Okay, This Catch Is Ridculous

((HT: Ollie Connolly's Vine/SNF on NBC))

Just watch...


Yeah, Odell Beckham, Junior's catch is still ridiculous...

And will be for quite some time...

Morning Wrap: BASTA Breakdown--49ers Down The Giants

49ers’ Defense Stellar As They Stymie The Giants

By: Apurv Baichwal

–NEW YORK

Today, playing in his home stadium in the Big Apple in front of a sellout crowd, Eli Manning was absolutely terrible. The 49ers, on the other hand, actually played rather well, as their defense was stellar and their offense was good enough to grant them the win. Today they won 16-10, although the game never truly felt that close, as seemed to be completely unable to get a solid drive going without Eli Manning throwing an interception. All together, on the day, he threw a whopping five interceptions, making the Giants’ offense pretty stagnant, and the 49ers’ defense exemplary.

This game opened up with a 49er drive where the offense looked extremely solid and well-balanced. With seven rushing plays and four passing plays, the 49ers were able to work their way all the way down the field to the New York 16 yard line. However, once they got there, the usually sure-handed Frank Gore actually fumbled the ball, losing the 49ers a chance for an easy score. Here’s a Vine of the pretty unusual fumble that involved a Frank Gore trip, slip, and fall:

Although this fumble did not end up costing the 49ers in the game, it was still a huge surprise, as Frank Gore almost never fumbles the ball. In fact, this fumble was his first of the season, and it is very possible that it will be his last, simply because he has averaged 2.5 fumbles per season in his last four. Frank the Tank is called a tank for a reason: he is strong and sturdy. So, the 49ers coaches and their fans should put this fumble behind them if they have not already, as Gore is still a stellar running back and the workhorse for the 49ers.

After the 49ers drive was stopped short on Gore’s fumble, the Giants scored their first and only touchdown of the day on a pretty beautiful drive. They drove down the field in five plays and finished with a touchdown pass to their tight end Larry Donnell. After this score, the Giants were up 7-0, and it looked like they were controlling the game. However, the 49ers quickly responded with a field goal on their next possession, after a similarly long drive that fortunately ended in points this time. The Niners then forced the Giants to punt to end the first quarter, going into the second down 7-3.

The second quarter, as opposed to the first, was an amazing quarter for the 49ers. The only issue for the 49ers this entire quarter was that they were not able to actually punch the ball into the end zone; they repeatedly settled for field goals, a theme of this game. However, back to the positive, the 49ers opened up the second quarter with a drive and a Phil Dawson 37-yard field goal. On the Giants next possession, the defense put a quick stop to the Giants’ offense, as rookie linebacker Chris Borland recorded his first career interception. This pick came when he jumped the ball on a short route, and he ran it back 12 yards until he was tackled. He has been stellar in his last two games for the 49ers, recorded eighteen and seventeen tackles in the last two games, respectively. Essentially, he has been a beast on the field filling in for the injured Patrick Willis, who will not be returning this season. Fortunately, as we said last week, he is a great fill in, and is currently playing at a Pro Bowl level. Below is a Vine of Borland’s interception of Eli Manning:

After this interception, the 49ers ran a short drive, but were once again unable to get the ball into the end zone, settling again for a field goal. However, with this score they did take a 9-7 lead. Then, in an episode of déjà-vu, Eli Manning threw his second interception on his next drive, this time a short pass to the right literally intended for nobody except 49ers’ linebacker Michael Wilhoite, who caught the ball and ran it back one yard. Here’s a vine of that pick:

After this interception, the 49ers were once again unsuccessful on offense, not gaining any points this time. They took their 9-7 lead into halftime with another fruitless possession by each team.

Finally, in the third quarter, the 49ers managed to get the ball in the end zone for their first and last time of the game.  On the third play of the drive, Kaepernick hit Michael Crabtree on a post route, which he ran 36 yards into the end zone for a huge touchdown. This touchdown, which you can watch below (albeit in a very low quality Vine), gave the 49ers a 16-7 lead, and all the points they would need to win the game.

