Big Blue Kickoff Live 10/24 | Matchups vs Pittsburgh

John Schmeelk and Matt Citak discuss the Giants roster going into Monday night, talk about some matchups against Pittsburgh, and take calls from fans.

:00 - Presser takeaways

11:20 - Steelers chat

29:30 - Calls

36:50 - More on Pittsburgh

50:00 - More calls

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
It's time for a Big Blue Kickoff line. Nobody can
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on Giants dot Com.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
You know what I saw do York Giant Track.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
And the Giants Mobiles.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Seventeen fourteen The Finals.

Speaker 3 (00:18):
One tuck Down. We all we're all tamp the.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
Well part of the Giants Podcast Network.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Let's go on dog Hello everybody, and welcome the Big
Blue Kickoff Live presented by Cadillac, the official luxury vehicle
the New York Football Giants. John sh Milk, Matthew Sittak
with you the phone numbers two A one nine three
nine four five one three hashtag Giants Chat on Twitter.
If you want to get in touch with us that way,
you certainly can. Mister Sidetak, how are you, sir? I'm

(00:44):
doing all right? How are you doing okay? Why don't
you give us the lowdown? We started coming to us late.
We want to hear what Brian Dables said at the
press conference. Matt hat to tweet some stuff out too.
Is Dan Salimons out today? So Matt give us a
loadout of the press and I'm gonna gather my stats,
which I forgot to do before we started.

Speaker 4 (00:59):
To go ahead.

Speaker 5 (00:59):
Yeah, so basically all we were out there for was
just in a little injury update. This is the first
time coach Dable has spoken, you know, in the new
week leading into Monday night's game against the Steelers. Today
was like the normal Wednesday press conference. So Coach Dables
said that Dexter Lawrence, Adri Jackson, Cordell Flott, and Ty

(01:20):
Summers will not practice today, while Jamie Gillen will punt
off to the side, and everyone else is going to
practice at least in some capacity. So I would say
of that list, I mean Dexter Lawrence didn't practice Wednesday
or Thursday, and last week got out on the practice
field Friday and then looked like his normal self come

(01:41):
game day.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, he looked okay.

Speaker 4 (01:43):
Yeah, uh a.

Speaker 5 (01:44):
Dori Jackson has missed. He missed last week with a
this I believe this is the neck injury that caused
him to miss.

Speaker 4 (01:51):
Last week's game.

Speaker 5 (01:53):
And then Jamie Gillen obviously has also missed the last
two games. Matt Hawk has been punting in his play
and then that leaves Cordell flat and Ty Summers, which
I believe these are new injuries. No, Ty Summers has
been on the injury report in the past, but has
played through whatever ailment.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
He's Yeah, he had to leave the last game though,
with an injury. Correct, I'm not mistaken. I believe he
did in the first half of that game, and Flott
left the game with the groin.

Speaker 5 (02:19):
So yeah, flat in Summers, I guess new injuries. We'll
have to track those or all of these throughout the
practice week to see who's gonna be good to go
for Monday night.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yeah, and last week, you remember Brian Burns miss Wednesday's
practice and Thursday's practice, so he apparently will work today
in some way, shape or form. There was some concerns
with Jay when Hyatt coming off that game when he
left with the rib injury. Apparently he's going to practice
in some way, shape or form. A couple of the
things that we caught and then he will, you know,
keep an eye on Twitter or see if anything else comes up.
DJ Humphreys, Brian Dable. I love what he does is

(02:50):
confirm that he came and he visited with the team.
Said nothing is on the horizon was the quote. So
he also in the case may be strong, he did
confirm that he's still recovering from an ACL injury, but
wouldn't talk about where he is in that recovery. So
whether that has something to do with the fact that
he's not signed yet, I don't know. He didn't say

(03:12):
whether or not that's the case. So maybe the fact
that he didn't hurt the knee until December thirty first,
which is awfully late. I looked all over the anton
I couldn't find when he actually had the surgery. Sometimes
you have to wait three or four weeks for the
swelling to go down. I don't know what that was.
He talked to justin Pewan March. He was just getting
off crutches, so he might not be ready to go. Yeah,

(03:33):
maybe he isn't. They don't want to sign him yet.
I don't know, but he is recovering from injury. He
was asked about the left tackle situation and he said
that both Zudu and Chris Hubbard, right, Chris Hubbard, yes, correct. Well,
we'll get reps at left tackle and they'll work through
it this week and they'll decide on game day who
they think will be the best fit there at left
tackle to start against the Steelers on Monday Night Football.

Speaker 4 (03:57):
Yeah, that's about.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Everything, right. I think I got it. That is about
everything perfect. And then there were some news last night.
You were the premiere of the Wellington Mara NFL Network
documentary that will air on Friday night. The Duke that
Duke Pier said, I couldn't place the title in my head,
So at the Pali Center last night they had a
little premiere. It's going to air on Friday at eight o'clock,

(04:19):
I believework now. Unfortunately, that's the same time the Yankees
will be having first pitch against the Dodgers in the
World Series. DVR, you could DVR one or the other
exactly and make sure you get to it. I've not
seen it yet and I'm looking forward to watching it.
It should be exciting, uh, you know, the football stuff
will be fun, but obviously all the stuff you know
from World War Two, Wellington served in the Pacific Fleet

(04:42):
fighting Japan, so a lot it should be a lot
of interesting stuff in there about Wellington and the Marra
family in general.

Speaker 5 (04:50):
It was a very good, interesting, cool documentary, not even
just coming you know from the Giants world like just
overall apparently, you know, great reaction to it last night.

Speaker 4 (05:03):
I for one, certainly gonna make time to watch it
at some point this weekend.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
Yeah, me too. Now, the news that came out of
last night, obviously it's it's a media function. So media
was there and they talked to John Mayer afterwards, and
he was asked whether or not, I mean bluntly, whether
or not Brian Dable and Joe Shane were safe, whether
or not they were gonna keep their jobs, and he said,
there are no plans to make any changes during the season,
and he does not, this is quote, anticipate any changes

(05:30):
after the year. But obviously when you say I do
not anticipate, I mean things can change with you now,
and then it leaves the door open. But as we've
talked about here, Matt, continuity is something that this organization
craves desperately, and it's something that they have not had
for the past six years. The last three coaches lasting
at most two seasons, Ben McAdoo less than that. The

(05:51):
three head coaches before Brian Dable, Brian Dable obviously entering
his third season, and before that, you know, you have
to move on from Dave Gettleman before or you would
like to move on from a GM. You want to
give a GM a pretty long horizon to get things done.
So I was, and I don't think the Beat reporters
really that surprised. I know some fans had some big
time reactions to it. I was not that liit this way.

(06:15):
If you asked me what I thought John Morrow would say,
if he has asked that question, That's exactly what I
thought he would say. To be totally honest with you.

Speaker 4 (06:21):
Yeah, I'm exactly on the same page. Now.

Speaker 5 (06:26):
Again, as you emphasized, he said, this is how I
like anticipate it going. As we know, as we've all seen,
things can change eier season.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
And I'm sure he would have said the same exact
thing at this time in Joe Judge's final year.

Speaker 5 (06:41):
Yes, you know, without going into specifics, we've had some
of the last previous few coaches that you know, probably
at this time in their final season, this time of
that season, you know, the sentiment probably would have been similar.
And then over the course of the final two and
a half months of the season. Think you know, events
trans fired, things happened, and it caused the change to happen.

(07:03):
So mister Marra did not say, like this is one
hundred percent certain, this is definitely what's going to happen,
because you never know what could happen, obviously, but this
did not surprise me at all. I mean, I feel
like those of us in the building, it felt like
this is, you know, what the direction it.

Speaker 2 (07:21):
Was heading towards.

Speaker 5 (07:23):
I too, was a little surprised about some of the
fan reaction on Twitter last night.

Speaker 2 (07:29):
I thought it was pretty clear that they were.

Speaker 5 (07:32):
Going to give Joe Shane and Brian Dable a chance
to you know, see this rebuild through. I mean this
is year three, obviously, year one. I mean, as we've
spoken about at length in the past, year one, Joe
Shane was pretty handcuffed and what he could do given
the cap situation.

Speaker 2 (07:48):
He couldn't do anything, mean exactly, not a thing.

Speaker 5 (07:51):
And even you know, when he took over that the
first draft of twenty twenty two draft. And this is
no disrespect to you know, some of the people that
were there before, but Joe Shane didn't have his people,
you know, set in the front office yet either his
full front office. Like there are obviously some carryover of
scouts between the old regime and the general manager and

(08:13):
the current one. But over the last two years we've
seen Joe Shane bring in more and more of his people,
the guys that he wants, the people that he wants here.
So that's not to you know, say, oh that first draft,
you just throw it out the window, but just something
to keep in mind. So yeah, this it did not
surprise me at all. And the fact that this was
a tweet from Bill Barnwell earlier this week, and this

(08:36):
has been consistent throughout the season. The Giants have the
second youngest team in the NFL in terms of snaps
played this season.

