Plaxico And The Other NY Team



New York Jets WR Plaxico Burress.



Immediately following Plaxico Burress' release from prison, he was seen embracing agent Drew Rosenhaus in a Philadelphia Phillies hat. Many Eagles' fans saw that as a sign that Burress may potentially sign with the Eagles. They had all the reason to believe so. Burress and Michael Vick grew up in Virginia playing against each other in high school. Burress eventually signed with the New York Jets, after coach Rex Ryan did everything possible to get him there.

Once he was able to start meeting with teams, Burress met with his two former teams in the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants. Signing with the Steelers would've been a great idea. They get consistent quarterback play from Ben Roethlisberger. While they do have younger and faster receivers in Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace, Burress and Hines Ward are guys who can work with Roethlisberger when things break down in the pocket.

During Roethlisberger's rookie season, Burress was his favorite receiver. Time and time again, when Roethlisberger needed a guy to make a play, it wasn't Hines Ward, it was Burress. That was short-lived however because Burress got injured and some questioned his toughness late in a season where the Steelers went 15-1. Burress would sign with the Giants afterward, and Roethlisberger would go on to complain about the lack of a big receiver on the team.

Burress then proceeded to help another young quarterback in Eli Manning. Manning and Roethlisberger were drafted in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft. Manning's first full season as a starter was the 2005 season, and the Giants getting Burress via free agency helped the Giants to an 11-5 record and a NFC East title. All four of Burress' seasons with the Giants resulted in a playoff birth, and he was the recipient of the game-winning pass in Super Bowl XLII.

After Burress shot himself and knocked himself out for the rest of the season, the Giants sputtered down the stretch. They eventually lost to the Eagles at home in the Divisional Round after having home-field advantage throughout. Then Burress was cut in the offseason and the Giants didn't make the playoffs the next two seasons.

With that being said, a ton of people believed Manning needed Burress. That was no longer the case. During the 2009 season, Manning had the best year of his career to date, throwing over 4,000 yards with close to 30 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions. The following season, Manning threw over 4,000 yards again, but threw a career-high 25 interceptions. That number was misleading because the Giants' receivers were terrible at moments in hauling in passes. A lot of passes through the hands of the receivers ended up in the hands of the defense.

When Burress was sifting through his options, it was a no-brainer for me. The Giants should not entertain the thought of signing this guy. The Giants' offense had already evolved to the point where it's become kind of a home-run hitter offense. The Giants were attacking defenses more, throwing down the field to the young receivers. Burress would not have fit in at all. That decision turned out to be the best for the Giants.

The Giants didn't make the playoffs in 2009 because their defense allowed the opponents at least 40 points in five different games. In the 2010 season, the Giants had a chance to win the division. Up 31-10 in the fourth quarter, the Giants' defense blew the game agains the Eagles and it cost them a playoff spot. Both of those aren't Eli Manning's fault at all. As a matter of fact, Manning never has had a losing record in any season as the full-time starter of the Giants.

Burress signs with the Jets and that didn't turn out so well. Surprisingly, Burress kept himself composed. Santonio Holmes certainly didn't. Mark Sanchez was awful at certain stretches, including that final game against the Dolphins. Meanwhile, Manning was carving up the league to almost 5,000 yards passing and a NFL record 15 touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. Six of the nine Giants' wins this year were come-from-behind victories.

Manning doesn't get the respect he deserves as an elite quarterback in this league. He's the guy directly responsible for the Giants success since he became the starter, not Burress. With his heroic performance this season after stating on radio that he considers himself an elite quarterback, Giants' fans are glad to have this guy on board, and glad to see Burress and the Jets fail.