Unfortunately for the 49ers, the Giants responded to their touchdown with a field goal, cutting the lead to 16-10, and meaning that a Giants touchdown would give them a win, with the extra point. In a surprise play, the Giants actually decided to kick an onside kick in the third quarter after this score. Even more surprisingly, they caught the 49ers off guard and were successful in regaining possession. This play looked like a huge momentum change, as the Giants had just earned a free possession. Fortunately for the 49ers, however, Eli Manning continued his awful play and threw a deep interception to second-year safety Eric Reid on another ball that really wasn’t intended for any receiver. In the stat books, this throw was supposedly intended for Reuben Randle, but there was an obvious miscommunication, and Eli Manning made a poor decision and still let the ball fly, resulting in a pick to end the drive. Here’s a link to that pick:

Eli Manning’s Third Interception

After another long 49ers offensive drive, they once again ended fruitless, this time because Andy Lee fumbled the snap on the field goal attempt, meaning that they could not get the kick off. Instead Lee tried to salvage the play by throwing the ball, but it was an incomplete pass, turning the ball over on downs. So, the score stayed 16-10, even after each side had an extremely promising drive.

About halfway through the fourth quarter, Eli Manning threw his fourth interception of the game. This one came on a short pass to the left, as Eli Manning attempted the throw while being hit by Aaron Lynch. This time veteran cornerback Chris Culliver came up with the pick, falling on the ball to secure it. Here’s a link to Manning’s fourth pick of the game:

Eli Manning’s Fourth Interception

The 49ers were unsuccessful on offense after this pick, as was the theme through the game, and they punted the ball to the Giants. Here, however, the game got really interesting, as the Giants got extremely close to scoring. The Giants got the ball all the way down to the 49ers four yard line, and they and a first and goal from this spot. Fortunately for the 49ers, Eli Manning was still awful, and he threw three incomplete passes in a row. These three incompletions left the Giants with a decision to make on fourth and goal at the 49ers’ four yard line. With 4:50 to go and down by six, the Giants chose to go for the touchdown like most teams would. Oddly, the Giants’ coaches seemed not to learn from the four interceptions Manning had thrown, and the last three incomplete passes, and they put the ball in his hands to try to throw for the touchdown. Following the theme of the game, he tried to force the ball into a spot that simply was not open. This pass was intended for wide receiver and return specialist Preson Parker, but it was knocked away by cornerback Dontae Johnson. In a seriously lucky play, the tip went up, and rookie linebacker Chris Borland managed to get under the ball and snag it for his second interception of the day at the two-yard line. You can watch that pretty stellar pick below:

Together, Johnson and Borland saved the 49ers’ win, as that one play stopped the Giants drive, in a situation where they could have taken the lead. Each team had one possession after this, but neither did anything much, allowing the game to end with a 49ers win and a final score of 16-10.

On an interesting side note, Chris Borland is the second 49ers’ linebacker to record two interceptions in a single game in 40 years, with the company of Ken Norton Jr. from 1995. He is also the only 49ers rookie to ever grab two picks in one game. Finally, Chris Borland has 45 tackles on the season, including 13 today, which ties him for fifth among all rookies, but he has achieved this great number on only 200 snaps. Overall, Chris Borland has been amazing for the 49ers, filling in admirably for one of the best linebackers in the game. He’s a great rookie, and he should continue his development into a perennial Pro Bowl linebacker.

Now for some statistics from today:

The offense picked up 333 yards, a somewhat respectable number, but a low one all the same. Colin Kaepernick threw for 193 yards and one touchdown on 15 of 29 passes. He played pretty poorly, especially in the red zone, where he never managed to score a touchdown today. All together, the 49ers had four red zone trips: two of them resulted in field goals, and two of them resulted in no points. This number is unacceptable, and if the defense hadn’t carried the team with timely interceptions, the 49ers would have lost. They need to clean up their offense quickly, as they are in a good position to make the playoffs now, but they will need to capitalize on red zone opportunities and score in the future.

The rushing attack was actually pretty good today, as Frank Gore rushed for 95 yards on 19 carries, for a stellar 5.0 yards per carry clip. Those numbers are really good, and the only things that could have brightened his day would have been a touchdown or to have not fumbled. In the backup role, rookie running back Carlos Hyde had a pretty heavy workload of nine carries, but was only able to make 25 yards out of them including his longest run of the game of only seven yards. Finally, Kaepernick carried the ball eight times for 24 yards, but that number includes his long of sixteen yards. Together, however, the rushing attack was quite good, picking up 148 yards on 37 carries for a 4.0 yards per carry. One note for the total is it includes Vernon Davis’s one rushing attempt for four yards on a toss that was scored as a running play rather than a passing one.

Michael Crabtree was the only receiver who had a good game, as he finished with 85 yards and a touchdown on three receptions. His problem was that he was targeted eight times, so the completion rate was pretty awful. His day also only looks this good due to his 48 yard touchdown play. Anquan Boldin actually probably played better than Crabtree as he caught five of his six targets, but he only got 53 yards, as he mainly worked as a possession receiver. One good thing is that Kaepernick knows that he has a lot of weapons who can catch the ball, and he is really good at spreading the ball out to keep defenses guessing. For example, he attempted passes to nine different people today, meaning that defenses cannot target a single receiver and shut the offense down. The only issue is Kaepernick was rushing his throws today, and he was not very accurate, the main reason for his low completion rate of 15 for 29.

The offense needs to improve from this week, but the team still managed a win, which is all that matters at this point. The defense was stellar, although a lot of credit needs to be given to Eli Manning’s awful throws.

With this win, the 49ers’ record becomes 6-4. Also, with the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks struggling mightily this year, the 49ers are actually tied with them for second place in the NFC West. Currently, however, with the Arizona Cardinals leading the entire NFL with a 9-1 record, it is highly unlikely that the 49ers win the division. Even so, they could get into the playoffs from a wildcard spot if they just continue to win some games. Right now, they are a game back of both the Cowboys and the Packers in the wild card chase, but the 49ers have a better schedule ahead. Next Sunday, at 1:25 PST, the 49ers will take on the 3-7 Washington Redskins at home. This game should be an easy win for the 49ers, as long as they don’t completely forget how to play football. Hopefully, they can grab a win next week, because every game is going to count in the chase for playoff spots.

Morning Wrap: Seattle Seahawk Makes Detour Before Start of Game

((ht: foxsports.com))

Ooops...sometimes wild animals don't always stick to the script...

Which is exactly what happened Sunday afternoon before the New York Giants/Seattle Seahawks game in Seattle.

Taima the Auger Hawk gets paraded around the field before the game and is considered one of the teams mascots.

Which is fine...except Taima decided to go off script. And visit---or land on the head of a surprised Seahawks fan.

Your video:

Eli Manning Has Trouble Understanding His OC's Play Calls Thanks To A Language Barrier

[HT: New York Post]

Photo: Bill Kostroun

The language of football is a unique one that those who play for a living know fluently.

Until you mix it with some regional accents then the language of football becomes confusing.

Take for instance what the New York Giants are experiencing during training camp.

New Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo grew up in Homer City, PA which is near Pittsburgh and speaks with a distinct Western Pennsylvania accent.

McAdoo barks play calls on his walkie-talkie to Giants quarterback Eli Manning who has speakers in his helmet.

Manning was born and raised in New Orleans so McAdoo's accent is foreign to a native Southerner.

“We’re getting better,’’ Manning said  “We’re on the same page. We had a few mishaps in OTAs, couple of words, the southern accent and the Pennsylvania accent, you don’t always say the same 

For instance the word "Wool" is in the Giants terminology but when Manning hears McAdoo say that in his Western Pennsylvania accent is sounds like "Roll."

“I had to try to figure out what he was saying,’’ Manning said. “He says it his way, I adjust to him. He’s going to say it that way, I just got to know what he’s talking about. Now I know. ‘Roll’ means ‘wool.’ ’’

I wonder if the G-Men have given any thought to hiring someone who speaks fluent southern to relay plays to Eli.

Just a thought.

