I did think about being first to the dance last night with a column about the Giants. That way, no one could accuse me of collecting thoughts from other writers and re-assembling them into my own. I couldn’t bring myself to write it last night. Besides, I was busy writing a column about baseball contracts (in which I left out Gary Matthews Jr. and Juan Pierre and Nomar and Moises Alou”¦ yes, I know).
After giving it a little over 24 hours to simmer, and doing my best to ignore all New York Media reaction to the Giants (save for Mike’d Up with Mike Francesca of Mike and the Mad Dog which follows the Sunday night game here in New York) I’m finally settled enough to look at it honestly. I tried the fresh emotional reaction thing after The Mets blew Game 7 and, each time I read it, I can never decide if it’s the best or worst thing I’ve ever written. Regardless, I can’t compare this Giant loss to that game. It’s a regular season game. The Mets Game 7 loss was heartbreaking. This loss was just mind-numbing. It shouldn’t happen. It doesn’t happen. I’m sure that plenty of outlets are already calling this the Second Music City Miracle; they should. NFL teams shouldn’t give up 24 points in nine minutes. The league isn’t designed that way, and it takes a mistake-filled collapse coupled with incredible momentum to happen. There’s a reason it’s only happened three times in the last fifteen years. In no particular order, here’s your collapse.
Plaxico Burress: It’s a weekly thing with Plaxico; which play is he going to embarrass himself with? It’s either going to be a fumble or him deciding that he just doesn’t have to run anymore. Oddly enough, when he stops running, guys seem to come up with interceptions. When Plax came in last season as the heir-apparent to Ike Hilliard, he came to a great reception. The Giants needed a new top level receiver to flank Well-Dressed Amani Toomer and Plax offered Eli Manning a Randy Moss type receiver who could just go up for any ball. What we didn’t know is that Plax doesn’t like to get hit very often and, when he does, he seems to throw the ball away in fright or pain”¦ I’m not sure which. With Toomer gone for the season, Sinorice Moss deciding that playing is overrated when the paycheck is being sent every week, and Eli Manning deciding Jeremy Shockey just doesn’t need receptions; Plaxico has been thrust to the forefront where his 25 million dollar contract suggests he should be. The problem is that with the spotlight on him, his Manny-Ramirez-esque commitment to plays is shown over and over. If it was just this week, it’d be one thing”¦ but it’s every week and it either has to stop or he has to go. Unfortunately, as he’s the Giants’ only non-injured receiver at the moment, it can’t be now.
You know what, though”¦ the interception was bad, but it’s minor in the grand scheme of The Collapse. Plax gave up on the ball, but he didn’t give up 3 touchdowns.
Tiki Barber: Tiki went on the press junket last week to remind us all that he needs to get the ball more for the Giants to win. The coaching staff responded this week by giving him the ball. They handed Tiki the ball with a 21 point lead in the fourth quarter to eat up the clock and he responded with 6 rushes for 13 yards. If you’re going to open your mouth about how the team needs you to win, respond when the team gives you the ball so they can win. Otherwise, hush.
The Giants’ Training Staff: Do you know why a defense gives up 24 points in a quarter other than Vince Young being that guy from that game last year? Being exhausted. With Lavar Arrington, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Sam Madison, and Cory Webster all sidelined with injuries, the Giant defense was out on the field for way too long and by the end of the fourth quarter a high school team might have had a shot to get in the end zone. Tom Coughlin (in)famously said something along the lines of injuries being a state of mind on his way into town (following another season of walking wounded). I know some injuries can’t be avoided, but could someone teach the Giants’ training staff what “stretching” is? I’m sure if the team was introduced to “warming up” that some of these injuries can be prevented. Or maybe use Bill Parcells’s theory of making guys too scared to be injured. That can work, too. No, I’m not Using Injuries As An Excuse, as the Eagles are currently playing the world’s smallest violin, but merely pointing out that the team really needs to address whatever lack of training is leading to all these muscle pulls and strains. All the injuries lead to an exhausted defense by the end which leads to the Giants giving up a total of 48 fourth quarter points in their last three losses. Had Mr “Give me the ball so we can win” had done his job and eaten the clock in the fourth quarter, this may not have been a problem.
Tom Coughlin: If Jim Fassel was fired because he “lost the team” two years ago, I don’t know what Coughlin’s current grip on the team qualifies as. Tiki Barber happily goes on a retirement tour taking as much press as possible. Jeremy Shockey goes off in the media twice this season about various things. Plaxico Burress takes plays off and puts more balls on the turf than Tiki Barber in his youth. His team can’t stay healthy. His young quarterback seems to be twisting in the wind. While I’m sure there were plenty of outlets asking for his firing this week, I’m not. I’m just vocally wondering if he’s the right fit for the team and, if he is, he’s got to start showing it if he wants to coach the team next season.
