I don't know about you guys but the last week has been great. I feel like I have been sealed up in a tomb since 2000. The last time I felt this good about the Knicks was during the end of the Ewing era. I really hope that Amare and Carmelo embrace this because if they do, this could be the beginning of something special.It's been a long time since I have felt a sense of pride with the Knicks. I'd love to see them go on a Giantlike run.

Go Knicks!

Feel free to use this...

“The win over the Pats on Nov 6th doesn’t matter!”

“The 17-13 victory over the Pats in Super Bowl 42 doesn’t matter!”

“Three Super Bowl championships doesn’t matter!”

“One Super Bowl loss doesn’t matter!”

“The Miracle at the Meadowlands 1 and 2 doesn’t matter!”

“Knocking the Eagles, Jets and Cowboys out of the playoffs doesn’t matter!”

“Destroying the Falcons and Packers doesn’t matter!”

“Defeating the 49ers doesn’t matter!”

“Being a favorite or underdog doesn’t matter!”

What matters?

How you play on February 5th

How much do you want it?

Don’t think for one moment the Pats will be taking this game lightly. You should aim not just to win the game but to DESTROY the Patriots.

Goal: Eclipse the SB XXIV, 55-10, Niners/Broncos

Make some history boys!

I know you guys read these blogs. You’re probably in a locker room or on a bus somewhere. Here are my two cents.

It’s real simple.

Study, respect and destroy!

You guys should be and probably are focusing on these three points.

Study: Study the San Francisco 49ers. Know their tendencies, be aware of the possible adjustments, and expect the unexpected.

Respect: Respect the 49ers. They are a very disciplined and well-coached team. Limit your mistakes and you will succeed.

Destroy: You’re a pack of dogs! The 49ers are the meat. Set the tone early. Come out with passion. Hit with passion! Block with passion! 53 Giants transform into one! No one expects you to win. You’re the underdogs! You’re in the NFC title game and the local tabloids are talking about the Jets! You just dismantled the Packers. Time to do the same to the 49ers.

Additionally: Take a calculated risk! If you are up by 10 points in the fourth quarter and it’s 4 and 3 from the 33 yard line, do the Field Goal fake. They will not be expecting it! It will be the game changer.

Good luck guys!

The Bears finished a .500 team this season. Were they a .500 team? No! The Bears should have won 10 games and with that should be in the playoffs either as the five or the six seed. Even with the injuries to Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, adjustments should have been made by the coaching staff and ownership to provide the best chance possible to secure a playoff berth. Instead, your team will be sitting at home this weekend watching the playoffs with everyone else in the Chicagoland area.

Who is to blame? I would blame the coaching staff, Jerry Angelo, the scouting department and last but certainly not least the McCaskey family.

George Halas must be rolling over in his grave.

I think Bears fans should shoulder some of the blame as well.

Losing is unacceptable!

I've been listening to 670 the Score and ESPN 1000 of late and I know Bears fans are frustrated and "get it". I know the hosts also share in the frustration of the "Same Ol Bears" mentality seeming to emanate from the powers-that-be up at Halas Hall. Everyone knows stuff has to change but it seems no one is willing to make a point to those people up in Lake Forest and say enough is enough.

The Media

The Chicago media is too soft. Lovie Smith would have been out of here several years ago if the media leveled some culpability on Bears management and the McCaskey family. It doesn't seem local media has the ability or the willingness to ask the hard questions and put the pressure on those who deserved to be pressured. I think that is a blatant disservice for the fans. Objectiveness is one thing but not catering to your readers is another. A newspaper should be an advocate for its readership

The Coaching Staff

Lovie Smith is too soft. He is too passive and does not exhibit any passion or desire. A head coach more often than not is an indirect representation of the identity of a team. The thing that I liked about Mike Ditka. He was a straight shooter who had a football passion. He was a fiery individual and I think the teams he coached played with that same level of intensity. I feel that Smith has never truly had control over his team and since the hiring of Mike Martz has lost the ability to effectively coach his football team. A strong coach would have put Martz in his place a long time ago. He would have also been more vocal to management in regards to personnel matters.

Unfortunately the coaching staff problems don't end with Smith. I think Martz has had a lot to do with the problems with the team. He is a stubborn man who refuses to make the adjustments needed to be successful. Instead of evaluating the team and working with their strengths, he has stuck to this myopic view of what he feels works and in the process has caused the Bears to regress. I think the hiring of Martz was a needed experiment but has run it's course.

I think some blame should also be levied on Shane Day, the quarterbacks coach. I haven't heard anyone mention his name or levy any level of culpability on him. Everyone has been blaming Martz for the quarterback failings but isn't Day responsible for the improvement of Caleb Hanie? I mean, Cutler came to Chicago as a pretty polished NFL quarterback. I don't think the weakness at the QB coach position was realized until Culter went down and the backups were required to take a significant number of snaps. It really comes down to adjustments and if ownership is unwilling to spend the money and bring in a veteran quarterback to take the helm, you need a coach who is able to help a young and inexperienced adapt to the pro level.

I think the Bears coaching staff needs to be evaluated and changes should be made. I think you need to fire Smith and clean house. Making the playoffs once in five years is not an acceptable goal. I think ownership needs to make this clear.

Jerry Angelo and the scouting department

I think Angelo should be fired as well. He has done a poor job of evaluating talent and filling the weaknesses at the wide receiver and on the offensive line. He has also let Martz dictate the roster move decisions made for the team. You get rid of Greg Olsen because he doesn't fit the Martz scheme. You sign Roy Williams, who has not done anything at all and has had a history of not being effective. Why? Because Martz felt he could "fix his problems". The offensive line was old and ineffective and you fail to make the necessary acquisitions via the draft and free agency. Your team needs playmakers at the wide receiver position and you ignore those weaknesses and target players who have similar existing skill sets or at positions where there is depth and abundance.

The scouting department has failed as well. Teams who draft well consistently more often than not stay competitive. This goes even beyond traditional means such as the draft. There have been many instances over the years where gems have been plucked out the Unrestricted Free Agency scrapheap. The Giants have found a couple of gems, most notably Victor Cruz of late. Other teams have as well, James Harrison, Fred Jackson, and Wes Welker to name a few. The Bears need to do a better job of filling their roster needs.

The McCaskey family

This is where the real problem lies. There seems to be no sense of urgency coming from them. You have a quarterback Cutler in his prime, and you have an aging defensive core in Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Julius Peppers and Charles Tillman. I have not even mentioned Forte, who will probably challenge many of the team records set by the late, great Walter Payton. Speaking of Forte, what a joke? The McCaskey family should not be playing chicken with a talent like Forte. He should be locked up! He should be signed for the next 3-5 years and paid what he is worth. He should also have some help in the backfield as well. The poor guy was bound to get injured considering he was shouldering more than 50% of the offense. The McCaskey's are not going to wake up unless people start levying pressure upon them. I think they should be held responsible for the lack of action, er inaction.

The Bears

Finishing the season 8-8 should be considered "unacceptable". Losing five out of the last six games should be "unacceptable". Making the playoffs one out of five years should be "unacceptable". Winning one Super Bowl championship should be "unacceptable". As wonderful as the 1985 Bears team was that was a long time ago. It's ancient history!

How much?

How much to you want to prove that you are the best team in the NFC East?

How much do you want to prove that you are the best team in the NFC?

How much do you want to prove you are the best team in the NFL?

How much do you want to prove that you are the best team in NY?

How much do you want to prove that 2007 wasn’t a fluke?  

How much to you want to prove everyone else wrong?

How much do you want a RING?

How much?

There are 53 people who can answer this question.

I think it is time for an answer!

Here is a look at the current playoff situation for the Giants

Breakdown

The Giants are currently 9-5 (7-3 vs NFC, tiebreakers over CHI, better conference record over GB, TB) Games left: @GB, @WAS

CHI is 9-4 (7-3 vs NFC, tiebreaker over PHL) can clinch NFC North with win tonight over Minn @MN, NYJ, @GB

PHL is 10-4 (7-3 vs NFC, tiebreaker over ATL) Games left: MIN, DAL

NO is 10-4 (8-2 vs NFC) @ATL, TB

GB is 8-6 (6-4 vs NFC, tiebreakers over PHL) NYG, CHI

TB is 8-6 (6-4 vs NFC) SEA, @NO

ATl can clinch home field advantage with a win over NO on Sunday

Home Field Advantage

The Giants cannot finish with the best record in the NFC

Number 2 Seed (First Round Bye)

The Giants have a slim chance at capturing the #2 seed. The Giants would have to win their last two games against GB and Was

and

CHI would have to LOSE 2/3 (lose against Minn, NYJ, beat GB) Giants win tiebreaker at 11-5 with head to head win.

