Giants Defense May Use Wristbands To Counter Bills Hurry-Up

The New York Giants may have to endure another week without defensive stalwarts Justin Tuck and possibly Osi Umenyiora, but defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has considered a plan to help the Giants D prevent big plays by the Buffalo Bills offense this Sunday-- wristbands.

Don't be shocked to see the some Giants defensive players wearing mini-playbooks on their forearms-- and referring to them-- in order to prevent the mental breakdowns that have plagued the team in recent games.

Following last week's unfathomable loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Fewell became concerned that the Giants(3-2) had allowed Seattle's mediocre offense to put up big numbers against his confused-looking defense and thinks using what is usually a quarterback's tool a potential solution.

The Seahawks no-huddle offense prevented the Giants defense from making many quick substitutions and forced a quicker tempo.  At many times, the Giants D was caught out of position and were about one Deon Grant flop from trying to slow down the Seahawks.

Fewell who was a coach in Buffalo before coming to the Giants, is familiar with the Bills system and said he "learned something last week."

"The no-huddle is effective; it's about communication," said Fewell.  "I think we were communicating.  When you use that form of communication verbally, everybody doesn't get it at the same time.  I think I need to do a better job of maybe installing wristbands on the guys so everybody knows what the call is.  I think I can do a better job and help our players if I do that for them," he told the New York Post.

It won't be any easier this week as the  surprising Bills(4-1) stampede into MetLife Stadium on Sunday.  They have impressive victories over the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles under their belts.

Meanwhile, the teams the Giants have beaten this year have a combined record of 6-12 and the Giants had to pull come-from-behind in two of their own W's.

The Giants would like nothing more than to help Fewell beat his former team and show that last week's loss wasn't a sign of things to come.

When a defense is struggling as much as the Giants' has, any sort of advantage is welcome-- even if it's like writing the answers on your hand.

Giants Still Can't Find Cruz Control

Last week, New York Giants Victor Cruz "gave himself up" in a crucial play which led to a thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Arizona Cardinals.  Yesterday, the wide-out gave the ball up during a last minute play-- which led to a Seattle Seahawks pick-six score in a crushing 36-25 loss in the Meadowlands.

The unheralded Cruz ultimately controlled the outcome of yesterday's game by making spectacular tipped catches and then knocking a ball into the hands of the opponents as well.

It was Victor Cruz Bobble-Hands Day at MetLife Stadium yesterday.

The undrafted Cruz seems to have a real knack for making the big play.

The Giants trailed, 29-25, when  Giants QB Eli Manning connected on two consecutive passes of 41 and 19 yards to Cruz which set up a first-and-goal from the Seattle five-yard line with 1:27 left.  A false start by Will Beatty pushed the Giants back to the 10.

On the next play, Manning threw the ball to Cruz, who was in the vicinity of four-- count 'em-- Seattle defenders.  Cruz fell down and tipped the ball off the hands of strong-safety Kam Chancelor who bounced it into the waiting arms of cornerback Brandon Browner who raced 94 yards to put the game out of reach.

Manning's ill-advised throw broke up what could have been the third straight fourth-quarter come-back for the Giants.

Cruz had an All-Pro day after catching six passes in last week's win in Arizona.  The Paterson, N.J. native finished up yesterday's game with eight catches for a career-high 161  yards including an incredible 68-yard bobble-and-twist TD catch in double coverage.

Manning threw for a career high 420 yards and three TD's and kept the Giants in the game but also committed four turnovers.  It looked like the Eli of old when the Giants got into the red-zone.

Head coach Tom Coughlin pinned the blame on himself but also sat Manning in the corner.

"The sloppiness of the game, the turnovers... you're not going to win football games when you're handing people the ball," said Coughlin.

About Manning's poor decisions in the red zone, the coach was more direct.

"You can't throw an interception right there," he said  "You just can't do it."

Granted, two of Manning's INT's were deflected by his receivers into the hands of Seahawks players.  A constant rally-killer that seems to have been the bane of Manning's last couple of seasons.

Cruz is playing beyond any one's expectations this season and, when combined with Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham, gives the Giants a real 1-2-3 punch.  If only Cruz could control the ball more deftly.  For every acrobatic play, there seems to be a dangerous bobble or a fumble.

"As soon as I went to grip it [the ball], I got hit.  It bobbled up in the air," said Cruz of the last minute pick-six.  "I knew it was all downhill from there, because there were two guys there and I knew one of them was going to pick it off."

Browner's game-buster has to take a lot of the wind out of the Giants sails.

With the Philadelphia Eagles losing and the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins idle, the G-Men had a chance to take over sole possession of first place in the NFC East and put some distance between them and their rivals.  Too bad they couldn't pull another fourth quarter Houdini act.

The Giants finally found out what it's like to be on the losing end of a come-from-behind win and doing it in grand style has to sting a little more.

Seattle came into the game averaging a measly 254 yards per game but shredded the Giants defense for 424 yards-- half of them with their second-string QB Charlie Whitehurst at the controls.

Ironically, it's that same Giants defense which kept them in the game.  They registered six sacks and three interceptions.

Maybe the Giants modest win streak was a desert mirage.  The defense hasn't really played overly well during the past three weeks and the offense doesn't seem to catch fire until the fourth quarter.

Overcoming the St. Louis Rams, the Arizona Cardinals and a suspect Eagles team in the fourth quarter is exciting but not awe-inspiring.  The anemic Seahawks were supposed to be lumped in with that downtrodden bunch during the softest stretch of the Giants schedule but made the Giants look sloppy on their home turf.

Next week, the Giants host the confident Buffalo Bills, who are beginning to look like the real thing and got four Michael Vick picks of their own.

Manning, who last week said he wanted to get off to fast starts and avoid any last-minute heroics, will probably be spending a lot of time this week adjusting his Cruz control.

Eli Manning Looking To Avoid Any More Late-Game Heroics Against Seahawks

The New York Giants return home tomorrow to play the Seattle Seahawks in a game that is loaded with all the signs which suggest overlooking the opposition.  The Giants (3-1) are coming off two thrilling come-from-behind victories on the road and a three game win streak but the Seahawks (3-1) have a rousing fourth quarter rally, in their most recent loss to the Atlanta Falcons, under their belt as well.

The Giants claim they are not overconfident playing the offensively-deficient Seahawks, but after being down by 20 points in the third quarter last week against the Falcons, the Seahawks switched to a hurry-up offense and reeled off 21 points in the final 25 minutes only to fall short, 30-28, in the loss.

We all know how the Giants handle the hurry-up and don't think the referees won't be looking for some more Giants' players flopping on the field to slow it down.  Hear that Deon Grant?

The Giants return to MetLife Stadium for a three game home stand after playing three of their first four games on the road.  It could be the easiest stretch of their schedule and  make-it-or-break-it time for the G-men.  Last week's two score comeback over the Arizona Cardinals has to make the homecoming even sweeter.

Over the next month, the Giants play the still-suspect Buffalo Bills and the Andrew-Luck Lottery front runners Miami Dolphins before the team heads into a sadistic nine-game stretch against top-tier teams and division rivals.

Oh yeah, there's a bye week thrown in there after the Buffalo game.  So for the next month, the Giants can get used to familiar surroundings and an accommodating schedule-maker.

The game at hand brings in a Seahawks team juiced up with a little momentum and Pete Carroll's hurry-up to frustrate the Giants D.  I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing the giddy-up offense going at a depleted Giants defense that will be without DE Justin Tuck for the second straight week.

The Seahawks don't match up well against the Giants as their last two losses to New York will attest.  The Giants pummeled the 'Hawks 41-7 last season and 44-6 in 2008, so that overconfidence buzz could be in the back of Giants player's minds.

But these birds don't like to leave the nest either.  Seattle has lost its last six road games and the last nine games played in the Eastern Time Zone.

As for the Giants offense, the loss of Brandon Jacobs (knee) means the running game will be in the sole hands of Ahmad Bradshaw and the concussed head of Mario Manningham has turned Victor Cruz into a starting receiver.  Manningham still has to overcome last week's perceived miscommunication with QB Eli Manning and get back into the swing of things.

Manning will go to his receivers early and often.  It sounds like he doesn't want to toy with any more late-game deficits. 

"You always want to get off to a fast start, but you also don't want to get frustrated if you don't.  And if you don't get off to a fast start, you still can't afford to make mistakes or turn the ball over," said Manning.  "We are doing a better job of [limiting turnovers], and  that's keeping us in games."

The NFC's second-ranked QB is slowly making the league forget about the other Manning, Peyton, and is brimming with confidence.  The new and improved Giants QB has not thrown an interception in 90 straight attempts.  He looks almost Tom Bradyish.

The Giants now attempt to shoot down the third bird-named team in-a-row and feather their own nest.

If Manning comes out firing-- because of the Giants depleted running game -- and the Seahawks give the hurry-up a little go-see, this game could turn into a shoot-out.

The Giants hope it turns into a turkey shoot-- or a Seahawk one.