2008 NY Giants Articles and Video

[jerseygiantfan]

Plaxico to Giants: 'I don't have any regrets'

Updated: October 6, 2008, 3:10 PM EST 233 comments

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)

 

- An unapologetic Plaxico Burress rejoined the New York Giants on Monday, noting he didn't lose any sleep after the Super Bowl champions suspended him for a game.

 

Burress missed a team meeting two weeks ago without bothering to telephone the Giants.

 

The receiver who caught the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl attributed his absence on Sept. 22 to a family emergency, which he described as having to take his son to school.

 

"It was just a situation I had to deal with that morning, and I made the right decision," Burress said during a conference call that lasted about 20 minutes. "I don't have any regrets about the decision I made at all."

 

Burress said family would still come first next time, but that he would make sure he made a telephone call to let the Giants know about the problem.

 

"My emotions were that they suspended me," said Burress, who sat out Sunday's 44-7 win over Seattle. "That was the decision they chose to do. I'll take it at that. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. I got me some rest and was able to get away for a while and chill out and relax. Things like that happen. I'll keep moving forward and get back to doing what I do: catching footballs, scoring touchdowns and get back to work."

 

Along with the suspension, Burress was fined one week's pay, or roughly $117,500. The Giants originally docked him $235,000, but the player and the team reached a settlement last week that cut the fine in half.

 

Burress, who caught a career-high 12 touchdowns last season, never explained why he did not report to Giants Stadium after dropping his son off at school. He indicated that there was more involved without getting into explanations.

 

"There are some things that you guys don't know," Burress said. "So you can't say it wasn't an emergency on my part because you don't know everything that was going on."

 

The nine-year veteran refused to be more specific.

 

"Coach said I was suspended because I needed to be more responsible. I was being responsible, I just put my child first," he said.

 

Burress also refused to discuss problems with his wife. Police were called to his home twice this year in response to domestic problems.

 

"There is nothing to tell," he said.

 

Burress said he and his wife talked to the team on the night of Sept. 22, and he spoke with general manager Jerry Reese the next day. He was suspended the following day after a meeting with Reese and coach Tom Coughlin.

 

Burress said he did not argue with either Reese or Coughlin after being suspended, and that he respected their decision being for the good of the team.

 

"What was I supposed to do, cry?" said Burress, who admitted he let down his teammates by not being on the field Sunday. "They told me I was suspended. I didn't argue with them. I took it, walked out and left."

 

Burress said he watched the first half of Sunday's game and felt the team was clicking, noting that halfback Brandon Jacobs ran the ball well and Eli Manning was efficient.

 

"We all celebrate each other's success and that's what separates us from a lot of the teams around the league," Burress said. "We don't care who goes out and catches the ball or scores or things like that. We want to see everyone do good. Because of me not being able to play a lot of guys got in and got action, which will make us a better team down the road."

 

Burress said several teammates spoke with him during the suspension.

 

"I'm really, really not concerned about the way my teammates look at me as far as basing decisions on my family," he said. "My family is my first priority. It doesn't matter how people look at me. Football is the best temporary job I'm ever going to have in my life. My family is going to be here forever. I told them that. I'll tell you guys that. I feel I made the right decision. I'm still living. I'm still walking around. I'm fine."

 

Burress admitted he does not know how many times he has been fined since joining the Giants in 2005, but it is a lot.

 

"Some of the demands they ask me to do, I just don't meet," said Burress, who led the Giants with 18 catches after three games. "Maybe I have a problem with time or something, I don't know. I haven't been able to quite put my finger on it. Does it really bother or affect me? No. When it's times to step on the field and play, that's what I do."

 

Burress, who was barred from Giants Stadium during his suspension, returned early Monday morning, and did some lifting and running. He also talked to Coughlin, who said Burress remains a starter.

 

"As far as being on the same page, we hit and miss sometimes," Burress said of Coughlin. "We had a conversation today and I listened to what he had to say and we'll move on from there."

[jerseygiantfan]

The 'we don't get enough respect' Giants are now media darlings

 

By RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Saturday, October 11th 2008, 10:51 PM

Sabo/News

 

 

 

They have spent most of the last year relishing their role as the most overlooked, disrespected and underappreciated team in professional sports, and their desire to prove their critics wrong even powered them to a Super Bowl championship. But now the Giants find themselves in an unfamiliar spot.

 

They are suddenly everybody's darling. They're the unanimous No. 1 team in the land.

 

 

Four weeks into their title defense, the Giants have been stripped of one of their most cherished possessions - their perennial underdog status. The internet power rankings that once made their blood boil now have them ranked at the top, without exception. And the experts, who used to regularly tick them off, are now singing a different tune.

 

"I think right now, this year, what they're proving to people is that what happened last year was more than just a run that some people go on in playoffs," said NFL Network analyst Marshall Faulk. "How could you not think the Super Bowl was a fluke with the way that team started out last year? That wouldn't be a wrong assessment to ask 'Is it a fluke?'

 

 

"But I think all the naysayers, all the people that doubted them, you've now got to give them their props. They're the best, without a doubt. I have no reservations saying that this team is the best team in the league right now."

 

After a 4-0 start for the Giants - albeit against teams with a combined record of 5-13 - the whole world finally seems to agree. Before the season, it was nearly impossible to find anyone willing to predict the Giants had much of a chance to repeat as champions. Some preseason power rankings had them as low as seventh in the league.

 

Now, for whatever it's worth, all the big ones - ESPN.com, Foxsports.com, CBSsportsline.com, and NBCSports.com - have the Giants sitting at the top. And Steve Mariucci may have hit them with the biggest compliment when he said on the NFL Network that "they are dominating like the New England Patriots did last year."

 

"When you look at their football team, there are so many things in place that it's hard not to pick them," said CBS' Bill Cowher. "Offensively, their receiver situation is probably as deep as any team in National Football League. They have backups that could probably start for most other teams. And I think they have the best trio of running backs. No one will be able to match that."

 

 

Cowher raved about Eli Manning's play, too, and Steve Spagnuolo's defensive scheme. "This is a team where it's hard to find a weakness," Cowher added. "To me, they are the team to beat."

 

Of course, there are a few people who always thought that was true - including one of Cowher's CBS colleagues, former Giants quarterback Phil Simms.

 

"Before the season, many times I just didn't understand why they were just given no thought," Simms said. "But it's a headline league. The NFL is just like anything else. Let's just read the headlines and we think we have the whole story.

 

"It was easy for people to say, 'What they did last year was great, but come on, they were a little lucky.' It's easy to say all that. It's just easier to put your finger on Jerry Jones, Terrell Owens, Tony Romo and Pacman Jones. The headlines all offseason were there. That's the way it is. Even now, it seems to be 'OK, the Giants are the best, but is T.O. upset this week or what?'"

 

Still, that's more of an acknowledgment than the defending champs were getting in the preseason when they were nearly universally picked to finish behind Dallas in the NFC East. Of course, that was fine with them and it gave them motivation to continue proving the world wrong.

 

So what do they think about all the love they're getting from everywhere now?

 

"We just laugh at it," said linebacker Antonio Pierce. "Because those are the same people who two months ago were saying the Giants weren't the best team in the NFL, that we wouldn't even get to the playoffs."

 

"We should react to it the same way we reacted when people said we were just lucky last year or we weren't very good," added quarterback Eli Manning. "We can't buy into it."

 

Unfortunately for them, if they win again tomorrow night against the 1-3 Browns in Cleveland - on national television - there will be even more praise for them to buy into. With the San Francisco 49ers (2-3) at Giants Stadium next Sunday, a 6-0 start seems likely. And if they reach that, almost everyone will have to concede the Giants probably are the best team in the league.

 

"I know from experience how tough it is when you win a Super Bowl to come back the next season and have everybody have the same objectives, the same goals, and not get sidetracked," said Faulk, the former Rams running back. "But this team, they've persevered through what often gets to championship teams."

 

"It's almost scary how deep they are," Simms added. "Now, it's a long year, but it's going to be hard to get this Giants team off track. As I say to the rest of the NFL: 'Good luck.'"

[jerseygiantfan]

Eli Manning says he'll start against 49ers despite blast to body

By RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

 

 

Sancetta/AP

 

Eli Manning is disappointed after interception in first quarter and then gets pounded to turf in second.

First came the insult, now comes the injury: Eli Manning is hurt.

 

Although he insists it's "nothing major" and that he won't miss any time, Manning did suffer an apparent injury to the upper left side of his body during the Giants' embarrassing 35-14 loss in Cleveland Monday night. He suffered it on a hit with about 10 minutes left in the second quarter. And although Manning never came out, Tom Coughlin said Tuesday that his quarterback "was in some pain."

 

 

"He got hit and then he was driven into the ground and his chest was bothering him after the game," Coughlin said on a conference call Tuesday. "He was in some pain there, but I don't have any information other than that. He was in the training room. We'll see."

 

Manning didn't appear to be hurting after the game and didn't mention his injury during his postgame press conference. However, TV cameras did catch the Giants' trainers working on him on the sideline after he took a vicious hit from Cleveland's 350-pound defensive tackle, Shaun Rogers.

 

Tuesday, in his weekly appearance on ESPN Radio in New York, Manning said he was sent to the hospital for X-rays and an MRI, but no significant condition was found.

 

"Nothing major," Manning said. "Nothing that's going to keep me out this week. I'll be at practice going full speed. Just some soreness. That's really the major issue."

 

The injury occurred after he completed a 25-yard pass to Plaxico Burress on a third-and-6 from the Giants' 34 with 10:16 left in the second quarter. Just as Manning released the pass, Rogers freed himself from guard Rich Seubert and drove the quarterback into the ground. Afterward it looked like the Giants' trainers were working on Manning's shoulder, but Coughlin said the injury was to his chest, and the signal-caller insisted his shoulder is fine.

 

 

"Nothing's broken," Manning said. "No sprains. Nothing with the shoulder. It's all in the left side. I have good movement. I have my strength. I'm really just a little banged up. There's not a technical word for it, I don't think. Nothing that should cause anything to my throwing motion at all. It shouldn't affect anything."

 

It did appear to affect him a little Monday night, as he had his worst game in about 11 months. Before getting hurt, Manning was 5-for-8 for 76yards and one interception. Over the final 40 minutes, playing in pain, he was 13 of 20 for 120 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

 

So was the blow a factor in his performance?

 

"I don't know that it was, but I can't tell you that it wasn't," Coughlin said. "He's certainly very good at masking all of that."

 

Manning is also very good at playing through pain, as he proved early last season. He suffered a badly sprained throwing shoulder in the fourth quarter of the 2007 season opener - an injury doctors told him could keep him out a month. But he returned the following week and never missed a game, even though he later admitted it bothered him for the first six weeks of the season.

 

He also suffered an elbow injury during the summer of 2005 when he banged it into a defender's helmet during a preseason game. He sat out the Giants' final two preseason games that summer, before returning to throw for two touchdowns in the regular-season opener.

 

Manning obviously expects to play this week against the Niners, although Coughlin was vague about whether he'd even be able to practice today. The coach certainly wasn't ready to speculate about whether he would have to get ready to face San Francisco on Sunday with backup David Carr.

 

"I'm not going to know until I hear some things," Coughlin said. "From time to time throughout anybody's career who plays that position, you're going to have some things that won't allow you to perform at your best. Injuries do occur. If it's soreness, I'm sure that'll be something he'll be able to go ahead and practice and play with.

 

"But we'll see. As I said, I don't have a lot of information right now."

 

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Some Giants see Monday night loss to Browns as perfect

By RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Tuesday, October 14th 2008, 8:35 PM

 

 

Shamus/Getty

 

Their bandwagon was filling up, and they couldn't help but notice. They were confident. Maybe too confident. Perhaps they were even starting to believe what they read in the papers.

 

That's why some Giants thought the 35-14 spanking the champs took in Cleveland Monday night was exactly what their growing egos needed. Maybe, after an impressive 4-0 start, some of them needed to be dragged back down to Earth.

 

 

"No question," said running back Brandon Jacobs. "My opinion on this whole thing is we needed that. We needed to take that 'L' and bring some people down a notch. Know that we can get beat and come out playing hard. Like coach said earlier, in the NFL it's dog eat dog, and you've got to be the biggest dog every Sunday if you want to eat."

 

That's why so many Giants took Monday night's loss as "a learning experience," which is what running back Derrick Ward called it. Or "a humbling experience," as linebacker Antonio Pierce said.

 

"In some kind of way I think this loss could be a great thing for us," said defensive end Justin Tuck. "We can go back to Square 1."

 

 

After the Giants' blistering start, it's not surprising that so many had already jumped them ahead a few squares. Facing a game against the struggling Cleveland Browns, who are now 2-3, and their upcoming home game against the mediocre San Francisco 49ers, many were dreaming of a 6-0 start.

 

And after a lost weekend for their NFC East rivals - the Redskins fell to the Rams, and the Cowboys lost to the Cardinals before learning their quarterback, Tony Romo, might be out a month with a broken finger - the Giants were starting to look like the runaway favorites in the NFC.

 

Then there was Monday night. And just like that, as Jacobs said, everyone was brought down a notch. And yes, he also meant some people on his own team.

 

"Everywhere," Jacobs said. "We've got to take you guys down a notch, talking all that noise about the Giants. And players in here, the ones that think we're over the mountain, just that kind of stuff. When we're all down on the same level and playing ball together, that's when we've got a great chance of winning."

 

Of course, not everyone agreed with that assessment.

 

"That wouldn't be my choice of words," said Tom Coughlin. Even Pierce, who said the loss was "good" and "humbling," didn't think the Giants entered the game with swollen heads.

 

"I don't think we got full of ourselves," he said. "I don't think it was anything like that. We respected Cleveland. We talked very highly of them. Sometimes you can come out and probably execute a little better or you don't play as good as you can. But we just didn't play well enough to win. That was obvious by the score."

 

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Lawrence Tynes puts foot in mouth

BY OHM YOUNGMISUK

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Thursday, October 16th 2008, 9:57 PM

 

Tom Coughlin appears to have a kicking controversy on his hands.

 

After Lawrence Tynes said he had been told he would start this week against San Francisco after rehabbing a knee injury, replacing his replacement John Carney, Coughlin released a statement before Thursday morning's practice contradicting the kicker who booted the Giants into the Super Bowl with his overtime game-winner at Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game.

 

"I haven't decided yet who will kick this week," Coughlin said in the statement. "This week is like every other recent week. I am going to let these guys kick all week and I will make a decision at the end of the week.

 

 

"While I appreciate Lawrence's enthusiasm to get back on the field, I haven't decided yet who will kick this week," said Coughlin, who did not answer any more inquiries about the kicking situation after practice. "When I do, I will make that announcement."

 

In Tynes' absence, the 44-year-old Carney has been perfect, making all 12 of his field-goal attempts. Tynes, 30, has pronounced himself ready to go for a couple of weeks now, but clearly Coughlin has seen no reason for a change just yet.

 

BETTER FOOTING: Center Shaun O'Hara practiced Thursday after spending the two previous nights at the Hospital for Special Surgery with a toe infection.

 

O'Hara played against the Browns with the infection, located between the last two toes on his left foot.

 

"A hospital is no place for a professional athlete to spend 40 hours staring at a wall," O'Hara said. "So I was happy to get out of there. But they took every precaution. I can't sit here and say it wasn't serious, but it wasn't life-threatening, by any means. So it is something that I have been dealing with for the last couple of weeks and it just kind of flared up before the game and got worse. So we wanted to just kind of nip it in the bud and make sure it doesn't become an issue later on."

 

VICIOUS CYCLE: Linebacker Antonio Pierce (quad) did not practice Thursday as he sat on the stationary bike during the portion of practice that was seen by the media. Linebacker Gerris Wilkinson (knee) did not practice, either. Wide receiver David Tyree did practice, and Coughlin said he looked good. The Giants have 20 days to activate him, release him or place the Super Bowl hero on IR.

 

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Plaxico Burress runs mouth, Tom Coughlin turns cheek

Monday, October 20th 2008, 2:21 AM

 

 

Kostroun/AP

 

Plaxico Burress makes grab and also makes his voice heard again.

In "The Great Gatsby," F.Scott Fitzgerald said the rich aren't like you and me. He could have replaced the rich with NFL wide receivers.

 

The top NFL receivers are divas. They need their egos stroked constantly. They parade and preen on the big stage. And they toss reason and accountability out of the window.

 

Reason and accountability may have been on the mind of Tom Coughlin Sunday when he asked Plaxico Burress, "What are you doing?" after Burress drew a personal foul for some choice words to an official as he was exiting the field in the second quarter of Big Blue's game against the 49ers Sunday. Burress had been called for a pass interference penalty before his chat with the official.

 

Burress' reply to Coughlin's question was something along the lines of "Whatever the --- I want to."

 

 

Now that is a diva-like comment.

 

Fortunately for the Giants, it was not a situation that derailed them as they defeated San Francisco, 29-17, at the Meadowlands Sunday. However, it is the kind of boneheaded comment and attitude that can tear at the fabric of a team in less prosperous times. I can't imagine Sinorice Moss saying that to Coughlin without the coach blowing a gasket. You want to have a different set of standards for the stars?

 

"I don't regret it at all," Burress said of the penalty and his comment to the coach. "I'm competing. I'm out there playing my tail off to go out and make plays and I want the referees to do the same thing. When I'm out there going out and competing, and doing everything right and doing the things I'm supposed to do to help my team win and (the official) is just stealing from me, of course I'm going to have something to say."

 

Quarterback Eli Manning and linebacker Antonio Pierce - team leaders - came over and spoke to him.

 

"I just said put it behind you and let's go," Manning said. "Stuff happens on the field and we're going to put things behind us. He came back out and had some good plays for us."

 

Coughlin did not make Burress sit for a series. Coughlin said he and Burress talked about it at halftime, but he wouldn't divulge what was said.

 

"You've got a major competitor who was upset about some things," Coughlin said. "Unfortunately the penalty did occur, but he understands it and we all understand it."

 

Coughlin got prickly when the subject came up again.

 

"If you're going to make a big deal about that, how about talking about the win?" he asked.

 

After Burress caught a 6-yard touchdown pass, with cornerback Nate Clements clawing at his jersey, Coughlin shook his hand as he was coming off the field.

 

Diva receivers force coaches, even disciplinarians like Coughlin, to walk a tightrope. When do you punish and how and when do you reward?

 

Burress probably will be fined by the NFL for ripping the officials. He'll deem it unjustified, appeal it and eventually pay up.

 

Three weeks ago, the Giants suspended Burress one game for missing a day of work without informing the team. Burress said he had to drive his toddler son to school. He didn't have a problem with the team's action and said he'd repeat the scenario if he had to. The excuse didn't sound reasonable to people like Joe the Plumber and it showed a lack of accountability by Burress.

 

That Burress reportedly has been fined over 40 times for various team infractions indicates he does indeed do what he wants and he's willing to pay the cost to do so.

 

The fact that the Giants gave him a five-year, $35 million contract before the start of this season indicates that they are willing to continue to collect fines. He now has more money to pay them. It is a symbiotic relationship.

 

Burress is not at the extreme end of the diva NFL receivers. So far he hasn't written a book entitled "Just Give Me the Damn Ball!" as ex-Jet Keyshawn Johnson did.

 

And what about another Johnson, Chad? The Bengals receiver legally changed his last name to his jersey numbers in Spanish. He wants to be called "Ocho Cinco." What reasonable person wants his last name to be the numbers on the back of his jersey?

 

Dallas receiver Terrell Owens whined his way out of both San Francisco and Philadelphia. He isn't thrown enough passes, T.O. sulks. Reason and accountability are strange concepts.

 

Coughlin is doing a delicate balancing act with Burress, who has a fat wallet to go along with his attitude. Does the coach realize he's working without a net?

[jerseygiantfan]

In a do-over, Eli still gets draft nod over Big Ben

by Ian O'Connor ESPN

 

As unlikely soul mates from the class of 2004, Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger have made an even-steven 61 regular-season starts. At first and second glance, their statistics suggest a mismatch that would have made Old Man Rooney proud.

 

In fact, when the Steelers and Giants meet Sunday in Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger will carry the following career advantages over Manning to the center of the field:

 

 

More touchdown passes (93 to 85); fewer interceptions (57 to 68); a higher completion percentage (63.2 to 55.4); a superior quarterback rating (93.0 to 74.9); and a better regular-season record (44-17 to 35-26).

 

So naturally, if a re-draft were ordered prior to the opening coin toss, you would reverse the fortunes of the two quarterbacks and take Manning at No. 11 and Roethlisberger at No. 1.

 

I would not.

 

Everything changed in a New York minute last winter, when the maddeningly inconsistent Manning ripped off consecutive postseason victories over Tony Romo, Brett Favre and Tom Brady to give the Giants the most improbable Super Bowl title since the one claimed by Joe Namath's Jets.

 

Suddenly, Eli was the equal of big brother Peyton, a Super Bowl MVP universally hailed for his precision and poise.

 

I believe Eli will end up with a better career than Roethlisberger's, if only by a margin the length of his chinstrap.

 

"You can't go wrong with either one of them," said former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi. "But I have absolutely no regard for statistics when it comes to evaluating quarterbacks. I only care about wins, whether a guy can get you into the end zone and whether he can make the play on third and long.

 

"I had Eli rated a smidgeon higher than Roethlisberger in the draft, and I'd still rank them the same way."

 

Accorsi doesn't come to the debate without his professional biases. After all, his legacy will be defined by the biggest trade of his life — Philip Rivers and three draft choices for Archie's youngest son.

 

 

"Our whole strategy was to go with Roethlisberger at No. 4 if we couldn't get Eli," Accorsi said, "and there are no ifs, ands or buts about it. We were at every one of Roethlisberger's workouts. I went to (the GMAC Bowl) in Mobile when he played Louisville and he was sensational.

 

"Roethlisberger was clearly our second choice, but we just liked Eli a little better."

 

A couple of years later, Accorsi's move made Minnesota's decision to send a dynasty to Dallas for Herschel Walker look brilliant in comparison. Roethlisberger racked up 14 consecutive victories as a rookie before losing the AFC title game to Brady's Patriots, and for an encore, he mocked the notion of a sophomore jinx by leading the Steelers to a Super Bowl triumph over Seattle.

 

Meanwhile, Manning was going 1-6 as a rookie before betraying an 11-5 second year by getting shut out (by Carolina) in his first playoff game.

 

As recently as last November, when he was busy throwing four interceptions against the Vikings, three of them returned for touchdowns, Eli was little more than a living monument to bad body language and worse aim. Accorsi could no longer watch; he drove away from the Minnesota game before halftime. The GM was already retired, but Manning appeared hellbent on getting the head coach fired.

 

So Tom Coughlin might've been the most surprised witness of all when Manning nearly ruined the Patriots' 15-0 start before starting on a postseason roll that did ruin the Patriots' 18-0 season. Eli outplayed Favre in conditions that would've left Lombardi's Packers shivering before a fire, and then he outplayed Brady in a room-temperature Super Bowl that forever altered the dynamic of Manning's career.

 

Eli joined Joe Montana as the only Super Bowl quarterbacks to throw for a pair of go-ahead scores in the fourth quarter. Eli joined Montana and Bobby Layne as the only T-formation era quarterbacks to win a title on a come-from-behind touchdown pass.

 

Manning threw for 152 yards in that epic fourth quarter and finished off drives of 80 and 83 yards. Before the clinching drive, the one shaped by Eli's remarkable escape from the Patriots' rush and David Tyree's absurd trap against his helmet, Accorsi turned to his son Michael and said, "If he is what we thought he was going to be, he does it now. Not September 15th, right now."

 

Across the first six games of this year, Manning has moved the needle on his quarterback rating (89.1) and pushed his completion rate north of 60 percent, into Roethlisberger territory. Eli has thrown for 226 more yards than Big Ben, but Roethlisberger has thrown one more touchdown pass and one fewer interception.

 

So why go with the Giants' quarterback over the Steelers' quarterback?

 

"In my opinion, we asked more of Eli in the first four years than the Steelers asked of Ben," Accorsi said. "(Pittsburgh) had the better balanced team."

 

 

Either way, Roethlisberger is a hell of a football player. He was the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback at age 23, and on the way to the big game, he made a season-saving tackle on the Colts' Nick Harper that Manning wouldn't have made in his wildest dreams.

 

In 2004, Roethlisberger also defeated Manning, 33-30, in their only head-to-head meeting.

 

But here's why I think Eli's future will be a shade brighter than Ben's:

 

 

Eli is 1-0 in the postseason vs. the ultimate measuring stick, Brady; Roethlisberger is 0-1.

 

Eli was MVP of Super Bowl XLII; Roethlisberger was a dreadful participant in Super Bowl XL.

 

Eli defeated one of the greatest teams of all time to win his title; Roethlisberger beat the Seahawks, with some help from the refs, to win his.

 

Roethlisberger takes too many hits for too many lost yards — he's been sacked 164 times, or 65 times more than Manning.

 

Eli owns the most important talent of all — the ability to stay on the field. He hasn't missed a single start since being given the job; Eli played through the slightly separated shoulder last year that reportedly would keep him out for a month.

 

Manning has grown up in the tougher, noisier market, has weathered brutal criticism from the media and the fans and has managed the heavy expectations that come with being a Manning and a No. 1 overall pick.

If Roethlisberger has been comfortable in his NFL skin from Day 1, Manning is just now getting comfortable in his. Eli has the larger upside to work with over the next five or so years.

 

In the end, there's no wrong answer to the question of Roethlisberger or Manning, Eli or Big Ben. Manning is the NFL's Opie Taylor; he'll never be on the bad end of a Joba Chamberlain headline. Roethlisberger? He showed great fortitude in coming back from a serious motorcycle crash.

 

"I'm 100 percent a fan of Ben's," Accorsi said. "He's been great for the Steelers. But if I had to go back to the draft, I'd take Eli all over again."

 

Even if the stats argue differently, so would I.

[jerseygiantfan]

Plaxico defends recent behavior: 'I am human'

Updated: October 29, 2008, 6:27 PM EST 23 comments

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -

 

 

When the topic of Plaxico Burress comes up these days, most people don't talk about what the New York Giants receiver has been doing on the field.

 

Off-the-field problems and mistakes not related to football are what people remember — and there have been plenty this season.

 

It started with Burress' decision to skip a team meeting in September for a so-called family emergency — and not inform the team. Then, he verbally abused an official two weeks ago before missing a treatment before the Pittsburgh game and being benched for a quarter.

 

It has cost him money, time and the patience of several teammates.

