Ball or Nuthin' » Giants

Who’s Going to Super Bowl XLVI??

T Lamont — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 01:19:32 +0000

Based on expectations alone, one conference’s top teams lived up to the hype, while the other conference has yielded some pleasant surprises.

Which AFC team is going to follow through on those lofty projections? And which roster will continue to be a stunning success from the NFC?

Let’s look at some of the determining factors of tomorrow’s conference title tilts:

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots

Defensive Pressure- Obviously, the outcome of this game will depend heavily upon the defensive pressure that Baltimore is able to get against Tom Brady. No matter how good a team’s coverage is, Brady will eventually pick any set of linebackers, defensive backs and safeties as easy as McGyver would disarm an explosive. So, the Ravens will need to mix up their pash rushes, conjure up different stunts and blitz packages to keep New England’s offensive line guessing.

Joe Flacco- Which Flacco will show up? Will it be the cool and confident one who lets the game come to him? Or will it be the one who feels as if he has to prove that he belongs in the elite category of quarterbacks? Will the media focus on the comments that others have made about him force him to attempt to step out of his game? This is undoubtedly Flacco’s time to shine, but he has to realize that his star illuminates differently than does, Tom Brady’s, for example.

Ray Rice- Rice, the unquestioned offensive MVP for the Ravens, averages 18 rushes and 5 receptions per game. Baltimore needs to execute its game plan through Rice, thus minimizing the number of possessions in this game. John Harbaugh should shoot for 25+ rushes for Rice, and focus on time of possession.

The Ravens' game plan should include a heavy dose of Ray Rice.

The Tight End Tandem- For the Patriots, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski would be part of the recipe for a successful afternoon. If these guys end up with big numbers on Sunday, it will more than likely be a sign that Baltimore was not able to contain Brady’s most dangerous weapons – as well as his easiest targets.

Nitty Gritty:We all know the tale of the tape with this matchup. It’s going to pit New England’s dynamic air attack…

- 32.1 points per game (3rd in NFL)
- 428 yards per game (2nd)
- 5257 passing yards (2nd)

…against Baltimore’s intimidating defense:

- 48 sacks (3rd in NFL)
- 16.6 points allowed per game (3rd)
- 289 yards allowed per game (3rd)

This will clearly be a matchup of tempo, but even more importantly, one of maturity. If Flacco can maintain his composure, Baltimore could score its most meaningful victory (outside of its 2000 Super Bowl season) in franchise history.

But given the stage, there will be limited room for error. And this scenario is not one that would favor this particular group of Ravens over this particular group of Patriots.

For that reason, as well as the others pointed out above, my vote goes with New England.

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers

Frank Gore vs ???- The Niners are a team that makes one thing clear: they are going to rush the football. Whether they rush it efficiently or not is not as important (to them) as is the fact that they set up a situation for Alex Smith to thrive in. Frank Gore is noted as one of the game’s toughest runners, and he has no counterpart in this key NFC Championship contest. It’s going to be interesting to see if the Giants are able to sustain drives, and who, if anyone, they will elect to be the featured back in tomorrow’s game.

Eli vs. the Niners Defense- San Francisco has a fast, aggressive, and perhaps more importantly, smart defense. They adapt well to the tendencies of their opponents, and would seemingly feast upon the unbalanced nature of the New York offense. The Niners lead the league in turnover margin (+28), so a one-dimensional offense could be in for a rude awakening against such a talented unit. The Giants have made it through two teams that have not played opportunistically on defense this season, and Manning’s decision-making will get thoroughly tested on Sunday. The younger Manning has improved his interception rate over last season, when he tossed a career-high 25, and his statistics (including his best-ever passing yards total) compare favorably to any of his previous seven NFL campaigns.

The Victor Cruz Experience- How much salsa dancing will Giants receiver Victor Cruz do on Sunday? Cruz has been a staple on the highlight reels this season due to his spectacular grabs. However, Cruz has been especially deadly for his creative abilities after the catch and consistently looks to get as many YAC as he can. But Cruz will have to be sure to watch the ball into his hands, as there have been occasions when he was clearly focused on what he would do after he caught the pass – only to see the ball on the ground. These opportunities cannot be missed versus the Niners. His abilities will need to blend with receiving stud Hakeem Nicks and deep ball threat Mario Manningham to provide the pass-happy Giants offense with multiple timely targets.

Can Cruz continue his dancing around the vaunted San Francisco defense?

Jim Harbaugh- The rookie head coach deserves his own spotlight in this process. Harbaugh has his team fully drinking the Kool-Aid, and they totally believe in his system – and, just as significantly, in him. The Niners approach has maximized their talent by basing their offense off of the run, and getting big hitters through play action – to leverage the skills of Vernon Davis – because their opponents must respect Gore. On defense, they use the instincts and abilities of Patrick Willis to aggressively pursue the ball while other defenders can focus on their assignments. Harbaugh has effectively used the resources that have toiled in mediocrity over the past few seasons.

Nitty Gritty:The Niners have been a very disciplined team on both sides of the ball, thus contributing to their extremely high turnover margin. After dominating their NFC West division and validating that with a huge win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in primetime, San Fran began to turn a few heads. But with New Orleans being one of the NFL hottest teams, no one really saw their NFC Divisional round victory coming. They’ll have a much tougher time sneaking up on the Giants, who fought to get into the postseason and have played the underdog role in their first two contests. New York’s win in Green Bay proved that the Giants are not fazed by the stature of the venue, and that the supposed quality of the opponent will not affect what they are trying to accomplish.

With that in mind - and seemingly against all the quantifiable knowledge -I’m going with an encore of Super Bowl XLII…Patriots and Giants.

NFL Week 1 – T Lamont’s Thoughts and Rants

T Lamont — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:04:45 +0000

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After a thrilling season opener, the rest of the National Football’s week one matchups came through with a bang. And what better way to celebrate and remember the losses and heroes a decade ago than in all of the stadiums where the ‘new national pasttime’ is played.

But having opening Sunday fall on the date of such a memorable tragedy is only one of the reasons that this NFL debut was so heavily anticipated. First, there’s the appreciation that professional football is actually being played – after a work stoppage threatened to have everyone looking for sporting alternatives this autumn. Of course, there’s the personnel changes including everything from the prediction of a ‘dream team’ to the concern surrounding the untimely absence of a 4-time MVP.

Well, each week, we’ll take a glance at some of my random thoughts from the week’s contests. Let’s get started with Week 1:

- I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a moment as spine-tingling as I did when I listened to the sailor that sung the Star Spangled Banner at the start of the Eagles-Rams game. My wife and I were about to do some odd chore (I can’t recall what) when we overheard the gentleman hurling out operatic notes. We immediately jetted back to the television and stood with our mouths open as we listened. Amazing.

- As for the Eagles-Rams game, I have to give credit to the Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. Philly obviously has supreme talent at the skill positions, but the cynics continue to focus on the extremely weak offensive line – and how that weakness will be the team’s eventual downfall. Now, I know today’s game was only against St. Louis, but Mornhinweg showed that he is going to do his best to keep Michael Vick from being a sitting duck. On nearly every offensive play – whether run or pass – the line pulled or the the pocket moved, in a clear attempt to negate any defensive momentum that the Rams could gain. Surely, the Eagles need to upgrade their linemen, but at this point they have to get the best out of what they have.

After committing five turnovers, Big Ben already has his sights set on his next game against Baltimore.

- Where do you start with the Steelers-Ravens? Seven turnovers – five from Ben Roethlisberger. Giving up 170 yards rushing to Ray Rice and Ricky Williams. This is the most lopsided contest that I can recall in some time between these two. As Baltimore sprinted out to a 14-0 first quarter advantage, all I could remember was last year’s playoff debacle. But the Ravens kept the pressure on, and Pittsburgh never saw the light of day. John Harbaugh’s group sent its message, and the Steelers already have the night of November 6 circled on their calendar.

- Atlanta, what happened? After last season’s 13-3 regular season mark, big things were expected from the Falcons. They ran into a sizzling Aaron Rodgers in last year’s Divisional Playoff round, and they were history. But they were supposed to build on their unexpected success, and the predictable Chicago Bears were supposed to be their first victim in the 2011 campaign. A quick look at the box score shows Matt Ryan putting up a 31-47, 319 yard game, and Michael Turner collected 100 yards on the ground. That would normally be the recipe for success, but the Falcons couldn’t finish anything today against the Bears. Chicago used turnovers and a ‘bend but don’t break’ defense to put the contest out of reach. The Falcons now face the real possibility of getting out of the box with an 0-2 start as they face Vick-adelphia on Sunday night.

- Welcome back Plaxico. It was good to see Plax catch a much needed 26-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter as the Jets tried to slice into a 14-point deficit against the Cowboys. Minutes before, Burress laid out Mike Jenkins to give Santonio Holmes more running room on a key play to extend the drive. And in classic Plaxico-style, the camera caught him mouthing off about the block on the sidelines.

