Giants Talk: The Benefits of Losing

Defeat shows flaws covered up by winning


Perhaps the media can back away now.

For at the foreseeable future, I do not have to hear the constant slurping on how good our team is.

After weeks and months of hearing that our team was not that good, the praise finally came. The problem was that it came in a very sinister way. Not having the Patriots (season ending injury to Tom Brady) or the Cowboys (losers of two of their last three) to hype to the public anymore for reasons of sound intelligence, they finally descended upon the Super Bowl champions after their 44-6 thumping of Seattle last week.

Whether it is power rankings (which are a measure of nothing but to fill page space), or silly discussion (Is Eli Manning better than brother Peyton) littered with hyperbole, it infested itself in the Giants locker room. It was so much that it was difficult to ignore and easy to get caught up in the newfound love.

But once the Giants took the field on Monday night against the Browns, the hard lesson of reality set in. Just because the Browns were 1-3 did not mean they were a pushover in their own building. And just because the media anoints you the best team does not mean that you actually are. The games still have to be played and played with efficiency, toughness and poise.

It was something that these Giants developed on their surprise playoff run and carried into the first four games of the season. On Monday though, it was lacking severely. Timing appeared to be off on offense and assignments were missed on defense. The Browns controlled the line of scrimmage from the outset and forced them to play “catch up” from the outset. When it is time to get a stop on defense, they mysteriously could not get it done. Manning, who has shown incredible maturity, reverted back to careless turnovers that led to points the other way.

Maybe this was needed. They were going to go undefeated or even go 15-1. The Giants are a very good team, but not a great team. It still has its flaws that will show up from time to time. If they were truly a great team, there is no way; even in the hostile environment against a desperate team would they have lost.

Great teams put a chokehold on their opponent and would not let go. Of course, this past Monday’s performance could have been nothing more than a fluky set of circumstances that played into what took place on the field.

Losing brings out your flaws that you would normally not examine closely in victory. The inability to consistently score points inside the 30-yard line (two interceptions). The ability to generate pressure on the quarterback has been inconsistent in two of the last three games. Of course, when you are winning, this does not get much attention. But as the Browns began to pick apart the Giants defense on Monday night, it became apparent that the team is still a work in progress and much has to be done to make this a complete team in position to repeat as world champions.

Admittedly, I fell into the same trap even though I did my hardest to guard against it. Every time a positive mention was made of the Giants, I attempted to be cynical about it and look at it as the media trying to brainwash the public (including myself). Before Monday, I simply felt that as long as the Giants played “their game”, there was no way the Browns would have a chance. As I looked at the upcoming schedule, I always had the team pegged for a 6-0 start before traveling to Pittsburgh in two weeks. The possibility of a 7-0 record and the injury racked Dallas Cowboys got my thinking in loftier terms. My arrogance may have gotten the best of me despite taking measures against it. While I am nervous before every game, there was no way I could have foreseen the results of Monday night.

But this is good thing. Losing is never good, but every so often, it is good to be humbled. To be honest, I did not want the team to be undefeated for any indefinite part of the season. The last thing I wanted was talk of “Will the Giants go undefeated?” to permeate the week, threatening to spoil my enjoyment of the season unless another Super Bowl championship was the result. All off-season and into this year, I have taken this 2008 season as nothing more than gravy after winning it all last year. However, the once a week marathon of the four (and sometimes five) month schedule has so many stock market type ups and downs that it is tough sometimes to keep a level-headed approach to these games.

Win two in a row and you are printing Super Bowl tickets.

Lose two in a row and you are asking when the coach will be fired.

Such is life in the NFL. It is the design of the league.

The Giants will take their hard loss and regroup for this Sunday’s game with the 49ers. For us fans, we will absorb this loss too and be back cheering again on Sunday. Losses will happen along the way this year. It is how we respond that will matter most.

The same can be said for the Giants.

Giants Talk: Big Blue Brown Out

World Champs suffer first defeat of 2008 against lowly Browns

CLEVELAND – In pro football, rarely does a bad team beat a very good team straight up.

A myriad of factors play into it, whether it is emotion or an overall lack of preparation.

But there is one factor above all else that is the great equalizer:

Turnovers.

Losing the turnover battle in a game tremendously decreases your chance of winning. Turn the ball over three times more than your opponent on the road and you give yourself literally no chance whatsoever.

The Super Bowl champions found themselves in this position on Monday and with it, were handed their first loss of the season falling to the Browns 35-14 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. For the Giants, it was their first loss dated back to December 29, 2007 when they lost their final regular season game to the Patriots at Giants Stadium. They had won their previous eight games prior to Monday night.

It was a game that the Browns controlled on both sides for a majority of the game. However, with just under nine minutes remaining, the Giants found themselves with the ball on the Browns 9 yard line with a chance to get within six points. On second down, Eli Manning rolled slightly to his right and threw off his back foot. The pass did not have enough air on it and was intercepted by Browns cornerback Eric Wright, who returned it 94 yards for the game sealing touchdown.

For Manning, it was one of three interceptions for the night. After throwing only one pick this season, Manning tripled his total. Going back to the start of the playoffs, Manning had only thrown two of them in the last eight games combined. Those turnovers led to 10 points by the Browns.

Warning signs were in the air right from the start of the night. On the third play of the game, Browns quarterback Derek Anderson threw a quick slant to receiver Braylon Edwards. Cornerback Aaron Ross missed the tackle and Edwards was off for a 49-yard catch and run. That play set up a field goal by Phil Dawson to give the Browns a 3-0 lead.

The Giants attempted to answer on their opening possession and moved the ball to the Browns 31. Manning tried to go for the big play, but was intercepted by Bradon Pool at the five-yard line.

Answering back though, the Giants sprinted 58 yards in six play to take a 7-3 lead. It would end up being their only lead of the game. However, the Browns answered in a blink. Anderson, who was not pressured the entire night, went deep and found Edwards again, who beat Ross for a 70-yard pass play down to the Giants four-yard line. Two plays later, running back Jamal Lewis rumbled into the end zone from four yards out to make it 10-7.

The Giants found themselves trailing 17-7 before halftime when Manning drove the offense down for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 17-14. Plaxico Burress, back from vacation…err…suspension, hauled a three-yard touchdown reception.

Cleveland came into the game 1-3 and sporting on the league’s worst offenses (31st) and defenses (30th). However, on this night, the world champions were unable to find answers to slow down the Browns attack.

Manning's second interception came at the beginning of the third quarter when on the first play his deep ball was overthrown and intercepted by cornerback Brandon McDonald. This lead to another Dawson field goal to extend the lead to six points.

Trailing 20-14 in the third quarter, the Giants needed to make a defensive stop. Starting at their own 13-yard line, the Browns drove the ball 87 yards in 14 plays for a touchdown to make it 27-14. Despite ineptitude, which included committing five offensive penalties, the Giants defense was never able to stop Cleveland’s quick passes, or prevent holes from opening up in the middle of the defense.

Anderson was 18 for 29 for 310 yards passing on the night. He was never sacked, much less hurried once. The Browns as an offense, tallied 454 total yards, were nine for 13 on third down conversions, and were never forced to punt the entire game. Cleveland did not turn the ball over once.

Still, despite the woeful play of the defense, the team had a chance. But when Manning’s (18-28, 196 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT) pass was intercepted for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, the game was effectively over.

Perhaps a market correction for a Giants team was in order. The team had put gaudy numbers through the first four games of the season and had the media anointing them as the best team in the NFL by a wide margin. A loss as humbling as this allows the team to catch their breath and show they are not invincible despite what others may say.

The next game is this Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers at Giants Stadium.

MLB Talk - Playoff Edition: Dodgers and Red Sox rise up, while the Cubs fall down hard

There is no worst feeling that losing in the postseason when you are the favorite.

More so when you are a prohibitive favorite.

You withstand the 162 game marathon of the regular season and within 96 to 110 hours, its over.

For the Los Angeles Angels and the Chicago Cubs, the playoffs came and just like gun smoke, exited the playoffs just as quickly.

While those two teams went into the night, the main Los Angeles team, the Dodgers rose above and reestablished their dominance in the City of Angels. Their script looks like a movie straight from Hollywood. Joe Torre, the former Yankees manager exiled after last season, trades in congestion of the east coast for the palm trees and sun of the west coast. Brought to him in July was Manny Ramirez, exiled out of Boston, given the appearance of a malcontent with a chance to be reborn in Los Angeles. The former Yankee manager and the former star Red Sox, suddenly joining forces for a common goal. Add in Derek Lowe, who ended Torre’s season in Game 7 with the Red Sox when they completed the greatest comeback in baseball history, and it is the most unique dynamic baseball has seen in a long time.

In the American League, two division rivals will find themselves battling for the American League crown. While the Yankees play golf during these days, the world champion Red Sox and young Tampa Bay Rays will extend their regular season battle into the postseason. After 18 meetings, they will battle at least four if not seven more times. While Tampa is threatening to write one of baseball’s greatest stories, the Red Sox are looking to equate their success to that of the late 90’s Yankees. Another championship this year would be their third in the last five years and firmly establish themselves as a dynasty.

For the Phillies, they are almost the forgotten team. Despite having only won one championship in the last 125 years, they never regarded on the same level as the other major market teams. While America is enamored with the possibility of a Dodgers-Red Sox World Series, Philadelphia continues to wave their arms and say, “look at me!” With home field advantage, they are favored to win over the Dodgers, and maybe this team, a group of tough, talented grinders can win the city’s first championship in 25 years.

However it turns out, these next 10 days of baseball are going to be great. All we can hope for are some long series with twists and turns culminating in two very good representatives from each league meeting in the Fall Classic.

National League Championship Series

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies

The Dodgers may have stunned the baseball world with their dominant performance against the Cubs, but any intelligent person with baseball knowledge could seen that the Dodgers had a distinct advantage with their power right handed pitchers going up against the Cubs predominantly right handed hitting lineup. With no solid hitting lefty to counteract the Dodgers, Cubs hitters found themselves hitting the ball into the ground consistently.

In this series, the strength of the Phillies lineup comes from the left side with Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. The Dodgers are not slated to start a left-hander in the series until at least Game 4, if not at all. If Philadelphia’s “Big 3” chose to chose the opposite field at home against both Derek Lowe and Game 2 starter Chad Billingsley, they will have a lot of success.

Conversely, the Phillies need to come up with an answer on how to get Manny Ramirez out. By putting patient hitters Russell Martin and Andre Ethier in front and behind Ramirez, pitching to their lineup is very difficult. The Cubs forced Ethier and James Loney to beat and they did. When they chose to pitch to Ramirez, the ball found its way into orbit. The return of Rafael Furcal has been tremendous for the entire offense. If he can continue to get on base as he did during the Division Series, Phillies pitchers are going to have a tough time stopping the Dodgers from scoring.

While the Dodgers have the better staff, some of their effectiveness is likely to be affected by the dimensions of Citizens Bank Park. If they can get a split going back to Los Angeles, it is likely they will be able to wrap up the series in Dodger Stadium.

Prediction: Dodgers in six

American League Championship Series

Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays

When you face each other 18 times in a season, there are no surprises. The other team has seen each player numerous times and the scouting reports are pages deep.

