Bleacher Report - Articles by David Brodian

US Holds Down The Fort, Marches On To The Final

David Brodian — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:41:48 -0400

Wow.

Yesterday, I was absolutely stunned as the US Men's National Team put in, perhaps, their most impressive performance of all-time.

No, the US team did not play the sexy footballing style of Brazil. No, the US team did not play with the same extraordinary finesse as Spain. And no, the US team did not outplay Spain en route to their greatest victory of all-time in a FIFA sponsored tournament.

However, what the US did do was turn in one of the most well-executed game plans in the history of American soccer.

If you have read any of my previous articles on the US Men's National Team, you know that I am not exactly fond of Bob Bradley as a coach. While I am not going to backtrack on my previous articles, I must give Bob Bradley some well-deserved props after yesterday's performance.

I'll even go so far as to say—yesterday, Bob Bradley absolutely deserved the title of US Men's National Team Coach.

And, if anyone says that this victory is any less sweet or deserved, because the US team was outplayed (arguably even dominated), that person seriously misunderstands sport, particularly football.

To have expected the Americans to come out and match the Spaniards style of play is entirely unreasonable, quite frankly, even insane. No one who watches European football could ever mistake Landon Donovan for Cesc Fabregas, Jozy Altidore for Fernando Torres, Charlie Davies for David Villa, so to have asked the Americans to engage the Spaniards in direct combat would have been suicide.

Instead, Bob Bradley devised a game plan centered around using the appropriate American players to the best of their abilities. For the first time, Bradley selected the right group of American players; and, in doing so, pulled off the greatest win of all-time for American soccer.

If you didn't watch the match, the game-plan was concentrated on great defensive shape, great defensive pressure, and counterattacking to alleviate pressure.

Every player performed exactly what was asked of him, and even more in some cases.

I have never seen an American back-four perform as cohesively, strongly, and productively as they did yesterday. Bradley knew to win this game his defense would have to perform in a way it never had before, and it did.

This is the defense he must stick with, Bocanegra's leadership was uncanny, Onyewu and DeMerit were unbeatable, and Spector was brilliant on the right. Without any one of those players on the field against Spain, there is no way the US is headed to the final Sunday.

Additionally, there is no way I could, in good conscious, write this article without mentioning Oguchi Onyewu's performance. He was not only the Americans' best player, but the best player on the pitch yesterday.

There was not one head-ball he didn't win, he shutdown Torres, he shutdown Villa, he blocked shots, and he was quite simply unbelievable. During yesterday's performance, Onyewu showed he deserves a lucrative contract playing in a first class European league.

Now the Americans must put Wednesday behind them and focus on Sunday. In all likelihood, they will be facing Brazil and must replicate what they did against Spain to have a chance to hoist the Confederations Cup trophy in the air.

And, while I'm still not sold on Bradley, he won my respect yesterday by demonstrating he can coach this team to victory against a far superior opponent.

Thus, the next step for Bradley and the US Men's National team is to build upon the Spain match.

They must put in a strong performance Sunday in the final, showing that matches like Egypt and Spain were not flukes, rather the standard that the proud American soccer community can expect from their team every time they step on the pitch.

US Beats Egypt: Now Let's Keep Some Perspective

David Brodian — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:20:40 -0400

After watching the U.S. national team beat Egypt yesterday and improbably advance to the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup, I feel it is important to give this victory some perspective.

Was yesterday's win nice? Yes.

Did the USMNT show loads of heart, determination, fight, and grit? Yes.

Did they thoroughly outplay the Egyptians? Yes.

Am I going to take back all of my scathing comments about Bob Bradley, the USSF, and soccer in this country? Absolutely not.

Sure, I could say Bob Bradley inspired this team to its 3-0 victory over a wounded Egyptian team.

Sure, I could say the U.S. team turned it around after two uninspiring performances against Italy and Brazil. But, I won't.

If you think I'm writing this article because I have some sort of misguided hatred toward the U.S. men's national team, you are wrong. However, you would be right if you realize that my years of frustration with soccer in this country will not be wiped away by a 3-0 victory over an Egyptian team missing its two top strikers.

Just as I expected, today, I look online and see many articles about how the U.S. pulled off a stunning win and miraculously advanced to the next round of the Confederations Cup.

Exactly what I feared most.

Of course yesterday I was rooting as hard as I ever have for the U.S. team to score two more goals after I saw Brazil was winning 3-0 over Italy. As a matter of fact, I could barely even watch injury time I was so nervous.

However, I could not help but think that if the U.S. somehow advanced to the next round, Bob Bradley (and the U.S. team) would be absolved of their recent string of poor performances that go beyond the Confederations Cup.

In no way should this be the case. This happens all too often in this country—one victory and all is forgotten.

This victory, and advancing to the next round, should be kept in keen perspective. The U.S. needed a miracle and got a miracle. Let's not forget if Italy hadn't turned in one of their worst performances in recent history, the U.S. would be out of this tournament.

And, yes the U.S. did take care of their end of the bargain by beating Egypt 3-0. However, really think about the victory.

We should be beating teams like the Egyptians. We have been able to beat teams like them for years. The next step for soccer in this country is to not only disperse of teams like Egypt, and be competitive with top countries like Italy and Brazil—but beat them.

Thus, we have to ask the question: Is Bob Bradley really the guy to lead this team to victory against the class of the world? That question should have already been answered after the string of poor performances against Costa Rica, Honduras, Italy, and Brazil.

Let's face it, the Egyptian team is ranked 40th by Fifa's world rankings (although I take these with a grain of salt, it's pretty much the only way to compare the two teams), while the U.S. is ranked 14th.

Should Bob Bradley's job really be safe after beating a team 26 spots below them, and ranked lower than Chile, Serbia, and Honduras?

To get soccer in this country to the next level the answer has to be no. No longer can poor performances against top teams be excused and strong performances against third and fourth-tier teams be used as signs of the U.S.'s progress.

Would Italian or Brazilian fans be satisfied with winning one game in the Confederations Cup? Obviously not. So why should American fans?

For me, it will take a string of quality, competitive performances, along with wins against top teams, while consistently beating the teams below us, to suggest that soccer in this country has finally turned the corner.

And, if anything less than that is accepted by the USSF, the U.S. team, the U.S. coaches, the soccer media in this country, and the American fans, then this team will continue to frustrate. Furthermore, the United States will remain in its place as an in-between soccer nation.

Should Chelsea Just Say No to Carlos Tevez?

David Brodian — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 19:00:28 -0400

Today, it was reported that Carlos Tevez has rejected a five year contract and opted to leave Manchester United. It has also been reported that Chelsea has stepped up their chase for the Argentine hit man.

While Carlos Tevez has proven his worth in the premiership with thirty four goals in two seasons, Chelsea should not be chasing his services for several reasons.

First and foremost, Chelsea employs a 4-3-3 formation in which there is a lone target player. A successful target player in the Chelsea system needs to be big, strong, and fast.

While Carlos Tevez has great speed and skills, his lack of size would surely hinder his ability to contribute as the lone front man for Chelsea.

Additionally, even if Tevez proved me wrong and showed he had enough strength to play as a solitary striker, he certainly does not posses enough ability, strength, or speed to relegate Didier Drogba to the bench.

Thus, having ruled out deploying Tevez as the target would force Carlo Ancelotti to play the Argentinian out on either the left or right wing. This presents another reason not to sign the former Manchester United player.

Chelsea already has a plethora of talent ready to play either wing. Currently Chelsea has Florent Malouda, the oft-injured Joe Cole, and Salomon Kalou as natural wingers, as well as the displaced Nicholas Anelka as a fourth winger.

Even though Malouda has largely been considered a disappointment at Chelsea, he seemed to be regaining his form under Guus Hiddink, showing flashes of brilliance at the end of the 2008-2009 campaign.

While Tevez is surely a better talent than Kalou, he would be in constant competition with Anelka, Cole, and Malouda for a place in the starting eleven.

Therefore, seeing as how Tevez will command a sizable contract, it makes little financial or tactical sense for Chelsea to sign Tevez.

Roman Abramovich would be better suited spending his money finding a permanent replacement for likely departure, Ricardo Carvalho. The center-back partnership between John Terry and Alex certainly seemed mundane at best. And, Chelsea certainly has enough money to find Terry a suitable new partner.

Thus, Roman Abramovich needs to look past Carlos Tevez's glamour and name and splash down the money on a new, young, center-back to complement John Terry. That is, if he really wants to win significant silverware this year.

US Soccer: What a Joke!

David Brodian — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:15:08 -0400

So, here were are with about a year to go until the World Cup and the US looks nothing like a team likely to progress out of the group stage.

As an American and an avid fan of the world's game, I'm sick and tired of hearing the excuses from coaches and the media. The bottom line is this: the United States lacks the brilliance from both coaches and players to take us to the next level.

In my eyes the coaches are the bigger of the two problems. However, I will address the players first. While there are some American players who can compete at the International level, there are only a few.

In the matches against Italy and Brazil, Jozy Altidore seemed to be the only man who could create dangerous offensive chances for the United States. Landon Donovan is very pacy and can create opportunities when he gets the ball and is going straight ahead.

Yet, therein lies the problem. How many times in soccer do you have the time to get the ball and dribble straight ahead? Not many.

Quite simply, Landon Donovan lacks the creativity to be the United States' play-maker. This is the same reason why his career has been limited to MLS and the same reason why he continues to be a failure every time he gets an opportunity overseas (I have no clue why he keeps getting them). Which brings me to my next point.

While the money may seem appealing, if they actually want to get better, the American players need to stop going to Europe so young and sitting on the bench (Jozy Altidore, Freddy Adu, DaMarcus Beasley, etc...). These players would benefit more from playing in MLS.

I know that sounds counter-intuitive, but how else are these players going to get better? Not by sitting on the bench and watching.

The players can watch all the European Club games they want on TV here, while getting game experience in the MLS. I'm not talking about players like Brian McBride, or older guys who have clearly developed into players that can compete at European clubs, those guys (like McBride) should be there (I know he's back at MLS but he had a successful career at Fulham).

Thus, the American players should stay here in MLS until they are sure they will be in the mix for playing time in Europe. Then they can make the leap to Europe and continue to develop.

Having said that, the MLS needs to do a better job developing players and increasing the level of competition. However, this is a matter for another article.

Now, as for American coaching there is one word to describe it, atrocious. Every time the cameras zoom over to Bob Bradley he looks confused and helpless. The last two things you ever want to see a coach looking like.

The fact is Bob Bradley is not helpless, more like clueless. He has put DaMarcus Beasley at left-back, which was a disastrous decision in qualifying.

Then he moved him back to a more natural position and he makes a mistake that leads to Brazil's second goal. Enough is enough for Beasley.

Not to mention two of the three Brazilian goals were easily preventable. Losing a mark on a freekick is unacceptable, especially when it leads to a goal.

This is something that proper preparation before the game should prevent. And, as I mentioned before, selecting Beasley in the starting lineup further shows Bob Bradley's ineptitude.

Its about time the USSF fires Bradley and brings in an experienced international coach. If you don't think this is the answer, look what Guus Hiddink has done for Korea and Russia.

We certainly have the money to lure a great coach here. Why not gun for Juergen Klinsmann? He may be the breath of fresh air we need to get to the next level.

If something is not done in the next year the United States will be likely headed down a familiar path... Kings of CONCACAF, jesters of the World Cup.

So You Thought The Giants Don't Need Plaxico...

David Brodian — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 03:36:37 -0500

Two weeks ago, when the New York Giants pounded the Washington Redskins into submission 23-7, all the talk was the Giants don't need Plaxico Burress. Really, the talk was, the Giants don't need any one player.

That was two weeks ago. Since then, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys have shown that to not be the case. Both teams have exploited the fact that the Giants 6'5” superstar is at home preparing for his March 31st court date, and not preparing to torch opposing defenses.

Disagree with me? What game do you want to point to: Rams, Seahawks, Cardinals, Redskins?

I think it is safe to assume the Giants are still good enough to beat the Rams and Seahawks without Plax. However, I don't think that will make any Giants fan, coach, or player very happy. And, lately the Redskins seem intent on proving that their strong early season form was a fluke.

That leaves one game where the Giants offense performed extremely well without Plaxico Burress. (It just so happens Brandon Jacobs missed this game as well.)

However, although Plax missed this game, the Cardinals were forced to game-plan for him, since he was active and played the first several snaps. Now, it is a much different situation.

Teams know that the Giants don't have another wide receiver that they need to double team. Meaning, teams have all week to prepare for the Plax-less Giants. This essentially frees up a safety, who previously had to help in coverage on Plax, on every play.

This was exposed by the Eagles, and now, the Cowboys. In both games, the Giants have been held under 100 yards rushing. This is the same team that previously boasted the NFL's best rushing attack spearheaded by Jacobs, Ward, and Bradshaw.

In both games not having to respect the Plax-less Giants wide receiving corps, the Eagles and Cowboys loaded up the box, and dared the Giants to throw. Receivers couldn't get open, dropped passes, and Eli was sacked or under heavy pressure consistently.

One thing is for sure—the Giants aren't getting Plaxico Burress back. Thus, the Giants must find another reliable deep threat, must find a way to establish the run, and must find a way to make other teams respect their receiving corps. Otherwise, this Giants season will have gone out with bang, just the wrong kind.

New York Giants, Get Back To Giants Football!

David Brodian — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:46:13 -0500

Kevin Gilbride—what the hell was that? I'm referring to the absolutely awful play calling the Giants displayed on offense against the Eagles.

Play calling like that is what sold me that Gilbride is not the right man for the Giants offensive coordinator position. Granted, this is the first time in a long time he has let me down.

However, I do not understand why the coaching staff decided to abandon the run. I know that we were trailing the entire game, but up until the final quarter we were only down by one field goal.

Furthermore, its not like the running game wasn't working—Jacobs ran for 52 yards on 10 carries and Ward had 39 yards on 8 carries. Clearly, there was no reason to not let these two carry the ball.

It seemed as though Gilbride wanted to prove to the Eagles, the rest of the NFL, the media, and the fans that the Giants could still have an explosive passing attack without Plaxico Burress.

Instead, Gilbride ended up learning that it is not only tough to throw the football in Giants Stadium's December winds, it is also hard to catch the ball in those winds (see Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith).

Additionally, two plays stick out in my mind that made me go "what the hell is he thinking." The first was the atrocious call to run a reverse with Mario Manningham on second down. I don't remember the last time I saw the Giants run a reverse that worked (I'm actually really not sure that I ever have).

Note to Gilbride: If you want to give the kid a chance, give him a chance. Don't call some wild reverse when you are moving the football in the opening minutes of the game.

That play was good for -12 yards and led to the Giants drive stalling when they couldn't convert on fourth down.

The other play that I can't get out of my mind is the fourth down and two yards to go pitch to Ahmad Bradshaw. Don't get me wrong, I love Ahmad Bradshaw and I think he needs to get more touches, but just not that call.

While he's no Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward is a good power back. The play call should have been Ward following Madison Hedgecock up the middle. This surely would have netted the measly two yards the Giants needed. Heck, I would have even been fine seeing Bradshaw go up the middle with the way he keeps his legs churning.

I just don't understand a toss play on fourth down and two, I guess Gilbride took a page out of Andy Reid's book on how to not run the ball effectively.

So please Kevin, when we travel to Dallas, with or without Jacobs, please establish the run, and then let Eli pick apart the Dallas' secondary.

Amani Toomer: Give Him His Props!

David Brodian — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:03:50 -0500

If you don't think the Giants can win without Plaxico Burress, think again. They have a great wide receiving core consisting of Steve Smith, Domenik Hixon, Sinorice Moss, Mario Manningham, and the anchor, Amani Toomer.

Amani Toomer is one of the most underrated Giants of all time, yet one of the most productive. It is about time this guy got his props.

Let's take a look at his stats this season at 34 years of age: 39 catches for 480 yards and four TDs. Those are some very productive numbers for a man considered "ancient" by NFL wide receiver standards. Additionally, those four TDs are more than he had all of last year. Like a fine wine, Toomer seems to just get better and better with age.

If the Giants are able to absorb the blow of losing Burress for the rest of the season, and put this distraction behind them, which I think they will, Amani Toomer will certainly be leading the charge. Not only does this guy produce, he understands how to be a great teammate, mentor, and leader.

Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss, and Mario Manningham have all credited Toomer for enhancing their development and providing them guidance. Additionally, Toomer continually announces his support of Plaxico Burress, although he continues to make mistake after mistake off the field. Toomer is an exemplary teammate.

Furthermore, Amani Toomer's attitude is another characteristic for which he should be applauded. Before Plaxico arrived in New York, Toomer was the Giants number one wide receiver. Toomer never complained about being bumped to the number two spot; instead, he accepted his new role, embraced it, and has thrived ever since.

In what has become the NFL's "diva position," Amani Toomer has never acted as such. He has never demanded the ball more, never bashed his developing QB in the media, never slammed his beleaguered colleague to the press; he simply produces and leads.

Hopefully, the Giants young wide receiving corps will follow in Toomer's footsteps.

Amani Toomer is a great New York Giant, if not one of the greatest and most underrated of all-time. It's time people start recognizing him as such.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's...

David Brodian — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:59:17 -0500

...DOMENIK HIXON!

Have no fear ladies and gentleman of Gotham, Domenik Hixon is here!

Yesterday, Hixon compiled 269 all-purpose yards for the 10-1 New York Giants. He gained 180 yards via three kickoff returns, 21 yards through two punt returns, 57 receiving yards with six catches, and 11 yards with one carry of the ball.

Although Hixon never found the end zone, he was perhaps the game's most important participant. Time and time again Hixon set the Giants up with great field position, en route to their four touchdowns.

It should be duely noted that Hixon did his stunning special-teams work while valiantly filling in for the injured Plaxico Burress. A true modern-day Renaissance man, Hixon was the Giants' leading receiver, second leading rusher, and absolute phenom on special teams.

No one should be shocked by Hixon's performance, as this is not the first time he has put together a spectacular game. While filling in for the suspended Plaxico Burress, during Week Five against the Seahawks, Hixon caught four passes for 102 yards and one touchdown—before leaving the game in the first half with a concussion.

