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Burress' ankle injury not getting better
Giants receiver Plaxico Burress
BY ARTHUR STAPLE | arthur.staple@newsday.com
November 7, 2007
The Giants haven't had a Pro Bowl wide receiver since Homer Jones in 1968. Plaxico Burress' red-hot start this season seemed certain to break that streak, but don't bet on Burress making the Pro Bowl roster.
Don't even bet on Burress being the same huge factor he was for the first half of the season. His production is still solid (19 catches, six touchdowns the first four games, 18 catches and two TDs the last four), especially if you toss out the Dolphins game in London, when the ball was far too slick for Eli Manning to do much of anything with except hand off to Brandon Jacobs.
But Burress' badly sprained right ankle isn't getting better. After a week off the field, Burress still could not get through a very short practice on Monday. If he sees the practice field at all again this season, it would shock some of the Giants' coaches, most of whom are resigned to just having Burress in the film room, on the sideline at practice and in games.
"I think there are some fine details with regards to the timing of the quarterback and maybe finishing some routes," receivers coach Mike Sullivan said. "There are some things that he is not quite where, I think, he wants to be and where we want him to be. And yet so far he is still making it pretty special for us. So it certainly would be even better if we could get him out there."
Failing that, the question is whether Manning and the offense can find other ways to spread the field. Their first test is Sunday against a Cowboys defense that has improved since the Giants hung 35 points on it in the opener.
The Giants' running game has been exceptional the last three weeks, coinciding with a dip in passing production. Jacobs is averaging a ridiculous 5.6 yards a carry, with three 100-yard games in the last four. That lessens the need for home-run plays to Burress.
Amani Toomer and Jeremy Shockey have been used well but certainly could be used more as receiving options. Toomer is never double-teamed anymore thanks to Burress' success, so the short, controlled throws that Manning looks to Toomer for will be there.
What would benefit Manning most is having a viable third receiver. Sinorice Moss has not made an impact. Manning rarely looks Moss' way, just as the quarterback ignored David Tyree after Toomer went down last season.
Steve Smith may be back Sunday, but he's a rookie who's been out for six weeks. It's doubtful that Smith could have an immediate impact upon his return.
So Burress, who has enjoyed jousting with Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens in the past, will continue to rest during the week and likely keep his mouth shut when it comes to the trash talk. Many people questioned Burress' attitude and commitment before this season, but those doubts are ancient history.
But without practice, there won't be a Pro Bowl. That's been a major goal for Burress: to be recognized by his peers as one of the elite receivers. With 25 touchdown catches in his first 37 games as a Giant, he's already among the best receivers ever to play for the franchise.
You have to audition for the Pro Bowl all season long, though. Owens and the Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald have already surpassed Burress in the statistical categories, and there will be more who do that as Burress' ankle forces him to take on less and less each week to be ready for a few big plays.
The trick for the Giants is to make sure the rest of the offense doesn't suffer.
Big Blue vs. America's Team
Sunday's game will be the 91st meeting between the Giants and Cowboys. This is the second in a series of looks at some of the most memorable games in the rivalry:
Jan. 2, 1994: Emmitt shoulders the load
Emmitt Smith rushed for 168 yards despite playing the second half and overtime with a separated shoulder. Playing through the pain, Smith bought his team a bye week with a 16-13 win that gave the visiting Cowboys the NFC East title over the Giants. Smith touched the ball on nine of the 11 plays during an OT drive that ended with Eddie Murray's 41-yard field goal. The Giants rallied from a 13-0 halftime deficit and tied it on David Treadwell's 31-yard field goal with 10 seconds left.
Smith rested a week and led Dallas to a win over the Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII. The Giants won their wild-card game over the Vikings but got trounced by the 49ers, 44-3, in San Francisco.
Storylines: A quick look at the top stories this week
Battle for the East
The Cowboys piled up 45 points on the Giants in Texas in the season opener and, aside from a slip-up against the otherworldly Patriots, have been rolling right along since. The Giants bounced back and are on a defense-fueled, six-game winning streak that has them right on Dallas' heels. A Cowboys win puts some distance between them and the rest of the division; a Giants win leaves a knot atop the NFC East with seven games left.
Watch for Witten
Cowboys TE Jason Witten, he of the helmetless run in Philly on Sunday night, ran wild on the Giants' confused defense in the opener, catching six passes for 116 yards and a score. The Giants will be more mindful of Witten on Sunday; their biggest hope is that having a real pass rush on Tony Romo won't allow such big seams in the middle of the field.
Run 'em down
Brandon Jacobs didn't make it to the second quarter of the season opener, suffering a sprained knee that kept him out for three weeks. He's been back with a vengeance, posting three 100-yard games in four weeks. The Cowboys haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher this season. Something's going to give.
Statlines
The Giants have a 4-14 record after a bye since the advent of the bye week in 1990, and five times they entered the bye week with at least a three-game winning streak. Here's what happened in those seasons:
Year Entering bye Result Season
1990 4-0 W, 24-20 @ WSH 13-3 (Won SB XXV)
1994 3-0 L, 27-22 @ NO 9-7
1997 6-3 L, 10-6 @ TEN 10-5-1
1999 5-3 L, 27-19 vs. IND 7-9
2004 4-1 L, 28-13 vs. DET 6-10
http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/giants/ny-spghalk075450028nov07,0,3886296.story
Giants receiver Plaxico Burress
BY ARTHUR STAPLE | arthur.staple@newsday.com
November 7, 2007
The Giants haven't had a Pro Bowl wide receiver since Homer Jones in 1968. Plaxico Burress' red-hot start this season seemed certain to break that streak, but don't bet on Burress making the Pro Bowl roster.
Don't even bet on Burress being the same huge factor he was for the first half of the season. His production is still solid (19 catches, six touchdowns the first four games, 18 catches and two TDs the last four), especially if you toss out the Dolphins game in London, when the ball was far too slick for Eli Manning to do much of anything with except hand off to Brandon Jacobs.
But Burress' badly sprained right ankle isn't getting better. After a week off the field, Burress still could not get through a very short practice on Monday. If he sees the practice field at all again this season, it would shock some of the Giants' coaches, most of whom are resigned to just having Burress in the film room, on the sideline at practice and in games.
"I think there are some fine details with regards to the timing of the quarterback and maybe finishing some routes," receivers coach Mike Sullivan said. "There are some things that he is not quite where, I think, he wants to be and where we want him to be. And yet so far he is still making it pretty special for us. So it certainly would be even better if we could get him out there."
Failing that, the question is whether Manning and the offense can find other ways to spread the field. Their first test is Sunday against a Cowboys defense that has improved since the Giants hung 35 points on it in the opener.
The Giants' running game has been exceptional the last three weeks, coinciding with a dip in passing production. Jacobs is averaging a ridiculous 5.6 yards a carry, with three 100-yard games in the last four. That lessens the need for home-run plays to Burress.
Amani Toomer and Jeremy Shockey have been used well but certainly could be used more as receiving options. Toomer is never double-teamed anymore thanks to Burress' success, so the short, controlled throws that Manning looks to Toomer for will be there.
What would benefit Manning most is having a viable third receiver. Sinorice Moss has not made an impact. Manning rarely looks Moss' way, just as the quarterback ignored David Tyree after Toomer went down last season.
Steve Smith may be back Sunday, but he's a rookie who's been out for six weeks. It's doubtful that Smith could have an immediate impact upon his return.
So Burress, who has enjoyed jousting with Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens in the past, will continue to rest during the week and likely keep his mouth shut when it comes to the trash talk. Many people questioned Burress' attitude and commitment before this season, but those doubts are ancient history.
But without practice, there won't be a Pro Bowl. That's been a major goal for Burress: to be recognized by his peers as one of the elite receivers. With 25 touchdown catches in his first 37 games as a Giant, he's already among the best receivers ever to play for the franchise.
You have to audition for the Pro Bowl all season long, though. Owens and the Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald have already surpassed Burress in the statistical categories, and there will be more who do that as Burress' ankle forces him to take on less and less each week to be ready for a few big plays.
The trick for the Giants is to make sure the rest of the offense doesn't suffer.
Big Blue vs. America's Team
Sunday's game will be the 91st meeting between the Giants and Cowboys. This is the second in a series of looks at some of the most memorable games in the rivalry:
Jan. 2, 1994: Emmitt shoulders the load
Emmitt Smith rushed for 168 yards despite playing the second half and overtime with a separated shoulder. Playing through the pain, Smith bought his team a bye week with a 16-13 win that gave the visiting Cowboys the NFC East title over the Giants. Smith touched the ball on nine of the 11 plays during an OT drive that ended with Eddie Murray's 41-yard field goal. The Giants rallied from a 13-0 halftime deficit and tied it on David Treadwell's 31-yard field goal with 10 seconds left.
Smith rested a week and led Dallas to a win over the Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII. The Giants won their wild-card game over the Vikings but got trounced by the 49ers, 44-3, in San Francisco.
Storylines: A quick look at the top stories this week
Battle for the East
The Cowboys piled up 45 points on the Giants in Texas in the season opener and, aside from a slip-up against the otherworldly Patriots, have been rolling right along since. The Giants bounced back and are on a defense-fueled, six-game winning streak that has them right on Dallas' heels. A Cowboys win puts some distance between them and the rest of the division; a Giants win leaves a knot atop the NFC East with seven games left.
Watch for Witten
Cowboys TE Jason Witten, he of the helmetless run in Philly on Sunday night, ran wild on the Giants' confused defense in the opener, catching six passes for 116 yards and a score. The Giants will be more mindful of Witten on Sunday; their biggest hope is that having a real pass rush on Tony Romo won't allow such big seams in the middle of the field.
Run 'em down
Brandon Jacobs didn't make it to the second quarter of the season opener, suffering a sprained knee that kept him out for three weeks. He's been back with a vengeance, posting three 100-yard games in four weeks. The Cowboys haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher this season. Something's going to give.
Statlines
The Giants have a 4-14 record after a bye since the advent of the bye week in 1990, and five times they entered the bye week with at least a three-game winning streak. Here's what happened in those seasons:
Year Entering bye Result Season
1990 4-0 W, 24-20 @ WSH 13-3 (Won SB XXV)
1994 3-0 L, 27-22 @ NO 9-7
1997 6-3 L, 10-6 @ TEN 10-5-1
1999 5-3 L, 27-19 vs. IND 7-9
2004 4-1 L, 28-13 vs. DET 6-10
http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/giants/ny-spghalk075450028nov07,0,3886296.story
