Fooch on the NFL

Giants and Jets have their work cut out for them

2006-12-15T09:52:00.000-05:00

The New York Giants are back to their winning ways. Confidence is obviously going in the right direction after a dominating performance in Carolina. But this week it will be a different story. Philadelphia’s defense, although they are really bad against the run, will have some healthy corners. They have Brian Dawkins back there and Jeremiah Trotter in the middle. Look for the defense to be a little more difficult to deal with for Eli Manning and company; however, the Giants' game plan shouldn’t waiver. They must come out early, they must establish a running game, they must run Tiki Barber and Brandon Jacobs up the middle of that defense and keep pounding until Philadelphia is put away. Once that happens then Manning can work his magic, the play-action passes to Jeremy Shockey and Plaxico Burress. One thing Giants fans should keep an eye out for is the cornerback formerly known as William Peterson. He is now called William James, and hopefully he doesn’t turn into Jesse James in this game, a thief stealing the ball away from that Giant offense. That would be a big kick for Ernie Accorsi and company to have former defensive back William Peterson a.k.a William James come back and steal the show. He knows a little bit about the Giants' receivers and he knows a little bit about Eli Manning. But you can say the same thing about the Giants; their offense knows a little something about him. It should be an interesting matchup. One thing's for sure, the Giants are in position to get themselves back into the playoff hunt. They have to think bigger than the Wild Card. They have to think that hopefully the Cowboys stumble somewhere and they can put themselves back atop the NFC East. They must understand that there is going to be an angry Eagles team who remembers blowing a 24-7 lead to the Giants in Philadelphia, only to watch themselves lose. Also, you have to remember that ridiculous penalty in the wee moments of the fourth quarter by their defensive end Trent Cole. If not for that penalty, on a drop-kick to Kareem McKenzie, the Eagles probably would have held on with a victory. But the Giants know as well as any other team in the NFL that it is not over until it’s over. Just ask them about Vince Young and Tennessee. The Giants will be back in front of their fans, who I’m sure will be pumped up knowing what’s at stake. Anytime the Giants and Eagles get together it's usually an emotional, physical, competitive contest. And although Jeff Garcia is now the quarterback, very similar to what Donovan McNabb wants to do with the Eagles' offense, he wants to get out of the pocket and create havoc, he wants to get the ball down field and let the Eagles' receivers run under it. Also, Brian Westbrook usually gives the Giants fits whether it’s in the air or on the ground. So look for a game that I think the Giants will squeak out. But again, it will be a different story from the one in Carolina. This is one that the Giants will have to work at it and will have to work at it long into the fourth quarter, it maybe Jay Feely deciding this one.

TIME TO GET AGGRESSIVE As far as the New York Jets are concerned, if you want to talk playoffs and you want to go to the playoffs, eventually you will have to beat someone good. I understand that earlier in the season the Jets beat the New England Patriots, but this time they have to go to Minnesota, and that’s a difficult matchup for the Jets. If the Jets want to say that they are one of the elite teams in the AFC, then Eric Mangini and company must rebound. They must figure out a way of stopping the Vikings' running game and also turning over Brad Johnson. More importantly, the Jets have to figure out a way to somehow hold onto the ball against a team that is dominant against the run. They are ridiculous this year when it comes to holding opponents under 55 yards on the ground. So that means Chad Pennington and company will have to somehow victimize that Viking defense in the air, which is not that difficult to do. Will Chad be 'Erratic Chad' or will he be Chad Pennington bouncing back from a tough performance against the Buffalo Bills? Chad Pennington usually does bounce back and they usually have that short passing game that is very effective. But understand this, you can’t be one-dimensional in the National Football League and be successful, especially on the road in a hostile environment where it’s going to be loud and the 6-7 Vikings think that they have something to play for. Mangini got conservative last week. When it was fourth-and-inches on the 38, he decided to punt. And that, in the biggest game, is a mistake. Well now he is in the next biggest game of the season with a lot on the line. It’s time to be a gambler again. It's time to be aggressive because after this week the Jets may not have another chance.

Crucial time

2006-12-07T21:13:00.000-05:00

What a difference a year makes with the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers. John Fox against Tom Coughlin. Last time these two met it was at Giants stadium in the playoffs, and the Giants had home field advantage. John Fox and the Panthers beat up on the Giants that day, and it was one of the worst losses in franchise history. That day the Giants were a hurting football team on defense, now they are a hurting football team in confidence. But the Carolina Panthers also come in banged up at the quarterback position. Will it be Chris Weinke or Jake Delhomme? They also come in after a horrible loss to the Eagles. So both teams are definitely going in different directions since the last time they met. Although the Panthers still have the dangerous Steve Smith and a pretty reliable defense and explosive offense, you have to wonder why things aren't clicking for the team this year. And why have they been so inconsistent? With that siad, John Fox and his company of defensive coaches will come up with a great scheme against Eli Manning and company. They were able to shut them down last year by primarily taking away Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey, and also rendering Tiki Barber ineffective. I would think Tiki Barber would also be chomping at the bit to get back at a Carolina team that had him questioning the coaching and the offense after the playoff disaster. Four straight losses have the Giants still in the hunt, but on life support. They need a win and it's at Carolina, and they need it desperately. Eli Manning showed some flashes last week against the Cowboys, getting back into a rhythm, getting the ball to Shockey and Burress, but he will have to do even more this week. Michael Strahan, who didn't practice this week, won't play. Osi Umenyiora probably will. And the Giants will have Sam Madison back obviously. This time around the middle of the defense will be different, because Antonio Pierce is here. The last time they rushed for over 200 yards, and the Panthers ran the ball over 40 times. It should be a different story this time. The Giants are solid up the middle, but the question will be if the quarterback -- Delhomme or Weinke -- can get the ball to Keyshawn Johnson or Steve Smith. If Smith can get the ball, he should give the Giants' secondary fits. He is a valubale player, and someone who can take it to the house at any moment. Look for short passes to him, especially if it's Weinke taking the snap, and let Smith do the rest. This is going to be a close game. The Giants' offense can move the ball, but the question is will the Carolina Panthers generate enough offense to beat the Giants if Chris Weinke is the quarterback? After four straight losses, and the Giants finding ways to lose games, I think this could possibly be their opportunity to break their streak and win a close one down in Carolina. However, don't be surprised if it goes the other way, on a Panthers field goal, and the Panthers squeak out the win. All and all, I think it's a three-point game either way.