To have a player like Hixon on the team is invaluable. He simply rises to the occasion and makes it impossible to even notice that one of the NFL's elite receivers is missing from the Giants lineup.

So, if the Giants ever need help, they know who to call—Domenik Hixon!

Super Bowl XLIII: New York, New York—Why It Can Happen

David Brodian — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:24:57 -0500

Yes, you are reading the headline correctly. Here's why the New York Giants and New York Jets could come face-to-face in Tampa, FL on February 1st.

1. Eli Manning and Brett Favre

Eli and Brett play the most important position in football, for their respective teams. While people knock Eli, albeit unduly, for being a "game manager", and knock Brett for being a "gun-slinger", these two guys both do something intangible—stay on the field. Eli has started 65 consecutive games, while Brett has started an incredible 263 in a row.

The importance of this cannot be understated. Having your franchise quarterback watch from the sidelines will pretty much guarantee your team will not be playing in the big game.

Although there is the rare exception (i.e. Jeff Hostetler), how many people think the Patriots have a legitimate shot at reaching the Super Bowl without Tom Brady?

2. Running Back Production

It is well known the Giants have the best ground game in the NFL (they average 172.7 yards per game) with Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Ahmad Bradshaw. Yet, the Jets feature two very good backs in Thomas Jones and Leon Washington.

When the weather gets cold, and if teams are coming to the Meadowlands to play, the running game is just that much more important. It is nearly impossible to throw a pass when there are 30-plus mile per hour winds swirling around Giants Stadium.

(When I was six years old, my hat flew off my head, went around in a circle like a tornado, then promptly over the side of the stadium.)

Furthermore, having a running game like the Giants or Jets do allows a team to control the game clock and take pressure off of the quarterback. When you have a quarterback the caliber of Manning or Favre, this opens up the deep ball to wide receivers Plaxico Burress or Laveranues Coles—which is the last thing the defense wants to see when they are tired and beat up from a bruising running game.

3. Offensive Line Play

These teams have two ridiculous offensive lines. How do you think Eli has managed to stay on the field? Sorry to the Jets line, but you only get credit for keeping Brett healthy for 10 of the 263 consecutive games he's started (253 with the Green Bay Packers). Nonetheless, the Jets' line is directly responsible for Thomas Jones' resurgence as an elite NFL runner.

Not to downplay the performance of the trio of Giants running backs, but the Giants line makes it seem like you could take a JV high school running back, plug him into the Giants offense, and poof, you have a 100-yard per game rushing machine.

4. Defense

All the credit in the world to Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. He just confuses the hell out of other teams. It doesn't even matter who's on the field, take away defensive linemen Michael Strahan (retired) and Osi Umenyiora, and the Giants are still fourth in the NFL with 31 sacks and the No. 2 ranked defense.

Meanwhile, the Jets have racked up 34 sacks so far this season. Additionally, the Jets only allow 81.3 yards per game rushing, which will prove even more devastating to other offenses as the season rolls along.

As weather conditions worsen and it becomes more difficult to throw the ball, the Jets opponents will be forced to try their luck against their stout 3-4 defense.

Reality or Mere Dream for New York?

So, how likely is it that both the Giants and Jets will make it to the Super Bowl? It's hard to say at this point in the season. However, after the Giants Super Bowl run last year, we have seen that anything is possible.

Jerry Reese: The Man Behind the Giants

David Brodian — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:58:22 -0500

In his short time as GM of the Giants, Jerry Reese has been nearly flawless in his decision-making. Seemingly digging up "diamond in the rough" after "diamond in the rough"—players other general managers have overlooked, and letting them shine on the field as members of the New York Giants.

Here's a list of players Reese has drafted or signed during his one-plus-year tenure as Giants GM:

Drafted	Signed
Aaron Ross Steve Smith Jay Alford Zak DeOssie Kevin Boss Michael Johnson Ahmad Bradshaw Kenny Phillips Terrell Thomas Mario Manningham Bryan Kehl	Kawika Mitchell Danny Clark John Carney Lawrence Tynes Sammy Knight

All of the players in the above list either played significant roles on the road to the Giants Super Bowl victory, or are playing significant roles on the team this year, or have extremely high upside.

Furthermore, on top of finding great players, Reese was able to keep highly in-demand defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, after winning the Super Bowl.

In addition to the two incredible years of drafting and free agent signings, Reese made his boldest, and perhaps best move as Giants GM this summer—trading Jeremy Shockey.

Let me start off by saying that I was the last person in favor of this decision, and when Reese decided to trade Shockey, I was heart broken.

To me, Shockey represents everything that you want in a football player: passion, enthusiasm, work ethic, desire to win, and fearlessness. However, Reese knew that regardless of how much talent Shockey has, there was no way Shockey would be able to put his pride aside and rejoin the Giants after they won the Super Bowl without him.

Now, as this season has progressed, as much as I love(d) Shockey, I love Jerry Reese's decision to trade him even more. Kevin Boss has emerged as a more than serviceable tight end, while Shockey continues to cause problems and is unable to stay healthy.

Thus far in the 2008 season, Shockey and Boss have similar stats. Shockey has 24 catches for 223 yards and zero TDs, while Boss has 19 catches for 217 yards and four TDs. Personally, I'd rather have a TE that catches touchdown passes instead of a TE that gains yardage.

In addition, when Boss doesn't get the ball, he doesn't complain, when Eli misses him on a pass, he doesn't come back to the huddle waving his hands. He works hard, blocks, and catches passes when called upon. On a team loaded with receiving depth at wide receiver, I couldn't think of a better tight end to have on this team.

Thus, Jerry Reese has managed to find a better tight end, at least for the Giants. In addition, while doing so, he was able to obtain a second round and fifth round draft pick. Two draft picks that will undoubtedly turn into bright Giant stars, thanks to Reese's drafting savvy.

So, thus far during Jerry Reese's tenure as GM, the Giants have obtained better players and have built a team for the future (gotten younger). Oh yeah, and Jerry Reese did this while the Giants won the Super Bowl—an almost impossible feat.

On behalf of all Giants fans, I thank you Jerry Reese. You truly are a pure football genius.

Three Reasons Why the Philadelphia Eagles Scare Me...Right Now

David Brodian — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:07:20 -0500

After the Giants' dismantling of the Cowboys on Sunday, many people are once again beginning to declare the Giants the best team in the NFC, and the NFL.

One would think that this general sentiment would leave a Giants fan with nothing but good feelings going into Week 10's showdown with the Eagles. However, Sunday's game against the 'Boys, and several other factors, are making me real nervous ahead of Sunday night's showdown.

Reason No. 1 : Plaxico Burress. I really thought that after his midweek declaration that he did not want to be a problem, Plaxico would quit acting up. Wrong. There was absolutely no reason for Plaxico to go over to Eli, wave his arms in the air, and declare that the interception Eli had just thrown was not his fault.

We as fans will never know who was actually at fault, but Eli took the blame. Eli claimed that Plaxico, in fact, made the right read on the defense and that he, Eli, should have gone deep with the throw.

Meanwhile, defiant as ever, Plaxico exclaimed, "I was just going off the read the defensive guy was giving me, he [Manning] agreed with it and we moved on from there."

However, one must wonder why Plaxico could not simply say something like, "We just got mixed up," or "We won the game, no big deal," or, better yet, "I'm not sure what happened, but we won the game and that's all that matters."

Instead, Plaxico felt it imperative to say the he was right and Eli was wrong. If Plaxico keeps going on this path, he WILL hurt the Giants eventually.

Reason No. 2: Eli Manning. Eli's +90 passer rating was a bit deceiving Sunday. Eli tossed a pick-six interception, as well as fumbled the ball twice. What makes the Giants' offense great is their efficiency, and turnovers kill efficiency.

The Giants were lucky to be facing a less-than-fully-loaded Cowboys offense. Otherwise, those two other turnovers likely would have turned into Cowboys points.

Reason No. 3: Donovan McNabb and the Eagles WRs. If Donovan McNabb is given time on Sunday, he has the ability to pick apart the Giants' secondary.

When Derek Anderson was given time, he was able to light up the Giants' No. 1 corner, Aaron Ross. Furthermore, Braylon Edwards absolutely torched Ross all night. Additionally, Ross was beaten badly by 49ers wideout, Josh Morgan, for a touchdown, as well.

In addition to a great QB in McNabb, the Eagles have the speedy WRs that can give the Giants' secondary all sorts of problems. Thus, if the Giants' secondary is forced to remain in coverage too long, they could be in trouble.

While these are three reasons that the Eagles scare me going into Week 10, later in the week, I will discuss why I like the Giants in this important midseason NFC East matchup.

Bloody Sunday - Giants Need To K.O. 'Boys

David Brodian — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:28:02 -0400

If you are a New York Giant (or Giant fan,) you have to love how this season has started.

You are 6-1, in first place in the NFC East, and get to feast on the crippled Dallas Cowboys at home this week.

No doubt it will be hard for the Giants to ignore the fact that Tony Romo, Terrence Newman, Roy Williams, Adam "Pacman" Jones, and possibly Anthony Henry and Jason Witten will be missing in the game Sunday. However, the Giants must focus this week in practice and prepare as if they will be lining up against the Cowboys at full strength.

