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NY Giants snap losing streak, beat Minnesota Vikings 23-7 for first win of season Eli Manning throws for 200 and zero interceptions, new running back Peyton Hillis goes for a touchdown and defense makes mince meat of new Vikings starter Josh Freeman in victory. By Ebenezer Samuel / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Published: Monday, October 21, 2013, 11:56 PM Updated: Tuesday, October 22, 2013, 2:09 AM
webgiants22s-web.jpg Mark Bonifacio/New York Daily News Happy time are here again! The Giants have not lost! Reuben Randle celebrates his touchdown in Big Blue’s 23-7 win over Minnesota Monday night.

GIANTS 23, VIKINGS 7

It took seven weeks and an opponent that was even worse than the Giants themselves. But at long last, the Giants have a win.

PHOTOS: ABOUT TIME! GIANTS FINALLY WIN A GAME WITH 23-7 VICTORY OVER VIKINGS

Thanks to a match made in Bad Football Heaven, the season-opening six-game losing streak is over. On Monday night, the Giants defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 23-7, at MetLife Stadium, and almost instantly, the weight of a season full of losing lifted.

Never mind that the Giants, now 1-6, beat a struggling Vikings team that fell to a nearly-as-bad 1-5, and never mind that the Giants made plenty of mistakes along the way.

hillis-spike.jpg Mark Bonifacio/New York Daily News Signed off the scrap heap, Peyton Hillis (r.) goes for a TD and a big spike in the third quarter.

RELATED: MYERS: GIANTS FIRST WIN STILL HITS BLUE NOTE

This win was enough to get Eli Manning joking about Justin Tuck’s lavender sweater at the postgame press conference, and enough to get linebacker Jon Beason to bust on Giants defensive tackles for being “special but ugly.” And it was enough to coax a broad smile out of Tom Coughlin when he was asked just how much his Giants needed this win.

“Do I have to describe that?” Coughlin said, grinning from ear to ear. “We needed it all along. The guys have really been great... I feel good for our guys. I’m happy for our coaches, I’m happy for our players, I’m happy for our owners that we won.”

RELATED: VACCHIANO: ELI GETS PASSING GRADE AS ZERO PICKS ARE GIANT STEP

“I was definitely ecstatic,” added safety Antrel Rolle. “I think the team, overall, we played a great game.”

giants-vikings.jpg Corey Sipkin/New York Daily News Tom Coughlin claps on the sideline for possibly the first time this season.

Well, that’s debatable.

RELATED: NATURALLY, HILLIS MAKES A GIANT CONTRIBUTION

The Giants’ running game struggled even more than usual, totaling 64 yards on 32 carries with Brandon Jacobs sitting out with a hamstring injury, Rueben Randle lost a fumble on a third-quarter punt return – the only one of the Giants’ four fumbles that was recovered by Minnesota – and the special teams managed to play even worse than they have all season, giving up their third punt-return TD of the season, this one to an unknown corner named Marcus Sherels.

But Eli Manning was just good enough, passing for 200 yards and one TD in his first interception-free game of the season, and the Giants’ ‘D’, hardly any good all season, held the dangerous Adrian Peterson to 28 rushing yards, his lowest total since Nov. 20, 2011.

RELATED: GIANTS INSIDER: JACOBS SITS WITH HAMSTRING INJURY

giants-vikings.jpg Corey Sipkin/New York Daily News Eli Manning throws for 200 yards and, most importantly, no INTs, despite a number of close calls.

The Giants routinely stacked the line to attack Peterson, daring the Vikings’ new starting quarterback, Josh Freeman, to throw, and he happily obliged on his way to a dismal 20-of-53, 190-yard night, something that Tuck said was “a little bit” of a surprise. The Minnesota offense didn’t score a single point.

“We knew their best player was Adrian Peterson,” said defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. “Everybody knows that. And we just have to stop the run. We did a great job of stopping the run.”

Still, it wasn’t until Peyton Hillis barreled into the end zone from one yard out with 8:45 left in the third quarter that the Giants were truly in control, ahead 17-7, their first two-score edge of the season. It was a play that came after the worst of Minnesota’s three turnovers, a baffling fumble by Sherels.

Just moments earlier, Sherels had fielded a punt that likely should have been fair-caught, dashed forward, then tried to cut across the field. But as he did, he tripped over himself, coughing up the ball against the turf. Giants long-snapper Zak DeOssie alertly recovered the fumble at the Viking 3.

Two plays later, Hillis and the Giants were headed toward their first win, despite so many mistakes that Jacobs said afterward there’s still “plenty of work to do.” Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks each dropped TD passes. And there were at least four Manning passes that easily could have been intercepted.

Those mistakes were no worse than the coverage on Sherels’ punt return that ended the first quarter, when he darted right, dashed left, then raced down the sideline, toying with punter Steve Weatherford, who made a diving attempt to avoid a TD, on his way to the 86-yard score that gave Minnesota a 7-3 lead.

Then again, as Coughlin said, it’s “good to win and correct (mistakes).” And the Giants finally have a win and some confidence. “It’s a good win,” said Pierre-Paul. “We’re gonna build on this, and hopefully everybody can stick together and continue to practice well and let’s get on a roll.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/defeated-giants-win-dump-awful-vikings-article-1.1492395#ixzz2iSAJnKee

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Now that's good Car-ma! Eli Manning takes a timeout to talk cars ahead of two game winning streak Faster than a cabbie hitting his brakes to grab a fare in Times Square, Eli Manning and the New York Giants have turned their season around. We caught up with Manning to talk about cars - not football stats - just ahead of back-to-back wins over the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles. By Nick Kurczewski Monday, October 28, 2013, 3:05 PM
article-manning-1028.jpg Rich Schultz/Getty Images

After our conversation with Eli Manning, the Giants scored two victories in a row. How's that for a pep talk?

We probably can’t take credit for the recent turnaround of the New York Giants’ season.

But hey, taking a break to talk about cars and road-trips was probably what two-time Super Bowl champion, Eli Manning, needed after a rough start to this year’s football season.

We caught up with the Giants’ QB over the phone, as he was on his way to practice in his SUV stuffed full of football gear.

This could be a strange interview since we’re not going to be talking sports. We actually got in touch because of your relationship with Toyota. How long have you been a Toyota spokesperson?

Eli Manning: Well, it started in my rookie season, I guess in 2004. So we’re coming up on 10 years. It’s been a great relationship, and it’s great working with Toyota…getting to know all the people there, and getting to do a few a commercials over the years. Toyota does great things around the community. I know they’ve worked a lot with Coach Coughlin’s Jay Fund [a non-profit to support families battling childhood cancer], the Boys & Girls Clubs, and obviously a lot when Hurricane Sandy came along. They gave money and a lot of vehicles to areas that were affected.

That’s great and very admirable, but now we have to ask something very important. Be honest, which is more stressful: taking the field in front of millions of football fans week after week, or acting in a car commercial?

[Laughing] “You know, I don’t think either of them are real stressful. Both of them are exciting and fun. You prepare for both of them and try to go out there and do a good job, because obviously a lot of people are going to be watching.

What was your first car ever, and do you miss it?

My first car ever was a Toyota 4Runner…

Oh come on, you’re just staying on message here, right?

No, I promise! You know, this is the first time I’ve actually thought about that. It was my older brother’s (Peyton Manning) and he’d held onto it for 4-5 years. It was time for him to get a new car and I’d just gotten my license. My parents made a good deal with him, so I got his car and it worked out well for me. I was real happy.

Do you remember what model year it was?

Well, I turned 15 in 1996. So I guess it had to be a 1991 or 1992. Something around there I guess.

You won’t hurt our feelings with how you answer this next one. Do you consider yourself a car guy? Do you like driving for fun, or are you happier as a passenger?

saatchi-saatchi-new-york.jpg Saatchi & Saatchi New York Eli Manning has been a Toyota spokesperson for nearly a decade. Despite the fame and two Super Bowl titles to his credit, he doesn't have any plans to trade up to a gold-plated Ferrari anytime soon.

Yea, I’m probably happier in the passenger seat. You know, I remember in college, when there was a bunch of guys going out, or away on Spring Break…I’d tell my friends: ‘Listen, here’s the deal. We can take my car, but I don’t want to drive.’ Especially when there’d be a lot of people, I’d want to be part of the action and not worry about driving. But if I’m by myself, I don’t mind driving. I’m driving right now. If the ride is smooth and I’ve got good music, I’m pretty content.

Okay, you’re a Toyota spokesperson. But with a couple Super Bowl rings, you must have a Bugatti, Ferrari, or Lamborghini stashed away somewhere?

No, no, no…[laughs]! I drive a Toyota Sequoia everyday and it works out well. My backseat is folded down, the third row too. I’ve got it loaded up with cleats and footballs, cones and, you know, during the spring it’s golf clubs. It’s loaded up with everything I need to do my job…it’s more like a storage unit back there, but it keeps my life in order.

So you're not concerned about keeping up with any rookies rolling in Lamborghinis?

No…there’s not too many Lamborghinis or anything like that around the facility [MetLife Stadium]. I’m very happy with my car; it’s been great and has everything I need in it.

Controversial question: In an automobile race between you and your brother Peyton, who’s going to win?

Well, I don’t think that’s a race anybody is going to want to watch. They’d fall asleep by the time it ended because of the slow pace of the running. But I guess I could take him in a race…I think I am a little bit faster than him [laughs].

Maybe we should set up a go-kart race to find out?

There you go…that would be fun!

Here’s a deeper question: Who would you take with you on a cross-country road-trip?

Hmm, that’s a good question. You know, it’s been awhile since we’ve done it, but to get my dad and two older brothers for a road-trip…we used to do that some when we were younger. I think that would be a fun experience to do now, 20 years later.

What’s the one convenience item you can’t live without in a car or truck?

Navigation is number one, especially around here in New Jersey, or New York and Connecticut. With all the different tunnels and bridges…interstates and highways around here, it can be really confusing. Both my dad and brothers all have a bad sense of direction.

You better be careful, you could end up in Philadelphia or Washington D.C. by accident. They have some fierce fans over there.

[Laughs] Yea, you’ve gotta watch out for that! I could end up in an area where some fans might not be too happy with me.

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Andre Brown has career game as NY Giants win third- straight, beat Raiders 24-20 It wasn't pretty, but Big Blue finds a way against Oakland to improve to 3-6. Eli Manning threw another pick six, but the Giants defense keeps Terrelle Pryor under wraps.
By Hank Gola / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Published: Sunday, November 10, 2013, 4:03 PM Updated: Monday, November 11, 2013, 8:57 AM
raiders-giants-football.jpg Kathy Willens/AP Andre Brown comes off of injured reserve to rush for 106 yards and a touchdown.
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GIANTS 24, RAIDERS 20

The wins are falling into place along with the opposing quarterbacks.

It started against the Vikings and a bewildered Josh Freeman. It continued against the Eagles when Michael Vick went out and Matt Barkley went in.

And Sunday, with a gimpy Terrelle Pryor playing with a sprained MCL, the previously 0-6 Giants’ win streak reached three against the Raiders. It was sloppy, as ugly as the previous two, but when you are trying to claw your way back into contention, surviving with a 24-20 victory can feel so good.

 

“It wasn’t pretty today, but when is it?” Justin Tuck asked. “As long as we stay together as a football team and continue to support each other, we’ll be fine.”

s.jpg Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News Cullen Jenkins and the Giants limit an already-injured Terrell Pryor on Sunday.

As long as they keep facing flawed QBs, that is. And as it so happens, they’re going to get another one next week when they continue their three-game home stretch against the Packers. Seneca Wallace, Aaron Rodgers’ fill-in, went down early in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles and coach Mike McCarthy has already announced that third-stringer Scott Tolzien will start.

Sunday, against a running quarterback who couldn’t run and who had no inclination to throw the ball downfield, the Giants defense knew exactly what to expect.

Calling on its historic DNA, it contained and harassed Pryor all day, and in the second half forced a game-turning interception by Terrell Thomas and a strip-sack fumble by Mathias Kiwanuka that finished the visitors’ late chance to steal the game. It all made up for a bumbling first half during which the Giants gifted 17 points with three turnovers, including Jerrel Jernigan’s careless fumble on the opening kickoff and Eli Manning’s third pick-six on his 16th interception of the season. Though the Raiders returned the favor with Cooper Taylor’s 21-yard return of Demontre Moore’s blocked punt.

RELATED: MYERS: ELI NEEDS A PICK-FIX

Down by three in a game they absolutely could not lose, the Giants heard Tom Coughlin implore them to “keep their chins up.”

“I think he’s 67 years old but he’s still got it,” said LB Jon Beason. “He was like, ‘This is our house. We know we’re better than this. Let’s go and take it.’ ”

s.jpg Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News Eli Manning throws another pick six, but can celebrate as the Giants win third straight.

They took it thanks to the return from injured reserve of running back Andre Brown, who, running behind FB John Conner, gave the Giants a power running game for the first time all year. Slated to get a limited amount of carries, Brown lugged it a career-high 30 times for a career-high 115 yards on the blustery day, which opened up at least some play-action for Manning.

Brown’s 1-yard TD run put the Giants ahead for good at 21-20 with 2:15 left in the third quarter after Thomas, the NFC Defensive Player of the Week in the Giants’ last win, returned Pryor’s ill-conceived out pass 65 yards to the 5-yard line. The Raiders had extended their lead to 20-14 on the opening series of the second half and the Giants had had it for just one three-and-out series before Pryor (11-26-122 on the day) threw into trap coverage on third-and-9 from the Giants 33.

RELATED: NO DOUBTING GIANTS' THOMAS ON CRUCIAL INT

“We started talking about it at halftime,” Beason said. “Who’s going to be the guy who makes the play?”

They’re going to need a lot more of those plays if they are going to make up enough ground to steal the NFC East. But they’re happy about the baby steps so far. Victor Cruz said it’s felt different ever since they got their first win. Tuck said the team never lost its optimism.

“You don’t want to put the carriage before the horse,” Beason said. “But we know if we can just be in the moment and set those small goals, we can win on a day-to-day basis and it’s going to give us the opportunity to be where we want to be at the end of the season.”

“We are where we are,” Coughlin said. “We just got another notch closer.”

One quarterback at a time.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/dead-giants-win-3rd-straight-article-1.1512429#ixzz2kLfAyfUv

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Laces Out Latest

Nov
11
Source: Hurting Packers bringing back Matt Flynn
Posted by Laces Out Crew on November 11th, 2013 at 6:19 pm

It seemed only a matter of time.

A week after losing starting QB Aaron Rodgers to a broken collarbone — and a day after losing his backup to a groin injury and watching the third-stringer throw a pair of interceptions in a loss to the Eagles — FOX Sports NFL Insider Alex Marvez reports the Green Bay Packers are bringing back Matt Flynn.

Source tells
that
are signing QB Matt Flynn

— Alex Marvez (@alexmarvez)

Flynn was cut by Buffalo on Nov. 4. Later that night, Rodgers was knocked out of the Monday night game against Chicago. Speculation of a reunion between the team and Flynn began immediately, with Packers head coach Mike McCarthy even being asked about Flynn during the postgame news conference, before the severity of Rodgers’ injury was even known.

The Bills were the fourth team for Flynn, who was signed by the Seahawks as a free agent before the 2012 season but lost the starting job to then-rookie Russell Wilson before Week 1. Prior to this season, he was traded to the Raiders, but Oakland released him on Oct. 7 after one start — a 24-14 loss to Washington. He was on Buffalo a week later, but was let go less than a month later.

Flynn began his career in Green Bay, selected in the seventh round of the 2008 Draft. He started only two games in his four seasons in Green Bay, and in his final game there he set or tied franchise records with 480 yards and six TDs in a Week 17 win over Detroit.

After that season, Seattle signed him to a three-year, $26 million contract.

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Tom Coughlin is reason NY Giants have meaningful game against Cowboys Whatever happens the rest of the way for the Giants, ask yourself a question: Who else would you have wanted, out of all the other coaches in the league, at 0-6, when it was foxhole time for the Giants and it would have been easy to give up?

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Sunday, November 24, 2013, 1:30 AM

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Tom Coughlin demonstrates his value again this season by keeping the Giants together after an 0-6 start.

This was before the Monday night game against the Vikings when the Giants were 0-6, and somebody asked Tom Coughlin what his reaction was when asked on a conference call with the Minnesota media about Coughlin possibly benching Eli Manning.

Coughlin said, “I believe I said, ‘If I heard you correctly, no.’”

Coughlin was asked then what he thought of the question. And because he is Coughlin, because there is no phoniness to the man, because he has presented himself honestly to his players and to the media and to the public from the first day he was coach of the Giants, he said, “Like many other questions that I get, you would not want to know what I think.”

It didn’t change his team’s record at the time. Twenty months after the second Super Bowl, Coughlin’s Giants were 0-6 and Eli was leading the world in interceptions and there was suddenly all this chatter about Coughlin’s age and even his future with the Giants after winning two Super Bowls in the past five years, winning two championships as great and dramatic as any New York team had ever had, in any sport.

The biggest game of the year for Coughlin’s Giants at that point was the next one, against a Vikings team starting a quarterback, Josh Freeman, who had been with the team about 10 minutes. And not even the most optimistic Giants fan in the world thought at that point that the field would open up for them, even with a succession of Josh Freemans quarterbacking the opposing teams, thought that there would be an actual Big Game this season in the NFC East, against the Cowboys or anybody else.

But that is exactly what happens Sunday at MetLife Stadium, the Giants at 4-6 having a chance, if they can beat the Cowboys, to be tied with them at 5-6 and be one game out of first place in their division with five to play; to at least give themselves a much bigger chance, a huge chance, to come back from 0-6 and make the playoffs.

Do I think they can do it, as a Giants fan and a Tom Coughlin fan? I still don’t, because they don’t get to play Josh Freeman or Matt Barkley or Terrelle Pryor or Scott Tolzien the rest of the way, they get Matthew Stafford on the road and Philip Rivers on the road and Russell Wilson at MetLife and two games against Robert Griffin III.

Of course there is something else to talk about Sunday, as the Giants get a game like this that matters this much in a season that was supposed to be empty of any game like this, when we had started to think the Giants might end up with one of the worst records in the league:

Tom Coughlin was the one coaching the team when it lost six straight games to start the season, it’s not as if he just showed up for Monday Night Football and a dream opponent like the Vikings, and then three straight dream opponents after that, all of them at home.

But whatever happens the rest of the way, ask yourself a question: Who else would you have wanted, out of all the other coaches in the league, at 0-6, when it was foxhole time for the Giants and it would have been easy to give up?

Before the Vikings game, somebody also asked Coughlin a question about how there had been some positive signs over the last few games, just nothing that had added up to his team’s first victory of the season.

“Well, I’ve been saying that forever,” Coughlin said five weeks ago. “Four quarters of championship football is what our objective has been for a long time.”

The truth is, they still haven’t done that, even as the defense has played better, even as it has made some plays and finally put some pressure on second- and third-string quarterbacks. Jon Beason has brought life to that defense and Andre Brown has brought hard running back to the offense, even as Eli Manning continues to be inconsistent, has not come close to putting up the numbers we expect from him; even as he continues to make throws and decisions that go against a record as the best thrower of the ball under pressure the Giants have ever had.

You know that if Nick Foles is healthy enough for the second Eagles game, the Giants are gone already. Same deal if Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback last Sunday at MetLife instead of Scott Tolzien. And it’s certainly not as if we saw four quarters of “championship football” against the Raiders, who kept making mistakes until the Giants had a four-point win against a team that always plays like a Pop Warner team on the East Coast.

So there has been more than enough good luck lately, even though the Giants will surely tell you they had their share of bad luck on the way to 0-6.

RELATED: MYERS: NOW IS WHEN ROMO AND 'BOYS FOLD IN CLUTCH

Still, Coughlin’s Giants did not quit because he wouldn’t let them quit, even when they all had to know they would have to win at least eight of their last 10 games to have any kind of shot at winning the NFC East, in a season when their only shot at the postseason was winning the East.

This may yet turn out to be a losing season, the first in such a long time for the Giants. Tony Romo could light them up Sunday and finish them and no one would be surprised, even Tolzien had good numbers last week around that killer interception to Jason Pierre-Paul. The Giants could still end up 6-10, you know they could. It doesn’t change the fact that when the whole thing could have blown up this season, the football operation at MetLife Stadium held: John Mara, Jerry Reese, Coughlin.

A friend of mine in the league, a smart guy I like a lot who has been around, always describes Coughlin this way: “A man in full.” He is that. Once he won a Super Bowl from 7-7. Now his team has the chance Sunday to win a game and be a game out of first. Coaching like this never gets old.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/lupica-old-coughlin-article-1.1527142#ixzz2lZEPAbL7

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Dallas Cowboys player rips NY Giants for trash talk, wears fake blood, says 'I just finished eating a Giant' Upset with some comments from Big Blue's Jason Pierre-Paul and Terrell Thomas, Cowboys DT Jason Hatcher who posts bloody face on Instagram. Said CB Orlando Scandrick: 'Never in my life have I heard a 4-6 team talk like that.'Comments (12) By Stephen Lorenzo / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Published: Sunday, November 24, 2013, 10:43 PM Updated: Monday, November 25, 2013, 8:50 AM
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Eli Manning is sacked by Cowboys' Jason Hatcher (l.), who dons fake blood on his face after the game and says that he ate a Giant.

The Giants did all the talking during the week, but on Sunday, it was the Cowboys' turn to talk back.

Terrell Thomas's guaranteed a win and Jason Pierre-Paul's talk of "blood being spilled" was thrown back in their faces after the Giants’ 24-21 loss by a suddenly talkative Cowboy team.

"We just got disrespected. You know what I mean? We didn't talk all week. We let them do all the talking. And revenge is best served cold," said Cowboys DT Jason Hatcher, who sacked Eli Manning twice and wore fake blood on his face in the postgame locker room. "I just finished eating a Giant. I'll be full for about three days. I ain't got to eat no more."

Hatcher posted this picture to his Instagram account from the locker room after the game. He wrote:

 

"They say blood would be shed. Just finished eating a giant. #actionspeaklouderthanwords"

"Never in my life have I heard a 4-6 team talk like that," said Cowboys corner Orlando Scandrick, who helped limit Victor Cruz to two catches for 27 yards and a fumble. "Talk, talk, talk. We had a better record and didn't talk."

After the loss, a sullen Giant locker room downplayed the notion that'd they'd given Dallas some extra incentive.

"With Cowboys-Giants, there's no bulletin material," said Thomas, who guaranteed a Giants win in a radio interview on Friday. "It's all in the heart. It's the will that's going to win this game and the better team won today."

RELATED: BLUE STREAK (AND MAYBE SEASON) OVER AS GIANTS FALL TO COWBOYS

The Cowboys, however, seemed to have their ears open all week long. On Sunday, they answered back.

"Actions speak louder than words, so we went out there and we did what we were supposed to do tonight," Hatcher said. "They talked the talk. They had to back it up, and they didn't. We came out with the victory. We came into their house and took it from them."

The fireworks actually started before the game, when both teams needed to be separated near midfield during pregame warm-ups. The Giants apparently tried to keep their chatter rolling, but the Cowboys simply weren't having it.

"For them to change their whole thing pregame and meet us at the 50-yard line and they had music on cue with it, it was laughable to me," Scandrick said. "But I knew that when the game started, when the clock started ticking from 60 minutes down to zero, they weren't going to be able to talk their way into a victory."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/cowboys-hatcher-poses-blood-face-finished-eating-giant-article-1.1527907#ixzz2lkxYqNnN

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Eli Manning throws five interceptions as NY Giants come up small against Russell Wilson and Seahawks The once-elite Manning now has a league-leading 25 interceptions and 169 career picks, most in franchise history. To make things worse, Victor Cruz left the game late in the third quarter after landing on his head while attempting to catch a pass.
By Ebenezer Samuel / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Published: Sunday, December 15, 2013, 4:15 PM Updated: Monday, December 16, 2013, 12:54 AM
s.jpg Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News

Eli Manning hits rock bottom Sunday by throwing five picks against the Seahawks.

SEAHAWKS 23, GIANTS 0

So much for pride and dignity.

The Giants spent all last week promising they still had everything to play for, that pride would carry them through the rest of this trying season, even though their postseason hopes vanished last weekend.

Then they delivered an effort befitting the hopeless team they are. Eli Manning threw a career-high and franchise-record-tying five interceptions, and the rest of the team didn’t fare much better in a listless 23-0 loss to the playoff-bound Seahawks at MetLife Stadium on Sunday that dropped them to 5-9 and finally seemed to tear the squad apart.

PHOTOS: SEAHAWKS MAKE GIANTS LOOK SMALL IN 23-0 BEATING

s.jpg Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News Eli Manning looks completely outmatched by a dominant Seahawks team.

Afterward, Tom Coughlin ripped into his players, Antrel Rolle questioned his team’s heart and pointed fingers at the offense and usually quiet tight end Brandon Myers took to Twitter to snipe at anyone who dared to question his “passion.”

Add to that Hakeem Nicks disagreeing with Coughlin referring to his offense as “pathetic” and you had an ugly postgame scene that has been known to play out on the other side of MetLife, not in Coughlin’s locker room.

“There’s no way to sugarcoat it,” an irate Coughlin said. “It was a pathetic offensive performance. We didn’t block anybody. We didn’t make any plays. We didn’t create any opportunities for ourselves. I told the players who prepared and gave great effort that I appreciated what they did. I told those that were obvious that they had not (prepared) that I felt sorry for them.”

The stats were glaring. Sunday was the Giants’ second shutout loss of this nightmarish season, the first time since 1996 they have been blanked twice in one season, and it locked up their first losing campaign since 2004. And it came largely because of another awful performance from the once-“elite” Manning.

RELATED: CARROLL AND SEAHAWKS LEAVE SWAMP IN SUPER SPIRITS

s.jpg Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News Russell Wilson barely breaks a sweat against the Giants' defense at MefLife Stadium.

The QB, who once proclaimed he was “not a 25-interception quarterback,” continued to set team records in all the wrong ways. Manning is now the franchise’s all-time leader with 169 interceptions, two ahead of Charlie Conerly, and he has his second 25-pick campaign with two games to go. He was lifted for Curtis Painter with 4:24 to play, after throwing his fifth interception.

In a postgame meeting, players said Coughlin tried to take blame for the Giants’ lack of effort, but Rolle refused to let him.

“Coach Coughlin can’t take any of this blame,” Rolle said. “Coach Coughlin, he’s a coach, but he can’t coach heart. He can’t make a player have passion about this game, and that’s what we were lacking out there today.”

Something was missing from the outset. The Giants’ very first drive, a three-and-out, ended when Manning was sacked at his own 7, and they’d manage just 55 yards for all of the first half. The Andre Brown-led run game, revitalized just a few weeks ago, managed just 25 yards. And when the Giants went backwards 10 yards on a three-and-out to start the second half, boos rained down.

RELATED: GIANTS INSIDER: BRUISED CRUZ'S SEASON MAY BE OVER

s.jpg Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News Eli Manning is easy pickings for Richard Sherman, who hauls in two INTs for the Seahawks.

Rolle would hint that the offense was to blame after the game, saying that the defense made some “great plays,” and saying only “you all saw the game” when asked about the offense. But the ‘D’ didn’t look much better when Marshawn Lynch was outworking it on his third effort during a two-yard second-quarter TD run. The Seahawks rolled up 209 total yards in the first half, easily grabbing a 13-0 lead.

But boy, did the Giants have fight in the postgame locker room.

Nicks, who caught just one pass, refused to agree with Coughlin’s assessment of the offense.

“I wouldn’t use the word ‘pathetic,’ ” he said, slightly annoyed. “I’ve got too much respect for the people in this locker room to say it was pathetic. Was it a lack of effort on certain plays? It could have been.”

Never mind that Nicks’ effort easily could have been in question, since he was the intended target on three of Manning’s interceptions. And while Nicks defended himself in the locker room, Myers took to Twitter hours later, calling out “ppl on this team” for questioning him.

“If ppl on this team wanna take shots at me an say I have no passion they are mistaken,” he tweeted. “I give everything I have each an every week. Getting cussed out for encouraging ppl am telling them they did a good job is mind blowing.”

Myers would later apologize for those tweets, saying “my emotions got the best of me.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/eli-giants-small-seahawks-article-1.1548562#ixzz2ndaUw9fK

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How long will Tom Coughlin and Rex Ryan last after another lost NFL season in New York Will Coughlin even want to return to the Giants? Should Big Blue bring him back? And what about Rex, newly eliminated from the playoffs with Baltimore's Monday night win? Does he have more time with Woody Johnson? NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Tuesday, December 17, 2013, 12:10 AM
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s.jpg Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News Tom Coughlin is the coach of the Giants, but for how long? Will he even choose to return after this horrid season?
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CLEANING HOUSE

The Giants & Jets are awful, but should it cost Tom Coughlin & Rex Ryan their jobs?

Tom stays, but Rex goes Rex stays, but Tom goes Get rid of both of the bums One more year, one more year!

The football season here, what will be another lost season without either the Giants or Jets making the playoffs, comes down to this with two games to play, nothing else:

Does Tom Coughlin want to walk away from the Giants, and does Rex Ryan get told to take a hike by the Jets?

A season that started with the Giants actually putting a Super Bowl countdown clock in their own locker room ends with fans of both the Giants and Jets wondering if there is a clock on their coaches now, at least until they find whether both of them stay, or one of them.

Or neither.

RELATED: MEHTA: REX'S FUTURE WITH JETS ALL BUT DECIDED

Coughlin’s Giants have won two Super Bowls over the past seven seasons. The rest of the time they don’t have a single playoff victory, have missed the playoffs entirely four times. It is why Coughlin’s resume is both interesting and complicated all at the same time, never more than now with one year remaining on his contract, in a league where letting a coach work on a one-year contract is considered some kind of felony.

I hope he comes back. But also know that Tom Coughlin doesn’t get to coach the Giants forever, has never said he thought he should. He doesn’t get to coach the Giants forever any more than Joe Torre, who put the Yankees back on top, who did as much for the Yankee brand as any manager ever has or ever will, got to manage the Yankees forever.

jets-panthers-football.jpg Bob Leverone/AP Rex Ryan makes two AFC Championship games in his first two seasons but doesn’t do much since. How long does he last?

It got complicated with Torre at the end, too. It always is when you have become the kind of iconic figure he was with the Yankees, and the kind that Coughlin became with two of the most dramatic victories in the history of New York sports.

So what does John Mara do now that the Giants start out 0-6, don’t beat a real quarterback all season, go into the last two games with a 5-9 record, are now 14-16 since the last Super Bowl and clearly going the wrong way, to the point where you think the Jets might have better prospects going forward?

RELATED: TOM TRIES TO PICK UP PIECES DAY AFTER

Now that’s if Coughlin even wants to coach the Giants next season, take on the task of rebuilding the team into a contender again, with holes all over the field. And if you don’t think there are, then you haven’t watched the season.

Somebody please tell me who was a star for the Giants this season, game in and game out, other than Victor Cruz.

Tell me you’re sure that Jason Pierre-Paul is back to being an actual franchise player on defense next season if healthy. Tell me if you think Coughlin, who will start next season at 68 if he is still coaching the Giants, wants to come back, go through the meat grinder again, if he doesn’t think he has one last shot at the Lombardi Trophy?

But then maybe Coughlin is too tough and too proud to walk after a lost, lifeless season like this, whatever his contract situation.

109811039rc071-nfl-lockout.jpg Rob Carr/Getty Images It would be hard to imagine John Mara (r.) giving Coughlin his walking papers after two incredible Super Bowl wins.

RELATED: WITH JETS OUT OF PLAYOFFS, REX UNLEASHES DEFENSE FOR STAYING

Does he stay or go?

And what about Rex?

There were the Jets on Sunday in Charlotte, right there with a Panthers team that has become one of the best teams in the NFC from the time they slapped around the Giants in September. It was 16-13 and the Jets, even with Geno Smith playing another sketchy game, had the ball, chance to take the lead. Then they were three and out and that punt got blocked and the Panthers scored and then there was a Smith pass the Panthers returned for a touchdown and the Jets were as good as out of the playoffs again.

They were 6-10 last season, have a chance to finish 6-10 this season, which would mean they lost six of their last seven games after being 5-4 and looking as much like the second wild card in the AFC as anybody else. Or maybe they beat the Browns at home and lose to the Dolphins and finish 7-9.

RELATED: VACCHIANO: AWFUL YEAR WON'T PICK OFF EXTENSION FOR ELI

In a season when there were hardly any expectations for the Jets, with either Mark Sanchez or Geno at quarterback, is that enough for Rex to keep his job?

superbowl-transportation.jpg John Minchillo/AP Woody Johnson may be facing a decision on Rex Ryan very soon.

If you follow the current protocol in the NFL, and don’t let your coach go into the last year of his contract, if you decide to go forward with Rex as coach of the Jets, that means you give him another two years at least. Maybe more.

Coughlin has two Super Bowls, and they still trump everything, including a year like this.

Rex?

RELATED: COUGHLIN STANDS BY GILBRIDE

He has two AFC Championship Games, one with a rookie quarterback. Since then he has gone 8-8, the bottom falling out of that season, and 6-10 and now 6-8. But then you watch the Jets go toe-to-toe with the Panthers and think you couldn’t have asked any more than a showing like that against a team like the Panthers — and the chance to get to 7-7 — in the middle of December.

Ryan has had five years with the Jets since he said he wasn’t here to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings. He has been a great outsized character, even though not as outsized as he used to be; been as much fun to follow as any New York/New Jersey football coach in history; and clearly shown he is one of the great defensive savants in his sport, as his father Buddy was before him.

Two games left for him, still a chance to get to .500. Two games left for Tom Coughlin. Coughlin is already a long way from his second Super Bowl team, to compare this Giant team to that Giant team is a joke. Rex is even further from that second championship game at Heinz Field.

If the Giants are your team, what do you want them to do?

If the Jets are yours, what about Rex?

No Super Bowl clock at MetLife Stadium. Just a different kind of clock on two coaches there.

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Justin Tuck and Hakeem Nicks head list of veteran free agents NY Giants could lose
The Giants have been in talks with most of their players, including running back Andre Brown and Tuck, but the only player they’ve been aggressively working to retain is LB Jon Beason.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Thursday, March 6, 2014, 11:22 AM
s.jpg Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News

Giants defensive end Justin Tuck hits free agency after 11-sack season, but there are plenty of questions about the veteran's ability to stay healthy.

The most pivotal Giants offseason in recent years began with a dare.

It was a month ago at the NFL scouting combine when GM Jerry Reese met the media to discuss the future of the team’s pending free agents. And he didn’t beg his vets to return or ask for hometown discount, or even hint at loyalty.

He told them to get paid.

“Free agency being free agency, that means you go out and try to get as much money as you can,” Reese had said. “I’m always in favor for guys getting as much money as you can.”

RELATED: GIANTS ARE IN RUNNING FOR BACKS WHEN FREE AGENCY OPENS

Several stalwart Giants will try that in the coming days, perhaps as early as Saturday, when teams can begin negotiating deals with the reps of free agents. Longtime defensive captain Justin Tuck and veteran receiver Hakeem Nicks seem set to test the market, leading 26 Giants into unrestricted free agency. Reese promised “significant” changes this offseason, and the stage seems set for that.

But nobody knows exactly how the Giants will attack this period. Somehow, with just $19 million in cap room, Reese must patch glaring holes on the offensive line and in the defensive backfield and revitalize the running back, receiver and tight end positions. The Giants do own the 12th pick in May’s NFL draft, though, their highest pick since 2003. It’s a deep class of prospects, too, so Reese may be able to nab plug-and-play starters in the first two rounds.

The team could free up cap space by reworking the contracts of Chris Snee, Eli Manning and Antrel Rolle, but at the moment there’s little room for splashy free-agent signings, and less room to go above market value to retain the likes of Tuck and Nicks.

The Giants have been in talks with most of their players, including running back Andre Brown and Tuck, but the only player they’ve been aggressively working to retain is LB Jon Beason. Beason recently broke away from super-agent Drew Rosenhaus and has been representing himself in talks with Big Blue, which is hoping to lock him up before the market officially opens on Tuesday.

RELATED: RECEIVER HELP ON GIANTS' LIST

vikings-giants-football.jpg John Minchillo/AP Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks could be out of the reach of the Giants this offseason.

When the market does open, Reese seems prepared to let his veterans test the free-agent waters, waving goodbye to this era of Giants football. Here’s a look at the top veterans the Giants could lose this offseason:

JUSTIN TUCK, DE

The Giants’ longtime defensive captain hits free agency at the perfect time, after an 11-sack season, but it remains to be seen how league talent evaluators reconcile that with his injury-riddled 2011 and 2012 seasons. Has said he wants to retire a Giant, but has also repeatedly said that football is “a business.”

HAKEEM NICKS, WR

RELATED: GIANTS TO MEET WITH EX-RAVENS LB MCCLAIN, HOPE TO RE-SIGN BEASON

Nicks recently switched agents, signing on with CAA’s Tom Condon, and despite his down year, he could be in line for a hefty deal. Even in a much-publicized down year, Nicks caught 56 passes, nine more than Riley Cooper, who just reupped with the Eagles and got $10 million guaranteed.

LINVAL JOSEPH, DT

Could be the most hotly pursued Giants free agent. Joseph is young (just 25), healthy and big (6-4, 323 pounds), he has a solid motor, and he plays a critical defensive position. He’s a solid 4-3 defensive tackle, and he’s athletic enough to anchor as a 3-4 end.

TERRELL THOMAS, CB

Proved he could still play after back-to-back seasons lost to torn ACLs, making 67 tackles and suiting up in all 16 games, and he’s told the News he thinks he’ll be even more aggressive in 2014. Still, he lacks recovery speed now. Is from California and could return there; he’s childhood friends with Chargers safety Eric Weddle.

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One year won’t do it: Hakeem Nicks wants ‘long-term deal’ and has eyes for Colts, Chargers and Panthers
Nicks backed off from his stance on a one-year contract Sunday, saying he wants to go to a team where he's 'the missing link.' While naming quarterbacks he'd like to play with, Eli Manning's name doesn't come out of his mouth. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Published: Sunday, March 9, 2014, 4:03 PM Updated: Sunday, March 9, 2014, 11:24 PM
giants-eagles.jpg Corey Sipkin/New York Daily News Hakeem Nicks has a sub-standard season with the Giants in 2013, with just 56 catches for 896 yards and zero touchdowns.

Hold off on that one-year, prove-it deal for Hakeem Nicks. The soon-to-be former Giants receiver wants something more.

That’s what he said on Sunday, one day after an ESPN report said he was willing to accept a one-year deal so he could re-establish his market value. This time he told ESPN, “I just want to make it clear that I want a long-term deal.”

460576831.jpg Andy Lyons/Getty Images Hakeem Nicks tells ESPN he could ‘be dangerous’ playing with Andrew Luck.

He also wouldn’t mind getting it from the Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers or his home-town Carolina Panthers — three teams he specifically mentioned without mentioning the Giants at all.

“Ideally, this is what I want,” Nicks said. “I want to go to a team where I’m the missing link. There are a number of teams that I have my eye on once I hit the market. I know if I went to a place like Indianapolis I would be dangerous with a quarterback like Andrew Luck. I can see myself catching passes from Cam Newton or even Philip Rivers.”

450462439.jpg Grant Halverson/Getty Images Having grown up in North Carolina, playing with Cam Newton and the Panthers appeals to Hakeem Nicks.

Whether or not he can still see himself catching passes from Eli Manning is unknown, even though ESPN’s story on Saturday said Nicks was open to returning to the Giants — something that seemed much more likely if he really was willing to accept a one-year deal. After his poor performance in 2013 (56 catches, 896 yards, no touchdowns and reportedly dozens of fines for missing treatments and being late to meetings) the Giants are unlikely to offer him a lucrative, long-term deal.

Other teams probably will, though, considering Nicks is just 26 years old and had back-to-back seasons of 75-plus catches and 1,000-plus yards in 2010 and 2011 before knee and foot injuries started to derail his career. Nicks once was looking for a Mike Wallace-like contract worth $11 million per season, according to sources, though after his questionable effort last season his value is now likely less.

454343527.jpg Jeff Gross/Getty Images Philip Rivers, the player the Giants traded away on draft day to land Eli Manning, is on Hakeem Nicks’ quarterback wish list.

He expects to have suitors, though. In fact, he says he’s already heard from players around the league who are hoping he’ll sign with their teams. At the moment, Nicks’ agents can only talk to other teams. The signing period opens at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

“Players have already started to reach out to me from other teams saying they would love for me to come join them,” Nicks said. “I just want to make it clear that I want a long-term deal and I want to be happy. I’m excited about talking to teams and making it work.”

CORNERING THE MARKET
The Giants are serious about acquiring a top-tier cornerback and are in on the bidding for CB Alterraun Verner, as the Daily News reported Saturday. Verner has also reportedly drawn interest from the Jets, Vikings, Rams, Lions and Steelers. He is expected to make his final decision without making any visits, according to a source, and could be signed shortly after the market opens Tuesday. … LB Jon Beason is likely to at least test the market on Tuesday rather than re-sign with the Giants beforehand, according to a source familiar with his plans. The Giants are still hopeful of re-signing him.

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Eli Manning, NY Giants rip New Jersey memorabilia dealer over lawsuit
Eric Inselberg filed the suit in New Jersey federal court days before the Feb. 2 Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium. The Giants and Manning both said at the time that the suit was 'without merit.' By Christian Red / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Published: Thursday, March 20, 2014, 10:23 PM Updated: Friday, March 21, 2014, 1:08 AM
138326976.jpg

Eli Manning and the Giants are unhappy about a lawsuit filed by a New Jersey memorabilia dealer.

Eli Manning and the Giants took a major step toward sacking a New Jersey memorabilia dealer Thursday, with both parties filing motions to dismiss a lawsuit that alleges the Super Bowl MVP quarterback and Big Blue sold bogus game-used jerseys and other collectibles to unwitting customers.

“In a shameless effort to grab media and public attention, plaintiff and his attorneys filed this baseless action on the eve of Super Bowl XLVIII – which was not so coincidentally set to take place in the very stadium that the New York Giants play their home games and tactically included as a defendant, Eli Manning the franchise quarterback of the Giants,” wrote Manning’s attorneys, referring to Eric Inselberg.

Inselberg filed the suit in New Jersey federal court days before the Feb. 2 Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium between the Broncos (with Eli’s older brother Peyton at QB) and Seahawks. The Giants and Manning both said at the time that the suit was “without merit.”

Manning’s lawyers call the Big Blue signal-caller’s inclusion in the suit as a defendant “nothing more than an inappropriate attempt to capitalize on Manning’s fame and public notoriety.” The motion further states that nowhere in the original complaint does Inselberg allege that he had “direct dealings with Manning, that Manning provided him with any ‘fake’ game-worn jerseys or helmets, or that Manning even knew him and what he did for a living.”

“Defendant’s motion should be granted in its entirety, and the complaint against him should be dismissed, with prejudice,” Manning’s lawyers wrote.

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Giants sign Mike Patterson, Zack Bowman

Posted 4 hours ago

ck Bowman


EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Giants today added to their growing stable of defensive backs and retained a valuable member of their defensive front.

 

They signed free agent cornerback Zack Bowman, who played his first six NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears, and re-signed defensive tackle Mike Patterson, who joined the team last year after eight years with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Bowman, 6-1 and 196 pounds, has played in 73 regular-season games with 23 starts and played in two postseason games. His career statistics include 151 tackles (131 solo), 10 interceptions, 19 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and 5 fumble recoveries (scoring touchdowns on two of them). Bowman also has 36 special teams tackles.

>> VIEW ZACK BOWMAN PHOTO GALLERY

In 2013, Bowman played in all 16 games for the third time in his career and started seven, his second-highest total. He finished with 49 tackles (39 solo) and three interceptions.

The Giants now have seven cornerbacks with NFL experience – Prince Amukamara, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Walter Thurmond, Trumaine McBride, Jayron Hosley, Charles James and Bowman. They join safeties Antrel Rolle, Will Hill, Stevie Brown, Quintin Demps and Cooper Taylor in the team’s rebuilt secondary.

Rodgers-Cromartie, Thurmond, Bowman and Demps are all newcomers, McBride was a free agent who was retained, and Brown was re-signed after missing the 2013 season with a knee injury.

Patterson played in all 16 games last season for the first time since 2009 and the sixth time in his career and contributed 35 tackles (22 solo). Patterson had four tackles (three solo) in his Giants' debut at Dallas on Sept. 8 and at Carolina on the Sept. 22 and at Kansas City a week later. He made his only start of the season at left defensive tackle vs. his former Eagles teammates on Oct. 6 and had two solo tackles. Patterson had a season-high five tackles (three solo) at Detroit on Dec. 22.

>> VIEW MIKE PATTERSON PHOTO GALLERY

In nine years, Patterson has played in 131 regular-season games with 100 starts and started all seven postseason games in which he’s played. His career totals include 586 tackles (312 solo), 16.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, four passes defensed and an interception. In the playoffs, he has 43 tackles (26 solo).

The Giants lost one of their starting defensive tackles when Linval Joseph signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings. But they still have their other starter, Cullen Jenkins, plus Patterson, Johnathan Hankins, last year’s second round draft choice, and Markus Kuhn.

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Offseason sit-down with Coach Coughlin

Posted 14 hours ago

eisen_70x70.png Michael Eisen Senior Writer/Editor @GiantsEisen Read Eisen's Mailbag

Giants.com's Michael Eisen sat down with head coach Tom Coughlin to discuss the Giants’ active offseason

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Giants have been the NFL’s busiest team this offseason. It began with the retirement of offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, which prompted a restructuring of the coaching staff on that side of the ball. The Giants have signed a league-high 13 free agents who played elsewhere last season and retained 10 of their own players. They have also lost some high-profile and longtime contributors. Giants.com this week sat down with head coach Tom Coughlin to discuss the Giants’ active offseason.

 

GIANTS 2014 FREE AGENCY MOVES S Stevie Brown STORY | VIDEO K Josh Brown STORY RB Rashad Jennings STORY | VIDEO G Geoff Schwartz STORY | VIDEO RB Peyton Hillis STORY | VIDEO QB Curtis Painter STORY C J.D. Walton STORY CB Trumaine McBride STORY | VIDEO FB Henry Hynoski STORY | VIDEO LB Jon Beason STORY | VIDEO LB Jameel McClain STORY | VIDEO S Quintin Demps STORY CB Walter Thurmond STORY CB Rodgers-Cromartie STORY | VIDEO LB Spencer Paysinger STORY KR Trindon Holliday STORY | VIDEO WR Mario Manningham STORY | VIDEO OL John Jerry STORY DT Mike Patterson STORY CB Zack Bowman STORY OT Charles Brown STORY DE Robert Ayers STORY | VIDEO

Q: This week, the Giants signed Zack Bowman, Charles Brown and Robert Ayers to increase the number of free agent acquisitions since March 11 to 13. Is it a challenge for you as a coach to assimilate so many new veterans onto the team at the same time?

 

“Absolutely, it is. You’ve got a big part of our football team that has not been through our routine, the way we do things, the presentation of our values and our principles, what we believe in, how we work, how we practice, how they are to come to work. So we have a lot of basic, fundamental teaching to do. It is definitely a year of transition, no doubt. I think that it must be recognized in terms of the due diligence that’s been done by pro personnel, (assistant general manager) Kevin Abrams and by (general manager) Jerry (Reese).

 

“The coaches have done an outstanding job. You talk about a recruiting job, they’ve done a very good job. (Secondary/cornerbacks coach) Peter Giunta has done an outstanding job and (defensive coordinator) Perry (Fewell). But, yes it is, it’s exciting. And you know what, it’s good for us. It’s good for us at this point in time.

 

“I said all along that the stimulation here, even for our veteran players, for Eli (Manning) to re-focus and to be energized by new, the new learning, the new presentation of material, the different terminology, the things that must be mastered before you even get out of the huddle. I think all of those things are stimulating.”

 

>> VIEW 2014 ALL GIANTS FREE AGENCY MOVES

 

Q: Are you more concerned with X’s and O’s, learning the offensive and defensive systems, or getting the new players accustomed to the culture you’ve created here and what you expect of them?

 

“The culture’s going to change, too. The culture will change. Now, the principles and the values will not change, but how we go about our business has to change, because we have so many new people that have to be integrated into the system. Am I concerned about the X’s and O’s? Yes, I’m concerned about the X’s and O’s. That whole situation in terms of the new system and our new offensive coordinator (Ben McAdoo), those things are all going to have to be presented to our team, both veterans and new people. It puts them basically in the same boat, because they’re all learning from scratch, there’s no advantage to anybody.

 

“Our defense has learned an awful lot about our players and how to best utilize them. We rose from 31st to eighth (in the league rankings during the course of the 2013 season), but there are a lot of changes on the defensive side of the ball. We, again, have to be in a position where we’re evaluating our talent so we know how best to go ahead and try to utilize them. Everywhere in the organization there has to be a marching to a little bit faster step, if you will, just to be able to incorporate new people in a short amount of time and to learn not only a new system on the offensive side of the ball but the defense will change according to our personnel. Now terminology isn’t going to change, but they will have new things to learn.”

 

Q: You alluded to this, but you have a lot to accomplish and a relatively short time to do it all. Does that make it even more challenging?

 

“It’s a challenge, but that’s alright. That’s good. That’s part of the challenge. We don’t have any less time than anybody else, but nevertheless, people will look at the fifth preseason game (the Hall of Fame Game) and hopefully that becomes an advantage for us. I think it’s necessary to say that perhaps the few extra practices that we’ll have will help us and then the ability to evaluate new arrivals, how particular players fit in, that’s going to be very important as well.”

 

Q: When the offseason began did you anticipate this much of a roster overhaul?

 

“It was easy to see the number of free agents that we had. That part of it was. And again, we’re all a part of the evaluation process and our team from a year ago was evaluated and the difficult assignment of making decisions on personnel takes place. Then to go out and execute it is extremely important, because if you’re going to follow through on your process and bring players in that are going to make a difference, and obviously we’ve gone through some of that and we have a ways to go, but nevertheless, that’s what this is all about.”

 

Q: You have brought in four offensive linemen (Geoff Schwartz, J.D. Walton, John Jerry and Brown). Do you have an idea what position each will play, or do you plan to look at them at different spots?

 

“I think we have an idea where they should go. Again, we’ll have to adjust on the fly, but we need to get started in that process, no doubt, because that’s a major aspect of it. You know, the defensive line has changed also.”

 

Q: In addition to the newcomers, you have Chris Snee back after he played only three games last season. How important is that to have him here for the new guys, both on the field and from a leadership standpoint?

 

“It’s critical, in my opinion. We start out with Chris the last couple years and were not able to finish and all of a sudden he’s gone and that aspect of his leadership is removed. So now you have not only the loss of him as a player, but the loss of him in terms of his leadership role in the classroom where he helps all these young guys.

 

“You have a two-fold deal, because now you’ve got a lot of people striving to play in positions that they may not have a lot of experience playing - I’m talking about last year’s team. But they don’t have anybody really to rally around. That one personality, the guy who literally has taken over since (Shaun) O’Hara left, the idea of keeping the focus in the offensive line room where it should be. We need that aspect, but we also need the toughness, we need the physicality, we need the player and what he brings to the table as much as anything else. His presence will lend a lot.”

 

Q: Do you believe the offensive line had to be upgraded this offseason?

 

“Sure it did. You saw when we lost (David) Baas and Snee at the same time, we had two new people to integrate right now after what, three games? You had to go through that process with these guys. As young people, you’ve got to go play. They have to go play. It doesn’t happen any other way. One of the guys that really helped us that we will miss is Kevin Boothe, because of his flexibility.”

 

Q: You also revamped the secondary with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Walter Thurmond, Quintin Demps and Bowman. Was that another target area for you?

 

“No doubt. The corner position more than the safety position. The fact that Antrel (Rolle) and Will Hill and Stevie Brown and Cooper Taylor (are returning at safety), that makes a lot of sense being able to come back and have those guys together. But to get (Trumaine) McBride back, to have Dominique, to have Thurmond, to have Zack Bowman, to have guys who have played and played at the highest level, been in big games - sure they have to learn the Giant way, but they’re talented and they can help us.”

 

Q: You have brought in a lot of players from teams that were successful last season, including Denver, Seattle, Kansas City and New Orleans. Is that important?

 

“They’ve been in winning organizations and they’ve been on the field in good times and bad, so they’ve been able to recognize it for what it is. Hopefully, the winning part is going to dominate in terms of what they bring to the table with the people that they will be surrounded with.”

 

Q: Another player from a background in winning is (linebacker) Jameel McClain (from Baltimore). Do you expect Jon Beason and him to provide leadership on defense?

 

“Beason’s role, having had him here for (12) games a year ago and having him back is very important, simply because of the way that Antrel and Beason were able to work together. It kind of inspired one another and therefore inspired everybody on the defensive side of the ball. That’s something we very much wanted.”

 

Q: When we talk on Thursdays during the season and discuss the opposing teams, it seems every one of them has a dangerous return specialist you have to stop. Now you have (former Bronco) Trindon Holliday, who’s obviously very explosive. He’s had some fumbling issues. When he was here to sign his contract, he said the two of you would get “real acquainted” regarding ball security. What was that conversation like for you?

 

“Spend a lot of time together. You said it. It was really simple and he accepted it and he knew what I was talking about in the bat of an eye. All that other stuff is tremendous, but the number one thing that you have to do, and you always talk about it terms of a punt returner, is ball security. Catch the ball, secure the ball for us, if nothing else. That’s something that Rueben (Randle) has done and done well. He’ll always be in that position where we can use him with regard to that, but if we can get somebody who gives us a little bit of the spectacular - I mean, when you sit down and talk about this guy’s track speeds, are you serious? He runs 100 meters in 9.98 (seconds) or whatever the heck he ran. It’s fun to think about. Go ahead, outkick the coverage, please do. Not only for kickoff returns, but for punt returns. What it would mean to us to have some field position, a short field all of a sudden, and take care of the football, play good defense, get turnovers for us on that side of the ball, not beat ourselves, how about that one for a theme? That would be a very nice thing.”

 

Q: Have you ever had a return specialist with this kind of potential?

 

“David Wilson on kickoff returns, there is no doubt about him. Dominik Hixon was a good punt returner. But this is really an exciting thing, especially for this present group of special teams coaches who haven’t had one. They haven’t had a returner like this.”

 

Q: And you also added Quintin Demps, who was third in the league last year in kickoff return average.

 

“He’s a kickoff returner who puts it up in there, he’ll lay it up in there, no doubt. Now those are real exciting. What was really interesting to me was having Bowman talking about helping on special teams, to think about Thurmond helping on special teams. There’s no reason why your starting corners and safeties, who are outstanding football players, can’t go out there and stop the opponent’s gunner from getting down the field. It’s two against one and it helps our football tremendously to have people that can do that. We’ve got to put that in everybody’s mind, too. We’ve got to get that done this year. We play against an awful lot of great returners, punt returners or kick returners, every week. But we also play against some outstanding gunners and when you look at what the Super Bowl winning team (Seattle) provided in terms of people that were outstanding gunners, who were able to cover the way they did, there’s no field position after those guys get off the line of scrimmage and make a play.”

 

Q: The Giants started six different running backs in 2013 – David Wilson, Da’Rel Scott, Brandon Jacobs, Peyton Hillis, Michael Cox and Andre Brown. Do you think you will have some stability there with the acquisition of Rashad Jennings?

 

“I think he’s an all-around back. Whatever question I asked when I was looking at the tape got answered. In other words, he went 80 (yards for a touchdown last season for Oakland in a game at Houston). Is he fast enough? He goes 80. Does he catch it out of the backfield? Yes. Does he run the screens well? Yes. How is he from scrimmage as a runner? Good. First and second down, can he play on third down? Yes, he can. What does he need? Well, he’s 230 pounds with a great attitude. He needs a little work on his pass protection, but I think we can get that done. I think he’s an all-purpose guy that fits us very, very well.

 

“All in due time with David (Wilson). Just pray, you’re praying that he has a return to excellent health and that the doctors are totally convinced that he is recovered and ready to go. When that time comes, you’ll have another contributor who, if he gets a step, he’s gone."

 

Q: Is your attitude now that you can’t count on Wilson and if he comes back, it’s a bonus?

 

“I’m counting on him, but I am not going to put him in any circumstance until it’s an absolute that he’s 100 percent. I’m not going to mess with that one.”

 

Q: What are your thoughts about Mario Manningham returning to the team after two years in San Francisco?

 

“It was exciting and fun to talk to him, because he’s so pleased to be back. He is more mature, physically and otherwise. He wants to be here, he wants to help us win. He’s more appreciative of his first tenure here and he certainly wants to make it even more productive this next time back – even for a guy who will go down in history as having made one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history.”

 

Q: Robert Ayers started three games at right defensive end last season for Denver. Your incumbent left end, Justin Tuck, signed with Oakland. Can Ayers play on the left side?

 

“Sure, he can. He’s played right, he’s played left, he’s played inside on third down, he’s played in a lot of spots. He’s a powerful player. He’ll be very, very good against the run. I really, quite frankly don’t think there are any tight ends that will block him. He’s really got exceptional hand position, does a nice job with that, and he can be used in a versatile manner and he has consistent effort. He’s got the hunger and the desire and he’ll make up for a lot with hustle.”

 

Q: You lost several players that you coached for a number of years…

 

“I love what Kevin Boothe’s done for us. His contribution, you look at last year, everybody goes 'woe is me.' If it wasn’t for that kid, you could go around and talk about 'woe is me.' Great kid, very smart, will do anything you want him to do, exceptional character. He worked the room as well as anybody, was versatile in positions, great for your team, all of those things. No doubt.

 

“Justin Tuck has had superb playoffs when we’ve won Super Bowls and he has been a major contributor in all capacities, even in ’11 when it started with the Jets game. Go back and look, he played very, very well from that point right through the end of the season. He’s been an excellent, excellent football player, leader, person. I’m going to miss him. I’m going to miss them all. You miss the ones that you don’t have once they’re gone. But you understand the nature of the game.

 

“We’re going to miss Linval (Joseph). God bless him, but we’re going to miss him. We know what the game is. There’s only so much (money). They’re making decisions about how you’re going to try to operate with multiple numbers rather than a few. These things happen. What are you going to do?”

 

Q: How has it been working with a new group of offensive coaches?

 

“It’s good, because if nothing else it’s a reflection. If you take the guys that I’ve kept on the offensive side of the ball and kind of maneuvered them around into different spots, except the offensive line, you know what I mean. It’s good because you watch the guys, they’re learning. They’re like sponges. It’s a foreign language, there’s no doubt. Ben’s done a very good job of introducing every aspect of it to the staff. He’s done an excellent job with that. It’s been good and it will be good for the players, because they’re going to have to sit up in the front of their seats and get it.

 

“I’ve been in the same system since 1988. We have incorporated whatever we can from our system that we’ve always had here, but there’s a lot of new terminology. There will be lots of new teaching just in terms of the way in which it’s presented, which will force people to study and to learn and to be anxious. When the huddle breaks you’ve got to go do it. They’re going to have to learn it to be able to do it. The plays will become familiar to them once they recognize what the responsibility is. You have to be able to talk it, discuss it and communicate. That’s different.”

 

Q: You’re always excited about anything to do with football, but has all this change energized you a little bit?

 

“It challenges you. Yes, it energizes you, because you’re disappointed in last year and you want to change it, but you know the amount of work that has to go into it. Also know that our veteran players coming back, their attitudes, they have great attitudes, they’re coming in to change. There’s no question about it. What I recognize, what I see, what is necessary, how we tweak what we’ve done in the past. The very first year of this new CBA we won the world championship. Every year as you go on, tweaking it, maximizing your production, knowing full-well what you have. One practice a day, the manner in which you begin in shells (not full pads). Your players definitely must grasp the idea that even though it’s just one practice a day, you’ve got to maximize your intensity for the entire day. Otherwise, you’re not going to get it. You’re not going to be where you should be. That’s where I think the understanding and the energy has to come from.”

 

 

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Meet the Giants Undrafted Free Agents

Posted 3 hours ago

dan_70x70.pngDan SalomoneStaff Writer@NYGsalomone Read Daily Blitz Blog

Here are five things you need to know about the Giants Undrafted Free Agents
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UDFA: DT Eathyn Manumaleuna

DE Eathyn Manumaleuna, BYU

1. NFL.com scouting report: Good strength, balance and body control. Lines up in a flexible stance and engages quickly. Generally holds his ground. Has two-gap ability. Shoots his hands to stack, locate and shed. Can press his man and walk him back to cave the pocket. Moves very well for a big man, especially laterally -- can pick 'em up and put 'em down in chase mode. Senses screen. Strong wrap tackler. Has NFL bloodlines.

2. Holds the record for games played at BYU with 54. As a senior, he was named to the FBS All-Independent First Team.

3. Measurables: Height 6-2, Weight 296 lbs., Arm length 32 ¼”, Hands 10”

4. His name is pronounced "EE-thin MAH-noo-MAY-lay-oo-nah.” His uncle, Robert Anae, is BYU's offensive coordinator. His cousin, Brandon Manumaleuna, was a fullback with the Rams, Chargers and Bears from 2001-2010.

5. An Alaska native, he enrolled at BYU in 2007 and started all 13 games at nose tackle as a true freshman, recording 25 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack with one pass batted. In the Las Vegas Bowl against UCLA, he blocked a potential game-winning field goal attempt as time expired. He served a two-year mission to Oklahoma City before returning to the football field in 2010. His career numbers include 144 total tackles (17 for loss), 6.5 sacks, one interception, and two blocked kicks.

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UDFA: DT Kelcy Quarles

DT Kelcy Quarles, South Carolina

1. NFL.com scouting report: Good size and initial quickness. Long arms and strong upper body -- can press and extend to create operating space. Flashes the ability to walk guards back. Is fairly light on his feet and shows nice closing burst to the quarterback. Good pursuit effort when his battery is charged. Heavy tackler. Excellent sack production, particularly for an interior defender -- 9.5 sacks ranked second nationally among defensive tackles.

2. Quarles was named first-team All-American by Sporting News (second-team by the Associated Press) and was a unanimous first-team All-SEC selection in 2013, when he led the team and tied for third in the SEC with 9.5 sacks.

3. Measurables: Height 6-4, 297 lbs., Arm length 33 ¼”, Hands 9 3/8”

4. A native of Hodges, S.C., Quarles graduated from Greenwood (S.C.) High School, where he was a Parade All-American and earned all-state honors as a senior. He was also selected to play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. His father, Buddy, played at South Carolina from 1984-87 for Giant great Joe Morrison.

5. Quarles also attended Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy where he was a four-star prospect and considered the nation's third-best prep school player by Rivals.com. He was regarded as a four-star prospect by Scout.com.

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UDFA: DE Kerry Wynn
DT Kerry Wynn, Richmond

1. NFL.com scouting report: Very good body length. Flashes some violence in his hands. Strong tackler. Very good 10-yard split time (1.68 seconds) at the combine, where he also did 31 bench-press reps.

2. In 2013 at Richmond, Wynn appeared and started in 10 games and was named Third-Team All-CAA, finishing with 56 tackles, 5.5 for a loss, 2.5 sacks, three breakups and five quarterback hurries.

3. Measurables: Height 6-5, Weight 266 lbs., Arm Length 31 ¾”, Hands 9 1/8”

4. After redshirting in 2009, Wynn saw action in three games in 2010. In 2011, he had 32 tackles, seven tackles for loss and four sacks with one forced fumble in eight starts. He then led the Spiders in tackles for loss in 2012 after posting 45 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks with five batted passes and one forced fumble in 11 starts.

5. A native of Louisa, Va., Wynn was a highly-touted prep prospect from Louisa County High, where he was a three-sport athlete in football, basketball and track. He was an All-District and All-Region selection as both a linebacker and tight end while being named District Defensive Player of the Year, leading his team in receiving with 32 catches for 428 yards and four TDs as well as the team's leading tackler with 56 stops and 14 sacks.

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UDFA: LB Justin Anderson

LB Justin Anderson, Louisiana-Lafayette

1. NFLDraftScout.com: A First Team All-Sun Belt performer, Anderson averaged over 10 tackles per game as a senior and produced impressive numbers at his pro day (37-inch vertical, 6.89 3-cone drill).

2. In 2012, he started at inside linebacker in all 13 games, earning the team’s linebacker award. He led the team with 105 tackles (70 solo) and added 8.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback sacks, an interception, one caused fumble and one fumble recovery. He ranked seventh in the Sun Belt in tackles, averaging 8.1 a game

3. Measurables: Height 6-2, Weight 232 lbs.

4. As a sophomore in 2011, he worked his way into the starting lineup late in the season, starting the regular season finale at Arizona (11/26) and the New Orleans Bowl. He played in nine games with two starts, ending the year with 11 solo and 13 total tackles. He capped the year with a five tackle effort vs. San Diego State, including his only tackle for loss of the year.

