New York Giants 11/22/2006 8:39 AMThe Star-Ledger reports there was no way for HC Tom Coughlin to avoid criticizing QB Eli Manning this time. The Giants' coach, who has protected his young quarterback in the past, couldn't sugarcoat this erratic performance. "There obviously were poor decisions made (by Manning on Monday) night," Coughlin said on a conference call with reporters yesterday, one day after the Giants' 26-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. There were also poor throws. And poor reads. In fact, the best way to describe Manning's 19-for-41, two-interception game was, well, poor. But Coughlin made one thing clear yesterday: Manning is the Giants' starting quarterback now and for the foreseeable future. The only way QB Jared Lorenzen will take over is if there's an injury to the quarterback in whom the Giants invested two draft picks, $45 million and their future.Read more
Philadelphia Eagles 11/22/2006 8:36 AMThe Trenton Times reports the deactivation of backup CB Roderick Hood prior to Sunday's miserable 31-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans at Lincoln Financial Field would have made for a pretty juicy story on just about any other day of the week. Any day except one that culminates with Eagles QB Donovan McNabb, the $115 million face of the franchise, being carted off the field with a torn knee ligament that ended his regular season during the same week of November for the third time in five years. Not surprisingly, McNabb's surgery was delayed 2-3 weeks Monday when excessive swelling, not uncommon when both the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and surrounding meniscus cartilage are badly damaged, prevented even the brilliant Birmingham-based surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, from operating immediately. Of course, none of that has anything to do with Hood, whose benching prior to the Titans debacle raised eyebrows long before McNabb's career took what could be an irreversible turn for the worse.Read more
Miami Dolphins 11/22/2006 8:33 AMThe Palm Beach Post reports DE Jason Taylor is playing the best football of his career. Dolphins HC Nick Saban said Taylor had more than 30 production points in Sunday's victory over the Minnesota Vikings, which is a record in Saban's tenure with the Dolphins. "Record-setting territory," Saban said. "For the last three games it has to be pretty close to a record for 99, in terms of how many points he's had."Read more
Atlanta Falcons 11/22/2006 8:29 AMThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports after losing three consecutive games to drop to 5-5, the Falcons are scouring the injured and inactive lists for help. HC Jim Mora expects to have OC Matt Lehr (steroids suspension), LB Ed Hartwell (knee surgeries), CB Jimmy Williams (high ankle sprain) and possibly even DE John Abraham (groin, abdominal surgery) back for an NFC South showdown with New Orleans at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Georgia Dome. "John is the one that I'm least convinced of right now," Mora said. "I want to make sure that he's OK. That would give us a little boost that we need here as we enter the stretch run." Abraham played in the opener against Carolina, then was inactive for three games before playing about 20 plays against the New York Giants on Oct. 15.Read more