 

Despite it all, Burress insisted on Wednesday that he is not a distraction, even as the Giants (6-1) prepare for the biggest game of the season, a showdown with the defending NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys (5-3).

 

"Like I said, I am human," Burress said after practice. "I have made some mistakes. I haven't made the best of decisions, I am aware of that, and I am the first one to look myself in the mirror, be honest with myself, and say that. But as far as me going out and playing hard, I am going to keep going out and competing. Like I said, I just keep going out and doing what is asked of me on the football field, and in whatever that role may be I hope I go out and fulfill it."

 

Fellow receiver Amani Toomer said it has been hard dealing with Burress this year.

 

 

 

He was suspended for a game against Seattle and fined $117,500 for missing the September meeting. He was fined $45,000 by the league for abusing an official after being called for offensive pass interference against San Francisco two weeks ago and then he had to watch the first quarter of the Giants' 21-14 win over the Steelers on Sunday.

 

"He's his own man," Toomer said. "He makes his own decisions and I have to respect that. He knows his decisions affect the team. It's hard to go up to a grown man (and talk) about doing his business the way everybody else wants him to."

 

When pressed about what might happen if Burress continues his errant ways, the Giants captain wondered.

 

"I'll be interested to see because I think that it's still a distraction," Toomer said. "It affects our team."

 

After getting off to a great start, Burress no longer is the No. 1 option in the offense. He had 10 catches for 133 yards in the season opener against Washington and followed that with five more catches for 81 yards and a touchdown against the St. Louis Rams.

 

In his last four games, he has had 13 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

 

"I am not getting frustrated," Burress said. "You have to kind of sit there and expect it, so to speak. You can't just expect teams to come out and let you just run up and down the football field. It has been a slow year for a few of us guys at the receiver position. If you look at it and say if we take those 40, 50, 60 yard plays out of the game, those are big plays that change football games, and if you take them out of the game, you have to work around it."

 

Burress said he has seen more double coverages this season than ever before.

 

However, doubling up on Burress has opened things up for other receivers.

 

Second-year pro Steve Smith leads the Giants with 29 catches for 299 yards, with Toomer third with 22 catches for 277 yards and a touchdown. Domenik Hixon, who started when Burress was suspended, has 13 catches for 220 yards and a touchdown and tight end Kevin Boss is slowly catching on with 10 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns.

 

Burress opened last season against Dallas with eight catches for 144 yards and a career-best three touchdowns. He added six more catches and another TD in the second meeting but was limited to one catch for 5 yards in the playoff game against the Cowboys.

 

Ironically, the Giants won the playoff game and lost the other two.

 

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said he does not plan to let Burress run free on Sunday.

 

"You have to double him; you have to double him," Phillips said. "He is just a good receiver. (Eli) Manning can get him the ball in all kinds of situations. You just have to double him as much as you can. We tried to do that. We will try to do that this game."

 

Burress welcomes the attention.

 

"If the team is going to line up and take me out of the game, then those are things that I have no control over," Burress said. "I control what I control and when the opportunities are presented to me to go out and make plays, then I do and because of that we are a 6-1 football team."

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants keep the pressure on opposing QBs

by Alex Marvez

Alex Marvez is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com. He's covered the NFL for 14 seasons as a beat writer and is the president of the Pro Football Writers of America.

 

 

Updated: November 1, 2008, 9:37 PM EST 22 comments

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Think the Dallas Cowboys don't have to worry about Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan in Sunday's road game against the New York Giants?

 

 

Think again.

 

Sure, neither will actually be in uniform. Strahan retired during the offseason; Umenyiora is out for the year with a knee injury.

 

But both are still playing defensive end vicariously through the dynamic duo that has replaced them — Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka.

 

Skepticism about whether the defending Super Bowl champions would maintain a bone-crunching pass rush without Strahan and Umenyiora has quickly dissipated. Tuck is tied for seventh in the NFL in sacks with a team-high six. Kiwanuka is coming off a career-best performance with three sacks, five quarterback hits and a forced fumble in last Sunday's 21-14 victory at Pittsburgh.

 

And as evidenced by New York's NFL-best 26 overall sacks, the attention Tuck and Kiwanuka draw has created opportunities for others.

 

Part of their success comes from the advice that Strahan and Umenyiora continue to provide. Strahan dials Tuck and Kiwanuka enough to have them in his Fab Five cell phone plan. Umenyiora also is no longer around on a daily basis while completing a rehabilitation program for a torn patella tendon. But he too calls regularly and offered encouragement in person during a Thursday visit to Giants Stadium.

 

"Obviously, these guys are more than just teammates," Tuck said after Friday's practice. "We look at it as a brotherhood. Michael has seen everything an offense can throw at you. He watches every game and critiques us like he was our coach, like he's still here. Osi keeps pushing us. He wants us to break every record that's possible.

 

"There's no jealousy. If anything, we're so competitive we bring out the best in each other."

 

As he spoke about Umenyiora and Strahan, Kiwanuka subconsciously gestured toward where their stalls were located inside the Giants locker room.

 

"They offer tips all the time," Kiwanuka said. "That's not just something that started when they left. It's something that has been an ongoing thing from the day I walked in the building. Strahan always coached up the younger guys. They both always shared the things they saw. I honestly wouldn't have expected it to stop."

 

Very few blockers could stop Strahan during a 15-year career that will land him in the Hall of Fame. Strahan passed the torch to Umenyiora, who averaged double-digit sacks over the past four seasons playing on the opposite side.

 

When Strahan announced his retirement in June, a replacement was already on the roster. Tuck flourished as part of New York's defensive line rotation in 2007, notching 10 sacks during the regular season to earn a five-year, $30 million contract extension.

 

The Giants, though, couldn't have foreseen Umenyiora going down during their third preseason game. When Strahan chose to stay retired, Kiwanuka was converted back to end from strong-side linebacker after one season at that position.

 

"We had no reservations whatsoever about doing that," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said Friday. "As a matter of fact, he was doing this franchise a really huge favor by playing (strong-side linebacker) just because we wanted to get him on the field."

 

Still, there were no guarantees Tuck and Kiwanuka would be effective even though the tandem has the benefit of playing alongside two emerging defensive tackles (Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield). Kiwanuka was coming off a broken leg suffered eight games into his second NFL season. Tuck needed to show he could raise his overall game and stamina to handle a full-time starting role entering his fourth year.

 

Both players embraced the challenge that replacing Strahan and Umenyiora presented.

 

"We enjoy the fact no one really gave us a shot to even come close to matching what we were able to do last year as a defense," Tuck said. "We really haven't missed a beat."

 

Giants right tackle Kareem McKenzie said Tuck's athleticism and body control for a 6-foot-5, 274-pound lineman allows him to do "a number of different things you wouldn't think a defensive end could. He'll play on an edge and come inside all of a sudden. He is good at faking one way and coming another."

 

As for the 6-foot-5, 265-pound Kiwanuka, Tuck said he is in awe of his wingspan.

 

"I think he's got the longest arms in the league," Tuck said. "He knows how to use them and keep offensive linemen off him."

 

Coughlin also offered praise of Tuck and Kiwanuka. But it was clear the Giants have been placing more emphasis this week on stopping Cowboys running back Marion Barber rather that clobbering quarterback Brad Johnson, who is replacing the injured Tony Romo (pinkie).

 

"So much has been made of this sack business," Coughlin said. "It all starts with playing the run."

 

If the Giants (6-1) can make Dallas (5-3) one-dimensional, Tuck and Kiwanuka should have ample opportunities to tee off on the immobile Johnson. That's the type of situation that would make Strahan and Umenyiora wish they were playing Sunday.

 

"Having those two guys still around would be a tremendous boost for this team," Kiwanuka said. "But without them, I think we're doing fine."

[jerseygiantfan]

Jacobs has MRI; Coughlin doesn't think injury is serious

 

Associated Press

 

Updated: November 17, 2008, 4:41 PM ET

 

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs was having a precautionary MRI on his knee, although coach Tom Coughlin said he didn't think Jacobs had a serious injury.

 

 

Jacobs gained 73 yards on 11 carries in the 30-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens that raised New York's record to 9-1. He left the game in the second quarter and returned for just two carries in the third as Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw took over. They helped the Giants rush for 207 yards against a team that had been leading the league allowing just 65 yards rushing per game.

 

"There is a little swelling, he is walking really well," Coughlin said of Jacobs, fourth in the NFL with 879 yards rushing. "They are going to do all of the tests. But hopefully we can get this under control."

 

Asked which knee it was, Coughlin replied: "If you don't know which one it was, I'm not telling you."

 

 

Cornerback Aaron Ross, who had two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, also underwent an MRI on his hamstring. Coughlin said Ross had aggravated an injury he had earlier in the year.

 

Both Jacobs and Ross said after the game that they could have come back in if needed.

 

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants' Burress out Sunday because of hamstring

Updated: November 28, 2008, 5:28 PM EST 72 comments

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress will miss Sunday's game against Washington with a sore right hamstring.

