Yankee Talk: The “True or False” of the 2008 season

In this final edition of Yankee Talk, I decided to reflect back on a year gone wrong and try to break down if what happened in this lost season could have been prevented. Was all of the breakdowns just luck? Was there something else? A lot of people have been trying to figure it out. I take it one step further.

True or False: The downfall of the Yankee offense could have been foreseen.

Answer: True

The last three years, the team’s offense was being held together by chewing gum. Each year it got older and the possibility of injuries and declining performance was bound to happen. Brian Cashman obviously did not believe this because at the end of the day, the results showed that numbers wise, their offense was fine.

What could have been looked at is the fact that Melky Cabrera’s OPS decreased 30 points from 2006 to 2007. It further decreased in 2008 despite his early home run tear. Teams started figuring out his tendencies, and when he did not adjust, he not only became a black hole in the lineup, he found his way to the minor leagues. Add to that, the first half lack of extra base hit power from Bobby Abreu (.750 OPS), and basically two outfield spots prior to the All Star break were being comprised of one guy who couldn’t hit, and another guy who didn’t hit enough. Mix in Alex Rodriguez having a statistical market correction from last season, then you having the makings of slightly less run production.

The other declines could or could not have been foreseen. Was there a belief that Robinson Cano could drift the moment he received his 30 million contract?

Yes.

Should the Yankees have figured that they were taking an extreme risk with Jorge Posada at 36 years old and expecting him not to get injured?

Yes.

Anytime you have a catcher at that age, anything is possible. But because he plays a premium position that because of his hitting prowess makes him invaluable, the Yankees had to take the risk. It wasn’t as if they had Geovany Soto waiting in the minor leagues to come up and replace him. If they did, they would have let him walk when Posada’s camp demanded a fourth year or threatened to walk to the Mets.

All of these factors played a role in the offense struggling this year. It could have been prevented, but the Yankees had too many dollars invested in too many older players and counting on them to deliver. In the end, it was their downfall. Expecting that you can just bring the same offense back and think that everything will just work out is foolish and ridiculous.

There is a reason that even when most of their players were healthy, they couldn’t muster big hits with men on base. A selfish feeling of “I have to be the man” permeated segments of the lineup when a simple approach of setting up the next hitter would have been beneficial. That is not going to change if the same group is back next season.

True or False: The Yankees pitching was a good this year as it was in 2007.

Answer: False

This has been the myth of the entire season. Anyone who subscribes to this theory needs to seriously examine their baseball intellect.

In 2007, only one American League team finished with an ERA under 4.00.

The team: Los Angeles Angels.

In 2008, FIVE teams finished with a team ERA less than 4.00.

The Yankees ERA from last year was the same as it was this season, but that doesn’t mean the pitching was good. Three teams in the Yankees own division had better earned run averages than the Yankees did. This difference is the reason they are not in the playoffs. No team can trout out Sidney Ponson and Darrell Rasner for 40 starts in a season and reasonably expects to make the playoffs.

You can score less runs and win and if you give up less. But if you give up the same amount of runs and score less, you have no chance.

True or False: Having Johan Santana on the Yankees would have gotten them to the playoffs.

Answer: True

The train of thought has been from some fans that the team’s offense would not have supported Santana’s great pitching this year to make a difference.

However, you cannot underestimate what having him on the mound every five days can do for a team. When he is out there, there is a believe collectively among the team that they will win when he is pitching. For the Yankees, whenever Ponson, Rasner, or even Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy were on the mound, the Yankees offense did not know what to expect and thus a reasonable argument could be made that the team was forced to press unnecessarily. Not being able to relax at the plate and being of the mind that they had to score seven or eight runs rather than just going out on the field loose put undo pressure on them.

Having Santana, a team can score three runs and feel confident that he will deliver them to victory. As the second half of the season played out, the credit card bills for Ponson and Rasner were due and the Yanks could not pay when they went south and eventually out of the rotation. Santana meanwhile did not lose a game in the second half and if it were not for a horrific bullpen, would have won 20 games and the CY Young. Replace either Hughes, Kennedy, Ponson or Rasner with Santana, and despite Wang’s injury, the Yankees would have won legitimately seven to ten more games and would have been in the playoffs despite their anemic at times offense.

True or False: The Yankees were “killed” by injuries.

Answer: False…sort of

You have to start from the premise that the Yankees everyday lineup reads off as a pseudo-All Star team. When your seventh and eighth place hitters were Hideki Matsui and Robinson Cano, you lose the injury excuse argument

The Yankees possessed on Opening Day the best one through nine lineups in baseball. Compare that to the ones the Red Sox, Rays, White Sox, Twins and Angels and even if you take away two guys, their lineups is still equal if not better than the other teams.

Were they running out a National League lineup on some nights early in the season? Yes. But that could have been prevented if the stars that were still in that lineup would have produced instead of created a malaise that made the team an impotent offensive machine.

When it comes to the pitching, the team got a bad break losing Chien-Ming Wang to injury. But because they also staked their season hopes on two rookie pitchers, they were eventually doomed to failure. Mike Mussina over exceeded everyone’s expectations. Andy Pettitte eventually fell victim to succumbing to the lack of the run support in the second half of the season.
Joba Chamberlain had picked up the role left by Wang and was pitching like an ace pitcher. But when he went down on a hot night in Texas, the season went along with it. For three weeks, they tried to pick up some additional pitching depth (they had a possible deal with Seattle for Jarrod Washburn) and were not able to complete a trade. Not having any quality backup depth, mixed in with the two injuries crippled their rotation to the point where they were playing on borrowed time.

True or False: Joe Torre could have guided this team to the playoffs instead of Joe Girardi.

Answer: False

Give Torre credit, he knew that this ship was slowing beginning to sink and probably made the best move of all by getting out before it went under.

I believe that he had the foresight to know that the sum that is the Yankees were holding on barely and that getting this group to the playoffs was a lot harder than anyone gave him credit for. This team was too old, lacked enough athleticism and hunger, and yet somehow was able to persevere and make it to October. When Girardi was hired, none of those problems was addressed. The same old farts returned for another Broadway performance, and sure enough, they began to decay.

Could Torre’s calming influence have worked in contrast to Girardi’s football mentality? Yes. It likely would have loosened up an offense that appeared to be squeezing the sawdust out the bat and major run scoring situations.

Girardi appeared to have some players tune him out. The lapses on the base paths, the inability (or defiance) to pick up signs and a lack of plate discipline all added up. That is before the seeming disconnect that he had with some of the veteran players. It is no secret that when this season went south, several unknown Yankee players question his leadership and overall, the team did not have either trust Girardi or simply drifted and did not play as hard enough for him as they did for Torre.

Somewhere along the line, something happened. This year though, it is likely that no manager would have been able to handle this specific group of players.

True or False: Phil Hughes can be trusted to be in the Yankees starting rotation in 2009?

Answer: False

This was a wasted season for Hughes. Much like Clay Buchholz of the Red Sox, and unlike Mike Pelfrey of the Mets, Hughes was unable to have any type of success this season. While he had a great final start to his year, it should be noted that you are not to believe anything that you see in March and September. The new Rick Vaughn glasses may prove to be successful for him in the long run, but the Yankees need to make him earned a spot in the rotation as opposed to automatically handing him one.

After that point, if he can provide 170 quality innings in both the minor or major leagues, it will help him and the Yankees.

True or False: Joba Chamberlain should be a starter as opposed to a reliever in 2009?

Answer: True

This is the biggest question going into next season, even more than whether they should sign CC Sabathia and another high-end starter in the off-season.

What do the Yankees have with Chamberlain?

Because he did not make his projected innings cap for the season, once again the Yankees go into next season needing to be very creative into get Chamberlain between 150-170 innings. This leads once again into him starting in the bullpen and then stretched as a starter around May. That is one option, while the other would be for him to be in the rotation and simply skip him several times during the year seven or eight times, that way he could project to finish near 160 innings and still help the Yankees as a starter.

If they sign two free agent pitchers and put them alongside Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina, than that leaves the option of putting Chamberlain in the bullpen next season to setup for Mariano Rivera. Doing that would give the Yankees the best bullpen 1-2 pinch in baseball. But after seeing Joba pitch in the rotation, one could only fantasize about what his potential could be if he was able to spend a full season as a starter.

True or False: The Yankees can bring the exact same offensive team back and expect better results.

Answer: False

The fact that this group off All Stars could not hit with men on base, come from behind in the late innings, or seemed to only be driven by their own personal statistics not to be able to sacrifice some of themselves for the benefit of the team strikes to the fractured nature of this team.
With that, any idea of bring back nearly 80 percent of the same lineup next year is crazy.

Jason Giambi is not likely to return. The team needs a better center fielder than the nobody that exists now. Bobby Abreu’s numbers may look nice now, but that does not make up for taking off the first three months of the season power wise. Jorge Posada is an unknown until further notice. Johnny Damon may have had a fine season, but his age is a question mark. The same goes for Derek Jeter. Does Robinson Cano dramatically improve his performance next year, or was it simply a fluke?

No one really knows.

Too many question marks exist to keep all of these guys around. A cleansing is needed and some of these guys have to get out as soon as possible. Keeping them around another season is something that is not going to fly. If they do bring them back, expect the same offensive results next season.

See you next season.

Yankee Talk: A Final Goodbye to “The Stadium”

All season, we as Yankee fans tried to avoid this inevitable day. Finally, the night arrived. I made my trip back to Yankee Stadium in August to say goodbye. But now, on a Sunday night in September, this was the final goodbye for all of us. It was a night to celebrate our glorious past while looking forward to the future.

The pitch was thrown by Mariano Rivera.

The ball was hit by Brian Roberts of the Baltimore Orioles.

The ball was fielded by first baseman Cody Ransom.

The out was made by Rivera covering first base.

It was over.

The final out in the history of Yankee Stadium was made. In reality, the final score was irrelevant; a 7-3 Yankees win. This game was about more than that. As you looked around the old ballpark that night, anyone that was able to get a ticket looked at the history and soaked it all in. This would be the last time professional baseball will be played in this building.

In reality, it was not supposed to be “The End”. Initially, many thought that the final game at the old park would be in the postseason, sometime in October. For the Yankees, that will not happen this year, so this was it. A final goodbye. For me, it was an official goodbye. I made the trip on my birthday back in August to pay homage and it was the best present I could ever have. It is likely nothing will eclipse it.

But as we all said goodbye, we were given a chance to look back at all the memorable moments that have taken place here from it original 1923 opening. Babe Ruth christened the new (at the time) stadium with a blast. Here in 2008, Jose Molina would close it on Sunday night with a homerun.

You think about all of the events that have taken place in that cathedral; football, boxing, concerts, visits from the Pope, and of course the Yankees.

My first visit to Yankee Stadium came when I was four years old. Apparently, I didn’t know I was there until I saw a picture years later that show me, as a little pup in the upper deck with my aunt. Back in those days, the Yankees were not a very good team and plenty of good seats were available. That picture still resides in its black and white from in a picture book that will probably be able to keep at some point in the future. Though I would learn the nuances of baseball in later years, that day in the summer of 1987 was my first initial foray into baseball.

My parents didn’t care for baseball very much at all. So in my case, I was left to learn on my own. I watched the Yankees on TV as a kid. I saw the beautiful stadium and became a fan. During my visits back to New York, I would make it a point to take in a game at the Stadium. The team rarely sold out in those days, even when they were playing the Red Sox. It would be easy to look out in to the left field bleachers and see emptiness. The last tiers of the upper deck were usually empty unless it was Opening Day. In my bedroom, I keep a picture of Opening Day from the Yankees 1992 season against Boston. Every seat is filled. The billboards have changed. Let’s just say the Budweiser ads have grown up over the years.

Many of us didn’t really know how much the Stadium would rock. All most of us saw were old, grainy highlight videos. All of that changed a few seasons later. The Yankees finally returned to the postseason in 1995, the first time in 14 seasons. The Yankees mattered again.

Yankee Stadium mattered again.

When Paul O’Neill and Don Mattingly went back-to-back with homeruns in Game 2 of the playoff series against Seattle, the Stadium roared, as it did in the 70’s.

One year later, with a chance to clinch a World Series for the first time in 18 years at home against the Atlanta Braves, the Stadium was jumping.

It was Game 6, leading 3-2 in the series in the bottom of the third inning. Paul O’Neill led off with a double and after Mariano Duncan grounded out, Joe Girardi came to the plate. When the ball left pitcher Greg Maddux’s hands, it found the bat of Girardi’s. The ball carried into right center field. It kept carrying and carrying and went over centerfielder Marquis Grissom and rolled to wall. O’Neill scored and here was Girardi racing for third base looking for a triple and made it safely.

The Yankees took the lead and the Stadium, as Girardi, and many teammates said afterward, they felt was shaking. It was a feeling that they never felt before.

The fans gave The Stadium its character. Without it, it would not be the same. Take all the other iconic stadiums that exist in baseball. Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, Dodger Stadium and old Tiger Stadium…not one of them spits out more raw emotion than that of Yankee Stadium.

In “big games” in baseball, fans in stadiums across the league stand up with two strikes rooting for a strikeout. If you ask them where that originated from, I am willing to bet that no one would have any clue as to what the answer is.

Ask a Yankees fan, and we’ll you it started right inside Yankee Stadium the night Ron Guidry struck out 18 California Angels in 1978.

One of my personal favorite moments happened in 2001 after the tragic events of 9-11. It was Game 5 of the American League Championship Series against Seattle, and my dorm mate from college and I had tickets for the game to see the Yankees go to the World Series.

As we went to our seats out in the right field bleachers, we could feel the anticipation and excitement amongst everyone around us. We were ready for a celebration that night after everything that had gone on in the city. The Yankees were our way of giving us a distraction from what the real world were just miles down the road by where the World Trade Center once was.

The Yankees routed the Mariners that night to win and the last three innings became a party. Chants of “116! Don’t Mean Shit”, “Overrated” and “Sayonara Ichiro” cascaded throughout the building. It was a fun time. Perhaps the most fun I ever had at a Yankee game in my life.

Just one week later, the Stadium had three of most historic moments. You remember in Game 3 of the World Series and President Bush throwing out the first pitch and firing a strike to Jorge Posada.

One night later, in the ninth inning, set to trail the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Series three games to one, Tino Martinez hits a two out, two run game tying homerun. I remember Paul O'Neill pumping his fists as he is rounding the bases. The fans out in the right field bleachers jumping for joy. An inning later, Derek Jeter completes the miracle win with the opposite field homerun into the short right field porch.

Those two nights were great. It seemed as if there was no possible encore for what we had seen. Yet, here we were again in the bottom of the ninth inning, trailing by two runs again. This time Scott Brosius was the hero. As his homerun left the bat, I remember being in my dorm room watching and seeing the builiding shake again like it did in 1996.

Who could forget that memorable Game 7 of the ALCS against the Red Sox. Trailing by three runs, the Yankees get within one run and Jorge Posada come to the plate looking to tie the game. He had a shallow blooper off Pedro Martinez into centerfield that scored two runs to tie the game. As Hideki Matsui is coming around third, you can see all the Yankee fans in the stands jumping, screaming and cheering him home. It was pandemonium.

Three innings later, Aaron Boone shook the building with a walk-off homerun to win the American League Pennant. If you watch the replays from when the ball hits Boone’s bat, you can see the entire Stadium rise with hands in the air in celebration. For that night, it was another one of those “Stadium Moments”. For anyone there that night, it was a moment they all will be able to cherish forever.

Maybe there really were “ghosts” in the Stadium. There was a sign in the crowd during the 2001 World Series that read the following:

“Mystique and Aura: Appearing Nightly”

Little did I know when I left the Stadium after Game 2 of the 2003 World Series against Florida that it would be the last World Series I would ever see in that building. After I came back from Miami for the middle three games of the Series, I was fully expecting the Yankees to force a Game 7 and to be there in person to watch a potential championship celebration. Unfortunately, for me, it did not happen. Josh Beckett of the Marlins pitched a complete game shutout to win the World Series for Florida. Now that the Stadium is leaving, the lasting World Series moment will be when Beckett tagged out Jorge Posada running up the first base line and the Marlins celebrating on the Yankees diamond.

In 2005, plans were outlined for a new Yankee Stadium. Never did I really think this could possibly happen, but it is a sign of the times. Luxury boxes were needed. Additional concessions and all of the other amenities that a lot of the great new ballparks have was something that was going to happen eventually. While it was going to be sad to say goodbye, I think we all could conclude that it was for the best.

This year, reality began to set in. Our days with Yankee Stadium were numbered. It didn’t help that out in right center field, you would see a board displaying the amount of regular season games remaining. During the middle of the game, an announcement would come signifying that another game had been taken off the ledger and the countdown to the end was coming. When I was there in August, the amount of games left had reached 21.

Now here we are. The count has reached zero. Next April, a new history of the Yankees will begin inside a new home. It will hold as many people and for some, it may look a little too corporate. Perhaps it will feel like an amusement park than a baseball stadium. Adjusting to new surroundings is going to be very unusual. It is definitely going to take a while to get used to the new park.

Let’s just hope we can bring the past along with us across the street.

Random Yankee Stadium Thoughts

This time, I will give you my top 10 moments of Yankee Stadium that I grew up with. If I was 60, I would breakdown the 1959 NFL Championship between the Colts and the Giants, but I cannot. This will have to do.

10. Jim Abbott’s no hitter against Cleveland in 1993.

9. David Wells perfect game against Minnesota in 1998.

8. David Cone’s perfect game on Old Timer’s Day against Montreal in 1999.

7. Tino Martinez’s grand slam in the seventh inning in Game 1 of the 1998 World Series.

6. Tino Martinez’s game tying homerun in the ninth inning of World Series Game 4 in 2001.

5. Game 1 of the 2000 World Series.

No one really believed that a Subway World Series would ever happen. When the possibility suddenly presented itself during the ALCS and NLCS, in some ways each fan base began to partially root for the other to make it to set up this matchup. When Game 1 commenced on that Saturday night, a lot of dreams were realized. Older fans that used to see the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees battle yearly in the World Series now were able to relive it almost 45 years later.

4. Scott Brosius’ game tying two-run homerun in Game 5 of the 2001 World Series in the ninth inning.

After watching Tino’s homerun the night before and somehow coming back to win, surely there was no chance of it happening two nights in a row, could they? But it did. Diamondbacks closer Byung-Hyun Kim threw a hanging slider and when Brosius hit it, the Stadium erupted. Within 24 hours of each other, the Yankees had pulled off another miracle.

3. Aaron Boone’s American League Pennant winning homerun in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.

Had the Yankees went on to win the World Series that year, Boone’s homerun would have been a fixture forever. However, for that one night, Boone became our generations Chris Chambliss. Boston has been beaten again in dramatic fashion and the Red Sox were left to pick up the pieces of the Babe, Bucky, Buckner and now Boone.

2. Paul O’Neill and Don Mattingly bring Yankee Stadium to life in Game 2 of the AL Division Series in 1995.

Most Yankee fans were too young to remember past Yankees playoffs in the late 1970’s, and finally got their chance to see one for themselves. When Paul O’Neill went deep, the place was ecstatic. But when Mattingly hit one out, the decibel level exploded. It was a classic moment

1. Joe Girardi’s triple in Game 6 of the 1996 World Series.

With a chance to win the World Series, the crowd had been in frenzy for hours. When Girardi drove the ball into right center field, he was only looking for a sacrifice fly. The ball carried over Marquis Grissom’s head. As O’Neill scored, the crowd roared for Girardi (never with the fastest speed) to make it to third for a triple. He made it safely and the crowd could not be contained. It was Yankee Stadium’s finest moment.

Giants Talk: A Mann above men

Eli at his best when the game is on the line

There is never any panic when he comes on to the field.

His face does not give away what he might be thinking internally or externally.

Does he feel nervous?

Maybe.

Is he worried?

Not likely.

Give Eli Manning a chance to win a chance to win the game and he becomes an assassin. Wipe away anything he may have done prior, it is a completely new ballgame.

In a lot of ways, he becomes “SuperMann”.

For Manning, winning the Super Bowl last year by orchestrating the game winning touchdown drive put him at the pinnacle of his profession and unmatched popularity. It was a long way from where he was just a week before the end of the regular season when he could not hold onto a snap or could help but throw the ball to the other team (in this case, the Buffalo Bills) as he single handedly was looking to deny the Giants a postseason berth.

