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Posts Tagged ‘Tom Coughlin’

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New York Giants Offensive Line One of The All-Time Best

In New York Giants, New York Giants Offensive Line on December 4, 2008 at 7:51 am

New York Giants center Shaun O'Hara, No. 60, leads the NFL's best offensive line.

New York Giants center Shaun O'Hara, No. 60, leads the NFL's best offensive line.

Offensive linemen. It’s as if the word offensive in their job title hints at something else besides the fact they are actually part of the unit that handles the ball. No other player is so thoroughly under appreciated and marginalized in football.

And they know all too well how the football adage goes—if their names aren’t called they are doing their jobs.

But the New York Giants offensive line has been so good they are starting to be recognized for the job they do.

Leading the NFL in total rushing yards, average yards per rush, average yards rushing per game, total points scored, and average points scored per game will do that.

Don’t know this group that helped the Giants win the Super Bowl?

They are left tackle David Diehl, left guard Rich Seubert, center Shaun O’Hara, right guard Chris Snee, and right tackle Kareem McKenzie.

Television color analyst John Madden calls them the best offensive line in the NFL.

They are young enough to have a great future—Diehl is 28, Seubert and McKenzie each are 29, O’Hara is 31, and Snee is 26.

A great offensive line takes time to put together as ESPN’s John Clayton wrote before the Giants’ Super Bowl win. And the line went through different experimental phases and players to get to it’s present lineup today as Giants beat writer Michael Eisen wrote in June 2005.

All the hard work has paid off.

“Collectively those five guys are as good as any Pro Bowl offensive line you can put together,” said Bart Oates, who was the center on the Giants’ Super Bowl teams in ‘86 and ‘90.

“They work as well together as any group I have ever seen,” said Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt.

Before a game against the Giants, the Baltimore Ravens gave up an average of 65.4 rushing yards.

Running back Brandon Jacobs ran for more than half that amount on the second play and the Giants finished with their fifth 200-yard game of the season.

“The holes were gaping. Gaping,” said Ravens defensive end Trevor Pryce after the game. “If you give any NFL back holes like that, he’s going to look like Gayle Sayers.”

The line has started intact almost every game for the past two seasons.

Oakland Raiders personnel executive Mike Lombardi believes that since there is no clear favorite for MVP with only four weeks left in the regular schedule, why not consider the Giants’ offensive line?

He believes the line has controlled games, paving the way for the NFL’s most powerful team.

History indicates that the award will go to a skill player. Although the award does not have to go to one player and can go to a position group, it’s never happened.

Since statistics are the focus in today’s sports, the Giants’ offensive line would not receive consideration because statistics for offensive lines are not officially recorded by the NFL.

Big, tough, and physical, the Giants’ offensive line most often own the line of scrimmage.

As well as the line has played in recent seasons, no single player has been voted for the Pro Bowl.

This season that will most likely change. Many football analysts believe that O’Hara, Seubert, and Snee will each go to their first Pro Bowl. The Giants are first in runs up the middle, sixth in runs to left tackle and tenth in runs to right tackle.

According to Pro Football Weekly, the three players have combined for just seven penalties and three sacks allowed.

Other analysts say that years from now, these five Giants linemen will rank up there with the ’60s Packers, ’70s Raiders, and ’90s Cowboys as one of the greatest offensive lines of all time.

If the Giants win another Super Bowl or two, the offensive line will certainly rank among the greats.

Let’s call their names in recognition for the job that they do as potentially one of the best units in NFL history.

Diehl, Seubert, O’Hara, Snee, McKenzie.

As Giants coach Tom Coughlin said, “They are the heart and soul of this team.”

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Giants Suspend Burress For Remainder of Season

In New York Giants, Plaxico Burress on December 2, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Plaxico Burress most likely has played his last game with the New York Giants.

Plaxico Burress most likely has played his last game with the New York Giants.

New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list by the team effectively ending his season.

Burress was suspended without pay for four games for conduct detrimental to the team for multiple and repeated violations of club rules, according to The New York Times.

The report indicates that the team physician believes that Burress would have been unable to play for at least four to six weeks in any event as a result of the gunshot wound that the wide receiver sustained.

Even without being placed on the non-football injury list, the earliest Burress would have been able to suit up for the Giants would have been in the divisional round of the playoffs and perhaps as late as the Super Bowl.

This is the second time this season the Giants have suspended Burress. He was suspended for 12 days, including a game against Seattle, because he missed team meetings without explanation.

Giants head coach Tom Coughlin held him out of the first quarter of the Oct. 26 game against Pittsburgh because he missed treatment for an injury the day before.

Burress pulled his hamstring in the Giants’ win over Baltimore on Nov. 16. He aggravated the injury in the opening series the following week against Arizona and sat out the rest of that game.

The Giants, as required by league rules, listed Burress as inactive because of the hamstring injury the Friday afternoon before the game against Washington on Nov. 30.

Between the late evening hours of that Friday and early morning on Saturday, Burress’ gun incident occurred at a Manhattan night club.

Where Will The Giants Go From Here?

Domenik Hixon, Burress’ replacement throughout the season, has made the most of his opportunity. Hixon has made major contributions on offense in the four games in which Burress was out or missed significant playing time. He also has continued to make a significant impact on special teams.

Hixon was one of the keys in the Giants defeat of Arizona on Nov. 23.

Before this season, Hixon had started all but one game. This season, he has started two games. He will most likely be in the starting lineup for the rest of the season.

Quarterback Eli Manning has had stronger performances without Burress in the lineup this season. Against Washington last week, Manning completed five passes each to three different receivers and six receivers in total had a least one pass reception.

The Giants will rely more heavily on 13-year veteran Amani Toomer. In the game against Washington, Toomer was sometimes lined-up in the split end position which Burress usually occupies as the deep-threat.

Without Burress, Manning has completed more passes into the flat, the area of the field between the hash marks and the sideline near the line of scrimmage, to running back Derrick Ward. Tight end Kevin Boss has also been more involved in the passing game in the intermediate and middle area of the field.

Burress’ unavailability this season has not proved detrimental to the Giants passing game. In fact, the offense has performed more efficiently.

It remains to be seen what the long-term affects will be for the Giants without Burress on the field. As a deep-threat, Burress faced consistent double-teams, which provided single-coverage to other receivers.

So far this season, the Giants have able to maintain their offensive output. The team currently ranks No.4 in the league in offense.

Did The Giants Do The Right Thing in Suspending Burress?

As the Giants look to secure the No. 1 playoff seed in the NFC, the team’s swift and immediate suspension of Burress will allow the rest of the players to return their focus to football.

Injury, retirement, trade, and suspension has failed to slow down the Giants’ momentum this season.

The team has compiled an 11-1 record with injuries to Osi Umenyiora, Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, and James Butler, the retirement of Michael Strahan, and the trade of Jeremy Shockey.

Will Burress’ suspension prove to be too much to overcome for the Giants? The team’s continued success in the face of adversity would indicate otherwise.

As much as he was a distraction off the field, Burress connected with Manning for more touchdowns than any other quarterback-receiver combination in the NFL from 2005-07.

Will Manning miss the 6-foot-5 Burress, who was his favorite target, who would jump ever so high into the sky to pull down passes in the end zone? Maybe late in the playoffs, Manning will miss his reliable receiver.

The only thing more certain is that Burress most likely has played his final game in a Giants uniform.

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Bill Parcells Is The Best Football Mind Of The NFL Modern Era

In Bill Parcells, Dallas Cowboys, National Football League, New England Patriots, New York Giants on November 25, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Bill Parcells, now heading football operations in Miami, is one tough SOB and the most brilliant football mind of the NFL's modern era.

Bill Parcells, now heading football operations in Miami, is one tough SOB and the most brilliant football mind of the NFL's modern era.

Bill Parcells is one of the best football minds in National Football League history. He ranks alongside legendary coaches like Chuck Noll, Tom Landry, Don Shula, and Bill Walsh.

In the modern era, however, his accomplishments are unrivaled.

Parcells is a tough, blue-collar guy from New Jersey. Known for speaking his mind, his former players and coaches either love him or hate him, but all will say that he brought out the best out of each and every one of them.

He knows which buttons to push and when. He wasn’t a locker room speech motivator. Parcells was a psychological master who developed some of the great NFL players of the past 30 years. He antagonized players, believing that adversity forges toughness and character.

Parcells is simply proficient with building winning teams.

He won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants, retired, returned to lead the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl before building the New York Jets into a contender, retired for another two years, then led the Dallas Cowboys, where he became the only coach in NFL history to take four different teams to the playoffs.

He is now in charge of football operations for the Miami Dolphins.

Coaching Tree

Walsh has a more extensive coaching tree, but Parcells’ is more impressive.

Sean Payton, Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini, and Tony Sparano are head coaches in the NFL. Charlie Weiss coaches at Notre Dame. Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin competed against each other in the last Super Bowl.

Pro Bowl Players

Parcells’ notable draft selections with the Giants include defensive back Terry Kinard and defensive tackle Leonard Marshall (‘83); linebacker Carl Banks, guard William Roberts, and quarterback Jeff Hostetler (‘84); linebacker Pepper Johnson (‘86); left tackle Jumbo Elliott (‘88); running back Dave Meggett (‘89); running back Rodney Hampton and kicker Matt Stover (‘90).

For the Patriots, his draft picks included quarterback Drew Bledsoe, linebacker Chris Slade, and wide receiver Troy Brown (‘93); linebacker Willie McGinest (‘94); defensive back Ty Law, running back Curtis Martin, and place kicker Adam Vinateri (‘95); strong safety Lawyer Milloy and linebacker Tedy Bruschi (‘96).

With the Jets, he selected linebacker James Farrior (‘97).

Parcells’ selections with the Cowboys include defensive back Terrence Newman, tight end Jason Whitten, and quarterback Tony Romo (undrafted) (‘03); linebacker DeMarcus Ware and running back Marion Barber (‘05).

New York Giants

Parcells took over a team with only one winning season in the previous decade. He won three games in his first year. He recognized the talent of linebacker Lawrence Taylor, maximizing his pass rushing skills by changing from a typical 4-3 defensive formation to a 3-4.

The Giants’ record improved in the next two years, earning the team consecutive playoff appearances since the early ’60s.

Parcells led the 14-2 Giants to its first Super Bowl title in ‘86 and the first of three division titles. He helped build one of the most dominate defenses in NFL history.

He led the injury-riddled Giants to a second Super Bowl in ‘90. The Giants began the season 10-0, but lost quarterback Phil Simms. With backup Hostetler and 12-year running back Ottis Anderson, Parcells led a dramatic playoff run. The Giants beat a San Francisco 49ers team going for a third consecutive Super Bowl on a last-minute field goal, and edged the high-scoring Buffalo Bills after they missed a last-second field goal attempt.

The pressure of football and poor nutrition and sleep habits forced Parcells to retire.

New England Patriots

Parcells returned to the NFL to coach the Patriots in ‘93. In two years, he led the team to its first playoff game in eight years. He guided the Patriots to a Super Bowl, losing to Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers.

At New England, Parcells solidified his reputation as a mentor. He developed the talented but erratic Bledsoe into a Pro Bowl quarterback and took mid-level picks on defense and honed their skills.

Parcells left the Patriots over a dispute with owner Robert Kraft about player personnel decisions.

New York Jets

In possibly his greatest achievement as head coach, Parcells transformed the Jets into instant winners. In his first year with the Jets, the team just missed the playoffs. In ‘98, the 12-4 Jets lost to John Elway and the Super Bowl-champion Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game.

The following season, quarterback Vinny Testaverde ruptured his Achilles tendon in the home opening game crippling the team’s title hopes.

Parcells would once again take time off over health concerns.

Dallas Cowboys

After three straight five-win seasons, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hired Parcells as head coach. In his first year, he led the team to the playoffs, losing to the NFC champion Carolina Panthers.

The following season, quarterback Quincy Carter was terminated for alleged drug use. Parcells brought in 40-year old Testaverde, but he proved ineffective. The Cowboys finished with six wins. They would also miss the playoffs by a game in ‘05.

The Cowboys would lose to the Seattle Seahawks in the playoffs the following year on a botched hold from Romo on a field-goal attempt.

Parcells retired for the third time over disagreements with Jones on decision-making. While detractors say he didn’t deliver a playoff victory, Parcells left the Cowboys better than he found them and achieved as much, if not more, with the team then the current roster that includes 12 Pro Bowl players.

Miami Dolphins

Parcells’ legacy is far from over. He still has work to do in Miami.

The Dolphins are currently tied for second place in their division and are in playoff contention after a 1-15 campaign only one season ago.

Coaching Legacy

Parcells retired from coaching with the ninth most wins in NFL history and a 183-138-1 record. The teams he’s led had losing records before he arrived, but all were in the playoffs by his second season. Parcells coached for 19 seasons with only four losing campaigns, including the ‘87 strike year.

His teams always play the game the right way—they commit few penalties and mental mistakes. Opponents must beat his teams because they don’t beat themselves.

He’s a master of convincing players that winning is the top priority and not individual stats. His teams dominate the line of scrimmage on offense and defense. They run the ball efficiently, especially in the fourth quarter when the game’s on the line.

Parcells’ teams are built on solid role players over star players. This is his blueprint.

Does it still work in today’s NFL?

Ask Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin.