I don't know about you guys, but I think it just hit me. The Giants aren't playing this weekend. You may think it's worse in New York and New Jersey hearing about the Jets all week, but I have to hear about the team that beat out the Giants for the 6-seed, the Green Bay Packers. Thankfully those guys are playing a team we all love to hate Sunday in Philly. But the bottom line is, the Giants cleaned out their lockers on Monday and are home for the offseason as twelve other teams prepare for the postseason. Oh, what could have been. Do you realize it's only been 19 days since DeSean Jackson ran along the goal line and effectively ended our season? It sure feels like a lifetime ago. Anyway, I hear crickets chirping, so here are some other tidbits in the news....
Ed Valentine reported Thursday about all of the head coach openings that Perry Fewell is being considered for. Did we all turn a blind eye to this as the season wound down? I'm not sure why, but it didn't even cross my mind that we might lose Fewell after one season as our defensive coordinator. There were a few breakdowns in coverage that led to "explosive plays," as Jerry Reese said, but for the most part this defense was much improved over the 2009 unit. And that's exactly why Fewell is a hot commodity. Chuck Yarborouh of the Cleveland Plain Dealer talks about fan impatience and why Fewell is more than just a Rooney Rule interview.
Jets are bold, brash and ... NY's team - NYPOST.com
And James Ihedigbo added, "Hey, what the Giants do, that’s on them. We knew from Day 1 we’re New York’s team. We knew that, and we took on that persona, and that’s how it’s been.
Yeah, well, you're right. But "New York's team" won just one more game than the Giants, and lost 45-3 to the Patriots a few weeks ago. Let's see what happens if "New York's team" beats Indy and then has to travel to Foxboro again.
Eli Manning, New York Giants miss playoffs by leading league in turnovers - ESPN New York
The Giants led the NFL with 42 turnovers. If there was a way to lose the ball, the Giants pretty much found it. Whether it was having passes get tipped off the fingers of their own receivers, throwing a left-handed interception into the end zone or losing a fumble because of a failure to slide, the Giants discovered ways to beat themselves -- and sometimes got creative doing it.
Ugh, the left-handed pass. It was early in the season, but it may have been a bad omen.
New York Giants face special teams issues -- from Matt Dodge on down - ESPN New York
Starting with Jeff Feagles' retirement in April to the moment Domenik Hixon crumpled in pain after tearing his ACL on the new turf in a practice at New Meadowlands Stadium in June, the New York Giants' special teams suffered massive losses in the offseason it would never recover from during the 2010 season.
Zac Wassink of Yahoo Sports also gave the Giants' special teams an "F" grade in his piece grading each unit, and I'm not sure any of us would disagree with that. In fact, how Tom Quinn is still employed today by the Giants is beyond me, because last year Bill Sheridan felt the axe come down swiftly.
Giants Offense Needs a New Attitude and a New Coordinator | GiantsFootballBlog.com
Eli & Company should be feared and game planned for! Seriously, think about it. Are you taking Marques Colston over Hakeem Nicks? No, of course not! Are you taking Johnny Knox over Mario Manningham? No, of course not! Are you taking Jay Cutler over Eli Manning? No, of course not! Are you taking LeSean McCoy over Ahmad Bradshaw? No, of course not! This squad needs a new attitude. Kevin Gilbride is nice coach. The Giants don’t need a nice offensive coordinator, they need a young innovative mind. A coach with understanding of down and distance..what is needed and when it’s needed. A coach that can create the element of surprise! And work with the talent that is before him.
I had to post this piece from a competing blog because I really like what the writer has to say here. Our offense really did underachieve, especially late in games when all we did was try not to lose. I know many of you BBVers agree with this wholeheartedly.
Antonio Pierce suggests strike as leverage for NFL players in CBA talks, league warns of violation
With a possible NFL lockout just two months away, former Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce has a bold suggestion for current players: Strike first. That's what the leader of the Super Bowl XLII champions said he would urge the players to at least consider doing if he was still an active player. Pierce, via his Twitter account, floated the "what if" idea of players refusing to start this weekend's playoff games on time as a way to gain leverage over ownership. He called it "just food for thought" and later insisted he wasn't urging action.
Hey, Antonio--just because you're out of the league, don't try and deprive me of watching quality football this weekend. It's bad enough that there is a huge question mark hanging over next season.
Lady luck hasn't always been kind to Packers' Woodson | Philadelphia Daily News | 01/07/2011
You can look at this two ways. Either Charles Woodson is way overdue to come out on the winning side of a close game like the one expected Sunday. Or . . . He's the Eagles good-luck charm.
That's a pretty interesting and funny take. Here is another take I thought was funny when I first saw the headline, but if you think about it, it makes sense. Let's hope the Packers can stuff that ground game AND Michael Vick's scrambling and throwing on Sunday.
Oh and if you guys are looking for something to munch on during the games, try the Buffalo Chicken Pizza and Chili Dog Pizza I came up with on Grub for Guys. You'll thank me later. Well, I hope you will. And try to enjoy the games this weekend. After all, it's still football.
Which reminds, me, how long before the college football bowl season starts to bleed into March Madness?