Tag: Brandon Jacobs (Page 4 of 8)

      Jacobs proves his loyalty to Giants with new contract

      February 26, 2009 /

      The Giants re-signed running back Brandon Jacobs to a very fair, very reasonable four-year, $25 million contract Wednesday night. The deal includes $15 million in the first two years and $13 million in guarantees.

      The G-Men placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jacobs in mid-February, which meant he could have negotiated with other teams, although New York would have received two first round picks if he had signed elsewhere. Given his age (26) and bruising running style most teams covet, he could have easily gotten more than $25 million on the open market and may have even scored a five or six-year contract.

      But he stated all along that he wanted to remain a Giant and this proves his loyalty to the franchise that selected him in the fourth round of the 2005 draft. And given his bruising style and injury history, the contract that he received is quite fair. The time of the deal helps the Giants, because by the time he becomes a free agent in four years, Jacobs will reach the dreaded age of 30 for running backs.

      This deal was handled extremely well on both sides and it’s a shame more contracts aren’t constructed as intelligently.

      NFL

      Myers rips Tom Coughlin for poor game decisions

      January 12, 2009 /

      Gary Myers of the New York Daily News criticizes Giants’ head coach Tom Coughlin for several poor decisions he made in his team’s playoff loss to the Eagles on Sunday.

      Tom CoughlinCoughlin had a big decision to make when the Giants won the toss. He took the ball and went into the 20 mph wind in the first quarter. Manning has proven he can’t handle the wind at Giants Stadium, so Coughlin should have deferred and had the wind behind Manning to open the game. Manning never got into any rhythm after a tough first quarter.

      After Ahmad Bradshaw returned the opening kickoff 65 yards to the Eagles’ 35, Manning dropped back to pass on first down. Steve Smith was wide open at the Eagles’ 15, but Manning’s pass was wobbly and Smith couldn’t get it.

      The Giants eventually settled for a field goal. After holding Philly on its first possession, the Giants were forced to start on their own 13. After seeing the pass to Smith fail to navigate its way through the wind, Coughlin should have ordered Gilbride to give the ball to Brandon Jacobs to get the Giants away from the end zone.

      Gilbride sent in a play-action pass. Manning rolled right and sailed it over the head of Domenik Hixon, right to Asante Samuel, who finally picked off Manning after dropping that huge one on the Giants’ game-winning drive in the Super Bowl. He returned it to the Eagles’ 2, setting up Donovan McNabb’s touchdown run.

      It made no sense to throw in that spot.

      When the Giants trailed 20-11 early in the fourth quarter, Coughlin lost a third down replay challenge when he thought Ward had a first down at the Giants’ 44. He went for it on fourth and inches. Manning failed on a quarterback sneak. Johnson anticipated it.

      “A quarterback sneak is as elementary as it gets,” O’Hara said. “And to not be able to get a few inches on a fourth down, that is inexcusable.”

      Why not let Jacobs, who is 6-4, 264, try to bully his way to the first down?

      I find it rather ironic (and almost comical) that Myers criticized Coughlin’s decisions on Sunday, yet he was the one last week that prolifically wrote that there was no way that the Eagles would beat the Giants. It’s almost like Myers wrote his latest column in anger that Coughlin made him look bad on his prediction.

      Either way, Myers is right in his observations. I fail to see why taking the ball at the start of the game is a wise decision when you know your offense will be working into the wind. Put your defense on the field first, force a punt and then you have momentum, field position and the ball first in the second half. And even if the Eagles march down the field and score, you have an entire game to come back. I also felt that Jacobs was underused and a sneak with Manning was questionable at best, but it’s also easy to play Monday morning quarterback and question everything a losing team did wrong.

      NFL

      Six Pack of Observations: Eagles at Giants

      January 11, 2009 /

      Here are six quick-hit thoughts on the Eagles’ 23-11 divisional round playoff victory over the Giants.

      1. Don’t be shocked – the writing was on the wall for the Giants.
      There’s no question that this was an upset; No. 1 seeds rarely fall in the divisional round, although ironically both the Giants and Titans did just that this weekend. But while this was considered an upset, an Eagle victory was hardly shocking. The Giants haven’t played a complete game since beating the Redskins in Week 13, the absence of Plaxico Burress severely hurt Eli Manning and the passing game over the past month, and the Eagles were just flat out a bad matchup for Big Blue. Throw in the fact that Philly beat the Giants in East Rutherford in Week 14 and this upset was in the making as soon as the Eagles knocked off the Vikings last Sunday.

      2. Plaxico Burress’s selfishness cost his team in the end.
      I don’t care what the players or coaches say – not having Burress killed the Giants’ passing game and destroyed their overall offensive balance. New York was able to move the ball effectively on the ground against the Eagles but when it came down to the Giants making a play in the passing game, they couldn’t. Obviously a lot of that falls on Eli Manning’s shoulders, but it’s hard to make plays when your receivers can’t get create separation with the defenders. Burress cost his team dearly because he didn’t care enough about his teammates or his profession to not carry a loaded weapon into a club. The Giants should part ways with this selfish idiot in the offseason and rid themselves of this massive distraction.

      3. Confidence is a scary thing.
      The Eagles have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the NFL this season but when they play with confidence and momentum, they’re hard to beat. They’ve always been one of those teams (like the Ravens and Steelers) that have played with swagger. And when their opponents can’t mount up and punch them in the mouth right out of the gates, the Eagles gain confidence throughout the course of the game. That’s what happened today. The Giants held the ball longer, gained more total yards and had fewer penalties than the Eagles. But they never took control of the game and you just had the feeling that once the Eagles built a two-possession lead, the Giants wouldn’t recover. And they didn’t.

      4. Donovan McNabb finally has another playmaker.
      In both of their playoff wins, rookie DeSean Jackson has made big plays. Last week he had a huge punt return to set the Eagles up with great field position against the Vikings and today, his 48-yard reception essentially put the final dagger in the backs of the Giants. With a little more maturity, Jackson could develop into one of the best playmakers in the NFL. For now, he’s been an outstanding addition to the Eagles’ offense and he’s making up for the lack of postseason production by Brian Westbrook. There’s no doubt McNabb loves what Jackson has brought to the table and the veteran QB finally has weapon in the passing game again.

      5. Stop it with the respect card.
      I love Brian Dawkins. Love him. I think he has easily been one of the best safeties over the past decade and his leadership is unrivaled. But his on-field interview at the end of the game where he cried (literally) about the Eagles not getting any respect was ridiculous. The “respect card” is a tired act in sports and players need to stop using that as their go-to after games. No Brian, not everyone in the free world thought the Eagles could beat the defending Super Bowl champs on their home field. (Although for the record, I did.) Get over it.

      6. Gary Myers screwed the Giants.
      Local columnists should learn to play things a little more conservatively after Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Gary Myers of the New York Daily News jinxed their teams this postseason. Bradley predicted a Falcon win before their Wild Card game last Saturday in Arizona and earlier this week, Myers so boastfully claimed that there was no way the Eagles would beat the Giants on Sunday. Word to the wise for Philly and Arizona newspaper columnists – stay away from predictions next week.

      NFL

      NFL Divisional Round Preview

      January 10, 2009 /

      Before I get to my Divisional Round Preview, I’d like to send all of the losers from Wild Card Weekend off the only way I know how: By jabbing them one final time.

      Atlanta Falcons: Hey Mike Smith and Mike Mularkey, his name is Jerious Norwood. He’s #32 and he’s one of the best playmakers on your offense. Might want to think about using him more the next time an opposing defense figures out how to shut down Michael Turner.

      Indianapolis Colts: Seven trips to the postseason in the last seven years and you only manage one Super Bowl appearance with a three-time MVP at quarterback? Dear Barbara…

      Miami Dolphins: Chad, I love you man and I love your story this season. But you can’t force passes down field into double coverage and expect good things. You should have kept doing what you did all season and what you did in your first possession of the game – hit the high-percentage passes and let your receivers get the yardage.

      Minnesota Vikings: Did anyone else scratch their head when Brad Childress declined a holding penalty on third down early in the first quarter that would have moved the Eagles on the edge of field goal range? Instead, it brought up forth down and David Akers drilled a 43-yarder to give Philly a 3-0 lead. Childress basically said, “I’m not sure if my defense can hold the Eagles on 3rd and 14 – better give up the field goal so we don’t give up a potential touchdown instead.” You never give your opponents points in the playoffs. Never. Not even a field goal. Force them back, force them to make a play and force them to earn the points.

      Myself: I went 1-3 with my Wild Card Predictions last week. Seriously? You went with the Colts in the playoffs? A rookie in Matt Ryan? The Vikings over everyone’s sleeper team in the Eagles? You’re a freaking bum. (Ironically I went 3-1 in a family football pool because I came to my senses and picked San Diego and Philly.)

