November 15, 2002
East Rutherford, N.J. - According to Amani Toomer's definition, what the Giants accomplished the last two weeks does not constitute a winning streak.
"It's not a winning streak until you win three games in a row," Toomer said.
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"It's not a winning streak until you win three games in a row."
- WR Amani Toomer |
The Giants can reach that modest yet vital milestone on Sunday, when they host the Washington Redskins in Giants Stadium. Victories over Jacksonville and Minnesota the previous two weeks improved the Giants record to 5-4, one game behind Philadelphia in the NFC East and one game ahead of the 4-5 Redskins.
The game will be played with some additional emotion on both sides because of the return of Jessie Armstead, who signed with the Redskins this off-season after nine mostly-stellar seasons with the Giants.
With seven games remaining, the Giants need to string together some victories if they are to go the distance in the crowded NFC playoff race. Ironically, the last time they won three games in a row, the final triumph of the streak was a home game against Washington. That was early in the 2001 season, when they Giants beat Kansas City, New Orleans and the Redskins after an opening loss in Denver.
"It's really important for us to win this game," Toomer said. "It's important not only for the division, but so we can get some momentum going."
"This is almost do-or-die for both teams," defensive end Michael Strahan said. "Both of us are behind the Eagles in the NFC East race and the Redskins are behind us. So this is a very pivotal game, a division game, a must-win game. This is the tell-tale time of the season. We're past the midway point, and this is where the good teams start to separate themselves."
Whether the Giants can take a positive step toward establishing themselves as one of those teams will largely rest with the answers to three questions:
- Can the offensive improvement the Giants have demonstrated the last two weeks continue despite a severely-depleted receiving corps and in a game that could be played in heavy rain?
- Can the suddenly-vulnerable run defense prevent the Redskins from rushing at will?
- Can the kicking game recover from last week's meltdown in Minnesota and give the Giants the points and security they need?
First, the offense. Since Jim Fassel assumed the play-calling duties two weeks ago, the unit has scored seven touchdowns in two games, matching its total for the first seven games. Prior to the Jacksonville game, the Giants averaged 332.9 yards a game. In the last two games, they gained 394 and 460 yards.
Last week, Kerry Collins threw for 300 yards, Tiki Barber rushed for 127 yards and Ron Dixon had 107 receiving yards, the team's first 300-100-100 game since Dec. 5, 1999 against the Jets (When Collins, Joe Montgomery, Toomer and Ike Hilliard were the big playmakers).
But this week the Giants had to hold a tryout for receivers. Hilliard (dislocated shoulder) and Tim Carter (torn Achilles) are out for the season. Dixon is expected to miss at least two weeks with a sprained knee.
To fill the gaps, the Giants signed the venerable Herman Moore, who has 670 career receptions, and Tony Simmons, who has been with four other teams. They also added training camp standout Derek Dorris to the practice squad. Moore, who hasn't played a game in more than a year, and Simmons might not play Sunday because of their lack of familiarity with the offense. Dorris could be added to the active roster in time to make his NFL debut against the Skins. And rookie Daryl Jones will make his first start in place of Dixon, who started the previous two weeks in place of Hilliard.
Will the new faces and lack of continuity in the passing game disrupt an offense that was just starting to hit its stride?
"I still feel good about where we are," Collins said. "We are having a good week of practice, but obviously we are going to have to change some things up because of our injury situation. But I don't think it is going to affect us a whole lot. I think we have been playing well offensively, and I think we'll have a good shot at playing well on Sunday.
"I think Daryl Jones is going to step in and do a good job. I think the guys we brought in here, I don't know what capacity we are going to use them in just yet, but I think they will do a fine job. I still have a lot of guys out there that are playing well right now."
The burden on the passing game will be reduced if the Giants continue running the ball as proficiently as they have recently. The Giants rushed for 177 and 169 yards, respectively, against the Jaguars and Vikings, their highest totals of the season. Tiki Barber ran for 228 yards in the two games and will be called on again Sunday, particularly if it's wet and windy.
Perhaps most importantly, the Giants have significantly improved their average-per-carry. In the first five games, it was a 2.9 yards. But in the last four games, it is 4.7 yards.
"Our rush average is way up over the last two games (4.9 yards), which is critical," coach Jim Fassel said. "And we've run the ball more and there are off-shoots of that. We weren't doing very well on first downs, in the league, and part of that was the run game. Now, if you're running the ball, you give yourself a lot of options on second and third down. Plus it helps in the red area and we have improved in the red area. Running the ball does all that."
But the Giants opponents have also learned that. In the last three weeks - a period that not coincidentally coincides with the loss of defensive tackle Keith Hamilton to a torn Achilles - the Giants have allowed 645 yards on the ground, after surrendering just 509 rushing yards in the first six games. The run defense, which had been such a strength, has become a liability.
"The biggest part of it is mistakes," Fassel said. "Part of it is Hammer (Hamilton's absence)."
Sunday, the Giants must contend with Stephen Davis, who rushed for more than 1,300 yards in each of the previous three seasons and is returning to work after missing two games with a knee injury.
"The Redskins run the ball extremely well," Strahan said. "That's a concern because our run defense hasn't played well the last few weeks. It's going to be interesting to see how that matchup works out, and we're going to have to step up our run defense to keep up with it.
"Stephen Davis is as tough as they get when it comes to running that ball. He's extremely tough and very physical. One little bump is not going to take him down. You have to hit him and wrap him up. Davis is a serious competitor, so that's going to be a tough matchup for us."
So what's wrong with the run defense?
"I think the problem has been gap fits and in some cases guys trying to do too much," Strahan said. "It's just getting in the right gaps. Some of those offensive teams have spread us out, going to three wide receivers, getting our nickel on the field, and then running the ball. They run the ball in the gaps. I think it's one of those things where we're going to have to say that no matter what they do, we're going to have to make the plays. Guys are going to have to make extraordinary plays, myself included. That's going to be our focus this week. Hopefully, it will go well and we can get better as the season goes on."
Finally, we come to the kicking team, which flubbed opportunities to kick two field goals and two extra points last week. Fassel said he would break up the Bob Jones/Tom Rouen snapper/holder combination. Though he won't say until Sunday who will handle those jobs, Chris Bober and Jason Whittle are the leading contenders at snapper, and Matt Allen could replace Rouen - who replaced him - as the holder and punter.
The passing game, the run defense, field goals and extra points - there's a lot to correct in one week. But with the Redskins coming to town, the Giants have to get it done.
"Obviously, it is going to be a big game for us," Fassel said. "It is a division game, it's the Washington Redskins and we're all stacked up there and they feel like they have to get us so they can move to a tie with us. And then we've got to feel like we have got to make some distance. I think we'll be ready.
"This is a very important game," Collins said. "You look at where we are right now in the division, you know this game can help shape the way things are going to be for the rest of the season. It's a big game. Jessie's coming back, and there's going to be a lot of emotion in the game. We know what's at stake. We need to find a way to win."
