I think that every sportswriter in the US who covered the Giants in 2011 acknowledged that it was Eli's late game heroics that got the Giants their 9 wins. They blistered the Gnats' D all season, and DC Perry Fewell was on the hot seat. Even Coughlin was being questioned. It wasn't until the last 3 or 4 games of the regular season that the Gnats got their defensive act and started giving Eli and his WRs some support.
No WR carries a team because he needs a QB to throw the ball to him. Ask Santonio about that. :sidelol:
maybe if he leads them to more opts earlier he doeasn't have to score so many late?
loss 1 at Wash: was it the D that threw an INT for a TD in a TD game?
loss 2 vs. Sea: I assume it was the D that gave up a safety then allowed a 90+ yd INT return for a TD. Down 4 late, going in for GW TD he throws 94 yd INT return for TD. Clearly the fault of the D
loss 3 at SF: Eli's 2 INts sure didn't hurt
loss 4: Philly: D picks off Young 3 times, Eli leads Giants O to 10 pts. Clearly the D was at fault
loss 5 at NO: the D gets a huge chunk but the O did nothing until it was too late
loss 6 GB: The D gets the blame
loss 7: Wash: Eli leads O to 10 pts, throws 3 INTs. Clearly the fault of the D
The wins:
win 1: SL: D scores TD, shuts down Rams- D led win
win 2 at Phi: D holds Philly to 16 pts, Eli threw 4 TDs- equal
win 3 at Ari: throws 4th qtr INT, gets benefit of blown call that would have ended game BUT after that break led GW drive. Eli and the O
win 4: Buf: ewaul O and D
win 5 Mia: Miami O had nice start but couldn't do anything in 2nd half. equal O & D
win 6 at NE: thrwos 4th qtr INT but leads GW drive. D did hold top O to 20 pts on the road. Equal, maybe slight in D's favor
win 7 at Dal: Eli & O
win 8 at NYJ: D shut down our O, Eli did nothing in this game. D and Cruz
win 9 Dal: D shut down Dal for most of game, key moment Cruz made big play. D and Cruz
Cruz took a 5 yd pass, made multiple defenders miss and took it 99 yds for the game and season changing TD. Eli in that game was 9 of 27, take away the great play by Cruz and he's 8-26 for 126 yds w/ 0 TDs and 1 INT.
the next week at Dallas, he again took a 5 yd pass and again made mutliple defnders miss but this time it was "only" for a 74 yd TD. later after dallas got back w/in a score w/ the Giants facing 3rd and long in the 4th qtr Eli threw the ball up for grabs, Cruz bat 2 defenders to come down w/ it. That was on Cruz not Eli.