Tag: Eli Manning (Page 14 of 22)

      Does Plaxico Burress deserve another chance?

      January 13, 2009 /

      After soundly beating the Redskins 23-7 in Week 13 of the regular season, the New York Giants were unquestionably the best team in the NFC at 11-1. But two days before the victory in D.C., things suddenly changed for the G-Men.

      On November 28, wide receiver Plaxico Burress brought a loaded weapon into a nightclub and instead of being responsible with it, he accidentally shot himself in the leg and forced the Giants to end his season by placing him on the non-football injury list.

      The Giants never really recovered after that. They had beat the Redskins so convincingly that it gave the players and coaches the opportunity to say, “See? We don’t need him.” And the public bought it because they had witnessed Eli Manning throw for 305 yards without his star receiver being on the field.

      But the Giants then went on to lose three of their final four games, including two games against divisional opponents. Manning, who had looked so good in the win against the Redskins, couldn’t even crack the 200-yard passing mark in any of the Giants’ last four games.

      So New York limped into the playoffs (albeit still the No. 1 seed in the NFC), and were thumped by the six-seeded Philadelphia Eagles 23-11 last Sunday. They didn’t even reach the end zone once and Manning had trouble throwing in the swirling winds of Giant Stadium, completing just 15 of his 29 pass attempts for 169 yards and two interceptions.

      While Manning’s struggles were more obvious, his receivers had issues as well. They couldn’t create separation from Philly’s defensive backs, they had trouble getting open and none of them could make a play to save Manning from his accuracy issues. They were horrible to say the least, which prompted at least one New York sports writer to suggest that Burress be given another shot next year.

      It made sense – after all, he’s still under contract with the Giants until 2013. And if GM Jerry Reese even reiterated that he’s open to bringing Plax back, then why should anyone question the idea?

      Here’s why: his selfish antics cost the Giants a chance to defend their Super Bowl title. What was nice about the 2007 version of the G-Men was that they didn’t have any selfish players. Granted, Burress was still on the team but he shut his mouth and played his role. He was instrumental in the Giants’ Super Bowl run and he waited until after the season to publicly demand a little contract respect from the team he had helped win a Lombardi Trophy.

      On September 4, the Giants awarded Plaxico’s great play with a new five-year, $27.25 million contract. Almost three months later, Burress repaid them by shooting himself in the leg and leaving Manning and the team’s passing game in dire straits.

      Every man deserves a second chance; nobody is perfect. But the Giants won last year because one of their biggest distractions – Jeremy Shockey – was on the sidelines. They certainly weren’t one of the best teams to appear in a Super Bowl (they might have even been one of the worst), but they played together and executed as one unit.

      It’s easy to forgive Plax for his selfishness when you consider how bad Manning struggled with his receivers last Sunday. But don’t forget that the Giants were in that predicament because of Burress. What happens if he’s a choirboy for 13 weeks next year, just to do something stupid again right before the playoffs? Do they forgive him once more? No. They should part ways this offseason and work on re-building the receiving corps.

      Receiver is one of the most overrated positions in the NFL and considering the Giants don’t have a ton of holes to fill, it’ll be easy for them to acquire a playmaker at wideout via the draft or free agency. Depending on the cap ramifications, they should part with the distraction that is Plaxico Burress and realize that they lost last Sunday because of him, not without him.

      NFL

      Top 10 Worst Super Bowl Teams

      January 13, 2009 /

      RealClearSports.com compiled a list of the top 10 worst Super Bowl teams of all time.

      David Tyree7. 2007 New York Giants
      Is it easy to discount the Giants’ unbelievable win over the then 18-0 Patriots because of “luck?” Of course it is – they needed a wild sack-escape by Eli Manning and David Tyree catching a pass on his helmet to pull-off the win. But before you get upset over the ratings of another bitter Patriots fan, consider this: the Giants were quite possibly the worst team to win a Super Bowl. Ever. And the numbers say so.

      Of the 42 teams that have won the big game, the 2007 Giants are last (or tied for last) in winning percentage (0.625), point differential per game (1.4) and the Pythagorean record (0.536). Additionally, the Giants had just one Pro Bowler, went 0-4 against playoff-teams Dallas, Green Bay and New England in the regular season (losing by a combined 46 points) and finished second-to-last in margin of victory per game in the playoffs (5.0).

      Is that a somewhat complicated, numbers-heavy way to say the 2007 Giants weren’t a very good Super Bowl team? Sure is.

      Here’s a simpler version: In 2007, there were 10 teams with an equal or better record than that of the 10-6 New York Giants. One of those teams was the Cleveland Browns.

      5. 2003 Carolina Panthers
      Carolina’s 2003 season defined “average,” which makes their near win in Super Bowl XXXVIII all the more surprising. In no area did the Panthers stand out. As a team, they ranked 15th in points scored and 10th in points allowed—slightly above the norm, but by no means great numbers. Additionally, the Panthers were only 3-3 against opponents with a .500 record or better—a statistic notable for its small size (10 opponents had losing records) and mediocrity. Their season appeared more impressive than it was because of that weaker schedule, and the strides made from Carolina’s disastrous 1-15 performance in 2001, but the team was, in the end, simply not that good…

      1. 1979 Los Angeles Rams
      In 1979, the NFC West was just as bad as it was this year. The Rams made the playoffs by winning the West with a 9-7 record (the 9-7 mark is still the worst record for a Super Bowl team, but another NFC West team, the Cardinals, have a chance to tie that this season)…

      It’s amazing that the 2007 Giants and 2003 Panthers are on a list of “top 10 worst Super Bowl teams” considering they gave fans two of the greatest Super Bowls of the last decade. It just goes to show you that in the NFL, you don’t have to necessarily have to be the best team in the league during the regular season. You just have to be one of the best two teams in the league during the playoffs.

      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

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