In the case of Boston and Tampa Bay, there is no intimidation factor. The Rays are not going to fear going into Fenway Park and have the crowd get to them. After playing there and in Yankee Stadium nearly 20 times during the season, each year over the last decade, the bright lights are not going to get to them. With James Shields and Scott Kazmir starting Games 1 and 2, they have the right two men to start the series on strong footing.

Boston is hoping to steal Game 1 with enigmatic Dasiuke Matsuzaka. Will Tampa be able to take advantage of his wildness early on and get some runs? If they can, they can take Game 1 and put all the pressure on what appears to be a non-healthy Josh Beckett in Game 2. The whole series will swing on his starts. Up 1-0, Beckett can slam the door on the Rays and give them a 2-0 lead heading back to Boston. A loss will have the opposite effect. Only having Jon Lester starting one of the first six games in this series makes their Game 3 loss to the Angels slightly problematic. Replacing the possibility of two Lester starts with Matsuzaka is not a positive.

Both teams seem to have the “it” factor. Whatever it is, it goes beyond statistics. Each team is strong all around with the only clear Boston advantage is in the ninth inning when Jon Papelbon steps on the mound. Troy Percival maybe reinstalled as the Rays closer, but anyone who has seen Grant Balfour and Dan Wheeler pitch this season and in the playoffs should now that those two are better pitchers at the moment.

Seven game series? Very much so. Give me Boston.

Prediction: Red Sox in seven

Random Playoff Thoughts

I told everyone in July that the Chicago Cubs were not to have success scoring runs in the postseason.

Why is this a shock? That lineup feasted on the awful pitching that exists in their division from Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Houston. Playing those teams 75 to 80 times with your American League style lineup was bound to produce gaudy numbers. But put them in a situation against a good starting rotation who throws strikes, and their offense, generated by the walk is negated.

This is where the book “Moneyball” falls short. Michael Lewis and Billy Beane never explained that building lineups such as the one the Cubs had is always going to struggle in the playoffs because of the quality pitching that shows up in these series.

Alfonso Soriano is becoming on the playoffs worst postseason performers.

Since the start of the 2003 AL Championship Series, Soriano is 12 for 80. This is beyond awful.

This is not bad luck. His at bats are awful. The same pitch he is flailing in 2003 is the same one he is missing now. He goes up there to hack and teams that scout him correctly used that against him.

Chad Billingsley, barring injury, will be a 20 game winner next season. He is THAT good.

Looks like the credit card the Brewers had on CC Sabathia went over its limit. No surprise there.

Starting a man on three days rest four consecutive times after he had already led the league in innings was a deadly combination. It was no surprise that with the Brewers trailing the Phillies in the Division Series 1-0 and needs a big performance from a tired man in a pressure situation, CC did not have his best stuff.

He will go on to free agency now and recoup his big bucks. 7 years and at least 22 million will get it done. Will he hold up all seven of those years is another matter.

You think Red Sox fans were wondering what happened to Manny Ramirez’s “injured” knee when he was able to score all the way from first on a double.

The LA Angels know how to beat the Yankees. The Yankees know how to beat the Red Sox. But the Angels do not know how to beat the Red Sox. It is the oddest thing.

I still do not know why Orlando Cabrera of the White Sox was attempting to kick dirt at Rays reliever Grant Balfour.

It became even more embarrassing when Cabrera struck out against him in the same at bat. Poetic justice.

Good to see instant replay has not been needed yet.

Most Intense Crowd awards for the Division Series:

Game 3 – Dodger Stadium vs. CHC
Game 2 – Citizens Bank Park vs. MIL
Game 3 – US Cellular Field vs. TB

You think the Mets were excited to see Francisco Rodriguez gag it up in Game 2 to J.D Drew in the 9th inning against the Red Sox?

Paying him for five years and 15 million a season is colossal risk. It’s not as if he’s throwing in the mid 90’s anymore.

Mark Texieira looked like pretty good player in the playoffs. But certainly not one to where I would pay him 20 million a year for the next seven or eight years.

BREAKING NEWS: Soriano just struck out again.

Giants Talk: Web of Terror

Webster proving to be a shut down corner


He used to be the butt of many jokes when his presence made its way to the football field.

There were times when he looked completely lost and it appeared the game was being played 12 on 10 at times in favor of the offensive team.

Today, he is a different player. One who plays with belief, confidence and talent that former General Manager Ernie Accorsi thought had before drafting him in the 2005 season. Now, as he mans one of the main corner positions on the Super Bowl champion Giants, his play this season has been nothing less than spectacular.

You want to throw to his side of the field? Do so at your own risk.

Through the first four games, Webster has been locking down the opposing teams top wide receivers and rendering them irrelevant during these games. From Santana Moss to Torry Holt, and from Chad Ocho Cinco to Deion Branch, he has bullied and punished them and in essence, eliminated one side of the field and has allowed the defense to put hellacious pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

In order to chart Webster’s rise as a player, it is wise to look back at his past. When he was drafted out of LSU in 2005, he was known as lockdown corner that excelled in man-to-man coverage. Measuring out a six feet and slightly over 200 pounds, he fit the mold of the “big, physical corner” most teams covet. At the time, then Giants defensive coordinator Tim Lewis had a defense that called for more off the ball coverage and more “soft zone” play that worked against Webster’s strength.

As a result, Webster often found himself on the wrong end of deep passes and intermediate routes as he was forced to chase and react to receivers as opposed to establishing position at the point of the play. Lewis and Coughlin felt that he was a liability and saw his playing time decrease to the point where he would be inactive for weeks at a time. After two years of nothing, Webster appeared to be placed with the label no drafted player wants to hear:

“Bust.”

Before the 2007 season, Coughlin brought in Steve Spagnuolo, who was a linebackers coach with the Philadelphia Eagles to run the defense. His style was taken from the mold of his predecessor, Eagles defensive guru Jim Johnson. The method is to be physical and attack at all times. Never to back up and react to what the offense is doing, but to make them adjust and alter what they do. Press coverage on receivers was vital and needed in it cornerbacks in order to provide maximum pressure on the quarterback from the other defensive players. All of this was playing right into Webster’s strength as a player.

The Giants already had veteran Sam Madison one side of the field, and so when they drafted Aaron Ross with their first round pick in 2007, it appeared as if Webster’s days were going to be numbered. After he started the first two games in Spagnuolo’s new system, Webster, like most of the defense, look confused and disoriented as they started to learn its nuances. Spagnuolo felt it was time to insert Ross into the lineup, which put Webster on the bench. He would remain there for most of the season, playing sparingly and finding himself on the inactive list for the week numerous times.

But during the whole process, Webster never broke down emotionally when others may have cracked. He kept his head afloat even when others looked at him as an afterthought. In the Giants clinching playoff game against Buffalo, he returned an interception for a touchdown. You saw numerous members of the defense rally around him giving him hugs and pats on the head for a job well done. Perhaps it was the confidence boost that he needed.

When Sam Madison was injured in the Giants final regular season against New England, it forced Webster’s return to the starting lineup for the Giants Wild Card playoff game against Tampa Bay. Kevin Dockery would have played, but he was injured several weeks prior. This opportunity had been presented to him. A chance to make amends for two previous seasons. Not only would he start, but also he was going to be lined up against star receiver Joey Galloway.

Webster played a starring role in the Giants 24-14 triumph. He recovered a fumble on a kickoff, intercepted a pass in the end zone, and battered Galloway all day long, limiting him to only one catch in the game with numerous pass defenses. It was a complete performance.

Against Terrell Owens in Dallas the next week, Webster was again called upon to shadow #81. He limited him to only four catches and zero after halftime in an upset victory.

Was this all a fluke? Were we seeing a reemergence of the player the Giants thought they were drafting three years prior?

In the NFC Championship Game in Green Bay, he gave up a 90-yard touchdown pass, but should not have been the victim as had a great jam on receiver Donald Driver at the snap of the ball and eventually slipped on the frozen turf. The rest of the game, Driver was a non-factor and in overtime, stepped in front of quarterback Brett Favre’s pass for an interception an eventual Super Bowl berth.

The Giants front seven received a lot of credit for its dominant performance in Super Bowl XLII against New England, but his coverage on Randy Moss was another big reason in them pulling off the biggest upset since Super Bowl III.

Four games, all in the high-pressure situations possible and Webster came out of it as one of its many stars. Yet, as the start of the 2008 season approaching, many wondered whether we would see ‘The Old Webster” or “The New and Improved Webster”.

As it has played out, the player that we saw in the playoffs has continued into the season. On the consummate “team”, he is just one of the many players making their contribution. In his case, it goes a little more noticed than others.

Teamed with the constant improvement of Ross, the Giants possess perhaps the best young tandem of corners in the NFL. Add rookie safety Kenny Phillips and second year player Michael Johnson, suddenly the secondary that once looked like a severe weakness has quickly become on the teams biggest strengths.

We will see as the schedule strength improves whether teams decide to test Webster. If the playoffs and early season are any signal, he will be more than up for the task.

Challenge him if you dare.

Random Giants Thoughts

The Giants have not started a season 4-0 since their Super Bowl season of 1990.

In that year, the Giants began the year 10-0 before finishing 13-3.

The offense may have racked up over 500 yards against the woeful Seahawks defense, but make no mistake that Plaxico Burress is needed in order for this team to repeat as world champions.

I do not know why people are stunned that Burress does not feel contrite about missing practice and not calling. Did they not read his book? In it, he explains a time in 2005 when he alerted the team he was not going to be at practice one morning because his fiancé was having an ultrasound. When he came back the next day, he found a notice that he was being fined for missing practice despite alerting the team. He asked the team why he should have alerted them if he was going to be reprimanded anyway.

Did he handle this situation two weeks ago in the best way? No. But this is not without precedent. He is back on the field and will be making plays on Monday night. We move on.

After two weeks last year, I was complaining about the play of Kawika Mitchell.

Here we are four games into this season and I have yet to mentioned Danny Clark’s name. This is a good thing. He is playing the linebacker spot originally held by Mitchell very well.

The Cowboys and Eagles may have big, meaty offensive lines, but neither team pound-for-pound are as good as the Giants.

Rarely is Eli Manning getting touched in these games. Outside of the hiccup the line had against Cincinnati, he has been able to live comfortably in the pocket and make whatever throw he wants.

When it comes to opening up holes for the running game, they are wide and plenty. Each back taking the ball and potentially finding daylight on nearly play.

By the way, where do we rank Manning among the quarterbacks in the division?

Is he better than Donovan McNabb? It’s very close.

Is he better than Tony Romo? Its even. But I would take Manning.

Is he better than Jason Campbell? Next question.

How are all these wide receivers going to find time on the field?

Sinorice Moss….HE’S ALIVE!

Kevin Dockery had one of the most entertaining interception returns I have seen in a long time. It would have been better had he taken it into the end zone.

I am still waiting for the defense to force more turnovers. That’s how you make these games non-competitive by the fourth quarter.

Message to the rest of the media: Shut up!

I find it funny now that after running out of teams to prop up, they have named the Giants the best team in the NFL in most power rankings.

What, they didn’t have fun slurping up to the Eagles anymore?

How the hell were they given the mantra of “best team” or “second best team” before the year started?

Now, here they are, finding themselves three games behind the Giants in the loss column and Brian Westbrook has fractured ribs. It wont be long before they are playing for draft positioning.

When they fell, up came the Redskins, the media’s new favorite team. Two wins at Dallas and Philly give you the crown I guess.

Here’s a suggestion: Keep doubting us!

I actually like it this way. No need to get big headed (that’s saved for the Cowboys) and cocky about it. Our team can simply go about its business under the radar and improve each week.

Until then, go find another team to like.

Giants Talk: Big Blue Train Keeps on Rollin

“Team” domination from start ignites Jints to 4-0

The rout started early.

The rout was on by halftime.

The rout continued late.

Cementing themselves as the NFL’s best team through the first quarter of the season, the New York Giants showed that they are bigger than just one star player. It was destruction so complete, the Seahawks, and even the Giants could not believe it.

Giants 44, Seahawks 6

No Plaxico Burress? No problem.

It was one of those games where everything worked to perfection. Coaches and players found themselves in “the zone”, and they could do no wrong. Every offensive play produced positive results. Every defensive call produced minimal yardage for the Seattle offense. If it wasn’t for two facemask penalties called on the Giants defense, the Seahawks likely would have been shutout.

Starting at their own nine-yard line on the team’s first possession, it took the Giants only four plays to march 91 yards for the game’s opening touchdown. After Brandon Jacobs gained 15 yards on the first two plays of the drive (9-yard reception, 6-yard run), he rumbled 44 yards down to the Seattle 32. On the next play, seeing the Seahawks were committing eight defenders in the box, Eli Manning crossed up their defense by going deep and connecting with Burress’ replacement Domenik Hixon for a 32-yard touchdown pass.

After the Seahawks got a field goal to make it 7-3, the Giants went back to work. Hixon gained 15 yards on a reverse, and Manning found Amani Toomer for receptions of 22 and 29 yards to move the ball down to the Seahawks three-yard line. Jacobs carried the ball the final three yards to open up a 14-3 lead.

Matt Hasslebeck and the Seattle offense were looking for anything to work. Running lanes were clogged up. Passing lanes were flooded with Giants defenders. There was nowhere to run and no place to hide. Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo brought the pressure and the Seahawks were powerless to stop it.

On the Giants third possession, they eschewed their big play dynamic for a more cerebral approach. This time, they marched 73 yards in 11 plays, capped off by Jacobs’ second touchdown to extend the lead to 21-3. By halftime, the Giants led 27-6.

The first half saw utter obliteration as the Giants out gained the Seahawks 342 to 115 and scored on its first five possessions without having to punt. Manning was blistering, going 15 for 18 for 224 yards.

What you could see in the first half is the diversification of the New York offense. They possess so many weapons that despite not having their big play receiver, numerous players are able to step in when called upon and can produce on the field. Whether it is Hixon (four catches for 102 yards before leaving with a concussion), Toomer (four catches – 64 yards), or Steve Smith, the Giants can come at you in waves.

That is all while the offensive line continues to punish defenders at the point of attack and beyond, leaving gaping holes for Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw, otherwise known as “Earth, Wind and Fire”.

Looking to stomp the Seahawks into submission, the Giants took their opening drive of the third quarter, it took only six plays to find the end zone again. Jacobs once again rumbled on another big gain of 38 yards. Two plays later, the offense unleashed another one of is many weapons when Manning found Sinorice Moss for a 23 yard touchdown strike.

At 34-6, the rout was on. It was on so much that Manning was able to take the entire fourth quarter off as switched helmet for a visor and headset and watch backup David Carr came in to finish the game. Even he got into the fun marching the team downfield and throwing a five-yard touchdown pass to Moss (4 catches – 45 yards, 2 touchdowns) to finish the scoring at 44-6.

It was the Giants largest regular season margin of victory in 36 years. Every statistic was dominated by the boys in blue. The Giants finished the game with 523 total yards compared to the Seahawks 187 – running for 254 yards on 36 rushes. Big Blue’s defense held Hasslebeck (who would leave due to injury and margin of score) and their offense to one for 11 on third down.

They stand on the perch as the only undefeated team in the NFC at 4-0. Next Monday brings the Giants back on the road to take on the 1-3 Cleveland Browns. If both team trends hold, the Giants will leave Cleveland 5-0.

A Depressing Playoff Night At Wrigley

Not having the Yankees in the playoffs this year, I needed to see some playoff baseball. In this case, going to Wrigley Field for a Cubs playoff game was a perfect scenario. After having lost Game 1, the crowd I feft was going to be interesting to see. So I decided to see and finally get a feeling of what "Cubdom" felt like. I was a very interesting thing to behold.

CHICAGO- They came looking for excitement and hope.

Instead, they once again left with more bitter disappointment.

Optimism is in full supply when it comes to rooting for the Chicago Cubs. But when you have yet to win a World Series in 100 years, and have yet to even get to a Fall Classic in over 60, that optimism turns into pessimism, cynicism and downright fatalism.

Such was the case inside Wrigley Field in Game 2 of the National League Division Series.

Admittedly, I have never taken to the "Cub Experience". While I root for the Yankees, the Cubs to me are like the little fly that roams around the room. You never really pay attention to it until it begins to bother you and at that point, you hope it is squashed with a swatter.

I see many Cubs fans around and they will walk around with their hats, jerseys and tee shirts. Over the past few years, it has exploded. They have in some ways become like Red Sox fans only without the winning. They are large in numbers, which gives them comfort, yet success on the baseball diamond is rarely accomplished by their team with the red "C" across the top of their caps.

This season was different. From start to finish, they were the best team in the National League. Hitting, defense and pitching were all superb across the board. It appeared this would be the team to make the World Series.

When they failed in '03, that was epic. But in retrospect, that was an over achieving team that was not expected to go anywhere and yet, surprisingly got within one game before events on (and off) the white lines caused defeat.

In 2007, they were not favored to beat win either. They struggled early and came back to win their division with only 85 victories. When they were swept, there was shock, but not complete anger.

This year was to eliminate the past. To borrow a slogan from the rival Mets, they were "The Team, The Time, The Cubs". But as they lost Game 1 to the Dodgers on Wednesday night, nervousness and doubt once again filled the air. It was as if the fans felt they were Charlie Brown trying to kick the field goal and having the ball swiped away at the last moment.

Knowing all of this, I decided to do an experiment. I wanted to get a pulse of what Cubs Nation actually was. Going to games in the middle of April or the middle of July was not going to do. I needed to see what these fans were like in a postseason situation where the agita level is turned way up and everything was on the line.

As a walked around the park in the hour before game time, it was a very mixed reaction. Some were likely going to their first playoff game and there is an air of anticipation with that. Others I could hear were already trying to decide what inning it would be before the Cubs screwed it up. It was "pre-Game 4 in the 9th inning Red Sox-esque".

When I made my way to my seat, at that point I could feel the intensity of the crowd. Fans and media had unfairly got on them for not being loud enough in Game 1, but that is hard to do when your starting pitcher walks seven batters. Tonight, the crowd to me was in "Win or go home" mode, knowing that a loss tonight would likely mean this would be the final game at Wrigley Field this season.

Carlos Zambrano mows down the Dodgers in the top of the first, capped off by striking out Manny Ramirez. In the bottom half, Alfonso Soriano lead off with a single and crowd roars in applause. Perhaps they may have seen the same number that I uncovered:

Since the start of the 2003 ALCS, Soriano is 12 for 71 in four playoff series.

He moves to second on a passed ball and it is all set up for the Cubs to get an early run. Rather than bunting (which I would not have done), manager Lou Piniella allows Ryan Theriot to swing away. Unfortunately, he is unable to move the runner over. The same can be said for Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez. Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley escapes without allowing a run, but in many ways, escaped a lot more than that. A run scored by Chicago would have put the crowd in frenzy and given the team a time (however short) to relax. When Soriano was stranded, you could feel the crowd watch in amazement. I knew there were storm warnings in the air.

The Dodgers got a leadoff single by Andre Ethier to begin the second inning. What began happening next was something that reeked of voodoo (assuming you believe in that stuff).

James Loney on a perfect hit-and-run shot the ball to the left side where Theriot was out of position and tried to bare hand the ball. It was now first and third with no one out and the crowd that was in a craze, had now been silenced. For me, it was similar to what Fenway Park would sound like during the playoffs when the team was losing to the Yankees before 2004. The fans in Wrigley were almost waiting for the inevitable shoe to drop.

Zambrano would strike out Matt Kemp, only needing a double play to escape the inning without giving up any runs. It appeared he would get it when second baseman Blake Dewitt hit a groundball to Mark DeRosa. However, DeRosa bobbled the ball and his throw to second base pulled Theriot off the bag. Everyone was safe and the Dodgers had a 1-0 lead.

Third baseman Casey Blake then hit a ball towards sure handed first baseman Derrek Lee. A Gold Glove fielder, Lee had the ball bounce off his chest and looked around trying to find it. By the time he located it, Blake was safe at first base and now the bases were loaded.

As I listened, defeat already began to set in. Boos were raining down from the people all around me. It seemed as if the crowd was resigning itself to its fate.

“Here we go again”, said one fan.

“Can you f’n believe this,” said another.

“How is this happening?” said an older fan watching with his family.

Mind you, the score was only 1-0, but it felt like much more.

Zambrano struck out pitcher Chad Billingsley for the second out and just needed to retire shortstop Rafael Furcal to end the inning. Furcal took a chance and was able to lay a bunt that got past Zambrano and too short in front of DeRosa to field and make a play. Furcal was safe, Loney scored and the Dodgers now led 2-0.

The bunt caught everyone, including the crowd, off guard. Rarely does a hitter bunt with two strikes. When he was safe, one fans voice told the story.

“What the fuck?” said a fan.

Russell Martin came to the plate, and there was still a chance to escape the inning with the minimal damage that had taken place. But as the count went to three balls and a strike with Ramirez looming on deck. Zambrano needed to throw a strike and Martin waited for it. He laced a double into the left centerfield gap that cleared the bases.

Dodgers 5, Cubs 0

Game over.

Complete silence took over the place. I saw fans putting their hands on their faces and looked helpless. One fan, who had to be about 14 years old looked at his father and said the following:

“Daddy, why is this happening again?”

The father did not have much of a response but to say, “I don’t know.” What else could he say? No reasonable response could be given that would make any sense at all. The best defense in the National League suddenly could not field a groundball. Their starting pitcher, deemed their “ace”, could not pickup his teammates and now was down 5-0, which felt more like 50-0 in the stadium.

In the fourth inning, Aramis Ramirez booted a groundball hit by Billingsley. The next inning, Ramirez drilled a Zambrano pitch to dead center field to make it 6-0. On a night where Billingsley had his “A” stuff, the Cubs were powerless to stop it. As they tried to will their team back, it sounded as if even the fans did not believe what they were saying. Their heart had been taken from them. And with each Dodger run, each Cubs defensive miscue, and each Cubs hitter strikeout and hit groundball, their heart was being squashed and dragged around Wrigley Field.

