The Midst of Madness...More to Come

In the midst of a chaotic NFL weekend the Giants could kick back and relax knowing they pulverized the Carolina Panthers on the road Thursday night. Despite many injuries, and everyone on the NFL network picking the Panthers to win, the Giants simply dominated.

A lot of the Giants offensive dominance was because of the excellent run game provided by Andre Brown. Brown had 20 carries for 113 yards and two scores. That is without a doubt the best performance a Giants running back has provided for quite sometime. If the Giants could develop a consistent running game it would obviously be huge. Thursday night was a glimpse of what Eli Manning is capable of with a dependable running back. He wouldn't have to take as many chances and it wouldn't matter who was playing receiver. Perhaps that's why Ramses Barden was finally able to emerge with nine catches for 138 yards. If it aint broke don't fix it. Brown deserves to remain the starter until further notice.

On defense the game plan should never change. Stop the run, and then have some fun. The Panthers were behind early so being able to establish the run was sort of meaningless. As a result the Giants were able to rush Cam and even our banged up secondary was able to come away with some interceptions. But the defenses ability to stop the run is still very questionable. DeAngelo Williams only had 45 yards rushing for the Panthers, but he only had 11 attempts. In games that aren't as one sided the Giants are going to have to consistently stop the run if they wish to compete. They honestly still have not proven that they can do it.

A big part of that is discipline from the defensive ends. Osi did not have a horrible game, but there was one drive when Pierre-Paul was out for a series that the Panthers ran right at Osi's side repeatedly. Osi struggles against the run, lets face it. But it's not because of his skill level, it's his discipline while shedding a block. Stopping the run from a defensive end standpoint, is not always about getting tackles. It's about sealing edges, holding blocks, and waiting for help without giving up space. Something Osi absolutely has to learn to do. Especially with the Giants facing a big running back like LeSean McCoy next week, and another mobile quarterback in Mike Vick.

This upcoming Giants Eagles game will be a good matchup, and another great episode of a classic division rivalry as old as football itself. But a real concern going into this game isn't anything the Giants or Eagles can help. It's what everyone has been talking about, and that's the controversial referee replacements. The replacement refs clearly do not have the experience to be prepared for NFL games. They've missed some calls, and made some nonexistant ones. Last nights should have been interception for the Packers was the breaking point for most NFL fans. If this is referee situation is not figured out by Sunday there is going to be trouble. This is Giants Eagles we're talking about. The refs have really struggled with keeping the game under control in a hostile environment. The Patriots Ravens game Sunday night is a good example of how the game became a circus.

The disturbing part is that the league has punished head coaches for getting frustrated with the horrible officiating they've had to put up with, when it's the leagues fault for this situation in the first place. How is it fair when it is indirectly the NFL's fault for not handling this situation during the offseason? Siding with the refs is how most NFL fans are seeing it, but once again the main source of the profit in the NFL has been exploited. The fans are the ones who suffer the most from this dispute. After the lockout last year, the fans should not have to put up with this insanity. The NFL needs to do whatever they can to reach an agreement immediately, FOR THE FANS. Because lets face it the fans suffer more than the NFL does from this referee situation.

But from the Giants standpoint, there is nothing they can do when it comes to the ref situation. They simply must go about their business as usual, and be thankful for the long week going into this game. This will be a good one, and there will be much more to talk about as the week progresses.