2007 NY Giants Articles and Video

[jerseygiantfan]

Tiki braces for final home game at Giants Stadium

Associated Press

 

 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Tiki Barber has been cheered and booed and loved and hated in a 10-year run with the New York Giants that has included the highs of playing in a Super Bowl and the lows of competing on a couple of bad teams.

 

Barber will walk through the tunnel at Giants Stadium one last time on Sunday in what will be the final home game of a career he is ending early to become a television personality.

 

“ I don't think it will be emotional. I don't think I'll think about it. I tend to get extremely focused on what I'm doing and on my job. That's my mentality on Sunday, just like every other Sunday for the last 10 years. ”

— Tiki Barber

 

 

 

"I know at some point, maybe this week -- it might not happen until after the New Year or the next game -- that I realize I won't be doing this anymore," Barber said Thursday. "But it is not something I am scared of or regret.

 

"It has been a great run for me. I know that. Great ups and great downs. I have been to a Super Bowl, and hopefully things turn around and we can go again."

 

Looking into Barber's eyes, one can sense the emotion the 31-year-old Pro Bowl running back is feeling as he prepares to retire at the height of his career.

 

However, he is doing his best to keep his feelings in check this week as the Giants (7-7) prepare for an almost must-win game against the New Orleans Saints (9-5).

 

New York is tied for the second wild-card playoff berth with Atlanta heading into the final two weeks of the season. It can't afford any more slip-ups after losing five of six games.

 

"I don't think it will be emotional," Barber said. "I don't think I'll think about it. I tend to get extremely focused on what I'm doing and on my job. That's my mentality on Sunday, just like every other Sunday for the last 10 years."

 

In many ways, it is appropriate that Saints coach Sean Payton will be on the field for the game.

 

 

More than anyone, Payton helped transform Barber from a third-down back to an every-down halfback who is now the Giants' all-time leading rusher.

 

When the Giants took Barber in the second round of the 1997 draft, he was a situational player who could also return punts and kickoffs.

 

After taking over as the Giants' offensive coordinator in 2000, Payton made Barber his starter. He had his first 1,000-yard rushing season, caught 70 passes and returned 39 punts in leading New York to the NFC title.

 

Payton said the decision was easy after watching the video of the previous year. Every time Barber touched the ball he gained 5 yards.

 

"The only concern I think people had was, can he take the every day pounding as a first- and second-down back, and he's obviously proven he can do that and then some," Payton said.

 

With the exception of 2001, when he was bothered by a hamstring injury, Barber has gained at least 1,200 yards rushing and caught at least 50 passes in each of the last five seasons. He recently became the 20th back to rush for 10,000 career yards. He also is the Giants' all-time leader in receptions and all-purpose yardage.

 

"His success has been something that he's worked awfully hard for," Payton said. "He's leaving on his terms, and he'll be missed by, I'm sure, not only the Giants but the National Football League."

 

Barber said that having Payton on the sidelines will almost be like playing for his father.

 

"As he's doing in New Orleans, he finds ways to utilize his guys' strengths," Barber said of Payton. "He did that with me and revolutionized my existence as a football player and turned me into who I am now, or at least started me down that path into who I am now, and I have great respect for that."

 

Barber said he has not had any second thoughts about his decision to retire, adding that he already is in negotiations with networks about his television career. He has worked for Fox News during the offseason and has enjoyed that relationship.

 

Barber, who was booed for his fumbling problems early in his career and cheered for his great runs, said there was no one moment in his career that stood out. His only concern this weekend was winning.

 

"Sitting at .500 we are still in the playoffs right now, but things have to happen," Barber said. "Most importantly, we have to win. So that's what our focus and our drive is right now -- just trying to win the game."

 

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

[jerseygiantfan]

WEEK 16: Are the Giants and Panthers done?

 

Every week, the experts of FOX NFL Sunday candidly reveal their observations and make their opinions known as they prepare for America's No. 1 pregame show — seen each Sunday at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT. We'll share with you some of the highlights and observations from Joe, Terry, Howie, Jimmy and Curt, grabbed from their weekly conference call with insider John Czarnecki and pre-game show producer Scott Ackerson.

This week, Czar probes the FOX NFL Sunday gang on some of the big games and issues of the week, including Giants-Saints, Falcons-Panthers and Eagles-Cowboys, plus the quality of the first-year starting quarterbacks and the legitimacy of the Pro Bowl voting.

 

 

FOX NFL SUNDAY PANEL

 

 

 

CZAR: Who will win the Giants-Saints game this Sunday?

 

 

 

 

 

Terry Bradshaw: I think New Orleans will bounce back this week. I was upset with how they played last week. Granted, it was not unexpected how they played against Washington, but it was disappointing that they lost. I thought they would still win. They played horribly. I am worried a little about them. Because if you are any good, you should be able to close the deal out at home after upsetting Dallas like they did on the road. I am really disappointed. I think the Giants are finished and the Saints will take care of them.

 

 

 

I love how only Terry Bradshaw answered this question.

[jerseygiantfan]

Tiki's Swamp song

 

 

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

 

It should be emotional day at Giants Stadium tomorrow as Tiki Barber plays the final regular-season home game of his career.

 

Tiki Barber has been preparing himself for retirement for most of his 10-year career, and seriously thinking about it since the end of last season. But still, the end has a way of sneaking up.

Maybe that explains why it took him two days to concede he has given some thought to how he'll feel tomorrow afternoon, when he walks into Giants Stadium wearing his blue No. 21 jersey for the final time.

 

"I think about it," Barber said after practice this week. "It's the last time I'll ever put on this blue uniform and walk off this field. And it's sad.

 

"But it's a natural progression of sport. Inevitably it comes to an end."

 

And so it will tomorrow, nine years and four months after Barber made his Giants Stadium debut by rushing 20 times for 88 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles on Aug.31, 1997. He's had some spectacular moments at the Meadowlands, especially over the past three seasons.

 

He'd love to give Giants fans one more.

 

"These fans have loved me, they've hated me, but through the ups and downs they've always been behind me," Barber said. "That's important. So to go out one last time at home in Giants Stadium is something that I'm eager to do and something that I'm looking forward to."

 

The Giants (7-7) plan to pay tribute to Barber with a special introduction just before kickoff, and a halftime video tribute, too. If their game against the New Orleans Saints (9-5) wasn't so critical to their playoff hopes, the celebration might be even bigger since every one of Barber's teammates knows how much he's meant to the organization.

 

None of them is eager to say goodbye.

 

"Oh man, I don't even want to think about that," cornerback Sam Madison said. "This is my first year here, and my son has been around a lot of great players in Miami, but this is the first time I've ever heard him call a football player's name. (Barber) is a star and he will be missed because of what he does on the football field and the way he carries himself in this locker room. It will be a big loss."

 

Even Tom Coughlin, who loathes anything that takes the focus away from a game, admitted to feeling a little sentimental about Barber's farewell game.

 

"Very special, very emotional, to be honest with you," Coughlin said. "It will be a very special day for all Giants fans."

 

Mostly, though, it will be special for Barber, the Giants' all-time leading rusher and one of the greatest all-purpose backs in NFL history. He has played 78 regular-season games at Giants Stadium, including two in which the Giants were visitors, and he's rushed 1,140times for 5,318 yards and 30 touchdowns. He's also caught 285 passes for 2,528 yards and seven touchdowns, and has returned 84 kickoffs and punts.

 

When he was first asked about his finale, he said those memories would probably come flooding back "maybe in January when it's all said and done." He said he didn't expect to be overly emotional before or after the game, though he admitted he can't predict how he'll feel.

 

"I get so focused on just playing and winning and trying to figure out a game plan, how to be successful," Barber said. "And I know at some point after this week - it might not happen until after the New Year and our last game, but I realize that I won't be doing this anymore. But it's not something I'm scared of. It's not something I regret. It's been a great run for me. I know that. Great ups, great downs."

 

"Obviously he's had a wonderful career," added Eli Manning. "Hopefully we can send him out with a win."

 

Originally published on December 23, 2006

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants place Strahan on injured reserve

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Associated Press

Posted: 2 hours ago

 

 

 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan was placed on injured reserve Tuesday by the Giants after aggravating a sprained right foot last weekend against the Saints.

 

The 35-year-old Strahan could need surgery to repair the injury, the team said.

The Giants (7-8) can almost surely clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Redskins (5-10) in the regular-season finale at Washington on Saturday. But Strahan won't be around.

 

Strahan, who shares the Giants' career sacks record of 132 1/2 with Lawrence Taylor, hurt the foot Nov. 5 against Houston. He was playing for the first time since the injury in Sunday's 30-7 loss to New Orleans. The 14-year veteran had five tackles (three solo) and knocked down a pass before reinjuring the foot late in the contest.

 

Strahan had 50 tackles (34 solo) and three sacks this season, his lowest sacks total since he had one as a rookie in 1993. His career sacks total leaves him tied with Taylor and Leslie O'Neal for seventh on the all-time NFL list.

 

The Giants also placed offensive tackle Luke Petitgout and returner Chad Morton on injured reserve. Morton suffered a knee injury on Sunday. Petitgout broke a leg against Chicago on Nov. 12.

 

The Giants had kept Petitgout on the active roster hoping he might play again this season. However, he has not made enough progress.

 

New York signed free agent receiver Darius Watts; tight end Darcy Johnson from their practice squad; and running back Robert Douglas from the Houston Texans' practice squad.

 

Watts was a second-round draft choice by the Denver Broncos in 2004. He caught 31 passes for 385 yards and a touchdown as rookie. The Marshall product had two receptions last season and was released by the Broncos before the start of this season.

 

The Giants also made a move on their practice squad, releasing running back Cedric Humes and signing tight end Jason Randall.

[jerseygiantfan]

SEASON'S BEATING

December 26, 2006 -- .

 

QUARTERBACKS F "Happy Feet" is a hit movie with the kids, but it's no way to play this position. Some times you just want to grab Eli Manning (9 of 25, 74 yards, one TD, one INT) by the neck and shout "Snap out of it!"

 

RUNNING BACKS C When he looks back on his brilliant ca reer, Tiki Barber (16-71) will not spend much time reminiscing about this one. At least his two sons finished the season undefeated in coin tosses. Brandon Jacobs was in uniform, or so we've heard.

 

WIDE RECEIVERS F Nice three minutes of work for Plaxico Burress (1-55, 1 TD) before he apparently got an early jump on the holiday traffic.

 

TIGHT ENDS F When Jeremy Shockey catches two passes for negative-three yards, an investi gation is in order. When it was still a game, his drop of a ball in his hands was real bad. He must have been shocked it actually was on target.

 

OFFENSIVE LINE F Someone needs to knock some sense into LT Bob Whitfield with a stiff head- butt. Twice in one season? Bob, come back to us. This group looked unprepared for the pressure but at least they're men about it afterwards.

 

DEFENSIVE LINE F The return of Michael Strahan (five tack les) provided only a momentary lift. Strahan was fine, but Osi Umenyiora (one sack) had some containment issues and there was little push up the middle.

 

LINEBACKERS F Double-barrel action of Reggie Bush (20-126 for a career high) and Deuce McAl lister (27-108) helped the Saints amass 236 rushing yards on a staggering 53 attempts. Antonio Pierce had 12 tackles, but not many at the line of scrimmage.

 

SECONDARY C- Rough outing for CB R.W. McQuarters, who was beaten by Marques Colston on a 2-yard TD pass and by Terrance Copper on a 40-yard completion. Decent work containing Bush as a receiver and Will Demps came up with some big hits.

 

SPECIAL TEAMS C Before he went down with a serious knee injury, Chad Morton muffed a punt for the first time this season to hand the Saints a FG. It's now Sinorice Moss' job and the rookie av eraged 23.2 on five kick returns. David Tyree had big day in coverage.

 

KICKING GAME C+ One ugly shank into the wind for busy Jeff Feagles (nine punts), who should re ceive overtime pay after this one.

 

COACHING F In the spirit of the holiday season, the less said, the better.

[jerseygiantfan]

BIG BLUE CAN'T PACK IT IN YET

By PAUL SCHWARTZ

December 26, 2006 --

 

 

If you are a fan of the Giants, disgusted by what you've seen, and want no part of your team squeezing into the playoffs with an 8-8 record, brace yourself.

 

The Giants caught a break last night when the surging Eagles beat the Cowboys 23-7 in Dallas. If the Giants are actually able to beat the Redskins (5-10) Saturday night at FedEx Field, they almost definitely will gain the No. 6 seed and become the NFC's last wild card playoff team.

 

If the playoffs began today, the Giants, at 7-8, would own the No. 6 seed based on the strength of victory tie-breaker over the Packers. The Giants and Packers are ahead of the other 7-8 teams (Falcons, Panthers, Rams) based on better conference record (the Giants also own victories over the Falcons and Panthers).

 

Strength of victory is the combined winning percentage of teams beaten. At the moment, the Giants hold a sizeable lead on the Packers in that tie-breaker (.438 for the Giants; .317 for the Packers before last night's Jets-Dolphins game) and it would take a bizarre series of events to keep the Giants out.

 

A Giants victory and a Packers loss on Sunday in Chicago would clinch a playoff spot for the Giants. If the Giants beat the Redskins and the Eagles beat the Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field, the Giants would virtually be assured of heading to Philadelphia for a first-round playoff game.

 

*

 

Is there any reason to believe there's anything at all left in the Giants' tanks?

 

"I'd love to say yes, but all that matters is how we respond on Saturday," C Shaun O'Hara said.

 

No one associated with the Giants is confident they will muster up a strong showing in Washington, despite the postseason carrot still dangling in front of them. Not after an embarrassing 30-7 loss to the Saints that dropped their record to 7-8, inflated their skid to six losses in the last seven games and starkly increased the chances that Tom Coughlin's coaching tenure is about to expire.

 

"It's times like this where you find out what everybody's made of," WR Plaxico Burress said. "You find out the character of the team and the players around you. We have a short week, Washington is not an easy game to win, especially down there. They've always been one of our tougher opponents. They're mathematically out of the playoffs, nothing would be sweeter to them to knock us out."

 

*

 

How bad was Sunday's debacle? It has been 34 years since a team scored a touchdown in the first three minutes of back-to-back games (the Giants did so against the Eagles and Saints) and lost both games by double figures. Also, the Giants did not run a single play in Saints territory, the first time that's happened to a team since both the Browns and Bears did not run a play in opposing territory in two games in December of 2000.

[jerseygiantfan]

Desperate Tom calls audible

 

Changes play-callers for finale

 

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

 

As Giants tune out Tom Coughlin...

 

 

...the coach demotes John Hufnagel (l.)...

 

 

...and hands off play-calling duties to Kevin Gilbride.

 

In a move that could be the last act of a desperate man, Tom Coughlin stripped John Hufnagel of his play-calling duties yesterday in the hopes of giving his dead team "a spark."

Coughlin made the decision late Sunday night, just hours after the Giants' woeful performance in a 30-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints. He then informed the much-maligned Hufnagel on Christmas morning that quarterbacks coach Kevin Gilbride will call the Giants' plays in Washington on Saturday night.

 

Coughlin will serve as his own offensive coordinator, replacing Hufnagel, who has been reassigned to do "advance" work for the rest of the coaching staff.

 

"John Hufnagel is not a scapegoat here," Coughlin insisted. "He is not. But we need a change, we need a spark, and that's the way it goes. How can you look at the production of Sunday and not think that, 'OK, there's some issue here?'"

 

Clearly, after the Giants put up just 142 yards - seven fewer than Saints rookie running back Reggie Bush had by himself - there were major issues. In fact, the offense looked so bad that, according to sources, co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch were likely going to demand that Coughlin fire Hufnagel after the season anyway - that is, if Coughlin isn't fired himself.

 

And Hufnagel's offense - ranked 14th in the NFL - has been under fire from his players for nearly two years. Tiki Barber has been a frequent critic, and Plaxico Burress has taken shots. Hufnagel was clearly the target when Barber and tight end Jeremy Shockey each made their infamous "We were outcoached" remarks - Barber after the Giants' playoff loss to the Panthers last season, Shockey after the Giants were routed by the Seahawks in September.

 

But despite the criticism, Coughlin said he hadn't considered making the move until "the last few weeks." And though he insisted he had no specific problem with Hufnagel's play-calling, the Saints debacle combined with the fact the Giants still have a great chance to get in the playoffs if they beat the Redskins, made him feel like he had no other choice.

 

"The point of Sunday, in my opinion, was the time in which I thought we had to do something," Coughlin said. "That's simply stated. I thought that Sunday, there was no doubt that our offensive team needs a change, needs a spark."

 

Coughlin considered taking on the play-calling himself, as he did for at least three of his eight years in Jacksonville, but decided the best choice was to turn to Gilbride, who was his offensive coordinator and play-caller in Jacksonville in 1995-96. Coughlin also hopes Gilbride, who has a close relationship with Eli Manning, will be able to spark the struggling quarterback, who was an embarrassing 9-for-25 for 74 yards against the Saints.

