SB Nation - Michael Strahan

Doom and the Pursuit of History

Emmett Smith — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:03:37 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

22 days ago: Denver Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil (92) and defensive tackle Darrell Reid (95) react after Dumervil sacked New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Denver, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. Denver won 26-6. (AP Photo/ David Zalubowski)

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With 15 sacks already to his credit, Elvis Dumervil is within reach of setting an NFL record for sacks in a single season. The record is currently held by Michael Strahan, who reached 22.5 sacks in 2001, the highest total since the stat was first recorded. With only 3 games left, Doom is in a race with time as well as against the offensive linemen who stand between him and his goal. He's also one sack behind Simon Fletcher for the Broncos team record.

Once considered to be too small and too light to play at the NFL level, Doom's career has leapt forward following his change from defensive end to outside linebacker during the summer of 2009. Following players like Mike Vrabel and James Harrison, Elvis is one of a growing number of 'tweener' players who did not exactly fit into one position or another due to unusual metrics. Like the best of those tweeners, Doom has some unique abilities. Doom has large hands that are unusually strong for his size and possesses a skill at leverage that few players can boast. Once he was moved away from the left tackles who outweighed him by 60-100 lb, Elvis was also able to bring his speed to bear on the plays, getting a running start that let him hammer into ball carriers, dodge around linemen and use his unique blend of speed, power, balance and leverage to bring down quarterbacks.

Every player learns from those who have played before, and Dumervil is no different in that respect. Recently, Men's Journal ran an article on Michael Strahan, who gave several pointers on exactly how he managed to achieve 141.5 sacks over the course of 216 games between 1993 and 2007. While Strahan had a considerable size advantage over Dumervil (he played at 6-5 and 278 lb, compared to Doom's 5-11 (some still say it is 5'10) and 248 lb, the principles he laid out are just as important regardless of metrics. Some of them clearly are a benefit to Dumervil.

Job 1 - The Film Room

Strahan believed, as most of the best NFL players do, that the game is won in the film room, although played out on the field. He stated that finding "tells" on the part of the offensive linemen, quarterbacks and running backs, as well as tells in the form of certain tendencies due to formation, were the first key to making the sack. Many fans are aware that the color of an offensive lineman's knuckles (lighter or more reddish) can vary depending on exactly where he is holding his weight and that this can lead to knowing before the snap whether the play will be a run or a pass. Strahan, like many others, used film to discover far more than that. One quarterback (who is still playing) claps his hands before a passing play if he's in the shotgun. Certain linemen turn their heads to one side unconsciously. There are as many in the NFL as their are in poker. In both games, it's up to the superior player to discover what they are and what they mean.

An example came in the contests against Strahan's Giants' division rival Philadelphia Eagles and their huge (330 lb) left tackle, Jon Runyan. Strahan had studied Runyan exhaustively, and had learned some things that made theirs an unequal matchup. Runyan, for example, would leave his foot straight with the heel slightly up if he was going to man block straight ahead. He also left his heel high if he was dropping back to pass-block. If his heel was on the ground and turned in, Runyan was going to go down inside and if the foot was flat and the heel turned out, he would step out to reach block. Strahan had learned to read him like a book.

Not surprisingly, Strahan gave Runyan fits. In a single game in 2001, Strahan notched 3.5 sacks against Donovan McNabb before halftime. By the third quarter, Runyan didn't have a clue as to how he was to stop #92, who was on his way to his record-setting year's total of 22.5. If Doom wants to break that record - and to continue to play at this level over the next decade - he'll be talking to other rushers and hunkering down with a lot of film each week. Victory goes to the prepared, over and over again. It's a lesson that can't be overstated.

Job 2 - What's Your Plan?

Every poker player knows that misdirection can be a key to a match, and many of the matchups within the game at the NFL level can be much he same way. Coaches will use a formation that is well known, but will run a new pay off of it at a crucial moment. Earlier this year, Brandon Marshall changed a hitch route to a go route against the Dallas Cowboys and turned an 8-yard gain into a TD. In any one-on-on matchup during a game, if one player can convince the other that he'll be moving in one direction, he can gain the advantage by changing to another. It happens within every game.

Strahan had a plan of action that he liked to use during games that used both technique and psychology to gain advantage. His first 4 pass rushes would almost inevitably be bull-rushes - using his strength, one on one, to try and overpower the lineman who was unenviably tasked with stopping him. Strahan believed that if you beat a man with a speed move early on, he will respect your speed but if you overpower him you'll create a psychological advantage that can be used in a variety of ways over the rest of the game. The lineman will expect more power rushes and can be taken out of the play when you begin to open up your own book of moves. The results - 141.5 sacks over 216 games - speak for themselves.