Piniella came to the mound in the seventh inning to pull Zambrano. Despite trailing 6-0, he was looked as a sympathetic figure by the fans. He may have given up the double to make it 5-0, but he should have been out of the inning. It was a team failure, but in many ways a lot fans felt as if there was more. Believing in curses or jinxes in my view has always been for losers and crazy people, but for any Cubs fan that was witnessing what was taken place, what other answer could you give?

Perhaps the Cubs and their fans earned this fate. Maybe bad karma came over them on that Tuesday night in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series when a young fan, Steve Bartman was made out to be Public Enemy #1 by Cubs fans when he tried to reach for that foul ball in the eighth inning. By fate, this led to an eight-run inning and an eventual Cubs loss, follow up by failure in Game 7.

The measures that the Cubs fans went to smear and make that person’s life a living hell in the 24 hours following that incident was sickening. Uncovering his name, where he lived, where he worked and had news choppers over his home. It was a sickening display, and for a large majority of Cubs to endorse what was going on in the excuse of “irrational passion” is ridiculous. By coincidence, they have not won a playoff game since.

Bartman has yet to do an interview since that night in 2003. Reports still say that he no longer goes to Cubs games or appears in public for fear of his safety if he were ever to be discovered. Thinking of what he has had to go through the last five years in many ways makes you lose sympathy for their cause.

Even less sympathy comes from the fact that many of their fans seemingly dismissed the Dodgers as an opponent in this series. Many were already planning for the NLCS and even the World Series. To them, the Division Series was meaningless and was to be nothing more than an exhibition.

Why?

I am still not exactly sure.

The team (and its fans) has had no such successful postseason track record to justify any such arrogance. Do they think they are Red Sox or Yankees fans?

As the final outs began to tick away, the building began to empty out. There were maybe 20,000 left in the crowd. I tried to lend my Cubs fan friend some support that the series was not over, but there was no consoling him. All that was left was for the remaining patrons to boo their players unmercifully.

Final insult came in the ninth inning when Theriot committed an error on a throw to first base. It was the teams fourth “E” of the game, and in ironic fashion, each Cubs infielder committed an error. It would have been funny if it did not feel like a comedic tragedy.

The final score was 10-3. As I got up to leave, the fans that had stuck around were crestfallen (though they had about seven innings to do that) and did not say a word. Some stayed in their seats and did not move. Others raced to get out of there so they could either beat traffic, or drown their sorrows in more beer. It was the Cubs eighth consecutive postseason loss and their season was now one loss away from extinction.

A season that brought so much promise was headed for failure. The 100-year itch is likely to continue.

Once again, there is no joy in Wrigleyville.

It is where beers are drunk, the women are plentiful, and losing on a yearly basis is never too far behind.

MLB Talk - Playoff Edition: On to October

All 162 (or 163) games have been played.

The seven month grind of the baseball season has brought us here.

It started with chilly days in April and now we have reached to dark and sometimes cold nights of October.

For some teams, this was to be expected. Those teams real season begin with Game 1 of the postseason.

While for some others, making to the postseason was a complete surprise. Realistically, they never thought this could be possible, and here they stand among the final eight teams with a chance to win the World Series.

The Red Sox, Angels and Cubs would have considered their seasons a failure had their season not ended in a postseason appearance. Each of these three teams went wire-to-wire from start to finish. At no point were they ever seriously threatened.

For teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies, it was an early struggle. It took a while before each team found their stride in the second half of the season. In Philadelphia’s case, they started strong and built as much as an eight game lead over the New York Mets. After a slight second half fall, the Phillies staged a September comeback to catch the Mets and win the NL East for the second straight year.

In Los Angeles, the Dodgers appeared to be on a pace for nowhere. Then, coming out of the sky and descending on their team at the trading deadline was Manny Ramirez. Overnight, Manny captivated the town and his team. The Dodgers chased the Arizona Diamondbacks, caught and then passed them. For manager Joe Torre, leaving New York did not become so bad after all. As sheer fate would have it, he is once again managing games in October while his former team the Yankees sits at home and watches playoff games from the comfort of their home.

The Milwaukee Brewers thought their season was in freefall after being swept by the Cubs in July. In September, things spiraled out of control and they fired their manager. With seven games to go, they trailed the New York Mets by two and a half games. While the Mets for the second year in a row choked away another late season lead, the Brewers rallies, mostly behind their hired gun CC Sabathia (traded for in July) and on the final day of the season, won the Wild Card and entry into the playoffs.

Nothing was expected of the Chicago White Sox before the 2008 season. Playing in a division with the Cleveland Indians, who got to Game 7 of the ALCS in 2007, and with a Detroit Tigers team that made numerous additions and beefed up its payroll to 140 million, they were expected to finish in third place. With great pitching and the help of both teams floundering, the White Sox went past both of them and finally got into the playoffs winning a tiebreaker over the Minnesota Twins to gain entry to the playoffs.

All of these teams stories pale in comparison to the story of the Tampa Bay Rays. A last place team for every year of their existence, the Rays started the season well and the baseball world looked on laughed. They were dismissed as being “Just Tampa”, thought of as a team that would inevitably fall. May, June and July came and they were still on top. The Yankees were supposed to catch them when the weather got warmer and the pressure on them was allegedly to grow. August came and so did September, and the Rays were still standing. It was no longer a fluke.

Close to 100 wins later, this team full of young players is now going to play on baseball biggest stage. Everyone watching around the world will get to know who each of these players are and if they advance further in the playoffs, their story will be among the greatest in sports history.

All of these teams, stories and min subplots are set to blend its way into what should be a great October. Even though I will not have the Yankees in it this year for my personal viewing consumption, watching the rest the league play this month long drama is sure to provide some compelling moments that we will remember.

With that, I provide you a breakdown of each American and National League Division Series along with my predictions:

American League Division Series

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels

If you would have had your preference, these two teams would be matched up in the in the ALCS. While that will not happen, we get the best matchup of the American League playoffs.
Josh Beckett has shown himself to be healthy over the last month and has been this generation’s version of Bob Gibson in postseason play. If he performs at the same level, the Red Sox have a great chance to repeat as champions.

For the Angels, this the best team they will have fielded since winning the 2002 World Series. Their lineup is strong from one through nine and the addition of Mark Teixeira has finally given Vladimir Guerrero. John Lackey is lined up with Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders to cut down previous postseason deficiencies they had in pitching in comparison to Boston.

In each of their last two postseason meetings, we have been hoping for these two to give us a great series. The Angels have not held up their end as they have been swept in both 2004 and 2007. This time, it appears this series with finally live up to the hype.

Prediction: Red Sox in 5

Chicago White Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays

The White Sox have the momentum of needing to win their final three games to make the playoffs. It was a mission they accomplished; however, the Rays have been a great team all season from the start. The only problem with Tampa one could foresee is whether the innings logged by their starters will catch up with them. Outside of that, they have been the ultimate “team”. Their lineup comes up with a different hero on any given night. Look for that to continue.

Prediction: Rays in 4

National League Division Series

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Philadelphia Phillies

If CC Sabathia could pitch every night, the Brewers would be favorites to win the World Series. Unfortunately, medical technology has not advanced enough to allow that. Add to it the elbow pain that exists in co-ace Ben Sheets, and that leaves them compromised dramatically in their series with Philadelphia.

The Phillies are hot and have their pitchers lined up as opposed to last season. Cole Hamels, Brett Myers and Jaime Moyer provide the advantage. They are a better team and have a bullpen that has improved greatly from last year. Losing this series would be an upset, but it is unlikely to happen.

The Brewers are likely to start Sabathia on three days rest for the fourth consecutive time. Sooner or later, unless CC has a bionic arm, this will catch up to him and his team sooner or later. Look at last years postseason for evidence.

Prediction: Phillies in 4

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs

The best National League series pits the best team all year against the best team in the second half of the season. While it would appear that the Cubs have the advantage in this series, the differences between the two teams are very slight and in a five game series, can swing in either direction.

Derek Lowe has been the best pitcher statistically over the last 33 innings. Ryan Dempster has been the league best home pitcher. Something will have to give in Game 1 at Wrigley Field.

Game 2 pits young stud Chad Billingsley against Carlos Zambrano, who has been enigmatic through the second half of the season. Each pitcher is eminently capable of delivering a dynamite performance. After Hiroki Kuroda and Rich Harden meet in Game 3, what will the Dodgers do for a Game 4 starter? Do they use the rookie Clayton Kershaw? Or, do they go with old veteran Greg Maddux?

What will the Cubs do when Manny Ramirez comes to the plate? Likely, if there is a base open, Manager Lou Pinella will simply put up four fingers to walk him and force anyone else that is hitting behind him to come through. If they do, they will be able to lengthen their lineup and have success against the Cubs pitching.

On the other side, the Cubs offense has been an OPS machine against the rest of the National League. However, as many teams find out, the ability to draw walks only works against mediocre pitching. When you are facing a pitcher, who consistently pounds the strike zone, you will not able to be as patient and will have to swing early in the count. It will be interesting to see if their principles that they adopted this season take a vacation as the pressure of playoff baseball takes shape.

For the Cubs, losing this series would not be an upset, but it would signal a failed season. If the Dodgers win, it will just add to a season they never could have expected.

I believe they will get it.

Prediction: Dodgers in 5

You cannot script October.

Random Baseball Thoughts

My choice for National League MVP is Ryan Howard.

My choice for American League MVP is Kevin Youkilis.

My choice for National League CY Young is Tim Lincecum.

My choice for American League CY Young is Cliff Lee.

Joe Torre and Joe Maddon each must receive the Manager of the Year award.

What else can you say about the New York Mets?

Two years in a row they have blown a late season lead and find themselves at home for October.
How do they correct this?

It is not as simple and just getting better bullpen guys to make up for the 29 blown saves the team had this season, or the 11 games that the Mets blew after leading past the eighth inning.

Something has to be said for the fact that this offense only managed to score five runs in the three game final series to the Marlins.

They are structurally flawed and there is no simple correction for them. It is safe to say that their run is over even though it never really started. Johan Santana was supposed to get them over the hump. If it weren’t for him, they would have lost the division by 10 games. But he is one man, and that one man rarely ever carries a team by himself, especially when he is only available once every five days.

In essence, the Mets have rendered the first five and a half months of next year irrelevant. No one will care unless they are ahead by such a wide margin that there is no way possible for them to blow it.

It is in the psyche of the fans and now the players cannot run away from it. From this day forward, it is ingrained in their minds.

The bottom line is this, as long as the quartet of David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado are together on the same team, they will not a World Series.

I guess someone had to win the American League Central.

The Florida Marlins have so much young talent on that team that by next season, they should be competing for the NL East title along with the Phillies.

I am in the adoption market for a team to root for during baseballs postseason. By Wednesday, I should have a decision. Early leaders in the clubhouse are the Dodgers. I am rooting for Joe Torre to get back to another World Series as a means of sticking it to the Hank Steinbrenner and the hierarchy of the Yankees brass who stupidly thought that any manager could handle the Yankees.

Oops, I guess they were wrong.