Making playoffs only masks Giants' failure

[Gforce11]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6334898

 

Michael Rosenberg / Special to FOXSports.com

Posted: 1 hour ago

 

Congratulations, Giants fans! Your team is in the playoffs. And do you know what this means?

 

That's right! You have to watch this team for one more week!

 

Has there ever been a less satisfying NFL playoff team than these Giants? They are 8-8, tied for the worst record ever among playoff teams. And that might be the best thing you can say about them.

 

What is the worst you could say? It's a five-way tie between ...

 

1. They lost six of the final eight games.

 

2. Their best player, Tiki Barber, is about to retire in the prime of his career. He is only 31.

 

3. Their franchise quarterback, Eli Manning, appears to be regressing.

 

4. The players they traded for that quarterback play important roles for what appears to be the best team in the league. Philip Rivers, Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding are doing just fine in San Diego, thank you.

 

5. The window of opportunity for this group of Giants is widely believed to be closing. And the man who put them together, Ernie Accorsi, is about to retire.

 

The Giants earned their spot in the playoffs by squeaking past a finished Redskins team Saturday night. Even Manning has admitted that the way the Giants have played, you would think they would be finished by now,

 

The Giants had Super Bowl aspirations at the start of the year. Now they don't even look like they can win one playoff game. And even if they do, what would that mean?

 

The Giants' first opponent, the Eagles, were left for dead after Donovan McNabb got hurt. If Eli Manning leads New York to a squeaker over Jeff Garcia, who looked washed-up a year ago, does that make the season a success?

 

A Giants win would also have other implications: it might just save Tom Coughlin's job, and there isn't much evidence that his job is worth saving. For the second half of this season, Coughlin appeared to have lost his team. Normally, the next step for a coach is to lose his job.

 

In this era of expanded postseasons in every sport, we have seen a lot of mediocre or listless teams make the playoffs. But the NFL is not supposed to be like the NBA or NHL. Making the NFL playoffs is supposed to mean something. It is supposed to be an achievement.

 

The Giants' postseason berth doesn't feel like an achievement, unless you are the kind of person who goes home from the beach proud that you didn't drown.

 

Imagine if the NFC actually had several really good teams. (I apologize for taxing your imagination here — if you get a headache, send me the bill for the Tylenol.) The Giants would have been left out of the playoffs, just like almost every other 8-8 team in NFL history.

 

And, considering the expectations last summer, the season would have been considered an utter failure.

 

Instead, the Giants get to live for another week. Maybe even two. And then Giants fans can mourn the departure of Barber, or hope he changes his mind. Barber sounds set on his decision, and for good reason,

 

If anybody thinks Barber is crazy for retiring so early, I have one question: have you ever watched an NFL game up close — from the really good seats or the sideline? I have. The athleticism is breathtaking, but so is the violence. There is a reason so many 50-something NFL players can barely walk. The human body is not meant to take this much pounding into its 30s.

 

Barber is almost certainly gone.

 

So are the Giants.

 

And Giants fans will be left to wonder what might have been. That should be easy enough. All they have to do is watch the Chargers.

 

Especially this line...but we all know that already....

[Nas]

Hindsight is always 20/20.

 

We all wanted Eli. Comparing the Giants and SD is pointless. there are 53 players on each team not just 3. Our team is good and our coaching staff sucks major balls.

 

I'm not regretting getting Eli. Rivers wasn't even mentioned in the top 3 in that draft. It was Eli, Roth, and Losman anyway. Oh wow, we gave up Kaeding..... we have Feely.. he's doing just fine. Marriman didn't come out till the year after.. and he's on roids. I wonder how good he can be without them.

[fringe]

The Giants' first opponent, the Eagles, were left for dead after Donovan McNabb got hurt. If Eli Manning leads New York to a squeaker over Jeff Garcia, who looked washed-up a year ago, does that make the season a success?

abso- freakin-lutely!!

[RandolphScott]

Philip Rivers, he has LaDanian Tomlinson, I could look like a Pro Bowler if I had him as my running back.

 

Shawne Merrimian is on `roids and the proof is in the pudding.

 

Nate Kaeding missed the biggest field goal of his career in 2004 in the playoffs.