 

Still, Giants players seemed to doubt that the move will have any effect on a team that was demoralized and humiliated in front of their home fans on Sunday. When Coughlin informed them of the change yesterday, most were surprised.

 

But none of them knew what it really meant.

 

"How much does it really change things?" asked right tackle Kareem McKenzie. "Realistically, today is Day 1. It's not like he's had weeks to change the whole playbook. This is week 17. Let's be realistic about it."

 

"Our offense wasn't playing real well and obviously the Saints game was our worst performance," Manning added. "We couldn't do anything right, but that wasn't the coaching or the play-calling. I didn't think (the switch) was necessary. But that's what happens."

 

Even Coughlin conceded: "The offense won't change. You won't see anything totally different. You'll see basically the same approach. But you have a different person in the play-calling situation and we'll see how that goes."

 

Coughlin had to try something, after watching the Giants lose six of their last seven games and knowing he'll likely be fired if they lose one more, even if it was at the expense of Hufnagel - a man he called "one of the hardest workers I've ever been around.

 

"I don't believe in scapegoats," Coughlin insisted. "This was, simply stated, to create some kind of spark."

 

Originally published on December 27, 20

[jerseygiantfan]

BIG BANG THEORY FIT FOR BIG BLUE

A WORD TO THE WEIS: IT'S TIME FOR CHARLIE CHARLES IN CHARGE: If he can be lured away from Notre Dame, Charlie Weis would give the Giants the closest thing to Bill Parcells, a tough, smart Jersey Guy disciplinarian and motivator.

THE Giants made a mistake when they passed on Charlie Weis three years ago for Tom Coughlin.

 

At this crossroads in their storied history, they must not make that mistake again.

 

When the Giants begin cleaning their crumbling house, Plan A should be going after Weis the way Lawrence Taylor went after quarterbacks.

 

Plan B, if he is attainable, would be to lure Scott Pioli away from Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick, make him the next GM and tell him to go get Weis out of South Bend, which he would want to do anyway.

 

We know what kind of team Belichick and Pioli have been in New England because we have seen the Jets try to emulate the model by teaming Eric Mangini with Mike Tannenbaum, Woody Johnson's Generation Jets gambit that dramatically has the Jets closer to a championship than the woebegotten Giants.

 

Pioli and Weis would be the dynamic young team that the Giants desperately need after 16 years and counting without a championship.

 

Pioli would find the Giants the same kind of smart, tough, high character, team-first players that Mangini and Tannenbaum have started to find for the Jets.

 

Weis would be the closest thing to a young Bill Parcells, a tough, smart Jersey Guy disciplinarian and motivator who would have the best chance of anyone on the planet of saving Eli Manning, because Weis is a brilliant offensive mind with the interpersonal skills necessary to nurture and steady a developing young quarterback.

 

The fly in the ointment for Big Blue ownership could be the reported $15 million or so it would cost it to buy out Weis' contract, which runs through 2015, but nothing is impossible in this day and age.

 

If Weis decides to honor his reported commitment - the exception rather than the rule in sports - I would bet my bottom dollar that Pioli would find the best possible man for the job.

 

If the Giants promote Jerry Reese and/or Chris Mara to replace Ernie Accorsi, the coaching search should start and end with Weis.

 

I lobbied for Weis to replace Jim Fassel three years ago and feel even more convinced that he is the right man for the job after watching his work in South Bend.

 

The Giants were his dream job then, and the Giants would be his dream job now, maybe the only job that would lure him away from the dream job he has now.

 

Coughlin's biggest mistake might have been this: He put too many games in Manning's shaky hand when he should have let Tiki Barber carry the team.

 

It was unfair to Manning, probably stunted his growth, and opened up a can of worms for the sharks that never particularly cared for his aloof, old-school style.

 

The inmates began running the asylum immediately after the Carolina playoff disgrace and Coughlin, who was advertised by none other than Wellington Mara as Vince Lombardi, could never put a muzzle on the snipers.

 

He is a good coach, and don't believe for one second that the players he inherited from Fassel do not bear a good share of blame for this unsightly, unconscionable collapse.

 

But it appeared that Coughlin lost the team for good on New Year's Eve . . . and probably never really had it. Winning the division last year was the great deodorant.

 

If Coughlin fails to win a playoff game after three years, with a team expected to make a Super Bowl run in a conference reeking of mediocrity, then he will have proven to be the wrong coach at the wrong time for a franchise that was certain Stalag 17 was just what the doctor ordered to replace Gentleman Jim's Country Club. Stalag 17 turned into Ringling Bros. Barnum and Big Blue Circus, where the players stopped having fun under The Big Top.

 

The Giants interviewed four candidates to replace Fassel, and of the four - Weis, Lovie Smith, Romeo Crennel and Coughlin - their choice would now have to be considered no better than third.

 

Manning desperately needs a decisive, imaginative game planner like Weis, who worked wonders with Tom Brady and Brady Quinn.

 

"He sets the tone for every meeting, every practice, and he has since the day I got here," Brady said once.

 

Repeat after me: the young Parcells. We can even call him Charlie the Tuna. Get him, by hook or by crook.

[TaylorBanksCarsonVanPelt]

I would have picked Romeo Crennel over Coach Cheer Leader any day....you never pick a retread over a new up and comer...never.

[UK-Giantsfan]

some great articles there Jersey Giant ....thanks and keep up the good work

[jerseygiantfan]

some great articles there Jersey Giant ....thanks and keep up the good work

 

 

Thanks UK!

[jerseygiantfan]

Harry to Blue: Give me a ring

 

Says ex-Giants can help

 

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

 

 

Harry Carson gave Tiki Barber one of his most precious football possessions yesterday - his championship ring from Super Bowl XXI. He wanted Barber "to feel what the Super Bowl ring is all about," and share it with his beleaguered teammates.

It was a powerful, motivational message that Barber called "inspirational."

 

It's also a message that Carson wishes he could deliver to the Giants himself.

 

"There are 50-60 guys who I could call up right now and take into that locker room," the Hall of Fame linebacker told the Daily News yesterday. "Giants from the '50s, the '60s, the '70s, '80s and '90s. But you don't go someplace where you're not invited. You don't impose your will on anyone. If we were asked, we'd be more than happy to come in."

 

It has been a mystery and a disappointment for many ex-Giants that Tom Coughlin hasn't asked them to help more during his three-year tenure, especially since the current players could use a lesson in what it takes to be a championship team. Carson said that when looks at the current team, "My stomach hurts. As a former player, I'm pissed at what I've seen."

 

But he also knows that despite six losses in the last seven games, the Giants (7-8) can still play their way into the playoffs by winning in Washington on Saturday night and getting a little help on Sunday. That's why he surprised Barber by giving him his rings - he gave him his Hall of Fame ring, too - before they taped "Giants Game Plan" show yesterday afternoon.

 

"I wanted him to just hold onto them because with him leaving, he's leaving without both," Carson said. "Towards the end of the show I asked him to give me the Hall of Fame ring back. But I wanted him to keep the Super Bowl ring and I wanted him to feel what the Super Bowl ring is all about. And I wanted him to go to his teammates and tell them the importance of playing and leaving the game with a Super Bowl ring.

 

"The thing about a Super Bowl ring is you have to earn it. You can have as much money as you want. You can go to Tiffany's. You can't buy it. Bill Gates can't buy it. You have to earn it. And I've earned it."

 

Barber was clearly moved by the gift - or the loan, since Carson will get it back on Saturday morning. And Barber said, "At some point I'll utilize it before Saturday's game. I don't know exactly how yet, but I'll formulate something.

 

"Harry is an all-time Giant. He was what it's all about. So for him to give that gesture to me, especially on the heels of what is my last regular-season game, it's inspirational."

 

Imagine, then, how inspirational it could be if Carson and some of his former teammates, all with their Super Bowl rings, stood in front of the struggling current players and delivered a similar message. Several old Giants have done that for Bill Parcells, even since he took over the rival Dallas Cowboys.

 

But they don't get asked to do it here.

 

"All you've got to do is give us a call," Carson said. "Anybody who has played for this organization would be happy to come back. Parcells is not afraid to seize upon relationships that he has developed to help his team. But do coaches here seize upon that? No.

 

"You've got an organization that is rich with history and tradition and you can't find a way to get the younger guys involved with the older guys. The older guys can really tell them what playing the game is all about."

 

Instead, Carson was left to deliver a personal message to Barber, who promised to pass it along.

