Zelmo

I don't wanna lose Austin, I just think he's a player who's at a point that whatever production he could give us this year is something we could get from signing a veteran willing to play for cheap that's floating around. What he'll be in a few years? I don't know. But his contribution this year is something that I think is replaceable with a very modest veteran pickup, for example Jimmy Kennedy, who they already signed before the injury. Kennedy may be a huge bust in terms of where he was drafted, but there's no way he can't give us what Austin would've been able to give us THIS season. He may have potential but for this season he didn't look game ready. -Z

Are there any young unproven DT's who haven't shown much and won't really play this year that we can trade Osi for? -Z

I agree with you about Witherspoon, I just don't think you can fault Coughlin about T2. The reason this Austin injury doesn't get me up in arms is because of what Tree said, I didn't really see Austin contributing this year. He may have potential, but it didn't look like he was exactly gonna be seeing the field that much any time soon. -Z

It's all Tom Coughlin's fault...muscles and ligaments really don't like his old school style of coaching. I hear all the talented young ACL's wanna play for Rex Ryan. -Z

This^^^ That first punt return really got on my nerves, there was a lot of space between him and the defender when he caught the ball and he wasted it all just shaking in place....not gonna work in the NFL....he needs to get the ball and start moving right away. I'm sure the coaches have told him this. -Z

Lol yeah he kicked great, I just couldn't help but be amused at his resemblance to an oompa loompa... -Z

Am I the only one who thought his pot belly looked ridiculous? Nothing to do with his kicking skills obviously. -Z

Hindsight is 20/20. These things happen. I agree pre-season is mostly about evaluating the younger guys. But it's also about getting everybody cranked up to game speed, which I don't care what you say does not happen fully in practice against your own team. Watch and you'll see Boley hesitate, Jacobs hesitate, Manningham hesitate, Kenny Philips a little sluggish. I understand some of these guys aren't giving it their all, but there's a middle ground where you're not exactly ripping your opponents head off but you're being aggressive and sharpening your instincts and reactions. You want all that stuff worked out as much as possible before week 1. -Z

From an article from two days before the Tampa Bay playoff game: "I don't know about all that criticism, man," Gruden said after the Buccaneers' practice Friday. "I loved him when he came out of Mississippi and I like the fact that he's taken his team to the playoffs three times in a tough league. I'm a big fan of his, personally." So there ya go. -Z

Did anyone else notice that it was Tuck who ran down Matt Forte on that big play? I mean Tuck wasn't behind him in fact he was already partially upfield but for a DE his closing speed was ridiculous. Most DE's don't make that play. -Z

It also just goes to show you how much goes on that we, or at least I, don't realize. On the surface all we see is a running play. Offensive line gets credit, Jacobs gets credit....but in reality Eli gets a ton of credit too. Without the audible that play probably doesn't happen. Eli is not and will never be Peyton, neither physically nor mentally, but I think Eli has as much control over his team's offense as anyone in the league besides for Peyton, and he does a pretty good job, so long as he avoids those maddening delay of games. -Z

I think Gruden is excellent. Man knows his football. (As he should, obviously.) -Z

I can't find a replay now but I remember the replays pretty clearly showing Toomer only got one foot in. Come to think of it Bronco games at Giants Stadium have been absolutely fantastic. The 2005 game Eli, backpedaling 10 yards deep in the backfield away from John Lynch, found Toomer (again) at the buzzer . I was at that game, never seen a crowd in person go quite so crazy. I remember on the slow walk out of the stadium everyone was just shrieking EEEEEELLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII on the top of their lungs.... On a side note, that was the first NFL game I ever saw in person, which kind of set the bar pretty high as far as excitement goes. But the second game I went to was also fantastic as it was the Eagles game where we absolutely plowed over McNabb and had like 12 sacks or something. (Then my next game was a completely uneventful Lions game last year so I guess there's probability kicking in.) -Z

Thats game was amazing. Launched Toomer's career. It's a good thing for us there wasn't replay yet though. -Z

Agreed that every QB needs to deal with them but the amount that it happened last year was a total anomaly. And shave it down to 31:17 and you're right around the ratio you're talking about. Like I said, Eli definitely makes mistakes, and though he flashes it occasionally, he is not an "elite" quarterback by any non-fanboy, reasonable definition of the term. But he wasn't as bad as the 25 INT stat makes him look. Oh and yeah, Brady's year last year was simply nuts. Off the charts. -Z

I knew this from having watched the games last year, but just to confirm for myself I watched the video of Eli's 25 picks, and 8 of them, 8 of them, are balls that receivers got at least a full two hands on. Another one was tipped up in the air by a defensive player at the line. Another one or two were miscommunication/wrong route by the receiver type. Mind you the remaining 14-15 picks included some awful throws. Even just taking out the dropped passes that leaves 17 picks. I'll take 4000 yards 31 TD's and 17 INT's any single day of the week. This whole Eli threw 25 interceptions things really bothers me. Anyone watching those games knows that while Eli certainly makes mistakes, he isn't a 25 INT quarterback. A TON of those balls really and truly just took ridiculous bounces. -Z

He led the NFL in touchback percentage in 2007 and 2008. Though to be fair he fell to 7th in 2009 and 11th in 2010. With the shortened field he should get a TON of TB's. Kicking Stats -Z

29 % is well above the league average: -Z

This my friend, is a paradox -Z

Also people should keep in mind...Jerry Reese actually drafted Steve Smith, and Kevin Boss for that matter. Whatever attachment we feel to these guys, Jerry Reese has to feel exponentially more...but he needs to make smart all around decisions. Imagine for a second, take the fondness you have for those guys, and then multiply it by 100 because you actually drafted them. It's not like Reese wanted to see them go. -Z

I agree we'll be fine. Just sayin there's no need to underrate Smith now that we've lost him. -Z

It happens to be, I wouldn't call Smith "replaceable" or "overrated". He's a fantastic receiver when healthy. Possibly the best slot receiver in the NFL. You don't find those every day. -Z

Yeah but Nas how many of us know anything about the condition of Steve's knees? I'm more inclined to think the FO didn't get caught with their pants down. How many of us on this site were wondering why Smith wasn't signed yet? The answer surely isn't because Reese was busy playing videogames. Smith wasn't signed yet because they weren't in a hurry to sign him, becasue they didn't feel like they should be in a hurry to sign him, because clearly they felt it wasn't so important that he be signed. When Reese thought it was important, for example GETTING A STARTING CENTER, it happened, swiftly and decisively and immediately. It's the most logical explanation. Whether it's the right move we'll see. -Z

If there's a bone to pick here, it's why Reese and co. didn't want Smith. And whether they're right about him or the Eagles are. Which only time will tell. But nobody stole anyone from anybody. The Eagles took what we weren't interested in. -Z

There's no way the Giants thought he's gonna be healthy and ready to put in basically a full seasons work and didn't match this offer. No way. -Z