- 41 points for the Buffalo Bills – and none of them came directly from a Chiefs defensive turnover. I don’t think anyone saw this coming, especially Kansas City. The Chiefs were a dominant running team last season, posting two big-time rushers in Thomas Jones (896 yards) and Jamaal Charles (1,467 yards). Although the Chiefs average six yards per rush today, they simply couldn’t keep the chains moving. They only converted 23% (3 of 13) of their third downs. In addition, Matt Cassel completed 22 passes for 119 yards. That almost seems like a misprint, but KC’s leading receiver was Steve Breaston with 26 yards. But back to the Bills – Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for four scores and Fred Jackson gained 5.5 yards per carry.

- Kickoff returners were certainly trying to prove their worth in Week 1. There was a concern the kickoff return specialists would possibly have their value lessened by the league’s mandate to have kickers tee it up from the 35-yard line. To my count, there were three kickoffs returned for TDs this week – Randall Cobb (Green Bay), Ted Ginn, Jr. (San Francisco) and Percy Harvin (Minnesota) – so there will still be opportunities. Touchbacks will be up, but I saw more returners running the rock out when they were seven, eight, or even nine yards deep in the end zone. In prior years, these would be labeled as poor decisions. So…what do you label them now that the kicking team is five yards closer to you than they were before?

- Way to go, Cam Newton. The number one draft pick showed us all that he can get it done through the air (422 yards passing), and that he’s not just the stereotypical dual threat quarterback that almost everyone wanted to label him as. The Heisman winner played great, and, perhaps his most significant accomplishment was developing a rhythm with superstar receiver Steve Smith. Newton has the potential to make the coaches look good, but they’ll need to help themselves, too. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart - both above average backs that competitors would be pleased to have – combined to rush the ball 19 times on Sunday. Regardless of how brilliant Newton is, Carolina will have a hard to winning any game will that type of unbalanced playcalling.

Despite the Panthers' loss, Newton shined on Sunday afternoon.

- The Colts got trounced by the Texans. If I recall correctly, Indy fell to the Texans early last year as well – with Peyton Manning on the field. Kerry Collins didn’t do much today, and one positive (probably the only one) was that he didn’t commit any turnovers. Houston scored 34 points in the first half, and appeared to call off the dogs a bit in the second half. Even a 4-time MVP would have had an extremely difficult time making up for his team’s poor defensive effort. The Texans pounded out 167 yards on the ground and managed 8.7 yards per pass play. Yes, Indy is in deep trouble without Manning – and I mean ‘the Colts won win 5 games’ type of trouble. But on this day, to put it bluntly, Manning would have needed to play on defense as well.

- Hats off to the team from the nation’s capital. After allowing Eli Manning to connect with Hakeem Nicks on a deep busted-play (which set up a TD run), the Redskins marched by down the field and had their drive stalled inside field goal range. However, when the 39-yarder sailed wide, the usual visions of underachievement could have easily entered their heads. But Washington didn’t stop fighting and secured an important divisional win that could give them the confidence that they need to be the second-best team in the NFC East.

Is Umenyiora Worth a First-Rounder? Not Exactly…

T Lamont — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:52:40 +0000

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If you were Jerry Reese (the New York Giants GM), what would you do?

You have one of the premiere defensive ends in the National Football League on your roster, demanding a 40% per year pay increase for four years longer than his existing deal. Over his last three full NFL seasons, this player has tallied 31.5 sacks AND an astounding 19 forced fumbles – including 10 in 2010. He is 29 years old, and clearly in the prime of his football career.

Is Osi worth the money? Based on what he does for the Giants defense, he certainly is…or is at least pretty close to being worth it.

But if the financial decision is not to pay him, what would you expect to draw from his services? Think about it. There are roughly about 15 defensive players who tally 10 or more sacks each season – in the entire league. Double-digit sacks usually indicate the gold-standard in pass rushing, and to combine that with a knack for creating possible turnovers would seem to elevate Umenyiora into a platinum category.

So, given that, would you part with Osi for anything other than a first-round draft pick?

Will Umenyiora's situation serve as a season-long distraction for the Giants?

I think it’s fair to say that Umenyiora is really worth even more than that. The NFL is a league where very little is guaranteed, particularly when analyzing the potential success of newcomers to the league. Would you expect that a first-round pick be able to yield the type of production that the Giants Pro-Bowler does? I don’t think it would be expected, but you would definitely hope that the upside is there.

Let’s look at this from a practical standpoint. There have been 14 defensive end prospects drafted in the first round since 2008. Of those 14, only one has managed double-digit sacks in a season. And the one that did – Brian Orakpo with 11.0 in 2009 – did it after transitioning to the linebacker position.

What does that mean? Although, fans and players may feel that Jerry Reese’s behavior has been villainous, his job is to properly manage the resources that he has on his team.

