Fourth & Forever: Bear Hugs vs. Giant Smiles
The New York Giants are winless after five weeks and are hoping to get back on track tonight with a win at the Chicago Bears. As crazy as it sounds, the Giants could still make the playoffs, as the NFC East is once again...terrible. As of right now, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys are tied for first, with a record of 2-3. At 0-5 the Giants are only two games out of first, and could win the division. They would have to win the division to make the playoffs. At five losses in five weeks, it would be a longshot for the Giants to make the playoffs. Teams like the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and the Chicago Bears, all are looking to be playoff bound. The Chicago Bears are looking to get back into the playoffs after missing it the last two seasons. After starting out 3-0, duhhh Bears, have dropped their last two. The Giants and Bears need a win to put an end to their early season skids.
Defense
The New York Giants need to restore order as being schoolyard bullies. They need to find a mental and physical balance on the field. When I look at the Giants, I think about that fierce pass rush with players such as defensive ends Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre Paul. Between both of them, they have a total of 1.5 sacks in five games. That is unheard of between these two quarterback hunters. They were known as really getting after the quarterback in past years; but now they look like they couldn't get to the Kool-Aid pitcher, if he was standing in the pocket. Ooohh Yeeaahh! This defense is a joke. They give up 36.4 ppg. The Giants defense, really! The Bears defense on the other hand, first started the season like last year...pigskin hungry. Committing turnovers and scoring touchdowns. They must've ate before playing in the last two games; giving up 60 points and only having two sacks. Hey, has anyone seen defensive end Julius Peppers? Through five games, he has one sack and five tackles. Sounds like a 101 roster cut could be happening at the end of this season, especially since he is due around $38 million in the last two years of his contract. Cornerback Charles Tillman is falling apart with injuries and with age. He can't run with the best of them at age 32, sooner or later he's got to switch to the safety position. Ask Charles Woodson! Whoever comes out with the defensive stops and the turnover battles, wins this game. It doesn't matter who is running the offense.
Offense
The Giants offense averages two touchdowns a game. For a super bowl winning quarterback like Eli Manning, moving the ball down the field should be cool breeze, He's got caliber receivers in Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks on the other end of his completions. So what's the problem? The problem is the Giants do not have a running game. When running back Andre Brown went down early with a broken leg, David Wilson took over and ran into quicksand. Wilson has rushed 44 times for a grand total of 146 yards, with two catches for eight yards. So with no running game, Manning is forced to throw and when defenses know that, they tend to read the play and intercept the ball. They read Manning so much they picked him off 12 times. He should be a professor on how to throw interceptions at Manning University. I even heard Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub was enrolled. A lot of defenders call Manning their favorite author. The Bears offense has been much improved under new head coach Marc Trestman. Having a balanced offense and adding weapons around quarterback Jay Cutler. In the beginning it was all about throwing to Brandon Marshall. It didn't matter if he was surrounded by a force field, Cutler still threw it. Now he spreads the ball to second year, second round draft pick Alshon Jeffrey and free agent addition Martellus Bennett. They have five touchdowns between each other. Marshall has three. Running back Matt Forte has been finding running lanes in Tresman's offense, averaging almost five yards a carry. The problem is when the Bears get behind, the running game gets lost and Cutler forces things. Throwing interceptions or fumbling the ball from sacks. The tempo has to be set early for both teams in tonight's matchup..
Heart
Players look at playing football as a passion, more than just a job. When that passion goes out the door, it becomes just a means to buying nice things. Hey that rhymes! You can tell as a fan, if players are playing to be paid or playing to have fun. Will the real Jadeveon Clowney please stand up! The Giants have been playing just to be playing. There's no love for the game at all! Sometimes I think the Giants are full of excuses. Whether its injuries, contracts disputes, or lack of leadership. This team needs a voice in the locker room to pull the team together. I can't think of one person on the team, that could unite the locker room. The Bears have a few people, including linebacker Lance Briggs, Brandon Marshall and Julius Peppers. They talk, people listen. The Bears are playing with passion, but they just can't beat top teams. They don't have enough talent to go to a super bowl, but its not all about talent. Its about heart, its about the fight. The Bears look and play together as a team. They play with heart. Remember that hit, Cutler put a hit on Steelers defensive back Robert Golden...that's passion, that's heart. For a team who has dug themselves in a hole, which players are going to take it upon themselves to get them out? Which players are going to put the game and team on their back?
The Bears are favored to win by eight. Looking at how both of these two teams have reached tonight's matchup. The Bears winning by eight sounds right, however the Giants need to win badly. I wouldn't be surprised if the Bears let the Giants hang around and then eventually lose the game to them. At this point, the Giants have nothing else to lose besides pride. Even though their record is bad, they still do have a good quarterback and receivers connection. With no running game, it will be hard to keep defensive backs off of the receivers. Therefore I believe the Giants defensive line comes alive tonight and rattles Cutler until he commits turnovers, which will give the Giants good field position. The Bears pass rush is in a coma. If they give Eli time in the pocket to get passes downfield, his receivers will get separation and he will have a big night. The Bears need to make sure that Giant pass rush will stay quiet. Run the ball and let Forte keep the defense honest. Bear hugs vs. Giant smiles. Bears are looking to give hugs at the end, while the Giants are looking to walk away with a smile.
Showing posts with label Cowboys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cowboys. Show all posts
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
FOURTH & FOREVER: PREVIEWING THE NFC EAST
Johnny J
The NFC East use to be a dominant division in the 90's and early 2000's, with the Dallas Cowboys being "America's Team" and the Philadelphia Eagles actually played well under former head coach, Andy Reid. Since then, the Cowboys haven't been in many playoff appearances under quarterback Tony Romo. The funny thing is, they just gave him a fat contract, ($108 million) for someone who has only one playoff win under his cleats and hasn't been to a Pro Bowl since 2009. This brings us to the New York Giants who have been the more aggressive team in this division. The Giants don't catch people's eyes, but they sneak into the playoffs and even have two Super Bowls--XL11 and XVl. The Washington Redskins are the team to keep your third eye on. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2007 and won the division for the first time since 1999. The Redskins have young talent with a veterans' coach presence in Mike Shanahan.
With training camp approaching, the NFC East will finally get to answer questions that's been looming all off-season:
Griffin III was the most exciting, mobile quarterback to watch in football last year. Winning NFL offensive rookie for the month of September in 2012. In week six, he scrambled for a 76 yard touchdown run. The first quarterback to play that was born in the 90's. The Redskins go as Griffin goes. The team was 10-6 last season and I believe they can win 11 this year with a healthy Griffin. He is the future, he shouldn't be rushed back if hes not ready. Besides second year quarterback Kirk Cousins needs to show he can be more than a back-up on another team. He threw a 77 yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss in his first appearence in a loss. He brought the Redskins back in week 14 win against the Baltimore Ravens, scoring a touch-down in 29 seconds and converting on a quarterback sneak for the two-point conversion. He's good under pressure. They also have a young reliable back in Doug Martin. He rushed for almost 1,400 yards in his rookie year. I expect more from the Boise State back. Even without a first round pick in this past draft, the Redskins should be playoff bound. The defense was solid, ranked ninth in stopping the run. They should be better with linebacker Brian Orakpo.
The Eagle hasn't landed because it hasn't taken off yet. I expect the Eagles to be much better on offense. They drafted a reliable left tackle in Oklahoma's Lane Johnson. That should help the sack and scrambling problem. They gave up a total of 118 sacks to oppossing teams. No quarterback is going to survive that. New head coach, Chip Kelly, hasn't decided on who the quarterback will be, but we all know its going to be Michael Vick. In Kelly's run happy scheme offense at Oregon, the Eagles will run the ball and that benefits Vick. He is a decent passer, but is more lethal in the open-field with the ball tucked in. Especially when you have a running back in LeSean McCoy, who is also a great runner in the open-field. Now include the option and the play-option...shaking my head. They will be a dangerous offensive team. Now on the other side of the ball. The Eagles released overpaid cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who didn't look like he knew his defensive assignments. Defensive end Jason Babin was another overpaid pick-up. He was released after 11 games as he only produced 5.5 sacks. The defense is now starting over, changing from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense. They ranked 30th last season in stopping the run, so they brought in Isaac Soporga from the 49ers. He stands at 6-2 330 pounds. That should help plug the middle of the line.
Romo has to live up to his contract, simply by staying healthy and winning playoff games. I would say he is under pressure to win, but he has a $50 million gurantee contract. He is tied to the Cowboys for years to come. LOL! Sorry, I was just imaging him as the face of the Cowboys for the next several years. Romo has the weapons around him. He has good receivers in Dez Bryant and Miles Austin as well. Romo has 10 team records including nine games with 300 passing yards and the most touchdowns in a season at 36. It makes me think, what the heck did Troy Aikman do? Oh wait, he had Emmitt Smith. He has no pressure, but maybe the Cowboys should have waited on that contract so he can improve his game and prove himself. Running back DeMarco Murray, is a fanstay owner's dream--when healthy. That's his problem right there. He is injury prone and they won't win without a balanced offense. He has the record for a 10.1 average yard per carry, with more than 20 attempts for the Cowboys. This guy is so good finding holes. The key is how head coach Jason Garrett will manage this team in 2013 as he might be the only coach on the hot seat in this division before the season even starts. Once the highest paid offensive coordinator in football, he is now on the verge of losing his job. Nice promotion right? Oh, but wait: the Cowboys have come in third place in the NFC East three years straight under him. I think this fourth year has to tell Jerry Jones if this is the right guy or not. The Cowboys are switching to a 4-3 defense. Did I mention they brought in Monte Kiffin as the defensive coordinator? The "Tampa 2," man! He uses speed over size and strength and he focuses on creating turnovers. I'm looking forward to see how he uses linebacker Sean Lee and pass rusher DeMarcus Ware. Will he still be the same dynamic player? Only time will tell.
The Giants are not a team that have heavy hitters, but they have good players that like to throw haymakers. The name Eli Manning doesn't blow you away, simply because hes not a top tier quarterback, but he somehow finds away to get the job done. His two Super-Bowl MVPs can vouch for him. Manning is the key to the Giants' offense, with an unknown running back in David Wilson, he will have to make this offense turn the corner. The Giants have a solid offensive line as Manning was only sacked 3.58 percent of the time. It ranked number one last season. With a good line comes good blocking and good running. Wilson looked good behind Bradshaw, but now he is the main carrier. He just needs to hold on to the ball because he does put the ball on the ground. Happy receivers are happy pass-catchers. It means when a receiver is happy, it shows in his production. Nicks didn't look happy last season. In 13 games, he had three touchdowns on 53 receptions. That is terrible numbers for a starter. Maybe he needs a bigger contract or a new team, but this year we will find out. I say the injury-prone receiver needs a change of scenery. On the other side of the ball, the defense will struggle simply because they will miss Jason Pierre-Paul who just had back surgery and will miss majority of the season. Also the line lost Osi Umenyiora to the Falcons. The defense starts up-front and without pressure, the opposing quarterback has time in the pocket. The defense will take a step back this season. The G-Men can't just rely on Subway Justin Tuck.
Who will win the NFC East? My gut says the Philadelphia Eagles, even though my gut isn't as big as it use to be. I just think Chip Kelly and that offense are going to be over-powering for teams. It's going to be hard to stop the run with McCoy and Vick. The defense is going to be better as well. They got rid of some under-performing players and are trying a new defensive scheme. The defense may be in a rebuilding state, but that offense is going to be really good.
The Redskins are going to be right there with the Eagles. A healthy dynamic duo in RGIII and Doug Martin are going to make defenses tired. If the defense can hold up, the Redskins are going to win a lot of close games. RGlll just has to find away to avoid a lot of big hits. If the quarterback goes down, so does moving the offense.
The Cowboys are going to come in third place, again. They spent too much on a quarterback who I believe has reached his peak. A good regular season quarterback, but under the bright lights hes trying to cover the lights with his hands instead of reaching for shades. I also don't know if I like DeMarcus Ware as a defensive end. It may take time to adjust in a stance with a great jump.
The Giants defense is missing key players and I have not seen suitable replacements. Unless someone steps up, they will be vulnerable and that will add to the list of Eli Manning having more fourth quarter comebacks. The Giants will be in shootouts the whole season. If you're not first you're last. Last sounds about right.
More NFL content is available here.
The NFC East use to be a dominant division in the 90's and early 2000's, with the Dallas Cowboys being "America's Team" and the Philadelphia Eagles actually played well under former head coach, Andy Reid. Since then, the Cowboys haven't been in many playoff appearances under quarterback Tony Romo. The funny thing is, they just gave him a fat contract, ($108 million) for someone who has only one playoff win under his cleats and hasn't been to a Pro Bowl since 2009. This brings us to the New York Giants who have been the more aggressive team in this division. The Giants don't catch people's eyes, but they sneak into the playoffs and even have two Super Bowls--XL11 and XVl. The Washington Redskins are the team to keep your third eye on. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2007 and won the division for the first time since 1999. The Redskins have young talent with a veterans' coach presence in Mike Shanahan.
With training camp approaching, the NFC East will finally get to answer questions that's been looming all off-season:
- Will quarterback Robert Griffin lll be healthy enough to participate in camp and be ready for the season after coming off of a LCL and ACL injury?
- Who will be the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles? Michael Vick or Nick Foles, or long-shot rookie Matt Barkley?
- With receiver Victor Cruz finally happy with his $45 million contract, will receiver Hakeem Nicks make a statement for his big payday?
- Is second year running back David Wilson going to be the man in the back-field now that Ahmad Bradshaw is gone?
- Will Romo live up to that contract?
- Is this it for head coach Jason Garrett if the team doesn't make it deep into the playoffs?
Griffin III was the most exciting, mobile quarterback to watch in football last year. Winning NFL offensive rookie for the month of September in 2012. In week six, he scrambled for a 76 yard touchdown run. The first quarterback to play that was born in the 90's. The Redskins go as Griffin goes. The team was 10-6 last season and I believe they can win 11 this year with a healthy Griffin. He is the future, he shouldn't be rushed back if hes not ready. Besides second year quarterback Kirk Cousins needs to show he can be more than a back-up on another team. He threw a 77 yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss in his first appearence in a loss. He brought the Redskins back in week 14 win against the Baltimore Ravens, scoring a touch-down in 29 seconds and converting on a quarterback sneak for the two-point conversion. He's good under pressure. They also have a young reliable back in Doug Martin. He rushed for almost 1,400 yards in his rookie year. I expect more from the Boise State back. Even without a first round pick in this past draft, the Redskins should be playoff bound. The defense was solid, ranked ninth in stopping the run. They should be better with linebacker Brian Orakpo.
The Eagle hasn't landed because it hasn't taken off yet. I expect the Eagles to be much better on offense. They drafted a reliable left tackle in Oklahoma's Lane Johnson. That should help the sack and scrambling problem. They gave up a total of 118 sacks to oppossing teams. No quarterback is going to survive that. New head coach, Chip Kelly, hasn't decided on who the quarterback will be, but we all know its going to be Michael Vick. In Kelly's run happy scheme offense at Oregon, the Eagles will run the ball and that benefits Vick. He is a decent passer, but is more lethal in the open-field with the ball tucked in. Especially when you have a running back in LeSean McCoy, who is also a great runner in the open-field. Now include the option and the play-option...shaking my head. They will be a dangerous offensive team. Now on the other side of the ball. The Eagles released overpaid cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who didn't look like he knew his defensive assignments. Defensive end Jason Babin was another overpaid pick-up. He was released after 11 games as he only produced 5.5 sacks. The defense is now starting over, changing from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense. They ranked 30th last season in stopping the run, so they brought in Isaac Soporga from the 49ers. He stands at 6-2 330 pounds. That should help plug the middle of the line.
Romo has to live up to his contract, simply by staying healthy and winning playoff games. I would say he is under pressure to win, but he has a $50 million gurantee contract. He is tied to the Cowboys for years to come. LOL! Sorry, I was just imaging him as the face of the Cowboys for the next several years. Romo has the weapons around him. He has good receivers in Dez Bryant and Miles Austin as well. Romo has 10 team records including nine games with 300 passing yards and the most touchdowns in a season at 36. It makes me think, what the heck did Troy Aikman do? Oh wait, he had Emmitt Smith. He has no pressure, but maybe the Cowboys should have waited on that contract so he can improve his game and prove himself. Running back DeMarco Murray, is a fanstay owner's dream--when healthy. That's his problem right there. He is injury prone and they won't win without a balanced offense. He has the record for a 10.1 average yard per carry, with more than 20 attempts for the Cowboys. This guy is so good finding holes. The key is how head coach Jason Garrett will manage this team in 2013 as he might be the only coach on the hot seat in this division before the season even starts. Once the highest paid offensive coordinator in football, he is now on the verge of losing his job. Nice promotion right? Oh, but wait: the Cowboys have come in third place in the NFC East three years straight under him. I think this fourth year has to tell Jerry Jones if this is the right guy or not. The Cowboys are switching to a 4-3 defense. Did I mention they brought in Monte Kiffin as the defensive coordinator? The "Tampa 2," man! He uses speed over size and strength and he focuses on creating turnovers. I'm looking forward to see how he uses linebacker Sean Lee and pass rusher DeMarcus Ware. Will he still be the same dynamic player? Only time will tell.
The Giants are not a team that have heavy hitters, but they have good players that like to throw haymakers. The name Eli Manning doesn't blow you away, simply because hes not a top tier quarterback, but he somehow finds away to get the job done. His two Super-Bowl MVPs can vouch for him. Manning is the key to the Giants' offense, with an unknown running back in David Wilson, he will have to make this offense turn the corner. The Giants have a solid offensive line as Manning was only sacked 3.58 percent of the time. It ranked number one last season. With a good line comes good blocking and good running. Wilson looked good behind Bradshaw, but now he is the main carrier. He just needs to hold on to the ball because he does put the ball on the ground. Happy receivers are happy pass-catchers. It means when a receiver is happy, it shows in his production. Nicks didn't look happy last season. In 13 games, he had three touchdowns on 53 receptions. That is terrible numbers for a starter. Maybe he needs a bigger contract or a new team, but this year we will find out. I say the injury-prone receiver needs a change of scenery. On the other side of the ball, the defense will struggle simply because they will miss Jason Pierre-Paul who just had back surgery and will miss majority of the season. Also the line lost Osi Umenyiora to the Falcons. The defense starts up-front and without pressure, the opposing quarterback has time in the pocket. The defense will take a step back this season. The G-Men can't just rely on Subway Justin Tuck.
Who will win the NFC East? My gut says the Philadelphia Eagles, even though my gut isn't as big as it use to be. I just think Chip Kelly and that offense are going to be over-powering for teams. It's going to be hard to stop the run with McCoy and Vick. The defense is going to be better as well. They got rid of some under-performing players and are trying a new defensive scheme. The defense may be in a rebuilding state, but that offense is going to be really good.
The Redskins are going to be right there with the Eagles. A healthy dynamic duo in RGIII and Doug Martin are going to make defenses tired. If the defense can hold up, the Redskins are going to win a lot of close games. RGlll just has to find away to avoid a lot of big hits. If the quarterback goes down, so does moving the offense.
The Cowboys are going to come in third place, again. They spent too much on a quarterback who I believe has reached his peak. A good regular season quarterback, but under the bright lights hes trying to cover the lights with his hands instead of reaching for shades. I also don't know if I like DeMarcus Ware as a defensive end. It may take time to adjust in a stance with a great jump.
The Giants defense is missing key players and I have not seen suitable replacements. Unless someone steps up, they will be vulnerable and that will add to the list of Eli Manning having more fourth quarter comebacks. The Giants will be in shootouts the whole season. If you're not first you're last. Last sounds about right.
More NFL content is available here.
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