Giants News

[kkr]

How does Eli Mannings performance in the SB last year rank? Well if SI are to be believed then it is the greatest QB performance in Super Bowl history -

Based on raw statistical production, the quality of the opposing defense and clutch plays in big moments or against uncertain circumstances.

Eli stands alone in football lore: he's the only QB in NFL history who's led a championship-winning TD drive in the final two minutes when anything less than a TD would have meant defeat. This singular accomplishment -- highlighted by a Houdini-like escape from the clutches of the Patriots pass rush -- earns him a spot. That he also reduced to rubble a seemingly indestructible 18-0 gridiron empire in the process of the 17-14 victory adds another layer of extraordinary to what was otherwise a very ordinary game.

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[kkr]

Amani Toomer criticizes New York Giants' coaching staff

by Mike Garafolo/The Star-Ledger

Wednesday January 28, 2009, 12:24 PM

Mike Garafolo/The Star-LedgerAmani Toomer built a playground, and then held court on his NFL future.

1:33 p.m. UPDATE I've changed the first paragraph to from "pretty much tore down" to "might have torn down." To be fair to everyone involved, it's too early to close the door on a possible return to the Giants. A lot of variables are involved. I was typing in a car earlier and, having reviewed that sentence, I decided to change it. I think it's a fair statement now.

TAMPA - Amani Toomer took part in a charitable event today to help build a playground here. That's ironic because, after 13 seasons with the Giants, the free-agent-to-be then might have torn down any chances he'll be back with the team.

In a session with reporters that lasted almost 20 minutes, Toomer criticized the team for a number of things, including their failure to use him down the stretch as they exercised their "agenda" to use younger receivers such as Domenik Hixon, Steve Smith and tight end Kevin Boss.

"The last couple of games I wasn't a big part of the offense and we lost a big percentage of the games (four of the last five)," Toomer said after the event that was organized by the Home Depot. "I feel like you can't tell me (that) didn't play a big role in it. I think it did."

Toomer said his performance against the Redskins (five catches for 85 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown) in the first game after Plaxico Burress' self-shooting should have let to the team featuring him in the offense a lot more.

"The first game (without Burress) I had one of my best games of the year. From that game on, I don't know what happened," he said. "I mean, I was in the game plan, but you have different reads and stuff like that, but it didn't work out for me."

Toomer later indicated it was more than just the reads on the field.

"It just seems like some of those games, it didn't seem the same. Last year, when everybody's jobs were on the line, everything was pedal to the metal," Toomer said in what appeared to be a not-so-veiled reference to Tom Coughlin's job hanging by a thread after the 2006 season. "All of a sudden, this year, it's a different kind of feeling."

Complacency? Because this season, Coughlin's plan to motivate the team was all about telling the players to keep looking forward and not back at the Super Bowl XLII victory.

"Guys accepted it. I just think the way in which we approached some of these games, I questioned it going in," Toomer said. "I didn't say anything because I wanted to try to make it work out. But in the end, ultimately my suspicions came true. And at the end of the (playoff loss to the Eagles), after the other game (the regular-season loss to Philly), I wasn't surprised at all. Our approach wasn't the same as it was last year."

Asked later if he feels now like he should have spoke up, Toomer replied, "No, because no matter what, they have an agenda. They're going to go through what they're going to do. I could talk until I'm blue in the face. It's not going to make any difference. I know after dealing with the head coach, that's kind of how he is. You can talk to him and do all of that, but if he has something in his mind, that's what's going to go on."

Toomer said he couldn't have done anything more than he was doing.

"That's what's (allowing) me to sleep at night," Toomer said. "I don't think I could have done anything more. What ended up happening was a decision - and I don't know from what level it (came) - was made and that's kind of what happened."

Toomer said the team has had talks with his agent recently. Recently, someone familiar with the negotiations said there had only been brief talks - with the Giants' saying they'd take Toomer back at an unspecified "right price." But when asked today if he wants to come back, Toomer wouldn't commit.

"That's a good question. That's what I'm going to have to explore," Toomer said. "That's a good question."

Despite the fact free agency doesn't start until Feb. 27 and that players and their agents aren't supposed to talk to other teams, Toomer said he's gotten good feedback from a few clubs who might be interested in his services. Perhaps the Titans and their quarterback Kerry Collins, with whom Toomer has a very good relationship? Maybe the Eagles, against whom he's had some very good games? Toomer wouldn't say when asked directly about those teams.

"It's a very touchy situation for me right now," he said when asked what he would do if the Giants made a strong offer. "We'll see. ... It's hard not to get emotional because I've been there so long, but I've seen it happen many, many times before to other players. It's part of the business. We have a disagreement - they have one opinion of me and I have another. When a relationship is good, it's good; when it's not, it's not."

More to come on this, including video and a full transcript of what Toomer said.

MG

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Translated, Gilbride sucks! I agree with the GOAT and seeing him in that video the guy is hurting and feeling deserted by the team! He can still play, Gilbride blows, i wish he would **** off too Oakland!

Long live the GOAT, Gilbride out and resign the GOAT!

[kkr]

There’s a firestorm of media coverage about you in today’s news and some of it is conflicting. Did you intend to criticize the coaching staff’s game plans?

Amani: No, I absolutely did not intend to criticize nor did I criticize the coaching staff’s game plans. What I did say was that I thought the team as a whole had less focus this year than they did last year and that I almost could see this loss coming. That has nothing to do with the coaches.

I do however feel that I was underutilized in the last few games and as I told you earlier in an interview, I thought it was probably to try and develop the younger players. But it is true that I believe I could have made a greater contribution than I did. So, I think some of what got reported was inaccurate.

There were reports that your agent has had some preliminary talks with the Giants and that they do have some interest in resigning you. Is this true or not?

Amani: I believe that there have been some preliminary talks but how far they’ve gone I don’t really know yet. I also don’t really know how much interest the Giants have or how they view my role so I’ll have to wait and see if their ideas and my own can mesh. If I am to come back, I want to have a chance to compete. I don’t want to just come back and have no role in the offense.

There are conflicting statements, both supposedly made by you, saying that you both do and do not want to return the Giants. Are you in fact conflicted and were the differing reports both accurate?

Amani: I’ve been a Giant all of my career and I think it’s a great organization so naturally I want to end my career as a Giant. I also love the Giants fans. They’ve always been great to me and I really enjoy playing for them. But I don’t want to end my career now so if the Giants don’t have any interest in my continued participation in the organization, I’ll look for other opportunities.

Based on how my role declined near the end of the season, I just don’t know how the Giants view my role or even if they really want me back at all. If I were to come back and not really have a chance to compete, then I’d rather go someplace else where I would have a chance to compete. So, I guess it’s fair to say I am conflicted.

There were also reports that you said your agent has had some discussions with other teams. Did you actually say that?

Amani: No, I did not say that.

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[kkr]

[The_Rev]

[leviramsey]

****' UConn students...

Go!

Go U!

Go UMass!

Go UMass!

/me was just checking to see what The_Rev was doing in the NFL forum...

[rjw63]

Is that you kkr?

[kkr]

Meh, we beat everyone in the playoffs and the only reason we went out was because Plax shot himself. The Super Bowl champion this year should have an * because the Giants would have won it all again if it wasnt for one retards idiocy!

[leviramsey]

The lesson in this for the Giants: don't make yourself dependent on a retard with guns!

:D :D

[kkr]

True, however its the same as Man U without Ronaldo, just that he isnt a retard with a gun.

Far from a choke also, we were crap the last few games after Plax, just look at Eli's stats before and after. Forever choking in the playoffs will be associated with the 18-0 undefeated PATs, i would be surprised if they weren't the dictionary definition for choking -

[leviramsey]

No, the greatest choke in history will forever be by a club that shares a fanbase with the Giants:

THE YANKEES CHOKE! THA YANKEES CHOKE!

(2004 ALCS... 2 outs from a sweep, and then drop 4 games in a row...)

[kkr]

Like anyone cares about baseball!

[kurtsimonw]

Don't worry, kkr, he's just pissed off that it'd take the Red Sox another 20 years straight of winning the World Series to overtake the Yankees' amount of titles.

[kkr]

Jacobs: New York Giants would have been 15-1 with Burress

by Mike Garafolo/The Star-Ledger

Thursday January 29, 2009, 12:54 PM

TAMPA - Brandon Jacobs had never been to a Super Bowl before last season. It was an "unwritten rule," he said that you don't go until you've been there as a player.

This time, he's here, making promotional appearances, including one this morning for Under Armour. It's not like he's okay with being here as a spectator; it's just that he seems at peace with that, knowing there were circumstances beyond his control - and the control of 52 of his teammates - that derailed the Giants season.

Those circumstances, of course, popped up when Plaxico Burress shot himself.

"If we have Plax on our team, we go 15-1 and we win the Super Bowl. I'm not afraid to say that and I'll say it to anybody on any team," Jacobs said. "We had a different identity with him and we didn't have enough time to change our identity to be effective at what we wanted to do - try to play a team differently. Teams - I'm not going to say stopped the run - but they did a little better each week because they had that eighth guy in the box."

Jacobs suggested it was much too late in the season to adjust to life without Burress on the field. When asked if the Giants need to make a move next season to replace Burress if he's not back, Jacobs replied, "I'm not going to say I think we should (because) then we would have our identity at the beginning of the season and not have to find a new identity late in the season. That's kind of hard. If we know he's not there, we set our identity to what we're going to be all season long instead of trying to change it."

Speaking of changing identities, Jacobs said that's what Burress has already done. And he's not the only one to have said that recently.

"Different guy," Jacobs said. "He knows what happened to him. And he knows, No. 1, he's lucky to be living today because of how close he came. He realizes that and he realizes the golden opportunity he has in front of him to be able to take care of his wife and his kid. I talk to Plax every other day. We text back and forth. He's still Plax, he's still the same person, but you can see he's got a different swagger about himself. I think he's changed and you won't ever hear anything from Plaxico as far as any kind of trouble or trouble with the team. It's all done. He's finished and he's ready to be a different person."

This is an obvious question, then, but would he want Burress back?

"If I'm here," Jacobs said, "I need 17 back on that roster."

The "if" is in there because Jacobs will be a free agent on Feb. 27 if the Giants don't re-sign him or designate him a franchise player. He said he's not sure about the progress of talks between the team and his agent.

"I really want to be back and I think I'll be fairly upset and angry if I'm not back," he said. "That's where I want to be and that's the team I want to play on and be with."

When asked about the franchise or the transition tag, Jacobs said he didn't expect the Giants to use either. They haven't done it lately, but they've franchised Jumbo Elliot and put the transition tag on Howard Cross, Carl Banks and Rodney Hampton.

"I would be angry and it would probably cause some problems," Jacobs said, "but it's nothing we couldn't deal with."

MG

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I agree with him, before Plax shot himself we beat every top team in the league and even had our humbling loss to remind us on any given Sunday and keep us focussed.

Had Plax been available all season i think we win the Super Bowl and go 18-1 and then all those 18-1 shirts from last year take on double meaning!

Losing it because of that is annoying but hopefully it feels like unfinished business to the team, as it does to me and if that's the case i think we can come back even stronger!

If Reese lets Jacobs walk i will be so **** off its untrue! Especially if he lets Ward and Toomer go also! Backs like Ward you can find easily, i mean look at Ryan Grant, we traded him as we had too many backs and no he is Green Bay's Franchise RB. Backs like Jacobs are rare and infact he is unique, he sets the tone for the offense and basically allows us to do a whole host of things.

Free Agency starts on my Birthday, all i want for that is Jacobs signed to a 5 year deal!

[kkr]

Goodell: New York Giants' Burress not a "repeat offender"; unclear on possible suspension

by Mike Garafolo/The Star-Ledger

Friday January 30, 2009, 2:44 PM

TAMPA - I had a two-part Plaxico Burress question for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell this morning at his annual pre-Super Bowl press conference.

The problem is he only answered the first part.

The entire question was (and I'm paraphrasing because I didn't tape myself): The league has taken no action in the Plaxico Burress situation. We were told by the commissioner's office he would wait for the legal situation to play out. I'm curious why that's the case because players have been suspended as soon as charges were pressed. One of them was Chris Henry, who was suspended with the stipulation it would be lifted if charges were dropped and he was acquitted. Was the difference in this case Burress' suspension was in-season, whereas Henry's was in the off-season? (The implication being Henry wouldn't have missed any games if he was acquitted later in the spring of 2007.)

The second part of the question was: If Burress is found guilty of illegal possession of a weapon or a lesser charge and the league suspends him, will Goodell count the Giants' four-game suspension as time served and perhaps give him whatever punishment he planned to levy minus four games?

Goodell said the lack of action in Burress' case had nothing to do with the fact the incident was in-season.

"We're looking at repeat offenders and we may not wait for the process to conclude when we have repeat offenders," Goodell said, clearly suggesting Burress got a pass for now because he doesn't have a lot of priors like Henry or Adam Jones did. "You can have false accusations once, maybe twice. When you start getting to multiple (arrests), you're putting yourself in the wrong position, you're making the wrong decisions in the wrong places. At that point in time, you're reflecting poorly on the NFL itself, your teammates.

"I'm very firm on the fact that everyone deserves the opportunity to be defended, everyone has the opportunity, if they make a mistake, to deal with that within the legal process. We understand sometimes the players are targets and we can't rush to judgment. But again, multiple offenses over a period of time, you're putting yourself in the wrong position and it reflects poorly."

Goodell then went on to point out two players in attendance - the Vikings' Matt Birk and the Eagles' Brian Dawkins - as well as Kurt Warner, who was represented by his wife Brenda. Those three are nominated for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. Goodell called them "great people and they represent this game very well, and I think it's unfortunate when people get a stereotype of an NFL player."

That was the end of Goodell's answer. I tried to remind him about the second part of the question, but the problem with his press conference is that, once you ask your question into the mic, you're done. The next questioner talked over my attempts at a follow-up.

League spokesman Greg Aiello said afterward Goodell hasn't thought about how much the Giants' suspension would play into his thinking on a potential league suspension on Burress because his legal situation hasn't played out yet. Once we reach that point, then the commissioner will decide on how long - if at all - to suspend Burress.

We're working to see if we can get a comment from Goodell. We'll keep you posted.

MG

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**** it, get him back next year! Its quite obvious we need him, desperately! Id rather have him than trade for anyone else who will then try and have to fill his boots.

[rjw63]

**** it, get him back next year

That's quite a turnaround - you previously stated it was his fault you never got to the Superbowl

[kkr]

It is still, but i think i can allow him one final chance to make up for that. I think if he did come back it would give us our best chance of going there again next year, rather than getting someone else in to try and take his place.

Finishing the season the way we did i hope will be great motivation for the team to do all they can to get back there again. It also looks as though our OC, Kevin Gilbride will be staying and he only ever calls a half decent game with Plax around, he was trying to do the same things that we did with Plax without him so i guess he desperately needs him back.

[kkr]

In a few hours it becomes official. We will just be one of 31 teams. Our reign as champions will be permanently over after tonight so lets enjoy it while we can!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! GIANTS 20007 SUPER BOWL CHAMPS!

[kurtsimonw]

..and the reign is over.

-Plaxico forgiven and bought back into the team.

-Jacobs re-signed to a long term deal.

-Bump Bradshaw to RB #2 and draft another RB/give Danny Ware alot of reps in pre-season.

-Bring in a big name LB.

-Draft an LB in the early rounds.

-Pick up a little more help in the secondary.

19-0, here we come..

[kkr]

Coughlin Retires!