Fixing The New York Giants

The New York Giants' season is officially over. Their lifeless, "pathetic", 23-0 shutout at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks last weekend put the final nail in the coffin and had Giants fans turning their gaze towards next season.

Ask a fan what he or she thinks the Giants can do to turn things around next season and there's a very good chance that the first thing they'll say is 'fire Kevin Gilbride'. It might not be as simplistic as that, but 'fixing' the Giants starts with the coaching staff - and they should clear house.

Tom Coughlin's past achievements speak for themselves and he has done a great job of keeping the Giants competitive in spite of their many flaws, but I think Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor has a point when he says that Coughlin has done everything he can for the organisation. Firing him isn't an option - he has earned the right to call time on his career whenever he wants - but this season might be the one to retire after. Conversely if the Giants are going to rebuild, having Coughlin steer the ship wouldn't be a bad idea.

Regardless, the majority of the coaches beneath him need to go; his coordinators - Kevin Gilbride, Perry Fewell and Tom Quinn - have been repeatedly out-coached this season and the Giants will not be contenders if they retain them. Gilbride has enjoyed consistent success in New York, but the Giants' offensive production has regressed in recent years with a difficult-to-execute but easily-defended scheme.

Even so, there is only so much a coach can do - and much of the Giants' struggles this year have been down to the personnel on the field. Many are - through no fault of their own - just not good enough, and some (Hakeem Nicks) have all the talent in the world but aren't playing at a level expected of them.

The good news is that there are a number of young players - including Jason Pierre Paul, Victor Cruz, Prince Amukamara, Linval Joseph, John Conner, Justin Pugh, Rueben Randle, Damontre Moore, Will Hill and Jacquian Williams - around whom Jerry Reese can build a contender.

Much of the Giants' struggles have come from a sizeable number of ineffective veteran starters. If we're 'fixing' the team, guys like Chris Snee, David Diehl, David Baas, Mathias Kiwanuka, Brandon Jacobs and Corey Webster will be finished in New York and others - like Justin Tuck, Kevin Boothe, Mike Patterson and Trumaine McBride - have some value (somewhere close to veteran's minimum) but their days are numbered. Short-term contracts will see important locker room leaders like Tuck help ease the transition, but salary cap restrictions mean that Antrel Rolle would, despite his superlative play this season, be leaving the team.

Without Rolle, and with an offensive line in desperate need of repair, it is vitally important the Giants spend the money they do have (expected to be somewhere around $28 million) wisely in free agency. So who do they go after? The interior offensive line has been a liability all season, and I think Jerry Reese needs to make a move for some underrated talents to fix it - Brian De La Puente (centre, New Orleans Saints) and Jon Asamoah (guard, Kansas City Chiefs) are the stand-out linemen on offer. Prince Amukamara is developing into the player the Giants hoped he would be, but the Giants should turn to the 49ers' underrated cornerback Tarell Brown to help him out.

A lot of fans and pundits are making the point that the past achievements of many Giants players and coaches means that the organisation should resist change in the hope that they once again deliver a championship. This school of thought overlooks the fact that what once worked for the Giants no longer does. The Colts, after a radical overhaul following their disastrous 2011 campaign, made the playoffs in 2012 and 2013. The Chiefs, after posting a 2-14 record in 2012, are 11-4 in 2013. These teams, along with other contenders such as the Seahawks, 49ers, Eagles and Dolphins, experienced major personnel overhauls within the last three years and prove that - in today's NFL - you have to adapt or die.

Moving The Chains: A Weekly Review Of The NFL - 1/12/2013

Hero of the week:
Russell Wilson

Meet Russell Wilson: MVP Candidate. After a very good first season in the NFL, Wilson has emerged as the true king of the 2012 quarterback draft class. He has outperformed all of his contemporaries - Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill, Brandon Weeden and Brock Osweiler, and now shares the company of Brady, Manning and Brees as league MVP contenders. He has undoubtedly benefited from the Seahawks phenomenal defence, but the talents of Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas have little to do with Wilson's passer rating over the last two seasons (third, behind Manning and Rodgers). This season he has thrown 22 touchdowns to 6 interceptions, has posted a passer rating over 100 eight times and - most recently - demolished the New Orleans Saints with a clinical 310 yard, three touchdown performance.

Villain of the week:
Giants @ Redskins officials

One of the most blatantly poor officiating mistakes in recent memory, Jeff Triplette and co. mistakenly announced that the Redskins had converted on second down, when they were - in fact - still on third down. The Redskins, unsure of the down, nonetheless attempted a deep pass which was dropped by Fred Davis. With 1.31 on the clock, the referees announced that the Redskins were on 4th-and-short and the Giants won the game following Will Hill's strip of Pierre Garcon.

Fail of the week:
Mike Tomlin

I firmly believe that Tomlin did not mean to do this but, given the issues this season with players and coaches wandering into the sideline perimeter - a response to the Jets' coach tripping a Dolphins player a few years ago - why put yourself in this position?

My team:

The most impressive win of the season thus far.

I still firmly believe that the Giants - and Giants fans - shouldn't think about playoffs, but it's hard to feel bad about knocking the Redskins out of playoff contention. On Sunday, the Giants put together an ugly-but-tough performance underscored by the 'never say die' spirit of the 2007 and 2011 Super Bowl-winning teams. The Redskins raced to an early 14-0 lead, but the Giants clawed their way back into it with touchdowns from Andre Brown (his first of two) and Brandon Myers. Eli Manning played some of his best football this season (22-of-28 for 235 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception), Jon Beason was solid in both pass and run defense - notching 17 tackles, and Justin Tuck recorded 4 sacks.

The win sees the Giants improve to 5-7 and keeps their slim playoff hopes alive - but the Giants' quest to win out the rest of their schedule gets considerably tougher with trips to San Diego and Detroit, and a visit by Seattle.

Throwback Uniform Gallery #4: 1961-62 Dallas Cowboys

No 'throwback player' this week due to my busy week, but in honour of Thanksgiving - and the fact that they won't be allowed to wear them any more - here's a selection of Dallas Cowboy's rather fetching 1960's throwback kits worn in previous Thanksgiving games:

and here are the modern versions:

Moving The Chains: A Weekly Review Of The NFL - 24/11/2013

Due to a particularly hectic week, I've only just gotten round to writing my weekly take on the weekend's festivities. Let's get to it, shall we?

Hero of the week:

Cam Newton

Superman returns. After a mixed 2012, Cam Newton - with some help from a stingy defence - has the Panthers bulldozing their way to the playoffs. After knocking off the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots in consecutive weeks, Newton (who scored on a rushing TD earlier in the game) engineered a late-game comeback to beat a tough Miami Dolphins unit. They proved they can knock off big teams, and now the Panthers are proving they can finish strong and win close games - their ability to do both will make them a potent force in the postseason.

Villain of the week:
Kevin Gilbride

I'm biased as a Giants fan, but see 'My Team' for more on Gilbride.

Game of the week:
Patriots' unlikely comeback topples Broncos

Despite his reputation for late-game heroics, it seemed unlikely that Tom Brady would be able to bring the Patriots back from 21-0 down at half time. He did. Brady and the Patriots offense put up 31 points on Denver's suspect defence in the second half, before Stephen Gostkowski kicked the winning field goal in overtime. Credit to Bill Belichick for sticking with a game plan that eventually shredded the Broncos linebackers and secondary.

Fail of the week:
Bruce Carter and Jeff Heath

For temporarily forgetting the rules of football




My team:

An embarrassment. The struggling Giants offence faced off with the terrible Cowboys' defense...and laid an egg. Despite Andre Brown and Brandon Jacobs gashing the Cowboys for over 200 yards, dire offensive playcalling by Kevin Gilbride - in which he routinely abandoned the run game in favour of passing in adverse weather conditions at inopportune moments - prevented the Giants from scoring touchdowns on three of their possessions in the Cowboys' redzone.

Defensively the Giants were sound, but couldn't halt the Cowboys offence during the last four minutes of the game. The Giants fell to 4-7 and realistically are only playing for pride from here on out.

The Importance Of 'Plan B'

2013 has been The Year of the Backup Quarterback.

Today we will see Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning - unquestionably the best rivalry in NFL history - for the fifteenth time, but the biggest quarterback-themed story this season has been about replacement quarterbacks.

The injury epidemic involving starting quarterbacks - particularly the one suffered by Aaron Rodgers - has stressed the importance of teams having a capable backup.

In the NFC North alone, three teams have had to replace their starters: in Chicago, Josh McCown stepped in following Jay Cutler's groin injury. In Green Bay, Seneca Wallace replaced Aaron Rodgers, and then Scott Tolzien was forced to step in for Wallace when he was injured. Minnesota saw both Matt Cassell and Josh Freeman replace Christian Ponder in the wake of Ponder's rib injury.

Seventeen NFL teams have turned to backups in the wake of injuries, and in many cases their on-field performance has been elevated after the arrival a new signal caller. The Philadelphia Eagles have a 4-1 record under Nick Foles, the Bears are 2-0 with Josh McCown at the helm and the Cleveland Browns went 3-0 after Brian Hoyer replaced Brandon Weeden as starter (before Hoyer himself went down injured). Matt McGloin also led the Oakland Raiders to a win in his first game as starter.

