Don't count out 'D' too soon

September 5, 2008

There is no question the Giants defense would be a lot better off with Michael Strahan back in uniform, not popping out of a giant replica of the Vince Lombardi Trophy as he did before last night's regular-season opener.

Recent columns

• 'Backup' defensive ends formidable for Giants' D

  September 5, 2008

  There is no question the Giants defense would be a lot better off with Michael Strahan back in uniform, not popping out of a giant replica of the Vince Lombardi Trophy as he did before Thursday night's regular-season opener.

• Jets, Giants are NFL's most compelling stories

  September 4, 2008

  Good day and welcome to the epicenter of the NFL.

• Favre nervous about how move to Jets will turn out

  September 4, 2008

  FLORHAM PARK, N.J.

• Favre nervous about how move to Jets will turn out

  September 3, 2008

  If you are a Jets fan worried about whether Brett Favre will live up to the massive expectations, you are not alone.

• Jets, Giants are NFL's most compelling stories

  September 3, 2008

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• Merriman, Chargers are making big mistake

  August 31, 2008

  There is a fine line in the NFL between playing hurt and playing injured. Shawne Merriman is about to cross it.

• Some super thoughts after Giants-Patriots matchup

  August 29, 2008

  Counting down the days to when football games actually will count and actually can be watched, we deliver our thoughts from Giants- Patriots, in which both teams' starters were few and far between. The fans, too:

• Some super thoughts after Giants-Patriots matchup

  August 28, 2008

  Counting down the days to when football games actually will count and actually can be watched, we deliver our thoughts from Giants- Patriots, in which both teams' starters were few and far between. The fans, too:

• Can't hurt Giants just to give Strahan a call

  August 25, 2008

  Michael Strahan answered my text message within minutes. Not a bad response time, considering he's vacationing in Europe, according to a close friend.

• Can't hurt Giants to give Strahan a call

  August 24, 2008

  Michael Strahan answered my text message within minutes. Not a bad response time, considering he's vacationing in Europe, according to a close friend.

• Favored Colts, Chargers and Patriots ailing

  August 24, 2008

  By all accounts, the Colts, Patriots and Chargers are considered the favorites to win their respective divisions and possibly make a run for the Super Bowl. In a conference overflowing with quality teams, these three AFC powerhouses are expected to factor heavily in the playoff equation.

• In a game that didn't count, plenty was going on

  August 24, 2008

  Good thing this one didn't count. Which is about the only bright spot in the much-anticipated Brett Favre vs. Eli Manning rematch at the Meadowlands. In their first meeting since that epic Giants win at Lambeau Field in the NFC Championship Game, Favre and Manning produced a big fat zero on the scoreboard, as their starting units were throttled by a combination of solid defense, untimely penalties and the usual sloppiness associated with preseason football.

• For 41 years, Upshaw was major force on, off field

  August 22, 2008

  Stacy Robinson first got to know Gene Upshaw during his days as a Giants receiver in the mid-1980s. It wasn't long before Robinson grew to respect and admire Upshaw for being a tenacious advocate on issues affecting the players.

• As always, Patriots' Belichick has blinkers on

  August 21, 2008

  Seeing as how the Jets made a somewhat significant trade recently - for a quarterback who eventually will go into the Hall of Fame - I figured Patriots coach Bill Belichick might have a thought or two about how said transaction might affect his team this year.

• Nemeses Giants loom for Favre

  August 20, 2008

  In a career filled with so many memorable passes and so many comeback victories, this might have been the worst moment of all for Brett Favre.

• As injuries pile up, Giants backups in spotlight

  August 19, 2008

  For all the optimism surrounding the defending Super Bowl champion Giants - and there is plenty of reason to think this will be a very, very good team this year - the one thing they can't control is the one thing that could make a mess out of this season.

• This looks like start of something real big

  August 17, 2008

  Given the fact that he was only 10 days into his tenure with the Jets, there was really only one word that fully captured Brett Favre's performance last night: perfect.

• Improved defense will be reason Bucs succeed

  August 17, 2008

  Coming off last year's playoff run, albeit a brief one, the Bucs would like to think they are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Even if they're still iffy at quarterback.

• Better defense is Bucs' main goal

  August 16, 2008

  Coming off last year's playoff run, albeit a brief one, the Bucs would like to think they are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Even if they're still iffy at quarterback.

• Ex-Giant Hostetler: Favre's comeback a mistake

  August 15, 2008

  FOXBOROUGH, Mass.

• Low-key Giants prepared to defend their title

  August 13, 2008

  After spending the better part of the past week following the Brett Favre circus with the Jets, the thing you notice about life with the Giants is the silence.

• Low-key Giants prepared to defend their title

  August 12, 2008

  After spending the better part of the past week following the Brett Favre circus with the Jets, the thing you notice about life with the Giants is the silence.

• Giants get another inspirational talk from Gadson

  August 12, 2008

  ALBANY

• Favre hopes he can finally beat Pennington

  August 10, 2008

  Chad Pennington received a vote of confidence from a rather surprising source yesterday afternoon. Moments after Brett Favre's first practice in a Jets uniform, on the same field where Pennington toiled diligently for the previous eight seasons, it was Favre himself who gushed about the player he will now replace.

• Surprising Browns have all right tools

  August 10, 2008

  It isn't every day that the home team is essentially ignored in its preseason opener, especially coming off a much-improved season the year before. But it sure seemed that way Thursday night in Cleveland, where Brett Favre clearly was the center of attention on Day 1 of his tenure with the Jets.

• Favre hopes he can finally beat Pennington

  August 9, 2008

  Chad Pennington received a vote of confidence from a rather surprising source Saturday afternoon. Moments after Brett Favre's first practice in a Jets uniform, on the same field where Pennington toiled diligently for the previous eight seasons, it was Favre himself who gushed about the player he will now replace.

• Surprising Browns have all the right tools

  August 9, 2008

  It isn't every day that the home team is essentially ignored in its preseason opener, especially coming off a much-improved season the year before. But it sure seemed that way Thursday night in Cleveland, where Brett Favre clearly was the center of attention on Day 1 of his tenure with the Jets.

• He's catalyst in this experiment

  August 8, 2008

  CLEVELAND

• Getting Favre wouldn't make Jets elite team

  August 7, 2008

  One decision, and so many careers hang in the balance:

• Getting Favre wouldn't make Jets elite team

  August 6, 2008

  One decision, and so many careers hang in the balance:

• Esiason: Packers vs. Favre is nasty divorce

  August 6, 2008

  What we are witnessing, Boomer Esiason was saying yesterday amid the dizzying swirl of developments surrounding Brett Favre, is a very public, very bitter divorce.

• Esiason: Packers vs. Favre is nasty divorce

  August 5, 2008

  What we are witnessing, Boomer Esiason was saying Tuesday amid the dizzying swirl of developments surrounding Brett Favre, is a very public, very bitter divorce.

• Philly dysfunction? It's Eagles as usual

  August 3, 2008

  BETHLEHEM, Pa.

• Despite move, Woody wants Jets connected to LI

  August 1, 2008

  Woody Johnson understands the emotions many Jets fans are feeling in this, the 41st and final training camp at Hofstra.

• WFAN's Carton will lobby for Favre with bullhorn

  July 30, 2008

  If WFAN morning talk-show host Craig Carton follows through on the promise he made during yesterday's broadcast, he will show up today at Jets camp and stage a rally urging the team to trade for Brett Favre. Carton said he'll bring along a bullhorn and shout repeatedly, "Get Brett!"

• Giants want more deep thinking by Eli

  July 27, 2008

  ALBANY

• It would be a mistake for Jets to get Favre

  July 26, 2008

  In the long and tortured history of the post-Super Bowl III Jets, Brett Favre's name is high on the list of miserable moments.

• Coughlin uses memorable sayings to motivate Giants

  July 25, 2008

  Tom Coughlin isn't quite sure when the memorable sayings - the ones from Confucius to Lincoln to Lombardi - became a part of his coaching lexicon. The seeds probably were planted when he was growing up playing football and became a star wingback at Syracuse University. Once he got into coaching, he realized words sometimes could have as profound an impact on players as blocking and tackling.

• Chad hones a sharper edge

  July 24, 2008

  Maybe it was because Chad Pennington had just completed a recent morning practice session under a blistering sun, and he'd rather have been headed for the locker room for a shower and a change of clothes.

• Worth the wait for Accorsi

  February 5, 2008

  The Patriots had just scored the go-ahead touchdown on Tom Brady's pass to Randy Moss, and Eli Manning trotted onto the field with 2:39 to play. Former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi, watching the game from the stands at University of Phoenix Stadium, turned to his son, Michael.

• How the Giants shocked the Patriots

  February 4, 2008

  The New England Patriots were miffed that Plaxico Burress predicted a 23-17 New York Giants' win nearly a week before Sunday night's Super Bowl. Only 17 points for the highest-scoring team in NFL history?

• Beating big odds, Eli leads Giants to Super Bowl

  January 21, 2008

  Bad cold-weather quarterback. Playing with a glove on his non-throwing hand. Going against one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. On the road, and in subzero temperatures, no less.

• Coughlin needs to hold chips for Bucs game

  December 26, 2007

  Tom Coughlin has learned to do a bunch of new things this year: showing his warm and fuzzy side to the players, getting along with the media, enjoying his first-ever Gatorade bath.

• A head job for Henderson?

  December 24, 2005

  You've heard plenty of names mentioned as head coaching candidates -- from Brad Childress of the Eagles to Gregg Williams of the Redskins to Tim Lewis of the Giants. But there's one more you should add, even if it's from an unlikely team -- the Jets.

• Modell knew best: Mara and Tisch were perfect pair

  November 16, 2005

  It was early spring in 1991 when Art Modell came up with the idea of bringing together Bob Tisch and Wellington Mara.

• Tagliabue Can’t Say Games Must Go On

  September 13, 2001

  NFL COMMISSIONER Paul Tagliabue finally will make a decision today about whether to cancel this weekend's games. But after the horrors of the most colossal act of terrorism this country has known, is there really any decision to make? If Tagliabue does not honor the dead and wounded, as well as the billions around the world who are mortified by what has happened, then he will have made the most senseless and unforgivable decision of his otherwise admirable tenure.