I have to admit, I've never pulled so hard against the Jets as I did on Sunday. Maybe the Farley curse is back and I should start cheering for Rex Ryan's boys to reverse it. Or maybe the Jets are really that good. I guess we'll find out, as there are two more weekends of actual football that counts, and we all have to endure at least one more week of Jets' hype. Here in Wisconsin, it'll be another kind of green hype, as the Packers made it to the NFC Championship against the Bears. That's much easier to deal with, so I feel for my Giants fan brothers in the tri-state area again as you look and listen to Ryan and his team spout off about how great they are. Of course, LaMar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers is a Giants' fan who is pulling for the Jets. I'm curious how many of you are, and I promise we won't throw stones at you if you are.
Rob Ryan to Be Named Cowboys Defensive Coordinator -- NFL FanHouse
Jason Garrett debuted as Dallas' interim coach on Nov. 14 by upsetting the New York Giants, for whom he used to play and for whom his father used to coach. When Garrett returns as the full-time coach of the Cowboys to New Meadowlands Stadium to face the New York Jets next season, there will apparently be an even larger case of family ties on the line. That's because Garrett has, according to multiple sources, hired the brother of Jets coach Rex Ryan, to run his defense.
Great. Now we have a Ryan brother in the NFC East, one who is sure to be the Cowboys' next head coach once Garrett goes into a prolonged slump.
NFL road leads Mark Ingram to New Orleans
Mark Ingram rested his weary body following a strenuous workout under the watchful eye of speed and conditioning guru Wyatt Harris at Sonic Boom. The 2009 Heisman Trophy winner sets up temporary residence in the Big Easy, working to fine tune his skills in anticipation of the Indianapolis NFL Combine in March and the subsequent NFL draft in April.
I haven't been following the 2011 NFL draft projections, and I really want the Giants to take either a big, giant offensive tackle or a game-changing linebacker at #19--but what I didn't realize is that Ingram will likely be available when the Giants' turn is up. (This mock has Ingram being take 26th and this one has him falling to the very end of the first round). Brandon Jacobs is bitter, probably because he knows the Giants may open up the vault to re-sign Ahmad Bradshaw and let Jacobs walk, but there is a chance neither could be back with Big Blue in 2011. Just food for thought.
First look at NFC Championship Game: Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears | NJ.com
This is the first time the Bears and Packers have played each other in a postseason game since December 14, 1941. Really? It's absolutely insane to think that, as both teams have been around at least that long, but it's true. It's also a tad easier to watch the Packers keep advancing as the 6-seed since they grabbed the final playoff spot from the Giants a few weeks ago. On the flip side, it's harder to watch because that could very well have been our Giants in Chicago next Sunday.
For Falcons, So Much Progress and So Little to Cheer - NYTimes.com
In their first home playoff game since 2005, the Falcons fell down during the second quarter Saturday night and could never rise up off the turf. Their partisans began to flee the Georgia Dome halfway through the third quarter, as if they had encountered snakes on a plane.
Does this remind anyone of January 2009, when the Giants went in as the #1 seed and got knocked off by the Eagles?
As always, Steelers' run defense stands strong | NFL News | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News
The Pittsburgh Steelers played the best run defense of the NFL's modern era in the 2010 regular season. They were even better in their first postseason game.
As good as the Patriots were this past season, they had the 25th ranked defense, which partially explains why the Jets were able to move the ball rather effectively on Sunday. But next Sunday may be a different story, as the Steelers are ranked #2 overall, including first against the rush. All of that got me to thinking, of course...when was the last time the Giants had a defense, such as Pittsburgh's or Baltimore's, that the other team truly feared going up against? I'm not saying Rex Ryan is fearful of Pittsburgh, mind you, I'm just thinking in terms of the Giants. Maybe, as this writer pointed out, it was the 2007 unit, but I still don't think they were as feared as the Steelers' defense right now. Again, food for thought and for you guys to talk about in the comments section. So have at it.....