A sampling of what is being said

by Ed Valentine on Jan 12, 2009 11:00 AM EST in News Comment 34 comments

Let's look around at a sampling of the reaction to the end of the New York Giants' season.

Ian O'Connor says there were many reasons the Giants lost Sunday. The most elementary, though, is that they could not overcome the loss of Plaxico Burress. Even Archie Manning admitted Sunday night that his son missed No. 17. General Manager Jerry Reese even went so far as to say he would consider bringing Burress back next season. The Eagles also weren't shy about saying the Giants missed Burress.
The end of the season means that Steve Spagnuolo now has all the time he wants to interview for head-coaching jobs. He is at the top of the Jets' list of candiates, and could draw interest from the Rams, too. Oh, and the Raiders do appear to have serious interest in Kevin Gilbride.
Mike Lupica says last season's magic was nowhere to be found Sunday at Giants Stadium, unless you looked on the Philadelphia sideline.
Speaking of the magic touch, Gary Myers says Tom Coughlin's was missing on Sunday
Here are the transcripts of a variety of interviews following the game.

0 recs | Comment 34 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Go ahead, take Gilbride.

I don’t want him.

by squid92 on Jan 12, 2009 11:11 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

amen

Let’s go Oakland!

by Woogie526 on Jan 12, 2009 11:14 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Here Here!

take him!

Hes perfect for the Raiders, he likes to throw deep regardless of conditions or game scenarios and he wont put up a fight with Al b/c he hasnt been a head coach in years.

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Jan 12, 2009 2:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Addition by Subtraction

I have never in my life hoped for a Giants coordinator to take a job elsewhere than I feel now. Please PLEASE PLEASE take Gilbride. Please.

by Cody K on Jan 12, 2009 11:49 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

well well well

looks like you cowards are finally realizing how important plaxico is to the team and that perhaps it wouldnt be such a good idea to give up on him and turn our backs to him. not surprising.

by kendynamo on Jan 12, 2009 11:52 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I’m still glad they suspended him for the season. It was the right thing to do. And I don’t believe I ever said I wanted them to get rid of him outright – my stance was always that I wanted them to suspend him for the season and re-evaluate when it’s all over. I thought Hixon would be a little better than he was, and I thought that with their running game they wouldn’t need Plax like they did last year…I think I was half right about that – if the hopefully next coach of the Raiders had stuck with the run I think we could have won yesterday.

But anyway, if the Giants feel that Plax can grow up and be responsible next season (and if Goodell and/or the NY Justice system doesn’t bring the hammer down on him), I want him back. But if they feel that he can’t, then they should get rid of him and try to find a more responsible receiver.

by cjmulrain on Jan 12, 2009 12:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I actually think that's a fair point

Look: hindsight is 20/20 right? I think its safe to say that we all thought that the Giants could be successful without a guy like Plax out there. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be the case. We probably all thought that maybe the team didn’t need him that much – but it looks they probably do.

by Cody K on Jan 12, 2009 12:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The reason why the Giants lost was more than jsut plaxico anyway.

Their defense wasn’t as good with Osi out and Tuck injured. The Giants won last year on a devastating defense pass rush which they weren’t able to duplicate this year. I think Eli played worse than their WRs did even though it looked like a few throws they ran bad routes.

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!

by Joe_D on Jan 12, 2009 12:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

to be fair

and to praise your team – our pass rush was pretty darn good most of the season, we just couldn’t sack McNabb at all for some reason.

by cjmulrain on Jan 12, 2009 12:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

You and I see eye to eye on all of these things, brutha…

Pass rush was pretty much anemic towards the end of the season. Could have used Osi in there..

by Cody K on Jan 12, 2009 12:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Defense not as good? Good as what?

Subtract that gimme TD after the Samuel pick and you guys were held to 16, which should be enough to win most games if the offense does its job. Scoring a safety on McNabb and holding the Eagles to a FG after first and goal at the one ain’t shabby.

Say what you want and enjoy your team’s success, but you can’t lay yesterday on our D.

by django48 on Jan 12, 2009 4:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

For the most part the Giants’ D did a great job… but fact is that when the Giants gained the lead in the second half, the Giants’ D let the Eagles drive down the field and take the lead right back. On that drive the Eagles converted a 3rd & 20 and a 3rd & 10.

No doubt the offense suffered more blushes… but the defense had a chance to seize the game there and didn’t.

Bleeding Green Nation - Philadelphia Eagles Blog

by JasonB on Jan 12, 2009 5:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe so

but I gotta give credit where credit is due. That 3rd and 10 and especially the 3rd and 20 were vintage McNabb.

by django48 on Jan 12, 2009 5:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

question

Do you guys think having Eli as our quarterback completely eliminate any homefield advantage? Giants stadium has never been that great of a homefield anyway, but his type of throwing arm just isn’t suited for winters in the wind. Just look at last seasons home and away records. Next year, lets shoot for wildcard.

by maw150 on Jan 12, 2009 12:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Home Road Splits...

Pretty Close

His rating away is 5 points higher, but yds/TD/INTs are all pretty similar- I just think its the wind that is the factor, but Jacobs only having 19 carries in a playoff game is equally to blame.

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Jan 12, 2009 2:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Gilbride

Awful! It was not Giant football. It was the sideline not adjusting to the elements or tempo of the game. Bring back Burress, if they can, and Coughlin needs to make sure he has the right man for the job at OC. I am disappointed for Jacobs, he deserved more than being left with an almost full tank of gas at the end. All in all a good season, I believe stepping backwards is not going to come soon for the franchise. Is there any wide receivers out there to be had that could bring back the threat Burress had? Calvin Johnson would be the bomb….

by johnd134 on Jan 12, 2009 4:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Calvin Johnson

I agree. I was saying the same earlier. I say the Giants should offer the lions a couple of 1st round picks and see if they’ll bite.

