Two weeks into the 2009 season, the New York Giants' famed running attack has produced nary a touchdown run, and fantasy football owners are mighty fed up! Of course, some of those same owners have turned their attention to Eli Manning and his emerging weapons in the passing game. Plaxico who?
Mario Manningham was terrific Sunday night against the Cowboys, hauling in 10 passes for 150 yards, including a 49-yarder and a 22-yard touchdown in which he juggled the ball and caught it lying down in the end zone. That other Steve Smith did his possession thing, also catching 10 passes, one of them a 22-yard touchdown. Each of these fellas had 13 targets, while all other Giants combined for eight. The Giants are supposed to run the ball, control the clock, set up Brandon Jacobs for fantasy stardom. What's happening here is upsetting the natural order of things. Call it a temporary interruption in the space-time continuum … Sorry, was watching "Back to the Future" today.
My first thought as people get too excited about Manningham is that there isn't another Plaxico Burress on the Giants, so don't assume any one player simply will replace Burress' fine numbers, and especially not after one game. Burress had a unique combination of size and speed and a natural mean streak that helped it jell. When the gifted Burress wanted to beat a defender for the catch, he was able to, thanks mostly to his physical skills. He didn't always have the motor running at full speed, but few can deny Burress was one of the top wide receivers in the game. Nobody on the Giants has proved he is anything close just yet.
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Eric Karabell
