Peppers fires back

I try to entertain as few impossible hypotheticals as possible.

If I am Hurney, I would likely not make that move. Strahan is playing at a high level, but he's entering the twilight of his career. Osi is a fine player. However, there is more to the position than just racking up sacks. Pushing the tackle, pressures, deflections, defending the run, zone coverage.

For my money, Peppers is still as good as any DE in the NFL when you add it all up. Great size, speed. Athleticism. Can stand up, play down, cover a zone, intercept passes, and score touchdowns.

Strahan can't do all that. Nor can Rucker. Gonna guess that Osi can't do all that, either. Doesn't make them great players, b/c they usually play at a very high level. For my money, I will take at least one DE who is versitale to play just about any position in the front seven.

Just depends what kind of player you want for your scheme. I am very happy with what we got. They may not be the best tandem in the NFL, but they don't have to be with Spoon, Lucas, Minter, etc.

 

Who would you rather face, assuming they have equal talent around them, Favre or Plummer. I know I would choose Plummer.

 

Strahan missed half of last season and Umenyiora only started one game in 2003 (which was his first season, not 2002). His first start I beleive was against us and he blocked two punts, a sack and a forced fumble. I'm guessing none of that was mentioned if it didn't get his rookie year correct.

 

umm... we have never beaten plummer, we have favre.

 

At this point, Farve

I'm done with this argument, my point wasn't to put down our players but to say that the belief that they could be better isn't rediculous or out of question. I would think that nuetral parties would probably say they have the edge.

 

Favre has lost most of his team this year. Plummer is playing with a great cast of supporting talent. Judging Plummer as better based on their stats from this year is illogical.

 

well we've beaten favre when he had a better supporting cast than plummer had with zona where evergddamm bounce of the football magically made its way back perfectly to him. Plummer has a lucky horseshoe wedged in his ass.

 

Tough call. Umenyiora looks great, but obviously there is reason to like Peppers even more. The part where the Giants duo out-performed our own was the Strahan-Rucker end, but both guys are nearing the end of their careers and therefore you obviously wouldn't make a deal on those grounds. But as for right now, the New York duo is better than ours, and you could make a legitimate argument that Strahan is the best defensive end in the league. He's a consistent sack threat but he also engages and sheds to make tackles in run defense better than anyone else.


Gen Scope:
Umenyiora didn't become a starter until last year, so those numbers are skewed.


Thelt:
No question I'd rather face Favre.

 

I like our pair a lot more in theory, and Strahan's age and salary are a bigger concern than Peppers' salary. But while none of them have major weaknesses, I'd be willing to consider that Osi might not fare as well without Strahan down the road, where regardless of what happens to the other, Peppers/Rucker tend to put together similar stats regardless.

I think our pair has the potential to do more. Julius' production seems to be up and down, and Rucker tends to spend too much time "setting up" an OT and not enough time just putting his best moves out there and looking to beat his man; in this offense, maybe just a balls-out rushing RDE could improve us some, but I'm guessing that our occasional 2004-05 problems of having the RDT punked inside and Witherspoon overpursuing would be an even larger problem without a stay-at-home contain man like Rucker. Mike really doesn't get enough credit for that, IMO, and it often shows up on QB rolls where he's usually the guy to force the throw. It's not like that's not his job, but he's always on it, and not many guys are as consistent on necessary plays like that and screens.

 

http://www.newsday.com/sports/print...005jan06,0,6312327.story?coll=ny-sports-print

But I do lean towards NY's tandem being better this year, and as Collin and others have pointed out, Umenyiora has not been starting as long.

I haven't really watched the Giants any this year and am curious, does Strahan draw more of the xtra blocking or Umenyiora? Obviously, oposing teams have to pick their poison, and the other DE benefits, but Umenyiora's numbers may be a bit inflated if Strahan is drawing most of the attention from the offense.

Strahan has the moves. Our guys are good, but Strahan beats them hands down when it comes to wisdom at the position. It would be awesome for Peppers to get to spend some time at the Pro Bowl learning some things from Strahan, though it likely wouldn't happen.