Maybe, because it was his first NFL touchdown, New York Giants Michael Boley can be forgiven for performing one of the worst football spikes in recent memory during last night's game. If the score doesn't leave an imprint in NFL history, the torpedo-like ball left one in some poor fan's face.
Boley, after scooping up a fumbled screen pass to St. Louis Rams running back Cadillac Williams, raced 65 yards to score a second quarter TD then, after the Giants linebacker crossed the goal line, he spiked the ball directly into the face of a fan standing behind the end zone.
It doesn't look like Boley intentionally drilled the ball into the unsuspecting man, but the horizontal toss was a direct hit to the nose and had enough power to ricochet off the guy's face into the back of a cameraman's head.
Boley's first NFL score came after being at the right place at the right time, with the Giants leading 7-6 early in the second quarter, and the defense was struggling. The Rams were marching to what looked like at least a field goal when Rams QB Sam Bradford threw a screen to Williams in the left flat.
The ball which went backwards slipped through the running back's hands and fell to the ground. Williams made no attempt to grab it, so Boley picked it up and raced down the sideline.
Suddenly the Giants lead was 14-6 and the team went on to a 28-16 win in their home opener at MetLife Stadium.
"The Boley play was big, no question," said Giants coach Tom Coughlin. "When you score on defense, that's a huge play."
Next time, Boley scores, fans might want to move out of spiking distance.
Showing posts with label Tom Coughlin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tom Coughlin. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
Plaxico Takes Aim at Coughlin and Manning But Shoots Himself Again
Plaxico Burress, the ex-con who put a bullet into his own thigh, spent almost two years in a jail cell and was given a second chance to get on with his life keeps firing away-- only this time with his mouth.
The New York Jets receiver now lambastes a former teammate, coach and fans in a revealing article to be published next week.
Burress even rips into New York mayor Mike Bloomberg for using him as an example in his crusade for gun control.
Does this moron understand that no one owes him anything.
According to the New York Post, Burress whines about New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning for not showing more support after he was arrested for gun charges in the October issue of Men's Journal which comes out next week.
Now we know why Manning didn't attend the dinner with Giants owner John Mara and Coughlin when Burress was scrounging for an NFL job this summer after his release from the joint.
Say what you will about Eli, but at least he didn't suck up to the ungrateful and self-entitled Burress. He refused to kiss the ass of an ass.
The Jets receiver saves his harshest criticism for Coughlin, his coach with the Giants over a four-year span.
"After my situation happened, I turned on the TV, and the first words out of his mouth was 'sad and disappointing,' Burress complained. "I'm like, forget support-- how about some concern? I did just have a bullet in my leg. And then I sat in his office, and he pushed back his chair and goes, 'I'm glad you didn't kill anybody!' Man, we're paid too much to be treated like kids. he doesn't realize that we're grown men and actually have kids of our own."
First thing Plax, you're right about the being "paid too much" part and second...let's see... a person actually says you're lucky you didn't kill someone because of your stupidity. What a horrible statement.
The 34 year-old Burress lays into Coughlin by suggesting he doesn't relate to his younger players.
"He's not a real positive coach," Burress said. "You look around the league, the Raheem Morrises and Rex Ryans-- when their player makes a mistake, they take 'em on the side and say, 'We'll get 'em next time.' But Coughlin's on the sideline going crazy, man. I can't remember one time when he tried to talk a player through not having a day he was having."
Maybe if you didn't blow off practice or disrupt the team, you would have had less of those bad days, Plax. It's called discipline.
Burress says he was disheartened by the way Manning avoided him in prison.
"I was always his biggest supporter, even on days he wasn't on, 'cause I could sense he didn't have thick skin," says Burress. Then I went away, and I thought he would come see me, but nothing, not a letter, in two years. I don't want to say it was a slap in the face, but I thought our relationship was better than that."
If any one is an expert on skin it's you Plax, you put your own bullet through yours.
The interview was done right after Burress was released from prison in June and not long before he met with the Giants when he was a free-agent in July.
From the tone of the article, a second go-round with the Giants was never in the cards as many fans were hoping-- and led to believe. The same fans Burress rips in the interview.
"I was a human pin cushion; they were like, ''Yeah, we finally got you, mother[bleeper]," he said. "On the cover of the New York Post, it said 'GIANT IDIOT'! and I'm thinking, 'Damn, I went and gave 'em what they wanted. I'm just another gun-toting, famous black athlete'."
No Plax, you're just a famous athlete who shot himself.
Asked yesterday by the Post about why he secretly attacked the Giants only weeks before he met with them for a job, Burress replied, " There comes a time when you get things off your chest and speak about it at that time and put it behind you. I met with everyone over there and I think everything went well."
How well would that meeting have gone if Coughlin knew the hypocritical Burress' true feelings about the coach or if Mara found out the former-Giant thought management "let the media tear me apart, saying I was dogging practice, that I wasn't a team player, all this (bleep)?"
Burress still hasn't owned up to his own foolishness. In the article he calls his sentence pointless.
"They charged me with criminal possession of a gun--that I own!--Charged me with a violent felony-- on myself."
It looks like all of Burress' feel-good talk about making a fresh start and moving on after life in prison was short-lived.
Man up Plaxico. Take the high road like Michael Vick.
You will always be remembered for your game-winning catch in Super Bowl XLII, but now is no time to tarnish that memory.
A lot of Giant fans were rooting for you to make it on the outside-- not any more.
The New York Jets receiver now lambastes a former teammate, coach and fans in a revealing article to be published next week.
Burress even rips into New York mayor Mike Bloomberg for using him as an example in his crusade for gun control.
Does this moron understand that no one owes him anything.
According to the New York Post, Burress whines about New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning for not showing more support after he was arrested for gun charges in the October issue of Men's Journal which comes out next week.
Now we know why Manning didn't attend the dinner with Giants owner John Mara and Coughlin when Burress was scrounging for an NFL job this summer after his release from the joint.
Say what you will about Eli, but at least he didn't suck up to the ungrateful and self-entitled Burress. He refused to kiss the ass of an ass.
The Jets receiver saves his harshest criticism for Coughlin, his coach with the Giants over a four-year span.
"After my situation happened, I turned on the TV, and the first words out of his mouth was 'sad and disappointing,' Burress complained. "I'm like, forget support-- how about some concern? I did just have a bullet in my leg. And then I sat in his office, and he pushed back his chair and goes, 'I'm glad you didn't kill anybody!' Man, we're paid too much to be treated like kids. he doesn't realize that we're grown men and actually have kids of our own."
First thing Plax, you're right about the being "paid too much" part and second...let's see... a person actually says you're lucky you didn't kill someone because of your stupidity. What a horrible statement.
The 34 year-old Burress lays into Coughlin by suggesting he doesn't relate to his younger players.
"He's not a real positive coach," Burress said. "You look around the league, the Raheem Morrises and Rex Ryans-- when their player makes a mistake, they take 'em on the side and say, 'We'll get 'em next time.' But Coughlin's on the sideline going crazy, man. I can't remember one time when he tried to talk a player through not having a day he was having."
Maybe if you didn't blow off practice or disrupt the team, you would have had less of those bad days, Plax. It's called discipline.
Burress says he was disheartened by the way Manning avoided him in prison.
"I was always his biggest supporter, even on days he wasn't on, 'cause I could sense he didn't have thick skin," says Burress. Then I went away, and I thought he would come see me, but nothing, not a letter, in two years. I don't want to say it was a slap in the face, but I thought our relationship was better than that."
If any one is an expert on skin it's you Plax, you put your own bullet through yours.
The interview was done right after Burress was released from prison in June and not long before he met with the Giants when he was a free-agent in July.
From the tone of the article, a second go-round with the Giants was never in the cards as many fans were hoping-- and led to believe. The same fans Burress rips in the interview.
"I was a human pin cushion; they were like, ''Yeah, we finally got you, mother[bleeper]," he said. "On the cover of the New York Post, it said 'GIANT IDIOT'! and I'm thinking, 'Damn, I went and gave 'em what they wanted. I'm just another gun-toting, famous black athlete'."
No Plax, you're just a famous athlete who shot himself.
Asked yesterday by the Post about why he secretly attacked the Giants only weeks before he met with them for a job, Burress replied, " There comes a time when you get things off your chest and speak about it at that time and put it behind you. I met with everyone over there and I think everything went well."
How well would that meeting have gone if Coughlin knew the hypocritical Burress' true feelings about the coach or if Mara found out the former-Giant thought management "let the media tear me apart, saying I was dogging practice, that I wasn't a team player, all this (bleep)?"
Burress still hasn't owned up to his own foolishness. In the article he calls his sentence pointless.
"They charged me with criminal possession of a gun--that I own!--Charged me with a violent felony-- on myself."
It looks like all of Burress' feel-good talk about making a fresh start and moving on after life in prison was short-lived.
Man up Plaxico. Take the high road like Michael Vick.
You will always be remembered for your game-winning catch in Super Bowl XLII, but now is no time to tarnish that memory.
A lot of Giant fans were rooting for you to make it on the outside-- not any more.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Eli Manning's Silence About Plaxico Burress Spoke Volumes
It looks like Plaxico Burress found a fly in his soup during last night's dinner meeting with Tom Coughlin-- and that fly's name might be Eli Manning.
Burress can cook up every reason in the book to explain why he spurned the New York Giants for their Meadowlands cellmates--I mean stadium-mates--the New York Jets, but the absence of any public support from Manning down the stretch might have swung Burress's decision from Big Blue to Gang Green.
If the Giants quarterback is still blaming Burress, and his arrest for gun possession, for costing the team the 2008 season and Manning's chance to get back-to-back Super Bowl titles, he's barking up the wrong goal post. Ironically, Manning's lack of vocal support for the return of his one-time favorite target could cost him this season as well.
The Giants team is getting old and, now that the Philadelphia Eagles have buffed up their defensive backfield-- with the signing of DB-extraordinaire, Nnamdi Asomugha-- and the uncertain return of receiver Steve Smith to the Giants, the loss of Burress may have just given a huge advantage to the Eagles in their two division game match-ups.
Coughlin seemed friendlier than a flair-covered waiter at Bennigan's, leading up to his dinner with Burress, while Manning played the snobby waiter at a French bistro.
All week Roethlisberger openly campaigned for Burress' return to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Manning only mumbled a few standard comments.
"You just don't want distractions," said Manning. "Distractions, whatever they may be, can hurt a team. If you're spending your time concerned about something else, bringing your attention away from the opponent on your preparation, that's considered a distraction."
I tell you what distraction is Eli. Distraction is being asked 'Why didn't you lobby harder for Burress' about five-thousand times this week and looking for a top-notch wide-out in the fourth quarter this season.
Make no mistake, Manning supports Burress' second chance and even made a call to his former wide-out while he was in prison, but hasn't bothered to jump on the "We Want Plax" bandwagon.
By all accounts, the meeting with Coughlin went swimmingly. The head coach was smiling yesterday and put it bluntly, "The meeting went well."
Not well enough, as Burress's "fully-guaranteed," one-year deal for $3.017 million with the Jets the next day will attest.
Let's give Manning the benefit of a doubt. Maybe the silent treatment wasn't such a bad idea. I don't remember Jets quarterback, Mark Sanchez, standing in Times Square singing a tribute to the ex-con and look where Burress ended up.
"I never really lobbied for anybody," said Manning before the meeting. "So if this is the right spot for Plaxico, if the Giants and Coach Coughlin are pleased with his attitude and after talking to him, then [I'm] happy to have him."
In the end, here's what Manning's silence about signing Burress said.
No distractions. Burress' return to the Giants will disrupt an already shortened training camp. It's about the team, not one player.
Why all the fuss over a soon to be (August 12) 34 year-old receiver who hasn't played a down in 2 1/2 years?
How is a guy who was never a fan of Coughlin's discipline and structured system going to feel about routine after almost two full years in lockup? Does the prison stint help Burress cope with Coughlin's Captain Bligh act?
Finally, Manning doesn't want to insult his current group of receivers. After all, he threw for over 4,000 yards last year and has two Pro Bowl-caliber wide-outs in Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks. Joined by Mario Manningham, Manning believes he has the nucleus of a solid receiving corp.
"I like our receivers here, I think we have a great crew, very talented, they work hard," he said. "Can you have too many good receivers? No, I don't think so. I'm going about my business and preparing for myself.
Hey, everybody wanted little Eli to man up and be more assertive--so there you go.
Maybe Burress would have picked the Giants if Manning took the time to drop a dime or, just maybe, Coughlin put that fly in the soup.
Burress can cook up every reason in the book to explain why he spurned the New York Giants for their Meadowlands cellmates--I mean stadium-mates--the New York Jets, but the absence of any public support from Manning down the stretch might have swung Burress's decision from Big Blue to Gang Green.
The Giants team is getting old and, now that the Philadelphia Eagles have buffed up their defensive backfield-- with the signing of DB-extraordinaire, Nnamdi Asomugha-- and the uncertain return of receiver Steve Smith to the Giants, the loss of Burress may have just given a huge advantage to the Eagles in their two division game match-ups.