Speaker 2 (08:43):
The second youngest so as the roster that's literally the
guys on the field.

Speaker 4 (08:47):
Yes, the guys that are actually on the field playing.

Speaker 5 (08:49):
They have the second youngest team in the NFL. They
have shown through the first seven games. While obviously no
one's happy with the record, but there are pieces. There
are players that have stepped up in this first seven
weeks that have showed they are gonna be core pieces
of this team moving into the future, when obviously the

(09:09):
hope is that the team will be a lot closer
to contending for a Super Bowl. So this news last
night did not surprise me. I'm I was happy to
hear it because hopefully that means we can stop hearing
the same exact question to Brian Dable each week at
the press conferences, asking about how he feels about his
job security, conversations between him and ownership. I mean no,

(09:32):
because I know some of the reporters are going to continue.

Speaker 4 (09:36):
To ask it anyway.

Speaker 2 (09:37):
But unfortunately that then that's what the editors want too
for a lot of these papers also, which is which
is the thing. So I feel like just the way
the business works, it's true, but I feel like.

Speaker 5 (09:45):
The hope of mister Marra saying that last night I
was to you know, sort of squash those you know,
I'm not even gonna say rumors because they're not rumors.
Just squash those you know, predictions or thoughts of some
of these some of the reporters. But yeah, not surprising.
I was happy to hear it. I for one, would

(10:05):
also like to see this coach and GM get to
finish what they started and see where they can take
this team.

Speaker 2 (10:12):
Because you can see them building something and I feel
like it can work if look, has it taken longer
than you might well, like you know, Don Mary even
said it two and five. You know, there is as
much progress as he would like at this point, the
record is not where he wants it to be, but
you can see there's a glimpse of what the vision
is right now and what it could be. So anyway,

(10:33):
I don't want to I don't want to spend the
whole show on this, but I just figured i'd put
that out there. And this is just a quote I'll read.
This is from Charlotte Carroll's column for The Athletic. I've
probably been guilty of not being patient enough for recent years,
and that's one of the reasons I've committed to Joe
and Brian Dable and giving them a chance to turn
things around. That was the major quote. So and again
he also expressed that he's not very happy with the
two and five record, and you know where the team is.

(10:55):
So I'll read another quote. Obviously, we're all very disappointed
with where you are right now. But I'm gonna say
one thing. We are not making any changes this season,
and I do not anticipate in making any changes in
the offseason either. He still has quote confidence in both
of them when acid the team was a long way
to go before he can make claims about feeling good.
Marius that absolutely we're two to five so I think
that sums that up all right quickly on the Steelers.

(11:17):
Then we're gonna get a bunch of calls in and
we'll kind of talk about this game as we move
forward here. They're an interesting study, you know. I've watched
them a little bit this week. I looked at a
lot of the numbers, Matt, and it's hard to know
exactly what their offense is because it was very different
than Russell Wilson behind center as compared to justin field.
So you're going on a one game sample side, which

(11:38):
is always very dangerous. But Russell Wilson succeeded with deep
passes and a bunch of play action passes. That's where
he had the most success last week. A lot of
those play action boots, those rainbow balls that frankly is
one of the best that I've ever seen throw those
high altitude deep balls. George Pickens made some really nice
plays outside on contested routes. They have one of the
highest first and ten and first have run rates in

(12:00):
the league. They will run the football and run it again,
and run it again and run it again. They have
a powerful running back in Naji Harris, so I think
is running it as well as he's ever had. Jalen
Warren's a good change of pace guy for them. Their
offensive line is a little bit shaky. So just to
kind of sum that up for me, Matt and Russell
Wilson will hold the football, by the way, and he's
always been susceptible to sacks in his career. He's sending

(12:23):
fourth or fifth longest average time to throw even with
just this one game of sample size this year, right,
I think he's only one hundredth of a second off
toward justin fields when both those guys tend to hold
the football. But to me, if you can slow the
rundown in this game and you give your pass rush
a chance against the Steelers offensive line that should be
without their excellent rookie center Zach Frazier. They already lost

(12:44):
James Daniels to the year. Who is gonna be their
starting left guard? I believe I think this pass rush,
if given the opportunity, should be able to rec have
it get home and sack Russell Wilson a bunch in
this game. But much like against the Eagles, on your
way to rushing the pastor and that means stopping the
run for first and foremost.

Speaker 5 (13:04):
Yeah, So I actually had a stat pulled up about
the pass rush and Russell Wilson this week, so I'm
glad you teed me up for it. Last week in
his debut, Russell Wilson held the ball for over two
and a half seconds on twenty one of twenty nine
pass attempts. There you go, so majority of his pass attempts,
and that is something he's done, you know, consistently for

(13:26):
years now. This is nothing new. However, on the other side,
the Giants have generated the highest sack rate and the
seventh highest pressure rate on opposing quarterbacks that have held
the ball for two and a half seconds or more. So,
as you said, in that sense, this lines up as
a very good matchup for the Giants pass rush. I

(13:49):
will say, though that against the Jets, who obviously they
have a good defense and a pretty good pass rush
as well.

Speaker 2 (13:55):
Russell Wilson, where is it it's coming up with?

Speaker 5 (13:59):
He was very effective on go routes, which obviously you
need some time to have those go routes develop those
those rainbow balls, man, rainbow balls, yeah, which you need
to give you your receivers some time to get down
the field. Hence you know, the two and a half
or more seconds, But on those go routes, he completed
four of six passes for one hundred and thirteen yards
in a touchdown. So if he is given enough time

(14:21):
and you know, George Pickens is given a couple seconds
to run that go route down the field, they have
a decent chance in completing the pass. So the Giants
pass rush when given the opportunity, they definitely do need to,
you know, get after Russell Wilson the best that they can,
at least get into his face. You don't have to
sack him every play. But you know, we spoke on

(14:42):
Tuesday about how Jalen Hurts drop back twenty one times
last week and the Giants finished with twenty one total pressures.

Speaker 4 (14:49):
That is a very good.

Speaker 5 (14:50):
Rate that I don't know if it's sustainable, but you would,
you know, you'd like to see that happen again this week.

Speaker 2 (14:56):
Now, George Pickens, just to give the fans some numbers,
some you know, might be some maturity issues there for one,
but once he's on the field, he's fifth in the
NFL and receiving yards. I'm not sure if people realize
that he's third in yards per route run. I know
a lot of people might not be familiar with that stat,
but it's a really good stat to see the overall

(15:16):
efficiency of a wide receiver. Because the Steelers do not
pass the ball as much as other teams, they don't
have as many pass attempts, so for him to be
fifth in receiving yards despite not having as many opportunities,
that's why his yards per route run is so high.
So he makes it takes advantage of as many more
of those routes than maybe some other wide receivers might.

(15:39):
He has dropped the ball this year, tied for ninth
in the league for the highest drop rate twelve point
five percent drop rate. But you know he is four
fifteen plus yard catches. He doesn't get a lot of yak.
His average depth of target is ninth highest in the
league at almost fifteen fifteen yards on average up to target.
He's a goal ball guy. He's a down fewld guy.

(16:00):
And I think given the Steelers other receivers maybe not
being as talented, with Calvin Austin and Van Jefferson, Roman
Wilson's been heard he hasn't been all the workers went
into the lineup yet when he does, I think he's
gonna be a really good player, but he hasn't yet.
I imagine we're gonna see Deontay Banks on George Pickens
a lot, and it's going to be essential, critical paramount,

(16:22):
pick your descriptive for him to get his head around
when that ball's in the air, because if he's facing
the receiver, Piggins is either gonna draw defensive pass interference
penalty or he's gonna reach over to Deontay Banks and
catch the football. So he's gonna have to stick with
them going deep. He's gonna have to stick with it
when Russell Wilson scrambles to buy time and not lose

(16:42):
his man, and when the ball's in the air, he's
gonna have to get his head around otherwise it's not
gonna go well for him on balls down the field.

Speaker 5 (16:48):
Yeah, and I mean the beginning of the season, I
feel like part of the buzz around Malik Neighbors was
his ability to sort of contort his body in the
air and come up with these impressive, very like incredibly
athletic catches. Well, George Pickens has been doing that since
he got drafted into the NFL.

Speaker 4 (17:06):
You know, whether it's a go.

Speaker 5 (17:08):
Route, you know, just a short route, it doesn't really matter.
He's able to do that sort of similar thing with
his body in the air where you think a ball
is uncatchable and then all of a sudden, George Pickens
is catching it, getting two feet in bounds for a
thirty yard game. So yeah, Deontay Banks definitely is gonna
have to get his head around. As you said, Hopefully

(17:30):
the Deontay Banks that we saw against the Seahawks is
and his matching up against DK Metcalf is more of
what we see this week. But yeah, you mentioned Pittsburgh
and they're just you know, desire to run the football.
So far, through seven games of the season, the Steelers

(17:50):
rank second in the NFL and rush attempts. Nage Harris himself, now,
Justin Fields did play eight part in that, but Nage
Harris himself ranks fourth the NFL in rush attempts. And
Jalen Warren is now back and seemingly healthy. He had
season high twelve carries last week against the Jets. He
seems to be back to one hundred percent health. So

(18:11):
even with Russell Wilson under center for the first time
last week, the Steelers still showed that they wanted to
run the football. They had more rush attempts than pass
attempts by a decent margin. I don't know the exact numbers,
but a decent amount.

Speaker 4 (18:25):
This is a team that.

Speaker 5 (18:25):
Wants to ground and pound the football. They want to
run the ball as much as they possibly can. If
they could run the ball fifty times and come out
with the victory, Mike Tomlin would do that in a heartbeat.

Speaker 4 (18:37):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (18:37):
Absolutely, two other items on their offense, and we'll do
the defense very quickly. Then we'll get to your calls.
Tim has been holding for a while. We appreciate your patience.
Broderick Jones, who's a second year right tackle for them,
has really struggled this year. That's a spot that the Giants,
whether it's his usual Jialai or Brian Burns, I think
they can attack and just back on the deep balls
from Russell Wilson. Since twenty sixteen, most completions and yards

(19:00):
and touchdowns on deep balls in the National Football League.
It's what he's good at. You remember those deep balls
to you go back to Tyler Lockett, to Baldwin, the
DK Metcalf even you know towards the end of you
know his his career. There he knows how to throw
that deep ball, so keep ye. Yeah, Corton sull last
year a great point, so he knows what he's doing.
But again you can get to him if you stop

(19:21):
that run game, and he will hold the Football Steelers
defense all right. Top line summary really good. UH, top
ten in you know dv O in d v O A.
UH yards per play, yards per game, sixth in e
p A per play They're good. They play a lot
of single high whether it's man or cover three. Uh.
Their situational stuff is pretty good. Fourteenth and third downs,

(19:44):
fourth in red zone. Uh, they're especially good on third
and short. You can't run the ball against them. Third
and rush EPA per rush, third and rush d v
A A. Third and rush yards per game second and
rush yards per play really really good. They don't blitz
a lot, but they get home with their front four
a ton. They have two of the best individual pass
rushers in the sport, and Cameron Hayward he's more of

(20:06):
an inside guy than TJ. Watt. Who's gonna line up
over the Giants right tackle, who we assume is gonna
be Jermaine luminor no sacks. The last two games for TJ. Watt.
He tends to do well in primetime games. That has
me a little bit nervous. His get off is absolutely
off the charts, ridiculous. It's just incredible off ass he
gets off the ball. Then they have Alex high Smith
on the other side, who missed a few games with

(20:26):
a groin injury. He's back now, so he'll be challenging
the Giants left tackle throughout this game. Keanu Benton is
a pretty impressive young defensive tackle they have inside that
the Giants will have to wrestle with. So a really,
really good defense that plays a lot of man to
man In cover three, Joey Porter Junior is probably gonna
be on the leak neighbors for a lot of this game.

(20:46):
And they're gonna try to get home with their front four,
something that the Eagles had a lot of success doing
last week, only rushing four guys. So the Giants protection
and then their receivers, frankly, are gonna have to separate
against Manton man coverage because that's what they gonna see a
lot of.

Speaker 5 (21:01):
Yeah, I mean, starting with the line first, I wouldn't
be surprised, and I've said this last week and we
did see it. But I would not be surprised to
see the Giants use you know, some tight ends, some
running backs to stay in the pocket and help block
for Daniel Jones. Now, against the Eagles last week, that
didn't always work. That's there were some plays that you know,

(21:23):
had a tight end chip a guy. And there's one
play in particular, I think it was Josh Sweat got
chipped by whatever tight end and then.

Speaker 2 (21:30):
It was the first sack of the game. Bellinger had
a nice chip almost stop Sweats feet completely and then
he just ran right past the left tackle for a
sac Yeah.

Speaker 5 (21:37):
So, although it didn't maybe have the you know, the
most success last week, I do expect, especially against this
pass rush, to see a similar sort of strategy with
keeping Daniel Bellinger, Chris Manhertz, Theo Johnson at times at least,
if not into block completely, at least to do a
little chip block give Daniel Jones an extra second, because

(21:59):
as we've been talking about, half a second, even an
extra half a second can make the difference between a
sack and a completion.

Speaker 2 (22:06):
Oh so a quarterback, a half second is almost twenty
five percent of your standard drop back.

Speaker 5 (22:10):
Yeah, exactly, So, those chip blocks most of the time
do actually work and come in handy. Obviously, you require
your alignment to still block after the chip block, but
I think that will be hopefully a little bit better
this week again with the presumed second week of this
new starting offensive line starting together. We don't know for

(22:32):
sure again, but coach s Table did say before you
know we came in here that at least for today's practice,
josh A Zudu would once again get the first practice
reps at left tackle. So we don't know what's gonna happen,
but at least to start, it seems like a Zudu
starting a left tackle will be the way that things
are trending. I would say that this pass defense is

(22:55):
definitely a little more susceptible to big plays than the
run defense. I mean, as you mentioned, John, they have
one of the best, if not the best, run defenses
in the NFL. They rank second in the rushing yards
allowed per attempt, third in total rushing yards, and that's
with teams still running the ball against them. It's not
like they haven't been trying to run.

Speaker 4 (23:14):
It at all.

Speaker 5 (23:15):
But their past defense ranks twenty second in the NFL
in yards allowed So Joey Porter, who had a I
would say pretty strong and encouraging rookie season last year,
hasn't quite lived up to that this year.

Speaker 2 (23:28):
He's been up and down.

Speaker 5 (23:29):
He's been up and down. But I believe we talked
about this Tuesday. He did a really good job against
the Jets this past Sunday night. Against He's split time
covering Garrett Wilson and DeVante Adams, and I think he
had about forty coverage steps snaps and about thirty of
them were with those two alone, and only allowed one

(23:50):
reception for nine yards total and forced I believe he
forced two incompletions as well.

Speaker 2 (23:55):
So he's very physical. He's gonna press, he's gonna try
to beat you up.

Speaker 5 (23:58):
Yeah, And obviously Vante Adams and Garrett Wilson two of
the top whatever number you want to put ten to
fifteen receivers.

Speaker 4 (24:05):
I think they're good players. They're very good players.

Speaker 2 (24:07):
Now, he's not gonna go on the slot, So if
you want to get neighbors off him, put neighbors in
the slot. This year, he only is twenty two snaps
in the slot all year to Joey Porter Junior, and
he was going to play outside and not go inside.

Speaker 5 (24:17):
And we have seen Molikue neighbors get put in the
s a ton a good amount.

Speaker 1 (24:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (24:22):
I mean he's obviously gonna get a snaps on the
outside as well. They're going to line them up all
over the all over the field. But Neighbors, his neighbors
is lined up in the slot twenty five point five percent.

Speaker 2 (24:34):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (24:34):
And that's with the first two weeks him almost rarely
lining up in the slot. Last week against the Eagles,
he lined up in the slot a season high thirty
six point six percent of the time. I wouldn't be
shocked if the number is, you know, similar to that
this week.

Speaker 2 (24:50):
Yeah, it was thirteen in week one, eight and week two, twenty,
week three, seventeen in week four, and then seventeen last week.

Speaker 5 (24:57):
Although the Steelers do who is their slo? I remember
reading that their slot corner is having himself a pretty
good year.

Speaker 2 (25:04):
Yes, Beanie, Yeah, if at all I thought he might
have been a safety. Is he playing? No, you're right,
he is playing the slot. And then Benie Bishop, he's
a rookie and he said he had he had two
interceptions last week.

Speaker 5 (25:14):
He's playing really good balls. Yeah, that'll be a good matchup.
That'll definitely be a good matchup. I was gonna say,
you know, put Maleik in the slot more often than not.
But the slock corner has been playing pretty well too
so and Dante Jackson's been on the other side. But boy,
their two safeties Deshaun Elliott and MIKEA. Fitzpatrick. Look out.

Speaker 2 (25:29):
You gotta be careful when you're putting the ball because
Mika Fitzpatrick will read you and he will pick you off.

Speaker 4 (25:33):
I think that's the best safety duo in the NFL.

Speaker 2 (25:35):
It's darn close.

Speaker 4 (25:36):
If it's If it's not the number one, it's top three.

Speaker 2 (25:39):
Agreed worse. I'm with you.

Speaker 5 (25:40):
So yeah, they have the Steelers defense. They just have
talent at every single level. This is going to be
a tough matchup for the Giants offense, but it's I
do think it is, I guess, a doable matchup, like
the offense could if they the offense does what they
need to do.

Speaker 4 (25:59):
I do think that they will be able to move
the ball.

Speaker 5 (26:02):
With you know, at least somewhat success better than they
did last week against the Eagles. I don't really know
what happened to the offense last week. You know, we
don't last two weeks the last yeah, the last two weeks,
but at least against the Bengals they were able to
move the ball with some success up and down the field.
Not so much last week against the Eagles, but I'm

(26:22):
gonna chalk that up to just the first game with
the new offensive line with a Zudu left tackle. The
league neighbors first game back in a few weeks. Whatever
it is last week is gone. I think if the
Giants do what they need to do, and Brian Able
talks about every week about how the focus needs to
be inwards and not as much against the on the opponent,

(26:43):
if they do what they need to do, then the
Giants should be able to, you know, score some points
and move the ball with some success. And if they
do that and the defense plays up to its level
that it has been playing almost all season, then the
Giants have a chance at this game. It's gonna be
to but the Giants. If they do what they need
to do and play bring their A ball, I think

(27:05):
the Giants have a chance of pulling off this upset win.

Speaker 2 (27:09):
Yeah. Look, the Steelers aren't gonna run away from you.
That game against the Jets last week. Notwithstanding, you know,
they it was the first time they scored thirty points
of the game, So they's like twenty twenty two or
some ridiculous number like that. So they don't run away
from me. They have trouble scoring. But the way this
game does get away from you, folks, is if you
turn the ball over. And this will be what I
close with here. Steel is a plus nine this year

(27:31):
in turnover ratio, second best in the NFL. Their nine
interceptions are tied for third most in the league. They
also have four fumble recoveries. Do the math them's they've
only turned it over themselves four times this year. So
they play. When you run the ball and you want
a lot to play action, you're not gonna turn the
ball over a lot, right, That's just the way. That's
why you play that way. And their defense is taking
the ball with so you've gotta protect the football. Make

(27:51):
them drive the length of the field, Do not give
them defensive scores or special team score short fields. Make
them run an offensive way that I'm with you. You
can hang and if it's a one score game in
the fourth quarter, as we've all witnessed over the years, folks,
anything can happen good or bad. So that's kind of
where I'll leave it.

Speaker 5 (28:07):
Yeah, I'll just add the Steelers have multiple turnovers in
five of seven games, including three games with three defensive turnovers.

Speaker 2 (28:16):
Let me guys, are three to zero in those three games.

Speaker 5 (28:19):
No, they actually lost the Cowboys game, and yeah, but
all the other ones, all the other games with the
multiple turnovers they did win.

Speaker 4 (28:29):
They're only all.

Speaker 5 (28:30):
The loss was to the Indianapolis Colts, where they turned
the ball over twice and did not get any defensive turnovers.
The only other thing I will add about this Steelers
defense is when the Giants get into the red zone,
it's it's gonna be tough to get it into the
end zone. And that's, you know, the Giants' own offensive
red zone struggles aside. This Pittsburgh Steelers red zone defense

(28:54):
again one of the best in the NFL, currently ranked
fourth in the league, giving up a touchdown on forty
two point nine percent of opponent's trips inside the red zone.

Speaker 4 (29:05):
That's gonna be another big key.

Speaker 5 (29:06):
And again I feel like I've been saying this almost
every single week, but if and when the Giants get
into the red zone, the difference in his game could
be whether or not they are able to actually punch
it into the end zone or if they have the
center for a field goal. Yeah, giantble to get into
the end zone. Then again, I think the Giants have
a chance.

Speaker 2 (29:25):
And Giants just forty two per right twenty ninth so
red zone offense, So yeah, that could be a you're right,
takeaways score and touchdowns. It would be a big part
of who wins this game, all right? Two one nine
three nine four five one three Coach, you got the
Giants Little podcast, everybody a couple of good episodes up
there right now. We have pulled a teen and I
with a Key Nicks and JPP back when they came

(29:45):
in for the fan fest a month or so ago,
really had a chance that I don't think I've talked
to JPP one since he left here, so it was
really good to talk to him, catch up talk about
his Giants career. That was a lot of fun. And
is lounge up yet, Pearson and we gonna have the
players lounge hitting later today. Victor Cruz takes a run
to Darius Slayton this week and they'll have a nice
fun talk about stuff going on off the field, and

(30:06):
then tomorrow Brian Burns on The Giants Little podcast that'll
hit you probably around two o'clock tomorrow, at three o'clock
tomorrow or something like that, so stay tuned for that.
And then of course just adds up, we're not gonna
do a big kick off next Monday. You're welcome, Pierson.
So we're we're gonna take the day off. Half our
group is traveling. It's gonna be live for like three
hours before it becomes dead, So we'll give everyone a

(30:27):
little bit of a break'll they'll be BK on Monday,
and then we'll be back with you the rest of
the way the rest of the week at twelve thirty.
All right, two one nine three nine four five one three,
Tim and Charleston will lead us off today.

Speaker 6 (30:38):
Hi Tim, Hi John, I'm Matt. How are you doing?

Speaker 4 (30:41):
What's somebody good? What's up?

Speaker 6 (30:42):
Three things? First is on John Marris's comment, I agree
with you and him, but I think the most important
and most salient part of his comment was he said
that you know, his father Wellington always preached astern and
that he admitted he hasn't always had it, and that
he is going to try to exercise that. And I

(31:03):
think that's the key to it. Even though he said,
you know, no plans too. You know, I think he's
I mean, Chane, I think is rock solid and I
think he should let Chane make a decision on table.

Speaker 2 (31:15):
Yeah. And by the way, and just and and and
just to real fasco fans understand the recent history, the
shortest tenured Giants head coach in the recent history of
Wellington mah Or was Ray Hanley. Obviously he was just
here for you know, a short time, and then Dan
Reeves was four years after that. So whether it's Jim
Fossil or Tom Coughlin or Bill Parcells, until this recent stretch,
the Giants did try to keep their head coaches around

(31:36):
for a while if they could, even you know, in
the case of Reeves, he had he had some success,
not great success, but obviously you know, you weren't just
baling on him after two seasons go ahead to him.

Speaker 6 (31:46):
So yeah, and the thing that that I'm shy, I've
had to defend that type of thinking. Even before John
John American the comments to many of my friends, I'm
talking guys, my baby, not young guys. And it's amazing
how you know, Giants fans, we went decades being patient,

(32:06):
you know, decades being pasient. That's older fans and they're
just like they just flip out. They lose it so fast.

Speaker 5 (32:13):
Now.

Speaker 6 (32:13):
But moving on to the game, Yo, Well, first I'm
going to say, you know, I've been wanting to Daniel
Jones Sanchez defenders, but I'm I'm done defending him. I'm
not going to say I'm not gonna blame everything on him,
but you know, I can't defend him after the last
two games.

Speaker 2 (32:32):
And tim bottom line is the production has to get better.

Speaker 6 (32:36):
Yeah, I mean, you know, it's the only way the
Giants win this game is if if to the defense
is two things, which is basically they play like they
play against the Bengals. Part A of that is, you know, no,
we didn't allow casting tounchdown. We held a quarterback from
the quarter yard, We held them at thirteen first outs,

(32:59):
We jobin days time and possession, and we forced him
the punts six times. But aside from that, that alone
didn't do it against Bengals. That's not gonna do it
against the Steelers. The defense has to create turnovers. They
need I mean, come on, interceptions guys, one all yearthetic
and getting to Russell Wilson and force him into some

(33:20):
of his as he has been known to make some
mistakes under pressure. We need to make those mistakes.

Speaker 7 (33:27):
Capitalize them, get the offense some short fields because that's
the only way they're going to be able to put
up touch.

Speaker 2 (33:33):
Yeah, Tim rus Rust will necessarily make a lot of mistakes,
at least in my opinion, throwing the ball up when
he's under pressure, but he will take sacks and he
will just tuck it and go down and take sacks.
So I think that's your best shot here. Maybe you
get a strip or something like that. He's done it,
even going back to his you know year last year
with the Denver he did not throw a lot of
interceptions with the Broncos last year, So in terms of
throwing interceptions, he does a fairly good job protecting the football,

(33:56):
though I think he is one of his last year
in Seattle or first year in Denver knowing a double digits.
But otherwise he's been very good protecting the football.