Also TJ whoseyourmama from the Bengals is going to be a free agent next year.

by John W on Jan 12, 2009 5:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ive been touting Johnson for a few weeks

But TJ is too old, but one would have to wonder if the Lions would trade their only marketable player, eventhough they could get a lot back for him and building around a WR doesnt make sense….but I think we’d have enough, whether or not they trade him is another question

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Jan 12, 2009 5:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

TJ's

gotta be as old as Plax was

by queler on Jan 12, 2009 9:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah the same, good call

I thought he was older….Id still take Plax over him though

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Jan 12, 2009 9:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

at this point

not adjusting from the sideline IS Giant’s football

by queler on Jan 12, 2009 9:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

A look back

The Good:
-Eli Manning has shown that when he’s on he’s one of the best QBs in the league
-We have a great defensive line and will get Osi back next year
-We still have a lot of young talent on both sides of the ball, Boss, Ross, Smith, et. al.
-We have a few extra draft picks in this years draft and…
-We have a great GM in Jerry Reese who has a knack for drafting well
-We have a good coach who knows how to push the team to excel
-Next year our schedule doesn’t look as tough as this years

The Bad
-When Eli is off he kills us
-Our offensive coordinator graduated from the Mike Martz school of playcalling
-Our LBs are above-average at best
-Plaxico, nuff said
-We’re probably going to lose one of the best defensive coordinators in the league
-We’re probably going to lose Derrick Ward who was integral to our success
-There’s no rest for the weary because we play in the toughest division in the league

by John W on Jan 12, 2009 5:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

re: the schedule

Speaking of the schedule, the NFC East gets the NFC South and the AFC West next year. NFC South = tough. AFC West = not so much. Here’s the 2 extra teams each NFC East team gets:

Giants – Cardinals & Vikings
Eagles – Niners & Bears
Cowboys – Seahawks & Packers
Redskins – Rams & Lions

Honestly, I could see both the Hawks and the Packers bouncing back next year, so that’s no gimme for the Cowboys. And who knows what to expect from the Cardinals next year – I don’t think they’ll be as good as they were this year. If the Vikings get a good QB, they could be real good. And the Redskins should (keyword, should) gain 2 easy wins.

by cjmulrain on Jan 12, 2009 5:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Seriously....

that looks like a gimme for the ’Skins! Even the Eagles get two winnable games. If the Giants travel to the Metrodome and to Phoenix, that slate could be very tough.

I think that the Cowboys and Giants easily get the toughest slate. Eagles should be playing the Cards and Vikings, right? Doesn’t that “last two games” match you up to the closest competitor in conference?

by Cody K on Jan 12, 2009 5:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Eagles should be playing Cards and Vikings?

No the way the schedule is set up, 1st place teams play each other, that means the G-men will play the other first place teams i.e. Vikes, Cards, and Chargers. (Those three are easily winnable)

Then 2nd place teams play each other, 3rd place teams play each other, etc.

Our homes games next year are:
Cowboys
Eagles
Redskins
Falcons
Panthers
Cardinals
Raiders
Chargers
Our away games are:
Cowboys
Eagles
Redskins
Saints
Buccaneers
Vikings
Broncos
Chiefs

by John W on Jan 12, 2009 6:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

we play the Chargers

but only b/c we are playing the AFC West. The Eagles, Cowboys, and Redskins all also play the Chargers – as well as the Broncos and the (smile) Chiefs and Raiders.

Each division matches up with one AFC division and one NFC division other than its own, and then you play the corresponding finisher in the other two NFC divisions. So the Giants play all 4 NFC South teams, all 4 AFC West teams, and the #1 finishers in the NFC West (Cards) and NFC North (Vikes). Plus, obviously, the 2 games against each team in the NFC East.

by cjmulrain on Jan 12, 2009 7:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I only disagree...

with losing Ward. I think he’s replaceable.

by squid92 on Jan 12, 2009 11:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Why would we want to get Plaxico back now?

We lost because we played like crap and the Eagles played very well.

If Plaxico didn’t care enough this season to keep himself out of trouble why risk it again next year? He cannot be relied on. The Giants need to move on without him. We ended up beilng a better team without Shockey and we can do the same without Plaxico.

by giant fan since 57 on Jan 12, 2009 5:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

According to Mike Francesa

Reese says that the door is open.

by django48 on Jan 12, 2009 6:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well

Giants team ,especially Eli, like him. He’s not Mike Tyson. He is not part of the old regime, he is what works on many levels. I think if the team wants him back, bring it on. Just hope he stay’s out of the clink.

by johnd134 on Jan 12, 2009 5:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Jason Whitlock

thinks that you guys needed Plaxico. He thinks that the tide would have made a full 180 if Plax would have been in the game.

Plaxico Burress would’ve scored three times on Sunday, and the Giants would’ve run for 300 yards. With Plax on the field, Jim Johnson would’ve had to line Dawkins up at the goal line regardless of field position or down and distance.

Who wants to play Leapfrog with Trent?

by anuj on Jan 12, 2009 7:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

He has played pretty well against them

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Jan 12, 2009 9:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

thats so true

and thats why i am so glad he didnt play. JJ was able to play an extra man or two in the box because he knew that he would be able to play man to man on your recievers.

Who wants to play Leapfrog with Trent?

by anuj on Jan 12, 2009 10:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs