The Giants Are Better Without Tiki Barber
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by JasonComack
As Seen At: http://3rdstringsafety.blogspot.com/
The Giants might be the best team in the NFC.
There I said it. I hate myself for saying it, but it's true. Of course the NFC has slowly evolved into the NBA East so in the larger picture the Giants are probably closer to the bottom of the top 10 than the top. However, they can get to the Superbowl without having to play any of those AFC juggernauts in the post season. And you know the old adage "On Any Given Sunday."
Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, but think about it. Are you really ready to anoint the Cowboys or Packers as above and beyond favorites in the NFC?
The Cowboys are 5-1, and hung tough with the Pat's for most of the game so I will give them that. However, they needed an amazing amount of fluke happenings to escape Buffalo with a W. And while their QB looks great, he way to often seems to pull a Brett Farve. And what about Owens? All is well in T.O land now, but just wait. Has anyone ever won anything with the guy?
Speaking of Brett Farve, he might be immortal and a legend but he is going to keep killing this team in a crucial moments. How many times has he done it already? The Pack are a feel good story and almost a mortal lock to make the playoffs in a crappy division, but do you really trust Favre in a big spot right now?
For every pass that reminds you how great he is he seems to make two boneheaded interceptions. This hurts you even more when you can't run out the clock because you have no running game. Brett Farve isn't the best guy to try to "dink and dunk" out the clock.
Meanwhile the other 4-2 teams are the Bucs (who besides the lack of a running game are relying on mainly veteran players. You really think ageless wonders like Joey Galloway, Ike Hillard and Jeff Garcia aren't going to wear down as the season continues?) and the Panthers who are the ultimate cock tease team. They always play below potential and last time I checked they had a QB controversy between Vinny and Carr. Yuck.
Washington? Detroit? Arizona? Seattle? San Fran? Philly? Believe it or not those are the next teams in the standings. Philly might be the best of the bunch and that's not saying much.
So of course this brings us to the Giants.
A team coming off four straight wins; with an explosive offense and unlike last year a potentially dominant defense.
Somewhere Anthony De Franco is smiling.
Last year the Giants started off hot as well but crashed. Alot, however has changed in a year
Coughlin really doesn't have much more responsibility anymore. He doesn't call the offense or defense and he seems to have relaxed his "hard ass demeanor." So maybe he's a figure head more than anything else. Is that really a bad thing? Clearly Spagnolu and Gilbride are handling their newfound responsibilities well. So Tom's there to look pretty and lose challenges.
So without the locker room cleaned up and the attempted 'coups gone(I'm looking at you Tiki Barber) the chemistry certainly seems to be better. No one seems to have an ego and even Plexyglass, Shockey, and the Gap have been quiet. This is a team that seems finally getting around to business, on the field and not off (Cough Shinny headed man working for NBC cough.)
But enough with the intangibles. Talent wise the Giants seemed stacked.
Once again I find myself eating crow. I bashed the Giants for taking Ross over Staley, or in no way attempting to upgrade the offensive line. While David Diehl hasn't been outstanding he's done his job. He's an above average LT, athletic and cheap. What else more can you ask for? Throw in blue collar guys like O'Hara, McKenzie and Sueburt and a stud like Snee and you have a recipe for a pretty good offensive line.
As much as I hate Shockey, and still think he is overrated (I won't change my stance on that ever), he causes mismatches. His best ability might be in getting other players looks; See Glass, Plexy. Speaking of Plexy, him and Eli have a chemistry eerily similar to another Manning and top flight WR.
Jacobs and Ward provide depth out of the backfield. Jacobs seems to be injury prone, but when hes on the field he seems to be a force.
With all the weapons, Jacobs, Ward, Plexy, Shockey, Toomer the G-Men are a team that is hard to match up with.
At QB Eli Manning ironically, shares a tragic flaw with the QB's of the other competitive NFC teams. The boneheaded mistake. If he can work out the kinks he has a chance to be special.
On Defense well, what can you really say that hasn't been said already. When you can get that much pressure on QB good things are going to happen. Aaron Ross looks like the real deal and Sam Madison has been surprisingly solid. They are still suspect to the big play (See; Norwood, Jerious) but like I said that front 4, or however many ends they can line up at one time is downright scary.
I know the Cowboys beat the Giants in Week One, so for now they would get the nod in my imaginary power rankings that I have been meaning to put out for weeks now. But, that doesn't mean they are a better team. First of all that game was close and more importantly the Giants defense is an entirely different unit than Week One. Strahan is now up to game speed and trust me in the re-match Kiwi won't be allowed within 50 feet of Jason Witten.
Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go vomit all over myself and repeatedly punch myself in the head.
P.S. I hate myself
P.P.S. This blog in no way shape or form relates in anyway to a reverse jinx for the Niners game this weekend. I swear, I just really love the Giants.
