Week 8

Week 8 of the NFL season included a matchup of 5-1 teams and a game outside of the United States. The matchup between the San Diego Chargers and the New Orleans Saints took place in London at Wembley Stadium. These two teams are high scoring teams and they proved it on Sunday. Saints' quarterback Drew Brees, who used to be the starter for the Chargers, threw for 339 yards and threw three touchdown passes. Philip Rivers, the Chargers' quarterback, threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns as well but threw a game changing interception with under two minutes left in the game. The Saints won the game 37-32. The best matchup was between the defending champion New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both teams came in at 5-1, and both quarterbacks Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger came into the NFL from the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft. The Giants defense dominated, recording five sacks and four interceptions against the Steelers. Giants' defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka had three of those sacks for the Giants. Manning was able to do enough to help his team win, throwing for 199 yards and throwing the game winning touchdown, giving the Giants a 21-14 victory. The Monday night matchup involved the Indianapolis Colts and the undefeated Tennessee Titans. The Colts got off to a good start, leading 14-6 in the third quarter, but the Titans defense locked down and quarterback Kerry Collins was very efficient, leading the Titans to a 31-21 victory. In other scores, the Dallas Cowboys beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13-9, the New York Jets beat the Kansas City Chiefs 28-24, and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Atlanta Falcons 27-14. The Giants, in my opinion, have solidified themselves as possibly the best team in the NFL with their victory and also proved the point that the Steelers and Roethlisberger are overrated. I also believe the Colts are in trouble, and may not make the playoffs. What do you think? Which team are clearly going to the playoffs? What team(s) have been disappointments?

Rays Advance To World Series

The Tampa Bay Rays have advanced to the World Series for the first time in their franchise history with their 3-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 7 of the ALCS. Matt Garza, who was acquired in a trade from the Minnesota Twins last offseason, was very effective, only giving up one run and striking out nine. The Rays, who were an expansion team in 1998, have drafted a lot of good players over the past couple of years and it has finally paid dividends. They won the AL East division, with the Red Sox and New York Yankees being the dominant team in the division for years. For their first 10 years of existence, they have had 10 losing seasons and have not won more than 71 games in a season. They are the second team in history to make it to the World Series a year after owning baseball's worst record. The Atlanta Braves of 1991 accomplished that feat but lost to the Minnesota Twins in seven games. The Rays will face the Philadelphia Phillies, who defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games in the NLCS. Garza was named the ALCS MVP, with several other players deserving consideration. Third basemen Evan Longoria and center fielder B.J. Upton each hit four home runs in the series, and Carlos Pena hit three home runs. The Rays have home field advantage, due to the fact the American League won the All-Star Game back in July at Yankee Stadium. The World Series starts Wednesday night in Tampa. Who do you think will win the World Series? Which team poses a bigger threat?

Phillies Advance To World Series

The Philadelphia Phillies advanced to the World Series on Wednesday night by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1. Shortstop and leadoff man Jimmy Rollins led the game off with a solo home run, putting the Phillies ahead and never looking back. In the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers, Jimmy Rollins hit a leadoff home run in the series clinching game as well. This is the Phillies first appearance in the World Series since 1993, when they lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1993 World Series. Pitcher Cole Hamels, who won games 1 and 5, won the NL MVP by pitching dominantly. The Dodgers scored their lone run on Manny Ramirez's solo home run. Ramirez, who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox before the trade deadline, was red hot with the Dodgers since joining the team in August. In the NLCS, he has been the only spark for a Dodgers team that struggled offensively after putting up good offensive numbers in their shocking NLDS sweep of the Chicago Cubs. The Phillies are now awaiting the winner of the ALCS between the Red Sox and the shocking Tampa Bay Rays, who went from a last place finish last year to a first place finish. What will be the better matchup for the Phillies? Will the Phillies' pitching continue to be dominant?

