Friday, December 4, 2009

Friday. Ed.

Here we are again with our weekly Q&A swap with Ed Valentine of Big Blue View. Thank goodness we're back on schedule after a wild and, ultimately, fruitless Thanksgiving week.

For a look at my answers to these same four questions, be sure to stop over at Ed's site, http://www.bigblueview.com/.


Here's Ed.


1. Eli Manning said the Giants have had a few team meetings in recent weeks. Do you think these things are overrated?


"Probably. If you are having "a few" meetings that means they aren't helping. If you have one meeting, hash out some obvious differences and call out some guys, that might work. A few meetings tells you the team doesn't really know what has gone wrong. What really matters isn't meetings, it's performance. And the Giants simply are not as good on defense as they were supposed to be, or as the players think they are."

2. Now that Antonio Pierce is on the IR, do you think his Giants career is done, and who will man the MLB spot next season?


"Yeah, I think Pierce is done. Even if he is cleared to play, I can't imagine the Giants paying $4 million for a guy who is smart, but whose physical skills have clearly deteriorated. Leadership aside, it's time for the Giants to move on and find a guy who can hold up physically in the middle. I don't know who the long-term answer is at middle linebacker, but I really want to see what Jonathan Goff can do. I love Chase Blackburn, but I just don't see him as anything more than an adequate fill-in. If Goff isn't the answer, then whoever is the answer is not on the Giants' roster right now."

3. Do you believe Manning when he says the newly-discovered "stress reaction" in his right foot is not bothering him, and why?

"Sure. And I still believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. Of course the foot is bothering him, it has to hurt to plant and throw the ball down the field on a bad foot. But, what else do you expect him to say? He is going to play until or unless the foot breaks, he won't make excuses, and I think he will continue to play pretty well."

4. We'll ask the question again. Can this team make the playoffs?

"Mathematically, sure. If it wins the next two weeks, sure. I really want to believe, but I just don't see any signs that this team can win four of its last five games, which is what I think they would need to do. I keep saying it at Big Blue View, but good teams and good organizations -- which is what the Giants are -- occasionally have rough years where things just don't go the way you hope. I think this is that type of year for the Giants. But, I hope they prove me wrong."

What do you guys think?

EP

5 comments:

  1. From Gogolack

    I agree with Ed's view about good teams having a down year. There are gaps in our personnel and there are needs. When you think back to pre-season, we questioned who the WR were going to be, now we know that Nicks, Manningham and Smith can all play at this level. Hixon can become a KR or be jettisoned. The next weeks we'll learn whether Goff and Sintim can play. We found out that we have a pretty good CB in Terrell Thomas, a good TE in Boss and that our DL rotation is not as strong as we had hoped. We need help at RB. I want to beat the cowboys, but I'm also excited to see some new faces

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  2. I hope that the GMen can somehow turn it around. But it could be that this just isn't our year. Pro football is really very hard to predict. I know that if at this time 2 years ago you said to me we'll win the Super Bowl I surely would have told you you were nuts.

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  3. This season is over. Concede all further games.
    Get a real good draft pick; God knows we need several good draft picks.

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  4. I think Ed may be overestimating how good the team and the organization really is. I hope he's right and I'm wrong, but would anyone really be shocked if they went 8-8 next year?

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  5. Ernie - would like to read a post where you and Ed discuss what an uncapped year may bring for NY. I think it's safe to assume that Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder will spend big. Any word on what NY plans to do?

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