And there would be absolutely nothing proper about getting anything less than a first-rounder for Umenyiora.

Tiki’s Broke…and Trying to Come Back

T Lamont — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 04:19:02 +0000

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What would motivate a player who has set an NFL franchise rushing mark to return to his former job?

An inability to shake his urge to play again?

A shot at a Super Bowl?

Enhancing his qualifications for the Hall of Fame?

Maybe. But perhaps the biggest motivator would be his divorce. For those who didn’t catch this last year, Barber left his wife for a 23-year old former NBC intern. Barber was married for 11 years, and has 4 kids produced by his marriage.

In the divorce proceedings, it was revealed that Tiki was broke and could not afford the divorce settlement to his ex-wife.

Barber, who worked as a correspondent for NBC’s The Today Show and Football Night in America, lost that job because of a morality clause in his contract. Surely, the clause did not approve of Barber’s choices, and released him from his position in which he made over $300,000 annually.

But hey, if you’re a former NFL running back – and you used to be a fairly good one – you can always get someone to take a chance on you…right?

We know that it won’t be the Giants…particularly considering that he bad-mouthed Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin after he retired. Barber has officially filed his paperwork to return to the NFL, and subsequently, the New York Giants will release his rights, thereby making him a free agent.

Tiki Barber with money...and Tiki Barber without.

Who’d be interested? Barber is 36 years of age, and has been out of the league for 5 years now. Given that most running backs reach their peak before 30, teams have to wonder if signing Barber would give them more than a quick bit of media attention. It seems that the 10,000-plus yard rusher would fit in best with a team in need of more depth in the backfield. Barber’s age and level of inactivity would suggest that a team that is searching for a full-time back would be wise to look elsewhere.

That would indicate that teams who are stable, or have other options running the football might want to consider him – simply because he won’t be too much of a gamble.

It’ll be interesting to see how much an over-the-hill tailback who is making a comeback to make ends meet is actually worth. It’ll also be intriguing to witness how productive Barber can be. Barber hasn’t been a part of a Super Bowl winning team, and he would seemingly fit into the mold of a serviceable player for a team like New England.

It’s really a sad story for a guy who played well, retired well, and made a good transition into post-NFL life. Now, selfish choices have him hoping an organization is interested in him.

Will there be a team out there that helps Tiki regain some stability in his life?

Peyton Teaching Eli A Lesson

T Lamont — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 03:33:14 +0000

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There always seem to be a point during which an older, more experienced mentor passes the torch over to his younger protege’.

In the case of Peyton and Eli Manning, that point in time hasn’t arrived yet.

Peyton and his Colts schooled the Giants in just about every way imaginable, coasting to a 38-14 victory on Sunday night in Indianapolis.

The brothers’ statistics at halftime (with the Colts leading 24-0) told the whole story:

Peyton Manning: 13-18 for 154 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

Eli Manning: 3-8 for 17 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

But of course, you might have anticipated that discrepancy in the numbers through the air. The Giants are more rugged, and usually sport a more balanced attack that is powered by their running game. And figuring that, we’d all be shocked to see that the Colts outrushed the Giants 124-58 in the first 30 minutes of game time.

The home team opened the game with a 12-play, 85 yard scoring drive that lasted for 6:44. It ended with Doanld Brown getting into the end zone after a 7-yard run. While Nerw York failed to get anything going, Indianapolis sustained their momentum by putting 17 points on the board in the second quarter – highlighted by a 50-yard TD pass to Dallas Clark and a 3-yard TD pass to Austin Collie with 0:09 left before intermission.

It's been a long, winding road since Eli hoisted this trophy in early 2008.

Not much else happened the rest of the way. Early in the third quarter, the Giants avoided posting a goose egg on the scoreboard when Eli connected with Mario Manningham for a 54-yard touchdown. The Colts added a couple of cosmetic scores – one of which was generated by a defensive hit on Eli Manning that forced a fumble which was recovered in the end zone.

Manning fumbled three times in the contest tonight. New York’s protection is not doing the job for him. They had no consistent answer for Indianapolis defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis – not that many other teams do. And the younger Manning has always seemingly been fumble prone. That’s not a good combination, and it doomed the Giants as the game progressed. Eli has to do a better job of feeling the pressure. He has endured quite a bit of punishment early in his career because of his inability to do so.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t get any pointers from his older brother on that. Peyton, as usual, was protected in stellar fashion, enabling him to get off to a great start which he maintained throughout the game.

Putting the Manning match-up aside – did we really expect the Colts to start the season 0-2? They must have been itching to get back on the gridiron after their loss to the suddenly hot Texans in the opening week.