Luck o’ the Big Blue

REALLY??? You have got to be kidding me! The Giants are getting the second half of this season handed to them on a silver platter. First, they’ve got three home games after a bye week. That is very unusual for an NFL schedule. That’s a solid month of home cooking. On its own, that alone would be considered fortunate. But it doesn’t stop there. The Raiders who were looking somewhat like a professional football team are coming apart and now look ripe for the picking. The icing on the cake, however, has to be the injury to Aaron Rogers. Granted, Big Blue has had success against the Packers in years past, no one wants

to see Green Bay come to town. Especially when you’re a team that needs wins.
I’m planning on being a bitter Jets fan in a few months when this season comes to a close. For the past few weeks I have been saying that I expect both of New York’s teams to finish 7-9. I’ve also stated that 7-9 could win the NFC East. I was ok with that. But now I’m starting to think the Jets could finish 8-8 or possibly…maybe…9-7. If the Jets finish the season with a better record than Big Blue and miss the playoffs while the G-Men raise a Division Championship trophy, I will be pissed.
It is astonishing how much falls into Big Blue’s lap. The one time they start 0-6, their whole division is stinking up the league right there with them. Certainly, this season is far from over. The Giants have to show up. They have to want it. They have to believe in themselves. But at the end of the day, the stars have aligned themselves in the Giants favor. It ain’t over till it’s over, but you get the sense that the red carpet leading to the playoffs is being rolled out at Metlife Giants Stadium. Now the Giants have to take advantage of a very fortuitous opportunity.

The post Luck o’ the Big Blue first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

Not for nothing, the Jets are also 2 games out of first in their division. The Jets have twice as many wins as the G-Men and if the playoffs were tomorrow, the Jets would be going as a Wildcard. But you’d think it was the other way around if you were to talk to a lot of fans. Big Blue won its second game in a row yesterday and playoff talk is already starting. It’s not even a whisper at this point. It’s really a matter of perspective. Despite one of the worst starts in franchise history, the NFC

East has been so weak that the Giants were never really out of it. No one else in the division was winning either.
There’s a Big Blue twinkle in Tom Coughlin’s eye. It’s starting to feel like Christmas Eve 2011 when they surprised the Jets and rolled on to the Super Bowl. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying a 2-6 team is going anywhere but the golf course, I’m just saying they believe in themselves once again. Back in 2011, they were pretty much done, but beating the Jets woke up their locker room and they went on to surprise everyone but their own fans. They are a very long way from that, but it’s not impossible. Highly improbable, but not impossible.
The good news and the bad news is that the Giants are now on their bye week. I think they’d be better off keeping their momentum with another game, but they’ve got a week to recoup from a rough start. It will do more good than harm, but they probably wished it was out of the way sooner. More good news for the Giants is that after the bye, they’ve got three home games in a row. That’s pretty lucky for any team – not having to be on the road for a month should be huge. After the bye, they’re home against the Raiders. Oakland is nothing to sneeze at

this year, but a rested Big Blue should handle them without any trouble. After that are the Packers. Good luck with that. A week later, they host the Cowboys.
I think the worst is over as far as schedule is concerned, but they really didn’t bank enough wins. Out of their final 8 games, there are 3 probable losses – Green Bay, Seattle, and, Detroit. You saw what they did to Dallas on Sunday, so the Lions are a credible threat, especially at home. Seattle plays that new wave football that clashes with Coughlin’s more traditional approach. They’re fast. Real fast. That game could go either way, but the Seahawks have been on a roll all season (6-1). The NFC East is so bad this season that 7-9 could possibly be enough to win the division this year. As bad as 2-6 looks they’re the only team with a win streak in their division. Hey, ya never know…

The post Matter of Perspective first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

We all expected one of New York’s teams to be 0-4 at this point, but we all expected it to be the Jets. Looking back, the Giants should realistically be 1-3. The Cowboys played that game like it was the Super Bowl. It just meant way more for them to beat Eli in Dallas for once than it did for Big Blue. Week 2 against the Broncos, come on. Denver is looking better than any team has looked in years. Even the Chiefs are playing like champions. The only team that the G-Men could’ve legitimately beaten was the team that actually shut them out. The Giants should never be shut out by anybody. It’s so unbelievable, it’s almost suspicious. For a brief moment there, I was thinking “Suck for Luck”? Could it be possible that the G-Men are tanking their season in order to get an heir to Eli? I shook it off and I don’t really believe that any more, but I did for a minute there.

They say you learn more from losing than you do from winning. I’ve learned that a lot of Giants fans are spoiled brats. The people calling in various radio stations saying “Fire Coughlin” need to stop watching football immediately. Cease and desist. Coughlin is a first ballot Hall of Fame coach. The Giants were a bum squad with drunkard for a quarterback and a 4-12 record when Tom Coughlin came to the team. He’s the one that turned the team into the winners you’ve grown

so used to seeing. If this team is in need of rebuilding, there’s no better coach than Tom Coughlin. If the Giants cut him loose, he’ll have a new job within the hour (hopefully with the Jets). Fortunately, for Giants fans, they’re owned by a football family, not some business man who knows nothing about football. I couldn’t see the Maras cutting ties with Tom Coughlin over a season that, realistically, isn’t far below expectations.

Another fortunate bit of luck that has been bestowed upon the Giants, is that the NFC East is the new NFC West. This division is the worst division in football. The 0-4 Giants can still win the division. Remember 2010? Remember when the Giants didn’t make the playoffs with a 10-6 record because the Seattle Seahawks were able to win their looser division with a 7-9 record? Guess what – you’re that guy now. The Cowboys won game one and that’s really all they wanted to do this season; anything else is just gravy to them. The Redskins look awful. The Eggles look like a team in a rebuilding phase. It sounds crazy, but I could still see the Giants winning this division. Just be prepared to hear all that crap you said back in 2010 flung back at you.

The post Big Blue Feeling A Little Green first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

had expected. Their schedule is very back loaded and cake walk is over. The rest of their schedule is full of postseason regulars and division champions. It’s an unenviable position to be in, but I’m not worried about the Giants. From a Jets perspective, the Giants are starting to look an awful lot like the Patriots in the 2000’s. Big Blue has a sturdy defense that doesn’t give up a lot of points, along with an arsenal of a passing game and a decent run. Even their kicker is good. All three phases are tight. In today’s NFL, that is very hard to come by as teams either devote their salary cap to offense or defense. The Giants are a well coached, well managed and smartly owned team. Good for them. This squad has put two Lombardi’s on the shelf and another one or two would solidify them as the dynasty team of the 2010’s. I’m probably getting a little ahead of myself, but I feel like I’ve seen this movie before.

The post That’s saying something first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

The only thing the Eagles have gotten really good at is beating the Giants. Since 2008, the Eagles are 8-2 against the G-Men. The Giants haven’t faced a strong opponent in nearly a month. Since then, they’ve beaten up on some lackluster opponents, the dregs from the NFC South. The good news is that the Giants have won the games they were supposed to win and whether you win by 2 or by 34, it still counts as one in the win column.

Speaking of winning by 34, the Giants/Bucs game should’ve looked more like the 49ers/Jets game than

some post season slugfest. The Giants are the defending World Champions and the Buccaneers are a scrubby team in a rebuilding phase. If anything, the Bucs and the Panthers may have given the Giants a false hope or a false sense of their capabilities. The Bucs led the G-Men to believe that they could crawl out of any hole and put points on the board whenever they really needed to. The Panthers led the Giants to believe that they could win a game with field goals. I could almost hear Coughlin preaching his mantra from last year – “Finish!” – as drive after drive stalled out around the 30 yard line and Big Blue made a fantasy points king out of Lawrence Tynes.

I’m wondering if the Browns will have the same effect. Next week, the Giants host Cleveland in what shapes up to be a rebound game. The Giants will most likely win that game and could walk out of there thinking that they’ve made the necessary repairs to their game plan. The following week at Candlestick will be the real test of that. The Giants won’t catch another break until week 10 when they travel to Cincinnati. Until then, the Giants will face the 49ers, the Skins, the Cowboys and the Steelers. I don’t feel confident picking the Giants in any of those games.

The fact that the Giants are 0-2 in their division is really bad news. That kind of record usually means missing the playoffs completely or sneaking in as a wildcard. It means that your fate is in someone else’s hands and you’ve got to rely on other teams losing to make the playoffs – you know, like the Jets usually do. Granted, the Giants have won on the road in the post season before, it’s not the way the defending champs should be going about it. The Vince Lombardi Trophy is in “Giants” Stadium and prospective challengers should have to come here to get it if they think they can take it.

The post Getting Soft? first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

510 yards in a single game! The greatest aerial performance of Eli Manning’s career. Was it against

Tom Brady for the Championship of the World? Was it a family feud with his brother, Peyton? Was it an epic NFC playoff battle against Aaron Rogers or Drew Brees? Nope. Josh Freeman and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That being said, Eli had probably one of the greatest 2nd half performances of an NFL quarterback in recent memory.

Usually, when a quarterback has a bad game, or a bad first half, it’s up to the rest of the team to rise up out of the ditch. The defense has to stiffen, the running game has to improve, receivers have to turn shorter throws into longer gains. This game was all on Eli. Josh Freeman never faced much resistance from the Giants’ D until the very end. He was able to maintain an 11 point spread through most of the game. The Buc’s D, on the other hand, picked off Eli 3 times and gave Josh Freeman excellent field position to put points on the board. Not for nothing, but spot the Cowboys, Redskins or Eagles 21 points and see where that gets you.
Eli stepped back into the spotlight in the second half and boy did he shine! He didn’t leave it up to his defense to get stops; he didn’t lean on his backup halfback (who was also pretty remarkable by the way); he didn’t shrink in the shadow of the mountain he built. He took control of the game.
Eli didn’t even let the crowd get to him – the crowd that booed him off the field in the second quarter. Really, Giants fans? You’ve probably got the best quarterback in the NFL on your team and you boo him into the locker room at halftime? The same Giants fans changing their profile pictures to Eli after the game, what were you saying about him 90 minutes ago? Shame on you! Have a little faith in (arguably) the greatest player your team has ever had. I don’t think any other team could’ve come back from that. The Giants defense couldn’t stop Josh Freeman. Big Blue couldn’t establish a running game and Eli had Buccaneers breathing down his neck often.
Go check out a Buccaneers page, they’re proud of their performance. T Donald Penn said “…the world knows the Bucs, we aren’t playing around anymore.” Just to put things in perspective – sure, Eli is going to the HOF and there will never be another Big Blue #10, but it took all he had to beat the Bucs. It’s early in the season and pretty much everybody is 1-1, I get that. But, the Giants were stifled by the Cowboys and had to turn out an epic performance to beat a team everybody (including the Bucs) expected them to walk over. Tampa came to “Giants Stadium” wanting to put on a good show. They wanted to test themselves against the Champs, probably expected they wouldn’t win, but could walk out with a moral victory if they kept it close throughout.
Despite the loss, I think the Buccaneers pick up a bit of momentum going into week 3 – there’s only 1 Eli and they don’t have to worry about him anymore. Concerning the Giants, if it takes a Lifetime Achievement Award just to overcome the mediocre teams, what is left in the tank against the top dogs? You’ve only got 3 mediocre teams left on the schedule.

The post Buc This! first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

12 months ago, Eli Manning was one of the most disliked quarterbacks in the NFL. Nobody disliked him more than his own Big Blue fans. It’s well known across all sports that New York is one of the hardest places to play. No player is under more media scrutiny and more fan pressure than a New York athlete. But 12 months ago, Eli had already won a Super Bowl against the undefeated New England Patriots and Giants fans still wouldn’t give the guy a break.

3 years earlier, Eli Manning played the greatest game of his life. A year after watching his beloved brother win his first Super Bowl with the Colts, poor Eli was up against the undefeated Patriots. Everyone thought this would be a blood bath. People were planning on a repeat of Super Bowl XXXV, where the Giants were shellacked by the Baltimore Ravens 34-7.
Eli looked like Phil Simms during that post-season. He was accurate, decisive, explosive. In that Super Bowl, Eli went 19 for 34 and threw 2 touchdowns and a pick. All of a sudden, there’s a lot of #10 jerseys walking around New York. A lot of Giants fans were saying things like “I didn’t think he had it in him” or “he sold his soul for that Super Bowl ring”. Everyone seemed content to pat Eli on the back and tussle his hair. Way to go kid.

