Tuesday, December 29, 2009

SPEECHLESS

Not sure what to say about last Sunday, so I won't say much.  A season of injuries and inconsistencies has come to a close, and it's time for some changes.  Tom Coughlin sounds like he's ready to go back in time a bit.  He said he met with his leadership council after the loss, and didn't hear anything he thought would help going forward.  That experiment might be over if they don't find some real leaders on this team.  Leaders like Osi, who complained to the media after the game, remind you of the old leadership here.  We don't need another Tiki, Shockey, episode.  We need real leaders who produce on the field.  Osi obviously doesn't care for the new defensive system, and who can blame him.  The defensive coordinator who early on showed he wasn't a players coach by requesting to be in the press box on game days, made some critical errors handling this team.  The idea sold to the fans was that as a current member of the staff, he would keep the scheme essentially the same as it was under Spagnuolo.  This did not happen even from training camp.  As injuries started to mount this also become harder to achieve, but the communication was awful all year, and the execution even worse.  Thinking back a bit Bill Sheridan was the linebackers coach, and we have done nothing but lose linebackers to free agency in recent years.  We also have had very slow developing draft picks in that area. Maybe we should put two and two together and move on.
The offense is still a force. Kevin Gilbride's future probably lies in Eli's hands.  If he thinks he can flourish under his play calling, then he will most likely stay. The running game will need a boost on draft day, and the name Derrick Ward has surfaced recently, maybe opening the door for a return.  The GIANTS had planned on D. J. Ware taking his place, he performed very well in camp and pre-season, then got hurt on the opening kickoff of the season.  No one's fault there.  There will be a re-alignment of the offensive line, with some of the younger kids making a move into the starting rotation.  The tight end position is solid, and the young receivers certainly made their mark this year and will only continue to improve.
On defense there is work to do.  The coordinator will be let go next week sometime.  The name out there is Dick Jauron, who was Tom's defensive coordinator in Jacksonville.  Players brought in this year that did not perform well will be replaced, and the scheme will again change a bit.  The D needs to get a healthy Kenny Phillips back, a healthy Corey Webster and Aaron Ross will help too.  Tuck, Kiwanuka, Osi, Canty, Boley, and who ever else is retained need to step it up and show how good they can be.

The impressive 4 year run to the playoffs has ended.  The time for change is now.  The owners were extremely embarrassed on Sunday, and they will make all the changes necessary heading into next season and their new building.

Friday, December 25, 2009

END OF AN ERA

The GIANTS close down GIANTS STADIUM this Sunday at 1:00 eastern time against John Fox and the Carolina Panthers.  It is the end of an era in New York Sports, as the grand state of the art stadium from 1976 will be closed and a new updated spectacular version will be opened next year right next door.  The New stadium is finished, and should create quite the buzz when opened next September.  It will hold approximately 80,000 people and have all the modern amenities possible.

The GIANTS need to continue their strong play on defense this week and remain steady and efficient on offense.  The running game has returned as Tom Coughlin has insisted the POWER get put back in to the power running game.  The Giants have started running from two tight end sets again, from which they can play action and hold linebackers and safeties in their tracks.  They have decided to go back to true Giants football, we are going to run it and you can't stop us.  With a quarterback as good as ELI at the helm, they allow him to read the defense, switch the play when necessary, and keep the defense off balance.  The Panthers rush the passer well, and the screen game, running game, and draw game will be prevalent this Sunday.  The Giants have become a less stubborn team in terms of pass protection.  While some team will say it's our 5 against your 4, the Giants would rather provide help to their protection, and sacrifice certain pass patterns.  They really have become a patient offense again, utilizing the run, short passes, and the occasional shot down the field to keep the chains moving.  The 10-16 play drives also help the defense.
The Panthers have an inexperienced quarterback, one of two healthy running backs and a super star at wide receiver.  The plan would seem to be the same this week, double Steve Smith, concentrate on stopping the cut back running of Stewart, and pressure the qb into mistakes and inaccuracies.
The Giants have one mind set.....The playoffs started last Monday night for them.  They are in a single elimination tournament. They need to win the next 6 to win a championship.  They need to play at the top of their ability and maximize their concentration and effort.  This is a Giants team on a mission, and this is when they are the most fun to watch.

As most of you know I spent a lot of time at the "old" stadium in the 80's.  I have some spectacular memories of the place, ranging from my first visit with my Father and Uncle Pat.  I will never forget how green the (fake) grass was the first time I saw it.  We were lucky enough to be sitting very close to the field, and it was a great great day sharing it with family.  I remember the day George Martin returned an Elway interception 75 yards in a preview of that years Super Bowl(1986).  I always remember the way the defense would abuse the opposing quarterbacks of the day.  Danny White, Joe Theismann, and Ron Jaworski to name a few of the favorite targets.  I remember how Phil Simms got hurt on my birthday in 1990 against Buffalo, a game we lost, again in a precursor to the Super Bowl that year.  Beating the 49ers 49-3 in a playoff game was certainly sweet, as was beating Mike Ditka and the Bears on a goal line stand to win the division playoff in 1990.

