GIANTS 20
Don't say I didn't warn you.
Those fears were confirmed on Sunday as the Pittsburgh Steelers manhandled the Giants in the second half of a 24-20 beat-down at MetLife Stadium. In fact, this game was never really that close. The Giants were gift wrapped two touchdowns by horrible calls by the officials.
First, it was the so-called illegal hit on Victor Cruz that wasn't, which led to Andre Brown doing his best Vinny Testaverde impersonation, scoring a touchdown while he was clearly down at the 1-yard line to tie the game at seven.
On the Steelers next possession, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was apparently stripped of the football, and it was brought back for a 70-yard touchdown by Michael Boley. However, after the play was reviewed it was clear that Roethlisberger was making a throwing motion with the football, and never lost control of it until he was trying to chuck it. But, don't tell that to the refs, who decided to confirm the call as a touchdown.
The 14-7 bump, seemed to shake the Steelers, who struggled to move the football through the third quarter, as they managed only a field and three different three-and-out possessions.
But, it wasn't like the Giants were doing anything offensively. New York was once again anemic from the play of the quarterback, Manning, to the seemingly always invisible running game of Ahmad Bradshaw.
From the get go it was going to be a long evening for Big Blue. On their first three possessions of the game the drive either ended in a punt or a Manning interception. He never got comfortable with is targets, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, missing them on several key third down plays, and watching as Pittsburgh beat-up secondary made one great play after another on the football in coverage.
Take away the two touchdowns, the Giants had only 13 first downs in the game with 182 yards of total offense.
Pittsburgh's vaunted front seven stuffed the line all night, holding Ahmad Bradshaw to a messly 48 yards rushing, and put more and more pressure on Manning as the game wore on.
But, the story of the night was the Steelers offense. They ate up huge chunks of yards on a Giants defense that couldn't tackle or cover anyone. Late in the third quarter, the Steelers found their offense, as Roethlisberger hit a wide open Mike Wallace for 15 yards to the Steelers 44 yard line. Two plays later, Big Ben found Wallace again in single coverage, hitting him stride, as Wallace burst past the safeties en route to a 51-yard touchdown to pull the Steelers to within 20-17.
Later in the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger continued to find wide open receivers all over the ball park. he hit Heath Miller for 14 yards to the Giants 33, then found ex-Jet Jerricho Cotchery for 12 more yards to the 17. Finally, the Steelers turned to bruising running back Issac Redman who pounded his way for 17 yards on four carries, culminating on a 1 yard touchdown to give the Steelers the lead.
Redman had a huge afternoon on the ground, rushing for 147-yards on a Giants defense that couldn't tackle the 6'0" 230 lb running back.
Now down 24-20 and needing another Eli Manning miracle, the Giants came up snake eyes, as Manning led the Giants on a three-out-possession after the Steelers touchdown. Pittsburgh got the ball back and kneeled on the football.
Once again the Giants defense played badly down the stretch, and once again Eli Manning and the Giants offense was bad through three quarters of the game. Only this time the Giants had gone to well too many times this year, and it finally bit them where it hurts, as Big Blue suffered its worst lose of the season.
The only solace the Giants can take out of this is the fact that the NFC East is terrible this year, however if Big Blue continues to play Russian Roulette football they are going to continue to come up snake eyes, and one day it will bit them in the playoffs. This game was a warning.
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