A Tale of Two Coaches

Two New York football teams, two coaches; both of whom have been in the news much in the past weeks.

Let's start with Rex. I previously stated that while I think there is much potential for success, there is also the potential for a hard fall. With Saturday's game, Rex and his Jets prevailed, defeating the Indianapolis Colts in the final seconds, 17-16, in their home stadium! He finally got his defeat of Peyton Manning! Rex Ryan and his coaching staff had a great game plan and the players implemented it well, especially in the second half, with some spectacular catches and great kicks along the way. Also, Rex was able to snag another YouTube moment in the postgame locker room speech. As they prepare to play the Patriots in Foxborough next weekend, I really wish he'd focus on the preparation and not on himself. While there are some that may think his bulletin board material provides incentives to his players to back up his bravado, I'm still hesitant to join in, as he needs to win the big games. We'll see this Saturday if he'll be on his way to doing just that.

On to the other coach...


I'm late on this, but here we go anyway. Sadly, the Giants did not make the playoffs, and yes it's their own fault (Still very happy I missed that 2nd game against the Eagles, but not happy I saw the game they played against the Packers), but Tom Coughlin came under fire by the sports media, who were salivating for his firing. I am very happy the powers that be at the Giants did the smart thing and retained him. For a mild-mannered guy when not on the field, it was surprising to see his reaction toward this criticism in the postgame locker room speech on Showtime's Inside the NFL.

"If the priest weren't in here, I'd say a few more things!"

That will go down in history as a great line!

Yes, they missed the playoffs (and the Seahawks got in at 7-9, but to their credit, beat the Super Bowl Champion Saints last weekend), but in the end, the Giants had a 10-6 season, a pretty big deal in the NFL. (let us not forget the outcry when the 11-5 Patriots did not make the playoffs a few years ago). Summing up the 2010 season, the head coach is one of the Giants' major strengths. Tom Coughlin has much football experience and instinct (especially when it comes to challenging incorrect calls), plans for games with such detail, and in the end, he brought home the Lombardi Trophy! Considering he taught Tiki Barber how to avoid fumbles, he must reiterate those fundamentals with Amhad Bradshaw. (assuming he's back next season)

Their biggest problem is recruiting. I am still not impressed with Jerry Reese's job as a GM in recruiting players in recent years. He got lucky with a few, but it's been lackluster and I hope the Maras and Tischs realize this. When planning who will play on the 2011 team, the Giants need the most help in Special Teams (Hixon will be back next year), especially punter (bye-bye, Matt Dodge), may need to get younger players who will take over at Offensive Line and at linebacker. Another question many Giants fans will be asking is will they re-sign Plaxico Burress after he's released from prison?