Usually I hate to be wrong. But being wrong about the outcome of the Jets-Giants showdown last week was great. That collection of misfits in green lost to the less-talented Giants.
And they did it in totally embarrassing fashion, from beginning to end. From sending out Plaxico as the sole captain for the coin toss to having their head coach get in a shouting match with Brandon Jacobs at the end of the game, the Jets showed their, um, character.
First of all, the Giants can’t be blamed for letting Burress get away. And the man did carry an illegal firearm and shoot himself in the leg. Picking him up in free agency was fine with me but is he really the man you want as the figurehead for your franchise? Was his sole presence at midfield supposed to scare the Giants? If anything, it gave every Giant the affirmation that they toiled for good sane people while their opponents, at least the ownership and management, were idiots.
I’m one of those people who try to root for both New York teams, at least in football. But it’s been difficult to root for these Jets. Surely they have many players worthy of my respect but those aren’t the players I hear about. I hear about the low-lifes, from Santonio Holmes to that disgusting Scott on defense.
And it was great to see them lose. It was great to see them practically eliminated from contention.
I say “practically” only because we’ve seen these Jets be “practically” eliminated before. As unworthy as the Jets are of having any good luck whatsoever, their cup overflows with good fortune, seemingly every year. Three games this weekend have to go the Jets way, along with a Jets win over Miami, in order for the Jets to get into the wildcard. And, with the Jets luck, those eventualities will very likely occur.
And the Giants finally simplified their pass defense, a move that paid off bigtime. All game long, Giants defenders were only a step away from the receivers. Getting any separation at all from their defenders was too much to ask of guys like Burress, who always thinks he’s open, and Holmes, who’s only interested in the red zone.
The things I feared the most, that the Giants wouldn’t be able to stop the pass or the run, didn’t happen. The media is blaming Schottenheimer, the offensive coordinator, for calling so many pass plays and not taking advantage of their strong running game. But the Jets seemed all game to be running out of time.
And how many times did Sanchez drop back only to hold onto the ball? That situation only arises from receivers not getting open, from low-life guys not trying too hard. After all, aren’t their skills quite sufficient to justify being thrown the ball whether they appear to be open or not?
The Jets offensive line took some heat too but it’s been mostly unjustified. No offensive line can function long enough to prevent pressure when the QB can’t really bring himself to release the ball. The Jets just don’t have it, not the talent, not the character, not the inspiration. No, the team that showed all those things were those guys decked out in blue.
The personification of all those qualities was, undoubtedly, Jason Pierre-Paul, who provided one more clinic on how to play defensive end. He was too fast, too strong, too ridiculously athletic for the Jets offensive line, even going against Pro-Bowlers like Ferguson. Pierre-Paul played as huge as his stature, and Tuck and the rest of that Giants front seven played well enough to prevent a lot of double and triple teaming on Pierre-Paul.
So the Jets are almost dead. The Giants are alive.
I wish I could think the G-Men will prevail at home this weekend versus the Cowboys. Their QB is no Sanchez. Their receivers are not named Burress and Holmes. They can put points on the board with the best of them, Romo to Austin and Bryant and Witten. But their defense can be awful, and, waddaya know?, there’s another Ryan, Rex’s brother Rob, running that defense into the ground, blitz after ill-conceived blitz leaving receivers open all over the place down the field.
Theirs is a defense that truly mirrors their defensive coach…..bold…..and stupid, characteristics of all the Ryans, it would seem. This was very clearly evident in the first Giants-Cowboys encounter, a game that Dallas led by two scores with just about 5 minutes left, a game situation that called for a careful defensive approach against a team with Eli and Nicks and Cruz and Manningham.
Instead, the Giants saw blitz after blitz and took full advantage, coming back to take a 3-point lead, and then held it by icing the kicker and then blocking the second kick, a guy named Pierre-Paul once again doing the honors.
Most prognosticators are predicting another shootout for this final but I’m not so sure of that. Will Rob Ryan be that stupid again? Can even a disciplined Giants pass defense deal with all those fine Dallas receivers? I have my doubts. But there certainly have been encouraging signs.
Can Pierre-Paul be a monster again? Will the addition of Osi Umenyiora give the Giants DL even a better pass rush? Is Felix Jones, the Dallas running back, really hurt? All indications so far point to another Giants win.
Maybe that’s what makes me nervous. Might it finally be Romo’s time to do something in the playoffs? Bad hand, bad record, bad defense, can’t Romo finally pull one out? Against all odds? If anybody’s ever been due for some good luck, it would have to be Tony Romo.
The Giants are favored by 3 points. The over-under is 46½. I figure that’s just about right. If so, it won’t be a high-scoring affair and not really a defensive battle either, rather somewhere in between, 25-22 or so, a game decided by turnovers and mistakes.
Who’ll make them?
Showing posts with label Romo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romo. Show all posts
Friday, December 30, 2011
Monday, December 15, 2008
Coming Back to Earth
Maybe it was the prowess of the Cowboys defensive front that made the G-Men look so impotent last night. Maybe it was the Dallas secondary that blanketed the Plax-less Giants receiving corps. Maybe it was Tony Romo’s toughness and leadership that inspired great Cowboys performances all over the field. Maybe it was the elusiveness and power of Cowboys RB Tashard Choice.
Whatever “it” was, the Giants sure looked toothless last night. The 20-8 final score didn’t seem to adequately characterize just how decisively the Giants were beaten. Wind and fire became a puff and a spark; they were nothing without “Earth”, or maybe it was just the lack of an offensive line.
And yet, the Giants were really never out of it, not until the fourth quarter draw play to Choice out of the shotgun that put the contest out of reach. These Giants are nothing if not resilient, even without Plaxico, even without Brandon Jacobs, and last night without one of their fine defensive tackles.
So, despite the loss last night, the Giants are still in pretty good shape. That team that was running around last night wasn’t the real Giants team, not without their best receiver, their best running back and one of their best defensive linemen.
The G-Men finish with a contest against a Carolina team that has lately been playing as if it thinks it’s the best team in the NFC, followed by a contest against another tough defensive team, the Minnesota Vikings.
They won’t beat either of those teams if nothing changes. Forget about Burress, he’s been suspended and it just won’t do to keep harping on the fact. But Jacobs and Fred Robbins in the middle of that defense are both too big and strong bodies that are hard to not miss.
But, whether or not these two giant Giants can return, I think the G-Men should consider moving Hixon back to his specialty, returning kicks. Although he’s an adequate receiver, he’s not an imposing threat at wide receiver. He is an imposing threat as a return man. In moving Hixon, the Giants lose at two aspects of their game, special teams and their passing offense.
It’s high time to try somebody else at the wideout. Maybe it’s Manningham, maybe it’s Sinorice Moss, but it’s definitely not Hixon. Although the passing offense might suffer somewhat in that scenario, it should put a charge back into their kick returns, which have had nothing without Hixon.
You have to admire the Giants for keeping it close last night. They showed their true character. The same can be said for the Jets Sunday afternoon, as they overcame their deficiencies all afternoon by capitalizing on a stupid move by Bills coach Dick Jauron.
Jauron, doing his best Herm Edwards impersonation, called for a pass in a clear running situation. The game should have been over. But the Jets did what they had to do, stripping QB J.P. Losman of the ball, scooping it up and running it in for the winning score.
A win is a win. But you have to think the Jets have their work cut out for them. They play Seattle next week, a weak team, but as the Jets have proven they don’t travel well to the West Coast, having already lost to the Chargers, Raiders and Niners on the road, nothing is a sure thing.
If they do get by Seattle, and I think they will, they’ll then face the Miami Dolphins and Chad Pennington in the season finale. That should be great! If the Fish can beat the Bills next week, everything sets up perfectly for a game that will not only decide the AFC East, but one that will determine whether the Jets erred in their quarterback selection process for 2008.
It goes without saying that I wish the Jets had kept Pennington. He was a club leader and he never complained, despite a lack of protection and a lack of skills at the receiver position, which is still a problem. Neither Coles nor Cotchery have the speed to stretch the field, nor do they have the best hands, nor do they ever get much separation anywhere. Other than that, they’re fine.
Favre usually does have time to throw though, something Pennington never had. He has a defense that can usually stop the run as well, if not yesterday. The Jets let the Bills backs, Marshawn Lynch and even Fred Jackson, run over, around and through them to take the lead into the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
As strange as it seems, the Jets finally focused on stopping the pass against a Bills team that can’t pass that well, a team that ranked 19th in passing in the NFL. They hadn’t been that good at running either, ranking 15th in rushing, but yesterday managed about 185 yards against the men in the ugly green uniforms.
But the Jets did win the game. It’s difficult to say they’ll come back to earth, though. They were never that far removed from earth in the first place, although they were the first team to beat the Titans from Tennessee in very impressive fashion,
There is hope for the Jets though. They have a great running attack with Thomas Jones running behind that improved offensive line. They can pass the ball too, but not with authority, nothing that would scare opposing defenses. So those smart opponents will plan their strategies for stopping the running game.
There are bright spots though. For the Jets, there is Leon Washington. He added another long TD run to his already impressive resume by exploiting a seam in the Bills defensive middle on his way to a 47-yard score that put the Jets ahead 21-17 right before the half. If not for Leon, the Jets season may have already come back to earth.
The Giants can look forward to “Earth” coming back, either that or some extensive tweaking to a pretty moribund offense, one that just can’t score.
Whatever “it” was, the Giants sure looked toothless last night. The 20-8 final score didn’t seem to adequately characterize just how decisively the Giants were beaten. Wind and fire became a puff and a spark; they were nothing without “Earth”, or maybe it was just the lack of an offensive line.
And yet, the Giants were really never out of it, not until the fourth quarter draw play to Choice out of the shotgun that put the contest out of reach. These Giants are nothing if not resilient, even without Plaxico, even without Brandon Jacobs, and last night without one of their fine defensive tackles.
So, despite the loss last night, the Giants are still in pretty good shape. That team that was running around last night wasn’t the real Giants team, not without their best receiver, their best running back and one of their best defensive linemen.
The G-Men finish with a contest against a Carolina team that has lately been playing as if it thinks it’s the best team in the NFC, followed by a contest against another tough defensive team, the Minnesota Vikings.
They won’t beat either of those teams if nothing changes. Forget about Burress, he’s been suspended and it just won’t do to keep harping on the fact. But Jacobs and Fred Robbins in the middle of that defense are both too big and strong bodies that are hard to not miss.
But, whether or not these two giant Giants can return, I think the G-Men should consider moving Hixon back to his specialty, returning kicks. Although he’s an adequate receiver, he’s not an imposing threat at wide receiver. He is an imposing threat as a return man. In moving Hixon, the Giants lose at two aspects of their game, special teams and their passing offense.
It’s high time to try somebody else at the wideout. Maybe it’s Manningham, maybe it’s Sinorice Moss, but it’s definitely not Hixon. Although the passing offense might suffer somewhat in that scenario, it should put a charge back into their kick returns, which have had nothing without Hixon.
You have to admire the Giants for keeping it close last night. They showed their true character. The same can be said for the Jets Sunday afternoon, as they overcame their deficiencies all afternoon by capitalizing on a stupid move by Bills coach Dick Jauron.
Jauron, doing his best Herm Edwards impersonation, called for a pass in a clear running situation. The game should have been over. But the Jets did what they had to do, stripping QB J.P. Losman of the ball, scooping it up and running it in for the winning score.
A win is a win. But you have to think the Jets have their work cut out for them. They play Seattle next week, a weak team, but as the Jets have proven they don’t travel well to the West Coast, having already lost to the Chargers, Raiders and Niners on the road, nothing is a sure thing.
If they do get by Seattle, and I think they will, they’ll then face the Miami Dolphins and Chad Pennington in the season finale. That should be great! If the Fish can beat the Bills next week, everything sets up perfectly for a game that will not only decide the AFC East, but one that will determine whether the Jets erred in their quarterback selection process for 2008.
It goes without saying that I wish the Jets had kept Pennington. He was a club leader and he never complained, despite a lack of protection and a lack of skills at the receiver position, which is still a problem. Neither Coles nor Cotchery have the speed to stretch the field, nor do they have the best hands, nor do they ever get much separation anywhere. Other than that, they’re fine.
Favre usually does have time to throw though, something Pennington never had. He has a defense that can usually stop the run as well, if not yesterday. The Jets let the Bills backs, Marshawn Lynch and even Fred Jackson, run over, around and through them to take the lead into the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
As strange as it seems, the Jets finally focused on stopping the pass against a Bills team that can’t pass that well, a team that ranked 19th in passing in the NFL. They hadn’t been that good at running either, ranking 15th in rushing, but yesterday managed about 185 yards against the men in the ugly green uniforms.
But the Jets did win the game. It’s difficult to say they’ll come back to earth, though. They were never that far removed from earth in the first place, although they were the first team to beat the Titans from Tennessee in very impressive fashion,
There is hope for the Jets though. They have a great running attack with Thomas Jones running behind that improved offensive line. They can pass the ball too, but not with authority, nothing that would scare opposing defenses. So those smart opponents will plan their strategies for stopping the running game.
There are bright spots though. For the Jets, there is Leon Washington. He added another long TD run to his already impressive resume by exploiting a seam in the Bills defensive middle on his way to a 47-yard score that put the Jets ahead 21-17 right before the half. If not for Leon, the Jets season may have already come back to earth.
The Giants can look forward to “Earth” coming back, either that or some extensive tweaking to a pretty moribund offense, one that just can’t score.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Cuffed Hands, Hired Hands, All Hands on Deck!
If there’s anything I care less about than Rutgers football, it would have to be a Thursday night NFL matchup between the Oakland Raiders and anyone. If the powers that be were doing their best to try to turn football fans away, they couldn’t possibly pick worse games to televise.
I mean, gimme a break. Even before the season, somebody should have figured out that the Raiders couldn’t match up with any NFL team, never mind one that, by rights, should have been contending for the AFC Championship.
Oh well, at least it wasn’t an all-night discussion about Plaxico. Or who may have driven him home, or to the hospital, or concealed information from the police. At least I didn’t have to see any more of the biggest Fascist of them all, the too honorable Mayor Bloomberg, chip in with his two cents.
What’s scary to me is that incredibly rich and powerful people can say anything they want and get away with it. That the Mayor of New York can pretty much call the shots, and let any judge within the confines of his city know that the Mayor won’t settle for anything less than a conviction, that he won’t stand for anything less than the maximum sentence.
To me, that’s a much worse offense than shooting yourself in the leg accidentally. Plax’s offense is something that only happens to stupid people. It’s pretty much confined to those brazen enough, or insecure enough, to carry loaded guns around. What the mayor’s doing could be perpetrated on anyone.
He’s tried the case in his mind and he knows what the outcome had better be. He dictated the ending. Hell, not just the ending but pretty much the process too. I’m sure Plax’s life will be hell for a long, long, time and only the lawyers will be the happier for it.
At this point, I’d rather they throw the Mayor’s butt in jail. The charge could be obstruction of justice, or bribing an official of the city government. To me, New York deserves a classier mayor than this small-time Hitler. This is the same guy who had no problem with the sweet stadium deals both the Mets and Yankees perpetrated on the City.
Not that I care that much about Plaxico personally. He could have shot somebody, especially carrying heat in a crowded environment. But I don’t know the facts, really, nor does anyone, not really. That’s what trials are for.
Okay, enough about Benito Bloomberg. I’m glad I don’t live in his city. We have our own problems here in New Jersey, and not the least is Governor Corzine and his band of crooked legislators, corporate lenders, tax leviers and toll increasers.
I really did mean to write about sports today….. honest. I’ll be getting to it soon, I’m sure, but my little diatribe certainly has made me feel a little better, almost as good as that nice warm feeling I got from the news that O.J. Simpson would finally be spending some time in the slammer.
The Giants will be playing the Eagles again. It seems as if they play them every other week. With just 16 total games on the regular season schedule, it seems a little ridiculous to me that we have to play division opponents twice each. This division just isn’t that exciting…. the Redskins, the Eagles and, thank God, the Cowboys.
Even though it’s totally absurd that a Dallas team could finagle its way into the NFC East, and it’s a tribute to the corruption in the NFL, I thank my lucky stars that they’re a good team, and an interesting one too. The Eagles and Redskins just aren’t. Sure…they’ll win their share of games but it will be boring. Clinton Portis and a cloud of dust for the Skins; for the Eagles, Number 5 and DeSean Jackson and…..well, really nobody else.
At any rate, I expect the Giants will rise above all the stupidity this week and put a beating on the Eagles. If they’re still able to get their practices in, they should win the game. These are high-character guys, guys who bring their game each week, or try anyway.
The same, alas, cannot be said for the Jets. The Jets hired hands travel to San Francisco to play the suddenly Singletary-enlivened 49ers. The Jets don’t travel well, at least not to the West Coast. They managed to lose to the same team, Oakland, that got pummeled by the Chargers last night.
The hired hands have agreed, it seems, to play hard this time out, after their pitiful performance against the Broncos last week. Kris Jenkins, at least, has acknowledged maybe a lack of intensity in that loss that probably contributed a great deal to their failure to stop the Broncos running game.
Favre seemed to acknowledge the same thing, albeit in many more words. Hopefully, he’ll save some of those words for the Jets huddle this week. The 49ers are certainly beatable. But the Jets will have to stop the run, something they’re pretty good at doing ordinarily. They’re not so good against the pass, but the Niners don’t bring that much to that phase of their game.
My attention will be focused on the Cowboys-Steelers game. That one should be a real struggle, not really a Dallas “must” win, but close enough, given the rest of their schedule. It’ll be the tough Cowboys offensive line against the relentless Steelers defense, and conversely, a more determined Cowboys defense against a Steelers offense that hasn’t really knocked anyone’s socks off all year, discounting their man-handling of the Pats last week in New England.
The Steelers have lost three times, and once each to the NFC East G-Men and the Eagles. It’d be nice to make it an NFC East clean sweep. Whatever happens in this one, it’ll be a war. Demarcus Ware and Marion Barber are hurt, but it’ll be all hands on deck!
I mean, gimme a break. Even before the season, somebody should have figured out that the Raiders couldn’t match up with any NFL team, never mind one that, by rights, should have been contending for the AFC Championship.
Oh well, at least it wasn’t an all-night discussion about Plaxico. Or who may have driven him home, or to the hospital, or concealed information from the police. At least I didn’t have to see any more of the biggest Fascist of them all, the too honorable Mayor Bloomberg, chip in with his two cents.
What’s scary to me is that incredibly rich and powerful people can say anything they want and get away with it. That the Mayor of New York can pretty much call the shots, and let any judge within the confines of his city know that the Mayor won’t settle for anything less than a conviction, that he won’t stand for anything less than the maximum sentence.
To me, that’s a much worse offense than shooting yourself in the leg accidentally. Plax’s offense is something that only happens to stupid people. It’s pretty much confined to those brazen enough, or insecure enough, to carry loaded guns around. What the mayor’s doing could be perpetrated on anyone.
He’s tried the case in his mind and he knows what the outcome had better be. He dictated the ending. Hell, not just the ending but pretty much the process too. I’m sure Plax’s life will be hell for a long, long, time and only the lawyers will be the happier for it.
At this point, I’d rather they throw the Mayor’s butt in jail. The charge could be obstruction of justice, or bribing an official of the city government. To me, New York deserves a classier mayor than this small-time Hitler. This is the same guy who had no problem with the sweet stadium deals both the Mets and Yankees perpetrated on the City.
Not that I care that much about Plaxico personally. He could have shot somebody, especially carrying heat in a crowded environment. But I don’t know the facts, really, nor does anyone, not really. That’s what trials are for.
Okay, enough about Benito Bloomberg. I’m glad I don’t live in his city. We have our own problems here in New Jersey, and not the least is Governor Corzine and his band of crooked legislators, corporate lenders, tax leviers and toll increasers.
I really did mean to write about sports today….. honest. I’ll be getting to it soon, I’m sure, but my little diatribe certainly has made me feel a little better, almost as good as that nice warm feeling I got from the news that O.J. Simpson would finally be spending some time in the slammer.
The Giants will be playing the Eagles again. It seems as if they play them every other week. With just 16 total games on the regular season schedule, it seems a little ridiculous to me that we have to play division opponents twice each. This division just isn’t that exciting…. the Redskins, the Eagles and, thank God, the Cowboys.
Even though it’s totally absurd that a Dallas team could finagle its way into the NFC East, and it’s a tribute to the corruption in the NFL, I thank my lucky stars that they’re a good team, and an interesting one too. The Eagles and Redskins just aren’t. Sure…they’ll win their share of games but it will be boring. Clinton Portis and a cloud of dust for the Skins; for the Eagles, Number 5 and DeSean Jackson and…..well, really nobody else.
At any rate, I expect the Giants will rise above all the stupidity this week and put a beating on the Eagles. If they’re still able to get their practices in, they should win the game. These are high-character guys, guys who bring their game each week, or try anyway.
The same, alas, cannot be said for the Jets. The Jets hired hands travel to San Francisco to play the suddenly Singletary-enlivened 49ers. The Jets don’t travel well, at least not to the West Coast. They managed to lose to the same team, Oakland, that got pummeled by the Chargers last night.
The hired hands have agreed, it seems, to play hard this time out, after their pitiful performance against the Broncos last week. Kris Jenkins, at least, has acknowledged maybe a lack of intensity in that loss that probably contributed a great deal to their failure to stop the Broncos running game.
Favre seemed to acknowledge the same thing, albeit in many more words. Hopefully, he’ll save some of those words for the Jets huddle this week. The 49ers are certainly beatable. But the Jets will have to stop the run, something they’re pretty good at doing ordinarily. They’re not so good against the pass, but the Niners don’t bring that much to that phase of their game.
My attention will be focused on the Cowboys-Steelers game. That one should be a real struggle, not really a Dallas “must” win, but close enough, given the rest of their schedule. It’ll be the tough Cowboys offensive line against the relentless Steelers defense, and conversely, a more determined Cowboys defense against a Steelers offense that hasn’t really knocked anyone’s socks off all year, discounting their man-handling of the Pats last week in New England.
The Steelers have lost three times, and once each to the NFC East G-Men and the Eagles. It’d be nice to make it an NFC East clean sweep. Whatever happens in this one, it’ll be a war. Demarcus Ware and Marion Barber are hurt, but it’ll be all hands on deck!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Curiouser and Curiouser
Well, tomorrow's another big football day and things just get curiouser and curiouser in the National Football League. Where's the defense? How many teams really have one worthy of the name? Certainly not the Jets, who, while they won their game against the Pats in overtime, let the Pats and Randy Moss tie it up on the last play of the game.
The Giants, too, would seem to be a little suspect after allowing the Eagles to score as many as they did. I mean, gimme a break, they won much because of overly conservative Herman Edwards-like play calling.
Yeah, I know, both teams are leading their divisions and who cares about defense anyway. Well, besides me, most successful playoff teams of yesteryear have cared rather passionately about defense. Need I mention the '85 Bears? Nah! How about the 2007-08 GEE-Men?
In the Jets case, their coach just overthinks everything. What had been successful against Moss all day was abandoned on that last play. Because he had thought, "well, there's no time on the clock, the qb can't afford to scramble, the ball can't go to the middle of the field, yada, yada, ad infinitum, and he forgot that he had put Moss to sleep all day by smashing him at the line of scrimmage.
Randy looked like a kid who's just gotten his first bike for Christmas. And, when he snared that pass from Cassell (and indeed, Randy was the only guy who could have caught it), he got his bike, and a Christmas goose too. Wait...check that, it was the Jets who got the goose. That they came back to win in OT was great, but somehow that bad taste lingers for me. Can the Jets really go much further?
The G-Men will finally see some real defense played tomorrow. The Ravens are unbelievable, a fierce defense, no over-thinking going on. I don't see Brandon Jacobs or Derek Ward doing much, not that Coughlin won't try. Hopefully, he will change his game somewhat in the face of some furious realities in the forms of Ray Lewis and his band of renown.
What's most curious about football is the emotion involved in the game. The fact that the G-Men have a nice little cushion in their division will surely alter the metabolism of each and every man on that field. The same will apply to the Baltimore crew, of course, and their collective chomping at the bit can only bode well for them.
The other curious thing is the affect of injuries. Who could even figure out who's playing? "Questionable" means everything from "no way" to "definitely in". Take Clinton Portis, for example. He's questionable every week. The G-Men have some questionable secondary people for tomorrow. I have no idea who's playing.
And, speaking of curious, let me turn to baseball for a second. Isn't it a little strange that C.C. Sabathia may be practically forced by the Players Union to accept the highest salary offered? When did the players give up their individuality? Who authorized that?
<>What if C.C. hates the Yankees? I can’t think of a team that less suits him. I have followed C.C. since his first year in the majors, if just for the size of him and the tilt of his cap. Will the Yankees make him straighten it out? Probably. Never was there a more serious bunch than these Yankees. Never was there a group that appears to be having less fun.
Shouldn’t C.C. be allowed to take that Milwaukee offer? Sure, it’s millions less but what about job satisfaction? Shouldn’t that really be the first consideration? C.C. won’t like the Yankees, I know, and, as hard as this may be to believe, I don’t think the Yankees will like him.
<>Money, money, money. It’s keeping Stephon Marbury in limbo, if a very rich and comfortable limbo. Last on the bench, first in the bank account. Isn’t he a basketball player? Doesn’t he care about that?
Whether Stephon may eventually get bought out or not, the Knicks’ fortunes have certainly been changing for the better. They seem reborn, these D’Antonians. Defense once again graces the floor of Madison Square Garden. No more Marbury or Curry, these Knicks have guys who actually leave their feet.
<>Wilson Chandler seems to be the biggest difference, an under-sized power forward who does it all, rebounding, scoring, blocking shots, and yes, thank goodness, defense. The most curious thing, though, is that much of the personnel remains the same, Jamal Crawford, Zak Randolph, yada yada. Oh, and a guy who cares not so much for money, an unselfish point guard named Duhon, Chris Duhon.
On the other side of the river, the Nets look horrible one night, terrific the next. While that inconsistency is supposed to be normal for a young team, a kind of consistent inconsistency, it still seems awfully strange. I’m glad I don’t gamble. I’d never have picked them to beat the Atlanta Hawks.
<>The world of sport is filled with curiosities, of course. New York has no monopoly on strange. The Cowboys could be the weirdest of the bunch (if you don’t count the Raiders and the Lions). How can a premiere team neglect to get themselves a decent backup quarterback?
Tomorrow, we’ll see another curious but interesting phenomenon, the positive affect that the quarterback return can have on a team. The Redskins, though much improved themselves this year under new coach Zorn, will have to deal with a Cowboys team that should be angry, fed up, and just delighted to have good old Tony back behind the center. I think they’ll totally forget the PacMan, and maybe even their crazy owner, even if he does place himself front and center on the sideline.
Enjoy Week 11 (including the bye week, another curious thing), sports fans. I know the fans in Miami will, what with Chad at the helm and in Atlanta, where a Yankee named Ryan seems to be taking the Falcons to the heights.
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The Giants, too, would seem to be a little suspect after allowing the Eagles to score as many as they did. I mean, gimme a break, they won much because of overly conservative Herman Edwards-like play calling.
Yeah, I know, both teams are leading their divisions and who cares about defense anyway. Well, besides me, most successful playoff teams of yesteryear have cared rather passionately about defense. Need I mention the '85 Bears? Nah! How about the 2007-08 GEE-Men?
In the Jets case, their coach just overthinks everything. What had been successful against Moss all day was abandoned on that last play. Because he had thought, "well, there's no time on the clock, the qb can't afford to scramble, the ball can't go to the middle of the field, yada, yada, ad infinitum, and he forgot that he had put Moss to sleep all day by smashing him at the line of scrimmage.
Randy looked like a kid who's just gotten his first bike for Christmas. And, when he snared that pass from Cassell (and indeed, Randy was the only guy who could have caught it), he got his bike, and a Christmas goose too. Wait...check that, it was the Jets who got the goose. That they came back to win in OT was great, but somehow that bad taste lingers for me. Can the Jets really go much further?
The G-Men will finally see some real defense played tomorrow. The Ravens are unbelievable, a fierce defense, no over-thinking going on. I don't see Brandon Jacobs or Derek Ward doing much, not that Coughlin won't try. Hopefully, he will change his game somewhat in the face of some furious realities in the forms of Ray Lewis and his band of renown.
What's most curious about football is the emotion involved in the game. The fact that the G-Men have a nice little cushion in their division will surely alter the metabolism of each and every man on that field. The same will apply to the Baltimore crew, of course, and their collective chomping at the bit can only bode well for them.
The other curious thing is the affect of injuries. Who could even figure out who's playing? "Questionable" means everything from "no way" to "definitely in". Take Clinton Portis, for example. He's questionable every week. The G-Men have some questionable secondary people for tomorrow. I have no idea who's playing.
And, speaking of curious, let me turn to baseball for a second. Isn't it a little strange that C.C. Sabathia may be practically forced by the Players Union to accept the highest salary offered? When did the players give up their individuality? Who authorized that?
<>What if C.C. hates the Yankees? I can’t think of a team that less suits him. I have followed C.C. since his first year in the majors, if just for the size of him and the tilt of his cap. Will the Yankees make him straighten it out? Probably. Never was there a more serious bunch than these Yankees. Never was there a group that appears to be having less fun.
Shouldn’t C.C. be allowed to take that Milwaukee offer? Sure, it’s millions less but what about job satisfaction? Shouldn’t that really be the first consideration? C.C. won’t like the Yankees, I know, and, as hard as this may be to believe, I don’t think the Yankees will like him.
<>Money, money, money. It’s keeping Stephon Marbury in limbo, if a very rich and comfortable limbo. Last on the bench, first in the bank account. Isn’t he a basketball player? Doesn’t he care about that?
Whether Stephon may eventually get bought out or not, the Knicks’ fortunes have certainly been changing for the better. They seem reborn, these D’Antonians. Defense once again graces the floor of Madison Square Garden. No more Marbury or Curry, these Knicks have guys who actually leave their feet.
<>Wilson Chandler seems to be the biggest difference, an under-sized power forward who does it all, rebounding, scoring, blocking shots, and yes, thank goodness, defense. The most curious thing, though, is that much of the personnel remains the same, Jamal Crawford, Zak Randolph, yada yada. Oh, and a guy who cares not so much for money, an unselfish point guard named Duhon, Chris Duhon.
On the other side of the river, the Nets look horrible one night, terrific the next. While that inconsistency is supposed to be normal for a young team, a kind of consistent inconsistency, it still seems awfully strange. I’m glad I don’t gamble. I’d never have picked them to beat the Atlanta Hawks.
<>The world of sport is filled with curiosities, of course. New York has no monopoly on strange. The Cowboys could be the weirdest of the bunch (if you don’t count the Raiders and the Lions). How can a premiere team neglect to get themselves a decent backup quarterback?
Tomorrow, we’ll see another curious but interesting phenomenon, the positive affect that the quarterback return can have on a team. The Redskins, though much improved themselves this year under new coach Zorn, will have to deal with a Cowboys team that should be angry, fed up, and just delighted to have good old Tony back behind the center. I think they’ll totally forget the PacMan, and maybe even their crazy owner, even if he does place himself front and center on the sideline.
Enjoy Week 11 (including the bye week, another curious thing), sports fans. I know the fans in Miami will, what with Chad at the helm and in Atlanta, where a Yankee named Ryan seems to be taking the Falcons to the heights.
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Monday, September 15, 2008
From Nine to Five
It was an old-fashioned shootout. Just as you'd want on Monday Night Football, there was Number 9, young Tony Romo firing bullets to the infamous T.O. But there was Number 5 Donovan McNabb on the other side, looking like the quarterback of yesteryear, finding his new favorite target, one DeSean Jackson.
Two great quarterbacks, massive offensive lines, inventive defenses, funny commentators, this game had it all. It had Romo showing his best and worst, opening with a 70-yard bomb to Owens but also fumbling in the end zone to give the Eagles a free touchdown.
It had McNabb, skillfully carving up the Boys defense, dumping off to Westbrook, shooting bullets right, left and center. The Cowboys emerged victorious by a 41-37 count, but there were several lead changes and the result was in doubt until the final whistle.
Both qb's are mobile, accurate and enjoy playing the game. What more could you want from a football game? Two offenses moving the ball down the field against tenacious defenses, two offensive lines neutralizing pass rushes and enabling their teams to run the ball. Close at the half and close at the end.
The Cowboys emerged with the win, of course, after a couple of tough possessions by the Birds, one that ended with an overthrown lob to Westbrook and one with the old hook and ladder. The real end for the Eagles, though, was Demarcus Ware's sack of a scrambling McNabb on 3rd down.
In the final analysis, though, the Cowboys had too many weapons for the Birds. While McNabb had the indefatigable Westbrook and the mercurial DeSean, Romo had Owens and Crayton, Barber and
The game also had more than its share of zaniness. DeSean Jackson almost lost his TD for tossing the ball away as he was crossing the goal line. Romo also had an interception that was the result of his trying to make something from nothing. As good as Romo was for most of the game, he could have been the goat after making two critical errors, both resulting in Philadelphia scores.
All this impressive football coming from the NFC East must give the Giants pause. It looks like it will be another tough season. As well as the Giants have played thus far, they’ll have to play even better to get by either of these two juggernauts. The Redskins will be no pushover the next time either, judging by their impressive victory over the Saints on Sunday.
Our G-Men looked solid in their opener against the Redskins, but it was tough after one game to gain much perspective, especially since the Skins looked pathetic at times. Their new coach, Jim Zorn, looked as if he was coaching his first game. And, although the Giants wound up with a clear victory over the Rams on Sunday, it was really a pretty close game for three quarters.
Let’s face it….the Giants can look pretty pedestrian at times. I suppose you could call it workmanlike. With Brandon Jacobs pounding the ball, the Giants bread and butter, it’s almost like an old
If it weren’t for Eli’s finding Plaxico and Amani early and often, it’d be easy to fall asleep. And, with Strahan gone and Umenyiora hurt, the defense isn’t quite as impressive as it had been at year’s end. In fact, the Giants didn’t start looking really impressive until they inserted the fellows who got them so far last year, Ahmad Bradshaw and Steve Smith.
Not that I’m complaining, but the Giants haven’t looked as good as the Eagles and Cowboys have so far. Of course, that could change really easily, especially with that offensive line. And Justin Tuck. But I do think that calling the Giants three running backs “earth, wind and fire” is a bit premature (and stupid).
I’ve been trying to ignore the Jets this year but it’s been awfully tough, what with all the nonsense surrounding Mr. Favre. In truth, I find it impossible to root for them anymore. Mangini really doesn’t send me. Neither does Tannenbaum. And I hope everybody noticed Mr. Favre made no difference whatsoever against the Pats on Sunday.
Aaron Rodgers, Mr. Favre’s replacement at
Aside from the Giants, who I picked to win every playoff game last year, and the Super Bowl, this football year, for me, will be all about guys like Kurt Warner, who is easy to root for, throwing dart after dart to Fitzgerald and Boldin for
Then, of course, there are the new quarterbacks, not just Rodgers but also guys like Jerseyan Flacco for the Ravens, and B.C.’s own Matt Ryan, who impressed in his opener before somewhat of a relapse on Sunday when his running game abandoned him. And there’s Chad Henne in
Yeah, this year will be all about young quarterbacks, Cutler in
But, unless you count Eli, the finest young QB of them all may be Number 9 in Big D. And the finest veteran might be wearing Number 5 in Philly, making Eagles fly.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
A Fantasy League Night Before Christmas...
‘Twas the week before Finals, and all through the league
All done was the fighting and petty intrigue
The two teams remaining had only to care
‘bout filling in rosters and how they would fare.
TeamNYSE and BigSwim had made their own bed
Mustangs and Cowboys and Cudas saw red
And Gjets looked perfect, ‘fore taking a nap
At a critical juncture, his team took a slap.
When Sunday dawned, their brains were a scatter
Their reason was fed by robust fecal matter
More often than not, runners-up they would crash
For all of their druthers looked bad in a flash.
But two teams were blessed and their lineups would flow
And the fluster of Sundays they wouldn’t know
With most of their thundering guys on a tear
They never would stray – their choices were clear
They had no Donald Driver, their players were slick
Whoever they’d plug in would quite often click
Not McNabb’s Eagles, their coursers they came
Their rosters they flouted, had no change of name.
Now Romo! now Colston ! they ne’er needed fixin’
And Crosby, the Packer, he sure got his kicks in
To young Braylon and Gates, mighty Klondikes would call
Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!
He believed in his lineup, no waivers he’d fly
When he’d meet with an obstacle, just give a sigh
So up in the standings, his coursers they flew
On game day made noises that always rang true.
When ramsy was tinkerin’, he stayed aloof
Most of Scoops signings, he knew were a goof
While Fu’s and Crab’s rosters were turning around
The Northmen stayed firm, his few moves they were sound.
No fly-by-night wonder on his roster he’d put
Had to jump like a reindeer or be fleet of foot.
One team started slowly but wound up on track
The pickup of Graham soon fueled his attack
Snake Eyes ne’er wrinkled, he needed no hurry
LT over everyone soon he would scurry.
Norv Turner’s dumb game plans, soon they would go
And the rock went to LT, so everyone’d know
A lump in their windpipe, a kick in the teeth
As LaDainian circled the field like a wreath.
Brees finished the race though N’Awlins was jelly
And T.O. would triumph, T Glenn he did spell thee
Lendale chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf
Of his second round pick, he’d soon prove himself.
To think the Snake Eyes would end up in the red
Was before he placed Johnson in Santana’s stead.
Yahoo says the Klondikes will sure have to work
But Brees will find Eagles D real hard to shirk
On Raiders defenders, Fred Taylor will close
And Braylon ‘gainst Bengals could smell like a rose
And Romo will play tough ‘cause Jessica’s fickle
And she could end up scratching some other tickle
But she won’t be to blame, should good Tony lose sight
Of T.O. and Witten, say Big D GOOD NIGHT !!
All done was the fighting and petty intrigue
The two teams remaining had only to care
‘bout filling in rosters and how they would fare.
TeamNYSE and BigSwim had made their own bed
Mustangs and Cowboys and Cudas saw red
And Gjets looked perfect, ‘fore taking a nap
At a critical juncture, his team took a slap.
When Sunday dawned, their brains were a scatter
Their reason was fed by robust fecal matter
More often than not, runners-up they would crash
For all of their druthers looked bad in a flash.
But two teams were blessed and their lineups would flow
And the fluster of Sundays they wouldn’t know
With most of their thundering guys on a tear
They never would stray – their choices were clear
They had no Donald Driver, their players were slick
Whoever they’d plug in would quite often click
Not McNabb’s Eagles, their coursers they came
Their rosters they flouted, had no change of name.
Now Romo! now Colston ! they ne’er needed fixin’
And Crosby, the Packer, he sure got his kicks in
To young Braylon and Gates, mighty Klondikes would call
Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!
He believed in his lineup, no waivers he’d fly
When he’d meet with an obstacle, just give a sigh
So up in the standings, his coursers they flew
On game day made noises that always rang true.
When ramsy was tinkerin’, he stayed aloof
Most of Scoops signings, he knew were a goof
While Fu’s and Crab’s rosters were turning around
The Northmen stayed firm, his few moves they were sound.
No fly-by-night wonder on his roster he’d put
Had to jump like a reindeer or be fleet of foot.
One team started slowly but wound up on track
The pickup of Graham soon fueled his attack
Snake Eyes ne’er wrinkled, he needed no hurry
LT over everyone soon he would scurry.
Norv Turner’s dumb game plans, soon they would go
And the rock went to LT, so everyone’d know
A lump in their windpipe, a kick in the teeth
As LaDainian circled the field like a wreath.
Brees finished the race though N’Awlins was jelly
And T.O. would triumph, T Glenn he did spell thee
Lendale chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf
Of his second round pick, he’d soon prove himself.
To think the Snake Eyes would end up in the red
Was before he placed Johnson in Santana’s stead.
Yahoo says the Klondikes will sure have to work
But Brees will find Eagles D real hard to shirk
On Raiders defenders, Fred Taylor will close
And Braylon ‘gainst Bengals could smell like a rose
And Romo will play tough ‘cause Jessica’s fickle
And she could end up scratching some other tickle
But she won’t be to blame, should good Tony lose sight
Of T.O. and Witten, say Big D GOOD NIGHT !!
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