Can the question mark hovering over the quarterback position be favorably resolved? If so, the season will be punctuated with a playoff spot

QB or not QB? That is the question concerning Collins, whose iffy history and hefty salary don't make for an easy answer.  Vincent Muzik

The question is, which of his quarterbacks is coach Jim Fassel rooting for? Cynics say that Kerry Collins, who bombed out last year with two bad teams, Carolina and New Orleans, is a lock for the job-if not right away, then a few games into the season. After all, who pays a guy $16.9 million for four years to sit on the bench? Fassel says he was part of the triumvirate that decided to acquire Collins.

Cautious observers say let's wait awhile. Fassel has an obvious affection for the incumbent, Kent Graham, whom he had some success with when he was offensive coordinator in Arizona. And how can you brush off the way Graham finished the '98 season, leading the Giants to five victories in their last six games, saving his best and most courageous performance for the toughest opponent, Denver, which took its first loss of the year, at the Meadowlands? "Sure, I heard all the talk that it was already decided, that the job belongs to Kerry," Fassel said early in August, "and I'm sure Kent heard it, too. So one day I sat down with Kent and said, 'The bottom line is, you're the quarterback. There are three things I could say right now: 1) the competition in camp will decide it, 2) Kerry's the starter, and 3) you're the starter. Which one do you want? Right, number 3. Now all you've got to do is go out and get your teammates to function.'"

Yep, sounds swell, but there are 16.9 million reasons why the job might be weighted in favor of the newcomer. Graham is a big, strong guy who can knock down buildings with his passes. He's had wild streaks. He has to constantly work on his touch. Some people say these kinds of throwers never settle down, but Doug Williams carried the same rap and he's got a Super Bowl MVP trophy sitting on his shelf.

Collins? We all know the problems: the drinking, the way he asked to be benched in Carolina last year and then his mediocre stint in seven games with New Orleans after Mike Ditka made with the Father Flanagan bit and rescued him. But there are some golden memories too: the way he ran the 49ers out of 3Com Park with those fade passes in '96 on the way to the NFC title game, the way he seemed to come up big when the stakes were highest. He was almost at the end of the line after last season when the Giants popped everyone's eyes open with their hefty offer. "It was a three-pronged decision," Fassel says. "Joe Goldberg, the team psychologist, evaluated his personal life. I evaluated his football ability. Ernie Accorsi, our general manager, worked out the contract."

O.K., Ernie, tell us: Why give all that dough to a guy who looked as if he were just throwing it up for grabs at times? "The problem was the Saints' offense he played in," says Accorsi. "There wasn't much cohesion to it."

"He was trying to make too many big plays," Fassel says. "He was relying on his arm strength too much. I basically took that New Orleans thing and threw it out the window."

Sorry, there's something missing here. Early in August, at training camp, I asked one old-time Giants' team official what exactly the deal was in New Orleans anyway? "The kid was drinking, that was the problem," he said. Talk to Collins and it sounds as if all three theories are right. "It took me awhile to figure out that right now there's absolutely no purpose to letting alcohol be a part of my life ever again," he says. "There's nothing positive I get out of it. My mechanics were off last year. It was a matter of discipline. I've learned more about quarterbacking in this campÑwhat's efficient, what's not."

Why all this emphasis on quarterbacking? The Giants are a multifaceted team, blessed with a sturdy defense, led by the best lineman in the game, left end Michael Strahan, a fine weakside linebacker in Jessie Armstead, and a big league secondary. What's more, the offense is looking better, now that rookie tailback Sean Bennett, a fourth-round pick, has shown good speed to complement his 230 pounds, and Jim McNally, a fine developer of offensive line talent, has been hired to coach the guys up front.

The answer is that Fassel came to New York with a reputation as a molder of quarterbacks. But with the Giants he's on his third one in three years: Dave Brown (gone), Danny Kanell (gone), now Graham, or if Collins wins the job, then it's up to four. Not exactly an ego-builder for a QB guru."What you have to evaluate," Fassel says, "is how did each guy play for you compared with the way he played for other people."

It should be a lively year for the Giants. They could win the division, as they did two years ago, or slide into another one of those here-we-go-again quarterback controversies. That's what Fassel clearly does not want.

-- Paul Zimmerman

Fast Facts

1998 RECORD: 8-8 (3rd in NFC East)
     NFL rank (rush/pass/total): offense 12/28/29; defense 23/13/19

1999 SCHEDULE STRENGTH (rank): 25 (tie)
     Opponents' 1998 winning percentage: .480; Games against playoff teams: 8

Player to Watch

It was the biggest catch in Amani Toomer's three-year NFL career. Game 14 of 1998, 48 seconds left, and the 6'3" Toomer, running a deep-right corner route, soars over Broncos cornerback Tito Paul, catches Kent Graham's pass and barely drags both feet inbounds for a 37-yard touchdown to hand Denver its first loss of the season. What did this catch mean for Toomer? Only about $11 million.

In July he signed a four-year, $11.2 million contract extension with a $3.2 million bonus, the biggest package the team had ever awarded a wideout. Pretty heavy going for a player who had been an effective punt returner but had only started one game at wide receiver in his career. "Do you want to lose a guy with that size and speed, with so much potential?" said general manager Ernie Accorsi. "Well, we didn't, either."

Other Info

1999 Team Schedule
Team Depth Chart