 

"If Tom called me up and said, 'Harry, just give me what you've got,' I'd go in and I'd talk to the guys," Carson said of Coughlin, who was the Giants' receivers coach in 1988, Carson's last season playing with the team. "But now Tiki can say, 'This is what I want. I want one of these' and hold up that ring. It's something tangible for them to look at. This is what you want to leave the game with - a championship."

 

Originally published on December 28, 2006

[jerseygiantfan]

Even with a win, this team

lost cause for playoffs

 

 

 

 

The good news out of Giants camp yesterday was that no one was thrown under the bus. But they were looking for a rookie to sacrifice to a volcano in hopes of changing their fortunes at Washington on Saturday night.

Well, they shouldn't sacrifice running back Brandon Jacobs, the kind of eternal optimist who would have been conducting the orchestra on the deck of the Titanic.

 

"I think the people that see the Giants (in the playoffs) should be worried about the New York Giants," Jacobs said.

 

Whoa, big fella! Get in the playoffs first.

 

Realistically, to make the playoffs the Giants have to beat Washington. The Giants will have to do something they've only been able to do once in the last seven weeks - play winning football. You see where this is heading - nowhere.

 

That's about where the Giants are right now in their search for magic bullets to get things straightened out. Kind of makes you nostalgic for the Jim Fassel days when he would reach into his motivational bag of tricks and come out with a Jim dandy. Tom Coughlin, who could soon be the next Fassel (as in ex-Giants coach), pulled his own Fassel on Tuesday, reached into his bag and pulled out a Hufnagel. And then he sacrificed the offensive coordinator to the Giants playmaking trinity - Plax, Eli and Tiki.

 

The players' response: Yawn.

 

"I don't think anything is going to change at all," Plaxico Burress said regarding the play-calling shift from John Hufnagel to Kevin Gilbride. "We're going to try to establish our running game and make big plays in our passing game. We're just going to do the things that we do well. I don't think anything is going to change for us. We just have to win one game."

 

Win one game, and then what? Steamroll into the playoffs and rip right through to the Super Bowl? Seven 8-8 teams have made the playoffs, but none have advanced to the conference championship game.

 

If the Giants could do that, it would be the greatest feat ever for a group of underachieving coach killers. I actually pity the next coach who takes on these guys. They knocked off Mr. Rogers (Fassel) with their whining and tanking. And now they're about to whack Gen. Patton with their passive-aggressive sniping and lack of playmaking. Dr. Phil wouldn't even last a season with this bunch.

 

"We have talent. It's just a matter of everybody coming together and doing their job, not trying to do too much, not trying to make plays that aren't there," Manning said. "We have to be responsible for our actions and do what's expected from us."

 

The Giants players may just be getting around to the notion that they bear a great deal of responsibility for this season's horrible collapse. How much responsibility depends on who you ask.

 

"You can't really put a percentage on it because we're all in this thing together," Burress said.

 

Burress said he felt bad for Hufnagel.

 

"It has nothing to do with him," he said. "He's not the one out there playing, making the mistakes, jumping offsides, dropping the football. He's not doing that. He's just the guy calling the plays and we're not making them."

 

In effect, killing the coaches by underachieving.

 

Linebacker Brandon Short doesn't agree that the Giants are underachievers.

 

"You can classify any NFL team that doesn't win a championship as underachievers," Short said. "Every team has the talent or the chance to win the championship. Look at the Yankees every year they have the best players. But it's not who has the best players, but who has the best players that play together that win. You can't play fantasy football and win."

 

The fantasy for the Giants is that they believe they can flip the switch and get back to winning football against the Redskins on Saturday.

 

"If we can just get a win and get some confidence back in our offense and our defense and our whole team, you never know," Manning said.

 

Perhaps what has contributed to the Giants lack of motivation the last few weeks is the fact that they haven't faced playoff elimination. And even if the lose Saturday, there is a weird combination of computations that could still land them in the postseason.

 

If that happened, Jacobs could be right. The Giants would be the scariest team in the playoffs. Scary to the NFL, which would have to embrace mediocrity in the tournament for its biggest prize.

 

Originally published on December 28, 2006

[jerseygiantfan]

EVEN BIG BLUE CAN BEAT THESE GUYS

 

RED ALERT: Tiki Barber (21) and the Giants need a win vs. the 5-10 Redskins Saturday to virtually assure themselves a playoff spot. A victory doesn't guarantee them a spot, but it sure makes it more likely. December 28, 2006 -- DON'T give up fans, for whatever it's worth, the Redskins still will get the Giants in. Washington's defense is last in the NFL in yards allowed per play, third from the bottom in yards allowed per game. On his worst day, Eli Manning will move the ball.

 

Oh, you're afraid that, even after Sunday, when the Giants didn't drive the ball over the 50, we still haven't seen Eli's worst day? Actually, we did on Dec. 12, 2004, in Baltimore during his rookie season, when he completed 4 of 27 passes with two interceptions for a 0.0 rating. On the train home, he and Kevin Gilbride had a talk and the next day, Manning asked Tom Coughlin to simplify things. The following week, against a Steelers team on the way to 15-1, the results (16-for-23, two touchdowns, 103.8 rating) were eye-opening.

 

Of course, there have been too many games since when you had to close your eyes, but there have been enough flashes and comebacks that we still aren't convinced Ernie Accorsi picked a bad quarterback. Made a bad trade, yes, considering what he gave up. But bad quarterback no, not yet, not in only Manning's second full season as a starter. Greater consistency will come with a greater comfort level, which of course is where Kevin Gilbride is supposed to come in, essentially too late to save the season or maybe his own job in a regime change, but not too late to get the Giants by one bad team.

 

Manning - a glass house, too often a crystal glass house - knows what it will sound like if he applauds the change. So yesterday he was saying what players always do immediately after a coach gets replaced.

 

"It's about the players. I don't think the switch will make a huge difference," he said, refusing to throw John Hufnagel, the essentially-dismissed offensive coordinator, under the bus.

 

At this stage, if Eli tried to throw anybody under a bus, he probably would be intercepted.

 

Manning and Hufnagel may not have been butting heads to the degree that, say, Bob Whitfield butts heads, but the Giants became so frustrated they quit against the Saints. So for a team suffering a crisis of confidence, there is nothing to lose by this change. Last gasp, or last grasp, the logic is to help Manning. There's just no percentage in a quarterback with a 46.7 third-down percentage suggesting the quarterback coach will put him in better positions than the deposed offensive coordinator, that's all.

 

"It's not that things were so complex I didn't know where to go with the ball," said Manning. "We just didn't execute well.

 

"We got stuck in third-and-long, had some drops and different things. We just need to get some rhythm, get some third-and-shorts and convert those, and then you can get into your runs and play-actions and your whole offense. You need to find a way to stay on the field longer."

 

The Redskins, who gave up 37 points last week at St. Louis and have an NFL-low 12 takeaways, can help in that regard. So could the Giants finding something that works early and, for a change, staying with it. If Jeremy Shockey, who disappears as an option for whole halves, is dropping the ball, then keep throwing it to him - and in shorter patterns - until he catches it. That is, if Shockey, listed as questionable with a sore ankle, even plays. In the effort to spread the ball around, Shockey remains underused.

 

If the running game is slow to get going, then keep pounding Tiki Barber. In desperate times, with underconfident offenses and quarterbacks, one dimension can be better than several.

 

It wouldn't work against a playoff team. The Giants have played too bad for too long to be beating any playoff teams. But Washington is 5-10, 2-5 in its last seven, with only two impressive wins, against the Saints and Cowboys, all season. The Redskins have their cars packed. Giants won't win a 24-20 game against those guys?

 

jay.greenberg@nypost.com

[TaylorBanksCarsonVanPelt]

Loved the one about Carson and the rest of the Legends of the 50's, 60's, 70's (well not really the 70's), 80's & 90's not being asked to come in to talk to these unmotivated asses. I wish Strahan, Manning, Burress, and Shockey had played on some of those bad 70's teams and they would have seen first hand what is was like and what it takes to get out of loserdom. One Harry Carson speech during the half-time of one of these recent debacles would have motivated some of these mother's to actually win a game or two. Pathetic. Keep up the good work babe...continued good luck on the medical front.

[jerseygiantfan]

Loved the one about Carson and the rest of the Legends of the 50's, 60's, 70's (well not really the 70's), 80's & 90's not being asked to come in to talk to these unmotivated asses. I wish Strahan, Manning, Burress, and Shockey had played on some of those bad 70's teams and they would have seen first hand what is was like and what it takes to get out of loserdom. One Harry Carson speech during the half-time of one of these recent debacles would have motivated some of these mother's to actually win a game or two. Pathetic. Keep up the good work babe...continued good luck on the medical front.

 

 

Thank you I really appreciate it!

[jerseygiantfan]

CZAR: What did you think of Tom Coughlin dumping offensive coordinator John Hufnagel?

 

 

 

 

Terry Bradshaw: I don't think much of people when the season is on the line and their job is in trouble and with one game left, they just bury somebody like Hufnagel. I don't have a problem with Brian Billick with in Baltimore because he did it two months ago when he believed his season could go either way and he fixed it. I got a problem with Coughlin because he's telling everyone that (Hufnagel) is our problem. "See, Giants fans, I fixed the problem."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jimmy Johnson: I guess he's telling us that Kevin Gilbride will make that offense really work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Howie Long I usually like sitting next to Jimmy, but ... It's a desperate move. The head coach is trying to save himself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CZAR: Does everyone think Coughlin will be fired regardless of New York's outcome?

 

 

 

Terry: I don't know really about that, but isn't this the way Coughlin's career generally ends? Doesn't he just kind of wear his players and coaches out?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Howie: We heard that from some of his older players in Jacksonville.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jimmy: Tiki Barber has said how bored he's been in the meetings. That his mind wanders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Terry: I think Coughlin should play somebody whose mind doesn't wander.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Howie: All season long there has been too much in the press in New York that players should have been keeping to themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jimmy: Well, Coughlin simply isn't a very good communicator. He doesn't make his conversations or his meetings very interesting. When he talks to you, you tend to tune him out. Just listening to him, he talks at you. He doesn't talk with you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Howie: There is no variation to what he does. There is a way you handle the team in a group setting and there's another way you deal with a player one-on-one. Also, the way you challenge people individually. So many players are different and you have to figure out a way to challenge guys. I don't know if he has a different gear for different people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jimmy: He has one broad brush stroke for everybody and it doesn't work that way anymore. I mean, he probably has to work hard to reach Jeremy Shockey. There are so many individuals on that New York team that you must attempt to talk to individually. In his mind, he wants to be consistent with everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Howie: The one thing we've heard all season is that it's not a divided locker room. But some individuals have thrown some guys under the bus. I understand Tiki's frustrations last year, but I don't think you publicly call out your coach.

[jerseygiantfan]

Strahan says injured foot doesn't need surgery

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Posted: 3 minutes ago

 

 

 

Michael Strahan said on his weekly radio spot Thursday that his injured right foot does not require surgery.

 

What's more, the seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end is not considering retirement, and plans to return for his 15th season with the team.

Strahan, according to The New York Post effectively offered a positive diagnosis of his injury after returning from a visit to a North Carolina foot specialist.

 

True, there are ligaments in Strahan's foot that are torn, but bones are not displaced, meaning that surgery is not required.

 

But if he was forced to have surgery, the 35-year-old Strahan said that the rehabilitation process (of roughly 6-8 months) would have prompted him to consider ending his playing career.

 

"That (whether to retire) would have been a decision I'd have to make," Strahan said.

 

Strahan, who was injured vs. the Texans on November 5, missed six consecutive games and returned to play in last weekend's loss to the New Orleans Saints.

 

However, he was forced to leave the game in the third quarter after aggravating the foot injury, and the Giants later ended his season by placing him on injured reserve.

[jerseygiantfan]

Blue may face Giant void

 

Missing Shockey would really hurt

 

BY HANK GOLA

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

 

Ankle woes have Jeremy Shockey questionable and may leave Giants vulnerable to Redskin blitz.

 

If the Redskins already were not certain about their defensive game plan for tomorrow night, the latest bit of injury news from the Giants just about cemented it.

Tight end Jeremy Shockey limped around the locker room yesterday, and sat out a third straight day of practice. It appears Eli Manning and the Giants will be without yet another weapon when they play for their playoff lives in Washington.

 

Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams should be dialing up plenty of blitzes.

 

"He's a smart guy and I think he can see what's gone on the last couple of games for us," center Shaun O'Hara allowed. "Philadelphia pressured us a lot and the Saints pressured us a lot so we don't expect to see anything different. Really, it's up to us to just stop it, to make plays and hurt them on defense to force them out of it."

 

To make that happen, a struggling Manning will have to take what he gets from new play-caller Kevin Gilbride and actually put the plays into action. Recent history would suggest that's not going to happen, with Manning throwing the ball like ex-Cardinals pitcher Rick Ankiel whenever people get in his face.

 

Tom Coughlin even suggested that Manning's mechanical glitches, such as not stepping into his throws, have a lot to do with the pressure he has been facing. Williams, meanwhile, is not only a blitz-minded guy with nothing to lose by sending the house this week, but is one of the most adept coaches at disguising the blitz.

 

"In our system, we've always coached through the eyes of the opposing quarterback," Williams said earlier this year. "Sometimes if you can cause a hesitation in a quarterback with what you're in, you have a chance to be more successful on defense. We want him to take as long as possible to decide what package we're in."

 

Williams might hesitate somewhat if Manning had more targets. Shawn Springs broke his shoulder last week and without his best cornerback, Williams doesn't like to expose his secondary. Free safety Sean Taylor has often been caught out of position in Springs' absence because he tends to overcompensate for his corners.

 

If Shockey can't play, however, Plaxico Burress is the only Giant receiver who scares anyone, unless you count Tiki Barber out of the backfield. The Redskins likely will cover Burress with cornerback Carlos Rogers and repeatedly double-team him with Taylor, also aware Burress can sometimes be the only target Manning looks for when he's hurried.

 

Additionally, Shockey's absence would deprive the Giants of their best way of attacking the Redskins' defense where it is weakest. Williams has openly lamented the problems his Cover 2 defense has had, with opponents attacking the areas between the linebackers and safeties - prime Shockey territory. The Skins (5-10) allowed 579 yards of total offense to the Rams on Sunday, with Marc Bulger torching them for 388 yards and four touchdowns and running back Steven Jackson catching six passes for 102 yards.

 

Shockey still is being listed as questionable and Coughlin says he's getting "better." Still, it's a short week and the fact that Shockey is on the report is significant because he has been hobbled by the ankle all year without being listed.

 

Asked if he was optimistic or pessimistic about Shockey's chances, Coughlin said: "I'd like to see him practice, that's for sure."

 

Coughlin said he will make a final determination 90 minutes before the game.

 

Giant optimists might take heart that the Redskins' blitz failed to fluster Manning in the season's first meeting, when he made several big plays.

 

Giant pessimists might note that the offensive line is being reshuffled with the benching of left tackle Bob Whitfield, the head-butter. David Diehl is moving out to left tackle, with Grey Ruegamer in at guard. The Redskins' blitz is certain to test that new lineup's communication.

 

"I expect, just like any other Washington game, it will be a pressure game," Coughlin said.

 

In more ways than one.

 

Originally published on December 29, 2006

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants mull prying Pioli from Pats

 

 

 

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Scott Pioli, one of the architects of the New England Patriots' dynasty, is emerging as a wild-card player in the Giants' search for a new general manager. But the Giants have not ruled out hiring an internal candidate, such as VP of player evaluation Chris Mara or director of player personnel Jerry Reese.

The 41-year-old Pioli, in his seventh season as the Pats' vice president of player personnel, is still under contract in New England, but according to two people familiar with the Giants' GM search, the Giant owners have discussed contacting him before they make a hire. According to several sources, Pioli - from Washingtonville, N.Y., about 60 miles north of Manhattan - has always coveted the Giants job.

 

If the Giants get serious about Pioli, they could only interview him after the Patriots are eliminated from the playoffs or in the week after the wild-card round. According to NFL rules, the Giants could hire him without having to compensate the Patriots if they give him "final say" over all personnel matters - something he does not have in New England.

 

However, according to league source, the Patriots could try to present a reasonably strong case to block Pioli from leaving, though it's hard to believe they would if he really wanted to go. The Giants also could offer the Patriots compensation, such as a low-round draft pick, to convince them to give up the fight.

 

Pioli, who grew up as a Giants fan, is Bill Parcells' son-in-law. And while the thought of a Tuna reunion in the Meadowlands would certainly be enticing, the big rumor in league circles is that if Pioli were hired by the Giants he would try to bring Patriots coach Bill Belichick with him. According to many league sources, though, that's extremely unlikely. Belichick is under contract through at least 2007 and the Pats have no intention of letting him go.

 

It's not clear who the leading candidate is to replace outgoing Giants GM Ernie Accorsi, who will retire either on Jan.15 or the day after the Giants' last game - whichever is later. One source said that, if available, Pioli absolutely is the Giants' main target. Another simply described him as an interesting option that co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch are considering exploring.

 

Neither Mara nor Tisch has returned calls.

 

So far, the Giants have interviewed four in-house candidates - Reese, Chris Mara (John Mara's brother), assistant GM Kevin Abrams and director of pro personnel Dave Gettleman. They also have interviewed former Redskins and Texans GM Charley Casserly.

 

The Giants are not expected to hire a GM until they determine Tom Coughlin's fate - though if the Giants lose tomorrow night, that fate almost certainly will be sealed.

 

Originally published on December 29, 2006

[jerseygiantfan]

Editor's note: ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton's "First and 10" column takes you around the league, with a look at the best game of the week, followed by primers for 10 other games. Here's his look at Week 17.

 

 

First … New York Giants at Washington Redskins

 

 

Something Wild

Only the Broncos and Jets control their own playoff destiny. Win and they're in as wild-card teams. So what needs to happen for the rest of the wild-card contenders? Here's the breakdown. Wild card scenarios

Tom Coughlin sits on the hottest seat in the NFL.

 

With one week to go, he demoted offensive coordinator John Hufnagel, giving Kevin Gilbride the chance to turn around struggling quarterback Eli Manning. That's the ultimate sign that Coughlin knows his job is on the line. If the Giants beat the Redskins Saturday, he has a fighting chance to keep his job. If not, well, the internal politics begin.

 

The Giants have lost six of their last seven games and Manning has regressed. Considering the organization traded what have turned out to be three Pro Bowl players to get Manning, Giants ownership might not look favorably on Coughlin. The Giants could try a Hail Mary and go after Notre Dame's Charlie Weis or look around the NFL at a top offensive head coach candidate.

 

The last thing in the world the Giants need is a coaching change, though. Coughlin is disciplined and produces winners. With Manning struggling at the end of last season, Coughlin captured the NFC East title in his second year with the Giants.

 

 

 

Rich Kane/US Presswire

New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin may need a win to save his job.Coughlin will always have the ownership support of John Mara, and that will help. But getting into the playoffs and maybe winning a game would help even more. The challenge starts against a Redskins team that is trying to find its way with Jason Campbell at quarterback.

 

Campbell is 2-4 as a starter, but the Redskins have been in every one of the games. Their biggest loss since he replaced Mark Brunell was by 10 points. Week by week, Campbell is showing progress.

 

Coughlin wishes he could say the same thing about Manning. No one can figure out why Manning has hit this midseason funk. It goes beyond the injuries to wide receiver Amani Toomer and left tackle Luke Petitgout.

 

Earlier this year, Manning made great strides in improving his short passes. He's always been pretty good on the long throws. But the short passes improve one's completion percentage, and Manning is barely over 51 percent during this seven-game stretch.

 

Manning needs to cross the 60 percent completion mark this season, but he's dropped to 58.3 because of this seven-game slump. His quarterback rating is 77.4.

 

The pressure is on. If the Giants lose, the odds of all the other wild-card contenders losing and allowing New York to back into the playoffs are slim. So Tiki Barber might be playing his last game. General manager Ernie Accorsi could be pulling out of the office for the final time on Monday. Making the playoffs at 8-8 might not have been what was in mind early in the season, but a win against the Redskins all but assures the Giants a spot in the playoffs. And right now, that sounds pretty good to them.

[jerseygiantfan]

Crunch time for Tom

 

Playoffs on line, and maybe job

Giants at Redskins, at FedEx Field, 8 pm

 

 

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

 

Tom Coughlin hears it from fans after Sunday's home rout at hands of Saints and may soon hear that days as Giants coach are over if his team doesn't salvage season with win over Redskins to likely earn playoff spot.

 

The fans expressed their opinion of Tom Coughlin's three-year reign loudly on Sunday, and their chants of "Fire Coughlin" echoed through Giants Stadium all week long.

 

And as the Giants prepared for the final game of this miserable regular season, the chants could be heard in some corners of the Giants' locker room, too.

 

"You think the fans don't like him?" one player said this week. "The players don't like him, either. We're tired of listening to him."

 

After tonight, they may not have to listen to him much longer.

 

The Coughlin Era could come to a close if the Giants (7-8) lose to the Washington Redskins (5-10) tonight in Landover, Md., unless they get enough help to get them into the playoffs at 7-9. And the truth is, even if they do somehow sneak into the postseason, it might not be enough to save Coughlin's job.

 

According to multiple sources in the organization, the Giants' management team - headed by co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch - has grown increasingly frustrated with both the play of Coughlin's team and the seemingly constant chaos that swirls around it. Mara and Tisch haven't returned calls.

 

One source suggested the only thing that could save Coughlin is a very unlikely run to the NFC Championship Game. Another indicated it was possible that just one postseason win might do the job.

 

Regardless, before any pink slips are handed out, the Giants do still have a pretty good shot at making the playoffs - something that once seemed assured before they lost six of their last seven games. A win in Washington virtually guarantees them the sixth seed in the NFC and a first-round game against either Philadelphia or Dallas.

 

They can even get in with a loss, if Green Bay, St. Louis, Atlanta and Carolina all lose tomorrow as well.

 

"As crazy as it sounds, no matter how everything has gone the last seven weeks, you wouldn't think you have a shot," Eli Manning said. "We feel very fortunate. But still, winning one game for us, it's not the easiest thing in the world."

 

After the way they played Sunday in a 30-7 home loss to the Saints, winning even one game seems impossible. Their offense didn't take a single snap across midfield in that game, and their defense was ripped for more than 200 rushing yards. And since then, they have lost defensive end Michael Strahan (again) and tight end Jeremy Shockey.

 

Still, there is at least a faint hope. Coughlin has his fingers crossed that his desperation move to demote offensive coordinator John Hufnagel and let quarterbacks coach Kevin Gilbride call the plays tonight will provide a "spark" for his anemic offense. And while most players don't believe it will work - Tiki Barber called the changes "cosmetic" - some do concede that Gilbride's familiarity with Manning will help.

 

"It's a situation where maybe it doesn't take a whole lot to get going," Manning said. "We've just got to find a way to spark this offense, this team and get some momentum and get some confidence back. That's probably the biggest deal is somewhere in this run, in this stretch, we lost our confidence."

 

They appeared to lose a lot more than that on Sunday, when they looked like a dead team walking towards an inevitable offseason shakeup. Even the knowledge that they were still likely to make the playoffs with one more win wasn't enough to shake them out of their depression. And if the switch of play-callers really is going to provide Coughlin's "spark," it wasn't evident during the week.

 

"We have a chance to be an 8-8 team and be in the playoffs," Coughlin said. "We have to recognize this, play our best football, rise up and overcome some of the things that we have done as of late that have not allowed us to win."

 

If they don't rise up, Coughlin's three-year tenure may be over.

 

Shockey, Seubert out

 

 

New play-caller Kevin Gilbride is going to help get the Giants' offense going, he will have to do it without Jeremy Shockey.

 

The Pro Bowl tight end, who has played with a bad left ankle for most of the season, did not make the trip to Washington with the Giants and was officially ruled out of tonight's game. C/G Rich Seubert (shin) stayed home and is out, too.

 

Shockey is now the 10th opening day starter to miss at least one game for the Giants this season with an injury. He first hurt the ankle in early August, and has been limited in several games.

 

Shockey finished his regular season with 66 catches for 623 yards and seven touchdowns. It is the second-highest reception total of his five-year career, but the yardage total is the lowest since he had 535 in nine games in 2003.

 

Shockey has still never played a full, 16-game season in the NFL.

 

Playbook

 

 

BY HANK GOLA

 

VITALS

THE LINE: Giants by 3

TV: Ch. 4, NFLN (Bryant Gumbel, Cris Collinsworth)

RADIO: WFAN-660 AM (Bob Papa, Dick Lynch, Dave Jennings), Nationwide on Westwood One (Joel Meyers, Kevin Kiley)

FORECAST: Low 40s, clear with mild winds.

 

INJURY IMPACT

TE Jeremy Shockey (ankle) did not make the trip and his absence will allow the Redskins to focus more attention on Plaxico Burress. OG Rich Seubert (shin) also stayed home. With Bob Whitfield benched, David Diehl will be at LT and Grey Ruegamer at LG. DE Michael Strahan was placed on IR after his one-game comeback against the Saints. The Redskins will be without CB Shawn Springs (shoulder) and their pass defense has struggled when he hasn't been in the lineup.

 

FEATURE MATCHUPS

RB Tiki Barber vs. LB Marcus Washington and the Redskins' run defense: If this isn't to be his swan song, Barber has to produce, particularly on first down, because when the Giants can't run, it has a domino effect on the entire offense. Barber hasn't shown much ability to get outside as the season has gone on and the Redskins figure to crowd the line and dare Eli Manning to beat them. Barber's role as outlet receiver and on screens should also be watched.

 

RB Ladell Betts vs. LB Antonio Pierce and the Giants' run defense: With five straight 100-yard games, Betts has been among the league's most productive runners in the second half of the season, using a downhill running style that the Giants have looked powerless to stop lately. The Giants' linebackers have been exposed as a weak spot, particularly in getting to the perimeter and the once-stout interior combo of Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins has worn down. Pierce's play has gone down accordingly since he's been denied the ability to scrape to the ball.

 

SCOUT SAYS

"Jason Campbell has progressed as a quarterback and his ability to move outside the pocket can haunt the Giants in the same way that Drew Brees, Jeff Garcia and Tony Romo did. His biggest problems are on third down and the Giants must force him into long yardage situations. Kevin Gilbride, who worked under Gregg Williams at Buffalo, will try to exploit (safety) Sean Taylor, who gets caught out of position when Springs isn't there. Taylor must take better angles on Plaxico Burress when he covers him over the top. The Redskins don't have anyone who can man up on Plax. Carlos Rogers matches up size-wise but has been a disappointment."

 

INTANGIBLES

The Giants have shown nothing that would suggest they'll have any motivation or spark today, even with the playoffs on the line. Tiki's home finale and Strahan's return did nothing to lift the team last week and no one seems excited about saving Tom Coughlin's job. It almost appears as if some players are resigned that, even if they make the post-season, they won't be around for long. The Skins would like nothing better than to drag their rivals into the off-season.

 

PREDICTION

REDSKINS, 27-17: It's simple. No fight means no faith.

 

Playoff scenarios

 

 

Giants are in with WIN & any of following...

 

1. Green Bay loss to Chicago

 

 

2. Detroit loss to Dallas

 

 

3. Minnesota loss to St. Louis

 

 

4. Win by any two of the following teams: Indianapolis, San Diego, Denver, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Houston.

 

 

The Giants are in with loss and ...

 

 

1. Green Bay, St. Louis, Atlanta and Carolina all lose.

 

Originally published on December 30, 2006

[jerseygiantfan]

Tiki torches Washington

 

Sets Giant record to all but lock up spot

 

BY RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

 

Tiki Barber (r.) celebrates with David Diehl after one of his three TDs lifts Giants over Redskins.

 

 

Barber runs by Redskins defenders en route to his third touchdown of the game.

 

LANDOVER, Md. - Tiki Barber did his best to put off retirement for at least one more week.

The 31-year-old running back saved his best performance for the last regular-season game of his 10-year career, rushing for a career-high and franchise-record 234 yards last night as he carried the Giants to the doorstep of the playoffs. He also scored three touchdowns in the Giants' 34-28 win over the Washington Redskins - a win that all but locked the Giants (8-8) into the NFC's final wild-card berth, barring an unlikely nine-team scenario today.

 

Not a single person inside the Giants' locker room was surprised by Barber's heroics. So many times in his career, just when his team has needed it the most, Barber has found a way to come through.

 

"It's just what I expected from him in a game like that," said fullback Jim Finn. "I figured in his last regular-season game, he'd break some kind of record and carry us to a win. That's what he did."

 

"I just kind of shake my head," added guard Chris Snee. "I'm glad I was able to play with him and I'm glad we have one more game together."

 

Even though this was only the Giants' second win in their last eight games, they still will have at least one more game, that on the road next weekend against the NFC East champions (either Dallas or Philadelphia) - unless the Cowboys, Colts, Chargers, Rams, Broncos, Bucs, Panthers, Texans and Bears all lose today. If all that doesn't happen, the Giants will make the playoffs for the second straight year, which they hadn't done in 16 seasons.

 

That still might not turn out to be enough to save the embattled Tom Coughlin's job.

 

At the very least, though, Barber put off talk of a coaching change by combining for 258 total yards rushing and receiving and ripping through the terrible tackling by the Redskins' defense for two 50-yard-plus touchdown runs. The last one - a 50-yarder with 6:13 remaining - ensured that Washington's touchdown with 3:22 left wasn't enough to sink Big Blue.

 

Barber's late run wasn't much different than his earlier performance. In the first half, he had 137 yards and two impressive touchdowns, including a 15-yarder that gave the Giants the lead for good early in the second quarter and a season-long 55-yarder that helped build a 20-7 halftime lead.

 

Those runs provided the "spark" that Coughlin was desperately seeking during the week, when he demoted offensive coordinator John Hufnagel and handed the play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Kevin Gilbride. And while the move didn't do much for Eli Manning (12-for-26, 101 yards, one touchdown), it certainly reenergized the rushing attack.

 

It even gave a boost to the much-maligned defense, at least in the first half when it came up with the first big spark - a 67-yard fumble return by defensive tackle Fred Robbins that led to a Jay Feely field goal. The Giants gave that right back when Antwaan Randle El threw a 48-yard option touchdown pass to Santana Moss, but aside from that, the defense played pretty well early on.

 

The second half, though, was nearly a nightmare. After a 6-yard play-action touchdown pass from Manning to Tim Carter made it 27-7 with 9:11 left in the third quarter, Jason Campbell (21-for-31, 220 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) led the Redskins to touchdowns on each of their next two drives, bringing Washington within 27-21 with 9:25 remaining.

 

At that point, the offense was mired in its all-too-familiar three-and-out rut, and the defense was starting to wilt again.

 

"The defense wasn't holding, so we went right to the offense and said, 'Look, we can win it ourselves,'" Barber said. "'And we have to.'

 

"So we continued to pound them and make big plays and we put the final nail in the coffin."

 

Barber's 50-yard touchdown was pretty much that. Safety Gibril Wilson, who knocked a fourth-down pass away from Randle El with 1:55 remaining, put the coffin in the ground.

 

And then all of a sudden, the Giants' locker room was a happy place again, with smiles they've been hiding for most of the second half of the season.

 

"This kind of instilled some of the pride we lost the last few weeks," right tackle Kareem McKenzie said.

 

"You kept asking me if we'd be able to rise up and play in a game of this magnitude after the way we played last week," Coughlin added. "There's your answer."

 

That answer was provided by the man who's provided so many answers for the Giants over the last decade.

 

"It's just Tiki Barber," Finn said. "He's a true professional. He's carried us before and he carried us in this game when we needed it tonight."

 

Now What?

 

 

The Giants, at 8-8, are a virtual lock to make the playoffs as the sixth seed and play a first-round game at the home of the NFC East champion (Philly or Dallas). But they still need a little help today just to make sure. The Giants are in IF any of the following occurs …

1. Green Bay loses to Chicago

 

2. Dallas beats Detroit

 

3. St. Louis beats Minnesota

 

4. Any two of the following occur: San Diego beats Arizona, Indianapolis beats Miami, Denver beats San Francisco, Carolina beats New Orleans, Houston beats Cleveland, Tampa Bay beats Seattle

 

5. Any one of the following occur and the Giants maintain their edge in "strength of schedule" over the Packers: San Diego beats Arizona, Indianapolis beats Miami, Denver beats San Francisco, Carolina beats New Orleans, Houston beats Cleveland, Tampa Bay beats Seattle.

 

Originally published on December 31, 2006

[jerseygiantfan]

At the edge of the abyss

 

How Big Blue nearly bumbled away season

 

By RALPH VACCHIANO

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

 

Eli Manning's second-half struggles reared their ugly head once again, causing many to question whether Big Blue made big mistake giving up so much to get Peyton’s little brother.

 

 

It took Tom Coughlin 15 games to make a change in the play-calling duties, but plenty of damage has been done as players such as Tiki Barber show their displeasure with poor game planning.

 

 

Tom Coughlin once called injuries a 'cancer' and said they were 'mental as much as anything else.' Whatever they are, they certainly have spread throughout his team this year, knocking out players like LaVar Arrington.

 

 

In a year of countless examples of an undisciplined team, Michael Strahan's attack on media could top list.

 

LANDOVER, Md. — If anyone had asked the Giants eight weeks ago if they thought they deserved to be in the playoffs, they would have been met with some incredulous stares. At 6-2, the Giants had their minds on winning the division, getting the top seed in the conference and making a run to Super Bowl XLI.

 

Playoffs?

 

Of course they were going to the playoffs. "I believe we are the best team in the NFC," Plaxico Burress said then.

 

It's amazing that when that question was asked of several players this past week, their answers were muffled and their bets appeared to be hedged.

 

"If you get in the playoffs," Burress said, "then you deserve to be there."

 

Does anybody really believe that anymore?

 

Now that the Giants (8-8) — barring a bizarre nine-team scenario playing out today — are in the playoffs, they are getting in through a basement door in the NFC that in most years simply wouldn't open. Heading into last night's 34-38 win over Washington, the Giants had lost six of seven games. They had gone from an NFC powerhouse to a team in turmoil to one that, whether it makes the playoffs or not today, is looking like it might have to rebuild.

 

How did everything go so wrong so fast for the Giants?

 

How did it get to the point where they will have to sit home and watch TV today to learn their fate? A lot of it was their own doing, though they did have their share of bad breaks along the way:

 

1. Oh, the agony

 

Tom Coughlin once called injuries "a cancer," and they certainly spread like one during his three-year tenure. At various points this season, he was missing nine players from his original starting lineup, and at least four more play-ers who were expected to play big roles.

 

The darkest day was Nov. 5, when the Giants won a lackluster game over the Texans to move to 6-2. They had already lost linebacker La-Var Arrington (Achillies) and defensive end Osi Umenyiora (hip) on Oct. 23, but they still felt good about their status as they headed toward the following week's showdown against the Bears.

 

But in that Texans game they lost receiver

 

Amani Toomer (knee) and defensive end Michael Strahan (foot). A week later they lost left tackle Luke Petitgout (leg).

 

Is it any wonder they've won only two games since?

 

Injuries have also sidelined linebackers Carlos Emmons and Brandon Short, defensive end Justin Tuck, cornerback Sam Madison, linemen Kareem McKenzie, Rich Seu-bert and Shaun O'Hara and rookie receiver Sinorice Moss. On top of that, Tiki Barber and Antonio Pierce have played with broken bones in their hand, and kicker Jay Feely has a broken bone in his foot.

 

The word you're looking for is "ouch."

 

2. The defense rests

 

The play that turned the Giants' season came in the Bears game on Nov. 12, and it wasn't Devin Hester's 108-yard missed field goal return. It was late in the first half, with the Giants up 13-3 and the Bears stuck at their own 28 facing a third-and-22.

 

Thomas Jones ran 26 yards for the first down. A few plays later, the Bears scored to cut the deficit to 13-10.

 

In many ways, the Giants were never the same after that play.

 

How many big plays like that has the defense blown this season? Remember Mathias Kiwanuka's inability to wrap up Vince Young on fourth down in Tennessee, or Will Demps' failure to make the open-field tackle? How about the three times last Sunday when the Saints converted on fourth down?

 

The Giants knew their secondary would be in trouble if they couldn't sustain a pass rush, but they didn't expect the entire unit to lack aggression, be unable to tackle and come up soft in big spots. The offensive slump didn't help, causing the injury-plagued defense to become overworked.

 

But a defense that talked boldly about being one of the top five in the league didn't turn out that way — and nearly let the Redskins steal one from them last night.

 

3. Call of the wild

 

At one point during the Saints debacle, right after Eli Manning called the play in the huddle, Tiki Barber flailed his arms toward the sideline as if to say, "Why are you calling that?"

 

Some of the offensive players felt like saying that all year long.

 

The frustration with since-demoted offensive coordinator John Hufnagel can be traced to last season, but it really bubbled over halfway through this year. Players privately wondered why he constantly called long passes for his struggling quarterback, and why he didn't lean on the powerful duo of Barber and Brandon Jacobs more — especially inside the oppo nents' 5-yard line.

 

Many of the bizarre calls were disastrous. Perhaps the worst came when the Giants were up 21-0 with 12:55 left in Tennessee and Hufnagel called for a long pass on second-and-4 from the Giants' 35 instead of using what had been a successful rushing attack.

 

Sure enough, Manning's pass was intercepted and the Titans' fourth-quarter comeback was on.

 

Until last night, the Giants tried to rely on a quarterback who was shaky at times, and downright awful at others. After rushing just 10 times in a 26-10 loss in Jacksonville, Barber said he "felt insignificant."

 

He got the ball 23 times last night for 234 yards — not exactly insignificant numbers.

 

4. Manning's a mess

 

Manning is still only 25 and in his third year, so inconsistencies are still to be expected. But shouldn't there be a few more ups than downs at this point? And do his downs always have to be so low?

 

Take away Manning's badly under-thrown, 55-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress last Sunday and he was 8- for-24 for 19 yards over the final 58 minutes of the game. That's not bad, that's embarrassing. You can make a good argument that you could expect any quarterback to be able to throw for at least 20 yards in a game.

 

It would be one thing if Manning had no talent, but clearly the talent is there. Look at his first-half numbers in each of the last two seasons. Bad quarterbacks don't play that well. But for the second year in a row he hit a wall, lost his confidence and couldn't find a way out of his tailspin.

 

Yes, his receivers dropped a lot of passes. And yes, Hufnagel did not manage him well and rarely put him in situations to be successful. But at some point Manning has to rise above that. He didn't last night.

 

5. Out of control

 

For such a noted disciplinarian, Cough-lin sure did run a loose ship this season. He probably collected tens of thousands of dollars in fines from his players, but what good did it do?

 

Jeremy Shockey and Barber both ripped the coaching staff. Strahan ripped Burress, and then a reporter from ESPN. Now several players have anonymously ripped Coughlin to the press.

 

On the field, Burress appeared to quit on several plays. Bob Whitfield head-butted opponents twice.

 

Players always seemed to commit a penalty at a key point in the game. They dropped passes, ran wrong routes, threw tantrums.

 

Put it all together and it looks like a rudderless ship of fools, unsure of its direction and searching for a captain. Harry Carson, the great ex-Giant, said, "They need somebody to be afraid of."

 

Sounds like the job of a leader — something the Giants, until last night,

 

 

 

Originally published on December 31, 2006

[jerseygiantfan]

It's Giant relief and fresh start

 

On verge of meeting Philly or Dallas

 

BY HANK GOLA

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

 

Giants end up winning, but they spend most of the second half chasing Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell (17) and running back Ladell Betts.

 

LANDOVER, Md. - Bring on the Eagles or the Cowboys.

The Giants weren't exactly shouting it last night after holding off the Redskins thanks to the best game their best-ever running back has ever had. But when you're 8-8 and have lost six of eight, you take whatever momentum you can get.

 

Unless an unthinkable set of circumstances conspires against them today, the Giants are a playoff team and, as linebacker Antonio Pierce pointed out, "Our chances are about as good as anybody's right now. Some teams get lucky, some teams play well. We want to be the team that does both."

 

If the Eagles beat the Falcons today, they will play host to the Giants. If the Eagles lose, a Cowboys win over the Lions will send the Giants to Dallas. Philadelphia owns the tiebreaker over Dallas, so if both teams lose today, the Giants will face Philly. The Giants were 1-1 against each team, winning the road games earlier this year before losing at the Meadowlands.

 

Each of those NFC East rivals has finished the season a lot stronger than the Giants, who didn't solve all of their problems last night, either. But it was as if a cloud had been lifted from this team and they were happy to put their 8-8 regular season behind them.

 

"I talked continuously that it doesn't take a whole lot sometimes to get the thing going the way you want it to go," Tom Coughlin said. "We had some quite serious heart-to-hearts this week and we had a good one (Friday night) again and fortunately, the players responded."

 

Offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie said the tone of Friday night's meeting was dire but hopeful.

 

"It was, pretty much, 'This is it,'" he said. "'Tonight is the night where we can go ahead and play for next week or we can go ahead and sulk about it and pack it in for next year.' Tonight, we only had to win one game. This one instilled some of the pride we had lost the last four weeks. It actually seemed like the old Giants where we were playing well and things were going our way."

 

"It was something we needed," added wide receiver Plaxico Burress. "We just wanted to get into the playoffs where everybody's 0-0. A win is always good for your team. It doesn't really matter how you get it. We just needed a win to go into the playoffs thinking positive. Just go out, lay it on the line and see what happens."

 

If the Giants can run the ball as well as they did last night - when they rushed for 261 yards, 234 of them by Barber - they can go a long way. Of course, neither the Eagles nor Cowboys can be counted on to tackle as poorly as the Redskins did.

 

"I'm sure they're going to watch this tape," cornerback R.W. McQuarters said of the Giants' prospective opponents. "But they're going to take the same attitude toward us, especially because they have the home game. They're definitely going to be a little bit more amped.

 

"This was like a playoff game for us. Win we stay in, lose we go home. That was our focus, having a lot of energy knowing that if we win today we buy ourselves another week."

 

Originally published on December 31, 2006