Dorsett, Marshall, and Joe D Diagnosed With CTE

((HT: ESPN))

Three more names in the near-year history of the NFL have now been told that they have been diagnosed with the tau protein associated with CTE.

Tony Dorsett, Leonard Marshall, and Joe DeLammielleure have had some of their brain tissue examined at UCLA Medical Center and have now been given the news...

William Weinbaum and Steve Delsohn have traced the new round of diagnoses at ESPN...

Here's the latest...


The NFL has, naturally, declined to comment. The league still says, and even moreso now with the settlement made with players in the concussion lawsuit, that you can't connect football to CTE or any other kind of brain damage...

Of course, they have...

Adam Benigni caught up with Joe D...
((HT: WGRZ-TV Buffalo))

The New York Jets are Stupid

You know, we've grown weary over the past couple of seasons being bombarded with non-stop, blow-by-blow, stupid mistake-by-stupid mistake coverage of the hapless New York Jets.

And every time we think the ESPN and NBC Sports of the world are going to finally figure out nobody outside New York likes or cares about the ineptitude of the Jets, we get this.

Saturday night during the teams exhibition game with the New York Giants, which the Jets actually  won, head coach Rex Ryan made another in his long list of bizarre coaching decisions.

Inexplicably, Ryan put the man most think would be the starting QB for the team, Mark Sanchez (he of the butt fumble), back in the exhibition game in the 4th quarter with the backups instead of 3rd teamer Matt Simms.

And almost immediately, Sanchez got hurt. He was hit by the Giants Marvin Austin and came off the field with what appeared to be a pretty significant shoulder injury.

Granted, there was no guarantee that Sanchez would be the starter when the season begins, the massive media throng covering the team has been hoping rookie QB Geno Smith would get the nod. But Smith played like a green rookie throwing 3 INT's during the game and pulling a Dan Orlovsky by stepping out of his own end zone trying to complete a pass.

Anyway....

As dumb as the Ryan move was, it got worse when he got kinda defensive about it at his press conference:

Pam Oliver Shakes It Off...

((HT: NFL on FOX/jeffallen71 via Instagram))

This happened pre-game to Fox sideline reporter Pam Oliver before the New York Giants-Indianapolis Colts game...



For the record, it was Chandler Harnish who through the wild pass, not Oliver Luck, Bert Jones, or Marty Domres...

Looks like she shook it off very well...
Carry on...

ICYMI: The Manning Brothers Sing for Ad (It's Funny)

((ht: si.com))

If you haven't seen this, it's worth the 2 minutes or so that it takes to watch. And yes, we know, it's a DirecTV ad, but it's still worth watching.

Check out the Manning brothers, Peyton and Eli as they try, albeit somewhat interestingly, to sing about "Football on Your Phone".

The song--and ad is a very well done piece showing various shots of the French Quarter and more importantly featuring the Super Bowl winning QB's, with some really, really bad wigs and stuff.

Enjoy the video:

Why Roddy White And Victor Cruz Need To Back Away From The Twitter

The Trayvon Martin verdict was put out there into the Twitterverse this evening...

And, as a news feed, we thought we'd show you this...

Atlanta Falcons WR Roddy White sent off this gem:

All them jurors should go home tonight and kill themselves for letting a grown man get away with killing a kid

After sending this gem:

Fucking Zimmerman got away with murder today wow what kind of world do we live in

Well, then...

Decide for yourself how you fall on the trial of George Zimmerman and the subsequent verdict, but what Roddy fired off was pole vaulting over a line of common sense that gets crossed more often than not these days in the era of social media...

It will be interesting to see how Roddy responds and how his employers feel about his thoughts at 140-words-per submission...

As an aside, newly minted Giants WR Victor Cruz sent off the following howitzer on his own:

"Thoroughly confused. Zimmerman doesn't last a year before the hood catches up to him."

Public apologies and retractions in 3, 2, 1...

Lawrence Taylor's Son Arrested In Georgia For Statutory Rape, Sodomy

HT: New York Post 

Lawrence Taylor, Jr's Mug Shot

We all know the rap sheet on Lawrence Taylor during and after his playing days with the New York Giants.  The elder LT was arrested for buying drugs in the past.  In 2010 Taylor was arrested for having sex with and underage prostitute.  LT plead guilty on that charge but was acquitted on assault charges.