Now, everything has changed. He is looked at in a much different light. He is no longer questioned when it comes to his decision making. I watch him now and say, “He knows what he is doing.” He has always had a knack for stepping his play in key moments, but now that has transferred to 60 minutes as opposed to two, five or ten.

This was the man former general manager Ernie Accorsi thought the Giants could win a championship with. This is was the man that coach Tom Coughlin put his faith in. This was the man his teammates had always believed in even when literally no one outside of their inner circle thought the same.

He has not disappointed.

There is no disputing that he is the unquestionable leader of this Giants football. He is the face of a franchise that was once led by Michael Strahan and Tiki Barber. Those guys made the road for him easier, but now it is Manning who is the team’s pulse.

He is not going to jump up and down and pump his fists or bump helmets like some quarterbacks do. That is not his style. It does not have to be.

He does not possess Tom Brady’s golden boy looks, Tony Romo’s celebrity, Donovan McNabb maneuverability or his brother Peyton’s right arm. But he doesn’t need to.

His way is different. It works for him and it works for the Giants.

When the ball rested at their own 32 yard line, trailing by four points and 4:39 was left on the clock, it was just another day at the office for Manning. Heck, after coming back to win the Super Bowl, no challenge is too much to for him to overcome.

With the help of his offensive line and the running of Derrick Ward, Manning use the rest of this talents to direct the Giants on a scoring drive to take the lead late in the fourth quarter.

In overtime, he was given a chance to win the game outright. Apparently, the Bengals were not given the heads up to not allow Manning this chance. Once again, his rallied his team down the field and set up kicker John Carney for the game winning field goal.

He had done it again. And in so many ways, it all looked routine. Nothing out of the ordinary, but something that has become routine.

For Manning, failure is never an option…not when the game is on the line.

Where does he rank among quarterbacks now? Not long ago, most people would have taken half of the league over Manning. Now, you would be hard pressed to find more than five quarterbacks in the league you would rather have than the man who wears number ten for the Football Giants.

It is because of him that the Giants, despite losing five of its defensive starters from the championship team, have a chance to make it through the tough terrain of the NFC East and attempt to repeat as world champions.

In Mann they trust.

Random Giants Thoughts

The drumbeat has already started. It pointed to this last week and it might hold true.

The Giants have a realistic possibility of starting the season 6-0. Here are their next three games:

Week 4 - vs. Seattle
Week 5 - at Cleveland
Week 6 - vs. San Francisco

Getting off to this type of start would put them on good footing in a division that harbor pro football top three teams.

13 wins will get you homefield advantage. Anything less will find the Giants attempting to be playoff road warriors once again.

Nice to see Kevin Boss find his way into the offense.

It wasn’t as if the Giants weren’t looking for him, but with all the weapons the offense has, catches are going to be hard to come by.

I am actually surprised Ahmad Bradshaw hasn’t been able to get many carries so far this season. He only had two on Sunday.

That’s what happens when you have Derrick Ward running great.

Justin Tuck and Fred Robbins are the defensive MVP’s to this point this season.

Is Kevin Dockery going to be my new whipping boy this season?

Back in the day, I may have been worried about the Giants losing on Sunday, but I was remarkably calm. Never did I allow myself to think the team could lose.

That is a far cry from what I used to think.

How about John Carney? Mr. AARP himself is poised to make some money with his performance this season.

He has not missed a field goal and has been great at directional kicking. It is making men his age reevaluate their couch potato lives.

The Giants have not started a season 4-0 since their 1990 Super Bowl season. When they play Seattle, they will get the chance.

Steve Smith is slowly becoming one of my favorite players. Yet, I will not buy his jersey for another year.

Is Sinorice Moss alive? I am still waiting for him to make it to the field again.

He has great speed. If he had the ability to return kicks and punts, he would have a role on this team.

But he cannot.

It is nice to hear no complaining about the linebackers alongside Antonio Pierce to this point.

That means they are playing well.

Giants Talk: The Great Escape

Lowly Bengals put Giants on ropes, but the Champs comeback to win


In the NFL, you are going to have these kinds of games. All very good teams have them. You wish it would not happen, but it does. Facing a team that on the surface should be a cake suddenly turns into what I call a “hell game”.

At Giants Stadium on Sunday, the world champions found themselves in this exact situation. Being 14-point favorites, the Cincinnati Bengals played like a desperate 0-2 team and gave the Giants all they could handle and provided an early season case of agita in the process.

The Giants in previous years would have lost this kind of game, but this is not the past. Summoning their championship resolve and comeback spirit, they rallied late to tie the game, saw the Bengals force overtime, but managed to make some key plays in overtime to walk away with a 3-0 record after a 26-23 victory.

On paper, this shaped up to be a mismatch. The offensive and defensive power of the Giants was supposed to overwhelm Cincinnati en route to an easy win. However, yesterday served as a reminder why games are played on the field and not on paper.

It was Eli Manning, with his team trailing by four late in the fourth quarter who once again drove his team down for the go-ahead touchdown. In the overtime session, it was Manning, facing heavy pressure that stood up and delivered once again.

The Bengals may be 0-2, but they are a talented offensive team that on any given day can put up points on the scoreboard as good as any other team. On this day, they played as if their season was on the line and gave everything they had. Unfortunately, on the road in the Meadowlands, it was not good enough.

At no point during the first three quarters did the Giants play particularly well on offense. Cincinnati’s decision to focus on shutting down Plaxico Burress with numerous defenders opened up holes in the middle of the field for Amani Toomer (5 catches – 64 yards) and Steve Smith (7 catches – 60 yards). Consistently blitzing Manning and playing with safety help over the top for the Giants to abandon their plan on attacking the Bengals depleted secondary downfield.

After Cincinnati scored the games first points with field goal, the Giants marched down and scored on a one yard Brandon Jacobs touchdown plunge to make it 7-3. The Bengals quickly answered on a 25-yard touchdown run by running back Chris Perry. Each team traded field goals and the Giants went into the half trailing 17-10.

The Giants inability to capitalize in the red zone forced them to settle for three John Carney (9 for 9 this season) field goals. This allowed Palmer and his offense to have a chance to steal the game late in the fourth quarter. Twelve plays and 82 yards later, Palmer found T.J Housmanzadeh in the end zone on a 17 yard touchdown pass to give the Bengals a 20-16 lead with 4:38 left.

It became one of those “we’ve been here before” moments. The Giants needed 68 yards for the go-ahead score and could not settle for a field goal.

Derrick Ward (nine carries – 80 yards) got it started with a 22 yard run on a draw play. Manning then found Toomer for 14 yards. After two incomplete passes, Manning would Steve Smith for 15 yards on third-and-10 to get the ball down to the Bengals 17. Ward rumbled down to three-yard line before Manning found tight end Kevin Boss for a four-yard touchdown pass to give the Giants a 23-20 lead with 1:50 to go.

Unfortunately, the Giants defense wasn’t able to close the show in regulation. Keeping extra blockers in the backfield to block, it negated defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s creative blitz schemes. This left holes in the secondary throughout the second half and mainly on the Bengals final possession of regulation. Palmer led his team down to the Giants 14 yard line before making a very curious decision.

There were 35 seconds left and the Bengals had one timeout. Rather than trying to go for the win, they allowed the clock to go all the way down to 12 seconds before Palmer hit receiver Antonio Chatman for an eleven-yard pass down to the three and called their final timeout. Kicker Shayne Graham sent the game into overtime nailing a 21-yard field goal.

Cincinnati went three-and-out in the overtime session and once again gave the ball back to Manning with a chance to win the game. He found Burress along the left sideline for 28 yards and followed that up with a terrific pass to Toomer for 31 yards down to the Bengals seven-yard line.

Carney came on to kick the game winner and the Giants ran their record to 3-0. It was not pretty, but at the end of the day, it is still a victory. You take it and you move on.

In this case, for the Giants, they take it and move on to a bye week that comes much earlier. Despite having not lost a game yet, several issues need to be addressed, mainly the teams currently inability to convert inside the red zone.

Defensively, despite racking up six sacks, the defense only has one takeaway on the season. Palmer was given plenty of protection in the second half, and despite the improvements in the secondary, were vulnerable because of the lack of consistent pass rush.

The Seattle Seahawks comes to town in two weeks. Maybe they will bring some wide receivers with them. Otherwise, Matt Hasslebeck will be in for a very long afternoon.

NFL Talk: The NFC East shows its dominance…life without Tom Brady for the Patriots…and who is the worst team in football?

Beasts from the East

If watching the first two weeks of the football season are any indication, then it difficult not to notice that there is a sizable talent disparity between the NFC East and the rest of the conference.

With the exception of the Redskins, the Giants, Cowboys and Eagles have served notice to the rest of the NFC and to each other that the road to the Super Bowl in Tampa is going to have to run through one or two of these cities, if not all three.

The World Champion Giants are still on a roll at 2-0. On defense, they have played as dominant as they did when went on their hot streak in January. Justin Tuck is developing into a top tier defensive end. Aaron Ross and Corey Webster are showing themselves to be shut down corners and as whole appear to be the consummate “team”.

Offensively, they appear to have no shortage of weapons to throw at you. From their three-headed running attack, to their evolving superstar quarterback, steady and powerful offensive line and hoard of wide receivers, the Giants are poised to build upon last season in a big way.

In Dallas, the Cowboys are still the same powerhouse as last season. The quarter of Romo, Barber, T.O and Witten is still torching defenses behind an offensive line that is allowing Romo time to take a nap, make a sandwich, watch television, and still be able to find open receivers downfield.

Now, seeing their defense on Monday night was not a pretty sight. While their front seven is still strong, their additions in the secondary are still adjusting with the additions of rookie Mike Jenkins and former Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones. Their safety play is still suspect, and as the Eagles showed on Monday night, spreading them out has been an effective method of breaking down their defense.

For the Cowboys, the regular season is simply their opening act. Their final exam will come when their first playoff game begins.

While in Philadelphia, the Eagles are looking to join in on the fun and put their names back into the mix.

After finishing the season on a good note, they upgraded their defense with cornerback Asante Samuel and drafted wide receiver DeSean Jackson.

Both of those additions have added new dimensions to the Eagles team and in the first two weeks have shown that they will be formidable contenders.

After demolishing the Rams, the Eagles displayed a gallant effort against the Cowboys, scoring 30 points in the first half.

In the fourth quarter, holding a three-point lead, the Donovan McNabb fumbled a handoff to Brian Westbrook and the Cowboys recovered. This lead to the eventual game winning touchdown and a 41-37 defeat for the Eagles.

Though moral victories in football do not exist, the Eagles gained more respect in defeat from the rest of the league. Playing without their top two receivers, it did not matter. McNabb played incredible and looked the player during the early part of the decade.

Each team appeared to be a mirror image of the other. Add in the Giants to that mix and you have three of most powerful teams in football playing in the same division.

It is going to make these divisional games so much fun and dramatic. Here is the schedule of the remaining tilts this trio has against each other:

Nov 2: Dallas vs. NY Giants
Nov 9: NY Giants vs. Philadelphia
Dec 7: Philadelphia vs. NY Giants
Dec 14: NY Giants vs. Dallas
Dec 28: Dallas vs. Philadelphia

This puts an incredible importance on winning the division this year as ever. Being able to get the week off and having either of these teams forced to come on the road to get a playoff win gives the team that gains the bye a great advantage.

Let the battle commence.


No Brady? No problem for now.

The New England Patriots were never a high-octane football team until the start of the 2007 season.

Methodical would best describe the Patriots offense during the championship days, and when Tom Brady was knocked out for the season against Kansas City, no longer would the Patriots be the same football team that scored the most points in the history of the League.

Instead, they have decided for the moment to go back into their past to reclaim old glory.

When thy beat the Jets 19-10 on Sunday in the Meadowlands, they scrapped their “track meet” offense in exchange for one that focused on running and manageable first down situations. It was not pretty, but it was effective.

They have put their faith again in their defense, their original calling card. Against the Jets, they eliminated quarterback Brett Favre’s options and made their offense look like Chad Pennington was still there.

The final score may have only read 19-10, but the score was not an accurate reflection of how the game was played. New England’s defense was dominant and pushed the Jets around for most of the game. Brady’s injury did not suddenly make the Patriots defense worse. Their front seven is still there and the great play likely will continue.

The schedule for them this year broke in special way that gives them statistically the easiest schedule in football. Sunday, they face Miami followed up with a game against San Francisco. A very good chance exists they will go 4-0 to start the year before games against San Diego and Denver.

Will they go the Super Bowl? Unlikely.

However, a 10 or 11 win season in what appears to be a weaker AFC this year will amount to a successful season.

The Bad, The Ugly and The Awful

Having the NFL Sunday Ticket package from DirecTV that I have enjoyed for years is the best thing to ever happen to TV.

Getting every NFL game makes it a weekly holiday in my house. The early games provide a chance to jump in and out and watch a key play or sequence when the Giants game is not totally dominating my eyes.

While the good thing is seeing all the games, the downside comes from the fact you also get to plenty of terrible football teams play every week.

In the last two years, the amount of terrible football teams has increased to insanely bad levels. There are some games now that you look at the schedule, you just choose not to watch unless you are crazy enough to lay the points (BTW, Sunday Ticket has increased my gambling by 300%).
This year, the amount of terrible teams seems to have gone up. Some are worst than bad, they are just plain awful.

Four teams in the league represent the epitome of awfulness:

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Mark them down for the top three pick in next years NFL draft. On Sunday, after quarterbacks Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard were able to find the field the Chiefs entered a guy named Thigpen to play behind center. Even the Raiders were not bad enough to lose to them.

If they win four games, that will be an upset.

2. Oakland Raiders

Just because they beat the Chiefs does not make them any less bad. Incompetence fills this team like a bottle of whiskey.

While Darren McFadden has the look of a franchise back in the making of Marcus Allen, the same cannot be said for the rest of the Raiders team. While their defense has some talented players, they are a terribly constructed and will be in contention as well for a top five pick.

Who can wait for the Chiefs-Raiders rematch later in the season?

3. St. Louis Rams

Perhaps they just had a bad day in their first game against the Eagles, but watching them in person against the Giants told me everything I needed to know about them.

They are bad.

Seriously bad.

That team has zero defense despite have nice looking rookie Chris Long. On offense, they have talent with Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson and Torry Holt. However, their offensive line is so terrible that it negates their talent base.

It is possible that they can sneak out five wins.

4. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have rediscovered their old past and that is being bad again. After making the playoffs in 2005, they have disintegrated in every season since.

They have no offensive line and that has made Carson Palmer not the player he was several years ago. Add in the adventures of Chad Johnson Ocho Cinco, or whatever he chooses to call himself and this team is a walking train wreck.

Marvin Lewis should accept some of the fall for this. He be fired at the end of the year and it is well deserved. A 6-10 record is on the horizon. They have reached the level of unwatchable. Just change the channel.

One can only hope that these teams will improve but they will not. Any reasonably good team facing one of these four opponents should be embarrassed if they come out on the losing end.

Random NFL thoughts

If you took Tom Brady (me) in your fantasy draft with you first round pick, you are angry and kicking yourself.

However, if you drafted Jay Cutler or Aaron Rodgers in the later rounds, you feel as if you got a steal.

Both Cutler and Rodgers are enjoying tremendous starts to their seasons and their performance will dictate how both the Broncos and the Packers fare this season.

With the AFC open after the Chargers 0-2 start, the 2-0 Broncos have a chance to get off to large enough lead in the AFC West to win it outright and make the playoffs.

As the Vikings flounder, the Packers are showing they were more than just a group of players lead by Brett Favre. They should win their division again and host a playoff game in Lambeau Field in January.

Don’t tell me the winner of the NFC West will finish with an 8-8 record and get a gift home playoff game out of it.

This goes for the NFC South as well.

You will have the NFC East runner-ups likely with better records than two division winners will and they will have to travel on the road in the first round.

Ridiculous.

I am still puzzled by those who thought the Vikings were going to make the Super Bowl with Tavaris Jackson at quarterback.

Were these people smoking something?

Now he has been replaced by Gus Frerotte. At 0-2, the Vikings are in trouble and have the following three games upcoming:

Week 3 – vs. Carolina
Week 4 – at Tennessee
Week 5 – at New Orleans

A 0-5 start to the season is very possible if they are not careful. It has made this Sunday’s game their biggest of the year.

The Buffalo Bills may win 10 games this year, but their offense is not good enough to expect them to win on any given week (except for when they play the Raiders) and is susceptible to being tripped more than any other fringe playoff team in the league.

Are the Pittsburgh Steelers really the best team in the AFC now that New England is without Tom Brady?

Give me until Week 12 for an answer.

Peyton Manning looks and is playing old. I know he still recovering from the knee injury, but his inability to step up in the pocket or move his feet with the rush coming was not a good sign.

How do you have a game where the Instant Replay in the NFL booth goes out?

When Champ Bailey of the Broncos stripped receiver Chris Chambers of the Chargers of the ball, the replay clearly showed that his elbow was on the ground before the ball came out. San Diego challenged the call, but when the referees went under the hood, found that the equipment had “malfunctioned”, and thus could not get a replay to change the call.

What?

Did someone flip the switch?

Jacksonville may be 0-2 with offensive line problem, but they will still end up being a playoff team.

Same for San Diego.

Speaking of the Chargers again, it is slowly becoming my belief that LaDainian Tomlinson is the biggest talking, “soft” player in football.

But I will give him credit for breaking out the “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying” line.

DeSean Jackson was very close to claiming the “Stupidest Football Player” of the year award on Monday night.

It sure looked as if he had gotten tips from the Leon Lett School of celebrating.

Yankee Talk: The September of hell

The days until the final game of the season (ironically) in Boston cannot come fast enough.

Right now, it is as if these games are nothing more than an extended funeral. Instead of this procession lasting two hours, it is forced to continue for another two weeks.

It is a very strange feeling. Seeing Yankees games in September years ago were meaningless because a playoff spot was already in tact. This time, the games are meaningless because the team’s performance this season has been bad enough that they have forced this situation.

Even for myself, I have chosen to turn off and not watch the games anymore. This is all surreal. Never would I imagine a situation where I would turn away from these games on purpose. But this year, it happened.

This specific team made that happen.

All season, the team played with a sense of lethargy. The Yankees never seemed to have any sense of purpose to this season. Early in the year, you could see it.

Surely injuries played a role, but when you are putting a lineup during that time that featured six current or former All Stars from a lineup that had nearly eight, it is difficult to make excuses about having a lack of talent.

The Minnesota Twins lack talent. The Toronto Blue Jays lack talent. Compare those lineups to that of the Yankees (even when injured) and they are still overmatched.

You expected some of the old grit and fighting spirit that past Yankees teams showed. Instead they showed a glass chin and when things got rough, they caved in, refusing to battle through the injuries and underperformance. Rather, using it as an crutch for losing.

“Wait until A-Rod and Posada get back.”

They came back, but the problems were still the same. It never changed.

Bobby Abreu’s on base and slugging percentage (despite his RBI total) took a vacation in the first three months of the season.

Robinson Cano was the same way. In his case, his drama has last the entire season. From hitting as low as .150 into the month of May, his mental lapses on the field and on the bases, and his lackadaisical play at second base that finally got him benched on Sunday.

It was long overdue, but only now did manager Joe Girardi see fit to do anything about it, despite having enough evidence from this season to convict.

There was the drama of Alex Rodriguez that manifested itself in August when he hit into eleven double plays as the Yankees season was going to down the toilet. How ironic that the near quarter billion-dollar team was going in flames while the over quarter billion-dollar third baseman was lighting the match.

A pitching staff that was to feature youth failed in their experiment and was forced again to rely on older veterans. Unlike previous years, those same pitchers were not able to carry the load of others and the season credit card bill was up for payment. Thinking that the Yankees could ever get by with Darrell Rasner and Sidney Ponson starting games was ultimately be doomed to failure.

The fact the Yankees were anticipating the return of Carl “American Idle” Pavano to save the rotation should have been a message that the season was already lost.

All of these players, these high priced players, were unable to blend as a team. They were 25 individuals looking out for themselves and no one else.

Watch the games and you will see the selfish at bats. You watch and see the lack of patience from a team that prided themselves on it. Not being able to “situation hit’ and somehow rarely brought home runs with men on base.