Coughlin seemed friendlier than a flair-covered waiter at Bennigan's, leading up to his dinner with Burress, while Manning played the snobby waiter at a French bistro.
All week Roethlisberger openly campaigned for Burress' return to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Manning only mumbled a few standard comments.
"You just don't want distractions," said Manning. "Distractions, whatever they may be, can hurt a team. If you're spending your time concerned about something else, bringing your attention away from the opponent on your preparation, that's considered a distraction."
I tell you what distraction is Eli. Distraction is being asked 'Why didn't you lobby harder for Burress' about five-thousand times this week and looking for a top-notch wide-out in the fourth quarter this season.
Make no mistake, Manning supports Burress' second chance and even made a call to his former wide-out while he was in prison, but hasn't bothered to jump on the "We Want Plax" bandwagon.
By all accounts, the meeting with Coughlin went swimmingly. The head coach was smiling yesterday and put it bluntly, "The meeting went well."
Not well enough, as Burress's "fully-guaranteed," one-year deal for $3.017 million with the Jets the next day will attest.
Let's give Manning the benefit of a doubt. Maybe the silent treatment wasn't such a bad idea. I don't remember Jets quarterback, Mark Sanchez, standing in Times Square singing a tribute to the ex-con and look where Burress ended up.
"I never really lobbied for anybody," said Manning before the meeting. "So if this is the right spot for Plaxico, if the Giants and Coach Coughlin are pleased with his attitude and after talking to him, then [I'm] happy to have him."
In the end, here's what Manning's silence about signing Burress said.
No distractions. Burress' return to the Giants will disrupt an already shortened training camp. It's about the team, not one player.
Why all the fuss over a soon to be (August 12) 34 year-old receiver who hasn't played a down in 2 1/2 years?
How is a guy who was never a fan of Coughlin's discipline and structured system going to feel about routine after almost two full years in lockup? Does the prison stint help Burress cope with Coughlin's Captain Bligh act?
Finally, Manning doesn't want to insult his current group of receivers. After all, he threw for over 4,000 yards last year and has two Pro Bowl-caliber wide-outs in Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks. Joined by Mario Manningham, Manning believes he has the nucleus of a solid receiving corp.
"I like our receivers here, I think we have a great crew, very talented, they work hard," he said. "Can you have too many good receivers? No, I don't think so. I'm going about my business and preparing for myself.
Hey, everybody wanted little Eli to man up and be more assertive--so there you go.
Maybe Burress would have picked the Giants if Manning took the time to drop a dime or, just maybe, Coughlin put that fly in the soup.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Tony Dungy and Justin Tuck Think Giants Would Be Good Fit For Plaxico
It looks like Plaxico Burress' two former teams, the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers, are the front runners for the talented wideout's services this season. Former Colts head coach, Tony Dungy, said New York would be a " great home" for Burress' new start.
The New York Daily News reported that Dungy believes, if Burress and Giants head coach Tom Coughlin can put aside their past differences, New York would be the ideal fit for the 33 year-old Burress second go-round in the NFL.
Dungy, acting as Burress' mentor, said his charge needs a "good support system" to get back on track and the troubled wideout already has built a strong foundation with the team owners, Steve Tisch and John Mara.
"I think Mr. Tisch, Mr. Mara, he has a good relationship with them," said Dungy. And he has a great, great relationship with a lot of the other players that are still there."
Giants defensive captain Justin Tuck agrees. He believes the two men can hammer out their differences.
"Anytime you have a dispute between two people, both people need to talk it out like men," said Tuck. I think that's what we have on schedule, so we'll see what happens."
It looks like Burress' affection for Rex Ryan and the Jets has faded and now Burress is set to meet with the Giants tomorrow night before heading to Pittsburgh for a meeting with Mike Tomlin and the Steelers.
"I think [the Giants] would be a great kind of family organization for him," said Dungy.
The Giants have already reached out to Burress, even after he was let go by the team for his 2008 arrest for gun possession, subsequent conviction and stint in prison.
Mara drove up to the upstate New York correctional center to pay Burress a visit behind bars and quarterback Eli Manning was one of the first players to welcome his former-favorite target back after his release this spring.
Manning must be drooling at the prospect of throwing to Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and possibly Burress. Can you say Air Eli?
Now Burress has to bury the hatchet with his former coach and antagonist, the disciplinarian Coughlin.
I can only imagine how Friday's night meeting will go. It's hard to imagine how Burress, just released from almost two years in stir, is going to thrive under the strict Coughlin. It's like going from life under one prison warden to a head coach who is sometimes called one.
Forget the steak and potatoes, the real main dish on Friday night's dinner table is the thousands of dollars in fines, benching and two-week suspension for a rules violation handed down to Plax by Coughlin in the past.
Can Burress abide by Coughlin's tough love rules and avoid the suspensions and fines he accrued in the past? Until last week, there was a perception that Coughlin didn't even want Burress back, now they are breaking bread together.
The "mellower" Coughlin just signed a one year extension to his contract and the Giants are notorious for not releasing a coach during the final year of a deal so, if this relationship gets stormy again, the old man isn't going anywhere.
The post NFL lockout has left teams scrambling for stability. The Giants are familiar with Burress and Burress still has a veteran's knowledge of the Giants playbook.
To Dungy, familiarity will be important to Burress' comeback.
"People need to understand that it is a little bit different," said Dungy. "It's not just kind of like a free-agent coming into your team. He has to regrow and redevelop. You just want that support there, and I think the Giants would be one of the good teams for that."
Whether or not the Giants become Burress' halfway house to resuming a life on the outside remains to be seen. Maybe the Giants just want to keep Burress' slim chance of hooking up with another "second-chancer," Michael Vick and division rival the Philadelphia Eagles at bay?
It won't be easy for Burress in New York. You'll probably see more photos of Burress on the street than on the field and night out at a restaurant will be in every gossip page in New York. Even if people don't hit the floor every time he reaches into his sweatpants pockets, every paparazzi will hit their camera shutter release.
How those scenarios fit into Dungy's theory is speculative at best. Maybe New York isn't he best place to quietly return to society.
The Giants team leaders don't think so and have given Burress a vote of confidence. Manning confirmed speaking with Burress about coming back.
"I don't know what's going to happen with that," said Manning. "I know he and coach Coughlin might meet sometime. We'll just see what happens after that."
Tuck says Burress would be welcomed back by everyone.
"I can't speak for Coughlin or Plax," said the defensive end. "It's well documented they've bumped heads in the past. Hopefully a little time apart has rekindled the love they share for each other."
Wow. The words 'Coughlin, Plax and rekindled love' in a quote. I'm going to tear up.
The New York Daily News reported that Dungy believes, if Burress and Giants head coach Tom Coughlin can put aside their past differences, New York would be the ideal fit for the 33 year-old Burress second go-round in the NFL.
"I think Mr. Tisch, Mr. Mara, he has a good relationship with them," said Dungy. And he has a great, great relationship with a lot of the other players that are still there."
Giants defensive captain Justin Tuck agrees. He believes the two men can hammer out their differences.
"Anytime you have a dispute between two people, both people need to talk it out like men," said Tuck. I think that's what we have on schedule, so we'll see what happens."
It looks like Burress' affection for Rex Ryan and the Jets has faded and now Burress is set to meet with the Giants tomorrow night before heading to Pittsburgh for a meeting with Mike Tomlin and the Steelers.
"I think [the Giants] would be a great kind of family organization for him," said Dungy.
Mara drove up to the upstate New York correctional center to pay Burress a visit behind bars and quarterback Eli Manning was one of the first players to welcome his former-favorite target back after his release this spring.
Manning must be drooling at the prospect of throwing to Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and possibly Burress. Can you say Air Eli?
Now Burress has to bury the hatchet with his former coach and antagonist, the disciplinarian Coughlin.
I can only imagine how Friday's night meeting will go. It's hard to imagine how Burress, just released from almost two years in stir, is going to thrive under the strict Coughlin. It's like going from life under one prison warden to a head coach who is sometimes called one.
Forget the steak and potatoes, the real main dish on Friday night's dinner table is the thousands of dollars in fines, benching and two-week suspension for a rules violation handed down to Plax by Coughlin in the past.
Can Burress abide by Coughlin's tough love rules and avoid the suspensions and fines he accrued in the past? Until last week, there was a perception that Coughlin didn't even want Burress back, now they are breaking bread together.
The "mellower" Coughlin just signed a one year extension to his contract and the Giants are notorious for not releasing a coach during the final year of a deal so, if this relationship gets stormy again, the old man isn't going anywhere.
The post NFL lockout has left teams scrambling for stability. The Giants are familiar with Burress and Burress still has a veteran's knowledge of the Giants playbook.
To Dungy, familiarity will be important to Burress' comeback.
"People need to understand that it is a little bit different," said Dungy. "It's not just kind of like a free-agent coming into your team. He has to regrow and redevelop. You just want that support there, and I think the Giants would be one of the good teams for that."
Whether or not the Giants become Burress' halfway house to resuming a life on the outside remains to be seen. Maybe the Giants just want to keep Burress' slim chance of hooking up with another "second-chancer," Michael Vick and division rival the Philadelphia Eagles at bay?
It won't be easy for Burress in New York. You'll probably see more photos of Burress on the street than on the field and night out at a restaurant will be in every gossip page in New York. Even if people don't hit the floor every time he reaches into his sweatpants pockets, every paparazzi will hit their camera shutter release.
How those scenarios fit into Dungy's theory is speculative at best. Maybe New York isn't he best place to quietly return to society.
The Giants team leaders don't think so and have given Burress a vote of confidence. Manning confirmed speaking with Burress about coming back.
"I don't know what's going to happen with that," said Manning. "I know he and coach Coughlin might meet sometime. We'll just see what happens after that."
Tuck says Burress would be welcomed back by everyone.
"I can't speak for Coughlin or Plax," said the defensive end. "It's well documented they've bumped heads in the past. Hopefully a little time apart has rekindled the love they share for each other."
Wow. The words 'Coughlin, Plax and rekindled love' in a quote. I'm going to tear up.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Eli Manning: Giants Would Take Back Ex-Con Plaxico Over Ex-TV Host Tiki
Eli Manning was asked if the New York Giants players had to chose between former Giants wide-out Plaxico Burress or former running back Tiki Barber returning to the team, the Giants quarterback said he believes the recently released ex-con, Burress, would be more readily accepted than the ex-"Today" show reporter.
According to the New York Post, Manning, speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, claimed Barber slammed the door on his Giants career when he bolted the team for a career in broadcasting.
Even though there is little chance either Burress or Barber will return to the team, Manning said at least Plax chipped in by catching the winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII and the Giants players have long and heartfelt memories of the victory and Burress' part in it.
Manning thinks Burress stands a better chance of joining the G-Men; even after a 20-month stint in the joint.
"Probably Plaxico just because he has fonder memories of winning a Super Bowl and that catch for the touchdown in Super Bowl XLII," said Manning. "Tiki ended on a bad note and it's really a shame, he should be remembered as a great Giants running back and a terrific player, because he was. Just kind of the way he went out and burned a few bridges with the fans and kind of went after me a little bit, it's unfortunate. I'm not happy about it in that sense, so I think Plaxico would probably be welcomed back a little quicker."
Neither former-Giant was ever considered a team player and both players couldn't keep their opinions of head coach Tom Coughlin to themselves. Burress was mainly prone to missing team meetings but is still dissing the old disciplinarian Coughlin, even after his release from prison.
Barber, meanwhile criticized Coughlin, even though the taskmaster helped the running back with his "fumblitis." Barber went on to have his best seasons because of Coughlin's adjustments of the running back's flawed mechanics. Grateful is apparently not in Barber's vocabulary.
Barber's worst transgression was criticizing a young Manning before announcing his retirement in the out of nowhere in the middle of the season. Barber's self-promoting stunt stunned the Giants players and alienated Big Blue fans from the grinning back for good.
Barber claimed Manning's leadership skills were lacking and called them "comical."
Manning didn't take kindly to the remarks and called Barber's premature announcement a distraction to the team. The counter punch at Barber raised Manning's esteem and his profile with the veteran players.
"When I kind of responded, I think guys kind of liked to see that from me, since I've always been pretty quiet and never really tried to create any controversy," said Manning. " I just felt this was a little different. This wasn't a media guy or reporter attacking me, this was a teammate coming after me...but I couldn't sit there and do nothing."
After Barber's verbal attack on Manning, the proud QB didn't just do nothing. He went on to win a Super Bowl that Barber could only watch from his living room.
According to the New York Post, Manning, speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, claimed Barber slammed the door on his Giants career when he bolted the team for a career in broadcasting.
Manning thinks Burress stands a better chance of joining the G-Men; even after a 20-month stint in the joint.
"Probably Plaxico just because he has fonder memories of winning a Super Bowl and that catch for the touchdown in Super Bowl XLII," said Manning. "Tiki ended on a bad note and it's really a shame, he should be remembered as a great Giants running back and a terrific player, because he was. Just kind of the way he went out and burned a few bridges with the fans and kind of went after me a little bit, it's unfortunate. I'm not happy about it in that sense, so I think Plaxico would probably be welcomed back a little quicker."
