Special Giants vs. Vikings running diary
7:20- Welcome to a very special running diary. As you know the roof of the Metrodome has collapsed pushing the Giants vs. Vikings game, originally schedule for yesterday in Minneapolis, to tonight at Ford Field in Detroit. Brett Favre is not starting for the first time since September 28, 1992, when I was not quite two years old. Vikings receiver Percy Harvin is also out with complications from his recurring migraines.
First Quarter
7:21- Vikings get the ball to open the game. First pass of the Tavaris Jackson Era is complete for 8 yards. Favre who? Tavaris reportedly will get a Wrangler jeans commercial based on the outcome of this game (Okay, I made that up).
7:24- After a first down completion to Sidney Rice, the NYG defense bottles up Adrian Peterson twice in a row, then good pressure from Justin Tuck and friends on third down leads to a punt.
7:28- Good to see Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, and David Diehl back. Huge 17 yard Brandon Jacobs run is wiped out by an illegal formation penalty. He has looked great recently; I can’t overstate Biggie’s improvement over last year. He’s regained his power and is running through people again. When he’s running like this there are few running backs in the league that are more fun to watch. Eli looking for Nicks throws a bad ball picked by former Giant Frank Walker. Ugh, here we go again.
7:32- NYG defense all over Peterson, stuffed on third and one. Fourth and inches, TJax sneaks it for a first down.
7:36- On third and goal Jackson throws a back shoulder fade to Sidney Rice, he appears to catch it but an incompletion is called because he used the ground to trap the ball. No challenge from Viking interim coach Leslie Frazier and Ryan Longwell bangs in a short field goal. Vikings 3 Giants 0
7:43- Eli finds Nicks this time. Welcome back Nightmare, and good play action by Eli.
7:45- Eli throwing some wobbly balls tonight which shouldn’t really happen considering they’re in a dome. Kevin Boss almost gets murdered as usual on third down. Sarcastic fan favorite Matt Dodge comes in for the Giants punt.
7:48- Tavaris has already hit Sidney Rice four times. Corey Webster is supposed to be shadowing him but has been ineffective thus far. Jackson tries to hand off to Peterson but the two collide and both appear to be injured. Well that Tavaris Jackson Era was quick.
7:52- The Joe Webb Era has begun. Yes, I know who Joe Webb is. Rookie sixth round pick out of UAB and I swear I didn’t look that up. That’s just why they pay me the big bucks. Joe “Tangled” Webb throws a long one to Sidney Rice, who almost makes a great catch but can’t, and Chris Kluwe is on to punt for Minnesota.
7:55- Bradshaw first carry goes for 14, that’s my boy. I’ll admit I called for Biggie’s head a bit prematurely, Bradshaw is just so good. He runs as tough as Jacobs at half the size. End of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
8:00- Eli intercepted again, this time by Husain Abdullah. He’s making terrible decisions right now, trying to force balls into windows that aren’t there. The Vikings defense must also be praised for tight coverage and good ball skills.
8:03- Tavaris and AP are back in the game, RIP Joe Webb Era. Rocky Bernard gets on the stat sheet with a sack of TJax. Jackson scrambling on third down, but Michael Boley pushes him out of bounds before he can reach the marker. Giants defense bails out Eli for the 4,395,345th time this year.
8:10- Biggie breaks a 73-yard run and Bradshaw almost powers one into the end zone on the next play. Which of these guys is 260 pounds again? Bradshaw almost takes one in on second and goal; he’s marked just short, but Coach Coughlin is challenging. Tom is one of the best at challenging, but I don’t think he’s going to win this one.
8:16- Tom doesn’t get the call. Biggie walks easily into the end zone on the next play. The Giants are already over 100 yards rushing on the day. Sage Rosenfels handles a bad snap nicely as Larry Tynes puts in the PAT. Great play calling by Kevin Gilbride on this drive, 0 passes. Giants 7 Vikings 3
8:22- The NYG defense has given up absolutely nothing to Peterson. Sack on third down by Barry Cofield, the second Giants DT with a sack tonight, leads to a Kluwe punt.
8:28- Ugly series and a three and out for the Giants offense. Hey Mr. Gilbride, that run-only strategy seemed to be working.
8:33- The NYG defense continues to play well. Peterson has carried the ball 10 times for only 16 yards, and that sound you hear is fantasy owners everywhere banging their heads against the wall.
8:36- Tavaris loses the snap on 3rd down and the Vikings are forced to punt.
8:39- Manning’s last three passes have been check downs to Bradshaw. Eli isn’t one to lose confidence, but the interceptions plus his lack of success historically against the Vikings may be getting to him. And as soon as I type that he goes down field for a big completion to Nicks.
8:42- Manningham is questionable to return with a hip flexor according to FOX’s Pam Oliver. No problem though as Eli finds Derek Hagan to set up a first and goal with 13 seconds remaining in the half. Hagan then makes a beautiful catch in the back of the end zone on the next play but is ruled out of bounds.
8:45- Kevin Boss makes a great diving catch for a touchdown on third and goal; there is a booth review, but the call looks like it will stand.
8:48- The call stands, Tynes hits the extra point, and we’re just about at halftime. Giants 14 Vikings 3
Third Quarter
9:05- Giants get the ball to start the second half. Manning has Nicks wide open behind the defense but over throws him and Nicks comes up limping.
9:10- Former Dolphin Greg Camarillo reverses field twice on a sensational 52 yard punt return for the Vikings. Unfortunately for Minnesota they can’t capitalize as Jackson throws an interception right to Giants linebacker Keith Bulluck.
9:15- The good news is that Nightmare is back on the field, the bad news is the Giants go three and out and have to punt. The better news is Matty Dodge hits a booming kick which Camarillo fields inside the Minnesota 10 before getting decked by Jonathan Goff for very little gain. You can bet the Dodger isn’t getting the sarcastic boos in Detroit that he has become so accustomed to at the Meadowlands.
9:20- Aaron Ross almost picks Jackson, but the pass is incomplete and another Vikings punt gives the Giants good field position halfway through the third quarter.
9:24- Eli hits Nicks for a first down, but after a few short runs Jared Allen sacks Eli on third down. That was the first sack against the Giants in six weeks, pretty impressive with all the injuries on the offensive line.
9:27- Camarillo calls for a fair catch, but bobbles the ball and is stripped by Devin Thomas and it’s recovered by Deon Grant. The Vikings keep the ball because the officials ruled that Camarillo was not given a full opportunity to make the fair catch. That’s a new rule this year, and they seem to have made the correct call. The NYG have to re-punt the ball and Dodge does his best Jeff Feagles impression, hitting the coffin corner and pinning the Vikings at their own eight yard line.
9:33- Peterson now 12 carries for 18 yards, but Chris Canty gets hurt trying to stop him. Fierce pass rush by Antrel Rolle on third down. He ran past Tavaris but stayed with the play and hit Jackson as he was throwing to force an incompletion and punt.
9:39- A Steve Smith sighting! Eli goes to him long down the sideline, but Stevie couldn’t say in bounds.
9:41 Bradshaw is gone, electrifying 48-yard TD run, his longest carry of the season. He just ran away from everyone for touchdown number eight on the year. The combination of speed and power that Bradshaw brings makes you wonder how he ever lasted until the seventh round of the draft. Jacobs and Bradshaw did a little Jersey Shore fist pumping dance on the sideline in celebration. Giants 21 Vikings 3
9:44- Lorenzo Booker takes the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown, but it’s called back due to an illegal block in the back by Vikings reserve linebacker Jasper Brinkley out of South Carolina.
9:45- Tavaris Jackson is sacked by Dave Tollefson after pressure caused by a little Goff delayed blitz. Jackson long pass to Rice, while Vikings center John Sullivan was clearly illegally downfield. No call and a penalty on Tom Coughlin for trying to point it out to the officials. Webster blows up screen on second down and Osi Umenyiora sacks Tavaris on third, but Jackson and Justin Tuck are both injured on the play.
Fourth Quarter
9:52- Kluwe’s punt leaves the Giants at their own two yard line. On first down Eli finds Bear Pascoe out of the backfield and he hurdles Vikings defenders for another first.
9:56- Steve Smith survives a scary neck tackle that isn’t called for a penalty. A Bradshaw stuff and incomplete pass to Boss lead to another great Dodge punt. “Tangled” Webb is coming back out for the Vikings.
9:59- Injury update: Tuck has a rib injury and will return, as will Chris Canty.
10:01- The second pass of the Webb Era is batted down, in case you’re wondering Favre is still not warming up. Tuck is back in the game and just blew up a Toby Gerhart swing pass with some help from everyone’s favorite back flipper Jason Pierre-Paul.
10:07- Another great Bradshaw run for 23 yards. Bradshaw’s juke left Asher Allen looking for his jock strap and Ahmad managed to stay in bounds to keep the clock rolling. The Giants do manage to burn a few minutes, before Dodge punts the ball back to Minnesota.
10:13- Bradshaw’s wrist appears to be hurt, while Tavaris Jackson is back in the game for the Vikings. On a third and 12 a snap goes over Jackson’s head into the end zone and he barely gets it out to avoid the safety. It was a questionable call as Jackson appeared to not get out of the end zone, but Coughlin doesn’t feel the need to challenge up by 18.
10:18- Giants get the ball back and pound Jacobs three straight plays for good gains to get Biggie over 100 yards. Jacobs is killing some nice clock as now both he and Bradshaw are over 100 for the game.
10:20- Eli hooks up with Nicks for a first down. Why are they still throwing? Why are the starters still in the game? Finally Danny Ware comes in to spell Jacobs, but he gets stopped in the backfield for a loss.
10:22- After a four yard run for Ware the Giants let the clock run down to the two minute warning. The Giants went for a fourth down to kill some clock but Ware was stuffed and Minnesota took over with 1:48 left in the game.
10:31- Vikings just trying to get some practice in as they run out the clock.
10:33- JPP almost extends his sack streak, but Jackson is able to elude him. Webb is back in for the last 15 seconds of this one. He has a nice little scramble showing off his athleticism then throws a bullet to Shiancoe.
10:35- With three seconds on the clock, Webb floats one into the end zone that falls incomplete and the Giants walk out of Detroit with a win after a wild weekend. Final Score: Giants 21 Vikings 3
10:36- Thanks for making it through the whole running diary, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and check out ItsOnBad. The Giants won again on the strength of the running game and defense. Look for that theme to continue for the rest of the season and look for the wins to continue if Eli can cut down on the turnovers.
