If you picked Oakland to win the AFC or thought Donovan McNabb was da' man, Giants coach Jim Fassel feels your pain.
"The hardest job in the National Football League today," Fassel said, "is what you guys [the media] have as far as trying to pick who's going to be good or not."
While no transverse process bones are fractured picking the Super Bowl champion, Fassel makes a good point.
The NFL's balance of power is basically nuts. It swings more than Dennis Rodman.
Of last season's 12 playoff teams, only Indianapolis (5-1) and Tennessee (5-2) have winning records this season. And none of last season's division winners is in first place this season.
"It's absolutely great for the fans," Giants General Manager Ernie Accorsi said. "But it drives us crazy."
Look no further than Sunday's Vikings-Giants game for an example of the zaniness. The Vikings, 6-10 last season, are 6-0. The Giants, who were 10-6, are 2-4 and gasping for their playoff lives.
"Now or never was about three, four weeks ago," defensive end Michael Strahan said. "Now we are just desperate for a win."
Elsewhere in the league, how does one explain 5-1 Dallas or 3-3 Tampa Bay? Or Kansas City being 7-0 after going 8-8 last season?
"It's early, but it seems the league is even more volatile than usual," said Jeff Diamond, Tennessee's president and chief operating officer. "But that's what makes it so great. Having the Yankees in the World Series every year gets boring. You expect it every year because they're paying their players $150 million more than the teams they play."
In the NFL, New England wins Super Bowl XXXVI after going 5-11. And St. Louis goes from 4-12 to Super Bowl XXIV champion.
Of the four teams that made the conference championship games last season, Tennessee is the only one with a winning record. Oakland is 2-4, while Tampa Bay and Philadelphia are 3-3.
Diamond said the key to staying afloat since free agency began in the early 1990s is paying to keep core players such as quarterback Steve McNair and making smart decisions in the draft, especially when picking low.
"We drafted [linebacker] Keith Bulluck No. 30 the year after we went to the Super Bowl, and he's one of our best playmakers now," Diamond said. "We drafted [linebacker] Peter Sirmon with our second pick in the fourth round, and he's our leading tackler."
Free agency wasn't kind to the Giants this past offseason. One that got away and signed with the Vikings was right tackle Mike Rosenthal.
"We probably were remiss in that," Fassel said. "I always thought he would sign back here, and he didn't. That's part of the game today, but it's been a problem for us."
The Giants had to move center Chris Bober to right tackle. They also have rookies at center and both guard positions.
They have other problems, including two heartbreaking losses that can be attributed to their special teams.
Dallas beat them in overtime after the Giants failed to keep a squib kick in bounds in the final seconds of regulation, allowing the Cowboys to tie the game with a field goal. Last week, Philadelphia beat the Giants with Brian Westbrook's 84-yard punt return with 1:16 left in the game.
Turnovers also have hurt the Giants. They're 31st in turnover margin at minus-8.
"We're not the only playoff team from last year that's had some problems," Accorsi said. "It's just a very, very equal league. Each year is completely new. I've talked to a few general managers around the league and they feel as I do that some of us just haven't been able to blend the personality of our teams yet."
The Vikings seem genuinely concerned about the Giants.
"They're a good team," said fullback Charles Stackhouse, who was among the Giants' final cuts this summer. "They shouldn't be 2-4."
Of course, the Giants have traveled this road before. They started 6-6 last season. In 2000, Fassel guaranteed the Giants would make the playoffs after three losses left his team at 7-4. New York reached the Super Bowl by winning five in a row, including a 41-0 victory over the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game.
So how about another guarantee, Jim?
"You and every other media group I talk to is still itching for that one," Fassel said. "It's still a live story, but not right now."
http://www.startribune.com/stories/510/4170192.html
"The hardest job in the National Football League today," Fassel said, "is what you guys [the media] have as far as trying to pick who's going to be good or not."
While no transverse process bones are fractured picking the Super Bowl champion, Fassel makes a good point.
The NFL's balance of power is basically nuts. It swings more than Dennis Rodman.
Of last season's 12 playoff teams, only Indianapolis (5-1) and Tennessee (5-2) have winning records this season. And none of last season's division winners is in first place this season.
"It's absolutely great for the fans," Giants General Manager Ernie Accorsi said. "But it drives us crazy."
Look no further than Sunday's Vikings-Giants game for an example of the zaniness. The Vikings, 6-10 last season, are 6-0. The Giants, who were 10-6, are 2-4 and gasping for their playoff lives.
"Now or never was about three, four weeks ago," defensive end Michael Strahan said. "Now we are just desperate for a win."
Elsewhere in the league, how does one explain 5-1 Dallas or 3-3 Tampa Bay? Or Kansas City being 7-0 after going 8-8 last season?
"It's early, but it seems the league is even more volatile than usual," said Jeff Diamond, Tennessee's president and chief operating officer. "But that's what makes it so great. Having the Yankees in the World Series every year gets boring. You expect it every year because they're paying their players $150 million more than the teams they play."
In the NFL, New England wins Super Bowl XXXVI after going 5-11. And St. Louis goes from 4-12 to Super Bowl XXIV champion.
Of the four teams that made the conference championship games last season, Tennessee is the only one with a winning record. Oakland is 2-4, while Tampa Bay and Philadelphia are 3-3.
Diamond said the key to staying afloat since free agency began in the early 1990s is paying to keep core players such as quarterback Steve McNair and making smart decisions in the draft, especially when picking low.
"We drafted [linebacker] Keith Bulluck No. 30 the year after we went to the Super Bowl, and he's one of our best playmakers now," Diamond said. "We drafted [linebacker] Peter Sirmon with our second pick in the fourth round, and he's our leading tackler."
Free agency wasn't kind to the Giants this past offseason. One that got away and signed with the Vikings was right tackle Mike Rosenthal.
"We probably were remiss in that," Fassel said. "I always thought he would sign back here, and he didn't. That's part of the game today, but it's been a problem for us."
The Giants had to move center Chris Bober to right tackle. They also have rookies at center and both guard positions.
They have other problems, including two heartbreaking losses that can be attributed to their special teams.
Dallas beat them in overtime after the Giants failed to keep a squib kick in bounds in the final seconds of regulation, allowing the Cowboys to tie the game with a field goal. Last week, Philadelphia beat the Giants with Brian Westbrook's 84-yard punt return with 1:16 left in the game.
Turnovers also have hurt the Giants. They're 31st in turnover margin at minus-8.
"We're not the only playoff team from last year that's had some problems," Accorsi said. "It's just a very, very equal league. Each year is completely new. I've talked to a few general managers around the league and they feel as I do that some of us just haven't been able to blend the personality of our teams yet."
The Vikings seem genuinely concerned about the Giants.
"They're a good team," said fullback Charles Stackhouse, who was among the Giants' final cuts this summer. "They shouldn't be 2-4."
Of course, the Giants have traveled this road before. They started 6-6 last season. In 2000, Fassel guaranteed the Giants would make the playoffs after three losses left his team at 7-4. New York reached the Super Bowl by winning five in a row, including a 41-0 victory over the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game.
So how about another guarantee, Jim?
"You and every other media group I talk to is still itching for that one," Fassel said. "It's still a live story, but not right now."
http://www.startribune.com/stories/510/4170192.html
