It’s amazing how quickly public perception can change in the NFL. Two weeks ago, the Bears were either the best team in the NFC and they were going undefeated or were a paper tiger who hadn’t beaten anyone of note. Last week, they were the most over-rated team in the NFL after a loss to the Dolphins. This week, they’re the top seed in the NFC after beating the early favorite to get the 2-seed New York Giants. On the flip-side, the Giants are now paper tigers (even though they came through one of the hardest first-half schedules at 6-2) and the Jets are cruising through the division after handily beating the Patriots yesterday.
Giant fans are quick to point out that the team is wounded. We are, after all, dealing with a mess of injuries with three of our top defensive starters out. That should count for something.
It doesn’t.
Injuries aren’t an excuse in the NFL. Not even a little bit. No one cares about the injury excuse. No Giant fan felt bad for the Eagles last season when Donovan McNabb was sitting. No Giant fan would have felt bad for the Bears if Brian Urlacher was out of pads for the kickoff yesterday. The injury excuse, when people roll it out, makes me sicker than any other excuse in the NFL. It’s meaningless. If it’s not your quarter back, and it’s not your top option at running back or wide receiver, it’s really not that bad. Do you know who the Giant’s worst injury is? Luke Petitgout. No, it’s not Arrington, Strahan, or Osi. It’s not Toomer. All of those injuries hurt, but none of them hurt as much as losing a tackle. Do you know why? Because no one has backup tackles. Lack of backup tackles screw up the quarterback, screw up passing, and screw up the running game. Toomer, Arrington, Strahan, Madison, and Osi can be replaced.
There are no excuses for last night’s game. The Giants, again, got out-coached, out-played, and once again failed to show up for a big game. This has been their gimmick for the last few years, and it’s no different now. Where did the game go wrong?
1: 3rd and 26 and the defense gives up a first down RUN. Three plays later and it’s a touchdown. Any normal defense makes a stop there and takes a 10 point lead into the locker room.
2: 45 seconds left in the half, off a 15 yard penalty, Coughlin sits on the ball instead of trying to advance a couple of plays and grab a field goal. I understand he’s gun shy after a bad situation last season, but they had a chance to get their touchdown back.
3: Down by 11, the Giants slice through the Bears defense in 4 plays and score a touchdown to come within 5. Instead of giving the ball to Jacobs or Barber, who had been eating the Bears defense for a late-night snack, they take a 1 point conversion to stay down by 4″¦ because, you know, a 4 point lead and a 5 point lead are different. (No, I don’t buy the argument if they’re down five then the Bears can make a field goal and put you down eight. It’s still a one possession game”¦ and you still have two running backs no one on the defense apparently felt like tackling). If they’re only down by three, the rest of the decisions made on the field shake out differently.
4: The Giants don’t have Adam Vinateri, they have Jay Feely. They never should have chosen to kick a 51-yard field goal during the monsoon that was raging in the Meadlowands.
Bad play all around by the Giants, and the Bears took advantage on the road. Good for them.
See you in Chicago in January for the rematch.
