Giants Season... Shot!
PHOTOS: EAGLES DEFEAT GIANTS, 23-11
Alright... so my prediction of a Giants win over the Eagles didn't exactly pan out. But now that I look at it... The Giants season was "shot" on November 28th when Plaxico Burress' gun went off in his sweat pants at the Latin Quarter. Yes, hindsight is 20/20 but the Giants were a completely different team without Plax in the lineup. I knew his absence would be a factor, but I have to admit that I thought the Giants had enough to overcome his loss. They obviously did not.
Without Plax in the lineup the Giants are a little more predictable. Brandon Jacobs is getting the ball. You know that. Jacobs had an ok game... 92 yards on 19 carries. But when you know the run is coming, you can load up to stop the run. Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon will not make anyone scared enough to honor them as deep threats. They are nice players, but do not command the respect that Burress commands. That's just the way it is... and wouldn't you have loved to have that 6 foot 5 target in the end zone when the Giants were threatening? The Giants had to settle for 5 field goal attempts... John Carney nailed only 3 of them. The play calling that everyone is criticizing was not great, but they were limited.
But because of Burress' stupid mistake, not only does he pay, his teammates pay. The Giants, to a man, will tell you that they didn't lose because Burress didn't play, but they're wrong. Yes, Eli Manning had a bad game and looked bad throwing the ball. But Plax, with his size, just goes up and gets those balls. The other receivers can't turn Eli's bad throws into big gainers like Burress can. This is not to take credit away from the Eagles. They played well on both sides of the ball, but this is a different game with #17 in the lineup. Now, the question is: If Plaxico somehow beats the rap and is available to play next season, what will the Giants do? If he is not available, who do they bring in? That should be interesting. Well, just a few short weeks til pitchers and catchers!!
PHOTOS: EAGLES DEFEAT GIANTS, 23-11
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Comments: 2
I hear you Chris. My prediction was off too. However, i think many people would have predicted the Giants to win even without Plaxico. The team as a whole seemed strong and capable of filling the Plax void, even after late season losses. My concern is more for how they completely broke down. Instead of taking moments, like Ahmad Bradshaw's kickoff return, and running with them (no pun intended), they fell flat on their faces. I think Burress might have helped, there's no question, but this team has some issues. What if Plax would have been out with an injury and not a suspension because of the gun incident? A solid team would have dealt with the adversity better. And to be honest with you, I thought the Giants was that type of team. Is it a leadership issue? A disconnect and harbouring of bad feelings thing? Not sure... but the Giants certainly need a Phil Jackson "Zen Master" moment (he can be really deep. My volleyball coach in college used his book, "Sacred Hoops", to get us through some rough spots) and figure things out. Even if Plax is brought back, as recent reports see the Giants doing, are all problems solved? I think not.
I just watched the Superbowl highlights from last season on ESPN, gave me goosebumps....but made me sad too...you can't win it every year :(