However there are many teams that have struggled in the wake of injuries to their multi-million dollar franchise-leading investment, and it's probably unfair to criticise any team that does so. Despite this, it is becoming abundantly clear that teams cannot afford to overlook their starting quarterback's potential replacement.

So what do what do teams look for in a backup quarterback? Looking beyond the obvious questions of talent and tangible factors, it is important to consider the intangibles. Recent trends suggest that well-run teams look to tick a number of boxes when trying to find a viable replacement.

Firstly, they first need to consider whether the quarterback fits their system and how familiar they are - or will be. It's no coincidence that Scott Tolzien (Wisconsin) and Case Keenum (Houston) have ended up playing for the Packers and Texans, respectively. Those teams will have seen them extensively at the collegiate level and know whether they can fit into their system. The same goes for players who have been called up from the practice squad to the main roster.

Tolzien wasn't with the Packers until after training camp, which brings up the question of how adaptable a quarterback is: are they intelligent enough to pick up the playbook quickly and make smart, safe decisions on the field? In many instances, physical talent might be overlooked in favour of someone who can manage a game efficiently.

Finally, character is a major deciding factor when it comes to picking a last-resort quarterback option - NFL teams frequently turn to players with unblemished disciplinary records and no character concerns (ever wondered why Vince Young can't land a job?). They look for players who are competitive - players who have gone to countless workouts and hopped from team to team in search of an opportunity. Being hungry is a sign that they will be well-prepared when they

This is, of course, not a concrete formula - but it is no coincidence that many successful backups (you can see some of the best here) conform to many of these criteria.

Throwback Uniform Of The Week #3 - 1950's/1960's Pittsburgh Steelers

Last weekend, you would have seen the Pittsburgh Steelers wearing their "bumblebee" throwbacks:

I'm a huge fan, but I always preferred the 75th Anniversary uniform they wore a few seasons ago. Recent NFL legislation has banned the use of alternate helmets for throwback uniforms. 

An NFL spokesman reported:

“This offseason, we communicated a recommendation from the Head, Neck and Spine Committee and the Player Safety Advisory Panel to those teams planning to wear throwback uniforms for at least one game this season. They recommended that players no longer wear different helmets as part of a ‘throwback’ or ‘third’ uniform. … Teams may continue to wear throwback uniforms under league guidelines, but players must wear their regular helmets. The outside of the helmet can be modified by removing or replacing decals, as long as it does not affect the integrity of the helmet."

So in honour of the Steelers' 2007 75th Anniversary uniforms, let's take a look back at the Steelers' kit in the 1950's and early 1960's:

Throwback Player Profile #2 - Derrick Brooks

Today is a good day for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team's on-field performance this season hasn't been what fans were expecting, but three of the architects of Tampa Bay's victory in Super Bowl XXXVII were announced as semifinalists for induction into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame: former head coach Tony Dungy, hard-hitting safety John Lynch and, arguably the greatest Buccaneer of them all, Derrick Brooks.

Has there ever been a player - outside of the quarterback position - more responsible for the immediate turnaround of a whole franchise?

After fourteen consecutive losing seasons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stormed to a 10-6 season in 1997 and won their first playoff game in fifteen years - eventually losing in the divisional round to the Green Bay Packers.

The 1997 team featured a number of players that would go on to become Buccaneers staples - Warren Sapp, John Lynch, Warrick Dunn, Mike Alstott and Ronde Barber - and a new identity. The famous and much-derided 'Creamsicle' uniforms were replaced by a crimson and pewter kit, and the team established a new identity on the field with a ferocious, revolutionary 'Tampa 2' defence.

Although designed and implemented by Dungy and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, Derrick Brooks was the field General.

The Tampa 2 requires very specific personnel - the linebackers in that scheme need need to possess good speed and the intelligence to read plays and adapt to a number of positions in run and pass defence.
Pete Prisco, senior NFL writer for CBS Sports, once wrote: "it takes a special linebacker to do that".

In 1995, the Buccaneers found their "special linebacker". Drafted with a reputation for blistering speed and excellent tackling and coverage skills, Brooks quickly became one of the best linebackers in the game, and remained in that discussion until he retired in 2008.

Over the course of thirteen seasons, Derrick Brooks cultivated a Hall of Fame-worthy career. He played in 224 games - every single one since he was drafted. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers' 48-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders in 2002 - the same season he was also named NFL Defensive Player Of The Year. He recorded 2,198 tackles (a franchise record) on his way to eleven Pro Bowls. He was named Pro Bowl MVP in 2006, and was also named in nine All-Pro teams.

