Tag Archives: New York Giants

The Soul Of The Game: 1986 Conference Championships

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Article reissue from 11, August 2012

When we say “The Chancellor never sleeps”, we mean there is always football on. Whether we’re talking about the Hall of Fame exhibition game between the Arizona Cardinals and the New Orleans Saints, or a former landmark game, there is always football on in the imagination. Although I’m writing a football book based upon the Super Bowls, my favorite week are those of the AFC and NFC Championship Games.

There you will find the last of the games between passionate fans of the home teams versus the sterile groups that attend the Super Bowl. The season ticket holder who has been cheering and screaming for 4 months… it leads to a contrast that can’t be matched by the corporate Super Bowl ticket holder.

86TaylorWhen the home team wins the conference championship the celebration reverberates throughout the stadium. The fans don’t want to leave and in some instances players take a victory lap long after the cameras are gone. On the other hand the silence that can overcome a stadium when the home team goes down can be deafening. It’s almost like something has gone wrong with your ears. How can 80,000 people go that silent?? Yet you remember last January how quiet it got in Candlestick Park when Lawrence Tynes kicked the New York Giants to the Super Bowl.

In 1986, the Championships were two tightly fought games. The New York Giants beat the Washington Redskins 17-0 and did so based upon good field position with a fierce wind in the first quarter. In Cleveland a defensive battle gave way to John Elway coming of age with “The Drive”. From there the Broncos, who had gained 216 total yards throughout the first 54:00 of the game, drove 98 yards to the tying score. Then won it in overtime.

These fiercely contested game made Super Bowl XXI anti-climactic. They had intensity that bordered on the Hatfields and the McCoy’s and all four defenses played terrific football that day. The two games before the Super Bowl are normally better games than the Super Bowl and my love for the conference finals started with these fiercely fought games.

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The New York Jets Should Trade for Jameis Winston

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When you begin an NFL season 0-7 with a 1st year coach many pundits are turning to the possibility of a 1 and done year for Head Coach Aaron Glenn. The one thing that’s evident is Justin Fields isn’t an NFL quarterback and it’s tragic watching him misread defenses every week. He is a shot fighter whose fight or flight mechanism has been ruined and he can’t throw his receivers open. IF the Jets trot him out there to underwhelm at quarterback Glenn might be gone.

Right now other teams are licking their chops about to pounce on the Jets expecting a fire sale of their proven players which would retard this organization further. The blueprint for what they need to do was provided by Cincinnati just two weeks ago, trade for the most viable quarterback who would benefit from a change of scenery. With teams ridiculing the Browns for trading within not only their conference but their own division, this isn’t an option. Trade with the Giants (NFC) for Jameis Winston who now sits at #3 on the Giants depth chart.

Jaxson Dart just had a game where he came of age and solidified himself as the unquestioned starter for the Giants which validates his selection as a 1st round pick. With Russell Wilson as the #2 and making upwards of $20 million, Winston for half of his $4 million salary won’t be an issue for a team that is $37 million under the cap. Not only does it make fiscal sense Winston and his family wouldn’t even have to move.

The Cincinnati Joe Flacco blueprint just showed us a team flat on its ass after losing Joe Burrow to injury. They watched backup Jake Browning, who knew the playbook, but didn’t have the confidence or arm talent to throw their top flight receivers Tee Higgins or Ja’Marr Chase the football. All we saw were misreads that turned into checkdowns. A close look at the stats show his completion percentage (64.5%) is less than 1% different than Joe Flacco’s (65.2%). However he threw 8 interceptions in 2 starts and left a lot of plays on the field too scared to throw the football.

We watched Joe Flacco steady that offense and infuse confidence in the Bengals huddle. He infused belief and willingness to let go of the football throwing receivers open downfield. Chase & Higgins caught a combined 22 receptions for 257 yds & 2 TDs Thursday Night vs 15 receptions & 157 yards combined the week before in Green Bay. Chase did better in the game against the Steelers by himself than the two had againt the Packers with Browning at the helm. He had 16 receptions for 161 yards and 1 TD. Why? Flacco let the ball go when it was time to go downfield.

Are you telling me the Jets can’t do that with Jameis Winston and Garrett Wilson? Winston would like his final glimpse of glory and has grown into one of the most respected teammates at his last two stops. Have you seen how players gravitate to him as a man / player?

@saints

Everybody couldnt wait to hug Jameis ❤️ #NFLGameday #wholesome #Hug #Saints #LOVE #Sportsmanship

♬ jeans – 2hollis

Keep in mind this is a man who has won a Heisman Trophy and has thrown for 5,000 yards in an NFL season. He also won a National Championship Rose Bowl in college. Now his detractors point to his famous stat of 33TDSs & 30 interceptions but I can assure you Tyrod Taylor nor Justin Fields will throw for 5,000 yards if you gave them 2 seasons to do it. Lets face it bad scramble, check down, check down and punt for an NFL series is why the Jets are 0-7 in the 1st place. All this safe quarterbacking has the Jets staring at the NFL’s first ever 0-17 season in history. Something drastic has to be done.

Well he won that Natty 10 years ago someone may scoff but wasn’t it 12 years ago Joe Flacco won Super Bowl XLVII?? 47 and we’re 4 months away from the 60th Super Bowl (LX). Do you know how long ago that was? Two of Flacco’s teammates have been enshrined in Canton and he has lost 2 others (Jacoby Jones & Arthur Jones) However it’s muscle memory to having performed in that type of arena before that is the lure.

 

To be a starting quarterback in the NFL you have to have the belief and talent to lead a football team. You don’t accidentally command respect in a huddle and have teammates rally to play hard for you. Without a course correction Coach Glenn, your team is facing disaster with the present QBs on the roster. Make a move to get Jameis and play with a few leads so your defense can show it’s fangs. You’re on the verge of losing everything and now you need the moxie and downfield daring of a Jameis Winston to unlock your offense. Time to infuse some juice!

His 2024:

Aaron Glenn, the trade deadline is November 4th, quit reading this article and go call the Giants!

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Broncos 33-32 Over Giants: Nix & Dart Come Of Age

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It was so frantic and we havent seen this before from Dart and only once before with Nix against the Eagles. Yet each score and we all felt “Hey __, you have to answer!” Each did and seriously Dart in his 2nd start on the road in Mile High of all places did not get overwhelmed. He threw on time and wasnt scared to take his shots.

Incredible Game

Nix matched him blow for blow and in an era of “scared check down quarterbacking” it felt like we were watching the 87 AFC Championship with Elway & Bernie Kosar all over again. Downfield second level throws. It ended on a high because neither made a mistake to cost his team the ballgame. Best game I have seen all year.

Each will grow from this as within each team’s psyche a sense of “we’re never out of a game with THIS quarterback” has to be coursing theough everyone’s minds. Its now muscle memory and these teams will recall in future moments when this confidence is required.

Monday Morning Musings 2025 Season Week 4: Young Guns

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Well the first domino to fall in the replacement of a starting quarterback happened in New York this weekend. Jaxson Dart was the exlixir the Giants needed for their 21-18 upset of the undefeated Chargers. He kept a few plays alive with his legs but lets face it the young players were excited and juiced to play with him. His energy along with fellow rookie Cam Scattebo & Malik Nabers had the whole team playing with a swagger missing since the preseason.

Dart was 13 of 20 for 111 yards 1TD while rushing 10 times for 54 yards and New York’s first touchdown. You saw his teammates around him celebrating and sharing in his enthusiasm and it propelled them this Sunday. They played with a confidence and spirit the rest of the game and played like they knew they were going to win.

There will be growing pains as Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka scaled back playcalling for #6. Its one of the reasons he did take 5 sacks in the game. However you could see clearly he was instructed to go short to his checkdowns once Nabers left injured. Yet this is who “checkdowns” are for… A young quarterback unsure of where to go with the football not a 14 year signal caller gun-shy to take hits who should have the moxie to audible to a better play.

Hopefully this new temperament won’t be quelled with the injury to Malik Nabers but is a clear reminder that players can be inspired to do great things based off emotion and camaraderie. Its a game that goes beyond “x’s & o’s”. Will players rally around their quarterback?? Does the team play together and want their teammates to ball out?  These questions were clearly on display in Gotham & this season now has some optimism for Coach Daboll.

By the way… how many Sundays are we going to keep watching the car wreck that is Cleveland’s offense under Joe Flacco?? Come on… 16, 17, 13, & 10 are the point totals through the 1st 4 games of the season. Averaging 14.75 points per game wouldn’t win you football games if we were back in the 1960’s unless you’re the NFL Champion 1963 Chicago Bears. Yet that team became legendary because of their #1 ranked defense.

Get this Cleveland’s defense is #1 against the run, 4th against the pass and #1 overall having allowed just 890 yards, well they’re 1-3 because Flacco has thrown for just 815 yards. Thats 18th in the league! Joe is 93 of 160 for 815 yards 2TDs and a whopping 6 interceptions. His 58.3% completion percentage ranks him at 31 while the Browns lead the league with 47 punts and have only scored 6TDs. Look Flacco was MVP of the 47th Super Bowl and we’re going to play the 60th edition in February.

He is a shot fighter and Father Time caught up to him 3 years ago and time to turn the reigns to Sheduer Sanders and see what he can do. Dillon Gabriel?? I watched him in the preseason and he is less athletic than “Tiny”Kyler Murray of the Cardinals & Bryce Young with the Carolina Panthers. Both of these guys won Heismans and have played poor enough their jobs are in jeopardy with the biggest reason…*drum roll* …they can’t see over the line with their short statures. Now at 5’11” and they’re being generous with that measurement, doesn’t engender confidence but they will go to him first.

Coach Kevin Stefanski you have an obligation to the other 52 players on the roster sacrificing for the team and you have a small window before you begin to lose that locker room. Especially with a defense that is playing up to a historic level. The team needs to see changes from you which show you’re trying to win now to keep them engaged. Not in your wildest dreams did you figure to have the same record as the loaded Baltimore Ravens but here you’re both 1-3 and your great defense is portable.

Knuckle up and called a scaled back offense like they’re doing in New York and give the ball to super rookie back Quinshon Judkins and play to your defense. You have a better defense and the Giants are the blueprint for what will work in Cleveland.  Time is ticking boss…

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