Loading ...We wrote after last week's game that the New York Giants injury situation was on the up-and-up, and while Friday's injury report still had a few big names on it (Ahmad Bradshaw, Kenny Phillips, Rocky Bernard), a closer examination confirms that the Giants are healthier than they've been all season.
Don't believe us, let's take a look:
Bradshaw, as we all know, got his foot stepped on last week and is sore. But this guy has a long history of missing practices to manage his perennially achy feet and he said himself he's good to go Sunday, so we're not worried.
Phillips is the last remaining big ticket player missing in action; the only starter expected to miss this week's game. A big loss, to be sure, but they've played well in his stead and he's on the mend. That the team's biggest injury is likely only a few weeks away from returning is the biggest indicator that the injury situation is under control for now.
Bernard, one might say, is also a starter who may not play this week. Like Phillips, though, Bernard's injury is not considered longterm. Besides, with Chris Canty scheduled to come off the PUP list anytime now and Mathias Kiwanuka seeing snaps at DE and DT, it's unlikely that from here on out Bernard will be anything more than the rotational role-player that he was supposed to be anyway.
Also out Sunday are Jacquian Williams and Da'Rell Scott. Williams is a productive special teamer and rotational linebacker, but his loss is far from fatal for this defense and we've heard no reports that his injury is longterm. Scott had minor knee surgery to repair a meniscus tear, but he never sees the field anyway. Michael Boley is questionable, but he has been all season despite playing.
Most importantly, look at the list of names not popping up under OUT, DOUBTFUL or QUESTIONABLE ON injury reports anymore?
Hakeem Nicks is the big one (while we're still a bit uneasy that he didn't look himself last week, he apparently is progressing on schedule). Keith Rivers, who should see an expanded role with Kiwanuka playing on the line again, is another. Andre Brown and Ramses Barden have been cleared to return from concussions, Chris Canty should be returning from the PUP, and we haven't heard anything about any offensive linemen or the knees of Antrel Rolle or Martellus Bennet in a while. Unbelievably, not a single cornerback will be out this weekend with Corey Webster is listed as probable. Same goes for the wide receivers, for that matter, who should also be all hands on deck.
We just wrote a lot of words to basically make one point: good news almost all the way around.
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Quite an endorsement for Eli here from Jaworski, who hasn’t given the Giants much recognition or respect recently.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8523454/nfl-jaws-eli-manning-elite-evolution
A little more than a year ago Eli Manning sparked a frenzied media debate by saying he belonged in the same class with surefire Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady. Fifteen months, a second Super Bowl title and a 4-2 start by the New York Giants, later, allow me to say, unequivocally, he’s right. Eli Manning is absolutely the same caliber of quarterback as Brady and big brother Peyton.
Eli’s statement may have caught us off guard last year because of his incremental improvement. With Eli, there wasn’t that one big breakthrough season. It wasn’t at all like Peyton, for example, who upped his completion percentage more than five points and shaved off 13 interceptions while throwing for over 4,000 yards in his second season. This was a process. Eli’s TD/INT ratio never topped 1.4/1 until 2008. He didn’t crack 4,000 yards until 2009. Nor did Eli have Brady’s immediate team success. Brady didn’t have the big numbers then, but won Super Bowl titles in three of his first four seasons as a starter.
No, for Eli Manning it’s been a long, slow climb to the NFL’s upper echelon of quarterbacks. His progress has been subtle — but also remarkable. How did he get there? Let’s take a look at Eli’s elite evolution.
Sure, you could argue that the jewelry makes Eli elite. Not many active QBs can blind you with either ring finger. But that’s the result of his growth, not the reason for his status change. A lot goes into earning that Super Bowl hardware in the first place. And the path to that ultimate goal is blocked by a number of hurdles — hurdles Eli has cleared time and again.
Start with consistency. The NFL’s best quarterbacks are consistent, but not in the way you might assume. They are mostly consistent with fundamentals — consistent with their footwork, with arm slot, with their throwing motion, with their reads. And when a quarterback is consistent with those fundamentals, that almost always adds up to a consistent result: winning.
“Not many active QBs can blind you with either ring finger. But that’s the result of his growth, not the reason for his status change.”
That is just an incredible line by Jaworski and is a way to shut up those who discredit rings when discussing the NFL’s best QBs.
Meh, rings alone does not an elite quarterback make. For proof, look at Dan Marino.
Still, the rings are useful for blinding Eli’s doubters, I guess…
Just got home and turned on the TV to see a Joe Montana special on NFL Network. You could literally repeat every single sentence these guys are saying and replace “Joe” with “Eli” and it would be 100% accurate.
People have been saying “Tom Brady” in the same sentence with “Joe Montana” for years, but it’s BS. “Easy E” is the new “Joe Cool”, and nobody else is close.
With a running game in place, his yardage tails off to 250 to 300 yards.
But that’s because he does not have to shoulder the entire burden.
He just abuses DB’s and safeties when he needs to.
Now he has a threat out of the backfield that has not be present since Barber departed. That would be Mr. Wilson. When the Giants obtain the offensive balance they need, there are no defenses that can deal with them.
I about two more weeks, Nicks will be close to 95 percent.
The offensive line is the key. If they block strong for the run and are able to effectively pass block without Bennett always being held out of pass patterns,
I call the Giant offense just about unbeatable.
Eli understands how to control it all. But he has some pretty aweson skill people to work with. It’s a team effort. Thats something to be proud of.
We already have threats in the backfield in the form of Bradshaw and Brown. They’re not necessarily explosive, but they sure as hell wear down any defense.