W13: Coaches Film Observations (GIFs inside)

Here are some of my thoughts/grades after watching the game again. Browse thread for GIFs!

Offense

• QB Fitzpatrick (B)
  Is there any way to criticize him after that performance? He missed a handful of throws, but he more than made up for those by improvising again a bunch of times, avoiding being sacked, finding open receivers and just simply not giving the defense a chance to make a play. Are we a passing team at this point? Sure looks like it. We're still lacking explosive plays in the passing game, that's the one area that has to be fixed. With 36 completions the longest pass went 26 yards and it was a dump off to Bilal Powell who was his favorite target against the Giants along with Marshall. Devin Smith was open a few times but Fitz went with Decker instead, and how can you blame him. Overall it was a clean performance.
  
  
• RB Bilal Powell (B)
  When healthy he's a difference maker in our offense. His blitz pickups are obviously a big key, but he has proven to be a great receiver out of the backfield. He's very patient, elusive, has great vision and good enough speed to make bigplays happen, similar to Dion Lewis from the Pats. In a perfect world he averages 6-8 catches and around 10 carries per game.
  
  
• WR Brandon Marshall (A-)
  Had a pretty much perfect performance. Caught 12 of 13 targets, had some great snags over the middle, he was impossible to defend on jump balls, he got most of his yards after the catch, he made key plays when they really mattered, it doesn't get much better. When he's on he's arguably a top 5 receiver in the game but that's still a bit of a question mark as he's been hit & miss the past few games. Let's hope he strings together 4 more great games to finish out the regular season.
  
  
• WR Eric Decker (B)
  Is quickly turning into a Chrebet type receiver for us. Very clutch, always finds an open area especially when he's lining up in the slot. Overtime, 3rd and 2...it's Decker for a first down. 3rd and 9, he gets 11, first down. It seems like there's always a quarter or a half in every game where he just goes to Decker down after down and then the rest of the game he's not that involved anymore, it's back to Marshall.
  
  
• HB Quincy Enunwa (C)
  Struggled a bit in space as a run blocker. Whiffed a couple of times, he definitely has ways to go in that area. When he's directly lined up with somebody he usually does a good job, when they ask him to move and block somebody his feet get all tangled up and he doesn't play with any balance, just blows right past defenders. As a receiver he was solid. Could have had 2 more catches, one Fitz just completely missed and the 2nd one was almost a circus catch but the ball somehow got knocked loose again when he hit the ground.
  
  
• TE Kellen Davis (C)
  Enunwa basically, just the exact opposite. Looked great as a blocker again but when it comes to running routes and locating the ball and actually catching the ball he's just terrible. It's ok though, he can stick around as a blocker.
  
  
• LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson (D)
  Didn't look too good, gave up a sack to DE Ayers, and a couple more hurries. He clearly struggles with some of the younger pass rushers at times even though for the most part he's still solid, but he's getting up in age. Not sure what condition he'll be in a year from now but we might have to move on if he loses another step.
  
  
• RG Brian Winters (F)
  By far his worst game this season, very rookie like performance. Got destroyed a handful of times by a nobody (Kuhn), whiffing left and right. The result was Fitz getting drilled, and incomplete passes. He needs to bounce back next week. Horrible performance.
  
  
• RT Breno Giacomini (C-)
  This isn't really performance related but he was getting hammered by JPP in the head the entire game with that baseball bat on his arm. I'm not sure if that's legal but it sure affected him. JPP did look pretty helpless when it came to tackling Ivory or Powell because he would just reach out with one arm (wrong side) and it'd just look weird.
  
  
• General thoughts
  I'll add some GIFs to show you what I'm talking about here but one thing I noticed is that the snaps out of the shotgun have to be changed or adjusted when it's too loud in the stadium. What happens is that Mangold will look between his legs to see if Fitz is ready, he does it once, his head pops up again, he waits around 3 seconds, then he does it again, and the second time as soon as his head pops up you know the ball is going to be snapped. Every time. There's no delay, nothing. Doesn't take a genius to catch up on this and that's exactly what JPP did (apparently the rest of their linemen are not that smart) and he was able to create havoc the entire game because of that. He'd just take off without even looking at the ball because he knew the snap is coming. Breno after the game gave him huge props for how explosive he is and how he has the best get off of anybody he's ever seen when really that had nothing to do with it. On 1st down or on your typical inside runs out of the I formation JPP was the last guy to get out of his stance when the ball was snapped because then he had to wait for the ball to be snapped and he didn't know when that would happen. So anyway, Chan better fix this crap. If some random guy can figure this out I'm sure the D-Linemen and coordinators watching film should be able to do that as well. Good thing the rest of their linemen didn't do this because I'm sure if they had done what JPP did we would have lost the game.

Defense

• OLB Sheldon Richardson (B)
  The more time he spends at OLB the better and more comfortable he gets. He had 2 great tone setting hits (OBJ & a TE), one went incomplete, the other one was caught by Beckham but not without also catching some headaches. Was close to getting 2 sacks as well, overall a good game.
  
  
• DT Leonard Williams (B)
  Showed great effort, had a sack, was very disruptive the entire game. Doesn't get enough credit because of his low sack numbers but he's playing at a very high level and is hard to contain 1 on 1.
  
  
• DE Muhamma Wilkerson (B-)
  If he'd just attack each play and go after the QB each play the way Watt does he could be amazing but for whatever reason a lot of times he just sort of stands around like he's in spy or about to drop back. Maybe it's the scheme, I don't know. But when he goes after the QB he's impossible to block, he's just so long and fast, strong, his long arms, it's like being attacked by a 6'5 - 320 pound spider.
  
  
• OLB Lorenzo Mauldin (B)
  He didn't get any sacks this week but he forced a couple of bad passes and showed tremendous effort/motor the entire game. Beat their LT, RT a bunch of times. I'm convinced we have finally found our edge rusher, we just have to find somebody on the other side to take some pressure off of him. Catapano looked like he could fill that role but he's out for the year now so we'll see who steps up. Douzable is a decent inside rusher and he actually had a pretty good game as well but he has no business playing DE on passing downs, neither does Pace and especially Bowen.
  
  
• ILB Erin Henderson (B-)
  Played like an old school 3-4 thumper. Takes on blockers and doesn't move an inch, very, very stout against the run. He sheds blockers really well and makes plays for no or very little gain. He's not a long term solution but he's exactly the type of guy we need next to Harris this year. The run defense was extremely good whenever he was in. Demario didn't have a bad game but he simply isn't better than Henderson, and too inconsistent.
  
  
• CB Antonio Cromartie (B)
  He's getting a lot of criticism if he messes up so he deserves some love when he shows up. It was a great game by him. He broke up 2 passes, almost intercepted another one on a slant over the middle to OBJ. He didn't miss any meaningful tackles, was decent on special teams. If he could finish out the season that way it would be huge for this defense.
  
  
• CB Buster Skrine (D-)
  A performance to forget. His man coverage was tight but he needs to show better ball skills and overall awareness by turning his head in time to make a play. In zone coverage however he looked lost. Bit hard once and let OBJ just walk through our defense uncovered on an inside slant instead of sticking with him, which ended in a 72 yard touchdown. He's played well this season for us and I'm sure he'll bounce back next week especially with the other 2 corners returning.
  
  
• SS Calvin Pryor (B+)
  Has established himself as maybe the face of our defense at this point. Didn't give up a single catch against the Giants, broke up 2 passes, one could have been a touchdown pass to Beckham Jr. if not for Pryor who knocked the ball loose. Suffered a stinger in the 4th quarter and didn't go back in. I'm sure he'll be fine for next week but Miles took over for him and did a great job himself (stuffed some runs, had an INT).

Special Teams

• K Randy Bullock
  Went 3-3, did what he had to do. The longest one traveled only 33 yards but still, he's not really making any mistakes. If he keeps this up it'll be interesting to see what we do next year with our kickers but right now I still think Folk will be brought back. A couple game winning kicks the next 4 games however could put Bullock in the driver seat.
  
  
• P Ryan Quigley
  Had a good day punting despite the punt return touchdown by Harris. Devin Smith could have made a play there but he got too greedy and flew right by him instead of slowing down to contain and maybe give up 5 yards.

 

First few GIFs are up. Brian Winters whiffing.

 

I gave all of them B's!
Well, on defense.

 

Maybe we can trade him for Aboushi.

But in all honesty I thought he played fairly well this year with a few exceptions if you look at how bad he was in his rookie year. But this game brings him right back to where he was 2 years ago.


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Poor Brian.


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I think with Aboushi it was just bad timing and stupidity on Aboushi's part otherwise this just doesn't make any sense. Right when Bowles arrived he was popped for weed and that I think sealed his fate. Remember how Aboushi lined up with the starters throughout OTA's? Suddenly a couple months later in camp he's with the 4th stringers, doesn't get a single snap with the 1's. Somewhere between that he probably told Bowles about his arrest. What I don't get is why not release him then if you don't plan on bringing him back? Bowles essentially went with Colon and then after week 1 decided to get rid of Aboushi. Colon is now injured (nobody saw that one coming *wink wink* as old and broken down as he is), Winters is struggling now (nobody saw that one either *wink wink*). Aboushi wasn't All Pro material but he was easily an upgrade over Colon and Winters last year and he had a lot more potential and room to grow.

 

More GIFs. Both Giants starting tackles struggle to match Mauldin's quickness off the edge. Forced an incompletion and and a holding penalty.