Fordham junior guard Joseph Chartouny (Image Credit: Fordham EDU)
If there’s anything to take from watching Fordham lose their season opener to Miami (Oh) it’s they’re still a team in search of consistent offense.
The defense is still a strength for this team. Third-year head coach Jeff Neubauer does a good job with making sure the Rams play hard on every play.
But the problem area for Fordham this year came up late in Friday night’s loss to Miami (Oh). When the defense struggles to get stops, where will the offense come from on this team?
Fordham had a 54-48 lead with 2:20 left in the game, that’s the time when you’re supposed to put your opponent away. Instead, while the Red Hawks were coming alive on offense, the Rams missed their last three shots.
Miami (Oh) went on a 7-0 run to escape Rose Hill with a 55-54 win over the Rams. It’s a frustrating beginning to a new season for Neubauer.
In the offseason, the Rams lost graduate transfers Christian Sengfelder (Boise St.) and Antwoine Anderson (UConn). They played key offensive roles for Fordham during their time there.
Junior guard Joeseph Chartouny is back for Fordham, they’re going to need his scoring just as much as his leadership.
Chartouny was aggressive in looking to get to the basket against Miami (Oh). He’s an excellent defender, but Neubauer will need more from him and Will Tavares to keep the Rams in ballgames.
Neubauer has brought a sense of stability to which was missing before he arrived on campus. He’s no-nonsense when it comes to teaching the fundamentals to his players. But he’s also aware this is still very much a process with getting the program out of the lower tier of the conference.
In order to take that next step, Fordham has to get more from their offense. That’ll be their challenge this season.
Kristaps Porzingis knows he’s now the number one option for the Knicks and the results so far have been great.(Image Credit: Business Insider)
Whenever Kristaps Porzingis touches the basketball now it’s become must-watch television.
A “very comfortable” Porzingis has been torching the league since the start of the season. The Knicks have been the benefactors of his emergence as their go-to guy.
Giants Head Coach Ben McAdoo (Image Credit: AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
If the Giants and Ben McAdoo are looking to prove they’re not quitting on this season, they’re going to need a different approach. It certainly seemed that way during their 51-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Giants looked like a team already planning out their vacation plans. They certainly didn’t look like they were ready to play a football game.
The Rams are a good football team, there should be no more debates about this. This is a well-coached team, with a young franchise quarterback, playmakers at running back and wide receiver, and a game-changer on defense.
In other words, the Rams are everything the Giants are currently not.
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The Giants are missing Odell Beckham Jr., the injuries to their roster were body blows to their season, and the offensive line remains a joke. These issues are not why they embarrassed themselves against the Rams.
Nothing better summarizes the fall of the Giants than the second quarter of this game. On a third and 33, the Rams called a screen play likely just to make for a manageable fourth down. Jared Goff hit Robert Woods and, 52 yards later, found himself in the end zone celebrating a touchdown.
How an NFL defense allows a touchdown there is beyond me. Woods ran right through the Giants’ defense; the secondary took terrible angles on the play. They looked out of position and eventually shell-shocked.
Just as inexcusable was the Giants allowing Goff to find Sammy Watkins for a 67-yard touchdown pass which basically put the game away before halftime. Again, the secondary, specifically Landon Collins, looked caught off-guard.
The body language from Dominque Rodgers- Cromartie, after Woods scored again on a four-yard touchdown pass, said it all. Woods was wide open in the end zone when Rodgers-Cromartie was in coverage on another receiver. He turned and saw Woods and could only throw his hands up in disgust.
In that one gesture, Rodgers-Cromartie likely summed up the feelings of every Giants’ fan this season.
Effort shouldn’t be taught, it’s either there or it’s not. No matter what anyone on the Giants say about this game, there’s no justifying lack of effort and players continuing to blow their coverage assignments.
After the game, McAdoo spoke having to keep fighting and learning about people during times like this. The Giants could be looking at McAdoo exactly the same way. And it’s not just McAdoo, it’s the entire coaching staff and general manager Jerry Reese.
If I’m the Giants, I’ve seen enough to know major changes must take place after the season. They probably won’t, but it can’t hurt to start now.
Because no matter what they say to convince anyone otherwise, they look like a team which has already pulled the plug.
D’Angelo Russell of the Brooklyn Nets makes his move on Jarrett Jack of the Knicks. (Image Credit: USA Today)
The narrative for the basketball landscape in New York City lately has centered around the Knicks and Nets heading in different directions.
The Knicks are under new management with team president Steve Mills and general manager Steve Perry. On the court, the trade of Carmelo Anthony signaled the official beginning of the Kristaps Porzingis era.
Brooklyn is in year two of a massive rebuild which has caught the attention of everyone around the league.
Where the Knicks have struggled with cohesion, the Nets have thrived. For proof of this, all you would have to do is take a quick look at the standings.
Coming into Friday night’s matchup at Madison Square Garden, the Nets were 3-2 and coming off of an impressive home win over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Meanwhile, not only were the Knicks looking for their first win of the season –- they were also looking to silence any whispers of their team heading in the wrong direction.
There was plenty to feel encouraged about for Knicks fans, starting with the play of point guard Frank Ntilikina.
Three weeks into the college football season, the storylines are beginning to heat up across the nation.
Alabama and Clemson are holding rank at the top of the polls, the Tigers are coming off a big-time road win over Heisman winner Lamar Jackson and Louisville.
Ohio State is still lurking, but with quarterback concerns. Can the Buckeyes hold up with J.T. Barrett?
Here are three early storylines which have caught my attention:
Baker Mayfield Has That IT Factor
The IT factor is the label given to an athlete when we can’t think of anything better to come up with to describe them. Alright, that’s not exactly what it means, but in this case it works for me with Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma.
There’s just something about this guy, he’s all heart out on the field.
In a season where quarterback play has been a leading topic of conversation, Mayfield is making room for himself in a crowded room.
The senior quarterback has the number three ranked Sooners’ humming through the first part of their season schedule. This includes an upset road win over then number two ranked Ohio State. Mayfield was electric in that win over the Buckeyes, the team thrives off his passion he plays the game.
Of all the impressive passing numbers Mayfield’s posted through three games, there’s one specifically which jumps out to me. He’s 63 of 82 on the season with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. You have to love a quarterback, with a gunslinger mentality, that doesn’t turn the football over.
USC Quarterback Sam Darnold (Image Credit: Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
Is USC the Team to Hate Again?
Hate is a strong word, hate to love might be more suited for the Trojans. They certainly have their swagger back.
This was a pretty easy conclusion for me to reach after fighting off sleep to stay up and watch USC hold off Texas in a 27-24 thriller which needed two overtimes to decide a winner.
What’s also obvious is this won’t be the last time this team’s in a nail-biter this season.
The Trojans have arguably the top quarterback in college football. Sam Darnold is good and he knows it. There’s a hint of arrogance to Darnold’s game which fits the USC swagger. He’s not afraid of the big moment and can make all the throws required to thrive under pressure. Darnold’s jump pass on the final drive of regulation made me almost jump out of bed in amazement.
When USC’s offense is rolling they’re extremely fun to watch move the ball down the field. But they have a living on a prayer quality to them which makes for must-see television, win or lose.
Can’t Help But Notice Penn State
Penn State has been through a lot to get back on the good side of the college football national spotlight.
Head coach James Franklin had the luxury of flying under the radar last season while getting laying the groundwork for the team. Well, that honeymoon’s over and opponents are well aware Penn State’s back and they’re for real.
There’s a blue-collar style to this team I really enjoy. The irony in that is this is an offense that can light up the scoreboard. Trace McSorley is the best quarterback in the Big Ten right now. Lead running back Saquon Barkley is as explosive as they come when it comes to the ground game.
A tough week four clash with Iowa is next on the schedule which should give more insight on where Franklin’s team truly fits in the championship picture. But there’s room at the top for the Nittany Lions.
When placing blame for what’s wrong with the Giants, make sure the finger pointing starts at the top.
A 24-10 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday night, in front of a capacity crowd for the home opener at Met Life Stadium, has fans scratching their heads in disbelief and frustration.
After another embarrassing performance in front of a national audience, the Giants find themselves at 0-2 to start the season.
Much like the week before in Dallas, the Giants’ offensive line was atrocious.
The Lions sacked Eli Manning five times.
Giants Have Giant Problems All Over
Like Jon Gruden on ESPN constantly reminded us, the Giants run an offense with an emphasis on timing. But Manning has had zero time to pick up his head, much less go through his progressions in order to find an open receiver.
Manning, unlike his counterpart on the Lions, Matthew Stafford, doesn’t have the quickness to constantly escape the pass rush. There were a handful of times where Stafford was able to use his feet to avoid trouble and gain positive yards. Meanwhile Manning, at 36 years old, was target practice for the Lions on this night.
This isn’t to poo-poo on Eli Manning. I’m not hopping on the ‘Is Eli done?’ bandwagon, even though it’s beginning to pick up steam.
The blame for this team’s offensive struggles isn’t entirely on Manning. Just like the fault isn’t entirely on a ground game which only produced 54 yards total between three running backs.
Odell Beckham Jr. returned to the field, but only had four catches for 36 yards.
Then there’s Brandon Marshall.
Marshall was a little more active than his one-catch Giants debut against Dallas a week ago. But his drop in the fourth quarter, on a beautifully thrown pass from Manning, eventually led to a game-breaking 88-yard punt return for a touchdown by Detroit’s Jamal Agnew.
But the receivers are also not entirely at fault.
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As I wrote in an earlier post prior, if the Giants don’t figure out what to do with their offensive line, they can forget any talk of competing for a Super Bowl. They won’t even make the playoffs.
Eli Manning won’t be able to take hits likes this for too much longer if the Giants don’t figure out their offensive line struggles. (Image Credit: Jim McIsaac)
A Giants Offensive Line Which Has Looked Offensive
Left tackle Ereck Flowers was bad again. Lions’ defensive end Ezekiel Ansah recorded three of Detroit’s five sacks on Manning. Watching Ansah repeatedly blow by Flowers at the line, you couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
It was that bad, it’s been that bad with Flowers since the Giants drafted him.
Flowers has become the poster boy for all that’s wrong with this team’s offensive line. They can’t pass-protect and they can create lanes for the run game.
Those are the primary responsibilities of the position.. Hence, the problem.
On their way to 0-2, the problem remains the same. The O-Line is a mess and it impacts the entire offense. #GiantsPride
The run game will never get going, which will make the Giants one-dimensional and predictable. Opposing defenses will continue to focus on Manning whenever he drops back to pass. However, his uneasiness in the pocket will prevent him from ever getting in tune with his receivers.
There will be more three and outs, this will lead to more time on the field for the defense.
Until the Giants figure out their issues on the line, this destructive chain reaction will continue.
But this isn’t all on the offensive line either. Well, the blame has to start somewhere, right?
It’s time to look at who’s calling the plays and who put the team together. Giants general manager Jerry Reese and head coach Ben McAdoo is where the blame begins.
Reese’s decision to bring back this offensive line, with little to no changes, can’t be ignored anymore.
It’s time for Giants general manager Jerry Reese (left) to start answering questions about his offensive line. (Image: Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports)
Then there’s McAdoo. He was right to hold Manning accountable for his delay of game gaffe which cost the Giants field position in the red zone. But his play calling also has to change.
On the Giants only touchdown drive, Manning got rid of the football quickly and without hesitation. With that line in front of him, this is going to be the only way the offense will find any rhythm to it.
McAdoo has shown he’s not afraid to criticize his quarterback in front of the media, so then it shouldn’t be a problem for him to make sure Manning gets rid of the football quicker from here on.
Reese and McAdoo can also put their heads together and come up with a better solution at left tackle than Flowers, because this just isn’t working.
It’s one thing to stand by a player who’s clearly struggling to figure it out, but at what point do you start thinking about the rest of the team?
It Doesn’t Get Easier
The schedule doesn’t do the Giants any favors. A divisional road game against the Philadelphia Eagles is next, followed by another road game against Tampa Bay.
But if there’s going to be a blame game for what’s gone wrong with the 0-2 Giants, there’s plenty to go around. Just make sure you start at the top.
If the Giants’ offensive line don’t come up with a cure to fix their problems, it won’t matter who Eli Manning throws the football to this season.
We were all reminded of this while watching Big Blue’s season-opening 19-3 road loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Manning was under pressure from the start and barely had time to adjust his helmet before having to run for his life.
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New York’s leading receiver was Roger Lewis, with four catches for 54 yards. Brandon Marshall, brought in to be a solid number two wide receiver, was held to one catch for 10 yards.
I’m pretty sure that’s not how Giants head coach Ben McAdoo drew up the game plan to go.
Giants’ Offensive Line Problems Impact More Than Just The Passing Game
But this problem doesn’t just impact the passing game, it is much more than that. The Giants inability to run the football the past couple of seasons can be largely attributed to the lack of lanes created for them to run through.
Paul Perkins and Orleans Darkwa are expected to carry the bulk of the running load for the Giants this season, they combined for 30 yards on 10 carries against Dallas.
When you have an offensive line that can’t pass protect or run block, you have a team setup for failure every week.
Beckham is one of the most exciting players in the league. Marshall, if used properly, can still be an impact player. Youngsters Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram have plenty of potential. But Manning needs time to get these players the football in order to do what they do.
The Giants, not surprisingly, lost the time of possession battle to Dallas. They only had the football for 25:46 to the Cowboys 34:14. What this means is the defense was on the field entirely too long.
This is a defense with the potential to be very good this season. But they will be gassed every week trying to pick up their offensive teammates.
The Giants will look to get on track in week 2 against the Detroit Lions. It’ll be the home opener and also a Monday night game.
If the Giants’ offensive line don’t figure out their problems quickly, it will be another lost season for the team.