But why wasn’t he basking in the glory his brother had enjoyed the previous year? Why was the conversation still all about Peyton, Tom and Drew? Eli Manning had just won a Super Bowl, so why was he still hocking watches like the guys on 42nd street while the Holy Trinity were out there on Gatorade commercials or selling underwear or luxury cars?
Eli is a mouth-breather. He has vacant eyes. He always looks lost, dumfounded and confused. He’s got the personality of a wet rag. But he’s got two rings. When he threw a fuss about being drafted by the Chargers and got himself traded to the Giants, I know a ton of Giants fans that were unhappy about that. “If it weren’t for his brother, or if it weren’t for his dad…” “Who does he think he is?” A year after he won his first Super Bowl, it was a fluke of genius – that for the post season he played completely out of character for himself. Two years after he won his first Super Bowl, it’s “he’ll never be like that again.” Three years later, when he was getting all of his passes deflected for interceptions, “he’s a bum!”

Now? “Oh, Eli Manning! He’s the best playoff quarterback of the last 5 years!” I love asking Giants fans about Eli Manning nowadays. You can almost see the crow feathers. Whenever I ask a Giants fan about Eli, there’s always a smirk, like they’re thinking about all of those disparaging things that have been said about poor old Eli over the years. Eli’s only real problem is his inconsistency. He shines in the post season, but his irregular play through 16 games can prevent him from getting there, where can he can silence his naysayers. Even if they’re the ones wearing his jersey.

The post You cant spell elite first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

WATCH HERE >>> https://bit.ly/2MOhY6D

The Brady-Belichick Super Bowl era seemingly has come full circle.
Sunday will be 17 years to the day since New England’s epic upset of the (St. Louis) Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, the first of Tom Brady’s five Super Bowl wins with head coach Bill Belichick.
It’s the Patriots vs. the Rams again, with some wondering if the franchise from Los Angeles has the NFL’s coach-QB combo of the future.
SUPER BOWL LIII
Who: New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Rams
When: Sunday, Feb. 3
Where: Merecedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. ET
Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will have the call for CBS from the booth, with Tracy Wolfson and Evan Washburn on the sidelines.
Gladys Knight will sing the national anthem, and Maroon 5 is the halftime act in Atlanta.
The Patriots advanced to the Super Bowl, the ninth for Brady, with a 37-31 overtime win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Rams also won on the road, and in OT, beating the New Orleans Saints, 26-23.
This is New England’s third straight Super Bowl trip
Donnie Corley, who was kicked off the Michigan State football team following his freshman season after being charged with sexual assault, picked his next college.
The wide receiver and defensive back announced via Twitter Friday evening he is headed to Texas Southern. Corley spent the 2018 season at Coahoma Community College in Mississippi, will be eligible to play in the fall and has two years of eligibility remaining.
Texas Southern in an FCS program and member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The traditional signing day for college football is Wednesday.
A former four-star prospect from Detroit Martin Luther King Jr. High School, Corley signed with Michigan State’s 2016 recruiting class. He appeared in all 12 games as a true freshman (two starts) while playing both ways and had 33 receptions for 453 yards and three touchdowns to go with five tackles.
Corley, along with fellow freshmen Josh King and Demetric Vance, were dismissed from the team by coach Mark Dantonio in June 2017 after they were charged sexual assault stemming from an incident in January that year at an East Lansing apartment. All three were expelled from the university for violating its relationship violence and sexual misconduct policy after a Title IX investigation.
King faced up to life in prison for charges of first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Corley and Vance each faced a charge of third-degree criminal sexual conduct – punishable by up 15 years in prison. However, all three accepted plea deals in Ingham County Circuit Court in April 2018 to a felony charge of seduction while King also pleaded guilty to a felony charge of surveilling an unclothed person.
All three were sentenced in June to 36 months of probation and required to complete sex offender treatment, individual and group therapy, cognitive therapy, 100 hours of community service and pay $1,300 in court costs and fines. They were also granted status under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, which will keep their records non-public if they fulfill the terms of the agreement.
Corley, King and Vance all played at Coahoma Community College during the 2018 season. Corley had 40 receptions for 459 yards and six touchdowns.
LJ Scott missed the Senior Bowl but will get another chance to impress NFL scouts.
The former Michigan State running back announced via Twitter Friday afternoon he received an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine. The combine is Feb. 26 through March 4 in Indianapolis
An official list of invitations, which will exceed 300, has not yet been released and Scott is the only Spartan who has announced an invitation so far. Cornerback Justin Layne, who left for the draft after his junior season, and safety Khari Willis are among the former Michigan State players who are leading candidates to receive an invitation. Receiver Felton Davis, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon in October, said in December he will not be healed in time to be part of the combine.

The post How to watch Super Bowl LIII 53: New England Patriots vs Los Angeles Rams Live first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.