Yardbarker: Eli Manning

You’re the Man-ning

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:40:41 -0500

At one time it looked like Peyton Manning may never win a playoff game. It also looked like Eli Manning's time as a starter in the Big Apple was running short on time, because the Giants were running short on wins. Now both have Super Bowl rings, and they won them in back to back seasons. It's [...]

Entire NFL outsourced to Africa in cost-cutting move

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:33:36 -0500

NEW YORK, NY – Growing excitement stemming from the opening of training camps throughout the National Football League was overshadowed yesterday by the decidedly controversial decision to outsource the entire league… Read more

NFL Films Not Going Anywhere Just Yet

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:11:40 -0500

A few months back I mentioned that the future of NFL Films was grim as the demand for the costly produced program slowly dwindled. Well it appears for the time being that the Steve Sabol run company is till in business and they're creating three new shows for the NFL Network. Via the Houston Chron....

After a year in which the NFL Network seemingly struggled to find a role for NFL Films, the company is developing three new series that will air on Thursday nights this fall.

Starting 11 will be a football-sized weekly top-10 show, listing 11 points of interest for the coming week, such as strangest play, biggest blooper or greatest catch. It will be followed by Sounds of the Game, which will match the best sideline sound of the week with excerpts from players miked during games and classic sound bites from the NFL Films library.

"What we lack in coherence, we will make up in energy and innovation," Sabol said. "It's going to be like building an airplane in flight. We have footage, and we will use it to make an observation about the week in the NFL."

America's Game, which accounts for the latest Emmys in the company collection, returns Sept. 3 with an episode on the 2007 New York Giants featuring Tom Coughlin, Michael Strahan and Eli Manning, followed by a five-episode miniseries titled Missing Rings, which gives America's Game treatment to five teams from franchises that have never won a Super Bowl.

I can probably do without "Starting 11" but anything with mic'd up players and coaches and I'm watching. I don't really take time out of the day to catch up on the NFL-N's regular programming but additions like this couldn't hurt.

Fear not — NFL Films no dinosaur (Houston Chronicle)
NFL Films Might Be Going The Way Of Inside The NFL (Awful Announcing)

2008 Top 10 Rated Fantasy Football Quarterbacks

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:31:58 -0500

Finally I've made it to the Top 10 Fantasy Football Quarterback for the 2008 season. This is the best part of the season for me. I get to sit down at the computer, break down numbers, review rosters, and than project how each player will perform this upcoming season. From the first article I wrote, QB Rankings 21-30, till the last projection is written down, I will have seen 250+ hours of film from last season, and projected Fantasy numbers for over 270 players. To be honest, this is the best part of the season for me.

Predicting the Top 10 Quarterbacks Based on Historical Trends

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:44:08 -0500

Year after year there are surprises and disappointments in the NFL even though before the season starts many seem convinced that they can predict the top five or ten players at each position. Since 1999, it has never happened that the top three fantasy quarterbacks all remained in the top five the following season. Find out which of Brady, Manning and Romo we believe may not finish amongst the top five this upcoming season.

Reasons To Hate The New York Giants

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:54:09 -0500

By MBIIIEffect This is a new three-part segment that we're going to run on why we hate the other teams in our division. There's no division that hates each other like the NFC East. The Cowboys/Redskins rivalry is arguably the biggest in the NFL. The Eagles are among the most-hateful fans on the face of the [...]

Two guys want to lick the Manning Brothers

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:12:29 -0500

I mean who doesn't, they are yummy.

2008 Fantasy Football QB TIER RANKINGS

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:16:58 -0500

Taking a look at the 2008 Fantasy Football Tier Rankings for Quarterbacks

Two More Months...

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 03:15:00 -0500

Christ, it feels like the last Super Bowl happened nine years ago. We still have a long time to wait before our fantasy season hinges on the tender bones of Larry Johnson, but for now we will have to rely on ~~a non-Tiger golf summer, divisional battles that include the Rays, Marlins, and Cardinals, and pretending to care about a smog-infested Olympics~~ the three plays of the NFL season I thought were the best...

Number 5:
MoJo Drew KO's Merriman on a play action pass block.

Number 4:
Adrian Peterson had one of the best rookie seasons ever, highlighted by breaking the all-time single game rushing record. In this play, he shows just how dangerous yet agile a runner he is, and how easy it is for him to make other players look pretty bad.

Number 3:
Antonio Cromartie was an all-pro not just for his ability to pick off passes, but also for his special teams play, which included the longest play in NFL history, a 109-yard missed FG return for six.

Number 2:
The greatest highlight from the greatest Super Bowl ever. Two phenominal individual efforts on the parts of Eli Manning and David Tyree helped define newer versions of Super Bowl phrases like "the catch" and "the drive."

Number 1:
To beat the Giants play in the Super Bowl, only one instance could have come out on top. Yeah, its from the Cowboys...but what Marion Barber III did to not only avoid a safety, but to pick up yards was pretty amazing.

Birdsfan536's NFC East Predictions and Breakdown

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:58:27 -0500

The NFC East is of course one of the toughest divisions in football. Along with the AFC South it has to be named the most competitive division in the NFL. This is always a topic of discussion so here is how I see it. 1. Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles finished 4th last year at 8-8. The year prior they finished 10-6 and taking the division. So consistency is really the question here. Can the Eagles reclaim the division? Well I see them doing just that. Many will disagree but you cannot count out that they have been the favorite in this division since the McNabb era started. This year they will go for not only the NFC East, but the Superbowl. Strengths: The Eagles have great lines on both sides of the ball. Trent Cole leading the way on defense and the strong tackles Jon Runyan and William Thomas have been playing with Donovan McNabb his whole career. Not to forget Shawn Andrews who has emerged as one of the best linemen in the NFL. Opponents must consider Brian Westbrook as the most lethal weapon in the NFL out of the backfield or from the slot. The Eagles have made a statement in free agency this year and really had the best offseason in the division. Picking up Cornerback Asante Samuel on the first day and Defensive End Chris Clemons on the second day plus many more, they are hinting they want it all this year. With a healthy McNabb, they should be clicking all year long. Weaknesses: The Eagles have always been known as a pass happy team. Andy Reid and company have been trying to balance out their offense for the past few years but obviously this team operates through the air. So it is like they live by the pass, die by the pass. It makes them one dimensional if they don't make an attempt to establish a run game early. Injuries have hurt this team as well. Brian Dawkins, Lito Sheppard, and Donovan McNabb have all suffered injuries over the past few years. If the leaders on this team cannot stay healthy, it will not be a successful year. Question Marks: Offensive consistency. Can this team score in the red zone? Can this team march down the field when they need to and win games? Can the offensive click and make big plays? Turnovers and field position. Can this team create turnovers? Can the defense score off turnovers? Can the special teams get field position for the offense? 2. Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys have a high powered offense. We all know that. Quarterback Tony Romo has many weapons through the air and on the ground no mercy back Marion Barber runs with heart and power. The flashy superstar Terrell Owens is out to get his ring and after the water works last season in a press conference following the playoff loss against the Giants. He wants to make sure secondaries are the ones crying while he's running past them. Rookies like Felix Jones and Mike Jenkins look to make an impact as do new additions Adam Jones (formerly known as Pacman) and Zach Thomas. Strengths: Offensive firepower is what carries this team. Tony Romo passing to Terrell Owens and Jason Witten is torture to defenses. Romo threw for 35 touchdowns last season and looks to match that this upcoming season and show every doubter he is the real deal. Marion Barber and Felix Jones should be a fun duo to watch out of the backfield. With Jason Garrett calling the plays, Dallas can look forward to a very successful offense in 2008. Terence Newman and Demarcus Ware lead the Cowboys defensive unit which can create big plays. Weaknesses: The Cowboys don't have many weaknesses on offense. I would have to say the biggest weakness on offense is the 2nd and 3rd receivers. Patrick Crayton has showed flashes but not enough to be that solid number two receiver playing across from Owens. Terry Glenn was great next to Owens but has been rattled with injury the last few years. The biggest weakness on the Cowboys is their defense. They have a few good players but overall they are average. The secondary is the biggest weakness on the defense. Roy Williams is not a cover safety and big passes can be completed against this secondary. Newman received star status by many last year but I believe he is a bit overrated. He only had 4 interceptions last year. Not mind boggling, he is just an average corner who was given a huge contract. Newman will have to prove himself to me this season if he wants to earn my respect. Question Marks: Rookie impact. Can Felix Jones be the answer to Julius Jones' departure? Can Mike Jenkins hold his own at cornerback when given the opportunity? Will these two first round picks even get on the field? Offensive chemistry, drama free. Will Terrell Owens open his mouth and say the wrong thing this year? Can celebrity Quarterback Tony Romo keep his love life out of the media? Will disgruntled safety Roy Williams restart talks of a trade? 3. New York Giants: The Giants shocked the football world. No, scratch that. They shocked the entire universe! Beating the odds and the Patriots, they went on to win the Superbowl. The Giants showed everyone that defense wins championships. The Giants are anchored by their defensive line and high motor defensive ends. Eli Manning took a big step on the maturity level and drove the team down the field to score the winning touchdown. Plaxico Burress also has a lot to do with the Giants offensive success, and don't forget about the two headed monster of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. Strengths: The defensive ends of the NY Giants are Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck. Two players who never stop hustling on the football field. These two knocked around Tom Brady all game and really ruined the Patriots offensive gameplan. The Giants defense can really change games and help them win. The offense can be lethal at times with Plaxico Burress, the 6'5 receiver, at full health. Burress played all last year with a nagging ankle injury, never practicing. Jacobs, the big back, can run through defensive lines and score easily in the red zone. Weaknesses: The Giants lost three key defensive starters. Michael Strahan's recent retirement was the biggest loss. Strahan is a Hall of Famer and a legend to the Giants. Safety Gibril Wilson and Linebacker Kawika Mitchell were both signed as free agents by other teams. These players will be missed on the field next season as they all contributed heavily to the Superbowl run and win put together by the team. Eli Manning also still has lots of work to do. He has matured a lot over his career but still struggles at points in the regular season. He threw a league leading 20 interceptions. He has to be more consistent for this team to move up in the division. Question Marks: Overcoming losses on defense. Can the team move on without the leadership of Michael Strahan? Can the linebacking corps remain solid without Kawika Mitchell? How will the secondary react to the loss of Gibril Wilson, a young rising star? Quarterback consistency. Will Eli Manning return with a swagger? Can Manning keep his interception total down? Will Manning be able to live up to the star status he earned from "The Drive"? 4. Washington Redskins: The hard-nosed defense overcame the loss of Sean Taylor. The tragedy which took place midseason, Taylor was attacked in his home and died in the hospital, did not stop the Redskins from marching into the playoffs on the shoulders of backup Quarterback Todd Collins. Much like the Eagles 2006 run to the playoffs powered by Jeff Garcia, Jason Campbell was injured and veteran Todd Collins came in and took the team into the postseason. It should have been very motivating to be in the playoffs but the team fell short to Seattle in the first round. Joe Gibbs retired after the season was over and Jim Zorn was hired to coach the team. Strengths: The Redskins are a hustle team. The defense is made up of players who just play with pride. They want to win more than anything and they show it on the field. The offense has many weapons from Clinton Portis to Santana Moss to Chris Cooley. Many players who can hurt a defense in many different ways. Rookies Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas will try to win starting jobs at wide receiver in 2008. The Redskins offense is built around speed. Guys like Antwaan Randle El, Ladell Betts, Santana Moss, and Clinton Portis fly around the field to make plays. The Redskins have a solid offense and defense looking to improve next year in consistency. Weaknesses: The Redskins took a shot in the dark when they hired new head coach Jim Zorn. He was the quarterback coach of the Seattle Seahawks in 2007 and he has no experience as a head coach. This can make a huge difference on a team, especially a young one. The Redskins have not seen consistent play from their young quarterback, Jason Campbell. He has to improve his consistency and stay healthy to make an impact in the 2008 season. The defensive side of the ball has to all come together and play like they did at the end of 2007. The Redskins have to unite as a defense to win because they really do not have any standout leaders on that side of the ball. If they cannot play as one, the outcome could be brutal. Question Marks: Defensive leadership. Will the young defense be able to overcome the passing of team leader Sean Taylor? Can they play together as one unit and make plays? Can a young player step up and take charge of this defense? Coaching staff. Will Jim Zorn be able to productively coach this young team? With no experience, will Zorn know how to handle the emotions of this football team? We have seen frauds like Nick Saban and Bobby Petrino, will Zorn be one of them?

Bruno Boys Q & A - Positional Busts

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:15:05 -0500

In the realm of fantasy football, nothing is worst than having high expectations for a draft pick, only to see him shatter your championship dreams by not living up to the hype. Yet, it happens all too often where one or two busts leads to a season down the crapper. Shaun Alexander, anybody? Well, we here at Bruno Boys Fantasy Football want to make sure you're not stuck cussing out many of your team's guys. To that end, we present to you another fine addition of Bruno Boys Q & A with Bruno Boys Staff Writer, Chris Ziza. To read more of this fine article, please click the link below!

New York Giants Fantasy Depth Chart

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:56:42 -0500

Eli Manning showed he can be a top performer in the NFL playoffs, but will that success carry over into this season? See our Fantasy Depth Chart with the draft tier rank for every player in the Giants' offense.

2008 Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Notes - New York Giants

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:14:10 -0500

Up until their amazing playoff run, capped by Eli's escape and David Tyree's miracle grab, the New York Giants' 2007 season was a solid, but not spectacular one. Carried mostly by a defense that ranked 7th in the league, despite giving up 45 and 35 points in weeks 1 and 2 respectively, the Giants were able to play themselves to a 10-6 record. However, with an offense that ranked just 16th in the league, it appeared the Giants were headed for an early playoff exit and Tom Coughlin would be filing for unemployment. But, as they say, that's why the play the game, and after the games were played, the Giants were the ones who hoisted the Lombardi trophy. Beware though, because come draft day 2008 you don't want to be one of those fantasy football owners who remembers the Giants of 2007 for their playoff run. Those owners won't remember that Eli Manning

Projecting: Top 10 Fantasy Quarterbacks

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:17:10 -0500

In most fantasy football formats, running backs are considered the creams of the crop ... but quarterbacks aren't far behind. Screaming Sports' Hugh Duckwall runs down a list of his top 10 quarterbacks for the 2008 fantasy season.

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:54:15 -0500

Not even a full week went by before Michael Strahan morphed into Tiki Barber and became a mainstream media member who commented on a former teammate. Last year, Barber ripped Eli Manning in the first two weeks of the season (convenient since the Giants were 0-2 and gave up 70+ points). This season, it's Strahan ripping Shockey.

Okay, ripping is not an accurate description. At all. Strahan was answering a question and did so in an honest manner:

"He doesn't want to play here; that's obvious with everything that's going on. I don't think you gain much by keeping a guy around. Regardless of how well he plays for you, there's always that tension, and that's one thing you can't have if you're expected to go back and repeat.You don't need that out of one of your leaders. So I think the best thing for them and for Shockey is if they have the opportunity, let him go."

Wow. I already like Michael Strahan more than Tiki Barber. Of course, I liked Strahan more than Barber when Strahan screamed into a microphone while eating a sub sandwich and bits of lettuce and salami flew towards my living room. If Barber had answered that same question, he would have littered it with jabs about how Shockey is a typical football player and how he was noble enough to leave before he was "unhappy" with the Giants. He also would have smiled. Hard. And then mentioned in a book that Shockey was a whiner (which may be true).

Strahan mentioned Barber before the press conference ended, when asked if he'd have "trouble" getting interviews with Tom Coughlin, seeing as Coughlin didn't want to speak with Barber for an NBC interview last season:

"Look at the manner he left. I don't know if he had ill will toward anyone, but I know I don't. I'm leaving with a clear mind, and a Super Bowl ring. Obviously, that helps."

Translation: "Tiki Barber is an ass - and we won a championship after he left. It feels really, really good." For the record, Newsday says he'll be seated between Jimmy Johnson and Howie Long. The Foxbot must be pissed he got overlooked again.

JUST BECAUSE IT STILL MAKES ME LAUGH