THANK GOD! A THRASHING!

This game worried me...but after the first two series, I knew the G-Men would romp...nice win. Two more and we could get in...Sunday will be a tough test against Carolina.

CHRIS HENRY DEAD

The sad news broke early Thursday...another tragic story for a young football player...and another blow to the Bengals...

Such a shame since it seemed like he'd turned his life around...

OUCH! WHERE'S THE D?

A loss to the Eagles always hurts...gaining 512 yards on 0ffense and losing really hurts. This was a nightmare....and the hopes of a playoff birth are slipping away.

A Monday night affair against the Redskins is next....this could be another nightmare!

If you are in Southern Ocean County, come hang out with me at the Lighthouse Tavern on Rt. 9 in Waretown...we'll be watching the game, drink specials and a free halftime buffet...it gets started at 8p Monday night...

WHAT A WIN!!!!!

Now, that's the Giants we have come to know and the Cowboys, too...Next up, the Eagles!

1st half...nice finish

It looked like Big Blue was dead, but two TDs in the last 2:00 gives
them the lead 14-10. Can they keep it up?

IT'S BEEN A BAD TIME...

The bye week offered sopme solice...both the Eagles and Cow-girls lost...but we need to get back on track...
I'm hoping the week off can give the Giants some time to regroup...and prepare for two tough games in 5 days...Atlanta and at Denver won't be easy...but two wins would get us back in the hunt for a Wild Card and give us some juice heading into the NFC East 3 game stretch - Dallas, Philly and at Washington....

Lets hope the defense shows up Sunday...

BACK TO EARTH...

At 5-0, everyone started thinking Super Bowl...after today, reality has set in....New Orleans exposed the defense as flawed...and this was a day to forget in the Big Easy.

Really not much to say...it's one game...moving on to Arizona next Sunday night...

4-0!!!!

Another somewhat easy win in KC as the road warriors cruise
27-16...although the offense turned the ball over twice in the first
half, another unspectacular win. Steve Smith continues his great WR
play (and i thank god I have him on one fantasy team). The only
question is Eli's bruised heel...
Oakland is next...then a showdown with New Orleans coming off their
bye week...both could be unbeaten.

BIG WIN

Nice shutout for Big Blue...Tampa really struggling...
The running game worked well...and another nice job by Eli and the WRs.
Next up - KC....

Can you believe Washington LOST to Detroit? Jim Zorn's gotta be close
to losing his job....

Can you believe Brett Farve's comeback against SF?

Tripp

Sent from my iPhone...which accounts for the shortness and
brevity...big fingers and a small keyboard don't mix...

WR PROBLEM....NOT!!!!!

A quick check of the stats reveals an interesting fact...both Steve Smith and Mario Manningham are among the league leaders in receptions....while I'm not going to say this makes the WR issue a moot point - it does give Giants fans reason to hope. The passing game is needed to create some breathing room for the running game, which it didn't do last season after PLax went down...While Jacobs/Bradshaw have been held in check these first two games for the most part, the WRs have been better than expected...

Look for defenses to key more on Smith as the season develops, but if Hicks can get back into the lineup and do what the G-men think he can...then the Giants may have one of the better offenses in the NFC....and fans will have one less thing to worry about...

A WIN IN BIG D!!!!!

What a great day in NYC sports on the gridiron...the Jets beat Belichick, Brady and the Pats for the first time at home in 9 years and the G-Men go to Dallas and ruin Jerry's Stadium opening....

The Giants played well on both sides of the ball, although the offense continued to struggle in the first half...The defense played well enough to win, and that's all that counts given the number of injuries. Gotta love WR Smith and Manningham stepping up....Romo certainly hurt his team with mistakes last night....

Prediction - just as they opened Giants Stadium in 1976, betcha Dallas plays the first game at the new Giants/Jets stadium against the G-Men...on a Sunday night...in prime time, if not Thursday night.....

Week 3 brings a trip to Tampa Bay - the Bucs will not be a pushover....

NICE WIN BUT AT A COST

The Giants open the season with a win...the WRs did a good job, and the D was stellar...however, two injuries which could have an effect - WR Hicks and RB Ware out at least two weeks...could have an impact...
On to big D - this game will be a true test. But, I think the Giants can win...more later this week...

IT BEGINS!!!!

Kickoff for the 2009 season is here...alot of folks pick the Giants to win the NFC...looking at their division rivals, I can see why....Dallas will never win with Wade as coach, Washington is a mess and the Eagles will feel Jim Johnson's loss more than they think...I like the G-Men this year...
Obviously, the WR question and injuries will be the main issues as the season wears on...

Today will be a big game from the standpoint of making a statement - the Giants want to show everyone they are ready for this season - the Skins have been underachieving for a couple of years and they want to show they mean business...expect a hard knocking game. The sked doesn't get any easier heading to big D next week and the house that money & Jerry built...

Prediction: Giants 17-10

TOO EARLY TO WORRY?

It's only week 2 of the preseason but Saturday's game with the Bears causes me some concern about the offense....the WR position is giving me nightmares....still waiting for someone to step up....
While it is preseason...we should get more than 3 points, right?
This week's Jets Giant game should be interesting with Sanchez named the Jets starter...He looked very shaky....

PLAX COPS A PLEA...

Surprising news this morning that Plaxico Burrus will cop a plea and go to the big house for 2 years...not sure if he will have to serve the whole two years in jail, but that will take him off the field for the next two seasons for sure - he's sentenced Sept. 22...he'll still face some type of suspension from the NFL when he comes back...Rumors were he was going to go to trial as a way to delay a plea and play this season, but the plea bargain may have been the best thing for him at this point (He could have gotten 3 1/2 years minimum if found guilty at trial). After hearing Mr. McNabb talk about wanting him to join the Eagles - this comes a relief to Giants fans...
Now...let's see if we can find a replacement for him at WR?

WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?

Michael Vick signs with Philly....Man, some Philly fans are going nuts - you would think they would be excited about having a former Pro Bowler to back up McNabb...but, NOOOOOOOO.
I understand those who feel he got off easy, but folks, he's served his time...time for a second chance....
Let's see how this plays out...remember, it's a team option for 2010...they don't have to keep him if he proves to be too much of a distraction or not worth it.....

ELI'S CONTRACT...

I was a guest of the Mike Richards show this morning on 960 The Fan in Calgary...They were somewhat surprised at the numbers, but I wasn't....
Two things here...1) Eli brought the team to a Super Bowl and has been 'a good soldier' - that's what they got him for, and 2) The Giants want to make sure they keep him around in lieu of the Jets' #1 golden boy Mark Sanchez.
One other point...the Plax contract going bye-bye helps with the financials to a certain extent.
Eli got what he deserved...in my mind, it's the right thing for the G-Men to do....

R.I.P JIM JOHNSON

As someone who covered the Eagles for a couple of seasons, I have to comment of the loss of a great man...Jim Johnson was a BIG reasons the Eagles were such a thorn in the Giants side...he was a master at halftime adjustments...that's where the Eagles will lose with his loss.....
I'm sure the Eagles fans appreciate him in death and mourn his loss....

TRAINING CAMP QUESTIONS...

On the eve of camp opening, a number of questions surround Big Blue...in my mind, the biggest is about the defense - the loss of Steve Spagnuolo as coordinator is a huge one - not sure if Bill Sheridan is the right move. The team spent alot of money in the off-season for free agents, but the old injury bug may hurt the team's chances. LB Michael Boley was the big ticket free agent pickup, but an injury and a one game suspension leave some doubt....
The other big question - who replaces Plax? The Giants' receiving corp is a big question mark, give the fact that they didn't score a TD with a wideout after week 11 and no one knows if a big play wideout can emerge...this will also affect the running game - Jacobs is good, but will Bradshaw be able to pick up the slack....

First game is less than 2 months out....lots can happen....

ANOTHER PLACE TO FIND ME...

I'm not sure if I mentioned this in the past, but you can find my thoughts and comments on BLOGNYG.com...it's a blog for all things NYG...here's the link...http://www.blognyg.com/

There's a great article about the 5 things to know heading into camp.....

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM...

It's July 4th...a quiet time in the NFL before training camp opens...a few more days to ponder the upcoming season...
One suggestion...get on twitter...alot of useful info is there for football (The commish twitted during the draft)...

The Giants Coach is one of four touring Irag right now....

Just think...a month before the games begin....Yesssss!

TONY GONE FROM 'MNF'....

I can''t say I'm totally shocked - Kornheiser off of the ESPN team, Chucky is in...Jon Gruden takes his spot alongside Tirico and Jaws. Good move...Gruden has some bite as a commentator, but if you think this is a perminent move for Chucky, you are wrong...he's on the sidelines within the next year....

Also, one other note - Michael Strahan will be starring in a new show for Fox this fall....

FARVE...ARE YOU SURPRISED?

The news is Farve may come back and play for the Vikings....are you really surprised? I will go on record as saying he will not be playing when the Giants face the Vikes in week 17....Farve is done....he can only taint the storied career he's had...Think Steve Carlton.....

STADIUM MATES SCORE...

The Jets made the most noise in the first round with the move to grab QB Mark Sanchez, which will make things interesting with a new coach too.

The Daily News has an interesting point...due to the economy, alot of higher priced PSL remain unsold for the Giants, and the Jets...but, will Sanchez provide a boost to the Jets in terms of sales? The bottom line is winning - the Giants will need to do so if they want to fill the new stadium....

DRAFT OVER, MOVING ON...

Now that the die has been cast and the Giants are moving on with rookies replacing Plax...you must wonder if that's the right road. I think we won't know the answer until we start playing the games...but, the cost factor in terms of the future may determine whether not getting the vets available was the right move.

Draft review - Day 1

I gotta say I like what I've seen so far in this draft...
The Giants drafted wide receiver Hakeem Nicks from North Carolina with the 29th overall pick in the first. And added linebacker Clint Sintim from Virgina and offensive tackle William Beatty from Connecticut with their second round picks.
The first pick is about what I expected...thought it might be Rutgers WR Kenny Britt because didn't think Hicks would be there...Glad to latch onto Hicks - I think he could pay off big time...
The second round saw the Giants fill a need in both positions and I agree with others, these two could see significant playing time...
I kinda wonder where the G-men will go in day two....might we see a surprise or two?

WHAT NOW AT WR?

Since Friday, Big Blue fans are wondering what's next for the G-Men? Do they trade for a stud or draft a big time receiver? Not sure the answer to the question....I'd take a proven stud over a draft choice because you have some track record to base your decision on...Anquan Boldin is too injury prone, Braylon Edwards is a good receiver, but it he the answer? People in Cleveland don't think so....

One thing is certain...they need a deep threat to open up their running game...just who will it be?

A GIANT SURPRISE....

GIANTS CUT BURRESS....the headline I expected for quite awhile....

As you are no doubt aware, I was not a huge Plax fan...knew this day with coming...and hoped it would come soon...He singlehandedly destroyed the team's chance for a repeat by shooting himself....
He's gone...now, the team can move on....but, of course, after his case is resolved, someone will sign him....

COUNTDOWN TO PLAX HEARING

As the G-Men prepare for off-season activities, the big qiestion is what will happen to Plaxico? His hearing is scheduled for next week...if he goes to jail, problem solved...but, if the charge is dropped or he works out a deal...then the Giants will have a choice to make...and if the Eagles dealings with T.O. are any indication, he should be gone....The Giants season went up in smoke when he had his little gunplay...there has been nothing but bad news surrounding him since...if the Giants are smart, they would walk away....

The other problem with this case - if Plax walks on a lesser charge, people are going to scream since the gun laws are very clear in NYC....another case of two kinds of law - one for rich people, one for everyone else...

WARD GONE...T.O. OUT OF BIG D...

As expected, the Giants lost Derrick Ward...the talented RB signs with T Bay...I like the Giants pickups in Free Agency...not the splashy players, but good solid players...

TO out...I forget where I read it, but someone suggested him as a replacement for Plax...NO WAY! He is a cancer in the locker room - saw it first hand in Philly....let Mini Me in Washington find out first hand or Al Davis in Oakland...stay as far away from him as possible...Not worth the headache...

DIFFERENT OFF-SEASON THIS YEAR...

I was just thinking how different this year is to last...lots of words about what to do....and no championship to celebrate, just what if's...

Interesting to see GM Jerry Reese's comments about Plaxico....but then again, they really can't do anything until the legal issues are done, and they can then get relief from his salary, like in the Vick case...

They say they want RB Ward back, but I don't see it....WR Toomer gone too...

SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS...

Interesting to hear the Giants mumble and grumble thru Super Bowl week...various arrows from some aimed at the coaches regarding game plans...Plaxico's injury...you wonder where this all leads...

Giants resign Carr as backup...not a bad move...gotta have a reliable backup to win in this league...see Pats with Cassel...

SUPER BOWL THOUGHTS...

I'd like to pull a quote from my last post...

the only thing I will be interested in seeing if the Steelers can put them away. They let Baltimore hang around for far too long - if they do the same with the Cards - might have a different outcome...

And that's what happened...the Cards nearly pulled off the upset...but Six-burgh prevailed. A Good Game...but not the classic last year was.

On to the off-season...

WR PROBLEM

Now, the question is what to do at WR - Plax is headed to jail...left is a bunch of #2's - I saw this with the Eagles in their Championship run - With TO, a #1 stud, they went to the Big Game. I think the Giants need a stud - Either Free Agent or #1 pick...