WHO SAID PLAYOFFS? As far as the Jets are concerned, this is another week where they play a team that doesn't have a great record, a team that isn't going to the playoffs, and a team with a quarterback, who is a turnover waiting to happen. JP Losman, or JP "Lousy" as I call him, can either be very good at times, or horrific. Usually, when you pressure him, he has a tendency to turn it over to the opponent. However, the Jets come in with a 7-5 record, and their fans should give them a lot of support. But will the Jets be able to slow down Willis McGahee, who has owned them in recent history? McGahee gives them a chance, if they keep the ball on the ground against the Jets' defense, and hopefully, hopefully they won't rely on a quarterback who is usually a mistake waiting to happen. As you can hear, I am not a big Buffalo Bills QB fan, and that's the reason I think the Jets will squeak this one out. Chad Pennington looked as good as a QB can look last week. He was in perfect rhythm, and in a cold situation in Green Bay. It's hard to imagine that the Bills, and JP Losman, can come in this week and beat the Jets. Anything can happen against that Jets' defense. The question is: Can someone get to Chad Pennington and break him out of that rhythm? I don't think it's possible. I like the Jets by 10, and I think they will move on to an 8-5 record.

A Must-Win Situation

2006-11-24T17:37:00.000-05:00

The New York Giants return to the field this weekend at Tennessee. The Titans are an opponent that, all of a sudden, like Jacksonville, poses an interesting matchup. Tennessee is coming off a win at Philadelphia. They have also beaten the Redskins this year. They now have a chance to vanquish yet another NFC East opponent when the Giants arrive in Nashville at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday in a must-win situation. Tennessee's defense has been lit up this year. However, they showed flashes of brilliance against the high-powered Indianapolis Colts. Vince Young and the Titans have also shown that if they limit their mistakes, they can be a thorn in their opponents' side. But this week is more about the Giants finding out what caliber team they really are. Some people have said that they should open up the game in a no-huddle situation. I say, no. The Giants need to get back to basics. A no-huddle offense puts even more strain on the and already banged-up Giants defense. However, I often say, if you're going to be strong, be strong up the middle. And the core of the Giants defense in the middle of the field remains in tact. Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield are still the defensive tackles, defensive MVP Antonio Pierce patrols the field at middle linebacker, and Will Demps and Gibril Wilson are the hard-hitting safeties. But anytime you get into a run-and-gun situation with your offense, you run the risk of not allowing your defense to get enough rest by constantly having them on the field. The Giants need to keep their defense off the field for as long as possible. They need to be proficient on the ground with both Tiki Barber and Brandon Jacobs in short yardage situations. Jacobs adds a much-need physical element to the Giants' ground attack. Focusing on pounding their opponents early with the run should greatly benefit Eli Manning and the passing attack as well as the Giants defense, proving them some down time. Instead of putting more pressure on Eli Manning by implementing a no-huddle offense, having him throw pass after pass followed by the occasional draw play, the Giants must be physical early with the running game. Eli Manning does function well in a no-huddle situation. Therefore, there are times in the game where the no-huddle can and should be utilized in order to compliment the Giants' physical ground game. The Giants need to find a way to get their players to perform at a peak level. They also need to find a way to restore confidence to Eli Manning. The best thing they can do is to get the ball early to Jeremy Shockey. The likes of 6'6" playmaker Plaxico Burress and little-used slot receiver Tim Carter must also actually catch the passes that are thrown in their direction. Carter must not invisible throughout Sunday's contest. These are the ways in which you get your quarterback into a rhythm. Eli Manning isn't going to hit his receivers between the numbers on every pass attempt. All quarterbacks have to back-pedal, side-step, and continuously run from pressure at times. So not every ball is going to be thrown perfectly. going to be between the numbers. But no one can tell me that the two passes that Eli Manning threw to Plaxico Burress could be thrown any better. And that's how you lose confidence offensively. When you lose the opportunity to put a defense back on its heels by dropping sure catches, you give your opponents confidence. The Giant receivers dropped those passes last week and with that, they gave the Jacksonville Jaguars confidence. And because the Jaguars were so confident that they could take Eli Manning's abilities out of the game, the Giants failed to generate many points. The Giants need to make the plays when they present themselves. And they must do that against a struggling Tennessee team, who although they have played better, still have a record of 3-7. The Giants have no one else to blame but themselves for their recent struggles. In Week 11 in the National Football League, everyone has injuries. As I told you in the beginning of the year, if the Giants had a chance at 6-4 to go to Tennessee and play against a rookie quarterback in Vince Young, most fans would say, where do I sign up? Now the Giants need to go out there and prove that they're a first place team. SURPASSING THE LEVEL OF MEDIOCRITY As far as the Jets are concerned, the task is much different. They have to play against a team that on paper, hasn't been successful. But this Houston team has beaten Jacksonville twice. The Jets were kicked around by the Jaguars, 41-0. If anything gets the attention of this Jets football team, it would be that one fact. This Texans team is capable of playing physical and matching the intensity of a very determined opponent. That's something that the Jets have to prove that they can do. The Jets have already had two opportunities to do so. One came at Jacksonville, and the other at home against Chicago. In most situations during both of those games, the Jets were bullied. The Bears put an awful lot of pressure on Chad Pennington last week. As a result, Chad was picked off quite a bit. Chad needs to get back to being what he's been throughout his career. And that's a very efficient, heady quarterback that commits very few turnovers in the red zone. The Jets don't generate many opportunities to score with their offense. However, when they do get those opportunities, they need to cash in. Chad Pennington is one of the smarter quarterbacks in the NFL. There's no excuse when he repeatedly turns it over. The physical nature of the Chicago Bears and the continuous pressure that they put on Chad Pennington forced him to get rid of the ball about a half second sooner than he would have liked. And interceptions followed soon after. But this week against Houston poses an interesting matchup in the trenches. It's D'Brickishaw Ferguson vs. Mario Williams, a matchup between two top draft picks that comes along with much hype. Fortunately for both players, neither is where they will be potentially in their careers. And although these two won't see each other on every play, it should be fun to watch these two rookies battle. This Houston team can hang around if their opponents allow them to. As long as the Texans don't shoot themselves in the foot with turnovers, the Jets could be staring a fourth quarter deficit. Especially if the Jets fail to limit turnovers of their own. The Jets have found a way to give team after team an opportunity to run the ball. And that's what Houston needs. They need to establish Wali Lundy against this Jets defense. If they can do that, they will no longer be one-dimensional. Andre Johnson will run wild in the Jets secondary if he only draws man coverage. That is a situation that the Jets don't want to be in. They can blitz David Carr who has been a turnover waiting to happen. But if the Jets don't stop the run, and David Carr is allowed to operate in and out of the pocket, it'll be a long day for Eric Mangini and company. Let's see if the Jets are better than that 5-5 record, or if they're just a team that's very average right now.

A Giant loss

2006-11-08T17:54:00.000-05:00

The New York Giants were dealt another blow this week after the news that Michael Strahan would be out two to four weeks due to a foot sprain, and Osi Umenyiora not expected to come back against the Bears with a hip flexor. It was expected that the Giants would be 100 percent offensively, but then came the devestating news that Amani Toomer suffered a partial tear in his ACL, ending his season. It is a 'Giant,' blow because Toomer was having a productive year with 32 receptions for over 200 yards and three touchdowns, and is an 11-year veteran, who was a huge locker room presence. He is no longer the primary target for Eli Manning, but he accepted his role and was very instrumental to that Giants offense, as a player that Eli looked for in key situations. Especially when defenses looked to take away Shockey and Burress, Toomer was able to strive. It was a new role for him, because he went from the number one option to the third, but it was also a very effective option for the Giants offense, and distracting for opposing defenses. His speed made him very difficult to defend. He could go over the top or he could make critical receptions over the middle. Now Eli Manning will have to somehow find another target, a reliable target. The question now is whether Tim Carter will be able to take on that role. He has shown flashes that he is ready to take on that role, but he has never been a consistant receiver for that Giants offense. He has had his drops in the past and this year, this is his time for him to pick up the slack that Amani Toomer left. It is a devestating blow for the Giants because of the respect that they have for Amani in the locker room. He isn't a vocal leader, but he is a presence that explains to the younger guys how to prepare on and off the field. Tiki Barber, playing in his last year, now will be the last true veteran on that offense. Eli Manning, becoming the leader on that offense, will also have to step up. It's not good to be playing the Bears coming off their loss to the Dolphins, coming into Giants Stadium very angry. The Giants will have to circle the wagons, knowing they got past the Texans, and knowing they are a better football team. It will make for great theater on National TV, with Brandon Jacobs blasting through the middle towards Brian Urlacher (if he plays). Barber coming out of the back field and somehow trying to find a way to create space and day light. Plaxico Buress now will have his jersey and opponents will find out where he is on that field; he will draw much attention. Unfortunately the Giants won't have Amani around to take advantage of opportunities in that area of the offense. We will see Sunday night if Tim Carter is ready, if Ernie Acorsi was right after drafting him in the second round out of Auburn, a guy who could make plays and be a factor in this Giants offense.

Giants, Jets, and Bears...Oh my!

2006-11-03T11:30:00.000-05:00

The Giants look to improve to 6-2 in the NFC East this Sunday against the Houston Texans, a matchup that's as close as you can possibly get to a college homecoming game for Big Blue. The Chicago Bears are playing the Miami Dolphins in Chicago, who are also terrible. It's going to be interesting to see if these two teams look past one another to their scheduled clash the following week, or if they will actually take their opponents seriously and play a full game while limiting mistakes. For the Giants, making sure all personnel remain healthy coming out of this game is a must. What Coach Coughlin must not allow his team to take the field Sunday and play mistake-filled football. The Giants need to take care of business from the opening kickoff, and look like a team that's a playoff contender. They cannot allow the Houston Texans, who are 0-3 this year on the road and in NFC competition, to have any thought of contending against the Giants this Sunday. And the Giants better not come out rusty at the start. Their fans will instantly become restless at the notion that the Texans actually might even put up a fight in this game. The stadium has been quiet over the last few weeks, but it could get ugly if fans are staring at a Giants team struggling in the second quarter against a David Carr captained Texans offense. David Carr is back behind center once again after being benched in the second half of last week's game. He's sure to be fired up. And I know they have a very good receiver in Andre Johnson, but I'm not taking this game seriously. And yes, the Giants will take the game seriously, but they will also be looking to get their guys out of this game healthy and get ready for the big one Sunday night, November 12th, against the ferocious Bears. And I know on any given Sunday you have to respect your opponent, because anything is capable of happening. I'm just not buying it this week. There's no way, NO WAY, that the Texans are going to come up here from the Lone Star state with hopes of knocking off the Giants. I don't say this like a fan, I say this like someone who watches the National Football League. They just don't have the horses to play with the Giants. Even if the Giants are missing some of their key guys, there are no excuses this week. The Giants will roll and get ready for the big Bears showdown. TIME TO SWITCH THINGS UP Now for the Jets. They get a week off to figure out how they lost that game in Cleveland. Some people will say that they were robbed, and that they should have had that touchdown. However, someone still needs to explain to me how you're down by that many points to the Cleveland Browns in a state of turmoil, a team who's pathetic offensive output led to the resignation of its coordinator. In addition, how the Browns were able to find a way to shut down the Jet offense. Now I know the Jets have flaws. I know they are not very efficient running the football. And I know they don't get to the quarterback very well. But this was a perfect opportunity for the New York Jets to improve to 5-3 going into a bye week with the Bears and Patriots waiting in the wings. And even if you're 5-5 after those two games, you're still in good shape. But now the Jets are going to have to think about the debacle in Cleveland, and how they let a 1-5 team take them from being a 5-3 team to a .500 team. I hope they think hard about it. And I hope that finally Eric Mangini figures out, one way or another, that in the NFL you can't let every team run all over you week after week. And if, by some chance, you keep giving up 100-yard games on the ground, eventually you might try something different defensively. Maybe Mangini will use the week off to meet with Bob Sutton and finally agree that the Jets just don't have the personnel to run an effective 3-4 defense. They ought to take a page out of the book of Tim Lewis and the Giants. When things were going wrong coming off the game in Seattle, they went back the drawing board and came up with something different. It's time for Eric Mangini and Bob Sutton to do the same.

Giants living up to hype; Jets take advantage of schedule

2006-10-26T20:37:00.000-04:00

The New York Giants got physical this week. They made a statement Monday night in Big D, after they beat the Dallas Cowboys in pretty much every way you could beat them. The one apparent thing was that the Giants did indeed get physical. They were aggressive, they put pressure on Bledsoe, and they ran the football with Tiki Barber and Brandon Jacobs. And now, the Giants are where some people thought they would be after six games. They're in first place in the NFC East. Fortunately for the Giants, they've overcome some bad performances early on and have rediscovered what it will take to be a perennial playoff contender in the NFC conference -- defense, running the football, special teams and forcing turnovers. These factors have been the key to Big Blue's success over the last three games. Unfortunately, the Giants suffered some significant injuries Monday night. LaVar Arrington, after showing some glimpses of why the Giants signed him for $35 million in the offseason, tore his achilles tendon and will miss the remainder of the year. Arrington, who complained of his achilles tendon being sore all training camp, finally ran into an unfortunate situation where it just gave out on him. It's one of those injuries that is like a tire with a slow leak. Eventually, it will just pop, and it did. You have to wonder what the future for Arrington will be. Also injured is Osi Umenyiora. A hip flexor will probably force Umenyiora to miss some time, but it certainly won't be as bad as the Arrington situation. Due to the Giants schedule over the next two weeks, hosting Tampa and Houston, the Giants might be able to get by without Osi. And with two weeks rest, they can actually get him healthy. The drafting of Mathias Kiwanuka at the defensive end position makes this situation a lot less drastic. The rookie has had some flashes, showed some promise and looks ready to get on the playing field for an extended period of time. Justin Tuck also hurt his foot after being stepped on, so he also may not be available this week against Tampa. So the Giants will have to overcome some injuries. However, they're playing their best football at a time when Tampa comes in after an emotional win over the Eagles courtesy of 62-yard field goal by former Giant kicker Matt Bryant. This is a different situation for Tampa. They travel to Giants Stadium on Sunday. They won't be able to play in their cozy, warm weather. They're coming up north with a young quarterback and with a Giants defensive line that has been overpowering the last three games staring them right in the face. Fred Robbins is having a career year in the middle, and the emergence of rookie defensive tackle Barry Cofield, who has been a steadying force, has helped the Giants stop the run and put teams in third and long situations, which allows the likes of Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora to get to the quarterback. They've harassed quarterbacks the way they did Bledsoe Monday night. Six sacks and four interceptions: that's the Giants defense that will get them deep into the playoffs. On offense, Tiki Barber has been a force the last three games. Defenses have come in with some pretty impressive stats and have left embarassed. The Falcons were number one in the league against the run and Barber ran all over them. The Cowboys were next in line behind Atlanta in the run defense department, and Tiki did the exact same thing. And when the Giants really need to get physical, they'll bring Brandon Jacobs inside the red zone on a short-yardage situation. That really demoralizes the defense. It's like a truck coming at you, and you have to hope you don't get hit. In addition, if you haven't noticed, the yellow flags have not been coming as much as they had been during the first three games. The Giants have found a way to stop taking silly penalties and stop beating themselves. It's a formula that the Giants hope they can continue to utilize in order to pick up wins. And with Tampa and Houston coming up, they should get their record ready for a tremendous contest. 6-2, against a possibly undefeated Bears team during primetime, Sunday, November 12. It doesn't get any better than that. Giants fans will be going crazy with the Bears coming into town. We'll get to find out just how physical this Giant team is, because there isn't a more physical team than the Bears this season in my mind. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE HAND YOU'RE DEALT As for the Jets, is it me or do they keep playing 1-5 teams every week? But you know what, you can't blame Eric Mangini and his Jet team for taking advantage of what's up next on their schedule. They're not playing down to their competition, they're beating their competition. And although the teams they've been playing have had their problems, the Jets haven't helped them out by turning the ball over or by letting them believe that they can steal a game. This week, they go on the road to play the Browns. However, this is a Cleveland team that has many problems and is currently in a state of controversy. Maurice Carthon is out as offensive coordinator, and now Romeo Crenel, who worked with Eric Mangini in New England, has to find a way to turn this thing around and quickly, or he'll be back to doing what he does best: being a defensive coach. The Jets bring in a team that has confidence, is in the midst of a winning streak, and has the look to improve to 5-3, one more win than they had last year. And that to me is the biggest story. But make no mistake about it, the reason behind the Jets success, number one and number one only, is health. They're healthy at the quarterback position. They're healthy for the most part at the remainder of the positions. And last year, they were an accident waiting to happen, playing with third and fourth string quarterbacks. It makes a big difference. If you don't think so, you really don't know the National Football League. You can't win when your quarterback can't play the game or isn't ready to play the game. The Cowboys found that out in the second half Monday night. So look for the Jets to continue what they have done, beating bad football teams. But Bill Parcells said it best: you are what your record says you are. And with a win against Cleveland this week, the Jets will improve to an impressive 5-3 on the season.

Common goal: Stop the run

2006-10-12T00:15:00.000-04:00

The Giants went back to basics last week as they defeated the Redskins rather easily at home in a game that they had to win and a game that they won convincingly. The defense now has their confidence back. They said the right things, learned to communicate, found their pass rush and they also showed the ability to cover again. That all goes out the window this week as they head down to Atlanta to the Georgia Dome. First of all, they will see an Atlanta offense that is very tricky. They are not as effective in the air with Michael Vick at the helm, but it's not how he beats you in the air, it's how he beats you with his legs. Obviously he's one of the top runners at his position. This year, the Falcons lead the NFL with 234 rushing yards per game and they throw several running backs at you in Warrick Dunn, Jerious Norwood and Vick, players who give them the ability to go the distance on a very fast track. On that Big Blue defense, it will be vital that Antonio Pierce and company tackle well. The Giants don't plan on having a spy for Vick. They don't feel as if one person can keep up with him, and that's true because it will take an entire front seven to track him, not over-pursue, and when he beats them, keep him to a minimum gain. Let's get one thing straight, Vick will run the ball against the Giants, he will have some eye-popping plays, but the key is to contain him as much as possible. The fans get behind their team, and most importantly, the Falcons are playing terrific defense this year. They are the second best team in the NFL against the run. They are giving up 69.2 yards allowed per game. That right now is a key statistic going into this game. If the Giants look to establish their running game, and I always felt they aren't a power running football team, they usually get the pass going and then establish Tiki Barber. But this Sunday against the Falcons, they are going to have to turn things around with Brandon Jacobs. They need to keep the Falcons' offense off the field and develop a power running game by trying to build off the offensive line play against the Redskins. They need to keep their offense on the field and dominate time of posession. It's a very difficult task. Jeremy Shockey is still hurting and I think the Giants recievers will come through as far as the passing game is concerned with Amani Toomer having a terrific year and Plaxico Burress, when he concentrates and focuses, is still a weapon for Big Blue. Eli Manning's has upped his completion ratio to 67 percent, and it was only a matter of time, Obviously, until their quarterback put it together and was able to understand the offense, but more importantly understand the opposing defenses and not try to force it. It's going to be loud in Atlanta, and that's something the Giants haven't been able to overcome, as we saw in Seattle. it's a good test for the Giants. Are they back to where we thought they would be? Or was this week's win against the Redskins just a mirage? Time will only tell, but I do like the Falcons in this game, and I think it will be a good game, but I don't think the Giants have enough to corral Michael Vick and company. BRING THE PASSION As far as the Jets are concerned, we've seen the good, the bad and the ugly. The ugly is the run defense. I don't understand how the personnel on that defense that is primarily the same as they were two years ago -- and I know that Abraham is playing for the Falcons now, but it's not like there are a lot of new faces on this Jets defense -- got so bad, so fast. I think they are No. 29 against the run. With exception of the Tennessee game, every team has run over the 100-yard mark against the Jets' defense. It's one of the most demoralizing things that a team can do to a defense, and that's what teams are doing right now. I don't think the Miami Dolphins, who have had their own problems, aren't going to try and get Ronnie Brown going, and are going to play their new young quarterback Joey Harrington and make him throw a few times, but basically beat them with the ground attack, every team has had that approach so far. I don't understand how this defense go so bad. I understand that Eric Mangini is a new coach, but with Donnie Henderson they were sound. They have Jonathan Vilma, who made himself into an all-pro linebacker. I understand that Mangini runs the 3-4, but they are going to have to change something in order to stop the run. As Chad Pennington goes, so will the Jets. He turned it over early last week and they suffered. Another enigma is the fact that they can't score early. Before the third quarter, they haven't been able to put points up. Again, this is something that against the Dolphins at their home stadium they must get their lead and make Miami play the way they don't want to play. As I said Miami is going to want to try and run the ball, establish it and stay conservative. Well, if you get an early lead, maybe you force Joey Harrington to do what he does best, which is turn it over.

Again, it's up to the Jets to show up after that embarrassment against Jacksonville and show their fans they aren't as bad as they showed. I knew the Jets weren't great, but not as bad as 41-0, that was an embarrassment, and it's something the Jets players realize they have to fix. They need to step on the field during the first play and show passion. And then maybe, just maybe, they can get by the Fins and play some winning football.