Mathias Kiwanuka: I’m not going to kill Kiwanuka, as I’m sure other people are doing. The NFL created this problem. Kiwanuka had Young wrapped up. Young’s a big guy, he’s not going to just fall down like Drew Bledsoe or Jeff Garcia. If Kiwanuka finishes the play and puts Vince Young into the ground, he risks a subjective 15-yard penalty and a first down. If he doesn’t tackle him, Young runs away and gets a first down. Vince Young’s a big dude. You have to tackle him hard. At some point, you either have to decide that quarterbacks are big boys or bring back the “In the Grasp” rule and blow the play dead once the quarterback is wrapped up. Or, fix all the problems and just Red Shirt the quarterbacks and tie little flags to them. Blow to the head? Fine. Helmet to helmet? OK. Launching yourself? I’m on board. Blindside crackback hit? No problem. Hard tackle? It’s a tough game”¦ grow up. I don’t blame Kiwanuka here, I blame the league for creating doubt in a pass rusher that doesn’t allow him to finish a tackle. Vince Young didn’t “slip out” and Kiwanuka didn’t make a “mental mistake.” He let him go to avoid a penalty. It’s another “make it more exciting” rule that favors the offense and, frankly, I’m surprised it took until week 12 to happen.
Frank Walker: Speaking of 15-yard penalties, this was a dirty, unnecessary hit and I think he should be fined for it. The Kiwanuka flub will get more press because it looks lazier, but this was the first one and the worse one. There was zero reason for Walker to lay a hit on Vince Young out of bounds. It was dirty, and I hope it costs him money.
Eli Manning: While I’m sure it’s been fashionable to jump on the “Eli is finished and will never be Peyton” bandwagon today, I’m still not getting on. Eli made a horrible decision throwing that ball up, but he’s a young quarterback. He’s going to make bad decisions from time to time. Frankly, when Eli came to the Giants, I didn’t want him to be Peyton, I wanted him to not be Kerry Collins. He also takes too much flak for things that aren’t his fault. Was the interception a horrible mistake on his part? Yes. But frankly, Eli has been excellent in the fourth quarter in most games since he’s come to the league. If you give me 15 good fourth quarter performances against the division and one really bad one against the Titans, I’m ok with that. Frankly, if you give me a good fourth quarter performance against the Cowboys next week, all is forgiven. At the end of it, do I think the Giants still got the best first round quarterback out of that entire class? Yes, I do. B-Roth won a Super Bowl, but did it in spite of himself. Philip Rivers has the benefit of the best runningback maybe ever in his backfield. JP Losman is on a franchise that’s content with sucking what little life is left out of their city until the tickets to Los Angeles arrive, so we really don’t know what he’s capable of. And, frankly, if I put any of those three guys on the Giants, I don’t think the team’s any better than 6-5 and, in everyone’s case but Rivers’s, they’re probably worse.
What I do wonder about Eli is what has caused him to completely stop throwing the ball to Jeremy Shockey in favor of Plaxico Burress. It isn’t working, and I really hope he stops it soon. I have, at times, been anti-Shockey, but I can’t argue that the team is better when he gets the ball”¦ and worse when Plaxico is our number one option.
At the end of it all, the Giants always lose one game they should win. Mike Hulse said in one of his Friday columns that the Giants have a horrible habit of playing down to their competition. I won’t insult the Titans here to suggest that happened, the Titans dominated the fourth quarter and Big Blue got what it deserved. Their season comes down to next week. They are a full game behind Dallas, matching up against a team that is flying high thinking they just found the 2nd coming of Tom Brady (even replacing the same guy, go figure), with everything going their way right now. The Giants have placed themselves now in a must win situation against the Cowboys to give themselves a shot at the division. The Giants were the ones who brought Romo to the dance, now they have a shot to knock him down a couple of notches. They do that, and they have a chance to salvage this season. They don’t, and they’re looking at a five or six seed based wholly on the fact that the NFC still isn’t very good.
The Giants are going to have to put up with negative press for the next day or so until the fans realize they’ve got a game coming up against the filthy bastard Cowboys and all this will go away for a while. And you know what? In a weird kind of way, I’m kind of happy this happened. It’s going to tell me what this team is made of. This loss is the kind of thing that is either going to crush the season or make the team step-up.
We’ll know next Monday.
Quick Hits
- How cool was it, for people who watched Monday Night Football this week, to see a good game in the snow? I apologize to warm weather and dome fans, but you like fake football.
- Sportscenter is reporting that the Red Sox will trade Manny Ramirez this week. Every year, you think the Red Sox made the stupidest move they could ever make and somehow they surprise you by being even stupider the following year. The only way they can follow this up is to send David Ortiz and cash to the Yankees next season for two Low-A pitchers. It’s the only thing that makes sense.
- I’m only half-joking
- I picked up Lil 5’10″ Nate Robinson for my Fantasy NBA League. I had no other reason to do this other than he stuffed Yao the other day. Find it on Youtube, it’s priceless”¦ right down to Yao’s fake “awe something’s in my eye” excuse for getting stuffed by a guy two feet shorter than him
- Cam requested I write this column, I request he write something about the 2007 Hall of Fame ballot
- The Orioles gave Danys Baez a 3-year, $19 million dollar deal this week. I have nothing to say here. Not because it’s a non-news item, it’s because I’m speechless.
- THE CONTRACT EXTRAVAGANZA CONTINUES!!!
