Mario Manningham Playing Super

After the first two weeks of the season,  Mario Manningham has emerged as a play making receiver for the New York Giants.  I don't have any reason to believe he will slow down any time soon.

I am convinced that Manningham will only get better as the season goes on.  You may wonder, what if defenses play him different?  You mean double team him or have safety help over the top?  Well, I'm sure teams will change up their coverages to suit Manningham.  But I don't believe they will change too much, because they still have to worry about Steve Smith on the other side of the field. And he has been having a great season through the first two weeks as well. If teams try to take Manningham away in the passing game they will pay for it.  Eli has a lot of targets that can make plays.

Manningham has truly showed great strength and quickness once he gets the ball in his hands.  It seems like every time he catches the ball he is able to break away from the first defender that attempts to take him down. 

I believe one of the most positive things about not having a true go to guy at the start of the season is that,  it has allowed Eli Manning to spread to ball around and let more then one guy make plays.  The Giants surely have the talent with all of the receivers they have drafted over the past few seasons.

What it will come down to is that teams will have to pick their poison.  If they shut down Brandon Jacobs then they still have to try and contain the Giants aerial attack.  Which has proven it can carry this team so far.  If you give the passing game more attention, then their opponents will be more vulnerable to the run.


In case you haven't seen any highlights of Mario Manningham from college,  I have attached a video below.  It looks like from the video that he has adapted nicely so far to the NFL.

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Can C.C. Brown Get the Job Done?

A day after New York Giants safety Kenny Phillips was placed on the injured reserve list for the remainder of the 2009 season, one can only wonder what kind of impact C.C. Brown can make. The Giants signed Brown in the off season as a free agent from the Houston Texans. He is a solid safety that started for the Texans in his first three seasons and produced some solid stats.

Coming into his 5th year now, Brown has compiled 259 tackles, 16 pass deflections, 4 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions. He is obviously a step down from a play maker like Kenny Phillips,  but he is a guy who can come in and get the job done.

Leave your comments below on what you think about C.C. Brown.

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Week 3 Giants - Buccaneers Preview

When: Sunday, September 27th, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Where:  Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL  - TV: FOX

This coming Sunday the New York Giants will be traveling to Tampa Bay to take on their former teammate Derrick Ward and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay may be 0-2 but they have a good rushing attack and a team full of young talent.   I have broken down the keys for the Giants to win this game,  below.

Keys to the game:

•  The obvious here is that the Giants need to get back to stopping the run and this Buccaneer team ran all over the Cowboys in week 1, so don't take them lightly.  They have three very strong running backs in Ernest Graham, Cadillac Williams and of coarse Derrick Ward.  Stopping the run will force Byron Leftwich to pass and with his long delivery it will give the Giants defensive line time to get to him.
  
• I believe this will be the game the Giants get their running game going.  I really don't expect teams to continue to bring a safety up for the run.  Especially the Bucs who have been torched in the first two games with deep passes for touchdowns.  
• Also what comes with the running game is the red zone offense and I believe the Giants will score their first red zone touchdown this season.  I may be wrong but I don't believe they have scored one yet.

If the Giants can execute my keys to the game they will surely come back home to New York with a win.

Final Score: Giants 24 Bucaneers 13
2009 Prediction Record: 2-0
                      

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