roomofzen: Not Perfect Yet

With our favorite teams squaring off on Saturday night, his with a perfect regular season hanging in the balance, Babcock and I thought a pre-game podcast might be in order. Unfortunately, we don't have pod-cast technology yet at room of zen (or, if we do, we obviously don't know how to use it). So, instead we opted for e-mail correspondence. The premise here is simple, we each e-mailed each other questions earlier in the week, and now the questions and answers will be posted. If you are unfamiliar with either of these teams, we hope that you will read this post, and maybe carry a new perspective into Saturday night's game. If you are familiar with them both, then please feel free to take issue with anything we say and e-mail us at roomofzen@gmail.com . So, without further ado, here is the transcript (copy and paste) of our conversation.

First, my questions to Babcock on the Patriots:

1) Obviously this Patriots team has been putting together one of the greatest seasons in history, and has a great chance to go 16-0. What is more important to you as a fan, a perfect season or the super bowl? How does a 15-1 season with a super bowl stack up against a 16-0 season without a super bowl?
Babcock: A good question...but easy to answer. I would take the super bowl no questions asked but it would not be easy to swallow. At this point any loss seems impossible without the patriots playing a terrible game. Indy and Jacksonville are playing very well right now but I still don't see anyone in the entire NFL that is a "better " team. That being said, I don't want to see Mercury Morris ever again for the rest of my life except possibly in some "where are they now" TV special with Bryant Gumbel where he is doing an interview from a jail cell and talking about how he is "taking things one day at a time", so ideally they will go 16-0 and win the Super Bowl. Push comes to shove 15-1, they still go down as one of the best teams in history.

2) I for one don't see the Patriots losing again. Barring any unforseen injuries, I expect them to crush everyone and win the super bowl by 20 points. However, regardless of how well a team has played, we often find that the most important thing in the playoffs is how each team is playing right now and who is the hottest. What team do you think is most likely to give the Patriots problems in the AFC playoffs?
Babcock: The biggest threat to the Patriots is Jacksonville. I don't think Indy can come to Foxboro and beat the Pats without Freeney and with a hobbled Marvin Harrison. Lets also remember that the Colts don't have Brandon Stokely any more, he has always killed us in the past. Jacksonville is without question the "hottest" team in the NFL (with the exception of course of New England) They are physical and have a very good defense. David Garrard is coming into his own and has been very efficient over the past few weeks. More importantly they have a great running game that might be able to keep the Pats off the field long enough to keep the game close. With a few turnovers or special teams plays they could possibly pull off a win against the Pats. Then again I could possibly start at Power Forward for the Milwaukee Bucks this weekend.

3) If the Patriots are able to finish a 19-0 run to a super bowl championship, I would have to imagine that we would see some of the older members of the team retire. What better way could there be to go out than 19-0? Who do you think these players would be?
Babcock:I think the most likely would be Troy Brown, Teddy Brushci, Rodney Harrison, and Junior Seau, also throw in Chad Brown (might not have a choice, and now that I think about it he might not even be on the team at this moment). I don't really have anything funny to say about this, they would all be missed by fans but are probably not worth keeping around (speaking strictly from a "front office" point of view). Look for all four to possibly become members of the coaching staff in some capacity, at least one will go on to work in TV or radio.

4) To continue the previous question, the Patriots (in a move that frustrates me beyond belief and yet also leaves me in awe of this organization) will have the 49ers pick in this year's draft despite being the best team and having lost their first round pick because of a violation of league rules. How do you anticipate the team handling this pick? Included in that question, I wonder how comfortable you are with Laurence Maroney as your team's main running back. Although he has been effective, he has also shown early signs of being a player who gets injured every year. What would you like to see them do with the pick and what do you think they will do?
Babcock: First, let me say that I am very comfortable with Lauraence Maroney as the future back for the Pats. We will need to get him a solid backup ala Sammy Morris. When these two guys were healthy at the beginning of this year they were the perfect NFL backfield both capable of giving you 15-20 carries a game and 100 yards on the ground. Faulk gives them a great complement on third down and specialty situations. Lets be honest, the patriots are never going to rely solely on a running game to win while they still have Tom Brady. Now as far as the pick goes I really see them trading down for a couple late 1st rounders or a 1st and a 2nd or possibly even a veteran player. I can't see them spending such a large amount of money on a rookie and the number two pick is going to command money that will be on par or above the contracts of Tom Brady, Richard Seymour, and Randy Moss just to name a few (The list would go on and on) We really need to get younger at Linebacker so look for them to move in that direction...then again I cant say they have had many disappointing picks at all over the past ten years (Marquis Hill perhaps). Chad Jackson and Brendan Merriweather are still up in the air but we can't say just yet...Let's just say I trust the judgement of Peoli and Belichick, in fact I would venture to say there is no less dissapointing front office in Professional sports.