Now is no time for the Giants to dance around and let the Cowboys off of the ropes. They need to take a lesson from Mike Tyson in his prime, go in for the kill and knock the Cowboys out early.

A win for the Giants this week would move them to 7-1, as well as keep them atop the NFC East. Additionally, it would put them three games ahead of the Cowboys in the loss column, and keep them undefeated within the division.

The last thing an injury-riddled team wants to do is play hard-nosed, physical football. Thus, the Giants need to come out and play just as physical as they did last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

A big dose of Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward is needed early in the game this week. Pounding the ball with Jacobs and Ward will wear out the Cowboys defense, especially the safeties and corners they will be bringing up to stop the run.

Once the Cowboys defense starts to wear down, then its Eli Manning time. After running the ball down the 'Boys throat, it will then be time to air it out to Plaxico Burress and the rest of the Giants deep receiving corps.

You have got to believe that against a worn-out secondary, Eli Manning's best weapon, the play-action pass, will be super effective.

Defensively, the Giants, whom lead the league in sacks, need to show no resistance. This defense should be in the backfield all day long, knocking Brad Johnson to the hard Giants stadium turf over and over again.

The Giants' corners should not have trouble this week, even though they will be facing Terrell Owens. Last week, Brad Johnson's longest passing play went for 14 yards, meaning the Cowboys do not pose much of a deep threat.

Although the Giants are 6-1, this is a must-win game. An upset win by the Cowboys without Tony Romo, would propel the Cowboys right back into the NFC East mix.

However, if the Giants come out with the fire to burn the Cowboys right from the start, by the end of the game the Giants will have thrown the first pile of dirt on the coffin of the Cowboys' season.

Prediction: Giants win 35-13.

The Media Created "Plaxico Burress Problem"

David Brodian — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 03:53:08 -0400

Let’s get this straight. The Giants are 6-1, defending Super Bowl champions, alone in first place in the heavyweight division of the NFL, the NFC East, and all anyone wants to talk about is the “Plaxico Burress Problem?”

So, what is this “Plaxico Burress Problem?" I’ll tell you what it is: It is the media trying to drag down the defending Super Bowl Champions.

People outside of the New York metropolitan area hate when New York sports teams are excelling. Thus, the media has decided, since the best team of all time, the 18-1 New England Patriots, could not beat the Giants in the biggest game of all, it is their job to pull the Giants down.

Additionally, the media hates the Giants because they do not have the big-name, sexy type of players. Therefore, since there are none of these big-name, sexy players on the Giants, the media must find something else to write about.

To top it off, the media hates how the Giants players won’t give them quotes to fill other teams’ bulletin boards or to cause destruction in the Giants' own locker room.

Thus, in order to write about the Giants, the media has developed the “Plaxico Burress Problem.”

Here are five reasons why their so-called “problem” is not actually a problem at all.

Plaxico Burress battled through a badly sprained ankle the entire season last year and put up monstrous stats—including 11 catches for 154 yards in the arctic temperatures in the NFC Championship game. This earned him the respect of his teammates.
In addition, Burress did not practice the entire year, yet, he and Eli Manning looked to be on the same page the entire season.
Furthermore, this “problem” was apparently occurring during the Giants phenomenal run to win the Super Bowl—with sources claiming Burress was fined between 40-50 times last season.
When asked if being a “problem” would affect his play on the field he responded, “Never has, never will.”
Lastly, Burress described his relationship with Coach Coughlin as “working.” I don’t know about you, but I certainly have had my share of bosses that I did not see eye to eye with but was still able to produce quality work—a “working relationship.”

It is time this “problem” is put to bed. The Giants knew what they were getting when they signed Plaxico Burress as a free agent—a dangerous weapon for Eli Manning.

The Giants' management has handled this situation amazingly. Perhaps the Giants players have handled the “Plaxico Burress Problem” even better—refusing to let the media trick them into saying something that could pull the team apart.

The media needs to stop this campaign to pull down the New York Giants, and, instead, write about how the Giants, including Plaxico Burress, are focused on returning to glory.

Five Keys For Giants Against Steelers

David Brodian — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:54:26 -0400

Pressure Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers offensive line does not do a great job protecting Big Ben, and the Giants have the personnel to take advantage of this fact. If Justin Tuck, Fred Robbins, and Co. can get to Roethlisberger often and early they will be able to force turnovers.

It also helps that the Giants line will be facing the Steelers third-string running back Mewelde Moore. Moore had a big day against Cincinnati last week (two rushing TDs, one receiving TD, and 160 yards rushing); however, the Bengals defense is no where near as talented as the Giants.
Control the line of scrimmage offensively. The Steelers have one of the best defenses against the run in the league—allowing only 69.7 yards per game and only 2.94 yards per carry. Additionally, the Steelers lead the league in sacks with 25.

Therefore, the Giants offensive line must open up holes for Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Ahmad Bradshaw to run through. Also, the line must keep Eli Manning on his feet and in the pocket, so he can go through his reads and make good decisions. When Manning is hurried and leaves the pocket he does not always make the best decisions down field.
Convert on third-downs. The Giants struggled last week against the 49ers on third down—converting on only four of 14 opportunities. Much of the problem was caused by the Giants backing themselves up into third and longs with costly penalties.

If the offensive line keeps Eli on his feet, and the Giants avoid needless penalties, Manning should be able to find his favorite target on third down—Steve Smith.
Open up the run with the pass. I know this sounds funny, but against a team that is as good as the Steelers against the run, sometimes the opposite is true. The Giants should take advantage of their depth at wide receiver and use Burress and Domenik Hixon at the same time. This will force the Steelers to back up off of the line.

If the Giants can find Plaxico or Hixon deep downfield, this will force the Steelers to soften up close to the line and allow the Giants to have more running room.
Limit penalties. In a game that will probably be a low-scoring, control-the-clock, type of game, it is imperative the Giants do not make it harder on themselves with penalties. Too many penalties on offense will make it nearly impossible to convert against the stout, No.1 ranked, Steelers defense. Too many penalties on defense will keep the defensive unit on the field—wearing them down.

Prediction – Giants go to Pittsburgh and pull out a hard fought, physical win 17-13.

Giants-49ers: New York Wins, Must Improve Ahead of Steelers Clash

David Brodian — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:25:23 -0400

Perhaps Eli Manning said it best after the Giants beat the 49ers, 29-17, “It's all about finding ways to win, to gut it out. That's what we did."

It wasn't pretty, and the Giants showed there are still areas they need to address in order to be playing their best football.

The first thing the Giants must do is limit their penalties. Against the 49ers, the Giants committed 11 penalties for 80 yards. Against a stiffer opponent, such a large amount of penalty yardage will be more costly.

Additionally, the Giants need to be able to convert on third down, like they did last year and in the beginning of this year. Today, the Giants were a measly four of 14 on third down.

Lastly, the Giants must sure up their secondary coverage. Once again, Aaron Ross was burned deep for a touchdown, this time by rookie wide receiver Josh Morgan.

Although the Giants were often sloppy, there were positives in the win.

The Giants' defensive line was dominant once again. The defensive line had six sacks, which caused J.T. O’Sullivan to fumble four times. Furthermore, the stout defensive front limited Frank Gore, one of the NFL’s best running backs, to 11 yards on 11 carries.

Offensively, the Giants showed that when they need to, they can lean on their running-back trio, known as Earth (Brandon Jacobs), Wind (Derrick Ward), and Fire (Ahmad Bradshaw). The three running backs combined for 116 yards rushing, 61 yards receiving, and two touchdowns.

Next week, the Giants will need to come out firing, as they face their toughest test of the year when they travel to Pittsburgh to face the (5-1) Steelers.

A Letter to Hank Steinbrenner

David Brodian — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:41:10 -0400

Dear Hank Steinbrenner,

Let’s Go Rays! As a Yankee fan, this is what I’ve been reduced to. I’ve been reduced to hoping and praying that another team beats the Red Sox.

I’ve been reduced to hoping and praying that the Tampa Bay Rays, another team in the A.L. East (besides the Yankees) can hold on to their (now) 3-2 series lead.

How could you do this to me, Hank?

Last night was absolutely horrible for me as a Yankee fan, and the Yankees weren’t even playing. Last night brought back all of those horrible feelings from 2004 when the Yankees found some way to blow their 3-0 series lead.

The biggest Yankee headline this postseason has been whether or not A-Rod and Madonna are dating.

Isn’t this supposed to be the other way around? Aren’t Red Sox fans the ones with the shirts that say “I root for two teams, the Red Sox, and whoever beats the Yankees”?

What’s the deal, Hank?

What have I done to the baseball gods to deserve this? I now know something I never wanted to or thought that I’d know—what it felt like to be a Red Sox fan prior to 2004.

I hate Red Sox Nation, Hank.

Hank, I am begging you, please do whatever it takes to help me and the millions of other Yankee fans not feel this way this time next year. Please, go get Sabathia, Sheets, Peavy, or Burnett. Heck, why not get all of ‘em?

That way, next year, every Yankee fan can get back to doing what he or she is used to doing—rooting for the Yankees in the postseason.

Sincerely,

Every Yankee Fan Worldwide