Nicks rubs salt in our wounds at the Super Bowl

Plenty of mistakes in that game to go around, and a majority of them were on the offensive side. MM had several Sherman moments that continue to puzzle me.

IIRC, Bush was hanging out at around the 5 yard line when the hail mary pass came down. That alone told me he was doing all sorts of stuff wrong on that play. I didn't notice Shields and Bush not jamming anyone on the line.

We all know Jarrett Bush's resume at this point. Really good ST guy, but not a guy you want to see playing in your defense. The real alarming thing is Sam Shields. The coaching staff felt Bush had surpassed him later in the season. In fact, I believe Bush played more nickel than Shields did in the playoff game.

I read that Bush was doing as he was instructed...the defense was set up to cover the quick out AND the Hail Mary play because GB was concerned the Giants would throw a real quick pass, get out of bounds and into FG range

With 6 seconds remaining, it was possible to pull that off and kick with one second left

The last 25 seconds of the first half was a slow motion train derailment. Bradhsaw's run when the Giants were conceding the half trying to get to the locker room up 13-10. Horrible.

Shields and Bush convinced themselves the Giants were running a quick out to pick up 5-10 yards so they could try a FG. They both continued to think that as Cruz and Nicks blew past them with no underneath routes. The worst part was both of them half assing it to the end zone after the ball was in the air.

Plenty of sloppy play all day. But those 25 seconds were a glaring "for whatever reason we're just not mentally into this game".

I don't want to see Bush being a starter in the defensive backfield, but let's not go over board. He's a ST ACE, and he did make one of the biggest plays in the Superbowl last year. Mistakes happen, but I don't think the F'n Hail Mary had anything to do with Bush being out of position.

Why is Nicks even discussing this??

PR, I'm not singling out Bush. Both Shields and Bush were doing as instructed, as Satori pointed out. Looking for something underneath to pick up some yards for a FG attempt.

I have two issues with this.

1. If the Giants want to pick up 5 yards to try a 45 yard FG. Have at it. The one thing you CAN NOT do is give up a hail mary TD to end the half.

2. The clip below show's the Giants had zero intention of running anything underneath. It was a jail break hail mary. How Shields and Bush let Cruz and Nicks blow past them with no one underneath is beyond me. Once you recognize there is no safety valve you haul ass to the end zone for support. Both of them did neither.

quote:

Originally posted by Fond Du Arrigo:
The real alarming thing is Sam Shields. The coaching staff felt Bush had surpassed him later in the season. In fact, I believe Bush played more nickel than Shields did in the playoff game.

Totally, agree. That was a real eye opener seeing Shields regress to the point that Bush was replacing him. He definitely needs the coaches on his butt in the off-season to keep him on track. He's got way too much ability to play as awful as he did last year.

In every game last season,when Bush was with the D, the opposing QB threw in his area. It was like he had a target on his jersey.

"And Jarrett Bush had fallen down".

quote:

Originally posted by PackerRuss:


Why is Nicks even discussing this??

Probably because someone in the media asked him It is Super Bowl week and they're talking about everything

Your right, I didn't even know it was SB week, I haven't paid attention to any SB stuff. I have never felt this apathetic to a SB.

It is
a) no surprise that CWood seems to be the only defender making an effort
b) very apparent based on that clip why CWood called out his defensive backfield mates for that play

quote:

Originally posted by Hungry5:
It is
a) no surprise that CWood seems to be the only defender making an effort
b) very apparent based on that clip why CWood called out his defensive backfield mates for that play

Absolutely agree. When a Hail Mary goes up, everyone should go for the ball. No one, absolutely no one attacks except for Woodson, and he goes behind Nicks. No one is fronting the receivers. Peprah looks like the cab left him at the curb and he's watching it leave. Bush runs like he doesn't care that he's late for the bus.

Half-butted effort and play recognition all the way around.

quote:

Why is Nicks even discussing this?

Maybe because it was the biggest play of the game that got them to the Super Bowl?

Just a hunch

I remember yelling "they're wide open" watching the play develop.

And becasue the Giants take immense satisfaction in talking to people about the Giants. No one can convince me Antrel Rolle doesn't have an Antrel Rolle Fathead in his bedroom.

Wow, the defensive backs look completely lost and clueless on that play.

Symptomatic of their whole season. Everyone waiting on the big easy play.

Yes the offense blew the game, but the defense obviously couldn't make up for them either. Just like the pundits said was bound to happen sooner or later.

quote:

Originally posted by PackerRuss:
I don't want to see Bush being a starter in the defensive backfield, but let's not go over board. He's a ST ACE, and he did make one of the biggest plays in the Superbowl last year.

Speaking of that play in the SB, there is a belief out there that Bush was in the wrong place then as well. Apparently Heath Miller was wide open on that play, who was Bush's responsibility to cover, but Big Ben just made a terrible decision.

Maybe Bush was supposed to defend the quick out, who knows. I have to believe once that hail mary's flying through the air however, that he'd have the presence of mind to put the pedal to the metal and get to the endzone. In that replay, it doesn't look like that's the case at all.