Barber, meanwhile criticized Coughlin, even though the taskmaster helped the running back with his "fumblitis." Barber went on to have his best seasons because of Coughlin's adjustments of the running back's flawed mechanics. Grateful is apparently not in Barber's vocabulary.
Barber's worst transgression was criticizing a young Manning before announcing his retirement in the out of nowhere in the middle of the season. Barber's self-promoting stunt stunned the Giants players and alienated Big Blue fans from the grinning back for good.
Barber claimed Manning's leadership skills were lacking and called them "comical."
Manning didn't take kindly to the remarks and called Barber's premature announcement a distraction to the team. The counter punch at Barber raised Manning's esteem and his profile with the veteran players.
"When I kind of responded, I think guys kind of liked to see that from me, since I've always been pretty quiet and never really tried to create any controversy," said Manning. " I just felt this was a little different. This wasn't a media guy or reporter attacking me, this was a teammate coming after me...but I couldn't sit there and do nothing."
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Mike Francesa Calls Tiki Barber's NBC Career a "Failure"
The Tiki Barber Comeback Tour keeps getting better and better. For the most part of a thirty minute radio interview on Wed., interviewer Mike Francesa ripped the ex-New York Giants running back and called Barber's broadcast stint on NBC a "failure."
Barber, who went on the WFAN show to discuss his plans for returning to the NFL this upcoming season after a four year retirement, went on the defensive after Francesa commented on Barber's release from NBC and his presumed grooming to be the next Matt Lauer on the "Today" show.
"I don't consider my time at NBC a failure," said Barber.
"The guys at NBC, and I know all of them, they felt you did a bad job, and they said you thought you were entitled, said Francesa.
The radio host probably knows something. Francesa does a Sunday night show in the same NBC building where the "Today" show broadcasts from. Word travels fast in 30 Rock.
The interview started cordial enough until the the NBC exchange and then the discussion became contentious. Barber even had his agent, Mark Lepselter, who was in on the call, throw some interference for the ex-running back.
Francesa wouldn't have any of it.
"You're on the line, Mark," interrupted Francesa. " You're not supposed to be his bodyguard."
Barber continued the verbal fray.
"I think it's unfair for you to label it that way," railed Barber. "I think that's cowardly of someone to talk behind some one's back and not tell them. I don't know what I could have done better at NBC."
"Tiki, you got fired," said Francesa.
"Oh Did I? Did I?," questioned Barber. "Mike, I don't think you know the whole story."
Just last month, Barber caused an uproar when he compared himself to Anne Frank, in a Sports Illustrated interview, after he was asked about hiding from the media in Lepselter's house.
Barber's last game with Big Blue was a wild-card playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at the end of the Giants 2006 season. He left on bad terms with the front office and fans alike.
The ubiquitous running back jumped directly into the studios at NBC, where he was being prepped for his star turn on the network's morning news program and their NFL pregame shows--sort of an Al Roker, only with muscles.
Barber appeal didn't translate to the TV screen from the locker room. He was a mediocre host and his spotlight burned out fast after a three year run. Real fast.
The grinning Barber was let go by NBC after he reportedly left his pregnant-with-twins wife, Ginny, and two kids for an young intern.
In Wed. interview, the 10-year NFL veteran tried to spike the ball in Francesa's face by claiming the sports-talk host wasn't good at his job either.
"You badger your listeners," said the defensive Barber. "You badger your interview[ees]."
Barber didn't stop there and said it's not his fault for still being disliked by Giants fans.
"I'm sure it has to do with the fact I criticized Tom Coughlin and he goes on to win a Super Bowl," reasoned Barber. "Or the conversation I had about Eli Manning that got blown out of proportion...I've always been opinionated."
Really, now?
Tiki, good luck playing with your brother Ronde down in Tampa.
For interview audio.
Barber, who went on the WFAN show to discuss his plans for returning to the NFL this upcoming season after a four year retirement, went on the defensive after Francesa commented on Barber's release from NBC and his presumed grooming to be the next Matt Lauer on the "Today" show.
"I don't consider my time at NBC a failure," said Barber.
The radio host probably knows something. Francesa does a Sunday night show in the same NBC building where the "Today" show broadcasts from. Word travels fast in 30 Rock.
The interview started cordial enough until the the NBC exchange and then the discussion became contentious. Barber even had his agent, Mark Lepselter, who was in on the call, throw some interference for the ex-running back.
Francesa wouldn't have any of it.
"You're on the line, Mark," interrupted Francesa. " You're not supposed to be his bodyguard."
Barber continued the verbal fray.
"I think it's unfair for you to label it that way," railed Barber. "I think that's cowardly of someone to talk behind some one's back and not tell them. I don't know what I could have done better at NBC."
"Tiki, you got fired," said Francesa.
"Oh Did I? Did I?," questioned Barber. "Mike, I don't think you know the whole story."
Just last month, Barber caused an uproar when he compared himself to Anne Frank, in a Sports Illustrated interview, after he was asked about hiding from the media in Lepselter's house.
The ubiquitous running back jumped directly into the studios at NBC, where he was being prepped for his star turn on the network's morning news program and their NFL pregame shows--sort of an Al Roker, only with muscles.
Barber appeal didn't translate to the TV screen from the locker room. He was a mediocre host and his spotlight burned out fast after a three year run. Real fast.
The grinning Barber was let go by NBC after he reportedly left his pregnant-with-twins wife, Ginny, and two kids for an young intern.
In Wed. interview, the 10-year NFL veteran tried to spike the ball in Francesa's face by claiming the sports-talk host wasn't good at his job either.
"You badger your listeners," said the defensive Barber. "You badger your interview[ees]."
Barber didn't stop there and said it's not his fault for still being disliked by Giants fans.
"I'm sure it has to do with the fact I criticized Tom Coughlin and he goes on to win a Super Bowl," reasoned Barber. "Or the conversation I had about Eli Manning that got blown out of proportion...I've always been opinionated."
Really, now?
Tiki, good luck playing with your brother Ronde down in Tampa.
For interview audio.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
New York Giants Version of " The Decision": Jacobs or Bradshaw?
The New York Giants have made it clear that there are two things the team won't be losing. Eli Manning will continue to guide the offense and Tom Coughlin--as announced by co-owner John Mara--will continue to call the shots as head coach from the sidelines. Now if the team could find a way to get back some of the 45 turnovers they had last season.
The Giants will be spending the second off-season in a row, on their couches, watching the Seattle Seahawks--a team they beat 41-7--take their lowly 7-9 record into the playoffs, then watch the Chicago Bears--a team they crushed--in a playoff game next weekend. The Giants can only wonder how they turned a 10-6 season into a bad dream.
They could start with the running game. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw combined for over 2,000 yards but the Biggie-Small attack seemed to be ineffective in more games than not.
The remaining two-thirds of the vaunted and successful "Earth, Wind and Fire" Giants backfield of 2008 should be called "Dirt and Air" for the way Jacobs falls to the ground on too many short yardage situations and Bradshaw, because it seems like that is what he's carrying, after dropping the ball at the slightest touch from an opposing linebacker.
For all the gaudy numbers (Bradshaw, 1235 yards and Jacobs, 835 yards) this two-back system seemed like it stalled too many times. Now Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese must consider their options. Bradshaw is one of 21 Giant players not under contract for 2011--that is if there is a 2011 season--and Jacobs is in the middle of a four-year contract extension worth $25 million.
The last time Jacobs, 28, was seen he was storming out of the Giants locker room, carrying a torn garbage bag containing his gear like a 270 pound Grinch, cursing at photographers. The surly and disruptive running back snapped back, "Click, click, click. You're all taking pictures of Brandon Jacobs leaving, wondering if he's going to return. That will be your caption for tomorrow. Well, f--- you all." Maybe Earth knows something we don't. Players who talk in the first person seem to get traded a lot.
Meanwhile, Bradshaw, 24,--the more versatile back--looked back at a season that fizzled out at the end. He had two 90 yard performances in the final nine games and four of them were losses. Never mind the six costly fumbles. Turnovers--something the Giants (NFL leaders with 41) can do without. Eli had 25 but he's still has a job.
Coughlin sat both running backs at some point during the season and, while Bradshaw took it in stride after he lost the title of No. 1 back, Jacobs turned it into a WikiLeaks conspiracy and pouted on the sideline. It wasn't until Bradshaw's game-killing fumbles became more frustrating than the one-dimensional Jacobs 3-yard gains that Coughlin started the big man again with some success.
Reese now has to make a choice. The two-back system seems to be in vogue around the NFL, but it doesn't always work. It's been two years since the Giants made the playoffs and their tag-team running game doesn't seem as dominant as in the past. This Yin and Yang was unreliable and seemed more like Stumble and Fumble in 2010.
The limited role Jacobs had played may have tweaked his ego and he became a disruptive force in the locker room last season. He still occasionally goes head first into the turf like a larger version of Ron Dayne and has not lived up to his billing since his contract extension (despite injury concerns) in 2009. He is due for some big money soon.
Bradshaw had the worst case of fumblitis since Dave Krieg and wore down as the season played out. Although he is more of a receiving threat than Jacobs and has the ability to break open a game on every play, he was a M*A*S*H Unit of injuries--wrists, ankles--and it showed during that final stretch. If Coughlin can rid Bradshaw of his poor ball handling--ala Tiki Barber--Bradshaw could be the complete back the Giants need, and one of the best in the league.
Jacobs and Bradshaw, as a duo, and their and down seasons are something the Giants need to address. It's like Superman stuck with Robin. The big guy needs no sidekick. Has a team or backfield looked so invincible one week only to fall faster than the Metrodome roof the next?
If the NFL and the player's union do negotiate a collective bargaining agreement, and there is a 2011 season, the Giants should hand the ball to Bradshaw. Just make sure there is a little Stickum on it.
The Giants will be spending the second off-season in a row, on their couches, watching the Seattle Seahawks--a team they beat 41-7--take their lowly 7-9 record into the playoffs, then watch the Chicago Bears--a team they crushed--in a playoff game next weekend. The Giants can only wonder how they turned a 10-6 season into a bad dream.
The remaining two-thirds of the vaunted and successful "Earth, Wind and Fire" Giants backfield of 2008 should be called "Dirt and Air" for the way Jacobs falls to the ground on too many short yardage situations and Bradshaw, because it seems like that is what he's carrying, after dropping the ball at the slightest touch from an opposing linebacker.
For all the gaudy numbers (Bradshaw, 1235 yards and Jacobs, 835 yards) this two-back system seemed like it stalled too many times. Now Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese must consider their options. Bradshaw is one of 21 Giant players not under contract for 2011--that is if there is a 2011 season--and Jacobs is in the middle of a four-year contract extension worth $25 million.
The last time Jacobs, 28, was seen he was storming out of the Giants locker room, carrying a torn garbage bag containing his gear like a 270 pound Grinch, cursing at photographers. The surly and disruptive running back snapped back, "Click, click, click. You're all taking pictures of Brandon Jacobs leaving, wondering if he's going to return. That will be your caption for tomorrow. Well, f--- you all." Maybe Earth knows something we don't. Players who talk in the first person seem to get traded a lot.
Meanwhile, Bradshaw, 24,--the more versatile back--looked back at a season that fizzled out at the end. He had two 90 yard performances in the final nine games and four of them were losses. Never mind the six costly fumbles. Turnovers--something the Giants (NFL leaders with 41) can do without. Eli had 25 but he's still has a job.
Coughlin sat both running backs at some point during the season and, while Bradshaw took it in stride after he lost the title of No. 1 back, Jacobs turned it into a WikiLeaks conspiracy and pouted on the sideline. It wasn't until Bradshaw's game-killing fumbles became more frustrating than the one-dimensional Jacobs 3-yard gains that Coughlin started the big man again with some success.
Reese now has to make a choice. The two-back system seems to be in vogue around the NFL, but it doesn't always work. It's been two years since the Giants made the playoffs and their tag-team running game doesn't seem as dominant as in the past. This Yin and Yang was unreliable and seemed more like Stumble and Fumble in 2010.
The limited role Jacobs had played may have tweaked his ego and he became a disruptive force in the locker room last season. He still occasionally goes head first into the turf like a larger version of Ron Dayne and has not lived up to his billing since his contract extension (despite injury concerns) in 2009. He is due for some big money soon.
Bradshaw had the worst case of fumblitis since Dave Krieg and wore down as the season played out. Although he is more of a receiving threat than Jacobs and has the ability to break open a game on every play, he was a M*A*S*H Unit of injuries--wrists, ankles--and it showed during that final stretch. If Coughlin can rid Bradshaw of his poor ball handling--ala Tiki Barber--Bradshaw could be the complete back the Giants need, and one of the best in the league.
Jacobs and Bradshaw, as a duo, and their and down seasons are something the Giants need to address. It's like Superman stuck with Robin. The big guy needs no sidekick. Has a team or backfield looked so invincible one week only to fall faster than the Metrodome roof the next?