[Herc]

"And Giants fans will be left to wonder what might have been. That should be easy enough. All they have to do is watch the Chargers. "

 

while i agree with the premise of this article his supporting evidence sucks--especially the above quote. let's see merriman play without cheating, let's see rivers play without the best player in football behind him, and who the fuck cares about a kicker

[mws44]

It annoys the hell out of me when people say we traded Merriman and Kaeding for Eli. NO. We traded Rivers and 2 draft picks for Eli. Just because SD took those guys with the draft picks in no way suggests that the Giants would have. Its just an easy way for reporters to take another shot at the G-Men.

[GorillaNJ]

The Giants' postseason berth doesn't feel like an achievement, unless you are the kind of person who goes home from the beach proud that you didn't drown.

Was that necessary? Might as well mention the humble looks of TC's wife

[Nas]

It annoys the hell out of me when people say we traded Merriman and Kaeding for Eli. NO. We traded Rivers and 2 draft picks for Eli. Just because SD took those guys with the draft picks in no way suggests that the Giants would have. Its just an easy way for reporters to take another shot at the G-Men.

 

Right on.

[Lubeck]

Are you people delusional? This article is pretty much 100% accurate, supporting evidence or not. Need supporting evidence? Watch a game.

 

This article hurts? You should really be hurting when you watch the Giants play this weekend. Sorry, but they are going down and going down BAD.

 

Monday morning TC and Friends gets their pink slips, and over the next couple of months this team goes into rebuilding mode after another year of unsubstantiated jabbering to the media about our opponents and players who spend more time lamenting over what could have been rather than focusing on improving themselves.

[Herc]

It annoys the hell out of me when people say we traded Merriman and Kaeding for Eli. NO. We traded Rivers and 2 draft picks for Eli. Just because SD took those guys with the draft picks in no way suggests that the Giants would have. Its just an easy way for reporters to take another shot at the G-Men.

 

i agree 100%. we didn't draft those guys, and if we DIDN'T make the trade who knows what our record and draft position would've been. merriman could've been gone by our pick OR we might've passed him up for someone else

[Plow]

if we drafted rivers and kept him i would not be a giants fan anymore.

[Nas]

Are you people delusional? This article is pretty much 100% accurate, supporting evidence or not. Need supporting evidence? Watch a game.

 

This article hurts? You should really be hurting when you watch the Giants play this weekend. Sorry, but they are going down and going down BAD.

 

Monday morning TC and Friends gets their pink slips, and over the next couple of months this team goes into rebuilding mode after another year of unsubstantiated jabbering to the media about our opponents and players who spend more time lamenting over what could have been rather than focusing on improving themselves.

 

No one is debating the fact that this team has greatly underachieved. What's being contested here is the Monday monrning quarterbacking done by these sports writers. I wonder if you can go back to 2004 and find articles written by this writer what his take on the Giants taking Eli was.

 

Didn't we laugh our asses off when Kaeding missed that field goal.. not sure what year. And yeah Marriman is a great LB.. but who's to say we would've drafted him.. not to mention his drug use.

 

That's what we're contesting here. Do I still believe the coaching staff sucks? You bet. Does this team have a lot of egos? You bet. Is Eli the problem? I don't think so. Just because the kid doesn't curse anyone out, it doesn't make him a failure. Just because we surrounded him with guys who do more talking than playing, it doesn't make him a failure. Just because the coaching staff sucks balls, it doesn't make him a failure.

 

Hey, how about the one game that showed Eli the most.. that one game in San Diego... Did you think back then that Rivers was the better QB?

 

Get the kids receivers who will catch the ball and keep playing till the play is called dead, then compare him to Rivers. For now, in ELI I TRUST.

 

And fuck the Eagles. They lost 6 games too.. they're barely 2 games ahead of us and they didn't have half the injuries we had and not nearly as tough a schedule.

[Sephiroth]

We all wanted Eli.

 

 

Actually... some of us wanted Taylor or Gallery. I personally wanted Gallery (glad they didn't listen to me... though I think Eli is average, at best).

[Nas]

Actually... some of us wanted Taylor or Gallery. I personally wanted Gallery (glad they didn't listen to me... though I think Eli is average, at best).

 

It's a crime to take an OL with the first overall pick. And Taylor is average at best now anyway. Eli is way above average. He's been progressing every year. And now that we know we have quite a few underachievers on this team (Plax, Carter, Shockey..) and Amani is out.. we know what we need to do in the offseason to make Eli reach his potential.

[fringe]

You know what I'm tired of? The people who constantly come on here and say the Giants suck and anyone who thinks they have any hope at all has got to be a moron. And they have to inject their opinion ad nauseum into every thread.

So, call me moron, but I'm hoping for a win and if they win a couple of playoffs, I'll pretty much forget about all the flaws and consider it a successful season. Being a fan doesn't only mean we have a right to criticize, it also means we have a right to hope against big odds.

[Sephiroth]

Eli is way above average. He's been progressing every year.

 

 

LOL. Ah, Naz... I wish I shared your optimism.

 

 

From my point of view, the guy has "career backup" written all over him.

 

 

And his stats are about the same as last year.

[Nas]

LOL. Ah, Naz... I wish I shared your optimism.

From my point of view, the guy has "career backup" written all over him.

And his stats are about the same as last year.

 

I looked at his complete % and his QB ratings.. progress. And imagine how different those #s would be had he not lost Toomer and Luke.

[Nas]

You know what I'm tired of? The people who constantly come on here and say the Giants suck and anyone who thinks they have any hope at all has got to be a moron. And they have to inject their opinion ad nauseum into every thread.

So, call me moron, but I'm hoping for a win and if they win a couple of playoffs, I'll pretty much forget about all the flaws and consider it a successful season. Being a fan doesn't only mean we have a right to criticize, it also means we have a right to hope against big odds.

 

Fuck yeah. That's why I'm here defending Eli left and right. Look we know this team underachieved this year but I love the Giants and I'm looking forward to a win on Sunday.

[Plow]

It's a crime to take an OL with the first overall pick. And Taylor is average at best now anyway. Eli is way above average. He's been progressing every year. And now that we know we have quite a few underachievers on this team (Plax, Carter, Shockey..) and Amani is out.. we know what we need to do in the offseason to make Eli reach his potential.

 

Nas, Left tackle is the most important positon on offense. Jonathan Ogden was drafted by the Ravens with the 4th pick in the NFL draft in 1996. He made 8 times more money than Trent Dilfer did when they beat us in the super bowl. Dilfer was no special QB and people credit his little success to the protection given to him by Ogden. Orlando Pace was taken as the first overall pick in 1997, the year after Ogden. 2 years later the Rams won the super bowl with Kurt 'Statue' Warner. Warner was comfortable in the pocket because his blind side was protected. The Rams made it back to the Super Bowl a few years later and lost to the Pats.

 

There is no coincidence that when Luke Petitgout went down so did the Giants. You guys can say all you want about Eli, but he's not comofortable because he's getting no time. At least the Giants finally figured out Whitfield cant handle it over there and are trying out Diehl. Mckenzie should be over there. Your LT cant be a run of the mill lineman. He needs to have a rare combination of size, athleticism, and speed.

 

If none of you understand what I am talking about read Michael Lewis' book The Blind Side. It's about a kid named Michael Oher who will be in the NFL in 2 years. It also goes in depth about how Lawrence Taylor changed the game by making the Left Tackle a special position that took a special player to play.

[Nas]

Nas, Left tackle is the most important positon on offense. Jonathan Ogden was drafted by the Ravens with the 4th pick in the NFL draft in 1996. He made 8 times more money than Trent Dilfer did when they beat us in the super bowl. Dilfer was no special QB and people credit his little success to the protection given to him by Ogden. Orlando Pace was taken as the first overall pick in 1997, the year after Ogden. 2 years later the Rams won the super bowl with Kurt 'Statue' Warner. Warner was comfortable in the pocket because his blind side was protected. The Rams made it back to the Super Bowl a few years later and lost to the Pats.

 

There is no coincidence that when Luke Petitgout went down so did the Giants. You guys can say all you want about Eli, but he's not comofortable because he's getting no time. At least the Giants finally figured out Whitfield cant handle it over there and are trying out Diehl. Mckenzie should be over there. Your LT cant be a run of the mill lineman. He needs to have a rare combination of size, athleticism, and speed.

 

If none of you understand what I am talking about read Michael Lewis' book The Blind Side. It's about a kid named Michael Oher who will be in the NFL in 2 years. It also goes in depth about how Lawrence Taylor changed the game by making the Left Tackle a special position that took a special player to play.

 

There are exceptions but even if the Ravens did it, it doesnt' mean it was the right move. The Ravens win thanks their defense. Their offense has been less than average.

 

The most important position in football is the QB position. Hands down.

[Plow]

There are exceptions but even if the Ravens did it, it doesnt' mean it was the right move. The Ravens win thanks their defense. Their offense has been less than average.

 

The most important position in football is the QB position. Hands down.

 

with an average left tackle you leave your QB too vulnerable. Joe Montana was being called out to be benched. Bill Walsh figured out he needed somebody special at left tackle. He made a move and changed up his line. Once that happened Montana became more comfortable and started to look like Joe Montana. Nobody knows about it because everyone concentrates on where the ball goes, not what the offensive lineman do.

 

I suggest you pick up the book Nas. You will be intrigued. I guarantee it.

[Lubeck]

No one is debating the fact that this team has greatly underachieved. What's being contested here is the Monday monrning quarterbacking done by these sports writers. I wonder if you can go back to 2004 and find articles written by this writer what his take on the Giants taking Eli was.

 

Didn't we laugh our asses off when Kaeding missed that field goal.. not sure what year. And yeah Marriman is a great LB.. but who's to say we would've drafted him.. not to mention his drug use.

 

That's what we're contesting here. Do I still believe the coaching staff sucks? You bet. Does this team have a lot of egos? You bet. Is Eli the problem? I don't think so. Just because the kid doesn't curse anyone out, it doesn't make him a failure. Just because we surrounded him with guys who do more talking than playing, it doesn't make him a failure. Just because the coaching staff sucks balls, it doesn't make him a failure.

 

Hey, how about the one game that showed Eli the most.. that one game in San Diego... Did you think back then that Rivers was the better QB?

 

Get the kids receivers who will catch the ball and keep playing till the play is called dead, then compare him to Rivers. For now, in ELI I TRUST.

 

And fuck the Eagles. They lost 6 games too.. they're barely 2 games ahead of us and they didn't have half the injuries we had and not nearly as tough a schedule.

 

You are focusing entirely on one...ok I'll throw in the Eli comment and give you two lines from an article with 21 lines. I agree entirely with you about Eli and the dumbass comments about how we traded away Merriman, but I was not responding to yours or anyone elses comments, I was responding to the article.

[so-cal dub]

You people are all morons...

 

 

Great article!

[randoff]

These are facts, not opinions.

 

Eli IS regressing....!!! Kevin Gilbride didn't even trust Eli to convert a 3rd down versus Washington with the playoffs on the line. He trusted the swiss cheese D over Eli. (YOUR #1 pick plus 2 draft choices given up).

 

Tiki is retiring. And you know what??? He will be missed. He accounts for so many wins....and a good RB eases a QB that's struggling.

 

The coaching staff does suck!

 

And sooner or later the Giants will be rebuilding. New coaches, new players and a new direction. It's inevitable!

 

So what's wrong with reality? Giants are so close to a transistion.

[fishgutmartyr]

The major problem I have with the article is that is says "the window is closing." I think we're just about ready to open it--I mean, seriously, we've been rebuilding since 2004. Compare what we have now to what we had then, and it's shocking that the Giants would even go on the field with that group. Some new schemes, a few new linebackers (Emmons is horrible, upgrading Torbor would be nice), a cornerback, maybe another LT in the draft (maybe Whimper's ready, maybe not), center (does Seubert replace O'hara, or does O'hara stay, or do we get a new starter) and a couple of WRs (we've got Burress, Toomer, and not much else) and we're ready. We're not far off, but this year has been brutal.

 

Just a different scheme would probably make our defensive backfield a lot better, and I have to believe that's happening with or without Coughlin. And as long as we get some defensive players with a history of being healthy, things will look a lot better next season.