Thursday’s Giants Links
I really can’t wait for this game. I know the Giants are the better team even though Vegas put the line in favor of the Bucs. I am concerned about Jeff Garcia because he’s elusive and has the history against us. The Bucs defense had a great year. Of course they can win. I am concerned about Eli. The fact that he plays better earlier in the season says to me that he has difficulty playing against teams that are on a Playoff push like the Redskins in Week 16. He has trouble against teams with their backs up against the wall like in the Playoffs the last two seasons. In some ways, it didn’t surprise me that he had such a great game against the Patriots because the game didn’t mean anything so there was no pressure on him. This Sunday, there will be. So I just want the Giants to win this game already. I really believe that we can reach the Superbowl. I don’t believe that they are the best team, but I believe that they can upset some teams. I’d prefer that we don’t have to go to Seattle or Green Bay, but they will play where they have to play.
Transcript: DE Michael Strahan - Michael Strahan answered a few good questions here like:
It almost seems like one win won’t satisfy this group?
No, what is the use? Everybody is so focused on the Giants getting out of the first round of the playoffs but for us if you are going to come this far you might as well do the whole thing, go all the way. I think last week’s game, the outcome, was not exactly what we wanted or what we expected. I think it gave us a sense that we can play with anybody if we put our minds to it. I think with that after the game last week everybody really feels that we have a great opportunity to go all the way, an opportunity to win it if we get there. That is everybody’s focus, not just one week and one game.
What has it been like playing for Steve Spagnuolo this season?
Fun. It has been a lot of fun. He has brought a lot of energy to the defense, accountability to the defense, and he tells you what he expects. He is straight-up, he is straight-forward with you, and I think as a player that is what you appreciate from your coach, that is what you want from your coach, someone who tells you exactly what they feel, how they feel, and what you need to do to be good and what you have done doesn’t make you bad. He does that every week.
What were you saying by giving Spagnuolo a Gatorade bath after the Buffalo game?
Congratulations, you did a great job. In that game we didn’t start out great but one thing about our season even when we weren’t playing that well defensively he just kept telling us tp stay the course, do what we need you to do and things are going to work out. Just don’t deviate from the course and try to do too much and get away from what our plan is. We have done that and it has helped us win some games and we just wanted to try to make him sick.
In my opinion, Steve Spagnuolo was the Coach of the Year on the Giants staff.
Giant Task - Michael Eisen says it is a ‘Giants Task’ to beat Jeff Garcia.
Transcript: DC Steve Spagnuolo
Transcript: Coach Tom Coughlin - After doing this blog all year, I learned that Tom Coughlin doesn’t answer any good questions. And I’m not talking about anything that has to do with game strategy.
Junior Giants-Jingle all the way!
Big Obstacle - Michael Eisen is calling the Bucs defense as the Giants ‘Big Obstacle’.
Transcript: DE Justin Tuck - In Michael Eisen’s Q&A Session with Justin Tuck, Eisen asked Tuck about the Quarterback that stopped the Giants Playoff run twice, Jeff Garcia.
The fact that Jeff Garcia can improvise and scramble how much of a challenge is it to play him?
Good, it is a good challenge. He has a track record against the Giants. Just look what he did last year, so he is definitely our main focus for stopping this offense.
How do you stop him?
Obviously not what we did last year so we are going to have to try something new. Just trying our best to keep him in the pocket and getting our hands up because he is a shorter quarterback and we can knock down some balls. That is where we start.
Newsday:
Sirius trash talk: Giants react to Ronde’s slight - A day ago, I wrote that there would probably be less media interest in this game than normal because Tiki retired. I was very wrong about that. I saw that Ronde Barber was on the back page of the Post and the Daily News with this quote, “Eli can be had”. How frequently does a player from the city of Tampa Bay end up on the back of a NY newspaper? Probably never…but it happened today.
Notes: Giants’ O’Hara, Mitchell, Madison sit out
Giants playoff moment - Newsday relives the NFC Wild Card game in 2003 between the Jeff Garcia led 49ers and the Kerry Collins led Giants. This was a game that I wish never happened. It was easier for me to accept the whoopings that the Giants took in the 2001 Superbowl and the 2006 Wild Card game then it was for me to accept the Giants blowing a 24 point lead. This is the biggest reason I hate T.O. and Garcia. Then T.O. had to come over to the NFC East, and Garcia came to Philly and now we have to face him in Tampa Bay. I also would’ve preferred that Newsday didn’t remind me of that. I already saw the game and don’t want to think about it anymore.
Giants’ Jacobs must learn how to avoid hits - Shaun Powell makes a great point because Jacobs goes to the sidelines too many times per game, and he has been injured a few times this season.
Bucs’ Garcia wonders if he’ll be rusty from rest - I hope Garcia’s rusty in the game.
Eli adds flavor that’s pure vanilla - Who cares?
New York Daily News:
Giants: We need to win turnover battle
Tiki who? Giants fine without Barber
Ex-Giants out to boot former club - Ohm Youngmisuk points out the ex-Giants seeking revenge. Here the list: Luke Petitgout, Matt Bryant, and Ike Hilliard. I forgot about Luke going to Tampa and I paid no attention to where Matt went.
Bucs blocking New York on tickets - This article was written early. I heard on Mike and the Mad Dog that Cuomo called somebody in FL and got this waived so you guys should be able to get tickets to the game. There are plenty of tickets available. I also heard that you can get them from StubHub for as little as $100 for anyone interested in heading down to Tampa.
New York Post:
GIANTS NOT WORRIED IF TIKI TURNS TRAITOR
BRANDON IS BIG BLUE’S RAGING BULL
O’HARA’S STATUS REMAINS QUESTIONABLE
New York Times:
Garcia’s a Nemesis That Really Gets Around - I was thinking about this yesterday. How does Garcia keep getting traded if he makes the Playoffs? I remember that he didn’t live up to his predecessors in San Francisco, Joe Montana and Steve Young, but they were much better with him than they are now.
Fresh-Faced Buccaneers Take Nothing for Granted
Well-Rested Buccaneers to Face Surging Giants
The Star-Ledger:
Jacobs is Bucs’ worst nightmare - I love the sound of that.
Rooting interest has Tiki mixed