      Moving on…

      Chris JohnsonBaltimore Ravens (11-5) at Tennessee Titans (13-3)
      Saturday, January 10, 4:30PM ET
      Opening Odds: Titans –3
      Over/Under: 34.5
      Game Outlook:
      No disrespect to the Giants and Eagles or any other team playing this weekend, but this is easily the best matchup on the divisional playoff schedule. Did you see what Ed Reed and the Ravens did to Chad Pennington and the Dolphins last week? They held them to only 276 total yards, forced five turnovers and surrendered only 52 rushing yards. And although they used a lot of gadget formations throughout the season, it’s not like Miami’s offense was a dud this year. Granted, the Titans have the seventh best rushing attack in the league and rookie Chris Johnson brings an added dimension to the field, but Mike Heimerdinger has his hands full this week trying to come up with a game plan to move the ball against a Baltimore defense allowing just over 15 points a game this season. That said, it’ll be interesting to see how rookie quarterback Joe Flacco does against the seventh best defense in the NFL. Flacco passed with flying colors last week while playing mistake-free and running for the game-clinching score in the fourth quarter. But he’ll have to do a hell of a lot more than complete 9 of 23 passes for 135 yards against a Tennessee defense that could have DT Albert Haynesworth and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch back on their defensive line. If both players are in the lineup Saturday, Flacco is going to feel the heat up the middle and from the edges so he better get rid of the ball in a timely manner. Overall, this is the best defensive matchup of the year and this game will probably come down to who doesn’t turn the ball over.
      X-Factor: Chris Johnson, Titans RB
      The only time the Dolphins found success last week was when they used the Ravens’ aggressive style against them and slipped backs out in the flats. Pennington was able to hit Patrick Cobbs and company for seven to 10 yard gains and the Titans could employ the same method. Johnson is a homerun threat and more than capable of taking one to the house every play. Tennessee has to get the ball in this kid’s hands and force the Ravens to miss tackles in the open field, which they have the penchant for doing at times.
      Prediction: Titans 16, Ravens 13.
      I’m not going to bite on this potential upset. The Ravens’ defense is absolutely nasty, but Flacco worries me against a ball-hawking Tennessee secondary and I think the Titans are going to shut down Baltimore’s running game. This game comes down to which team makes fewer mistakes and I’ll take a veteran in Kerry Collins over the rook Flacco. (Word to the wise though, Kerry – stay away from Ed Reed’s side if you can.)

      Steve SmithArizona Cardinals (9-7) at Carolina Panthers (12-4)
      Saturday, January 10, 8:15PM ET
      Opening Odds: Panthers –10
      Over/Under: 48
      Game Outlook:
      There’s no sense avoiding the obvious: the Cardinals are a different team at home than they are on the road. The Cardinals played an inspired game last week in their win over the Falcons, but the Panthers aren’t going to make the same mistakes Atlanta did. Unlike the Falcons, Carolina will attack the edges of Arizona’s defense with the dynamic running duo of DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart. And for as well as the Cards played against the run last Saturday, it’s highly doubtful they do it two weeks in a row, especially considering that this time they’ll be on the road. Jake Delhomme isn’t going to be as awestruck as rookie Matt Ryan was either, so don’t expect Arizona to be handed three gift turnovers like they were last week. Granted, the Cardinals did play the Panthers tough in Carolina earlier this year and probably should have beaten them, but the Cats are well rested and their defense is playing better now than it was in the middle of the season. Look for the Panthers to establish their running game early, but also get playmaker Steve Smith involved on their first two offensive possessions. Carolina loves to run zero-screens to Smith to see if he can break one early, and he just might against a defense that will be more concerned with stopping the run. Another factor working in the Panthers’ favor is that Anquan Boldin continues to be hampered by injuries. If he can’t be effective, Carolina will load up to stop the run (which Atlanta failed to do) and blanket Larry Fitzgerald in coverage. The Falcons were unable to get pressure on Kurt Warner, but Carolina won’t make the same mistake. Arizona OT Mike Gandy won’t be as lucky as he was last week playing a hobbled John Abraham, because Julius Peppers is revving to go.
      X-Factor: Steve Smith, Panthers WR
      Defenses try to double and triple-team this guy and he still winds up making plays. You can’t stop him – you can only hope to limit him from making game-changing plays. If the Panthers can run the ball effectively, Smith is going to have a huge day because the play action pass will open up.
      Prediction: Panthers 35, Cardinals 24.
      Although Arizona burned me last week when I predicted them to lose to the Falcons, I think everything that worked for the Cardinals last week will go against them this Saturday. They won’t be able to run the ball, Warner is going to see more pressure and the defense won’t shut down Williams and Stewart like they did Turner.