Of course all memories of the place revolve around two central figures.  Two men that played their entire careers as GIANTS.  Phil Simms and the great LT, Lawrence Taylor, provided some very special moments.  I always think of Simms as one of the best quarterbacks to play the position.  He never gets enough credit considering the weather and the crown in the field he had to contend with at home, and the lack of talented receivers he had to choose from in those days.  Not many can name his receivers from those years, except for Mark Bavaro of course.  Lawrence Taylor was of another world.  When you watched a game live in those days, you always had an eye or two on LT.  He was never out of a play, no matter which way it was run.  He was how you found the ball, and when it was third down, or a critical part of the game, you knew who was going to make a play.  Now their are may plays to think of when thinking of LT, considering he sacked Jaworski 28 times and Randall Cunningham 27 times, but there is one that stands out for me more than any other.  In a typical tight Eagle Giants game late in the season, the Eagles had moved the ball down the field looking for the go-ahead score.  Third and goal from about the 7.  LT lined up in his customary spot, Jaworski snaps the ball, LT beats the tackle immediately and has the running back stepping up to block him, as the back gets in position to block, LT hurdles him, takes one step, and sacks Jaworski for a 10 yard loss.  Years later I met Mark Collins at a golf course and we discussed the defense of those days.  He said the toughest part of playing with LT was to not get caught watching him, and to do your job.  He said he remembered that play the most of any other LT had made in front of him.  It really was incredible to watch him week in and week out.

LT will be honored at halftime this week.  He deserves any and all accolades and discussed his fondest memory this week on the radio.  I have to agree with his assessment.  The best memory of Giants stadium is the shut out win over the Redskins in the NFC Championship game of 1986.  The Giants have hosted 2 NFC Championship games in the stadiums history, 17-0 over Washington and 41-0 over the Vikings in 1990.  The one in 1986 was special because it was the first, and the Giants dominated that day in a typical Giants Stadium winter day.  Wintery winds and cold cold temperatures bothered the 'Skins all day.  The famous coin toss won by the Giants, and Harry Carson pointing to the end they wanted to defend.  The "Skins could not throw or kick the ball effectively that day, and in those days running against the Giants defense was not an option.  The famous picture of the stadium with all the confetti and papers swirling above it is one I will never forget.

Of course their were many great days and these are just a few of my memories form a wonderful time in their history.  The stadium served them well and was a distinct advantage.  The new one should provide an even greater advantage, and serve the Giants well into the future.  Feel free to comment and leave your memories of the stadium.

Giants on a mission...favored by 7......They should keep rolling

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

Enjoy

www.profootballinsight.net

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

BIG WIN

The GIANTS dismantling of the Redskins was certainly a sight to see.  The fact that ESPN didn't get time to introduce the GIANTS defense until 13:45 of the 2nd quarter was all you really need to know.  Two long drives for touchdowns on the first two possessions sandwiching one of may three and outs for the rejuvenated defense was the tale of the night, and marked the end of the game early.  Giants had 3 penalties for 15 yards and held the ball for over 34 minutes.

The task at hand is now simple.  WIN.  The GIANTS basically started the post season Monday night.  They have been told this is now a single elimination tournament.  While mathematically this is not true, this is the mindset of the team.  Ironically they are in the same position as 2007, except for the fact that 9-7 probably won't be good enough this year to make the playoffs.  The remaining opponents are familiar ones, and actually the same two teams they played at the end of last year.  Carolina and John Fox get to come in and close the stadium for the GIANTS, then on the road to Minnesota, a place that has treated the G-Men well over the years.  You can almost picture Tom Coughlin evoking the memories, and focusing his team on winning the next game.  6 more wins and you are champions again.  One at a time, but win and you will be remembered forever.  It's funny how these seasons change dramatically from week to week, how little losing or winning streaks affect you, but the overall outcome is still what is important.  This is why we love the NFL.

Eli, who had another fantastic game Monday, stated this week "we are a playoff team" and I think he can lead us to that end........with a little help along the way.

Preview of Giants-Carolina on Friday, and the end of an era in the Meadowlands.

Monday, December 21, 2009

END OF THE ROAD? PROBABLY NOT!

The ultimate backs against the wall game for the ultimate backs against the wall team.  The Giants playoff hopes took a little hit this weekend when the Cowboys pulled off a small miracle Saturday night and actually won a game in December.  However the Green Bay Packers managed to lose to Pittsburgh yesterday on the final play of the game.  The GIANTS need to get a win tonight in Washington to prove they belong in the NFL playoffs, and to show they want to be in the NFL playoffs.
The GIANTS and Redskins are both beat-up on both sides of the ball.  Injuries abound on both rosters, with Washington down to their 5th running back of the year, their 3rd tight end, and a reworked offensive line.  The GIANTS have traveled to Washington with Kareem MacKenzie, and without Corey Webster.  Aaron Ross is a game-time decision.
The GIANTS will be mainly healthy on offense and even Tom Coughlin knows now that this is the unit that has to win these remaining games.  He will keep pushing tonight, putting points on the board whenever possible, throwing the deep ball to Nicks, and establishing the run early.  The Redskins have an excellent defense, especially against the run, look for Bradshaw to play as much as he is able, especially in short yardage.  His shiftiness seems to work better against Washington.  The Redskins have some DB's and Safeties out, they usually crowd the line and keep one safety deep, keying on the run on every play.
The GIANTS must double Santana Moss tonight, and keep an eye on the tight end.  The only guy that can really hurt you is Moss, the others need to be covered obviously, but they are extra parts.  The have a make-shift offensive line that shouldn't be able to push us around too much.  Of course this defense is not a typical GIANTS defense.

GIANTS have won 5 of last 6 against Washington, and believe it or not the Redskins could be looking towards next week when they play the Cowboys, who they lost to 7-6, a game they have dubbed their Super Bowl!

Giants favored by three...

New article at www.profootballinsight.net

Monday, December 14, 2009

ALL IS NOT LOST

Giants lose, Cowboys lose, Falcons lose, Bears lose, Panthers lose..........All is not lost!

The Giants fought hard last night, especially on offense racking up over 500 yards and scoring 38 points.  As stated on this space Friday, this game would be won by special teams and turnovers.  so for as bad as the defense looked at times last night, the -3 turnover ratio and the punt return for a touchdown was the difference between winning and losing.  Just another weird bounce in the Eagle Giants series occurred when Brandon Jacobs had the ball popped from his grip on the first series, flying into the air. bouncing off players, hitting an Eagle defender in stride allowing him to return it for a touchdown.

The Giants fought back from a 14-0 deficit and even rallied to take the lead at one point.  Down six though they made a curious call.  With 3rd and 4 at the 50, with a defense that hadn't stopped anyone all day, they chose to run the ball.  Now, if we were leading, or had our old defense, I would defend this call all day, but with this defense against that team that was the worst call Kevin Gilbride ever made.

Cowboys head down to New Orleans Saturday night where they will suffer their 3rd straight December defeat, while the Giants head to Washington for a Monday night match-up.  We still own all the tie-breakers against Dallas.  We lost a great chance at winning the division last night, but the future still holds a wild card spot for us if we can just win 2 of the next 3.

Preview on Washington will be on MONDAY next week.  I want to know all the injuries and what everyone else did before I write it.

Remember to keep checking www.profootballinsight.net for more on the Giants and my new column "From The Stripes"

Friday, December 11, 2009

FAMILIAR BIRDS

The Eagles land in the Meadowlands Sunday night for a very important, but not critical, division game.  The Eagles have fallen victim to many injuries this year , and continue to get healthy, but also to be inconsistent.  Westbrook WILL NOT play this week,  Jeremy Maclin their rookie receiver has a bad foot and has not practiced all week, and DeSean Jackson, their sensational wide-out and kick returner is making a return from a concussion two weeks ago.  This team has become a Big Play team.  They take risks on defense and look for big plays on offense.  Donovan McNabb is healthy and we all know how he loves to play in Jersey.  They have a new emerging weapon in Brent Celek, a very talented young tight end.

The GIANTS must bring the same emotion they brought to the Cowboy game.  This Eagle team is a little tougher mentally than the Cowboys and will not fold under pressure.  The defense must again stop the run and make the Eagles one dimensional.  Look for the same strategy of allowing the short throws, rallying to the ball and making strong tackles.  The Giants must test the Eagles patience, make them drive the field 3,4 or 5 yards at a time, get them in third down on every series, then bring the pressure and hope to force a mistake.  For all the whining about how the Giants played last week, it was by design.   They made the Cowboys convert third downs.  Almost every series resulted in a third down.  You don't win time of possession this way, and you don't look good in the stats the next day, but you can win ball games using this strategy, and that is the name of the game.

As Giants fans we are always a little skeptical of our team, we tend to question if they are good enough, or coached well enough, or mentally prepared.  Except for some dominating teams, like 1986, we have had reason to question.  This group is well coached, you can see how Tom quietly (quietly for New York that is) stepped in and made the adjustments necessary.  He challenged guys personally, but did it in a way he knew they would respond to. The GIANTS love to play with their backs against the wall, and I think a key to last week was after the game Brandon Jacobs called himself out for being a poor leader.  He thought he had not been vocal enough, and had not showed the passion we all know he has.  We will see how this all translates Sunday night.

I look for the Giants to show they want to stop this 3 game slide to the Eagles, to continue to look better on defense, and to take advantage of their opportunities on offense.  This game will be decided on special teams and turnovers.

The GIANTS will be celebrating the 2007 team before the game, so look for a few familiar faces on the sideline during the game.  Second to last home game in the "OLD" stadium.

The Giants control their destiny now, but keep an eye on the Cowboys Chargers game earlier in the day, that game has just as much meaning as ours.

For more on the Giants see:  www.profootballinsight.net

Monday, December 7, 2009

7-5 AND STILL ALIVE!

The GIANTS took a big step yesterday towards making a playoff run.  The three phases of the team showed up and executed the strategy of the game.  They stopped the run, 23 carries for 45 yards, 8 carries for 11 yards in the second half.  They let Witten and Miles Austin get their catches underneath and did not let up the big play.  They created a key turnover, rushed the passer, and scored on special teams.  Three quick drives by the GIANTS ruined their quest for winning the time of possession, but that only matters to the announcers, when the drives end in TD's, who cares how long you have the ball in your hands. Two penalties all day.  That's coaching!  Wade Phillips was asked today if he feels his players are winners...even though they can't win in December and this group of guys hasn't won anything.  His answer was  "Yes, we haven't won anything, but we haven't lost anything either"  HUH?
How about losing the playoff game in Seattle? The NFC Division game to the GIANTS in '07? The last game of the year last year to miss the playoffs all together?  You haven't lost anything?  Way to hold the guys accountable!

Those are the days you enjoy in GIANTS stadium in December.  High energy, great crowd, a little nip in the air, and beating the Cowboys for the second time in a season.

The poorly coached Cowboys have a tough road ahead of them.  They have no kicking game, and the media to deal with as their December crumble continues.  They have a chance of going 8-8 for the season.  They will be the key to the GIANTS chances of making the playoffs.

The Falcons are done, San Francisco is finished, and that leaves the Green Bay Packers, Eagles, Giants and Cowboys for the 2 wild card spots and the Division Champion.

Green Bay plays tonight, so root for Baltimore.

Preview of the Eagles on Friday!  Hope you taped this one, it's certainly worth watching a few times over!

Friday, December 4, 2009

LAST STAND

The cowboys come calling this weekend for their final trip to the "old" Giants Stadium.  Both teams need this game for their playoff possibilities.  The Cowboys have a little more leeway, however they both need this game to take a step forward.

The GIANTS have made some changes on defense this week that will be very noticeable.  They have benched Osi  and Fred Robbins.  They will play Mathias Kiwanuka and Chris Canty in their stead.  This will give them more size and quickness, and these players have earned the right to see if they can make a difference.  Also Chase Blackburn will be replaced by Jonathan Goff, a bigger, tougher middle linebacker. This being the NFL, all of the players will play, but the situations in which they are used will be different.  Osi has been awful against the run all year, and they believe that Canty can "Hold the Edge" better, and that Kiwanuka has the quickness to get the needed penetration into the oppositions backfield.

The offense is still thin at running back as D.J. Ware is out with a concussion, making the questionable Ahmad Bradshaw a pivotal player in this weeks game.  He is listed as questionable, but insists he will play Sunday.  The running game has to establish itself in this game, it must be a consistent weapon used to keep the Cowboys honest.  The Arlington Cowboys are very thin in the secondary and their starting safety Ken Hamlin was ruled out of the game as of today.  The Giants need to force the Cowboys to commit people to the run in order to get time to pass, and have somewhere for Eli to throw the ball.  Without a running game, this will be a long day for our beloved Big Blue.

The Cowboys always bring out the best in the Giants.  This should be a fantastic game IF the Giants can play to their ability level.  The usual trash talking has accompanied Cowboy week,  including Jerry Jones putting the pressure on his team to win this game to wrap up the division in his mind.

As usual there will be no weather ( whatever happened to weather in the NFL?) 43 degrees and partly cloudy.  The GIANTS will welcome back Tiki Barber Sunday as an honorary captain.  I'm not sure the crowd will be as welcoming....but with the stadium closing soon, they need to pay homage to the guys who made the memories.  This will keep him away from the closing game where I imagine lots of the old GIANTS will be honored.  But as Wellington Mara always said "There are no Ex-Giants, just inactive Giants."

Enjoy this one.....

Giants getting points for the first time all year.