Giants Fall To Redskins In Season Opener, 28-14

It’s only one game, but the 2011 season opener for the New York Giants was a disappointment. Playing on the road in Washington D.C. against the rival Redskins, the Giants executed just poorly enough to allow Rex Grossman and the ‘Skins to win by a two touchdown margin, 28-14. Allowing the Skins to score 28 points is not as alarming as it sounds, for the simple fact that the Giants were missing so many starters on defense. But that doesn’t quite explain why the Giants struggled so mightily moving the chains.

Eli Manning was neither great nor awful. He finished 18-of-32 with 268 yards with 0 TDs and 1 INT. He did score on a two-yard run in the first quarter to give the Giants the lead. But Manning and the Giants offense was unable to accomplish much of anything on third down, converting just 1-of-11 third down conversions. Washington wasn’t spectacular either (5-of-15), but New York’s inability to keep the chains moving definitely contributed to the Skins’ finishing with slightly more than a five minute advantage in time of possession department.

On Monday, Manning joined The Michael Kay Show for his weekly segment on ESPN Radio New York. In the segment, Eli talks about the disappointing season opening loss, what the offense needs to do to get back on track next week against the St. Louis Rams next Sunday in their home opener, and taking over the crown of ‘Iron Man’ from brother Peyton now that he’s the Manning brother with the longest active consecutive games started streak going. Interestingly enough, Eli just started his 104th consecutive game, which only puts him at the halfway mark towards reaching Peyton’s recently snapped streak of 208 straight starts.

-- Listen to Manning’s interview on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN Radio New York

-- See Big Blue View for much more on the Giants

The numbers were not pretty for the New York Giants offense in Sunday’s 28-14 loss to the Washington Redskins.

- No points in the second half
- Only 1-for-10 on third down conversion
- Just 75 yards rushing on 20 attempts, 3.5 yards per carry
- Four sacks of quarterback Eli Manning allowed.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin knows his team needs to get better offensively.

“We definitely have some work to do to get where we want offensively. I won’t take anything away from the Redskins, they played hard and they did the things they had to do to win the game but I am disappointed in our ability to not take full advantage of what we had,” Coughlin said. “We have a ways to go with the process, with the execution. Offensively it has to happen and I think it will happen with a better week of practice.”

— Read the full transcript of Coughlin’s Monday press conference

Let's take a quick, painful look back at the New York Giants 28-14 loss to the Washington Redskins Sunday.

It Was Over When ... Jabar Gaffney scored on a four-yard pass from Rex Grossman to make the score 28-14 with 5:11 to play in the game.

Turning Point ... Ryan Kerrigan's tip and interception return for a touchdown just three plays into the second half. It gave Washington its first lead, 21-14, and seemed to send the Giants into panic mode.

Next Up ... The Giants (0-1) face the St. Louis Rams (0-1) in Monday Night Football next week. St. Louis lost to Philadelphia Sunday, 31-13.

Three Good Stats

1. Red Zone Efficiency: The Giants did not do a lot on offense, but they did score two touchdowns in three trips to the red zone.
2. Four Sacks: The Giants, even without Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck, were able to put pressure on Grossman. When they couldn't is when they got in trouble.
3. There isn't a third good one.

Three Bad Stats

Reality is, there are a lot more than three bad ones. Let's pick the worst three, though.

1. 305 Yards Passing Allowed: To Rex Grossman? With Tom Brady, Michael Vick, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Tony Romo on the upcoming schedule? Yikes!
2. 1-for-10 On Third Down: Pitiful. Bad blocking, dropped passes, questionable play calls. The Giants' offense has issues.
3. Eight Penalties: The Giants were undisciplined, taking some bad penalties, The worst was Antrel Rolle's personal foul in the fourth quarter that turned a Washington 4th-and-2 into a first down and led to the Redskins' final touchdown.

New York Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty did not mince words Sunday night following his team’s 28-14 loss to the Washington Redskins, calling out his teammates and saying the effort was “unacceptable in every regard.”

Canty was particularly galled that the 0-1 Giants’ poor display came on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

We don’t live in a bubble as professional athletes,” defensive tackle Chris Canty said. “We’re affected by what happens. What 9/11 means to us, what it means to our fans, what it means to our city, what it means to this country – we represent the red, white and blue. And to go out there and put on that kind of performance is just unacceptable for us. It’s unacceptable in every regard.

“We have to have more purpose than we showed on game day, we have to have more purpose than we showed in practice. That’s what it’s going to take because obviously we didn’t get the job done today.”

Sadly for the Giants, this game was much too reminiscent of the past two seasons, when the Giants were their own worst enemy far too often.

The Giants had eight penalties, including a personal foul on Antrel Rolle in the fourth quarter that kept alive the Redskins final scoring drive, a blocked field goal and an interception returned for a touchdown.

“We shot ourselves in the foot,” tackle Kareem McKenzie said. “They made the plays and we didn’t. We made too many mistakes. The number of penalties we committed (eight) is uncharacteristic of this team based on what we’ve done in the past against the Redskins. We didn’t have a good day on the offensive side of the ball. We have to play better.”

Indeed they do. Question is, can they?

The New York Giants and Washington Redskins are tied, 14-14, at halftime of their season-opening NFL game at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

The Giants scored on a two-yard run by quarterback Eli Manning, a play set up by a 68-yard pass from Manning to Hakeem Nicks. The Giants second touchdown was a six-yard run by Ahmad Bradshaw that capped an 85-yard drive.

Washington scored on a one-yard run by Tim Hightower and a six-yard pass from quarterback Rex Grossman to Anthony Armstrong.

Manning completed seven-of-15 passes for 150 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions in the first half for New York. Grossman was 13-for-21 for 186 yards and one touchdown.

Bradshaw carried seven times for 33 yards. Nicks has four receptions for 97 yards.

The Giants are playing without defensive ends Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck, as well as middle linebacker Jonathan Goff, starting cornerback Terrell Thomas and first-round pick Prince Amukamara, also a cornerback.

The New York Giants open their 2011 NFL season today at FedEx Field against the Washington Redskins. Below, Sports Network breaks down the matchups and keys to the game"

WHEN THE GIANTS HAVE THE BALL

Expect the Giants to pound the football right away against a Washington front line that features some new faces. Ahmad Bradshaw (1,235 rushing yards, 8 TD) enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2010 and led the Giants with 276 carries. He unseated former starter Brandon Jacobs (823 rushing yards, 9 TD), who still held his own by taking the team lead in rushing touchdowns. New York should be concerned about the new offensive line and how it will work towards improving the ground game, however. The Giants were sixth in rushing a year ago, averaging 137.5 yards per game. Eli Manning (4,002 passing yards, 31 TD, 25 INT) acknowledged that the offensive line, receivers and running backs performed well during the preseason, but some kinks still needed to be worked out after the team was hampered at times by turnovers, missed assignments and dropped passes. Manning has his own problems to right after putting forth a 25-interception campaign from a season ago. He did set new franchise marks for completions (339) and completion percentage (62.9 percent) in 2010, however, but faces a tough challenge from Washington’s talented defensive backfield. Hakeem Nicks (1052 yards, 11 TD) led the team with 79 catches and 11 touchdowns last season, while Manningham (60 receptions, 9 TD) looks to build on a strong 2010 campaign.

Washington may not have talented safety LaRon Landry (85 tackles) for Sunday’s season opener because of a hamstring issue he suffered while making his way back from a previous Achilles’ injury. Former Ram Oshiomogho Atogwe’s addition will help in that department if the hard-hitting Landry is unavailable, while stud cornerback DeAngelo Hall (95 tackles) was named a captain and is a dangerous player to test, as evidenced by his six interceptions a year ago. Inside linebacker and top tackler London Fletcher (136 tackles) was also named captain on defense and will be counting on his teammates creating a strong push up front to make plays, especially against Bradshaw and Jacobs. Right outside linebacker Brian Orakpo (56 tackles) led the team with nine sacks in 2010 and will be rushing Manning on several occasions, while rookie Ryan Kerrigan — Washington’s first-round pick in April’s draft — will be tested on the other side. The Redskins took a step towards improving their front line with the addition of Barry Cofield (54 tackles), who was drafted by the Giants in 2006 and spent his first five seasons in New York. Defensive end Adam Carriker (37 tackles) is the top option at his position on the Redskins’ roster.

