like he could burst a vessel at any moment.

9:12pm: Giants get a unique overturn on a challenge of a fumble, where the Panthers RB Goodson lost the ball, but was ruled down by contact.  Replay showed that the back of Goodson’s hand was the only part of his body that touched down … therefore, he was not down by contact.  Interesting rule to note.

9:26pm: Giants go nowhere, which leads to a Panthers blocked punt.  Feagles sagely knocks the ball out of the back of the endzone for a safety. 7-2 Giants

9:19pm: At the 2 minute warning, Giants 7th round pick Stoney Woodson picks off a batted ball.  Great name.

9:23pm: Giants go for it on 4th and 2, but are stuffed by the Panthers defense.  That’s what you call a pre-season situational play.

9:25pm: Josh McCown is sacked by DE Maurice Evans (FA Rookie) and fumbles the ball, which is recovered by the Giants.  Carolina has now turned the ball over on 3 of the last 4 snaps.

9:26pm: New York converts with a screen pass to RB Danny Ware who breaks it for a 35-yd TD. Ware is who the Giants are looking to replace Derrick Ward … not a bad start.  14-2 Giants.

9:27pm: Okay, pizza’s here.  I’ll get back to you after halftime … if a little less frequently.

3rd Quarter

9:43pmET: 2nd half is underway.  Damn that was good pizza.

9:44pm: Giants start with the ball, and move on the ground with Ware before 3rd-string QB Andre Woodson throws a pick, intended for Ramses Barden.

9:48pm: Carolina converts on the turnover as rookie RB Mike Goodson makes an incredibly athletic play to escape in the backfield and scamper into the endzone for a 14-yd TD run.  14-9 Giants

10:05pm: Panthers’ rookie DE Everett Brown sacks Woodson … kid looks to have some talent.  Jeremy Leman #49 is the crazy white guy that makes the team on pure hustle.

10:06pm: The Ramses Barden era has begun in NY, with his first reception for 13 yards.  We learn that while at Cal-Poly, Barden broke Jerry Rice’s record for TDs in 33-straight games.

10:08pm: Woodson throws deep for Giants 1st round draft pick Hakeem Nicks.  Incomplete.  Nicks wears 4XL gloves … that’s just freaky.

10:13pm: OK, we’re getting into the territory where the announcers aren’t even pretending to care about the action on the field.  Jaworski is breaking down films of other teams now.

10:17pm: Danny Ware continues to carry the load at RB for the Giants.  They need to get a good look at him, and see if he’s capable of 20+ carries if necessary.

10:21pm: Gruden breaks out the film, and says that the Wildcat offense will be a “revolution” in the league.  Jaws contends that it’s a nice change-up, but it’ll never work on a wider basis.  Gruden is fired up.  End of 3rd quarter.

4th Quarter

10:26pm: It’s obvious that the entire 4th quarter is going to be a discussion on the Wildcat offense.

10:28pm: Giants rookie DE Clint Sintim (2nd round pick) destroys QB Matt Moore and forces yet another turnover.   The depth at DL for New York is just ridiculous, and they just keep bringing in new talent.

10:34pm:  Giants getting some production from lesser-known rookies – RB Allen Patrick and HB Travis Beckum – before Tynes knocks in a 46-yd FG. 17-9 Giants

10:37pm: The Giants have been able to move the ball tonight, but it’s all been short passes and screens … they haven’t completed one ball down the field.  Time for OC Kevin Gilbride to stretch things out a bit with these rookie receivers.

10:38pm: With 10 minutes to go in the 4th quarter, we’re getting to the point where only the assistant coaches and the guys on the bubble who are fighting for their jobs care about what’s happening in this game.

10:41pm: Jaws is pawning his own throwback jersey off on Gruden … Tirico wittily observes that the jersey “will go down if he (Jaworski) autographs it”.  Shit is getting crazy in the booth now.

10:45pm: I love that Vikings fans are still wasting their time talking about whether or not that a$$hole is going to play this season.

10:53pm: Hakeem Nicks makes his first grab, and it’s a tricky one from QB Rhett Bomar.  ESPN puts up a chart showing that the Giants only have a total of 19 career starts among their current wide receiver corps.  Yikes.

10:57pm: 2-minute warning.  Gruden is a fan of Eli Manning, and he’s not shy about it.  For a second there I thought he was going to kiss the screen there when he was talking about Eli.

11:01pm: Panthers get a late TD on 31-yd pass from QB Hunter Cantwell to WR Jason Cherry a to make it 15-17.  They get the 2-pt conversion to tie the game 17-17 with :57 left to play.  Now we got ourselves a barnburner!!!

11:04pm: I was at the Week 16 Giants/Panthers game last season on Dec. 21 with home field advantage on the line.  It somehow felt much more exciting.  If this thing goes to overtime, I might not make it to the end.

11:09pm: WOW!!!  Incredible finish. Onthe last play of regulation, the Giants get to QB Hunter Cantwell, knocking the ball up into the air where DE Tommie Hill plucks it and runs it to the endzone as time expires!!! 

Giants win 24-17!!!

11:10pmET: Alright, I’m out.  Thank goodness for Tommie Hill saving us from a pre-season OT, and delivering the Giants a meaningless victory.  And if you’re still reading this … good night, dad.

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