Free'd Eli Mann

As promised in one of the longest single-thread discussions in Amazin Avenue history, I am posting this diary to facillitate a conversation regarding the NY Football Giants' playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

A note to Jets fans, there is an appropriate place for you to discuss your playoff game against the Patriots and that place is Jetsgeek.com, so please spare us your Man-Genius comments and your misgivings about Girly-arm Pennington. Good luck to the J-E-T-S!

Now, how bout them Gints! On the surface, it looks like the G-men are royally fucked. They are playing the hottest team in an admittedly weak NFC postseason. Of all the teams that are left in the playoffs the only teams worth worrying about are the Eagles and the Saints. We'll worry about the AFC in February.

Offense: One of the maxims of football strategery is that you must Establish The Run in order to set up a passing attack. John Hufnagel knows what happens to Offensive Coordinators who fail to acknowledge this universal truth. Thus, to beat the Eagles the Giants must put the ball in Tiki Barber's capable hands and let him ring up another 234 yards.

The Giants need another 200-yard performance for the ages from their soon-to-be ex-running back to get past the Eagles in the wild-card game at The Linc, where it's going to be loud and hostile, and into the second round next Sunday in Chicago.

Well Gary Myers, it isn't that simple because the Eagles' defense has shown they are capable of containing Tiki. I think the Giants need to come out with a plan that keeps the Eagles off-balance. If they put 8 men in the box, then Eli has to find the open man. The offense must take some shots downfield early to stretch the Eagles defense. Also, the Giants should try This once in awhile. Sure, the Giants have to run the ball effectively, but if Kevin Gilbride's game plan requires Tiki to carry for 200+ yards then we are screwed.

Defense: Even soccer fans know that Defense Wins Championships, so it is incumbent upon Tony Pierce and the remnants of the Big Blue D to remind Jeff Garcia that he isn't Vince Young. In the past the Giants were successful in the playoffs because the defense dominated the opposing team and the offense was good enough to take advantage of the field position they were afforded by the defense. Today's Giants only need to look across the field to see how an agressive defense can disrupt an offensive game plan.

As Lawrence Taylor once said:

In football, you can always maim a person if you wanted to.

I don't know if this defense has a great game in them, but they need to play physical football and force turnovers. If the defense can't get it done, put in Brandon Jacobs (offense and defense) until he kills someone

Coaching: Honestly, I don't have any love for this Coughlin guy. He hasn't shown me anything in his time here that suggests he is a championship coach. He may be a good person and he surely believes all that shit about discipline, but he hasn't cured anything in NY except Tiki's Fumblitis. And then there is this:

Coughlin told the Giants in the pregame meeting in Washington last week about the St. Louis Cardinals slumping badly down the stretch of the 2006 baseball season, finishing only 83-78, but regrouping and winning the World Series. He also told them "how they won all these games in previous years and got bounced," Barber said.

So we just need Jeff Suppan and Jeff Weaver to show up today and pitch the games of their lives.

It is January! It's your duty, Judy.