motife
09-12-2007, 08:57 PM
Packers' Next Opponent: Giants feel the pain
Injuries to three key starters will work in Packers' favor
By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Sept. 11, 2007
Bob McGinn
E-MAIL
Green Bay - If quarterback Eli Manning were healthy, the New York Giants might be favored to defeat the Green Bay Packers Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.
If the shoulder injury that Manning suffered Sunday night in a 45-35 loss to the Dallas Cowboys sidelines him, opposing scouts and coaches give the Giants almost no chance.
That's because the gap between Manning and backup Jared Lorenzen is immense.
"If they had a good defense, yes," one personnel director said. "But, no. The only way, and it happens every so often where there's a new quarterback, is the opposing team doesn't know how to prepare for him and he may get away with some early scores."
Manning was poised and razor-sharp against the Cowboys after compiling a passer rating of 107.1 in exhibition games.
"He can be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. I think he's finally ready to do it," one scout said.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Monday that Manning will miss at least a month with a slight shoulder separation. Manning maintains it's a bruise. The Giants' plan is for Manning to throw lightly Friday or Saturday, and then make the call.
Unfortunately for the Giants, Manning wasn't the only top player hurt in Dallas. Pass-rushing end Osi Umenyiora, their best player on defense, and starting running back Brandon Jacobs are out indefinitely with knee injuries.
If Manning sits, it could be argued that the Giants will be without their two most indispensable players and three of their top 12.
"I'd say the Packers are going to win," an opposing assistant coach said. "I don't know what their game plan is going to be but, gosh, they've got to run it with somebody (Derrick Ward) you and I never heard of. Plus, I don't think they're a great team to begin with.
"Now the disadvantage for the Packers is they're playing in New York. But sometimes playing on the road when you're struggling can be a good thing. Because they'll be booing those guys by the second quarter if they don't perform. That's just New York."
An assistant for another recent Giants' foe said the Packers would be wise to be wary.
"You know the old saying: 'The most dangerous animal is the wounded one?'" the coach said. "When you feel you're embarrassed you take a lot of pride and step it up a little bit. You don't want to get booed at home. I think they'll be a different team this week."
OFFENSE
SCHEME
Gilbride, the quarterbacks coach under Tom Coughlin from 2004-'06, has roots back to Houston in the early 1990s when he ran the run-and-shoot. Gilbride is allowed to call the plays but Coughlin sets the philosophy. Coughlin was influenced heavily by his time (1988-'90) on Bill Parcells' staff in New York. He wants to run two-back sets, angle block in the run game and throw deep off play-action.
RECEIVERS
Split end Burress (6 feet 5 1/2 inches, 232 pounds) has incredible talent and showed it in Dallas. His routes aren't always precise but he adjusts well to bad balls, can be almost unstoppable on fades and has deceiving speed. Flanker Toomer (6-3, 203) is 33 and 10 months removed from reconstructive knee surgery. He is much more team-oriented than Burress, still can get open and is playing well. He offers minimal vertical dimension but knows how to push off and is hard to cover. Smith (6-0, 195) doesn't have great speed, either, but his hands, quick release and know-how have been a plus. Jeremy Shockey (6-4, 251) can't run 40 yards in 4.59 as he did in March 2002, but is still very fast for a tight end and is a huge receiving threat. He gets by as a blocker.
OFFENSIVE LINE
This is a veteran, healthy, cohesive group without a weak link. Its forte is drive blocking. Chris Snee (6-2 1/2 , 317), a four-year starter, is among the top four or five guards in the NFC. He has a mean streak, is powerful straight ahead and athletic enough to operate in space. LG Rich Seubert (6-3, 310) and C Shaun O'Hara (6-2, 303) are similar. Both entered the league as free agents, both are tenacious and both play smart. RT Kareem McKenzie (6-5 1/2, 327) is even more physically dominating than Snee. Although McKenzie's pass blocking is just OK, Coughlin knows when he needs tough yards he can run behind him and Snee. LT David Diehl (6-5 1/2, 319) had to move from guard when Luke Petitgout was cut in February. More of a finesse blocker, Diehl probably is the fifth-best starter but has held up surprisingly well.
QUARTERBACKS
Manning (6-4 1/2, 225), just 26, is 20-20 as a starter. He's placid, which has been mistaken at times for timidity. All summer long he has been more efficient, poised, accurate and effective. He's more mobile than Peyton, his brother, and their arms are comparable. In the past, he seems to have pressed, leading to poor decisions. The left-handed Lorenzen (6-3 1/2 , 285) entered the NFL as a Giants' free agent from Kentucky in '04. In three exhibitions seasons, he owns a passer rating of 70.7. Lorenzen is strong-armed and fairly accurate, and he's nimble given his roly-poly body. Despite a score of 28 on the Wonderlic intelligence test, he still doesn't play smart and his ball security is questionable. Former Raven Anthony Wright (6-1, 211), 8-11 as a starter with a career rating of 66.9, is No. 3.
RUNNING BACKS
Replacing the pile-driving Jacobs will be Ward (5-11, 230), the Jets' seventh-round pick from Ottawa (Kan.) in '04. He ripped off 89 yards in Dallas, hitting holes faster than Jacobs could. Ward, who has 4.55 speed, can handle the blitz and split wide as a receiver. Reuben Droughns (5-11, 220) will play both as an undersized fullback and to relieve Ward. Droughns, 29, is tough as an old boot. Rookie TE Michael Matthews (6-4, 270) also lines up at fullback but isn't a true lead blocker.
DEFENSE
SCHEME
New coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is coming off a dreadful debut in Dallas. First, the Cowboys' massive line exposed the Giants' soft middle. When Spagnuolo, a disciple of Philadelphia's Jim Johnson, decided to start blitzing, Tony Romo had receivers running wide-open off play-action against loose man-to-man coverage. It's a base 4-3 scheme built around the concept of "quarters" coverage.
DEFENSIVE LINE
The loss of RE Osi Umenyiora, a feared pass rusher, means Justin Tuck (6-5, 274) will start and LE Michael Strahan (6-4, 255) will have to play almost the entire game after ending his 38-day holdout Sept. 4. Tuck, a third-round pick in '05, blossomed into starter-caliber this summer. He's smart, explosive and never quits. Strahan, 35, is in the twilight of his Hall of Fame career. He reported 10 pounds lighter than last season and then was almost invisible in Dallas. The starting DTs, Fred Robbins (6-3 1/2, 317) and Barry Cofield (6-4, 306), were mauled by the Cowboys. Robbins, a Viking from 2000-'03, is surprisingly athletic and can pressure the passer. He just isn't stout. Cofield, a fourth-round pick in '06, isn't thick enough or quick enough to accomplish much of anything. Depth is so bad that aging Russell Davis (6-3 1/2, 306), who was signed Monday after being cut by Seattle, will be used Sunday to halt the run.
LINEBACKERS
Mathias Kiwanuka (6-5 1/2, 265), the 32nd pick in '06, started nine games at DE as a rookie and was impressive. The Giants tried to make him a strong-side LB since spring and the results aren't good. Kiwanuka is hard to handle when moving forward but looks lost in coverage. MLB Antonio Pierce (6-1, 238) got $7 million guaranteed to leave Washington in March 2005. He's instinctive and a decent leader, but he's also small with average speed and doesn't take on blocks well. WLB Kawika Mitchell (6-1, 253) was Kansas City's starting MLB for 3 1/2 years before taking a $200,000 signing bonus from New York in March. He might be more athletic than Pierce but isn't as alert, takes bad angles and surely isn't the answer.
SECONDARY
The only worthwhile starter is FS Gibril Wilson (6-0, 209). A fifth-round pick in '04, Wilson is fast and tough, probably better in the box than deep, and can make big plays. The Giants gave the SS job of steady Will Demps to James Butler (6-1 1/2, 215), a third-year free agent with one start before '07. He is a great testing athlete but doesn't play fast, isn't physical at all and misses too many tackles. Butler was horrible in Dallas, as were CBs R.W. McQuarters (5-9 1/2, 194) and Corey Webster (6-0, 202). McQuarters, 30, played OK in '06 but seems to have lost what speed and quickness he had left. Webster, a second-round pick in '05, isn't bad in coverage but doesn't want to hit anybody. As if one aging CB wasn't enough, it's possible former Dolphin great Sam Madison, 33, might be sufficiently recovered from a hamstring injury to play. He probably has less left than McQuarters. The only talented CB is Aaron Ross (6-0 1/2, 197), the 20th pick in '07 who held up well as the nickel back. He's more of a ballhawk than a technician.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Lawrence Tynes, obtained from Kansas City in May for a seventh-round pick, is a bottom-of-the-barrel kicker. Jeff Feagles, 41, once was the NFL's finest directional punter but isn't anymore. His skills have diminished. The Giants split the snapping duties between two position players and might come to regret it. Rookie KR Ahmad Bradshaw runs low and hard behind rugged middle-wedge blocking. McQuarters is just average on punt returns.
Injuries to three key starters will work in Packers' favor
By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Sept. 11, 2007
Bob McGinn
Green Bay - If quarterback Eli Manning were healthy, the New York Giants might be favored to defeat the Green Bay Packers Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.
If the shoulder injury that Manning suffered Sunday night in a 45-35 loss to the Dallas Cowboys sidelines him, opposing scouts and coaches give the Giants almost no chance.
That's because the gap between Manning and backup Jared Lorenzen is immense.
"If they had a good defense, yes," one personnel director said. "But, no. The only way, and it happens every so often where there's a new quarterback, is the opposing team doesn't know how to prepare for him and he may get away with some early scores."
Manning was poised and razor-sharp against the Cowboys after compiling a passer rating of 107.1 in exhibition games.
"He can be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. I think he's finally ready to do it," one scout said.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Monday that Manning will miss at least a month with a slight shoulder separation. Manning maintains it's a bruise. The Giants' plan is for Manning to throw lightly Friday or Saturday, and then make the call.
Unfortunately for the Giants, Manning wasn't the only top player hurt in Dallas. Pass-rushing end Osi Umenyiora, their best player on defense, and starting running back Brandon Jacobs are out indefinitely with knee injuries.
If Manning sits, it could be argued that the Giants will be without their two most indispensable players and three of their top 12.
"I'd say the Packers are going to win," an opposing assistant coach said. "I don't know what their game plan is going to be but, gosh, they've got to run it with somebody (Derrick Ward) you and I never heard of. Plus, I don't think they're a great team to begin with.
"Now the disadvantage for the Packers is they're playing in New York. But sometimes playing on the road when you're struggling can be a good thing. Because they'll be booing those guys by the second quarter if they don't perform. That's just New York."
An assistant for another recent Giants' foe said the Packers would be wise to be wary.
"You know the old saying: 'The most dangerous animal is the wounded one?'" the coach said. "When you feel you're embarrassed you take a lot of pride and step it up a little bit. You don't want to get booed at home. I think they'll be a different team this week."
OFFENSE
SCHEME
Gilbride, the quarterbacks coach under Tom Coughlin from 2004-'06, has roots back to Houston in the early 1990s when he ran the run-and-shoot. Gilbride is allowed to call the plays but Coughlin sets the philosophy. Coughlin was influenced heavily by his time (1988-'90) on Bill Parcells' staff in New York. He wants to run two-back sets, angle block in the run game and throw deep off play-action.
RECEIVERS
Split end Burress (6 feet 5 1/2 inches, 232 pounds) has incredible talent and showed it in Dallas. His routes aren't always precise but he adjusts well to bad balls, can be almost unstoppable on fades and has deceiving speed. Flanker Toomer (6-3, 203) is 33 and 10 months removed from reconstructive knee surgery. He is much more team-oriented than Burress, still can get open and is playing well. He offers minimal vertical dimension but knows how to push off and is hard to cover. Smith (6-0, 195) doesn't have great speed, either, but his hands, quick release and know-how have been a plus. Jeremy Shockey (6-4, 251) can't run 40 yards in 4.59 as he did in March 2002, but is still very fast for a tight end and is a huge receiving threat. He gets by as a blocker.
OFFENSIVE LINE
This is a veteran, healthy, cohesive group without a weak link. Its forte is drive blocking. Chris Snee (6-2 1/2 , 317), a four-year starter, is among the top four or five guards in the NFC. He has a mean streak, is powerful straight ahead and athletic enough to operate in space. LG Rich Seubert (6-3, 310) and C Shaun O'Hara (6-2, 303) are similar. Both entered the league as free agents, both are tenacious and both play smart. RT Kareem McKenzie (6-5 1/2, 327) is even more physically dominating than Snee. Although McKenzie's pass blocking is just OK, Coughlin knows when he needs tough yards he can run behind him and Snee. LT David Diehl (6-5 1/2, 319) had to move from guard when Luke Petitgout was cut in February. More of a finesse blocker, Diehl probably is the fifth-best starter but has held up surprisingly well.
QUARTERBACKS
Manning (6-4 1/2, 225), just 26, is 20-20 as a starter. He's placid, which has been mistaken at times for timidity. All summer long he has been more efficient, poised, accurate and effective. He's more mobile than Peyton, his brother, and their arms are comparable. In the past, he seems to have pressed, leading to poor decisions. The left-handed Lorenzen (6-3 1/2 , 285) entered the NFL as a Giants' free agent from Kentucky in '04. In three exhibitions seasons, he owns a passer rating of 70.7. Lorenzen is strong-armed and fairly accurate, and he's nimble given his roly-poly body. Despite a score of 28 on the Wonderlic intelligence test, he still doesn't play smart and his ball security is questionable. Former Raven Anthony Wright (6-1, 211), 8-11 as a starter with a career rating of 66.9, is No. 3.
RUNNING BACKS
Replacing the pile-driving Jacobs will be Ward (5-11, 230), the Jets' seventh-round pick from Ottawa (Kan.) in '04. He ripped off 89 yards in Dallas, hitting holes faster than Jacobs could. Ward, who has 4.55 speed, can handle the blitz and split wide as a receiver. Reuben Droughns (5-11, 220) will play both as an undersized fullback and to relieve Ward. Droughns, 29, is tough as an old boot. Rookie TE Michael Matthews (6-4, 270) also lines up at fullback but isn't a true lead blocker.
DEFENSE
SCHEME
New coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is coming off a dreadful debut in Dallas. First, the Cowboys' massive line exposed the Giants' soft middle. When Spagnuolo, a disciple of Philadelphia's Jim Johnson, decided to start blitzing, Tony Romo had receivers running wide-open off play-action against loose man-to-man coverage. It's a base 4-3 scheme built around the concept of "quarters" coverage.
DEFENSIVE LINE
The loss of RE Osi Umenyiora, a feared pass rusher, means Justin Tuck (6-5, 274) will start and LE Michael Strahan (6-4, 255) will have to play almost the entire game after ending his 38-day holdout Sept. 4. Tuck, a third-round pick in '05, blossomed into starter-caliber this summer. He's smart, explosive and never quits. Strahan, 35, is in the twilight of his Hall of Fame career. He reported 10 pounds lighter than last season and then was almost invisible in Dallas. The starting DTs, Fred Robbins (6-3 1/2, 317) and Barry Cofield (6-4, 306), were mauled by the Cowboys. Robbins, a Viking from 2000-'03, is surprisingly athletic and can pressure the passer. He just isn't stout. Cofield, a fourth-round pick in '06, isn't thick enough or quick enough to accomplish much of anything. Depth is so bad that aging Russell Davis (6-3 1/2, 306), who was signed Monday after being cut by Seattle, will be used Sunday to halt the run.
LINEBACKERS
Mathias Kiwanuka (6-5 1/2, 265), the 32nd pick in '06, started nine games at DE as a rookie and was impressive. The Giants tried to make him a strong-side LB since spring and the results aren't good. Kiwanuka is hard to handle when moving forward but looks lost in coverage. MLB Antonio Pierce (6-1, 238) got $7 million guaranteed to leave Washington in March 2005. He's instinctive and a decent leader, but he's also small with average speed and doesn't take on blocks well. WLB Kawika Mitchell (6-1, 253) was Kansas City's starting MLB for 3 1/2 years before taking a $200,000 signing bonus from New York in March. He might be more athletic than Pierce but isn't as alert, takes bad angles and surely isn't the answer.
SECONDARY
The only worthwhile starter is FS Gibril Wilson (6-0, 209). A fifth-round pick in '04, Wilson is fast and tough, probably better in the box than deep, and can make big plays. The Giants gave the SS job of steady Will Demps to James Butler (6-1 1/2, 215), a third-year free agent with one start before '07. He is a great testing athlete but doesn't play fast, isn't physical at all and misses too many tackles. Butler was horrible in Dallas, as were CBs R.W. McQuarters (5-9 1/2, 194) and Corey Webster (6-0, 202). McQuarters, 30, played OK in '06 but seems to have lost what speed and quickness he had left. Webster, a second-round pick in '05, isn't bad in coverage but doesn't want to hit anybody. As if one aging CB wasn't enough, it's possible former Dolphin great Sam Madison, 33, might be sufficiently recovered from a hamstring injury to play. He probably has less left than McQuarters. The only talented CB is Aaron Ross (6-0 1/2, 197), the 20th pick in '07 who held up well as the nickel back. He's more of a ballhawk than a technician.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Lawrence Tynes, obtained from Kansas City in May for a seventh-round pick, is a bottom-of-the-barrel kicker. Jeff Feagles, 41, once was the NFL's finest directional punter but isn't anymore. His skills have diminished. The Giants split the snapping duties between two position players and might come to regret it. Rookie KR Ahmad Bradshaw runs low and hard behind rugged middle-wedge blocking. McQuarters is just average on punt returns.