Big Blue Huddle

Through week 2, Jim Harbaugh has the Chargers at 2-0 with the Offense ranked 9th and the Defense ranked 2nd. Great early success.

Big fan of getting experienced Head Coaches with repetitive record of success.  While a rising coordinator may get you occasional success, ending up with misses seems to be the norm.

I must say I loved Bryce Young in college.  She feel like Carolina failed Young not vice versa.  Can Daboll resurrect Young?  Is it a chance to get a very young QB relatively cheaply then use next year's 1st and 2nd round picks to keep building the team?

Is he completely broken?

Mahommes, Rodgers and others managed to have sub-200 yard games yet they won.  Mahommes looked frankly awful yet the Chiefs had an OL opening holes for Isaiah Pacheco and he ran well and was the big reason they won as the offense kept stalling.  Chiefs had a 1st and goal inside the 5 early in the game and could not score a TD.  I think Kelce had maybe 2 catches all game.  Nonfactor as he was not even targeted.  Yet Chiefs win.  Why?

I think good teams find another way to win — great ST's play or lean on D or 2-3 timely play calls.

I dont believe there is a one formula fits all to winning.  You can win throwing under 200 yards per game occasionally but you probably cant win consistently if you can only rarely throw for more than 200 yards.

Daboll/Kafka are failed play callers IMHO so we have no advantage there.  We have at best a mixed bag OL that had a decent game yesterday but many more horrific games before that.  We have no Pacheco type RB (how did the Giants not know about him out of friggin Rutgers for God's sake?)

Huge game for Eagles.  You showcased exactly what you can do and you are a damn fine person.  It's clear the Giants could not maximize your talent with limited talent.  Now you will thrive.  Happy for you.

Huge weekend (at least for me).

Michigan - Texas is a huge matchup.  Nobody is giving Michigan a chance and that is a mistake as I believe their D will keep s oring way down.  Can Michigan take advantage of shots?  I think they were holding back last week.  I expect a good, close game.

Watch Will Johnson at CB against Texas' Bond at WR. True lockdown boundary CB vs explosive WR.  He's been getting coached by Charles Woodson.  If we want a boundary CB, he's the one.

I am in Colombia at the moment and will be sure I can find a sports bar showing it.

Here is something to get you depressed. 

First round picks

2018 - Frank Ragnow (20) vs Saquon Barkley (2)
2019 - TJ Hockenson (8) vs DJ (6) Dex (17) DeAndre Baker (30)
2020 - Jeff Okudah (3) vs Andrew Thomas (4)
2021 - Penei Sewell (7) vs Kadarius Toney (20)
2022 - Aidan Hutchinson (2) Jameson Williams (12) vs Kayvon (5) Neal (7)
2023 - Jahmyr Gibbs (12) Jack Campbell (18) vs Deonte Banks (24)

Look at the success rate in the first round alone of the Lions vs Giants.  Not just success rate but top shelf star players

Now add in some other rounds like Sam LaPorta, etc plus trade to get Jared Goff and you see how they became top tram while we are stuck in the mud.

I was against any move to draft Joe Milton, the rookie QB from Tennessee.  Why?  24 years old with a howitzer of an arm but a very unaccurate passer.  I used to say he cannot hit the sky if he wanted.  That said, he displayed some very positive traits in New England's preseason camp.  Would it be worth it for the Giants to trade for him and try to develop him as an heir apparent to DJ so they can continue to use high draft picks for other positions or if DJ should fail this season, use a presumably high draft pick on a rookie QB in 2025?  I have to think the Pats would accept something like a 4th or 5th round pick for him given that they seem to be pleased with Drake Maye's early development.  Just curious.

Based on 2023 won-loss records, that would put them around 12th in first round.  That's about what I expect on my upside analysis.  That's predicated on:

1) DJ plays 17 games and plays slightly above his 2022 level.

2) Giants improve on injury rate which always seems to plague them.

3) Sacks against Gmen falls below 50.

4) Nabers proves to be real deal and someone emerges at RB and TE to be better than average.

5) D plays above average in all facets of game.

Giants retain Dabs/Schoen who decide with the 12th pick to draft a boundary CB

DJ has been inconsistent at best.  Their backup QBs have looked horrible.

Their starting OL has looked better but their backups are awful.  Giants always suffer injuries so expect their OL with backups playing to bring down their offense.

Giants depth across almost every position group is poor.  They simply are not a roster stocked with talent.

Rinse, repeat.  How many years now of this same problem?

Whatever Daboll is doing as CEO is not working. 

Any college football fans here want to make a prediction?  Last year before the college season started I predicted JJ McCarthy would be a 1st round pick.

Here's mine.  Michigan will have 3 first round players selected before 1 Ohio State player is drafted.  It will be Will Johnson, Mason Graham and either Kenneth Grant or Colston Loveland.

Well, I had my ESPN FF draft last night. ESPN gave me a C for my draft, but I think that is because their evals base it almost entirely on last year's production.  As I am a big college football fan, I often emphasize rookies I happen to like a lot whom I think may be in ideal situations and provide huge upside.

QBs
Patrick Mahommes
Jordan Love - very good last year and think he will jump even more in production

RBs
Isaiah Pacheco - he seems to be firmly entrenched as RB1 for Chiefs and has been productive
De'Von Achane - he was huge last year but had limited play due to injury. 
Raheem Mostert - rotates with Mostert.  Had 18 TDs last year.  Don't expect the same but like him as well.
Tyjae Spears - Derrick Henry is now gone for Titans so maybe he gets more involved.  Good pass catcher.

WRs
Tyreek Hill
Zay Flowers - Great rookie production.  Think he jumps more.  He is Ravens WR1 IMHO.
Jayden Reed - good production for Packers in rookie year but he will split catches with Christian Watson.
Terry McLaurin - Had 4 1,000 yards + with mediocre QBs. Now with Jayden Daniels, who knows?  Redskins traded Dotson I think so now McLaurin is clear WR1 for them.
Ladd McConkey - Chargers lost Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.  They have nobody for Justin Herbert and Chargers traded up to get him.  He's a faster Pacua Nakua (sp?).  Hope for similar production.
Xavier Worthy - I think Worthy teams up with Mahommes to be his dynamic wideout he has not had since Tyreek Hill.  He's been good in preseason camps. 

TEs
Brock Bowers - rookie playing behinc Michael Mayer.  Raiders traded up to draft him.  Think they play him.
Isaiah Likely - when Mark Andrews is out, Likely is big TE producer.  Andrews is getting older.

K
Harrison Butler - top placekicker on a huge volume offense of Chiefs

D/STs
49ers -

Feel free to roast me if you like.

That will mean the Giants OL likely improved a lot as well.  With both finally fixed, the Giants can look to BPA in 2025 and bring in more elite talent.  The 2025 Draft will be heavy in defense with some elite boundary CBs, interior DLs and LBs.  Imagine Harold Perkins on the Giants.  Solve the QB problem and they can accumulate talent like the Eagles have.

Dabs retains his job.

If Dabs develops some UDFAs and maybe some late rounders but early picks like Neal, JMS and maybe Banks flop or are major disappointments, would Mara hang that on Schoen?  What about DJ blowing in 2024 with that big contract?

Any scenario?

I have to admit that moving JE to RT has made me feel lke we just made the largest upgrade possible to the OL.  With that done, i think the OL starts to come together more with Runyan and The others.  Can they fuse together?  Maybe JMS needs to ride the bench and learn.

I am probably 75%% more confident in the OL being at least average.  My only question is can they become a unit instead of 5 individuals?

Opening ceremony was best ever IMHO.  To do it all of Paris instead of just a stadium was brilliant.  Wow!

Under Wink, Banks, a rookie, played a lot of MTM.  Under Bowen, he is now having to learn to play more zone.  Ifnhe is not developing as quickly as we like, how much of it is due to the new defensive scheme?

When we had Bill B as our DC for so long we played a consistent style for a long time which allowed guys like Mark Collins to get more experience. 

This stadium is unbelievable.  Great design, amazing fan flow, so easy to buy things.

You will see how badly the Giants and Jets missed.

Developing players.  Look at some of their runs.  They get say 5th rounders or UDFAs to be say 60th percentile at their position as a stater.  Look at Bill Neil as NT or Billy Ard or David Diehl.  Just darn solid players.

Also their 2nd-3rd rounders become starring players.  Guys like Mark Collins and so many others.

What's the formula?  A non nonsense coach like Parcells and Coughlin who set high consistent bars to meet, demanded it and also out together great staffs of coaches who teach and develop talent.

Is that what we are missing?

We may develop 1 a bit now then fail on 10 others.

With DJ being a right handed thrower, his strength to roll out is to the right side, not his left side where with the latter he can't generate nearly the power or accuracy he can rolling out to the right.  That said, wouldn't it make more sense to put a better OT on the right side to move the pocket right to give him more time to throw.  I understand his blind side would be more exposed but whether he can see the edge rusher bearing down on him or not, he still gets sacked quickly.  At least rolling right with a better ORT, he buys more time.  Therefore, my thought is putting AT on the right side.  Is this crazy?

Saw it last night.  It's prt of a four movie saga.  No character development, beginning/ending, standalone type movie.

More like a collection of images than well put together story.

He put his own money into financing it.  He's going to lose a lot of money. 

In researching one of the trivia questions for another post, I can upon this stat.

In 1970, the Giants starting 5 OL missed a total of only 4 games.  14 game season

In 2023, the Giants starting 5 PL missed a total of something like 25 games.  17 game season

In spite of only 3 more games played, a 6x increase in missed games.

Wow.  What does that say? 

What do you all think?  Very good all around player who fits probably every team with his shooting and defense.  Here are my 4 questions for you:

1) Assuming they re-sign OG, how do they play both simultaneously as I think both play the same position?  Wouldn't the lineup be too small if they play together?

2) Knicks gave up a huge haul of draft picks to get him potentially crippling their future rebuilding especially if guys go down with major injuries.  Was that smart to give up so much?

3) Does signing Bridges mean they lose OG?

4) if they keep OG, do they need a certain kind of center with OG and Bridges playing together along with Brunson?

Can one of the Mods post at the top to stay there all the first names of posters here on the board?  Thanks.

Well guys, it's time we share our thoughts as to any "smart" ideas we may have.

Here are some of mine:

1) I think the early 1st round rookie  WRs may be a mistake to pickup because I dont like the QBs throwing to them.  Instead I love Keon Coleman with Josh Allen throwing to him and loss of Diggs.  They say Coleman has been catching everything.  I like Brian Thomas for same reason as Coleman.  He has Trevor plus loss of Ridley.  I think both will be day 1 starters and grab most targets.

2) I scored big last year with Achane at RB.  No way Mostert puts up his same numbers as last tear being that he is I think 32.  Believe Achane gets more plays plus McDaniel also lined him as a WR.

The Los Angeles Lakers just hired JJ Reddick to be head coach.  He has never coached in the NBA either as an assistant or HC.  The previous people hired without NBA coaching experience of any kind have all lasted less than 2 seasons as HC.

As fans we absolutely have a right to question the decisions teams make that we cheer for.  Any person is capable of making a stupid decision.  Same with an organization especially when groupthink may occur.

This brings me to Brian Daboll.  Was he really the OC or quarterback whisperer that he is purports to be?  I never saw him as some "wonder kid" savant like other coaches of the past.

I am really struggling to understand if this team is improving, declining, if we have the right coaching staff in place, right management, etc.

It's one thing to have a position group sub-perform but another to have it bribg down a unit as badly as the Giants OL did last season.  The only equivalent I can think of was when RichRod coached Michigan and he failed to sign a kicker and in one season, Michigan regularly could not kick even extra points.

When there is such a failure it seems like the coach must be assigned more blame for the failure.

What about Schoen?  Seems like a nice, smart, honest guy but does he and his staff see more "promise" in a prospect than is actually there?

Then there's DJ probably the most debated player in Giants history.  From '22-'24 we have him with a so-called "Quarterback Whisperer" yet I do not see an advancement in his development.

I feel lost with this team.  Where are they going?

On good Giant teams, we saw real position group development.  Look at 1986 secondary with rookie Mark Collins, Perry Williams, Kenny Hill and Terry Kinard.  It was a developed unit.  Same with OL of Brad Benson, Billy Ard, Bart Oates, Chris Godfrey and Karl Nelson.  Did we have just better position group coaches in developing players and integrating them into an effective scheme?

What do you think?

Lately I have been buying large bags of cherries.  I have always loved them but holy cow I can't stop eating them.  That explosion of sweet juice with the fruit texture is impossible to stop.  Surpassed same problem with peanuts, potato chips, chicken wings, etc.

Do you have such an addiction to a snack?

Does anyone notice anything different about how they are being run?  Curious since many thought last season's preseason camp was not intense enough and did not settle on starters early enough to get them reps together.

I dont know about you but I want to seem them get a Quickley 2.0 out of this draft.  Someone who can score in bunches especially from deep outside would be great.

The guy I'd love to see them get is Rob Dillingam out of Kentucky.  He is a lights out shooter.  He's a bit short at 6'1" - 6'2" but he shoots it well particularly from a dribble.

What do you all think they should do?