WHEN THE REDSKINS HAVE THE BALL

The Redskins said goodbye to longtime running back Clinton Portis in the offseason and brought in both Tim Hightower and rookie Roy Helu to compete with holdover Ryan Torain. Hightower (736 rushing yards, 5 TD) was acquired from the Cardinals just prior to camp and had a strong preseason to earn the starting job, while Torain (742 rushing yards, 4 TD) is just making his way back from a broken hand suffered at the start of training camp and figures to start out the year in a reserve role despite finishing as the team’s leading rusher last season. The offensive line was in complete disarray last season, as evidenced by the 37 sacks McNabb endured and the nine more Grossman took. Four significant lineman were not retained in the offseason, as guard Derrick Dockery, tackles Stephon Heyer and Mike Williams and center Casey Rabach are all gone. Second-year tackle Trent Williams, a first-round pick in 2010, will start at left tackle and protect the backside of Rex Grossman (884 yards, 7 TD, 4 INT). Santana Moss (93 receptions, 1115 yards, 6 TD) is Grossman’s top target, while tight end Chris Cooley (77 receptions, 3 TD) hopes to be ready for Sunday after missing all of the preseason with a knee injury. Jabar Gaffney (65 receptions, 2 TD) joined the receiving corps in the offseason in a trade with Denver.

The Giants may not be too worried about Grossman and his receivers, instead keying on stopping Hightower and Torain. With Cofield now across the sidelines in Burgundy and Gold, the Giants hoped rookie Marvin Austin could fill the void until he suffered a season-ending pectoral tear. Tackle Chris Canty (39 tackles, 2 sacks) is earning a lot of money, but his production hasn’t increased since signing a big contract in 2009. Umenyiora (48 tackles, 12 sacks) ended his holdout during training camp and is entering his ninth year in the NFL, though he missed the entire 2008 season because of a torn knee ligament. He and fellow defensive end Justin Tuck (76 tackles) finished tied for the team lead in sacks and give the Giants two dangerous bookends coming off the edge. Second-year end Jason Pierre-Paul (30 tackles, 5 sacks) had an entire rookie season and offseason to get acclimated with the schemes, and will have a chance to increase his production with Umenyiora likely to miss the first couple of game. Linebackers Michael Boley (85 tackles, 1 sack) and Mathias Kiwanuka (11 tackles, 4 sacks) are healthy, but middle starter Jonathan Goff (80 tackles, 1 sack) suffered a season-ending torn ACL in practice this week and the secondary is banged up with the losses of cornerbacks Terrell Thomas (torn ACL) and rookie Prince Amukamara (broken foot).

KEYS TO THE GAME

Can Grossman make Shanahan’s decision a wise one? The Redskins are hoping he can, and so does the two-time Super Bowl winning head coach. Grossman should have a stronger backfield with Hightower to relieve some of the pressure.

Bradshaw and Jacobs are two of the top running backs in the conference and must literally get the ball moving early Sunday to open up the Giants’ offense. New York’s one-two punch is a dangerous one and will be a challenge for the Washington defense in this classic NFC East showdown.

If Manning believes he is in the top tier at his position, now is the time to hush the naysayers with a strong performance. There’s there’s no longer a safety valve at tight end with Boss’ exit, he still has Nicks and Manningham stepping to the forefront.

It's going to be an emotional day in New York and across the country when the tenth anniversary of 9/11 is commemorated. Sunday also happens to be the return of the NFL in earnest, as 26 teams are set to play, including the New York Giants and Washington Redskins who meet at Fed Ex Field in Landover in the early afternoon. The week of practice is finished for both squads, so let's take a gander at the status reports and injury notes for both squads heading into Sunday's divisional clash.

Best news Friday for the Giants was that defensive end Justin Tuck practiced for the first time all week.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Status Report

OUT

CB Prince Amukamara (foot), LB Jonathan Goff (knee), DE Osi Umenyiora (knee)

QUESTIONABLE

TE Travis Beckum (hamstring), DE Justin Tuck (neck)

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Status Report

OUT

S LaRon Landry (hamstring)

QUESTIONABLE

S Oshiomogho Atogwe (hamstring), WR Brandon Banks (knee), TE Chris Cooley (knee), WR Donte' Stallworth (shoulder), RB Ryan Torain (hand)

Will the war of words between the New York Jets and New York Giants ever cease? First, there was Jets coach Rex Ryan declaring in his book that the Giants were the Jets’ ‘Little Brother.’ Today, there was Plaxico Burress blasting Giants coach Tom Coughlin, quarterback Eli Manning and the team’s fans. Now, Jets’ special teams coach Mike Westhoff is ripping former punter Steve Weatherford, who is now with the Giants.

“I was very happy in Steve with some things he did and very, very disappointed in others,” Westhoff said. “To tell you the truth, I don’t want to be 23rd. We’re not 23rd in anything else. Wherever we are, I am trying to get better, so that’s why we made the move.”

Weatherford had an up-and-down tenure with the Jets. Last season, the Jets were 23rd in the NFL with a 42.6 yard-per-punt average. Westhoff also pointed out that Weatherford did tie a league record for most punts inside the 20-yard line with 42.

“I was disappointed with some of the performances he had at the end of the year,” Westhoff said. “It wasn’t very good. You were there. You were up in New England. The ball went straight out (of bounds)….There were times when he just didn’t do the job. I was looking to get better than what he did at that point in time. Wasn’t good enough, in my opinion. It wasn’t. I don’t want to be 23rd in the NFL. That’s where he was.”

All Giants fans know is that Weatherford gave up 299 return yards while Matt Dodge was surrendering an abominable 536. In this case, the Giants are very happy to have this discarded Jet.

With the New York Giants opening their 2011 NFL season Sunday against the Washington Redskins we swapped 'five questions' with SB Nation DC, our regional site covering sports in the D.C. area. See my answers to SB Nation DC's questions, as well.

SB Nation New York: Rex Grossman boasted in the preseason about the Redskins being the best team in the NFC East. Can the Redskins actually back that up?

Daniel Shiferaw, SB Nation D.C.:  There's a chance they can, but it's unlikely. In order for them to have a shot at the division title, the Redskins will need to stay healthy virtually the entire season and have Grossman play at a level he hasn't shown he's capable of yet. They'd also need the other three teams to crumble due to poor play or injury. The chances of the stars aligning for a division title for Washington remain bleak.

Daniel Shiferaw, SB Nation D.C.:  For one, the Redskins have changed their organizational philosophy as it relates to roster building. Gone are the days of bringing in other team's aging stars for top dollar, only to get minimal production. The team has now prioritized the draft, with general manager Bruce Allen opting to trade down to acquire twelve selections (the largest class in the NFL this year). On the free agency front, they now bring in younger, cheaper, and hungrier players who fit the scheme on each side of the ball. Last but not least, they have a coach in Mike Shanahan who stresses hard work and dedication to perfecting your craft, and the team has bought in hook, line and sinker.

Daniel Shiferaw, SB Nation D.C.:  I'm not sure if Giants fans know who Brandon Banks is, but it's likely that they will know after the game. The Redskins' smallest player (listed at 5-foot-9, 148 pounds) has been the team's most electric player since he joined the team last year as an undrafted rookie. He's now considered just a return specialist on both punts and kickoffs, but he has shown (when healthy) that he can become one of the best return men in the league.

Daniel Shiferaw, SB Nation D.C.: Around these parts, they're still viewed as the team that has dominated the Redskins. They have gone 9-1 against Washington in their last 10 meetings, so right now the Giants are still looked at as a tough opponent. It appears their formula for success has not changed - run the ball with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, and then unleash a myriad of pass rushers on opposing quarterbacks. As long as those two elements are their bread and butter, they'll always be viewed as dangerous.

SB Nation New York:  If you were game-planning against the Redskins, what would you try to exploit?

Daniel Shiferaw, SB Nation D.C.:  Defensively, it'd be to attack their pass protection schemes. This offensive has shown that, while improved, it still doesn't look to be an elite pass protecting group. Blitz heavy packages would likely succeed vs. the Redskins, as their running backs don't provide the same amount of protection as they used to now that Clinton Portis is gone. 

Offensively, you'd have to test the Redskins in coverage. They will likely be without their top safety in Laron Landry, and have starting corners DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson who's cover skills are not considered elite. If I'm the Giants, I see if the Redskins can stop a heavy dose of Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks.

The countdown to kickoff is officially on. There's of course the season opener tomorrow night from Lambeau Field between the Packers and Saints, followed by a full slate of games Sunday and Monday. For Tom Coughlin and the New York Giants, Week 1 is an important early-season road test against a divisional foe, the Washington Redskins. Coming off a disastrous first year under Mike Shanahan, the Redskins have looked much improved so far this preseason. When Rex Grossman is your starting quarterback however, you can't feel too confident just yet that Washington will be able to hang with the Giants, Cowboys and Eagles in the highly competitive NFC East.

The offseason brought a rash of injuries to Coughlin's squad, particularly in the defensive backfield. One can only hope that the bad luck injury-wise is out of the way early on and the Giants can settle into a regular rotation defensively without further personnel losses.

To continue our week-long coverage leading up to Sunday's game, let's take a look at the Wednesday injury reports filed by both the Giants and the Redskins.

For all things Giants all the time, visit Big Blue View.

Barry Cofield spent the first five seasons of his career lining up at defensive tackle for the New York Giants. Sunday, for the first time in a regular-season game, Cofield will line up against the Giants. He will be the starting nose tackle for the Washington Redskins when the teams meet to open their 2011 NFL seasons.

“It’s very weird. I’ve never lost contact with those guys. It’s definitely strange," Cofield said. “After the game I’ll hug everybody. Everybody on the roster gets a hug. Leading up to the game and 60 minutes of the game it’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be a fight until the clock strikes zero.”

Cofield signed a six-year, $36-million dollar contract with the Redskins, $12.5 million of which was guaranteed. The Giants had drafted a pair of defensive tackles in the second round the last two seasons — Linval Joseph in 2010 and Marvin Austin this season — and did not want to pay Cofield that kind of money.

Sunday we begin finding out if that is a decision the Giants will regret.

There is only one sure-fire way to make it to the highly competitive NFL Playoffs each year and that's by winning your division. The New York Giants and Washington Redskins will try to get a leg up on doing just that in the NFC East when they meet at Fed Ex Field in Washington Sunday afternoon. Expectations are somewhat modest for both clubs this year, but for Tom Coughlin's bunch, the goal is a return trip to the postseason even though they'll be going to battle with ten rookies on the roster.

Let's continue our pregame coverage of the Giants' Week 1 matchup with the Skins with a look at the two historic rivals' series history, as well as a spattering of 2010 team and individual stats for both clubs.

SERIES HISTORY

2010 STATS

For more Giants coverage and fan discussion, Big Blue View has you covered.

Jonathan Goff is out for the season after tearing his ACL. It's just the latest injury for the New York Giants in what has already been an awful preseason in that regard.

Goff was penciled in as the Giants' starting middle linebacker, but the ACL injury will land him on  the injured reserve prior to this week's game against the Washington Redskins according to the NFL Network's Jason La Canfora. La Canfora also reports that former Giant Kawika Mitchell is in line to be signed as Goff's replacement.

It isn't clear exactly when the torn ACL injury happened, but in a preseason that already saw a few defensive backs sustain season-ending injuries, nothing should ultimately surprise those around New York.

When the Giants open up their regular season on Sunday, it seems that rookie Greg Jones is probably in line for the start, one of 10 rookies on the opening-day roster, as he had a solid preseason and was listed as Goff's backup on the team's depth chart at NFL.com.

For more on the New York Giants, be sure to read Big Blue View. The comments are already flowing relating to the Jonathan Goff injury news.