Week 1 Recap: NYG 16, WAS 7

After watching this game for the first 10 or 11 minutes it appeared to be on its way to a full fledged laugher. The Giants were producing long, time consuming drives down the entire field, the defense was embarrassing Jim Zorn’s new offense. And after it was 16-0, it looked as though this game might end 59-0.

But all of a sudden the air came out of the Giants and they turned into what we saw the first two weeks from them a year ago. The offense was sloppy, but the defense was there. Eli Manning went from confident and composed to hurried and rusty. I guess you can blame it on only being Week 1 of the season and the players being a little sluggish since it was the first true 60 minutes of football they had played since the Super Bowl, but even so, a second half performance like that will get them destroyed by the elite teams of the league.

There are a lot of positives to take out of the game offensively, even if the G-Men looked off in the red zone. Plaxico Burress at 100% with a new $35 million deal looks pretty dangerous and could be one of the top three receivers in the league this season.  Brandon Jacobs appears ready to emerge as a top RB in the league and Eli Manning looks more like a team leader and leader on the field especially at the line.

The defense and pass rush is still superb and is what will carry this team. The offense is no joke with the names that Giants put on the field, but the defense is what will get this team to the playoffs the same way it did in 2007.

Next week the Giants get their shot at St. Louis in what should get the Giants off to a 2-0 start on the season.

Giants Sign Ex-Eagle, Jerome McDougle

ESPN is reporting that the New York Giants have reached a deal with six-year veteran, Jerome McDougle:

The Giants, according to a source, reached a one-year, $1 million agreement with defensive end Jerome McDougle, whom the Eagles released Saturday. Andy Reid entered camp with seven defensive ends who could rush the quarterback, including McDougle, a former first-round pick.

A lot of people thought this would be the move after the Giants lost Osi Umenyiora and failed to bring Michael Strahan back into the fold.

McDougle, is largely considered a first-round bust.  He failed to capitalize on a strong collegiate career, tallying zero starts and three total sacks.

The prospect of being cut seemed to a light a fire under McDougle though.  This preseason, he played like a man possessed.  The former Miami Hurricane recorded 2.5 sacks, and eight tackles while staying healthy, which is a big if with McDougle.  Hopefully, a change of scenery is what McDougle needed.

Where Do We Go From Here

The five steps of grief have run their course.

• Denial: It’s not possible Osi Umenyiora could miss the year.  He was our anchor; our bridge from one era of defensive line dominance to the next.  Our team’s success was predicated on a strong pass rush, this could not be happening.
• Anger: Why was Osi in the preseason game that long?  He knows how to play football; he doesn’t need to be out there risking injury!
• Bargaining: We’ll take the old Eli back if Osi will play this year.
• Depresssion: I miss Osi so much.
• Acceptance: Osi is going to miss the season.  It’s heartbreaking, but it’s a fact.  The question becomes where do we go from here.

Many pundits are saying Michael Strahan is the answer. Compared to Brett Favre this summer, Strahan was a polar opposite–a retired player who went on the top and was happy to be out. Unlike the Packers however, the Giants are apparently begging Strahan to come back.

If they could get him to come back it would be huge.  No, they would not have the team of old–the pass rush of Justin Tuck, Strahan and Osi was relentless–but they may be able to save a season that is otherwise un-salvageable.  Everyone is expecting the Giants to fall flat on their faces this season, and with Osi out, we very well may.  Bring Strahan into the fold–with our newly-confident offense and a revamped secondary–and we are right back in the race.

Strahan’s asking price is said to be $8 million.   That’ s a lot.  I can’t find current cap figures, but I assume the Giants have that type of money, or this wouldn’t even be a discussion (there must be an injury exception from Osi…).  While it is a lot, it would only be for one year.  Strahan is an expensive bandage, but the loss of Osi is a hemorrhage of epic proportions.  It needs to be done.

Bonus: A digital simulation of Osi’s surgery.