5. A native of Foley, Ala., Anderson garnered all-state recognition as a senior at Foley High, earning all-county and all-region honors after making 80 tackles with 16 sacks. He was also selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game.

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UDFA: Thomas Gordon

S Thomas Gordon, Michigan

1. NFLDraftScout.com: Michigan's starting strong safety last season, Gordon is a tough, powerful striker, but also has the athleticism the NFL wants, evidence by his 41-inch vertical at his pro day.

2. Gordon was a four-year letterman, appearing in 47 games with 38 starts at safety.

3. As a fifth-year senior in 2013, Gordon appeared in 12 games, starting 11 games at safety while contributing on special teams. He tallied 58 tackles, 2.0 TFL, three interceptions and a forced fumble.

4. Measurables: Height 5-11, Weight 211 lbs.

5. A native of Detroit, Gordon attended Cass Technical School, where he was a three-year starter at quarterback while also playing safety during his career. He made 30 consecutive starts at quarterback during his final three seasons, throwing for 2,917 yards and running for 2,051 yards during his three-year career. He also registered 89 tackles and five interceptions.
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Five unanswered questions as OTA's begin

Posted 4 hours ago

dan_70x70.png Dan Salomone Staff Writer @NYGsalomone Read Daily Blitz Blog

 

 

There are still some unanswered questions about the 2014 Giants

The Giants report tomorrow for the first day of organized team activities (OTAs) at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, N.J.

relatedlinks-250.jpg NEWS > Shaq declares himself a Giants fan > Are Giants rookies "NFL Ready" > Antrel Rolle named to Top-100 > Xavier Grimble inspired by Mark Bavaro PHOTOS > Top Giants Quotes of the Week VIDEOS > Rolle named to NFL Top 100 > Watch: Giants Player Interviews

From a new offensive system to a slew of new faces added in free agency and this year’s draft class, the Giants have answered key questions following a 7-9 season. But there are still some unanswered.

Giants.com looks at the top five of those questions heading into OTAs.

1. What is Ben McAdoo like (and what does he like)? After being a tight ends (2006-2011) and quarterbacks (2012-2013) coach in Green Bay, McAdoo earned the promotion to offensive coordinator for the New York Giants this season. Hired in January following the retirement of Kevin Gilbride, McAdoo will be the first new coordinator for Eli Manning and the Giants since 2007. And with McAdoo, there comes a new system. From the beginning, he stressed fundamentals, and throughout the offseason program, we picked up pieces of what the offense could look like. We’ve heard West Coast, up-tempo, power running, etc. Time to see it evolve on the practice field.

2. Who’s healthy? From Manning to Will Beatty, Chris Snee, Stevie Brown, Jason Pierre-Paul and others, the Giants have key players returning from injuries. Like the rest of the NFL, this is the time teams can gauge how far along players are in their rehab processes while seeing how they react to live practices. Note: there is no live contact permitted in OTAs.

3. What does the offensive line look like? It was the main question coming out of the 2013 season and will continue to be a main storyline through the summer and into the 2014 season. While we can’t get too caught up in configurations because of players like Beatty coming back from injury and the fact the Giants stress versatility, we’ll start to see the plan for mixing in the new players. In addition to drafting center Weston Richburg, the Giants added veterans in free agency, including Geoff Schwartz, J.D. Walton, Charles Brown, and John Jerry. Let’s see how they get worked in with returning players like Justin Pugh, Dallas Reynolds, Brandon Mosley, Eric Herman, and James Brewer.

4. Who’s starting at tight end? First off, we need to find out how McAdoo, a former coach at the position, will utilize his tight ends. Secondly, let the competition begin. Returning are Adrien Robinson and Larry Donnell, while the team added veterans Kellen Davis and Daniel Fells in free agency. The Giants also signed Xavier Grimble, an undrafted rookie free agent. Everyone will have their eyes on the tight ends this summer.

5. How are all the pieces coming together? Players have joked about sessions in the weight room being like a meet-and-greet. It’s true to an extent. The Giants had one of the most active offseasons in terms of personnel this year and parted ways with former leaders and starters like Justin Tuck, Kevin Boothe, Hakeem Nicks, and Linval Joseph. The revamped Giants will have a new identity this season. Let’s see what emerge

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Five things we learned at OTA practice

Posted 13 hours ago

By John Schmeelk

Giants.com highlights five things we learned at Thursday's practice

Focus on the Fundamentals

relatedlinks-250.jpg NEWS > What we learned on first day of OTA's > Standout players as OTA's begin > Are Giants rookies "NFL Ready" > Antrel Rolle named to Top-100 PHOTOS > OTA Practice Photo Gallery VIDEOS > Highlights from latest OTA practice > Watch: Giants Player Interviews

The early part of practice was spent practicing one of the most important fundamentals of football: tackling. In drills, players worked on taking the right angles and used pads and sleds to work on the proper tackling form. Even though there isn’t any contact in OTAs, drills like these are the best way to make sure tackling is sound early in the season.

 

Spreading it Around

A lot of the drills early in practice focused on the quarterbacks getting the ball to the running backs and tight ends after running short routes. Both position groups showed good hands and the ability to run good routes. It’s fun to think about the potential variety in the Giants’ new offense. Adrien Robinson had a nice sliding catch near the sideline during 11 on 11 drills. They also ran a number of different screen passes during team drills.

 

Timing

The individual drills between the quarterbacks and skill position players seemed to focus on quick drops and throws. The wide receivers ran a lot of hitches, digs, and slants. During the 7 on 7 and 11 on 11 portions of practice, I only counted one pass that traveled more than 15 yards in the air

 

Forcing Turnovers

The defense, from the line to the secondary, was all over the field for most of practice. They were very active in blowing up a couple of screen passes and seemed to be a step quicker than their offensive counterparts. This should not come as much of a surprise since the offense is still in the process of learning a new system. Early in practice a number of defenders were working on catching the football one-handed. Forcing turnovers will once again be a focus of Perry Fewell’s group. That focus was punctuated by a great interception by Charles James, returning it for a touchdown. Rookie Nat Berhe also had a chance at an interception early in practice, but he couldn’t hold onto it.

 

Getting Healthy

Eli Manning, David Wilson, Stevie Brown and Jason Pierre-Paul were all out there for a second consecutive day and none showed any ill effects from their respective injuries. Manning had to roll out several times to avoid pass rushers, David Wilson looked explosive, Stevie Brown was active in the secondary, and Jason Pierre-Paul was in the backfield consistently. After practice, David Wilson said he will have tests on his neck on June 4th, and he hopes with good results he will be cleared for contact.

 

 

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9 reasons Giants fans should be optimistic

Posted 7 hours ago

dan_70x70.png Dan Salomone Staff Writer @NYGsalomone Read Daily Blitz Blog

Giants.com's Dan Salomone lists 9 reasons to be optimistic before Training Camp relatedlinks-250.jpg NEWS > 10 Things we learned at minicamp > Dallas writer picks Giants to win East PHOTOS > 18 Unique photos from minicamp VIDEOS > Watch: OC McAdoo's talks new system

1. Jon Beason stabilized the middle of the defense. Beason’s recent foot injury raised a flag heading into training camp, but the three-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker is hopeful to return for the start of the season. After being acquired by the Giants in October, he made an instant impact on the defense and was re-signed by the team this offseason. Along with offseason acquisition Jameel McClain, Beason leads a position that had questions at all three spots heading into camp last year.

2. The return game has special players. No one was happier with free agency than special teams coordinator Tom Quinn. He saw his outfit gain ex-Bronco Trindon Holliday, the first NFL player to score multiple return touchdowns in a single postseason game, and Quintin Demps, a seventh-year pro who finished third in the NFL in kick return average last year and has two kick return touchdowns on his resume. The Giants also drafted Odell Beckham Jr., who won the Paul Hornung Award as the Nation’s Most Versatile Player last year with LSU. They will bolster a Giants team that last year finished 27th in kick return average and 26th in punt return.

3. The offensive line was addressed. The Giants made no bones about the need to bolster their offensive line this season and did so starting with free agency. They brought in Geoff Schwartz, J.D. Walton, John Jerry, and Charles Brown, who have all started at least 20 games in the NFL. That was before they drafted center Weston Richburg in the second round to compete for a spot. Veterans Chris Snee and Will Beatty are returning from injury, and the expectation is they will be on the field during training camp.

4. Jason Pierre-Paul is healthy. At this time last year the Pro Bowl defensive end was coming off a back procedure which would hamper him throughout the season and cause him to play in just 11 games with two sacks. But now the fifth-year pro says he is as healthy as ever and looking to get back to his 2011 form.
5. The Giants added a playmaker in Odell Beckham Jr. Quarterback Eli Manning and the entire offense needed a dynamic player coming off a forgettable 2013 campaign. And they think they got one in Beckham with the 12th overall draft pick. “We are talking about the quarterback needing some help,” general manager Jerry Reese said at the time of the draft. “And this guy is a weapon.”

6. New blood is shaking things up. From the hiring of new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo to adding a slew of new faces in free agency and saying goodbye to old ones, there is a new look to the Giants this season. With that has come a level of excitement within the locker room as the front office hopes it translates to wins on Sundays.

7. Rashad Jennings solidified the backfield. The Giants found their bell cow at running back in Rashad Jennings, who signed with the Giants this offseason after a career year in Oakland. Jennings has proven he is ready to take the next step with the Giants after the team had to patch together a rushing attack that mustered just 83.3 yards per game in 2013. The Giants also drafted Heisman Trophy finalist Andre Williams, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards last season at Boston College.
8. Young players are now ready to step up. Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and defensive end Damontre Moore have the opportunity and ability for larger roles after spending their rookie seasons learning from the veterans. Meanwhile, the Giants may have found something in wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan, who came on strong down the stretch last season after two unproductive years.

9. The Giants planted seeds. After winning Super Bowl XLVI in 2011, Big Blue has missed out on the playoffs each of the last two years. But instead of trying to chase the magic of 2011, they moved forward this year and retooled for this season as well as the future. They brought in proven veterans from winning teams and planted the seeds with their seven-member draft class, five of which were team captains in college.

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Eli Manning and NY Giants look terrible in Ben McAdoo's West Coast offense Manning does not look like the same player in McAdoo’s offense. It’s all dinks and dunks and throws to the tight end. The downfield game is gone. Victor Cruz is not the same Victor Cruz.

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, September 9, 2014, 1:27 AM
giants-lions-football.jpgPaul Sancya/AP Eli Manning and Giants new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo (r.) talk things over Monday.

DETROIT – It was the Same Old Eli on Monday night, but unfortunately for the Giants, not the one who pulled off thrilling last minute drives to win two Super Bowls.

It was the Same Old Eli of 2013, who threw a career-high 27 interceptions, and the Same Old Eli who has showed up for too many games of his 11-year career with the Giants.

Manning and the Giants had a lot on their agenda against the Lions: They wanted to get a victory early to erase any thoughts of a repeat of last year’s 0-6 start, and they also wanted to have a big game with the new offense brought in by Ben McAdoo to put the struggles of the preseason behind them.

So, how did they do? “It was a nightmare performance,” Tom Coughlin said after the 35-14 loss.

Manning threw two crucial interceptions in the third quarter, which the Lions turned into 10 points.

Coughlin is now 4-7 in openers with the Giants. This was the most lopsided. If the Giants get things going and have a good season, it will be because Manning finds a rhythm in McAdoo’s West Coast offense, which relies on the short passing game, after playing almost his entire career in Kevin Gilbride’s bombs-away attack. If they stink again, it will be because Manning had another bad year.

McAdoo’s offense is a work in progress. The problem is there are only 16 games and each one is precious. There is no time to work out the kinks. That was supposed to be done in the spring and summer.

Manning does not look like the same player in McAdoo’s offense. It’s all dinks and dunks and throws to the tight end. The downfield game is gone. Victor Cruz is not the same Victor Cruz of his first couple of seasons. There is no explosion in the offense.

After giving up two touchdowns on Matthew Stafford-to-Calvin Johnson passes on the first two possessions of the season – Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Stevie Brown ran into each other on the first one, a 67-yarder – the Giants were within 14-7 at the half with the ball to start the third quarter.

But Manning tried to hit tight end Larry Donnell on a seam route on a third down from the Giants 22. Donnell was doubled, never turned around for the ball and it was picked off by linebacker DeAndre Levy, setting up a field goal.

“Bad decision by me,” Manning said. “Larry is doing the right thing. I threw the ball too quick. He had no reason to be looking.”

giants-lions-football.jpgPaul Sancya/AP Victor Cruz is wasted in the West Coast offense - at least in Week 1.

Two series later, Manning was chased out of the pocket and rolled to his left on a first down from the Giants 16. He had Cruz open up the sideline, but didn’t get enough on the ball and it floated to safety Glover Quin, which ultimately set up Stafford’s five-yard run for a 27-7 lead.

“It was a bad decision trying to make that throw,” Manning said. “There is no reason for the turnovers. It is not a part of the offense.”

Will it get better?

The pass protection is bad. The running game averaged 2.4 yards per carry. Cruz, who had two catches for 24 yards, should have come back to break up Quin’s interception and didn’t secure a couple of catchable balls. Rueben Randle, who is supposed to be a home run hitter, had two catches for one yard. Donnell, who had three catches last year, had five catches for 56 yards. It’s not good when Larry Donnell is the leading receiver.

Manning is 33 years old and at a crucial period in his career. His contract runs through 2015 and the Giants have held off on negotiating a new one. While it’s hard to imagine he won’t be the quarterback for the next four or five years, if he is not a good fit for this offense, the Giants are going to have to make a decision: Stick with the offense or stick with Manning.

giants-lions-football.jpgPaul Sancya/AP Manning is under relentless pressure from Lions DE Ezekiel Ansah.

Manning is a smart player, he understands the offense, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be able to make it work. After last season, Giants co-owner John Mara said the offense was broken. After one game of the 2014, it is far from fixed.

“No excuses,” Coughlin said. “We played very poorly. We don’t have a lot to be proud of here. We couldn’t move the ball. We couldn’t stop them. We turned the ball over. We got back into that business again. We got a punt blocked. You name it.”

Coughlin was not angry, but he was not happy. Even the secondary, which was supposed to be the strength of the team, was exploited by Stafford, who threw for 346 yards, and Megatron, who caught seven passes for 164 yards and two scores.

Not much went right.

“Very disappointed, expected better,” Coughlin said.

If Monday night’s Same Old Eli keeps showing up, last year’s 7-9 will be looking pretty good.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/myers-eli-manning-west-toast-giants-new-dink-and-dunk-offense-article-1.1933030#ixzz3CoD22200

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NY Giants offensive line can't help Eli Manning out

Taking snaps behind an offensive line in transition, Manning was flushed from the pocket on his second interception, and there were few holes for tailback Rashad Jennings, the free agent signee making his Giants debut, to run through. The Giants managed 53 yards on the ground.

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, September 9, 2014, 1:39 AM
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nfl.jpgAndrew Weber/USA Today Sports Eli Manning is under pressure for most of the night.

DETROIT — Look no further than the offensive line for clues about why Eli Manning was scrambling so much in the 35-14 loss against the Lions Monday night at Ford Field.

“He was under pressure most of the night,” coach Tom Coughlin said.

Manning was sacked twice and hurried often. Taking snaps behind an offensive line in transition, Manning was flushed from the pocket on his second interception, and there were few holes for tailback Rashad Jennings, the free agent signee making his Giants debut, to run through. The Giants managed 53 yards on the ground.

“We’ve got to get these things rolling,” right tackle Justin Pugh said. “We can’t make the same mistakes.”

WEATHERING THE STORM

Count punter Steve Weatherford among the walking wounded.

He hurt his left ankle (plant foot) when he was the wrong end of a roughing the kicker penalty, but he returned to punt and hold for PATs. He noted that he needed to adjust his approach to kick after the injury, and that the injured area was high above his ankle.

“I couldn’t really accelerate through the ball,” he said.

He punted better after the roughing than he had before. His second punt was blocked, traveling just 16 yards and contributing to Coughlin’s description of the night as a “nightmare.”

Weatherford walked off the field with a noticeable limp, and moved around in the postgame locker room with a protective boot around his foot. He had X-rays taken, and was scheduled to undergo an MRI Tuesday back in New Jersey.

HELLO, LARRY

Meet Larry Donnell.

The new tight end introduced himself with a first-half touchdown. He also hauled in a ball over the middle for a first down. His scoring play came on a one-yard fade to the left side of the end zone, and his long covered 19 yards. Manning targeted Donnell six times in the first half alone, and Donnell finished with 56 receiving yards on five catches. dinged up

DE Jason Pierre-Paul (neck) missed a few plays early after suffering a stinger, but came back into the contest. He does not expect to miss practice time this week…LB Devon Kennard (hamstring) was ruled out during the third quarter.

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Victor Cruz is right! Eli Manning and the NY Giants just need to get star WR the damn ball Coughlin said on Friday that the Giants offense has a 'confidence issue' and he’s right. But the only way to fix that is to show confidence in their best players.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
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giants-v-dallas.jpgRobert Sabo/New York Daily News Victor Cruz needs the ball if the Giants are to get their stagnant offense in gear.

Victor Cruz is not the type to pound his fist on the wall of his locker and demand the football, and that's certainly not what he did this week. He made the very strong point, though, that the Giants’ success hinges on the ball being thrown in his direction, and in the direction of Rueben Randle, too.

That may not be the kind of stuff Tom Coughlin wants to hear, but the truth is Cruz was exactly right. Teams don’t win by turning their stars into bit players. And if the Giants ever want to get their stagnant offense going, their playmakers need to be the ones with the ball.

“Yeah, you would like to get all your playmakers a touch early,” said Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. “That is easier said than done.”

No one is doubting the degree of difficulty, especially since this Giants team isn't exactly overflowing with playmakers — especially on McAdoo’s side of the ball. But there has to be a much more concerted effort anyway, starting on Sunday afternoon against the Arizona Cardinals. Do you think the Detroit Lions would've stopped throwing to Calvin Johnson on Monday night if he was double-covered? Would the Eagles stop handing the ball to LeSean McCoy when they're staring at eight-man fronts.

Of course not.

Because those players are stars, and they’re stars for a reason. The same goes for Cruz, who has averaged 80 catches, 1,200 yards receiving and almost eight touchdowns in the last three seasons. Yes he had two ugly drops late in the Giants’ 35-14 loss in Detroit, but the Giants stopped looking in his direction long before those. And they can’t, because he is what is going to make the Giants’ passing game go this season. The same goes for Randle who, for all his obvious flaws and difficulty running the right routes, is the Giants’ No. 2 receiver and best threat on the outside — for better or worse.

New York Giants vs. Arizona Cardinals Preview
New York Daily News reporters Ralph Vacchiano and Ebenezer Samuel preview upcoming matchup with the Cardinals.
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On Monday night, when the Giants' passing game was held to an ugly 144 yards, Cruz (2 catches, 24 yards) and Randle (2 catches, 1 yard) were targeted on just nine of Eli Manning’s 33 passes. Tight end Larry Donnell, meanwhile, had eight balls thrown his direction. Jerrel Jernigan, the third receiver by default thanks to rookie Odell Beckham’s never-ending hamstring injury, was targeted seven times.

Now, Donnell (5 catches, 56 yards) and Jernigan (4 catches, 25 yards) did a fine job. But how many games are the Giants going to win riding the Donnell-Jernigan combo? How much better will they be if the passing game starts running through Cruz and Randle and even running through Rashad Jennings (4 catches, 50 yards) too.

A lot better, because those three are better players who are capable of doing a lot more things with the ball in their hands. And remember, that’s part of the charm of McAdoo’s West Coast attack — shorter passes that get the ball in the hands of the playmakers early, giving them much more time to do their thing.

“No question, that would be something that would be very important and that could naturally be looked at as an improvement,” Coughlin said. “Most patterns have a triangle progression or some type of a priority followed by a progression. Many times those things prevail as to where the ball goes.”

That’s coach-speak for saying what the Giants have always said about their offense: The ball goes to the open man. But why do you think Donnell and Jernigan were more open than Cruz and Randle? They draw less attention from the defense because they’re not nearly as dangerous. Sometimes it’s better just to say “Here’s our best player. He’s getting the ball. Stop him … if you can.”

ralph11s-4-web.jpgHoward Simmons/New York Daily News Victor Cruz speaks his mind on the best way to fix Big Blue's offense.

That’s especially true in big spots, which brings up the Giants’ mind-boggling — yet ultimately successful — red-zone series against Detroit in the second quarter. They ran four plays. Three of them were fade (or fade-like) passes. One went to rookie Corey Washington, who nine months ago was playing Division II college football, and two (including one touchdown) went to Donnell.

Where were Randle and Cruz? They were split left on the first play (Cruz was open), and Manning never looked in their direction, very obviously going to Washington all the way. On the second play, the Giants took Cruz and Randle out and actually lined backup offensive lineman Dallas Reynolds up as a slot receiver (think about that for a moment) in a four-wide set that included Jennings and two tight ends. Cruz and Randle were back in for fourth down, but Manning ignored them again (Donnell caught a touchdown pass instead).

McAdoo explained that by noting the height of Donnell (6-foot-6) and Washington (6-4) and the “favorable matchups”, but they’re always going to have favorable matchups because the best defenders are going to be on Cruz and Randle. That’s because when it comes to targets in the passing game, they’re the Giants’ best players.

Coughlin said on Friday that the Giants offense has a “confidence issue” and he’s right. But the only way to fix that is to show confidence in their best players. And if they don’t start using those players more often, they’re never going to get out of this offensive mess.

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