2007 NY Giants Articles and Video

jerseygiantfan · January 6, 2008

Playbook: Giants at Bucs

BY HANK GOLA

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Sunday, January 6th 2008, 4:00 AM

THE LINE: Bucs by 3

TV: Ch. 5 (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman)

RADIO: WFAN-660 AM (Bob Papa, Dick Lynch, Carl Banks), Nationwide on Westwood One Radio (Bill Rosinski, Dan Reeves)

FORECAST: Sunny, in the upper 70s with light winds.

INJURY IMPACT

C Shaun O'Hara (knee) and CB Sam Madison (abdomen) missed the entire week of practice and will be game-time decisions. Grey Ruegamer would replace O'Hara as he did against the Pats. Corey Webster would start for Madison against the dangerous Joey Galloway. It seems as though LB Kawika Mitchell (knee) will be able to play. It's unlikely Bucs LB Cato June will play with a sprained foot. The ex-Colt, a good cover LB and Tampa's third-leading tackler, will be replaced by former starter Ryan Nece with rookie Quincy Black getting significant playing time. LG Arron Sears, a very good run blocker, had an ankle sprain that improved as the week went on.

FEATURE MATCHUPS

RB Brandon Jacobs vs. Barrett Ruud and the Bucs linebackers: The Bucs still have bruises from their one-sided collisions with Jacobs last year, so they know the importance of executing their philosophy of penetration to stop the bruising back before his shoulders are turned. The Bucs must force runs outside, where their corners are excellent tacklers. Tampa's linebackers can run with anyone, even the venerable Derrick Brooks, a sure tackler. Rookie safety Tanard Jackson will come into the box when the Giants use FB Madison Hedgecock.

WR Joey Galloway vs. CB Sam Madison and S James Butler: Will Galloway pick up where Randy Moss left off last week and attack the Giants where they are most vulnerable? At any moment, the Bucs can break out of all those West Coast patterns as Jeff Garcia takes his shots deep to the speedy Galloway. The question with Madison's injury is whether he can be as physical as he needs to be. The veteran has great cover instincts but he'll have to guard against being set up by all those slants, hitches and short outs.

SCOUT SAYS

"As the Giants have said, the Bucs have been playing a lot less Tampa 2 this year but that is the look that will give Eli (Manning) the most problems, since it tests a quarterback's patience and makes him fit the ball into tight spots. Avoiding the interception against a secondary that is so good at jumping routes will be the biggest factor in the game because by the second half, Jacobs should have this lightweight front pretty well softened up. We will see a lot of Jeff Garcia rolling right, which will help him to run away from Osi Umenyiora's side . . . (Michael) Strahan has been MIA lately."

INTANGIBLES

Funny how a team that lost two of its last three games and gave up 38 points in its finale can feel it has the momentum going into the playoffs. But it's the perception that counts and after coming close to the perfect Pats, Big Blue is looking for the cigar in Tampa. But Team Giddy had better be careful about feeling too good about itself. The Giants have been much better under the gun this year. The Bucs basically took off the last two weeks of the season. Are they good enough to turn the switch back on? As for Ronde Barber's tough talk ... any decent D should think Eli can be had. Manning was tied for the league lead in INTs (20), wasn't he?

PREDICTION

Giants, 20-17. Unless the turnovers start coming ... and coming ... and coming.

jerseygiantfan · January 7, 2008

Manning getting hot at the right time

by Howie Long

Updated: January 6, 2008, 10:37 PM EST 91 comments

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Well, Eli Manning shocked the New York football world on Sunday. He won his first playoff game and he's now thrown six touchdowns and only one interception over his last two games.

I want to put this into perspective for everyone. We keep thinking because of his father, Archie, and older brother Peyton have both been around for so long that we've forgotten that Eli is just in his fourth season. The assumption has always been Eli's not a fiery guy because of his demeanor and that he's not the most competitive guy. I said this before about him. Eli is a lot like a duck. There's not a lot going on above the water, but below the surface those feet are just churning constantly.

I know he's a competitive guy; he's just not a demonstrative guy. And that's okay to a certain extent. But you need your quarterback to show some fire.

Manning is also hurt because Giant fans are used to Phil Simms, the blood and guts of their championship teams. He has been the face of that franchise at quarterback for more than two decades. Simms won one Super Bowl and was part of another winner before getting hurt. He was 22-of-25 with two drops when he beat John Elway and Denver in Super Bowl XXI. It was a truly remarkable performance in the biggest of big games.

Being judged by that standard has been difficult both from a demeanor standpoint and a performance standpoint for Manning. I tell you, there are times when Manning almost looks like he's just been sent to the timeout room after an incompletion or a bad play. For him to start the year by responding to Tiki Barber's criticism in the media verbally was a big step for him. I mean with his teammates, with the fans and also within that organization.

Manning has been up and down. His touchdown to interception ratio (23 to 20) is not where you would like it to be. But the fans must understand that he's been unable to practice most of the year with Plaxico Burress, his best receiver. Last week Plaxico did practice and it was obvious that it improved their timing and rhythm. There is also such a trust factor between Manning and Burress. Manning knows he can throw the ball up to him and he's either going to go get it or it's going to be an incompletion. I don't think he's had that with a lot of other receivers.

My buddy Terry Bradshaw likes to talk about a quarterback wearing glasses. When I take my glasses off, I can't see anything on the TV screen. It is blurry to me. With my glasses on, it's like 'wow, I can see so clearly.' Bradshaw says it takes a while for a quarterback to see everything clearly while playing.

Well, last week's game against New England was one of the first times that it looked like the clarity was there. Against the Patriots, Manning looked like a franchise quarterback in a big game against undoubtedly the best team in football. He played great on an enormous stage.

It wasn't until the regular season finale that Manning was stepped up on such a big stage. I find that interesting because Giants Stadium can be such a bad place to play for a quarterback. Simms always talked about that with me. The winds gust there and they swirl. It is tough to throw anything. I don't think it's any shock that the Giants are now 8-1 on the road this season.

Tampa Bay made a conscious effort in the playoff game to say, 'If you are going to go beyond this area with the ball, it is at your own peril. We're going to force you to be patient throughout the game.'

Well, Manning did exactly that. He worked the middle of the field. He worked the intermediate to the short routes. He went to the check-downs. I can remember one play where he pumped the ball and brought it back and then delivered a pass for a first down.

Manning has to throw in rhythm. He's not a spontaneous quarterback. Against the Bucs and last week vs. the Pats, I saw some things where he kind of allowed himself to shift on the fly and I think that helped him. New York's offensive line also played a great game.

The difference for the Bucs was that quarterback Jeff Garcia could never set his feet. It was almost like the clock struck midnight and Garcia turned into the Garcia of old. When you are defending Garcia, with the exception of the Joey Galloway big plays this season, you're defending almost a red-zone offense. It is an abbreviated offense because he's not a big-arm guy, which allows defenses to defend a shorter field.

Jeff Garcia struggled in a loss to the Giants. (Doug Benc / Getty Images)

Garcia never had the opportunity to set his feet. Fans always ask what comes first, the coverage or the pressure. Well, with the Giants it has always been the pressure. Don't forget that their new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo came over from Philadelphia where they do a lot more safety and linebacker blitzes. Well, this unit started the season poorly but you can tell that Spagnuolo has figured out the strengths of his players and they have discovered what he wants them to do.

I am impressed with the Giants right now. This is a tough-minded team that plays in the biggest media market in the country. They are under scrutiny 24-hours a day, seven-days-a-week. That's why they have played so much better on the road.

I give them a shot next Sunday in Dallas because the Cowboys' offense concerns me a little. I knew Terrell Owens was a big part of what they did. But the ripple effect of when he is on the field and off the field is equally as profound. In their season finale his absence threw Tony Romo's timing off. Their inability to run the football in that last game also surprised me.

The dynamic of the Giants from where they were last year at this time and where they are now is rather startling. Maybe dysfunctional is too strong of a word, but the Giants had too many players heading in too many different directions. The focus was not on the group. Instead, the focus was on the individual.

Bradshaw made the point Sunday that it's not all on Manning. I agree. Well, he's had good people around him and performed well the last two weeks. Unlike the NBA, unlike Major League Baseball, unlike the NHL, our playoffs are not a five-game series, this is not a seven-game series, it's not the ALCS. It's one game. Anything can happen in one football game.

I said this before. Fifty-three times since the merger teams have played each other three times during a season. Only 11 times has one team swept the other team. The Giants are a different team than they were in the earlier matchups. The same can be said for Dallas. The Cowboys looked like they were steamrolling one team swept the other team.

That's what makes New England's accomplishment all the more impressive. The Patriots said something very interesting to me. They have been in countless big games. They have won three Super Bowls, but this 16-0 streak was something totally different for them. It was like nothing that they have ever done before, so they weren't used to it.

I was told that they are relieved to be in the playoffs, which is something they are really used to. They got punched in the mouth in the first half by the Giants. And you know what? They got up off the deck and came back to win. They are a mentally tough team. The Giants look to be pretty tough to me, too, right now. And so does Eli Manning

jerseygiantfan · January 7, 2008

Poised, patient Manning delivers for Giants

Pasquarelli

By Len Pasquarelli

ESPN.com

(Archive)

Updated: January 6, 2008

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Eli Manning Silences His Critics

TAMPA, Fla. -- In the notebook Eli Manning maintains as part of his game preparation, a diary of personal insights and ideas gleaned from videotape inspection of the upcoming opponent and perusal of his own team's plan of attack, the New York Giants' quarterback kept scribbling down the same one-word reminder last week.

Patience.

"It was the main thing I wanted to drive home to myself," Manning acknowledged Sunday evening as he strolled down a corridor in the bowels of Raymond James Stadium with his first postseason win now embossed on his NFL résumé. "Against a defense like the one that [Tampa Bay] plays, you don't want to force things because the Bucs are so good at taking the ball away. You can't allow yourself to get too frustrated. Probably, early on today, part of the problems we had were maybe because I was a little too conservative, you know? But in the end, just staying calm and settling into the game, it paid off for us."

Indeed, patience is almost always virtuous. But for the Giants, and especially for Manning on Sunday afternoon, it was an attribute that proved victorious, as well, as New York dominated Tampa Bay 24-14 in a wild-card contest that wasn't really as close as the final score might suggest.

The win was the first postseason victory for New York since its 2000 NFC Championship Game rout of Minnesota, which earned the Giants a spot in Super Bowl XXXV. It means a matchup Sunday against the division rival Dallas Cowboys, a team that defeated the Giants twice in the regular season.

But in those two losses, Manning generally played well, completing 51 of 75 throws for 548 yards, with five touchdown passes and three interceptions, for a passer rating of 94.9. And since their season-opening loss at Texas Stadium -- a 45-35 shootout in which Manning threw for 312 yards and four touchdowns -- the Giants haven't lost on the road, with Sunday's wild-card win their eighth straight away from home.

Coming off their disappointing 38-35 loss to New England in the regular-season finale, a defeat that came as close to a moral victory as any New York veteran would ever concede and that several players noted might well be a momentum builder for the playoffs, the Giants arrived here "knowing the consequences," according to coach Tom Coughlin. And Manning, who had lost the first two playoff appearances of his career, certainly understood what might transpire if he was careless with the football against a Bucs defense that led the NFL in takeaway/turnover differential in 2007 with a plus-25 mark.

[+] Enlarge

Eli Manninng

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

After a slow start, Eli Manning found his rhythm and led the Giants to their first playoff win since 2001.

So Manning, who tied for the league lead in interceptions (20), was notably cautious and quite deliberate in the manner in which he challenged the Tampa Bay defense.

But in completing 20 of 27 passes for 185 yards, with two touchdown passes, no interceptions and an efficiency rating of 117.1, Manning was very effective. The Giants, who had the fifth-most turnovers in the league in 2007 (34), didn't give the ball away at all Sunday afternoon.

"Eli played smart," said Tampa Bay cornerback Brian Kelly. "He made safe throws. He didn't take chances, and he didn't give us any opportunities to capitalize on mistakes because he just didn't make any."

The Bucs don't play nearly as much Cover 2 in the secondary as they once did, and on Sunday they relied on a lot of single-high safety looks early, which forced Manning to throw quick-hitch routes. But once he completed a few of those, Manning gained a rhythm and loosened up the Tampa Bay coverages.

Manning completed only one pass of more than 20 yards, a 21-yard hookup with rookie wide receiver Steve Smith. The play set up tailback Brandon Jacobs' 8-yard touchdown run, a blast over left tackle that gave the Giants a 14-7 halftime lead. And Manning averaged only 9.3 yards per completion and 6.8 yards per attempt. But after a very sluggish start, with the Giants going three-and-out on each of their first three possessions and not registering their initial first down until early in the second quarter, Manning managed the game nicely and operated with poise and precision.

And, as his teammates agreed, with admirable patience.

"He showed a lot of calm," said wide receiver Amani Toomer, who led the Giants with seven catches for 74 yards and whose 4-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter boosted New York to a 24-7 lead. "He didn't let the slow start get to him. He didn't rush anything, and just played inside himself and let the game come to him. Once we all settled in, he got into a rhythm. It was impressive. After the first quarter, he made a lot of big plays."

Two moments, each of which emphasized the patience Manning demonstrated, stood out.

The first was the 21-yard completion to Smith, a third-and-2 play on which Manning began to throw, pulled the ball down and reloaded, then allowed the rookie wide receiver to find a void in the Bucs' secondary as he continued his route. Had Manning released the ball when he initially cocked his arm, with Smith in a crowd, the pass might well have been intercepted.

Instead, the play resulted in a first down at the Tampa Bay 17-yard line, and Jacobs scored two snaps later.

The second instance was a surgical 15-play, 92-yard drive in the fourth quarter that culminated in the touchdown pass to Toomer. The long series, which consumed 8:37 in clock time, represented the Giants' longest touchdown march since a 95-yard scoring trek against the Baltimore Colts in the historic 1958 NFL championship game. That was the landmark overtime contest that thrust the league into national prominence.

On a first-and-10 play, Manning twice pumped before finding tight end Kevin Boss for 11 yards. On a second-and-10, he showed terrific timing, hitting wideout Plaxico Burress for 14 yards on a stop route to the left side. Then, on the touchdown throw to Toomer, he lured Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde Barber inside with a slight pump fake toward Boss. The hesitation bought Toomer enough time to uncover to the outside of the end zone.

"A big-time drive" was Manning's assessment of the long series that drained the life from the Bucs' defense and quashed any hopes of a Tampa Bay rally.

Mostly because of the big-time performance from Manning, who must play just as well -- and perhaps even better -- for New York to have a chance of upsetting the top-seeded Cowboys in a week.

"We know their team, and we know what they like to do," said Manning, who earned his first postseason victory on his third try. "Who knows, the third time might be the charm."

Senior writer Len Pasquarelli covers the NFL for ESPN.com.

jerseygiantfan · January 8, 2008

Coughlin has Giants rolling

by Kevin Hench

Kevin Hench is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com

Updated: January 7, 2008, 7:48 PM EST 50 comments

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On Sept. 23, the New York Giants' season appeared to be all but over. The G-Men had allowed 80 points in losing their first two games and trailed 17-3 at halftime at Washington.

Did it even matter what their beleaguered — and allegedly reviled — coach said in the locker room during that halftime? Hadn't the veteran team tuned out the fire-and-brimstone Tom Coughlin already? Wasn't he on his way out the door anyway?

A funny thing happened on Coughlin's way to the unemployment line. His team rose up and played as if he were the most beloved figure of their sporting lives. And in so doing, he became — if not beloved — at least likeable, transforming himself from a tyrannical father figure to the cool uncle.

After being outscored 97-51 in the first 10 quarters of 2007, the Giants allowed a mere 83 yards in the second half of that come-from-behind victory against the 'Skins in Week 3, capping the effort with a game-saving stand on first-and-goal at the 1 in the final minute.

That 24-17 road victory was not just the first of six straight wins, it was the first of eight consecutive road wins. The eighth came Sunday in Tampa Bay, where after sputtering for the first quarter (-2 total yards), the Giants dominated the Bucs in a 24-14 victory.

Now the road takes the G-Men back where their bizarre, redemptive season began: Dallas.

But the Cowboys won't see the team they riddled for 45 points on opening night, or even the team they pinned 31 on in a Week 10 victory in the Meadowlands. With December road wins at Chicago, Philadelphia and Buffalo and a psyche-changing effort at home against the Patriots in the season finale, the Giants team that invades Texas Stadium next Sunday is physically and mentally tough.

It's going to be very hard for the Cowboys to pull of the hat trick and beat Big Blue for the third time this season. Just ask the Buccaneers.

After scoring on their opening drive, the Bucs were blasted 24-0 over the next 40 minutes before punching in what amounted to a consolation touchdown. (Question for Jon Gruden: why kick it deep down two scores with 3:25 left?)

Michael Strahan dominated on defense with nine tackles (ridiculous for a DE) and a sack, and the Giants D forced veteran Jeff Garcia (23-for-39, 207 yards, 2 INTs, 1 TD) into looking a whole lot like the old Eli Manning.

The new Eli Manning, meanwhile, continued where he left off in his possibly-career-changing performance against the Patriots. He was calm and patient and took what the quick, active Tampa Bay defense gave him, completing 20-of-27 for 185 yards with two TDs and no picks. For Eli Manning to go an entire playoff game without forcing a throw into coverage must have mellowed Coughlin the Convivial even further. (Manning had thrown four picks in his previous 45 playoff attempts.)

As for Chucky, the charge that Gruden lost this game by taking the last couple of weeks of the season off — a broadside he saw coming — seems fairly preposterous. If the Bucs were going to have ring rust from their competitive layoff, wouldn't it have manifested itself in the first quarter? Which they completely controlled.

No, the Bucs lost for the same reason the Cowboys were no doubt rooting for them: the Giants are a very good, very scary team.

jerseygiantfan · January 14, 2008

NY Post plants fake Jessica

by JENNIFER FERMINO, New York Post

Updated: January 14, 2008, 9:21 AM EST 4 comments

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IRVING, Texas - Jess win, baby!

Get more from the New York Post, including photos of the Fake Jessica mingling with fans. ( / New York Post)

Even a fake Jessica Simpson was good enough to throw off the Dallas Cowboys yesterday, as Big Blue took a Giant step toward the Super Bowl.

The Giants, who notched a stunning 21-17 victory over Dallas in the NFC Divisional Playoffs, had a good-luck charm in the stands - in the form of Simpson lookalike Lynsey Nordstrom.

The real Simpson was the subject of great hand-wringing in Big D all week because of her budding romance with Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and his habit of falling short on the field when gal pals are in attendance.

Simpson - nicknamed "Yoko Romo" by some superstitious Cowboys fans - didn't show up yesterday, but The Post brought Nordstrom, a beautiful, 21-year-old nanny from Bothell, Wash., to Texas Stadium.

We sat her in the third row at the 50-yard line behind Dallas' bench. The stunner's Simpson-esque vibes must have made the difference - Romo's final drive was stopped short of the end zone.

You're welcome, New York!

"I knew we were going to win when I saw her [Nordstrom]. I'm dead serious!" said Giant die-hard Anthony Triglia, 21, of Staten Island who cheered Big Blue in the heart of enemy territory.

"You have to come to Green Bay," Triglia told Nordstrom.

Then, in true Jessica, Chicken-of-the-Sea fashion, Nordstrom candidly responded: "What's Green Bay?"

Simpson and Romo won't have to worry about Green Bay now, thanks to the gutsy Giants who were outgained in total yardage but still came out on top.

Romo and the Cowboys had the benefit of a week off and a playoff bye - which the QB spent with Simpson in a romantic Mexican getaway.

"I'm the new biggest Jessica Simpson fan!" said Triglia's pal, fellow Staten Island resident Daniel Podvesker, 21.

"I heard a vacation in Cabo is excellent!"

Despite an occasional jeer, Nordstrom basked in the glow of fans telling her she was a dead ringer for Simpson.

"So many people were like, 'I really thought you were her!' " said Nordstrom, an aspiring makeup artist.

Romo's worst games of the past two seasons came when his girlfriends were in the stands.

His stinker of 2006 came Dec. 25, in front of then-squeeze "American Idol" Carrie Underwood.

Four weeks ago, Romo again had his worst game, with gal pal Simpson looking on from a luxury box at Texas Stadium.

Nordstrom turned heads in the parking lot, and then inside the stadium, where fans were keenly aware of Simpson's impact on Romo.

As Nordstrom approached the turnstiles, a fan with a bullhorn told the pretty blonde: "Jessica, Jessica, don't be going to the game!"

Nordstrom, wearing a pink, No. 9 Cowboys jersey like the one Simpson wore four weeks ago, tried to get closer to Dallas' bench at one point.

A security guard told her to get back.

"Y'all get back to your seats," the rent-a-cop said. "We don't need Jessica Simpson."

Additional reporting by Rebecca Rosenberg and David K. Li in New

jerseygiantfan · January 14, 2008

Eli Manning, Giants beat Cowboys; will play Packers for NFC championship

You're a little nervous (at the end) because when you look at Dallas, they always seem to find a way to win close games," Manning said. "It was a great job by our defense. It's not easy to stop those guys."

It wasn't easy at all in the first half, when Marion Barber (27 carries, 129 yards) powered a Cowboys offense that oddly decided to stick mostly on the ground, despite the depleted nature of the Giants' secondary (starting corner Sam Madison and nickel back Kevin Dockery were both inactive). Barber had 101 of his yards in the first half, and the Cowboys took a 14-7 lead with two impressive drives.

The second drive, in fact, ate up most of the second quarter. The Cowboys took 20 plays and ate 10:28 off the clock. When Barber plunged over the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown, the Giants' defense was exhausted and there were just 53 seconds left.

Then came what Pierce called the turning point because he could see on the sidelines, "We really had our heads down."

"They had all the momentum and our defense was gassed," Manning added. "Not a whole lot was going our way."

Then, everything changed. Manning led the Giants on one of the finest drives of his career. He quickly marched them 71 yards on seven plays in just 46 seconds, getting two huge catches from rookie Steve Smith and another from rookie tight end Kevin Boss.

The finale came on a bullet pass over the middle to Toomer, who reached around safety Ken Hamlin and lunged for the end zone, a 4-yard touchdown that tied the game at 14-14 with just seven seconds.

Toomer, who had opened the game with a 52-yard touchdown reception on the Giants' first drive, was so confident at that point that on the way to the locker room he caught up to Strahan, who might retire after the season, and told him, "This will not be the last game I play with you."

It won't be because, after the Cowboys took a 17-14 third-quarter lead on a Nick Fold field goal, the Giants' defense didn't break again. And eventually the Giants got a huge, 25-yard punt return from McQuarters to set them up at the Dallas' 37 late in the quarter.

Five plays later, Jacobs gave the Giants their first lead since early in the second quarter.

About 13 minutes after that, the Giants were on their way to a happy locker room, where they had hung a banner that read "Getcha popcorn ready!" - Owens' favorite phrase.

The Giants then reveled in the fact that they have another game to prepare for, and that they don't have to listen to trash talk coming out of Dallas anymore, especially Crayton's contention that the visitors were the ones guilty of talking trash.

"We do have the salt for everyone who was a little salty towards us," Pierce said. "We have enough butter and salt for all of that popcorn."

"Not that we needed any motivation," said defensive end Justin Tuck. "But you just don't say things like that to a hungry football team."

jerseygiantfan · January 15, 2008

Giants' Manning emerging from older brother's shadow

Chadiha

By Jeffri Chadiha

ESPN.com

(Archive)

Updated: January 13, 2008

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Giants Defense Dominates Second Half

IRVING, Texas -- New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning saw the text message just minutes after his team's 21-17 divisional playoff win over Dallas.

His older brother, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, had sent his congratulations even though Peyton's team had been bounced out of the playoffs by San Diego earlier that afternoon. This is how the Manning siblings apparently operate. They show their love for each other regardless of the circumstances.

What made this moment all the more poignant for Eli is that this finally seems to be his time to shine in the NFL. He's playing his best football at the best possible time, and the Giants are one win from the Super Bowl because of it. Yes, New York did a good job of harassing Tony Romo and stifling Terrell Owens on Sunday, but you can't underestimate Manning's performance. For all the great things that are happening for the Giants, the most obvious good news is that Manning is growing up in a hurry.

Of course, you'll never hear Manning expand on that topic. He'd much rather talk about the team's performance and the opportunity to meet Green Bay in Sunday's NFC Championship Game, the same Packers team, by the way, that beat the Giants back in Week 2.

"We're finding ways to win games, and that's really nice to see," said Manning, who completed 12 of 18 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. "It seems like whenever we need something to happen, somebody steps up to make a play. And it usually seems like it's a different person each time."

Although the Giants are getting tremendous contributions from a variety of unheralded players, Manning's production has been the common denominator in their two playoff wins. Three weeks ago, you never would've predicted this, not with the way Manning was playing then. He had a five-game stretch when he was especially awful -- he threw eight interceptions and four touchdowns between Nov. 25 and Dec. 23 -- and his own general manager, Jerry Reese, said Manning looked "skittish" while tossing four interceptions in a 41-17 loss to Minnesota. That's how bad it was for Manning: Even the higher-ups were piling on.

Eli Manning's newfound confidence and poise have helped the Giants thrive in the playoffs.

The impressive thing is that Manning never let those low points weigh him down. He started turning his season around with a four-touchdown performance in a season-ending loss to New England. He completed 20 of 27 passes against Tampa Bay in the Jan. 6 NFC wild-card win.

Overall, Manning has posted a passer rating of at least 100.0 -- which is excellent -- in each of his past three outings.

"You can see that Eli is relaxed and confident right now," said Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress. "And when you have that going for you, it's easy to play well. When he had those bad games, everybody was getting down on him, but if people could've seen him around us, they would've known that stuff didn't bother him."

Several of Manning's teammates say his response to that adversity was one example of how he has become a stronger leader in his fourth season. They say he's more demonstrative when discussing adjustments on the sideline and more vocal when addressing teammates on the field. Left tackle David Diehl adds that Manning's preparation has impressed the team this year. In fact, some joke that he must be sleeping at the team facility with all the hours he's putting in these days.

