Gameday Live 5: Giants vs. Raiders

Sunday October 11, 2009 11:06 AM By Chris Mascaro

Good afternoon Giants fans! Welcome to Week 5 in the NFL!

I'm Chris Mascaro and I'll be bringing you all of today's live game, as the NFC East-leading Giants (4-0, 1-0 home) take on the Oakland Raiders (1-3, 1-1 road) at the Meadowlands in the their first home game since Week 1. 

If the Giants win today, they will be 5-0 for the first time since 1990, when they opened the season with 10 straight victories.

According to our Giants beat reporter Tom Rock at the stadium, Eli Manning will make his 83rd consecutive start (including playoffs) despite not practicing on Wednesday and Thursday because of an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot. That means David Carr's start will remain only in his mind. 

Eli's current streak is the third-longest among active quarterbacks behind his bother Peyton and Brett Favre. 

The better news for the Giants today is they're playing the Raiders, who are just 25-75 in the 100 games since they lost Super Bowl XXXVII.

"In the early '80s and '90s, those guys were on fire," said Antonio Pierce, who grew up a Raiders fan. "Bo Jackson, Marcus Allen, Howie Long. It was good to be a Raiders fan back then.

"Things can always turn around for a team. I'm not sure what their problem is; I'm not concerned about it as a player."

The Giants' last game against the Raiders was a 30-21 victory in Oakland on New Year's Eve 2005, in which Tiki Barber ran for 203 yards.

Not much has changed for Oakland since then, as the Raiders have allowed 146.3 rushing yards per game (26th in the league). So expect Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw to have a good day this afternoon.

With that, let's get to the keys to today's game...

1. Rattle JaMarcus Russell. This one shouldn't be too hard. The top pick of the 2007 draft has the worst completion percentage (39.8) and yards per attempt (4.69) in the NFL, and has thrown just one touchdown with four interceptions this season. He has thrown for 109, 61 and 128 yards his last three games and has been sacked nine times. The Giants have allowed a league-low 460 passing yards on the season, but their eight sacks is just tied for 15th. Expect Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and company to tee off on Russell today.  

*Russell was 8 of 13, which is very accurate for him. But he lost three fumbles (leading to 17 points) and was sacked six times (the Giants' season high). 

2. Are the Raiders distracted? A Yahoo! Sports report by Michael Silver came out today, providing the first public comments from Randy Hanson, the former Raiders assistant coach who was allegedly assaulted by Oakland head coach Tom Cable. Hanson said Cable screamed "I'll [expletive] kill you!" numerous times during their Aug. 5 incident. Might this effect Cable's focus today? It very well could. 

*It sure seemed like the Raiders' heads were in another place today, as they had just 120 total yards and seven first downs.

3. Keep Eli upright. The Giants QB has been sacked just twice this season (a far cry from the 20 times Aaron Rodgers of the Packers has been taken down). The Raiders bolstered their defensive line with a trade for Richard Seymour before Week 1. But the 310-pounder has zero sacks after recording two in his first game. With Manning's injured foot, keeping him from being hit could be the key to his success today.

*Eli wasn't sacked today, and that had a big part in his perfect passer rating today.

Here are the inactives for today's game and some other musings from Giants Stadium, courtesy of T-Rock. Kevin Boss (ankle), Aaron Ross (hamstring), Michael Boley (knee), Chris Canty (calf) and Bryan Kehl (hand) are among the hobbled who will not play. Ross hasn't played yet this season and Terrell Thomas will again start in his place, while rookie Travis Beckum will fill in for Boss. 

Darren McFadden, who underwent knee surgery on Tuesday, is among those out for Oakland.

Here is the weather report from East Rutherford, where it's sunny and 60 degrees. A near perfect day for football.

Finally, here are a few notes on today's game:

-The Raiders, who finished last season 5-11, were 3-5 on the road in 2008.

-The Giants are third in the NFC in points scored this season with 107 (trailing only New Orleans and Minnesota). They have allowed 64, which is fourth in the conference.

-Russell is last in the league in passer rating at 42.4. He's completed an atrocious 39.8 percent of his passes (last in the league), and his 4.69 yards per attempt are also the worst in the NFL.

-The Raiders are -2 in giveaway/takeaway (tied for 19th in the league), while the Giants are +4, which is tied for sixth best with Jacksonville.

Okay, that's all for now. But we've got plenty more to talk about this afternoon, so let's get the conversation going in the chat box above! And be sure to vote on the poll questions. 

I'll be back after each quarter with updates. 

We're about 15 minutes from football on CBS! 

End of the 1st Quarter: Giants 14, Raiders 0

Giants' first scoring drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 8:03

Scoring play: Bradshaw 1-yard run (Tynes kick) ... it was Bradshaw's first TD of the year.

Key play: Smith 8-yard reception from Manning on 3rd-and-2 from their own 49. 

Giants' second scoring drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:37

Scoring play: Bradshaw 19-yard run (Tynes kick) ... his second of the afternoon.

Key play: Smith 43-yard reception from Manning on 1st-and-10 from their own 21. 

Players who impressed for the Giants:

-Manning completed passes to four different receivers on the first drive (even Jacobs caught a pass — his fourth reception of the year). He also induced an encroachment to turn a 3rd-and-8 into a 3rd-and-2.

-C.C. Brown made a nice hit on Todd Watkins to break up a third-down pass and force a punt. 

-Steve Smith, the NFL's leading receiver, caught two passes for 51 yards in the quarter, including a nice over-the-shoulder grab down the right sideline for 43 yards.

-Bradshaw rushed for 61 yards, including his first two rushing TDs of the season, on just five carries. On the final play of the quarter, he took a screen pass 55 yards on a 3rd-and-24 from his own 15. 

Players who struggled:

-After three failed rushing attempts by Jacobs inside the Raiders' 5-yard line, Bradshaw got the call on 4th-and-goal from the 1. Jacobs, as he generally does, ran too upright near the goal line. The smaller Bradshaw, however, had no problem scooting under the defense for the score.

-Kevin Dockery was flagged for a block in the back on the Giants' second punt return. 

-Kareem McKenzie was penalized 15 yards for a personal foul.

What to watch for in the second quarter: A first down for the Raiders?

End of the 2nd Quarter: Giants 31, Raiders 7

Giants' third scoring drive: 5 plays, 94 yards, 1:34

Scoring play: Mario Manningham 30-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) ... it was Manningham's third TD catch of the year and Manning's ninth TD pass of the season (he has at least one in every game). It was the first play of the second quarter.

Key play: Bradshaw 55-yard reception from Manning on 3rd-and-24 from their own 15. It was a screen pass on the final play of the first quarter.

Giants' fourth scoring drive: 3 plays, 13 yards, 1:29

Scoring play: Hakeem Nicks 9-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) ... it was Nicks' second TD catch of the year (and second in as many weeks), and Manning's 10 TD pass.

Key play: Terrell Thomas came in on a blitz and stripped Russell; Tuck recovered on the Raiders' 13. 

Raiders' first scoring drive: 3 plays, 15 yards, 1:06

Scoring play: Michael Bush 5-yard run (Janikowski kick) ... it was his second TD of the year, and just the fourth scored by the Raiders this season.

Key play: Moss muffed punt (more below).

Giants' fifth scoring drive: 3 plays, 21 yards, 0:25

Scoring play: Tynes 25-yard FG ... it was his 11th made field goal out of 14 tries.

Key play: Tuck strip sack and Osi's recovery on the Oakland 28 (more below).

Players who impressed for the Giants:

-Manning's first two passes of the second quarter went for touchdowns.

-Thomas showed nice speed and strength on his strip, as he hustled off the left end to get to Russell and then evaded a block to swipe at the ball. Later in the quarter, Thomas made a spectacular play to break up a deep pass down the middle to Louis Murphy, who had a step on him.

-Bradshaw had 118 total yards in the first half. Bradshaw and Smith both had more total yards than the Raiders offense (68) in the first two quarters.

-Chase Blackburn stopped Michael Bush for no gain on 3rd-and-1. (Russell ran for the first down on the next play, though.) 

-Michael Johnson recorded the Giants second sack of the game.

-Jeff Feagles had both of his punts downed inside the Raiders' 20.

-Justin Tuck came around the left end and stripped Russell on a sack, and Osi Umenyiora recovered it on the Oakland 28, setting up the Giants' last score of the half. It was Oakland's second turnover today.

Players who struggled:

-Sinorice Moss muffed a punt, and Oakland recovered on the Giants' 15-yard line.

-C.C. Brown was flagged for pass interference, giving the Raiders the ball at the Giants' 5.

-Dave Tollefson was flagged for a personal foul on a kick return.

What to watch for in the second half: Are the Giants going to put up 50 points today??

Here are some halftime stats for your viewing pleasure....

Giants

Manning: 8 of 10, 173 yards, two TDs; Carr: 3 of 6, 38 yards; Bradshaw: 7 carries, 82 yards, two TDs; 1 catch, 55 yards; Smith: 3 receptions, 70 yards; Manningham: 2 catches, 36 yards, TD; Nicks: 1 catch, 9 yards, TD; Thomas: 3 tackles, sack, forced fumble; Tuck: 5 tackles, sack, forced fumble; Tynes: 4 of 4 XPs; 1 of 1 FGs

Raiders

Russell: 4 of 8, 42 yards, lost fumble; Bush: 8 carries, 30 yards, TD; Miller: 2 catches, 26 yards; Lechler: 2 punts, 58 yards

End of the 3rd Quarter: Giants 41, Raiders 7

Giants' sixth scoring drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 3:18

Scoring play: David Carr 12-yard TD run (Tynes kick) ... it was his first TD run since 2006, when he ran for one at Giants Stadium as a member of the Texans. 

Key play: Trevor Scott's roughing the passer on a 3rd-and-10 incompletion gave the Giants a first down on the Oakland 15. 

Giants' seventh scoring drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 2:16

Scoring play: Tynes 33-yard FG (his second of the day)

Key play: Kiwanuka forced fumble recovered by Pierce (more below).

Players who impressed for the Giants:

-Mathias Kiwanuka knocked the ball out of Russell's hands, and Antonio Pierce recovered on the Oakland 22-yard, leading to a Giants field goal. It was Russell's third lost fumble of the day.

-Bradshaw has 110 yards rushing today, the second time he's eclipsed 100 yards this season.

What to watch for in the second half: The Giants will seal up their first 5-0 start in 19 years.

That's the end of game, as the Giants defeat the Raiders, 44-7. 

Giants: 5-0 (2-0 home)

Raiders: 1-4 (1-2 road)

Scores by quarter for the Giants: 14, 17, 10, 3

Scores by quarter for the Raiders: 0, 7, 0, 0

Giants' eighth scoring drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 6:18 ... the Giants have eight scores in their 10 possessions today.

Scoring play: Tynes 37-yard FG (his third of the game).

Key play: Nicks 17-yard pass from Carr on 2nd-and-7 from their own 40.

Here are your three stars for tonight's game:

1. Bradshaw: 11 carries for 110 yards (season high) and two TDs; 1 catch for 55 yards

2. Manning: 8 of 10 for 173 yards and two TDs. He had a perfect passer rating of 158.3.

3. Tuck: 6 tackles, 2 sacks, forced fumble.

 *The Giants had a 483-124 advantage in total yards. The Giants had 263 passing yards, 220 rushing yards  and held the ball for 36:04. 

**Justin Tuck (2), Terrell Thomas, Mathias Kiwanuka, Michael Johnson and Dave Tollefson all recorded sacks, while Tuck, Thomas and Kiwanuka all forced Russell fumbles.

Here are some other final stats:

Giants

 Manning: 8 of 10, 173 yards, two TDs

Carr: 9 of 14, 90 yards Bradshaw: 11 carries, 110 yards, two TDs; 1 catch, 55 yards Jacobs: 21 carries, 67 yards; 1 catch, 8 yards Smith: 3 receptions, 70 yards Manningham: 2 catches, 36 yards, TD Nicks: 4 catches, 49 yards, TD Thomas: 4 tackles, sack, forced fumble Tuck: 6 tackles, 2 sacks, forced fumble Tynes: 5 of 5 XPs; 3 of 3 FGs

Raiders

 Russell: 8 of 13, 100 yards, three lost fumbles

Bush: 12 carries, 37 yards, TD

Fargas: 11 carries, 18 yards Miller: 4 catches, 69 yards Lechler: 7 punts, 45-yard average

Okay, that's all for today's game. Check back above for updates on my pregame keys to the game. Thanks to all for coming out.

As always, it was my honor and pleasure to bring everyone all of today's live game action.

See ya'll back here on next Sunday, as the Giants visit the Saints at 1 p.m. 

Dave Diehl is ready to act out

Monday May 18, 2009 2:18 PM By Tom Rock

There’s very little chance that David Diehl will ever play quarterback in the NFL. But the Giants’ starting left tackle will get to play an NFL quarterback on Wednesday when he participates in the latest rendition of “12 Angry Mascots,” the sports-themed sketch show. Diehl will be on stage for some of the sketches and, he says, doing an impersonation of one very prominent quarterback in one of the scenes.

“It’s top secret,” he said when asked which hurler he might be spoofing. Brett Favre? Tom Brady? Eli Manning? “It could be, it could not be,” he said.

Diehl, ever a showman, doesn’t want to spoil the surprise. To find out, you’ll have to attend the show on Wednesday night at 10 p.m. at the Comix Comedy Club in Manhattan.

Diehl isn’t exactly Ricky Gervais in the locker room -- he said he thinks he's pretty funny, though -- so it may come as a bit of a surprise that he’s the one doing this. There are probably a dozen Giants I could think of who would be more likely to participate. In fact, the show usually uses professional athletes as themselves in on-stage interviews that break up the sketches. Jets safety Kerry Rhodes has done it in the past and on Wednesday Knicks guard Nate Robinson will be interviewed (seeing Diehl stand next to Nate might be the funniest part of the evening!).

(Photo by Getty Images)

But Diehl said the producers of the show wanted to try a little something different … and so did he.

“I love going to comedy shows and watching them on TV and being a part of them (in the audience),” he said. “I’m a little nervous considering the fact that I’ve never done it before, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Diehl is doing it because of the experience and also because a portion of the proceeds from the evening will go to a charity he works for, Project Sunshine, which helps kids dealing with diseases like cancer and AIDS around NYC.

Diehl hasn’t had any rehearsals and he hasn’t even seen any full scripts yet. They’ll have a dress rehearsal of the sketches on Wednesday afternoon, he said.

“They sent me some tips on stuff and how things will be run,” he said. “I’m open ears, open eyes, and I’ll go in and run with it.”

“I feel like I can hold my own in witty conversations,” he added, “and what better way to test yourself?”

You can bet that at least a few of Diehl’s teammates – and probably a number of his fellow o-linemen, will be in the audience. Whether they’ll be rooting for him or rooting for him to flub his lines, I can’t be sure.

Diehl said even if this goes well, though, it’s probably a one-time event. He doesn’t see himself going after a career as a comic or an actor.

“I’m a professional football player,” he said. “Everybody tries something different. This opportunity arose, so why not try it? When fun events arise and an opportunity to do something I’ve always wanted to do, I’ll jump at it.”

Of course, it'll be hard for Diehl to top this, perhaps the all-time greatest professional athlete appearance in a sketch ...

Eli and family honored

Tuesday March 10, 2009 1:12 PM By Tom Rock

The Mississippi State Senate passed resolutions honoring Eli, Peyton, Archie, Cooper and Olivia. You can read about it here.

Eli was there. Peyton wasn't. He was golfing in Florida. With Tiger Woods.