Jones Suspended, Williams To Cowboys

Adam Jones, troubled cornerback of the Dallas Cowboys, was suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for a minimum of four games. Last week, Jones was involved in an altercation with a bodyguard that was appointed by owner Jerry Jones. Police were called to the scene, and it was reported that there were some damages to a bathroom in the hotel they were in at the time of the altercation. This is the latest straw in a string of incidents involving Jones. Jones spent his first couple of seasons with the Tennessee Titans and has been arrested or involved in incidents numerous times. He was suspended for the entire year last season, and in the offseason, the Titans traded him to the Cowboys. He vowed to never get into any kind of trouble again, but this was a setback. It was reported that Goodell will decide after the four game suspension what course of action will happen next with Jones. On the same day, the Cowboys acquired wide receiver Roy Williams from the Detroit Lions for a first round, third round, and sixth round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Williams gives the Cowboys an immediate offensive boost, alongside wide receiver Terrell Owens. Quarterback Tony Romo has a broken pinkie finger and reports earlier in the week were that he would miss four weeks. Now, he has practiced throwing the football and reports are that he will play against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. I think the suspension of Jones, in my opinion, is unnecessary and it leaves the secondary very depleted with an injury to Terrence Newman. What do you think of the Cowboys' situation? Will Roy Williams help their offense and Owens?

Week 6

Week 6 of the NFL season did not have many intriguing matchups but ended up with some fantastic finishes. The matchups between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons, St. Louis Rams and Washington Redskins, and the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans were all decided in the last 10 seconds of regulation and the margin of victory for the winners were no more than 2 points. The most surprising of those outcomes was the matchup between the Rams and Redskins. The Redskins, who were 4-1 coming into the game, were coming off of road division wins against the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. The Rams did not have a win yet, coming in at 0-4. But they shocked the Redskins at FedEx Field and won 19-17 on Josh Brown's 49 yard field goal as time expired. The best game from week 6 was between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. Quarterback Tony Romo was 24 of 38 for 321 yards with 3 touchdowns. However, the Cowboys lost in overtime when punter Mat McBriar's punt was blocked by Sean Morey and was recovered and taken to the end zone by Monty Beisel for a 30-24 overtime victory. One surprising game was the Monday night matchup between the defending champion New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns. The Browns won, surprisingly, 35-14. Browns' quarterback Derek Anderson was very effective and Giants' quarterback Eli Manning wasn't, throwing 3 interceptions with one being returned for a touchdown. In other scores, the Indianapolis Colts beat the Baltimore Ravens 31-3, the Philadelphia Eagles beat the San Francisco 49ers 40-26 and the San Diego Chargers beat the New England Patriots 30-10. In my opinion, other than the games coming down to the final seconds, there wasn't anything interesting in this week of football. What do you think? Which team is the best so far? Which team(s) are pretenders?

Week 5

Week 5 of the NFL season involved teams trying to stay undefeated and teams trying to get their first win. The matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys was an example of that. The Bengals came in to Dallas looking for their first win, and they came out flat, falling behind 17-0. However, they battled back and got within 17-13 and made it a game. But a key turnover made the difference as running back Chris Perry fumbled with the Bengals down 24-22. The Cowboys were able to score another touchdown and put the game out of reach, winning 31-22. The Bengals are now 0-5 while the Cowboys are 4-1. The NFC East divisional matchup between the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles provided a surprise. The Eagles jumped on top of the Redskins early, leading 14-0 in the first quarter. The Redskins then happened to pull off 23 straight points, leading 23-14 in the fourth quarter and stopping the Eagles from scoring another touchdown in the red zone. Clinton Portis rushed for 145 yards on 29 carries, and quarterback Jason Campbell has continued to be careful, not throwing an interception all season up to this point. The Redskins won 23-17 in Philadelphia to improve to 4-1. The Monday night matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints was good also. Reggie Bush of the Saints returned two punts for a touchdown and almost returned a third. Vikings' running back Adrian Peterson only rushed for 32 yards on 21 carries but the Vikings still won 30-27. In other scores, the New York Giants beat the Seahawks 44-6, Indianapolis Colts beat the Houston Texans 31-27 in a bizarre game, and the Tennessee Titans beat the Baltimore Ravens 13-10. In my opinion, the Colts are in trouble because their offense is struggling along with their defense. The Giants look like Super Bowl contenders and the Redskins look for real as well. What do you think? What teams are disappointing right now?

Rays, Red Sox Advance To ALCS

The Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox, both AL East teams, advanced to the ALCS by wrapping up their respecitive series on Monday. The Rays defeated the Chicago White Sox 6-2 in Chicago, winning the series three game to one. Later that night, the Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3-2 to also win their series three games to one. Andy Sonnanstine, pitcher for the Rays, was effectiv, giving up 2 runs in 5 2/3 innings. Those two runs came off of home runs from Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye. The Rays were offensively better, however. B.J. Upton hit two home runs in his first two at-bats against Gavin Floyd to propel the Rays to the win. This is the Rays' first playoff appearance since they became a major league baseball team in the 1998 season. They advance and will play the Red Sox, starting on Friday. The Red Sox, who are the defending champions, dominated the Angels in this series like they have done in past series. In two previous playoff series between the two teams, the Red Sox swept the Angels in both. It almost happened again with the Red Sox taking the first two games in Los Angeles, but the Angels won Game 3 in Boston to extend the series. Both starting pitchers, John Lackey of the Angels, and John Lester of the Red Sox, pitched good. Rookie Jed Lowrie had the game winning hit in the bottom of the ninth, driving in Jason Bay. The Rays won 10 of 18 regualr season games against the Red Sox. I believe that both teams are good and the Rays will pull it out in seven games. What do you think? Who has better pitching? Who has better offense? Does experience play a factor?

Phillies Advance To NLCS

The Philadelphia Phillies have eliminated the Milwaukee Brewers and advance to the NLCS for the first time since 1993 with their 6-2 victory in Game 4 in Milwaukee. Pat Burrell for the Phillies was a big reason why the Phillies won the game. Burrell hit two home runs, with the first one being an important three-run home run that put the Phillies ahead 4-0 in the third inning. Jimmy Rollins got things started with a leadoff home run for the Phillies, and the Phillies never had to look back. They also got strong pitching from Joe Blanton, who was a midseason acquisition from the Oakland Athletics. Blanton pitched six solid innings, only giving up a run. The Phillies got strong starting pitching for the most part in this series. Cole Hamels and Brett Myers pitched great in the first two games. Jamie Moyer did a solid job in Game 3, but the Phillies' offense didn't come through. Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley, the Phillies best hitters, were non-existent in the first three games of the series. The Phillies' offense finally came alive in the series in Game 4, and they were able to clinch. The Phillies will now play the Los Angeles Dodgers, who swept the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS. In my opinion, I believe the Phillies have enough offense to get by the Dodgers. It will definitely be an interesting series. What do you think? Who will win the NLCS? Will Brewers' pitcher C.C. Sabathia return to the Brewers next season?

Cubs Swept By Dodgers

The Chicago Cubs were eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday by losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 in Los Angeles. Pitcher Hiroki Kuroda of the Dodgers pitched a gem tonight in a game where people thought the Cubs would show some life. The Cubs, after losing the first two games of the series at home, came out flat again. Pitcher Rich Harden didn't pitch badly, giving up three runs in 4 1/3 innings. Manager Lou Pinella of the Cubs pulled Harden early because he didn't want to risk the game being blown open by the Dodgers. The Cubs bats, however, were not alive the entire series. The Cubs only scored six runs the entire series, and the Dodgers outscored them 20-6. The Cubs starting pitchers Ryan Dempster and Carlos Zambrano didn't do a good job in the first two games. They were outpitched by Derek Lowe and Chad Billingsley. The Cubs owned the National League's best record, with a 97-65 record, their best record since the 1945 season. The Cubs and the city of Chicago have suffered through some bad luck and terrible moments in the franchise's history. The Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908 and had a couple chances to reach the World Series in the past. In my opinion, I don't think the Cubs were cursed. I believe that the combination of Lowe, Billingsley, and Kuroda was underrated and they were and are better than Dempster, Zambrano, and Harden. What do you think? What does this mean for the Cubs' future? How long will Pinella be in Chicago?

White Sox Get In, Eliminate Twins

The Chicago White Sox defeated the Minnesota Twins 1-0 in a one-game playoff to get into the playoffs. Both teams were tied at 88-74, meaning that they would have to play an extra game to determine who gets into the playoffs and win the AL Central division. John Danks started for the White Sox while Nick Blackburn started for the Twins. Both pitchers were pitching great, holding each team without a run. In the 5th inning, Michael Cuddyer of the Twins was trying to score off of a fly ball out by Brendan Harris. The ball was caught by Ken Griffey Jr. and he made a strong throw to home plate to get Cuddyer out. That was the only chance the Twins had of scoring. In the seventh inning, Blackburn finally got burned on a pitch. Jim Thome of the White Sox provided the only run of the game, with a solo home run to deep center field. Closer Bobby Jenks of the White Sox came in the game in the ninth inning to close the door on the Twins and advance to the postseason. With the White Sox postseason berth, this will be the first time both Chicago teams made it into the playoffs in the same year in 100 years. The White Sox will face the AL East division champion Tampa Bay Rays in the divisional series. I believe the White Sox have a good team but not better than the competition the Rays have faced in the season. The White Sox, in my opinion, will be eliminatedby the Rays. What do you think? What lies ahead for the Twins in the offseason?

Mets Eliminated From Playoff Contention

For the second straight season, the New York Mets have been eliminated from playoff contention on the last day of the season. The Philadelphia Phillies clinched the NL East title on Saturday with their victory over the Washington Nationals. The Mets only chance of making the playoffs was getting in by being a wild card. The Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers were tied in the wild card standings. The Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1, effectively eliminating the Mets. Last season, the Mets played the Florida Marlins last year on the last day and had a chance to win the NL East. They lost to the Marlins and the Phillies beat the Nationals as well on the last day to capture the division crown. Earlier this season, manager Willie Randolph was fired and many thought that it was because the Mets didn't recover from their collapse last season. The Mets had a three and a half game lead earlier in the month and they let it slip away just like last year. Last year, they had a seven game lead in September and blew the lead. Was this collapse bigger than last year's collapse? What does this say about the Mets? Should the Mets make drastic moves?

Week 3

As usual, there were a couple of interesting and great matchups in week 3 of the NFL season. The most intriguing matchup of the week was the Sunday night matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. Last season, these two teams were the two best teams in the NFC. This year, Aaron Rodgers is the new starting quarterback, replacing the legend Brett Favre. The Cowboys proved that they are real contenders to win a Super Bowl with a convincing 27-16 win over the Packers. Cowboys' running back Marion Barber had an excellent game, rushing for a career high 142 yards on 28 carries with a touchdown. His backup, Felix Jones, gained 76 additional yards on 6 carries with a touchdown himself. The Cowboys' defense was the story of the night, however, sacking Rodgers five times. Another great game was the offensive matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Denver Broncos. The Broncos won the game 34-32, when Saints' kicker Martin Gramatica missed a potential game winning 43 yard field goal with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter. Saints' quarterback Drew Brees threw for 421 yards and completed 39 out of 48 passes. Jay Cutler had another good game, throwing for 264 yards with two touchdowns. In other games, the Jaguars beat the Colts 23-21 to avoid going 0-3, the Giants beat the Bengals 26-23 in overtime to improve to 0-3, and the Chargers beat the Jets on Monday night 48-29 to get their first win. I think the Broncos defense has to improve or they will encounter problems down the road trying to win the AFC West. The Cowboys and Giants are also looking like contenders for a Super Bowl run. What do you think? Who impressed in Week 3? Which team looks shaky?

Week 2

Week 2 of the NFL had a couple exciting finishes and hyped matchups. The best game by far was the divisional matchup between the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos. The Broncos outlasted the Chargers 39-38, only before giving up a huge first half lead. This game did not end without controversy however. On 2nd and goal with the Broncos trailing 38-31, Broncos' quarterback Jay Cutler dropped back to throw but fumbled the ball and the fumble was picked up by Tim Dobbins. Referee Ed Hochuli, however, blew the whistle signaling that it was an incomplete pass. Hochuli was not able to change the call since he blew the play dead, and the Broncos had another chance, and they capitalized by Cutler's touchdown throw to wide receiver Eddie Royal. They decided to go for the two point conversion instead for the win, and Royal caught the conversion as well to go ahead. Another great game was the Monday night matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. Both defenses were not very good, and both offenses capitalized. The Cowboys won 41-37, behind quarterback Tony Romo's three touchdown passes, two of them that ended up to Terrell Owens. He threw for 312 yards. Eagles' quarterback Donovan McNabb also threw for a touchdown and 281 yards in another explosive offensive outburst for the Eagles. Down the stretch, however, the Eagles could not make the plays necessary to take the lead. In other games, the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Minnesota Vikings 18-15, on Adam Vinatieri's 47 yard field goal with 3 seconds left to win. The New England Patriots, behind backup quarterback Matt Cassel, beat the New York Jets 19-10. That was the most surprising outcome, as I thought the Patriots would struggle with Cassel. The Chargers and Broncos matchup was definitely the best and I think Jay Cutler is going to be a good quarterback in this league. What do you think? Who had the most impressive performance this week? Which team is in trouble?

K-Rod Gets Save Record

Francisco Rodriguez, closer for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, has set the record for most saves in a season with his 58th save against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night. Rodriguez has been pursuing the record for most of the season. He had a lot of saves at the All-Star break, and was definitely on track to setting the record. He has been helped by the team's stellar play this season, and great relief pitching in front of him. The Angels have already clinched their division earlier in the week, when they defeated the New York Yankees. That was coupled with the Texas Rangers' loss the same day. The Angels have been dominant all season, having the best record in baseball for some of the season. Rodriguez broke the record previously held by Bobby Thigpen of the Chicago White Sox in 1990. That season, Thigpen set a record with 57 saves. Rodriguez will be a free agent after the season with many teams looking to acquire him. I believe Rodriguez won't be back with the Angels because of his expected demand for a huge contract. I believe that he can end up in a big market like with the New York Mets. What do you think? How does this record help Rodriguez for the upcoming free agency season? Will the Angels win the World Series?

Merriman, Colston Out Due To Injuries

Marques Colston, wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints, is expected to miss four to six weeks with ligament damage in his left thumb that required surgery. Also, Shawne Merriman, pass rushing linebacker for the San Diego Chargers, will miss the rest of the 2008 season with two torn ligaments in his left knee that will require reconstructive surgery. Colston and Merriman are two key players to their respective teams. Colston suffered the injury in their opening game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Colston, who was a seventh round draft pick out of Hofstra in 2006, has the most catches of any wide receiver in NFL history in their first two NFL seasons. Colston is Saints' quarterback Drew Brees' big target, and Brees has relied heavily on Colston to make plays. Now the Saints have to rely on receivers Devery Henderson and David Patten, as well as Reggie Bush being a receiver out of the backfield. Merriman, on the other hand, had ligament damage on his left knee in the offseason and went to four doctors across the country for opinions. They all advised him to have surgery and miss the entire season, but Merriman was not content with that idea. He decided to give it a go and play the season, but after playing the first game against the Carolina Panthers, he could not deal with the pain. In my opinion, I believe that Colston and Merriman's absences will affect the Saints and Chargers respectively, but it will not hurt their chances of a playoff berth. The Chargers have more defensive weapons and the Saints have a lot of offensive weapons. What do you think? Who's absence will hurt more?

Week 1

The NFL season got underway this weekend and there were a couple intriguing matchups in week 1. Brett Favre started his New York Jets debut when the Jets played the Miami Dolphins in Miami. Favre was 15 of 22 for 194 yards and 2 touchdowns en route to a 20-14 victory. Dolphins' quarterback Chad Pennington made his debut for the Dolphins. He was cut by the Jets after the Jets acquired Favre from the Green Bay Packers. Pennington has been with the Jets for eight seasons. Another interesting matchup was the matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers. This marked the first start for Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has been a backup for Brett Favre the past four seasons. Rodgers did not disappoint Green Bay fans as he went 18 of 22 for 178 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown in his stellar performance. There were a couple surprises as well in week 1. Carolina Panthers' quarterback Jake Delhomme threw a touchdown pass to Dante Rosario as time expired to give them a 26-24 victory over the San Diego Chargers. In the Sunday night matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts, the Colts came out flat and Bears' running back Matt Forte ran for 100 yards in the first half. The Bears stunned the Colts 29-13 in Indianapolis. I think Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos' quarterback, performance against the Oakland Raiders on Monday night was very impressive. I also think the Bears have found a solid running back in Matt Forte. What do you think? Should the Colts be concerned? Who looks impressive from week 1?

Wagner Out For The Rest Of The Season

New York Mets' closer Billy Wagner will miss the rest of the 2008 season and most likely the 2009 season because of surgery on his elbow. Wagner has had the elbow injury this past season and his rehab for the injury has only gotten worse. Wagner has not pitched since August 2, due to this injury. He has been an All-Star closer for the Mets and has converted 101 of his 118 save chances since he became the Mets' closer in 2006. That makes free agency a little more interesting for the Mets when the offseason comes. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim closer Francisco Rodriguez is in the last year of his contract and will now probably be pursued by the Mets because of Wagner's injury. Rodriguez already has 55 saves, and he is well on pace to break Bobby Thigpen's single season save record of 57. The Mets' bullpen have been shaky all season, especially with Wagner's absence. They are currently ahead in the NL East standings, ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies by 2 games. I believe that Wagner's absence will not affect the Mets down the stretch. I believe they will win the NL East but his absence will be felt in the playoffs when they don't have a reliable reliever to depend on. How do you think the Mets will do? With this injury, is Wagner's time in New York done?

Brady Done For Season

Quarterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots is out for the rest of the 2008 season with a left knee injury that will require surgery. He injured his left knee when Kansas City Chiefs' safety Bernard Pollard hit him in his lower left knee and the knee bent in an awkward position. Brady was instrumental in leading the Patriots to a 16-0 record last season, the first undefeated regular season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Brady won the regular season MVP award, and he led them to the Super Bowl before they lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, in what many consider a historic upset. Brady also broke a single season record for the most touchdown passes thrown in a season when he threw 50 last season. Wide receiver Randy Moss caught 23 of those touchdown passes, setting a record as well. With Brady out for the season, Matt Cassel, who has been a backup in the NFL and college, will be the starting quarterback now. Cassel was the backup at USC to Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, two quarterbacks who won the Heisman Trophy. In my opinion, this is a major loss for the Patriots and I think the Patriots have gone from the best team in the AFC to a team that will not make the playoffs. What do you think? How will Cassel perform and will the Patriots make the playoffs?

Giants Take NFL Season Opener

The defending champions New York Giants defeated the Washington Redskins in the NFL season opener 16-7 Thursday night to cap off a celebration where the Giants were presented with a Super Bowl XLII victory banner. Michael Strahan, recently retired defensive end who helped the Giants win the Super Bowl over the New England Patriots, ran onto the field with the Vince Lombardi trophy. The Giants dominated the first half by jumping out to a 16-0 lead. Plaxico Burress, who earlier in the day signed a 5 year $35 million contract, had a good start and finished the game with 11 catches. Eli Manning scored the only touchdown of the game for the Giants with his 1 yard run. The Redskins got on the board before halftime when Santana Moss caught a touchdown reception where he was wide open. No team scored in the second half, with Eli throwing his first interception of the season and making some mistakes. The Giants defense, however, were able to play dominantly and shut down quarterback Jason Campbell and the Redskins offense. A lot of people have doubted the Giants will make the playoffs this season after their Super Bowl win because of their losses on defense. I think the Giants will make the playoffs again and give teams a scare. What do you think the Giants will do? How will Eli perform this year? With the Redskins offensive performance, are they in trouble this season?

Umenyiora Out For Season

Defensive end Osi Umenyiora of the Super Bowl champion New York Giants will be out for the 2008 NFL season due to a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee. He suffered the injury in Saturday's preseason game against the New York Jets. When the injury initially occurred, it looked very serious because Umenyiora couldn't leave the field putting pressure on the left leg and he was later taken to the locker room on a cart. Umenyiora led the team in sacks last season with 13 in a season where the Giants led the league in sacks. Those sacks were important in the playoffs as well as the Giants were able to apply pressure on the quarterbacks en route to their Super Bowl win over the previously undefeated New England Patriots. Umenyiora was the only player from the Giants to play for the NFC in the Pro Bowl. The Giants defense were good last year, and was excellent in the playoffs. But they lost several defensive players from that defense. Michael Strahan, the face of the franchise for years, retired after winning the Super Bowl. Gibril Wilson, the starting safety, left the Giants in free agency to play for the Oakland Raiders. Kawika Mitchell, their starting linebacker who had 4.5 sacks, left the Giants as well in free agency to play for the Buffalo Bills. With Umenyiora's injury, the pressure is now on defensive end Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka to put pressure on the quarterback. How will Umenyiora's absence affect the Giants' defense? Will the Giants repeat as Super Bowl champions?