Giants getting no love

by Ed Valentine on May 18, 2007 10:09 AM EDT in News Comment 13 comments

I hate Power Rankings. Generally, I pay no attention to them. I think they are meaningless, especially four months before the season even starts.

That said, it's the dead of the off-season and ESPN yesterday released its first NFL Power Rankings for this season. At least it gives us something to discuss.

The Giants are 17th in this ranking out of the 32 teams in the league. That ranking doesn't bug me, after all the Giants were 8-8 last year and pretty much in the middle of the pack, right where this ranking puts them.

What bugs me is that the Eagles are 8th and the Cowboys 9th. With apologies to the nice fellas over at Bleeding Green Nation and Blogging The Boys there is no way Philadelphia and Dallas are that much better than the Giants.

Look at the Cowboys. They went 9-7 last season and what, exactly, have they done to get that much better? Maybe I missed something, but the biggest thing they did was replace Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells with multiple-time failure Wade Phillips. That makes them better? I don't think so.

As for the Eagles, they had no first-round pick and used their second pick on a developmental quarterback. They brought in Takeo Spikes and Ian Scott to help their defense, but have they really separated themselves from the Giants? I don't think so.

It's my belief that many experts are underestimating the Giants. Don't forget, they played the toughest schedule in the league last season.

Also, while their off-season has not been splashy I do believe there is a good chance they have improved in a lot of need areas.

Only time will tell, of course, but my gut feeling is the Giants will be better than many people think this season.

Your thoughts?

Touring the Nation

• Briggs to skip Bears mini-camp. Windy City Gridiron
• Shorten the draft. Please. Pride of Detroit
• Defending Tarvaris Jackson. Daily Norseman

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Getting No Love

All three teams are pretty close. Throw them in a bag and pick one out to win the East. In 2004, the gap between Philly and the rest of the division was large, no question. Now, all three are about the same. But I will say we should be ranked in the middle somewhere, we were 8-8. We'll have to earn a higher ranking.

www.billkohut.com

by bk0831 on May 18, 2007 10:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

cowboys

the cowboys are only up there that high because theyre the cowboys. as for the eagles, i dont have alot of problems with where they're at. if mcnabb stays healthy and westbrook is anything to close to what he was last year then they'll be in the top 10 somewhere.

sorry but the panthers ahead of the giants is laughable...even though its only one spot. they have no RB and delhomme is awful.

the rankings lose alot of credibility because ESPN (the Boston al-jazeera network where Sox/Pats are #1 no matter what) has the pats at #1 and colts at #2. did the pats get better? oh yeah. but unlike everyone else, i dont think the colts got worse. rhodes, june, harper, and david will all be easily replaced. i dont feel that adding wes welker, donte stallworth and randy moss adds up to harrison/wayne/clark.

by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on May 18, 2007 4:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

ESPN

I don't give anything ESPN does a whole lot of credibility. You see way too much that leads you to believe they are spinning their stories simply benefit themselves and make better television. They don't cover sports -- they want to be sports. With ESPN its about what is good for ESPN, not about the games themselves. This Power Ranking was really just a good conversation starter.

by Ed Valentine on May 18, 2007 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think it's easy

My problem when it comes to figuring out the Giants this year is probably the same as any national media type out there. I don't know what to make of the Giants without Tiki Barber.

For years now the guy has been arguably your best player(with only maybe Strahan in the argument) and a team leader. When you say name a player on the Giants the vast majority of people, Giants fans included, will probably say Tiki. By the time last year ended, IMO he was more or less your entire offense.

So I think it's more than understandable that people just don't now what to make of this year's Giants without Tiki. Losing your best player and one of the better and more dynamic players in all of football is no small matter. Looking at it objectively, would the Giants have won even 5 or 6 games last year without him? I think that's what people are struggling with.

Bleeding Green Nation Philadelphia Eagles Blog

by JasonB on May 20, 2007 2:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

you are missing something ETVal

the Cowboys had a termendous offseason which bascially eliminated every weakness they had which is why they should be ranked much higher than your G Men who have many holes to fill.

The additions of Leonard Davis, Ken Hamlin, Anthony Spencer along with Wade Phillip's attacking 3-4 defense scheme has to make the Cowboys a team to be feared, not only in the NFC, but the entire NFL.

by Terry on May 21, 2007 4:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Parcells vs. Phillips

Aw, c'mon! I know Cowboys fans want to put a positive spin on what is going on with their team, but you have to be kidding! Guys like Julius Jones and TO can take all the shots at Parcells they want, but you can't convince me that replacing Parcells with Phillips makes the Cowboys better. Uh, how many times has Phillips failed as a head coach already? When Dallas wins a Super Bowl with Phillips leading them, then I'll buy that argument. Until then, no way.

by Ed Valentine on May 21, 2007 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It absolutely makes them better

because Parcells and his coaching staff did not put the players in a position to succeed last season. They didn't take advantage of player's strengths and allowed their weaknesses to be exposed.

Phillips has a track record of putting his players in positions to succeed. His defenses have always been really good anywhere he's coached and he's never had the talent that he has on this defense.

Pacells was a great coach in his day and he did help take the team from mediocrity to playoff status, but a new approach is needed to take this team to the next level.

by Terry on May 22, 2007 8:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Phillips has always been

a good defensive coordinator. I will give you that. There are countless examples, though, of guys who were great coordinators but couldn't translate that into being great head coaches. Remember, Phillips is the same guy who decided to bench his starting QB (Doug Flutie) in a playoff game for Rob Johnson when Johnson had not started a game all season. I will believe he can take the next step when I see it.

by Ed Valentine on May 22, 2007 10:46 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs