New York Giants Week 3: Players That Need to Step Up

Reality is a hard thing to face when dealing with your football team.   If you know it would take a miracle to get your team to the playoffs, it can be 17 weeks of absolute gut-wrenching agony.

The New York Giants are in a very unique position. 

The team is decimated with injuries, the quarterback has not shown the ability to carry the team on his back at any time, the general manager stole a page from the Kansas City Royals leaving his team without any resources to compete and the coaching staff is continually out-coached by delivering uninspiring, predictable game plans.

So what now?

The players on this team have pride.   There is never a moment that these guys mail it in or take a play off.  The Monday night win against the St. Louis Rams was ugly.   Real ugly.  But some things did stick out and should be noted.

The D Positives: Boley, Tuck, Tollefson, J. Williams and Rolle.

•  Michael Boley continues to fly around the field.  His overall tackle numbers are a bit low; however, he has taken over as the defensive signal caller and has showcased his skills by picking up the lateral against the Rams and bringing it back to the house.

• Justin Tuck is the rock of the defense and the glue that keeps it together.   I would like to see Perry Fewell dial up some crisscross stunts for Tuck as well as moving him inside (see Spagnuolo) to use his skill set a bit more effectively.

• Tollefson continues to be a key football player for the Giants.  On Monday night, he showed why the Giants re-signed him in the offseason, as he picked up a fumble by Rams punt returner Greg Salas that helped set up Nicks' three-yard touchdown score. Last week, he picked up a big sack against the Washington Redskins, and he continues to be a stud on special teams.

• Antrel Rolle and rookie Jacquian Williams (sixth round USF) did a nice job of keeping Cadillac Williams to 36 yards.   This is the second week in a row that a defensive back led the team in tackles.

 The O Positives: Manningham, Bradshaw, Hixon and Ware

• Manningham continues to develop and has a knack for big plays.  His three catches for 57 yards, averaging 18 yards a catch, was excellent; however, he was targeted seven times before leaving the game with an injury.  His quarterback absolutely stunk on Monday, hampering any type of rhythm Manningham might have gotten into.

• Hixon and his latest injury is devastating for the Giants.   Don't be fooled by Cruz playing as much as Hixon.  Hixon was the better player, purely on the fact that he would go over the middle.   His acrobatic touchdown catch was pure commitment.  He will be missed. 

• Bradshaw had 104 all-purpose yards and DJ Ware averaged 7.3 yards a carry when called to carry the rock in second half.

Wild Card:  If you didn't know: The Green Packers won the Super Bowl in 2010 with 17 players on injured reserve.  Therefore, you could ask yourself: Should the Packers have won the Super Bowl when one-third of their roster was on the injured reserve? 

Lightening in a Bottle!

In 2007, the New York Giants received huge contributions from Steve Smith, Kevin Boss, Jay Alford, Aaron Ross, Michael Johnson and Zak DeOssie.   One can only hope when the Prince arrives he jump-starts the 2011 class.

Players in the Dog House:

• Aaron Ross—Ross has two major flaws: he's always hurt and he never looks back at the ball.  Terrible play.  Can someone tell Ross to stop playing with a 25-yard cushion.

• Brandon Jacobs—The Eagles linebackers are small and inexperienced.   He needs more carries and he needs to get the second level.   He is great in space, and should request the bubble screen.

• Linval Joseph—I sit on the 22-yard line in the new Meadowland Stadium. I didn't hear Joseph's name one time.  I understand he's overshadowed, but make a play or go home.

• Kiwi—Practically Invisible.   He needs to be a defensive end.  Thanks Jerry Reese!

• Hakeem Nicks—No show in the second half.   A bit injury prone.  Elite receivers don't disappear in the second half.

• Greg Jones—You want to be an NFL linebacker?   Just look at the Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis.  Fourteen tackles Monday Night.

• Corey Webster—Critics and analysts say you're in the upper echelon of NFC cornerbacks.   Time to put up or shut up.  You looked soft vs. the Rams and receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin will own you.

• JPP—Don't just disappear.   JPP will be going against Jason Peters, who is loving Philadelphia, for it is crafting plays that he respond well to.  He needs to get more consistent.

• Eli Manning—What can I say?   The second worst performance I have ever seen from No.10.   It is very clear that he can not carry a team on his back.  In the first half of the game, he had two passes knocked down, two dirt balls and one INT. He is not worth $100 million. 

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/860437-ny-giants-players-that-need-to-step-up-in-week-three

Indiana Pacers Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Memphis Grizzlies Miami Heat Milwaukee Bucks