This is about a good of matchup for us as possible, our O-line is banged up and not that good to begin with the Giant's D-line is the same, we have a very aggresive confusing defense, the Giant's have no offensive line and a rookie QB with 1 start under his belt, should we win? Yes, will we break out NO! That wont happen until we revamp the O-line with players who can run block.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2004Dec1.html
This is a pretty good article on a scout's take of our offense, and Portis. I have said time again that Portis was a system back not to say he isn't a phemominal system back but none the less, he does not fit Gibb's system even with the changes we have made, this scout hit the nail on the head in order to take advantage of Portis's abilities you have to allow him to find his hole and react, he has a big problem if you ask him to hit a pre-determined hole that's big back territory as I said way back if we are not going to change our blocking scheme to accommodate Portis than he's a wasted trade, I recieved some critizism at the time for questioning Gibb's GM abilities but I was right about Portis, and Brunell, Portis has big time talent but that talent is unique and not conventional and he has to be used accordingly, if we can't utilize him we are big time screwed for season's to come because of these 2 cap hit's.
What kind of team would we have right now if we did as I wanted at the time and traded champ for a #1 and a #2, well we would still have Taylor as well our choice of any back in the draft, 2 #2's with which we could have taken Cooley and still have another #2 from the Bailey trade as well as keeping our #2 this draft from not having to give up a pick this year for Cooley, and keeping our #3 from the Brunell trade, we would also have big time cap room this upcoming draft as well a much more experienced P. Ramsey. My argument at the time was when Beatherd left, it was because he and Gibb's weren't seeing eye, to eye, on player's, when Gibb's finally had an opportunity to make that decision he gave up 2 #1's to draft D.Howard, I was irrate at the time because I wanted Chester McGloughtin, and Carl Picken's, who we could have had at our respected pick's, we needed D-linemen at that time and both went on to all pro career's we all no how Howard worked out, we wound up with nothing more than a kick returner on a team with Brian Mitchell, and Daryl Green, that was Gibb's last season we were left with no WR, no all pro D-lineman, and Desmond Howard, and these moves may very well turn out to be worse because the cap ramification's that we will experience if we have to replace both is ridiculous, changing the blocking for Portis sound's easy enough, but is it? Are our linemen capable of that type of blocking? Are they quick enough? Take a look at denver's linemen they don't have big guy's they have guy's who are quick and can pull ala the old 49er's had for year's, we may need to really revamp our line just for Portis, I feel this has to be laid at Gibb's feet and it's up to him to make this thing work, he cannot try to make Portis fit his system, he has to fit the system to fit Portis, is he capable of coaching that type of a system?