I've officially stepped off the ledge. For now at least. The Giants have won 3 games in a row, though the most recent against the 49ers was entirely too close for comfort. Nonetheless, a win is a win, and New York now sits atop the NFC East all by themselves. Who woulda' thunk it!? Granted it's only by 1 game, but there's suddenly a reason to be optimistic. Let's think about it. Washington still isn't very good, Philly has completely underwhelmed so far, and Dallas is challenging the Giants for most injured team in the NFL. Assuming the Eagles don't turn it around, and Tony Romo is out for a few more weeks, there's no reason to think the Giants can't come away with this division. Now, having said that, keep in mind that these are still the Giants we're talking about, so nothing is guaranteed.
This week's game against Philadelphia, while not critical, is still pretty important. With Dallas on a bye and Washington playing the Jets, a New York win could increase their division lead before heading into their rematch with the Cowboys. If the Giants had just taken care of business in that first game, and the Atlanta game for that matter, then they'd already have a cushy lead in the East. But no, why would that be the case? Heaven forbid! But I shouldn't complain. They could have crapped away the last 3 games as well.
While things have been looking up in the wins column, the injuries just keep mounting. As I've mentioned in previous posts, the Giants have been the most injured team in the NFL over the last few seasons, and this year has been no different. The most recent injuries are Jon Beason (concussion), Odell Beckham Jr. (hamstring), Rueben Randle (hamstring) and Prince Amukamara (pectoral). The first three guys are considered day-to-day, but Amukamara is believed to be out at least 3-4 weeks. This is unbelievably frustrating. Since he's come into the league in 2011, Amukamara's played in all 16 games once. Once. In fact, he's only hit double-digit-games-played twice. If I'm not mistaken, he'll become a free agent after this season, and boy I hope that the Giants don't re-sign him. He's pretty good when he's healthy, but the fact that I have to say "when he's healthy" is the whole problem here. Enough with Prince, we need a king. Wow that was lame.
So there you have it. The Giants are racking up wins and injuries. Hopefully the former keeps rising and the latter starts dwindling.
This blog is dedicated to sports talk. Sports talk makes me happy (hence, rhapsody). I'm a huge football fan (Giants are my main dish, with a side of Jets), moderate baseball (Yankees) and basketball (Knicks) fan. But I don't limit myself to just those teams, especially when it comes to football. So come along on my magical sports journey. What? Too much? Fine, then just read the damn blog, please!
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Giants Give Away Another Win
- Breaking news from the NFL:
Team records will still consist of "Wins" and "Losses", however playoff teams will now be determined by how many losses a team has, as opposed to wins. -
That's obviously not true, but if it were, the Giants would finally be the best team in the NFL, because so far this season, they're the best at losing.
After handing Dallas the first game, New York decided it best to do the same with the Falcons. I'm all for being a gracious host, but gimme a damn break. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Giants are the first team in history to lose their first 2 games of the season while being ahead by 10 or more points in the 4th quarter.
That's a problem, people. Some might say it's not a big deal. "They could just as easily be 2-0 instead of 0-2". But you know what? They are 0-2. And I'll be the first to admit, they're not good enough to give away games. It was bad enough after the Cowboy's game, but blowing it again against Atlanta just might bury them.
Ok, maybe that's a bit dramatic considering we're only 2 games into the season, but I'm serious when I say this team is not built to overcome losses like that. Yes, their offense finally clicked a bit, but that was only for 2 quarters. Where was it in the first, and more importantly the fourth? It was nowhere to be found. And when are these freakin' injuries going to stop?! I don't know the extent of Ereck Flowers' ankle injury, but it was bad enough that he couldn't return to the game. On top of that, Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie left with a concussion. I'll tell you right now, if Flowers is out for any extended period of time, you can kiss what little bit of a running game they have goodbye. Not only are the Giants not built to overcome crappy losses, they're also not built to overcome big injuries.
That leads me to my next point: when is enough enough with Jerry Reese? As I always say, I'm not big on calling for a person's job, but Reese has been putting together mediocre teams since he's taken over. That first Super Bowl team? You can thank Ernie Accorsi for that. Since Reese took the reigns from Accorsi in 2008, the Giants have made the playoffs only twice (which includes that 12-4 team from the year after Accorsi left), and are currently working on a third straight losing season. That's really bad. How much more of this do Giants fans need to take? Please move on from Jerry Reese and bring someone in that can build a consistent winner.
Something that I'm fairly certain will happen (unless the team makes a miraculous turn-around), is the firing of Tom Coughlin. He's currently under contract through 2016, but if New York misses out on the playoffs again, there's no way he's coming back next season. And as much as I love Tom (which is quite a lot), I'd be ok with it. This team needs a change. I've been clamoring for it for a couple of years now. Not so much Tom, but definitely Reese. Will another losing season finally be enough to get it? We'll see, because I don't envision a lot of wins for this team. Speaking of wins, let's look at their schedule, shall we? I'm going to play a little game of "guess the wins and losses" for the rest of the games on the Giants schedule. Brace yourself.
Team records will still consist of "Wins" and "Losses", however playoff teams will now be determined by how many losses a team has, as opposed to wins. -
That's obviously not true, but if it were, the Giants would finally be the best team in the NFL, because so far this season, they're the best at losing.
After handing Dallas the first game, New York decided it best to do the same with the Falcons. I'm all for being a gracious host, but gimme a damn break. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Giants are the first team in history to lose their first 2 games of the season while being ahead by 10 or more points in the 4th quarter.
That's a problem, people. Some might say it's not a big deal. "They could just as easily be 2-0 instead of 0-2". But you know what? They are 0-2. And I'll be the first to admit, they're not good enough to give away games. It was bad enough after the Cowboy's game, but blowing it again against Atlanta just might bury them.
Ok, maybe that's a bit dramatic considering we're only 2 games into the season, but I'm serious when I say this team is not built to overcome losses like that. Yes, their offense finally clicked a bit, but that was only for 2 quarters. Where was it in the first, and more importantly the fourth? It was nowhere to be found. And when are these freakin' injuries going to stop?! I don't know the extent of Ereck Flowers' ankle injury, but it was bad enough that he couldn't return to the game. On top of that, Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie left with a concussion. I'll tell you right now, if Flowers is out for any extended period of time, you can kiss what little bit of a running game they have goodbye. Not only are the Giants not built to overcome crappy losses, they're also not built to overcome big injuries.
That leads me to my next point: when is enough enough with Jerry Reese? As I always say, I'm not big on calling for a person's job, but Reese has been putting together mediocre teams since he's taken over. That first Super Bowl team? You can thank Ernie Accorsi for that. Since Reese took the reigns from Accorsi in 2008, the Giants have made the playoffs only twice (which includes that 12-4 team from the year after Accorsi left), and are currently working on a third straight losing season. That's really bad. How much more of this do Giants fans need to take? Please move on from Jerry Reese and bring someone in that can build a consistent winner.
Something that I'm fairly certain will happen (unless the team makes a miraculous turn-around), is the firing of Tom Coughlin. He's currently under contract through 2016, but if New York misses out on the playoffs again, there's no way he's coming back next season. And as much as I love Tom (which is quite a lot), I'd be ok with it. This team needs a change. I've been clamoring for it for a couple of years now. Not so much Tom, but definitely Reese. Will another losing season finally be enough to get it? We'll see, because I don't envision a lot of wins for this team. Speaking of wins, let's look at their schedule, shall we? I'm going to play a little game of "guess the wins and losses" for the rest of the games on the Giants schedule. Brace yourself.
Quick math tells me that I'm predicting the Giants to finish 5-11. Ouch. They'll find a couple of wins in the NFC South, but get swept by the AFC East. I'm sure you've also noticed that I have them losing to Dallas on October 25th. That's because they should beat the Cowboys with Brandon Weeden leading the way, but won't, because, well, that's how New York rolls. Though this year could be filled with a lot more "lose the games you should--and lose the games you shouldn't".
There's a lot of season left, but as you can tell, I'm not very optimistic.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
2015 NFL Predictions - NFC and Super Bowl Edition
No funny intro's here. I've already done my AFC predictions, and now it's time for the NFC and Super Bowl. I'm diving in head first today, people, and I'm not wearing a helmet. Let's rock and ro... ow, my head!
NFC EAST
1) Philadelphia Eagles
As a Giants fan, I'm terrified of the Eagles this year. I know it was only the preseason, but they were dismantling people, and something tells me that's not going to stop come the regular season. Highest scoring team in the league by a wide margin, mark my words.
2) Dallas Cowboys
Losing DeMarco Murray hurts, but even I could rush for 1000 yards behind Dallas' offensive line, so the run game should be just fine. The defense is suspect to me, but barring any catastrophic injuries, Dallas should be playing into January again this season.
3) New York Giants
What to make of my Giants? Offensively, they should be solid. If they had a better offensive line I'd say great, but since they don't, solid is as good as it gets. Defensively, however, they could be a total mess. There's talent there (Jon Beason, Prince Amukamara, Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie, Devon Kennard and a few others), but not enough for me to project New York into the post-season. (Sniffle) Excuse me, there's something in my eye. (Sniffle)
4) Washington Redskins
What a mess. From the quarterback to the team name, Washington is the epitome of dysfunction. I'd say the team is better off with Kirk Cousins under center, but he didn't show a whole lot with his opportunity last year. Last place seems inevitable.
NFC NORTH
1) Green Bay
Much like the Colts, Green Bay has pretty much already clinched the division. The loss of Jordy Nelson is bad, but not bad enough to slow down the Packers. With Aaron Rodgers at the helm, they'll be fighting for the best record in the NFC.
2) Minnesota Vikings
I was going to go with Detroit here, but the return of Adrien Peterson puts Minnesota over the top. Teddy Bridgewater should only get better, as should the defense under Mike Zimmer. The Vikings could be competing for a Wild Card spot.
3) Detroit Lions
Detroit had a very good season last year, but I don't see them being quite that good this time around. They lost Ndamukong Suh, but did an admiral job of replacing him by trading for Haloti Ngata. If Calvin Johnson can stay healthy, and guys like Eric Ebron and Ameer Abdullah break out, the offense might be strong enough to carry the Lions into the playoffs.
4) Chicago Bears
.................
What? My parents always said, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. All kidding aside, the Bears don't have a lot going on. Jay Cutler has never lived up to his potential, almost all of the receivers are hurt and the defense is a disaster. Could we be looking at the worst team in the NFL?
NFC SOUTH
Before I get into this division, keep in mind, it was won last year by the 7-8-1 Carolina Panthers. It was all sorts of bad.
1) New Orleans Saints
I don't love any team in this division, but I think the Saints have the best shot at winning it. They traded Jimmy Graham, but upgraded their offensive line by getting Max Unger in return. I don't see a huge improvement defensively, so for them to win, the offense will have to carry the load.
2) Atlanta Falcons
As much as I like Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, I just don't see Atlanta having a winning record. The running game and offensive line aren't great. The defense won't be spectacular either, but should be improved with Dan Quinn now running the ship.
3) Carolina Panthers
The defense should be ok, but I'm not expecting a lot from the offense. Kelvin Benjamin is out for the season, pretty much leaving Greg Olsen as the only viable pass catcher. Plus, Cam Newton isn't the most accurate passer around, so him carrying the team by himself doesn't seem likely.
4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I'm not going to pretend that I know much about their defense, but they've definitely got some talent on the other side of the ball. Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson and a healthy Doug Martin could prove to be problematic for teams, but that will really hinge on rookie quarterback, Jameis Winston. I'm leaning toward him having the usual rookie ups-and-downs, thus the Bucs finishing in last place.
NFC WEST
1) Seattle Seahawks
Hey look, the Seahawks are gonna' be really good again! I know, not a surprise. The addition of Jimmy Graham should only improve an already solid offense. They did lose Max Unger in the Graham deal, but with Russell Wilson's rushing ability, defenses will still have to be on their toes. Speaking of defense, Seattle's should still be really, really good. Really.
2) Arizona Cardinals
This rank is completely predicated on Carson Palmer staying healthy. No guarantee, that's for sure. But if he does, then Arizona should be pretty tough. I don't know how, but their defense was really good last year, so I have no reason to think they won't be decent again. And with a healthy Palmer, the offense shouldn't have too hard a time putting points on the board.
3) St. Louis Rams
Not a big believer in Nick Foles at quarterback, but he's got some decent weapons on offense to work with. The defense, aside from the secondary, is terrific, and they should keep the Rams in a lot of games. If Foles can exhibit even half of what he showed a couple of years ago with Philly, then the Rams could push for a Wild Card spot. Not likely, but hey, you never know.
4) San Francisco 49ers
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I believe 4,856 players have either retired or been arrested this off-season from the 49ers. It's crazy. I'm not seeing any positives here. Colin Kaepernick can't carry a team, and the defense won't be nearly as good as it was over the last few seasons. Soooo, yea. Sorry 49ers fans.
Wild Card
Philadelphia vs. Minnesota
I really want to pick with my heart and say the Vikings stomp out the Iggles, but I just can't. Philly takes this one, and also a piece of my soul.
New Orleans vs. Dallas
I really want to pick with my he...oops, nevermind. Unless the Saints can control the clock with a solid running game, I can't see them beating the Cowboys.
Divisional Round
Seattle vs. Dallas
I'm pretty much all-in on the Seahawks this year (Russell Wilson is on all of my fantasy teams). With no DeMarco Murray and a shaky defense, Seattle dispenses with Dallas, bringing much joy and exuberance to my household.
Green Bay vs. Philadelphia
Mercy help me. My two rivals in the playoffs. Unfortunately, I don't think the Packers can stop this Eagles juggernaut. My only hope is that the Philly defense gets worn down by being on the field too much due to their quick-scoring style under Chip Kelly.
Championship Round
Seattle vs. Philadelphia
Let's go Seattle!! Whoops. No bias here. I swear. As I said above, Seattle is it for me once again. I just can't find any glaring weakness with this team, hence my confidence in them.
Super Bowl
Pittsburgh vs. Seattle
If you remember, I had the Steelers beating the Colts in the AFC Championship game. They'll tangle with the Seahawks for the whole enchilada. While I think Pittsburgh's offense will be rather explosive, their lack of defense will finally do them in. Seattle will raise their second Lombardi trophy in the last three years.
There you have it. I'll come back to these picks at the end of the season to see how I did, unless of course I do terribly, in which case I'll deny having ever written this article.
NFC EAST
1) Philadelphia Eagles
As a Giants fan, I'm terrified of the Eagles this year. I know it was only the preseason, but they were dismantling people, and something tells me that's not going to stop come the regular season. Highest scoring team in the league by a wide margin, mark my words.
2) Dallas Cowboys
Losing DeMarco Murray hurts, but even I could rush for 1000 yards behind Dallas' offensive line, so the run game should be just fine. The defense is suspect to me, but barring any catastrophic injuries, Dallas should be playing into January again this season.
3) New York Giants
What to make of my Giants? Offensively, they should be solid. If they had a better offensive line I'd say great, but since they don't, solid is as good as it gets. Defensively, however, they could be a total mess. There's talent there (Jon Beason, Prince Amukamara, Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie, Devon Kennard and a few others), but not enough for me to project New York into the post-season. (Sniffle) Excuse me, there's something in my eye. (Sniffle)
4) Washington Redskins
What a mess. From the quarterback to the team name, Washington is the epitome of dysfunction. I'd say the team is better off with Kirk Cousins under center, but he didn't show a whole lot with his opportunity last year. Last place seems inevitable.
NFC NORTH
1) Green Bay
Much like the Colts, Green Bay has pretty much already clinched the division. The loss of Jordy Nelson is bad, but not bad enough to slow down the Packers. With Aaron Rodgers at the helm, they'll be fighting for the best record in the NFC.
2) Minnesota Vikings
I was going to go with Detroit here, but the return of Adrien Peterson puts Minnesota over the top. Teddy Bridgewater should only get better, as should the defense under Mike Zimmer. The Vikings could be competing for a Wild Card spot.
3) Detroit Lions
Detroit had a very good season last year, but I don't see them being quite that good this time around. They lost Ndamukong Suh, but did an admiral job of replacing him by trading for Haloti Ngata. If Calvin Johnson can stay healthy, and guys like Eric Ebron and Ameer Abdullah break out, the offense might be strong enough to carry the Lions into the playoffs.
4) Chicago Bears
.................
What? My parents always said, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. All kidding aside, the Bears don't have a lot going on. Jay Cutler has never lived up to his potential, almost all of the receivers are hurt and the defense is a disaster. Could we be looking at the worst team in the NFL?
NFC SOUTH
Before I get into this division, keep in mind, it was won last year by the 7-8-1 Carolina Panthers. It was all sorts of bad.
1) New Orleans Saints
I don't love any team in this division, but I think the Saints have the best shot at winning it. They traded Jimmy Graham, but upgraded their offensive line by getting Max Unger in return. I don't see a huge improvement defensively, so for them to win, the offense will have to carry the load.
2) Atlanta Falcons
As much as I like Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, I just don't see Atlanta having a winning record. The running game and offensive line aren't great. The defense won't be spectacular either, but should be improved with Dan Quinn now running the ship.
3) Carolina Panthers
The defense should be ok, but I'm not expecting a lot from the offense. Kelvin Benjamin is out for the season, pretty much leaving Greg Olsen as the only viable pass catcher. Plus, Cam Newton isn't the most accurate passer around, so him carrying the team by himself doesn't seem likely.
4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I'm not going to pretend that I know much about their defense, but they've definitely got some talent on the other side of the ball. Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson and a healthy Doug Martin could prove to be problematic for teams, but that will really hinge on rookie quarterback, Jameis Winston. I'm leaning toward him having the usual rookie ups-and-downs, thus the Bucs finishing in last place.
NFC WEST
1) Seattle Seahawks
Hey look, the Seahawks are gonna' be really good again! I know, not a surprise. The addition of Jimmy Graham should only improve an already solid offense. They did lose Max Unger in the Graham deal, but with Russell Wilson's rushing ability, defenses will still have to be on their toes. Speaking of defense, Seattle's should still be really, really good. Really.
2) Arizona Cardinals
This rank is completely predicated on Carson Palmer staying healthy. No guarantee, that's for sure. But if he does, then Arizona should be pretty tough. I don't know how, but their defense was really good last year, so I have no reason to think they won't be decent again. And with a healthy Palmer, the offense shouldn't have too hard a time putting points on the board.
3) St. Louis Rams
Not a big believer in Nick Foles at quarterback, but he's got some decent weapons on offense to work with. The defense, aside from the secondary, is terrific, and they should keep the Rams in a lot of games. If Foles can exhibit even half of what he showed a couple of years ago with Philly, then the Rams could push for a Wild Card spot. Not likely, but hey, you never know.
4) San Francisco 49ers
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I believe 4,856 players have either retired or been arrested this off-season from the 49ers. It's crazy. I'm not seeing any positives here. Colin Kaepernick can't carry a team, and the defense won't be nearly as good as it was over the last few seasons. Soooo, yea. Sorry 49ers fans.
Wild Card
Philadelphia vs. Minnesota
I really want to pick with my heart and say the Vikings stomp out the Iggles, but I just can't. Philly takes this one, and also a piece of my soul.
New Orleans vs. Dallas
I really want to pick with my he...oops, nevermind. Unless the Saints can control the clock with a solid running game, I can't see them beating the Cowboys.
Divisional Round
Seattle vs. Dallas
I'm pretty much all-in on the Seahawks this year (Russell Wilson is on all of my fantasy teams). With no DeMarco Murray and a shaky defense, Seattle dispenses with Dallas, bringing much joy and exuberance to my household.
Green Bay vs. Philadelphia
Mercy help me. My two rivals in the playoffs. Unfortunately, I don't think the Packers can stop this Eagles juggernaut. My only hope is that the Philly defense gets worn down by being on the field too much due to their quick-scoring style under Chip Kelly.
Championship Round
Seattle vs. Philadelphia
Let's go Seattle!! Whoops. No bias here. I swear. As I said above, Seattle is it for me once again. I just can't find any glaring weakness with this team, hence my confidence in them.
Super Bowl
Pittsburgh vs. Seattle
If you remember, I had the Steelers beating the Colts in the AFC Championship game. They'll tangle with the Seahawks for the whole enchilada. While I think Pittsburgh's offense will be rather explosive, their lack of defense will finally do them in. Seattle will raise their second Lombardi trophy in the last three years.
There you have it. I'll come back to these picks at the end of the season to see how I did, unless of course I do terribly, in which case I'll deny having ever written this article.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)