jerseygiantfan

Giants end 4 game losing streak

Yep you missed me!! I was surrounded by Giants fans in section 545! I even met a couple of guys from the GMB. I am posting pictures in the Lounge in a couple of minutes. Oh Ccase! I went to Picasso's...what a great bar!

Feeling Giant void Big Blue has missed Strahan BY RALPH VACCHIANO DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER It's possible that Michael Strahan, who has been out the last five weeks with a sprained right foot, may not return in '06. The voice is what the Giants seem to miss the most. The big, booming, cocky, upbeat voice they've gotten so used to hearing in the defensive huddle. In many ways, things are so much quieter when Michael Strahan is not on the field. "It would give us a tremendous boost just to hear his voice again," Giants safety Gibril Wilson said. "Stray's always talking and he's always trying to get guys riled up. If you just hear his voice, just to know that he's there is big. His voice does a lot." Barring the unexpected, that voice will be silent for a fifth straight game tomorrow when the Giants (6-6) travel to face the Carolina Panthers (6-6) in a big showdown in the NFC wild-card race. Strahan hasn't played since spraining his right foot against the Houston Texans on Nov.5. And it's no coincidence that the Giants haven't won since. In fact, they rarely win when the seven-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer is sidelined. The Giants are 1-11 with Strahan out of the lineup since 2004, and 1-13 without him since 1994, his second NFL season. And while other injuries and other factors have certainly contributed to the losing, a lopsided stat like that cannot be dismissed. "No, it's not an accident," said rookie Mathias Kiwanuka, Strahan's replacement at defensive end. "It's just another credit to him, another notch on his belt. Obviously you can count on him to do a lot during the game. And maybe something that some people don't understand is that he does do a lot that affects the game even when he's not getting sacks." Strahan, 35, has only three sacks in eight games this season, and the pass rush struggled at times even when he was in there. But he was his usual dominant force as a run-stopper, and drew constant double- and triple-teams. And maybe more importantly, when he's out of the lineup, the Giants have an obvious leadership void. "He's a Hall of Fame defensive end, but more than that he's a leader on our defense," said linebacker Brandon Short. "He's one of the guys that gets guys going. He has the experience and the respect so that when he speaks, guys listen." "I think more than all the stats, it's just having that leadership on the field," Kiwanuka added. "That's something that guys respond to. Even people that played high school ball understand what that means to have that person that everybody looks to - not necessarily to make a play, but just to bring that extra energy." Unfortunately for the Giants, as Short said, "the veteran guys on the defense have to be able to step up and at some point be able to fill that void" because it doesn't look like Strahan is close to returning. The Giants' timetable for his recovery from the dreaded "Lisfranc" sprain was 2-4 weeks and he's now at five weeks and counting. All he's done so far at practice is one day - Nov. 29 - of individual drills. Originally Strahan said he could miss up to eight weeks with his injury, and an orthopedic surgeon told the Daily News that Strahan was likely to miss the rest of the season. Both surely seem like reasonable possibilities now. So if the Giants want to make the playoffs, they may have to learn to win without the one player they've never learned how to win without. And they know that's not going to be an easy task. WEINKE, RIGHT? Chris Weinke likely will start at quarterback for Carolina tomorrow in place of Jake Delhomme, who missed a third straight day of practice yesterday with torn ligaments in his right thumb. ... K Jay Feely has battled a sore foot this week, but says "it won't be an issue" and he'll kick tomorrow. Just in case, the Giants worked out several kickers yesterday, including 39-year-old Steve Christie. ... LB Antonio Pierce (knee) returned to practice. CB Corey Webster (toe) remained out and will probably miss tomorrow's game. ... WR Plaxico Burress was named the winner of the sixth annual George Young Good Guy Award by the Giants' chapter of the Professional Football Writers of America. Originally published on December 9, 2006 Fresh stories hot off the site every day via RSS! Have stories like this emailed right to your inbox! Email this story Printer-friendly version

Whats in a name?

