Giants Daily Blitz Blog

Anatomy of a Play: Brown’s Second INT

Down and Distance: 1st and 20 at NYG 31
Time: 12:07, 4th QTR
Defense: Cover 2
Situation: Giants leading 42-27

The Play: Drew Brees pass deep middle intended for Jimmy Graham INTERCEPTED by Stevie Brown at NYG 8. S.Brown pushed ob at NO 22 for 70 yards (Jermon Bushrod).

What Brown saw: “I have Web [cornerback Corey Webster], who’s the Cover 2 corner. He doesn’t have anything in the flat, so he can stay onto the No. 1 receiver a little bit longer. [Linebacker Michael] Boley is my hook dropper underneath No. 2. So as the Cover 2 safety, I’m reading both these [receivers] and I’m looking and see Brees – it just happened so quick. It happened so quick to talk about it. So whenever I’m back here in Cover 2, you want to make sure you have a good amount of depth so you can be able to break either way because there are two receivers that are going to be your threat, threatening your zone.”

Intended for TE Jimmy Graham: “Since he threw it to Graham — with him being like 6-6 or so, a basketball player, he can jump pretty high – the ball is usually thrown up there for him to get him and only him to get it. So I wanted to be able to make sure I came around him to pick off the ball without colliding into him.”

On the 70-yard return: “They say go to the near sideline, but I had to cut it back because there was more green grass. I see [Justin] Tuck pick up the fullback, Prince [Amukamara] pick up the quarterback, and 74 [Bushrod] is the fastest offensive lineman in the game.”

Outcome: Four plays after Brown’s seventh interception of the season, Lawrence Tynes tacked on a 39-yard field goal, extending the lead to 45-27. The Giants eventually won 52-27.

1ST QTR: Brown, Randle lead fast start

The Giants and Green Bay Packers meet for the 51st time in the regular season, with the Packers holding a 27-21-2 lead in the series. The two teams have met seven times in the postseason, with the Packers leading, 4-3. In their last meeting, the Giants defeated the Packers, 37-20, in a 2011 NFC Divisional Playoff Game at Lambeau Field.

Kickoff: 8:20 PM ET

Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.

TV: NBC

Radio: 660AM/101.9FM

Weather: Fair. 37°F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.

New York Lineup Changes

» None

Green Bay Lineup Changes

» 54 Dezman Moses for 52 Clay Matthews at ROLB

» 29 Casey Hayward for 37 Sam Shields at RCB

FIRST QUARTER

15:00 — Game Day Captains: Chris Snee and Chris Canty along with season captains Eli Manning, Justin Tuck, and Zak DeOssie. Giants win the coin toss and elect to receive. The Packers defend the west goal.

13:39 — Ahmad Bradshaw catches a screen pass from Eli Manning and takes it 59 yards down to the Packers 2-yard line.

12:43 — TOUCHDOWN GIANTS. Andre Brown runs in for a 2-yard score. XP is GOOD. NEW YORK 7, GREEN BAY 0 (Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards in 2:22)

*That was Brown’s eighth rushing touchdown of the year.

12:33 — On his first play back from a six-game absence, Kenny Phillips wraps up Starks on a three-yard run.

10:58 — TOUCHDOWN PACKERS. Aaron Rodgers hits Jordy Nelson for a 61-yard score down the right sideline. The Replay Assistant challenged the runner was in bounds, and the play was Upheld. XP is GOOD. NEW YORK 7, GREEN BAY 7 (Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards in 1:54)

7:51 — Chris Canty trips up Rodgers for his second sack of the season. Giants were using a four-safety look on the third-down play.

7:21 — Packers’ Crosby misses a 55-yard field goal attempt, wide left.

4:08 — Manning lowers his shoulder and scrambles for a gain of 13 yards and a first down.

2:44 — TOUCHDOWN GIANTS. Rueben Randle catches his first career touchdown on a 16-yard pass in the back of the end zone. XP is GOOD. NEW YORK 14, GREEN BAY 7 (Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards in 4:37)

2:29 — On the first play of the ensuing drive, Corey Webster intercepts Rodgers and returns it down to the 8-yard line. Play is reviewed and ruled Webster was down by contact on the Packers’ 33.

