Sports Frog

One game rather boring (you never felt like San Diego could really win that, even when it was 14-9 at halftime, the other wonderfully entertaining. Eli Manning makes a leap? Apparently so. As for the national chatter, here's what is being said:

Don Banks at si.com with Snap Judgments and this thought among others:

"Brett Favre had a marvelous renaissance season, but he really help cost his team the game Sunday night with those two interceptions after halftime. Wonder if this bitter ending will spark a new round of retirement speculation for No. 4?"

As for the last part, I hope not. He's coming back, let's spare everyone the weeks of breathless wondering from fawning media types and Peter King reports about seeing Brett Favre on his tractor. Been there, done that. Five times before. At least. As for his other point. Thank you, Don Banks. Troy Aikman certainly couldn't be bothered to mention it during the broadcast, but the picks that Favre through were rookie-making-first-start mistakes. Jaw-droppingly awful picks. And led, in large measure, to the Packers losing.

At espn, Last Call with this note:

"Green Bay finished the regular season with the NFL's eighth-best conversion rate on third down, but the Packers failed on nine of 10 chances against the Giants. Their inability to establish a running game put quarterback Brett Favre in too many third-and-long situations. And while the Packers' line has played well this season, the team's guards aren't particularly strong in protection. That's why Green Bay needed to sustain its recent production on the ground. Favre faced third-and-8 or longer nine times. He avoided turnovers on those plays, only to make poor decisions on first- and second-down plays that resulted in interceptions."

OK, that explains some of the rest of Favre's uneven play, but doesn't excuse those two picks. The Giants' ability to pressure will make the game in two weeks interesting, as big plays are in the offing. Pressure begets sacks, and also begets 90-yard touchdowns, like happened yesterday.

Clark Judge at sportsline.com with Judgements and this note:

"The Giants' Tom Coughlin deserves a standing O for making the tough call that pushed his team over the top ... and, no, I'm not talking about giving Lawrence Tynes another shot. I'm talking about playing his starters in the season-ending loss to New England. One of the ideas was to give his beleaguered quarterback a lift entering the playoffs, and it worked. Manning had a season-high four touchdown passes that evening, and the Giants emerged a better and more confident club."

Um, yes. Without a doubt, he made the right call.

In fact, more on that, in my thoughts (NTYC):

1. I believe I called it a "pyhrric loss" in these spaces writing on the Giants' decision to play their starters in a playoff-meaningless Week 17 loss to the Pats. Well, I was wrong. Hugely wrong. Wrong as wrong gets. One for Coughlin, it was a risk, what he did, but he did the right thing. The way the Giants showed up in that game has clearly propelled them these last three weeks, and Coughlin's decision to stand behind his team in that game and let them play is a large part of that. Props to him. And a big stfu to me and everyone like me who gave him shit about it.

2. If the Super Bowl line is 13 or more, then I am playing the Giants and the points. Hell, I don't need points (but I will take them). They are a formidible opponent now, and match up well with the Patriots. And, they are playing with house money right about now. Nothing to lose.

3. Eli Manning outplayed Brett Favre yesterday, by a long shot. At the least, I would think he should get to have a line or two in future Peyton Manning commercials. Maybe next year Peyton can stand there with a dumb look on his face while Eli says "Jamarky?"

4. At some point, will people start wondering how cancerous Jeremy Shockey was to that team and Eli Manning particular? They sure as hell have not missed him, and, apparently, have thrived without him. And then some.

5. It's two weeks out, but here's my hunch. The Pats come up short and lose in a sizable upset. Giants 34. Pats 33.