Without a true #1 receiver, the Giants will not make it far next season...

HERE COMES THE SUPER BOWL BLITZ...

Kinda funny to sit back an enjoy this SB week after last year's Giants upset...can't say I'm really interested in all the hype...Kurt Warner makes a great story...but realistically, the Steelers will crush the Cards...The Steelers D is too tough...the only thing I will be interested in seeing if the Steelers can put them away. They let Baltimore hang around for far too long - if they do the same with the Cards - might have a different outcome...

One thing I am looking forward to - Bruce at halftime!

BACK UP THE WAAAAH-MULANCE!!!

I can already hear the Eagles fans moaning about that 4th down play...but realistically, if they had played better in the first half, that play wouldn't have mattered...another championship game loss...and now, they are stuck with the title 'Can't Win the Big Game'...

Cardinals in the Super Bowl...never thought I'd be saying that a month ago...

BTW - Loved the LeBron commercial for State Farm...

#17 BACK?

I really don't think it will happen, but some noise is being heard that Plax might be back in Giants Blue next year...I think it's a stretch since he can't avoid jail due to NY's gun laws...the Giants are taking the right stance...they don't look bad if the courts decide how they play it...If he goes to jail, they have a right for some cap relief...would like to see them try for Boldin, but might stick with what they have and hope someone can fill Burruss's shoes...
Time will tell...

CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY THOUGHTS

I truly believe we have reached a critical point for the Eagles...these next two games will write the story for this team under both Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb. If they win both...they will become legends...lose either game, and they go into the category of 'Can't Win The Big Game' like Marty Schottenheimer, the Buffalo Bills and the Minnesota Vikings. 5 title games in 8 years is quite a feat, losing all but one is not.
That being said...I'd like to see an all PA Super Bowl in 2 weeks...I think the Eagles can and should win, but it will be alot closer than Thanksgiving Night. The key is getting out of the box...Whichever team can jump to a lead will put alot of pressure on the other...and the defense will tee off.
In the AFC, defense wins championship - Pittsburgh's and Baltimore's are awesome...home field hasn't worked out well for the Steelers in the last 5 title games - just 1-4 when it's in the friendly confines of home...but I think Big Ben and the O will ne able to generate enough to win the game.

The one thing about this weekend I look forward to...not having to get up for work on Monday and just enjoying the game...

UPON FURTHER REVIEW...

The day after, a chance to re-think things...

Talking about it with others and I realize maybe I'm being to harsh on old #17...then I look back over this blog for the past year (One year old this past week)...and I realize I've been consistant. He's a cancer...never should have given him the $$$

Backt yesterday...the bottom line was pointed out to me by a radio host - the game was decided on QB play - McNabb was better than Eli. Period. And given the fact we went on an improbable run last year, everyone gets a pass - from coaches to players...and as I've said today - given the fact we've stunk the past three times we were in the Super Bowl the season after, this was a bonus....

As I mentioned before, there are alot of changes in this off-season - RB's Jacobs & Ward are free agents, WR Toomer could be gone...Coordinators Gilbride and Spagnoulo probably gone... Let's hope the braintrust can make the right moves.....

IT'S A GAME OF INCHES....

Two fourth downs...two missed opportunities...two missed FG's...too many mistakes....it all costs the Giants....

You can't point fingers...but this one points at the loss of Plaxico Burris...this team was totally different offensively in the last month....

So now, the #4 seed will host the Championship game...very interesting....

For the Giants, it will be the year of change...Spagnolo will be gone....Plax will be gone...Ward a free agent...

Like I told my daughter, last year's Super Bowl was special...enjoy it while you can....

1st HALF THOUGHTS

Not that happy with the Giants effort...defense played well, except for the last drive. Offense took many mistakes and missed opportunities...

Gotta cut down on mistakes or the Giants will go home....

GET READY FOR A WAR...

Whatever happens...it's going to be a tough game Sunday...Obviously, ball control is the key and making to most of your opportunites. The Giants with a healthy Brandon Jacobs will be ready to face the Eagles...I do think the winner of this game will be the NFC representative in the Super Bowl.

Eric Mangini is headed to Cleveland...not a big surprise - I thought he'd land on his feet. Let's see what he can do with a franchise which has the tools. Now, is anyone on the Jets wondering why they let him go? I don't see top name talent flocking to coach them...wonder if it's 800 lb. gorilla named Farve....

IT'S THE EAGLES...

OK...Giants get a tough go against the Birds...a couple of my friends are worried, but I am not...the rest will do us good. I think we win...