Cowboys @ Giants: A Look Ahead
by Dave Halprin on Dec 1, 2009 12:39 PM CST
107 comments
Here's the meta-question when the Dallas Cowboys visit the New York Giants this Sunday. Which streak has more power? The media-anticipated continuation of the woeful December streak by the Cowboys, or the Giants very real streak of losing five out of their last six contests?
I'll leave that to the football philosophers. Better yet, we'll settle it on the field.
What we do have is a game of significant playoff implications, and yes, it's time to talk playoffs. Not in the sense that Dallas is in the playoffs, but just tracking the progress toward the goal. At 8-3, the Cowboys sit in first place in the NFC East, one game ahead of Philadelphia, and two ahead of New York. If the Cowboys can beat the Giants, they'll essentially knock New York out of the East race. That would put them three games behind with only four to play. It would also severely damage their wild card hopes.
The NFC stacks up like this:
Saints 11-0 (probable South winners)
Vikings 10-1 (probable North winners)
Cowboys 8-3 (leading the East)
Cardinals 7-4 (leading the West)
Eagles 7-4 (WC as of now)
Packers 7-4 (WC as of now)
Giants 6-5
Falcons 6-5
49ers 5-6
The Giants are fighting for survival. Playing a desperate team is always dangerous, especially a rival who has talent on the roster. This will be no easy task for the Cowboys, and it's just the beginning of a tough stretch known around these parts simply as December.
The Giants problems are manifold. Big Blue View gives you a primer, here. They also got the bad news that LB Antonio Pierce will go on IR. In addition, there's plenty of concern about Eli Manning's ailing foot.
Along the way, the Giants have lost their mystique along the defensive line, and their power running game is dissolving week by week.
Make no mistake though; this game just might be their season. And they're at home. The Cowboys will have to play quality football to win. We'll chat with Big Blue View later this week to get more on the Giants.
If all the Giants trendlines are in free fall, then the Cowboys trendlines are mostly moving up.
How many Cowboys fans thought that in Week 13 of the season the defense would be the second-ranked unit in the category - points allowed? They may not be getting the turnovers, and sometimes they go soft on third and longs, but they've been keeping offenses out of the endzone. After years of watching our defense play inconsistently, and sometimes outright poorly, we can finally start to believe in this unit. But the real tests are coming (San Diego, New Orleans, and this week), so let's see how they handle that.
The Cowboys are still a bit of an enigma though. When you look at who they beat and who they lost to, it's tough to get a clear read. They've only beaten two teams with current winning records - Philly and Atlanta. So they've beaten up a pretty soft schedule. Flip the coin though, and they've only lost to teams with winning records - New York, Denver and Green Bay. At least they've taken care of business with teams they should beat and didn't give any of those away. Part of the problem is the perception left by narrow escapes to bad teams Kansas City and Washington.
Even though the record is good, they control their own destiny in the NFC East, their defense has come together, and the offense can be explosive - questions still remain.
And with a December schedule that reads @ Giants, Chargers, @ Saints, @ Redskins and home against the Eagles, the Cowboys' past can either be purged, or repeated.
So which is more powerful, the Giants 2009 skid, or the Cowboys ghosts of December?
Tune in on Sunday.
0 recs |
107 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
that's not the first time I've heard that line ... or the 2nd... or the 3rd ...
For the record, these five games in December – and that first playoff game – can help re-define this Team, this franchise. An recent fan-post talked about this team as the “Third-generation” of Cowboys … if the bridesmaids of the 60s preceded our first SB years, and the rough 80s gave us the triplets, what better way to get this monkey off our back than a SB run to start our SIXTH decade?
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
I don't buy the weak schedule argument
Every team in the NFL has NFL players on it’s rosters who are paid to play just like everyone else and the difference in talent is not really that big like in college.
Look at the Cards last season, they were considered an average team winning a bad division playing a so called weak schedule, but in the end they were 2 minutes away from being SB Champs.
Wins the NFL aren’t easy even though sometimes it looks that way.
In Romo we Trust
next couple of weeks
I agree… Chargers and Saints will be tough… I think as long as we stay healthy and keep pushing a consistant run game in order to set up the play action …we will be ok…
by michael83emery on Dec 1, 2009 12:49 PM CST via mobile reply actions
I still say the Saint won't go 16-0
the Boys matchup pretty well with the Saints and their due.
How bout dem Frogs!!!!
You've been drinking the Tex and Dawk koolade
A mole and a Troll.
How bout dem Frogs!!!!
Aren't these stupid "Trolls" fun?..I love when they show up..on our site
They should be called “Toys”
Last I checked...
Cowboys had won 5 of the last 7. Still looks good, but you’ve either forgotten the brad johnson dudfest or the playoff game, which we should all block from our memories.
Actually
they have won six of their last seven. KC, ATL,SEA,PHILLY, lost at GB, and beat WASH and OAK. I’m just sayin…..
because of the inconsistency
i see just as easliy going 0 and 5 as 5 and 0 the rest of the season.
NY in NY is ALWAYS brutal, i live in the NY area and it sounds like this IS the Giants season, hopefully the weather will hold (current forecast is low 40’s, no precip. and little to no wind – but who knows out in the swamps of Jersey)
obviously the Chargers and Saints are playing really, really good football
and the Skins almost beat us at home and the Eagles are, again, a division team playing ok football (and that’s all they are playing is OK right now… )
and i am sure, like the rest of you, are not sure what Cowboy team is going to show up…
We beat the Raiders like we should have, however, they are a HORRIBLE team…
I really think we can beat the Giants, as all their problems play to our strengths… that will be HUGE but not the end of it..
the Eagles have what would seem to be an easy game vs. a Matt Ryan-less Atlanta team at home… so we will have to win just to stay that one game up…
well said........
to add what you said, I think we will find out what the heart of this team is in the last month of the season too. Will they unite and play as a T-E-A-M or will they fold up like they did against Philly? This will be an exciting month to see how it develops.
my money says the former
I’ll be shocked if we don’t win at least 2 more games this season and severely disappointed if we don’t win 3.
In Romo we Trust
If history teaches us anything, it's that things change
Teams learn from past mistakes, change their character, end December swoons and win playoff games.
i see just as easliy going 0 and 5 as 5 and 0 the rest of the season.
… TOTALLY DISAGREE…
While you can point to inconsistency in the offensive scoring, they’ve still moved the ball well against some tough defenses. In fact, tougher than they will face against the Giants and New Orleans.
And there is NO EVIDENCE of defensive inconsistency in the last two months. Going 5-0 is a stretch, but winning anything less than 2-3 is equally unlikely. We went 2-1 in the division, with arguments to be made it should have been 3-0. And we’ve improved while the Giants have lost key players. Where is the equal likelihood of suddenly laying an egg there?
As for NO and SD, two excellent teams that are both on a roll… if we’re going to think of this team as SB contenders, we need to at least split these two games. I see 3-2 or 4-1 the rest of the way …
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
Change that to
equally likely to go 4-1 as 1-4 and i may agree. We’re too consistantly defensively right now to go 0-5. And I’d be absolutely shocked if we went 5-0. That seems extremely unlikely given our inconsistant offensive play this year.
I agree to both above...
winning 2 of the last 5 PROBABLY gets us a road playoff game…
winning 3 of the last 5 PROBABLY gives us a home playoff game…
winning more than that will begin the talk that we may just be REAL contenders…
I'm just hoping the three wins are against the division...
San Diego and NO would be great wins, but we need the divisional record moreso.
I don't care what the media says
3 wins and we are real contenders.
An 11 win team is a contender. You don’t need to have 13 wins for it to mean you’ll be very dangerous in january.
For what it's worth.
Dallas v NYG The Vegas line opened at pickem Monday and has gone to Dallas -2 1/2 today. Juice is heavy on Dallas.
How bout dem Frogs!!!!
With Eli's injury
I’m surprised the line opened as a pick. This line will be at (-3 1/2) before Sunday.
Me too I thought the line would open Dallas -3 to-5 at least.
I guess thats why I’m not an odds maker.
How bout dem Frogs!!!!
It's pretty simple...
We cannot afford to lose to the giants…Period
"What the hell is going on out there?" - Vince Lombardi.
No way the Giants sweep the Cowboys.
This is a revenge game; Dallas is the dangerous team not NY.
I saw a dog today. Have you seen a dog? You probably have. How was school? Was it fun? Did you get a lot of homework? Huh? Do you have any friends? Do you have a best friend? Does he have a big coat, too?
by Aaron Novinger on Dec 1, 2009 3:18 PM CST up reply actions
agreed
I don’t see the GMen as a dangerous animal, I see them as a very wounded and dying animal looking to be put out of their misery and I hope the Cowboys oblige come Sunday afternoon.
In Romo we Trust
the Giants site agrees.
I feel another 2 sack game for Spencer coming on.
"No matter where you go, you are what you are playa"-Jay Z
Twitter Account
Terry..
I don’t see us as a wounded animal, but I hope the players feel that way..don’t get too confident..We will see how it plays out..Whoever has the better running game wins..The advantage goes to you guys, because our run defense is awful…
i don't think so
Whoever can keep their qb upright to make enough big plays will pull this out…our run game hasn’t been really good since like week 2.
I hope you're right but.......
remember people had written off the Packers before we played them too and look what happened. Believe me, nothing would make me happier than to beat the Giants but sometimes wounded animals are very dangerous.
the Packers being desperate isn't why we lost to them
we lost because we turned the ball over and didn’t execute, if we would have protected the ball and executed we would have easily beat the Packers, desperate or not.
In Romo we Trust
I'm not saying that's why we lost......
You’re right we didn’t execute and we played like garbage but the Packers defense manhandled us. If you want to call it lack of execution, go ahead. Bottom line is the Packers beat us on the defensive side of the ball and they wanted the game because their season was on the line.Face it, our offense was outcoached and uninspired that day. Same goes for NY Giants. If we show up, flat and don’t execute, we will probably get beat and yes the other team does have something to do with us losing. The Packers were desperate for a win against us just like the Giants.
you can say that about any team
Redskins have no shot at the playoffs and they defensed us just as well as the packers did, difference is we executed when it counted.
In Romo we Trust
I wouldn't quite put the Packers and the
Redskins in the same League right now. The Redskins seem to find a way to lose every way possible now.
defensively, I disagree
Offensively Packers are much superior to the Skins, defensively, not at all.
In Romo we Trust
Revenge is overrated..
Just take care of business…
"What the hell is going on out there?" - Vince Lombardi.
Division games are emotional; therefore, revenge is surely gonna cross the mind of the Cowboys.
This is their chance to rip away the division from last year’s champs. I don’t think it’s overrated at all.
I saw a dog today. Have you seen a dog? You probably have. How was school? Was it fun? Did you get a lot of homework? Huh? Do you have any friends? Do you have a best friend? Does he have a big coat, too?
by Aaron Novinger on Dec 1, 2009 4:24 PM CST up reply actions
+1
Any Blue-blooded Cowboy fan wants a piece of the Giants, and would love to repay the favor of not just their lucky win earlier this season, but IMO we still owe them for the 2007 playoffs. Our victory against them last year was meaningless because OUR season fell apart last year. This year it can mean so much more because we have a real chance to atone for past failures.
Even if no one else gives us a chance against the Vikes and Saints, I do. Favre has never been so hot in his career, and there is a HUGE sample of work that suggests he won’t sustain it for the whole season. As far as the Saints, they look like the favorite to win the Super Bowl, but we can beat them. So can the Vikings. We just need to keep our game faces on and play for the best.
Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, "where the heck is the ceiling?"
As far as I'm concerned
we have 2 home games left against SD and Philly. We should not be losing home games at this stage of the season if we are the team we think we are. We also should not lose to the Giants or Washington because we are better than they are. Ergo, we will win 4 of 5, go 12-4 and get the 3rd seed in the playoffs. Is that really too much to ask?
I'm thinking 11 wins gets you the 3rd seed as well
Can’t see the Cards winning 11 or 12 games
In Romo we Trust
especially since Warner may be out this weekend......
I’m kinda disappointed because I wanted to see Favre vs Warner.
So we could very well face the 6th seed, which could very well be the Iggles again.
I saw a dog today. Have you seen a dog? You probably have. How was school? Was it fun? Did you get a lot of homework? Huh? Do you have any friends? Do you have a best friend? Does he have a big coat, too?
by Aaron Novinger on Dec 1, 2009 4:25 PM CST up reply actions
I was thinking the same thing
The last game of the season might come down to playing for a home playoff game and it would be totally weird to play them back to back games, but it is a very good possibility.
In Romo we Trust
Actually,
I’m hoping that the eagles season boils down to that last game against us and we end their season as they ended ours last year…
Still, revenge is overrated..lol
"What the hell is going on out there?" - Vince Lombardi.
That would work out perfectly.
I saw a dog today. Have you seen a dog? You probably have. How was school? Was it fun? Did you get a lot of homework? Huh? Do you have any friends? Do you have a best friend? Does he have a big coat, too?
by Aaron Novinger on Dec 1, 2009 6:42 PM CST up reply actions
It's easier said than done
4 out of the 5 teams are in the hunt and are eager to make the playoffs just as much as we are.
This stretch will truly test the metal of this team.
"What the hell is going on out there?" - Vince Lombardi.
Quiet is deafening
Brandon Jacob is awfully quiet this time around…
"What the hell is going on out there?" - Vince Lombardi.
I dont post often, but gimme a break Bobbi, I spend a lot of time reading other team's comments and Terry talking a little trash is NOTHING compared to the vile, mindless hatred I see directed at the 'boys from bbv, bgn, and hh.
At least tho, when you go back to your own site, you still keep it civil. Not like some who come here acting like they just wanna talk fb. But then go back to bbv or hh or bgn and talk about how much they DESPISE us. Hey 2-faced jarlasen, just because some of our fans think we got a really good secondary that can at least limit brees, doesn’t make us despicable idiots like you’ve been saying all night over at bbv.
I would love to tell all our nfc east foes fans whose hatred for our team FAR SURPASSES the love for their own, what they can do, but D.Halprin doesn’t allow us to drop f-bombs like we’re a buncha 13-yrs olds whose chestnuts just dropped. Seriously, go read some of the comments being made at any of those 3 sites mentioned and tell me if most of em don’t cuss like eddie murphy in the 80s. Must be some NE “street-tough” machissmo b.s.
"Photo at right is Wade practicing his red-flag challenges for the 'boys as a child."
Cypher
I cannot deny that some people get off by trash talking about other teams, nor can I control it..There are idiots on every site..but you’ll get none of that crap from me. I simply like to chat with other fans about football, thats all..and I am honest about it. I’ll be the first to question and critique my team on BBV and on any site I visit. I just joined your site for the purpose of getting a feel for what Dallas fans think about what is going on in the league and how you folks think your team is doing. I do tend to enjoy playing with ‘Trolls’ however..I see them as strictly enterainment value..lol..When someone uses vulgarity to diss another team or fan base, I choose not to respond or comment, but I will play around with a Troll for the fun of it.
Having said that, I will tell you guys that my wife is a diehard Cowboy fan..We have alot of fun kidding and teasing each other about it..Weeks like this where our teams play each other are very special to us..If you visited our home..in the living room you would immediately note that there are two hats on either side of the TV..One is a cowboys and the other is a giants hat..Her brothers are Eagles fans, so we have alot of fun with that as well..This is a game afterall, and that is all it is..I don’t see how people can enjoy it by acting like mindless morons..makes no sense to me.
just telling it like it is bobbi
Losing 5 out of your last 6 games is sucking any way you want to look at it.
In Romo we Trust
Agreed
Perfectly stated. And what’s up with Brandon? When did he turn into a scared RB?
Jacobs in free fall
Jacobs scored 15 TD in the 2008 regular season, but only 3 so far this season. He hasn’t had a single 100-yard rushing game, he’s been held to fewer than 70 rushing yards in seven of his 11 games, and he’s produced only 66 rushing yards over the last two weeks. Jacobs hasn’t looked himself this season, and the numbers back it up. His yards-per-carry average has plummeted from 5.0 last season to 3.9 this season.
Ouch.
by One.Cool.Customer on Dec 2, 2009 3:39 AM CST up reply actions
I know all that
But why? Coaching? Fear of injury?
Brandon Jacobs..
For some reason this year, he has been trying to break runs off to the outside versus being the smashmouth up the gut runner..plus they haven’t been giving him the ball as much as they should be..You can’t get into a groove with only 11-12 carries/game..
Maybe the offensive line is letting him get hit before he gets a head of steam.
Kinda reminds me of how our offensive line sucked with the Black Hole at LG last year.
"Help, it's hot and dark in here and someone is laughing." Taco Bell
Yes the O-line..
Has been struggling..Alot of them are complaining about not running enough..They have been forced into pass block situations, so the balanced attack is not there this year..Jacobs needs to run North/South, not East/West..He is a 265 lb bulldozer who can exhaust a defense and that helps create holes..Nobody wants to go head to head with him for an entire game..but he’s drifted away from that wear-them-down style of running..I blame the coaching for that..He’s only averaging 11-12 touches per game..The Giants are throwing the darn ball way too much this year. Everyone thought that they finally broke thru the slump with the Atlanta game..but our defense gave up a 14 point lead and we needed a field goal in overtime from a guy who makes you close your eyes everytime he runs out onto the field, Tynes…Speaking of him his kick-offs stink..The majority are line drives to the 15-20 yard line, so we’re spotting teams 35-40+ yards..Not a very good thing.
Goes to show how these things just pile up
lose a good safety, now you’re giving up just a few more points than you used now, now you’re having to pass more often to keep up, now your QB is taking more hits
by AustonianAggie on Dec 2, 2009 10:12 AM CST up reply actions
sounds like the Cowboys last year ...
Weak safety play, bad ST, poor run/pass mix …
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
Nah Joon..They just are not using him enough..
No runner is going to do much on 11-12 carries..and he is pretty frustrated about it..not complaining just frustrated..but he also shoulders some of it by not running it up the gut like he is built to do..The Giants have abandoned the run too quickly..They can’t afford to do that Sunday..not in those winds..
Yes the losing streak..
Does in fact suck for us Giants fans..can’t deny that Terry.
Kicking the Giants out of the playoff hunt would be adequate revenge for the 07 season
I’m wondering if the players will look at it that way too, since they seem to hate the Giants more than any other team.
2009 Dallas Cowboys: 10-6
2009 New York Jets: not 11-5 :(
2009-2010 Dallas Mavericks: 57-25
We always get the best the other team has to offer,
and that applies even more to division foes. The Boys better bring their “A” game and nothing less if they want a “W” in the meadowlands. If the defense plays its game, we’ve got a good chance.
The Most Important Aspect of Beating the Giants
will be getting a W.
But second to that, if we lose the team will hear the media going on and on about Dallas in December. A win will silence the media madness and give the team more confidence.
Disagree totally
A win over the Giants will be huge, but it will do NOTHING to stop the media. If we win, the story will simply shift:
“The Cowboys got a huge win over division-rival New York today. What does it mean? It means Dallas is primed and New York might be done. But Dallas, who has traditionally struggled in December, still faces the red-hot Chargers and Saints. . .and the Eagles, who are breathing down their neck.”
Get used to it. The media stuff won’t end until we get a playoff win.
As far as a win over NYG given the players confidence? I hope it doesn’t. I want them facing the Chargers, Saints, Skins and Eagles with a huge chip on their shoulder and deadly-serious.
You, Sir, are a wise man
If we win, it was a meaningless game against a demoralized team that had already given up on the season.
If we lose, it’s yet another example of how the Cowboys fail to step up in a must-win game in December.
Go figure.
by One.Cool.Customer on Dec 2, 2009 3:44 AM CST up reply actions
Don't forget...
They’ll blame Romo’s Vegas trip and how he doesn’t step up in big games.. The same ole’ recycled garbage.
"What the hell is going on out there?" - Vince Lombardi.
If they blame the Vegas trip
They are even more lame than I suspect they already are.
Okay, you win. They talk about Vegas if we lose.
Wait. Even if we win.
Attention MSM: I’ve basically just framed your post-Giants game stories. Can I get some props?
Yeah Romo for some reason can never catch a break..
I’m sure they have the criticism and blame tape pre-recorded by now..they just edit in the latest insignificant thing Romo did on his own free time and plug it in there…I wouldn’t be surprised if these clowns won’t blame Romo taking a daily dump for a loss.
Agree totally
Not on the “wise man” part (but thanks), but on your basic thought. “Demoralized team” is a great way to phrase it.
I'd rather be 4th seed than 3rd
1. In the Wildcard round, we match up better against GB than we do Philly. I would also rather have a revenge game vs. the Pack than to try to win a 3rd game against the iggles. Everybody knows how hard that is.
2. In the Divisional Round (assuming we win), I would much rather face NO than the Vikings. We match up well with the Saints in every category. The Vikings… not so much. The Vikings look like a mirror image of the Cowboys… only better. Their O-Line > Ours. Farve > Romo, AD > MBIII or Felix, (this season only) Jared Allen > Ware.
Ware's better than Jared Allen
Epic Fail since 1985
by the red scare on Dec 2, 2009 2:39 AM CST up reply actions
They play
different positions in different formations so you cannot compare them.
by G Fan in England on Dec 2, 2009 6:18 AM CST up reply actions
Yes they do G..
But I’d take them both and plug them right into our underachieving defense.
Get back
onto BBV where you belong.
and yes I would have both on the Giants team as well as Sharper from the Saints and…
by G Fan in England on Dec 2, 2009 9:55 AM CST up reply actions
I want to be any seed
But most of all, I want to win, win and win in the playoffs.
Stop the quibbling over it. Let’s focus on first things first.
Your right on..
I adhere to the Parcells philosophy…Get in the tournament..that is the goal first and foremost..Will my team get there?..Sunday’s game is crucial..I noted that alot of folks over here have been fast-forwarding to the Saints and Chargers games..We are all in the old one game at a time phase of the season. We have alot of skeptics over on BBV, but I and many others think we have a decent shot..They dug a hole for themselves, but they aren’t buried yet..Dallas needs to stay focussed (I’m sure they are) on the mission at hand..Worry about the Giants first, and so on for the final 5 weeks it is plug a team in and play hard.
Are you sure you aren't a closet Cowboy fan?
"Help, it's hot and dark in here and someone is laughing." Taco Bell
We have to beat Wash and NY this week
The others we “can” win, but as long as we take care of business against these 2 we should be alright, the whole NFC East has a tough schedule and the last game could be the decider on who gets the home field between Cowboys vs Eagles in the playoffs, that would be exciting, knowing you have to play the same team twice and the winner of the first one gets the home field
"We play to win the game" - Herm Edwards
by nicholas.rodriguez on Dec 1, 2009 7:15 PM CST reply actions
another note
the giants have Minny week 17. They could very well be playing tavaris jackson in that game. In fact, they likely will be. Their schedule when you take that into account is doable. Their season right now is on the brink, and we can push them over the edge, but if we don’t it will rejuvenate that team.
I think this game is a near must win – otherwise we’ll be stuck with needing to beat Philly week 17 to get in.
Well guys...
That is it for me tonight..I respect your opinions and hopefully you do mine..I’ll probably check in with you all tommorrow and leading up to the game..It is very nice to talk with fellow football fans..Remember, the team that wins in the trenches wins the game..
The Giants fans
are hoping for a big performance on Sunday combined with Dallas playing like they did against the Packers and Redskins.
However, the trends in the offensive and defensive production by both teams also see many Giants fans being realistic (and I am one) about their very low chances of making the playoffs.
We all know teams go through bad streaks – but if the coaches are good they can turn a streak around in one game. After all Spags turned the Giants defence around from the late 2007 regular season showing to a playoff monster which carried the Giants to the Superbowl.
I for one do not have the confindence that Sheridan can turn the Giants defence around in one week as they have regressed over the course of the season.
The only hope for the Giants is a game where they need to score to win and have the ball last – but given how your defence has improved over the weeks and I do foresee a repeat of the week 2 game.
What was looking like a promising season for the Giants is becoming doomed by poor gameplans by the OC and DC.
by G Fan in England on Dec 2, 2009 5:04 AM CST reply actions
Let me say this...
I think it was Strahan who turned that defense around in 2007. Everyone remembers him on the sidelines, organizing those players and keeping them focused. It was one of the best jobs of Captaining I"ve ever seen. And the offense fed off of the intensity of the defense. Strahan not only got them focused, he kept them focused for a six or seven game stretch.
I also attribute the Cowboys play this season as a function of the Giants game. We all felt the Giants shouldn’t have won that game earlier this season, and it really focused our team. The Giants are ripe for the taking, but the Cowboys have to go out and take it.
Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, "where the heck is the ceiling?"
Strahan
I agree on Strahan – that is where he played a visit to the locker room a couple of weeks to talk to the team.
However, it was Spags schemes that gave teams fits in the playoffs – just ask Brady!
by G Fan in England on Dec 2, 2009 6:17 AM CST up reply actions
Your right White..
Strahan was clearly the leader of our defense..It is hard to replace players like him..and his retiring has had an impact this year, you can see it in how our guys are playing. He showed up and gave them a ‘pep’ talk prior to Denver, but it did no good..It is that on-field leadership and keeping them intense on the sidelines that is sorely lacking this year…The other thing is Sheridan is definitely no Spags.
disagree on Strahan...
he was definitely part of it…but it was actually Antonio Pierce who was the main man on that D (NO one likes to admit this tho.)
His play has been on a steady decline since he suffered an injury at the end of last season and pretty much this season he’s been a waste.
The Giants need a team leader who can lead by talk and by example…and Pierce was the only guy who can do that, but he can’t lead by example any more.
"It ain't over till its over"---
by FreeBradshaw on Dec 3, 2009 11:36 AM CST up reply actions
I don't get this
“The only hope for the Giants is a game where they need to score to win and have the ball last. . .”
Okay. They need to score to win. That’s a given.
“Have the ball last?” Are you saying it’s a close game?
It might be, sure. Just looking for more clarification on your post, I guess.
Yes
and Yes
It needs to be a close game and the Giants have the ball last to win the game!
All the other scenarios I have in mind are all Cowboy wins!
by G Fan in England on Dec 2, 2009 6:15 AM CST up reply actions
On a seperate note,
I don’t like the fact that the eagles are catching a break by facing Redman in Atlanta. You never know though, they did lose to Oakland..lol
"What the hell is going on out there?" - Vince Lombardi.
Well..
One of the key ingredients to making a run for the crown is “luck”..another Parcells belief…Talent+Smash mouth running+Decent passing attack+a little luck=Championship.
Philly has a little luck, they have a decent pass attack, but they don't have the running..
With Westbrook being hurt..they are airing it out and McNabb is taking a beating..So, they are missing one of the key ingredients..I see them as squeaking by but I don’t see them going very far..Maybe a wild card if the Giants fold-up our tent, but I don’t see them go very far..In fact if somebody doesn’t figure out how to beat the Saints and Vikings we can all bendover and grab our ankles.
Maybe I'm being foolish, but I think the the Saints are getting
by on a lot of unknowns and a good offensive line. Plus getting to play the majority of your strongest opponents at home doesn’t hurt. Who have they really played on the road? Anyway, I get the feeling their offense will get them to the dance, but I don’t know if their defense can keep them there. Who knows maybe the Saints can take it all the way this year, then they have something else to hang over the Eagles. After this year the Saints are no longer a surprise, just like the Steelers are no longer a surprise, just ask Cincy. That is why it is so frustrating that Dallas went 13-3 had it in their hands and let it slip away. I don’t know who will be the surprise team next year, but it won’t be the Saints or Vikes.
"Help, it's hot and dark in here and someone is laughing." Taco Bell
Excellent point..
Once you get to the dance it is a whole new season..anything can and will happen..like the Giants in ‘07..That loss to New England in Decmber gave them confidence..Could happen for the Cowboys.. the same kind of scenario..What I mean is if you play them hard and lose a close game, I wouldn’t sweat it..It sends a message that these teams are beatable..That is what happened to the Patriots.
Also, when you have two weeks to study an overconfident opponent it sure helps.
Also, the Pats along with whoever is in the SB will not have home field advantage. Even if the Saints made it all the way and the SB was in the SuperDome the corporations have all the tickets and most people there won’t be actual Saints fans.
"Help, it's hot and dark in here and someone is laughing." Taco Bell
DeSean Jackson looks to be out
You can pretty much take 7-10 points off the board for the Eagles without DeSean Jackson, so yeah Atl is missing Ryan, but the Eagles are missing a key player as well. Should be a good game
Forget about winning and losing; forget about pride and pain. Let your opponent graze your skin and you smash into his flesh; let him smash into your flesh and you fracture his bones; let him fracture your bones and you take his life. Do not be concerned with escaping safely - lay your life before him. - Bruce Lee
If the Falcons beat the Eagles
it’d change my perception of Atlanta, which currently stands at “not physical enough”
by AustonianAggie on Dec 2, 2009 12:21 PM CST up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