Breaking News: Osi Umenyiora Will Miss Entire 2008 Season

I just found this breaking news from RotoWorld.com:

NFL Network’s Adam Schefter reports that Osi Umenyiora will need surgery on his injured knee and miss the entire 2008 season.

This is a crushing blow to a team that already lost one Pro-Bowl defensive end this offseason. The loss Umenyiora puts added pressure on Justin Tuck, and could force the G-Men to line Mathias Kiwanuka up as an end. The Giants live and die by the pass rush, and there are really no words to describe how much Osi will be missed.

Osi, How We Will Miss You Sosi

I guess replacing Michael Strahan just got a bit harder.  As anyone who watched tonight’s preseason game knows, Osi Umenyiora hurt his knee.  They claim that there was no ligament damage to the knee, but officials are unsure how much time he will miss..  From the NY Daily News:

No ligament damage would be good, but a “locked up” knee - - which is how a Giants spokesman described it - could be an indication of several other things, including a torn meniscus. Depending on the size of the tear, that could mean an absence of anywhere from 2-8 weeks, depending on whether surgery is necessary.

But the Giants won’t know anything until the MRI exam. All they know at the moment is that the 26-year-old Umenyiora appeared to be in a lot of pain when went down with 10:48 left in the second quarter. He suffered the injury on a third-and-7 play from midfield when he tried to rush around the outside of Jets left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. As Ferguson pushed off, Umenyiora appeared to get his left foot caught in the FieldTurf and immediately dropped to the ground.

Let’s hope for the best, and you will find those MRI Results here tomorrow.

Giants-Jets News Roundup

The battle for New York begins tonight. While the Jets have recieved the bulk of off-season attention, one fact remains: The Giants are the reigning Super Bowl champs, and the Jets didn’t even make the playoffs. The lack of attention may have even helped us–people still like Plaxico despite the fact that he’s refused to play all offseason. With tonight’s game in mind, let’s take a look at the news:

Over at the NJ Star Ledger, Mike Garafolo outlines three things to watch in tonight’s preseason game. Garafolo talks about backup kicker, Josh Huston, which brings us to our next story…

Lawrence Tynes will not miss the season. The NJ Star Ledger article says Tynes will most likely miss the season opener, but this is great news for Big-Blue. Tynes may have missed one, too many extra points last season, but you are not going to find a kicker of his caliber on the free agent market. Having a good kicker is like having a solid closer–you don’t really miss them until they aren’t there.

Eli and Brett apparently go way back. A New York Daily News article recounts how the gunslingers met in a Mississippi bar 11 years ago, when Eli was only sixteen.

Favre also remembers the meeting that took place at his uncle’s bar. Just don’t ask him how the underage Manning got in.

“I can’t remember if I helped him get in or what,” Favre said. “But that’s a different story.”

Do you think Eli was using Peyton’s I.D. as a fake? Minus Peyton’s eight-head, they do look pretty similar…

While some New Yorkers may be divided by this cross-town rivalry, some protesters are suggesting they united. No, not over how much better the Giants are. But how ridiculous these personal seat licensing fees are.

This is the one thing that both Jets and Giants fans would agree on - the first time in history,” said Kern, 44, of Boonton, N.J.

Big Blue fans already know they’ll need big green - from $1,000 to $20,000, just for the right to buy tickets - to keep their season seats in the new $1.6 billion Meadowlands facility.

Jets fans are expected to find out what their PSLs will cost before the NFL season kicks off next month.

These PSLs are ridiculous. Why should people have to pay for the right to pay for tickets? Most cities help pay for stadiums. Yet here, the fans are incurring all the cost. This is ridiculous and a very disrespectful way to treat your loyal fans.

Tynes May Miss The Season

A report over at the NY Post says Lawrence Tynes may miss the entire 08-09 season. Tynes, the hero of the NFC Championship Game, will have exploratory surgery on his knee this afternoon.  If the results are negative, Tynes will be watching the game from the sideline.  

