Imagine if you didn’t know anything about how the Giants were faring seven games into the season except for these two statistics:
Michael Strahan, three sacks. Kurt Warner, four touchdown passes.
Initial reaction? Trouble. Big trouble.
It would be absurd to hypothesize that the Giants would be off and running at 5-2 heading into Sunday’s game against the Bears. Strahan, who’s averaged 13.7 sacks per season the last seven years, has had three or more sacks in a game seven times in his career.
In a three-year span, Warner threw for 98 touchdowns and this year, 25 NFL quarterbacks have surpassed his paltry total. Four touchdowns in seven games should not add up to five victories.
“You would think that would be crazy,” Warner said, “but, hey, whatever it takes.”
These two stars have turned the corner on their egos. They were born five months apart – Strahan on Nov. 21 joins Warner at 33 years old – and garnered accolades and riches as rewards for their individual exploits. Strahan has been a Giants mainstay for a dozen years; Warner will likely come and go as a one-season guest. Both are closer to the end than the beginning and, in drastically different ways, provide invaluable leadership.
The numbers, though, simply aren’t there.
A magnetic personality who is impossible not to root for, Warner is following the low-risk script handed to him by coach Tom Coughlin. The formula is working, but more is needed from Warner for the Giants as they mature from surprising to serious contenders, unless Tiki Barber is bionic.
Strahan wouldn’t want to be characterized as mellowing with age, yet his famous mood swings have lessened and he genuinely seems more content than ever. New fatherhood (he and his wife Jean last week celebrated the birth of twin girls) is an obvious factor but more so, Strahan is increasingly cognizant that he might as well cherish the time on the field he has left.
“I was talking to [teammate] Keith Washington, and he says to me you know what, you’ve been playing at such a level for such a long time that if everybody continues to think you’re gonna stay there forever they’re insane,” Strahan said. “I always think I should stay at that level.”
Year after year, game after game, opponents craft their gameplan to limit the damage inflicted by Strahan.
Just this past game, the Vikings built a wall in front of Strahan, who was blocked by rookie right tackle Nat Dorsey and chipped at the line by running back Moe Williams. In addition, Adam Goldberg was on the field as a tackle-eligible, using his 310 pounds to further impede Strahan’s progress.
“I’ve never been in a game where they had three or four dedicated to just me; I look at that as respect,” Strahan said.
“When I look at him my heart goes out to him because I just feel people can’t imagine what he wants and tries to bring to the table,” said Washington. “A lot of times he does wonderful things that may not turn out to be a sack. Let me tell you something, and I’m not just saying this because he’s a very good friend of mine, right now you give me Michael Strahan over everybody.”
