Neil Keefe

Dec 7, 2010

A Reality Check

I was born on September 19, 1986 — 29 days before the start of the Mets-Red Sox World Series. At this point in my life, a series of that magnitude would be the equivalent of

I was born on September 19, 1986 — 29 days before the start of the Mets-Red Sox World Series. At this point in my life, a series of that magnitude would be the equivalent of the apocalypse. Mets. Red Sox. One team has to win. One team has to become world champion. It’s as terrifying as a sporting event can be in which one of my teams isn’t playing. Thankfully I wasn’t even a month old the last time that nightmarish matchup took place.

Nothing in sports can touch what the aftermath of a Mets-Red Sox World Series would mean to me as a Yankees fan and someone who lived in Boston for five years and had to live through two Red Sox championships. The only thing that I could see being relatively similar would be a Jets-Patriots AFC Championship, and that’s why on Monday I made the trip to Foxboro to get a first-hand look at the second-worst possible sports formula to my life. Sounds crazy considering I’m a Giants fan, and neither team has a direct impact on the Giants’ path to the Super Bowl, but with all of the hype surrounding the Jets-Patriots Monday Night Football game, I figured if this is the potential AFC Championship, I might as well get a sneak peek as to what life will be like when two teams that I despise meet to decide a trip to Dallas.

For all the hype, it was as bad a football game as it could be. Actually it was a bad football game even without the hype. It was as bad as the time I went to see Tom Petty a few summers ago and he played all new songs, or the time I had seats behind home plate for Yankees-Red Sox and Roger Clemens put together the type of performance (5.1 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 HR) that A.J. Burnett puts together every fifth day. I respect the Jets fans that I saw playing bags and crushing Coors Lights when I walked into the stadium at 5 p.m. knowing that they would be pregaming for another three-plus hours in freezing temperatures and would then have to sit through another three-plus hours of freezing temperatures being humiliated in a rival stadium. I respect them, but I don’t feel bad for them because at some point “the same old Jets” were going to become exactly that. It might not have happened against the Broncos, Lions, Browns or Texans, but it was going to happen again, and the Patriots were the perfect team to remind the Jets that they have a long way to go.

I went into the game with an open mind knowing that one of the fan bases I hate would come out victorious. I didn’t care who won because the result would be both good and bad either way it ended, I just wanted to see a good game. I was hoping for maybe a low-scoring defensive affair, or a game that would come down to a two-minute drill in the fourth quarter. Instead I got a 45-3 blowout in which Mark Sanchez looked every bit as bad as he was in his four-interception game in Foxboro last season. By the end of the third quarter, I was wishing it were an NHL game so that there would be a line brawl or scrap of some kind. Instead the Patriots tacked on another 14 points in the fourth quarter and the closest thing to a line brawl was the wild pack of reporters fighting over the free pizza after the game.

I believe that you find out what players and coaches are really like in big games. It’s like talking to someone when they are drunk and they open up to you and tell you their real opinions and feelings that they would never tell you sober. But with some alcohol, you are suddenly their best friend and someone they trust to talk to. Well big games are alcohol for players and coaches, and no game has been bigger this season than the Jets-Patriots Monday Night Football game. No one is as important as the head coach and quarterback in football, so let’s find out who the two head coaches and quarterbacks really are after the biggest game of the 2010 season to this point.

Rex Ryan
I didn’t like Rex Ryan at first, then he grew on me and I even wished Tom Coughlin was a little like him when I said, “I only wish Tom Coughlin could be half as likeable as Rex Ryan.” Actually I wish Tom Coughlin could be half as likable as anyone, but I was wrong to think that Coughlin should change his ways to be more like Ryan. After my 180 on Rex, I have done other 180, and now a complete 360 and I am back to my initial stance of not being a fan of Rex Ryan anymore.

There are few, if any, press conferences in sports as entertaining as Rex Ryan’s, but even those are getting old. In two seasons, Rex Ryan has become what The Office has become for me over seven seasons — a show that I was skeptical about at first, and then grew to love before becoming skeptical again.

One day Rex is saying that the Jets are the team to beat and the next he is saying that he knew the AFC East would run through New England. I understand that you have to take a grain of salt with whatever Rex says, but it’s become ridiculous. He wants to come off as this cocky, arrogant and pompous winner when the Jets are winning close games against barely competent teams. And after losses, he becomes an apologetic, sincere and humble the next. It’s an odd act that has made him a favorite of Jets fan, but an immature and unprepared clown to outsiders.

Tom Coughlin might not have a comedic personality or a limit to the amount of snacks he can eat in a day or a twin brother that looks like Sean Connery’s character John Mason at the beginning of The Rock, but he has beaten Bill Belichick in a big game (the biggest of games), and at least with Tom Coughlin you know what you’re getting, whether you like it or not. Oddly enough, I’m thankful that Tom Coughlin is the way he is.

Mark Sanchez
Last week, Mike Francesa said that if you polled the city, the majority of people would take Mark Sanchez to be their quarterback over Eli Manning. It’s true and it blows my mind.

I understand that Jets fans are protective of their quarterback the same way that I was of Eli in his first few seasons in the league before he beat what would have been the greatest team ever and then didn’t need me to protect or defend him anymore. But there comes a time when you have to look in the mirror and admit that while Mark Sanchez might be an elite quarterback one day, he is nowhere close to being one right now.

This season Sanchez has been a lot better than his disastrous 20-interception season in 2009, but with the team’s success, his second-year abilities have been disguised for most of the season before being unveiled on national TV on Monday night.

I had one friend tell me that Mark Sanchez is underrated — a claim that couldn’t be further from the truth. If Sanchez isn’t the most overrated player in the league, he is certainly near the top of the list. I think he will be an elite quarterback in the league at some point, but I don’t think he is ready to be the Super Bowl quarterback Rex Ryan thinks he is, and we saw that in his second career start in Foxboro.

Bill Belichick
Unless you’re a Patriots fan, it’s easy to hate Bill Belichick, and I think Patriots fans understand why non-Patriots fans hate him. He dresses like he came out of the Eric Prydz “Call on Me” video, usually wearing 1980s sweats, a shredded hoodie and a women’s headband. He is smug with the media, and his answers are more boring than Associated Press stories. He has very few redeeming qualities from a non-Patriots fan perspective, except for two things: He is a winner and he is a Yankees fan. And being a Yankees fan means a lot, at least to me it does. It made me go change my feelings about UNC’s Roy Williams, and it just might work with Belichick.

Bill Belichick is as much a symbol of winning as Tom Brady is in the NFL, and for all the criticism and abuse he takes about he conducts himself, the man puts a winning on the field every season. So many people were quick to predict the Jets to win the AFC East this season and write off the Patriots and their young and inexperienced defense. And when the Patriots traded Randy Moss, everyone thought Belichick was making a terrible mistake, the same way they did when he traded away Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour. But at some point I think we need to stop questioning Belichick’s coaching and personnel decisions.

He will never say it outright, but Monday night’s win was as big a regular season win as there is. But Belichick didn’t compare it to the Super Bowl or make it sound any more important than a win over the Lions. And that’s probably because he knows the difference between winning a Super Bowl and winning a game in Week 13 against your division rival.

Tom Brady
I should hate Tom Brady. He is a legend and an icon in Boston and has brought immense happiness three times to the sports city I hate more than any other. But everything about Tom Brady says I should like him.

He’s the Derek Jeter of football. He’s a winner. He says the right things (minus that Plaxico Burress defense comment). He wears a Yankees hat away from the football field and is married to a smokeshow. I think I want to be a fan of Tom Brady. I just don’t know if I can.

For some reason, Tom Brady is constantly doubted. Whether it’s “experts” picking against him in big games or people siding with Peyton Manning in the “Who’s The Better Quarterback Debate?” it seems like Tom Brady doesn’t get enough credit. I’m sure there are plenty of people who watched the game on ESPN last night and had to listen to Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski and John Gruden drool over him and who think that maybe Tom Brady gets too much attention, but doesn’t he deserve it? And if he doesn’t, who does?

Aside from making the Patriots the Yankees of the NFL and giving Boston three championships in a four-year span, Tom Brady is 0-1 against my team in big games, so I don’t have any real grudge against him, other than maybe his haircut. But I know one thing, and that is after his performance this season in what was supposed to be a down year for the Patriots, I will never doubt him again. He’s earned that.

Blogs • Giants

Nov 23, 2010

Looking Back on Black Sunday

After taking a full day to become emotionally stable following the second game in a row that looks like it will kick off the annual second-half collapse for the New York Football Giants, I am

After taking a full day to become emotionally stable following the second game in a row that looks like it will kick off the annual second-half collapse for the New York Football Giants, I am ready to look back at the Sunday night debacle. It was the darkest day of the 2010 season, and not just for the Giants and their chances at reaching the postseason, which now sit at 30 percent, but for me personally as a Giants fan, and as a football fan.

On Sunday I had to watch the Jets pull off a miracle win against the Texans. Then I watched the Patriots pick off Peyton Manning one less time than he had been picked off in the first nine games of the season, as the Colts teased me almost their second 31-14 comeback against the Patriots in as many years. The Cowboys? Not like they matter anymore this year, but they won too. The Redskins? Victorious. As the day went on, every NFL team I hate was watching their win total change, and the only two teams left to play that I despise were the Eagles against the Giants and the Chargers on Monday night. Give the Eagles a W, and the Chargers one too. And remember November 21, 2010 as Black Sunday.

The storm didn’t stop there. Nope. On Monday we found out that Hakeem Nicks would be out for three weeks, and that the Giants would be posting their latest wide receiver job opening on the team’s official site and Craigslist. The only actual wide receiver left on the roster that anyone thought would see playing time in 2010 is Mario Manningham, who becomes the No. 1 receiver against Jacksonville on Sunday after being the No. 2 receiver against Philadelphia and the No. 3 receiver before the bye week. When it rains, it pours around here. And it usually starts to pour in the second half of the season.

All week I heard about the Giants’ second-half collapses during the Tom Coughlin Era. And with each time it was mentioned, I said the same thing: “Sure it’s happened before, but those seasons are irrelevant to this season and this team.” Who was I kidding? How could I be so stupid?

Sure this year the Giants have a defensive coordinator that actually understands the concept of “defense,” but it’s virtually the same team. Justin Tuck can keep saying, “We don’t like to lose around here,” but just because you don’t like to lose and didn’t like it last year, doesn’t stop it from happening again. You actually have to do something about it.

Two years ago when the Giants were 11-1 and making a mockery of their competition, I actually thought it was stupid that no one thought we would ever see another dynasty in the NFL under the current system with too much parity in the league. I was certain the Giants were a dynasty in the making, but since Plaxico Burress decided to go out for the night in the city with a gun, the Giants have gone 16-16 including their only playoff game. What hurts even more is knowing that the Giants beat the final four teams in the 2008 playoffs during the regular season (Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Arizona). After the first 12 games in 2008, I never would have believed that the Giants would be on the verge of missing the postseason for the second straight year with this team. Then again, I didn’t think that after the Mets lost Game 7 of the NLCS to the Cardinals that they still would not have played another postseason game. Though that doesn’t really bother me.

Here are how the Giants have started and finished each season during the Tom Coughlin Era (minus the 2007 season for obvious reasons):

2004: 5-3 in first eight games, 1-7 in last eight games.

2005: 6-2 in first eight games, 5-3 in last eight games and a first-round playoff loss.

2006: 6-2 in first eight games, 2-6 in last eight games and a first-round playoff loss.

2008: 11-1 in first 12 games, 1-3 in last four games and a first-round playoff loss.

2009: 5-0 in first five games, 3-8 in last 11 games.

2010: 6-2 start in first eight games, 0-2 in last two games.

You could probably take 2005 off the list since they didn’t really stumble down the stretch as badly as other years, but that 23-0 loss at home in the first round to the Panthers needs to be included somehow. The idea that in five of Coughlin’s first six seasons with the Giants (2004-06 and 08-09), the team has played consistently bad in the second half and has never made it past their first postseason game except for 2007 is remarkable.

I don’t know if this is my attempt at a reverse jinx or if it’s just me being down on the team and then if a reverse jinx happens I can take credit for it, but I just don’t know what to think of the 2010 Giants anymore. I am fully prepared for a second-half collapse. I have stocked up on canned foods and bottled water like it’s Y2K and I am ready to take this second-half meltdown head on. In the past the Giants were always able to sneak up on me with their horrific second-half play. I was always too high on them in the past to see the reality that they were just getting ready to rip my heart and stomp on it, but not this time. Not this year. A second-half collapse won’t come out of nowhere over these next six weeks. So bring on your five-game losing streak, Tom Coughlin! Finish the season 8-8! Miss the playoffs for the second year in a row! I’m ready!

But seriously, I am down on the G-Men because I have seen this story too many times to think it is might end otherwise. No matter how many times I watch Dumb and Dumber, I always hope that Lloyd and Harry will get on the bikini tour bus at the end of the movie, even though I know they don’t because I have seen the movie probably close to 100 times. The same goes for the Giants. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that they will torture me and test me as a fan over the next six weeks, and they will undoubtedly lure me back in to believing in them only to pull the rug out from underneath me right when I let my guard down. I’m used to it by now, and it’s my own fault for getting drawn back in time and time again, but I let them pull me back in because I experienced in 2007 what it’s like to keep believing, and I know how rewarding it can be when they play to their potential.

What makes the Giants losing even harder is having to watch the other team that plays at New Meadowlands Stadium come back in the most improbable ways like they’re the 2009 Yankees, and then having to listen to their head coach ramble on about apologizing for wins or not apologizing for wins or whatever he is rambling on about, pretending like winning in overtime or on pass interference calls or in the final seconds of a game was in the game plan all along. It’s hard to watch my Jets friends enjoy winning even if it’s only regular season winning, while the Giants give away games by giving away the football.

The only game the Giants have left against a team out of playoff contention is in Minnesota in Week 14, and even though the Vikings are 3-7, that is anything but an automatic win. The other five games left for the G-Men are against Jacksonville (6-4), Washington (5-5) twice, Philadelphia (7-3) and Green Bay (7-3). The last easy win the Giants had on their schedule (in a league where no win is easy unless you’re playing against Charlie Whitehurst) was against the Cowboys in Week 10, and the Giants blew that game.

There were four main problems for the Giants on Sunday night, and four seems to be the magic number at this juncture in the season. Four turnovers in the loss to the Eagles (technically, there were five turnovers, but the last one came on an Eli Manning interception when the game was over and didn’t have an impact on the outcome). Four losses on the season for the Giants. Four wins away from basically guaranteeing themselves a postseason berth. Four division games left. Here are the four problems from Sunday in order of importance:

1. Ahmad Bradshaw’s Best “Tiki Barber”
It’s hard to win any game when you lose in the turnover column. It’s hard to ever win when those turnovers are from your running back consistently putting the ball on the ground. Tom Coughlin called it “a callous disregard for the football.” I called it something else that I can’t write here.

I’m not sure what Ahmad Bradshaw doesn’t understand about holding onto the ball or protecting the ball, but there is never a moment when he is rushing with the ball that I don’t envision him putting the ball on the ground. That shouldn’t be the case. A fumble from your running back should be a shock and unexpected. It shouldn’t be a normal occurrence.

Bradshaw’s biggest strength also happens to be his biggest weakness in his second efforts on runs. It’s his second efforts that make him dangerous to defenses and unpredictable on runs, but it’s those same second efforts that prevent him from initially going down and those attempts to gain that extra yard or two while being tackled is when the fumbles happen. It’s up to Coughlin now to get Bradshaw righted for the remainder of the season the same way he helped Tiki Barber overcome his fumble problems.

There was talk on Monday that Bradshaw might be in jeopardy of losing his starting job to Brandon Jacobs, and if that happens, the Giants can pack up and go home for the year now because the last thing this team needs is Brandon Jacobs getting more carries. I would take Ahmad Bradshaw, who is capable of breaking off game-changing runs, fumbling left and right as my starting running back over rumblin’, bumblin’, stumblin’ Brandon Jacobs who hasn’t been the same since 2008 any day of the week.

2. Offsides, Defense, Number 90, Five-Yard Penalty, Replay Third Down
If the offense doesn’t turn the ball over four times in the game (and another time with the game over), then the defense probably doesn’t need to stop the Eagles on third-and-1 to hold their 17-16 lead with 4:38 left in the game. And if Jason Pierre-Paul doesn’t go offsides on what was initially a third-and-5 that the Giants did stop the Eagles on, then we are probably sitting here talking about how the Giants rebounded from an awful loss to the Cowboys and have sole possession of first place in the NFC East. But the offense did turn the ball over times, and Jason Pierre-Paul did go offsides and the Giants didn’t stop the Eagles on third-and-1 and they didn’t win the game, and they aren’t in first place.

Jason Pierre-Paul went offsides and it was a big play in the game and a devastating turn of events, but what are you going to do? The offense could have bailed him out on the next drive if not for No. 3…

3. Whatever Eli Manning Calls The Way He Went To The Ground
At what point during his 16-yard run, did Eli Manning think, “I’m going to stop, drop and roll for a first down!” And when did he think it was a good idea?

I could understand if someone was diving at the back of his legs and his only play was to dive head first to go down, but there wasn’t a green jersey anywhere near him. Yes, the defense was closing in him, but he could have slid to the ground and stood up and gone into the grand roll that Gene Wilder performed as Willy Wonka (1:20 mark), and the defense still wouldn’t have gotten to him yet. That’s how much time he had to go to the ground properly. Instead, Eli went with the “Should I slide? Should I dive? Should I slide? Ahhhhh! I can’t make up my mind! I’m going to do both at the same time for an awkward fall!” routine. And it ultimately cost the Giants the game.

On Friday, I said this about Eli:

“No, 13 interceptions in nine games isn’t good, but if you have watched every minute of Giants football this season and you have seen how those 13 picks have been compiled, then you would understand Eli a little better. The majority of his picks have been tipped by his receivers on balls that should have been caught. He isn’t throwing picks directly to the opposition the way that Brett Favre and Donovan McNabb do, but the box scores don’t provide the video necessary for those who can’t watch Eli to see exactly why he has thrown as many picks as he has this season. Eli is better than the numbers suggest. Much better.”

If you read that, and decided to watch the Giants-Eagles game on Sunday because of what I wrote, well I apologize for wasting three-plus hours of your life.

4. Matt Dodge
You could make the case that a lot of things could be in the No. 4 spot, but I saved this spot for the man, the myth, the legend himself … Matt Dodge. After the Giants went three-and-out to start the game because they thought running on the first two plays of the game for no yards was a good idea, Matt Dodge punted the ball 25 yards and out of bounds. On another punt, Cris Collinsworth talked about how shaky Dodge has been, only to be rewarded with a perfect setup when Dodge dropped the ball before getting his punt off.

No Matt Dodge wasn’t really a problem or a factor in the Giants’ loss, but I wanted to include him in this because over the next six weeks the Giants will need him to come up in a big spot, and he has done nothing to prove that he will come through in that spot. We keep hearing about how Dodge kicks bombs in practice, and that the Giants are just waiting for it to consistently happen in games. The problem is the Giants’ season is taking on water and when you are asking Dodge to pin the opposition deep in an effort to help save the season, well don’t be surprised when he assists in causing the season to come crashing down.

In his Monday Morning Quarterback column, Peter King said, “Matt Dodge is a disaster waiting to happen.” I’m pretty confident the disaster has already arrived, and if it hasn’t yet, I’m not sure I will be able to physically, mentally or emotionally handle anything worse than we have already seen from him through 10 games.

The same way I can’t understand why the Yankees are deciding to be tough with Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, the two faces of the team for the last 15 seasons when they were basically handing out money to anyone in need of a contract the last three years, I can’t understand how the Giants didn’t just tell Jeff Feagles they would give him whatever he wanted to come back this year. Why not tell Feagles he could go home during the week and only show up to games? Maybe the Giants did offer him some lucrative deal to try to entice him to punt for one more season, but if they did, I didn’t hear about it. There are still six games left. Please come back, Feagles. Please come back.

As the game ended on Sunday, Cris Collinsworth said in reference to the Giants, “They had their chances in this one, they just gave it away.”

That’s a nice way to sum up what the Giants have been in the second half during the Tom Coughlin Era minus 2007, though I would probably sum it up a little differently. But once again, I can’t write it here.

For now, I am forced to sit and wonder if I will be without playoff football for the second year in a row. If that’s the case, I’m ready.

Blogs • Giants

Nov 19, 2010

Giants Just-Past-Midseason Awards

For a team tied for first place in their division, the Giants are in trouble. They are in trouble because they couldn’t win at home against the Cowboys, a team that had nothing left to

For a team tied for first place in their division, the Giants are in trouble. They are in trouble because they couldn’t win at home against the Cowboys, a team that had nothing left to play for. They are in trouble because now they head to Philadelphia to face the hottest team in the league – in a tie for first place with the Eagles rather than a game up. They are in trouble because their final seven games are all against quality opponents.

I wouldn’t be thinking like that if the Giants didn’t go out and lay the equivalent of an A.J. Burnett egg last Sunday, but they did. And they did in typical New York Football Giants fashion, by making sure they were always within reach of turning the game around only to come up short. It was the type of Giants tease that I have grown accustomed to over the years. The type of tease they displayed last year when they beat the Cowboys and then trailed the Eagles 14-0 early the following week – only to take the lead and then blow the game and their season. They did it the year before that when they lost Plaxico Burress, went on a losing streak only to come back against the Panthers and win in overtime in the best game of the season before losing in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Aside from those four magical games in a row in the 2007-2008 playoffs, I am used to the Giants getting my hopes up and then crushing them and then getting them up again and then crushing them even harder. I can’t even imagine what Jets fans have had to deal with over the years.

The Giants suckered me in again on Sunday. They had me telling my friends that they were the best team in football for an entire week only to lose to the 1-7 Cowboys who were just looking to close up shop if they got behind. And when the Cowboys got a commanding lead, the Giants began to creep back to make sure you stuck around to see what would happen. And when the Cowboys failed to put the Giants away with interceptions and missed field goals, you thought “Hey, maybe they will win this game after all.” It never happened.

The Giants’ embarrassing performance on Sunday can be directly correlated to the fact that the media started to believe in the Giants. They took over in Vegas as favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl and many of the sports outlets had them sitting at or near the top of their power rankings.

In the second episode of Friday Night Lights this season, the East Dillon Lions are coming off a 2-8 season and no one believes in them. Then in their first game, they knock off the No. 8 team in the state and they open eyes around Texas. But the following week, the Lions are nowhere to be seen on the state rankings, and it has the whole team flustered and annoyed that even though they beat a top team, they aren’t being recognized. So Coach Taylor (played by Kyle Chandler, who I still believe is really a high school football coach and would like to make him an offer to coach the Giants once Coughlin retires) flips out on his team for caring so much about what a stupid poll says rather than the results on the field. His team finally understands him and they go out and win again.

So that’s what I believe frequently happens with the Giants. They are always so concerned with how they are viewed by the public, and it can be traced back to 2007 when Antonio Pierce used to make a point to mention to the media that no one believes in the Giants.

Last season the Giants started 5-0, and were a unanimous choice as the top team in the league. Then they went down to New Orleans and the Saints embarrassed them and the G-Men never recovered. In 2008, Trent Dilfer said on ESPN before the start of the season, “The Giants would be the biggest disappointment in the NFL,” after winning the Super Bowl the year before. The Giants started out 10-1 and everyone was riding high on them, then Plaxico brought a gun out with him one night, the season fell apart and they lost to the Eagles in the playoffs once again. In 2007, no one believed in the Giants. After they lost to the Packers in Week 2, I told my friend Red that the Giants might not win a game all year. Then they had the goal-line stand against the Redskins in Week 3 and things began to come together. But once they made the playoffs, no one gave them a chance to win on the road in Tampa Bay or Dallas or Green Bay or in Arizona against New England, and they went out and ran the table. The moral of the story is that the Giants just aren’t good when everyone is so high on them, but when no one pays them any attention, they go out and shock the world

Following the loss on Sunday, Justin Tuck made some comments that at first I was upset about since the Giants were just embarrassed, and I had to watch this loser in a Jason Witten jersey dance around at the bar where I was watching the game. But the more I thought about what Tuck said, the more it made sense.

“I’m not mad, and I’m not sad about this game,” Tuck said. “Actually, I’m kind of glad. Maybe this is a wake-up call that we needed. This is a chance to look at ourselves and say that maybe we aren’t as good as we thought we were.”

Tuck is right. It’s a good thing this loss happened because it reminded the Giants that people telling you you’re good doesn’t make you good. And people predicting you will win, doesn’t mean you will win. Not in this league of parody where the consensus top team seems to get knocked off every single week and an unusual amount of teams are currently in playoff contention.

I’m not sure what will happen this Sunday night in Philadelphia. When I get too down on the Giants they prove me wrong and when I get too high on them they do the same, but there is no in between and there is no balance for me as a Giants fan.

I did midseason awards for the Yankees, so I thought it would be a good idea to do them for the Giants as well. (Yes, I know we are a game past the midseason point). These aren’t your standard awards and not every member of the Giants received one, but for those who didn’t receive one, there’s still seven games left to prove yourself.

The Rudy Award for “No One Believes In Him Because They Can’t See It Every Week”

“My father loves Notre Dame football more than anything else in the world. He doesn’t believe I’m on the team … because he can’t see me during the games.”

That quote is from Rudy, and when I think of Eli Manning, I think of that quote.

I am always defending Eli Manning against the haters (and there are a lot of them), who see the numbers at the end of the day, but don’t realize how good he is. No, he is never going to put up the numbers that his brother puts up or the numbers that Philip Rivers puts up because the Chargers lack a running game, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t an elite quarterback in the NFL.

No, 13 interceptions in nine games isn’t good, but if you have watched every minute of Giants football this season and you have seen how those 13 picks have been compiled, then you would understand Eli a little better. The majority of his picks have been tipped by his receivers on balls that should have been caught. He isn’t throwing picks directly to the opposition the way that Brett Favre and Donovan McNabb do, but the box scores don’t provide the video necessary for those who can’t watch Eli to see exactly why he has thrown as many picks as he has this season.

Eli is better than the numbers suggest. Much better.

The Robbie Cano, Don’t Ya Know Award for “Being The Smoothest Player There Is And Having All The Talent In The World But Making Mental Mistakes”

Robinson Cano might very well be the AL MVP for 2010, but it took him long enough to finally put it all together and limit the amount of times he would make fans scratch their heads and wonder what is going through his mind. These instances still happen, but at a much lesser degree than they were happening two and three years ago.

Like Cano, Hakeem Nicks has all the talent in the world, and has the potential to be the best wide receiver in the league. The only problem is that he has these brain farts where he stops his route short, tips or drops a pass or just flat out misses a wide open catch for a huge gain. All three of these things happened to happen in the same game on Sunday and it’s no wonder that the Giants suffered their most embarrassing loss of the season.

I am a huge Hakeem Nicks fan and I think anyone that likes the Giants would say the same. But for all the talent the abilities he has, he needs to minimize the mistakes. If he does that, it’s scary how good he will be.