Time to turn things around

2006-10-02T21:58:00.000-04:00

Tom Coughlin and Big Blue had the week off to think about what went wrong and to think about how they are going to turn around this ship that has taken on water. Big Blue has to take on their arch enemy, the Redskins, at Giants Stadium this Sunday, in what originally looked like a game the Giants would win big. There are some serious doubts, and that is because the Redskins, off their victory in OT over Jacksonville, have discovered the big play, and the big play is how you win games in the NFL. For the first couple of weeks, the Redskins didn't have their running game because of the injury to Clinton Portis. And now that Portis is back, defenses have to worry about him, thus giving up something. And what they have given up is coverage on Santana Moss. Moss now comes into Giants Stadium with his eyes big looking at the Giants' secondary. Tim Lewis' defense loves to play the cover two. In the past, I've called it bend-but-don't-break, but this year it is breaking rather than bending. So now I will call it "cover who?" That's what is going on with the Giants' defense right now, cover who? Who has this guy? who has that guy? Ultimately, no one, and that has been the problem. When you have the blitz that usually makes the quarterback release the ball early, but the Giants haven't been blitzing. They've been trying to rely on their linebackers in the passing game because they realize Tim Lewis's cover two, or cover who?, has been built with cornerbacks Sam Madison and Corey Webster to give them some help as much as you can. And also with Will Demps and Gibril Wilson back there as safties to help them in the middle of the defense. But here is the problem, it's like the chicken and the egg: If you can't blitz beacuse you are afraid that you can't cover, then you can't get to the quaterback. If you can't get to the quarterback, you are in trouble with the secondary. And that's the big dilemma for Tim Lewis, Tom Coughlin and the rest of the Giants' coaching staff. Will they bring the heat? Because right now, if the Giants rely on a four-man rushing scheme, offenses have been able to contain Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora. Maybe they will come up big this week. Maybe the Giants will bring more heat, but the big question is will they keep Santana Moss under wraps? Are they going to keep Mark Brunell sitting back there, throw it up and have Santana Moss run under it for 75 yards like he did at the end of last year against Tim Lewis's defense. That time it was Will Allen, but I don't think Giants feel comfy with Sam Madison back there either. You may be able to change corners, but I think the result is going to be the same. You have a 32-year-old Sam Madison and a safety trying to cover a speedster in Santana Moss. I don't like the matchup. However, I think the Giants are going to come out of the gate fast and furious on offense. I think they are determined to come out and show people they are not as bad as they seemed against Seattle. I think that home crowd is also going to be a benefit. But again, the Giants have to find out a way to stop someone first, and then let their offense take over. IT WAS WORTH A SHOT As far as the Jets, I don't understand why people are criticizing Eric Mangini's decision to go for it on 4th and 3. You see, when I saw the score at 14-14, I knew that field goals weren't going to beat the Colts, you are going to have to score touchdowns. When I looked at this game, I thought the Jets were playing with house money. No one expects you to win, Why not send a message? Why not tell your team we are building something here, we are going to gamble, we are trying to do things differently, we are going to try and win football games and establish something here. It was 4th and 3, maybe 4th and 2, but you had a quarterback in Chad Pennington, who was 44-0 in the endzone without an interception. I think Eric Mangini was ready to bet and gamble like he had done all day in different situations; onside kicks, 4th and 1's, reverses, QB sneaks by Brad Smith, options that Chad Pennington wouldn't throw an interception. It might not be complete, they might not score, but at the worst the Colts' offense would have to get back on the field on the 3-yard line and march 97 yards. I thought Eric Mangini's decision was gutsy. He sent a message to his team that he believes in them and believes that they are building something. I don't second-guess him. I think he did the right thing and his offense and defense will respect his coaches' desicion to leave it on the field with the players. To show them that they are building something here, and trying to win games, not kick a field goal and hope to win a game, but we are going to score TDs. The only thing you have to wonder is that Eric Mangini is a defensive coach, and like I said, they had difficulty stopping Tom Brady and I knew they would have difficulty stopping Peyton Manning. But Mangini had to come up with something better than he did to stop that Colts offense. I don't have a problem with his play-calling on offense, but I have a problem with his game-calling on defense.

Jets' running game must get going quick

2006-09-29T16:42:00.000-04:00

Just one time I'd like to pull a page out of Eric Mangini's playbook and have Dan Leberfeld taken off the roster and sent packing to the West Coast somewhere. But unfortunately, I can't do that. But you know what, Dan wasn't all wrong last week when he said that the Jets should look for a new running back. I know he's been adamant about Cedric Houston; however, the Jets got it right. They got a few running backs back there. We got to see a little bit of Leon Washington, who rushed for 25 yards on seven carries and also caught two passes for 52 yards, one of which went for 47 yards. We got to see a little bit of Houston, and hopefully we wont' see any more of Kevan Barlow. But I think that's the best way for the Jets right now, as they use Washington out of the backfield as a change-of-pace running back, third-down running back, kind of the way the Giants used to use Dave Meggett. And then maybe, just maybe, they can give the ball to Dan's favorite running back, Cedric Houston, from time to time for the tough yardage. I wouldn't turn the ball over completely to Cedric, and I don't think the Jets will do that either, but I think that they will be able to compliment each other and give the Jets what they sorely need this weekend against the Colts - a running game. Now I've been saying that they need a running game for the first three weeks, and they are 2-1, but here's the problem, this time, like they did last time, they need to keep the Colts' offense off the field. They need to have Peyton Manning sitting on the bench thinking about the stadium and the last time he was here, beating up his little brother. The last thing the Jets need is for Manning and company to be on the field, striking the Jets' defense from all parts of the field. In my book, a running game and significant time of possession is the only way to accomplish that. Now Chad Pennington has been terrific in finding his receivers in a pass control offense, where he throws six yards to Laveranues Coles, seven yards to Jerricho Cotchery, and maybe throws it to his tight end for eight yards. It's not been the big play offense, but it's been pass control. With a running game, that's the best way to keep the Colts in check. I don't think they'll be able to do that, although the Colts' secondary is banged up, and they obviously have some problems on offense with the death of Reggie Wayne's brother, but I think the Colts just have too many weapons and too much talent for the Jets to find a way to pull an upset at home. Now, there seems to be a trend here. The Jets have played very well against offenses that get in the way of themselves. The first week against Tennessee, when Kerry Collins had a weak game, the Jets were able to victimize the Tennessee offense for the most part. Then up in Buffalo last week, J.P. Losman turned the ball over several times, giving the Jets a short field, which also helped them. But in the middle week, when they went up against one of the best quarterbacks in the league, it was a different outcome. It was expected. But unfortunately now, they're going up against the best quarterback in the league. This time it's not Tom Brady. This time, it's Peyton Manning. And for the Jets, if they have any chance at all, they better start running the ball quickly.

