Tag: New York Giants (Page 53 of 55)

      Fantasy Fallout, Week 1: Sunday’s Day Games

      September 7, 2008 /

      Here are some fantasy observations from Sunday’s games. I indicated the games I actually watched with an asterisk.

      Lions 21 @ Falcons 34
      Holy Michael Turner, Batman! The Falcons’ prized free agent rushed for 220 yards on 22 carries and scored twice. Turner owners should be pleased, but keep your expectations in check – he was playing against the Lions…Matt Ryan had a decent day, but only threw 13 passes since Atlanta was so far ahead. He did connect with Michael Jenkins for a long TD early in the game…Roddy White had only two catches, but made them count for 54 yards. This was kind of a disappointing day considering the opponent…Jerious Norwood turned 16 touches into 99 yards and a score…Jon Kitna got off to a slow start but finished with 262 yards, two TD and a pick. Expect Kitna’s second half numbers to outweigh his first half numbers as the Lions will be throwing more late in games as they try to catch up…Calvin Johnson (7-107) had a nice day and Roy Williams (3-47-1) got off to a slow start but finally scored in the second half…Kevin Smith turned 20 touches into 80 yards and a TD. Not a bad day for the rookie…Rudi Johnson only had three carries, so it looks like Smith is the main guy for now.

      Bengals 10 @ Ravens 17
      Willis McGahee was active, but didn’t have a carry in the game. Ray Rice turned 22 touches into 83 yards, which included three catches for 19 yards…Joe Flacco finished with decent numbers (129 passing yards, 1 rush TD) and Mark Clayton (3-21) had a 42-yard rush TD on a reverse…The Bengals offense was brutal. Carson Palmer threw for only 99 yards and a pick…T.J. Houshmandzadeh (3-44) and Chad Ocho Cinco (1-22) were both quiet, and Chris Perry turned 19 touches into just 42 yards…With all the firepower they have on that offense, there’s no reason they should be putting up such poor numbers.

      Seahawks 10 @ Bills 34
      Well, the first part of my DTBC picks turned out pretty well. Week 1 belonged to the BUF DT, and they didn’t disappoint, posting a return TD, five sacks, a pick and a forced fumble…Marshawn Lynch had 21 touches for 91 yards and a score and Lee Evans (4-102) had a nice game as well…Trent Edwards (215 yards, 1 TD) was solid if unspectacular…Matt Hasselbeck struggled to 17 of 41 from the field for 190 yards, one TD and one INT…Nate Burleson (5-60-1) and rookie TE John Carlson (4-52) were the only receivers of note. Carlson is worth a look in deep PPR leagues, and Burleson left with a knee injury…Seattle’s running game was kind of a mess Julius Jones got 13 carries compared to Maurice Morris’ six. Neither player scored…Seattle’s defense registered only one sack and failed to force a turnover.

      Jets 20 @ Dolphins 14*
      Brett Favre’s debut (194 passing yards, 2 TD) was a good one…I thought Jericho Cotchery would have a few more catches, but he posted 3-80-1 in a solid day’s work…Laveranues Coles (1-5) was a non-factor coming off an injury…Thanks to Jets beat writer Rich Cimini (who said that Thomas Jones looks “a half step slower” this year) for scaring everyone off of TJ. Jones looked great, turning 25 touches into 105 yards and a score. It looks like the improved offensive line and the arrival of Favre will give him a boost…Chad Pennignton (251 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) was good in his debut…Anthony Fasano (8-84-1) was the star in the Miami passing game and will be a hot pickup this week in most leagues…Ricky Williams turned 14 touches into 39 yards while Ronnie Brown had nine touches for 51 yards. This looks like a RBBC until further notice. Both backs are good, so there’s no reason why the Dolphins shouldn’t split the work…Ted Ginn (2-17) was a disappointment.

      Chiefs 10 @ Patriots 17
      Uh-oh, Tom Brady left the game with a knee injury and didn’t return. Depending on its severity, Matt Cassel (152 passing yards, 1 TD), will be a hot pickup this week…Laurence Maroney owners have to be frustrated. After a solid second half of 2007, he garnered just 10 carries and 51 yards. What’s worse, Sammy Morris played more snaps and had more touches (15), yards (87) and also scored a TD…Randy Moss (6-116-1) and Wes Welker (6-51) picked up where they left off…Brodie Croyle got knocked out of the game with a shoulder contusion. Damon Huard went 8/12 for 118 yards, one TD and one INT in relief…It looks like Dwayne Bowe (5-49-1) will avoid a sophomore slump…Tony Gonzalez (6-55) does what he does…Larry Johnson turned 23 carries into 86 yards, but failed to score.

      Bucs 20 @ Saints 24*
      If Jessica Simpson is bad news for Tony Romo, Kim Kardashian is the opposite for Reggie Bush. With Big Booty in attendance, Bush posted 163 total yards, caught eight passes and scored a TD…Drew Brees (343 passing yards, 3 TD, 1 INT) had a huge day, but Marques Colston (3-26) was quiet…In addition to Bush and Colston, Brees spread the ball around to Jeremy Shockey (6-54), David Patten (1-39-1) and Devery Henderson (1-84-1)…Pierre Thomas has taken over Deuce McAllister’s role as the change-of-pace back to Bush. Thomas had 12 touches for 63 yards…Earnest Graham got just 13 touches, but turned them into 118 yards…Warrick Dunn had 10 touches for 65 yards…Joey Galloway (6-56) looked okay after not playing in the preseason, while Ike Hilliard (6-45-1) seemed to be the second option for Jeff Garcia (221 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) in the passing game…The Bucs defense scored on an interception return TD, while the Saints defense looked better than it did in 2007.

      Rams 3 @ Eagles 38
      If he plays a full season, Donovan McNabb is a virtual lock to finish as a top five QB, and he got off to a great start today, throwing for 361 yards and three TD…Brian Westbrook picked up where he left off in 2007, turning 21 touches into 92 yards and two scores…The Eagles had three wideouts go over the century mark: rookie DeSean Jackson (6-106), Greg Lewis (5-104) and Hank Baskett (2-102-1). With Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis out with injuries, the Eagles’ WR corps will be fluid week-to-week…The Rams didn’t come to play. Marc Bulger (158 passing yards, 0 TD), Steven Jackson (17 touches, 74 yards) and Torry Holt (1-9) all had subpar games.

      Texans 17, Steelers 38
      I wasn’t high on Willie Parker heading into the season, and after his 25-carry, 138-yard, three-TD performance, I have some egg on my face…Rashard Mendenhall carried the ball just 10 times for 28 yards, so Parker is still “The Man” until further notice…Ben Roethlisberger (137 passing yards, 2 TD) had a solid if unspectacular game, and Hines Ward (6-76-2) had a better game than Santonio Holmes (2-19), who was drafted two or three rounds earlier…Matt Schaub got off to slow start, but finished with 202 passing yards, one pass TD and one rush TD. The TD pass was to Kevin Walter (3-41-1), but Andre Johnson (10-112) was the Texans’ best passing threat…Heath Miller (3-26) and Owen Daniels (3-33) weren’t much of a factor…It looks like Steve Slaton (16 touches, 49 yards) is going to get most of the work in Houston’s running game. Ahman Green carried the ball five times for 28 yards and had four catches for three yards.

      Jaguars 10 @ Tennessee 17
      Chris Johnson said that his goal is to be Rookie of the Year, and he’s off to a great start after turning 18 touches into 127 yards and a TD against a pretty good Jacksonville defense…LenDale White pitched in with 40 yards and a score on 15 carries…Vince Young had 110 yards passing, one TD and two picks, and rushed just one time for four yards. The Titans need to free him up for some scrambles because he isn’t a pure pocket passer…Bo Scaife (6-105), not Alge Crumpler, was Young’s weapon of choice in the passing game…David Garrard had 215 passing yards and a TD, but threw two interceptions…The Jacksonville running game never got going – Fred Taylor (10 touches, 27 yards) and Maurice Jones-Drew (9 touches, 50 yards) both struggled, which means that the Titans’ defense is probably the real deal…Believe it or not, Matt Jones (6-80) was the only Jacksonville wideout of note.

      Cowboys 28 @ Browns 10*
      The Dallas offense looked terrific. Tony Romo (320 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), Marion Barber (19 touches, 101 yards, 2 TD), Terrell Owens (5-87-1), Jason Witten (6-96) and Patrick Crayton (6-82) all looked great…Barber left the game with “bad ribs” and Felix Jones came in to carry the ball nine times for 62 yards and a score…The Browns struggled, but it wasn’t Derek Anderson’s fault. He only had 114 yards and a TD, but Braylon Edwards (2-14) dropped at least four passes including a potential score…Kellen Winslow (5-47-1) was his normal solid self…Jamal Lewis turned 14 touches into 76 yards, but the Browns fell behind so he wasn’t that involved late in the game.

      Panthers 26 @ Chargers 24
      In his first game in a long time, Jake Delhomme looked pretty sharp, posting 247 yards and a score in the best finish of the day…Donte Rosario (who is listed as a TE, but looks more like a WR) led the Panthers with seven catches for 96 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown in the back of the endzone. If he’s a TE in your league, he’s worth a pickup…Muhsin Muhammad (6-56) and D.J. Hackett (5-48) had decent games…DeAngelo Williams (19 touches, 90 yards) led the way in the backfield, while rookie Jonathan Stewart (10 carries, 53 yards, no catches) played second fiddle…Phillip Rivers (217 passing yards, 3 TD) had a huge game connecting with Antonio Gates (4-61-1), Chris Chambers (1-44-1) and Vincent Jackson (3-47-1) for his three scores…LaDainian Tomlinson had a relatively quiet game, turning 25 touches into 112 yards without a score.

      Cardinals 23 @ 49ers 13
      Kurt Warner had a nice game (197 passing yards, 1 TD) throwing to Anquan Boldin (8-82) and Larry Fitzgerald (3-31-1)…Edgerrin James had 100 yards rushing, but Tim Hightower vultured a TD…The 49ers wisely featured Frank Gore, who turned 18 touches into 151 yards and a score. It looks like those fears that Martz would ignore his best player were unfounded, at least for the first week…The Cards were able to contain Mike Martz’s high-octane passing attack as Vernon Davis (3-51) and Bryant Johnson (3-48) were the only San Francisco receivers to join Gore with at least three catches…The J.T. O’Sullivan era got off to a rough start (195 passing yards, 1 INT).

      That’s it for now. Check back later tonight for observations about the Colts/Bears game. I’ll also post an update Monday night for the Packers/Vikings and Broncos/Raiders games.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Giants-Patriots rematch most likely Super Bowl scenario?

      September 5, 2008 /

      Kevin Blackstone of AOL SPORTS writes that this year’s Super Bowl matchup will look awfully familiar to last year’s title game. Blackstone writes that the most likely Super Bowl matchup will again be Giants-Patriots.

      Eli ManningFor starters, it is difficult to pick against a team in the Patriots that lost just one outing all of last season, that final game. It is all but forgotten that they lost perfection only by the margin of a field goal, 17-14.

      The Giants don’t have the league’s second-easiest schedule. They aren’t even considered as the Patriots are the best team in their conference, or their division. That designation was reserved this offseason for Dallas.

      But the Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game since the last millennium and their new quarterback sensation Tony Romo seems to have as big a knack for blowing the big game as he does hanging with the newest bimbo. And all of a sudden, his receiving corps anchored by the thirtysomething T.O. is questionable with the waiving of veteran Terry Glenn due to a gimpy knee. Their coach Wade Phillips isn’t to be confused with Jimmy Johnson either.

      Good points, but as of right now I like the Cowboys, Saints and even the Eagles better than the Giants in the NFC. New York lost a lot of talent in the offseason and eventually it might catch up to them. And while it’s hard not to like the Pats’ chances, the AFC is absolutely stacked with talent (Jaguars, Colts, Chargers, Steelers, Browns). Both teams have tough roads to get back to the Super Bowl, but I like Blackstone’s bold prediction.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Did Giants lose another defensive end in season opening win?

      September 4, 2008 /

      The New York Giants started their title defense on a high note Thursday night, beating the Washington Redskins 16-7 in the 2008 NFL Season Opener.

      The G-Men relied mostly on running back Brandon Jacobs, who carried the ball 21 times for 116 yards. Eli Manning looked sharp in the first half, but struggled dramatically in the second as the Redskins found ways to disrupt his timing. Receiver Plaxico Burress had a big night, hauling in 10 passes for 133 yards.

      Even though the Giants won, an interesting situation occurred on the game’s final play. With the Redskins trying for desperation points with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game, Washington offensive tackle Chris Samuels held Giants’ defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka’s legs as Kiwanuka beat him around the edge. Kiwanuka fell awkwardly and struggled to get up with an apparent leg injury. The game ended on that play, so it’s unclear at this point how serious the injury was (if it was anything at all).

      What an incredible blow it would be if the Giants lost yet another defensive end following Michael Strahan’s retirement and Osi Umenyiora’s season ending knee injury. Kiwanuka had to make the transition from linebacker to end to fill in for Umenyiora, so New York is already thin at the position. Hopefully for the Giants’ sake, Kiwanuka is fine.

      Update: Kiwanuka had X-rays taken after the game and they were reportedly negative.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Redskins turn in brutal first half

      September 4, 2008 /

      I don’t know what’s worse, my prediction that the Redskins would keep their game tonight with the Giants close, or Washington’s first half performance.

      At the half, the Giants lead the Skins 16-7 and the only reason the game is that close is because Washington got a big kickoff return right before half and Jason Campbell was able to find Santana Moss for a touchdown on a drag route.

      You figured it would take Campbell and the offense time before they learned Jim Zorn’s West Coast Offense, but they didn’t even complete their first pass tonight until 28 minutes and 50 seconds into the game. That’s ridiculous.

      Eli Manning has picked up right where he left off in last year’s postseason while Plaxico Burress is abusing Washington’s secondary. The G-Men’s running game also looks outstanding and the defense has shown no ill-effects of losing both Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, although a lot of that has to do with how bad the Skins’ offense looked outside of the final two minutes of the half.

      Hopefully the second half will be tighter and fans will get a better opening game to the season. Either way, football is back on my television and that feels damn good.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Player Profile: Eli Manning

      September 4, 2008 /

      Eli ManningGrowing up in the shadow of a famous father can be overwhelming for a child, and the challenge of following the footsteps of an older sibling can also be harmful for a kid’s ego. Then, there is Eli Manning’s childhood; his father (Archie Manning) was a football hero in the Deep South and his brother (Peyton Manning) is the advertising face of the NFL with countless commercials. And all he does is become the MVP of Super Bowl XLII, in which he led the New York Giants to an upset victory over the previous undefeated New England Patriots.

      While having a successful senior year as a high school football player, Manning was still undecided on which university to attend in the fall. That changed after receiving a call from David Cutcliffe. The Manning family was familiar with him, as Cutcliffe was offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee, and helped older brother Peyton elevate his overall game. He was named Head Coach of the University of Mississippi football team, and was hoping Eli Manning would become his first prize recruit in rebuilding the Rebel program. Upon hearing Cutcliffe’s recruiting pitch; Manning followed his father’s footstep, and became starting QB at Ole Miss.

      Manning’s collegiate career was a lot like his personality: quiet but successful. He set or tied 45 single-game, season, and career records at Ole Miss. In his senior year, Manning won the Maxwell Award as the nation’s best all-around collegiate player, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, and finished in third-place for the 2003 Heisman Trophy Award behind eventual winner Jason White, quarterback of Oklahoma, and University of Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

      All the draft experts projected him to be the first overall pick of the 2004 NFL Draft but there was one hitch – Manning did not want to play football in San Diego, and formally sent a letter to the Chargers requesting them not to choose him in the draft. Despite his request, the Chargers drafted Manning with the first overall selection. Subsequently, he was traded on draft-day to the Giants in return for fourth overall pick quarterback Philip Rivers, a third-round selection (kicker Nate Kaeding) in the 2004 Draft, as well as the Giants’ first (linebacker Shawne Merriman) and fifth-round choices in the 2005 NFL Draft.

      Manning sat for the first half of his rookie season, as veteran quarterback Kurt Warner tutored him. Then, Head Coach Tom Coughlin decided to start Manning for the second half of the season, as he wanted him to gain NFL experience. Manning’s lone bright spot in his rookie season was a last-minute touchdown drive to defeat arch-rival Dallas Cowboys, which ended the Giants’ eight-game losing streak.

      He started off the 2005 season undefeated, but Manning’s big test would come in Week 3 – a road date with San Diego. Charger fans did not forget the snub from Manning, and they repeatedly booed him throughout the contest. The Chargers won the game, 45-23, but Manning played his most impressive game to that point of his career, going 24 of 41 for 352 yards and two touchdown passes. He went on to lead an offense that ranked third in the NFL in scoring with a total of 442 points (the most points scored by a Giant team since 1963). But passing efficiency was Manning’s lone drawback, as he completed only 53 percent of his passes and his QB efficiency rating suffered as well, with an unimpressive 75.9 rating that ranked 23rd in the league. Manning also seemed to wear down as the season progressed, culminating with a poor post-season performance against the Carolina Panthers.

      His second full season as a starting quarterback was reminiscent of his prior campaign, starting off strong but declining in production toward the end of the season. His overall numbers were an improvement, as Manning had a five point improvement in his completion rate, but still ranked 18th in the league in QB efficiency. Many perceived him to be a solid QB, but not in the class of other young quarterbacks from his draft class like Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

      Determined to rebound in 2007, Manning trained in the off-season to perfect his timing and chemistry with the Giants’ leading receivers, wide receiver Plaxico Burress and tight end Jeremy Shockey. He opened the season with an outstanding performance against the Cowboys, throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdown passes in the game. But once again his production diminished toward the end of the regular season. Giants’ co-owner John Mara challenged him to rebound and lead the team on a successful playoff run, which he did, bouncing back with an exceptional performance in a lost to the Patriots in the final regular season game.

      Then came a playoff run to dwarf all other playoff runs in modern sports history. It began with a convincing victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, followed by an upset victory over the heavily-favored Cowboys, and a Super Bowl berth was secured by an improberable overtime victory in Green Bay.

      Then in front of a record-setting television audience, Manning directed a late fourth quarter touchdown drive to defeat the Patriots. He became the second QB to throw two go-ahead TD passes in the fourth quarter of a Super Bowl (Joe Montana being the first). The Giants became the first team in league history to win eleven road games in one season. And the Manning’s became the first set of brothers to win successive post-season MVP honors in all of professional sports.

      Manning on the Web

      New York Giants Player Bio: Eli Manning
      Team’s official page; contains short bio, stats, and link to recent video highlights

      Eli Manning Wikipedia Page
      Wikipedia page; contains short bio, career stats, and external links

      Manning’s News and Commentary

      Unflappable Manning lets instincts take over
      Complete overview of Manning’s Super Bowl performance

      Book by News writer looks at Eli Manning & David Tyree’s Super play
      Manning gives his view on the 2007 season

      Manning Says

      Manning reacts to his part of “the Catch” to WR David Tyree:

      “Just trying to avoid the sack,” Manning explained. “I felt people grabbing me. You try to get small sometimes and keep the play alive.”

      Manning discusses his philosophy on playing in the third pre-season game on the schedule:

      “This is the one that is most game-like,” Manning said. “You’re going to play a whole half and you usually come out in the second half and play that first series, where you really try to go out there and be sharp and make sure everybody’s on the same page. You’re making plays. You’re not having the mental mistakes. And you’ve put all that behind you and you’re out there executing the game plan well.”

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, General Sports, NFL, Super Bowl

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