If the NFL and the player's union do negotiate a collective bargaining agreement, and there is a 2011 season, the Giants should hand the ball to Bradshaw. Just make sure there is a little Stickum on it.
Monday, January 3, 2011
New York Giants Pack It In, But Coughlin Staying Put.
The New York Giants finally won but, at the same time, lost. They beat the Washington Redskins 17-14 at the same time the Green Bay Packers were defeating the Chicago Bears. It was a bittersweet end to the Giants indescribable perplexing season. The final dagger to the Giants lost season came at 7:06 EST when the score board at FedEx Field tauntingly flashed the score: Packers 10, Bears 3.
The Giants (10-6) season ended with a victory, but it was the 68 minutes before Sunday's game that really charted their destiny. The 28 point comeback by the Philadelphia Eagles two weeks ago and last week's blowout at the hands of the Packers really sealed the Giants fate. They will not be in the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Giants have no one to blame but themselves and it looks like the Giants owner sees it that way too.
The calls for head coach Tom Coughlin's head grew over the past few weeks while the Giants were doing their annual version of a swan dive for the third straight season. Former Pittsburgh Steelers head
coach Bill Cowher's name was tossed around more loosely than an Eli Manning interception.
After yesterday's loss, Giants owner John Mara immediately made it clear Coughlin will be around to finish the final year of his contract and maybe more. Mara confirmed it by saying "there was never any doubt" Coughlin would be back in 2011. Looks like New York won't be a Cowher town after all.
The Giants who finished with 10 wins had to watch as the Seattle Seahawks--a team they routed earlier in the season--squeak into the playoffs with a losing record later that evening. The Seahawks (7-9) won the NFC West by beating the St. Louis Rams yesterday. The Giants became only the seventh teams with at least 10 wins to not make the playoffs since 1990.
Mara, the Giants co-owner, is sticking with his head coach despite another late season fizzle. "I'm obviously disappointed that we didn't make the playoffs, " he said, "Everybody in this locker room is disappointed. But that doesn't mean you blow the whole thing up. he's still the guy we want as our head coach."
The owner even visited Coughlin after the game and reassured the 61 year old coach. "Don't listen to all the nonsense. You're going to be back next season. We still believe in you and we want you as our coach."
Mara said he knows it's not easy to win ten games. He has stuck with Coughlin before. In 2006 the Giants beat the Redskins to get into the playoffs and save Coughlin's job. The next season the team won the Super Bowl.
The Giants players and Coughlin will have the whole off-season to look back at their mistakes and get the team back into the playoffs next year. Mara can only hope his belief in his coach will pay off.
The Giants (10-6) season ended with a victory, but it was the 68 minutes before Sunday's game that really charted their destiny. The 28 point comeback by the Philadelphia Eagles two weeks ago and last week's blowout at the hands of the Packers really sealed the Giants fate. They will not be in the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Giants have no one to blame but themselves and it looks like the Giants owner sees it that way too.
coach Bill Cowher's name was tossed around more loosely than an Eli Manning interception.
After yesterday's loss, Giants owner John Mara immediately made it clear Coughlin will be around to finish the final year of his contract and maybe more. Mara confirmed it by saying "there was never any doubt" Coughlin would be back in 2011. Looks like New York won't be a Cowher town after all.
The Giants who finished with 10 wins had to watch as the Seattle Seahawks--a team they routed earlier in the season--squeak into the playoffs with a losing record later that evening. The Seahawks (7-9) won the NFC West by beating the St. Louis Rams yesterday. The Giants became only the seventh teams with at least 10 wins to not make the playoffs since 1990.
Mara, the Giants co-owner, is sticking with his head coach despite another late season fizzle. "I'm obviously disappointed that we didn't make the playoffs, " he said, "Everybody in this locker room is disappointed. But that doesn't mean you blow the whole thing up. he's still the guy we want as our head coach."
The owner even visited Coughlin after the game and reassured the 61 year old coach. "Don't listen to all the nonsense. You're going to be back next season. We still believe in you and we want you as our coach."
Mara said he knows it's not easy to win ten games. He has stuck with Coughlin before. In 2006 the Giants beat the Redskins to get into the playoffs and save Coughlin's job. The next season the team won the Super Bowl.
The Giants players and Coughlin will have the whole off-season to look back at their mistakes and get the team back into the playoffs next year. Mara can only hope his belief in his coach will pay off.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Eagles Loss and Layover Make N.Y. Giants Road To Playoffs Harder
The New York Giants made made it back to New Jersey yesterday after being an extended stay in Appleton Wisconsin, due to the blizzard which dumped two feet of snow on the New York City area. After losing a crucial game to the Green Bay Packers 45-17 on Sunday, the team finally landed at Newark International Airport a full day and half later than scheduled, then later watched the Minnesota Vikings stun the Philadelphia Eagles 24-14. Ironically, the Eagles loss could have put the final nail in the Giants playoff chances.
The Chicago Bears have now locked up a No. 2 seed in the NFC, meaning they will get a first round bye. The Bears play the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. If the Packers win, the Giants are out of the playoffs for the second straight year. The Bears are still vying for a No. 1 seed.
The challenges facing the Giants in their quest for a wild card playoff spot are mostly out of their hands now. The Bears can move up to the No. 1 seed if they win and the current top seed, the Atlanta Falcons, lose to the 2-13 Carolina Panthers.
The Bears play Sunday at 4:15 p.m., so when the team takes the field they should know the outcome of the Falcons-Panthers 1 p.m. game and if the No. 1 seed is still up for grabs. If the Falcons clinch the No. 1 and home field advantage throughout, do the Bears still go all out or do they pull a Colts and rest the starters?
Right after the Vikings victory, Giants running back Brandon Jacobs tweeted," Let's just hope Chicago play their starters. But it's always good to see Philly lose. DAMN."
'Maybe the Giants starters should just play' would be a common lament from New York fans
A couple of other factors could affect the Giants destiny---the one night Wisconsin layover and the second straight hangover from another disappointing loss. Head coach Tom Coughlin claims his staff would be about a half a day behind schedule from the delay.
The Giants players heads could be a different story. The last two "playoff clinching games" included blowing a 31-10 lead to the Eagles in the fourth quarter combined with the 45-17 blowout to the Packers. They could be worse than a New Year's Day headbanger that all the Players Only meetings and Guaranteed Victories won't cure.
Bears head coach Lovie Smith said he plans on playing his starters but, it remains to be seen if he uses them the whole game. Seeing a win by the Falcons before gametime could take away a lot of the Bears' motivation.
Leave it to their old nemesis the Eagles to kick more dirt in the Giants' face. New York has lost six in a row to Philadelphia including two this season already. If, and that is a gargantuan if, the Giants do slip into the playoffs, the road will most certainly run down the Turnpike through the unfriendly confines of Lincoln Financial Field and a third meeting with the Birds. Not a pleasant road trip.
A lot more than the Giants playoff hopes are riding on this game. If the Giants lose this Sunday at Fed Ex Field to the dreadful 6-9 Washington Redskins, the cries for Coughlin's head could get to Metrodome levels. Offensive coordinator, Kevin Gilbride could also see his scalp on a stick. Another December failure could lead to wholesale changes on the Giants. Can you say Bill Cowher.
It was only a couple of weeks ago the Giants were 9-4, leading the Eagles 31-10 with eight minutes to go. The NFC East title and fate were in their grasp. It seems a lot longer than that now.
The challenges facing the Giants in their quest for a wild card playoff spot are mostly out of their hands now. The Bears can move up to the No. 1 seed if they win and the current top seed, the Atlanta Falcons, lose to the 2-13 Carolina Panthers.
The Bears play Sunday at 4:15 p.m., so when the team takes the field they should know the outcome of the Falcons-Panthers 1 p.m. game and if the No. 1 seed is still up for grabs. If the Falcons clinch the No. 1 and home field advantage throughout, do the Bears still go all out or do they pull a Colts and rest the starters?
Right after the Vikings victory, Giants running back Brandon Jacobs tweeted," Let's just hope Chicago play their starters. But it's always good to see Philly lose. DAMN."
'Maybe the Giants starters should just play' would be a common lament from New York fans
A couple of other factors could affect the Giants destiny---the one night Wisconsin layover and the second straight hangover from another disappointing loss. Head coach Tom Coughlin claims his staff would be about a half a day behind schedule from the delay.
The Giants players heads could be a different story. The last two "playoff clinching games" included blowing a 31-10 lead to the Eagles in the fourth quarter combined with the 45-17 blowout to the Packers. They could be worse than a New Year's Day headbanger that all the Players Only meetings and Guaranteed Victories won't cure.
Bears head coach Lovie Smith said he plans on playing his starters but, it remains to be seen if he uses them the whole game. Seeing a win by the Falcons before gametime could take away a lot of the Bears' motivation.
Leave it to their old nemesis the Eagles to kick more dirt in the Giants' face. New York has lost six in a row to Philadelphia including two this season already. If, and that is a gargantuan if, the Giants do slip into the playoffs, the road will most certainly run down the Turnpike through the unfriendly confines of Lincoln Financial Field and a third meeting with the Birds. Not a pleasant road trip.
A lot more than the Giants playoff hopes are riding on this game. If the Giants lose this Sunday at Fed Ex Field to the dreadful 6-9 Washington Redskins, the cries for Coughlin's head could get to Metrodome levels. Offensive coordinator, Kevin Gilbride could also see his scalp on a stick. Another December failure could lead to wholesale changes on the Giants. Can you say Bill Cowher.
It was only a couple of weeks ago the Giants were 9-4, leading the Eagles 31-10 with eight minutes to go. The NFC East title and fate were in their grasp. It seems a lot longer than that now.
Monday, December 27, 2010
New York Giants Not Worthy Of Playoffs
The entire New York Giants team and coaching staff should hang their heads in shame after yesterday's 45-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Ironically, last week's whipping boy, punter Matt Dodge, had the best game of any Giant player and last week's whipper, head coach Tom Coughlin, looked clueless and on the ropes. The Bill Cowher calls are getting louder.
The Giants were stranded in Appleton, Wisconsin after yesterday's interminable game because of the blizzard in New York. Talk about a snow job. To rally the troops, after last week's debacle at the New Meadowlands (same as the old) Stadium, Giants quarterback Eli Manning called his first 'players only' meeting in the seven years he's been in New York and safety, Antrell Rolle all but guaranteed a victory against the Packers, the Giants still folded under pressure...big time.
As the Giants do their all-too-familiar December swoon, it all comes down to coaching and basics. Tough-love coach Coughlin looked like a man out of his element yesterday. His chance to challenge a fourth-quarter Packer interception was lost because he wasted it on a foolish challenge earlier. Even a sure-bet reversal of a kick-off fumble by Hakeem Nicks took Coughlin a couple of agonizing minutes before Nicks finally convinced the head coach to toss the red flag. Nicks was correct.
Coughlin doesn't deserve all the blame--just most of it. The whole team looked uninspired and unprepared. You know something is wrong when a veteran team fails to perform fundamental football duties. Turnovers, pouncing on loose balls, on-side kick coverage, punt coverage and kickoff returns are all problems with the team. The team has no one to blame but themselves.
There are no excuses for the Giants poor play. Center Shaun O' Hara was back and the offensive line was complete but Manning still threw 4 interceptions to a Packer defense depleted by injuries.
"They played harder than we did," an exasperated Justin Tuck said, "It's a sick feeling in my stomach to be able to say that, considering what we had at stake." What they had at stake was destiny. Beat the Packers, make the playoffs.
The Giants vaunted backfield continues to underachieve and lose balls. Ahmad Bradshaw continues to drop the football at the first hello and Brandon Jacobs got the ball poked out of his arms after being chased down by linebacker extraordinaire, Clay Matthews. On the end of that romp, the usually clutch tight-end Kevin Boss tried to pick up the loose ball instead of hopping on it. Green Bay's recovery shot down any chance the Giants had to make a game of it. That makes 41 Giants turnovers this season. They had 13 all year in just two years ago.
The Packers QB, Aaron Rodgers, played lights out yesterday, only couple of weeks from being knocked out by a concussion. He riddled the Giants D for 404 yards and 4 touchdowns. He made "victory guaranteed' Rolle bite on an eighty yard TD throw to Jordy Nelson. Packer running back John Kuhn looked like a reincarnation of Jim Taylor against the over-rated and under-whelming Giants D-line.
Over the last 68 minutes the Giants have given up 73 points. Not exactly Giants football.
Coughlin--who could be coaching his last game for the Giants this Sunday--said, "I'd like to see us get the 10th win, and I'd like to see us come back from a game of this nature." Didn't he say that last week? " There's not a whole lot out there to be proud of," continued the coach, "And literally stop talking about it and do it." Again, last week?
All the Giants keep repeating is that they are still in the playoff hunt, but now they are the prey. This Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins in D.C. has been pushed back to a 4:15 starting time. Oh goody, three more hours to prepare.