NEW STADIUM

Only Blue skies Upbeat Tom wearing Giant smile BY RALPH VACCHIANO DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Tom Coughlin tells Giants to focus on wild-card picture not fact that team is reeling from four straight losses. Don't worry. Be happy. That was the message Tom Coughlin delivered yesterday in the Bizarro World press room at Giants Stadium, when the usually grumpy coach gave one of the most upbeat talks of his three-year tenure. After two weeks of mostly negative press, the embattled coach was clearly trying to accentuate the positive. Despite his team riding a four-game losing streak that has likely cost them a shot at a division title, Coughlin doesn't want the Giants to head into their NFC wild-card showdown in Carolina on Sunday with the dark cloud hovering overhead. "You have to get excited. It's a new week here," a smiling Coughlin said. "You're all sitting here like this with your heads down and I know you want to win just as bad as I want to win. You have to get it going. You have to get yourself fired up a little bit for a new week and a new opportunity." His tongue appeared to be slightly embedded in his cheek when he hopped onto the podium and delivered those opening marks, but he did seem serious about the tone of his message. "That's exactly what I told the players," he insisted. "We're all in the same situation here, the four teams that are 6-6. It's a great opportunity for us. "What do we do with it?" The Giants, the Panthers, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons are all 6-6, tied for the two NFC wild-card spots. And with the Giants playing the Panthers and Eagles the next two weeks - and with reports out of Carolina saying Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme has a torn ligament in his thumb - the Giants have a golden opportunity to turn their fortunes around. That's why Coughlin doesn't want his players slouching its way to Carolina with a sad look on their faces. Mr. Happy wants to see smiles and fire in their eyes. After all, isn't this fun? "I think it's time to get off the last (game, a crushing, 23-20 loss to Dallas) and get onto the new one, and the excitement of the new game and the opportunities that we have," he said. "I try to make the players understand that, to not be distracted by what's being said on the outside about our team, and to know what the reality of the situation is and what opportunities there are. "Win one game and it changes a lot of things. Get excited about that. We have a whole quarter of the season left to go and it's an exciting time. For anybody to say that it isn't, despite the disappointments, is foolish. You only go around this thing one time." Asked if he thought the players, despite the turmoil of the last month, got his message, Coughlin said "Do you guys get it? I'm using the same one in (the locker room). This is not an IQ test, now." Most of the players didn't notice much of a change in Coughlin's demeanor. But his message definitely seemed to get through. "Everybody's not as down as people are coming across," said receiver David Tyree. "You're not going to be completely chipper as you'd like to be when you're on a four-game losing streak. But I don't think our esteem is messed up." "Why would we not be upbeat?" added linebacker Antonio Pierce. "We've still got a job to do and we've still got a game to play. So I think everybody's upbeat around here. The head coach has got to be that way. If he was sitting there slumping his head, putting it in the tank, don't you think everybody else would?" Originally published on December 7, 2006

Games you will watch Giants at Panthers: The Giants sure did throw a great Blame Party last week. They had kegs of blame, bottles of blame, blame mojitos. They played Pass the Buck and Pin the Tail on the Scapegoat. Then, predictably, they played on Sunday like they had a blame hangover. All of that finger pointing and chest thumping can cause a headache and cotton mouth, and the Giants appeared to be drunk on their own rhetoric as they committed dumb penalties and made mental errors against the Cowboys. "We talked this week about being smart," coach Tom Coughlin said after the loss. "About thinking — thinking — about the circumstances and the situations." Unfortunately, the Giants are now leading the league in talk but rank 32nd in thinking. As their season unravels, all eyes are on Coughlin, who has spent the last two weeks waving his arms and bugging his eyes on the sidelines like a lunatic. But while Coughlin has looked like a wild man on the sidelines, he has tried to reach out to his wayward flock in the locker room. "In the last couple of weeks ... he's started a dialogue with guys," Tiki Barber said of his all-time favorite coach. "He's asking input from the veterans and the leaders. I think it's made a difference, it really has." Coughlin's new, democratic approach has fostered unity. The Giants are ready to go down together. The Giants catch a break this week as they face a Panthers team in a similar situation: they're in the midst of a losing streak; they are making some dumb mistakes, and their once-promising season could go down the tubes if things don't turn around quickly. The Panthers can't run the ball, allowing opponents to assign extra defenders to Steve Smith. Defensively, they are still trying to adjust to the losses of Dan Morgan and Ken Lucas. They won't be able to cover Jeremy Shockey and Plaxico Burress, so Eli Manning will be able to build on the personal success he had against the Cowboys defense last week. Take the Giants this week, but don't think that they're "back." Without Strahan and with the locker room in turmoil, they're just another .500-caliber NFC team.

so my nips frezze to my shirt?

How bout me looking cute and a sign that says "We need a Wild Card"

Yeah but I don't know what to put on it yet.

I will be there so you look for me on TV ok?

