As we enlarge our coaching search, I have been wondering why Russ Grimm is not a serious candidate to return to his team and take over for his coach.
When Joe Gibbs returned 4 years ago, wasn't it he who wanted to pry Grimm away from the Pittsburgh Steelers to run the offense? And wasn't it those same Steelers who held onto him with their kung fu grip, saying the only way Grimm would leave was if he was to become a head coach somewhere. So what happened?
When Bill Cowher retired after the 2006 season, Grimm and Steelers OC Ken Wisenhunt were the players' favorites to take over the job. However, the Steelers went with Vikings DC Mike Timlin and said goodbye to their offensive masterminds. Wisenhunt still picked up a head coaching job, taking over in Arizona, but Grimm was not so lucky.
Wisenhunt took care of Grimm, bringing him to Arizona, but again it only seemed like a matter of time before Grimm would take over somewhere. But much like his induction to the Hall of Fame, Grimm is still waiting for the phone to ring on a head coaching offer.
It was speculated early on that Grimm could be a candidate to take over in Washington, but in the hordes of candidates Dan Snyder has brought in, Grimm was not one of them. Given Snyder's penchant to relive the glory days it would seem Grimm would have been a good fit for his former team.
Instead, we spent our time hiring coordinators and waiting for other coaching candidates to become available for interviews. We may do okay if we actually hire Giants DC Steve Spagnuolo, especially after what he did to the mighty Patriots, but it still would've been cool to see Grimm head up the latest version of the Skins.
Hopefully the way this process has been drawn out, we will find our perfect fit and Grimm will finally get a well deserved shot with someone.
Showing posts with label New York Giants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York Giants. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Game 3 recap
What is there to say after watching the Skins blow a 17-3 lead in the second half? Not a whole lot but there were a couple of things that stuck out to me.
1. Despite the struggles in the second half, it was actually exciting to see Jason Campbell operate on that last drive. He is not there yet but he is going to be a good QB. He stayed poised and made plays at critical points in the drive, the only screwup being 4th and goal.
2. Speaking of 4th and goal, why didn't anyone mention to Campbell that he had 20 seconds to get a play off? There was no shot for a first down so why did they need to leave time on the clock? That is a situation Campbell can learn from but the coaches should have been slowing him down and telling him to make sure he didn't snap the ball until everything was set.
3. Eli Manning is not his brother. I don't know what other NFL QB's look like in slow motion when throwing the ball but Eli looks like he's throwing too hard because he has too much pressure to live up to something he will never be. I would even go as far as saying that he should probably be a backup instead of the center of the G-men franchise but he gets by solely on his name. Any other NY QB would have been shipped out of town by now.
4. Even though it would have been nice to be 3-0 heading into the bye, 2-1 is probably a lot better than most people thought. No one wanted to give our guys a chance to win many games this year and they are showing that while they won't win them all, they will be competitive. If we continue to play competitively, we will make the playoffs.
5. The defense is not entirely to blame for the 2nd half collapse. Granted, they let the Giants convert any and all 3rd down attempts that they wanted to but the offense only had the ball for 3 plays it seemed like in the second half. If they didn't go 3-and-out, they turned it over and didn't get the defense off the field. I don't care how good a defense is, no unit can play more than 25 minutes in a half and expect to shut the other team down.
No game for the Skins this week so enjoy some of the other NFC teams and lets see if we can figure out exactly who the competition will be this season.
1. Despite the struggles in the second half, it was actually exciting to see Jason Campbell operate on that last drive. He is not there yet but he is going to be a good QB. He stayed poised and made plays at critical points in the drive, the only screwup being 4th and goal.
2. Speaking of 4th and goal, why didn't anyone mention to Campbell that he had 20 seconds to get a play off? There was no shot for a first down so why did they need to leave time on the clock? That is a situation Campbell can learn from but the coaches should have been slowing him down and telling him to make sure he didn't snap the ball until everything was set.
3. Eli Manning is not his brother. I don't know what other NFL QB's look like in slow motion when throwing the ball but Eli looks like he's throwing too hard because he has too much pressure to live up to something he will never be. I would even go as far as saying that he should probably be a backup instead of the center of the G-men franchise but he gets by solely on his name. Any other NY QB would have been shipped out of town by now.
4. Even though it would have been nice to be 3-0 heading into the bye, 2-1 is probably a lot better than most people thought. No one wanted to give our guys a chance to win many games this year and they are showing that while they won't win them all, they will be competitive. If we continue to play competitively, we will make the playoffs.
5. The defense is not entirely to blame for the 2nd half collapse. Granted, they let the Giants convert any and all 3rd down attempts that they wanted to but the offense only had the ball for 3 plays it seemed like in the second half. If they didn't go 3-and-out, they turned it over and didn't get the defense off the field. I don't care how good a defense is, no unit can play more than 25 minutes in a half and expect to shut the other team down.
No game for the Skins this week so enjoy some of the other NFC teams and lets see if we can figure out exactly who the competition will be this season.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Game 3: Redskins vs. Giants
Washington (2-0) vs. New York Giants (0-2)
Time: 4:15 p.m. ET at FedEx Field
ESPN game preview
How awesome is it that these guys are 2-0 despite the fact that it looks like the O-line is falling apart?
Hopefully it won't matter that Todd Wade and Jason Fabini are the new guys on the right side of the line, these guys have been solid pros in the past and with the way Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts can run, all these guys have to do is give them a little space. And if they can give Jason Campbell enough time to get the snap and make a quick throw, that will be a bonus.
Defensively the Skins are on fire and playing like they have previously under Gregg Williams. They should be able to continue that trend against a Giants team that is struggling on offense and there is no reason to think these guys won't be 3-0 heading into a bye.
Oh, and the throwback uni's are sweet. Hail to the Redskins.
Also, check out the Helmet Project, purveyors of the great helmets you see at the top of this post.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Game 2 recap
The best thing about Monday night's win isn't the fact that we beat Philly but it has to be the fact that the Skins are 2-0 for the first time since their last playoff appearance (2005). Here are a couple of other observations from Monday night.
1. I know this has nothing to do with the game but Charles Barkley actually made the booth enjoyable to watch. After hearing Mike Tirico stick up for the Eagles and saying they should have beat the Packers, Barkley responded with my favorite line, "If I didn't eat so much I wouldn't be fat."
2. Jason Campbell is still making young mistakes but he is getting better with each quarter he plays, as evidenced by the 2 TD drives he led in the 2nd half.
3. Joe Bugel is the best O-line coach in the NFL bar none. Depsite not having and losing Jon Jansen and losing Randy Thomas in the second half, the line still held up and gave Campbell the time he needed to make plays. It remains to be see how the backups will fare as starters the rest of the season but I really have no worries.
4. The NFC East is one of the toughest conferences in football, top to bottom. You can't tell me the 0-2 Eagles are that much worse than the 2-0 Cowboys or Skins and if the Giants could have avoided a couple of key injuries, they would not be 0-2 either.
5. Last year was an aberration defensively and if I hear another claim how awful the D was last year and act like that had been the trend in DC for years, I am going to start writing letters to ESPN, CBS and Fox telling them to open a stat book from the last five years and respond with where the Skins finished in total defense each of those years. When healthy our guys are just as good as New England, Baltimore and San Diego but because our offense hasn't been any good until now, the media has failed to recognize it. It's times like these that make me embarrassed to be a sports writer.
The reeling Giants are up next so let's see if these guys can get to 3-0 and be halfway to surpassing last year's win total.
1. I know this has nothing to do with the game but Charles Barkley actually made the booth enjoyable to watch. After hearing Mike Tirico stick up for the Eagles and saying they should have beat the Packers, Barkley responded with my favorite line, "If I didn't eat so much I wouldn't be fat."
2. Jason Campbell is still making young mistakes but he is getting better with each quarter he plays, as evidenced by the 2 TD drives he led in the 2nd half.
3. Joe Bugel is the best O-line coach in the NFL bar none. Depsite not having and losing Jon Jansen and losing Randy Thomas in the second half, the line still held up and gave Campbell the time he needed to make plays. It remains to be see how the backups will fare as starters the rest of the season but I really have no worries.
4. The NFC East is one of the toughest conferences in football, top to bottom. You can't tell me the 0-2 Eagles are that much worse than the 2-0 Cowboys or Skins and if the Giants could have avoided a couple of key injuries, they would not be 0-2 either.
5. Last year was an aberration defensively and if I hear another claim how awful the D was last year and act like that had been the trend in DC for years, I am going to start writing letters to ESPN, CBS and Fox telling them to open a stat book from the last five years and respond with where the Skins finished in total defense each of those years. When healthy our guys are just as good as New England, Baltimore and San Diego but because our offense hasn't been any good until now, the media has failed to recognize it. It's times like these that make me embarrassed to be a sports writer.
The reeling Giants are up next so let's see if these guys can get to 3-0 and be halfway to surpassing last year's win total.
Friday, July 27, 2007
2007 Previews: New York Giants
Note: This is a team-by-team look previewing the 2007 season. These are my official thoughts on how I think things will play out.
Last year: 9-7 (second in NFC East)
Best addition: Reuben Droughns (RB, Browns)
Key personnel loss: Tiki Barber (RB, retired)
2007 outlook: The Giants are going to be hard pressed to replace Barber, who appeared to retire with a couple of good years still left in him. Trading for Droughns makes sense but the combination of him and Brandon Jacobs may not be enough if Eli Manning struggles once again this season. Manning has enough weapons to at least be successful in New York but his own mistakes have cost him.
On defense, key players like Michael Strahan and Sam Madison continue to get older while the young talent the team has brought in struggles to live up to expectations. If the young talent can show it is finally ready to make an impact, the Giants may have enough to challenge for the NFC East title again this season.
Key to success: How Jacobs and Droughns fare early on in replacing Barber will tell us what kind of team this year's squad will be. If they make the fans of New York forget Barber, then the Giants are surely a playoff team. However, if they struggle early on defenses will be able to concentrate on stopping the passing game which could lead to the exit of Manning if things get really bad.
Against Washington: Washington will obviously take on the Giants twice this season, the first game during Week 3 in Washington while the second is the third to last week in the season in New York. The Giants have had the Skins number of late but a majority of those wins have been because Barber ran roughshod over the Washington defense. Obvioulsy his retirement changes New York's dominance though.
Fantasy sleeper: Amani Toomer. Before rupturing his ACL last season, Toomer was quickly becoming the go-to guy for Manning and if he can come back healthy this year there is no reason he shouldn't return to his role this year. The biggest concern is when (or maybe even if) he'll return but if he does, keep him in mind once he finally gets back to full speed.
Last year: 9-7 (second in NFC East)
Best addition: Reuben Droughns (RB, Browns)
Key personnel loss: Tiki Barber (RB, retired)
2007 outlook: The Giants are going to be hard pressed to replace Barber, who appeared to retire with a couple of good years still left in him. Trading for Droughns makes sense but the combination of him and Brandon Jacobs may not be enough if Eli Manning struggles once again this season. Manning has enough weapons to at least be successful in New York but his own mistakes have cost him.
On defense, key players like Michael Strahan and Sam Madison continue to get older while the young talent the team has brought in struggles to live up to expectations. If the young talent can show it is finally ready to make an impact, the Giants may have enough to challenge for the NFC East title again this season.
Key to success: How Jacobs and Droughns fare early on in replacing Barber will tell us what kind of team this year's squad will be. If they make the fans of New York forget Barber, then the Giants are surely a playoff team. However, if they struggle early on defenses will be able to concentrate on stopping the passing game which could lead to the exit of Manning if things get really bad.
Against Washington: Washington will obviously take on the Giants twice this season, the first game during Week 3 in Washington while the second is the third to last week in the season in New York. The Giants have had the Skins number of late but a majority of those wins have been because Barber ran roughshod over the Washington defense. Obvioulsy his retirement changes New York's dominance though.
Fantasy sleeper: Amani Toomer. Before rupturing his ACL last season, Toomer was quickly becoming the go-to guy for Manning and if he can come back healthy this year there is no reason he shouldn't return to his role this year. The biggest concern is when (or maybe even if) he'll return but if he does, keep him in mind once he finally gets back to full speed.
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