On his fifth rush, most lineman are preparing themselves for a power move by squatting back slightly, sitting their weight down and back and reaching out with their arms. At that moment, Strahan would chop their hands, reach for their outside shoulder and swing around them. The lineman would be in no position to shift his weight and interfere with the maneuver. After that, the lineman was often at Strahan's mercy. If he moved to protect the outside, Strahan was already clubbing him and spinning inside. Perhaps the best example of this came in Strahan's final game, Super Bowl XLII against New England. Nick Kaczur, according to Strahan, "...didn't know what to expect". Kaczur wasn't the only one, but this example went a long way towards granting the Giants their Super Bowl Victory.

One of the areas where Dumervil has a substantial advantage over most players is that his height/strength ratio is unusual - for a man less than 6 feet tall, he's extremely powerful. That strength, combined with balance and an unusual ability to find his opponent's "tipping point" are among the things that has set Doom apart from many other players at the same position. Big, sinewy hands, an ability to get them onto the lineman before he is grabbed, a tenacious grip and a talent for upsetting another player's balance are among the many keys to standing out at the rush linebacker position.

By the way, having a tell can also hurt the defender. When the San Francisco 49ers were matched up against the NY Giants during the Lawrence Taylor days, they were slated to meet in the playoffs. Head Coach Bill Walsh noted that Taylor had a short series of tells when he was planning on rushing the quarterback. Taylor really didn't care if people knew what he was going to do - he'd flop his hands around, wave his arms and generally, as Giants defensive back Beasley Reese would put it, act "...like a cop putting a siren on top of his car." Walsh used that to the 49ers' advantage - he had left guard Dan Ayers, at 6'5", 270 lb (Taylor, although incredibly strong, fast and agile, was 6'3" and 237 lb by comparison, according to pro-football-reference.com) drop back and to the outside when Taylor prepared to rush, cutting him off before he could reach Joe Montana. This maneuver would cost the Giants in the 1981 Divisional Round. Ayers liked rodeos, calf roping and also enjoyed throwing a rope around a tractor tire and dragging it through freshly plowed fields for fun. He was strong and agile enough to slow Taylor since he had sufficient notice that LT was coming. Although those signs of LT's intentions had simply created fear in the past, in this case LT's tells worked against him. The 49ers won easily.

Job 3 - Knowing Where the Quarterback Will Be

Like the first one, this principle also requires a lot of time in the film room. Even when he's beaten his lineman or TE, Doom has to get to the QB before he can either throw the ball away or escape out of the pocket. Both can be rendered moot by learning where the quarterback will move to when he feels the pressure of the defensive rush. Each player is different but all have tendencies to one extent or another.

Some quarterbacks like to run with the ball. Those are the players who think, "Pass, pass, no ,RUN!" Although such players, including a spectrum from Michael Vick to Jay Cutler, will move to wherever they think there is an opening, most of them will prefer to move in one direction or another. Players like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will move more within the pocket, but they, too, have tendencies - generally, they like to step up within the pocket. Last season, Matt Cassel liked to pull down the ball and run up the middle when pressured. After 47 sacks, you could hardly blame him, but by knowing where he would usually run to, the rush linebacker could maneuver his lineman so that he would break off on a bull rush suddenly and spin to the inside, cutting down the QB before he could escape. Some quarterbacks are a little slower to break from the pocket, or slower afoot (Kyle Orton is one of these) and those players can often be taken down from behind. The rusher can't take his angle too deeply, permitting the QB to step up into the pocket; and he can't let the angle go too shallow, permitting the QB to step back and to the outside.

The secret here, according to Strahan, is to keep the passer on your inside shoulder. If the QB likes to step up, you try to aim your rush so that you end up 2-3 yards from the line of scrimmage. If you watch a lot of film, many rushers fail to contact the QB because they are being ridden to the rear by the linemen (especially in a short-drop situation) or are being cut off as they attempt to go more inside, between the QB and the LOS. The rusher needs to know ahead of time where he expects the QB to be as the play finishes and to try and get there first. Obviously, factors such as whether a QB is using a 3-, 5- or 7-step drop also makes a great deal of difference in planning your attack. If the QB is throwing a lot of 'smoke' (hot), hitch, out and slant routes with the 3-step drop, you have to plan your finishing location to take that into account. If you're looking at other routes, ones that break the usual 12.5 yards from the LOS, you've got more time to achieve pressure.

By the way, this also illustrates the interaction among the different defensive positions. If a CB is playing off coverage, many QBs will audible to a 3-step drop using one of the four I listed (often the 'hot' or 'smoke' route, although terminology varies), the rushers will have to know the coverage the CBs will be playing to plan their own attacks in order to create the most disruption or success.

