"This...is...a state of emergency" - Jay-Z. I'm down, yo.For the New York Giants, it is a state of emergency. The season is crumbling before our very eyes and a team that some had in the Super Bowl is on life support, going 1-6 in their last seven games and are beat up, both physically and mentally. They've been left for dead and a lot of Giant fans don't want them to make the playoffs.
One more week of Giants football is better than no weeks of Giants football. Sure, they'll get smoked by either Philly or Dallas, but at least they made the post-season. False hope, for us Giant fans.
Look, it's easy to play Monday Morning Quarterback and say Eli Manning is a bust already. I don't think he is...yet. He's regressed terribly in the second half of the season and there aren't many signs that he'll turn it around. Ever since Amani Toomer went down, Eli's been awful. Worst yet, Jeremy Shockey is out this week and you know he has to be basically immobile for him not to play with their playoff lives at stake. Everywhere you look on the Giants you see problems. Their offensive line hasn't been the same since Pettigout got hurt in that Bears game. Their pass rush hasn't been the same since Strahan went out. Doubly importantly, their pass coverage has been exposed because they can't get a pass rush. It's easy to blame injuries, but the Patriots, who always seem to have Troy Brown playing cornerback in November, always have injuries and yet always are successful.
It comes down to coaching, folks. Wellington Mara's last significant act as Giant owner was to hire Tom Coughlin. I personally wanted everyone else but Coughlin. Nothing really against him, but I thought the candidates at the time: Lovie Smith, Romeo Crenell and Charlie Weis, all had big time credentials as coordinators. Nevertheless, Coughlin was hired and I thought he accomplished what he needed to do in his first year, getting Manning into games and get him ready for the NFL. The second year was that great leap forward, a NFC East title and a home playoff game - only to get smoked.
It's getting really, really hard to cheer for this team. I cannot stand Plaxico Burress or Strahan (despite the fact he's the unquestioned best end in the NFL) or even Tiki with their comments sometimes. Without Shockey, their isn't anyone with any fire on the offensive side of the ball and although Antonio Pierce leads the defense, it's just plain bad.
The Redskins have been playing much better under Jason Campbell and their defense is always dangerous. Giant-Redskin games are always intense and you know the Skins want to knock the Giants out of the playoffs. Ladell Betts has really come on of late and look for him to shred the swiss cheese defense. Somewhere, Lawrence Taylor is shaking his head, looking at that defense.
I'll cheer for the team and even though I picked the Giants on the radio show, I don't think they're going to win. In fact, I think it's going to be a complete no-show. Redskins 27 Giants 7.
After that, let the games begin for a new coach. I hear South Bend is a nice place to visit for a coach these days...
4 comments:
There are so many me-first players on the Giants who do nothing but complain. I don't think Coughlin is a bad coach. Does anybody remmeber that he led the Giants to an NFC East championship last year? The problem is the players. Jeremy Shockey has not looked explosive all year long, and has suffered an alarming case of drop-itis. There was a 4th down play against the Saints for example, where Shockey got open for a first down early in the game and flat out dropped the ball. Is that Coughlin's fault? Also, All Plexico does is complain. Yeah he can grab deep lob passes, but it's incredibly frustrating watching him and Shockey flapping their arms over every play that doesn't go to them.
Eli is fine as a quarterback. Don't give up on him yet. Rivers has flaws himself, he just has Tomlinson around to carry the load, and a great defense to make up for his mistakes. Also remmeber, Eli was thrust in his opening season. Rivers got to sit and watch. Sometimes, watching for an entire year is a big thing for a quarterback, but the fans demanded that Eli start over Kurt Warner. That being said, Eli was a spoiled brat on draft day demanding a trade, and the Giants look like idiots, pretty much giving away 2 high draft picks, while swapping two comprable players.
I got you in the morning - or afternoon. I've been posting a lot about the Giants the last couple of days so I'm in that zone/ Might even whip up an article.
But I have to disagree about them making the playoffs. No more games and a better draft pick is better than one more meaningless game. This season ended after the loss to the Bears. It was their 3rd guage 'em game and their 3rd loss in such games. The Colts - they missed opportunities (could've picked Manning off 4 times and won). Missing opportunities has become a trend for this team. The Seahawks - all the flaws were exposed. Eli threw 3 INTs, one of which was off a bobble from Dhalsim. The defense was torn apart and the secondary, which the organization foolishly thought was fixed with the signings of has-been Sam Madison and never-been Will Demps, was exposed. Sans the garbage time stat-pad touchdowns, they were BLOWN out. The Bears - More wasted opportunities, horrible coaching and the inevitable implosion. They're up 13-3 and miss out on opportunities to score more. The Giants should've had AT LEAST 23 points in the first half. Coughlin decides to go for a 52-yard field goal against the wind, despite the fact that Feely had missed from 33 against the wind earlier and the team was down 4 w/ 11 minutes left. A good punt pins Grossman inside the 10. A missed field goal - and from 52 yards into the wind, you almost have to expect it to miss - at the very least sets the Bears up with good field position. And at the very worst it lands in the hands of Devin Hester. Then they rolled over and allowed Chicago to run away with it.
After that, I knew they wouldn't make anything of the season - nothing substantial. Teams like this don't have real success, even if they're able to compile 10 wins and make the playoffs. Teams that make as many mistakes, fold as easily, turn the ball over as much, commit as many penalties, commit as many STUPID penalties, have stretches of absolute ineptitude and have a propensity to fall apart and quit. And that's just the players. The coaching sucks, too. But I'd need about 1,500 words to get into detail about the coaches.
That said, the 2006 season has BEEN over. If you don't think your team can make a run at the Super Bowl - at this point, even the players don't think they can - then it's all about building towards that. It's already the off-season so let's look toward 2007. And that means the draft. The Giants are in desperate need of a good cornerback. Unfortunately, good corners are getting signed for $50+ million contracts and the Giants, as usual, don't have that much cap room. They'll have to draft one, and good corners go early. They also need an OT to groom as Petitgout's replacement. Should've sought that last year (Jonathan Scott), but...spilled milk. Those are 2 positions on which a premium is placed. The good CBs and OTs go high, and often in succession. So the better draft pick they can secure, the better chance they have of landing someone who might be useful.
They could also use a center (O'Hara is solid, but they need more power on the o-line and he's the only one not locked into a long-term deal), free safety (Pretty Willie was a bad signing), outside linebacker (I like Gerris Wilkinson, but Emmons was a horrible signing and Arrington might be released). They might even need two corners, come to think of it. Who has been pleased with Corey Webster? They'll also need a 3rd down type of back to compliment Jacobs. They might even need a receiver. Toomer, I think, is due to make over $5 million next season. That's too much for a split end so he might be a cap casualty. Do you have 100% confidence in Sinorice or Timmy taking over opposite Charleston Chew?
Lot of holes. Some will be filled through free agency, but this will have to be a big draft for them. I want them in the best possible position. Having them make the playoffs and get blown out wouldn't be worth losing a few slots in the draft.
Think a few slots doesn't matter much?
2001 - The Giants draft Will Allen at #22. The 17th pick was Steve Hutchinson, now the best guard in the league. The 19th pick was 3-time Pro Bowler Casey Hampton. The 21st pick was 2-time Pro Bowler Nate Clements. In the 3rd round that year, they picked Will Peterson 5 spots behind Steve Smith.
2002 - They got Shockey, who they wanted, at #14. Had they won an extra game and been picking, say, 18th, either the Browns or Raiders would've scooped him.
2003 - Even for later in the draft. Four spots before we took Rod Babers (remember him) in the 4th round, the Pats got Asante Samuel, who's a Pro Bowler this year. In the 6th round, we got Willie Ponder right after the Colts took Cato June.
I could look for more examples, but you get the point.
As a fan, I can't root for them during the game to screw up. I can't see Eli drop back and hope he throws a pick. But being objective, I think they'd be better off getting blown out in embarassing fashion. Maybe that would bring about the necessary changes.
^ Damn, that's about article-length itself. I write like I talk - a lot, without realizing it.
It's easy to say "what if" or "what might have been". I think many teams are shaking their head that they didn't take Brandon Jacobs in a round early or Frank Gore was better than what he showed at the University of Miami. The draft is about getting talent. It's also up to the front office and the coaching staff to bring that talent to the forefront.
That's my one fear as a Giant fan, that the Maras see the Giants win and they decide to stay Coughlin's execution. We know this coaching staff has taken this team as far as they possibly can. Coolstevie has said it before, what the team is sorely lacking is a good X's and O's coach, like a Belichek or Lovie Smith on defense or a Martz (but not exactly Martz because he's nuts) or Andy Reid on offense.
If you look at the last few Super Bowl winners, you can see that. Outside of the Ravens (and Billick was a pretty good X's and O's coordinator with the Vikings) the last few winners had good game planners: Vermeil is more of a motivator, but he had Martz on his staff. Gruden is a good playcaller. Cowher had Wisenhunt and Dick LeBeau on his staff.
I think with the right coaching, Eli can be a good quarterback. Nothing near his brother, but good enough to win. If they win a Super Bowl, then that draft day trade is worth it. If they don't, Ernie Accorsi would be villified for the rest of eternity.
At least they didn't trade for Vick. The Falcons basically traded what could be the greatest running back in the history of football for an overrated, spread option, inaccurate QB. And they got Drew Brees out of it.
Look at the Tomlinson trade this way. The Falcons traded the greatest running back in the history of football for the greatest running back to not actually be a running back in the history of football!
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