The Dennis Green Award for “He Is Who We Thought He Was”

Before the season began, I talked with Ralph Vacchiano, Giants beat writer for the New York Daily News, about Jacobs taking the backup role, and we both assumed there would be trouble on the horizon for Jacobs and his bad attitude. So far, there hasn’t been much complaining from the man who once made Giants fans forget about Tiki Barber, but he has been as ineffective as we thought he would be. Sure, he has a handful of TDs from the goal line that make his numbers look somewhat decent, but he has rarely made the necessary play to extend a drive or get the first down, and there was never a better example than in Sunday’s loss.

Jacobs was given the ball on fourth-and-1 and instead of moving his legs and plowing to get just three feet, the big back sort of just fell forward and the Giants turned the ball over at a crucial point in the game. It’s not all Jacobs’ fault though. You can’t put Jacobs into the game on a fourth-and-1 and not expect the defense to just clog the middle knowing that he isn’t going anywhere. With Jacobs in the backfield on fourth-and-1, there is one option and that is to drive his way straight forward. If Bradshaw had been in that situation, he could have gone to the outside if the middle was clogged or stayed up the middle if the defense was worried about him going to the outside. With Jacobs in the backfield, the Giants are one-dimensional when he gets the ball, and three years ago that wasn’t a problem, but he is nowhere near the same player he was three years ago.

The Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Award for “It’s A Mystery As To How You Still Have A Job”

This award could have easily been called the Sergio Mitre award because like Jimmy Fallon, no one is sure how Mitre is able to keep his job with the Yankees. I always figured that Mitre had dirt on Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman or compromising photos, and maybe the same goes for Jimmy Fallon and the NBC executives. The man ruined every Saturday Night Live skit by uncontrollably laughing to the point where Will Ferrell would give him the look like, “Hey stop ruining my show,” and then NBC gave him his own show to take over for Conan O’Brien. Fallon’s version of Late Night is so bad that my roommate and I will do my Jimmy Fallon Test a few times a week in which we put his show on at a random time and watch for five minutes to see if either of us laugh. We have never laughed.

I never understood why NBC didn’t just give Conan the same money he was making on the Tonight Show to go back to Late Night in New York, and then everyone would have had a show that had one before the Tonight Show debacle began, except for Jimmy Fallon. But no one would have cared.

Anyways, back to Reynaud. Now that he is hurt, the Giants actually have a chance to gain somewhat decent field position without him returning kicks and punts since I think the most yards I ever saw him get off either was maybe three yards. It’s pretty amazing that the Giants were winning the way they were when Reynaud was healthy given the terrible field position they would start with whenever he actually attempted to a run a kick or punt back.

The Chad Gaudin Award for “It’s Never Good To See You In The Game”

Another case of possibly blackmailing the front office, Matt Dodge is still a Giant after nine games. I had the under on three, so I lost a long time ago, but if this man keeps his job throughout the season, a lot of people will be surprised, including me.

I couldn’t believe that after how bad he was to start the year that the Giants didn’t just call up Jeff Feagles and say, “Hey, a blank check is going to be arriving in your mailbox today. Fill in the amount you want and cash it, and we’ll see you at practice tomorrow.”

I am scared that what we are seeing with Dodge after having Feagles for so long will be like life without Mariano Rivera (still hoping that never happens). Because when you have someone as good as Feagles who was just automatic and now you have a kid who basically rolls the dice every time the ball is snapped to him, well it’s just hard to watch. Nothing is automatic anymore. Nothing.

The South Park Award for “Being Wildly Popular And Then Falling Off The Face Of The Earth Only To Become Wildly Popular Once Again”

When I was in sixth grade, South Park took the world by storm. It was as big as Jersey Shore, Four Loko and Lady Gaga combined. Then over the next few years, the show began to fade and was ultimately forgotten about even though it was still on the air. Once it became an afterthought and pretty much a non-factor in pop culture, it slowly climbed back into the spotlight with its comedic take on current events and then grew so popular again that it made everyone wonder why there was ever a gap in success for the show since the talent and abilities were always there.

The same goes for Osi Umenyiora. Following Super Bowl XLII, Osi became a household name with sack after sack; he was dating Victoria’s Secret supermodel Selita Ebanks and was basically just living the dream as a Super Bowl champion. Then he was forced to miss all of 2008 when he tore his ACL in preseason and never became the same player in 2009 after fighting with defensive coordinator (not sure if putting that title in front of his name even makes sense) Bill Sheridan and eventually became a bench player for the Giants. Umenyiora made it public that he wanted out of New York and no one knew if he would be the a Giant in 2010, and if he was, which Osi would we see?

Well so far this season, Osi has been every bit as good as he was before the season-ending knee injury in 2008. He has nine sacks in nine games, which is already more than his 2009 total, and he is on pace to have a better season statistically than he did in 2007. It’s good to see the old Osi back along with his old attitude.

The Tom Coughlin Award for Undergoing The Scrutiny That Only Tom Coughlin Could Undergo

Only Tom Coughlin could have an award named after him in the midseason, and only he could win the award named after him. Mike Francesa likes to talk about the terrible treatment and injustices Coughlin has had to deal with since becoming head coach of the Giants, and I would have to say I agree. No other coach in the city that has had the type of success Coughlin has had and has had to deal with as much as Coughlin has. It seems like his job is in question multiple times a year, and he always seems to deflect the questions with wins (except for the 2009 meltdown).

This season Coughlin’s job security became the topic of discussion after the Giants started the season with a 1-2 record and Bill Cowher’s name began to come up in Google searches for New York Giants. But Coughlin got the Giants back on track with the help of Perry Fewell (aka the anti-Bill Sheridan), and now the Giants are tied for first place in the division after nine games.

My relationship with Tom Coughlin is an odd one. It’s a love/hate relationship I guess, but I think the hate end of the relationship is a lot more extreme than the love. If I were to write about Coughlin on Sunday night or Monday morning after the Dallas loss, it wouldn’t have been pretty. But when you’re a fan and you watch a man decide to go for some 4th-and-1’s and not others, despite being exactly the same situation, well it will make you a little angry.

Coughlin was the head coach of one of the best days of my life, so he will forever get a pass in my book. But that doesn’t mean I can’t get angry with him from time to time.

Giants

Nov 5, 2010

Big Expectations for Big Blue

After what happened with the Giants in 2009, not many people were giving them a chance before the season and after Week 3 when they were 1-2. But since their loss to the Titans on

After what happened with the Giants in 2009, not many people were giving them a chance before the season and after Week 3 when they were 1-2. But since their loss to the Titans on September 26, the Giants have won four straight and are sitting atop the division and tied for the best record in the NFC. It hasn’t been the cleanest way to get to a 5-2 record for the Giants with an inordinate amount of turnovers through seven games. The Giants have tried to give away every one of their five wins with interceptions and fumbles, but have so far managed to not let untimely turnovers damage their season. Coming off of four straight wins and a bye, the G-Men begin the second portion of their season against the Seahawks. With a one-game lead over the Eagles in the division and nine games remaining (five against division opponents), the Giants have a challenging schedule ahead of them. Ralph Vacchiano, Giants beat writer for the New York Daily News, joined me to talk Giants football with the G-Men set to begin the second part of their schedule.

Keefe: In our preseason talk about the Giants, you predicted the team would go 8-8 and after their slow start to the season, I was scared that your prediction was on the money. But then the defense started playing like it did two years ago, and after four wins in a row, the Giants look like they might be back. I have watched at lot of Giants football to know that you should never feel safe with this team or the way they are going, but right now they are gaining a lot of hype and many people believe they are the best team in the NFC and one of the top teams in the league. After their beating against the Colts earlier in the season, I don’t think anyone would have predicted the Giants to be where they are at now, but the league seems to be wide open and is up for the taking by any team. Your prediction of 8-8 is still in play, though the Giants would need to go 3-6 at this point to fulfill it, and while it’s not out of the question after last season, I hope it’s unlikely. Are you sticking with your prediction in thinking that the Giants have already been as good as they will be all season, or have you become a believer in the G-Men?

Vacchiano: It would probably be unfair of me to change my prediction now. I think it would be pretty naive, too. I’ve just seen too many sudden changes from them over the years. They’ve been 5-2 or 6-1 in every one of Coughlin’s seven seasons now, but how many times have they ended as good as they started? Last year 5-0 became 8-8. In 2006, 6-2 became 8-8. In 2008, 11-1 became 12-4 and no playoff wins. I’m not guaranteeing another second-half collapse, but given that track record I’d be crazy to say, “I’m in. I buy the hype. They’re going 11-5!” How many other years would I have done that and been proven wrong? Plus, we need to go back and look at my wishy-washy prediction of 8-8. I had some pretty good reasons for it and a few caveats. I said from the outset that I believed this team had the talent to be a Super Bowl contender if – a big if – they stayed healthy and everything worked out right. I thought they had some issues, though, and were likely to end up more inconsistent than anything. So far they’re pretty healthy, and that’s great. That’s why they’re playing above my prediction. But I tell you what, the inconsistency is still there. The turnovers have them playing a very, very dangerous game. I didn’t foresee that as a major problem, but it’s become one. And even they know that if they keep that up they’re going to end up losing a lot more games than they should. Knowing that, if they stay healthy and fix the turnover issues, I don’t see any reason why they can’t be 12-4 or 11-5 and win their weak conference. But with nine games left, I still think the injuries and inconsistencies can rear their ugly heads. This remains, though, what I thought it was: A good team that, if things break right, can go a long, long way.

Keefe: Turnovers have been a problem for the Giants this season. Turnovers cost them the game against the Titans and almost cost them the game against the Cowboys – a game they dominated. Aside from the Colts’ loss, you could say the Giants should be 6-1 after the debacle with the Titans. I’m a firm believer that if the Giants can’t find a way to drastically reduce their amount of turnovers, it will come back to cost them in a big spot and eventually cost them their season. Is this the Giants’ biggest problem, and what is being done to rectify the situation?

Vacchiano: Yeah, it’s absolutely their biggest problem. They could’ve easily lost that Dallas game. They came close to losing control of the Chicago and Detroit games, too. And remember, turnovers put them in a position where they needed three end zone interceptions, if I recall, to beat Carolina on opening day. So, if we’re playing the “What if” game, you could say that the Giants only have one real quality win where they didn’t come close to shooting themselves in the foot. That’s not a fair game to play either way, of course, because turnovers are what most of these NFL games turn on today. So yeah, the amount they have right now is disturbing and they know it. Unfortunately there’s not a lot they can do to rectify it. Seven of Eli Manning’s 11 interceptions are off tipped passes. That’s a little flukey. He is throwing a little high and behind his receivers on some of those, but it’s not like he’s going to have some sort of drastic overhaul in his mechanics. He just needs to make better throws and his receivers need to hold onto the ball. On the fumbles, they’re working with Ahmad Bradshaw and, to a lesser extent, Brandon Jacobs on the “high and tight” carry position. But they are fighting instinct. Both players, when they fight for extra yards, the ball tends to drop to their sides. That’s how they’ve run for years and it’s hard to change now. So all they can do is focus on the problem, concentrate, and hope the ball bounces their way a little more than it has. The good news is that historically this hasn’t been a turnover-prone group under Coughlin. Things usually have a way of evening themselves out, so I expect that eventually this will do that, too.

Keefe: The special teams are clearly the biggest weakness on the team. You tweeted that Darius Reynaud will likely not be the returner for long, but it’s amazing he has lasted this long despite such poor results. Matt Dodge has had his ups and downs as well and the coverage on kickoffs could use some help. Do you think we will see a different look from the special teams coming out of the bye and in the second half of the season? And by different I mean a better look.

Vacchiano: I don’t really know what they can do differently. Dodge has been a lot more consistent lately and clearly he’s got the faith of Coughlin and his staff. He’s a rookie, though, so there’ll probably be another couple of ups and downs along the way. The coverage teams just need to tackle better. They can tweak the scheme a little, but if guys flail on the return men or leave their lanes, that won’t help. And you can’t really overhaul the entire special teams unit at this point in time. The only change they can really make is at returner, and now that they’ve signed Will Blackmon I expect they will do that soon. I don’t know how much that will help, though. Blackmon was a good returner in Green Bay, but he’s coming off a knee injury and who knows if he still has his old explosiveness? Plus, a lot of people thought Reynaud was a pretty talented return man, but he obviously didn’t get the job done here. Is it the returner or the scheme or the blockers? It’s hard to say. Probably a little bit of all three. But right now they don’t have a returner as skilled as Domenik Hixon was – a player who can rise above what’s going on around him.

Keefe: Nearly every one of Eli Manning’s interceptions has been the result of a receiver tipping the ball to a defender and missing what should have been a catch. I asked you via Twitter if Randy Moss made sense for the Giants since Eli’s problem has always been missing high and Plaxico Burress took care of that. You basically said there wasn’t a chance, and while I know the Giants aren’t the type of team to take in problem players, I thought Moss could have been the type of tall receiver that would limit Eli’s mistakes.

Vacchiano: Moss only would’ve been a help because he’s tall. And I get that. But as you know, he comes with so many other issues that bringing him in would’ve been disruptive and … well, terrible. Plus, he’s going to want the ball. So who would you want to sit? Hakeem Nicks? Steve Smith? The two of them are very possibly on their way to the Pro Bowl this year. Is Moss really much better, other than being taller? Anyway, I’ve said before I think the problem has more to do with Eli than with his receivers, that a majority of those tipped passes have simply not been good throws. I’ve seen him make better throws than he’s been making. Yes, traditionally he’s a high thrower. In fact, if you read my book (shameless plug alert) – Eli Manning: The Making of a Quarterback – you know that his penchant for throwing high was in Ernie Accorsi’s original scouting report on Eli and it was a big reason why they signed Burress. But I’m confident he can do better. And, to be fair, so can the receivers. The Giants’ coaching staff – I forget which assistant said it – feels that some of the problem has to do with receivers running imprecise routes. So they’ve just got to get crisper on both ends of the passes. And by the way, don’t discount the flukiness of this, too. I can’t remember the last time a tipped pass didn’t land in the hands of a defender. At some point a ball is going to tip off a receiver’s hands and go down or away from the crowd. The number off deflected interceptions in the first seven games has been unusually high. I really do think that the law of averages will even that out. I think.

Keefe: The reversal of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs roles has worked out well, but how has it worked in the locker room? A major storyline before the season was how Jacobs would react and perform under his new role as a backup, so what is the mood you are getting from No. 27 now that he has been the backup back for seven games, despite his ability to find the end zone on goal line plays? Do you think as long as the team wins Jacobs will be content, or is there always going to another problem just waiting to erupt for Jacobs?

Vacchiano: I’d say it’s probably an uneasy peace right about now. I know that Jacobs is saying all the right things, and that’s admirable – you know, if you ignore his antics through the first few weeks, then I guess you could admire his new stance. But I find it hard to believe that one conversation with Coughlin and Reese suddenly turned him from one of the unhappiest people I’ve seen around that locker room in years into Mr. Everything’s OK. You don’t have to be a genius to realize he’s probably got some simmering, lingering animosity towards the situation. In fact, that’s what I’ve been hearing privately – that he’s counting the days until the end of the season, anticipating that the Giants will cut him loose. He absolutely, positively, does not want to be here next year as a backup, from what I’m told. Now, having said all that, it doesn’t mean he’ll be a problem. He may really be intent on being the good soldier the rest of the way. He seems to genuinely like and respect Ahmad Bradshaw and admire his abilities, so that may be enough to keep him in check. I’m sure his huge salary helps, too. And giving him the goal-line role has been a boost to his ego. So it’s not like I’m waiting for another eruption. But the potential is definitely there. And don’t mistake his change of heart for genuine contentment.

Keefe: Since the embarrassment against the Colts, Perry Fewell has the defense looking like it did two and three years ago. The defense looks completely different than it did a year ago under Bill Sheridan with almost the same exact names. How have the players adapted to Fewell’s system, and do you think the defense is consistent and strong enough to carry the team through the regular season and deep into the postseason?

Vacchiano: I think the players love Perry Fewell’s system, they love the way Perry Fewell calls a defense, they love the way Perry Fewell listens to his players, and they just flat-out love Perry Fewell. Honestly, the last time all the reports on an assistant were this glowing, it was for Steve Spagnuolo the year after the Super Bowl. It’s an aggressive scheme, which the players love. He’s playing to their strengths at almost every position. He’s using his veterans, which is also always important. And it’s working, which is a big thing because in the end it’s the only thing that ever gets players to believe. Can it continue? Yes, absolutely. If – here’s that if again – they can stay healthy. Losing Mathias Kiwanuka was a blow, but they survived it. In fact, they even thrived. They don’t have any other defensive injuries, though. If it stays that way, this is a very good defense. I’m not so sure it’s incredibly deep, though. It might be, but I don’t know that anybody wants to find that out. I still think they’ll probably have a few ups and downs – much like the entire team – even if they stay healthy. But they’re getting terrific pressure. They’re getting a fantastic push up the middle from their DTs. Michael Boley and Jonathan Goff have been excellent at LB. And the secondary has been very solid, if not spectacular. All the ingredients are most definitely there.

Blogs • NFL

Sep 8, 2010

Jets End One Season, Begin Another

The Jets are just days away from starting a season in which expectations haven’t been this big for them in a long, lone time. And with only a handful of days to go before the

The Jets are just days away from starting a season in which expectations haven’t been this big for them in a long, lone time. And with only a handful of days to go before the Jets take the field against the Ravens to kick off Monday Night Football, the season finale of Hard Knocks airs on Wednesday night.

This has been the best season of Hard Knocks in my mind, and not only because it has followed a local team. Between Rex Ryan’s mouth (both swearing and eating), the constant Darrelle Revis contract negotiations, the awkward moments when the annoying Mike Tannenbaum cuts players and the practical jokes played, the season has exceeded expectations.

With the season of Hard Knocks coming to an end and the regular season about to begin, Jets columnist Jeff Capellini, a.k.a “The Green Lantern” on CBSNewYork.com, joined me to talk Hard Knocks and preview the 2010 season.

Keefe: Hard Knocks has done the impossible; it has made the Jets a likable and unlikable team at the same time. For me, disliking the Jets has always been about disliking the players, their coach and their fans. But now, they have a coach that isn’t Eric Mangini and a coach that I wish Tom Coughlin was more like. There are plenty of players on the team with rich personalities and intriguing background stories that are worth rooting for. But I could do without so much Mike Tannenbaum.

After the first episode of the show, I wrote about how the Jets had started to rise drastically in the New York football landscape, as a team moving closer to what the Giants had become in previous years, while the Giants have gradually declined over the last two years.

Do you think that Hard Knocks has been good or bad for the 2010 Jets, and how has it affected you as a Jets fan?

Capellini: I’m one of those fans who has been sitting outside the candy store with his nose pushed up against the glass for years. So, believe me when I say any time the Jets can seize the spotlight for themselves in a supposedly positive way, I’m all for it. I think the show was too much Hollywood in the first three episodes, but got things just right in Episode 4 with the way it focused less on the garbage and more on the tension that was building toward cuts.

I think the show has been a positive for the Jets, even though we must all remember so much of it is scripted and produced for dramatic effect. The Jets have been second-class citizens for so long in this town and a running joke across the NFL, it is nice to see them be the center of attention for once.

Keefe: HBO couldn’t have asked for a better setup with the Darrelle Revis contract talks, and now that Revis is once again a Jet, who is guaranteed $32 million, it makes me wonder if he should have held out longer?

Obviously not playing is never a good choice, but given the Jets’ opponents in Weeks 1 and 2, if they had gotten off to an 0-2 start, Revis could have gained some serious leverage with Jets fans threatening the livelihood of Woody and Tannenbaum.

I guess on the flip side, if the Jets won both games it would have hurt his negotiations, and no one wants to not be getting paid the year before there might not be football, but I really don’t think the Jets can beat the Ravens and Patriots without him.

Capellini: I was firmly in Revis’ corner when the holdout started because regardless of what his current contract had stipulated there was really no way after the type of 2009 season he had that he could come back as the team’s seventh- or eighth-highest paid defensive back.

I would like to believe Revis caved by accepting the four-year deal. I had hoped he would have been signed for longer, and in the end it just feels like the numbers for his deal are too low – years and total compensation. That makes me believe also that this guy wants to play. The almighty dollar is important, but he obviously came to realize what “within reason” means.

As for whether the Jets could have beaten the Ravens and Patriots without him, I don’t think he ultimately would have made the difference. Mark Sanchez would have and probably still does or still will make the difference either way.

Keefe: Mark Sanchez seems to still be in that territory of “Hey, just don’t lose the game for us.” Rex made it clear last week that the Jets are still going to be the same team they came within one game of the Super Bowl last season, in which they ran the ball the majority of the time and played exceptional defense, and obviously it’s a formula that works.

With the way the offense has been playing during preseason, it’s hard to believe that Sanchez will be given the chance to consistently attempt big plays on offense, and the idea of holding him back got them to the AFC Championship last season, but I think that it is, and that he is, the one difference in the Jets being contenders or actual champions.

Capellini: I think regardless of what Sanchez has shown in the preseason, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer must allow him to air the ball out from time to time, because the Jets will be predictably a run-first team. However, they can’t be known as a team that just goes student body left and right.

Sanchez must be allowed to bring balance to the force through use of play-action and the abilities of his talented receivers. The second this guy throws an interception and Schotty stops allowing him to chuck the rock is the day the Jets’ season ends. For the Jets, being a balanced offense is the key to everything because you know the defense will bring its “A” game week in and week out. By showing a balanced hand on offense, the Jets will keep opponents off-balance.

Keefe: The Jets brought in two aging mercenaries, looking to win a Super Bowl as their careers wind down in LaDainian Tomlinson and Jason Taylor.

Both players were the best at their position at one point in their career, but now they are more of just big names rather than big players. However, I will admit that Tomlinson has looked better and rejuvenated in preseason. Then again it’s preseason.

Which of these two do you expect the most from this season and which do you think will be the bigger contributor?

Capellini: I’m a huge Tomlinson guy. I was one of the few on sites like Twitter screaming the Jets sign him in the offseason. A lot of people were understandably in love with Thomas Jones, but Jones’ numbers, primarily yards-per-carry diminished considerably as the season wound down. Now, some can say Tomlinson is an injury waiting to happen or whatever, but the truth is, if healthy, he will still be very productive, especially if the Jets use him properly – something like 10-15 touches per game. He showed his trademark explosiveness in the preseason and certainly has something to prove.

While most everyone just assumed he’s “lost” it after a career-low 700-yard rushing season in 2009, what really happened was the Chargers went away from the run and bulked up the pass protecting to showcase Phillip Rivers’ abilities. And look where that got them?

I’m not in love with Jason Taylor and it really has nothing to do with the fact that he’s insulted the Jets and their fans in the past. I just think this guy is 36 and how many pass rushers still have the goods at 36? Not many, if any. And it appears, now with Calvin Pace’s injury, at least initially, Taylor is going to have to play every down. I don’t see him being anywhere near as successful as an every-down player as he would be fresh in passing situations.

So, in a nutshell, I expect a comeback-player-of-the-year type of effort from LT and not a whole heck of a lot from Taylor.

Keefe: During the offseason, it seemed like the jets were making a roster strictly for the purpose of Hard Knocks. They signed Tomlinson and Taylor and traded for Santonio Holmes and Antonio Cromartie.

The problem with Tomlinson and Taylor might be that they are old, but the problems with Holmes and Cromartie come away from the field.

There isn’t a doubt that when Cromartie and Holmes are on the field that they make the Jets a much better team, but with Holmes missing four games due to suspension, do you think it will cause him to start slow when he comes back in Week 5. And how excited are you for a secondary that includes Cromartie and Revis?

Capellini: It’s hard not to like either player. Holmes can be spectacular, has great hands and runs routes better than maybe any receiver in the NFL. The potential problem, as you stated, could be his rustiness after staying away from the team for a month. I’d also worry about his rapport with Sanchez. How long will it take to develop? Ultimately, when Holmes is on he should make Sanchez better because he gets open better than anyone on the roster.

Cromartie brings unadulterated ability to a secondary that, not counting Revis, sorely lacked athleticism at certain spots last year. He will gamble. He will at times get burned, but I’d rather have an overly aggressive corner than one who sluffs off and allows teams to keep the chains moving. My one concern about Cromartie is his tackling. The Jets dumped Kerry Rhodes because, among other things, he wasn’t very physical. I watched Cromartie attempt to tackle Shonn Greene on that 53-yard TD scamper in last year’s divisional round and I can understand why some of the Chargers took issue with Cromartie. He better hit people and wrap up. That’s all I’m saying.

Keefe: You voiced your opinion about the Jets cutting Tony Richardson on Twitter and you were unhappy about it and rightfully so. But now that Richardson is a Jet again after just a brief hiatus, I’m guessing you’re happy once again.

After Rex made it clear that Richardson would be on the final roster, it was a shock to see him get cut, considering his leadership role on the team. Were there any other cuts made that surprised you during preseason? And were there any cuts not made that you thought should have been made?

Capellini: I did get upset about T-Rich getting cut because I hate seeing bad things happen to good people. The initial cut bugged me because Rex screamed about leadership on Hard Knocks and then cut one of his only true leaders. Now, of course, I don’t think the Jets brought Richardson back because the fans screamed about it. They probably said, “If we can cut Tony to save some money, sign Darrelle and then bring Tony back we win on every level.”

The one cut that really bothered me was Chauncey Washington. I mean, this guy could easily have stepped in and spelled Shonn Greene a few carries per game if the Jets didn’t want to burn LT out as a featured back. He’s a horse. It’s an absolute shame that a guy who worked as hard and showed as much as Washington did was waived and later replaced by two nobodies off someone else’s scrap heap. Odd indeed. If nothing else, Washington could have made the Jets’ special teams that much better because he brings quite a wallop.

I will not get overly upset about Danny Woodhead making the team. I just think he was a better story last year and if he gets some time and does nothing this season I think it’s safe to say the novelty has worn off.

Keefe: I believe Rex Ryan is right when he says that the Jets can beat any team in the league when they play their best, and if everything goes right for them this season, they could easily find themselves in the same place they were last season: playing for a trip to the Super Bowl.

There are still questions with this team, as there are with every team, and the biggest question mark with the Jets remains the offense. But with probably the best defense in the league, I expect the Jets to be in contention all season long.

I guess the most important question is: What are your expectations for the Jets this season?

Capellini: Wow. I’ve avoided discussing this like the plague. The NFL is such an odd league. One year you’re 10-6 and the next – with largely the same personnel – you’re 7-9 or 6-10. I think if Sanchez is more like a 50-50 TD-to-INT guy, as opposed to the 12-TD, 20-INT QB he was as a rookie, and can get to 3,000 yards, excuse the pun but the sky should be the limit for this team. The defense, barring injury, figures to be pretty amazing and the coaching is beyond reproach.

I think the Jets should win a minimum of 11 games. They should win the division. If they can get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs I really think they will get to the Super Bowl.

But then again, that’s 30-plus years of fan frustration talking right there.

Follow Neil on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NeilKeefe

Follow Jeff on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GreenLanternJet

Author: Neil Keefe

A Reality Check

Looking Back on Black Sunday

Giants Just-Past-Midseason Awards

Big Expectations for Big Blue

Jets End One Season, Begin Another