Credit goes to Chad; Giants need to look in mirror

2006-09-25T18:21:00.000-04:00

There is an old saying in football: The quarterback gets too much credit and too much blame. But in the Jets case, all the credit in my book, goes to Chad Pennington. For Chad Pennington, staying healthy and leading his team right now is the real reason the Jets have looked so good. A couple of weeks ago I was saying what Jet Fans can be optimistic about, and with Chad Pennington healthy, they can be optimistic. That's exactly what has been number one in my book. Around the NFL, more games are lost by quarterbacks than won, and Sunday was a classic example when J.P. Losman decided he was going to give the ball to the Jets more than he was going to do for his own team. Whereas Chad had no turnovers or interceptions in the game, and has an incredible stat of 44-0 with no interceptions in the red zone for his career. He's very efficient, very smart, he's a coach out there, a leader and (when healthy) one of the top quarterbacks. He's the key right now for the Jets' 2-1 record. I'm not going to say that a great play on defense by Bobby Hamilton was all Chad's doing, but he puts his team in position here and there. Hamilton had a huge sack, Kerry Rhodes had a huge sack that caused a fumble. So Chad puts his team in position to hang around and he lets his defense make timely plays, he doesn't put his defense in position where there is a lot of pressure on them and where the other opponent has a short field. So right now, the difference in the New York Jets from last year is Number 10, he wasn't on the field last year and he's back on the field this year. BLUE SUNDAY As far as the Giants are concerned, if anyone needs to look at what's wrong with this team, let's look at the defense. Anytime you give up 92 points in three games, which is the second most in the NFL -- behind a pathetic Texans team - and anytime you give up over 1,100 yards in three games, you are fooling yourself if you think you have a chance for your offense to bail you out. Now, with that said, the offense didn't get off to a great start and was frantic at times. In fact, watching the Giants try and run a play on third down can be somewhat scary. I don't understand why the staff puts Eli Manning in that situation, where he has to make so many pre-snap decisions. Where that he takes his eyes off the secondary and worries about everything else, but snapping the ball at 2...1...And then makes a throw down field and never sees the safety. That was the first turnover of the game and it got worse from there. The Giants need to get back to basics, they need to keep it simple and that's why they looked so effective in their up-tempo, no-huddle offense. They aren't coming over the ball with five seconds to go, they aren't trying to snap the ball with one second on the play clock, and they are letting Eli get over the center, look at the defense, snap the ball and find his receivers. Keep it simple. It's when they are in their regular offense that they look so disorganized. What this team is going to have to do is figure out how to stop giving the game away and beating themselves. They have to stop looking at the opponent and start looking at themselves. This team right now is very inconsistent. They are a team in turmoil also, because they are pointing the finger at everybody else but themselves. Believe me, Tom Coughlin has left a lot to be desired in the coaching department, at least his assistants have, in fact he's probably gotten little help from Tim Lewis. Someone is going to have to figure out how to cover people, how people on offense are running through the Giants defense with no one around, it's just something you don't see often in the NFL. Against the Seahawks, the Giants looked like a bad college team. It looked like what we see in college where Seattle put the Giants on their schedule and it was homecoming. That is something we see on Saturday, not on Sunday. The Giants have this Sunday off, they will have to figure out a way first to look in the mirror. Then they can look at that opponent.

Not impressed with Giants D, Jets running game

2006-09-19T16:38:00.000-04:00

Going into Week 3, the Giants must become defensive. Amani Toomer said it best that they have to find their identity. Right now they're a team that has a talented offense, but a defense that is disappointing. My partner, Dan Leberfeld, says that by Week 8, the Giants will have the most dominate pass-rush in football. That they'd get people to forget the Fearsome Foursome. Well after two games, that hasn't been the case at all. In fact, their pass-rush has been abysmal. I guess for Dan, whatever he touches ... well, you know what I mean. Anyway, the Giants this week have to figure out a way on the road again in Seattle, a place where they played well last year, but found a way to lose a game due to penalties, missed field goals and missed opportunities. They gave one of the NFC's best teams a tough time up there last year, but don't kid yourself. If the Giants continue to play the way they are right now, they might as well stay home. They're giving up too many yards. In two games, they've allowed 778 yards combined. Not the way you want to play defense We all know this defense had some question marks heading into this season: What was the secondary going to be like? What were the outside linebackers going to be like? Well, for two games we still have those question marks. The one thing we thought we could count on was Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan getting to the quarterbacks. We thought we'd see Tim Lewis designing blitz packages and finding creative ways to get his pass-rushers all over the QBs. Now, I know Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb are two of the better quarterbacks in the game. They get rid of the ball quickly and are tough to find back there. You think you have Donovan sacked and he gets away. But that said, if the Giants are going to continue to rush four guys and try to help out their secondary by dropping their linebackers in the coverage, opposing QBs will continue to pick them apart. And, they're completing over 60 percent of their passes against that Giants defense. Offensively, they are talented, but continue to make mistakes. If they continue to turn the ball over, they wont continue to be lucky as they were Sunday when Tim Carter jumped on a fumble by Plaxico Burress for a touchdown. The Giants also continue to take penalties, 19 in fact, in two games. The discipline has to be sharp. Ironically, they won a game in Philadelphia because the Eagles' discipline was inexcusable. Trent Cole decided to drop-kick Kareem McKenzie in the groin with the game on the line. Thus, the Giants were able to kick a field goal, send it to overtime and let their young QB do what he does best: The two-minute, no-huddle offense. Some people have said, "Why don't the Giants do this more often and start it in the first quarter?" I don't think you can play football that way. Teams go vanilla when they go up by a lot of points and they seem to stop attacking. They kind of lay back and try not to give up the long TD. I think the Giants are kidding themselves if they think they can continue to do this throughout the game, but it's nice to know with the game on the line and in need of a score, they have one of the top QBs in the league at running the two-minute offense in Eli Manning. GANG GREEN As far as the Jets are concerned, they have to find a running attack and ball-carrier. Good ol' Dan Leberfeld is hell-bent on the fact that Cedric Houston is the next Herschel Walker. Now, I know Dan has a unique way of pumping up unheard of players. In fact, I hear he's still the president of the Brooks Bollinger fan club! But I don't think he's totally out of his mind. The Jets need to find an answer back there and it's not Derrick Blaylock. Is it Houston? I doubt it. But they should throw him back there and give him a look. You never know. Sometimes a squirrel finds a nut. Maybe Leberfeld is on to something. I'm not quite sure. But I know one thing, the Jets are not going to be involved in a favorable way unless they figure out a way to run the football effectively and create control of the game, so Chad Pennington can run a play-action and get it to his talented receivers. Right now, there's nothing there for opposing defenses to take serious. On the other side of the ball, the Jets are getting pushed around up front. They knew their defensive line wouldn't be one to have us think they'd be one of the best in the league. However, they have to find a way to be creative and get to the quarterback. The defensive linemen aren't capable of doing this without blitzing as we saw Kerry Rhodes effectively do when he was able to pop the ball out of Tom Brady's hands. We need to see more of that. We need to see more of an attacking style on defense. I'm not sure this week against Buffalo, however, they need to do that. J.P. Losman is one of the worst QBs in the NFL and the Jets need to be dominate up front. The defense needs to stop the running game and the offensive line needs to keep Pennington in one piece. Who knows! Like I said, my partner Leberfeld may be on to something here. I doubt it. But you never know.

Jet fans should wait before they get excited

2006-09-15T20:49:00.000-04:00

As usual, Dan Leberfeld just doesn't get it. If you want to sit there and beat your chest because the New York Jets went down to Tennessee and beat a team that was trying to figure out how they could give a game away by starting a quarterback who showed up last week, and then playing a quarterback who isn't ready to play in the NFL...well, you can, but for me, I'm smarter than that. Last year, when the Giants went down to Philly, they picked up a big, big, big, big win over a team that was wearing Philadelphia jerseys, but weren't really the Philadelphia Eagles. Anytime you play and beat the Eagles and Donovan McNabb isn't in the line-up, I'm not going to pound my chest. You can, Dan. But the players, they know the real deal.

Giants get set for McNabb, Jets have tough task

2006-09-13T20:58:00.000-04:00

The Giants are obviously going to see the best of Philadelphia this week, last year they had it easy in my opinion. They had to go play a Philadelphia team that was wearing the uniforms but weren't the team that dominated the NFC East the last five years. Now, Donovan McNabb is back. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him because he has a way of beating teams in the NFC East. He always has. I mean it was when he first came up when the Giants seemed to have his number, but ever since 2000 he has owned them. And now he's back. He has some weapons in Donte' Stallworth, Correll Buckhalter, Brian Westbrook, and L.J. Smith from Rutgers. So, McNabb will have something to say about this Giants-Eagles rivalry. The game is in Philly and it's going to be loud, so expect Donovan ready to go coming off that big win. I will tell you this, Michael Strahan and LaVar Arrington better be prepared, they can't go through this game like they did last week as 'no-shows.' They have to bring something to the table and the Giants better have a pass rush against Donovan because it will be similar as far as third down conversions if they don't get to him. I expect Jeremy Shockey to play and I don't think anything that happened to Shockey that will have any effect when they lineup Sunday. He might miss some practice time, but he's not missing this game. If Jeremy Shockey can walk, he will play on Sunday, and I don't think whatever happened to him against the Colts is anything to worry about. Chris Snee will miss the game. Rich Seubert came in and you didn't even know Chris Snee was out. So, that's the best thing I can say about the depth of the Giants offensive linemen, they were able to replace Snee who is becoming one of the better O-linemen in the league. Rich Seubert came in and replaced him and the Giants averaged more than six-yards per carry in the running game and Eli Manning had plenty of time back there. The good news is Snee will be back, it's not anything that needs to be scoped or anything. As for the Jets, I think the question with Chad Pennington has always been his durability, not his ability, and I think Chad Pennington has shown people this year that he's a lot healthier this year than last year. However, they face New England and you aren't going to be successful against New England without a running game. So, you are only fooling yourself if you think Chad Pennington is going to be able to spread the ball around and throw for 300-yards against the Patriots without a running game. Because if the Patriots force the Jets to be one dimensional, it's going to be a long day for Chad Pennington and the rest of the Jets. Speaking with Mike Nugent today, he swears it's not something psychological that effected his game last week. It was a bad habit he had picked up, he fixed it, and he feels his teammates have a lot of confidence in him, and he feels it's not something that's going to be a problem. I always wonder with kickers once they start missing kicks, that it's in their heads, but with Mike Nugent, and the fact he's supposed to be a very talented kicker, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt this week. But I know one thing, you can't miss extra-points in the NFL. They don't miss them in high school. There better be a Jet to look out for this week, and he better be rushing Tom Brady. I don't know who it is going to be, whether it is Shaun Ellis or Bryan Thomas, but somebody better show up and apply pressure or Brady will pick apart their secondary like a surgeon. In my opinion, last week they didn't put enough pressure on Kerry Collins and I know my partner, Dan Leberfeld, let the Jets defense off the hook because he said the Jets defense did a good job. But lets face it, Kerry Collins was there for a week, and they didn't apply enough pressure then, this week is a totally different situation. We are looking at one of the best quarterbacks in the league and if they don't apply pressure it will be a long day for Gang Green. I still think four or five wins is a realistic prediction for the Jets. I'm not taking anything away from Week 1, but the situation of playing against Tennessee where they put a QB in a week before the game was a major, major break for the Jets. Hey, the game was 16-0 at one point. It should have been put away, and the Jets looked at a team driving down the field and got to the six-yard line with a chance to send it into OT. This is not something I would beat my chest about. Meanwhile, there was some controversy circling around the Jets and Patriots and the Deion Branch situation, but to be honest with you, I think the whole situation is just mind games. I don't think it's anything that will have any effect on the future of the Jets and the Patriots organizations. Right now I think it is purely mind games.