The Giants are in the playoffs if they beat Washington and the Bears beat the Packers. Or if they beat the Redskins and the Saints lose twice, starting with tonight's game. Good luck with that.
Here is a scenario which is much more likely to pan out. The Giants are in the playoffs if Brett Favre and Jenn Sterger kiss and make up, Michael Vick is voted PETA's Man of the Year and Rex Ryan becomes a spokesperson for Dr. Scholl's. Only then can you believe the Giants are playoff bound.
The Giants were stranded in Appleton, Wisconsin after yesterday's interminable game because of the blizzard in New York. Talk about a snow job. To rally the troops, after last week's debacle at the New Meadowlands (same as the old) Stadium, Giants quarterback Eli Manning called his first 'players only' meeting in the seven years he's been in New York and safety, Antrell Rolle all but guaranteed a victory against the Packers, the Giants still folded under pressure...big time.
Coughlin doesn't deserve all the blame--just most of it. The whole team looked uninspired and unprepared. You know something is wrong when a veteran team fails to perform fundamental football duties. Turnovers, pouncing on loose balls, on-side kick coverage, punt coverage and kickoff returns are all problems with the team. The team has no one to blame but themselves.
There are no excuses for the Giants poor play. Center Shaun O' Hara was back and the offensive line was complete but Manning still threw 4 interceptions to a Packer defense depleted by injuries.
"They played harder than we did," an exasperated Justin Tuck said, "It's a sick feeling in my stomach to be able to say that, considering what we had at stake." What they had at stake was destiny. Beat the Packers, make the playoffs.
The Giants vaunted backfield continues to underachieve and lose balls. Ahmad Bradshaw continues to drop the football at the first hello and Brandon Jacobs got the ball poked out of his arms after being chased down by linebacker extraordinaire, Clay Matthews. On the end of that romp, the usually clutch tight-end Kevin Boss tried to pick up the loose ball instead of hopping on it. Green Bay's recovery shot down any chance the Giants had to make a game of it. That makes 41 Giants turnovers this season. They had 13 all year in just two years ago.
The Packers QB, Aaron Rodgers, played lights out yesterday, only couple of weeks from being knocked out by a concussion. He riddled the Giants D for 404 yards and 4 touchdowns. He made "victory guaranteed' Rolle bite on an eighty yard TD throw to Jordy Nelson. Packer running back John Kuhn looked like a reincarnation of Jim Taylor against the over-rated and under-whelming Giants D-line.
Over the last 68 minutes the Giants have given up 73 points. Not exactly Giants football.
Coughlin--who could be coaching his last game for the Giants this Sunday--said, "I'd like to see us get the 10th win, and I'd like to see us come back from a game of this nature." Didn't he say that last week? " There's not a whole lot out there to be proud of," continued the coach, "And literally stop talking about it and do it." Again, last week?
All the Giants keep repeating is that they are still in the playoff hunt, but now they are the prey. This Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins in D.C. has been pushed back to a 4:15 starting time. Oh goody, three more hours to prepare.
The Giants are in the playoffs if they beat Washington and the Bears beat the Packers. Or if they beat the Redskins and the Saints lose twice, starting with tonight's game. Good luck with that.
Here is a scenario which is much more likely to pan out. The Giants are in the playoffs if Brett Favre and Jenn Sterger kiss and make up, Michael Vick is voted PETA's Man of the Year and Rex Ryan becomes a spokesperson for Dr. Scholl's. Only then can you believe the Giants are playoff bound.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Eli Manning Finally Speaks Up: Giants Must Man Up Against Packers
Eli Manning did something he has never done in seven years as the New York Giants quarterback. The usually reserved quarterback asked head coach Tom Coughlin if he could address the team in a players only meeting "before he [Coughlin] came in." The head coach was more than happy to oblige his offensive leader after the horrendous 38-31 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday.
The five minute speech wasn't a last gasp of desperation. It was Manning's way getting order back in the Giants' house after all the finger-pointing.
If you totaled up all of the Giants mistakes and misplays of the previous thirteen games, it wouldn't be more than the final seven and a half minutes of Giants futility against the Eagles. Sunday's epic collapse was so bad Coughlin went home and recounted the game alone "in a room with the lights out for about 2 1/2 hours."
Manning spent his time after the game recounting the game to an empty press room for a while. Contrary to a video making the rounds, the Giant quarterback was not stood up by the media. The classy Manning had to wait a few minutes for the press room to fill. He took the loss like a leader should.
The Giants QB, whose emotional range usually runs from the occasional fist pump to the more common befuddled head shake, took matters into his own hands by being the only speaker in his attempt to raise the spirits of the fragile team's ego.
Never the outspoken team leader in the mold of a Michael Strahan or even the resident loudmouth safety Antrell Rolle, one can only hope the quiet Manning's rallying cry was in the style of John Belushi's character, Bluto, in "Animal House." In that scenario, Manning might have began his fist-pounding speech with, "Remember when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor..." At which the surprised Giant players all stare at their animated QB, then at each other. Justin Tuck nods his head and says to no one, "Leave him alone, he's rolling," in reaction to Manning's first pep talk.
In reality, Manning matter-of-fact speech boiled down to this, " We're going to write the ending to this story, no one else." When asked to elaborate on what he said, Manning explained, "Just team stuff."
Most of the veteran players couldn't remember their QB addressing the team like this, but said they will remember what he said in his non-confrontational style. While Manning was calling a civil meeting of Giant minds, fans were still ranting for punter Matt Dodge's head.
Manning's mild demeanor was a sharp contrast to Coughlin's public chewing out of the A.J. Burnett wannabe, Dodge, on the sideline the New Meadowlands Stadium on Sunday. The quarterback knows winning is a team effort and there were ten other players besides Dodge who could have tackled DeSean Jackson before his game-winning punt return.
"It wasn't necessarily a speech. He was just very prolific in saying [what] we had to do," said the defensive captain, Tuck. "He just wanted to make sure we were on the same page, that our minds were set on coming in here on Wednesday and working our butts off," said Tuck.
The Giants (9-5) can take comfort that they are still be in the playoff hunt. They control their own destiny for a wildcard position, but another December swoon would be two failed seasons in a row and Coughlin's job could hang in the balance.
The Giants must purge the bad memories of Sunday. Riding on this week's game against the Green Bay Packers (8-6) is the final wildcard position. Packers star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, has already been cleared to play after missing last week's game due to a concussion. A Giants loss at Lambeau Field would give the Packers the tiebreaker.
In his heart, Manning's message was an attempt to stem the tide of damage from the embarrassing loss and soothe the fractured Giants psyche. Teammates said he put on stoic face, but could tell he just wants to win. Now they head to the frozen turf in Green Bay and try to put all the bad memories of blowing a 31-10 lead behind them.
If Manning was trying to rally the troops by stirring up ghosts of Super Bowl seasons past, he has a tough road ahead. If they can't win at home with a three touchdown lead, how can they expect to win three straight playoff road games. They haven't even won a playoff game since the '07 Super bowl victory.
All and all, the Giants are still in the playoffs today. It's up to the team to react positively to last week's collapse. Maybe this veteran team will recall that '07 team of road warriors, but all the 'Win one for the Gipper' speeches in the world won't mean a thing if the Giants team can't make one loud statement on the field--together.
The five minute speech wasn't a last gasp of desperation. It was Manning's way getting order back in the Giants' house after all the finger-pointing.
If you totaled up all of the Giants mistakes and misplays of the previous thirteen games, it wouldn't be more than the final seven and a half minutes of Giants futility against the Eagles. Sunday's epic collapse was so bad Coughlin went home and recounted the game alone "in a room with the lights out for about 2 1/2 hours."
The Giants QB, whose emotional range usually runs from the occasional fist pump to the more common befuddled head shake, took matters into his own hands by being the only speaker in his attempt to raise the spirits of the fragile team's ego.
Never the outspoken team leader in the mold of a Michael Strahan or even the resident loudmouth safety Antrell Rolle, one can only hope the quiet Manning's rallying cry was in the style of John Belushi's character, Bluto, in "Animal House." In that scenario, Manning might have began his fist-pounding speech with, "Remember when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor..." At which the surprised Giant players all stare at their animated QB, then at each other. Justin Tuck nods his head and says to no one, "Leave him alone, he's rolling," in reaction to Manning's first pep talk.
In reality, Manning matter-of-fact speech boiled down to this, " We're going to write the ending to this story, no one else." When asked to elaborate on what he said, Manning explained, "Just team stuff."
Most of the veteran players couldn't remember their QB addressing the team like this, but said they will remember what he said in his non-confrontational style. While Manning was calling a civil meeting of Giant minds, fans were still ranting for punter Matt Dodge's head.
Manning's mild demeanor was a sharp contrast to Coughlin's public chewing out of the A.J. Burnett wannabe, Dodge, on the sideline the New Meadowlands Stadium on Sunday. The quarterback knows winning is a team effort and there were ten other players besides Dodge who could have tackled DeSean Jackson before his game-winning punt return.
"It wasn't necessarily a speech. He was just very prolific in saying [what] we had to do," said the defensive captain, Tuck. "He just wanted to make sure we were on the same page, that our minds were set on coming in here on Wednesday and working our butts off," said Tuck.
The Giants (9-5) can take comfort that they are still be in the playoff hunt. They control their own destiny for a wildcard position, but another December swoon would be two failed seasons in a row and Coughlin's job could hang in the balance.
The Giants must purge the bad memories of Sunday. Riding on this week's game against the Green Bay Packers (8-6) is the final wildcard position. Packers star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, has already been cleared to play after missing last week's game due to a concussion. A Giants loss at Lambeau Field would give the Packers the tiebreaker.
In his heart, Manning's message was an attempt to stem the tide of damage from the embarrassing loss and soothe the fractured Giants psyche. Teammates said he put on stoic face, but could tell he just wants to win. Now they head to the frozen turf in Green Bay and try to put all the bad memories of blowing a 31-10 lead behind them.
If Manning was trying to rally the troops by stirring up ghosts of Super Bowl seasons past, he has a tough road ahead. If they can't win at home with a three touchdown lead, how can they expect to win three straight playoff road games. They haven't even won a playoff game since the '07 Super bowl victory.
All and all, the Giants are still in the playoffs today. It's up to the team to react positively to last week's collapse. Maybe this veteran team will recall that '07 team of road warriors, but all the 'Win one for the Gipper' speeches in the world won't mean a thing if the Giants team can't make one loud statement on the field--together.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Giant Loss and Cowher Talk Are 'Ridiculous'
Philadelphia Eagles Michael Vick said he wanted a puppy and the New York Giants obliged the quarterback's wishes and became his lapdog. Yesterday's epic Giants loss was the latest in a long line of mega-meltdowns against the Eagles and the murmurs of 'Fire Coughlin' are starting to get louder--especially after Super Bowl-winning coach, Bill Cowher, said the Giants are number one team he would like to coach.
Enough of putting the blame on the Giants punter Matt Dodge for yesterdays dog-fight ugly 38-31 loss to the Eagles. The collapse of the whole team rests on the shoulders of head coach Tom Coughlin. Funny, it looked like the Philadelphia head coach Andy Reid's head was on the block after the Giants took a 31-10 lead with seven and a half minutes left and then, in a series of Giants bungled plays, missed tackles and a heavy dose of Vick's passing and running, Reid was revered and Coughlin reviled.
Giants owner John Mara shook his head at rumors the Giants were interested in Cowher. The former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach announced he was interested in getting back to the coaching game and whittled down his team choices to the Miami Dolphins, the Houston Texans and at the top of the short list, the New York Giants according to an ESPN report.
Mara called the stories, "Ridiculous. We were writing Bill Cowher stories two months ago and now we are going to write them again? That's ridiculous."
Cowher spent 15 seasons with the Steelers and won two AFC titles and the 2005 Super Bowl under him. Cowher left the Steelers in 2006 and works as an analyst for CBS. He is one of a small group of prized free-agent coaches available.
Last January, Cowher's name was bandied about for the Giants head coaching position after Coughlin and the Giants miserable December losing streak eliminated them from the playoffs. Two months ago the calls for Cowher got louder from Giant fans after the G-Men were reeling from consecutive losses.
Former Steeler running back Jerome Bettis thinks Cowher will wait for the Giants job to open up. On SiriusXM's Mad Dog Radio, Bettis said he feels that New York was "Where he always wanted to be. The Mara family, he's always been close to them." Bettis said these were his opinions and admitted he had not talked with his old coach.
Coughlin's repeated berating of his punter on the sidelines has become a all too common sight-- but the loss was a team effort and it starts at the top. Coughlin's defense--which held Vick in check for fifty-two and a half minutes broke like a wet paper bag. The offense couldn't even work the clock in the second half. Don't even mention the special teams. Which team lines up five yards further than it should for an obvious on-side kick? The Giants, that's who! Coughlin and his staff deserve most of the blame for this monumental loss.
The Giants control their own playoff destiny. They are hanging on to wild card by a a thread thinner than a fan's patience with Coughlin. They must win the remaining road games against the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins to be assured of at least a wild card.
