Are You Ready For Some Football?
| 8
|
by user Ssj3alucard
We need some happy stuff on this blog. Since Jason has disappointed you yet again with the lack of a chick flick blog, Here's a thought that will get the endorfins pumping.
How much do I Love the NFL?
I’m currently counting down the days until training camp. I know, I need a life.
As the New York Giants prepare to open camp, there seems to be a lot of negativity towards the team. The roster has questions throughout that make people wonder if they can compete in a crowded NFC East. The offense lacks a true number one running back after the retirement of Tiki Barber. The Defense lacks a true playmaker in the secondary and had to move Mathias Kiwanuka to Linebacker in order to give Antonio Pierce help. Tom Coughlin is still the coach.
Well, Some of the negativity is deserved. Some of it is the product of a team that did know how to just shut it’s mouth and play during a 2006 campaign that could have been great and ended miserably. Some of it comes from a mildly inconsistent quarterback who hasn’t lived up to the hype in third season. Some of it comes from the fact that Tom Coughlin is still the Head Coach.
However, I think that the massive, round-the-clock coverage of the NFL has made everything a bit extreme. I think that ESPN has anointed the New England Patriots the greatest team ever to touch a field. I think Trey Wingo and his boys are deciding what people think about the league more now than ever, and because they need time to fill, they build up all the “good” teams to be a lot better than they are. They also end up destroying the bad teams fans hopes a lot too.
That doesn’t mean that I’m a delusional fan and think that Eli Manning is the second coming of god. The Giants are a flawed team.
Lucky for them, The rest of the teams in the NFL are too.
That’s the beauty of this league. Any team, Any time. The Giants, 49ers, Jets, or anyone else can easily go 3-13 or 13-3.
With that in mind, Let’s begin examining the problems with the 2007 Giants.
1. Lack of Defensive Playmakers – Well, At least in the back seven. We all know that Michael Strahan and Usi Umeniyora are the best defensive end tandem in the league. However, we also know that Gibril Wilson and Antonio Pierce are the only players in the back seven even close to the level of that dynamic duo. They need help as they are both players who are better served as being able to fly to the ball.
Well, In order to fly to the ball, you need to have players who can cover and take up blocks.
The Defensive backfield is not great, however, I don’t think it’s as bad as everyone thinks it is. Aaron Ross, The Giants first round pick, will contribute right away as the nickel back. Expect him to make some plays on the ball, and also to give up some big gains. Corey Webster and Sam Madison are both press corners who are going to finally be allowed to play press coverage. Both struggled to fit in Tim Lewis busted hybrid 3-4 cover 2 mess of a defense. Now, under new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, they are going to cover guys while the front seven blitzes. It’s what they are best at.
The other safety spot will be manned by Will Demps. However, the question is if we will see the Will Demps of the most of last season, they guy who missed tackles and dropped picks, or the Will Demps who played the last three games. The guy who was a force in run supported and had a knack for getting to the ball. Demps suffered a broken foot that ended his 2005, and my bet is that we are just starting to see him healthy.
As for linebacking corps, Lavar Arrington, and Carlos Emmons are now gone. In their place, there is a younger, faster unit that fits better in Spagnuolo’s system.
In the middle is Pierce and no one can doubt him. The former undrafted free agent out of The University of Arizona (Bear Down, Cats!) is one of the top middle linebackers in the league. Flanking him has been the problem. On one side, their will be an open competition between free agent Kivika Mitchell and second year pro Gerris Wilkinson. Wilkinson has the speed to blitz in the new, aggressive system, but Mitchell was one of the best in the league at covering the tight end last year. As a matter of fact, the Giants got an absolute gem when they signed him for the veteran minimum.
On the other side will be converted Defensive end and former first round pick Kiwanuka. The coaching staff feels that it is important to get your 11 best defenders on the field at all times. They also feel that he has the necessary skills to not only rush the passer, but also play run support and pass coverage.
Teams at the beginning of the season will most likely run right at Kiwi, looking to expose a weakness in the defense. I think they are going to be surprised by how quickly that fails. He will become a steady linebacker by week four, and by the end of the season, he will be on his way to becoming a standout.
So what is the verdict on the defense? It’s a good ol’ WIP. Work in Progress. However, I’m optimistic, I love Spagnuolo and the team seems to love him too.
We will see a marked improvement from this unit. I would say right in the middle of the pack, between 13 th and 16 th overall.
So, How Much Do I love football?
I just wrote 943 words about one of the Giants problems. Go get some rest. We’ll go over the rest in the coming weeks.
