As diehard football fans, it’s no news to anyone reading this NY Giants blog that NFL stands for Not For Long. Over the last two days we watched the two Super Bowl contenders struggle versus two (what we believe to be) second tier teams who were each forecast to win 7.5 & 9.5 games. The Cowboys (without Parsons) and the Chargers (without Slater) are not going to put fear in anybody. Yet they were both competitive. One must simultaneously note that the Eagles without Carter (Spitgate) and the Chiefs without both Rice+Worthy are also hobbled. Turnover each year is the norm in the NFL. September (“the new preseason”) is a hot mess. Teams need to find their identity quickly.
Enter the NY Giants. On Friday, Andrew Thomas was listed as doubtful. I honestly have no idea what we are getting this season with Andrew Thomas. That’s bad. It’s 10-11 months since he was lost last season. He was removed from the Pup list. He practiced. Is he unable to perform at an NFL level? Do we dare think about the ‘r’ word? This OL is simply not the same without Thomas healthy. BBB Schneier is contemplating going into his tornado shelter room if he has to watch James Hudson at LT. As high as we are on rookie Marcus Mbow, it’s another matter entirely to think he’ll be able to play against first stringers this early in his career. Between Hudson and Mbow, that’s what we have vs Washington. Pray.
Dak Prescott was the instigator in Spitgate. If I were Goodell and, consistent with their efforts to crack down on taunting even more than ever, I had to dispense punishment, I’d suspend Prescott at least 2 if not 4 games. And because I’m a Giants fan, I’d use the 10 days between their second game to institute it immediately, effective Week 2 vs the Gmen. Carter already was thrown out and effectively had a 1 game suspension. Yep, they always seem to get the retaliator. I’d let that stand as time served. But it does imply Dak needs more than that. Toss him now.
The NFL’s efforts to be more aggressive with taunting will only add more variance to the game and the sport. It will put more control of outcomes in the hands of officials instead of players. We need to look no further than Spitgate to see how officials miss the original offender. It’s frankly a little sickening watching Travis Kelce (and a few others) get under the skin of opposing players, only to see the response get called. It becomes so juvenile. Play the freaking game. I want to watch football, not elementary school policing. If the NFL would do its best to go after instigators (ie 4 game suspension for Dak), I think we would start to see players respond appropriately because now it becomes very very costly to lose those game checks. Then maybe this stuff would go away and we could go back to watching football. Essentially what I’m asking for is more adjudication with a review of tape in between games and less refereeing during games.
I like the rule that if you kick off to end zone, the opponent gets the ball at the 35 yard line instead of the 30. I hated giving the opponent that much field position anyway, and it’s nice to see teams working to place the ball inbounds so that there’s a return.
Flott will be starting on 1st and 2nd downs, with Banks coming in on 3rd down. Given the nature of nickel & dime packages, that sounds like Flott won the starting job.