Now why would I continue to watch that? Seeing this group of old, cranky, grotesquely overpaid players on this roster continue to underacheive and not put out 100% effort is something I cannot stand for. It is a waste of my time.

I don’t want to hear about bad luck. It was not as they were all having great at bats that ended in an unfortunate placement of the ball.

Excuses like that are for losers.

Swinging for the fence, the inability to cut down on swings, and having too much hubris to sacrifice themselves for the team in certain situations and rather looking to boost their numbers rather than boost the teams win total.

Did they tune out new manager Joe Girardi? Likely.

Girardi was built up as a drill sergeant that was supposed to make the Yankees play each game as if it were their last.

He was supposed to eliminated the supposed laissez-faire attitude the permeated the team during its successful seasons.

It was obvious from the beginning he was nothing like that. When it came time to dole out discipline for lapses or bad effort, he sat idly and denied its existence.

His unwavering belief of “everything will be fine” became more a punch line than something to rally around the team as their season was slipping further and further away.

Girardi was in denial. Most of the players were in denial. Some of them just did not care so they could not be in denial.

The team lacked a leader. As much as Derek Jeter is loved and appreciated, he is not a leader of men in the sense of rallying the troops. There were no enforcers in the teams clubhouse to let guys know that they were not giving 100 percent.

When Jorge Posada was lost for the rest of the season, the team had no voice. Everyone else talked a good game but it never brought the team together. Like I said, they were never a team.

All of these factors played a role in shaping this 2008 season for the Yankees. Very soon it will come to end and they can all go away for the winter to find out what went wrong one only hopes that they learned a hard lesson from last year and make a pledge to right the wrong of 2008 starting in 2009 with the opening of the new Yankee Stadium.

Until then, as the song from Green Day goes…

“Wake me up when September ends.”

Random Yankee Thoughts

So some do not wanted to trade Robinson Cano and some do.

If you trade him, you are trading him at his lowest value. If you do not and he stinks up the joint next year and deteriorate even more, than you are stuck with him, his drama and his maintenance indefinitely.

The Rays last off-season traded high risk-high reward talent Delmon Young to the Twins for Matt Garza.

I think that trade worked out pretty well.

If the Yankees were ever to make that kind of trade for a similar high reward player, I would ship him immediately.

You can place his struggles at the plate to occasional bad luck. But what his laziness on defense and mental farts on the bases? Is that bad luck too?

And he continues to be in denial about all of this. On Sunday, after being benched for more lazy play, he said that he plays hard 99.9 percent of the time.

That is a red flag when you continue that he has two Hall of Fame players to the right of him that play every days and never take a play off. You think after four years he’s going to say, “Maybe I really should play hard!”

Cano’s time should be up in New York.

Xavier Nady has come back down to earth. He was not a .330 hitter and no one should have been fooled into thinking that he was.

Nady Update: .283 – 11 HR – 33 RBI - .854 OPS

He is nice player, but the Yankees may want to investigate his trade value at the end of the season as well. If he puts up another nice season, he could be in line for a 15 million a year payday for five years.

I would not pay him that.

Do not be fooled by what you see from Alfredo Aceves.

If last year is a guide, do not believe anything you see in September.

Had the Yankees taken that philosophy, perhaps Johan Santana would be on the team this year.

Great to see Derek Jeter now 2nd on the Yankees all time hit list.

While his production is slightly down and the season is over, Jeter has not quit. He is still playing every game as if it were his last.

Jason Giambi has had his time, but now he must go.

Andy Pettitte has also had his time, but unless he is willing to come back for 10 million a year and be the Yankees fourth starter, he has to go too.

The Yankees will be forced to resign Mike Mussina. However, he will not replicate this season in any way.

Ivan Rodriguez…please leave immediately.

When I heard that Carl Pavano got the win on Sunday against Tampa Bay, I was disgusted.

Here we a guy who has been stealing money for the last three and a half years. Magically, with only three months left on his contract, he returns to the rotation in an effort to get some stupid to give him more than a one year deal next season.

Only in baseball.

Giants Talk: Earth, Wind and Fire

Jacobs, Ward and Bradshaw a trio that can’t be beat

ST. LOUIS – While I was sitting in the stands at the Edward Jones Dome and watching the Giants running with reckless abandon at the porous St. Louis Rams defense, I began to ask myself a question:

“Can I play running back for the Giants?”

It is a question that many people are beginning to ask themselves ask right with each weekly performance but the performances of the Giants new three headed monster of running backs.

They have even given themselves a moniker:

“Earth, Wind and Fire.”

Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward provide the power in the Giants running attack. Both backs are able to pound away at defenses behind one of the best offensive lines in football.

Through the first two weeks, the results have been devastating. After over 150 yards in the opener against the Redskins without one carry from Fire (Bradshaw), the trio gashed the Rams for 200 yards, with each back getting in on the fun.

Jacobs ran for 93 yards on 15 carries. His 30-yard run during the Giants 97 yard drive was the highlight of his day. Ward was steady, getting eight carries for 58 yards and taking on defenders in the process.

With the score 20-13 in the fourth quarter, the offense called upon Bradshaw, a gracious combination of power and speed to run away from the tired and pitiable Rams defense.

Bradshaw added to the Giants lead with an 18-yard catch and run to make it a 27-13 game. He later followed that up with 31-yard touchdown to finish off the eventual 41-13 rout. For the game, Bradshaw finished with five carries for 52 yards to go along with the 18-yard touchdown reception.

Each runner could likely start on any NFL team right now. However, on the Giants, who now have a plethora of riches, each of them has a niche that fits in with the offense.

Last year, Jacobs would get a slight majority of the carries, but missed several games due to injury. This opened up a spot for Ward, who found himself splitting some carries with Reuben Droughns. Ward was having his best game as a professional on a cold, rainy, damp day in Chicago last December before breaking his fibula in the fourth quarter and was forced to miss the rest of the season.

Jacobs would later return, but Droughns was proving to be ineffective in the backfield, especially on short yardage plays.

Bradshaw was still learning the offense and thus saw no time on the field until the season’s 15th week at home against Washington.

In a monsoon, followed by a winter wonderland in Buffalo the next week, each of them were unleashed on the Bills as each ran for over 100 yards as the Giants clinched a playoff spot.

As the playoffs went along, it was obvious how in sync these two backs were. Jacobs pounded away at defenses, while Bradshaw slashed and cut his way through the holes developed by the line. Teams were not prepared for what was coming.

Coming into this season, Ward would return from injury. He chose to stay with the Giants despite the now crowded backfield of Jacobs and Bradshaw and felt room could be made from him as well.

So did the Giants.

For the first seven quarters of the season, only Jacobs and Ward got the carries out of the backfield. It appeared as if the logjam would cause some problems as Bradshaw had gone without a carry.

In the fourth quarter, the Giants utilized the running of Jacobs and the pass receiving skills of Bradshaw in a touchdown drive. The ability to use his multi-dimensional talents adds another facet to this patient, but powerful offense.

At the end of the day, each back got their touches and make a significant contribution in victory. It was the best of all worlds. Each say that they are best friends off the field, socialize constantly together, and push each other to succeed for the betterment of the team. This unselfishness is a trademark of the entire Giants team.

Seeing how the self-described trio of “Earth, Wind and Fire” will evolve through the season is going to be an interesting subplot. It appears now that the Giants have a surplus of weapons on offense and are looking to find way to use them all.

It is a great problem to have.

Random Giants Thoughts

It was very apparent during the game Sunday that the Giants had zero respect for the secondary of the Rams.

By count, about five times Eli Manning chose to throw deep to either Plaxico Burress or Amani Toomer.

I know the Giants have quietly emphasized throwing the deep ball more; perhaps they should realize that this is not the 2001 version of Toomer running those deep fly patterns.

Domenik Hixon made several good catches when he entered the game as a receiver. All of those reps in training camp are paying dividends.

At this rate, Mario Manningham will likely not be seeing the field this season.

I know the tackles on the offensive get most of the recognition, but did you see the gaping holes behind created by guards Rich Seubert and Chris Snee, along with center Shaun O’Hara on Sunday?

Plaxico Burress burned O.J Atogwe so bad on that touchdown reception it is ridiculous. Atogwe was not in the same continent by the time Burress faked him out on that deep corner turned post route.

Justin Tuck may just be the best defensive lineman in football.

Mathias Kiwanuka may have been invisible on Sunday, but that is not a bad thing. The fact the Giants still got six sacks and tremendous pressure on Bulger tells you that it is not all about pressure from the ends.

By the way, Steven Jackson did find much success running to Kiwanuka’s side.

Corey Webster is turning into a shutdown corner.

Either the other receiver the Rams has had opposite Torry Holt was so bad, or Webster just completely took him out of the game.

Fred Robbins may just be the most underrated defensive player on the Giants.

A Rams receiver decided to try his luck and catch a pass over the middle with Kenny Phillips waiting for him.

The result was not pretty. Phillips decleated him.

I still stand by my position that within two years he will be as good as Ed Reed of the Baltimore Ravens.

AARP must be loving John Carney right now like I am. He is 5 for 5 on field goals so far and has been great in directional kicking on kickoffs.

I am curious if the Giants would keep him for the season considering his age and eventual winds and cold weather starting in the middle of October.

What were the referees looking at when they initially ruled that Burress had fumbled the ball at the ten yard line on the Giants touchdown drive in the third quarter?

I was sitting in the upper deck about 500 feet away and was able to tell that his elbow touched the ground.

The early line has the Giants as 13 point favorites over the Bengals. If what I saw on the tape is accurate, this game may be over by halftime.

Giants Talk: Precision and Power

Surgical offense and stifling defense point the way for the Road Warriors in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS – It was difficult to believe that with 10:58 left in the fourth quarter, the St. Louis Rams had actually made this game relatively competitive.

Quarterback Marc Bulger had just thrown a 45-yard touchdown pass to Torry Holt that appeared initially to be intercepted in the end zone by Giants rookie safety Kenny Phillips. The score was 20-13 and the Edward Jones Dome, where good seats were available from where I was sitting, finally had hope.

The game that was being played on the field was a much different from what the scoreboard had read. The Giants, who been dominating again for the second straight week, found themselves somehow faced the specter of defeat with one mistake.

In previous years, this could have been a sense of worry, but these are not “those” Giants (2-0). Methodically, they broke down the Rams and later in the fourth quarter, they took their heart out and forced them to quit en route to an eventual 41-13 thrashing.

After punting on their first possession, Eli Manning and his offense started at their own 36. Seven plays later, Manning found Plaxico Burress (5 catches – 81 yards) who embarrassed safety O. J Atogwe for a 33 yard touchdown reception.

The Rams only points in the first half game on two field goals of 53 yards by kicker Josh Brown. Had the game not been played indoors, those kicks likely would have missed.

Once against, the defense was tremendous in the first half, limiting the Rams to 58 total yards and five first downs. Many of Bulger’s passes were short out patterns and slants designed to negate the Giants pass rush that would eventually sack him six times,

Despite the 195-58 yardage disadvantage, the Rams amazingly found themselves trailing only 13-6.

After the Rams went three-and-out to start the third quarter, punter Donnie Jones backed the Giants up to their own three-yard line. The crowd had come to life hoping to spark their defense.

Not on this day.

Keyed by the running of Brandon Jacobs (15 carries – 93 yards) and Derrick Ward (8 carries – 58 yards) along with accurate throws of Manning, the Giants marched down the field. The referees nearly ended the drive when initially they ruled that Burress had fumbled the ball at the Rams 10 after a completion of 16 yards. However, Coach Coughlin challenged the obvious non-fumble and was able to get the play reversed.

On the tenth play of the drive on first-and-goal, Manning found Toomer (6 catches – 67 yards) in the middle of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown pass to increase the lead to 20-6.

The “Goal Line Play Action” has been a staple in the offense for several seasons and teams have yet to figure a way to stop it.

In the fourth quarter, the Giants defense gave up their first touchdown of the year.

Bulger’s deep pass into the end zone was ruled a catch by wide receiver Torry Holt. Rookie safety Kenny Phillips, who was into the game for the injured Michael Johnson, was tested by the Rams and appeared to deflect it.

Unfortunately, the ball was able to cradle into Holt’s possession while he was lying on his back and the Rams were now only trailing 20-13.

A game that should have not been as close was now a ball game. 10:58 was left and the ball rested on the Giants 21 yard with the game now in the balance.

It was in this moment when the Giants showed maturity and executed like assassins.

Seven plays were all it took. Domenik Hixon, who starred in the preseason when the other receivers were injured, hauled in a 32-yard reception down to the Rams 18.

On the next play, Manning found Ahmad Bradshaw, who went untouched for an 18-yard catch and run for a touchdown to extend the Giants lead to 27-13. For the day, Manning was 20 for 29 for 260 yards and three touchdowns.

The knockout blow came from the defense. On a second down play, Bulger’s pass was tipped and intercepted by Justin Tuck, who would race 41 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown to put the game out of reach. Tuck is likely to win the NFL’s defensive player of the week with his two sacks, interception and touchdown performance.

As the Rams fans headed to the exit, the Giants were not finished yet. A 50-yard punt return by Hixon was followed up three plays later by Bradshaw’s 31-yard touchdown run. It was his second of the day.

The final statistics backed up the dominance on the field. St. Louis was out gained 441 to 201, and the Giants ran for an even 200 yards.

As the final minutes counted down, only Giants fans remained in the building to cheer on the defending champions who have won twelve consecutive games away from the Meadowlands. Even backup quarterback David Carr made an appearance with less than two minutes left.

They are now 2-0 and headed back to Jersey to get ready for Sunday’s game with the dreadful 0-2 Cincinnati Bengals at Giants Stadium.