When you are 0-2 the first thing you fear is not getting a win. As a Giant fan right now, I can not imagine our defense stoping anyone (not even USC or LSU for that matter). While going winless is pretty realistic, failing to make the playoffs is not. So basically I waited nine months to see the season down the tubes in two weeks? Not always, but again that is the fear when your team is winless. They say misery loves company, and I can attest to that. I can't tell you how much worse I would feel as a Giant fan if I did not have the 0-2 companionship of Eagles and Jets fans. Basically, my old friend smurph, who is a notorious quitter (see beer sandwiches) already had me thinking about what it would be like to get a top pick in the 2008 draft. While it is way too early for me to think about that (get me the top defensive player on the board, I do not care the position), it got me thinking about the direction of the Giants organization.
When I look at an NFL team, the simplest way to judge the direction of a team is to look at two things: the Head Coach and QB. Now I know to win in this league you need to run the ball, stop the run, control the line of scrimmage, not turn the ball over, blablahblah. At its heart though, if I have a head coach that I can trust in a big game and who can motivate his players, plus a QB who I can also trust in a big game (anti Rex Grossman) then I have something to build around. Now for every 0-2 team they want to still have a chance this year, but they also want to know that if this season is for naught that they still have a bright future. Let's quickly run down those 0-2 teams..
Eagles--Reid/McNabb: Both have been around a long time, but I think they both have a lot of good football left in them. I would not be too worried if I was an Eagles fan about the future.
Falcons: Petrino/Harrington(Leftwich): They have the young coach they want, and may have the QB they want if they get the number one pick. Right now though their biggest hole is at QB.
Saints: Payton/Brees: Great young coach and Pro Bowl QB. I'd say they got something to work with.
Rams: Linnehan/Bulger: Coach has been taking some heat lately and might not be the answer there. Bulger is a Pro Bowler.
Bills: Jauron/Losman: Retread coach and a young QB that a lot of people doubt. Not very good shape.
Dolphins: Cameron/Green: Much hyped young coach and QB on his last legs. I like the coach and will wait and see how they address the QB position in the draft.
Chiefs: Edwards/Huard: Bad coach and bad QB situation.
Raiders: Kiffin/Russell: Got the rookie coach and QB to grow together. The franchise is consistantly unstable, but these two should have the ability to grow up together.
Lastly, the Jets and Giants. For the Jets, they got the coach who they feel is a genius. Won Jets fans hearts over last year through a surprise playoff birth and has shown some grit when dealing with his ex-employers (Spygate). The tough part for the Jets is they got a QB who they like in Kellen Clemens, but Pennington is in his way. Whenever the Jets do choose to go to Clemens they can expect some growing pains. Not an easy spot for Jet fans to be in. They want to win now, but know that the QB they feel that can eventually take them to a championship level will take time to develop. All I can say is if you start off like 2-5, Mangini puts Clemens in, takes his knocks this year and hope that they can make a run to the playoffs next year. To me, thats the best case as far as realistic scenarios go for the Jets. If they stick with Chad and they make the playoffs this year, Jet fans will still know that they will never really be able to make that championship jump until Chad is out of there. Better do to that sooner than later, and a poor start will allow for that.
The Giants are in a very wierd place. I supported bring the coach back. I just felt with the owners passing and the GM retiring the team needed a little stability. I felt the team showed that it did not quit on him by winning their final game and almost beating Philly in the playoffs. At this point though I really can not imagine him being able to endure a possible 6-10 season with getting fired. In addition, while Eli showed a lot of ability and toughness in the first two games, all Giants fans know not to get too excited about Eli until we see him put a whole season together like that. I think he will perform at a high level all year, but I worry about the pieces around him. I am not sold on this GM. If Coughlin goes, then who comes in to replace him? Bill Cowher? Charlie Weis? Bill Parcells? A no name young assistant?
Basically, I have a team here that is very unsettled at the coaching spot and unsure about the QB. While I would much rather be a Giant fan right now than a Chief or Falcons fan, the future for this team is stull very cloudy. So right now we are sitting at 0-2. I don't know when our first win will be and I have no clue as to the direction of the franchise if we do tank this year. ALl I can look toward is a win in Washington to eliminate about 70% of this doubt and rekindle my playoff dreams. You gotta love Sundays.
Shite:
- I could just be bitter because my Mets are in the process of blowing a seven game division lead in their last 17 games. If you told me in 2003 the Mets would be in first place right now going for their 2nd consectutive division title, I would never have imagined that it would feel this joyless. Losing eight straight to the Phillies??? Ugh
- Everyone needs to relax about this Patriots undefeated talk. It is not goinig to happen. They still have to go into Cincinatti, Baltimore, Indy and Dallas. They have a very tough schedule. I think they will get home field, but the AFC is just too tough in a year like this for them to go undefeated. Not saying it will never happen again, just not this year.
- Any of you guys realize that all of these urinary and sexual dysfunction drugs they advertise on every sporting event will one day pertain to us? I am glad that right now I just get a laugh out of these ads. Not looking forward to being interested in what they offer.
- Boston wants no part of the Yankees in October.
- Plan on reading David Halberstam's October 1964 next month. My own way of paying tribute to a man I never met, but I greatly admire.
- I look forward to the day when professional sports can take back all the power they have given to the TV networks. Please check out the TV schedule for this years MLB playoffs. It is a joke how much time off these teams are getting. Baseball is meant to be played everyday. This will bother the fans and will also effect the play of the teams.
- All you people that were killing Mike Mussina seem to have shut up...thats two solid starts in a row. Considering how he was buried three weeks ago, I would assume that those same people would have Moose starting Game 1 of the playoffs after these past two starts.
STKAFI
32 comments:
hey pal, the dolphins addressed their QB situation last draft...how about some O-line or secondary help this time around?
Its good to see that investigative journalism still exists in this world. Way to siphon out the bullshit and really get to the true starting quarterback and coaches of 6 teams. Sure you didnt mention us even though we are key pieces in our teams' future but finding the old dudes in front of us must have been a tough espn search.
yeah guys, i still got it! throw me in there against the blue jays (74-75) and the orioles (64-86) and its pretty much a guaranteed win!
How many pro snaps have Kolb, Croyle or Beck taken???
Why would I warrent them with a mention when they are such huge question marks? OK bigshot...name me every starting QB in the league that is with the team that drafted him, but was not a first round pick. Now name me five QBs that were not first round picks, stayed with the team that drafted them and became an all-time great. Keep dreaming about clowns like Kolb, Croyle and Beck becoming the man for their respective teams. If one of them develops into a Pro Bowler I will be surprised.
As for Moose...we know this is him. Can beat bad line-ups and will get beat up against good ones. All the more reason to not have flipped out when he got beat up by the Tigers and Angels a couple times. I am just happy as a Yankee hater. The better Moose pitches, the more likely he gets a start in the playoffs. ANd if you read the Yankee beat writers, they feel that Moose would get a start over Hughes or Kennedy. Yay!!
since when did the qb have to become an all-time great in this discussion. your point waws all you need in the nfl is a servicable qb and a good coach, john beck and kevin kolb can definately provide that...brodie croyle, not so much (my personal opinion).
plus, the dolphins don't need to "address their qb situation" in the draft, they did, that's all johnny boy was saying.
hello!
Here are the guys....Brady (great), Garrard (servicable, but I would not trust him in a big game), Jackson (sucks), Anderson (keeping spot warm for Quinn), Bulger (great), Romo (good), Croyle (sucks). My point was that its hard enough to become a starter at QB when not being a 1st round pick, and even harder to be given the patience to go thru growing pains and keep your job.
You need to understand that guys who weren't first round picks don't need to get a chance. Big money was not spent on them so the GM does not push for it as much and fans/media do not pressure teams about them as much. When a first round pick sucks he gets more and more chances because of the moey they are owed. WHen a late rounder screws up the team just goes and drafts a first rounder in more scenarios! If they don't have to be patient they aren't.
As for the guys you mentioned...Kolb is still behind a potential Pro Bowler who is only 31. Beck is a 26 year old rookie. Enough said. Croyle has looked great off the field, but when he puts on that helmet his stock rapidly declines.
Why don't I just throw Jared Lorenzen in the Giant debate?
"...who is only 31."
"Beck is a 26 year old rookie. Enough said."
Which is it buddy? Is 31 still young? Or is 26 too old?
You can't have it both ways...
Hey IceCold, while your down there, you wanna rub some ICYhot on my nads?
26 with no experience in the NFL is old.
31 with multiple Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl appearence isn't.
so when I turn 30 and have 3-4 years experience, will I be too old to lead my team?
No...but your shelf-life as an NFL QB is going to be shorter than most considering you are entering the league 3-4 years later.
Plus let's first see when you get a chance to start. It won't be for a couple more years if I have anything to say about it..
Your point has nothing to do with staying with the same team or 1st round picks. You were talking about the future for our respective teams. We are all signed to long term (4-5 year) deals and will be with our teams for a while. To not mention us in a "outlook for 0-2 teams using coaches and qbs only" is not only an oversight, but is foolish as well.
I was trying to look at each team briefly and realistically. Where is each team at right now and how does that bode for the future in one sentence? If you have potential change at the QB or coaching position then that is not good. Uncertainty is what we fear as a fan. If I did not label the starting QB or coach as a keeper, then that means there is instability in your future and who knows how that will turn out. A team like the Saints looks like they won't have to deal with that, while most other 0-2 teams will. Since my team is 0-2, I would at least like to feel like we have something to build around fo rwhen we do start winning. Unfortunately, with the Giants it looks like we may start over as far as the coaching staff is concerned this offseason, which can be scary.
Plus, I went into more detail with the Jets and Giants and mentioned Clemens, who is exactly the kind of guy that I am not really going to get excited about at all until I see him play a few games.
Its easy being an older rookie.
Just look at my probowls and superbowl rings.
I mean, you cant mention Brady or Manning without mentioning me!
Thanks for the rub IceCold!
You mentioned me and I've taken no snaps either!
if you're going to mention russell, who didn't even show up to training camp, you should have either mentioned the other qb's waiting in the wings or evaluated the raiders as kiffen/mccown (culpepper) or something
Fo rizzle
My shoulder is killing me....waaaaaa
a) I was the #1 pick in the draft
b) I got a $60 million contract
c) My team sucks and I am the center of their rebuilding project.
The other QBs you named? They may be "waiting in the wings", but there is a possibility that they never get their chance with those teams. There is no chance I am not given a chance to be the starting QB within two years.
My fingers hurt!
Yeah a lot of us draft QB's in the first round because we don't have them in our future plans... brilliant strategy
In case your QB coming off knee surgery is not the same you draft a young guy! Get it??
I was a 2nd round pick and I am proud of it by the way!!
Shampoo is better, I got on first and clean the hair! NO, conditioner is better, I go on last and make the hair silky and smooth!!!!
You have to fight...for your right...to PARTAY!!
Im better than Tony Homo
I hate Cheeseburgers and everything that they stand for.
Also, Icecold should have included young backups
You're right. Passing on Brady Quinn SPECIFICALLY to Beck in the early 2nd round, knowing your going to be signing a 37-year old QB coming off a head injury that knocked him out for most of last year and was never the same after he came back, while releasing the QB with a bum knee your satan coach picked over drew brees sounds like a succession plan that the Dolphins don't intend on using...something tells me Beck will be playing sooner rather then later...
That was my comment...anonymous...
That man above is an imposter!
I was the star of Gulliver's Travels on ABC
ME!
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