Job 4 - Tackling the QB

During the Broncos/Giants game, with 6:29 remaining in the 2nd quarter, Denver had NY backed up nearly to their own end zone. Anticipating a pass, Andre' Goodman suddenly dove in on a cornerback blitz. He caught Eli Manning in the end zone, but he didn't make the tackle cleanly. He was able to pull Manning down, but not before Eli had thrown the ball away out of bounds. The play still stopped NY, but it cost the Broncos 2 points plus the ball.

Tackling technique is a difficult issue in the NFL. Proper technique in wrapping up and bring the man down is especially important when rushing the quarterback because those situations really give you two opportunities. The first is for the strip - if you are coming up from behind the QB, he may have his hand struck before he even knows that a defender is there. Secondly, even if the ball is not stripped, there is a chance for negative yardage by making the tackle before the QB can get rid of the ball. And third, of course, is the opportunity like the one mentioned here, where the defender can put points on the board for a safety if he can tackle the QB cleanly and pin his arms to his body as the tackle is made.

Strahan managed just such a move in the thrid quarter of the same SB mentioned above against NE - he fired out of his stance, blew past Kaczur and wrapped up Tom Brady before the QB could dump the ball off. Strahan swears that he recalls yelling loudly, "Tom, do not throw the ball!. I got you! I got you!" And he did.

If Doom is going to break Strahan's record - whether this year or any other - he'll need to master his own set of rules. It's likely that he'll start with the ones listed here, though, and add some others. For instance, Doom can still learn a lot from another sack artist who has played in the league for a bit longer - Jared Allen. Since coming into the league in 2004, there has been no one with more sacks (70) than Allen. Allen uses a whole variety of sack moves to get to the quarterback. He uses the rip, a pure-speed rush, a bull rush, a two-hand rush, a single-hand rush, and a modified swim move in which he pulls at the top of the tackle's shoulder pads. In this highlight reel, he demonstrates all of these moves: The only type of rush that Allen doesn't generally use is the spin move.

There are two other things to like about Allen. The first is that, despite his "mullet' persona, he studies film quite a bit. In fact, before facing Chicago this year, he mentioned several times that he was going to go back and watch Rams games in order to get ready to face Orlando Pace:

"I've had some success against him..he's getting older, but the guy still has a resume that's quite impressive. I'll go back and watch tape of how I played against him when I was with Kansas City."

The other thing one has to like about Allen is his frequency for strip sacks. He has 3 strip sacks in 2009 and 19 forced fumbles over his career, most of which have come on sacks. From these estimates, about 1 out of every 4 of Allen's sacks result in a strip and/or fumble. It's clear that when he reaches the quarterback, he's thinking about getting the ball.

Dumervil is no slouch as a pass rusher but he would do well to add some more moves to his arsenal so that he doesn't become predictable with his speed rush. He must study all of the tackles he will face extensively in the film room--as we are sure he does--as well as mining the knowledge of everyone around him who has been up against those same tackles. Whether this year or another, the sack record may yet be under attack by Dumervil. If he successfully brings it down, it will be a tribute to all that he has learned from those who played the game before he did.

Opening the Big Blue View mailbag

Ed Valentine — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:00:41 -0000

Let's do something right now that I don't think we have ever done in the nearly three-year (yes, it's amazingly been that long) history of Big Blue View. A Big Blue View mailbag.

In case you had not noticed, I have been tagging many recent posts with the Big Blue View e-mail address. So, if you have questions or comments you want to send directly to me rather than leave in a post on the site, you can do that. Here is some of what I have received recently.

Jason, whose screen name I could not find, sent in the following question.

Q: I'm just a huge fan and avid follower of Big Blue View. I really think there should be discussion about firing Sheridan, but who would we replace him with?? In your recent post you suggested the defensive backs coach or d-line coach, but I'd rather shoot myself in the foot than have the guys running our d-backs or d-line run our entire defense. Isn't there someone in the organization who was sort of an understudy for Spagnuolo? If not, I think bringing in someone new would be the best option. I really don't think anything good will come out of the coaches responsible for this year's dreadful defense. You obviously know more about this than me though, so what are your thoughts?

A: My thought is this. The whole problem with the 'understudy' angle is that Sheridan WAS the understudy. Spagnuolo always used to say Sheridan was the guy he ran blitz packages by and went to for suggestions. Defensive backs coach Peter Giunta was St. Louis defensive coordinator for three seasons, including 1999 when they won the Super Bowl. He's a logical internal replacement for Sheridan. Some might even say he should have been the choice in the first place.

My recent article on Peter King leaving Michael Strahan off his All-Decade Team also brought in some e-mails.

Here is one from Gio (no screen name).

Peter King has no credibility. I hope AP gets it right. Forget Strahan but London Fletcher over Zach Thomas?? 7 pro bowls 7 All Pros.. What's up with that.

Here is one from Eric (no screen name).

A travesty of justice! Strahan is one of the all time greats. Not just all decade for the 2000's. Super Bowl's: 2 (1W - 1L) - Got em. Stats: 141.5 sacks; 660+ tackles - Got em. Pro bowls, all pros - got em. Every metric you can think of, Strahan has got it all in the bag.

And, I don't want to hear that Aaron smith is unheralded and under-appreciated. Strahan was a no name 2nd round pick no one had ever heard of out of a no name program (Texas Southern). Came in to the NFL with as a high motor guy with a tremendous work ethic. Turned himself into a sure fire, first ballet hall of famer. Is Aaron Smith headed for the Hall? I think not. Peter King needs to have his head examined.

Brewer5 writes the following.

(Peter King) is a Giant hater. I think he enjoys pissing us off and I write him nearly every week to complain about his latest slight to the Giants. My theory is that Tom Coughlin has not kissed his butt at one time or another and he has decided to bust Giant fans chops every chance he gets. Strahan is just the latest.

(E-mail Ed at bigblueview@gmail.com)

No Strahan on All-Decade Team? Are you serious, Peter?

Ed Valentine — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:33:05 -0000

SI.com's Peter King is out with the NFL Team of the Decade, and I have just one thing to say. Aaron Smith over Michael Strahan at defensive end? Peter, you have got to be kidding!

Aaron Smith? Give me a break!

Now, Smith is a fine player and it's nice that his defensive coordinator, Dick Lebeau, told King "he can't be blocked."

But is a mostly anonymous 3-4 defensive end really worthy of a spot on this team over Strahan? Sorry, I fail to see how you can justify that.

I know comparing 3-4 defensive ends to 4-3 defensive ends is like comparing apples to oranges because the responsibilites, and in many cases, the stats they compile will be different. But, still. I don't get it.

Strahan was the 2001 Defensive Player of the Year when he broke the single-season sack record with 22.5 (thank you, Brett Favre!). In this decade Strahan went to four Pro Bowls, was named All-Pro twice, played in two Super Bowls with one championship, recorded 88 of his career 141 sacks and had more than 60 tackles three times.

Smith? One Pro Bowl appearance (2004), 44 career sacks and only one season of more than 50 tackles (55 in 2002).

Your thoughts?

(E-mail Ed at bigblueview@gmail.com)

Giants' defensive linemen deserve the heat

Ed Valentine — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:41:04 -0000

Great stuff from Mike Garafolo on the state of mind of the beleaguered New York Giants defensive linemen.

"Guys are fearing for their jobs," [Barry] Cofield, the Giants’ starting defensive tackle since the team selected him in the fourth round of the 2006 draft, said the other day. "Our unit’s been together for years. In comes (Justin) Tuck, out goes ‘Stray’ (the retired Michael Strahan), but other than that it’s been the same unit.

"Everyone will play, everyone will contribute. But it goes a long way in making it clear that accountability stretches to everyone — no matter how long you’ve been with the team."

My take: Good, they should be uncomfortable. I know some of these guys are beat up, and MG talks about that in his post, but this team was built counting on dominant play from the front four, and that has not happened. Way back in pre-season I was asked on a radio show if this line would be historically good. Seems like a pretty foolish question now, doesn't it?

By the way, I am going to guess that based on injuries and ineffectivness today's inactives look a lot different than what we are used to. Here is a guess -- Ware, D.B. Johnson, Koets, Whimper, Moss, Beckum, Hagan, Bernard.

(E-mail Ed at bigblueview@gmail.com)

New York Giants News & Notes: Pierce Contract Situation & More

cjmulrain — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:04:22 -0000

Ed posted about Antonio Pierce's injury last night, and it's definitely not good news. Mike Garafalo reports a little more about Pierce's contract situation and that of replacement Chase Blackburn. Also from MG comes a preview of the game against the Falcons.

Speaking of Giants' linebackers, Giants' rookie Clint Sintim is leaning on "one cool dude," aka Danny Clark. Whether that's a good thing or not I'll leave up to you.
Giants legend (and my all-time favorite player) Michael Strahan was brought into practice yesterday to give the Giants a surprise pep talk. According to Strahan:

"They're as talented as any team in the league," he said. "It's just a matter of believing in their talent and the talent of the guy next to them. If they do that, they'll be just fine."

The general theme out there seems to be that the next seven days will define the Giants season. It's certainly hard to say that's wrong right now.
The Giants are going to be looking for "big play opportunities" against the Falcons. That's quite alright with me.
Hakeem Nicks has made a list of impact rookie wide receivers. I was a little skeptical of the Nicks pick back in April, but I have been pleasantly surprised so far - next to Steve Smith he's been my favorite player to watch so far this year, and the two of them have a bright future for the Giants.

Jon Runyan wants to run for congress

JasonB — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:21 -0000

Yesterday, former Eagle Jon Runyan confirmed via a press release that he's considering a run for congress in South Jersey.

"I am seriously considering becoming a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District. Our great country is headed in the wrong direction, and it’s clearer every day that career politicians are incapable of solving the problems we face.

I am grateful for the tremendous support and encouragement I have received while talking to people throughout South Jersey about running for Congress and I look forward to having more to say on this subject in the weeks ahead."

I have to say... I hope he doesn't do this. Everyone in our area likes big Jon now, but as soon as he inevitably joins some party half of everyone will hate him. He'll cease to be the personable, fun guy we've all come to know. If you don't believe that... just re-read that antiseptic press release, did that sound like Jon Runyan to you? Not really...

Plus, you just know we'll be hearing corny lines like "I'm going to protect our country's blind side!" I also have to wonder how good of a politician he'd actually make. From what I remember his biggest issue was trying to get Andy Reid to run the ball more... needles to say he was unable to influence the guy in charge. I kid... but seriously don't do Jon.

Now if Runyan does insist on running, maybe we can get Michael Strahan to run against him. Get the old rivalry started up again...

Can Tom Coughlin rescue another Giants' season on the brink?

Ed Valentine — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:00:34 -0000

by Carolyn Kaster - AP

New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin looks at the scoreboard during the fourth quarter an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

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Tom Coughlin is in his sixth season as New York Giants head coach. One of the reasons the Giants have been so successful during that time -- and maybe the primary reason Coughlin is still here -- has been his ability to handle crisis.

It began back in 2004 when he was handed a completely broken team that had fallen apart under Jim Fassel. By his second season, TC had the Giants back in the playoffs and had the franchise pointed back on the right path.
There was his willingness, with his season and maybe his job on the line in 2006, to sack play-caller John Hufnagel for the final regular-season game. Maybe it was belated, but it was still bold.
There was his battle for control of the locker room, and to create an atmosphere where players cared more about winning than themselves. That took until Tiki Barber retired and Michael Strahan finally decided to get on board, but it did happen.
There was, of course, 2007. The Super Bowl year. Remember how badly the Giants started, 0-2 and looking awful? Not qualifying for the playoffs until the 15th game of the season? TC managed his team through that sometimes rocky regular season, and we ended up with a magical run no one expected.
Last season, of course, there was the Plaxico Burress fiasco. No, the Giants did not finish the season well. Coughlin did, however, maintain his grip on the team and not allow Burress to fracture the locker room.

Now the question is, can Coughlin do it again?

Make no mistake, this is a team in crisis. We have seen so many uncharacteristic things the past few weeks -- turnovers, atrocious defense, special teams mistakes -- it's hard to believe they can all be made to vanish quickly.

Yet, that is Coughlin's challenge because even he has admitted that Sunday is a 'one game season" for the Giants. Win it, they will be 6-3 and can feel OK about themselves heading into the bye. Lose it, the season could be headed down the drain.

Here is my question about those uncharacteristic things we have seen the past few weeks. Defensively, especially, is it just a matter of the Giants not having enough talent?

Or, have the players begun not to hear the things Coughlin and his coaches are preaching? Even terrific coaches have season where they simply don't get their message across to players.

TC has turned to his veteran players this week and put the onus on them.

"Leaders are lifters. What has to happen when a team does fight their way out of a problem, your best players have to show the way. They are the ones that show the way. The guys that are in the role of a foot soldier, they will play and they will work their tails off. But what ultimately shows is when the guys that are recognized as your quality football players – your better football players – they have to play themselves into a position where they are showing the way," Coughlin said.

So far, so good. Judging from the comments of a couple of those leaders they are accepting the challenge Coughlin has laid at their feet.

Here is Eli Manning, the leader on offense, addressing Coughlin's remarks.

"You always expect your leaders and the guys who expect to play well to go out there and do their job and play at a high level. That level motivates the other guys and gets everybody going. We have to do our job. Each individual has to do their job," Manning said. "I think the message is clear. I think we know what we’ve got to do and what’s at stake, how important this game is. We’ve got to turn this thing around and start playing better football. The message is clear, everybody knows it and now it’s a matter of just going out there and doing it."

Here is Antonio Pierce, the quarterback of the defense, discussing his unit.

"I’ve probably the biggest culprit of everything," Pierce said after Wednesday's practice. "If I’m the guy they call the leader of the defense or the captain of the defense, which I am, I need to do a better job. And I plan on doing it this week."

What he likely means is that, in addition to his physical mistakes, he also hasn't done a good enough job of keeping the players focused throughout the course of the game because, when asked what's happened to this defense lately, Pierce replied, "You always hear coaches say to a corner, 'Forget the last play and move on.' Well, I think we've got to do a better job of doing that. Sometimes, we're still trying to figure out what happened to us in the first quarter or the first play and it's in the fourth quarter and we're getting our butts whupped."

Like coach Tom Coughlin, Pierce indicated the recovery will start with the team's leaders.

"Our star players, the guys that are considered stars, need to play like stars," Pierce said. "The guys that are solid and contribute need to contribute more. Everybody needs to do a little bit more right now. Obviously, what we’re doing is not working.

"It has nothing to do with Xs and Os. Sometimes it does, but for the most part sometimes you have to go above Xs and Os and just play a little harder, do a little extra things, run to the ball more, have energy, show some kind of spirit that you want to really enjoy playing this game and be passionate about the game because it passes you by really quick and we don’t want to see our season pass us by."

So, it would seem that the Giants' leadership is still on the same page with its head coach. The question now is whether or not they can turn those words into actions.

If they can, Coughlin will have rescued another season that appears to be on the brink.

New York Giants News & Notes: 3-Game Losing Streak

cjmulrain — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:07:34 -0000

You may have noticed that I haven't been posting too many comments the past couple of days - mostly it's because I just don't know what to say about what has happened to the Giants over the past three weeks. I know a lot of people are ready to write them off as a team that feasted on an easy schedule and really isn't that good, but I'm not ready to do that yet. I don't think a team that looked so good for 5 weeks, regardless of who it was against, can really be this bad, especially when you consider the way they destroyed a Raiders team that made the Eagles look silly. Football's a funny game.

If you're like me and desperately searching for a ray of light in this stretch, here's something: two teams have had 3 game losing streaks and gone on to win the Super Bowl: the 2005 Steelers & the 2000 Ravens (and technically, the 2007 Giants lost 3 in a row, if you count the 2006 playoff loss to the Eagles). Onto some links:

Ian O'Connor says the Giants can't hide behind the Yankees any longer. His analogy to the '96-'98 Yankees makes me sad, because that's exactly what I thought was happening up until the Saints game. Instead, I'm feeling very similar to how I felt in August & September, 2007 - when it became apparent that the Mets, who had been the best team in the NL since opening day '06 were all of a sudden not very good. Luckily the Giants aren't waiting until the end of the season to have some kind of epic collapse.
Chris Canty & Michael Boley are returning to practice this week. They can't get back on the field soon enough - it's obvious to everyone that the Giants don't have enough athletes on defense right now.
This Sunday's game will be the first time that Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers will play against one another since they were traded for each other on draft day, 2004. Manning played against the Chargers back in 2005, but Drew Brees was still the Chargers QB then.
Paul Schwartz writes that the Giants cannot wait for a big turnaround. Well, at least we have something in common with them.
The NY Times Fifth Down blog continues its look at the top 10 moments in Giants Stadium history with Rodney Hampton's 51-yard TD runn against the Vikings in the 1994 playoffs. Interestingly enough, that game served as the last win in the careers of Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms, but it was also the first playoff win for Michael Strahan.

Welcome to the 'Meadowlands Madhouse'

Ed Valentine — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:42:52 -0000

More photos » by Tim Roske - AP

Osi Umenyiora speaks with reporters during training camp at UAlbany earlier this summer.

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Typically, when you think of craziness surrounding a New York sports team the New York Yankees leap to mind. George Steinbrenner, the Bronx Zoo, the seemingly never-ending soap opera that is Alex Rodriguez, etc., etc.

Well, maybe it is time to revise that thinking. The 2009 Yankees are rolling efficiently, and fairly quietly, toward an American League East title. Not that far away, however, there always seems to be something not related to football going on with our New York Giants.

Welcome to the 'Meadowlands Madhouse.' Maybe not as sexy a nickname as the Bronx Zoo (if you have a better one, feel free to share), but it will do for now.

Think about it. Osi Umenyiora's little snit-fit Monday, in which he temporarily went AWOL after apparently not taking kindly to some criticism from new defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan is hardly the first unlikely distraction the Giants have dealt with in the past few seasons.

I will get back to Osi in a little bit. But, let's put him aside for now and run through the litany of other situations the Giants have had to deal with in recent seasons.

LET'S JUST LOOK at this season, for now.

Plaxico Burress, of course. That started last season, and stretched halfway through training camp even though he was no longer a Giant.
Antonio Pierce. The early part of training camp was filled with speculation about Pierce's possible punishment for his role in the Burress' mess. Thankfully, that worked out and it's over.
There was the Michael Boley distraction in which he ended up suspended for beating his wife.

NOW, turn the clock back. For years, the Giants dealt with the guys I will refer to as The Three Divas.

Jeremy Shockey finally whined his way out of town.
Michael Strahan finally got his Super Bowl ring and walked off into the sunset. But not before putting the Giants through a couple of 'mini-Favre' will he play or won't he escapades. And having a few spats with Tom Coughlin. And trading some barbs with that other high-priced diva who played running back. We remember him, right?
Tiki Barber. A great player, who should be remembered fondly as the best running back in franchise history. Because there is no doubt he was. Instead, he will be remembered by many (including yours truly) as a guy who put his personal agenda above the team and cared mostly about furthering his own objectives.

I'm sure there has been other stuff, but that is pretty much what leaps to mind. There always seems to be something other than football to talk about with the Giants.

SUDDENLY, OUT OF NOWHERE comes Umenyiora with a diva-esque move of his own.

Realize this. Modern athletes are coddled, given pretty much everything they want, always told how great they are by the people around them, and generally showered with adulation by fans. I watched Osi walk around the practice facility and the UAlbany dining area this summer, and that is the life he is used to. Criticized directly? Almost never.

So, when defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan apparently had some harsh words for Osi's play against the New York Jets, he reacted like a petulant child.

Newsday's Bob Glauber expressed the hope that maybe something good will come of all of this.

There's no telling whether Umenyiora's anger will flare again. After all, he and the rest of the Giants are making a somewhat difficult adjustment from beloved defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who could always put his arm around you and offer a word of encouragement. Sheridan is not the touchy-feely sort and can come off as more of a tough guy, especially compared with Spagnuolo.

Which is not a bad thing at all. In fact, whenever you hear a player complain that a coach is being too tough on him, that's usually a good thing in football. The time to worry is when a player feels too comfortable around his coaches. Nice guys generally don't survive very long in the NFL; Spagnuolo is the exception.

In the end, I believe yesterday's incident actually will turn into a good thing for Umenyiora and the Giants.

Hopefully, Glauber is right. Long-time Big Blue View readers know how I feel about Osi. For the newcomers, let me reiterate my stance on Osi.

He is a terrific talent, but when they are both equally healthy Justin Tuck is the Giants best lineman. To be honest, Umenyiora did not deserve his 2007 Pro Bowl berth. He had 13 sacks, but six in one game. That means only seven in the other 15, and that's the problem with Osi. As great as he can be, there are too many games in which he doesn't show up. Osi is not as great as he seems to think he is.

Look at Osi's career numbers. In five pro seasons, he has had what I consider to be one -- yes, one -- great season. That was back in 2005 when he registered 14.5 sacks and 96 tackles.

My point is this. Osi needs to stop bristling at criticism, stop whining about playing time and his contract, and play football.

In short, he needs to shut his mouth and prove to everyone that he is still the great player he thinks he is.

Statistically, Redskins Are Not Likely to Improve From Last Year

KevinE — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 07:30:21 -0000

via Football Outsiders Almanac 2009

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One of the perks of writing for SB Nation is that they give us access to excellent resources, such as Football Outsiders (FO), who records the in-depth statistics of every play for every team. We were fortunate enough to get an advanced copy of the FO Almanac, which has some great in-depth analysis and statistics of every team, including the Redskins. There are a lot of stats that stand out from the 2008 season, one of which being:

Washington posted their three worst offensive DVOA totals in Week 8 (when Samuels was inactive with that balky knee) and Weeks 15 and 17, when he was gone for the year.

So basically, Chris Samuels cannot get hurt. Ever. To get a further understanding of the Redskins woes from 2008, Football Outsiders answered our questions:

Hogs Haven: In your FO Almanac, you said:

"Zone-blitzing the Redskins may not be the wisest move. Washington faced more zone blitzes than any other offense - 7.1 percent of pass plays - and shredded those blitzes with 89.1% DVOA, the best in the NFC."

What types of defenses was it that the Redskins struggled so much against? Opposing teams seemed to get pressure on Jason Campbell with even a 4-man rush, so I'd be curious to know those stats since the offense scored so few points.

Well, Campbell's sack rate was higher than average no matter how many people were rushing him. Here are his sack totals and percentages as split by the number of defenders that were rushing the quarterback:

3 rushers: 1 sack /31 attempts (3.3%, league average 3.3%)
4: 23/333 (6.9%, league average 5.3%)
5: 11/140 (7.9%, league average 7.5%)
6: 3/30 (10%, league average 7.5%)
7: 0/5 (0%, league average 9.5%)

There's no easy answer to give here like, say, "Campbell can't handle a blitz of six men or more". Quarterbacks tend to play slightly worse when you blitz them more, but they're usually in worse situations, too.

Hogs Haven: Zorn added 80+ passing plays to the offense now that he's in year two with Campbell. What are the stats for coaches that go into year two of a system? (Hasselbeck's numbers jumped high his 2nd year under Zorn).

Our projection system provides a very slight bump for teams that retain their offensive coordinator (or their defensive coordinator) for multiple seasons up to a certain point, as we've found that teams that retain their coordinators do tend to see a slight improvement over similar franchises that don't.

There's nothing in those numbers, though, that indicates that Campbell should take a mighty leap forward. We like Jason Campbell; Dave Lewin's Lewin Career Forecast, which predicts the NFL performance of college QB's, had very nice things to say about Campbell coming out of Auburn. So maybe he'll take a step forward, and Zorn will help. But it won't be the dominant factor.

One thing that we can say pretty much for sure; Campbell's going to throw more interceptions. He threw picks on 1.2% of his passes last year, a remarkably low figure and one that almost always -- as in, say, 39 times out of 40 -- regresses back up closer to 3% or so. Last year's example was David Garrard, who was at a ridiculous 0.9% in 2007; he threw 13 picks last year at a rate of 2.4%.

Hogs Haven: What predictions can you make for the O-line with the addition of former Redskin Derrick Dockery (who was successful in this system before), and the replacement of Stephon Heyer, who is younger and stronger than Jon Jansen?

I always love these sort of questions because fans will always bring up the hopeful adjectives about players. That's not a criticism, just an observation. The flip side is that you could say that Dockery was such a disappointment that he washed out of Buffalo after two years, and Heyer's failed to take the job by the horns, is inexperienced, and gets banged up too easily. That's not a fair analysis, but it's just the counterbalance to only noticing the happy things.

The biggest factor that we've noticed about offensive lines is that continuity helps a lot more than people think. Talent's great, but when you're barking out the signals and someone's not paying attention, talent isn't worth much. A blown assignment in the running game leads to second-and-long, a blown block leads to a sack that blows out Jason Campbell's knee ... it only takes one mistake, and offensive lines that are new with each other tend to make them.

Obviously, Heyer's played a fair amount with the team, and Dockery was playing with Chris Samuels a couple of years ago. So that helps. I'd expect a few hiccups, but in the long run, it's more about keeping the five starters healthy than anything else. If they're healthy, the line will play well. If not, well, there will be trouble.

Hogs Haven: What turnover ration can Redskins fans expect with the addition of Haynesworth and Orakpo...since QBs will be forced to throw the ball quicker? (Orakpo has been very impressive in camp, drawing heavy praise from Chris Samuels and London Fletcher).

Yeah; again, plenty of guys get praised in camp, but that doesn't mean bupkus once you get on the field. I like Orakpo as a player, personally, but pass rushers rarely -- really rarely -- make an impact as a rookie. Think about Mario Williams, Patrick Kerney, Michael Strahan -- elite 4-3 pass rushers off the edge. (If he actually does end up playing strong side linebacker, well, he's even less likely to have an impact; the list of 4-3 linebackers with huge sack totals is extremely slim.) As for Haynesworth? There's no consistent trend where we see teams adding an elite pass rusher and seeing their interception or turnover totals go up. Anecdotally, I agree with you that the concept makes sense. But I can't sit here and truthfully tell you that "Interceptions will increase by 10 percent!" because we haven't seen it in the numbers.

Hogs Haven: Do you have percentages and comments on these stats?

- % of passing plays last year that were 5 yards and under (felt like 4/5 passes were under 5 yards...even on 3rd and long)
- % of 3 and outs and how that ranked with the rest of the league.
- % of run plays left, right, middle (I would imagine majority were runs left)

I don't have the numbers on third-and-outs, but I can answer the other two:

- Washington was third in the league in passes of five yards or less, at 51.7 percent. Only Tampa Bay and Indianapolis were higher.

- 38% of Washington's carries were to left end or left tackle; 30% were to right end or right tackle, with the remaining 32% being either up the middle or at either guard spot.

Hogs Haven: Without giving away the work you put into the book, can you give us your thoughts and expectations for the 2009 Redskins? What is your "best case" situation. Skins are optimistic the WRs from last year will contribute at a high level (Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, and Fred Davis). All of them have looked exceptional at camp.

I think those receivers definitely have to play better, I think that's a key. I'd hope that they're optimistic, though; it would be worse if the Skins weren't!

We project the Redskins to win 7.8 games this year, with a 30% chance of winning 9-10 games and an 11% chance of winning 11+ games. Obviously, they play in an extremely tough division. In the NFC East, the balance of power could be shifted by one key injury (think Tony Romo's broken finger last year) or even a close win -- remember, the 2007 Giants beat the Eagles in a game where David Akers missed a game-tying field goal by a few inches. If the Eagles won that game in OT, the Giants wouldn't have made the playoffs.

Truthfully, you could tell me anything from 5-11 to 11-5 and I wouldn't be surprised. A lot could go right with this team, and a lot could go wrong.

There is a lot to be said here. The key point Football Outsiders mentioned is that offensive line success is based on continuity. The Redskins cut 2 of their original starters from last year (Jansen, Kendall) and added multiple jouneymen, two of which have been out of the league for 1+ years (Mike Williams and Jeremy Bridges). From what the statistics show and what I've seen so far in camp, it's going to be another see-saw year. I hate to say a month before the season starts that the Redskins success depends on EVERYONE staying healthy, but so it is.