5) By the time this is posted, all of our readers will have seen or heard about this Sports Illustrated Cover. Do you believe in the SI cover curse, and how do you think it compares to the Madden cover curse (which terrifies me)? Do you see this affecting the patriots from here on out?

Babcock: Everyone knows it is impossible to curse Bill Belichick because he is a level 8 Warlock and is immune to all curses, spells, and voodoo in addition to HIV, the Flu, Rickets, Whooping Cough, sore throats, Gout, and sleep apnea. However, if he was on the cover of Madden 08 then you might have a case here...

6) The Patriots have shown a desire to leave their starters in the game even when the other team seems totally defeated. I have taken no issue with this: They are pursuing greatness and the other team is made up of professionals. However, I am wondering about your predictions this Saturday. How much of Tom Brady and company will we see? DO you think Belichik has a plan or do you think the game will dictate that? ALso, I would like your prediction about the final score.

Babcock: If there is one thing that Belichick always has its a plan. I am sure that he has almost every single possibility typed up, color coded, and laminated in addition to using an elaborate system of varying Fonts to symbolize on a scale of 1 to 11 how much he likes a given plan for a given scenario...That being said, I think that he wants to get the records for Brady and Moss so we may see those guys in the game until that is accomplished. I don't think anything is scripted, rather, and he will say this to the media ad nauseam, he will "just try to win the game". Whatever that might entail. He has shown in the past that he has a real respect for records and historical feats i.e. Vinny Testaverde throwing a touchdown in 21 straight years and Doug FLutie's drop kick-- and I think he wants to acquire as many team and individual records as he can this year. So to recap: Brady and Co. will stay in to get the records and then the game will dictate his decisions.

For my predictions, I think you see everyone in the game at least into the fourth quarter (we do have a bye first round so they will be able to rest) and for a final score 35-21, with at least 7 points for the Giants coming in "garbage time".

Now, Babcock questions me on the Giants:

1) The Giants have had a very up and down season, in your opinion does their inconsistency come from the top, i.e. Tom Coughlin, or does the repsonsibility lie with the players? Also, speak to the future of Coughlin with the Giants, how secure is his job?
This has been one of the most frustrating things about the Giants over the past few years. They are a talented group of individuals, but they can't seem to put it together on a consistent basis. In my opinion, the blame has to fall on Tom Coughlin. The second-half skid has become the signature of this team since he has been the coach. Every year it seems as if everything has finally fallen into place, and then the slide begins. I fell into the trap again this year (as evidenced by my posts from earlier in the season). Coughlin's job is certainly not secure, and barring any unexpected pleasant suprises in the playoffs, I don't expect him to be back. I was shocked when we extended his contract in the offseason, and I really feel like this was his last shot to get this team playing consistent football.

2) How big is the loss of Jeremy Shockey? Do you think that he is an overated player?
It's a huge loss. There's no way for me to accurately convey through this medium how much he means to this team. He is the emotional leader of our offense, and really the one guy that we can count on to never come out flat. When we get him involved in the game early on, which is not often enough (see above), he is incredibly effective and opens up the field for Eli Manning and our wide outs. He is not just a great receiving tight end, but also one of the most underated blockers at the position. We will miss his presence in the run game just as much as we will in the passing game. His presence will be missed tremendously on Saturday evening. There are some Giants' players who may come out flat and feel like they have nothing to play for. Jeremy Shockey's intensity is something Giants fans can count on regardless of the situation.

3) What are the biggest needs that the Giants need to address in the draft/offseason?

That's an excellent question. In my opinion, this team needs to continue building its defense. We have some excellent young players (Osi Umenyiora, Gibril Wilson, and Aaron Ross), but we also have a lot of veterans. This team needs as many quality players on the defensive side of the ball as it can get. I'm also tempted to say the wide receiver position. Plax has been great this year. However, Amani Toomer is aging and the more guys we have to compete with Sinorice Moss and Steve Smith, the better off we will be.

4) What are your feelings on Eli Manning? Can he lead this team to the promised land or should the giants cut their losses and look in a new direction?

I thought this would be question number 1. Well, I am happy and disgusted with the Eli Manning situation all at once. He is a good starting quarterback. He has a great work ethic, he is capable of making all the throws, and he has led his team to the playoffs in each of his full three years as a starting quarterback. If his name was not Manning, I don't think that he would receive the harsh criticism that he seems to be getting from analysts all across the nation. However, I am still disgusted with how much we gave up to get him. Quarterbacks are a crap shoot in the draft (take Tom Brady for example, nobody saw that coming). The Giants roster is proof of how valuble second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth round picks can be. Brandon Jacobs, Osi Umenyiora, Gibril Wilson, Michael Strahan, Chris Snee, and Justin Tuck were all taken by the Giants after the first round. Countless other impact players such as Fred Robbins were drafted after the first round by other teams. Antonio Pierce signed his first NFL contract as an undrafted free agent. There is no player in the draft that is worth giving up so many valuable picks for. There's just too much uncertainty. But yes, I do think that he is capable of leading this team to a Super Bowl if the circumstances are right.

5) I have been impressed with Brandon Jacobs, just how good is he?

He's very good. He's fast, he's strong, and he even has a few moves. Our ground game in general has been great all year. Reuben Droughns, Derrick Ward, and Ahmad Bradshaw (from what we've seen so far) have all run well and I relly believe that our offensive line is one of the best run-blocking lines in the NFL. I think that Jacobs will be a solid player for the Giants for many years to come. He reminds me of one of my childhood heroes, Rodney Hampton. See the pictures below.

5) Talk about the potential Playoff opponents and whether or not you see anyone from the NFC beating the Cowboys/packers? Legitimately, how far can the Giants go this year?

I like the matchup with Tampa Bay. I like the fact that we're in Tampa, because we have been better on the road than at home this year and Eli Manning seems to be a better warm weather quarterback. I think that we run the ball better than they do, I think that we pass block better than they do, and I think that we put pressure on the quarterback better than they do. However, they have a better secondary and they have Jeff Garcia (who has already proven his big-game worth against the Giants in San Francisco in what was one of the worst days of my life). Realistically, I wouldn't expect more than that from the Giants. They are certainly capable of beating any team in the NFC, but I don't expect them to. I expect Dallas to emerge and represent the NFC in the super bowl. They are very balanced on offense, and they have a tremendous defense.

However, the Giants have Jeff Feagles, so you can never count them out.

6) Think about question 6 that you gave me, i.e. how does Coughlin use starters etc... How important is winning this game for the giants? DO they have a Chance? Also, include your final score predictions...

Coughlin has said that he will play his starters, and that he does not believe in resting guys for the playoffs. In my opinion, Plaxico Burress and Brandon Jacobs should not play in this game. But, I think that they will. I think that Coughlin is going to feel the game out during the first quarter. If the Patriots take control early, I think that the Giants will pull their starters and start preparing for Tampa Bay. If it is close throughout, then I expect to see the starters for the whole game. Basically, we're going to play hard with our starters until we feel that the game is out of reach. This could happen in the first quarter or it might not happen throughout the entire game.

My prediction is that the Giants will lose by two touchdowns. Let's say 31-17. I think that this New England team has been too dominant and has too many veterans to blow this oppurtunity. However Babcock, just know that your boys had better not take this matchup lightly. The New York Giants have had a great defense for a long time, and this is what could happen if the offensive line is not prepared: