Tag: Tom Coughlin (Page 6 of 6)

      Week 10 NFL Primer

      November 9, 2008 /

      Donovan McNabbSunday’s Best: Giants (7-1) at Eagles (5-3)
      If you don’t like a good ‘ol fashion NFC East battle than you don’t like America. The Giants need a win to stay two games up on the Redskins in the division while the Eagles need a victory just to keep pace. Neither team has huge injury concerns so we’re about to see the best each squad has to offer. The G-Men swept the series between these two teams last year and sacked Donovan McNabb 12 times, which tied an NFL record. But the Eagles have won three straight and have averaged 31 points per game in those victories. Keeping McNabb healthy and upright has been the key, which will again be a main concern for the Eagles against a stout Giants’ pass rush. Perhaps no team in the league plays better on the road than Tom Coughlin’s bunch, but Philadelphia is always a tough environment to play in and the Giants will look to neutralize Jim Johnson’s blitz-happy defense by running the back effectively with Brandon Jacobs. Neither team turns the ball over very much, so this game will likely come down to which squad forces their opponent out of their game plan first.

      Upset Watch: Seahawks at Dolphins, 1:00 PM ET
      An easier upset to call might be Detroit over Jacksonville with how bad the Jaguars have looked the past two weeks. But I’m willing to bet the Jags can handle Daunte Culpepper much better than they did Ryan Fitzpatrick last Sunday. There’s everything to love about the Dolphins and nothing about the Seahawks, but that’s exactly why I like Mike Holmgren’s bunch this week. Typically teams that travel from the West to East don’t fare well, but the Hawks were just in Florida to play the Bucs so they’re used to the travel preparations. Miami has been the talk of the NFL the past two weeks, which means they’re in uncharted territory. They’re due for a letdown and while the Seahawks are missing six starters and have zero offense, the underdog has covered the last six games involving the Dolphins. Okay, so Miami might win. But the Hawks cover the 9-point spread after falling behind early.

      Rex GrossmanIntriguing matchup: Titans at Bears, 1:00 PM ET
      Even though pundits have been impressed with the Titans’ start, you get the feeling that everyone is waiting for them to stumble eventually. They aren’t blowing teams out by any means and narrowly escaped defeat last week at home against Green Bay. Chicago starts a pissed off Rex Grossman this weekend and while that normally spells trouble, he did rally the Bears last week against Detroit. Word is that it’s supposed to snow in Chicago this Sunday, which only plays into the Bears’ hands. They’re so banged up on defense that the Titans still have the advantage, but don’t be surprised if this is the week Tennessee is finally tripped.

      Other notable games:
      Saints (4-4) at Falcons (5-3), 1:00 PM ET
      This game is going to reach the mid-50’s or 60’s by its conclusion. Even without Reggie Bush, the Saints’ offense is a juggernaut, but they’ve struggled defensively and will be without DE Charles Grant for the rest of the year due to injury. Rookie Matt Ryan has been nothing short of phenomenal this year and has the Falcons thinking playoffs. Teams have forced him to beat them through the air, which he has. This is one of the more underrated rivalries in the league and a sure bet for a shootout this weekend.

      Bills (5-3) at Patriots (5-3), 1:00 PM ET
      Bill Belichick should be ashamed of the way he game planned for the Colts last week and will no doubt be looking to smoke division rival Buffalo to get back on track. The Bills, meanwhile, have lost two games in a row because Trent Edwards can’t keep the turnovers low. The Jets are right in the mix too, but a win in this game is huge for the division.

      Colts (4-4) at Steelers (6-2), 4:15 PM ET
      Indy got back on track last week with a win over the Patriots, now they have to show that they can be consistent. The Steelers thumped the Skins on the road last Monday, but are coming off a short week and could be without Ben Roethlisberger. Can Byron Leftwich lead Pittsburgh to another victory? Or has the return of Bob Sanders lifted the Colts?

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Plaxico’s just being Plaxico

      October 7, 2008 /

      Move over Manny Ramirez – Plaxico Burress is taking over your philosophy. Gary Myers of The Daily News writes that in the wake of Burress returning to the team following a team-based one-game suspension that Plaxico is just being Plaxico.

      Plaxico BurressHe plays hurt, he plays great. He’s not getting arrested and he’s not testing positive for drugs. Not a bad investment, right? He’s just in his own little Plaxico world on issues like showing up on time and then acting indignant having to explain what he did to get himself suspended.

      Plaxico’s Sept.22 predicament? He had to take his young son, who is not quite 2, to school that day. It sounds better than the dog ate his playbook, but not quite something that normally falls into the category of being the emergency he said it was. He indicated there were other circumtances involved, but would not elaborate.

      He said “there is nothing to tell” about domestic disturbance calls from his house in June and August.
      For anybody who has been faced with the dilemma of getting a child to school when you are the only option, it can be a challenging situation when you also have a job that requires your presence. But there are usually solutions: You drop them off and go to work, assuming they are going to school in the same time zone in which you live. Or in a household where transportation for a child is an issue, you hire a babysitter, which for those in Burress’ tax bracket, doesn’t put a strain on the checkbook. Or you ask a friend for a favor. At the very least, you call the boss and say the car pool broke down.
      Not when Plax is being Plax.

      “It’s not like I purposely missed out or that was my intention,” Burress said Monday. “It just seemed to happen that way and I didn’t feel any reason to explain to them what happened or why I missed because I don’t feel it is really anybody’s business. It is like I told them, if I had a decision to make as far as my family and my son and things like that, I wouldn’t change anything about it.”

      Myers goes on to make a good point that while family comes before football, Burress could have gotten a babysitter or someone else to take his child to school that day. Of course, nobody knows Burress’s personal situation, so maybe he didn’t feel comfortable leaving his child in the hands of someone else.

      But that isn’t Myers’ point anyway. His point is that Burress continues to do what he wants to do and sticks it in the Coughlin and the Giants’ faces. And what a shame too, because he’s a fantastic player on a fantastic team that could potentially win another Super Bowl this year.

      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

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