0:29 — FIELD GOAL GIANTS. Lawrence Tynes makes a 43-yard attempt. NEW YORK 17, GREEN BAY 7 (Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards in 2:03)

0:16 — Chase Blackburn sacks Rodgers for a loss of 8.

0:00 — GIANTS 17, PACKERS 7

3RD QTR: Tynes extends Giants’ lead

15:00 — Giants kickoff to begin second half.

14:50 — Steelers take over on the Giants’ 35 after a 68-yard kick return by Chris Rainey.

13:36 — Justin Tuck notches his second sack of the game, this time for a loss of four yards on third down. Pittsburgh is forced to punt and the Giants take over on their own seven.

11:10 — Martellus Bennett’s second catch of the game — a 33-yard gain — moves the Giants into Pittsburgh territory.

8:30 — FIELD GOAL GIANTS. Lawrence Tynes makes a 50-yard attempt. NEW YORK 17, PITTSBURGH 10 (Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards in 4:37)

7:23 — Corey Webster intercepts Roethlisberger’s pass intended for Wallace. Giants take over on Pittsburgh’s 33.

1:36 — FIELD GOAL GIANTS. Lawrence Tynes makes 23-yard attempt. NEW YORK 20, PITTSBURGH 10 (Drive: 9 plays, 28 yards in 5:37)

*Paid attendance announced at 80,991

0:00 — GIANTS 20, STEELERS 10

CLICK TO VIEW GIANTS VS. STEELERS PHOTO GALLERY

1ST QTR: Defensive struggle early on

This week’s game is the 76th meeting between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants. The Giants lead the series, 44-28-3. The two teams have never met in the postseason. In their last meeting, the Giants defeated the Steelers, 21-14, in Week 8 of the 2008 season.

Kickoff: 4:25 PM ET

Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

Weather: Partly cloudy. 49°F. Wind: W 14mph, gusting to 24 mph

Lineup changes:

NEW YORK

1ST QTR: Giants jump out to early lead

This week’s game is the 101st regular season meeting between the two teams, with the Cowboys leading the series, 57-41-2. The two teams have met once in the postseason, when the Giants defeated the Cowboys, 21-17, in the 2007 NFC Divisional Playoff Game. In their last meeting, the Cowboys defeated the Giants, 24-17, in Week 1 in MetLife Stadium.

Kickoff: 4:25 PM ET

Location: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Weather: Sunny. 59°F. Wind: From N 14mph, gusting to 19 mph

Lineup Changes:

NEW YORK

» None

DALLAS

» Felix Jones for DeMarco Murray at RB

» Ryan Cook for Phil Costa at C

FIRST QUARTER

15:00 — Game Day Captains: Osi Umenyiora and Chris Snee along with season captains Eli Manning, Justin Tuck, and Zak DeOssie. Giants win the coin toss and will receive.

13:38 — Manning completes a deep ball to rookie wide receiver Rueben Randle for a 56-yard gain. Randle entered Sunday’s contest with seven catches for 86 yards.

11:58 — FIELD GOAL GIANTS. Lawrence Tynes makes a 41-yard attempt on the opening drive. GIANTS 3, COWBOYS 0 (Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards in 3:07)

9:23 — S Stevie Brown jumps a pass intended for Dez Bryant and intercepts Tony Romo, returning it 37 yards down to the Dallas 27-yard line. Brown now leads the team with four interceptions.

7:17 — FIELD GOAL GIANTS. Lawrence Tynes makes a 37-yard attempt. GIANTS 6, COWBOYS 0 (Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards in 2:00)

5:57 — Two possessions and two interceptions for the Cowboys. Corey Webster grabs his second of the year and returns it 38 yards down to the Dallas 31.

3:46 — TOUCHDOWN GIANTS. Set up by a pass to Martellus Bennett and two Ahmad Bradshaw runs taking it down to the one-yard line, Andre Brown takes it in for the score around the left end. XP is GOOD. GIANTS 13, COWBOYS 0 (Drive: 4 plays, 31 yards in 2:01)

2:17 — David Wilson’s number is called for the second time of the game, but the rookie loses a yard on the carry.

0:51 — The Giants are forced to punt after a three-and-out, but Dez Bryant muffs the return and Michael Coe recovers the fumble in Dallas territory.

Top 10 Tuesday: Most Games in a Giants Uniform

In this week’s edition, Giants.com takes a look at the longest-tenured players to have ever worn the Giants uniform in terms of games played for the organization.

CLICK TO VIEW PHOTO GALLERY

1) DE Michael Strahan — 216 games played (1993-07)
2) TE Howard Cross — 207 (1989-01)
3) DE George Martin — 201 (1975-88)
4) WR Amani Toomer — 190 (1996-08)
5t) LB Lawrence Taylor — 184 (1981-93)
5t) RB/WR Joe Morrison — 184 (1959-72)
7) C Greg Larson — 179 (1961-73)
8t) DT Keith Hamilton — 173 (1992-03)
8t) LB Harry Carson — 173 (1976-88)
10) C Mel Hein — 170 (1931-45)

*Active Giants: OT David Diehl (143), G Chris Snee (128), QB Eli Manning (127), DE Osi Umenyiora (119), CB Corey Webster (107), LB Chase Blackburn (104), DE Justin Tuck (102)

Daily Blitz: Eli moves up to No. 3 in QB rankings

At the quarter pole of the NFL season, Eli Manning has moved up to become the third best quarterback in the league, according to Ron Jaworski.

The former quarterback and longtime ESPN analyst updated his QB rankings from the offseason and placed the two-time Super Bowl MVP at No. 3, sliding him up two spots.

Entering Week 5, Manning is 103 of 160 passing for 1,320 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions.

“Manning made a poor decision against the Eagles by throwing a costly interception in the end zone, but he otherwise has been very solid all season,” Jaworski wrote. “With Hakeem Nicks sidelined and Ahmad Bradshaw also missing time, the Giants’ offense has been shorthanded, and Manning has raised his game to compensate. Whether it’s Ramses Barden or someone else stepping into the Giants’ scheme, he doesn’t miss a beat. He continues to improve in all phases of the game — particularly with his pre- and post-snap decisions and his accuracy. I don’t think the Giants would stand at 2-2 without Manning’s strong early play.”

Aaron Rodgers finished at the top, followed by Tom Brady as runner up. Peyton Manning and Drew Brees rounded out the top five. As for the NFC East, Tony Romo and Michael Vick went back-to-back at 11 and 12, respectively, while rookie Robert Griffin III came in at No. 17.

QUICK HITS

» WATCH: The evolution of the New York Giants’ iconic blue and red uniforms, from the origin of the look in the 1940s to their current, more modern appearance.

» CB Corey Webster and secondary face injuries

» DE Jason Pierre-Paul ready for breakout performance

» Giants vs. Browns Scouting Report

» WATCH: Markus Kuhn answers fan questions and breaks down the matchup with the Cleveland Browns on Big Blue Hits

Giants vs. Panthers Live Blog: 1st QTR

0:00 — GIANTS 10, PANTHERS 0 (key stat: Giants offense has gained 158 yards to Panthers’ 56)

2:00 — Rookie CB Jayron Hosley flushes Cam Newton out of the pocket and forces an incomplete pass on third down.

3:50 — FIELD GOAL GIANTS. Lawrence Tynes makes a 47-yarder. NEW YORK 10, CAROLINA 0 (drive: 9 plays, 51 yards in 4:44)

*Tynes is a perfect 6/6 on the season.

4:36 — Manning showing his precision and begins 9 for 10 passing, including rookie Rueben Randle’s first catch of his career (a 4-yard gain).

8:30 — FB Henry Hynoski clears the way for Brown, who powers for another 16 yards on the ground.

9:13 — Jason Pierre-Paul takes down Cam Newton on third down as the quarterback was trying to get to the left edge, forcing the Panthers to punt.

11:42 — TOUCHDOWN GIANTS. TE Martellus Bennett catches a 14-yard pass in the end zone from Manning. XP is GOOD. NEW YORK 7, CAROLINA 0 (drive: 8 plays, 80 yards in 3:22)

13:21 — RB Brown, starting in place of Ahmad Bradshaw breaks an arm tackle and breaks down the sideline for 31 yards. First-time starters on offense are making the most of it so far.

