Many of us may be surprised with yesterday's 33-20 loss to the previously one-win Cowboys at the new Meadowlands Stadium.  As we all know, it was the ninth game that the Giants have played this season, meaning that it was the first game of the second half of the season.

It sounds odd to say, but this is the fifth time in the last six years that the Giants have had a first half that was 6-2 or better (last year's 5-3 first half was the lone exception).  Despite this being a good first half team, the Giants seem to lay an egg at some point in the second half at home against a team they either a) have beaten already during the season, or b) should easily beat. 

I feel like I've seen this from the Giants before... 

Here are some examples:

Continue reading this post »

I'm not happy and I know none of us are. But let's put things in perspective, people.

If you're not a fan of the Colts, then your team isn't going to win 12+ games and make the playoffs every single year.  That's the reality of the NFL.  I think it's pretty encouraging that we're all this pissed off about a football team that kept its playoff hopes alive for sixteen weeks of the season.

Continue reading this post »

Giants lead 14-10,

THREAD FAST FACT: Dallas has not won a posteason game since December 27, 1996.  That was two months before Mario Kart was released for Nintendo 64.

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Entering the 6th, 3-1 Yankees.

Go Yanks.


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Let me preface by saying that last night's 4-3 comeback win was epic.  Like CYC said, it had all the makings of a classic Yankees' comeback win of Octobers past. 

However, as great as it was, I felt the need to talk about the blown call in the top-half of the inning. 

What should've been a double for Joe Mauer was called a foul ball by Phil Cuzzi, who was standing right on the line.  I understand that human error is part of the game, but there are blown calls and then there are BLOWN calls (if you catch my drift).

It's inexcusable for a professional umpire to miss a call like that.  I've seen missed calls on baseballs that hit the line or that were inches fair, but not five or six feet fair.  I don't know what Cuzzi was watching, but it couldn't have been the ball.  I watched the replay again about a dozen times and there's not even a logical explanation for what he could've seen. 

Continue reading this post »

Tied at 3 going into the 11th.

Go Yanks.

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Tied up at 1 into the 8th inning.

Go Yanks.

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We all know that the national media often times looks on the surface instead of going in-depth (i.e. OMG no Marvin Harrison! = Colts struggle to make playoffs) with their analysis.  In reality, I think Colts fans know that the team has essentially been without Marvin Harrison - at least the sure-fire Hall of Fame version of Marvin Harrison - ever since his knee injury early in the 2007 season.

This is not a knock on Marvin, or a proclamation that Anthony Gonzalez is the second-coming of Jerry Rice.  It's just that if I was making a list of the potential question-marks and issues for the Colts entering the 2009 season, "how will they replace Marvin Harrison?" wouldn't crack the top ten.  However, that topic seems to be all the national media wants to talk about, outside of Jim Caldwell's new job responsibilities.

Continue reading this post »

In a surprise move, the Colts have decided to re-sign DT Ed Johnson according to a release from the team today. 

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ANNOUNCE ROSTER MOVE

 

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Colts have re-signed defensive tackle Ed Johnson, the club announced today.

Johnson (6-2, 296) joins the Colts after starting 16 games in 2007 and one game in 2008 for the club.  Johnson, who has 73 career tackles, originally was signed as a free agent by the Colts on May 5, 2007.  He had 63 stops, 49 solo, with one sack and one forced fumble in 2007, filling in for injured defensive tackle Booger McFarland.  Johnson had 10 tackles against Chicago in the 2008 season opener.  He was waived September 11, 2008. 

            “We are giving Ed Johnson another opportunity to play for the Indianapolis Colts.  We

dismissed Ed last year because he knowingly violated a team rule in the area of personal conduct. 

We consider every violation of a team rule or NFL policy on an individual case-by-case basis,

and we evaluate a possible return to the team on that same basis.  Ed understands our team rules

and our mandate that players represent themselves as professionals at all times.  We feel the

lessons Ed has learned will allow him to be what we demand from our players,” said Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell.  

“I would like to thank the Colts, especially Jim Irsay, for this second privilege to join the team.  I apologize to everyone for the situation I created last year.  I have learned valuable lessons from my mistake, and I want to re-gain the trust of the organization, my teammates and our fans,” said Johnson.

 

 

Colts released a statement at about 3:30 this afternoon that Ron Meeks has officially resigned.  Here is the official statement from the team:

 

January 20, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ANNOUNCE STAFF CHANGE

 

            Ron Meeks has resigned as defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts, the club announced today.

            Meeks served in this capacity with the club since 2002.

 

Unfortunately, no other outlets have picked it up yet, and I couldn't find another link. 

I'm trying to get my mind off of today's loss, and instead I'm in here making a new post.  Though this season didn't end the way anyone wanted it to, I just wanted to hand out a few thank yous:

Thanks JRS - for the wings.

Thanks queler for your undying optimism.

Thanks bluegonz for putting everything in the historical perspective, and for reminding us why football was just as sweet in the non-HDTV days.

Thanks cjmulrain for your number-crunching and stats research.

Thanks potroast for reminding us why Kevin Gilbride is the worst human being on earth.

Thanks Simms-McConkey for defending us against rival fanbases.  Good luck with John Smoltz - he was really awesome in World Series Baseball '95 for Sega Genesis, and when I had braces.

Thanks Proud Yankee - every site needs their own troll.  You handled your responsibility well.  Though I didn't like you flaming on other sites, some of the shit you said was pretty funny.

Thanks Woogie, DoctorK, Cody, and anybody else I'm forgetting.  It was good talking Jints with you guys.

Finally thanks Ed for running the best Giants' blog on the net.

Go Knicks and Yankees (and I guess Mets, Nets, Rangers, Islanders, Devils or whatever team keeps you occupied until training camp).

I'll leave you all with the obliglatory Tony Romo "EPIC FAIL" picture gallery...

 

 

 

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Need a Wet Willie for this week?  How about NY Daily News writer Gary Myers?

In today's NY Daily News article Myers compares the 2008 Giants to the Bengals of this decade and the 1990's Cowboys after the latest incident involving Plaxico Burress.  Myers has to rack his brain just to come up with enough incidents to list - my favorite being Ahmad Bradshaw's arrest which occurred three years ago while he was at Marshall.  He also cites Kareem McKenzie's DUI from last week.

The comparison to the Bengals is absolutely ridiculous considering that Chris Henry by himself has more arrests than every Giant combined over the past five years.  Cincinnati once had ten players arrested in the 14-month span from 2006-07.  TEN!  Meanwhile the Cowboys of the 90's generally were free to do whatever they pleased under Jimmie Johnson (who previously ran a glorified penitentiary at U of Miami during the 80's) and the clueless Barry Switzer.  Hell, why even limit it to the 1990's Cowboys?  This year's team has Tank Johnson and Pacman Jones - two players the Giants (or any other team) wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.  The article is a slap in the face to Tom Coughlin, who is a disciplinarian, and the Giants organization which has repeatedly fined or suspended players for breaking the rules.  Also, Plaxico likely will never play for the Giants again, whereas in Dallas or Cincinnati I'm sure he'd be given a fifth chance. 

 

I'm sure Jerry Jones would love to add someone like Plax

The Plaxico/AP incident is a serious one, and both players should be reprimanded by the Giants and the law for their involvement.  But, it's just one incident.  It's nowhere near the Bengals of this decade.  Leave it to the New York media to try to smear an 11-1 football team.  Unfortunately for the reporters, there is no Tiki retirement, no Shockey locker room tirades, no Coughlin job security storylines (and no Stephon Marbury) to fall back on. 

Unbeaten in the NFC East?  Best team in the NFL?  15-1 in the last 16 road games?  I guess those headlines just don't sell papers.

From ESPN:

"Tuck was fined $7,500 for driving the Cowboys' Brooks Bollinger into the turf in the second half. Replays show Tuck wrapping up Bollinger the moment the quarterback released the ball, then partly releasing his grasp on their way down before landing on Bollinger with his full weight.

