Loading ...
It's hard to write bad things about David Diehl. He has been the quintessential professional for the duration of his career with the New York Giants (save for last summer's DUI incident). He's a former All-Pro and a two-time Super Bowl champion. By all accounts, he's had a successful career with Big Blue and will go down as one of the better offensive linemen to ever step on the field in a Giants uniform. Despite his poor recent performances, offensive line coach Pat Flaherty insists that Diehl is the right choice to start at right tackle.
Diehl has been horrible not just recently, but for most of last season as well. He's struggled to keep up with some of the younger, more athletic defensive lines in the league and has allowed Eli Manning to come under pressure with consistency. However, the Giants are still blindly placing their faith in the 10-year veteran to protect their franchise quarterback.
"He's a competitor," Flaherty said of Diehl. "As most guys when they go through an injury they miss valuable time and even though he had a preseason, playing a new position, he also had him working at some guard. He just has to get more familiar with the right tackle position. I think he'll be just fine."
The statistics do not support the notion the Diehl will be "just fine." The Giants have given up four sacks this season in the six games without Diehl in the starting lineup, while the team has given up nine sacks in the four games Diehl has started this season. Furthermore, veteran offensive tackle Sean Locklear has not given up a sack in his last 542 snaps.
Obviously, David Diehl is not the only issue on the offensive line. Although the unit has performed significantly worse with him in the lineup, he's not the only contributing factor to the damning statistics outlined above. The wide receivers have not gotten open. Eli Manning has held onto the ball longer in recent weeks and the rushing attack has been non existent. Flaherty said that those are also important issues to consider when evaluating Diehl.
"You would love to say it’s this one thing or one person or one aspect, but it doesn’t work out that way," offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said. "Believe me when I tell you this, it’s all of us. We all have to do better."
The Giants coaching staff has a rhyme and a reason for everything they do. If David Diehl is starting at right tackle, it's because the coaching staff feels as if he is the best option and will help this team win more football games going forward.
However, it's time to stop making excuses for him. Everybody knows DIehl was injured. Everybody knows he had to make a transition from left tackle to right tackle. However, the fact of the matter is that this unit performed significantly better with Sean Locklear in the lineup than with Diehl. The team has suffered because of Diehl's recent performances. It's about time the Giants justify their support of him with on field results, as opposed to vague, generic statements as to why they are keeping him on the field.
Also…
- Be sure to like Giants 101 on Facebook, follow Giants 101 on Twitter & +1 Giants 101 on Google+
- Check out the latest line of GMENShirts, including the new pink version which supports the fight against Breast Cancer
- Listen to Gameface with The Frattman every Sunday morning at 9 AM EST on 940 ESPN Radio
Related Videos
Returning Soon!!!!No related posts.
Short URL: http://sport-ne.ws/mqt
Tell us it ain’t so Pat.
I am bewildered by this decision. Does Diehl have someone in the film department splice out the shots of him being beaten outright on speed rushes and then following his man to Eli in the hopes of helping Eli up quickly after he has been splattered?
I just do not get this.
I don’t “get” the way they’re handling the running backs, but I REALLY, REALLY do not get this.
At least with the running backs I can twist my thought process to see where they are valuing Bradshaw above the others. The RT situation is such a blatantly obvious decision to anyone who watches, fan or not.
“He’s a competitor” is hardly enthusiastic praise. It’s like when you have a date who has a “nice personality.”
Haha….EXACTLY.
Good dancer …
Really Pat? I think it’s now time for YOU to be benched.
I heard a rumor that some opposing defensive players have created a new nickname for Diehl, “EZ Pass”. If that doesn’t say it all, I don’t know what does.
Ha, great nickname, and fitting! Judging by the way he doesn’t bother to slow down the traffic, he’s clearly the highs-speed EZ Pass lane,
LOL
Where’d you hear this rumor? I got nothing when I tried googling it.
I just searched quick and couldn’t find it. It was a thread on BBI.
Nevermind, it was a thread on the Giants.com message board. I remembered the OP spelled it “Easy Pass”, so I was able to find it on Google.
http://boards.giants.com/showthread.php?23237-Rumor-has-it-that...
Gotta love the comment saying he posted on Diehl’s Twitter that his nickname should be EZ Pass. Funny but wrong.
LOL. Diehl needs more comments like that on his twitter. So does Pat Flaherty is he has a twitter too!
DD deserves the confidence boost.
But that doesn’t mean he should still be starting.
Osi Umenyiora: “There’s nothing tough about what we do. Our practices aren’t even hard, they’re not even long.”
Well there ya go. Is Coughlin going soft on us?
Well, that explains why the defense gives up points like it’s their job in the 4th quarter, and the offense looks like it’s running in mud.
Part of me wonders if this is just Osi displaying some machismo because that quote is a retort to Cris Carter saying that Coughlin’s practice schedule is the reason the team breaks down mid-season. If it is indeed true, it’s kindaaa……not good, to say the least.
there must be the belief that you ride the horses that got you there until they are completely and utterly done
in 2010, O’Hara went down, Suebert moved to center, Booth and Andrews took over the left side , and we reeled off 3 200+ yard rushing games in 5 weeks
O’Hara came back was reinserted immediately against Philly and away we went
same this year. Bradshaw goes down and for 2 consecutive weeks Brown looks all world. Braddie comes back and away we go.
Shawn Andrews…..there’s a guy that I wish would’ve worked out.
Speaking of Andrews, what ever happened to Stacy? I remember he had that serious injury, then I kinda….forgot about him.
Nevermind. Pulmonary embolisms in the lungs explains it all.
Diehl needs to improve over the bye
Bennett and Nicks need to get healthy. If they can’t consistently beat single coverage for the rest of the season then Eli will be in trouble. On that note Eli and Cruz need to realize they are our current best players and have to step up…Cruz cannot drop any more TDs and Eli needs to be better.
Send that list to Santa. Or I will … LOL
If we both do it then we have a better chance!
http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/giants/post/_/id/19498/simms-eli-isnt-elite
——–
Phil Simms says Eli is not elite and says that he thinks of Aaron Rodgers as an elite player
Dan Fouts comes to Eli’s defense saying being Elite depends on how you perform when it matters and Eli has done just that.
Whenever something looks completely illogical you usually don’t have all the information. I just have to believe that there’s a hell of a lot more to this Diehl drama than we know. The coaches and the team management are not idiots. They’re one of the best in the NFL. We don’t have all the facts. It’s the only reasonable conclusion.
Unless Locklear is put on IR tomorrow…
You’re obviously right BUT, is what is on film not a “fact”? The whole world can see Diehl being beaten like a drum by defensive ends who are not necessarily elite. Look, I know Cloughlin and Flaherty have forgotten more about football than any of us know, but I still cannot make sense of this. Locklear may not have been a world-beater, but he more than held his own. Diehl ought to just hold, period. Maybe he’d only be called for it half the time after the line judge got carpal tunnel syndrome from pulling his flag too often. That looks like DD’s only way out.
Cut me some slack … I’m struggling here … LOL
Field Yates ?@FieldYates
The Patriots have signed G Mitch Petrus, according to a league source.
Good for him.
all pro