But, if you were to ask the man himself, he would probably rank his community and humanitarian work as one of his greatest achievements. Brooks was recipient of the Walter Payton Man Of The Year award in 2000, and the Byron 'Whizzer' White Man Of The Year award in 2003. He is a strong advocate for the importance of education - founding the Brooks Bunch Charity and Youth Scholarship Foundation, as well as the Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School in Tampa.

It was his tireless commitment on and off the field, as well as his synonymity with the transformation of the Buccaneers franchise from losers into winners, that sees him remembered as the greatest Buccaneer of all time.

Moving The Chains: A Weekly Review Of The NFL - 17/11/2013

Hero of the Week 
Bobby Rainey

This part of my weekly take is becoming a shrine for unlikely players who have blown up in a big way. I don't really have reason to change that, what with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers riding Bobby Rainey (who?) to a 41-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Rainey was a fixture on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad, before moving to Cleveland and getting released in week 7 of this season. He was added to the ever-changing running back unit in Tampa Bay, and helped the Bucs win their first game last week, before posting 167 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns against the Falcons. Hero.

Villain of the Week
Saints-49ers Officials

'Villain' is probably a bit harsh, but the 49ers were robbed on Sunday night.

Ahmad Brooks' sack of Drew Brees was perfectly-timed. The Saints were down by 3 and driving for the winning score. Brooks nailed an oblivious Brees and forced a fumble that was recovered by Patrick Willis. All the Niners had to do was run out the clock, right?

Wrong. Brooks delivered a clean hit - he avoided Brees' helmet, neck and didn't use his hands in the tackle - but was flagged for unnecessary roughness, giving the Saints the ball and a first down. Undoubtedly a violent collision, but a legal one. The Saints drove down the field and tied the game on their way to a victory.

UPDATE:

The refs in the Panthers/Patriots game were just as bad. This blatant pass interference wasn't called.

Game of the Week
Broncos Beat Chiefs

In arguably the biggest game of the season, the Broncos asserted their dominance and let the Chiefs know who really ran the show in the AFC West. The phenomenally-talented Broncos offense overcame the phenomenally-talented Chiefs defense and exposed some truths about the Kansas City Chiefs. Sure, they're a good football team - but they are unsurprisingly not as unstoppable as their 9-0 record suggested: their offense is pedestrian and cannot keep up with the best, and their pass rush might not be as scary as once though. The quintessential 'statement' game.

Fail of the Week
Buffalo Bills

Yep, in the face of an epic, tornado-spewing, storm making its way across the northern part of the states, the Buffalo Bills decided to proceed with unfolding a giant star-spangled banner across the field before kick-off. Yay Patriotism. Unfortunately, and unsurprisingly, the ridiculously strong winds caused the flag to tear.


My Team

It's a good time to be a Giants fan. For now. Sure, it's nice to keep winning, but - defence aside - the New York Giants still look unconvincing. The win against Green Bay was solid, arguably dominant, but Green Bay are a heavily flawed team. Much the same way Minnesota, Philadelphia and Oakland were.

The reality of the situation is that the last few sloppy wins have come against bad teams, and you can hold all talk of playoffs until the Giants beat a decent opponent. How about next Sunday vs. the Dallas Cowboys?

The defense has been the bright spot during this four-game win streak, and they added Eddie Lacy (14 carries, 27 yards, 1 TD) to the list of running backs they've kept under a lid this season. Despite this, it is slightly alarming that Packers' third-string quarterback Scott Tolzien was able to throw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns on a much-improved Giants secondary. An abberation, perhaps? The Giants have been lucky to face Josh Freeman, Matt Barkley (and not Nick Foles), and Terrell Pryor in recent weeks but the real tests will be against Tony Romo, Philip Rivers, Russell Wilson, Matt Stafford and Robert Griffin III in the next few weeks.

In terms of performances, however, a number stood out: Eli Manning delivered his most complete game this season, Jason Pierre Paul showed signs he might 'be back' with one of the most impressively athletic interceptions you'll see all year, Jon Beason delivered another, and Victor Cruz made a number of big plays on his way to a 110-yard performance.

Throwback Uniform Gallery # 2 - 1970's New York Giants

My weekly, "Throwback Thursday"-inspired, homage to classic football uniforms continues with the New York Giants of the 1970's.

Last Sunday, the Giants brought back white pants - inspired by the teams of the 1970s and 1980s - and they looked pretty snazzy. Giants fans responded positively to them, and I have to say I enjoyed seeing the white rather than the shades of grey the Giants have been wearing for the past twelve years or so.

Much like the current Giants team, the teams of the 1970's struggled mightily - but at least they looked good doing it: