Big Blue Notes

Well, thanks to Sunday night's lackluster effort at home, the Giants face a crucial game in Arctic Buffalo this Sunday.  If conditions were bad this past week in New Jersey, wait until they get to upstate New York or Montana East.

The Giants certainly have the talent to win this game.  But Buffalo is a team that, if taken for granted, can beat you.  Trent Edwards may be in the process of completely unseating J.P. Losman as Buffalo's franchise quarterback.  Marshawn Lynch will remind Giants fans of Tiki Barber.

Buffalo's defense is not very impressive, but they may have help from the weather.  The Giants have a bad habit of playing like a dome team.  Inclement weather rattles them and they appear to want to be anywhere but at the game in those circumstances.  It's December.  It's Buffalo.  What do you think the forecast will call for?

I don't know what to expect.  In my previous post I said that most teams in the NFL are 8-8 teams and their records vary depending on some breaks and the intangibles they bring to each game.  Some might see this game as the playoff bound Giants taking on the already eliminated Bills.  But the Giants are the 9-5 team that saw David Akers game tying fifty-seven yard field goal hit the right upright.  Buffalo is a 7-7 team outplayed Dallas on a Monday night only to lose in the game's final seconds.

I cannot make a prediction on this game.  The Giants have more talent even with the injuries they've suffered.  They should win.  But they should have won Sunday night, so should has nothing to do with it any more.

PRO BOWL SELECTIONS

The Pro-Bowl rosters were announced and yes there are people bitching about snubs.  Here are some players I felt merited consideration:

NFC

QB: You could make a case for Brees over Hasselbeck, but I don't think one played so much better than the other this season.

RB:  Marion Barber's selection has people upset, claiming he's not a starter, but the closest options would have Clinton Portis, the Redskin workhorse whose yards per carry is down or two guys who didn't become starters until midway through the season in Ryan Grant of Green Bay and Ernest Graham of Tampa Bay.

WR:  The four guys named deserve to go.  Cases could be made for Greg Jennings, Plaxico Burress, Marques Colston, Joey Galloway and Roddy White. 

TE:  Good choices.  Shockey is in the same league with Witten and Cooley, but was not as big a part of the Giants offense as those two were for their teams.

OT:  Brett Favre has a great season and only gets sacked 13 times and Chad Clifton doesn't make the Pro Bowl?  I would take him over the three that got named.

OG:  I would have taken Chris Snee over Shaun Andrews.  Snee is part of an offensive line that has seen both Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward excel.

C:  Shaun O'Hara, see above.  Garode is not better than O'Hara, Birk or Olin Kreutz.

DE:  Hard to argue with the choices made, although a case could be made that Umenyiora is a pass rushing specialist while Michael Strahan also plays well against the run.  Trent Cole of the Eagles and Ogunleye of Chicago would have been good choices also.

DT:  Mike Patterson of Philadelphia is as athletic a defensive tackle as there is in the league.  I'd take him over Pat Williams.

OLB:  This is a good group.  Ernie Sims has played very well for Detroit and was worthy of consideration.

ILB:  Again, two worthy choices as were Will Witherspoon of the Rams and Brian Urlacher of the Bears.  Urlacher lost support because the Bears defensive unit as a whole had a bad season.

CB:  I would have take Ronde Barber of Tampa Bay over Terence Newman any day.  I would have even selected Mike McKenzie of the Saints this year over Newman as well.

S:  Brian Dawkins.  He and Barber are the only guys I feel got truly snubbed.  Sean Taylor's death was unfortunate, but I thought he was overrated.

K:  Robbie Gould would have been a good choice, but I think Folk is just as good.

AFC

QB:  Big Ben had a very good year, but I would have taken Derek Anderson over him.  David Garrard merited consideration also, but I take Rothliesberger over him.

RB:  Willis McGahee was the Baltimore offense this year, but I can't knock the three that got named.

WR:  Welker over Houshmanzadeh.  Both benefit from being in the shadow of a stud receiver.  Welker had a bigger impact than Who'syourmama.

TE:  Too bad you can only take two.  Gates, Gonzalez and Winslow were all worthy.  I think Winslow lost out because neither the Chargers nor the Chiefs have a Braylon Edwards on their team.

OT:  If I'm not mistaken, Jonathan Ogden was hurt most of the season.  I would have given his spot to Ryan Diem of the Colts or Marcus McNeill of the Chargers.

OG:  Can't argue with those choices.

C:  Hard to dispute Saturday and Koppen, but I would have also selected Kevin Mawae.  When he was with the Jets he went every year and he anchors a terrific power running offensive team.

DE:  Good group.  Mario Williams had a terrific season (better than Reggie Bush) and would have been a good choice.

DT:  All good selections

OLB:  Keith Bulluck is still as good as any linebacker in the league.

ILB:  Good selections, maybe Gary Brackett of the Colts instead of Lewis.

CB:  Good choices

S:  Troy Polamalu?  Did he play this year?  Chris Hope of Tennesee would have been my choice.

KR:  Tough choice between Cribbs and Leon Washington of the Jets.  Both are worthy but Cribbs did have a better year.

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