Currently, the Giants have a backup in Josh Huston, an undrafted free agent from Ohio State. The Giants originally signed Huston as the heir apparent to Jay Feely in 2007.  When the Giants traded for Tynes, Huston was cut.  Huston is not considered a long-term solution if Tynes misses the upcoming season.  

So who is a long-term solution?  The free-agent market currently includes Feely, Morten Andersen, John Carney, and ex-Cowboy, Billy Cundiff.  

There is no chance the Giants re-sign Feely.  The Giants were not happy while they had him, and I don’t see them re-signing him unless they get really desperate.  A lot will be contingent on how Tynes’ exam goes.  But I see the Giants sticking with Huston until he proves he can’t get the job done, and then signing an Andersen or a Carney mid-season.  

If none of those signings pan out, the Giants can always sign Mike Vanderjagt.  I am sure the Toronto Argonauts will be happy to part with him.  

The Live-Blogging Experiment: Giants v. Browns

Exciting to see Monday Night Football again! Pardon the Interruption is off this week, and its nice to still get my Tony Kornheiser fill. I’ll be watching the game with some friends and throwing mine and their observations up on the blog.

Is Eli growing a mustache: I really thought Eli turned a corner last year, and now I know it. Nothing says new man like a mustache.

My friend sitting next to me, an ardent Cowboys fan, suggested Eli was pulling a Giambi. I hope that’s the only thing Eli takes from Giambi…

The mustache has apparently put some pep into Eli’s step. And maybe a little into his arm too…Great touchdown.

• Giants 7-Browns 3

Update: Eli is in fact growing a beard

“Unsportsmanlike for swinging and missing, what do you get for swinging and hitting?” Tony Korheiser, again giving us the quote of the night. So far.

Eli again picking on the same guy. #24, Eric Wright. Mr. Wright might being worrying about his job after this game. Both throws were nice though, and Eli again looks good. Well at least his passes. “Eli’s arms look a little flabby,” my friend who follows the Jets says. “Maybe he should go on a diet. Maybe South Beach.” I hear he’s actually going Nutri-System.

• Giants 14- Browns 3

And that was almost a safety. This heralded Browns offense does not look good against our defense. Lovie Smith does not look happy.

It’s nice to see a team that did not play particularly well at home last year feeding off their home crowd so well. Seems that home crowd could be responsible for all these Browns penalties.

I saw that block coming.

• Giants 16-Browns 3

Domenik Hixon is having the game of his life. With a spelling like that, he better be.

Great showing from the first team offense.

• Giants 23-Browns 3

Whew. That was close.

This is just insult to injury at this point.  I am really encouraged by how good the defense is looking, but if I was a Cleveland fan, I’d be even more discouraged by how bad my offense looks.

• Giants 30-Browns 3

Coughlin’s Sunday Night Conversation

Here is Tom Coughlin’s Sunday Night Conversation from yesterday’s Sportscenter:

The interesting part for me is, with around 6-7 minutes left in the video, Coughlin talks about how close Plaxico Burress came to missing the Super Bowl.  I’d imagine the Giants had this fear literally every week, but the big game would have been very different if Plaxico had not played.  Overall, the interview is interesting, and Coughlin is surprisingly candid.  

Bad News For David Carr Fans

A NJ Star Ledger report outlines some of the plans for tonight’s game.  Some of the highlights:

 

• Eli Manning and the starters (despite the fact that ten of them won’t play), will play only about 25 plays tonight
• Anthony Wright, not David Carr will be the second quarterback in tonight’s game.  Carr will only enter as a fourth QB if there are enough snaps for Wright, and third-stringer Andre Woodson.

No surprise with the information on the starters, but a bit of a shocker with the Carr decision.  Carr and Wright performed equally as well last preseason game.  One would think Carr’s upside (even if he was a bust, he was the first overall pick) would outweigh Wright’s experience (which is a euphemism for being old).  Don’t really understand this, and hopefully someone asks Coughlin about it later tonight.  

Note: Former backup, Tim Hasselbeck is pictured because him, and his amazingly attractive wife, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, are much more aesthetically pleasing than either Carr or Wright.  

 

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