14:26 — With the receiving corps banged up, WR Ramses Barden hauls in an early catch for an eight-yard gain.

15:00 — Game Day Captains: CB Corey Webster and G Kevin Boothe in addition to season captains QB Eli Manning, DE Justin Tuck and LS Zak DeOssie. Giants win coin toss, elect to receive. Panthers elect to defend the west goal.

This week’s game will be the seventh regular season meeting between the two teams, with the series tied, 3-3. In the last meeting, the Giants defeated the Panthers, 31-18, in Week 1 of the 2010 season in the first regular season game in MetLife Stadium.

Kickoff: 8:20 P.M. ET

Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.

TV: NFL Network/WPIX 11

Weather: Scattered clouds. Warm. 77 °F, Wind: 3.45 mph/N

Giants vs. Bucs Live Blog: 3rd QTR

0:00 — BUCCANEERS 27, GIANTS 16

0:34 — Kenny Phillips puts a hard hit on WR Vincent Jackson, forcing an incomplete pass. The play seemed to have energized the crowd and sideline as Corey Webster comes up with an interception on the next down.

0:44 — FIELD GOAL GIANTS. Tynes’ 36-yard attempt is GOOD. TAMPA BAY 27, NEW YORK 16 (drive: 13 plays, 64 yards in 5:40)

*Paid attendance announced: 76,964

7:09 — Giants needed a stop and the defense did exactly that as Jason Pierre-Paul and Markus Kuhn ganged up to tackle Doug Martin for a loss of 1, forcing the Buccaneers to punt.

13:14 — David Wilson spins for a 44-yard kickoff return.

*He’s averaging 28.7 yards on three returns in this game.

13:19 — FIELD GOAL BUCCANEERS (52 Yards). TAMPA BAY 27, NEW YORK 13 (drive: 5 plays, 14 yards in 1:46)

15:00 — Giants will kickoff to begin the second half.

Giants vs. Cowboys Live Blog: 1st QTR

0:00 — GIANTS 0, COWBOYS 0 (key stat: Manning begins the season 7/9 for 72 yards)

2:53 — With the ball on the Giants’ 37, Cowboys go for it on 4th-and-1. Giants stuff RB Lawrence Vickers for no gain and take over on downs. Giants are building the bridge when it comes to fourth down defense after the Falcons failed on three attempts in their playoff game nearly eight months ago to the day.

3:22 — Keith Rivers flushes Romo out of the pocket, rushing the pass. Corey Webster almost grabs an interception, but pass falls incomplete, setting up third down.

10:20 — TE Martellus Bennett gets his first catch against his former team — a 9-yard gain after Victor Cruz’s 26-yard reception from Eli Manning.

11:31 — The first carry of Wilson’s career is a 3-yard gain to the right side.

12:21 — And there you have it: the return game is revealed for the time being. Domenik Hixon back to return first punt.

13:07 — At the depleted position of defensive tackle, Rocky Bernard sacks Tony Romo for a loss of 8 yards. Bernard’s only sack last season came in the Wild Card Weekend against the Falcons.

13:58 — Giants go three-and-out on first offensive series of 2012.

15:00 – GAME DAY CAPTAINS: Chris Snee and Osi Umenyiora along with team captains Eli Manning, Justin Tuck, and Zak DeOssie. Giants win toss, elect to receive. Cowboys will defend west goal. *David Wilson back to return for first kickoff.

This week’s game will be the 100th regular season meeting between the two teams, with the Cowboys leading the series, 56-41-2. In the last meeting, the Giants defeated the Cowboys, 31-14, on Jan. 1 in Week 17 of the 2011 regular season to win the NFC East title and return to the postseason for the first time since 2008.

Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET

Location: MetLife Stadium, E. Rutherford, NJ

TV: NBC

Weather: Scattered clouds. Warm. 80 °F, Wind: WNW 9mph

FLIP CARD CHANGES:

NEW YORK

» 75 Sean Locklear will start at LT in place of 65 Will Beatty

» 55 Keith Rivers will start at LB in place of 59 Michael Boley

» 37 Michael Coe will start at CB in place of 20 Prince Amukamara

DALLAS

» 92 Josh Brent will start at NT in place of 90 Jay Ratliff