Giants Don't Need Plaxico to Succeed

For the New York Giants, life without Plaxico Burress began long before the gunshot wound that ended his season.   It started in September when Burress was suspended for a game after missing team meetings. It continued even after the Super Bowl XLII hero returned, only to get benched for a quarter against Pittsburgh after skipping a medical treatment. As talented as he is, Burress was proving too unreliable to be counted on down the stretch. To their credit, the Giants recognized this long before Burress was shelved Tuesday following his ammo mishap at a New York City nightclub. Look at how New York's offense has morphed in 2008. At this time last year, Burress was single-handedly carrying the passing attack. He had six more touchdowns than fellow starting wideout Amani Toomer. Even on a bad ankle, Burress was New York's only legitimate big-play threat. But excluding a 10-catch effort in the 2008 season-opener against Washington, Burress hadn't cracked the 100-yard receiving mark this ... (link)