PHI would have to LOSE both remaining games

NO would have to LOSE both remaining games

NFC East

The Philadelphia loss yesterday has pretty much wrapped up the NFC East. The ONLY way the Giants could win the division would be wins against GB and Was and PHL to lose both of its remaining games at home against MIN and DAL. Highly unlikely.

The Wild Card Picture

The Bears vs Vikings

CHI loss would put them at 9-5 and tie them with the NYG, Giants owning the tiebreaker. It would also open the door for GB to still have an opportunity to win the division.

Week 16 Scenarios

NYG win, GB loss, CHI loss, NO loss, TB loss, PHL loss

This is the best scenario for the Giants. It would assure them a wildcard spot and keep alive a slim possibility of a division title and first round bye. Teams eliminated: TB

NYG win, GB loss, CHI win, NO win, TB win, PHL win

The Giants eliminate GB. The Packers cannot win the wild card or division. The number 2 seed comes down to NO, PHL and CHI, who would all have 11-4 records if CHI beats Minn on MNF. NO would have the inside track on the number two seed due to a better conference record. TB would be all but eliminated even if they did win because the Giants would hold a better conference record (NYG 8-3 vs NFC, TV 7-4 vs NFC). If the Giants somehow lost the final game of the season versus WAS, TB and NYG would have identical 10-6 records, identical NFC conference records 8-4, and the tiebreaker would be determined by Strength of Victory, which the NYG hold a 145-60 edge. Still a very slim to nil chance for TB to make the playoffs. Teams eliminated: GB, TB

NYG loss, GB win, CHI win, NO loss, TB win, PHL win

The Giants fall to 9-6. The Packers improve to 9-6 and own a tie-breaker over the Giants. The Giants playoff hopes would be on life support. The Giants could still make the playoffs if NO lost both games, GB loses to CHI. If NO, TB and NYG finished tied at 10-6 (8-4 vs the NFC) the Giants have a slight lead in the next determining factor, Strength of Victory (SOV) NYG 145 to TB 60 and NO 116. The Giants and Saints would be your wild cards. Teams Eliminated: GB, TB.

"When a team stares into the Abyss, the Abyss stares back; it is then that a team
finds his true character."

I guess we will all find out soon what this team is made of. My question to the Giants players and coaches is this?

What are you made of?

Are you championship material?

Will you be able to rise above?

Or will you fold like a cheap suitcase and pack it in?

Show us your F'in pride!

The Eagles did not beat you today. You beat yourselves!!! For the majority of the game you dominated the Eagles. You took it for granted though. You rested on your laurels. You let them back into the game. You lost the killer instinct. Instead of going for the knockout you went for the decision. Bad choice.

You lost!

They embarrassed you!

How did that make you feel? Did you like DeSean Jackson making a mockery out of you and your fans?

It's over now. You cannot get back those last seven minutes. You lost this battle.

But guess what?

You did not lose the war.

It's time to regroup and refocus.

You are currently the 6th seed in the NFC.

You have two games left. One against the Packers and one against the Redskins. Win those two games and you are 11-5. That will probably get you into the postseason as the 6th seed.

It's going to be a long road to February.

The road will probably take you to places like Green Bay, Chicago, Washington and of course Philadelphia.

But see, you have been there before.

Once upon a time a Giants team won three straight road games in TB, Dal, GB and a neutral game vs NE.

What did that result in?

A Super Bowl championship.

My advice to you is not to worry about anyone else. Take care of business and go get yourselves a ring.

Hey Ed:

I have a question that I'm sure other BBV'ers are curious about. Who do you think the Detroit faithful would rather root for tonight. The Giants? The Vikings? Neither? It would be a good question to ask over at the Pride of Detroit board. I would assume true Lions fans would not want to see someone in their division win. I'm not even sure who their main rival is in their division.

Maybe some you guys can help answer this question. I was watching the Giants game yesterday and during critical moments it seemed that the crowd wasn't really that into it. Is that just because of the microphone placement of the FOX broadcast or is the crowd just not that loud? I have not been to the new place so I was hoping that some of you who have been there this season can answer this.  

