Rob and I break down everything you need to know for Week 2 of the 2017 NFL season, so before 1 o’clock hits on Sunday, make sure to take 10 minutes out of your day to listen to some expert analysis.
All posts by jimmyscalianfl
Mayor Duck Special – Ep. 7 “Stafford Was Not Overpaid”
No, I do not think Mathew Stafford was overpaid. Don’t worry, I won’t keep you long, listen in and find out why I find his contract criticism egregious.
Mayor Duck Special – Ep. 6 “Preseason Week 3 Storylines”
Lot to talk about this week in the NFL. Giants dominate defense. Brock Osweiler losing his job to a rookie. Blake Bortles getting benched for a QB that’s worse than him. Vontaze Burfict continuing his great relationship with the NFL owners. Listen in!
Mayor Duck Special – Ep.5 “Giants @ Browns: A Real Shit Show”
What more is there to say? The Giants went into Cleveland and somehow played worse than a team who’s logo is a fucking football helmet. Then again, it’s preseason, but still there’s a lot to bitc…I mean breakdown. Have a listen, why not.
An Ode to Anquan Boldin
This play was made in his 11th season, on his third NFL team. Even though Anquan Boldin never had blazing speed or phenomenal route-running, he always had a knack for making plays, giving his best effort and having the toughness of a linebacker. I mean look at that fucking body control. Any other receiver in their 30’s does that and their bound to pop an achilles.
First of all, the guy registered 10 grabs for 217 yards and two touchdowns…IN HIS FIRST CAREER GAME! No one expected that from the second-round pick from Florida State. He didn’t even play receiver full time in college.
Paired up with Larry Fitzgerald, the duo became a match made in heaven. There was only one problem though. Continue reading An Ode to Anquan Boldin
Mayor Duck Special – Ep. 4 “Zeke, Bills Trades + Giants/Steelers Recap”
A lot of news happened within the NFL these past couple days so relax and enjoy some football commentary from yours truly.
Mayor Duck Special – Ep. 3 “Panthers @ Texans”
What better way is there to break down the highly anticipated first official preseason game of the year than a Mayor Duck Special podcast?
You hear that silence? Me too. Enjoy!
NY Giants Training Camp – Fan Edition
Odell Beckham Jr. Eli Manning. Landon Collins.
There’s a lot of star-power on this 2017 New York Giants roster, and because of that, many excited Big Blue fans have attended training camp sessions that are open to the public.
It all starts with the fans, so I wanted to give them the hard-hitting questions that need to be answered for the sake of the team and the entire NFL.
Mayor Duck Special – Ep. 1 “Division Winners”
Your top notch analysts have come together for the first ever “Mayor Duck Special” podcast to discuss the winner of each division for the 2017 NFL season. Matt Faussette, Brandon Bochman and myself decided who we were giving the crown to and why. Listen in!
Tough Schedule In Store For Big Blue
After finishing 11-5 and clinching a playoff berth in the 2016 NFL season, the New York Giants finally became relevant again for the first time since Super Bowl XLVI. Although the team only lost one defensive starter (Jonathan Hankins) and added offensive firepower in Evan Engram and Brandon Marshall, New York will have to be at their best in order to compile another winning season.
The Divisional Matchups
The Giants finished 4-2 within the division last year, and only lost by a combined seven points to the Redskins at home and the Eagles on the road. They also swept the No. 1 seed in the NFC if I remember. Crazy to say, but Philadelphia made some great moves this off-season with the signings of Alshon Jeffery and LeGarrette Blount. Paired up with a great offensive-line and a productive front seven, Philly can cause some havoc for the Giants on both sides of the ball. The Redskins are a little less worrying since there are questions on defense and within the management of that organization. Anything could happen between Dallas and New York, but the Giants defense matches up very well against Dak and company. The Cowboys revenge (in the words of Ringo Starr) won’t come easy.
On the Road Again
This is where the going gets tough and the tough gets going. New York has to travel to Oakland, Tampa Bay, Denver, Arizona and San Francisco. It’s important to note that NONE of those games follow each other. That’s right. The G-Men have to fly back to East Rutherford, N.J. after each of those games. The Buccaneers and Broncos games are the only matchups that occur before their Bye Week (Week 8). Head Coach Ben McAdoo will have to carefully plan out time management on these long and frequent trips, along with finding his guys some time to rest.
Not much needs to be said about Oakland. With a healthy Derek Carr and Khalil Mack manning the line of scrimmage, this might end up being the most difficult game of the season for the Giants. Denver still has a majority of their Super Bowl Champion defensive roster under contract. Von Miller could disrupt a game for any offensive lineman, let alone going up against Bobby Hart, Ereck Flowers or even D.J. Fluker. The Cardinals were a shell of their 2015 team last season, but the squad finished as the No. 2 ranked defense and the No. 9 ranked offense in the league, according to ESPN.com. The Buccaneers also have some great potential on offense and began to make some strides last season as a team. Desean Jackson finds a way to play against the Giants even when he leaves the division. The 49ers don’t appear to be too threatening, but you’d imagine they’ll be better than 2-14 under Kyle Shanahan and an upgraded defense.
Another cause for concern is the Giants’ play in road games last season. Besides Week 1 in Dallas (which is hardly a road game) and Week 17 in Washington, the Giants didn’t have a road win of much significance. They had flat performances against the Vikings, the Steelers, the Packers on two occasions, and even the Eagles in Week 16. This road stretch is more crucial than it appears.
The Safe Haven Games
Although New York faces some uncertainty on the road, they have a few home games that can easily tilt in their favor. Games against the Lions, Chargers, Rams and Chiefs are totally winnable and can all be controlled by Big Blue’s defensive front and secondary. The Giants beat the Lions and Rams last season, each game being dominated by Steve Spagnuolo’s bunch. Los Angeles and Kansas City won’t be easy wins, but home-field advantage can really make a difference against teams with sub-par offensive lines. The only real challenging non-divisional home game would be the Seattle Seahawks. The LOB is still alive and well and Russel Wilson’s scrambling could cause some fits. Beckham vs. Sherman Part 2 should be exciting.
So yes, the Giants do have a tough schedule, but when you’re a good team you have to beat, well, good teams. Doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. If they get into the postseason, they can easily become a Super Bowl contender with their dominance on defense and lightning receiving core. But first thing’s first, they must survive the 2017 regular season.
