Tag: New York Giants (Page 44 of 55)

      Cardinals still have a ways to go

      November 23, 2008 /

      Kurt WarnerThanks to the reemergence of Kurt Warner as a MVP candidate, the Arizona Cardinals have been a nice story this season. But as the Giants proved in their 37-29 win in Arizona on Sunday, the Cardinals still have a long way to go before anyone should consider them Super Bowl contenders.

      With how absolutely brutal the NFC West is, the Cards are going to win their division – they might even clinch next week. But a lot of people are talking about how their game Sunday might be a preview of the NFC Championship Game.

      Let’s not forget that if Arizona doesn’t secure one of the top two spots in the NFC, they’ll have to travel to the East Coast in the second round of the playoffs, assuming of course they win Wild Card weekend. Making the long trip is tough enough, nevertheless for a team who has struggled on the road over the past couple years like the Cards have.

      There’s no doubt that Warner’s performance this year has made ‘Zona an incredibly dangerous team. Not many of their opponents can match up against what the Cards do offensively, although the Giants made them one-dimensional Sunday by limiting Tim Hightower to only 21 yards. But this team has had issues defensively this year and good teams like New York will shred them in the playoffs.

      This was a Giants team that didn’t have Brandon Jacobs (the backbone of their offense), but still managed to total 321 yards. This was a great test for the Cards to see how they stack up against the best in the NFC, but they clearly have some work to do before the playoffs. It’ll be interesting to see how this team responds next week on the road against Philadelphia, and then again on the road in Week 16 when they take on the Patriots in Foxboro.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 12 Primer

      November 23, 2008 /

      Brandon JacobsSunday’s Best: Giants (9-1) at Cardinals (7-3), 4:00 PM ET
      It might not be the sexiest game of the year, but this is one of the best matchups of the 2008 season. The Giants have been one of the best road teams over the last couple years, and the Cardinals are a completely (better) different team in the comforts of their own home than on the road. Kurt Warner is playing like a league MVP and it’ll be interesting to see how the underrated New York secondary matches up with the explosive Arizona passing game. There haven’t been a lot of opponents have been able to get pressure on Warner this season, but the G-Men have one of the best front sevens in the league. All indications are that Brandon Jacobs will play, which should help New York keep Arizona’s potent offense off the field. Both teams have a commanding lead in their respective divisions, but a win for the Giants could go a long way in eventually securing home field advantage in the postseason.

      Upset Watch: Buccaneers (7-3) at Lions (0-10), 1:00 PM ET
      I’m sure I’ll get crap for this one, but give me credit for taking a shot with this upset. Outside of getting their ass handed to them by Jacksonville two weeks ago, the Lions have been inching closer and closer to their first victory. Jon Gruden’s offense is effective, but the Buccaneers have had issues once they get into the red zone this year. They settled for three field goals inside the red zone last week against Minnesota, which essentially kept the Vikings in the game. Not that Detroit’s defense will provide much of a challenge, but if the Lions can keep the game close throughout, they might have a shot at a late score. Every year it seems that the Lions manage to win a game they’re not supposed to and I’m calling my shot this weekend – it’ll be Tampa. It helps that the Lions beat the Bucs last season, too, although it’s safe to say that the 2007 Detroit team was a shade better this year’s version.

      Philip RiversIntriguing Matchup: Colts (6-4) at Chargers (4-6), 8:15 PM ET
      After getting embarrassed by the Titans on Monday Night Football in Week 8, the Colts have won three straight and beaten quality AFC teams like the Patriots and Steelers. Indy has jumped right back into the playoff race and are one of the more dangerous teams in the league. But without Bob Sanders (knee injury) in the lineup, the Colts are a completely different team defensively. And although LaDainian Tomlinson has been quiet this year, he’s still one of the most explosive backs in the league and does anyone believe he can’t still take over a game? The Chargers are always dangerous on national TV because they play with a chip on their shoulder. They’ve also shown improvements defensively under Ron Rivera, who took over for Ted Cotrell at coordinator. Even though San Diego has struggled this year and has stumbled to 4-6, this is going to be a dogfight.

      Other Notable Games:
      Jets (7-3) at Titans (10-0), 1:00 PM ET
      Along with the Giants-Cardinals game, this could easily be the best matchup of the week. Pundits keep waiting for Tennessee to fall, but something tells me it won’t be this week. Brett Favre is susceptible to throwing an interception or two, which doesn’t bode well playing against a very opportunistic Titans’ defense. Some are smelling upset – I say the Titans remain undefeated after this week.

      Panthers (8-2) at Falcons (6-4), 4:15 PM ET
      The Falcons’ playoff hopes took a hit last week when they lost to Denver, but the Panthers have struggled with inferior opponents as of late. Jake Delhomme has not looked very sharp and Atlanta has been solid at home. This is a huge game for the NFC South.

      Eagles (5-4-1) at Ravens (6-4), 1:00 PM ET
      A loss for the Eagles and they can kiss their postseason hopes goodbye. The Ravens have a great chance to prove they’re for real after they were clowned by the Giants last week.

      Patriots (6-4) at Dolphins (6-4), 1:00 PM ET
      This is a massive game for the AFC East, especially with the Jets playing in Tennessee. A win for either one of these teams could mean a share for the AFC East Division lead and don’t forget the Dolphins absolutely crushed the Patriots in Foxboro earlier this season. The fireworks in this game have already started this week with Joey Porter.

      NFL

      Ravens, Falcons fail huge tests

      November 16, 2008 /

      Michael TurnerJust when everybody and their mother come out with the, “these guys are for real articles” about the Ravens and Falcons, both teams failed huge tests in Week 11.

      Baltimore definitely had the tougher challenge playing in New York against the defending champs, but the Giants’ defense made Joe Flacco look every bit like the rookie he is in their 30-10 victory. The Ravens fell behind so quickly that they had to abandon the run, which certainly didn’t help Flacco’s cause, and the Baltimore defense was atrocious in allowing 206 yards on the ground.

      Even though Atlanta’s loss was more closely contested than Baltimore’s was (Denver won 24-20), the Falcons played with little fire. The defense that picked off Drew Brees three times last week allowed Jay Cutler (19 of 27 for 216 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT) and the Broncos’ receivers to do whatever they wanted. Matt Ryan also floated a pass to Dre’ Bly for an interception, which is something the rookie quarterback has struggled with this season. And Mike Murlarkey’s game plan to attack Denver’s banged up defense was highly questionable to say the least. (Jason Snelling in the Wild Cat formation, Mike? Really?)

      That said, the Broncos’ defense deserves a ton of credit, too. This was a unit that was missing six starters (including Champ Bailey) and they held a pretty good Atlanta offense relatively in check. Outside of two big runs, they did a fantastic job against Michael Turner and if they get this kind of defensive effort every week, the Broncos can compete with anyone.

      Back to the Ravens and Falcons – maybe this is the week where reality sets in. These two teams have been a great story this year, but Atlanta plays in a stacked NFC South and Baltimore has only beaten one team with a winning record (Miami). It’s easy to root for Flacco and Ryan, so hopefully these teams learn from these defeats and continue to push for a playoff spot. But these were two tough losses for teams trying to prove that they’re legit contenders.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 11 Primer

      November 16, 2008 /

      John HarbaughSunday’s Best: Ravens (6-3) at Giants (8-1), 1:00 PM ET
      Who would have thought this game would be the best matchup of the week with the Chargers playing the Steelers and Cowboys taking on the Redskins in the same weekend. The job first-year head coach John Harbaugh and his staff has done with rookie quarterback Joe Flacco has been amazing and the rest of the Baltimore players have really bought into the new regime’s system. They’ll get their biggest challenge this season on Sunday, however, as no team outside of the Titans is playing better than the Giants right now. There are a couple of great matchups within this game, but none bigger than New York’s power running game vs. the stingy Baltimore run defense. One advantage the Giants have is that this will be the Ravens’ fifth road game in six weeks and they might start to wear down. Flacco will face a ton of pressure from a quick Giants’ front seven, but getting Willis McGahee, Ray Rice and Le’Ron McClain going will help neutralize what New York does best defensively. This will be the most physical matchup of the weekend.

      Upset Watch: Rams (2-7) at 49ers (2-7), 4:05 PM ET
      Everyone is scrambling to be the first to predict the Jaguars to upset the Titans this weekend, but people have been waiting for Tennessee to fall for weeks and still they remain unbeaten. It’s hardly a huge upset to predict one 2-7 team will beat another, but after their strong showing on Monday night, football pundits might assume this game will be an easy victory for the Niners. While there’s nothing to like about the Rams following their abysmal performance last week against the Jets, this is a better team than what they’ve shown and San Fran is a bit dysfunctional right now after their debacle on Monday Night Football. Jim Haslett is still fighting for a head coaching job (as is Mike Singletary) and there’s no doubt he’ll have his team more prepared than they were last week in New York. Of course, a win for the Rams would mean that Marc Bulger has to get his head out of his ass and someone has to find Torry Holt. But as usual with my “Upset Watch”, I won’t predict an outright win for St. Louis, but I say they at least cover the 5.5-point spread.

      Tony RomIntriguing Matchup: Cowboys (5-4) at Redskins (6-3), 8:15 PM ET
      Tony Romo will be back in action this week, but will he need a game or two to shake off the rust? Unfortunately for him, Dallas can’t afford to lose any more ground in a stacked NFC East. The Redskins are also fighting to keep pace in the division and will look to avenge their ugly loss to the Steelers on Monday Night Football two weeks ago. They’ll have to do it without Clinton Portis, however, as he currently is sidelined with a MCL injury. Jason Campbell has been solid this season, but he’ll need to make plays without Portis in the backfield. If the Cowboys are going to walk away with a win, they’ll do so because of a strong defensive effort – not the play of Romo.

      Other Notable Games:
      Titans (9-0) at Jaguars (4-5), 4:15 PM ET
      As previously noted, everyone is waiting for the Titans to slip and this very well could be the weekend they do. But they don’t seem like the team that gets ahead of themselves and every one of their wins has been a dogfight. The Jaguars rebounded with an impressive win over the Lions last week, but let’s not forget that they lost to the Bengals and Browns in two games prior to that.

      Bears (5-4) at Packers (4-5), 1:00 PM ET
      This is a must win for both teams because the Vikings are right back in the division hunt again. If the Packers lose, they might be able to kiss the playoffs goodbye. Kyle Orton is expected to play for the Bears.

      Vikings (5-4) at Bucs (6-3), 1:00 PM ET
      We’ll find out a lot about Minnesota this Sunday and whether or not they’ve returned from the grave. A win over a solid Tampa team would go a long way in proving they’ve rebounded from earlier seasons struggles.

      Broncos (5-4) at Falcons (6-3), 1:00 PM ET
      The legend of Matt Ryan continues this week in the Georgia Dome. Ryan is 4-0 at home this year and will have plenty of opportunities to make big plays against a horrible Denver defense. But Jay Cutler as lit opposing defenses up this year and there could be a wild finish to this game in the making.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Should Jaguars have kept Coughlin?

      November 13, 2008 /

      Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.com writes that the Jaguars should have kept head coach Tom Coughlin.

      Tom CoughlinCoughlin, fired by the Jags in 2003, coached the New York Giants to the Super Bowl title last season and is the prohibitive favorite to win yet another championship this season. If Coughlin wins his second Super Bowl, he is almost a shoo-in to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

      The reason we bring this up is because — with the struggling Jaguars (4-5) hosting Fisher’s unbeaten Tennessee Titans (9-0) Sunday — it’s hard not to play the what-if card. What if Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver had stuck by Coughlin like Titans owner Bud Adams stuck by Fisher? Isn’t it possible the Jags would be Super Bowl contenders today instead of one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL?

      This is no knock on current Jaguars Coach Jack Del Rio. He was a decent hire and has taken the Jaguars to a couple of playoff appearances in his six years as head coach. But he’s certainly no Coughlin. In the NFL coaching hierarchy, Coughlin is Casablanca; Del Rio is the ABC Movie of the Week.

      In this day and age, we all want to change coaches like we’re changing rolls of toilet paper. Use ’em, flush ’em and move on to the next one.

      It’s a little easy to suggest that the Jags should have kept Coughlin when he’s currently sporting a Super Bowl ring and Jacksonville has vastly underachieved under Jack Del Rio this season. Just because Coughlin won a title in New York, doesn’t mean that he would have won one in Jacksonville. Sometimes it’s time for a team or coach to move on.

      NFL

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