1. #1
    broker651
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    Good articles/stats/commentary/insiders info (where can they be had?)

    It's tough to find places that have serious commentary or even decent write-ups that are not just copypasta from one tout to another. Can anyone recommend sites or news sources that have more in-depth analysis or even good occasional news nuggets that are not tied to some idiot's LOCK of the century play. Any links to reliable sources for college or nfl appreciated.

    I found this article online that I liked re tonights game.

    Desperate Giants feel they have to beat Saints


    Credit: AP
    New York Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham cannot catch a pass from quarterback Eli Manning in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011. The 49ers won 27-20. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

    wwltv.com
    Posted on November 28, 2011 at 9:49 AM
    Updated today at 10:03 AM





    When New Orleans hosts the New York Giants tonight, you’ve likely read as much about the Saints as you possibly can.

    But what about the Giants?

    That’s where A View From the Other Side comes in. Every Friday – or in this case Monday - during the Saints' season WWL-TV.com will ask five questions to at least one beat writer covering the Saints’ opponent that week.

    This week we welcome in Ralph Vacchiano, who works for the New York Daily News.

    According to the bio on the Vacchiano’s N.Y. Daily News Giants blog, he has covered the NFL and the Giants for the paper since 2001. He’s a host on Sirius NFL Radio and regular appears on SNY-TV. The Long Island, N.Y., native has been covering the NFL since graduating from Syracuse in 1991.

    You can follow Vacchiano (which I strongly recommend) on Twitter: @TheBlueScreen

    WWLTV.com: “N.Y. has lost two in a row, both close games, and has fallen to 6-4 after a hot start. Is this game the definition of a must-win for the Giants?”

    Ralph Vacchiano: “I don't think this game is necessarily a must-win, but it's close. I think they have to split their next two, but the reality is that even if they don't, there's a possibility that they'll head to Dallas on December 11 only one game behind the Cowboys in the NFC East -- and they still play them twice. So no, they don't have to win. It would help, though, for a lot of reasons. One is that their next game is against the undefeated Green Bay Packers, so splitting may be impossible if they don't win this one. The other is that a big theme of the Tom Coughlin era has been second-half collapses. And if they lose this game they'll be 0-3 in this year's second half, and there is no doubt that will be in their heads.”

    WWLTV.com: “With Ahmad Bradshaw and Danny Ware both injured, are the Giants deep enough at the position to overcome one, if not both being held out of the game?”

    Vacchiano: “Probably not. This will be the fourth straight start for Brandon Jacobs in place of Bradshaw and the running game with him carrying the load has been a disaster. Last week both he and Coughlin called it "pathetic" and they were right. Given the injuries to their offensive line -- LT Will Beatty is out and C David Baas has been playing with a knee injury -- it seems doubtful that they'll be able to fix the problems at this stage. Bradshaw was shifty and good at creating holes that weren't there. Jacobs isn't. And Ware, who should play Monday night after suffering a concussion last week, is mostly a third-down back. I don't think anyone trusts him to carry a full load.”

    WWLTV.com: “Against Philadelphia, Eli Manning didn't have near the protection he's used to and was sacked three times. Additionally, the running game was held to 29 yards. Is there anything you've seen or know about this team that makes you think this is an anomaly and not a trend?”

    Vacchiano: “No, as I said above, I think it's a trend brought on by the injuries. They haven't really run the ball all year long, so I doubt that'll change at this point -- at least not until Bradshaw returns. They had been pass blocking better, though, so you could make a case that's an anomaly. Their best hope is that the injury to Beatty could actually help. It's not that Beatty has been playing poorly, but David Diehl has struggled at left guard and now moves back to left tackle where he played from 2007-10. Maybe he gets more comfortable there and, with Kevin Boothe playing at left guard now, perhaps that will solidify the line a bit.”

    WWLTV.com: “How much will the 2009 game, one in which the Saints won by 21 points, be part of the message Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning deliver during the week?”

    Vacchano: “They don't usually dwell on history too much, so I doubt that'll come up a lot. Two years can be a lifetime in the NFL, too, and this is a much different team. One theme Coughlin will hit on is "poise in the noise" to try to remind them how difficult it can be to play in places like the Superdome. He may mention that game specifically as a reminder for the players that were there. But beyond that, I don't think there situations are similar enough to lean on that game a lot. The Giants were 5-0 that year and came in with the No. 1 defense in the NFL. This team isn't nearly as good as that team thought it was, and it's definitely not as healthy.”

    WWLTV.com: “What do you expect the Giants to do to slow down Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who would be having the NFL's best season if not for Aaron Rodgers?”

    Vacchiano: “Well, the only way you can approach him is to pressure him and hope that somehow forces a mistake. The Giants' defense is front heavy and built on pressure. If they can't generate a pass rush, they become very vulnerable. So they will try to rotate their ends as they have for most of the year, probably have several fronts with three and four ends, and just do what they can to get in Brees' face as often as possible. Their biggest problem is that their pass rush has been disappearing. Justin Tuck is playing hurt. Jason Pierre-Paul seems to have hit a wall. Osi Umenyiora is slumping. And Mathias Kiwanuka needs to play more as a traditional linebacker because of injuries there. Add in the fact that so many defensive injuries have taken away their ability to send extra blitzers, and the Giants' defense just can't generate the pass rush that it could earlier in the season. That could be a very big problem against a quarterback like Brees.”

  2. #2
    billysink
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    That is an excellent article thanks for posting.

    I read all local newspapers on Monday after game day, Tuesday after the coaches conferences hit the papers and again on Saturday after Friday's practice report.

    Here is a link to all local papers.

    http://www.usnpl.com/

    The USA Today publishes a team report on line. Here is a link to that page. I use that a lot. It updates several times weekly as well.

    http://www.usatoday.com/sports/footb...eamreports.htm


    Good Luck with your plays.

  3. #3
    broker651
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    Love that USNPL link. That's fantastic. Thanks.

  4. #4
    balls2wall
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    I try to read through the previews at sportsnetwork. They aren't the best at getting the final score correct, but it gives you a good breakdown on what is happening with both teams.

    http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/t...2.aspx?season=

  5. #5
    billysink
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    Quote Originally Posted by balls2wall View Post
    I try to read through the previews at sportsnetwork. They aren't the best at getting the final score correct, but it gives you a good breakdown on what is happening with both teams.

    http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/t...2.aspx?season=
    Great for hockey. I will check out the football reads.

    Thanks for the tip.

  6. #6
    broker651
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    Found a guy that writes a blog on the eagles. Couple of good nuggets there.
    Just fyi.
    http://insidetheiggles.com/

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