Coughlin's tough-love style of coaching is well known. It will take more than a firm hand to help this band of second-half underachievers. A loss of Sunday's magnitude can damage a weak team's spirit beyond repair or drive a superior team to once attainable heights. Let's see how old Coughlin handles it.
Coughlin has a Super Bowl ring and one year left on his contract. Another December slide from the playoffs for the second year in a row could mean Cowher could getting his dream job in New York.
Giants owner John Mara shook his head at rumors the Giants were interested in Cowher. The former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach announced he was interested in getting back to the coaching game and whittled down his team choices to the Miami Dolphins, the Houston Texans and at the top of the short list, the New York Giants according to an ESPN report.
Mara called the stories, "Ridiculous. We were writing Bill Cowher stories two months ago and now we are going to write them again? That's ridiculous."
Cowher spent 15 seasons with the Steelers and won two AFC titles and the 2005 Super Bowl under him. Cowher left the Steelers in 2006 and works as an analyst for CBS. He is one of a small group of prized free-agent coaches available.
Last January, Cowher's name was bandied about for the Giants head coaching position after Coughlin and the Giants miserable December losing streak eliminated them from the playoffs. Two months ago the calls for Cowher got louder from Giant fans after the G-Men were reeling from consecutive losses.
Former Steeler running back Jerome Bettis thinks Cowher will wait for the Giants job to open up. On SiriusXM's Mad Dog Radio, Bettis said he feels that New York was "Where he always wanted to be. The Mara family, he's always been close to them." Bettis said these were his opinions and admitted he had not talked with his old coach.
Coughlin's repeated berating of his punter on the sidelines has become a all too common sight-- but the loss was a team effort and it starts at the top. Coughlin's defense--which held Vick in check for fifty-two and a half minutes broke like a wet paper bag. The offense couldn't even work the clock in the second half. Don't even mention the special teams. Which team lines up five yards further than it should for an obvious on-side kick? The Giants, that's who! Coughlin and his staff deserve most of the blame for this monumental loss.
The Giants control their own playoff destiny. They are hanging on to wild card by a a thread thinner than a fan's patience with Coughlin. They must win the remaining road games against the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins to be assured of at least a wild card.
Coughlin's tough-love style of coaching is well known. It will take more than a firm hand to help this band of second-half underachievers. A loss of Sunday's magnitude can damage a weak team's spirit beyond repair or drive a superior team to once attainable heights. Let's see how old Coughlin handles it.
Coughlin has a Super Bowl ring and one year left on his contract. Another December slide from the playoffs for the second year in a row could mean Cowher could getting his dream job in New York.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Eli Manning Has Something To Prove In Minnesota
Nobody has to remind the New York Giants about last January's season-ending bashing at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings--especially quarterback Eli Manning. While the Vikings were lighting up the Giants defense like the Rockefeller Christmas tree, Manning continued his five-year streak of futility against the the Northmen.
Last year's rout was the fourth straight loss to Minnesota and put an exclamation point on the Giants dismal 2009 season. Manning has never beaten Minny in four tries and, except for a game in 2008 when he was pulled at halftime because the Giants already had the top seed in the NFC in their future, he has been brutalized by the purple defense.
One time in 2007, Manning was chastised by the press and Giants front office after throwing three interceptions which were returned for touchdowns in a lackadaisical effort against the Vikes. The Giants GM Jerry Reese called his quarterback "skittish." The press said he quit.
Last year's mauling was just the Vikings way of using an elephant gun to put the staggering G-Men out of their misery. This year the Giants (8-4) are tied for first place with the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East and claim they have have something to play for this time around.
The Giants have upcoming games against Philly and the Green Bay Packers--both in the playoff hunt--and a loss against the Vikings could push them out of the wildcard race. A 10-6 record could leave any teams out of the playoffs because of strong teams like The Packers (8-4) and the New Orleans Saints (9-3) building up steam.
Despite walloping the Washington Redskins last week, the Giants have been inconsistent and hurt. Eli has still thrown too many interceptions and the offense has trouble getting six inside the red zone. The team had been decimated by injuries to the offensive line and receiving corps and has more guys on the DL than "Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark."
While that Broadway musical deals with flying actors crashing into the mezzanine and opening night jitters, the Giants were besieged by blitzing safeties and Sunday fumbles. Lately though, the Giants have been successfully using understudies and hitting their marks.
Reese has been making all the right moves. He brought back Derek Hagan--who was cut by the Giants in training camp--and has filled in admirably as a receiver. Tight end Bear Pascoe was on the taxi-squad and now fills in at fullback. They are two of many fill-ins who have played crucial roles in the Giants modest win streak.
Reese's wheeling and dealings are reminiscent of his magic touch in 2007 when he brought in role-players like Madison Hedgecock, Dominik Hixon and Kevin Boss in the Giants' stretch-run to Super Bowl XLII. They have been important cogs--when healthy-- on this year's team as well.
For a team that has a record of 11-15 in the crucial month of December, since Head Coach Tom Coughlin took over, the team is confident. Coughlin knows he doesn't have to fire his players up against the Vikings and the players are responding.
Defensive tackle Barry Cofield said the team is motivated especially the way the defense has been playing the past two weeks. "That's what you live for," said Cofield. "You want to have pressure and have something to play for and have things at the end of the season to play for."
For now, the Giants have been fortunate to win with new replacement players but maybe some old faces will be back on the field this Sunday. Wide receiver Steve Smith--who missed four games with a torn pectoral muscle--said he could start and offensive lineman David Diehl (hamstring injury) might be back too.
Manning's woes against the Vikings stand out in bright red ink on the stat pages. While he has shown flashes of brilliance against most teams, he has been a dud against Minnesota. Manning's 0-4 record, nine interceptions, and a passer rating of 47.7 against the Vikings blink like the North Star on a clear night in Hibbing.
This is the game in which Manning must come up big. His emotional void is sometimes mistaken for a weakness--a lack of competitiveness. All said, Manning has handled six years in New York and wears a Super Bowl ring.
Sunday, he is playing for pride, respect and the playoffs. A loss this weekend and it could be back to playing out the season...again.
Last year's rout was the fourth straight loss to Minnesota and put an exclamation point on the Giants dismal 2009 season. Manning has never beaten Minny in four tries and, except for a game in 2008 when he was pulled at halftime because the Giants already had the top seed in the NFC in their future, he has been brutalized by the purple defense.
Last year's mauling was just the Vikings way of using an elephant gun to put the staggering G-Men out of their misery. This year the Giants (8-4) are tied for first place with the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East and claim they have have something to play for this time around.
The Giants have upcoming games against Philly and the Green Bay Packers--both in the playoff hunt--and a loss against the Vikings could push them out of the wildcard race. A 10-6 record could leave any teams out of the playoffs because of strong teams like The Packers (8-4) and the New Orleans Saints (9-3) building up steam.
Despite walloping the Washington Redskins last week, the Giants have been inconsistent and hurt. Eli has still thrown too many interceptions and the offense has trouble getting six inside the red zone. The team had been decimated by injuries to the offensive line and receiving corps and has more guys on the DL than "Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark."
While that Broadway musical deals with flying actors crashing into the mezzanine and opening night jitters, the Giants were besieged by blitzing safeties and Sunday fumbles. Lately though, the Giants have been successfully using understudies and hitting their marks.
Reese has been making all the right moves. He brought back Derek Hagan--who was cut by the Giants in training camp--and has filled in admirably as a receiver. Tight end Bear Pascoe was on the taxi-squad and now fills in at fullback. They are two of many fill-ins who have played crucial roles in the Giants modest win streak.
Reese's wheeling and dealings are reminiscent of his magic touch in 2007 when he brought in role-players like Madison Hedgecock, Dominik Hixon and Kevin Boss in the Giants' stretch-run to Super Bowl XLII. They have been important cogs--when healthy-- on this year's team as well.
For a team that has a record of 11-15 in the crucial month of December, since Head Coach Tom Coughlin took over, the team is confident. Coughlin knows he doesn't have to fire his players up against the Vikings and the players are responding.
Defensive tackle Barry Cofield said the team is motivated especially the way the defense has been playing the past two weeks. "That's what you live for," said Cofield. "You want to have pressure and have something to play for and have things at the end of the season to play for."
For now, the Giants have been fortunate to win with new replacement players but maybe some old faces will be back on the field this Sunday. Wide receiver Steve Smith--who missed four games with a torn pectoral muscle--said he could start and offensive lineman David Diehl (hamstring injury) might be back too.
Manning's woes against the Vikings stand out in bright red ink on the stat pages. While he has shown flashes of brilliance against most teams, he has been a dud against Minnesota. Manning's 0-4 record, nine interceptions, and a passer rating of 47.7 against the Vikings blink like the North Star on a clear night in Hibbing.
This is the game in which Manning must come up big. His emotional void is sometimes mistaken for a weakness--a lack of competitiveness. All said, Manning has handled six years in New York and wears a Super Bowl ring.
Sunday, he is playing for pride, respect and the playoffs. A loss this weekend and it could be back to playing out the season...again.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Giants' Nicks Out; Playoff Hopes Sliding Away
By Tony Mangia
Eli Manning might want to remove "The Slide" from his resume. He will always have "The Drive" as his legacy, but his bone-headed run on Sunday cost the New York Giants any chance of beating the Philadelphia Eagles and could ultimately cost head coach Tom Coughlin his job. Fans are still wondering how the quarterback could have fumbled on a tackle which had less contact than a TSA pat-down.
Just a couple of games back from unofficially being called the best team in the NFL, the Giants now are reeling and scrambling for a playoff position. It's another second-half swoon that have characterized the Giants since 2004--or, coincidentally, the first year Coughlin took over the reins of the team.
The Jacksonville Jaguars--who looked like deep-sea chum a few weeks ago--roll into the New Meadowlands Stadium this Sunday with the same record (6-4) as the Giants and something the Giants can only reminisce about--a three-game win streak. The Jaguars are tied for first place in the AFC South.
The Giants continue to shoot themselves in the foot. Every week the team takes stupid penalties (Jason Pierre-Paul is their latest poster boy), hand over the ball like Christmas gifts and give up big plays on the special teams.
Manning may blame himself for not sliding after getting a first down, but the whole offense is contributing to the slide. Ahmad Bradshaw still holds the ball like basted turkey and there are still too many tipped passes which end up in the opponent's hands.
Maybe if the Giants bric-and-brac running backs, Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, did their job, Manning wouldn't have to stumble the extra few yards before that fumble. Bradshaw gained only seven more yards than Manning on the day and the flat-footed quarterback actually had twelve more yards than the powerhouse Jacobs! How's that for Giants football?
Manning said he regrets taking the awkward flop, but confessed he thought he could run through the Eagles' Asante Samuel and Dimitri Patterson for six points before coming to his senses. "Should have gone feet first," he said.
Don't blame everything on the team or coach. Injuries keep piling up. The receiving corps should have their own infirmary. The latest addition is Hakeem Nicks. Nicks was Manning's go-to guy and was having a Pro-Bowl worthy year with 62 catches, 800 yards and 9 TDs. The wide-out was kicked in the lower left leg in the Philly game and has "Compartment Syndrome" in that calf. The injury is a compression of blood vessels and nerves which could lead to serious problems if no care is taken. He's looking at three weeks on the bench. Hakeem, go join the three offensive lineman nursing themselves.
This leaves Manning without Nicks or Steve Smith--one of the most-dangerous wide-out duos (Stevie-Nicks?) in the league. He is now dependent on Mario Manningham and a depleted bunch of pass catchers with journeyman names like Derek Hagan and rookie Duke Calhoun. Sounds like one of the cowboys in "True Grit." Even safety Antrel Rolle has volunteered to fill in. That's how bad the situation is--everyone knows DBs are pass catchers who can't catch. The receivers roster --which was deep at the start of the season--is down to bare bones. Funny, Eli's brother Peyton has the same problem with the Colts, and he has turned a group of no-names into stars. They both had bad Sundays.
Manning and Coughlin still have time to avoid another second-half collapse. Coughlin has to crack the whip and coach like the red-faced taskmaster never coached before. Critics, be damned! The Giants are looking up at six teams in the NFC with better records and six games to go. There is no time for anything but flawless play.
The Giants D is still one of the league's best. Their aggressive blitzing last week did a decent job of containing Michael Vick, but it let Eagles running back, LeSean McCoy, roam free after breaking the scrimmage line. The Jaguars' David Garrard can run, but will never be compared to Vick. The Giants will have to mug Garrard, but the safeties will have to be ready for the open field running of 5'7" fireplug, Maurice Jones-Drew, if they expect to stop their losing ways.
The Giants last two losses came against a Cowboys team which was rejuvenated after a coaching change and playing for respect. Philadelphia was just a better team, but was beatable. Now Jacksonville comes in and it is not as bad as advertised. They are now battling for a division title, but outside of an emotional victory against the Colts, most of their wins are against bottom-feeders. The Jaguars are one of those dangerous teams which other teams take lightly. Not a smart thing.