Giants take offense Plax latest to huff over Hufnagel By RALPH VACCHIANO DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Plaxico Burress hauls in TD but laments offense's red-zone woes. It was more subtle than Tiki Barber's past criticism of the coaches, but Plaxico Burress threw a mild jab in their direction when he was asked about the play-calling in the red zone on Sunday. And it was nothing the Giants coaches haven't heard many times before. Asked about the Giants' ineffectiveness in the red zone in their 23-20 loss to Dallas (two field goals, one touchdown in three second-half trips), Burress explained the plays they ran were based on what they had seen the Cowboys defense do in that zone on film. The plays didn't work, he said, because the Cowboys "mixed it up a lot. We got a lot of coverages that we really didn't expect to get." Then he delivered the familiar punch line: "They were just kind of a step ahead of us all night." That wasn't exactly an endorsement of offensive coordinator John Hufnagel's ability to adjust his game plan on the fly. And it's a criticism several offensive players have delivered privately, too. Some, such as Burress, Barber and tight end Jeremy Shockey, have made it publicly. In fact, Burress said the same thing after the Giants' loss to Carolina in the playoffs last year ("It seemed like they were two steps ahead of us from the start," he said then). But the 55-year-old Hufnagel, in the third year of his first job as an NFL coordinator - he last served as an offensive coordinator for the CFL's Calgary Stampeders from 1990-96 - isn't without his supporters on the team. The outside world may be waiting for Tom Coughlin to step in and take over the play-calling, but the inside world isn't. "No, we don't need that at all," Eli Manning said. "(Hufnagel) has a good plan. He understands what I like and what I don't. He listens to me. We have a good relationship. And I think he's calling good plays." "I think the problem with our society today in America is everybody wants to know 'Who's to blame?'" added center Shaun O'Hara. "That's hogwash.... We're still moving the ball. What hurt us? Penalties. It's as easy as that. But everybody wants drama." It is worth noting, as several players did, that the Giants are still 11th in the NFL in offense (337.7 yards per game), 15th in passing (205.2), seventh in rushing (132.4) and ninth in scoring (22.4points). Even in the last six games - the meat of their offensive slump - they're averaging 17 points and 264.8yards. And last year, by the way, Hufnagel presided over the NFL's No.4 offense (361.7) and the league's third-highest scoring team (26.4). "That doesn't happen by accident," O'Hara said. Still, there is that ever-present undercurrent of unhappiness with his frequent abandonment of the run, his inability to feature Shockey early in games, and his strange aversion to using the 6-4, 256-pound Brandon Jacobs from inside the 5 against the Cowboys. That's why the follow-up question to Burress' comment was "Do you like Hufnagel's offense?" His first answer was "Wow. You hit me with that one? What are you trying to start?" Given a second chance to answer, Burress said, "The offense is fine to me." He even took Hufnagel off the hook, saying when the offense struggles "you can't say it's him. It's more of us letting him down." As Hufnagel probably knows, there's been a lot of that going around. WILD TIMES: Was the Philadelphia Eagles' come-from-behind victory over Carolina on Monday night a good thing for the Giants or a bad thing? Like everything else in the muddled NFC wild-card chase, it's hard to tell. If the Giants win in Carolina on Sunday, it was great because they'd then have a huge advantage over the Panthers (one game, plus the tiebreaker). But it could turn out to be awful if the Giants lose on Sunday because, with four teams now at 6-6 (the Giants, Eagles, Falcons and Panthers), a 2-2 record in the last four games might not be enough. The Giants may need to go 3-1 to make the playoffs. Regardless, the Giants-Eagles game on Dec.17 - which was switched to a 4:15start, thanks to the NFL's flexible scheduling - is now shaping up as the game of the year. READY FOR REESE: The Tennessee Titans are thinking about trying to hire Giants director of player personnel Jerry Reese as their GM if Floyd Reese is fired or resigns after the season, according to a report on NFL.com. It's not likely to happen, however, because Jerry Reese believed to be the front-runner to replace Ernie Accorsi as the Giants GM. The Clipboard Hot Seat: Who isn't on it right now? And they're all sitting on Tom Coughlin's lap. X's and O's: Six plays from inside the Dallas 5. No runs by 6-4, 265-pound RB Brandon Jacobs, their goal-line specialist? Yuck. Whispers: A lot of players believe that DE Michael Strahan (foot) will be on the field this Sunday in Carolina. Of course, some believed that last week, too. Originally published on December 6, 2006

Mediocrity means hope in NFC Story Tools: Print Email Blog This Associated Press Posted: 11 hours ago NEW YORK (AP) - Going .500 gets fans upset, coaches in trouble and players released. Except in this year's NFC, where a break-even mark is looking playoff-worthy. And a winning record makes you a Super Bowl contender. NFL Week 13 When the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Carolina Panthers on Monday night, it created a four-way logjam for the two NFC wild-card berths between those teams, the New York Giants and Atlanta - all at 6-6. So while teams possibly headed for 10 wins in the AFC are wondering if it will be enough to get them into the Super Bowl chase, mediocrity - not parity - in the other conference might well be rewarded with a trip to the postseason. "Well, it's a crazy year, so anything is possible," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "We're just taking it one week at a time; we're not going to worry too much about getting into the playoffs or anything else." History usually hasn't been kind to .500 teams. Since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, seven 8-8 clubs reached the postseason, with the 1985 Cleveland Browns actually winning the AFC Central. The other six were wild cards. But recent history has been more positive for such posers, with two 8-8s making it in 1999 (Dallas and Detroit) and two more in 2004 (Minnesota and St. Louis). Indeed, even a 7-9 finish could be good enough in the NFC, which brings St. Louis, San Francisco and Minnesota - all 5-7 and all decidedly average or worse - into the equation. Which raises the question whether the lack of artistry on the field by these teams is offset by the excitement created in cities where next April's draft would, by now, be the main NFL topic. "That's the way the NFC is this year, and because of that every game is like a playoff game," said Philadelphia kicker David Akers, whose 25-yard field goal beat Carolina on Monday night and created the four-way tie at 6-6. "It was a playoff atmosphere out there," Akers said. "Next week is going to be the same thing, because each game is so critical to win going down the stretch. You never can tell and if you don't give up, maybe good things will happen for you." Really good things, such as division championships and byes, definitely will happen to teams with more wins than losses in the NFC. The Bears are 10-2, own the North title and could clinch home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs this weekend. Dallas, New Orleans and Seattle all are 8-4 and, with wins Sunday, could secure at least wild-card spots. Of course, the Cowboys host the Saints, so one of them won't get that prize right away. But as long as they get another victory, they all should be playing in January. Of the 6-6 teams, who has the edge - even if they wind up 8-8? Maybe nobody. All four teams play each other twice. Atlanta finishes by hosting Carolina and visiting Philly. The Panthers are home for the Giants this Sunday. New York follows that by hosting the Eagles, and Philadelphia finishes at home against the Falcons after three straight road games. All are struggling - that's how you get to 6-6, after all - and show few signs of putting together a winning streak this month. Carolina (four) and New York (five) already have had such strings, but the Panthers also have had three two-game losing streaks and the Giants are mired in a four-game skid. At least the Panthers don't have the turmoil on and off the field that has plagued the Giants. Nor does Carolina have the string of injuries plaguing New York, Philadelphia and Atlanta. "We're still in there, but it makes it harder for us," Panthers defensive end Mike Rucker said of the 6-6 gridlock. "We have to play lights out now. We've been here before and that's what we have to get across to the younger guys and let them know there's a sense of urgency." Not to mention a sense of mediocrity

Coaching carousel may not have riders Dec 05, 2006 | 2:54PM | report this With Joe Gibbs announcing he will return and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones believing that Bill Parcells may stick around for 2007, this could turn out to be a below-average season for head coaching changes. Yes, Arizona looks like it will fire Denny Green and Pittsburgh believes Bill Cowher may retire. But Tennessee will pick up the $5.4 million option on Jeff Fisher, and probably is leaning toward giving him total control of personnel, too. Another guy who appears to be safe is Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. And, if the Giants make the playoffs as a wild card, Coughlin may even get a one- or two-year extension. Coughlin is currently signed through next season. Coughlin is only in jeopardy if the Giants don’t make the playoffs. But it isn’t a certainty that he will be fired if that happens, either. Remember, the Giants aren’t a knee-jerk reaction outfit. Coughlin won the division last season and his team has been wracked by injuries, too. Of course, Coughlin may be asked to make some offensive coaching changes because of Eli Manning’s roller-coaster development.

ESPN QB RATINGS>>>>>>>>>>ELI MOVED UP A WHOLE BUNCH

I do too but I live in the good part of SC...........Hilton Head Island!

I often ask myself that very question. I live in SC....so it's 4 hours or so away.

Lubeck....I don't get it either. I am going to this game and we better win!!!

I read this three times and it still makes no sense. Take your cowboy hat, get on your horse and get outta here.

Beat me to it!

GRATE MOMENTS By PAUL SCHWARTZ December 5, 2006 -- QUARTERBACKS B+ Would have been hailed as a winning comeback performance by Eli Manning (24 of 36, 270 yards, 2 TDs) if the outcome were different. Only blemish was coming up short twice in red zone. RUNNING BACKS B Brandon Jacobs (5-29) had the option of going inside or outside and made the wrong choice on fourth down. Tiki Barber (23-90 rushing, 5-53 receiving) a constant force but needs to find the end zone. WIDE RECEIVERS C No glaring loafing by Plaxico Burress (6-43, 1 TD) but a mindless personal foul penalty for shoving S Keith Davis. Hello, anybody home? TIGHT ENDS B+ Jeremy Shockey (6-65) got things cook ing early with 17-yard TD catch and was a factor throughout. Anyone who says he can't block isn't watching. OFFENSIVE LINE B Plenty of time for Manning to step into his throws and no sacks given up. Some creases created in running game but silly head-butt penalty on LT Bob Whitfield. DEFENSIVE LINE C- Rookie DE Mathias Kiwanuka is going to be really good but this is two weeks in a row with a disastrous play. Excellent INT but then foolishly tried to switch hands with the ball and fumbled. LINEBACKERS C Some tough times in coverage for Anto nio Pierce, who was hit with 26-yard pass interference penalty on first Dallas TD. RB Marion Barber (12-76, 2 TDs) did too much dam age. SECONDARY C+ Will Demps had an INT but blew the cov erage on TE Jason Witten's 42-yard catch to set up winning FG. S Gibril Wilson just missed key 11-yard pass to Patrick Crayton on de cisive drive. SPECIAL TEAMS C- Breakdown in coverage led to Miles Aus tin's 33-yard kickoff return to set up Dallas TD and Austin's 28-yard return in fourth quarter helped spark second TD. Giants return game non-existent. KICKING GAME C- Punting with sore knee, Jeff Feagles did his thing other than 16-yard wobbler in his 300th career game. No problem on two short FGs (23, 22) by Jay Feely. COACHING C No problem here with Tom Coughlin es chewing 41-yard FG in second quarter to go for it. Ripping play-call on fourth down is nitpicking at its worst but it's open season now. Get ting on Coughlin for personal foul penalties is fair game.

GIANTS CLING TO THE CARD BIG BLUE STILL BELIEVES THEY BELONG By PAUL SCHWARTZ DON'T LOOK DOWN YET: If the Giants win their four final games, they will qualify for the NFC playoffs as a Wild-Card. December 5, 2006 -- With a wink and a smile, Giants center Shaun O'Hara tried to convince anyone who would listen that this unsightly slide is part of some grand master plan. "Sure we'd like to be 8-4, sitting on top of the division, looking pretty," he said, "but we did that last year. Didn't work out, so now we're taking a different route." Maybe he's on to something. More likely, he's whistling in the dark. We all know how it turned out for the Giants last season, how their 11-5 record and NFC East title could not prevent a total meltdown in a 23-0 Wild Card playoff loss to the Panthers. Wouldn't you know it that come Sunday, the reeling Giants again meet up with the Panthers, this time in Charlotte, in a game oozing with NFC playoff implications. Yes indeed, that's the nature of a come-one, come-all conference of mediocrity, where a team such as the Giants can lose four straight, drop to 6-6 and nevertheless find itself in advantageous position for a Wild Card berth. That's one of the messages embattled coach Tom Coughlin offered up to his team in the aftermath of a 23-20 loss to the Cowboys that quieted any serious noise about capturing the division title. "I did point out this race for the playoffs is still much in our grasp," Coughlin said. "We need to be playing our best football right now." What the Giants need, what they're getting and what they're capable of remains a jumble of contradictions. They were heartened by an improved product but disgusted by the penalties, red-zone failures and glaring defensive lapses - especially in the final minute - that combined to allow Bill Parcells and the Cowboys to escape the Meadowlands as the hottest team in the conference. A week ago, after collapsing and blowing a 21-0 lead in Nashville, the Giants were in shock, in contrast to yesterday's more realistic tone. "We have to understand what we have to do to get into the playoffs," said Eli Manning, who played his best game in more than a month.

FOX SPORTS ESPN

Can you go away?

Where's you cowboy hat?? :brooding: