Game 1: Giants Beat Colts But Still Lose

This game was unlike any other I can ever recall. I couldn't sleep afterwards. All that kept rolling around in my head was the inexplicable play calling. The Colts were unable to stop the Giants ground game. Not even close. When all was said and done, the Giants averaged over 6 yards per carry - and that wasn't padded with any 50+ yard runs. When it became obvious very early on that the Colts couldn't stop the run, it is inexcusable that they failed to enforce the most basic concept in football: force the other team to stop you. If ever there was a time to adopt the old "three yards and a cloud of dust" - the boring run on 1st, run on 2nd and only pass on 3rd & 3+, this was the game. Had the Giants done that simple thing, there is no doubt whatsoever - they win the game.

The defense held up their end of the bargain. Sure, the Colts scored 6 times. But the Giants held them to 2 touchdowns and that should have been - and was - enough to win.

The offense held up their end of the bargain too. Yes, there were mistakes and some poor play. Special teams were horrible - especially the kickoff and kick coverage units. The worst was giving the Colts the ball close to the Giants 40 and an easy 3 points just seconds after the Giants had made it 13-7 with less than a minute left in the half. Then there was the missed field goal. And ten penalties - none bigger than the false start on 3rd and inches. The mishandled handoff to Tiki and continued inaccurate passing by Eli.

But, despite all that, in the end, the Giants outplayed the Colts and were the better team. They lost this game for one reason and one reason only. The Colts were laid bare, their inability to stop the run totally exposed. And for reasons that totally escape me, the Giants refused to grab the dagger and plunge it deep into the Colts heart. All they had to do was hand the ball to Tiki and Jacobs until the Colts finally put 9 or more men in the box. They would have won and won handily.

I've not yet looked at the boxscore or the analysis of each series, or read what anyone else has written - and maybe I'll see things differently when I do. But I doubt it. The Giants were the better team last night. They outplayed the Colts. This one is squarely on the coaching staff.