The Giants talk a lot about not succumbing to a second-half swoon. "Moaning doesn't help," said Manning, whose occasional bad decisions still haunt him, "You start complaining about it, you start going 'Woe is me,' it doesn't fix anything, it just makes it worse."
What does get worse is the upcoming Giants' schedule. After the Jags, they meet the Washington Redskins--who are suddenly in the wild card conversation--the Eagles once again, the Green Bay Packers and another desperate team with a new coach and a squandered season, the Minnesota Vikings.
The injured Steve Smith called this Sunday's game a "must win." The Giants defense is more than capable of wrapping up the pedestrian Jaguar offense. Eli Manning has to play error-free football and Coughlin must coach the team back into contention. If he doesn't, the swoon will be in full swing and the anti-Coughlin chants will once again fill the New Meadowlands Stadium.
Eli Manning might want to remove "The Slide" from his resume. He will always have "The Drive" as his legacy, but his bone-headed run on Sunday cost the New York Giants any chance of beating the Philadelphia Eagles and could ultimately cost head coach Tom Coughlin his job. Fans are still wondering how the quarterback could have fumbled on a tackle which had less contact than a TSA pat-down.
Just a couple of games back from unofficially being called the best team in the NFL, the Giants now are reeling and scrambling for a playoff position. It's another second-half swoon that have characterized the Giants since 2004--or, coincidentally, the first year Coughlin took over the reins of the team.
The Giants continue to shoot themselves in the foot. Every week the team takes stupid penalties (Jason Pierre-Paul is their latest poster boy), hand over the ball like Christmas gifts and give up big plays on the special teams.
Manning may blame himself for not sliding after getting a first down, but the whole offense is contributing to the slide. Ahmad Bradshaw still holds the ball like basted turkey and there are still too many tipped passes which end up in the opponent's hands.
Maybe if the Giants bric-and-brac running backs, Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, did their job, Manning wouldn't have to stumble the extra few yards before that fumble. Bradshaw gained only seven more yards than Manning on the day and the flat-footed quarterback actually had twelve more yards than the powerhouse Jacobs! How's that for Giants football?
Manning said he regrets taking the awkward flop, but confessed he thought he could run through the Eagles' Asante Samuel and Dimitri Patterson for six points before coming to his senses. "Should have gone feet first," he said.
Don't blame everything on the team or coach. Injuries keep piling up. The receiving corps should have their own infirmary. The latest addition is Hakeem Nicks. Nicks was Manning's go-to guy and was having a Pro-Bowl worthy year with 62 catches, 800 yards and 9 TDs. The wide-out was kicked in the lower left leg in the Philly game and has "Compartment Syndrome" in that calf. The injury is a compression of blood vessels and nerves which could lead to serious problems if no care is taken. He's looking at three weeks on the bench. Hakeem, go join the three offensive lineman nursing themselves.
This leaves Manning without Nicks or Steve Smith--one of the most-dangerous wide-out duos (Stevie-Nicks?) in the league. He is now dependent on Mario Manningham and a depleted bunch of pass catchers with journeyman names like Derek Hagan and rookie Duke Calhoun. Sounds like one of the cowboys in "True Grit." Even safety Antrel Rolle has volunteered to fill in. That's how bad the situation is--everyone knows DBs are pass catchers who can't catch. The receivers roster --which was deep at the start of the season--is down to bare bones. Funny, Eli's brother Peyton has the same problem with the Colts, and he has turned a group of no-names into stars. They both had bad Sundays.
Manning and Coughlin still have time to avoid another second-half collapse. Coughlin has to crack the whip and coach like the red-faced taskmaster never coached before. Critics, be damned! The Giants are looking up at six teams in the NFC with better records and six games to go. There is no time for anything but flawless play.
The Giants D is still one of the league's best. Their aggressive blitzing last week did a decent job of containing Michael Vick, but it let Eagles running back, LeSean McCoy, roam free after breaking the scrimmage line. The Jaguars' David Garrard can run, but will never be compared to Vick. The Giants will have to mug Garrard, but the safeties will have to be ready for the open field running of 5'7" fireplug, Maurice Jones-Drew, if they expect to stop their losing ways.
The Giants last two losses came against a Cowboys team which was rejuvenated after a coaching change and playing for respect. Philadelphia was just a better team, but was beatable. Now Jacksonville comes in and it is not as bad as advertised. They are now battling for a division title, but outside of an emotional victory against the Colts, most of their wins are against bottom-feeders. The Jaguars are one of those dangerous teams which other teams take lightly. Not a smart thing.
The Giants talk a lot about not succumbing to a second-half swoon. "Moaning doesn't help," said Manning, whose occasional bad decisions still haunt him, "You start complaining about it, you start going 'Woe is me,' it doesn't fix anything, it just makes it worse."
What does get worse is the upcoming Giants' schedule. After the Jags, they meet the Washington Redskins--who are suddenly in the wild card conversation--the Eagles once again, the Green Bay Packers and another desperate team with a new coach and a squandered season, the Minnesota Vikings.
The injured Steve Smith called this Sunday's game a "must win." The Giants defense is more than capable of wrapping up the pedestrian Jaguar offense. Eli Manning has to play error-free football and Coughlin must coach the team back into contention. If he doesn't, the swoon will be in full swing and the anti-Coughlin chants will once again fill the New Meadowlands Stadium.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Justin Tuck: Giants Will Not Sink in Second Half of Season
By Tony Mangia
It was all in the cards for a Giants last week. The team was being called the best in the NFL, they were two touchdown favorites over a reeling Dallas Cowboys squad and it was the first game of the second half of the season. It was the perfect storm for a let-down and the Giants didn't disappoint. In what has become an annual occurrence under the realm of Tom Coughlin, the Giants began their end-of-season meltdown.
Quick what's 16-31 and blue all over. If you said the Giants second half record since 2004 you win a prize. With the exception of 2005, the finish the season with a .500 or worse--usually worse. This year will be different, the players say.
It's too easy to use last Sunday's blackout in the New Meadowlands Stadium on as a game summary. Sure, the offense had a power failure...the Cowboys played lights out...but I think the fans, themselves, felt like passengers on that cruise ship drifting off the coast of Mexico--plied with leftover liquor for a wonderful while, then getting fed Spam.
Justin Tuck is all too aware of the team's second-half failures. Except for the Super Bowl championship season in 2007, the Giants (6-3) have either not made the playoffs or lost in the first round since Coughlin became head coach. He is adamant it will not happen this year.
Tuck said, " This team is different. I think we learned our lesson. Guys understand how it felt last year to have the debacle that we had." Funny, I think he said that last year too. "I think we're poised to make sure that doesn't happen again. I think as a whole , we were completely sick to our stomach by how we finished the season last year." The fans know that feeling too.
Then he used that old standard excuse that is supposed to knock a team out of their complacency. Here it comes, "I'm kinda glad that the things happened to us [Sunday] night, because it puts us back on alert, it puts us back to thinking," the defensive end said. I hope that Eagles quarterback, Michael Vick gets the message.
Vick, who is having his game jersey sent to Canton for his rampage over the Redskins Monday night, will be waiting for Tuck's defense this Sunday. Jon Kitna (?), who lit up the Giants last Sunday, is one thing, but Vick is a totally different animal. I won't use the phrase "pit bull" like Vick's teammate, DeSean Jackson, used last week to describe his team's demeanor, but he has a dog-like tenacity.
Quick, what has wings, is red hot and is green all over. Sounds like a nacho plate but no it is Vick. The Eagles QB, who is less than two years away from 3-squares-and-a-bed, is on his way to an MVP caliber season. He has yet thrown an interception this year and was the first player in NFL history to throw for 300 yards, run for 50 yards and score two TDs on the ground and throw for four more in NFL history. All this after coming off a cracked sternum--one of the most painful injuries-- after getting sandwiched between two 300 pound men just a few weeks ago.
With Vick calling the signals, the Eagles (6-3) look invincible. Their total devastation of Washington on Monday night should leave Giant fans feeling more seasick than the passengers on that stranded ship. Even Donovan McNabb's new $78 million contract couldn't rally the Redskins.
Now Big Blue will be traveling into hostile Philly, with their rowdy fans, for the biggest game of the season and first place in the NFC East up for grabs. The Eagles soar in with momentum and a hot signal caller. The Giants limp in with a depleted receiving corps and a busted up offensive line. A consecutive division loss could be the beginning of another second-half swoon.
Are the Giant players cognizant of the collapses? "It's a new season, " said Eli Manning, "Play this year. Why don't we talk about '07 then?" None of the veteran players really want to talk about the past--and it is the past--but it has been the team's history.
The Giants hope to return to being the team that plowed over Seattle, 41-7, two weeks ago and made the Texans wish they were the Oilers again. There have been flashes of brilliance by Eli and Company in their victories, but penalties and stupid turnovers have cost them games and deservedly so.
The Giants hope they shake off the ugly defeat to Dallas. "You prepare. You play Philly," said Manning, "You prepare for your next game. It's all you can do. It's all you think about."
The G-Men were flying high at 6-2 until that loss to the rudderless Cowboys. Will their second half history repeat itself? The past is hard to ignore and so will be Michael Vick.
It was all in the cards for a Giants last week. The team was being called the best in the NFL, they were two touchdown favorites over a reeling Dallas Cowboys squad and it was the first game of the second half of the season. It was the perfect storm for a let-down and the Giants didn't disappoint. In what has become an annual occurrence under the realm of Tom Coughlin, the Giants began their end-of-season meltdown.
Quick what's 16-31 and blue all over. If you said the Giants second half record since 2004 you win a prize. With the exception of 2005, the finish the season with a .500 or worse--usually worse. This year will be different, the players say.
It's too easy to use last Sunday's blackout in the New Meadowlands Stadium on as a game summary. Sure, the offense had a power failure...the Cowboys played lights out...but I think the fans, themselves, felt like passengers on that cruise ship drifting off the coast of Mexico--plied with leftover liquor for a wonderful while, then getting fed Spam.
Justin Tuck is all too aware of the team's second-half failures. Except for the Super Bowl championship season in 2007, the Giants (6-3) have either not made the playoffs or lost in the first round since Coughlin became head coach. He is adamant it will not happen this year.
Tuck said, " This team is different. I think we learned our lesson. Guys understand how it felt last year to have the debacle that we had." Funny, I think he said that last year too. "I think we're poised to make sure that doesn't happen again. I think as a whole , we were completely sick to our stomach by how we finished the season last year." The fans know that feeling too.
Then he used that old standard excuse that is supposed to knock a team out of their complacency. Here it comes, "I'm kinda glad that the things happened to us [Sunday] night, because it puts us back on alert, it puts us back to thinking," the defensive end said. I hope that Eagles quarterback, Michael Vick gets the message.
Quick, what has wings, is red hot and is green all over. Sounds like a nacho plate but no it is Vick. The Eagles QB, who is less than two years away from 3-squares-and-a-bed, is on his way to an MVP caliber season. He has yet thrown an interception this year and was the first player in NFL history to throw for 300 yards, run for 50 yards and score two TDs on the ground and throw for four more in NFL history. All this after coming off a cracked sternum--one of the most painful injuries-- after getting sandwiched between two 300 pound men just a few weeks ago.
With Vick calling the signals, the Eagles (6-3) look invincible. Their total devastation of Washington on Monday night should leave Giant fans feeling more seasick than the passengers on that stranded ship. Even Donovan McNabb's new $78 million contract couldn't rally the Redskins.
Now Big Blue will be traveling into hostile Philly, with their rowdy fans, for the biggest game of the season and first place in the NFC East up for grabs. The Eagles soar in with momentum and a hot signal caller. The Giants limp in with a depleted receiving corps and a busted up offensive line. A consecutive division loss could be the beginning of another second-half swoon.
Are the Giant players cognizant of the collapses? "It's a new season, " said Eli Manning, "Play this year. Why don't we talk about '07 then?" None of the veteran players really want to talk about the past--and it is the past--but it has been the team's history.
The Giants hope to return to being the team that plowed over Seattle, 41-7, two weeks ago and made the Texans wish they were the Oilers again. There have been flashes of brilliance by Eli and Company in their victories, but penalties and stupid turnovers have cost them games and deservedly so.
The Giants hope they shake off the ugly defeat to Dallas. "You prepare. You play Philly," said Manning, "You prepare for your next game. It's all you can do. It's all you think about."
The G-Men were flying high at 6-2 until that loss to the rudderless Cowboys. Will their second half history repeat itself? The past is hard to ignore and so will be Michael Vick.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Shanahan Creates New Position: The Relief QB
By Tony Mangia
There have been plenty of head scratching moves by by NFL head coaches this season, but none of them are as nonsensical as the Redskins Mike Shanahan pulling his starting QB, Donovan McNabb, on Detroit's Ford Field Sunday with 1:50 remaining in the game. Shanahan, acting like some baseball manager in the ninth, went to his bullpen (hog pit?) and handed the ball to a pair of fresher legs and a livelier arm--and it backfired.