 

Burress pulled the hamstring in the Giants' win over Baltimore on Nov. 16. He then aggravated the injury in the opening series last Sunday against Arizona, and then sat out the rest of that game.

 

Giants coach Tom Coughlin said Friday that Burress "is progressing, no doubt. He is getting better."

 

Domenik Hixon, who is dealing with an ankle injury, will start in Burress' place.

 

The last time Burress missed a game was Nov. 5, 2006, when he sat out with a back injury. He played in every game for the Super Bowl champion Giants last season despite a persistent ankle injury.

 

Linebacker Jonathan Goff (hamstring) also will not play against the Redskins, while three players - running backs Brandon Jacobs (knee) and Ahmad Bradshaw (neck) and defensive tackle Fred Robbins (shoulder) - are listed as questionable. Coughlin said Jacobs was able to practice Friday, while Bradshaw and Robbins could not.

 

Meanwhile, Hixon and defensive ends Justin Tuck (lower leg) and Jerome McDougle (knee) all practiced fully Friday and are probable for Sunday's game.

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants receiver Plaxico Burress accidentally shoots himself in thigh

 

BY ALISON GENDAR, RALPH VACCHIANO, LARRY McSHANE and RICH SCHAPIRO

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

 

Updated Sunday, November 30th 2008, 11:48 AM

Roca/News

 

 

 

The Giants'dream season was thrown into turmoil yesterday when Super Bowl star Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg at a Manhattan nightclub and linebacker Antonio Pierce tried to hide the gun, police sources said.

 

Burress is expected to be arrested on felony weapons charges in the coming days, while Pierce's attorney was in frantic discussions with cops last night to stave off criminal charges, police sources said.

 

Burress' latest self-inflicted wound came after he was initially turned away from the LQ nightclub in midtown because he was packing heat, police sources said. Burress, 31, who was sporting flashy jewelry and carrying loads of cash, told club management he needed the gun to protect himself, sources said.

 

The mercurial Giant was waved inside the crowded Latin-themed club on Lexington Ave. about midnight. He downed several drinks, making already jittery security guards more nervous about his weapon.

 

As Burress was being led into a VIP area, with a drink in his hand, the gun slipped down his pants leg. He reached for the weapon, but fumbled it and it went off, sources said. The bullet tore through Burress' already injured right thigh, police said.

 

"[The bullet] went in and out. No bones," Chief Michael Collins, a police spokesman, said.

 

Pierce, 30, rushed to his bleeding teammate and applied pressure to the wound as Burress screamed in pain amid the hip-hop beats piping through the club, sources said. As he worked to slow the bleeding, Pierce berated Burress for bringing a loaded handgun into a club.

 

Panicking, Burress told his teammate not to call 911 for an ambulance, sources said.

 

Pierce helped the bloodied receiver out of the club before taking off with the gun and stashing it somewhere in New Jersey, sources said.

 

Burress was afraid to go to the hospital, but two hours after the shooting, at 2 a.m., his wife, Tiffany, and a friend escorted him to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell. He was treated and released at about 12:45 p.m., sources said.

 

But a hospital spokeswoman denied that Burress was ever there.

 

Cops only learned about the incident after Giants employees quietly reached out to the NYPD to report it, sources said.

 

When plainclothes officers from the NYPD and local cops arrived at Burress' mansion in Totowa, N.J., about 5 p.m., they were turned away by his wife - even after ringing the bell five times. "We've been through a lot today," a woman said from inside the home.

 

"Ma'am, we're talking to a box," one of the cops said, referring to the intercom system outside the house. After the chaotic night, Pierce headed to Washington yesterday to prepare for the Giants game against the Redskins today. His attorney told cops Pierce would cooperate if he wouldn't be charged, sources said.

 

A Giants rep left Washington yesterday to retrieve the gun in New Jersey and turn it over to investigators, police said.

 

Still, cops plan to get a warrant to search Pierce's car because they believe Burress had the gun in his vehicle.

 

Burress is expected to be charged with criminal possession of a weapon, a felony that carries a prison sentence of up to five years, sources said. "He went for his gun and fumbled it. And now it will cost him," a police source said.

 

Cops cannot arrest Burress until they obtain a warrant from the Manhattan district attorney's office, sources said.

 

The Giants confirmed the shooting. "This incident could become a matter for law enforcement officials," the Giants said. "Our primary concern is for Plaxico's health and well-being."

 

The state of Florida issued Burress a concealed weapon permit that expired in May. Even if it had been renewed, it wouldn't be recognized by authorities in New York or New Jersey.

 

Star running back Brandon Jacobs said Burress wasn't answering his phone. "I'm very concerned about him," Jacobs said. "I've been trying to call him, to see how he's doing."

 

Burress, who caught the Super Bowl-winning pass from Eli Manning in February, was already going to miss the Redskins game with a hamstring injury in the same leg where he was shot.

 

The team was in contact with NFL security as the investigation continued. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told the Daily News it was too soon to determine if the shooting was a violation of the league's personal conduct policy.

"That is premature," Aiello said. "We are working with the Giants to determine the facts."

 

Police began combing the club for evidence just before 5 p.m. yesterday. An employee turned over a spent .40 caliber shell casing, sources said.

 

Burress' high-profile agent, Drew Rosenhaus, did not return calls for comment.

 

Burress has become a season-long distraction, creating constant controversy with his disdain for punctuality, an on-field tirade at an official and problems at home.

 

Through the first 12 weeks of the season, the recidivist receiver has been fined, suspended and benched. Between lost salary and fines, Burress was out more than $200,000 since September.

 

The season's litany of troubles came after Burress earned a Super Bowl ring and financial security. His winning TD against the Patriots was followed seven months later by a new five-year, $35 million contract.

 

rschapiro@nydailynews.com

[jerseygiantfan]

Banged Up -- NY Giants Star Shoots Himself

 

Posted Nov 29th 2008 12:30PM by TMZ Staff

 

Plaxico BurressHe's shot himself in the foot all season, and now it appears NY Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg last night -- with an actual firearm!

 

It all went down in a Manhattan nightclub called The Latin Quarter -- details of the incident are sketchy and so far a police report has not been filed.

 

Burress' leg injury is being reported as "non-life threatening" and he reportedly left the hospital some time this morning.

 

It's been a hell of a year for Plax, who was fined heavily earlier this season for ditching a team meeting.

 

UPDATE: We're told the police are currently at the nightclub investigating the incident.

 

The Giants have issued the following statement:

 

"We are aware of the fact that Plaxico was involved in an apparent accidental shooting last night. We have been in contact with Plaxico since shortly after the incident. Plaxico suffered a wound to his right thigh. Obviously, our primary concern is for Plaxico's health and well-being, and given the circumstances, we are relieved to say he was released from a New York City hospital at approximately 2 p.m. today. We have been in touch with NFL Security on this matter. At this point, we are attempting to gather all the facts surrounding this incident. This incident could become a matter for law enforcement officials, and because of that, we have no comment on any of the details."

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Two Giants Stars Could Face Arrest After Shooting

 

Posted Nov 30th 2008 6:28AM by TMZ Staff

 

Plaxico BurressNY Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress may be arrested on felony guns charges after shooting himself in a NYC club this weekend, and his teammate could be charged with trying to cover it up.

 

Burress went to the Latin Quarter nightclub but was initially turned away, according to the New York Daily News. But the paper says club management had a change of heart after Burress came back, "flashing jewelry and carrying loads of cash," reportedly telling management he needed the gun for protection.

 

According to the Daily News, Burress was being taken into a VIP area when he fumbled with the gun as it began slipping down his pant leg. The gun fired, and the bullet tore through his leg.

 

According to the paper Burress told his teammate Antonio Pierce not to call 911. Pierce then reportedly helped Burress out of the club and they allegedly 86'd the gun somewhere in New Jersey.

 

The Daily News claims Burress tried hard to cover it all up, but the plan was foiled after a Giants employee called the NYPD and reported the incident.

 

Story developing...

[jerseygiantfan]

VIDEO----Giants wall of Silence

[jerseygiantfan]

Plaxico Drafts Diddy's Gun Lawyer

 

Posted Nov 30th 2008 12:23PM by TMZ Staff

 

Plaxico Burress has finally made a good decision -- by hiring the lawyer that got P. Diddy a unanimous "not guilty" in his 1999 gun case.

 

Burress is teaming up with Benjamin Brafman, who told us:

 

"Yes I am representing him [Plaxico]. I have been in contact with the NYPD and we are making the necessary arrangements to have Mr. Burress responsibly address the legal issues that have recently been raised."

 

Brafman helped Diddy skate on illegal weapons and bribery charges after a 1999 shooting inside a Manhattan club -- when Diddy had Jennifer Lopez in tow -- that was witnessed by over 50 people.

 

UPDATE: Brafman just told us Plaxico "may be surrendering to face charges. We are still discussing it."

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Pierce to talk to DA

[jerseygiantfan]

Burress appears at NYC charity event

Updated: December 13, 2008, 7:17 PM EST

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Giants receiver Plaxico Burress attended a charity fundraiser for the homeless at a New York City nightclub two weeks after accidentally shooting himself in the right thigh.

 

Burress arrived at Kevin Powell's 8th Annual Holiday Party and Clothing Drive at the Madison nightclub around 8:45 p.m. on Friday with his wife, Tiffany, and son, Elijah.

 

The suspended Super Bowl hero refused to discuss the Nov. 29 shooting at the Latin Quarter nightclub that led to criminal possession of a weapon charges and his suspension for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs for conduct detrimental to the team.

 

"I'm just here to support this event, it's a great event, and I thought it'd be a great chance to get my wife out, and my son out, and support such a great event where it helps kids, homeless kids," Burress said in a transcript provided by WNBC-TV of New York City. "This is a wonderful thing for us to come out and be able to help people and we can lend a helping hand. I have a child, I have a son, I couldn't imagine him being in that situation, so that's why I brought him also."

 

Burress talked about the event when asked if he was remorseful in the wake of the shooting or was thinking about his teammates.

 

Benjamin Brafman, Burress' attorney, did not immediately return a telephone call by The Associated Press seeking comment on his client's appearance, which is believed to be his first since being arraigned on illegal gun possession c

Teammate Antonio Pierce took the 31-year-old who caught the game-winning pass in the Super Bowl to New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center for treatment.

 

The hospital suspended the doctor who treated Burress for failing to report the shooting to police.

 

Pierce, the Giants middle linebacker, also was questioned by police a week after the shooting for failing to report the incident, and his decision to bring the gun back to New Jersey after leaving the hospital.

 

Police say Pierce gave the gun to Burress' wife after returning home.

 

Burress pleaded not guilty and was released on $100,000 bail. He is due back in court Mar

[jerseygiantfan]

Eli Manning sacked 8 times as Giants fall flat against Cowboys, 20-8

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Sunday, December 14th 2008, 11:57 PM

 

 

 

IRVING, Tex. - For the first time in 15 months, the Giants are on a losing streak. And it couldn't have come at a worse time.

 

Instead of rounding into championship form just in time for the playoffs, the defending Super Bowl champs are battered, bruised and suddenly falling apart after losing their second straight game Sunday night, 20-8, to the Dallas Cowboys. It's their first such skid since they opened the 2007 season 0-2, and it again kept them from locking up a first-round bye.

 

And now the Giants (11-3) must pick up the pieces before their winner-take-all showdown with the Carolina Panthers at Giants Stadium on Sunday night for the No.1 seed and home-field advantage in the NFC.

 

"We can't keep showing up the way we've been showing up the last two weeks," said Antonio Pierce. "It's not good enough. That's not the way you play ball in December."

 

"It's not a good time for us to be playing this way, that's for sure," Tom Coughlin added. "So I am concerned. It was just two weeks ago that we were talking about playing our best."

 

That seems like eons ago after the way the Giants have played since the Plaxico Burress shooting turned their world upside down. In the two games following his arrest and suspension, the Giants' offense has managed just one garbage-time touchdown (against Philadelphia) and the once-powerful rushing attack has a two-game total of 160 yards.

 

They bottomed out against the resurgent Cowboys as the Giants' rushing attack all but disappeared (17 carries, 72 yards) without Brandon Jacobs (knee). And Eli Manning, behind a once impenetrable line, was brutalized for eight sacks - tying the worst beating he's taken in his five-year career.

 

Guard Chris Snee called that "disappointing, embarrassing, whatever word you want to throw out there."

 

He could have been talking about the Giants' overall performance, too.

 

"Honestly, it's a little bit concerning," said defensive end Justin Tuck. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned. But I know what this team is made of. We've just got to go back to the drawing board and right this ship."

 

The first thing they need to draw up is a way to replace Burress, because Manning (18 for 35, 191 yards, two interceptions) has struggled the last two weeks without him. It hasn't helped that without Jacobs to plow the road ahead of them, Derrick Ward (14 carries, 64 yards) and Ahmad Bradshaw (3-8) haven't been a very dynamic duo.

 

"We have to take a hard look at where we are," Coughlin said. "Overall, our offense did not make a strong enough contribution to give us a chance to win."

 

The defense was only marginally better. It had plenty of trouble with Tony Romo, despite his dysfunctional team, which threatened to crumble under the weight of the Jason Witten-Terrell Owens soap opera, and despite leaving him with a badly bruised back late in the first quarter. Romo still managed to complete 20 of 30 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns, including a 34-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton early in the second quarter. That came three plays after Romo had taken his third straight sack, and it came after he scrambled out of trouble, appearing to be in agony the whole way.

 

Romo added a one-yard flip to fullback Deon Anderson early in the fourth quarter that gave the Cowboys (9-5) a 14-3 lead. The Giants made things interesting, when Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka blew through a startled Cowboys line to sack Romo in the end zone with 7:06 remaining. The safety cut the Giants' deficit to 14-5.

 

But after the Giants added a 47-yard John Carney field goal to pull within six points, Cowboys rookie running back Tashard Choice - who gained 91 yards on nine carries filling in for an ineffective and injured Marion Barber (8 carries, 2 yards) ripped off a 38-yard touchdown with 2:16 remaining to put the game away.

 

That left the Giants to limp home with a long list of injured players that included right tackle Kareem McKenzie (back), safety Kenny Phillips (head), Tuck (lower leg), running back Reuben Droughns (neck), linebacker Gerris Wilkinson (knee), receiver Sinorice Moss (calf), and guard Rich Seubert (flu).

 

The wounds to their pride and psyche, though, will hurt even more.

 

"We've been through way rougher times than this," Kiwanuka said. "Obviously this is not the kind of performance we want in December. But we have to be able to take it and move on."

 

"Is there a panic mode?" Pierce added. "Yeah, we're not playing well and we don't want to go into the playoffs like that. But we've got two games to change it."

 

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants' star dims in Dallas after dismal 20-8 loss

Monday, December 15th 2008, 3:21 AM

 

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IRVING, Tex. - Tom Coughlin didn't even attempt to put a positive spin on what's happened to his team the last two weeks. The Giants have saved their worst for December and he's worried about the Super Bowl champs with the playoffs just weeks away.

 

They are still the NFC East champs. Nobody is taking that away from them despite the way they played against the Eagles last week and in Sunday night's dismal 20-8 loss to the Cowboys, a team so deep in dissension it might not have been a bad idea for Jerry Jones to order extra security for his sidelines.

 

Instead of jumping on a vulnerable and fragile team, the Giants suddenly are the team that is vulnerable. They are a team in deep trouble.

 

"It's not a good time for us to be playing that way," Coughlin said. "I'm very concerned."

 

If Coughlin can't get this figured out, the Giants' defense of their Super Bowl title will end with a one-and-done appearance in the playoffs. The coach has always preached the need to play best at the end of the season. That's why he played to win against the Patriots in the final game last season even though the Giants were locked into their playoff seeding. The strategy worked, even though the Giants lost the game. They derived a lot of positive energy from that game.

 

After cruising through the first three months of this season at 11-1, the Giants look like they've hit the wall. They've scored one offensive touchdown the last two weeks and that came in garbage time against Philly. Eli Manning had no chance Sunday night. He was sacked eight times, tying his career high.

 

And now the Giants, who have yet to clinch a first-round bye, get the Panthers at home next Sunday night, with the NFC's No.1 seed at stake. They are both 11-3. If the Vikings beat the Falcons at home and the Giants lose to the Panthers, then if the Giants lose in Minnesota in the final game of the season, they will get stuck in the wild-card round.

 

"We got to get back to playing good football," Manning said. "That is our focus. Get back to being consistent. You would like to end the season at your best. Right now, we're not at our best. We got two weeks and two big games ahead of us. We need to go out there and compete and play well and try to get a win."

 

The Giants are playing at least the rest of the year without Plaxico Burress, their best receiver. Sunday night they were without Brandon Jacobs, their best running back. They just don't have enough firepower. Burress was having his worst season before he accidentally shot himself in the thigh the day after Thanksgiving. He had only 35 catches this season and 10 of them came in the first game

They miss him because defensive coordinators respected him enough to double-team him, which opened things up for the other wideouts and prevented defenses from jamming eight or nine men in the box. It's clear Manning does not have a go-to receiver or a big-play receiver and is missing the Burress of 2007.

 

It's also clear that Jacobs is the lead singer in the Earth, Wind and Fire backfield. And without him, Wind and Fire are like the Supremes without Diana Ross. Jacobs' bruising style wears down and softens defenses for Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw. The Giants rushed for only 72 yards Sunday night after getting 200 in the first game against Dallas on Nov. 2, an easy victory.

 

Are there enough weapons for Manning?

 

"Got be be," Coughlin said. "This is our team."

 

When the Giants left Texas Stadium in January after eliminating the Cowboys in the playoffs, they felt so good about themselves they went on to beat the Packers in the NFC title game and the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

 

It was a completely different feeling Sunday night. It's the first time they've lost back-to-back games since the first two games of the 2007 season. All of a sudden, a return to the Super Bowl is not looking like such a sure thing.

 

"Something has got to change," Antonio Pierce said. "The way we are playing right now is not good enough obviously because we are losing games. You don't panic. I don't want anybody to say that word around us. We've got to play better ball."

 

The Giants established such a high standard by winning 15 of 16, including their playoff run. They appeared immune from the struggles that every team experiences during the season. But now that it's happened in December, it doesn't give them a lot of time to get things straightened out.

 

"This is the NFL," Pierce said. "We wish we could win every game. We're on a two-game losing streak. That's a fact. We're in the playoffs, but we don't want to get in the playoffs like this. We got two games to change that."

 

The Giants could not turn the Cowboys turmoil into an advantage. Terrell Owens is resentful of Jason Witten and feels Tony Romo throws him the ball too much. Cowboy fans made it clear they back Romo when they booed Owens during the pregame introductions, gave a loud ovation to Romo and then booed T.O. when he dropped Romo's first pass to him when he was wide open. Owens was no factor with three catches for 38 yards.

 

The Giants allowed the Eagles and Cowboys to keep their playoff hopes alive the last two games. Now it's time to do something for themselves. For the first time all season, they desperately need a victory. The way they play against the Panthers will say a lot about how serious they are about defending their title.

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Corey Webster cashes in

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Monday, December 15th 2008, 3:29 AM

 

IRVING, Tex. - Corey Webster got an early Christmas present Sunday, and the Giants got a starting cornerback for the next five years.

 

Webster, 26, signed a five-year, $43 million contract extension with the Giants that reportedly includes $20 million in guaranteed money. It was a huge coup for the fourth-year pro who was so far down the depth chart that he was inactive for two games in the middle of last year.

 

"Corey has been an outstanding person and player in his short career for the Giants," GM Jerry Reese said in a statement. "He really came into his own the latter part of last year and that has carried over into the 2008 season where he has shown that he is one of the top corners in the league.

 

"We are very happy to get this deal done."

 

The deal, worth an average of more than $8.5 million per season, is an enormous boost for a player who is making a $520,000 salary this season. He's having a breakthrough year with a team-high three interceptions and 21 pass breakups. He's been playing so well that opposing quarterbacks rarely throw to his side of the field.

 

He was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in March and figured to be one of the top corners on the market.

 

Now, though, he's property of the Giants until 2013, leaving Reese to concentrate on several other players who will be free agents soon, including receiver Amani Toomer, safety James Butler and running backs Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward.

 

INJURY REPORT: LB Gerris Wilkinson sprained his knee and RB Reuben Droughns suffered a neck burner when they collided on the opening kickoff. ... Rookie S Kenny Phillips left with what the team said was a head injury in the third quarter. ... RT Kareem McKenzie aggravated a back injury in the third quarter. ... WR Sinorice Moss injured his calf. ... DE Justin Tuck left for several plays after aggravating his shin injury. ... DT Fred Robbins (shoulder) was inactive.

 

SICK DAY: LG Rich Seubert also missed much of the second half with flu-like symptoms. He tried to remain in the game by getting IV fluids at halftime.

 

"He deserves a lot of credit for going out and playing," Tom Coughlin said.

WARE AND TEAR: DE DeMarcus Ware had three of the Cowboys' eight sacks, giving him 19 on the season. He's 3-1/2 away from tying Michael Strahan's single-season record of 22-1/2. ... The Cowboys have sacked Eli Manning 12 times in two games this season. In the Giants' other 12 games they've given up 11 sacks.

 

DE had three of the Cowboys' eight sacks, giving him 19 on the season. He's 3-1/2 away from tying single-season record of 22-1/2. ... The Cowboys have sacked 12 times in two games this season. In the Giants' other 12 games they've given up 11 sacks.

 

TIKI TORCHES SELF: In an interview for NBC's pregame show Sunday night, Tiki Barber told Manning he was "wrong" when he called his attempts at leadership "comical" back in Aug. 2007. "So before last season on NBC, I publicly questioned your early leadership," Barber told him. "Now clearly I was proven wrong

 

[jerseygiantfan]

It's Brandon Jacobs who puts Big in Blue

Friday, December 19th 2008, 10:51 AM

 

 

The weather at Giants Stadium can be frightful in December and January. Snow, freezing rain and frigid winds make passing the ball more treacherous than a rush-hour stroll across the Long Island Expressway.

 

That is what visiting teams can expect if the Giants get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. That weather element, and a three-week breather, is what the Giants are playing for when they host Carolina on Sunday night.

 

All year long the Giants have been playing for that home-field advantage, even though they did just fine going on the road as a wild-card team last year. Until the last two losses, the Giants' offense demonstrated that it was built for January in the Northeast, rushing for a league-leading 148.7 yards a game behind Brandon Jacobs, a human battering ram.

 

"That's certainly been part of the thought process when we put the thing together," said Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride.

 

Some of those frosty elements will greet Carolina. Like the Giants, the Panthers have a bruising rushing attack, averaging 146.1 yards a game (fourth in the NFL).

 

Will the Panthers be able to turn the tables on the Giants?

 

Even though the Giants rushing attack has been more bruised than bruising without Jacobs, don't count on the Panthers to trample the Giants. Instead, expect the Giants to live up to their brutish credo.

 

A couple of things are going on here this week: The Giants offensive line, mixing and matching against the Cowboys due to injuries, is still smarting from giving up eight sacks to Dallas last Sunday night. And Jacobs, although he's not 100%, is back in the lineup with something to prove. It's sort of like that Baltimore game when Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis made that "tiptoe" comment.

 

"I bring a certain presence to the team," Jacobs said. "When I'm not in there, there's something missing emotionally."

 

Tom Coughlin admits that Jacobs, who practiced this week, is limited. But the coach said it's important that he plays, regardless of for how long.

 

"It's very important. He helps us set the physical stage. He's a big part of that," Coughlin said.

 

The Giants' offensive line is eager to get back on the field after that debacle in Dallas. What better way to reestablish its dominance than by punching the Panthers in the snout with a little smash-mouth, late December football at Giants Stadium.

 

"It's important that we have every man possible," Kareem McKenzie said. "Teams are making that playoff push, and it's important for us to get back to being physical and doing the things that we did earlier in the year."

 

Lost in all the garbage surrounding Plaxico Burress and Antonio Pierce the last couple of weeks is how fearsome the Giants offense - on the strength of its rushing attack - had become during their seven-game winning streak. There were discussions about how big of an impact the loss of Burress would have on the offense. Two straight losses have made it seem like Burress' absence is devastating. It's not.

 

Teams don't have to worry about double-covering the Giants receivers and can roll a safety up against the run. Has it hurt? Gilbride said the Giants have accounted for the extra defender close to the line, and the results have been mixed. But he believes they have the players they need to be successful.

 

Jacobs not being in the lineup hurts more than not having Burress, because of the Giants' identity and that emotional edge that Jacobs said he brings when he is starting. Gilbride hedged on it a bit.

 

"Does it affect the way we play and the success we have? That's a fair question." Gilbride said. "I don't know if it did or didn't. It's kind of been the hallmark of what we do. We've been a very physical, tough football team.

 

"Anytime you lose a starting player it hurts. Anytime you have a starting player who is hurt and can't play as well it hurts. That is one of the more salient features of who we are offensively. It doesn't help. It makes it more difficult."

 

Wind and Fire without Earth aren't nearly as effective.

 

"Getting Brandon back to help will get those three guys back there rolling," offensive tackle David Diehl said. "As an offensive line we do what we can to open holes for them. We have a team coming in that has the same motivation that we have. The key is when you play at home you do things fast, you do things well, and try to get momentum on your side."

 

A little bit of freezing rain, snow and a biting 15 mph wind don't hurt either.

 

 

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Burress was driving without insurance before crash

Updated:

December 22, 2008, 4:40 PM EST 330 comments add this RSS blog email Print FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.

 

(AP) - Add this to the growing list of Plaxico Burress' problems: getting in a car crash and not having insurance on his nearly $140,000 Mercedes-Benz.

 

The suspended New York Giants wide receiver was sued last week in Florida's Broward County Circuit Court for rear-ending a woman in May.

 

Compounding the Super Bowl star's defense, according to a document provided by the woman's attorney, is the fact his car insurance lapsed three days before the crash. A letter from Allstate says Burress neglected to pay his premiums.

 

Burress' attorney, Adam Swickle, declined comment.

 

Burress is still serving a team suspension for shooting himself Nov. 29 in a nightclub with an illegally carried handgun. Burress shot himself at the Latin Quarter when he accidentally pulled the trigger on the .40-caliber Glock that was in his pants after fumbling a drink.

 

Teammate Antonio Pierce took the 31-year-old who caught the winning pass in the Super Bowl to New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center for treatment.

 

Burress pleaded not guilty and was released on $100,000 bail. He is due back in court March 31.

 

He was placed on the team's suspended/non-football injury list, and the NFL Players Association filed a grievance. The union said the Giants violated the collective bargaining agreement when they placed Burress on that list, suspended him for the final four games of the regular season and fined him an additional week's salary for conduct detrimental to the team.

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Plaxico Burress jerseys aren't scoring with buyers despite price cuts

BY SAMUEL GOLDSMITH

DAILY NEWS WRITER

 

Tuesday, December 30th 2008, 6:48 PM

 

Talk about adding insult to self-inflicted injury.

 

Sales of Plaxico Burress' No. 17 jersey fell from near the top of New York's best sellers to practically nothing - even at 75% off.

 

Stores like Modell's and Sports Authority shot holes in the price of official NFL Burress jerseys, marking them down from $80 to just $19.47 after the fallen star was benched for shooting himself in the leg last month.

 

"We marked them down because he's not playing anymore. I don't think I've sold one since the shooting," one Sports Authority worker said.

 

"All of a sudden they just stopped selling," she said. "They used to be really hot."

 

Sports Authority has an entire rack of about 50 Burress jerseys on sale at its store at Third Ave. and 57th St. and sold "next to none" in the Christmas rush. The store sold dozens of Eli Manning jerseys in the same time period, an employee said.

 

Even deep discounts after Christmas haven't helped the disgraced great's apparel.

 

"Wearing 'Burress' across my back is like wearing a target for jokes from Jets fans," said Ronny Dean of Manhattan. "No price is low enough for that."

 

Modell's in Herald Square has the same 75% discount - and isn't doing much better selling the jerseys. The store had three in stock when he shot himself, and it took about a month for them to go.

 

"I think people bought them as collector's items or as investments," said Doretha Brown, 43, of Brooklyn.

 

"It's just a gun charge. Maybe he'll come back, and then you've got an $80 jersey for only $20."

 

Brown said Burress jerseys were second in sales to Eli Manning after the Giants' February's Super Bowl win. She said there has been a bump in sales of jerseys of his replacement, Domenik Hixon.

 

Disgruntled Giants fans say even with the price at an all-time low, they still wouldn't buy the jersey.

 

"Not even for $20," said Mike Ruiz of Queens. "I would rather go for [brett] Favre, to be honest with you. What Plaxico did wasn't right."

 

Chris Donnarumma, 26, of Queens, said he would buy one to sell on eBay.

 

"For $20, you never know. Maybe I could make some money when he goes to jail," he said.

 

 

[jerseygiantfan]

Play off picture from Fox Sports.com

 

1. NEW YORK GIANTS

Overall record: 12-4

W-L vs. playoff teams: 5-2

Best wins: Week 8 at PIT (21-14), Week 10 at PHI (36-31), Week 11 vs. BAL (30-10), Week 16 vs. CAR (34-28, OT)

Worst losses: Week 6 at CLE (35-14)

 

WILL win Super Bowl because ... The defending champs still have the most physical defensive front in football, powered by a peerless pass rush run by blitz-happy defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Combined with what should be a rested "Earth, Wind & Fire" backfield that features two 1,000-yard rushers, the Giants will have the trench advantage heading into every playoff matchup.

 

WILL NOT win Super Bowl because ... Since Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg, QB Eli Manning lost his top receiving target -- especially in the red zone, where tight playoff games are won and lost. If Burress sub Domenik Hixon cannot separate, good cover teams could go eight-in-the-box to shut down the Giants' offense.

 

 

 

 

2. CAROLINA PANTHERS

Overall record: 12-4

W-L vs. playoff teams: 3-3

Best wins: Week 1 at SD (26-24 without Steve Smith), Week 4 vs. ATL (24-9), Week 7 vs. NO (30-7), Week 14 vs. TB (38-23)

Worst losses: Week 6 at TB (27-3)

 

WILL win Super Bowl because ... They have the hottest running back on the planet in unheralded DeAngelo Williams. While other RBs get more publicity, Williams has blossomed into a scoring sensation down South with an NFL-high 20 touchdowns -- including 15 in the last eight games. Williams and backfield mate Jonathan Stewart give opposing defenses plenty to ponder on play-action passes.

 

WILL NOT win Super Bowl because ... Despite the talented Mr. Peppers on the defensive line, Carolina's defense can be scored upon. Even with all the rest thanks to the effective running game, the Panthers have been gutted at times lately -- giving up 29 points per game over their final six, including 30-plus in four of those games.

 

 

 

 

3. MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Overall record: 10-6

W-L vs. playoff teams: 3-3

Best wins: Week 3 vs. CAR (20-10), Week 13 vs. CHI (34-14), Week 17 vs. NYG (20-19)

Worst losses: Week 2 vs. IND (18-15, blew 15-0 lead), Week 7 at CHI (48-41)

 

WILL win Super Bowl because ... No team has been better the past two seasons at stopping the run than Minnesota. One half of the Williams defensive tackle combination is injured (Pat Williams, broken scapula), but the Vikings still have Pro Bowl DT Kevin Williams and a stout line that gave up an NFL-low 76.9 rushing yards/game this season. Combine that defense with NFL rushing leader Adrian Peterson and the Vikings have the playoff formula down: Run the ball. Stop the run.

 

WILL NOT win Super Bowl because ... Tarvaris Jackson may not be ready for the big stage. Since taking back the starting QB job three weeks ago he has seven TD passes against just one pick, with back-to-back 200-yard games showing improved play during a pressure-packed playoff run. But until Jackson goes out and proves himself on the playoff stage, the inexperienced label will follow both him and coach Brad Childress, who drafted him in 2006.

 

 

 

 

4. ARIZONA CARDINALS

Overall record: 9-7

W-L vs. playoff teams: 1-4

Best wins: Week 2 vs. MIA (31-10), Week 5 vs. BUF (41-17), Week 6 vs. DAL (30-24, OT)

Worst losses: Week 4 at NYJ (56-35), Week 13 at PHI (48-20), Week 15 vs. MIN (35-14), Week 16 at NE (47-7)

 

WILL win Super Bowl because ... They can outscore teams behind former MVP Kurt Warner and one of the league's best passing attacks. Arizona is tied with the Giants as the highest-scoring teams left in the NFC, powered by a Warner's arm and the NFL's best trio of receivers — Pro Bowlers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, plus up-and-coming talent Steve Breaston. The Cards scored 29 points or more in seven of their eight home games in '08, and if they start hot against Atlanta next week they could catch fire all the way to the Super Bowl.

 

WILL NOT win Super Bowl because ... Let's be frank: This is one of the worst division champions in NFL history. They own one win against a playoff team (Miami back in Week 2 before they caught fire), went 0-5 against tougher teams on the East Coast and finished 3-7 outside the atrocious AFC West. Oh, and they have no running game and a suspect defense. Other than that, this team is going all the way.

 

 

 

5. ATLANTA FALCONS

Overall record: 11-5

W-L vs. playoff teams: 3-2

Best wins: Week 6 vs. CHI (22-20, won in final seconds), Week 10 vs. NO (34-20), Week 12 vs. CAR (45-28), Week 13 at SD (22-16)

Worst losses: Week 2 at TB (24-9), Week 4 at CAR (24-9), Week 11 vs. DEN (24-20)

 

WILL win Super Bowl because ... Atlanta just may be the most balanced team in the conference, for real. On offense, the Falcons have brewing a young version of their very own Triplets with QB Matt Ryan (we won't demean him by calling him a rookie) plus Pro Bowlers RB Michael Turner and WR Roddy White. This team may be even better than their record indicates: If White did not drop a sure TD pass late against Denver, the Falcons would be NFC North champs and the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

 

WILL NOT win Super Bowl because ... While they are a wonderful turnaround story, the Falcons may not have enough defense to win the big one this season. Other than Pro Bowl defensive end John Abraham, the Falcons are a bend-or-break defense that might prove too leaky for a long playoff run. While they finished eighth in scoring defense, only the Chargers gave up more yardage among playoff teams than Atlanta's 24th-ranked defense.

 

 

 

 

6. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Overall record: 9-6-1

W-L vs. playoff teams: 4-2

Best wins: Week 3 vs. PIT (15-6, including 9 sacks), Week 8 vs. ATL (27-14), Week 14 at NYG (20-14), Week 17 vs. DAL (44-6)

Worst losses: Week 11 at CIN (13-13 tie), Week 12 at BAL (36-7), Week 16 at WSH (10-3)

 

WILL win Super Bowl because ... When healthy, Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook are dynamite. Westbrook is capable of 100 yards rushing and/or receiving in every game with multiple touchdowns, and when McNabb is playing loose there may be no better improvisational passer in football. Combined with the third-ranked defense in the NFL, a blitzing turnover-machine waiting to happen, the Eagles are a legitimate threat in a one-and-done playoff format.

 

WILL NOT win Super Bowl because ... Aside from the obvious if either Westbrook or McNabb get hurt, which Philly team will show up? The passionate and desperate group that clawed its way back into the playoffs, or the cruise-control Eagles that coasted through the season's first half and scored a measly field goal in Week 16 with their playoff destiny in their full control? It's always the little things in Philly that keep them down: Red-zone issues, poor clock management and an offense too addicted to the pass.