Unless your name is Brian Mitchell, you ARE going to get injured returning kickoffs/punts and subsequently have your career shortened. So it is just a matter of time for Bradshaw before he gets hurt doing this. Does the emperor have no clothes? Could it be that ALL (100%) of us are stupid and wrong and the Giants coaches are the geniuses who understand Bradshaw is #3 on the depth chart and needs to be doing specials?! In situations like these I GENERALLY defer to the coaches because they obvly have more information than we do. In this case, I felt like this in midseason '07 and stopped wondering (because of the fumbles). After all, he was a rookie. But then Ward gets hurt, and Jacobs gets hurt in Buffalo. And Eli cannot throw the ball in H2. So they give the ball to Bradshaw almost every play and the Bills still can't stop him. And then we see him 30% more productive than Jacobs in 20% less carries. (Whatever the #s, I rounded them up a lot because of plays like when Snee was called for holding vs GB etc..)
Now this.
One of the reasons this blog got started was because these rants would go to ~15 giants fans on email and it made sense to 'air' it out. The Fassel Prevent offense was the beginnings of this Emperor-has-no-clothes football blog. I like to tell the story of how Wellington Mara thought losing a 24 point lead to SF in Jan '03 felt like Chicago Jan '86. To me it felt like Minnesota Jan'98 multiplied X 10, easily the biggest loss for me as a fan in all my years of watching sports. I tell the story because I knew Mara's light at the end of the tunnel was a Mack truck headed right toward us. The Emperor INDEED had no clothes, and it just took Dallas W3 and Westbrook's punt return in midseason to open everyone else's eyes the following season.
So now the emperor has no clothes again. We wonder how an all pro TE can get 2 catches per game. We wonder how Bradshaw can be third string. I hear everyone when I am alerted to the fact that Jacobs pounding the defense sets up Bradshaw. Am I missing something when I see Bradshaw pull in nice grabs from out of the backfield or set up Tyree's TD in Q4 vs the Patriots with a nice 8 yard catch and run in the red zone? This guy does it very well and yet we see him mostly on specials. As down as I am about Osi being gone for the season, moving Kiwi back to DL where he belongs combined with having Bradshaw start RB would change my opinion of this team's chances.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Get Bradshaw off specials and into the backfield
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8 comments:
Andy, you and I are on the same page. I have said this from the first pre-season game. Why do they continue to use Bradshaw to return kicks/punts? I think they could use Danny Ware in that role, because he looks like a promising running back and would be an upgrade over Reuben Droughns on the roster. I'm going to say this, if Bradshaw was named the starting running back he would gain 1400 yards GUARANTEED!
Kevin "he has no clue" Gilbride again shows his disdain for using the TE in his offense. Eli never even threw a pass in Boss's direction against the Jets. If any of you DVR'd the game check out 2nd down in the "Red Zone." Boss was wide open after a delayed block at the line and he must have been Eli's 4th option because he never saw him. Is that Eli or Gilbride?
I hope Strahan stays retired. Although he is in great shape. He has dropped 10 pounds due to his cardio workouts. He had no intention of playing football this year and has not lifted weights, as he did last year. I think a better option would be Kiwanuka returning to the line (although he is light also) He does play as a down lineman in pass rush situations anyway. We'll see. I'm curious as to see how Jerry Reese handles this. remember, there will be alot of cuts by Tuesday. Maybe there is a trade to be made, although we all know that quality DE's come with a hefty price.
OMG, you guys are so freakin negative. Every year a new player comes along and shows he can hang with the first team. Someone is likely to step up. Who that person is another question. But you have to agree that Jerry Reese knows what he's doing and will do his best to fill the gap. The Giants will be fine. Spanuolo will adjust the defense accordingly.
Moving Kiwi will leave a gaping hole at LB. If Strahan comes back, he will be better than whoever they put out there at LB, and what do they do with Kiwi next year, leave him at DE. He will be back at LB next year and moving him for one year will be so bad for his career at LB if thats where he ends up playing.
Even though Strahan hasn't really worked out like he did last year, I still think he will be the best option for them. It doesn't open up any other holes in the lineup, and he knows the system this year.
Does the emperor have no clothes? Cmon. This staff is coming of a Super Bowl WIN!!!! Now does that mean everything they do is right???? No, but I do think they deserve credit that they do know what they are doing.
i agree on bradshaw; i thought he was their best running back by the end of the year. i think he should have equal # of carries with jacobs--a real thunder and lightening--this will let jacobs take over his old job of short yardage back too. let hixon be the returner.
I agree with the Bradshaw comments 100 percent...is it me or Jacobs don’t break tackles...the first gut brings him down to much and he coughs up the rock
I think you are jumping the gun on the season being over...as good as USI plays you have to remember this, there is only 1 position on the field that gets hurt and your season is done, that’s QB
bringing in strahan is the ONLY PERFECT solution, now you can move KIWI back (never should of been a LB) and patch it. Strahan is a ballplayer and I think your underestimating his abilities
In USA Today....
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants moved Mathias Kiwanuka back to defensive end to replace the injured Osi Umenyiora on Monday, a decision that decreases the already slim chances of the Super Bowl champions needing to make a push to get seven-time Pro Bowler Michael Strahan out of retirement.
"Obviously this is not the way you want it to happen but it's an opportunity for a lot of guys, and I am one of the guys who has to step up and take advantage of it," said Kiwanuka, who walked off the field with defensive line coach Mike Waufle well after teammates left the field following a short morning walk through.
The Giants' first-round draft pick in 2006, Kiwanuka was moved from defensive end to strongside linebacker last season so the team could get its best 11 defenders on the field.
However, he has played almost his whole career as a lineman, including his first season with the Giants and last season on third-down situations before breaking a leg against Detroit in November.
Coach Tom Coughlin refused to speculate on whether the Giants were still interested in Strahan, the 36-year-old who retired in June after a 15-year career that was capped by the Giants' stunning win over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. He said he has not been involved in discussions on the topic and he has not talked to Strahan since Umenyiora suffered a season-ending torn meniscus in his left knee on Saturday night against the Jets.
Seems to me the Giants' staff is conscious of the potential shift away from Jacobs. It was reported that he wanted an extension and didn't get one.
IMO Derrick Ward is the best all-purpose RB on the team and should be starting with Bradshaw playing a lot.
Jacobs would be sensational returning kickoffs--no jukes, straight ahead, up the gut. He'd make his own wedge--like the Red Sea parting.
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