      Donovan McNabbPhiladelphia Eagles (9-6-1) at New York Giants (12-4)
      Sunday, January 11, 1:00PM ET
      Opening Odds: Giants -4
      Over/Under: 40
      Game Outlook:
      I wrote about it Sunday after the Eagles beat the Vikings and I’ll write about it again: this is not a matchup the Giants wanted. Philadelphia is brimming with confidence right now, has already beaten the Giants in New York once this season and is playing incredibly well defensively. The G-Men won’t admit it, but their fans will – they would have rather played the Cardinals this weekend than NFC East rival Philadelphia. Either way, they’ve got the Eagles and now the defending champs will have to defend their title the hard way. This game will come down to two things: 1) Brandon Jacobs and 2) protecting Eli Manning. If the Giants can get Jacobs and the running game going, it’ll help neutralize what Eagle defensive coordinator Jim Johnson does best: blitz. But if Jacobs is ineffective, the Eagles are going to send the house every play and pressure Manning, who can look like a Super Bowl winner one moment and Henry Burris the next. Not having a playmaker at receiver has hurt the Giants over the past couple weeks. Their win over the Panthers in Week 16 was inspiring, but their receivers aren’t making big plays and that’s a problem going against a secondary that is playing incredibly well right now. As for Philly, they have to stop the run. They allowed the Vikings to rush for close to 150 yards last Saturday and they were fortunate that Tarvaris Jackson couldn’t make enough plays in the passing game to beat them. If the Eagles can’t stop the run again this week, they can rest assure that Manning will beat them, even with the lack of a playmaker at receiver. They need to stuff the run, pressure Eli and get his confidence down immediately. They also need better production from Brian Westbrook, who couldn’t get going against a very good Minnesota front seven. Donovan McNabb has played extremely well over the past month, but he needs Westbrook to open things up for him so the Giants don’t just pin their ears back and pressure him into mistakes.
      X-Factor: Brandon Jacobs RB Giants
      If he can be effective, he’ll take the pressure off Manning and the Giants will move on. If he can’t, the Eagles win this one in a defensive struggle.
      Prediction: Eagles 20, Giants 16.
      I didn’t bite on the Ravens upsetting the Titans, but I will here. The Giants haven’t looked sharp in over a month and losing Burress hurt them more than they’ll admit. McNabb seems to be playing looser since being benched at Baltimore and Jim Johnson beats Kevin Gilbride in the battle of the coordinators.

      Troy PolamaluSan Diego Chargers (8-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
      Sunday, January 11, 4:45PM ET
      Opening Odds: Steelers -6
      Over/Under: 38
      Game Outlook:
      The Chargers provided the upset of Wild Card Weekend in knocking off the Colts, as Darren Sproles has emerged as the next young playmaker in San Diego’s backfield. Chances are we haven’t seen the last of him either, because word is that LaDainian Tomlinson will be out the rest of the playoffs with a groin injury. Defensively for the Chargers, coordinator Ron Rivera has had massive impact since taking over for Ted Cottrell midseason and now San Diego is playing with more confidence than earlier in the year. The biggest turnaround has been in the secondary, which had been shredded earlier in the season but has since come together and even held Peyton Manning in check the late in the game last Saturday. The true test for the Chargers this week is keeping Ben Roethlisberger (who will play despite receiving a concussion being concussed in Week 17) from making plays on third down. Teams have gotten to Big Ben, but he’s often burned them by escaping the pressure while keeping his eyes down field and making plays in the passing game. Pittsburgh’s offensive line is being held together by duct tape, so it’ll be interesting to see if Rivera can drum up a pass rush with his front seven and possibly force Roethlisberger to make mistakes like he did in the Steelers’ loss to the Titans a few weeks ago. Offensively for San Diego, if Sproles can’t find running room against the best defensive defense in the league, the game will be placed directly on quarterback Philip Rivers’ shoulders. Antonio Gates has been hobbled of late, but should play. Watch for the Steelers to blanket him in coverage and force Rivers to go to Chris Chambers and his other receivers. Rivers can’t make mistakes this weekend or else the Steeler defense will eat him alive and the wild ride will be over with for the Chargers. Anyone expecting a Pittsburgh romp will be sorely mistaken because this game should be tight throughout. This game also has some added intrigue because when these two teams met earlier this season, the Steelers came away with an 11-10 victory, which was the first 11-10 final in NFL history. Of course the final score should have been 18-10 because Troy Polamalu scored a defensive touchdown in the waning seconds of the game, but the officials blew a forward-lateral call and the score came off the board, resulting in the 11-10 finish. It was one of the most bizarre plays of the season, which incidentally cost gamblers millions of dollars.
      X-Factor: Troy Polamalu, Steelers S.
      Any chance I get to write about a playmaking safety, the better. Much like the Ravens’ Ed Reed, Polamalu is a game-changer and he made the catch of the year in the Steelers’ win against the Chargers earlier this season. He’s the type of defender that can cover the entire field and there’s no doubt he’ll make a play or two to shift the momentum of the game in Pittsburgh’s favor.
      Prediction: Steelers 20, Chargers 13.
      Although this is definitely another game San Diego can win, I don’t see them moving the ball as well as they did against Indy. The Steelers have issues, but their defense should win this one for them.

      Free Picks, NFL

      NFL Week 16 Primer Late Games

      December 19, 2008 /

      Here’s a quick Week 16 preview for all of the late games with playoff implications in the NFL this week:

      Tarvaris JacksonFalcons at Vikings, 4:15PM ET
      Who would have thought this game would have so much meaning when the season started? Minnesota needs just one more victory to win the NFC North and put the Chicago Bears out of their misery. They’ll start Tarvaris Jackson again at quarterback this week as Gus Frerotte continues to recovery from a back injury. With a lot of help from Adrian Peterson and the running game, Jackson has been absolutely outstanding since subbing for Frerotte two weeks ago and has thrown five touchdown passes in the last six quarters. The Vikings’ defense took a hit this week when it was discovered that run-stuffer Pat Williams would miss the next 2-6 weeks due to injury. That should help Michael Turner and the Falcons’ dynamic running game stay on track, although they’ll still need a huge contribution from rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, who struggled last week against Tampa. Atlanta needs to win out and hope Dallas or Tampa lose one of their two remaining games. And considering they host the Rams next week, their playoff hopes may reside in beating the Vikings. Can the Falcons’ defense contain Peterson and force Jackson to beat them through the air? Or will the Vikings continue to build momentum as they make a playoff push?

      Jets at Seahawks, 4:05PM ET CBS
      The Jets are clinging to a slim lead in the AFC East as they currently hold tie-breakers over the Dolphins and Patriots in the division. However, they’re 0-3 on the West Coast this year and a trip to Seattle is never fun for any team come December. This game will also mark Mike Holmgren’s final home game, so you can expect the Seahawks to be ready to play. Still, this is a team the Jets should beat, especially if they consider themselves a legit playoff squad. Seattle’s defense has been brutal this year and as long as Brett Favre can keep from turning the ball over, NY should come up with a big road win.

      Bills at Broncos, 4:05PM ET CBS
      All the Broncos have to do is win and they clinch the AFC West crown. They won’t have the fortune of facing J.P. Losman, though, as Trent Edwards will resume his starting quarterback duties after missing the past couple weeks due to injury. Denver has been consistently inconsistent this season, especially at home where they currently post a 4-3 record. Buffalo is a disaster, but they did give the Jets a game last week at the Meadowlands and Edwards might (emphasis on might) give the offense a boost. But as long as Denver’s run defense can contain Marshawn Lynch, they should (emphasis on should) be fine.

      Eagles at Redskins, 4:15PM ET FOX
      The Redskins were officially eliminated from playoff contention last week after an embarrassing loss to the Bengals but you’re crazy if you don’t think they would love to play spoiler. Led by quarterback Donovan McNabb and a stingy defense, the Eagles have played inspired football over the past month and proved two weeks ago in New York that they could win a huge road game. Philly needs to win their final two games to have a shot at a postseason berth and it won’t come easy. After playing in Washington this Sunday, they host the Cowboys next week, who will also be fighting for their playoff lives. If Jim Zorn continues to play things tight to the vest with his play calling, Philly defensive coordinator Jim Johnson might have a field day calling blitzes and confusing quarterback Jason Campbell. But first and foremost, the Eagles have to stop the run or else the passing game will open up and it might allow Zorn to get more creative than he has been of late. Washington’s defense has been solid all year but can anyone slow down McNabb and Brian Westbrook? As long as the Redskins are motivated to ruin the Eagles’ postseason dreams, this should be a great game.

      Panthers at Giants, 8:15PM NBC
      The battle for the No. 1 seed in the NFC is on the line this week in East Rutherford as the G-Men host the suddenly Super Bowl-caliber Panthers. These are two teams heading in opposite directions as the Giants have lost two straight while Carolina is winners of two in a row. The Panthers have been dominating opponents with their running game over the past two weeks, but they’ll get a huge test this Sunday against a stingy New York front seven. Still, the Giants’ offense has struggled without Plaxico Burress and a healthy Brandon Jacobs, so losing three in a row isn’t out of the question. They need to do a better job of protecting Eli Manning or else the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC will run through Carolina this year. Jacobs is expected to play so that should help, but it remains to be seen how effective he’ll be. And can anyone stop the Panthers’ Steve Smith?

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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