Speaker 6 (34:03):
That's probably a misconception on my part, but I'll take
Saxon the Saxon fumbles because that gives you a better
field position and exception.

Speaker 8 (34:10):
Sure.

Speaker 6 (34:12):
My last thing is uh, and then obviously it'd have
to be a low scoring game. But my last thing
is I have a confession that I did two things
this week I've never done before. And yesterday I can't
discuss some on the radio.

Speaker 3 (34:24):
One thing you.

Speaker 4 (34:25):
Stole by joke before I could even make it.

Speaker 6 (34:26):
Tim go ahead, I actually I don't. I bet like
ten dollars on things. You know, I'm not like any
real money. But I bet against the Giants coming up.
I figured, you know what, if we're going to go
down and claims, at least I'll I'll win back a
little and you're going to like this one done. I
bet on the Yankees to win the World Series, not

(34:46):
just because I think they will, but because they were
plus one fifteen, but also because I can never even
though I wasn't born when.

Speaker 7 (34:55):
It happened, I can fill the different book of black
Push of all places. Never ever, the Dodgers in New York,
even though it was as much Robert Mose as Ball
Mall becauesn't matter they left. And the two teams I
was always rooted from the actings against in the World
Cherry Giants, the Dodgers.

Speaker 6 (35:13):
And the other the other n L teams though. I'm
never I just wanted to leave.

Speaker 4 (35:18):
You with that.

Speaker 2 (35:21):
Yeah, I mean, how can you refer a team that
decided to leave the best borrower in all the world
in the Brooklyn It would be pretty cool. Just imagine,
like downtown Brooklyn, have a nice ballpark down there.

Speaker 5 (35:30):
Pretty cool if you be cool.

Speaker 4 (35:31):
I don't know if the bar would be there though.

Speaker 2 (35:34):
If that was the case, yeah, then your Nets gonna
stay in New Jersey. Everyone's a winner. I don't want
your basketball team in my borrow. Sorry, keep them in
New Jersey.

Speaker 5 (35:44):
Where did the Nets play?

Speaker 2 (35:47):
They played right across the Yeah, yeah, an empty stadium,
and then they were also in Newark for two years.

Speaker 4 (35:53):
They were in Newark for or more than that?

Speaker 2 (35:57):
Was it three?

Speaker 4 (35:57):
It was a couple of years.

Speaker 5 (35:58):
I'm not sure exactly how many, but yeah, it's because
they played in this stadium right here that I grew
up a fan, because I grew up ten minutes away
from here.

Speaker 3 (36:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (36:06):
The I that was I thought was a fun place
to see a basketball game was finn.

Speaker 5 (36:09):
Continental Airlines Arena. Yes, that's r that's what I remember,
it asked.

Speaker 2 (36:13):
Which no longer exists.

Speaker 4 (36:14):
I don't know now.

Speaker 5 (36:15):
It's literally like a nameless venue that's just sitting there.

Speaker 2 (36:18):
Well. Well, but my point was that with our sponsors
Continental Airlines as well, you're a thing that is also
true United Official Airlines of New York Football Giants two
one three and died four five one three two A
one nine three nine four five one three.

Speaker 6 (36:34):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (36:34):
Let's go to our next caller and say hi to
Scott in New Mexico. He's up next to on Big
Blue kick Off off.

Speaker 8 (36:39):
H I Scott, Hey, guys, I'm going to I don't
mean necessari asn't a front to anybody, but the analysis
who guys gave I just don't agree with, and I'll
tell you why. In regards to Pittsburgh, Okay, uh, the
Giants offensive line last week, according to PFF, so I'm

(37:03):
allowed to talk about PFF since Paul's not on, they
ranked the Giants dead last in the NFL in regards
to their past blocking efficiency.

Speaker 2 (37:17):
Yeah. I'm not surprised by that.

Speaker 8 (37:18):
Okay. The Pittsburgh Steelers, says you already talked about, had
lost three starters from their line, and I didn't notice
the difference at all when I watched the Jet game.
They look like a regular offensive line. You wouldn't even
have suspected that they had lost three starters.

Speaker 2 (37:37):
Well, just give aline for the season, Scott, just so
you're aware of the fact of the stats. And I'll
give you the PFF number because I wrote it down
the other day when I was doing my little analysis.
They have the one, two, three fourth highest pressure rate
allowed in the league this year. Do the Steelers at
forty one and a half percent?

Speaker 8 (37:54):
Right? The other thing I'm concerned about the Giants right
now are scoring or half scored currently scoring about thirteen
and a half points a game. Yes, they're going up
against I think when they played the Jests they were
the eighth best defense. They may even be higher now

(38:15):
the Steelers, is right, Yeah, I just don't see.

Speaker 2 (38:20):
So we're in agreement so far, Scott, So right, right
now we're at the same page.

Speaker 8 (38:25):
I just don't see how you can approach this game
and say the Giants have a chance they may win
because on any given Sunday it happens.

Speaker 2 (38:35):
Well Scott, Well, Scott, this is why I think they
have a chance to win. I think, don't you think
it's very realistic that the Steelers could finish this game
with thirteen points?

Speaker 8 (38:45):
No? What and again I just don't see it. I mean,
I don't think the Steelers are going to finish with
thirteen point.

Speaker 2 (38:53):
My argument, Scott, isn't that the Giants offense is going
to go out there and put twenty seven up on
the Steelers. That is not the argument I'm making. Trust,
I know you're not. I just think this Giant defense
has played well enough. Now again, you got to stop
the run. You didn't stop run against Eagles last week.
You got to stop run against the team. That's what
I led off with. That's the first thing that came
out of my mouth. This is not an explosive Steelers offense.

(39:15):
You have their schedule, matt list the number of points
to Steelers have scored in each game this year for.

Speaker 5 (39:19):
Me, eighteen in Week one, thirteen in Week two, twenty
twenty four, seventeen, and then the last two weeks they've
scored thirty two and thirty seven.

Speaker 2 (39:29):
So based on those numbers, Scott, what it shock you up?
The Steelers score between thirteen and seventeen points in the
game on Monday Night.

Speaker 8 (39:35):
I think they're going to score more.

Speaker 2 (39:37):
Well, then the Giants might have a good chance of
losing the game. But I think the Giants defense is
good enough where they can hold the Steelers to around
seventeen points.

Speaker 8 (39:44):
Well, the Giant defense was ranked to eighteenth and now
they're ranked twenty fifth, And that's the reason why I'm
not totally confident in this game. As I said, I've
been a Giant fan since sixty one. I am going
to be rooting for them. Reality of the situation as
I'm looking at it doesn't bode well for the Giants.

(40:05):
And some of this I put at the feet of
Brian Dable. I know you guys did a very good
analysis of the scenario with him, But here's a guy that,
in my opinion, is not coaching the team the way
I would like to see a team coached. He has
a I think in his own division he's one in ten.
If those numbers are acted against the teams in the

(40:27):
NFC East, I think Washington has a little bit better record.

Speaker 2 (40:31):
I think they have a tie in there too, Right,
isn't there a tie in there too somewhere as against
Washington a couple of years ago, two years ago.

Speaker 8 (40:37):
Yeah, and then some of the things he's doing with
Daniel Jones is taking away the confidence of the quarterback
in my opinion, I'm not saying, well, if you remember
last year, I think it was last year, you remember
the famous tablet incident where he didn't throw the tablet
at Daniel Jones. He threw it to the side.

Speaker 2 (40:58):
To Shaye Tyranny of the quartersback right.

Speaker 8 (41:01):
Right, but he that was an embarrassment to me for
Daniel Jones. And what Daniel Jones needs more than anything
else's confidence. And if you listen to his press conference,
which was kind of revealing. I'm talking about Daniel Jones
press conference after the game, he never referred to Brian
Dabele as coach stable or you know Brian Dabel. He said,

(41:26):
Dabel makes the decisions that I didn't like it so
normally just human nature when somebody's just calling you by
that name, and you may read I maybe reading more
into it than other. I don't think the relationship is
as good as everybody might be making out. And the
incident with ty Banks who quit, it was the defensive

(41:46):
coach that called him out and not the head coach.
He may have done it later, but those are the
kinds of things I see. And also with Brian Dabel,
he said he made the change as he did in
the season prior when he left in Jones in the
game when it was putting nothing against Dallas, and he said,
for the same reason, I wanted to do a spark.

(42:06):
He used a different phrase, but it's basically the same thing.

Speaker 2 (42:09):
Here.

Speaker 8 (42:09):
He puts through Locke in the game with I think
it was eleven minutes left, I'm not positive, or maybe eleven.

Speaker 2 (42:17):
Or nine that sounds right, something like.

Speaker 8 (42:19):
That, and he said he wanted to do a spark.
What was the score of the game at that time?
Even if the Giants scored three touchdowns and converted on
all two point conversions, who still would have lost? And
so to me, I don't understand some of the things
he's doing that don't make sense to me, and it

(42:39):
doesn't bode well. I know the situation with John Marhra.
There was an interesting aside. Bill Belichick was on the
Pat McAfee show and sort of ripped the Giants a
little bit. Whether he was justified in doing so, I don't.

Speaker 2 (42:53):
Know what he said.

Speaker 8 (42:55):
Well, he said that he doesn't understand why a Zudu
is playing at left tackle, he didn't understand why we
gave Saquon Barkley away for the and We've gone over
this scenario about the whether he should have kept him
or not, but he was not in favor of doing that,
so that it is some of the things he said,
and he wasn't convinced that Daniel Jones was getting the

(43:19):
kind of leadership he needed to be the well the
confidence he needed to be the quarterback of the New
York Giants. Now, this is Bill Belichick, and that's his opinion.
I don't have the same opinion in regards to the saquon.
That's past history. I assume there are reasons why I
was done the way it was done, and I'm going
to go with that. But what I don't like is
the fact that you know the Giant efficiency is not there.

(43:42):
I believe Matt hit on some of the points. You
have players like Drew Phillips, who's outstanding to move an outstanding,
you have some outstanding players on the offensive side, but
you don't have a team the way I'm looking at it,
and I've watched the Giants for a long time, so
as I look at it just from my eyes point

(44:03):
of view, they don't have a team that's cohesive. And
that's the one thing John You've always hit upon that
I remember, you have to have continuity, and that's the
kind of thing I don't see with the Giants. Now.
I'm going to continue to watch them and room for them,
but in regards to this particular game, I just don't
see where Pittsburgh is going to be able to not

(44:29):
beat the Giants. But I'm going to be rooting for
the Giants anyways. But I wanted to get your comment
on one other point.

Speaker 2 (44:35):
And yeah, real fast, real fast, real fast, real fast.

Speaker 8 (44:39):
Everybody talks about execution, but execution works both ways. You
can have the perfect execution on one side of the ball.
But unless I miss my guess, there's two teams participate
in a football game, and the other team has to
execute also, and if their execution is better than your execution,
you're going to look.

Speaker 2 (44:59):
That's why I want to on average, the team with
the best players is gonna win the game. Is if
you have a better player and both players execute, you know,
the same, to the same level of their ability, the
better player is gonna win just because he is a
higher ceiling in his execution ability.

Speaker 8 (45:12):
Right, Well, thank you for letting me get this off
my chest, and I'll let you get to the next anyway, thank.

Speaker 2 (45:17):
Scott, appreciate the call, and look, I don't look. Brian
Dable and Daniel Jones, as far as I understand, have
a pretty darn good working relationship. I know everyone made
a big deal about that thing with the tablet. I mean,
that was a long time ago. Now, I don't think.
I don't eve think either guy thinks about that for
a second. I mean, he gave him every single first
team rep this offseason. He never equivocated as to whether

(45:38):
or not he was going to be the starter this year,
didn't equivocate after the game last week that he was
going to be the starter. I don't. I don't see
that as an issue. I just don't. I could be wrong.
Things might come out later in the year where it's
like that was a big problem and I'm not aware
of it. That's possible. These guys don't talk about this
sort of stuff. But you know, I see him like
kind of joking around with him in the cafeteriaup, you know,

(45:59):
a couple months ago. I don't. I don't see that.
I don't see it.

Speaker 4 (46:04):
I don't either.

Speaker 5 (46:04):
I think it's as he even mentioned, it might be
over thinking a little bit.

Speaker 4 (46:10):
The fact that in one quote, he referred to coach
Stable as dable. I mean, I mean.

Speaker 2 (46:16):
Everyone just calls him dates.

Speaker 4 (46:17):
Everyone calls them dames.

Speaker 5 (46:17):
If he had said dabes would and made it you
feel a little better like that didn't make any sense
to me. I was standing there for Daniel Jones's press
conference in the locker room after the game, and not
even for a millisecond to that register as oh, he
just called him dable. That raised some red flags in
terms of not sensing that this is like a team.

(46:41):
I don't really get that either, because last week, obviously
the Giants lost twenty eight to three. It was not
a close game, no doubt about it. The Giants got
out played on every side of the ball. But prior
to that, the five games prior to that, going back
to Week two, every single game was a very close game.
Even the three games that the Giants lost during that

(47:02):
span was a three point loss, a five point loss,
and then the Bengals game, which ended up being ten points,
but that was the old score game. It basically was
a one score game. There was you know, ten to
seven for fifty to a two minute mark in the
fourth quarter, So those are all close games. The team
despite some of its struggles, has showed that they are
continuously fighting till the very last whistle. So I don't

(47:25):
really see this whole Brian Dable doesn't have them playing
like a team thing.

Speaker 4 (47:31):
It doesn't make much sense to me.

Speaker 5 (47:32):
And then in terms of you know what he said
his criticism of at our analysis of this week's game,
I mean, the Giants know that the Steelers want to
run the football, and obviously the Giants knew that going
into last week's game as well and were unable to
stop the Eagles. But the only other time that the
Giants rush defense really struggled against the run this season

(47:54):
was in Week two against the Commanders.

Speaker 2 (47:56):
They weren't great in Week one either, but yes, but
I'm talking about like really really fair.

Speaker 5 (48:00):
They gave up two hundred and fifteen rushing yards of
the Commanders. The following week sixty nine rushing yards to
the Browns, the week after that, eighty rushing yards to
the Cowboys, the week after that, one hundred and two
yards to the Seahawks. Now, I know the Seahawks didn't
really attempt much of the rushing, but almost all that
one hundred two yards was Geno Smith. So the defense
has shown that after a rough performance in the run game,

(48:23):
they are able to bounce back and be a very
good rush defense. And if that is the defense that
comes to play Monday Night, where they put an emphasis
on stopping the run and they forced Russell Wilson to
beat them through the air, and which we already talked about.
Russell Wilson likes having some time to in the pocket
before getting rid of the football, and the Giants pass

(48:43):
rush has been very good at hitting home and getting
to the quarterback when he holds onto the ball too long.
These are the ingredients of a recipe for a possible
Giants win. We're not sitting up here saying guaranteeing a victory.
We're saying, if the Giants do X, Y and Z,
then this will be a winnable game for them.

Speaker 2 (49:02):
Yeah, the whole form to figure out the path of victory.
You want to figure out the best chance they have
of winning. I think that's it. And just the scouts.
I don't know what defensive rankings he's looking at. If
you want to look at some of the advanced ones,
Dvoa has the Giants at sixteenth in terms of defenses
in the league. EPA per play has them at nineteenth
and defensive success rate has them at sixteenth. Those are

(49:23):
three of the major metrics there in terms of.

Speaker 5 (49:25):
And if you want to use some of the more
basic stats, they're twelfth in yards and twelfth in points allowed.
And even after last week where the Eagles went three
for three in the red zone, the Giants still have
the thirteenth best red zone defense and one sort of
overlooked aspect of last week's game because there's again wasn't

(49:46):
much to take positive to take out of the game
against the Eagles, but Giants held the Eagles was it.

Speaker 2 (49:51):
To one for thirteen on third down?

Speaker 5 (49:53):
Yep, they did convert on three fourth out of towns,
but one for thirteen on third down. The Giants now
have the third best down defense.

Speaker 4 (50:02):
In the NFL.

Speaker 5 (50:03):
So to say that there's like that, you know, the
defense has no chance at stopping the Steelers, who just
frankly don't have a very explosive offense that I don't
really understand at all. Like I'm not saying they will,
but the Giants certainly have the pieces on defense to
limit this Steelers offense to a what they were like

(50:25):
earlier in the season. And not what they've been doing
the last two weeks. I feel like that is very
fair to say. Now that the Steelers defense, that's a
whole other story, but just in terms of the Steelers offense,
I mean, the Giants held the Bengals Joe Burrow, Jamar
Chase and T Higgins to seventeen points. It was ten
points for almost the entire game. You're saying that they
can't do something similar to the Steelers and Russell Wilson

(50:48):
like that. I don't fully understand.

Speaker 2 (50:50):
All right, we started about five minutes lates. We'll go
about five minutes later than we usually do, Wilson and Roxbury,
and we'll try to squeeze them one more after Wilson. Wilson,
what's going on, buddy. I'm sure you loved the comments
last night. I was waiting for you to call and today,
I'm sure your.

Speaker 3 (51:00):
Sight Jenny, listen, I believe it or not. I got
I was on I was on Dominican Republic for four days,
so I I you know, I was on mini vacation,
so I didn't I didn't hear anything all like HERD
was that that I Jenny, I love you, you know
I love you. I love you, but sometimes sometimes you

(51:25):
try to dispense something that I'm Jenny, this kid before
I get started doing, I say, this kid, my lead neighbors,
super talented. I see rest lights already all over the place,
general and I and I tell you truth. Then I'm
a little teptical about this kid. I mean, you have

(51:46):
a concussion, You go to a concert and you say
my time is Mike nine. They're just completely not true.
Then you can worry any way you want. When you say, hey,
look at the film, I'm open. They can't get me
the bullet on my phone. I'm open because they stink
anywhere you worded you.

Speaker 2 (52:02):
Just just so fans understand, that is Wilson editorializing that
they stink into there. That's nothing there A good amount
of added.

Speaker 3 (52:13):
He didn't he ain't, of course he didn't say that.
But fans, fans Johnny like my I've been watching the
Giants for forty five years.

Speaker 6 (52:21):
That's what I got.

Speaker 7 (52:22):
But I forget about that.

Speaker 3 (52:23):
Forget about that, okay. Uh. I mean this is like
the cup met of the NFL, Johnny. This is like
an all inclusive hotel. Nobody's got any accountability. You cannot
have a player quit on the field and then tell
the fans we're gonna handle it in house. That is
that is, that's not giants fans. It served more than that, Johnny.

Speaker 2 (52:46):
I mean, we're gonna see if there's any punishment for him.
We'll see if there's any punishment on Monday night.

Speaker 3 (52:53):
If if he starts the game, then then then obviously
then that's everything is low because when.

Speaker 2 (53:02):
You seasons, he starts, it's all over finished.

Speaker 3 (53:06):
No, that's all over that they were they well, you
forget about punishment. I'm gonna ask you because it's no
they might win next Monday. Who maybe, but you're going
you're going to basically you look in at two and
six again next this year. You did last year. But
you know, it's great when everything is blame on the
on the quarterbacks. But then if everything is blame on

(53:28):
the quarterback, why do you and I love Daniel Jones
by this kid deserves better. Why you keep starting him?
Then if you can lets unless unless you keep starting
Daniel Jones, because it's Brian Davis and Joe Shane's way out. Hey,
we're gonna start fresh whenever a new quarterback next year.
So everything that happens this year, not a what it's

(53:48):
nobody's fault, because it's Daniel Jones fault.

Speaker 2 (53:52):
You.

Speaker 3 (53:53):
You you take him out with ten minutes left, when
you get him sclapped around because you wanted a spark.
Then you can't wait. He couldn't wait to tell the
media no no, but he's my daughter. I just want
to get a spark. I mean, oh my god, it's
it's a.

Speaker 6 (54:07):
It's a.

Speaker 3 (54:08):
It's a. This is like cardtoon network.

Speaker 2 (54:10):
I feel like you're overreacting, Wilson, with with all due respect,
I really feel like you're overreact. I really feel like
that you're overreacting to some small things here, and you're
making mountains out of molehills. To be totally honest with you,
I'm not making.

Speaker 3 (54:27):
I'm not overreacting. But forget about that, Jenny, forget about it,
because little may have something. Last time. I counter right,
there's five offensive linemen on the offensive linnight. There's five
offensive and.

Speaker 2 (54:40):
Almost all five of them played poorly last week.

Speaker 3 (54:42):
Wilson, Okay, by wat have something? You know when when
when you I wouldn't say the giants work were good.
It's average at best, okay average, But when you lose
I understand Andrew Thummas is a pro bowler. I understand
all that, but can you but when you lose one player,
you go from average to a complete dis No.

Speaker 2 (55:02):
They Wilson, they played really poorly. That's not an excuse.
The whole line up and down play poorly. That was
not just an Andrew Thomas thing. The whole group played poorly.

Speaker 5 (55:09):
But this happens.

Speaker 3 (55:11):
But this happens. It looks like for the to the Giants,
this happens more than to any other teams.

Speaker 2 (55:16):
It's the first time it's happened this year, Wilson. It's
the first time it's happened this year with they had
a game you can't.

Speaker 5 (55:22):
Don't bring Please don't bring up last year's offensive line
because this year's offensive line is completely different. They have
three veterans that were not here last year. So before
you bring up last year with the loss of Andrew
Thomas had a different coach, don't.

Speaker 3 (55:38):
All I'm saying is this man. You know, Indianapolis has
won two games with Joe Flacco. Joe Flacco and we
can't get super Bowl points. We scored ten points and
two games. Two games at home, we scored ten points
and two games every and everything, and you know, and

(56:01):
and Brian, Brian Davids lucky that for some reason the
media has like, you know, just phyxtiated and Daniel Jones, well,
Daniel Jones to holding back the giant. Daniel Jones times
is almost up. Daniel Jones, U shouldn't play anymore. So
this is great. This is great because everything is Daniel

(56:24):
Jones fault. This is what bothers me the most. This
is I mean, thank god that the color before me.
Thank God he actually thinks like I think. This guy
is god a good head coach. Obviously he'll be back
next year and Daniel Jones.

Speaker 7 (56:38):
Won't be back this year.

Speaker 3 (56:39):
So let me ask you one thing before I hang up.
Let's just say play with me. Daniel Jones is gone
next year because they're gonna get rid of them because
they can, and they bring another another, another quarterback, probably
a rookie. Then obviously if they if they win like
five games, well they play with a rookie. When when
it's enough enough, Stall, That's what I'm saying, When is
enough enough, Johnny? Because where we go from here? Where

(57:02):
if we win against bits work, hopefully hopefully they can
you know, it's not bitts work.

Speaker 7 (57:08):
It's not like a warl beer.

Speaker 3 (57:10):
We'll be three and five and then a little hopes
will go up. But if they lose, right and we're
two and six, where we go from here? Because I
certainly don't have any more answers, and I can say
anything else because I don't know what else, tell me
where we go from here?

Speaker 2 (57:26):
Now, Look, Wilson, look, I know if you start two
and sex you're in a really tough spot. And unfortunately
for the giants from the spot, they've been in a
lot over the past eight nine years, all right, since
twenty seventeen, it's been every year but one. It's not
a spot you want to be in, and it's tough
to figure out your way forward. But all you can
do is go out there, put your best players in

(57:46):
the game and try to win. It's all you can do.
There's no other options. There's no other you know, you
can't do anything now to fix things later. That's where
you're at. Now you get to the point where you're
mathematically eliminated, you can start talking about other conversations and
how you want to handle the future and things like that.
That's fine, we can have those conversations when we get there.
But this team's gonna be trying to win games, and

(58:07):
whether they win or lose or not this week, they're
going to continue to keep trying to win games by
putting their best players out there. I don't have another
answer other than that.

Speaker 5 (58:16):
Yeah, And you know, as I brought up earlier, this
is the second youngest team in the NFL so far
the season. So even if the Giants lose this game
and they go to two and six on the season,
that doesn't mean that there aren't things that the Giants
can build on, positives that they can take throughout the
end of the season to carry over into next year,

(58:39):
like development of these young players.

Speaker 4 (58:42):
I mean, no one's gonna.

Speaker 5 (58:43):
Be happy if the Giants start two and six end
up with four or five wins on the year. No
one's gonna be happy with that. But if you can
at least develop some of your young players where next year,
when hopefully just the overall roster the talent on the
roster will be better, then that is a team that
you know could be looking to take a next step

(59:05):
next year. So just because the season hasn't gotten off
to the way that anyone would have hoped it, would
that doesn't mean that there aren't things to build on
and like very small positives. I'm not like trying to
find silver linings here, because again, nobody's happy with the
start to this season. But that doesn't just mean that
everything is a complete total waste and that like they

(59:27):
should just blow it up and start completely over, like
that sort of logic, which.

Speaker 2 (59:32):
I've seen from a lot of people on Twitter. Even
I made a mistake. A look at my replies last
I don't it doesn't make that much sense to me.
Like I understand too, nobody wants to be two and six,
But that doesn't mean that there aren't some positives that
you can take out of what has gone on so
far this season. I'll take this as a sign, will
they'll the take one more call here before we say goodbye.

(59:53):
But I'll say this first. I'll take this a sign
that we're doing something right. I had people yelling at
me last night that we're like I think Daniel Jones
lovers was the quote that was starting to make by
multiple people multiple times. Now, Wilson's mad at us that
we're blaming Daniel for everything and not holding anyone else accountable.
I'll take that as a sign that we're talking about
this with a little bit more nuanced than people sometimes appreciate.

(01:00:16):
I know most of our listeners and our callers do
and I appreciate all you guys. And if you don't agree,
that's what I appreciate you guys too. That's why we're
here to have a debate and talk and argue. That's
why it's fun. That's why we're here. But look, guys,
week to week, every game is different. The problems are
different in every game. You know, some games the blame
goes on a other games the blame goes on b

(01:00:37):
over the course of the season. If the offense scores
ten points, is it gonna be all the quarterbacks fault?

Speaker 3 (01:00:42):
No?

Speaker 2 (01:00:43):
Is it gonna be partially the quarterbacks fault? Yeah, he's
only he's the kind of has the ball in his
hands every time. All right, But this is a team game.
It's eleven or eleven, you know, depending on the week,
different people want to get more of the blame based
on how they play. Like I thought, the issues against
the Bengals are very different than what the issues were
against the Eagles last week. Different games, different results, different people.
You you know, you you try to figure out why

(01:01:05):
things went wrong. And it's not as simple as all right,
fix this one thing, changes one person, it's going to
solve all your problems. That's not how the lead works.
That's not how the NFL works. All right, That's kind
of where we're standing right now. Eric in Chicago, will
wrap us up. Eric, what's going on?

Speaker 7 (01:01:21):
Hey, guys, how you doing?

Speaker 6 (01:01:22):
We're great time, no thought?

Speaker 2 (01:01:23):
Thanks for calling? And Eric, what do you got?

Speaker 7 (01:01:25):
All right? A couple of just quick points and I'll
let you guys answer the questions. I'll get off quick here, Yes, sir,
one with our old school coaches that we've had for years,
like you got coughs when you got parcels, even with
the reeves when the offensive goal. One thing I haven't
seen lately is we don't move the line, rolling out
of the pocket, things like that, just to alleviate some

(01:01:46):
pressure off one side or another one the line might
need help when a chiplock just might not do that.
That's one point.

Speaker 2 (01:01:52):
Yeah, and real quick and just just real fast. I'm
gonna give you a chance to respond. I think the
reason you're seeing much less of that play action who
stuff than you saw the last couple of years is
because they have more confidence in this offensive line to
hold up now. Last week and Andrew Thomas out. Maybe
could they've mixed a couple of those things in there
to try to give a zoo too a break. I
could see that argument, But I think the reason you
haven't seen as much of that this year, and they're

(01:02:14):
still only a ton of play action but it's mostly
straight drop back play action rather than boot play action
and move in the pocket, is because I do think
they have a little bit more faith in their line
to protect this year.

Speaker 4 (01:02:23):
Anyway, go ahead, gotcha, that's fair.

Speaker 7 (01:02:25):
That's fair. Two is with the wide receivers coming from
old school, I'm gonna be fifty three, live and dial
with the giants everybody else does. That calls in with
the players seeing not being held accountable or foreseen that way,
Like with Slatan and Blonde Dell their young well Slatan
was a bit older. But these these guys dropping the

(01:02:46):
passes that they drop, the frustrating carters, They don't get
taken off the field. It just it drives people nuts.
And then why is not Hodgen's playing He was not
a huge play receiver going to burn you down the field.
But every thing that was in his perimeter of catching
his radius. He caught everything, and then the last thing
would be the Deontay Banks things. Sometimes the hustle thing.

(01:03:08):
I know that all of our veterans, at all our
old school or legends, that drives them nuts. Like I've
seen Banks make comments and Tailor and these guys with
the not hustling on these plays. If it happens once,
it's bad enough that it happens twice. Isn't that starting
to be a trend? I mean, the accountability on some
of these things, whether it's dropping passes on the offense
or not hustling on defense. You don't see these guys

(01:03:30):
being ripped off the fielding, you know, getting chewed out
and don't are just my points for today, guys. And
I love the show, and we're out in Chicago and
I'm rooting for every Giant place, so I'll talk.

Speaker 6 (01:03:40):
To you guys.

Speaker 2 (01:03:40):
So no, thank you. I appreciate the call. And I
guess that doesn't seem to be Brian Dabeles's way. You know,
we haven't really seen that much the last three years.
And I could be forgetting something, but lot's happened the
last three years. Like I don't remember a lot of
our Right, he did something stupid or bad, let's pull
them off the field right away and sit him down.
That doesn't seem to be his way. I think he
wants to try to keep his best players on the

(01:04:02):
field as much as he can. He addresses these issues. Now.
It's funny. One group of fans will get mad because
Brian Dable, you know, gently tosses a tablet to an
assistant coach talking to the quarterback. But then at the
same time they want him to rip these other guys publicly,
take him out the field and bun Benchum, so you
wanted to be you're too hard on the one guy,
You're not hard on the other guy. So I don't

(01:04:24):
And again, I Eric, I'm not saying that that that's
you particularly. But we get calls on both sides of
the ledger there, right, we just got in the same show.
We've got multiple calls about two different sides of that
same argument. But he just seems to be more of
a I don't want to out these guys publicly. I
don't want to bench them and hurt the team. And
he trust me, he sees this stuff happening, and he

(01:04:44):
talks to him, but Dabele too, to his core, grew
up under Bill Belichick and Nick Saban Like he's an
old school coach. You know, he's never He's never gonna
blow up a guy publicly. That's just not his way.
He doesn't think that helps the team long term. But
he does handle it in house. And look, we'll see
if there's any if he just eyes to make any
you know, moves or decisions on Monday night with playing
time or not. But either way, trust me, these guys

(01:05:07):
were you guys think there are issues. The coaches see
this too, and they are addressed. Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:05:12):
I mean, you took the words right out of my mouth.
I mean from day one, Brian Dable made it very
clear he's not gonna throw his players under the bus.

Speaker 4 (01:05:20):
To the media. It's just it's never gonna happen.

Speaker 5 (01:05:23):
We've been he's been here two and a half seasons now,
coming up on three full calendar years, nearing that. Can
you remember any time that he's thrown a player under
the bus.

Speaker 4 (01:05:34):
I can't.

Speaker 5 (01:05:35):
I cannot. It's just not his style. He comes, as
John just mentioned, he comes from Bill Belichick. He coach
under Bill Belichick, where Belichick didn't do that either Belichick
handled everything in house, had the same sort of responses
that Dable has. Now, obviously Belichick has many many Super
Bowl rings, so that is a difference. If you know,
Brian Dable had a Super Bowl ring as a head coach,

(01:05:55):
I feel like people wouldn't care so much about him
not ripping his players apart in front of the media.

Speaker 2 (01:06:01):
That does not.

Speaker 5 (01:06:02):
Mean that he's not holding his players accountable. He literally said,
we are handling it, but just doing it our way
in house, like just because we and this includes us.

Speaker 4 (01:06:12):
We don't know what that exactly entails.

Speaker 5 (01:06:15):
No, I don't, but there's no way that Brian Dable
is just letting things like that slide. Like I promise you.
There are conversations that were had since last week with
Deontay Banks about his efforts since that's what everyone seems
to be pointing out over the since Sunday, and we
even saw Jerome Henderson. Everyone's seen the clip of Jerome

(01:06:37):
Henderson on the sideline immediately after the one playe in
particular sort of like losing it on Deontay Banks.

Speaker 2 (01:06:43):
It was like that that pleading, like come on, man,
what are you doing? What was that that looked like.

Speaker 5 (01:06:49):
So, I mean, as you mentioned, it's I understand, the
Giants are the records two and five, so no fan
is going to be happy. But you have some complaining
that he still shows too much emotion even though he's
I feel like, cut it down significantly this He has
dialed it back this year for sure, by a significant margin.

(01:07:10):
But you still have fans saying he's too emotional, and
Tube said, and another one saying that they're upset that
he's not showing enough emotion to the public and to
the media. What happens like a lose lose situation. And
I understand it's because the Giants are two and five.
So when the Giants are two and five, no one's
gonna be happy.

Speaker 2 (01:07:26):
And look, I'll say this too, if you keep the
if the issues keep coming up again and again, eventually
you do have to do things like playing time like
that's just yes, because eventually, if that's the only thing
that's gonna get through to the player, that's what you
got to do. Whether or not they're there with the
ante banks. I have no idea. We'll find out Monday night.
I don't know that, but look, we'll see. I mean,
he's a young player got to get it through to
on one way or the other that that type of

(01:07:46):
play is not acceptable. And you know, I'm sure they've
expressed that to him, But the question is that do
they believe that's gotten through without having to do something
with playing time or things like that. So we'll find out.
So attack you got to Tino tomorrow, right, Yes, I do,
well thirty check it out. And again, folks, no show
on Monday in case you missed that earlier in the
show when we talked about that. So stay with us

(01:08:07):
Big Bill kick Off live as we get ready for
Giants and Steelers on Monday night football, Madame Paul Tomorrow,
we'll see it in everybody