Bush did blow his assignment on that INT. Still, when he can come forward on the ball and see it all the way as a DB, he's not completely horrible. However, when he has to track a ball over his head, he makes Estus Hood look like Deion Sanders. He's simply inept in that regard.

Who cares if you give up a FG in a 13 to 10 game? If it looks like it is going to be caught, interfere, tackle, whatever. They get an untimed play from the 1. They will kick a FG.

quote:

Originally posted by JJSD:
when he has to track a ball over his head, he makes Estus Hood look like Deion Sanders. He's simply inept in that regard.

That is about as accurate as it gets. I don't think Jarrett Bush deserves all the whipping boy treatment he gets, but he really doesn't belong on the field as a defensive back. He's not going to improve past his current level, plain and simple.

quote:

Originally posted by The Crusher:
I remember yelling "they're wide open" watching the play develop.

So did I. I had a few more color things to say immediately after, like where are the bleeping Packer dbacks...

In that moment after the ball was thrown, as it's sailing in the air, the nightmare of Wisconsin-Michigan State popped into my head. Surely, I thought, it couldn't happen to the Packers, too. Our defense is bad, but we can knock a Hail Mary down.

My head almost exploded when Nicks caught the ball.

Oh joy, and the video is set to one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands. Great. I'll never hear it the same way again.

This is up there with Young to Owens, and 4th and 26. This play didn't lose the game, but it played a huge part.

Aaargh. Draft blitzers, and cover guys. Please dear God.

quote:

Originally posted by GBFanForLife:
Who cares if you give up a FG in a 13 to 10 game? If it looks like it is going to be caught, interfere, tackle, whatever. They get an untimed play from the 1. They will kick a FG.

Interesting point... But, do you think they would have gone for the FG for sure? With the lead already, they may have gone for it. But then again, the score would have been the same either way.

If Jarrett Bush is required to see a lot of time/action in the defensive backfield you know this team is in serious trouble.

Still, as much as some of us like to rip on the guy I'd say Peprah and Shields played just as poorly in that game - and Peprah was terrible the entire season.

Yeah, Shields had his moments this year when he looked like a converted WR still learning the position. The lockout didn't help, but his attitude may be part of it. Maybe he thought he already arrived and didn't need to do the work.

quote:

Originally posted by YATittle:
The lockout didn't help, but his attitude may be part of it. Maybe he thought he already arrived and didn't need to do the work.

What's wrong with Shields' attitude?

I mean that you actually know of and aren't fabricating, of course.

I think his use of the words "may be a part of it" and "maybe" means he is speculating and not confirming or fabricating.

quote:

Originally posted by chickenboy:
I think his use of the words "may be a part of it" and "maybe" means he is speculating and not confirming or fabricating.

Coach and Hungry appreciate your sentiments.

Yes, the attitude thing is pure speculation on my part. Few undrafted rookie DBs have the year he had. I could understand a swelled head.

Anybody else see the little blurb on GBPG about Nate Webster claiming the drops the WRs had were because of how physical the Giant's secondary was being? That "they were watching out for the safety coming across the field". I deleted the game long ago but I don't remember the Giants secondary hitting any better than any other team the Packers had faced. Maybe they were being more physical at the line but claiming the Packers were "hearing footsteps" sounds like garbage to me.

The drops I can think of off the top of my head would be the consecutive drops by Finley and Starks. No one touched them. Crabtree dropped his and no one touched him either. Nothing really jumps out after that. I don't recall any Packer receiver taking a big hit either.

Think this is simply another case of the Giants loving them some Giants

quote:

Originally posted by DH13:
Anybody else see the little blurb on GBPG about Nate Webster claiming the drops the WRs had were because of how physical the Giant's secondary was being?

Dumb comments like that from the Giants are why I really hope the Patriots beat their brains in. Yes... I am bitter. It won't be fun to listen to the east-coast biased media talk about either of these teams the whole off-season, but I particularly don't want it to be the Giants that are talked about as champions.

quote:

Originally posted by Goalline:
Coach and Hungry appreciate your sentiments.

Not really...

What I recall of the drops were running before completing the catch... i.e. taking their eyes off the ball as you could see their head turn up field looking where to go while they are still catching (or attempting to catch) the ball.

quote:

Originally posted by YATittle:
Yes, the attitude thing is pure speculation on my part. Few undrafted rookie DBs have the year he had. I could understand a swelled head.

Since we're speculating... I don't think it was a swelled head at all. In fact, I don't think Shields play dropped that much from last year, if at all. He had more INT's, more forced fumbles, more passes defended, and more tackles in '11 compared to '10.

Shields had to do a LOT more this year like all the other DB's, trying to compensate for lack of a pass rush. I'm sure it's because TW was usually covering a #1 or #2 receiver all year, but he seemed to have more negative plays than Shields. I agree that he needs to make that next big step in year 3 but I'm not so sure he "regressed" this year.

Dear Mr Nicks, We are still the Reigning World Champions, show some respect