LT's son now has his own issues with an alleged sex crime.

Lawrence Taylor, Jr. was arrested Sunday by the Cobb County, Georgia and charged with statutory rape, aggravated sodomy and child molestation according to the Cobb County Sheriff's office.

It is being reported that one of the accusers is a female under the age of 16.

We won't go into the details but you can read the New York Post ariticle here for all the juicy details.

Another witness who is also an underage female told police she's had consensual sex with LT, Jr. several times last year.  That would be your alleged statutory rape charge.

Lawrence Taylor Jr. could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted on either the sodomy charge or the child molestation charge according to the Cobb County District Attorney's Office.

L T Jr. is being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

Here's the early info from 11Alive
((HT: 11Alive.com))

Jerry Jones talks smack about NY Giants, NY Media's heads implode

Jerry/Post-plastique

((ht: espn.com))

Really?

Guess it really doesn't take much to move the center of the media universe (New York) off the Olympics and MLB Trade Deadline and on to football.

The reason they are freaking out: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told the masses assembled at his teams training camp that "Ya'll should come to that stadium and watch us beat the Giants' ass".

Oh my Goo-wad!

You'd think Jones said "Your mother smells of Eldeberry" or something.

Of course our friends at the 4-letter have joined the frenzy, aghast the Jones would ever utter such a thing.

Read the "jab" story from ESPN.com RIGHT HERE

The NY Daily News chimes in RIGHT HERE

Oh, that Jerry, he's so brash.

Okay...lighten up Frances!

So what.

He's allowed to talk smack. We don't care. Really. What! Is Big Pussy gonna come from New Jersey and "Ice" him or something?

So what? Dallas wants to knock off the Super Bowl champs. Who doesn't? Sure, we could care less about either of these two teams, the only reason we mention it is because we laughed more at the reaction then the comment.

So buckle up little buckaroo, when Dallas heads to New Jersey to play "Los Gigantes", the hype machine will be in "Full Force". You can bet money that will be the FOX National Game, if not all over NBC.

Just thought we'd share.

Large Brush Fire near Meadowlands: Anybody concerned?

((ht: nbcnewyork))

A 3-alarm, 30-plus acre brush fire is burning in an area of New Jersey housing the Meadowlands Sports Complex.

The fire,which officials emphasize poses no danger to the buildings, is located very close to the Jets/Giants Met-Life Stadium and the Izod center.

It's part of a rash of brush fires that have popped up all over the eastern part of the U.S as it has been very, very windy and incredibly dry over the past week.

Read more from NBCNewYork RIGHT HERE

While we know you've come to expect some sort of snarky commentary here about the desolate--swamp like enviornment around the Meadowlands we will resist the temptation.

We'll also refrain from making any of the obligatory Jimmy Hoffa jokes because they are far too easy to make. No, we'll just speculate that perhaps...and this is only speculation, its an act of god, signaling the complete transition of the Tebow from Bronco...to Jet.

Just sayin'....

WNBC provides us with some raw video of the fire:

View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.

Ann Mara Wants Nothing To Do With Terry Bradshaw

So, what does she do...???

Interrupt his post-game interviews to explain how chapped she is...
((HT: FoxSports/NFL/youtube))


Nothing like live TV, eh...???

Michael Boley spikes ball off of photogs face

Ooops.

We all know football players, particularly those on defense, get excited when they score a touchdown. Often they will spike the ball or throw it off the back wall or do some sort of bizarre touchdown dance that they perceive as being cool.

Well, not last night. New York Giants linebacker Michael Boley gets the opportunity of the game, he recovers a fumble Monday night against the Rams, scoops it up and returns it for a touchdown.

And then he goes to celebrate. We think he was trying to throw it off the wall. Or at least we hope so. He missed and drills the guy standing next to a photographer shooting video. (It bounces of the photogs face).

Nobody was hurt, but it was sort of funny video.