NFL information manager Randall Liu, quoted in Friday's New York Times, said Tuck was fined because "he unnecessarily drove the opposing quarterback to the ground."

Though it doesn't appear in the ESPN article, Tuck is quoted as to saying, "we can't hit them in the head, we can't hit them below the knees, and apparently we can't hit them hard either."  The play occurred in the 3rd quarter and drew the ire of head coach Tom Coughlin.  He was clearly upset with the referee's judgement.  It was also a play that we alluded to in the actual Game Thread (I think I may have used the word "bullshit"...).

This is starting to get way out of hand.  I would hope that the NFLPA and perhaps the owners as well would get involved to curb this trend.  If not, pretty soon we'll have quarterbacks wearing the red jerseys they wear in practice. 

It's absolutely ridiculous to me that Tuck could get fined for a hit like this while Jared Allen's hit on Matt Schaub and Kimo Von Oelhoffen's hit on Carson Palmer go completely unnoticed.  Good, clean, hard hits get fines and flags while potential career-ending cheap shots draw nothing. 

What a joke.

UPDATE: The fine was thrown out (props to Phildo).  Justice served.  I guess I shouldn't have flipped over that cop car in protest...

 

from Ralph Vacchiano's NY Daily News Blue Screen blog:

The unnecessary roughness penalty that S Kenny Phillips took in the second quarter, when he laid out Mewelde Moore along the sidelines, was the correct call. I understand that there was probably no way Phillips could stop his momentum or recognize in time that Moore didn’t have the ball. But he has to. That’s the rule. It’s designed to force defensive players to make the impossible on-a-dime stop. Maybe it’s a faulty rule, but it was called correctly by the officials. Phillips also didn’t help his cause by leading with his head. For that alone, he can expect a fine later this week.

 

Continue reading this post »

like this sick catch against the Eagles in 2002 which clinched a playoff berth during the regular season finale at Giants Stadium.

via images.usatoday.com

remember Shockey coming down with the ball and just nodding his head on the ground while he was laying next to a defeated Brian Dawkins?  probably one of my top five favorite Giants moments ever.  that year, Shockey shattered Mark Bavaro's record for receptions with 74 in his rookie season (if you're feeling especially nostalgic, Tiki fumbled three times in that game vs. Philly.  ah, memories).

sometimes a move is made which is beneficial for both sides.  instead of trashing on Shockey, who was a great player that always played his ass off, let's just move on.  i think Kevin Boss has proven he can be a starter, and i'm confident Reese (and Couglin) will find a way to make it work.

good luck Shock.  hopefully we won't have to see you in the postseason.

 

to thank the New York Giants for preventing a Boston sweep of the three major sports championships.

 

 

Thank you, Justin Tuck (via media.2theadvocate.com)

If you are a Yankees/Knicks (ugh) fan like myself, thank the New York Giants today.

If you hate ESPN (the Boston Al-Jazeera network), thank the New York Giants today.

If you rolled your eyes at Paul Pierce's bullshit dramatic "injury" performance in Game 1, thank the New York Giants today.

If you wish someone would drill Manny Ramirez in the ribs while he stands at home plate admiring a home run, thank the New York Giants today.

If you have a fat friend named Bobby from Worcester that hasn't yet taken the price tags off his Kevin Garnett jersey, thank the New York Giants today.

If you believe in SpyGate and the fact Kevin McHale handed his franchise player to Danny Ainge, thank the New York Giants.

If you can imagine the dark, cold, and incredibly annoying world we would all be forced to live in had the city of Boston swept all three major sports championships, thank the New York Giants.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=ArQ.S94_Y8T3Ywry6t9IgAlDubYF?slug=cr-rankings032408&prov=y hoo&type=lgns

I actually don't have a ton of problems with this because the Giants are listed as the 2nd best in the NFC (behind Dallas, who hasn't won a playoff game since I had braces).  What I do have a problem with however is who is at #6....

Cleveland?

"...Rex Hadnot and Donte Stallworth should make the Browns much better.  Anything less than competing at the top of the AFC is a disappointment."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  Right.

Other notables: Patriots 2nd, Redskins 14th, Eagles 16th (too low in my opinion), Jets 22nd.

from Stampede Blue (an Indianapolis Colts blog): "I'm not bashing Giants fans, per say. I live in New York part of the year and I can tell you from first hand experience that Giants fans are THE most fair weather fans in football. It's a major reason why the Giants are so good on the road and so bad at home. Regardless of whether the Giants play poorly, ok, decent, or good... they get booed. Giants fans always doubt their players, always wish they had this guy or that guy, and always wish the NFL was more like the MLB (so that the Giants could just buy championships, like the Yankees did)."

Hmmm, fair-weather eh?  Coming from a Colts fan?  The same Colts fans that didn't start selling out the tiny RCA Dome until they were 6-0 in the 2003 season?  The same fans that didn't give a shit about their team until the '03 AFC Championship game appearance?  The same fans from a city where they have already given up on the Pacers after they missed the playoffs for the first time in ten years?

Those Colts fans were really coming out in 1984-2001 to the RCA Dome to support their team.  But, those fair-weather Giants fans don't support their team at all.  Their season-ticket waiting list is only 17 years long, no big deal.  

Fair-weather eh?  Coming from a Colts fan, that's fucking hilarious.  Look in the mirror.  

first off, let me say that im surprised how many people are picking the giants.  i mean, i knew that they would win some people over with that fine performance against TB last weekend but i think everyone agrees that tampa was the worst team in the playoffs.  maybe it's just the NY media: pile on when times are bad - all kisses and gumdrops when times are good.

to be totally honest, im happy that they're playing in dallas.  i hate watching this team play at home.  also, they're playing with house money while all the pressure is on dallas, especially romo.  not that there's no pressure on eli, but there's considerably less after getting the playoff win monkey off his back last week.  i think the giants have a good shot but im fighting with my homerism and trying to be objective.  it's hard to pick against dallas because they beat up the NFC pretty bad this year, they have as much talent as any team in the NFL, and they were able to score points at will against the giants in the regular season.

here are the rest PROs and CONs that i listed out for dallas:

PROs for dallas:

1. dallas' time spent in the giants endzone this season.
   
2. back-to-back four TD performances against the giants in the back of tony romo's mind.
   
3. jessica simpson's sexually-explicit voicemails wishing tony romo good luck on sunday.  
   
4. giants secondary is weak and injury-riddled.
   
5. terrence newman's coverage ability.
   
6. two weeks to get over that performance in washington.
   
7. wade phillips' playoff record.
   
8. RW mcquarters getting playing time.
   
9. no shockey.
   
10. no derrick ward (126 total yards, TD in first meeting)
    
11. beat the crap out of the giants in dallas.
    
12. their offensive line is huge and very physical.
    
13. nick folk's automaticism (is that a word?)

CONS for dallas:

1. tony romo's time spent drinking himself into oblivion in mexico.
   
2. jessica simpson's tits in the back of tony romo's mind (nice mental picture, but distracting).
   
3. terry's sexually-explicit voicemails wishing tony romo good luck on sunday.  
   
4. T.O. is playing on one leg.
   
5. roy williams' coverage ability.
   
6. two weeks to think about that performance in washington.
   
7. kevin gilbride's play-calling.
   
8. spags not sleeping all week trying to disguise the defense so the cowboys don't see RW mcquarters on the field.
   
9. they don't know who/how good kevin boss is.
   
10. derrick who?  ahmad bradshaw.
    
11. giants haven't lost on the road since.
    
12. giants stellar pass rush.
    
13. jeff feagles' surgical placement of punted footballs.

im leaning towards picking dallas, but im going to mull it over for at least another 20 hours.

anything im missing?

Those of you that have been here awhile have seen me post all of these QB rankings that come out because they are really fun to debate.

ESPN.com just did a list of the top 64 - http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/insider/news/story?id=3147842 (insider only) and Eli checks in at #17.

I don't have too much of a problem with where Eli is at, I just have a problem with the two quarterbacks in front of him: Vince Young and Phillip Rivers.

First of all, Rivers is a joke.  The Chargers win in spite of him and he has more talent than Eli does around him, yet has slightly worse numbers.  Rivers is about to take San Diego to the playoffs but that's not saying much considering that they play in the worst division in the AFC.

Here are Vince's numbers compared to Eli this season:

Vince - 2,032 yds, 7 TD, 16 INT, 62% comp. (also 343 yds rushing, 3 TD, 4 fumbles)
Eli - 2,790 yds, 18 TD, 17 IN, 59% comp.

I know VY has had injury problems this season but he has looked as lost as Eli in a few games this year.  I think he will eventually be a very good player, but at this point in his career, he is egregiously overrated.

What is your take?  Eli too low/too high?  I think you can make an arguement both ways.

As a side note, I think it is stupid to definitively put Brady #1 and Manning #2.  Maybe it's just because I live in Indianapolis (even though I hate the Colts) but I think they are 1 and 1A.  If I had to win a big playoff game tomorrow, I would take Brady, but Peyton is going to end up having the best career numbers-wise of any QB in NFL history.  It's like comparing Montana and Marino.  It can go either way.

I love QB rankings.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This was posted by our loyal reader 'SBaker' as a diary. It's a great topic, so I moved it up front.]

Well it didn't take long for the drama to start in the Giants locker room.  The latest development is a ripple effect from the possible Strahan retirement and involves (Chief) Osi Umenyiora and possible acquisition Simeon Rice (link: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2007/07/31/2007-07-31_osi_wont_move_for_rice.html - sorry I'm not an html whiz)

Osi claimed in the Daily News today that he will not move to the right side if the Jints decide to bring in Rice.  Umenyiora went on to say, "we'll have a little bit of a situation here if they decide to bring him in."

I understand that Osi and Strahan share the same agent and he wants to be loyal to his friend.  Plus, Strahan and Rice aren't exactly best buddies.  But is this all really necessary?  Osi should be worrying about what best helps the team, not his friendship to Strahan or his ego.  

Kiwi didn't throw a fit when being shifted to LB, because he realized that it was where the team needed him the most.  That's what team players do.

But this is just the latest chapter in an almost 18 month span of unecessary locker room drama.  This is also exactly the reason why I thought it would be best if the Giants cut ties with Coughlin after last season.  I'm not trying to blame this specific situation on TC, but he needs to immediately address this problem before it escalates.  Frankly, I'm completely fed up with all of this.  The Giants can't win when teammates criticize other (potential) teammates and refuse to help the team get better.  It just doesn't work.  

If Strahan does indeed retire (which I'm still giving a 30-70 shot he walks away) and Reese brings in Rice then Osi and whoever else should welcome the move and try to make it work, instead of pouting like children.

from the NY Daily News:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2007/06/09/2007-06-09_shockey_tackles_workout_crit ics.html

from the article: "People questioning my character really hurts because I play hurt and I'm going to continue to play like that."

I agree with Shockey.  He does play hard, he has never shown up out of shape.  He has a big mouth, but you can't question his heart.

I trust Shockey.

As for other players that don't show up to team workouts - you know, the ones that give up on overthrown balls (see: Tennessee 2006) and half-ass some of the time  - those are the player(s) that should be reporting to these workouts.  

NOTE: Loyal reader SBakerTheTouchdownMaker initially posted this in the 'Diaries' section. It's a great conversation piece, so let's hear your thoughts. I'll check in later with my own thoughts.

I stumbled upon this list of the top 32 NFL Quarterbacks (projected starters) for the upcoming 2007 season.  This list was based on how each player would perform during the '07 season.

Here's a link: http://fannation.com/blogs/post/14552

And here's the actual list:
1 Peyton Manning
2 Tom Brady
3 Carson Palmer
4 Drew Brees
5 Philip Rivers
6 Donovan McNabb
7 Ben Roethlisberger
8 Marc Bulger
9 Matt Hasselbeck
10 Michael Vick
11 Tony Romo
12 Matt Leinart
13 Jay Cutler
14 Vince Young
15 Brett Favre
16 Steve McNair
17 Alex Smith
18 Jeff Garcia
19 Jake Delhomme
20 Chad Pennington
21 Jon Kitna
22 ELI MANNING
23 Damon Huard
24 Trent Green (assuming he's a Dolphin)
25 Jason Campbell
26 Rex Grossman
27 Byron Leftwich
28 J.P. Losman
29 Matt Schaub
30 Josh McCown
31 Tarvaris Jackson
32 Charlie Frye

It says this list is the top 32 QBs (best numbers) at the end of the 2007 season.  So I'm assuming this is alot similar to fantasy value.  

Major non-Giants-related gripes:

1. Rivers #5 is too high.  I'd put him in the top 10 but in the 8-10 range.
   
2. A healthy McNabb should definitely be in the top 5.  No question.  Especially with Westbrook coming off a career year.
   
3. Roethlisberger #7 (23!! picks)?  Not only is that way too high but ahead of Bulger (4300 yards, 23 TD/8 INT in '06)?  What a complete joke.
   
4. Vick is closer to #20 than he is to #10.  When is everyone going to learn that he just isn't very good?  Easily the most overrated player in all of sports (even curling).  
   
5. Cutler #13? Um, yeah ok.  Ahead of Vince and Favre?  Jesus.  That's a major, major stretch.  
   
6. True when Grossman is bad, he's really bad.  But c'mon, there aren't 25 better quarterbacks than Rex.  He threw for 3200 yards and 23 TDs last year.  I know, lots of picks and fumbles but regardless I'd put him in the top 20, mostly because his team will likely win the division so his numbers won't be awful.
   
7. Schaub will be better than #29.  That kid has worlds more talent than Leftwich, Losman, Campbell and some of the other stiffs ahead of him.  Plus, Andre Johnson is great and Ahman Green quietly had a good year last year.  And no, I don't care that the Texans blow and he's going to get sacked like 600 times.

Eli gripes:

1. Jon Kitna ahead of Eli?  Come on.  That's just horrible.  I don't even really know what to say.  Even with Detroit using a 1st round pick on a WR the last eighty years, Kitna still won't be a better QB than Eli.  You can argue that Kitna had better numbers than Eli last year (he actually did), but I don't care.  Most of that is due to a) The Lions being down 21-0 after the first two minutes of each game hence "chuck it deep!", b) Kevin Jones missing the last quarter of the season, c) Roy Williams being disgusting.
   
2. Garcia saved the Eagles season last year but there's absolutely no way he'll have better numbers than Eli with that horrific Tampa Bay offense.  What does Cadillac average, like 1.6 yards per carry?  
   
3. I think Leinart is going to be an absolute stud and he does have alot of weapons (Edge, Boldin, Fitz) around him.  But ten spots higher than Eli?  I don't agree with that disparity. At least not until the O-Line protecting him improves.
   
4. I have a huge problem with Big Ben 15 fucking spots ahead of Eli.  If not for Vick, he's the most overrated player in the league, hands down.  I don't care that his skull was half-crushed last year, he was absolutely atrocious.  Plus, the Steelers are the third best team in that division, and it's not close.  I don't see how his numbers are going to be that great.  Certainly not top 10 great.
   
5. I could go on about how I believe that Eli is a better QB than Pennington, Delhomme and McNair but I'm not.  Pennington is perfect for the Jets offense even though he has the arm strength of a weak 12 year old girl, Delhomme has Steve Smith and McNair will never have to throw the ball because all that D needs is 10 points to win games.

I'm trying not to be a homer and I don't think I am being one.  I think this article just proves that people are really, REALLY down on the Giants this year.  Is this really going to be a 6-10 team?  That seems to be what people think.  The '06 team was a couple of plays away from being 10-6 or better and I don't think the '07 version will regress that much just because of Tiki leaving and Pettigout (seriously what's the BFD about Luke?) getting cut.  I think Jacobs will be fine and Plax/Shockey will have great years again.

Eli rated 22nd out of 32 NFL Quarterbacks just isn't right.  

What are your thoughts?