This could start a new trend in the sport. Older baseball fans might remember a time when starters actually went nine full innings. The relief pitcher was an anomaly--only used when a pitcher got hurt or his arm hung like a wet rope in the sixteenth or so inning. Alright, that was before Hoyt Wilhelm, but is it possible for football to start a QB for three quarters, use a middle man in the fourth and bring in a closer for the final two minute drive? Shanahan might think so.
While Shanahan defended his imitation of Joe Girardi tapping his shoulder for Mariano Rivera by claiming McNabb wasn't in shape for the final two minutes, he also created a gully as wide as the Potomac between the head coach and his big off-season acquisition. Don't even mention the gap its opened between him and Redskin faithful.
The Detroit Lions led the game 31-25, but the game was still winnable for the Skins. Shanahan yanks McNabb for the backup, an unprepared and totally unsuspecting Rex Grossman, who promptly fumbles on his first play. Is this the NFL's first blown save?
I like Shanahan's innovation and say we should take it further. Tarvaris Jackson can come in and relieve Brett Favre...oh wait that happened last week. Or maybe football will follow baseball's lead and we'll start seeing sideline coaches in team uniforms. If the sight of Bill Parcells in a sweatsuit was funny enough imagine Charlie Weis imitating a giant tomato clad in Chief's red.
Grossman, who hadn't taken one snap this season, was inserted for the 6-time pro-bowler because Shanahan believed McNabb didn't have the "cardiovascular endurance" to finish the game. Grossman's jaw hit his clipboard and he looked as surprised as McNabb when the call came.
Shanahan defended his move by saying the game speeds up in the final two minutes and McNabb would be unable to keep up. According to Elias Sports, McNabb has 24 come-from-behind winning drives in the final minutes under his belt. Tom Brady has the same amount during that same time span. Looks like dis-jointed thinking by the Redskins' chief.
While Shanahan starts the NFL's version of a bullpen (pig pen?) and tries making a point by benching McNabb and making bizarre excuses, he loses games and respect. The team is 4-4 and falling behind the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East.
One can only wonder what Shanahan's rationale was for publicly calling out McNabb during a crucial point of the game. Was it punitive or a show of power. Shanahan should have admitted he was wrong and honestly give an answer for messing with McNabb's head.
Shanahan was lucky in Denver. He had total control, Terrell Davis, John Elway and an owner as a best friend. He laid down his laws, nobody questioned him and the Broncos had a good run. Now he just looks foolish and weak flip-flopping on excuses for the bone-headed move.
In his first season in Washington, Shanny has now alienated his two best players. Albert Haynesworth felt his crazy eye gaze over the summer and now it seems doubtful McNabb will play out the season with any regard for the head coach who bought him over from Philly.
Whether or not McNabb had a "sore hamstring" or is just out of shape remains to be seen. The quarterback's reputation for bad practice habits goes back to his Eagle days. Tim Hasselback--a teammate of McNabb's in Philly--said, "One of the things that drove them crazy in Philadelphia was the lack of tempo at which he practiced...Nearly every single day."
One can only wonder the rationale for Shanahan's public emasculation of McNabb. Maybe the head coach has had enough of his aging starter's tempo, but you can bet McNabb's stay in D.C. will be 'tempo'rary.
There have been plenty of head scratching moves by by NFL head coaches this season, but none of them are as nonsensical as the Redskins Mike Shanahan pulling his starting QB, Donovan McNabb, on Detroit's Ford Field Sunday with 1:50 remaining in the game. Shanahan, acting like some baseball manager in the ninth, went to his bullpen (hog pit?) and handed the ball to a pair of fresher legs and a livelier arm--and it backfired.
This could start a new trend in the sport. Older baseball fans might remember a time when starters actually went nine full innings. The relief pitcher was an anomaly--only used when a pitcher got hurt or his arm hung like a wet rope in the sixteenth or so inning. Alright, that was before Hoyt Wilhelm, but is it possible for football to start a QB for three quarters, use a middle man in the fourth and bring in a closer for the final two minute drive? Shanahan might think so.
The Detroit Lions led the game 31-25, but the game was still winnable for the Skins. Shanahan yanks McNabb for the backup, an unprepared and totally unsuspecting Rex Grossman, who promptly fumbles on his first play. Is this the NFL's first blown save?
I like Shanahan's innovation and say we should take it further. Tarvaris Jackson can come in and relieve Brett Favre...oh wait that happened last week. Or maybe football will follow baseball's lead and we'll start seeing sideline coaches in team uniforms. If the sight of Bill Parcells in a sweatsuit was funny enough imagine Charlie Weis imitating a giant tomato clad in Chief's red.
Grossman, who hadn't taken one snap this season, was inserted for the 6-time pro-bowler because Shanahan believed McNabb didn't have the "cardiovascular endurance" to finish the game. Grossman's jaw hit his clipboard and he looked as surprised as McNabb when the call came.
Shanahan defended his move by saying the game speeds up in the final two minutes and McNabb would be unable to keep up. According to Elias Sports, McNabb has 24 come-from-behind winning drives in the final minutes under his belt. Tom Brady has the same amount during that same time span. Looks like dis-jointed thinking by the Redskins' chief.
While Shanahan starts the NFL's version of a bullpen (pig pen?) and tries making a point by benching McNabb and making bizarre excuses, he loses games and respect. The team is 4-4 and falling behind the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East.
One can only wonder what Shanahan's rationale was for publicly calling out McNabb during a crucial point of the game. Was it punitive or a show of power. Shanahan should have admitted he was wrong and honestly give an answer for messing with McNabb's head.
Shanahan was lucky in Denver. He had total control, Terrell Davis, John Elway and an owner as a best friend. He laid down his laws, nobody questioned him and the Broncos had a good run. Now he just looks foolish and weak flip-flopping on excuses for the bone-headed move.
In his first season in Washington, Shanny has now alienated his two best players. Albert Haynesworth felt his crazy eye gaze over the summer and now it seems doubtful McNabb will play out the season with any regard for the head coach who bought him over from Philly.
Whether or not McNabb had a "sore hamstring" or is just out of shape remains to be seen. The quarterback's reputation for bad practice habits goes back to his Eagle days. Tim Hasselback--a teammate of McNabb's in Philly--said, "One of the things that drove them crazy in Philadelphia was the lack of tempo at which he practiced...Nearly every single day."
One can only wonder the rationale for Shanahan's public emasculation of McNabb. Maybe the head coach has had enough of his aging starter's tempo, but you can bet McNabb's stay in D.C. will be 'tempo'rary.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Coughlin Rises From Dead...Again
By Tony Mangia
LOOKS LIKE COWHER CAN WAIT
Maybe the New York Giants are just getting into the Halloween spirit. There seem to be so many frightful cliches to describe their play after they turned the Dallas Cowboys into a thing that goes bump on Monday night, 41-35. They put the final nail in the Cowboy's playoff dreams coffin. The ghoulish Giants front four buried Tony Romo on the five-yard line, then planted a tombstone inscribed with "R.I.P. Super Bowl Dreams".
The whole Giants team turned the Cowboys into zombies for most of the game. Tom Coughlin has become Count Dracula and risen from the dead...once again.
The whole team basically toilet-papered and soaped up Jerry Jones $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium last night, but is Coughlin really becoming the undead?
One month ago angry throngs of Giants fans armed with pitchforks, torches and PSL's took to the swamps of the Meadowlands bent on ridding the team of the mad head coach. He is too strict and the game has passed him by they cried. It has become a a fall ritual in New York since 2004. Every year the same frightful screams for the coach's head and new blood.
This year's Van Helsing was going to be Bill Cowher--the former Steelers head coach. Rumors swirled that the "retired" TV analyst who has ties to the Mara family and would be interested in the Giants position, if it opened. The Giants were 1-2 and the locker room had players tossing garlic and holy water onto the oft-criticized Coughlin. The team been mauled by the Tennessee Titans and looked like a ghost of the team that won the Super Bowl just a few years earlier. The team looked like a group of lost boys and tempers were flaring.
Coughlin, as he has always done in the past, never backed down. The G-men finally rose up and played disciplined football--Coughlin-style football-- and punished the Chicago Bears (Midway Monsters? More like Monsters Inc.) while knocking out two Bears QBs in the process. They chainsawed the Texans in Houston, Freddy Krugered the Lions at home and last night sent a message to the NFL that the Giants team is alive!
Big Blue fans might recall that the Giants started 2007 at 0-2 and ended up winning a Super Bowl. This team has a similar feel. Coughlin took control then and is at it again.
Over the years, Coughlin has been called out by many players beginning with Jeremy "Cujo" Shockey and Tiki "Carrie" Barber to this year's town crier, Antrelle Rolle. Since becoming Giants head coach, Coughlin has had only one losing season--his first--and a Super Bowl victory. Barber retired and had to watch that upset victory from his prom seat on the Today Show, while newcomer Rolle has settled into the Coughlin system and they are winning.
The rosy-cheeked coach is an instructor and disciplinarian. He has a good track record of sending many of his assistants on to bigger assignments and he molded Eli Manning into one of the NFL's most efficient quarterbacks. He even taught Barber how not to fumble.
Everything is clicking for the Giants. Brandon Jacobs looks like Frankenstein instead of Frankenberry and Manning has reverted into Dr. Jekyll and not Mr. Hyde. Even punter Matt Dodge doesn't look like Igor kicking some corpse's brain on fourth down. Hell, the mad scientist Coughlin was correct on four replay challenges against the Cowboys last night!
Everyone in Jersey knows about the bodies buried all around the Meadowlands. Every year disgruntled Giants fans look for another body to add to the graveyard after the first losing streak. Tom Coughlin is always the first one they seek and every season he rises up. I can't imagine next year the townspeople won't be marching through the streets in their Giants blue looking for Coughlin's body parts again.
The head coach's contract is through 2011. He is getting up in age. His rules are outdated. The game is passing him by. Tom Coughlin's annual resurrection with the Giants could be a Stephen King novel. Let's call it The Blue Man in the Swamp.
LOOKS LIKE COWHER CAN WAIT
Maybe the New York Giants are just getting into the Halloween spirit. There seem to be so many frightful cliches to describe their play after they turned the Dallas Cowboys into a thing that goes bump on Monday night, 41-35. They put the final nail in the Cowboy's playoff dreams coffin. The ghoulish Giants front four buried Tony Romo on the five-yard line, then planted a tombstone inscribed with "R.I.P. Super Bowl Dreams".
The whole Giants team turned the Cowboys into zombies for most of the game. Tom Coughlin has become Count Dracula and risen from the dead...once again.
The whole team basically toilet-papered and soaped up Jerry Jones $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium last night, but is Coughlin really becoming the undead?
This year's Van Helsing was going to be Bill Cowher--the former Steelers head coach. Rumors swirled that the "retired" TV analyst who has ties to the Mara family and would be interested in the Giants position, if it opened. The Giants were 1-2 and the locker room had players tossing garlic and holy water onto the oft-criticized Coughlin. The team been mauled by the Tennessee Titans and looked like a ghost of the team that won the Super Bowl just a few years earlier. The team looked like a group of lost boys and tempers were flaring.
Coughlin, as he has always done in the past, never backed down. The G-men finally rose up and played disciplined football--Coughlin-style football-- and punished the Chicago Bears (Midway Monsters? More like Monsters Inc.) while knocking out two Bears QBs in the process. They chainsawed the Texans in Houston, Freddy Krugered the Lions at home and last night sent a message to the NFL that the Giants team is alive!
Big Blue fans might recall that the Giants started 2007 at 0-2 and ended up winning a Super Bowl. This team has a similar feel. Coughlin took control then and is at it again.
Over the years, Coughlin has been called out by many players beginning with Jeremy "Cujo" Shockey and Tiki "Carrie" Barber to this year's town crier, Antrelle Rolle. Since becoming Giants head coach, Coughlin has had only one losing season--his first--and a Super Bowl victory. Barber retired and had to watch that upset victory from his prom seat on the Today Show, while newcomer Rolle has settled into the Coughlin system and they are winning.
The rosy-cheeked coach is an instructor and disciplinarian. He has a good track record of sending many of his assistants on to bigger assignments and he molded Eli Manning into one of the NFL's most efficient quarterbacks. He even taught Barber how not to fumble.
Everything is clicking for the Giants. Brandon Jacobs looks like Frankenstein instead of Frankenberry and Manning has reverted into Dr. Jekyll and not Mr. Hyde. Even punter Matt Dodge doesn't look like Igor kicking some corpse's brain on fourth down. Hell, the mad scientist Coughlin was correct on four replay challenges against the Cowboys last night!
Everyone in Jersey knows about the bodies buried all around the Meadowlands. Every year disgruntled Giants fans look for another body to add to the graveyard after the first losing streak. Tom Coughlin is always the first one they seek and every season he rises up. I can't imagine next year the townspeople won't be marching through the streets in their Giants blue looking for Coughlin's body parts again.
The head coach's contract is through 2011. He is getting up in age. His rules are outdated. The game is passing him by. Tom Coughlin's annual resurrection with the Giants could be a Stephen King novel. Let's call it The Blue Man in the Swamp.
