Tag Archives: #Giants

The Red Sox Bullpen Feels Shaky. Does it Matter?

Baseball’s waiver trade deadline passed yesterday, without so much as a peep from the top team in the majors. Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox chose to roll with the guys in the clubhouse, despite two other AL rivals (New York and Cleveland) making moves to bring in former MVPs and despite calls across their fan base to improve the bullpen.

Those desperate cries have rang out all season long. As it turns out, fans aren’t feeling too comfortable at the thought of Matt Barnes, Joe Kelly, or Heath Hembree entering the 8th inning of a Game 7. Dombrowski’s reputation of building star-studded teams without reliable relievers doesn’t help matters either.

But just how shaky is Boston’s ‘pen? Is having a group of dominant relievers really so important in October? Let’s do a bit of digging to find out.

Red Sox Bullpen: Actually Good?

Photo Credit: AP Photo / Charles Krupa

For starters, the idea that the Red Sox bullpen has struggled this season is more perception than reality. There may not be a ton of big names and former closers like there are with the Yankees and Indians. That being said- the Sox’s relievers have generally been up to the task.

Boston currently ranks 6th in the majors in reliever ERA this season (4th in the AL). The five teams ahead of them also happen to be teams currently slated for a playoff spot. The aforementioned Indians, despite trading for the Padres’ Brad Hand earlier this summer and having Cody Allen and Andrew Miller in the mix, rank 26th in the league in bullpen ERA.

The Sox also rate favorably in FIP (5th in the majors, 3rd amongst playoff teams). Their bullpen’s 4.5 fWAR ranks 7th in baseball, even though their relievers have thrown only 461 innings this season (19th most). In other words, Boston’s ‘pen has provided enough value to rank in the top 25% of teams, despite appearing in fewer innings than every team ahead of them for the exception of Houston.

Of course, that doesn’t mean they’ve been perfect. Far from it in fact. Two troubling peripherals: the Red Sox rank 18th in reliever BB/9 (3.65) and 4th in strand rate (78.4%). Giving up free passes in high-leverage situations is playing with fire, especially in October. A high strand rate means that Boston has done well at putting out those fires. But, that luck can turn in a hurry.

Bullpen Matters

CINCINNATI, OH – AUGUST 12: Joe Kelly #56 of the Boston Red Sox pitches in the third inning of the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on August 12, 2014 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

All of this is to say that the Red Sox bullpen has been overall perfectly acceptable, if not dominant. The good news? Having a great regular season bullpen isn’t necessarily a predictor for postseason success, especially if you excel in other areas like Boston does.

The defending World Series champion Astros ranked 17th in baseball with a 4.27 bullpen ERA last year, yet still won 101 games. That was thanks in large part to their league-leading offense and strong starting pitching. The team they beat for the title last year, the Dodgers, ranked 4th in bullpen ERA. Both finished behind the Red Sox, whose 3.15 reliever ERA was good for 2nd best in baseball.

Here’s where the other previous six pennant winners ranked in bullpen ERA:

2016: Cubs 8th, Indians 4th

2015: Royals 2nd, Mets 11th

2014: Giants 5th, Royals 10th

Of the last eight World Series participants, four finished in the top five. Only last year’s Astros finished outside of the top half of the league. The Royals, who started this craze with their three-headed monster of Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera, and Greg Holland, finished 2nd in 2015. Their bullpen effectively functioned as the team’s greatest asset, compensating for a weak rotation and unconventional lineup. It was essentially the inverse of what the ’17 Astros lineup did for their relievers.

It’s perfectly fair to critique Dombrowski for not finding a better option at either trade deadline. It certainly would have been nice to supplement Craig Kimbrel at the end of games. Ultimately, it might not matter if the Red Sox bullpen is merely above average instead of dominant. Having a killer set of relievers helps come playoff time. However, it’s not necessarily more important than timely hitting, strong starting pitching, and major contributions from stars.

Thus far, it appears Red Sox management is betting on that being the case.

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XLVI

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The Super Bowl is just 6 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 6 years ago to honor this not that significant occasion!

Indianapolis hosted Super Bowl XLVI on February 5, 2012. The game pitted the NFC champion New York Giants against the New England Patriots of the American Football Conference. This, of course, was the rematch of probably the most intense of all the Super Bowls, Super Bowl XLII when the Giants prevented the Patriots from going undefeated.

New York Giants 6 Years Ago

The Giants did not have a particularly strong 2011 season, but they did have a breakout defensive star in Jason Pierre-Paul. Joining Pierre-Paul along the line were Chris Canty, Linval Joseph and Justin Tuck. This was a true strength of the team that started the season at 6-2. However, the defense slumped down the stretch to finish 27^th in the NFL.

In week 9, the Giants defeated the Patriots in New England 24-20 on a last-second drive led by Eli Manning. The Giants’ best players on offense were wideouts Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks. Although the Giants went on a 4-game midseason skid, the Cowboys and Eagles could not catch them in the NFC East. Cruz and Nicks played outstanding football in the Giants’ late-season sweep of Dallas that clinched the division.

New York really seemed up against it heading into the playoffs. The Packers had an extraordinary 15-1 season and the top seed. The 49ers and their punishing defense and the Saints and their high-octane offense also had superb regular seasons. And, the Giants finished dead last in running the ball. Nobody had ever made it to the Super Bowl with such difficult odds. But, these were the Giants captained by Tom Coughlin that made history by defeating the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII ending their undefeated season. So, they believed.

Giants Upset Pack & Niners

In the opening round, the Giants outclassed the Falcons, 24-2 in the Wild Card round setting up a clash with the Pack. In the regular season, the amazing Aaron Rodgers helped the Packers come back to win a thriller at the Giants’ MetLife Stadium. This time, Rodgers never had a chance. The Giants looked like the 15-1 squad while the Packers played like a team that barely finished above .500.

Manning found Nicks for an exciting 66 yarder early and on a “Hail Mary” on the last play of the first half. Michael Boley, Chase Blackburn and the wily Osi Umenyiora tormented Rodgers in the second half as New York shocked the football world with a 37-20 victory in Lambeau Field. The Giants had another very challenging matchup ahead of them. The 49ers had knocked off the Saints in an absolute beauty and would host the NFC championship game.

San Francisco jumped ahead, but New York just kept hanging around. They managed to get the game into overtime where it turned into a punt-fest. New York benefited from a blown whistle on a fumble in their own red zone and a fumble by Niners’ punt returner Kyle Williams. The Giants prevailed 20-17 and were on to their 5^th Super Bowl.

New England Patriots 6 Years Ago

The New England Patriots got back to the big game with the second-ranked offense and the second-worse ranked defense. Brady started with a bang collecting 500 yards passing on opening night in Miami. Following that week 9 loss to New York, the Pats finished the season on a 10-game winning streak.

In the Divisional round, Brady was on fire as he threw 6 touchdown passes. Tim Tebow was on the other side for Denver and he completed nine total passes. New England routed the Broncos twice in 2011 by a combined score of 86-33!

Pats Survive Gutsy Ravens

The AFC championship game between New England and the Baltimore Ravens was a completely different beast. Baltimore challenged the Patriots all day. Brady struggled, and the defensive backfield was so depleted, New England was using punt returner Julian Edelman as a cornerback. The lead see-sawed back and forth until Brady snuck in on a 4^th down to put the Patriots ahead 23-20. Then, the fun reached a climax.

The Ravens got the ball back with about two minutes to go and easily moved the ball into field goal range. On a second down, quarterback Joe Flacco fired a perfect throw toward Lee Evans in the end zone. Evans caught it. Then, Sterling Moore swiped it away. After another incompletion, Billy Cundiff came in to attempt a game-tying field goal. He hurried on to the field and missed wide left. The Patriots advanced to their seventh Super Bowl. By the way, nose tackle Vince Wilfork played a game for the ages.

Even First Half

The Patriots did not get off to a great start in the Super Bowl. On their first offensive series, Tom Brady got flagged for grounding in the end zone. The Giants then drove to a Victor Cruz touchdown and a 9-0 lead. The Pats settled down and kicked a field goal early in the second quarter.

The Giants had something brewing in response but received an extremely questionable holding penalty on a third and one. Punter Steve Weatherford came on to punt and pin the Patriots deep. Weatherford, for the record, was outstanding in the most important game of his career.

Brady then embarked on a record-setting streak. Interestingly, this may have been his worst overall performance in a Super Bowl, but for what it is worth, over the course of two drives in the second and third quarters, he connected on 17 straight passes. The first scoring drive came with eight seconds left in the first half. Brady surveyed the field for eternity before firing a dart to Danny Woodhead for the touchdown.

Patriots Drop the Ball

In the second half, Tom connected with Aaron Hernandez. The score was 17-9 for the Patriots midway through the third quarter. It was now the Giants turn to strike back. For NY, the going was slow but steady. Two field goal drives cut the lead to 17-15. Brady also threw an interception on a promising Patriots drive. And, one other crazy thing about this game is the Giants fumbled three times but recovered all of them.

New England moved the ball well again in an effort to put the game away late in the fourth quarter. However, on a second and 11 at around the Giants 40 with four minutes to go, disaster struck. Brady had Wes Welker open in the seam. The pass was slightly high and behind Welker but was definitely catchable. Welker went up for it, got both hands on it and dropped it. On third down, Deion Branch missed what would have been a first down over the middle.

Manning to Manningham

New England punted. Then, Manning hit his third wide receiver Mario Manningham on a gorgeous throw and catch along the sidelines. New York drove into field goal range. So, Bill Belichick advised his team to let New York score. Ahmad Bradshaw endeavored to stop short of the goal-line but accidentally fell into the end zone for the 21-17 lead. Subsequently, the Patriots desperate last drive failed. They dropped a few more passes, converted a fourth and 20 and missed on two bombs. The Giants were champions for the fourth time.

New England would be back at it three years later while the Giants have fallen on some down times. They will always have the distinction of beating the dynasty Patriots not once, but twice in Super Bowl action.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_bills

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XLII

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The Super Bowl is just 10 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 10 years ago to honor this not-so-significant occasion!

Glendale, Arizona hosted Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008. The game pitted the NFC champion New York Giants against the New England Patriots of the American Football Conference.

New England Patriots 10 Years Ago

Keith Nordstrom

Simply put, the 2007 Patriots are one of the most famous teams in NFL history. Their story starts at the end of 2006 when their stable of no-name wideouts was criticized for struggling in the AFC championship game. Thus, the Pats acquired Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Dante Stallworth to add firepower to their offense. They also added Pro Bowler Adalius Thomas to an already strong defense.

A funny thing happened in their Week One destruction of the New York Jets. The Patriots were caught “spying” on Jets’ signal callers. While videotaping in of itself was not illegal, the manner with which Bill Belichick did it was called out by Commissioner Roger Goodell as inappropriate. Indeed, all owners and coaches were warned of what they could and what they could not do. Belichick was slapped with the stiffest fine for such “gamesmanship” in NFL history.

Greatest Regular Season Ever

Al Bello

Belichick seemingly took his frustration over this situation out on the rest of the league. New England did not just win games in 2007. They pulverized their opponents like nothing ever seen. Quarterback Tom Brady played at an obscene level of greatness. Randy Moss was unstoppable, and Wes Welker was a revelation at slot receiver. The Patriots shattered offensive records left and right.

In the final game of the regular season, they put their undefeated streak on the line against the Giants. The G-men were locked in at a Wild Card spot and had nothing to play for. However, they did not rest their guys and gave the Patriots everything they could not want. In the end, Brady hit Moss for one of the most dramatic regular season touchdowns ever seen. The Pats won the ball game, but the Giants with their fight and resilience made a statement.

In the playoffs, Brady was on fire in a 31-20 victory over Jacksonville. He did not play well the following week against the Chargers. But, New England was the vastly superior team and prevailed 21-12 to earn the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl appearance.

New York Giants 10 Years Ago

Donald Miralle

While the Patriots dominated the ’07 season, the Giants flew under the radar. They started the season 0-2 losing to the two best NFC teams of the regular season: The Cowboys and Packers. They responded with a six-game winning streak behind the much-improved play of fourth-year quarterback Eli Manning and bulky runner Brandon Jacobs.

The Giants were mediocre down the stretch finishing 10-6 after their loss to the Pats. They did, however, have one major strength: pass rush. Michael Strahan and reserve Justin Tuck combined for nineteen sacks on the season. Their best player on defense, though, was Osi Umenyiora. He made the Pro Bowl thanks to his thirteen sacks, forty tackles, two fumble recoveries and one touchdown.

Clutch Manning

In the playoffs, Tom Coughlin’s team won rather handily in the Wild Card game over Tampa Bay. The win earned them a trip to Dallas to face the top-seeded Cowboys. The Cowboys lacked discipline on the big stage, committing eleven penalties. So, despite outgaining New York by 100 yards, Dallas found themselves in a dogfight. The Giants did not have many opportunities to score. But, their red zone trips resulted in 21 points. Tony Romo’s last ditch pass intended for Terry Glenn was off the mark. Hence, the Giants escaped with an improbable 21-17 victory.

In one of the coldest games in NFL history, the Giants played very well in Green Bay. They dominated in time of possession and controlled the second half. However, kicker Lawrence Tynes missed two kicks that could have won the game in regulation for New York. Brett Favre threw an interception early in overtime. This time, Tynes nailed the winner from forty-seven yards out. Red-faced from the extreme conditions, Tom Coughlin ran to the locker room with joy. Super Bowl XLII would be the New York Giants against the undefeated New England Patriots.

Defensive Stalemate

The Giants took the opening possession down the field and settled for a field goal. The Patriots answered by taking their opening drive all the way for a touchdown thanks to a DPI in the end zone against tight end Ben Watson. The score was 7-3 at that point and it remained that way for about two hours!

New England came closest to scoring in the third quarter. But, when faced with a fourth and thirteen at the thirty-one, Belichick decided to go for it instead of trying the field goal. Finally, in the fourth quarter, the Giants moved the ball. First, Manning found tight end Kevin Boss for a 45-yard gain. Then, on a 2^nd and 3 from the five, he hit David Tyree for the go-ahead touchdown. It was Tyree’s seventh catch of the entire season.

The Patriots responded by driving the length of the field with Brady going to Welker and Kevin Faulk for big gainers. On a third and goal from the ten, Brady threw a dart to a single-covered Moss for the go-ahead score. It was 14-10 Patriots with 2:35 remaining.

Helmet Catch

The Giants launched a drive for the ages. They converted a fourth and inches from their own 29. Next, Asante Samuel barely missed picking off Manning along the sideline when the Giants had some miscommunication. Then, Manning miraculously escaped pressure and lobbed one for Tyree who made his eighth catch of the season by pinning the ball to his helmet. Rodney Harrison unsuccessfully tried to dislodge the ball from Tyree’s grip.

The Giants converted a 3^rd and 11 to Steve Smith followed by the go-ahead touchdown from Manning to Plaxico Burress from the thirteen. Ellis Hobbs was isolated in coverage on Burress. Manning threw a perfect pass and the Giants took the lead. The Patriots almost completed a “Hail Mary” on their final possession, but it harmlessly fell from Randy’s grasp. The Giants won their third Super Bowl and denied New England’s place in the annals of sports history.

The Giants and Patriots would meet again in Super Bowl XLVI four years later. These would be the two most difficult losses of the Belichick/Brady era. On the other hand, these wins cemented Tom Coughlin’s place as a great coach and proved Eli Manning could beat anybody in the clutch.

Tomorrow, we’ll discuss another wonderful Super Bowl game between the Steelers and Cardinals.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XXXV

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The Super Bowl is just 17 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 17 years ago to honor this not-so-significant occasion!

Tampa Bay hosted Super Bowl XXXI on January 28, 2001. The game pitted the NFC champion New York Giants against the Baltimore Ravens of the American Football Conference.

Baltimore Ravens 17 Years Ago

The Ravens’ franchise came into existence in 1996. In their first ever draft, they had two first round choices. They selected UCLA OT Jonathan Odgen with the fourth pick and Miami linebacker Ray Lewis with the 26^th pick. Thus, Baltimore started off with a bang. Four years later, Odgen anchored the offense while Lewis led the defense. And, what a defense!

The 2000 Ravens coached by Brian Billick put together one of the greatest defensive seasons in NFL history. They are right up there with the ’75 Steelers, ’85 Bears and ’13 Seahawks when it comes to the finest units to win a Super Bowl. Marvin Lewis was the DC for the 12-4 Ravens. Ray Lewis was their best player. Indeed, Lewis may go down in history as the best inside linebacker to ever play this game. But, Baltimore employed solid guys throughout their lineup.

Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams and their total combined weight of 700 pounds made running near impossible and allowed Lewis the freedom to roam sideline to sideline. Veteran Rod Woodson also had a Pro Bowl season at free safety. Young corners Chris McAlister and Duane Starks played with aggression and confidence. The defense was stacked; and it was a good thing because the offense was mediocre at best.

Offensive Woes

After a 5-1 start, the Ravens went three consecutive games without scoring a touchdown. Consequently, Trent Dilfer replaced the ineffective Tony Banks at starting QB. Dilfer was nothing special, but he did generate enough points to ensure the Ravens would not lose again for the remainder of the season. He looked to throw to tight end Shannon Sharpe or hand the ball off to rookie sensation Jamal Lewis.

Over their last seven games, the Ravens could not generate 300 total yards in a single game. In fact, in two of those contests, they registered less than 150! But, these were the 2000 Ravens. Who needs offense?

From Wild Card to Super Bowl

Bill Frakes

In the Wild Card round, they knocked off Sharpe’s former team, the Broncos. Indeed, it was Sharpe who made the big play on a fluky 58-yard TD catch and run. That sent the Ravens to division-winner and defending AFC Champion Tennessee. These were the two best teams in football in 2000. And, for anyone who loves defense, this is a must re-watch. The Ravens and Titans hit each other for three hours. Baltimore finished the game with 6 total first down and 5 completed passes. The Titans missed three field goals.

One of those misses was a block returned by Anthony Mitchell giving the Ravens a 17-10 lead. In the fourth quarter, Ray Lewis took over. On a pass intended for Eddie George, Lewis muscled the ball away and bolted to the end zone putting the game away.

In the AFC Championship game, Baltimore was again the underdog on paper. However, Siragusa knocked Raiders’ QB Rich Gannon out of the game and all hope Oakland had was pretty much gone. Sharpe made the only offensive play the Ravens needed with a 96-yard catch and run. Baltimore won 16-3 clinching a trip to Super Bowl XXXV.

New York Giants 17 Years Ago

The New York Giants were not projected to be a Super Bowl contender coming into the 2000 season. Even as the season progressed, they took a back seat to high-scoring teams like the defending World Champion Rams and the Minnesota Vikings. But, head coach Jim Fassel was convinced he had a playoff team on his hands even after a two-game home losing streak dropped their record to 7-4.

Led by the reborn Kerry Collins and the unique talents of running back Tiki Barber, New York won their final five regular season games. On defense, the Giants were led by Pro Bowler Jessie Armstead. They also had two very popular defenders in Michael Strahan and Jason Sehorn. It was Sehorn who made the critical play in the Giants 20-10 win over the rival Eagles. Sehorn made a bobbling catch along the sideline and dashed home for the six.

In the NFC Championship game, the Giants hosted the Vikings. New York pulverized Minnesota 41-0 in what was shockingly one of the most lopsided games in the NFL history. They outgained Minnesota 518-114 on the day and rolled to a 34-0 halftime lead. The Giants were ready to participate in the Super Bowl for a third time.

Defense Wins Championship

KMazur

Super Bowl XXXV was mostly a boring affair unless you loved the Ravens’ defense. Ray Lewis was everywhere. And, when Trent Dilfer hit Brandon Stokley for an early TD, it appeared that even a 7-0 lead could be insurmountable for New York on this day.

With about four minutes remaining in the third quarter, the game received a must-needed jolt. It last about 30 seconds and would produce three return touchdowns pushing the game over the miniscule 33-total. First, Starks robbed Collins and ran it back 49 yards for a touchdown. Collins threw four picks on the day. Ron Dixon returned the ensuing kickoff for the Giants’ only points on the day. However, Baltimore’s veteran kick returner Jermaine Lewis responded. His 84-yarder pushed the Ravens to a 24-7 lead and ended the competitive nature of this Super Bowl.

The Ravens went on to win 34-7 giving the franchise their first World Championship and the city their Super Bowl counting the old Colts’ Super Bowl V triumph. Baltimore would continue to be tough defensively as long as Lewis played including another Super Bowl title in his last game after the 2012 season.

The Giants would not make it to the Super Bowl for seven years where they would face a legend by the name of Tom Brady. Tomorrow, we will read about how Brady helped the New England Patriots win Super Bowl XXXVI!

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XXV

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The Super Bowl is just 27 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 27 years ago to honor this not-that-significant occasion!

Tampa Bay hosted Super Bowl XXV on January 27, 1991. The game pitted the NFC champion New York Giants against the Buffalo Bills of the American Football Conference. The United States was at war while this game was being played. President Bush launched an attack on Iraq for invading the small nation of Kuwait. There was an air of patriotism at the stadium for the big game not seen heretofore.

New York Giants 27 Years Ago

The game itself was tremendous and featured two teams with totally different styles. The Giants ran a very simple, yet effective run-first offense. Phil Simms was a good quarterback and a great leader. In 1990, Simms was having his best season until…he was injured in game 15 of the regular season. He was replaced by Jeff Hostetler. The Giants’ rushing attack was powered by veteran Ottis Anderson and youngster Rodney Hampton until…Hampton was injured in the divisional round of the playoffs. Thus, the Giants came into the Super Bowl undermanned on offense.

There simply is no secret to the 1990 Giants’ success. The Head Coach was Bill Parcells and the defensive coordinator was Bill Belichick. Their defense was marvelous. Lawrence Taylor had another great season with 10.5 sacks and linebacker Pepper Johnson was a first team All-pro. They anchored the top-ranked defense in the NFL. The defense paved the way to a 10-0 start to the campaign. After dismantling the Chicago Bears in the playoffs, it was time for the Giants’ defense to match up against the San Francisco offense. Yes, Montana, Rice and the gang were firing on all cylinders heading into the NFC championship game.

No Three-peat

Robert Riger / Paul Sakuma

But, New York felt confident. They lost to the 49ers during the regular season. However, the final score was 7-3. They got after Montana all night in that Monday road game. That same formula worked against the Niners in the championship game. New York gave up only one big play. Then, they kept chipping away with field goals. Leonard Marshall also walloped Montana knocking him out for the game.

Trailing 13-12 late in the fourth, Erik Howard forced a Roger Craig fumble. Matt Bahr kicked a 41-yard game winner at the buzzer and TV commentator Pat Summerall announced, “There will be no three-peat.”

Buffalo Bills 27 Years Ago

The Bills came into Super Bowl XXV flying high. Marv Levy’s team was decent defensively. They had two superstars on that side of the ball: Bruce Smith and Cornelius Bennett. Smith especially had a superb 1990 campaign.

As the Giants were extraordinary on defense, the Bills were that way on offense. Jim Kelly led the K-gun attack to a team record amount of points. This was not just a no-huddle offense. This was a hurry up offense. And, on days they could not be stopped, Buffalo was able to pour it on.

They had a future Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas that could do everything well. They also played two future Hall of Fame wide receivers, Andre Reed and James Lofton. Lofton was a tremendous deep threat and Reed was one of the best yards-after-catch guys ever to play. Fully loaded, the Bills rampaged through the 1990 regular season. Then, they scored 95 points in their two playoff games. In the AFC championship game, Buffalo annihilated the Raiders 51-3 giving Buffalo its first championship team in 25 years.

Giants Control Ball

After a scintillating rendition of the National Anthem by Whitney Houston, the Giants and Bills’ contrasting styles were put on full display. Buffalo was able to move the ball. But, they were punished physically in the process. Reed, for example, caught eight passes. They went for only 62 yards as Giants’ defensive backs were everywhere hitting everything. Belichick’s scheme was simple: make the Bills run the football. When Buffalo accepted the invitation, Thomas made plays. When they opted to throw the ball, they paid the price.

Nevertheless, Buffalo led 12-3 when Bruce Smith tackled a falling Hostetler in the end zone for a safety. “Hoss” was heroic in leading his team back, however.

The Giants possessed the ball for an obscene 17 minutes on two touchdown scoring drives spanning the second and third quarters. They converted one tough third down after another, putting Bills’ defenders on the brink of exhaustion. Anderson, now in his 12^th season, ran like war tank punishing second -level stoppers like Mark Kelso and Darryl Talley in the process.

Heading into the 4^th quarter, NY led 17-12. That quarter, the public caught a glimpse of the heart of the team from Buffalo. A heart that would define their legacy in that era. Indeed, on the first play of the final frame, Thomas ran through a large hole, ran over Mark Collins, received a fine block from Reed and was free. The dynamic run gave the Bills a 19-17 lead.

The Giants came back with another time-consuming drive. They finished the night with over 40 minutes of time of possession. Parcells’ strategy to upend the six-point favorites was master class.

Wide Right

The Bills, though, had one final shot and drove to New York’s thirty with eight seconds left. Thomas had two more big runs finishing with 15 carries for 135 yards. Quiet Scott Norwood came on the field to attempt a 47-yard field goal. The kick had the distance, but was wide right. The Giants were World Champions for the second time in five seasons!

The heartbroken Bills limped off the field glazy-eyed. They would be back and back again and back some more. But, in their next three Super Bowl appearances, they would be the clear underdog.

Bill Parcells left the Giants after the 1990 season. Hence, they took a huge step back in 1991. But, as an organization, New York would get back to the Super Bowl. On one such occasion, they would pull off an upset of even grander proportions!

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XXI

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The Super Bowl is just 31 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 31 years ago to honor this not that significant occasion!

Pasadena’s Rose Bowl hosted Super Bowl XXI on January 25, 1987. The game pitted the NFC champion New York Giants against the Denver Broncos of the American Football Conference.

New York Giants 31 Years Ago

Coming into 1986, the G-men had not won a championship since 1956. In fact, they had not even won a division title in twenty-three seasons. But, this team had very high expectations coming in.

Unlike the ’85 Bears, the Giants won a lot of close games. During the regular season, they went 9-2 in games decided by 7 or fewer points. They were very well-coached by defensive guru Bill Parcells. And this team’s strong suit was their defense led by Lawrence Taylor. Taylor may have been the greatest defensive player in NFL history. However, this was far from a one-man unit. While the defensive backfield was suspect, their front seven was phenomenal.

On offense, they were led by the small, but durable Joe Morris. Morris rushed for over 1500 yards. Phil Simms was the quarterback. He was average at best in 1986 tossing 22 interceptions on the season. Simms, though, was good when he needed to be. That included his heroics on a 4^th and 17 to help the Giants come back against Minnesota.

In the playoffs, the Giants humiliated San Francisco, 49-3. They literally knocked Joe Montana out of the game. In the NFC championship game verse division rival Washington, New York scored 17 points in the first quarter of a very windy game at Giants Stadium. Subsequently, they won 17-0. Thus, the Giants were on to their first Super Bowl of their franchise’s history!

Denver Broncos 31 Years Ago

In the AFC, it was a four-team race between the Browns, Broncos, Jets and Patriots. Denver’s Head Coach was longtime Cowboy Dan Reeves. There was nothing spectacular about his team except quarterback John Elway. The Broncos finished the season 15^th-ranked on offense and 9^th on defense. But, in a season where there was so much parity in the AFC, the Broncos did a great job of staying in ball games and competing hard.

That effort was on full display in their two exciting playoff games. In the divisional round against the defending conference champion Patriots, Denver came back to win 22-17. In the AFC championship game at Cleveland, they made history.

It was a back and forth affair. The Broncos found themselves down 20-13 with five minutes left after Brian Brennan gave Cleveland the lead. Denver misplayed the kickoff. Hence, they started their key drive at their own 2-yard line! The moment was not too big for Elway.

Denver methodically moved the ball down the field. With 39 seconds left, Elway drilled a pass to Mark Jackson from the five-yard line. The PAT tied the score. In OT, Rich Karlis kicked a controversial game-winner and Denver was on to their second Super Bowl.

Giants Pull Away

The Giants were favored to win Super Bowl XXI by 9 points. But, Denver fought tooth and nail as they had all season in the first half. The Giants’ defense hung tough in the red zone in the second quarter during a pivotal part of the game. The Broncos were leading 10-7 and had first and goal. They were stuffed, though. Taylor made an amazing speed play tracking down Elway on a run. Karlis, then, missed a twenty-one-yard field goal.

That was the closest Denver came to the shocking upset. Simms could not miss. He finished the game 22 of 25 passing and the G-men scored 26 consecutive points to pull away. Zeke Mowatt, Mark Bavaro, Phil McConkey, Ottis Anderson and Morris scored touchdowns for NY in a 39-20 victory. The only thing left was for the Giants to do was douse Parcells with Gatorade. Harry Carson did the honors and the Giants had their first World Championship!

New York came back four years later to win Super Bowl XXV. Denver lost two of the next three. At this point in NFL history, the NFC was dominating the Super Bowl. They won every big dance from Super Bowl XIX through XXXI.

Tomorrow, we’ll discuss how the Redskins won Super Bowl XXII.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

Is Eli Manning’s Career Over?

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The New York Giants’ coach Ben McAdoo announced around 3 PM on Tuesday that longtime starting quarterback Eli Manning will be benched for Sunday’s game against the Raiders for Geno Smith, as announced in a press conference held by McAdoo. This will bring an end to Eli’s 210 game streak of starting in an NFL regular season or postseason game. McAdoo also stated that rookie Davis Webb would get a shot to at some point this season. Webb, who was a third-round pick drafted from California, was highly praised for his natural athletic ability and big arm, according to Mike Mayock. Webb’s decision-making, however, was cited as poor and “robotic”, along with being a poor scrambling quarterback.

If the Giants don’t improve their offensive line, Webb is a poor choice at quarterback, as the Big Blue line is the most depressing thing in sports since The Butt Fumble. Webb is not even an average scrambling quarterback. And when I say their line is depressing, that’s quite an understatement. They suck, a lot. It’s a disgrace to offensive lines to call the New York Giants offensive line an offensive line. It’s more like a collection of semi-mobile practice dummies trying to protect a school of fish against a shark. Nothing’s going to go over well. But anyways, back to Eli Manning. Will Eli be back next season for the Giants, another team, or will he retire? Let’s look through Steve Tisch and John Mara’s options.

What the Giants Should Do with Eli

Eli Manning is still a serviceable quarterback in the league, but his contract severely limits his trade value. Despite the Giants 2-9 record, Eli has set a career low for interceptions per pass attempt (1.8%) and has a 2:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio this season. My fellow contributors at Boston Sports Extra also pointed out that a lot of his passes haven’t been as risky as in years past. This can be seen through his completions of 20 yards or more. Manning has completed only 20 passes of such quality, where his career average is about 44 per year. Even though there are still five games left to go this season, Eli has been throwing the long ball less often, leading to less chances and therefore, less interceptions. Given, his talent at wide receiver is about the worst in the league. After Sterling Shepard, Roger Lewis is the best receiver on the New York Giants. He is a passable WR3 at best, and should not be a focal point of any NFL offense at this point.

For the Big Blue, they should build the offensive line through the draft this year. Eli should remain the starter at least for the beginning of next year, and if it is determined that Eli is incapable to play quarterback. Manning will then have an option year, which the Giants will have to pay $6.2 million to opt out of the contract. Jim Mara and Co. should then let Eli go, let him retire, and let him go off into the sunset as a New York Giant.

Who Could Be Interested in Eli

The Giants should at least see what they can get for Manning, despite his $22.2 million salary cap hit next year. They could get a late-round pick for him, but the need for a veteran quarterback is rare as of now. Not many teams are in contention with a quarterback problem, and most other teams are looking to draft a quarterback in this year’s draft, besides three.

The Minnesota Vikings are the first team that could throw an offer the Giants way for the youngest Manning brother. All three quarterbacks (Bradford, Keenum, and Bridgewater) are free agents this upcoming offseason. The reality to this situation is that the Vikings will sign one of these three, as they have all proven to be above average quarterbacks and will cost significantly less money than is on Eli’s contract, and they will not be getting just a rental, which Manning is.

Tom Coughlin’s Jaguars

The Jaguars would be another team that could look at Manning. A possible Bortles-for-Manning swap? I highly doubt it, but part of me wouldn’t be surprised. Tom Coughlin loves Eli, and Eli loves Tom Coughlin. The Giants are looking for a young quarterback, and Bortles is only 26. He’s had his most consistent and mistake-free year so far, and hasn’t had his top target, Allen Robinson, this season. Given, Eli hasn’t had Odell Beckham, Jr. either. But, the Jaguars are doing well with Bortles, he makes sense in the long run for their organization, and they just opted in to keep Bortles for next year, which includes about $20 million if he is on the roster after June 1.

John Elway and the Broncos

This would be such a typical John Elway move. What’s more typical for Elway than to go out and get Eli Manning to finally settle the terrible saga that is the Broncos quarterback carousel since Peyton Manning left? Nothing. Elway has been putting the most sub-par quarterbacks in since Peyton left. Eli’s a rental and would allow Elway to draft another awful quarterback and let him “develop” under Eli. But, will it actually happen? Probably not. Eli retiring would be much more likely. But hey, hypotheticals are fun to think about.

Manning’s contract runs through next year and he has an option for the 2019 season. No one should worry about the 2019 season, as Manning will probably be retired by then. As pointed out before, the Giants would waste $12.4 million if they drop Eli.

What Manning Should Do

Manning will be 37 on January 3, which is getting old for any NFL player besides kickers, who are immortal (@JasonHanson, @AdamVinateri). He is a two-time Super Bowl champion and two-time Super Bowl MVP. He will forever be known for beating two dominant Patriots teams in the Super Bowl as well. If I am Eli Manning, I’m retiring after this season. In turn, Manning could ask the ownership to grant him a position either in the front office or as a coach. He has had a solid career, he should be able to give it up now. If he truly cares about the Giants and everyone that has given him a chance to succeed in the NFL, he would rid the Giants of a massive amount of money that could help the team succeed in the future. Eli has a good mind as a quarterback, and could contribute to the Giants process of getting over him.

Honestly, I have no idea what Eli could be thinking. In his interview after practice on Tuesday, he seemed defeated. His tone of voice was straight up depressing and hopeless, exactly like this season for the Giants. Retirement has to be weighing on his mind, and must feel like a semi-truck in his thoughts. I feel bad for him, he is a much better quarterback than advertised. He’s a potential Hall of Fame quarterback that will forever be overshadowed by a meme.

JBJs San Fran suitors

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According to MLB Trade Rumors, the San Francisco Giants are interested in acquiring Red Sox centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. Before everyone screams KUNG FOO PANDA! remember that wasn’t a trade. We signed him as a free agent. It was a self-inflicted wound.

That we’re still paying for until 2020.

Bradley is Eminently Tradeable

I simply do not understand the love affair with Bradley. Jackie Bradley Jr. is not Mookie Betts. He is a fine baseball player, but he is not untradeable. He is Coco Crisp, not Jacoby Ellsbury. Bradley is an elite fielder and a great base runner, but he is a demonstrably average hitter (.239 BA / .726 OPS career).

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Sure, in a childish way it’s cute when he, Benny, and Mookie dance after games. It’d be better if he produced at the plate. He is completely replaceable and should be available at the right price. The right price in a deal with the Giants is Buster Posey.

Posey

Posey (.308 BA /128 HR / 594 RBI / .850 OPS career) is under contract through 2022, with an average annual hit of $21.4M. He’ll be 35 when that deal is up. His resume is obscene: ROY, MVP, batting title champ, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger (4). Oh yeah, and three-time World Series champion.

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Posey is the best catcher in the game. He shouldn’t be available. But he might be.

San Francisco was the worst-hitting team in baseball last year. Reports contend they want to be in the mix for Stanton to address their woeful lack of power (40 fewer HRs than the Sox if you can believe that!). The Giants problem, however, is that they are already committed to sixteen players at $170M next year and are even more afraid of the $197M luxury-tax threshold than the Sox.

They probably can’t add Stanton and his $28M (11-years, $310M remaining) contract without losing Posey. But, in trading Posey to Boston they can fix center field, upgrade the pop in their lineup, and stay under the luxury tax.

What it Would Take

As delusional as most fans are about their teams’ talent, nobody believes that the Sox could swap JBJ for Buster Posey. At least nobody with even a single active brain cell. It would cost much more.

Boston is deep at catcher. We’d need to lose one. Leon (29), Vazquez (27), and Swihart (26) are all younger than Posey. The ideal scenario would be JBJ, Sandy Leon, and a minor leaguer for Posey. JBJ and Leon are both under team-friendly control through 2021.

The problem is, Leon is not Christian Vazquez. Vazquez is younger and better both at the dish and behind it, and SF would likely demand him in any deal. Boston should avoid that at all costs, even if it means giving up better minor league talent in return.

The Ideal Scenario

The ideal scenario for the Sox is the JBJ-Leon for Posey deal for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it adds an elite veteran and quality bat to the lineup without giving up too much in return. Second, it keeps the better catcher on the roster, allowing for Posey’s eventual move to first base.

Like Minnesota’s Joe Mauer, the last AL catcher to win a batting title, Posey is going to have to move to first or DH to extend his career. He has more than a thousand MLB games on those knees. Soon the wear and tear on the body will affect not only his availability but his productivity. And, unlike Jason Varitek, who was great managing the staff but a black hole in the lineup for years, Posey’s bat makes it a no-brainer. He will be more valuable to a team, and to his wallet, for longer by making the move sooner.

With Vazquez behind the dish and Posey at first, Boston can go all in on replacing Bradley with JD Martinez. Martinez is attainable for less than Stanton and, with Buster’s bat already an upgrade to Moreland, the lineup will be deeper and more productive than if they just add Stanton.