I was checking out the Cowboys Fan Nation site and it looks pretty bleak over there. I really hope the Giants don't take the Cowboys lightly as they prepare for the game next Monday night. We have an opportunity to really humiliate them! I also wonder how much long Jerry will keep the (PDB) around as coach? With the possible lockout looming I think he may keep him to the end of the season. What do you think are the keys to the game? I think the Giants front four need to wratchet up the pressure, as well as limit mistakes. This could be a real good one for us.

Dear Tom Coughlin and Players:

Thank you... Thank you... Thank you again for utterly destroying the Bears. I need to tell you that there are a lot of unhappy Bears fans in the Windy City tonight. I was out at a bar watching the game. You should have heard the groans and the whines... You guys made me proud tonight! It's a great night to be a Giants fan in Chicago!

Bring it next week. The Texans are not to be taken lightly. Bring that same intensity next week. Dismantle em!

Dear NY Giants Players and Coaches:

I know some of you probably read this site from time to time. Hopefully this will get your attention. I have three words for you. "You guys suck!" It's embarrassing! You're supposed to be one of the best teams in the league. You have an outstanding quarterback, two strong running backs, a tough SOB at tight end, capable wide receivers, perennial Pro-Bowlers on the offensive line, a defensive line mix of seasoned veterans and strong first-year players, an experienced linebacking corp, and a pretty damn good secondary. Not to mention a punter with a strong leg and a place kicker who, if I am not mistaken, has been clutch at times (i.e NFC Championship Game 2007). But for some reason a lot of you guys have forgotten what it means to be a team. You guys play like a bunch of clowns, not mentioning any names. I went to my first Giants game two weeks ago in Indianapolis. I waited 33 years to watch you guys play in person and you guys laid an f'in egg. Embarrassing! It got so bad that I decided to leave at the end of the third quarter. Imagine being a fan, plopping down $100 bucks and driving three hours to watch your sorry asses get embarrassed. I tell you, it was a lot of fun walking to my car outside of Lucas Oil Stadium wearing my Giants jersey getting mocked and laughed at. I heard comments like, "oh your team sucks... the real Manning showed up today... Jacobs is a clown..." I thought that game was an isolated incident and then you guys go on to lay another egg this past weekend against the Titans. What gives? I think you guys need to check your egos at the door and start playing as a team. You have the 3-0 Bears this weekend. I can tell you that the Bears are not going to lay down for you guys. It's time for you guys to start playing as a team. Focus on one goal... Getting to the Super Bowl. Forget about contracts, lockouts and playing time. Focus on making tackles, not on committing personal fouls. Fire each other up! I want to see you guys systematically dismantle the Bears next weekend. Think about me. A lone Giants fan sitting at a bar somewhere in Chicago. I'll be watching you play. I want to leave the bar Sunday with a confident smirk on my face. I want to watch you guys frustrate Cutler. I want to see you guys give Eli as much time as he needs. I want you guys to put up a 40 spot on the Bears. Dominate them! Embarrass them! Humiliate them! I guarantee if you all play as a team you will. That's what I want! I think I can speak for all the Giants fans out there that I have had enough of your collective garbage. It's time to start winning!

Signed,

ChicagoGiantsFan  

Ok... I am going to be honest here. I don't really know much about Gerhart's stats and such but I have a real good feeling about this player. I know he was a Heisman Trophy runner-up and he put up some good numbers at Stanford. I also know that he has been compared to John Riggins and our own Brandon Jacobs. I have a real sneaking suspicion that he is going to be overlooked and is going to turn out to be the best running back to come out of the college ranks in some time. Don't ask me why but I have a feeling. I think the Giants should grab this guy. I think he should make it to our second round pick and I know we could probably pick other positions such as DT and T. Am I crazy?

Who would you pick?

Would you trade back for more picks?

Would you trade up to nab McClain?

I'd be willing to trade back a bit if it mean't I could grab a late first and another two or three. There is always a chance of picking a bust but a lot of times you can grab an exceptional player late in the first round. If I was going to mortgage the future I'd have to be damn sure that McClain is the second coming of Lawrence Taylor or Carl Banks.   

I think the Giants made a good decision by hiring Perry Fewell to be their next defensive coordinator. I’ve always felt that players react more positively to coaches that express enthusiasm on the sidelines and in the locker room. I never was a big fan of the Bill Sheridan hiring because in my mind he was more a cerebral coach who liked to work quietly behind the scenes and not on the sidelines. Obviously, that experiment didn’t work and now the Giants and fans alike anticipate big things from Fewell.

Fewell has a coaching pedigree that spans back into the mid 80’s when he held his first coaching gig with the North Carolina Tar Heels. He seems to specialize in dealing with defensive backs and also has held coordinator and head coaching roles.

I had a chance to watch Fewell a couple of times in 2009 and I appreciated his style of coaching. I’m not real familiar with the Tampa 2 scheme but I think it’s time to try something different.  

I think Fewell did a good job in Buffalo considering the fact that he was in “Buffalo”. He was thrown into an impossible situation when Dick Jauron was fired and handing it as well as anyone could have finishing 3-4.

As a defensive coordinator with the Bills, Fewell had his most successful season in 2008 when the Bills held opponents in check in several different statistical categories.

I don’t really know if I have anything negative to say about Fewell. I think he will face several challenges during his first year. Those challenges will be:

-         Changing the Giants defensive scheme from a blitz heavy to a Tampa 2

-         Getting production from Osi Umenyiora and the rest of the defensive line

-         Integrating drafted rookies and second year players into the defensive scheme

-         Improving Safety and Cornerback Play

-         Improving Red Zone Defense

-         Improving 3rd Down Defense

I hope he is an improvement over Sheridan and can help mold the Giants into being a Top 10 defense again.   

I don’t know what to think of the Antrel Rolle signing. On one hand, I do think he is a significant upgrade over incumbents C.C. Brown, Aaron Rouse and Michael Johnson. But for some reason I have a bad feeling about this signing. Maybe it’s memories from last offseason when the Giants shelled out all that money for Chris Canty, Rocky Bernard and Michael Boley and got limited to no production from them. Maybe it’s the fact that we paid so much for his services, 5-year $37 million. Maybe because he was part of a defense, Arizona Cardinals, who were torched by the Drew Brees led Saints in the playoffs.

In Rolle’s Defense

Looking at his stats over the past five seasons, you’d have to say that his best season was 2007 when he played in 16 games, registered 62 tackles and had five interceptions. His 2008 campaign was pretty good as well, though his interception numbers were way down. I guess my burning question is was 2007 an aberration or is it a harbinger for things to come? These are all questions that will undoubtedly be answered by the end of the 2010 season.

Jim Sorgi

I think the signing of Jim Sorgi was a safe move. You could have done a lot worse by trying to sign Jeff Garcia or Daunte Culpepper, who I personally feel are past their prime and more trouble than what they are worth. The question is, do you really want to put your faith in Sorgi to carry your team if Eli Manning goes down? Some say that if Manning goes down the Giants would be “cooked”. Please tell that to the 1990 Giants who went on to win the Super Bowl without Phil Simms. I would have rather seen the Giants sign Chad Pennington. He is familiar with New York and I think he would have fit well in the Giants run-heavy, short pass system. Sorgi should be fine but let’s hope that Eli plantar fasciitis heals and he develops no other injuries that make him miss a significant period of time.

The Draft

There seems to be a lot of people jumping on the Rolando McClain bandwagon, including myself. I would be extremely intrigued if he fell to us at 15. We really haven’t had an impact linebacker since the days of Carl Banks, Lawrence Taylor and Pepper Johnson. We need a defensive leader with a bulldog mentality. A player who isn’t afraid to knock the proverbial “snot” out of an opposing running back. Is McClain that player? I don’t know but I do know that he has talent and has been in the SEC which is basically the junior NFL so let’s give him a shot at becoming the next great Giants LB.

Other Draft Needs

I think the Giants should focus on speed, speed and more speed. I wouldn’t be opposed to drafting another safety as insurance for a recovering Kenny Phillips. I’d also draft another linebacker and possibly a beast on the offensive line. The Giants should also think about signing a punter as well.  

Free Agents

The Giants should sign a veteran linebacker. Someone like a Larry Foote or a Keith Bulluck would give the Giants some experience and also provide a important mentorship role for the young linebacking core. I know Bulluck is coming off an injury but he would be serviceable if healthy.