A few NFL thoughts

[PonyExpress]

IMO the Giants are the best team in football. Manning has grown by leaps and bounds. His presence in the pocket is light years ahead of where he was in week 15 last season. Shockey's absence must have liberated E. Manning, that's the only conclusion I can draw.

They are playing extremely hard right now, as though still on last season's playoff high. I don't know they can sustain this level of physicality through the whole season. They are clearly on a mission to prove they were not a fluke, and that they are better than Dallas and Philly, despite the press clippings. IMO they are... they proved it last season and barring injury they will prove it again.

I think the Giants will be very good for years to come, and I will not be surprised if they win another SB in the near future. As bitter as our defeat to the Giants was, and as painful as it is to think that Tomase's lie may have affected the outcome, IMO in five years we will look back and feel regret, but no shame for having lost to the Giants. They are going to earn their spurs and our respect going forward.

The AFC field looks very weak, as weak as it has been since 2002. Aside from the Pats, the best team IMO is probably Buffalo. Then Pittsburgh, but they are shaky in the trenches. I expect Indy to scrape by as long as Manning is upright, but they are more flawed than any Indy team since 2003. Tennessee's D is stellar but no team Qb'd by K. Collins is a legit threat. SD looks like a mess, a team that peaked last season.

The AFC is wide open and we have every reason to be excited about our chances to reach the SB.

 

[patriot lifer]

the brawl in the nfc east will be a pleasure to witness this season. hopefully they don't sustain any critical injuries (like say at qb), because it will be a real nice fight between philly, dallas, and ny.

It'll be interesting to see how the power shifts from team to team in the afc. some team or teams are going to assert themselves and rise from the crowd. Denver might be doing it now??? we'll see. we have such a nice long season to look forward to. it's exciting.

O my how we love are football

 

[JSn]

NEP and NYG SB rematch?

 

[Pats726]

I think you are more or less correct about the AFC....a real mess...although I don't see Buffalo at this point as strong as many do..let them play a stronger team and see what happens...The Seahawks have a horrible record coming East..and they are pitiful now..the Jags were limping and injured..and the Bills came from behind..2-0..but let's wait and see before a coronation. Same with the Giants..they look tough so far, but wait till they play teh Boys or the Eagles..The Rams also are very poor..so it's easy to look that good against a poor team. They ARE in a tough division.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

IMO the Giants are the best team in football. Manning has grown by leaps and bounds. His presence in the pocket is light years ahead of where he was in week 15 last season. Shockey's absence must have liberated E. Manning, that's the only conclusion I can draw.

They are playing extremely hard right now, as though still on last season's playoff high. I don't know they can sustain this level of physicality through the whole season. They are clearly on a mission to prove they were not a fluke, and that they are better than Dallas and Philly, despite the press clippings. IMO they are... they proved it last season and barring injury they will prove it again.

I think the Giants will be very good for years to come, and I will not be surprised if they win another SB in the near future. As bitter as our defeat to the Giants was, and as painful as it is to think that Tomase's lie may have affected the outcome, IMO in five years we will look back and feel regret, but no shame for having lost to the Giants. They are going to earn their spurs and our respect going forward.

The AFC field looks very weak, as weak as it has been since 2002. Aside from the Pats, the best team IMO is probably Buffalo. Then Pittsburgh, but they are shaky in the trenches. I expect Indy to scrape by as long as Manning is upright, but they are more flawed than any Indy team since 2003. Tennessee's D is stellar but no team Qb'd by K. Collins is a legit threat. SD looks like a mess, a team that peaked last season.

The AFC is wide open and we have every reason to be excited about our chances to reach the SB.

A colleague of mine who's a Giants fan basically said to me on Wednesday that he won't assess their chances until he sees Giants-Cowboys.

 

[mgcolby]

Here are my top 5 based on 2 weeks of football:

1. Pittsburgh - looked great in week one, a little shaky in week 2, but wind was a major factor and I think the Browns are better than they have shown. They also have the most experienced QB to go a long with a good vet team.

2. NE - The best all around team with a ton of vet leadership and experience - but missing their biggest weapon. Can Cassel lead the way or at the very least not impede us moving forward? So far, so good.

3. Buffalo - Another solid football team all the way around. The only reason they get put below NE is due to them being an inexperienced football team. How will all of those young guys perform come playoff time.

4. Denver - It appears that they will have an outstanding year offensively but so far that defense doesn't look so good. If their defense shapes up and can average under 20 PPG they instantly would move to my number 1.

5. Indy - They still have Manning and he will keep them alive but they need their o-line back, Harrison is not a threat anymore and Gonzalez is not consistent. And their defense is not very good - even with Sanders they are allowing 4.8 YPC. That will only get worse. I am not counting them out but they will have to do a lot of soul searching to get 10 wins.

 

[eom]

I think you are more or less correct about the AFC....a real mess...although I don't see Buffalo at this point as strong as many do..let them play a stronger team and see what happens...The Seahawks have a horrible record coming East..and they are pitiful now..the Jags were limping and injured..and the Bills came from behind..2-0..but let's wait and see before a coronation. Same with the Giants..they look tough so far, but wait till they play teh Boys or the Eagles..The Rams also are very poor..so it's easy to look that good against a poor team. They ARE in a tough division.

I agree 100%.

before we crown the giants' asses again this year, let's bear in mind they eked one out against a dallas team w/a hobbled owens, eked one out against green bay, then eked out another vs the mighty pats.
not to discredit those wins in any way, but they're missing a few players from that team, and I don't see any reason they should dominate the nfl.

buffalo has a lot to prove to live up to the hype.
just because you played w/o a bunch of guys due to injury doesn't automatically mean you'd have won 5 more games if they had been in.

I'm not throwing dirt on san diego yet, but if they make the playoffs again they probably cough it up as always.

a lot of teams are struggling w/injuries right now, and I'm sure we'll see more as the season unfolds, so I think I'll wait on my prognostications 'til week 15, or so.
but, pats win the division -- mark it down!

 

[mgcolby]

I think you are more or less correct about the AFC....a real mess...although I don't see Buffalo at this point as strong as many do..let them play a stronger team and see what happens...The Seahawks have a horrible record coming East..and they are pitiful now..the Jags were limping and injured..and the Bills came from behind..2-0..but let's wait and see before a coronation. Same with the Giants..they look tough so far, but wait till they play teh Boys or the Eagles..The Rams also are very poor..so it's easy to look that good against a poor team. They ARE in a tough division.

I see your point but if you look at their schedule - outside of us, they have tough games against SD and Denver. If you consider Cleveland and Arizona tough games then they have a total of 6 hard games. They will end up 10-6 / 11-5, IMO. Given the state of our conference right now they are one of the better teams.

 

[italia44]

IMO the Giants are the best team in football. Manning has grown by leaps and bounds. His presence in the pocket is light years ahead of where he was in week 15 last season. Shockey's absence must have liberated E. Manning, that's the only conclusion I can draw.

They are playing extremely hard right now, as though still on last season's playoff high. I don't know they can sustain this level of physicality through the whole season. They are clearly on a mission to prove they were not a fluke, and that they are better than Dallas and Philly, despite the press clippings. IMO they are... they proved it last season and barring injury they will prove it again.

I think the Giants will be very good for years to come, and I will not be surprised if they win another SB in the near future. As bitter as our defeat to the Giants was, and as painful as it is to think that Tomase's lie may have affected the outcome, IMO in five years we will look back and feel regret, but no shame for having lost to the Giants. They are going to earn their spurs and our respect going forward.

The AFC field looks very weak, as weak as it has been since 2002. Aside from the Pats, the best team IMO is probably Buffalo. Then Pittsburgh, but they are shaky in the trenches. I expect Indy to scrape by as long as Manning is upright, but they are more flawed than any Indy team since 2003. Tennessee's D is stellar but no team Qb'd by K. Collins is a legit threat. SD looks like a mess, a team that peaked last season.

The AFC is wide open and we have every reason to be excited about our chances to reach the SB.

I agree with you 100%,pony,regarding the Giants.Why this team gets no love from the national pundits,is beyond me.

That team is huge and tough on both sides of the ball.Any team that plays like that on the road,has to be a SB favorite.

For myself,I still think Indy is the gratest danger to the Pats Super Bowl quest.
With JAX imploding,I think that thay could easily win that division at 11-5 or 10-6.

Of the 4 big games:Indy,SD,Pitts,Denver,
The Patriots really,really, need to beat Indy and Denver.They could survive losses to SD and Pittsburgh,IMO.

I've always thought that nothing could ever make up for last years SB loss.

I was wrong....if the Pats were to come back and win the SB with Cassel at QB.....
well that would be the ultimate redemption for me.

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

In his first four seasons Eli Manning was a bad quarterback. At best you can say he was average, but I wouldn't agree with that. He was bad in the superbowl (just because NE's DBs dropped horrible mistakes doesn't mean he didn't make them). I need more than two games before I believe anything has changed.

As for the AFC, two weeks isn't enough time to draw any conclusions. In 2003 Buffalo was 2-0 and had won their games by a combined score of 69-17. They finished the season 6-10. Just because Buffalo and Denver look good right now doesn't mean that either will look good in Week 6, let alone when the playoffs roll around.

Likewise, Indy could get healthy and maybe trade for a D-Line fill-in and win their last 8 games.

I'm not saying that your conclusions are necessarily wrong, just that any conclusions after two weeks (including "Cassel will be fine") are premature.

 

[alvinnf]

In his first four seasons Eli Manning was a bad quarterback. At best you can say he was average, but I wouldn't agree with that. He was bad in the superbowl (just because NE's DBs dropped horrible mistakes doesn't mean he didn't make them). I need more than two games before I believe anything has changed.

As for the AFC, two weeks isn't enough time to draw any conclusions. In 2003 Buffalo was 2-0 and had won their games by a combined score of 69-17. They finished the season 6-10. Just because Buffalo and Denver look good right now doesn't mean that either will look good in Week 6, let alone when the playoffs roll around.

Likewise, Indy could get healthy and maybe trade for a D-Line fill-in and win their last 8 games.

I'm not saying that your conclusions are necessarily wrong, just that any conclusions after two weeks (including "Cassel will be fine") are premature.

Eli was struggling with option principles, after getting smoked by Minn. at home they simplified his reads and he has really played at a higher level. Conversly, Philly strikes me as the class of that division and for that matter the NFC, but it's week 3 so you never know.

 

[Pats726]

I see your point but if you look at their schedule - outside of us, they have tough games against SD and Denver. If you consider Cleveland and Arizona tough games then they have a total of 6 hard games. They will end up 10-6 / 11-5, IMO. Given the state of our conference right now they are one of the better teams.

They very well could end up 10-6...11-5..BUT give them a few more weeks before running down the schedule and picking games..Mr Holley seems to have the same opinion..think they could easily lose to the Raiders....I won't go that far..but they must play a lot more than two games to be considered in the elite of the conference going forward. As of THIS POINT..I certainly agree with your top 5..and for those 2 games the Bills should be included. (and I would agree with Indy over Tenn, Balt).

 

[mgcolby]

They very well could end up 10-6...11-5..BUT give them a few more weeks before running down the schedule and picking games..Mr Holley seems to have the same opinion..think they could easily lose to the Raiders....I won't go that far..but they must play a lot more than two games to be considered in the elite of the conference going forward. As of THIS POINT..I certainly agree with your top 5..and for those 2 games the Bills should be included. (and I would agree with Indy over Tenn, Balt).

Then I guess it is safe to say that for the most part we agree. I did have Buffalo as a 10/11 win team coming in to the season. I think there inexperience will let them down in a few games, but thus far they have looked good.

I do realize it is only two weeks and a lot can and will happen between now and week 17. Either way it is nice to actually talk some football for a change.

 

[Pats726]

Then I guess it is safe to say that for the most part we agree. I did have Buffalo as a 10/11 win team coming in to the season. I think there inexperience will let them down in a few games, but thus far they have looked good.

I do realize it is only two weeks and a lot can and will happen between now and week 17. Either way it is nice to actually talk some football for a change.

Agreed...and the whole conference is a REAL mess...and at least this year, I think a bit lower than the NFC...which is OK.

 

[JoePats]

The Giants are good and are not going to fall off, I totally agree with the OP as I've said here previously. Now, will they win the division? It's a good division. But if they did I won't be surprised in the least. Tuck has effortlessly taken over for Strahan/Osi, at least in the short term. Long term we'll see. I would agree that they will win another Super Bowl in the next few seasons. They have a good QB who is improving, good running backs, good receivers, a good OL, are well coached, and have a young secondary which is also improving, not to mention a strong d-line amd pass rush. It's a very balanced and talented football team.

Re Buffalo, I think we are better than them, I see no reason why we shouldn't beat them twice. But...from a schedule standpoint, we still have to play @ Seattle in December when presumably they will be better and healthier at wide receiver. And the game on our schedule that corresponds to Jax is Indy. So in two corresponding games they went 2-0, we could lose them both. They caught two teams at the right time, they were impressive no question, but they did catch two teams at the right time. Also, they play Cleveland and we play Pittsburgh. So they have a big leg up from a scheduling standpoint in terms of winning the division. It does put a premium for us on winning both games with Buffalo, both of which are in the 2nd half of the season.

 

[JoeSixPat]

One random NFL thouight that occured to me... for years we remarked that Tom Brady, with three Super Bowl rings, did that all with average WRs, and we were happy to watch as Peyton Manning, with an impressive array of WR and TE talent, built many individual records.

This of course prompted what's now an old and what I generally felt was a relatively pointless debate of who the better QB is.

Of course, one can't help but notice that now, without that same amount of WR talent around him, the Colts have struggled.

And the Patriots?

With excellent WRs in Moss, Welker et al, they've shown that even their backup QB can manage to have a very strong, contending team with such weapons around him.

So maybe the debate isn't pointless at all - maybe its the Colts system of having good WRs and TEs that's made Peyton Manning appear so great!

 

[Richter]

IMO the Giants are the best team in football. Manning has grown by leaps and bounds. His presence in the pocket is light years ahead of where he was in week 15 last season. Shockey's absence must have liberated E. Manning, that's the only conclusion I can draw.

They are playing extremely hard right now, as though still on last season's playoff high. I don't know they can sustain this level of physicality through the whole season. They are clearly on a mission to prove they were not a fluke, and that they are better than Dallas and Philly, despite the press clippings. IMO they are... they proved it last season and barring injury they will prove it again.

I think the Giants will be very good for years to come, and I will not be surprised if they win another SB in the near future. As bitter as our defeat to the Giants was, and as painful as it is to think that Tomase's lie may have affected the outcome, IMO in five years we will look back and feel regret, but no shame for having lost to the Giants. They are going to earn their spurs and our respect going forward.

The AFC field looks very weak, as weak as it has been since 2002. Aside from the Pats, the best team IMO is probably Buffalo. Then Pittsburgh, but they are shaky in the trenches. I expect Indy to scrape by as long as Manning is upright, but they are more flawed than any Indy team since 2003. Tennessee's D is stellar but no team Qb'd by K. Collins is a legit threat. SD looks like a mess, a team that peaked last season.

The AFC is wide open and we have every reason to be excited about our chances to reach the SB.

Wow, I don't think I could disagree more.

 

[patsfanindoltsland]

denver has had a very good offense, but they should be 1-1. tennessee has played well, but their offense is shaky.

i agree with the original poster...the best all-around team besides NE so far has been buffalo. i really don't understand the people who say "let them play a good team." who else are they going to play that's tougher than seattle and jacksonville? NE and Denver are pretty much the only tougher teams. they still have to play the cupcakes: kc, oakland, st. louis, san fran, miami x2, nyj x2, etc. jax and seattle might be winless, but buffalo accounts for 50% of those wins, it's not like they're the miamis of this year. those are playoff teams from last year, whereas we've beaten teams that had how many combined wins last year? besides, buffalo looked good beating those teams. it's not just the fact that they beat them, it's how they did it.

i've been following buffalo because i think they'll be our main competition this year. they'll be a challenge to this team.

the giants will be very good in years to come if they continue to get great de's and keep their coordinators. manning is developing, but he's not elite yet.

the afc right now does look weak, but it could get competitive later in the year. if the colts and san diego start getting hot, the wild card race will really heat up, considering the starts denver and tennessee are off to. good thing we'll win the division

 

[marcus]

I think you have seriously over rated the Giants and Eli Manning.
We shall say. In my view, Dallas is light years better than the Giants and the Eagles are as good as the Giants.

 

[patsfanindoltsland]

One random NFL thouight that occured to me... for years we remarked that Tom Brady, with three Super Bowl rings, did that all with average WRs, and we were happy to watch as Peyton Manning, with an impressive array of WR and TE talent, built many individual records.

This of course prompted what's now an old and what I generally felt was a relatively pointless debate of who the better QB is.

Of course, one can't help but notice that now, without that same amount of WR talent around him, the Colts have struggled.

And the Patriots?

With excellent WRs in Moss, Welker et al, they've shown that even their backup QB can manage to have a very strong, contending team with such weapons around him.

So maybe the debate isn't pointless at all - maybe its the Colts system of having good WRs and TEs that's made Peyton Manning appear so great!

i'm sorry...but this makes no sense to me. are you joking?

If you're not....then if anything, cassel's success proves that it's more our system than it is the QB, which takes away from brady. and manning still won games for them even when harrison, gonzalez and clark were out last year. the only real receiver he had was wayne for a while, but still had solid numbers.