Not your normal preseason game

We have all heard it time and time again from talking heads and sports talk radio and with our buddies at the bar, preseason football is stupid, there are too many games, it's boring, the starters don't play, yet they still pay normal ticket prices to watch guys for most of the game that will not even make the team. But last night was different, and you can not convince me other wise. On the surface the Giants beating the Jets last night doesn't matter, thought they won 31-16, the score of the game was really 13-10 Jets when most of the starters were done for the night. However, you could tell this game meant more to both teams. First the starters who usually only play a series or two at the most in the first preseason game basically played until half time. That never happens in the first preseason game, second there was trash talking back and forth before the game, and after the game Brandon Jacobs said this win showed who's stadium this really is. Of course that isn't true, one game doesn't even show who's stadium it is, let alone one preseason game. I am a big Giants fan, if you didn't know, and I never really had a problem with the Jets at all. They are in the AFC and I can't remember the last time the Giants played them in the regular season. One preseason game a year doesn't make them your rivals. I hate the cowboys, and Phili, and not crazy about the skins either, those are the Giants rivals. What the Jets do, or don't do doesn't matter to me at all.

Of course I see the new stadium as new Giants stadium, though it will not be called that, and it is a stadium for both of them, not just for the Giants that the Jets use, like the last one, but really there is no reason why they both can't share it. I may make jokes and call the jets the clippers to the Giants Lakers but that is a insult to the Jets that really isn't true. Sure the jets haven't been to the super bowl since SB 3, but they are not the Clippers. The Stadium can be called what ever they want, it will be the Giants home when they play in it, and the Jets home when they play in it.... and now in the words of Coach Knight, back to the game.

I was worried about Eli, not because of the hit he took and he needed 12 stitches but how he looked before the hit. Our first team offense didn't move the ball well at all, they scored a touchdown that was set up by their defense returning a pick to the one basically and the fg was set up by a broken play, Eli making a good decision to flip the ball to Bradshaw and then he just took off, with all the defenders down field in coverage he had a long run after the catch. I thought the Jets first team defense looked good, their back ups not so much, as Victor Cruz, undrafted rookie out of UMASS, and Jim Sorgi, yes Jim Sorgi, killed them in the second half. Cruz had 6 catches for over 100 yards and 3 td's, two thrown by Sorgi. As much as Eli scares me sometimes the thoughts of Jim Sorgi having to start a game for the Giants makes me sick, I mean physically ill, I need to excuse my self, just thinking about it..... ok, better now, Eli you can't get hurt.

The Giants first round pick Jason-Pire-Paul, or JPP as I will always call him, had some troubles early but also showed some of his huge upside and had a nice sack of Sanchez towards the end of the first half, when again, the Jets still had their starters in. JPP hasn't even played football for that long so I am looking forward to what he will be able to do if he can actually learn the game. A Rolle had a nice pick and return, and almost scored, he was a great pickup for the Giants, and when Kenny Phillips comes back I like our safety's.

After one preseason game I am a little worried that the Giants may miss the playoffs again this year for the second year in a row, after making it the past 4 years before that. I don't think this team will be bad, but their first 5 games are not easy, having Carolina, at Indy, Tennessee, Chicago, and at Houston to start the year, if they go 5-0 again, like they did last year, it would be amazing. But really I think the Bears at home is the only game that they will for sure win. Carolina should be a win, since it is their real home opener, of the new stadium, but you never know, facing those two great rb, then facing the good Manning at his place, loss, and then having to face Chris Johnson, not a fun start.

But I am getting ahead of myself, I am glad they won last night, and I am glad no one got hurt badly, I do think Eli will be fine, and some players looked good. My fantasy preview and NFL picks will be coming later this week. I'm right, you're wrong.