What can't be disputed is that Manning clearly is doing something right. He hasn't thrown an interception in the postseason, and he's moving the chains. Sunday's game was another example of that. Manning doesn't deserve a lot of credit for the score on New York's opening drive -- wide receiver Amani Toomer took a short pass, broke two tackles and raced 52 yards for a touchdown on that play -- but Manning certainly gave his team a big lift later in the half. In fact, he probably delivered the most important drive of his career right before halftime.

The Cowboys had just gone on a 20-play, 90-yard scoring drive that ate up 11:28 when the Giants took possession with 53 seconds left in the half. New York trailed 14-7, and it would've been easy to just run out the clock. Instead, Manning drove his team 71 yards on seven plays and ended the possession with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Toomer.

"It was really big for us to get a touchdown right before halftime," Manning said. "We'd been on the sidelines for what felt like forever, so to get a touchdown right there was huge for our momentum."

When the Giants look back on this postseason, they will see that moment as one of the major steps in Manning's development. He didn't have happy feet. He displayed no clueless expressions. And his shoulders definitely didn't slump. He played with the confidence and focus that are normally the trademarks of his older brother, and you could see that his teammates believed in him. This is what made Manning's play Sunday so notable.

Drives like those make it easy to think the Packers will see a different quarterback from the one they beat back in early September. It's also apparent that Manning finally is creating his own identity in this league.

"Everybody expects him to be like his brother and throw all these deep balls that lead to big plays," said Giants cornerback R.W. McQuarters. "But that's not Eli's game. He relies on his running game, and he dinks and dunks his way down the field. The thing is that when you get into the playoffs, that's how you win games -- by limiting your mistakes."

We actually didn't need McQuarters to confirm that for us. Just a quick check of which Manning sibling is still standing in this postseason says all you have to know about the current success of Eli's approach.

Jeffri Chadiha covers the NFL for ESPN.com.

jerseygiantfan · January 15, 2008

Giants plan to Pack 2nd dose of revenge

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Tuesday, January 15th 2008, 4:00 AM

Cataffo/News

At the end of every game they lost this season, the Giants were left with the same empty feeling. They were sure they were the better team, and they craved another chance to prove it.

"It's unbelievable," Amani Toomer said. "When you walk off the field, you always think, ‘Man, I wish we could play these guys again.' And we got two opportunities."

It was rare enough that they got the chance to turn the tables on the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon. But as soon as they did, the Giants' Revenge Tour turned its attention to the Green Bay Packers, who spanked the Giants, 35-13, in Week 2. They'll get a second shot at the Packers on Sunday night at frigid Lambeau Field, when they play in the NFC Championship Game.

And for the Giants (12-6), it's more than just a chance to continue their improbable run toward the Super Bowl. It's a chance to prove they're a better team than they were when they started the season 0-2.

"Especially as a defense," said linebacker Kawika Mitchell. "Giving up 80 points in the first two weeks was embarrassing. We didn't do a decent job against Green Bay and they scored 35 points. So it's a great challenge for us."

"I don't think we played our best game (against the Packers)," Toomer added. "They're not going to face the team they faced in Week 2."

That 0-2 start still stings the Giants, especially considering they were a goal-line stand in Washington away from making it 0-3. They gave up 80 points and 846 yards to the Cowboys and Packers in those two games, their worst back-to-back totals in 41 years. Tom Coughlin's normally hot seat was suddenly on fire. And the Giants heard from everywhere how they looked to be one of the worst teams in the league.

Then, even after they rebounded to go 10-6, make the playoffs and win a first-round game, they still had to hear how they had beaten nobody of consequence, and how they were 0-4 against the NFL's elite teams (the Cowboys, Packers and Patriots).

By beating the Cowboys, 21-17, in Dallas Sunday, they may have proven they're an elite team, too.

But there is still another wrong to right, which they can do against Brett Favre and the Packers on Sunday. In the first meeting, the Giants trailed only 14-13 entering the fourth quarter before the Packers exploded for 21 unanswered points. Favre was brilliant, completing 29 of 38 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns. Eli Manning battled gamely through a bad shoulder he had injured in the opener, but he couldn't keep up (16-for-29, 211 yards, one touchdown, one interception).

When it was over, Coughlin said, "I think we're a better football team than we showed." It took awhile before the Giants offered any proof.

"We've been a good team all season long," said center Shaun O'Hara. "The games that we really lost, I think the theme coming out of those losses was that we played bad football. We committed penalties. We committed turnovers.

"So it's not so much that we're a better team, but we're just playing better football."

"It's been an up and down season for us," added defensive tackle Justin Tuck. "But right now we're playing our best football."

That's certainly true of a defense that stuffed the Cowboys on Sunday, holding them to 141 second-half yards. Now they get Favre, coming off a three-touchdown performance against the Seahawks, on a cold, snowy day.

Beating the Packers (14-3) at Lambeau might turn out to be the Giants' toughest task, even for a team that's won a record nine straight on the road.

"If you're not a believer now, please don't become one," said Antonio Pierce. "Stay exactly how you've been the whole season, and don't change."

"We'll be an underdog and be (called) the worst team in NFC Championship Game history," added guard Chris Snee. "We'll be happy about it. We'll be underdogs and we'll fight to the end."

jerseygiantfan · January 16, 2008

Giants build chemistry in face of adversity

Chadiha

By Jeffri Chadiha

ESPN.com

(Archive)

Updated: January 15, 2008

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Chemistry is a mysterious quality to trace in the NFL. Most teams need a few years together before they ever achieve it. Others, like the New England Patriots or Indianapolis Colts, have it every time a new season kicks off.

And then there are the teams like the New York Giants, the ones that start bonding when nobody is really paying attention. Those are the squads that end up being the most fun to watch at this time of year.

Now that the Giants have advanced into Sunday's NFC Championship Game, they've made us understand one important point about their success: They really do believe in one another.

You can see it in the confidence they have in quarterback Eli Manning. You can tell it from the way they hug head coach Tom Coughlin, the same man once reputed for his prickly personality. And you can also feel it in the way their defense has harassed opposing quarterbacks in recent weeks. Somehow, some way, this team believes it can find ways to win games.

What's crazy about all this, however, is that nobody could've seen this coming. Not this season, and not with this team. Sure, the Giants had a six-game winning streak earlier this season -- along with two previous playoff appearances under Coughlin that ended in quick postseason exits --- but they had plenty of issues when this season began.

Coughlin was back on the hot seat. Former Giants running back Tiki Barber was blasting both Coughlin and Manning publicly. Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan skipped training camp. And this was before the Giants started the season 0-2.

But give New York credit for its focus. Instead of allowing all those distractions to tear them apart, the Giants found a way to come together.

"We talk a lot about accountability," Giants left tackle David Diehl said after Sunday's win in Dallas. "And I can tell you that everybody in this locker room feels accountable to the guy next to him. It's been that way for us all year. You hate to use a cliché but we've really had guys stepping up and doing whatever it takes to help us win."

Coughlin is the perfect example of that trend. He made the necessary adjustments to get this team to connect with him. He realized his tough-guy approach hadn't played well in the locker room and he mellowed just enough to become more player-friendly.

As Giants cornerback R.W. McQuarters said, "He's thrown us a couple bones as the season has gone on. He's tried to take it easier on us [in practice]. But I think he's also been more focused. All he cares about is the next play, the next drive and the next game. His attitude is that people can say whatever they want to about us. Let's just keep winning games."

The evolution of Manning also has made a difference in New York. In retrospect, the criticisms levied in the preseason -- Barber claimed that Manning's attempts at displaying leadership during an offensive meeting last season were "comical" -- gave Manning the chance to show his toughness. If his teammates needed to see a stronger Eli this season, he found a way to give it to them. Even with his late-season struggles, he's earned more respect with how he responded to those setbacks and rebounded in the postseason.

But let's also be honest here: This team really found itself after securing a playoff spot with a 38-21 win over Buffalo on Dec. 23. A week later, Coughlin had a great opportunity to rest his starters in the regular-season finale against New England, but he chose to play them in that 38-35 loss. Looking back, it was a defeat that should've opened eyes around the NFL because New York competed as if the postseason had started a week early. The Giants clearly believed they were good enough to beat anybody.

Now we know why. Simply put, this team finds a positive every time it looks vulnerable. Derrick Ward emerged when running back Brandon Jacobs missed four games with a knee injury, and then Ahmad Bradshaw emerged when Ward broke his left leg.

The loss of star tight end Jeremy Shockey was critical, but rookie Kevin Boss has become a reliable weapon in his place. Heck, the Giants had enough injury problems at cornerback against Dallas that they had to ask former practice squad player Geoffrey Pope to contribute. And he got the job done.

The point to be made here is that championship-caliber teams have a way of rising to the occasion. The Giants have shown they can do just that with their road record alone. When you win nine of 10 games away from home, as New York has done this season, it speaks volumes about your mettle.

"We just have a great togetherness," Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer said. "We've had the feeling all season that this team could do something great."

Of course, now comes the hard part. The Giants have to carry their current momentum through two more games. When this postseason started, it would've been impossible to find many people who believed in their chances. But after seeing how the Giants played in their first two playoff games, it's becoming increasingly harder to bet against them.

jerseygiantfan · January 18, 2008

Tuck agrees to $30M deal with Giants

by Jay Glazer

Jay Glazer is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com on MSN and also appears every week on FOX NFL Sunday as the network's NFL Insider.

Updated: January 17, 2008, 11:47 PM EST 11 comments

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The Giants are making moves to ensure there is life after Michael Strahan.

The Giants have agreed to terms with DE Justin Tuck on a five-year, $30 million deal with a whopping $16 million guaranteed, FOXSports.com has learned. While a backup on paper, Tuck has teamed with Strahan and Osi Umenyora to give the Giants the most formidable defensive end combination in the NFL.

In just his third season, the Notre Dame product tallied an impressive 10 sacks and appears to be the bookend pass rusher the team was hoping to find to eventually replace Strahan. Although Strahan has said he wasn't sure whether or not he'll return next season, the move means the Giants won't be dependent by his decision.

Still, Strahan has been adamant for weeks that he will make his decision on his future sometime in March so the team can prepare for the future, he told FOX Sports. It appears the Giants have taken precautions months in advance.

The deal is not yet signed but has been agreed upon and Tuck is expected to ink the contract Friday, two days before the Giants play in the NFC title game at Green Bay.

jerseygiantfan · January 18, 2008

Manning can define himself with one win

by Mike Vaccaro, New York Post

Updated: January 17, 2008, 7:23 PM EST 89 comments

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NEW YORK - Logic tells us this isn't supposed to be Eli Manning vs. Brett Favre, this is about the Giants and the Packers, offense vs. defense, so on and so forth. But logic has no place in this equation. Logic has no place in the visceral approach we're going to have walking into this game, and walking out of it.

All we know is this: Eli Manning can make his bones for good this Sunday. All he has to do is beat the Green Bay Packers. All he has to do is outplay Brett Favre. All he has to do is keep this Big Blue magical mystery tour motoring on toward Phoenix. Sometimes, you can simplify a game's essence to one sentence, here is that sentence:

Eli can make his career on Sunday.

It would be easier if football were like other sports. If this were baseball, maybe Favre could try to challenge Manning with high heat, and Manning would turn on the fastball, and we'd have ourselves a Mazeroski Moment. If this were basketball, they could guard each other, maybe have one of those Dominique-Bird mano-a-mano showdowns in the fourth quarter.

We won't get that Sunday evening at Lambeau Field. We may get a lot of things there, from frozen grass to freezing air to frost-bitten fingertips. We may get a 45-42 game or a 10-7 game. We may get another chapter of one of the most improbable playoff runs in the modern history of pro football. But we won't get Manning vs. Favre in the most basic, primitive sense, unless another couple of Giants cornerbacks go down and Steve Spagnuolo asks Eli to go all Chuck Bednarik on us.

"I'm playing against the Packers' defense," Eli reminded us yesterday. "Not Brett."

In one sense, that's very true. But in another sense, a very real sense, we know better. Favre will not be lining up opposite Manning, ready to come on a blitz. Manning will not be in the Giants' nickel package, trying to defend Favre. They will never share even one second on the field together. Doesn't work that way in football.

Yet it works that way in our minds, as we ready ourselves for the NFC Championship game on Sunday. It will work that way in a year, in 10 years, in 50 years, if we get the kind of unforgettable game that Packers-Giants is supposed to give us. Make no mistake: Strahan-Favre may be the far more relevant match-up than Manning-Favre.

But this is no time for relevance. This is all about the quarterbacks, and will be all about the quarterbacks. Eli talked yesterday about having a fondness for Favre, about rooting for him back in 1997, when Favre won his only Super Bowl in Manning's hometown of New Orleans. Favre was already a legend then; he is practically a mystic now. Eli has never known such adulation. Not yet. But he could.

The fact is, this is Eli's opportunity to permanently divorce himself from whatever whispers and shadows have followed him throughout most of his career, whether they've been fairly or unfairly applied. Beat Favre in this game, at that stadium, and he can rightly expect to rise above the miasma of mutterings for a good, long while. If not forever.

"It is a great time for him to be playing that way," Tom Coughlin said. "Put it that way."

Sometimes it is precisely this kind of matchup that propels quarterbacks to make the permanent jump to the higher pantheon. Phil Simms was never again viewed the same after he outplayed John Elway in Super Bowl XXI. Joe Namath's career essentially came down to one 60-minute challenge against Earl Morrall and Johnny Unitas. He never again played in a game nearly as meaningful, let alone won one like that, and it didn't matter.

And so it is for Eli. It will be frigid on Sunday in Green Bay. It will be loud. It will be unfriendly. Packers defenders will descend upon him with the most sinister intentions imaginable. And with all of that, he can make his career that day. He can change a lifetime of perception and preconceived notion in 60 minutes. It's there for him. All there for him.

jerseygiantfan · January 19, 2008

Have Chargers, Giants improved enough?

by Mike Tanier

Updated: January 17, 2008, 8:03 PM EST 745 comments

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Eighteen weeks. Forty-six points. That's what this NFL season comes down to.

Eighteen weeks ago, in Week 2, the Packers beat the Giants, 35-13. The Patriots beat the Chargers by 38-14 that same week. At the time, neither the Giants nor Chargers looked like teams that would survive long enough for a playoff rematch. The Giants were 0-2, and Gotham fans were sending love letters to Bill Cowher in anticipation of Tom Coughlin's involuntary departure. The Chargers were 1-1, but the Patriots' loss touched off a three-game skid that had fans pining for Marty Schottenheimer.

Both underdogs came a long way in the last three-plus months. The Chargers survived a confidence crisis on the field and devastating forest fires off the field. The Giants refashioned themselves as a running-and-defense team led by an unstoppable pass rush. Both teams rallied around much-criticized coaches. Both teams put their faith in erratic fourth-year quarterbacks, the Giants in Eli Manning (America's Baby Brother), the Chargers in Philip Rivers (America's Cocky Nephew). The quarterbacks grew up. The teams grew together. The Giants beat the glamorous Cowboys. The Chargers upset the defending champs.

The Chargers and Giants have come a long way, but have they made up the 46 points (22 for the Giants, 24 for the Chargers) that separated them from the Patriots and Packers in Week 2? It takes more than a new wide receiver, a tricky blitz package and slightly improved quarterback play to make up 46 points. The Chargers hope to unseat a dynasty. The Giants must defeat a legend. Both must do so in frigid weather in hostile stadiums. And 18 weeks ago, both trailed by more than three touchdowns when the gun sounded. It's like trying to win a horse race against a Triple Crown champion, on a muddy track, trailing by eight furlongs entering the final turn.

Down the stretch they come.

Chargers at Patriots: In the football analysis business, we watch games and break down tape. We pore through stats and scrutinize matchups. We talk to coaches and experts, then write articles or formulate blueprints. We write the same names again and again: Manning and Tomlinson, Merriman and Addai, because they are the names that usually matter.

Then something unanticipated happens. Legudu Naanee runs 27 yards after a screen pass. Billy Volek scores on a quarterback sneak. Kenton Keith bobbles a pass and Eric Weddle wrests it from his hands. The Chargers upset the Colts thanks to the efforts of players few could identify without checking the roster twice. Fans and experts alike scratch their heads, then we gather ourselves and act like we understood and anticipated what happened. "The Chargers knew Naanee could make plays like that, which is why they signed him out of ... (shuffling through roster) ... Hawaii? San Diego State? ... no, Boise State, of course!"

Sunday's Chargers upset reminded us that while the top 10 players on the roster get 99 percent of the attention and provide most of the production, the other guys can make a difference. Naanee made a positive play, Keith a negative one. The Colts went to their bench, found Devon Aromashodu, and realized the cupboard was nearly bare. The Chargers found Naanee, Volek and Darren Sproles, then got major contributions from unsung heroes like punter Mike Scifres and last year's goat Marlon McCree. With Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson walking gingerly along the sideline and Antonio Gates gimping around on a numb toe, the Chargers irregulars dethroned the Colts. "That's what a team is about," Tomlinson said on Sunday. "In this league, it's hard to not only play a regular season, but go into the playoffs and not have anybody get hurt. You've got to have guys who step up."

The win also provided vindication for Norv Turner, who withstood criticism both from media analysts who think he's a dolt (we plead guilty) and players who questioned his system and his leadership style during the team's 5-5 start. The handful of Chargers fans in Indy on Sunday chanted "Norv, Norv, Norv!" as Turner left the field on Sunday, a stirring turnaround from the "Marty, Marty!" taunts Turner heard in San Diego early in the season. "I think we've put that thing to rest. I think that one's done forever," Turner said of his team's go-through-the-motions reputation. Whatever Turner's strengths and weaknesses may be, his team hasn't lost since Nov. 25.

The Chargers winning streak is impressive, but we know a longer one. The Patriots haven't lost since Jan. 21 of 2007.

The Patriots have become like Mount Kilimanjaro over the last two months. They are there. They are unbelievably impressive. They dominate the landscape, inspiring awe and adulation. And there's very little to say about them that hasn't been said. Any positive commentary sounds obvious ("Tom Brady is good.") or mash-note obsequious ("Tom Brady is the greatest human to ever draw breath."). Any negative commentary sounds like nitpicking: Sure, you can attack Ellis Hobbs in single coverage, but what good will it do you when the Patriots score 40 points per game? Plunge too deeply into the skullduggery discussion -- Spygate, running up the score -- and you inflame emotions without contributing anything relevant to a humble game preview.

The Chargers know the mountain well enough: Not only did they play the Patriots in Week 2, but they nearly pitched their flag in the summit last season. Marlon McCree's fourth-quarter fumble and Brady's subsequent scoring drive cemented many reputations: Brady's as an all-time winner (the interception he threw to McCree was quickly forgotten), Schottenheimer's as a playoff bonehead (who admittedly made some screwy calls to keep things close early in the game). It also tells us little about Sunday's game: The Chargers have changed a little since last year, but it is hard to say that they improved. Meanwhile, the Patriots peak has risen sharply. The Week 2 matchup, lopsided as it was, also tells us little. "A lot has happened since then," Bill Belichick said on Sunday. "It's like it's a new team."

The Chargers may be a new team, but they're a team whose best players are hobbling. Tomlinson's bruised knee should heal by Sunday. Rivers' sprained knee and Gates' bad toe are bigger problems. Rivers is immobile when healthy and doesn't have a step of speed to lose in the pocket. Volek's heroics against the Colts consisted largely of a screen pass and a sneak. Gates played on Sunday, but the Colts covered him with linebackers without consequences. The Patriots know that the Chargers bench is dangerous -- "If they're on the 53-man roster, we'll prepare for everybody." Belichick said -- but it takes some imagination to envision Volek throwing a game-winning touchdown pass to Brandon Manumaleuna against one of the best teams in NFL history.

Anything can happen. A Merriman sack can turn Brady into Matt Cassel. A Sproles punt return, an Antonio Cromotie interception ... these are the straws we grasp for when trying to justify a Chargers upset. The Chargers' front seven is great, but the Steelers' and Giants' front sevens barely put a dent in the Patriots. Tomlinson and Michael Turner are great runners, but the Patriots withstood the best 1-2 running punch in the league last week, holding Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew to 66 yards. The Chargers need breaks, they need flukes, they need two lightning strikes, one from each side of their helmets, to win this game.

As usual, the Patriots produced an enticing spread. They haven't been covering as often in the second half of the season, and 14 points are a potent underdog lure. The final score will nudge the spread, so take the Chargers if you feel lucky. But the Patriots will win.

Giants at Packers: You knew everything was going Brett Favre's way when the Cowboys were knocked out of the playoffs.

Brett Favre still has a few tricks left up his sleeve. (Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)

Eleven years ago, Favre was a young quarterback with gaudy stats and a reputation as a playoff choke artist. Favre couldn't beat the Cowboys in the postseason in 1994 (the Packers lost, 34-9) or 1995 (38-27). The Cowboys usually beat the Packers in the regular season as well, and Favre didn't look very good in those games. Dallas remains Favre's Waterloo to this day: The Cowboys beat the Packers by 37-27 in Week 13, a win that appeared to nearly guarantee an NFC title game in Big D.

Back in 1996, a miracle occurred: The upstart Panthers, a second-year expansion team, upset the Cowboys in the divisional round. The spirited Panthers were good enough to trip the fading, ring-gorged Cowboys, but they were no match for the Packers at Lambeau. The Packers won, 30-13, then beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Favre the callow stat-packer became Favre the Eternal Exemplar of Competitiveness and Manliness, a title he will hold until he retires. (Either Brady, Tim Duncan or Roger Federer gets it next. They're playing keep-away from Curt Schilling).

The past is prologue. Those 1990s Cowboys were better than this year's model (more Emmitt Smith, less Cabo and crying), but Tony Romo and company were still the Packers' greatest pre-Super Bowl hurdle, an obstacle they weren't likely to overcome. The Giants, like the come-from-nowhere Panthers of yesteryear, are super-spoilers with the league's best pass rush. The Patriots loom on the horizon, just as they did in 1996. In their unlikely march to the Super Bowl, the Giants may have made straight the path for Favre and the generation 2.0 Packers.

The Giants, of course, don't see it that way, but they know they're thought of as interlopers among football's final four. "We'll be an underdog, we'll be the worst team in the NFC Championship history and we'll be happy about it," guard Chris Snee said on Sunday. "We'll go in there and we'll fight to the end." They'll fight using their old weapons -- Michael Strahan and the front four, Brandon Jacobs and the running game -- plus some new weapons, like a quick-strike passing game that found its stride on Sunday while the Cowboys tinkered with their Galapagos turtle offense.

But the Giants will be fighting an enemy more powerful than the Packers: the weather. The early forecast calls for highs in the teens on Sunday. Yes, that's in Fahrenheit, folks. And those highs will be a distant memory by the 5:30 local time kickoff. "It can be as cold as it wants, I don't really care at this point," Giants co-owner John Mara said on Sunday. "I may regret saying that next week." He'll regret it if Eli Manning reverts to late-season form once he loses feeling in his fingers. Manning played poorly in bad-weather games against the Bills and Redskins. Wind, not cold, was Manning's biggest problem in those games, but if Sunday's game becomes a latter-day Ice Bowl, there's sure to be a slight breeze.

The Packers proved they could win in wintry conditions on Saturday. The pass-happy, run-challenged Packers of the early season are long gone. Ryan Grant, who spent time in Giants training camp before reappearing in Green Bay, gives the team an effective all-weather ground game. Mike McCarthy's crafty inverted wishbone formations, ripped from your local high school's playbook, amount to an offense with snow tires, though Favre can still rev up the passing game in whiteout conditions. The Giants defense is similar to the Seahawks defense that got overrun last week: Both teams live for sacks and overpursue runners in their quest for big stuffs. Grant will find cutback lanes, and an effective running game will give Favre time to throw. Manning will have to prove himself for the third time in three weeks, and he cannot afford to wait and play catch-up, because the later it gets, the colder it will get.

Have the Giants improved enough over 18 weeks to erase the 35-13 loss, a game in which Favre threw three touchdowns and endured just one sack? They have. Manning played that game with a shoulder injury, and the Giants had not yet finalized their rotations on the defensive line or at running back. But the Packers have improved too. Grant is better than Brandon Jackson, who started that game at running back. Their offensive line has overcome injuries and solidified. The Giants may have gotten two touchdowns better, but the Packers improved by a field goal or two as well. And that Week 2 game was played on a warm day in the Meadowlands.

It's 1996 all over again. Favre didn't slay the dragon, but he can slay the dragonslayer, with more than a little help from one of the youngest supporting casts in the league. The stage is set for another Patriots-Packers Super Bowl. That's no knock on the Chargers or Giants, their young quarterbacks, or their oft-criticized coaches. It's a testament to the greatness of the Patriots and to those two perennial forces of nature that rule Wisconsin: the cold and Brett Favre.

jerseygiantfan · January 21, 2008

Eli, Tynes Lift Giants Into Super Bowl

By BARRY WILNER

AP Football Writer

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Eli Manning has arrived, just in time to take his New York Giants on an improbable trip to the Super Bowl. A suddenly matured Manning guided the Giants to their 10th straight road win Sunday, a frostbitten 23-20 overtime victory over the Green Bay Packers for the NFC championship.

Now comes Mission Impossible for Manning and the Giants, who will play the unbeaten New England Patriots in two weeks for the NFL title.

After Lawrence Tynes missed a 36-yard field goal at the end of regulation following a bad snap, he got a reprieve in overtime following Corey Webster's interception of a struggling Brett Favre. He nailed a 47-yarder on his third attempt to win it, then sprinted directly to the locker room as the rest of his frozen teammates celebrated on the field.

"I screwed it up twice," Tynes said. "Thank God we got another opportunity."

The Giants grabbed their first NFC championship in seven years, capping a monthlong surge that reversed a trend of mediocrity built around Manning's inconsistency. He has been a revelation in the playoffs, however, and his calm leadership keyed New York's turnaround.

Manning shook off below-zero temperatures and a wind chill that would make a Siberian husky shiver. He repeatedly put the Giants (13-6) in position to win in the third-coldest championship game ever - and certainly the most frigid of his young career.

And then he saw Tynes make his first game-winning field goal of the season in the first OT title game in nine years.

It was the second NFC title game to go to overtime. Atlanta beat Minnesota 30-27 in 1999.

One year after older brother Peyton finally won a Super Bowl, earning MVP honors to boot, here comes Eli.

Just a month ago, Eli's moxie was being questioned as the Giants struggled to clinch a wild-card berth. He responded with the best work of his four-year career, including four touchdown passes in the season finale against the Patriots.

He and the Giants are getting another shot at New England, the first team to go 18-0. The Patriots will be after their fourth Super Bowl title in seven years on Feb. 3 at Glendale, Ariz., as well as the first completely perfect season since Miami went 17-0 in 1972.

But don't discount New York, which led the Patriots by 12 points in the third quarter before falling 38-35 on Dec. 29.

The Giants have won at Tampa and Dallas since, and now at Lambeau Field, where they shut down Brett Favre nearly all game.

Favre, seeking a return to the Super Bowl after a decade's absence, struggled in the minus-3 degree temperature and wind-chills that reached minus-24. He wound up 19-for-35 for 236 yards and two interceptions. The second, by Corey Webster in overtime, set up Tynes' winner.

When Tynes missed a 43-yard field goal with 6:49 remaining, it was just a temporary setback. And when he flopped on the kick that ended regulation, Tynes could only ask for one more try.

Webster gave it to him, and he sent the Giants into the Super Bowl.

New York was aided greatly by four penalties against the Packers during the Giants' seven-minute, 69-yard march to begin the second half. Brandon Jacobs bolted in from about an inch out after successive offside calls just moments after his third-down fumble was recovered by tight end Kevin Boss. But the biggest miscue was Nick Collins' 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty on Manning, whose throw was blocked on a third-down play.

Jacobs faked a Lambeau Leap after his score, incensing the hardy souls in the full house of 72,470.

They were stamping their frozen feet in delight seconds later when Tramon Williams, seemingly trapped along the left sideline, cut right and returned the kickoff 49 yards to the New York 39. Then it was the Giants' turn to commit a costly, senseless penalty when Sam Madison negated a third-down stop with a personal foul against Vernand Morency.

Favre immediately pounced with a brilliant play-fake that sprung tight end Donald Lee free in the back of the end zone for a 12-yard TD reception and a 17-13 lead.

With the footing holding on a field heated by pipes underneath, Domenik Hixon got the Giants' next scoring drive started with a 33-yard kickoff runback. Then, Manning kept picking apart the Packers' staple man coverage, a 23-yard diving catch by Amani Toomer setting up rookie Ahmad Bradshaw's 4-yard TD run.

Rookie Mason Crosby's 37-yard field goal tied it 20-20 after a huge break for the Packers. Favre's desperation heave was intercepted by R.W. McQuarters deep in New York territory, but he fumbled when he was hit by Grant on his return. Tackle Mark Tauscher recovered, giving the Packers another life.

Manning was, well, cool on New York's first series, driving the Giants 71 yards on 14 plays, going 5-for-8 for 55 yards before Tynes kicked a 29-yarder.

Green Bay went backward on its next series, an ugly three-and-out on which Favre passed three times, all behind the line of scrimmage. Total yardage: minus-3 yards.

Just as unseemly was 20-year veteran punter Jeff Feagles' first kick in a championship game on New York's next possession, a 21-yard shank.

After Tynes nailed a 37-yarder for a 6-0 lead, Koren Robinson had Packers fans holding their breath as he overran the kickoff, then bobbled it before recovering at the Green Bay 10. Then Favre and Donald Driver took their breath away with the longest pass in team playoff history.

The cagey veteran receiver shook off a bump by Webster to break free as Favre double-pumped. Driver caught the ball at the 29 and raced the final 71 yards being chased by three Giants. None came close to preventing Driver's first touchdown in four months.

Favre extended his NFL record with his 18th straight postseason game with a TD pass. Few have been so spectacular.

Crosby added a 36-yard field goal with 1:30 left in the half for a 10-6 lead. But Burress snatched the ball from Al Harris for a 32-yard completion, then dropped a long pass near the Green Bay end zone.

Most players from both teams sprinted to the locker rooms at halftime the way Driver sped away from defenders on his touchdown.

jerseygiantfan · January 21, 2008

Giants able to take show on the road

by Alex Marvez

Updated: January 21, 2008, 2:32 AM EST 75 comments

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GREEN BAY, Wis. - Feel the chill?

It wasn't just in the air, but in what transpired inside Lambeau Field.

New England did its part to make Super Bowl XLII one of the most heavily anticipated title games in NFL history. Green Bay failed miserably.

Brett Favre vs. Tom Brady. Cheese vs. Chowder. "Happy Days" vs. "Cheers."

All gone.

Green Bay's 23-20 overtime loss to the New York Giants in Sunday's NFC Championship game foiled what was clearly the more attractive matchup. The Giants — like seven other playoff teams, including San Diego in Sunday's AFC Championship game — already had at least one shot at New England and lost. The Packers were a fresh opponent with the most compelling pre-game storyline: Brett Favre's quest for a second Super Bowl ring at age 38 as Brady and the Patriots tried to cap the greatest season ever for a quarterback and his respective team.

But don't blame the Big Blue for ruining the fun. That's because the Packers — and Favre in particular — blew it.

After a rough second half, Favre was given a shot at redemption. Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes shanked a 36-yard field goal at the end of regulation, and the Packers won the overtime coin toss.

But the Favre of 2005 and 2006 — the one who forced too many passes and made too many bad decisions — resurfaced at the worst time. Giants cornerback Corey Webster, who was burnt on a 90-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, said he had such a bead on a Favre pass intended for wide receiver Donald Driver that it "felt like a century until that ball arrived."

Four plays later, Tynes avoided a Scott Norwood-like fate. The kicker nailed the game-winning 47-yard field goal after missing on two previous chances to put the Giants ahead.

Said Favre after his 19-of-35 outing: "I kept thinking, 'How many opportunities are we going to let slip away' and 'We can't give them the opportunities like we were giving them.'"

A month ago, who would have thought the better quarterback in a Packers-Giants meeting would be Eli Manning? Yet he was, completing 21 of 40 passes for 254 yards and — most importantly — not throwing an interception for the third consecutive playoff game. Manning's favorite target was wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who repeatedly charred Pro Bowl cornerback Al Harris in an 11-catch, 154-yard outing.

"A couple of times we threw it down the field and they didn't know what to do," Manning said.

Harris wasn't the only one. Packers coach Mike McCarthy — the recent recipient of a five-year contract extension — will be second-guessed throughout the off-season for his play calling.

McCarthy used frozen footballs throughout last week's practices in preparation for what became the third-coldest contest in NFL history. But no one expected McCarthy to cool off running back Ryan Grant, who had rushed for 201 yards in last weekend's divisional round rout of Seattle.

Grant was given a paltry 13 carries — gaining just 29 yards — in a game screaming for balanced offense because of the negative-one temperature and negative-23 wind chill at kickoff. In comparison, the Giants had an almost equal run-pass ratio with 39 rushing attempts to 40 passes.

"We completely shut down their running game," Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora said. "As soon as you make a team one-dimensional, that becomes a problem."

Another Green Bay problem: The Packers should have enjoyed a significant home-field advantage on the "frozen tundra" against the road-weary Giants and didn't.

Despite the bitter conditions, the stadium was remarkably full with smatterings of orange hunting garb mixed with green and cheddar yellow clothing. Favre has proven himself as the NFL's best cold-weather quarterback; Manning — who wore a glove on his left hand for the first time to help handle the snap — had played in just one game with the temperature under 30 degrees.

"It was freezing," said Umenyiora, who was credited with a game-high three pressures of Favre. "But in the fourth quarter when we started thinking we were going to win, we didn't feel cold any more. It got warm in a hurry."

It should be balmy at the Super Bowl XLII host site in Glendale, Ariz., where the Giants will continue on what center Shaun O'Hara called his team's "road to redemption." While winning an NFL record 10 consecutive away games, New York has avenged a regular-season loss to Green Bay and two to Dallas with playoff victories.

Those wins mean little to some oddsmakers. BetUs.com has installed New England — a 38-35 road winner over the Giants in the regular-season finale — as a 13-point favorite.

But the Giants have spent an entire postseason ruining Super Bowl dreams. They don't plan to stop now.

"We can make everything change by playing well the next week, and I think we've learned that," Manning said. "Now we have a lot of faith and trust in ourselves. We feel if we're given a shot, we can compete with anybody."

Even if it's the rematch most NFL fans didn't expect to see.

jerseygiantfan · January 21, 2008

BLUE PARAD-ICE

COLD-BLOODED TYNES HITS HIS SHOT AT REDEMPTION

By STEVE SERBY

January 21, 2008 -- GREEN BAY - The smiles were frozen on their faces, their hearts warmed by what they had just done. They said it would be a cold day in hell before Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning Eli Manning would take the Giants back to a Super Bowl, a cold day in hell before a journeyman named Lawrence Tynes Lawrence Tynes would kick anyone into the Super Bowl.

Only this was heaven on that cold day in hell.

Tynes had announced himself as a kicker who would live in infamy when he missed two field goals in the final seven minutes of regulation, the second one a 36-yarder as time expired. His chance to be Matt Bahr, and he blew it wide left.

He wouldn't miss his chance for redemption.

Corey Webster intercepted Brett Favre at the start of overtime and the Giants were at the Packers 35. Ahmad Bradshaw ran twice for five yards. Manning threw incomplete for Steve Smith.

Tynes, whose journey had taken him from Europe to Canada to Kansas City to last night, was ready this time, whether Coughlin was ready for him to try or not.

“I just ran on the field," Tynes said. “I knew it was gonna be close to 50, but I knew I could get her there ... I wasn't going to let him say, ‘Go kick.' I was going out there to kick it. He woulda had to pull me off the field."

Once upon a time in Giant history, Scott Norwood missed a 47-yard field goal Wide Right. That one gave the Giants their last championship 17 long years ago.

Here came another 47-yarder for the ages.

In the back of the press box, Giants co-owner John Mara turned to GM Jerry Reese and said: “It's too far."

The rookie GM said: “He's gonna make it."

The snap from Jay Alford was true. For an instant, Tynes allowed himself to think about his holder, Jeff Feagles.

“He's played 20 years - get this guy to the Super Bowl," Tynes said.

He got all of them to the Super Bowl.

“I left; I think I was inside before it went through," Tynes said. “I knew it was good."

He starting running, seemingly to Glendale, Ariz., one finger thrust skyward.

“I just wanted to get out of the cold," Tynes joked. “I got inside and I just said, ‘Thank God for the defense.'"

Big Blue Parad-ICE. With a capital I C and E.

No Jerry Kramer leading Bart Starr into the end zone this time. No Vince Lombardi haunting the Giants this time. Just Supermen with will power, and chill power.

Ice Bowl II was one of the gutsiest, grittiest wins in Giants history.

“This is a Team of Destiny," co-owner Steve Tisch bellowed. “Don't send us home."

B-r-r-r-ing on the Patriots!!!!

“We know what it takes to beat 'em," Manning said.

It takes a lot more than minus-23 wind chill to defeat cold-blooded Road Warriors.

It was a tense, tight, wild and woolly brutal war of attrition all the way.

Manning, who threw 40 times and didn't make a single mistake, never let Favre out of his sight, kept finding Plaxico Burress Plaxico Burress , dominating Al Harris all night. Sam Madison Sam Madison was flagged for unnecessary roughness for throwing down Vernard Morency and Favre made the Giants pay. Manning, red glove on his left hand, led his team right back. R.W. McQuarters intercepted Favre. And had it stripped by Ryan Grant. And watched Mark Tauscher recover it at the Giant 19, and a field goal tied it 20-20.

Tynes, 6:49 from the Super Bowl, missed a 43-yard FG, Wide Left.

“It's like kicking cardboard almost; it doesn't compress off your foot like it normally would," Tynes said.

Neither defense budged.

Manning, starting at the Packer 48, 2:15 from the Super Bowl, drove the Giants into field goal range.

0:04 to the Super Bowl when he spiked it.

Here came Tynes.

Ice the kicker time.

“I went and kicked two balls in the net and sat by the heater and then came back out," Tynes said.

High snap from Alford.

Wide left again.

“You have to lean a little bit to buy yourself time," Tynes said, “because when I get going, it's hard for me to go any other way except sideways, so the ball goes sideways."

Tynes was asked if he could have imagined not getting his overtime opportunity.

“I'm not thinking about that," he said. “I made the game-winning kick that put us in the Super Bowl."

jerseygiantfan · January 21, 2008

ELI'S NEW MANN IN NFC

ONLY SMILES AHEAD FOR GIANTS' CHAMPION QB

By MIKE VACCARO

January 21, 2008 -- GREEN BAY - It took them a little time to fight the traffic going downstairs, to negotiate through thousands of stricken fans weighed down with heartache. Archie and Olivia Manning tried to keep as low a profile as they could, kept their heads down, Archie keeping a brown fedora low over his eyes.

Check Out Vaccaro's Blog

It was a lost cause, of course. If you are a Manning, if you are walking in a football stadium anywhere in America, you are going to be noticed. The Packers fans spotted them right away. And this is why they were detained. Even with this cataclysmic 23-20 Giants victory still so fresh and raw in their hearts, the good people of Green Bay wanted them to know something.

"We're happy for you," one of them said.

"Good luck to you all," another one offered.

"You must be proud," a few others whispered.

Proud? Archie Manning could barely contain himself. When at last he spotted his youngest son, just outside the Giants locker room, his grin could have flood-lit Lambeau Field, but the words wouldn't come. It would have to be the mother who broke the ice, while strangers tried to stick microphones in all their faces.

"E," Olivia said, "it's good to see you smile."

Eli Manning's smile matched his old man's, and suddenly he looked a million miles away from the frightened deer we used to know, the one who'd spent so many Sundays explaining away another bad interception and another awful setback with a baleful shrug and a bloodless sound byte.

"It was cold out there," he said. "But once the game started, you didn't really notice it. They kept the footballs warm. Beforehand, though, in warm-ups?"

"I didn't see you out there," Archie said. "I figured it had to be bad."

"Bad?" Eli asked, laughing. "After 20 minutes nobody could feel their fingertips."

"You saved yourself," Archie said. "Good thinking.

His boy had done more than save himself. On the biggest stage of his life, in the biggest game of his career, Eli Manning Eli Manning had outplayed Brett Favre in Favre's own living room. He'd thrown for 254 yards and kept the ball away from the guys on the other side of the field for a third straight playoff game. By the end, Packers fans were holding their breath every time their guy reared back to throw, and a minute into overtime everyone understood why.

Giants fans? There was no need to fret about their guy. Not now. Not anymore.

"I don't think the bad things that were said about him ever affected him because he's just not that way," Archie would say. "And look: I never thought he was ever as bad as he was made out to be. And so I'm not going to stand here and tell you he's ready to move Phil Simms out of the books, either. But he's a young quarterback getting better all the time."

Getting better at exactly the right time, too. Maybe it's just a quarterback finally getting it, finally understanding, the way an algebra solution can suddenly dawn on you.

Didn't matter. Doesn't matter. The kid was great, he was poised, he was tough, he was everything he was ever supposed to be and more. It took Peyton Manning nine long years to qualify for the Super Bowl; it took his kid brother less than half that. And who ever saw that coming? Did you? Really?

Because it came as something of a shock to his Pop, who saw how difficult the Colts' road to Super Bowl XLII would be thanks to the Patriots, who saw the Giants needing to leap-frog four other teams in the NFC, and made a fateful decision.

"I don't have a hotel room in Phoenix," he said, laughing. "You know anyone I can call about that?"

He'll find one. He'll be there. They'll all be there. It was a year ago when Olivia Manning, basking in the glow of one son's glory, had gushed: "Maybe next year can be Eli's turn."

Those were supposed to be the strident words of a supportive mother. Only Eli turned her into something else once next year finally arrived. He turned her into a prophet.

michael.vaccaro@nypost.com

jerseygiantfan · January 23, 2008

Dust off Super Bowl XXV for inspiration

New York Post

Updated: January 22, 2008, 4:34 PM EST 43 comments

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NEW YORK - The Giants have played The Perfect Game in a Super Bowl once, and now they will have to do it again. Only this time, Bill Belichick is the enemy. Which means Super Bowl XLII is the perfect day to give Belichick a taste of his own medicine.

None other than Mark (Rambo) Bavaro, the great tight end, thinks the Giants can play The Perfect Game in Super Bowl XLII and give us Deja Blue all over again against the Perfect Team.

"Absolutely," Bavaro told The Post. "With Brandon Jacobs and (Ahmad) Bradshaw, that 1-2 punch is pretty formidable, and you combine that with Eli (Manning) all of a sudden looking better than his brother . . . he looks like a top-rated quarterback."

Any and all recollection of images from Super Bowl XXV, from start to Wide Right, makes the heart of every Giants fan pound with excitement and hope.

They close their eyes now and imagine what another Super Sunday like that against Belichick would look like, The Perfect Dream, if you will:

Jacobs, a bigger battering ram than Ottis Anderson by 40 pounds, turning the corner and running over Tedy Bruschi, getting stronger as the game goes on, inexorably moving the chains, leaving Junior Seau with his tongue hanging out by the fourth quarter, as Chris Snee gleefully engages safety Rodney Harrison with trash talk.

Tom Brady and Randy Moss grow increasingly frustrated on the sidelines.

Pepperpot rookie Bradshaw, who never goes down on initial contact, who keeps his powerful legs churning to the whistle, stuns Patriots defenders with his quickness and power, and keeps Jacobs fresh.

"It was Ride 35 or Ride 35 bootleg," Bavaro said last night. "We could run it straight at Bruce Smith — Jumbo (Elliott) would open holes — or (Jeff) Hostetler was so athletic, he could bootleg out of that. He'd do a complete turnaround and go the other way. He had a couple of options as he sprinted out, or sometimes he kept it. The defense didn't know what was going on."

Manning, playing flawlessly one more time in the postseason, manages a game even better than the one Hostetler managed in Tampa. Hostetler, playing for the injured Phil Simms, kept the Bills off-balance with rollouts, bootlegs and play-action; Manning does it all even better, and sprays short and intermediate passes around to Amani Toomer, Steve Smith and Kevin Boss.

Plaxico Burress, knowing he has a full offseason to rest his ailing body parts, goes all out and picks balls out of the air over smaller Patriots corner Asante Samuel, especially when Manning calls his number on a fade pattern or two in the end zone.

Corey Webster, the Giants' most physical corner, roughs up Moss at the line. And when Moss decides to go over the middle, Antonio Pierce and/or Gibril Wilson wait in ambush to deliver the kind of blows that Belichick's safeties and linebackers used to rattle Andre Reed. Let them catch it, and tackle them. Hard.

"It's predicated upon giving up yards," Bavaro said, "but making you pay for it. After a while, you don't want to catch the ball. It's almost like they kinda go through the motions. They start ducking, they start to slow down . . . that's a huge disruption."

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Tom Coughlin's Belichick, opts to employ six defensive backs, sometimes rushing only two defensive linemen, and concedes the running game to Lawrence Maroney the way Belichick conceded it to Thurman Thomas.

"A big part of the philosophy was slowing down the pace of everything," said Steve DeOssie, middle linebacker on the XXV champs. "From something as simple as unpiling slowly, if the ball got moved accidentally or whatever."

Maroney gashed the Chargers for 122 yards in the AFC Championship Game with his cutback prowess.

"Our guys were overpursuing," Chargers defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell said.

All things being equal, the Giants should not welcome a shootout akin to their 38-35 loss last month to the Pats. They will have to control the ball for longer than 23:42, or Brady will throw for 356 yards and a pair of TDs to Moss again.

So welcome to Deja Blue.

You say it can't be done?

Jim Kelly's K-Gun offense had scored 95 points in two playoff victories. But only 19 points in 19:27 in Tampa.

"I think this Patriots team is better-coached than that Buffalo team," DeOssie said.

That's why this would be The Perfect Upset.

jerseygiantfan · January 23, 2008

Giants are America's Team for now

by Ian O'Connor

Updated: January 23, 2008, 1:24 PM EST 556 comments

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On their way to Super Bowl XLII, the Giants accomplished something far more improbable than beating America's Team: They became America's Team.

That's not supposed to happen to professional sports franchises out of the nation's largest and loudest market. New York is the ultimate overdog. Its pro teams are usually about as warm and cuddly as the Soviets' Big Red Machine was in Lake Placid way back when.

George Steinbrenner had plenty to do with that. His version of Moneyball made the Yankees payroll look more like the gross national product of a First World country.

Across the pro sports landscape, New York stood for an embarrassment of riches, an uneven playing field and a noisy pursuit of victory. So fans outside the metropolitan area were forever finding common ground on this point:

Teams representing Gotham were to be booed on every possession and mocked for their Gordon Gekko mores.

But these Giants? Good luck hating them.

For starters, they haven't overspent their way to the Super Bowl. They belong to an equal-opportunity league that uses its salary cap as a shield to protect the little guy from any city slicker with Steinbrenner's blood coursing through his veins.

There are no Royals or Pirates in the NFL. On any given Sunday, the Giants and Jets could be the Royals or Pirates.

The Giants don't do big-game hunting in free agency; Kawika Mitchell represented their off-season splash. Truth is, the average sports fan in Topeka couldn't name half a dozen of their players. When the Giants won in Dallas, they dressed one Pro Bowl player, or 11 fewer than were dressed by the Cowboys.

"It's like an All-Pro team vs. an All-Joe team," Antonio Pierce had said.

And then there's the matter of the Giants' next opponent. At 18-0, New England is preparing to become the first 19-0 champ the NFL's ever seen.

Nobody outside of Bill Belichick's and Gisele Bundchen's immediate families really wants to see that happen.

Yeah, it's true that fans and sportswriters generally appreciate the pursuit of excellence, the sights and sounds of athletes and teams expanding the boundaries of human achievement.

But Belichick is a tried and convicted cheater, and a humorless coach who would run up the score on a gentleman Hall of Famer, Joe Gibbs, as quickly as he'd shove a camera into a photographer's face just for the hell of it.

Belichick is the Darth Vader of this Super Bowl. He's the best coach in the sport, and he might go down as the best of all time. That doesn't mean anyone outside of New England has to like him.

In fact, Belichick makes Tom Coughlin look more lovable than a Sesame Street puppet. The Patriots' coach has turned this season into a forum for vengeance, an opportunity to seek and destroy each and every football figure who might've believed that New England built its dynasty on some fraudulent camera work.

Belichick has assumed the role of victim and vigilante even though he was the perp caught red-handed.

He is a bully coach with a bully team, and this is where the Giants come in as crowd favorites. They showed an awful lot of little-engine-that-could spunk when they nearly took out Tom Brady and Randy Moss in their regular-season finale, and they've done nothing but play inspiring old school football since.

Look at the resilience they showed after the Cowboys hit them with two drives that covered more than 90 yards apiece. Look at the heart they showed in sub-zero temperatures in Green Bay, two weeks after winning in 70-degree weather in Tampa.

They have an arriving quarterback, Eli Manning, who's always been third-string in his own house. They have a redeemed kicker, Lawrence Tynes, who is the first NFL player to list Scotland as his birthplace. They have a beaten-up secondary that keeps surviving and advancing, and a procession of late draft picks and guys off the street who are contributing in a huge way.

The Giants also have in Jerry Reese the first black general manager with a chance to win the Super Bowl, and a humble guy who grew up the hard way off the Mississippi River.

So the Giants are likeable, an easy team to root for. The point spread doesn't hurt their cause. The Patriots are favored to win by a couple of touchdowns, and America embraces few things like it does a two-touchdown underdog.

Quick, name the last New York contender that inspired this kind of coast-to-coast sentiment. The '69 Jets? The '69 Mets?

Of course, the nation rallied around all New York teams in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, but that was different. That was about something far deeper than a game-day storyline.

These Giants appeal to otherwise neutral fans for the reasons most longshots do. They embody the red, white and blue notion that faith and hard work make anything possible.

"We have something to prove every time that we play," Coughlin told reporters the other day, "because if there are 100 of you out there, 70 of you don't think we can win. If you are a competitor, that strikes you."

In the end, maybe America would've preferred to see Brett Favre in the big game. Maybe a last call for the gunslinger was the best available angle on the conference championship board.

But let's face it: That game would've been a waste. The Patriots would've had no problem fossilizing Favre.

The Giants? Manning's team has a legitimate chance of doing to the Patriots what Namath's team did to the Colts. The Giants are hot, confident and in possession of a recent game film that proves they can outplay the Patriots for three quarters.

They also know that millions upon millions of viewers conditioned to root against New York teams will temporarily suspend their bias. The Giants are likely to draw strength from that support.

Will it be enough to beat the unbeatable Patriots? Don't put the mortgage on it.

But come Super Bowl Sunday, the Giants can bank on their own national appeal. Bill Belichick's Patriots are cast in the role of the bad guys.

For once, the New Yorkers get to be the Hoosiers from Hickory High.

jerseygiantfan · January 24, 2008

Antonio Pierce calls on Super friends

Thursday, January 24th 2008, 4:00 AM

Antonio Pierce French/Getty

Antonio Pierce isn't consumed with stopping the Patriots from making history. He's focused on the Giants making their own history, and wants Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson, Phil Simms and icons from the franchise's championship teams to be on the sidelines with them for Super Bowl XLII.

"It's all about us," Pierce said. "This game is all about the New York Giants."

The Giants got caught up in trying to end the Patriots' undefeated regular season in the final game of the year. The atmosphere at Giants Stadium was intense, just like it will be in Arizona one week from Sunday.

This time, the Giants have much greater motivation than just trying to stop the Patriots from getting to 19-0. They want the ring for themselves.

"Everyone wants to talk about 19-0," Pierce said. "Our record in the postseason is 3-0 and they are 2-0. We're both undefeated. I'm not worried about stopping their history. I'm worried about making Giant history. We are the first team in the NFC to get there winning all road games. I'm nowhere near concerned about their record and history."

Last week in Green Bay, the Giants paid tribute to Carson, their Hall of Fame linebacker, by making him an honorary captain. He had dinner the night before the game with Gibril Wilson, David Tyree and James Butler and stressed to them how in the regular season you fight for every yard, but in the playoffs you fight for every inch.

Then he spent the game on the sidelines in the freezing cold at Lambeau Field. His presence inspired Pierce.

"For me, it's huge to have Harry Carson and Jessie Armstead on the sidelines for the conference championship game," Pierce said. "Harry had his Hall of Fame ring on. Jessie had his NFC Championship Game ring on."

Now Pierce wants the whole gang on the sidelines for the Super Bowl.

"Harry Carson, Lawrence, Phil Simms, Ottis Anderson, I want to have all of them there," Pierce said. "I hope they come. More power to us."

Carson usually is in the Super Bowl city playing golf during the week before the game and then leaves on Super Bowl morning and flies to Honolulu, where he meets up with former teammates LT, Brad Van Pelt and Brian Kelley.

He's still going to Hawaii to meet his buddies and also celebrate his first wedding anniversary, but once the Giants beat the Packers, he audibled on his plans and will stick around for the game.

Told that Pierce wants all those champion Giants on the sidelines, Carson said, "I love the idea. I know from a player's standpoint, it does make a difference to look over and see the guys."

Of course, there is the issue of sideline access that will have to be addressed in order for Pierce's plan to be executed. "It's an NFL issue, it has nothing to do with the Giants," Carson said. "They limit the number of people who can be down there. I'd love to be down there."

Giants co-owner John Mara said yesterday he likes the former Giants "being around and we try to bring them around during the season and had different guys here for every home game."

Of course, the Giants were 3-5 at home this year. "It didn't work too well," Mara said, laughing. "I like having Harry out there. He's a Hall of Famer. Jessie has been around this year."

Carson is still fond of Bill Belichick, the defensive coordinator of the Giants' 1986 Super Bowl championship team with Carson and the '90 team that won it all after Carson retired.

"In a way, you are a little conflicted because Bill Belichick is our friend and we won a Super Bowl with Bill," Carson said. "We want Bill to do well, but not necessarily against the Giants. I think Bill understands that. We root for Bill except when he plays against the Giants."

Pierce says it's not surprising few people are giving the Giants much of a chance to beat the Patriots. "I expected that," he said. "It's a fitting story to how this season has been since day one. It's not like we've just become underdogs. We were underdogs back in March and February when everybody said it was a bad idea to keep the coach. We've come full circle."

Pierce was Tom Coughlin's most vocal supporter. Coughlin brought him to the Giants in 2005, and Pierce has been among the Giants' most reliable players. And it was Pierce who was saying last year that coaching changes bring about player changes because every coach has his own idea how to construct a roster.

Coughlin stayed, Tiki Barber left, Jerry Reese had an impressive first draft, bringing in Aaron Ross, Steve Smith, Kevin Boss and Ahmad Bradshaw, who have all been contributors in the playoff run.

The Giants already beat the Cowboys and Packers in the playoffs after losing to them in the regular season. Now they get to write a different ending after losing to the Patriots.

"I look forward to playing against the team that beat us," Pierce said. "It's the biggest game of my career. Since I've been here, I've never been a part of a team like this New York Giants team and had this much fun."

They have one game to make their own history, one game to prevent history.

gmyers@nydailynews.com

jerseygiantfan · January 24, 2008

Osi Umenyiora sees heavy in Matt Light

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Thursday, January 24th 2008, 4:00 AM

Osi Umenyiora doesn't think the Patriots are a dirty team, but he sure thinks their left tackle, Matt Light, is a dirty player.

Umenyiora, the Giants' right defensive end who will be across the line from Light in Super Bowl XLII, made that accusation Wednesday night on HBO's "Inside the NFL."

He said when the two teams played back in Week 17, Light "did a couple of things that he shouldn't have done."

"I'm not quite sure he thought that he was going to see me again because of some of the things he did and said during that game," Umenyiora said. "But, you know, unfortunately he does have to see me again."

Pressed for specifics by host Bob Costas, Umenyiora said Light was, "Hitting after the delay and trying to ...I don't know if he was trying to intimidate me. I don't know what he was trying to do. But he did a couple things that he shouldn't have done and, you know, now we are really going to go at it this time."

That was the first shot in what could be a nasty couple of weeks between the Giants and the undefeated Patriots. Remember, after the Pats beat the Giants, 38-35, in the season finale, Rodney Harrison accused the Giants of being a dirty team in comments that were given new life before the NFC Championship Game last week.

"I'm going to tell you, we saw it on film," Harrison said. "It wasn't no secret. They push, they hit late, they come at you and try to take you out. That's the way they play."

Umenyiora, though, stopped short of labeling all of the Patriots.

"I wouldn't call them a dirty team," he said. "I wouldn't say that. I haven't really experienced them as a team to be dirty. They have certain individuals, like I'm sure we have certain individ

jerseygiantfan · January 26, 2008

Road to Super Bowl means many moves

by Michael David Smith

Updated: January 26, 2008, 11:58 AM EST 7 comments

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How did the Giants and Patriots get to Super Bowl XLII? I don't mean what did they do this year, because that's been pretty well established. But what have they done in the last five, 10 or 15 years to build their Super Bowl rosters?

To find out, I broke down the rosters of the two teams into five different categories: Players who were acquired by trades, by first-round draft picks, by second- or third-round picks, by second-day picks or via free agency. What I found is that each team made the right call on some high-profile personnel moves, but that these rosters were also shaped by dozens of smart decisions that didn't seem particularly significant at the time.

Trades (Giants 3, Patriots 2)

There aren't many big trades in the NFL these days, but both teams playing in Super Bowl XLII used trades to acquire some of the most important players on their rosters.

Eli Manning got a short glimpse of what it would be like to be a Charger. (Chris Trotman / Getty Images)

For the Giants, the three players acquired in trades were quarterback Eli Manning, running back Reuben Droughns and kicker Lawrence Tynes.

The Manning trade, of course, was the draft-day blockbuster that has been met with mostly negative reviews. That Manning is now in the Super Bowl staves off some criticism, but the fact remains that it wasn't a great trade by the Giants. In hindsight, New York gave up an awful lot to get Manning when it could have just as easily walked away with Philip Rivers or Ben Roethlisberger and not paid the king's ransom. Ultimately, the Chargers got three key players in the deal: Rivers, linebacker Shawne Merriman and kicker Nate Kaeding.

The Droughns and Tynes trades weren't particularly noteworthy — both took place in the spring of 2007, and although Tynes kicked the game-winning field goal in the NFC Championship game and Droughns has made a few important contributions this season, both are basically average players, the kind you'd expect to get for a late draft pick in an off-season trade.

The Patriots made two trades this off-season that completely revolutionized their offense. By giving up their second- and seventh-round picks in March, the Patriots acquired wide receiver Wes Welker from the Dolphins. And by giving up a fourth-round pick they had previously acquired from the 49ers on the second day of April's draft, the Patriots acquired wide receiver Randy Moss from the Raiders.

The result? The Patriots went from having a pretty good passing offense to having perhaps the best passing offense in the history of the sport. It's hard to believe that the Dolphins and Raiders were willing to part with Welker and Moss, and it's even harder to believe that there were people who questioned the wisdom of both trades (especially the Moss trade), but it's now clear that the Patriots' two spring trades were two of the most important personnel moves any NFL team made last year.

First-round picks (Giants 4, Patriots 7)

The Giants have just four players on their roster who were taken by them in the first-round of the draft, and three of them (tight end Jeremy Shockey, linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka and defensive lineman William Joseph) are injured and won't play in the Super Bowl. The one first-round pick who will play for the Giants is rookie cornerback Aaron Ross, a good athlete who still makes his share of coverage mistakes but should be a very good player some day.

Of course, you can argue that Manning is really a first-round pick.

You can even argue that he's really two first-round picks, since that's what they gave up for him. But still, Manning and Ross are the only players the Giants got during the first round of the draft who will play in the Super Bowl.

The Patriots have seven players on their roster whom they drafted in the first round, and all seven will play in the Super Bowl. Six of the seven will start, including the Patriots' entire defensive line (ends Richard Seymour and Ty Warren and nose tackle Vince Wilfork), tight end Ben Watson, guard Logan Mankins and running back Laurence Maroney.

Rookie defensive back Brandon Meriweather will contribute on special teams and come off the bench. The Patriots have made excellent choices with their first-round picks in recent years, and they're benefiting from it.

Second- and third-round picks (Giants 10, Patriots 8)

One of the interesting things about both the Giants roster and the Patriots roster is that both teams have veteran leaders on both sides of the ball who were chosen many years ago in the latter part of the first day of the draft.

For the Giants, it's wide receiver Amani Toomer (a second-round pick in 1996) and defensive end Michael Strahan (a second-round pick in 1993). For the Patriots, it's running back Kevin Faulk (a second-round pick in 1999) and linebacker Tedy Bruschi (a third-round pick in 1996). Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick had nothing to do with the decisions to draft those players, but they're lucky their predecessors did.

New England's starting offensive tackles — Nick Kaczur and Matt Light — fall into this group (Kaczur was a third-round pick in 2005; Light was a second-round pick in 2001), as do the Giants defensive ends they'll block on Super Bowl Sunday — Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck.

New York's best offensive lineman, Chris Snee, was a second-round pick in 2004, and the Giants have spent their last two second-round picks on slot receivers, seemingly whiffing in 2006 on the unproductive Sinorice Moss, but perhaps hitting in 2007 on Steve Smith, who has really come on in the last few weeks.

Second-day picks (Giants 12, Patriots 13)

Giants general manager Jerry Reese ran the team's draft for the first time in 2007, and if one draft is any indication, he's a genius for finding talent on the second day. All five of the Giants' second-day rookies have played in the playoffs, and two of them — fifth-round tight end Kevin Boss and seventh-round running back Ahmad Bradshaw — have made huge contributions. Their best second-day draft pick is running back Brandon Jacobs, selected in the fourth round in 2005.

Tom Brady may be the biggest draft steal of all time. (Elsa / Getty Images)

Do I really have to tell you who New England's best second-day draft pick is? That would be quarterback Tom Brady, who as you may have heard turned into a pretty good player after the Patriots plucked him out of the sixth round in 2000.

Brady isn't the only important player the Patriots chose on the second day, though. All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel was a fourth-round pick in 2003. Center Dan Koppen came in the fifth-round in the same draft. Wide receiver Troy Brown, a popular player even though he might not be active for the Super Bowl, was an eighth-round pick in 1993. (You know a player is old when he was chosen in a round of the draft that doesn't exist anymore.)

Free agents (Giants 36, Patriots 30)

The bulk of the players on both teams weren't drafted or acquired in trades. They were free agents, either as veterans or as undrafted rookies. But while every year it's the big-money guys who make headlines in free agency, it's interesting to note that many key free-agent signings didn't seem like they'd be key players on Super Bowl teams when they were signed.

Two players on the Giants roster signed major deals as unrestricted free agents from other teams — wide receiver Plaxico Burress and right tackle Kareem McKenzie. Both have turned out to be good signings, as McKenzie is a solid member of the offensive line and Burress is probably the single biggest reason the Giants are in the Super Bowl.

But the more important free-agent signings are the ones that fill important roles on the team without taking a huge chunk of the salary cap. Players like center Shaun O'Hara, fullback Madison Hedgecock, defensive tackle Fred Robbins and linebacker Kawika Mitchell, all of whom arrived as free agents, are the types of players who fill in the holes on a roster and get a team to a Super Bowl.

The Patriots are the model franchise for finding important players who don't cost a lot of money against the salary cap. Even the players who arrived in New England as high-profile unrestricted free agents, like linebackers Rosevelt Colvin and Adalius Thomas, did so at a discount to the Patriots.

But the best example of the kind of player who has the Patriots in their fourth Super Bowl in seven years is linebacker Mike Vrabel. In 2001, Vrabel was a Pittsburgh Steelers role player trying to make the switch from college defensive end to professional linebacker. Few people thought he'd ever be more than that. But the Patriots front office saw something, and all he's done in New England is become one of the league's best linebackers. In the last few years, Vrabel was a solid run stuffer who dropped into coverage on passing plays. This season the Patriots turned him into more of a blitzer, and he responded with 12.5 sacks, tied for second most among all NFL linebackers.

Vrabel is also known for his role on offense, where he had touchdown catches in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX. Will he score again in Super Bowl XLII? If he does, seeing him in the end zone will serve as a reminder that even personnel moves that seem insignificant at the time can ultimately be the moves that get teams to the Super Bowl.

jerseygiantfan · January 26, 2008

Learning from history could help the Giants make history

By Seth Wickersham

ESPN.com

(Archive)

Updated: January 26, 2008

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For their rematch in the Super Bowl, Giants coach Tom Coughlin (left) should learn a trick Patriots counterpart Bill Belichick (right) used as a Giants' assistant in a previous championship game.

OK, Giants, listen up. We here at Upsetters Inc. want to bring your goals to reality. And we know what you want on Super Sunday: To follow the 1990 Giants, 1997 Broncos and 2001 Patriots as underdogs-turned-champs. Well, lucky for you, we've already got a Dos and Don'ts blueprint to victory.

Well, not quite. Actually, for the first time since 1972, there are no Dos.

See, that's the problem with playing the 18-0 Patriots. You can't name any surefire keys to beating them because no one has. But we do know what you shouldn't do. So just make sure a check is by each one of the following and, come Feb. 3, you might be pulling confetti from your hair.

Don't

say anything stupid. Steelers safety Anthony Smith and Chargers defensive end Igor Olshansky are examples 1 and 1A of what happens when you pop off and slight the Patriots before kickoff. Look, we know it's tempting to speak your mind, maybe even pull a Joe Willie, especially with all the cameras around. But keep stroking the Patriots, tough as it may be. The best way to handle being two-touchdown underdogs is to ride with it. Memorize these:

"We are facing the best coach, quarterback, and team in NFL history. We just hope it's close."

"Tom Brady doesn't need two feet to beat us."

"I don't blame the oddsmakers. I would have made the spread 17."

See, Giants, this is exactly what the Broncos did against the Packers. They put the spotlight on them all week and didn't give Mike Holmgren any material. Ditto with the 2001 Patriots.

Don't

assume that the Patriots will underprepare. New England knows every in-game scenario because it has practiced each one. You know that punt against the Chargers that Kelley Washington downed inside the 5-yard line? "We've practiced it probably 100 times," he says. Before the San Diego game, Washington and punter Chris Hanson stayed after practice to work on that exact drill. Remember, New York: The Pats won't hand you anything. You have to earn it.

Don't

expect the Patriots to break. This is as tight a team as the NFL has ever seen. After each practice, Brady brings everyone together and leads a "Super Bowl" chant on the count of three. Usually, this stuff is for high school and college. Most NFL teams don't end practice with a cheer. But the Patriots do. No wonder Bill Belichick says they "love" one another. If you expect them to turn on each other if the going gets bad, you're mistaken.

Don't

forget the Giants-Bills Super Bowl. In 1991, the lunch-pail Giants faced the high-flying, fancy Bills. The Giants' defensive game plan -- hatched by Belichick, of course -- was to allow Thurman Thomas to gain 100-plus yards. The logic was this: Knowing that the Giants would struggle against the pass, Belichick told his team to let the Bills gain yardage, luring them into believing they truly controlled the line of scrimmage. Belichick figured it would shorten the game and keep the ball out of Jim Kelly's hands. Then, on third-and-short, he believed the Giants could rise up and stuff the Bills.

Well, that scheme worked. Barely.

Of course it's risky, but the Giants might do well to use Belichick's ideas against his Patriots. Think about it: Would you rather have Laurence Maroney running or Brady passing? Give Maroney some yards. Just stiffen up on third down.

Don't

forget Terrell Davis. Before the Packers-Broncos Super Bowl, nobody thought the Broncos, with the lightest offensive line in the NFL, would be able to run on DT Gilbert Brown and the Packers. Guess what? They tried anyway, and Davis went around and through the Packers as if they were slalom poles and won the game's MVP honors. The point is to play to your strength. Stick with what got you here. Don't assume just because the Patriots have two weeks to prepare for you that they'll have every equation solved. That means making Plaxico Burress a huge part of the game plan, not assuming the Patriots will eliminate him.

Don't

give New England's receivers a clean release. Yeah, we saw what happened to Corey Webster in the NFC Championship when he tried to jam Donald Driver and whiffed: Driver caught a 90-yard touchdown. But it didn't cost you the game.

Don't get frightened by the big play. See how Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte' Stallworth, and Kevin Faulk -- especially Faulk -- do when they're punished.

That's what the 2001 Patriots did against the Rams, and Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt struggled until the fourth quarter, when it was too late. Rough up New England's pass-catchers a little. Their pain is your friend.

Don't

get conservative. You're not going to beat the Patriots with field goals. Just ask the Chargers. Don't forget the lessons of UC Berkeley professor David Romer: Field position is overrated. Going for it on fourth down isn't.

That should do it, Giants. Good luck. Oh, wait -- we thought of one Do.

Pray.

Seth Wickersham is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and a columnist for ESPN.com.

jerseygiantfan · January 26, 2008

Peyton Manning: Eli has 'what it takes to lead his team' to NFL title

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Saturday, January 26th 2008, 4:00 AM

Antonelli/News

Peyton ended New England's season last year and hopes Eli can do the same in eight days.

Peyton Manning is thrilled to see his little brother playing in his first Super Bowl.

He's also sure it won't be Eli's last.

"I feel very strongly this will not be the last Super Bowl that he will play in," Peyton Manning said Friday on a conference call with reporters. "I just think he's got what it takes to lead his team to championships."

Peyton should know, of course, since it was just one year ago that he played in his first Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts. At the time, Eli was still an erratic young quarterback playing for a turbulent and mediocre team, and there was no hint at all that he and the Giants were capable of making a run to Super Bowl XLII.

But Peyton said he never doubted his little brother had the talent and work ethic to make it happen. And as this wild playoff ride for the Giants has rolled on, Peyton has become more impressed with Eli every single game.

"First and foremost, he has just played outstanding," Peyton said. "That's where it's got to start. His ability to throw the football in those conditions in Green Bay, as his brother obviously I'm proud, but as a quarterback I was so impressed."

Peyton said he called Eli right after the Giants beat the Packers in the NFC Championship Game and said, "You could just feel the excitement in his voice. I certainly know that feeling. It's pretty fresh in my mind from last year. I was just so happy that he got to experience that same feeling."

Now Peyton will get a chance to experience what Eli did last year. He'll be in the stands in Glendale, Ariz., watching his little brother. In fact, he said he's already spent most of this week playing ticket broker for the extended Manning clan. About the only way this game would be a hotter ticket for the Mannings, of course, was if Eli's Giants were playing the Colts, instead of the undefeated Patriots.

That, Peyton said, might not be just a dream. He didn't shy away from the Manning vs. Manning talk yesterday. In fact, he said he could see it happening in the Super Bowl next year.

"I'm sure it would cause for some hair pulling and probably a lot of stress-out situations for our family," he said. "I tell you, it could certainly happen. Certainly we hope, as the Colts, to be in the mix every single year. And I really feel the Giants are going to be very much the same way. They're a young team and they're going to be in the mix every single year. So it certainly could happen.

"I couldn't tell you how I'd feel about it up until it happens. Maybe next year we'll have to answer that question."

In the meantime, Peyton is answering questions from Eli about what the next week or so is going to be like. Peyton has told Eli to do his best to keep his routine normal, although he admits he's trying hard not to give his little brother too much advice.

"I left Eli a voice mail after the Packers game and I told him I think I'm officially retired from giving you advice," said Peyton, who is nearly five years older than Eli. "He doesn't need anymore advice from me. In his fourth year he's led his team to the Super Bowl. He just went on the road in three of the toughest places to play and won and played excellent. So he doesn't need to hear any advice from me."

jerseygiantfan · January 31, 2008

Hit List: Taking issue with Coughlin, Gibbs

by Kevin Hench

Kevin Hench is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com

Updated: January 30, 2008, 8:04 PM EST Comment

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If any New York Giants player is able to get into trouble this week, he must be begrudgingly admired for his commitment to mischief.

The Giants are not staying in Phoenix, temporary home to the media horde. They are not staying in Scottsdale, a bustling suburb with bountiful nightlife options. They are not staying in nearby Tempe, a college town with over 25,000 Arizona State coeds.

Just keep on rolling down the 10 freeway until you get to the point where you're sure you'll perish if your vehicle breaks down and you're there!

The Giants are technically staying in Chandler, Ariz., though even the people of Chandler might have trouble finding them. If they hadn't volunteered their location, it would take a team of G-Men to find the G-Men.

Specifically, they are at the Sheraton — Wild Horse Pass, presumably so named because the last living creature to happen by was a riderless Mustang. This resort is located on the Gila River Reservation, safely sequestered from the temptations of civilization. (Curiously, an intrepid Giant making a run at a great escape might find himself on S. McQueen Road in Chandler.)

So it is here, where the lush green grass of the resort's golf course stands in stark contrast to the endless dusty desert around it, that we begin today's Hit List:

1. Tom Coughlin

It's one thing to go from viciously tyrannical Captain Bligh to measured, reasonable, respected leader. But it's gone too far. Once the feared vice principal, Coughlin is now the cool substitute teacher that laughs at spitballs and agrees to hold class outside. Nobody, not Michael Strahan, not Plaxico Burress — not even Lawrence Tynes — fears this cat anymore. Strahan openly celebrates Coughlin's makeover, even going so far as to say that "he's a human being now." (Read: "I didn't have to go to training camp.')

Burress has wandered far off the (metaphoric) reservation this week, happily obliging media queries about the outcome, the final score and the strength of the two teams' receiving squads. Can you imagine a Bill Belichick-coached player issuing final score predictions? Or openly comparing a Patriots unit to its Giants counterpart? Or daring to suggest that Belichick was once sub-human?

Asked about Burress' musings on Wednesday, Coughlin said he would deal with him "in a private way." Better that, I suppose, than risk another public repudiation of your leadership like the one that occurred on the heated tundra of Lambeau Field, when Tynes bolted onto the field for the game-winning kick without waiting for Coughlin to yell, "Field goal!" Later it would be related that Tynes' obvious confidence was the deciding factor in Coughlin's electing to kick, but in the intervening moment as his kicker took the field unbidden, wasn't it just insubordination? "I didn't wait for him to call for it," Tynes said Wednesday. "I just ran out there." But what if Coughlin had intended to go for it on fourth down and had to burn a timeout to get his crazy kicker off the field and his offense back on? Clearly, the Giants have flourished with Coughlin yielding to his "player leadership council" and loosening his grip on the reins. But if Steve Spagnuolo is running the defense, Kevin Gilbride is calling the plays and Lawrence Tynes is deciding when to kick, it begs the question: Just what does Tom Coughlin do?

2. Joe Gibbs

As I trudged to the media shuttle at 6:15 Wednesday morning, I was racking my brittle brain trying to figure out who I could blame for this ungodly call time. Then it occurred to me: Joe Gibbs. Wasn't it Gibbs with his cot in the office and sleep schedule that would make a med student look like Rip Van Winkle that forever changed the NFL work day? I mean, if coaches getting up at 4 a.m. is the standard, why not have the media bussed out to the Patriots' Kierland resort in Scottsdale by 7:05 a.m.? It's practically mid-day, right? Gibbs may have just been trying to gain an edge on the competition, but the repercussions of his sleep-is-for-losers work ethic are now being felt by the entire industry. Thanks coach.

3. Josh McDaniels

Some people will land on the Hit List for doing something stupid or saying something indefensible. And some, like McDaniels, will land in the crosshairs just by being so damned accomplished at such a young age that it fills the rest of us with self-loathing and regret. With so much of life dedicated to clinging to the fanciful delusion that we are not abject failures, encountering people like McDaniels is not good for the self-esteem. The 31-year-old offensive coordinator and head-coach-in-waiting held court for the press Wednesday with a remarkable respect and detailed answer for each question. Just when you thought this storybook son of a high school coach (who, yes, was born in Canton) couldn't be any more impressive, Randy Moss reminds us that McDaniels picked him up at the airport upon his arrival in New England. Eh, he'll probably go 1-15 for the Chiefs in 2009.

4. Jeremy Shockey

Of all the legacies a pro athlete might hope to avoid, the addition-by-subtraction label may be the worst. What could be harsher than the indisputable revelation that your team is better (much better) without you? All week here in Phoenix/Glendale, there's been a low-grade murmur of "Where's Shockey?" followed by the deafening "Who cares?" of indifference. There are a lot of theories as to why the Giants are so much better without their former Pro Bowl tight end, with the prevailing sentiment being that the Giants' huddle is just a much more relaxed and efficient workplace without him. Bet he can't wait til training camp. "Hey, did you guys miss me? Guys? Hello?"

5. Mark Briggs

And then there was my brush with Mark Briggs, Patriots security muscle, and the moment the Hit List almost became the Get Hit List. I guess if you're charged with making sure no one gets too close to Tom Brady during Super Bowl week, you might get a little overly enthusiastic in performing your job.

During Patriots media availability, I had wandered onto the patio where the Patriots players were gathering and slipping on their jerseys for easy identification by their interrogators. Just an hour earlier, the patio had been littered with press types on their cell phones, but with the arrival of the team, this area — unbeknownst to me — was now off-limits.

I thought it might be nice to get a couple of candids to e-mail to my nephew. Candidly, Mr. Briggs did not think this was such a good idea. "Oo you lookin' for?" he demanded in a cockney accent straight out of a Guy Ritchie movie, pressing into my space. "Uh, I was just gonna ..." At this point he moved in close enough to count my fillings and I wondered if I'd be momentarily scooping a couple of my teeth off the patio. After inviting me to return to the conference room "where you belong," I asked Mr. Briggs — in Patriots cap and team credential — what his role with the team was. "Whaddya think?" he said rhetorically. Right. Bonesnapper, not longsnapper. I'll just head on inside then.

Note: Upon joining us in the conference room and confident that I meant no mayhem, Mark allowed me to chat him up about English football — he's a Derby supporter — and proved to be a pleasant enough bloke. But Patriot Nation should sleep better knowing he's on the job in Arizona.

jerseygiantfan · January 31, 2008

Jeremy Shockey won't go to Super Bowl

By RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Thursday, January 31st 2008, 4:49 PM

It looks like TE Jeremy Shockey will not be joining the Giants at the Super Bowl, after all. His teammates have pleaded with him, and he even received personal invites from TEs coach Mike Pope and several others in the organization. But in the end, he apparently was worried about wandering through the crowds on crutches. He also didn't want to be a distraction.

Asked how he's handling not being at the Super Bowl with his team, Pope said Shockey "is devastated."

Shockey, by the way, sent an inspirational message to his teammates, which is now hanging on their locker room wall.

2007 NY Giants Articles and Video

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