It's 5:20 a.m. in Madison as I write this, with snow falling and almost no noise outside. That's how the NFL postseason feels to us Giants' fans right now, like we're running on empty. I apologize in advance for putting that Jackson Browne song in your head all day, but that's how it feels--like that "what could have been" feeling when watching other teams compete for the grand prize of the Lombardi Trophy. I love football just as much as anyone, but now that it's been ten days since the season ended, it doesn't sit well that our Giants are at home just like we are right now.
Of course, Perry Fewell is not sitting at home. He's interviewing like crazy, though it doesn't appear that he has the inside track on any of his competitors for the Cleveland or Denver jobs.
Giants have signed Ikechuku Ndukwe | National Football Post
The New York Giants have signed veteran offensive lineman Ikechuku Ndukwe, according to a league source with knowledge of the situation. The 6-foot-4, 325-pounder has previously played for the Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Redskins and the Miami Dolphins.
Seriously, this is all the news we've got? But this won't be the only move the Giants make to bolster that O-line, which was banged up pretty bad most of the season. Here are some other interesting articles....
How Belichick Wins With Spare Parts - NYTimes.com
The Patriots led the N.F.L. in points scored. They threw the most touchdowns passes. They committed fewer turnovers than any other team since the adoption of the 16-game schedule. They ranked second in rushing touchdowns and in net yards per pass attempt. And yet, as we’ve described, they are almost entirely powered by late-round and undrafted players. So how does Belichick turn an offense that appears marginal on paper into a dominant unit?
This is fascinating, because when you look at this year's stats, it's true that the Patriots do not rank high in offense or defense, yet they beat up on some good teams, especially late in the season. Make sure you read the last few paragraphs of this article as it offers insight into this franchises's philosophy.
Speaking of great coaches, here is an article about the Falcons' Mike Smith. Even as the 1-seed, do you guys get the feeling that this team has been flying under the radar?
Mike Pereira No Longer Supports Tuck Rule - NYTimes.com
The Tuck Rule has lost a supporter, and not just anybody. Mike Pereira was the N.F.L.’s vice president for officiating from 2004-9, and spent the five seasons before that as the league’s director of officiating
Really, it took him eight years to realize how stupid this rule is?
Indeed, Andy Reid has to do a better job of coaching | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/12/2011
Monday was the first day of the rest of Andy Reid's tenure as head coach of the Eagles and he began the fresh off-season as he has the others, promising a thorough review of the entire organization beginning with the contents of his own office, which happens to include him. In the past, Reid has usually come away from this period of contemplative self-scouting assured that there's nothing really wrong with the plan. It's just that darn execution of the thing that keeps him from riding down Broad Street on a flatbed truck every February.
If Reid is hungry, Eagles fans are starved | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/11/2011
Andy Reid is hungry. For a Super Bowl. For prime rib. Maybe or maybe not in that order.
The jokes will just write themselves here, but what's really funny is how that prime rib quote came to be, and how it made all those Philly reporters scratch their heads.
Oh, and I'm sure you guys are all tired of hearing about the Jets this week. Hopefully a loss on Sunday in New England will make all the stuff like this go away.