Yes, it is over. Umenyiora’s season is over and so is the Giants’. Without Strahan and without Osi it is over. I heard from somewhere that the Giants are considering asking Strahan to come back. LMAO! Are you kidding?! Like Strahan is going to comeback NOW?!!! What are you smoking? Umenyiora is over and the Giants are over. I had not written up any blog for where I thought the Giants would be this season because I like waiting for the preseason to be over before doing so. I was of the growing sense that the Giants would be a playoff team and NOT make the Super Bowl this season, BEFORE the Umenyiora injury. Now? The Giants will not make the playoffs in my opinion because whereas I saw them finishing in 2nd in the division to the Boys, now I see them finishing in 3rd behind the Eagles. Clayton of ESPN sees the Giants finishing now in last place. I would not go that far because I still see the skins finishing last. I was looking for a 10-6 year, now I see ~8-8. Psychologically this will hurt them. They need leadership right now to get them focused on the season with what they have, but I wonder if they will have enough leadership to do that.
The 5 stages of grief… for the loss of Umenyiora. I have hit every stage already, but I think I am more stunned. The only loss as/bigger than this would have been Manning or Tuck. Heck, if the lost a guy like Bradshaw it would not have been such a huge loss because they are so deep at RB and Gilbride doesn’t even know he is on the roster (only the specials team coach does!). But now that they moved Kiwi over to LB (for which I do not think they will move him back, although I rule NOTHING out) it is too much of a loss to bounce back from. We have seen how pivotal the position of DE is, and how so many things flow from this. Without Osi, it is a different team. Osi may not have had a great sack count (13-6 = 7 in the other 15 games besides Philly) but he was ALWAYS pressuring the QB. Ironically our secondary looks to be stronger this year, but now they won’t be controlling the line of scrimmage the way they did in 2007. So dominance won’t be there, and it was going to take a lot this season to get it done.
THANK GOODNESS FOR 2007. This is why you go for championships whenever you possibly can… you never know what is going to happen, and you cannot account for luck. The Giants post Super Bowl statistical hangover may rear its ugly head for yet another reason (first it was the Strike in ’87, then the Handley in ’91, and now Osi/Stray in ’08). I think Osi can get back his form from an MCL, because as I understand it, the MCL is not as bad as an ACL. At the very least, Osi has helped the Giants get a title. If anyone thinks I am too pessimistic and thinks the Giants have a very good shot at repeating despite Osi going down, pls let us know why. Unless they moved Kiwi back (which is of course what I WOULD DO, that is where you drafted him for, and it is a violation of Rule #1 to use him at LB, see Rules For Winning in the NFL) and the LBers can manufacture another one to play well for us who has enough requisite speed, I do not see it. Has Kiwi lost too much weight at LB to go back to DE? Bottom line: without Kiwi at DE we do not have a shot at another title in 2008.
Gotta go, Paige is playing Whole Lotta Love.
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