Pregame
I was going to play poker tonight, but I just ate dinner and decided that I don't really feel like playing now. My rule is, if I don't feel like playing, then I don't play. Simple as that. I have enough opportunity that I don't need to force myself to go play poker when I don't really want to play.
So this will be a little different. A live diary for a non-Patriots game. I like football and watch a lot of games. But a lot of the time it is background noise. The teams I really follow are the Patriots (watched most every game for 15 years), and seen all but one Arkansas Razorbacks game this season.
I am a big fan of Wendi Nix. Used to like her on the news and radio in Boston. Now she does a lot of studio and sideline work for ESPN. Is on the sideline tonight in New Orleans. Did not know she used to be married to Ben Cherington.
Chris Berman's voice makes my head hurt.
Trying to save any comments about the Giants and Saints for game action, since I'm not sure if I can pull off a decent commentary on teams I am less familiar with. Boston teams, no problem.
Let's get this one out of the way. CBS in Vegas switched off the Patriots blowout of the Eagles in time to show the Denver Tebows comeback over the Lame Duck Chargers. I texted a friend when it happened - they did a close-up for about five seconds of the Chargers kicker peeing on the sideline. Won't link video, but deadspin.com had it up about 10 minutes after it occurred.
Archie Manning is doing the pregame intro. He played for the 'Aints and his son is the Giants QB.
Neat video on Sean Payton, Drew Brees, and offensive coordinator meeting to discuss play calling the day before game. It just gets me thinking - you want to know how successful any football team is, watch the quarterback. Watch how he play calls, controls the action before the snap, makes protection and audible calls, handles pressure with subtle movements like stepping up in the pocket, passes the ball, runs or throws it away if necessary.
Game on.
1st Quarter:
15:00 - Touchback. Saints ball on the 20.
13:47 - Two passes to Lance Moore sandwiched around a Mark Ingram run up the middle for 7. I like Mark Ingram. The Saints got the Ingram pick from the Patriots, so we have their 1st round pick next year.
I don't like New York, but the Saints losing may improve the Patriots draft position, so...Go Draft Pick!
12:35 - Brees to Jimmy Graham for 18 yards.
10:43 - Screen to Darren Sproles negated by a Graham hold. Giants accept, making it 3rd and 18 instead of 4th and 8.
8:50 - Fake field goal. Came up a yard short. Giants covered it well, missed a tackle, but still kept Graham a yard short. I have no problem with the call - but I would have simply put three points on the board.
Sean Peyton made one of the gutsiest coaching calls in history - onside kick to begin the 2nd half of the Super Bowl. The story about that is very interesting. It was planned a few days in advance - trying to remember if it was inspired by his time with Bill Parcells.
8:23 - Two passes to Victor Cruz, two first downs by the NYG. Cruz is a nice player from UMass. If I remember, his coming out party was a preseason game where he lit up the Patriots for a couple TD's. No Mario Manningham, so he will see a lot of action.
6:26 - 3rd and 7. Giants have to use a timeout.
6:15 - Manning to Ramses Barden. Nice play for a first down.
Cameron Jordan is a starting DE for the Saints. So, the Saints had the draft I wanted the Patriots to have - except we have their 1st pick next year...
4:27 - Manning picked by Will Herring. Nice job by the linebacker covering the tight end in the end zone.
My biggest problem won't be doing the blog, writing a little play-by-play, or having things to say. It will be the players names. Had to look up Will Herring. May be some spelling mistakes.
3:39 - Sproles for a first down. Saints have four nice running backs: Pierre Thomas, Ingram, Sproles and Chris Ivory.
2:38 - Brees to Graham, then Sproles for two completions. 2nd and 4.
I really like Darren Sproles. Knew he would fit in well in New Orleans. They made the perfect move, letting Reggie Bush walk, drafting Ingram, and signing Sproles.
0:33 - Toss left to Sproles down to the 8. Gruden suggests Sproles may be the best free agent signing of the last off-season. Definitely one of them.
Score: 0-0. Saints are inside the Giants 10.
2nd Quarter:
15:00 - Gruden calls the play before it happens. Fade to Graham, incomplete.
14:52 - Brees to Moore, "sprint right option" Gruden calls it. Moore reaches for the pylon, touchdown. Mike Tirico says they ran that in the Super Bowl.
Saints 7, Giants 0.
I picked the Saints -7, thinking this game could be a blowout.
I have been to New Orleans twice. Not since Hurricane Katrina. I also think they've done some renovations to the Superdome, which I thought was a dump. Was at the Rams - Saints playoff game 12/30/00, won by the Saints (1st playoff victory for the franchise). Is the loudest I have ever heard a football stadium.
13:49 - Brandon Jacobs running the ball well. Ahmad Bradshaw is injured.
11:58 - Manning to Hakeem Nicks, 1st down on the Saints 26. Nicks is a nice receiver.
11:01 - Gruden after a Giants false start, "Noise is a huge factor in this building". Yes it is.
9:30 - Giants kick a 42 yard field goal. Saints 7, Giants 3.
7:47 - Good point by Ron Jaworski. The Giants are running a base nickel defense (4-2-5). If you can do that against a good passing team (NO, NE, GB) and still get pressure on the QB, then you've got something.
7:28 - Saints punt. Fumble by Aaron Ross. Recovered by the Giants. They got lucky. Ross lost one against the Patriots too. I might consider permanently taking him off return duty.
6:15 - Manning throws incomplete, personal foul roughing the passer, helmet to helmet against the Saints.
Jon Gruden explaining the Saints defense is one of the reasons he's my favorite analyst. He'll coach again if he wants to, but I like him on tv.
5:30 - Giants punt into the end zone.
Urban Meyer will be the Ohio State football coach 6yr. / $26M. I hope the NCAA comes down hard on them for their transgressions. But eventually they'll be back as one of the best in the country.
Ndamukong Suh should be suspended for a game or two. Maybe one, since he missed half of the GB game when he was tosses.
3:33 - Brees to Sproles for a 1st down. Sproles leads the league in 3rd down receptions. Welker must be up there too.
3:00 - Brees to Graham, down to the 10. Osi Umenyiora is off the field with an injury.
2:21 - Brees quick slant to Graham, touchdown (5 yards). Slam dunk (he played four years of basketball at Miami).
The slam dunk may be one of the celebrations the NFL should ban. It's not malicious, or a taunt, but it can tilt the goal post.
Saints 14, Giants 3.
2:03 - Manning to Cruz, gets the first down on 3rd and long.
Two minute warning.
1:32 - Unnecessary roughness penalty adds 15 yards on the end of a short reception by the Giants. Giants have time to add a score before halftime, then they get the ball back, so they can still get back into this one.
1:24 - 3rd and 15. Giants should have caught two Manning passes, and a penalty. Shooting themselves in the foot.
1:17 - Giants punt. Sproles fair catch at the 11. Saints have three timeouts and are in the shotgun.
1:00 - Brees to Colston. 50 yards. Now the Saints can tack points on to their lead.
0:51 - Brees to Colston for 15 yards.
0:47 - Colston was wide open, but wanted to turn and run before he caught the ball.
0:40 - Brees to Colston for 15 yards to the 10. Timeout Saints.
0:35 - Brees to Moore, touchdown. Saints 21, Giants 3.
Brees and his stable of offensive weapons are terrific, the offensive line keeps Brees clean. I read something in the pre-season about Brees perhaps breaking Dan Marino's passing yard record this season. It was a fantasy football article, but argued that Brees had a chance because of his team and a favorable late season schedule (not outdoor games in cold climates). I absolutely believed the article, and it could end up happening. Yet Aaron Rodgers is probably the league MVP.
0:06 - Giants are going to attempt a very long field goal. Just short from 61 yards.
Halftime: Saints 21, Giants 3.
If I wasn't writing, I might find something else to do and change the channel, but I've committed to this (not that it matters since I'm not writing for an audience), so I will continue.
The Giants could be in this game, were it not for,
interception in the end zone - was a nice play by Will Herring.
dropped passes.
274 yards passing allowed - who am I kidding? Drew Brees is picking their DB's apart. Not sure if he has been touched by the Giants defense yet.
3rd Quarter:
15:00 - Giants return to the 33 yard line.
13:43 - Hakeem Nicks gets leveled crossing the middle. Refs call a personal foul. Looked like helmet to helmet, so I have to agree.
Football is a sport of tremendous athletes and violent collisions, so injuries are going to happen. I like the NFL's attempt to protect players by calling more penalties and making sure players who appear to suffer concussions get proper clearance before returning to the field. I don't think it has gone too far.
10:43 - Meanwhile, the Giants score a touchdown. Nice drive. Brandon Jacobs runs over a Saint and goes in from 8 yards. Also gets a taunting penalty. Can't a player just shut up and hand the ball to the referee after he scores? Where have you gone Barry Sanders? Saints 21, Giants 10.
9:34 - Brees to Devry Henderson on 3rd and 6 for the first down. Out to their 39 yard line.
The Saints are a team that could come out of the NFC if the Packers don't. They have a lot to play for (catching SF to get the #2 seed). They are flying under the radar because the Packers have been so good and the 49ers have been such a surprise. But the Saints have a team capable of winning the Super Bowl.
7:31 - Nice play by Brees to keep the play alive, Thomas holds off the blitz, Brees scrambles, then passes for 10 yards. Jon Gruden is ecstatic.
7:03 - Giants challenge the play, saying Brees went beyond the line of scrimmage. He did not (whole body needs to be beyond the line).
6:25 - Pierre Thomas takes a screen pass to the 8.
5:48 - Brees takes off out of the shotgun and doesn't stop until he's in the end zone. Saints 28, Giants 10.
When I went to the Saints game in 2000, they had a border collie (or something like that) that retrieved the tee after the Saints kicked off. Not sure if they still have a tee-retrieving dog (would be a different dog now), but I thought that was cool.
I'd like to go back to New Orleans someday. I don't drink and get into shenanigans like I used to. So I'd go to enjoy the city a little more. I did do a lot in two trips (football game, nice meal, Cafe du Monde, World Trade, rode streetcar, River Walk, casino), but that would be the focus instead of what we did when we weren't getting loaded on Bourbon Street. But I'd still have a beer and enjoy the sights and sounds of Bourbon Street.
By the way - no way you need a car in New Orleans. I drove form Atlanta to New Orleans once, and the car sat in the parking garage the whole time I was there.
4:28 - Giants fumble, but are challenging the play...and lose again. Saints ball.
4:13 - Brees to Graham...touchdown. Like watching Brady and his TE's. Saints 35, Giants 10.
Graham has 5/84 2 TD.
3:33 - Jacobs fumbles, but I think he fell back on the ball. Yup. 2nd and 8 on their 32.
2:42 - Saints sack Manning, 3rd and 22.
2:05 - Nicks catches the ball along the sideline, but can't stay in bounds, so it's 4th and 7. Giants will punt...
1:34 - ...or not. Either a fake, or a bad snap. Punter runs, but doesn't get the first down. Another taunting penalty, after the change of possession, on the Saints. Saints ball at the Giants 48.
Turns out Saints -7 was a good call. Blowout was a good call.
End of 3rd, 35-10 Saints.
4th Quarter:
I'm not sure if I'll do much play by play now. I'm writing email and not paying too close attention to the game.
14:50 - Manning to Cruz, who is wide open. Had to be a blown coverage. 72 yard touchdown.
Saints 35, Giants 17.
10:47 - That tackle on Jimmy Graham looked bad. Unnecessary roughness. Looks like he is ok.
10:41 - Pierre Thomas runs one in. Saints 42-17.
ESPN is showing the Giants schedule. That's the reason I don't think they make the playoffs. Too difficult. Dallas comes out of the NFC East. Ron Jaworski "this is not a playoff team".
5:12 - Manning to Cruz. Saints 42, Giants 24.
Manning is 20-20 in the 2nd half. Single game record is 22.
2:32 - 21 in a row.
2:13 - Streak over. Could have been intercepted.
2:03 - Giants turn the ball over on downs.
1:02 - Mark Ingram runs one in from about 35 yards out. Saints 49, Giants 24.
Game over.
Final Score: Saints 49, Giants 24
Five Stars:
Drew Brees
Jimmy Graham
Saints Offensive Line
Eli Manning
Victor Cruz
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