2009 NY GIANTS Articles and Video

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Giants Team Report

Updated: June 26, 2009, 6:20 AM EDT

 

Inside Slant

--Weak-side linebacker Michael Boley, the first free-agent signee for the Giants last spring, underwent hip surgery to repair a torn labrum and will be lost for eight to 10 weeks.

 

Boley apparently suffered the injury in an early OTA workout but kept going, even to the extent of fully participating in the recently held mandatory minicamp June 16-18, but had to succumb to the arthroscopic procedure last Wednesday.

 

The surgery was performed by Dr. Bryan Kelly at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

 

Boley, who spent the first four years of his NFL career with Atlanta, was expected to win the starting weak-side job, but since he might not be back until just prior to the start of the regular season, that possibility becomes more and more uncertain.

 

Weak-side linebacker was a problem for the Giants in 2008 with three players starting at various points of the season -- Chase Blackburn, rookie Bryan Kehl and Gerris Wilkinson.

 

Since Boley's surgery took place prior to the start of camp, he can be placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and thus free up a roster spot for one of the as-yet unsigned draft choices.

 

OFFSEASON STANDOUT: DE Osi Umenyiora, who missed the entire 2008 season after a Pro Bowl appearance in 2007, has come back from his knee surgery with a vengeance and was flashing those "you can't block me" moves and quickness for most of the OTA period as well as the mandatory minicamp.

 

Also, first-round draft pick Hakeem Nicks was impressive going deep, often getting behind the secondary and making sure-handed catches. So, too, were a pair of other WRs -- third round pick Ramses Barden and third-year Sinorice Moss, who wowed 'em the first day of the minicamp but then (almost predictably) came up with yet another tweaked hamstring.

 

LINEUP WATCH: In his three-year stint with the Giants, WR Sinorice Moss (second-round pick in 2006) has noticeably failed to perform up to those standards expected of his lofty selection.

 

It isn't that he doesn't have the talent. The 5-8, 185-pounder has blazing speed, lightning-quick moves and flashes the ability to corkscrew defensive backs into the ground. It's just that he doesn't do any of those things in games. He is a world-class practice player, however, but always seems to come up with injuries after a torrid show of potential.

 

He is likely in his last season of teasing the offense. Once again, he was lights out in the minicamp and then came up with a pulled hamstring.

 

He is going to compete in a wide-open field, since last year's starters, Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, are no longer on the roster. His competition includes two rookies (Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden), the probable starter Steve Smith, and contenders Domenik Hixon and Mario Manningham.

 

ROOKIE IMPRESSIONS: Undrafted free agent Maurice Evans, a defensive end from Penn State, showed why he was a sought-after signee by several teams immediately after the draft. He is only 6-2 and 265, but the kid from Brooklyn, N.Y., who left college after his junior season, seems to have a spot on an already-burgeoning list of DEs. "He has really good quickness and strength," says D-line coach Mike Waufle. Evans had 12.5 sacks as a sophomore, then had off-the-field problems with head coach Joe Paterno early in his junior season which included a knee injury. He is going to be a special teams regular and a situational pass rusher if he makes the final roster.

INJURY WATCH: WLB Michael Boley (hip surgery) will be lost for eight to 10 weeks after repairing a torn labrum which he hurt in an early OTA practice. ... Rookie SLB Clint Sintim (second round) came up with a hamstring pull that kept him out of the minicamp action.

 

CONTRACT TO WATCH: None of the veterans, at least not the starters, are on the cusp of a new contract. GM Jerry Reese took care of those guys early in the spring. But it might be interesting to see how long it takes to sign the first round pick, WR Hakeem Nicks, since he is being projected by some as an immediate starter and you know how agents react to that kind of good news.

 

 

Notes and Quotes

--Head coach Tom Coughlin and his family will embark on a vacation trip to the Bahamas next week, and that includes his son-in-law, starting RG Chris Snee. After that, the coach is going to Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the USO-NFL Coaches Tour that will keep him overseas through the Fourth of July.

 

--It isn't likely to go into training camp this way, but the Giants have only one punter and one place-kicker on the roster -- veterans Jeff Feagles and Lawrence Tynes. Last season's primary kicker, John Carney, had been signed on cutdown day after Tynes wrenched a knee and he has been subsequently released. He did, however, make 35 of 38 FGs and all 38 PAT attempts. His 143 total points placed him second on the team's all-time kick-scoring list, five behind the leader, Jay Feely (2005).

 

It has been pointed out, however, that the Giants only took one of each to camp last summer (Feagles and Tynes) and used the "Jugs" machine to simulate additional punts for return drills. Carney was signed only at the final cutdown date when Tynes was injured.

 

--The arthroscopic hip surgery on WLB Michael Boley will keep him out for eight to 10 weeks puts the position up for grabs again -- by the same three guys who all tried and failed last season. They are Chase Blackburn, Gerris Wilkinson and 2008 rookie Bryan Kehl.

 

QUOTE TO NOTE: "That train has pulled out of the station. It's not a valid issue any more." -- Giants' head coach Tom Coughlin when asked about the effect the absence of the released WR Plaxico Burress might have on the team.

 

 

 

LINK TO ALL TEAMS CAMP REPORTS

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Tom Coughlin makes an unforgettable trip to Iraq for the Fourth of July weekend

 

Saturday, July 4th 2009, 6:16 PM

Theiler/USO

 

 

 

Lt. Col. Greg Gadson was an inspirational member of the Giants locker room during their Super Bowl run in 2007.

 

He has been on an NFL-USO Coaches Tour of the Persian Gulf this past week with Jeff Fisher of the Titans and John Harbaugh of the Ravens and Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden, visiting with soldiers. This all started last year for Tom Coughlin with an invitation from Ray Odierno, the commanding general of the U.S. forces in Iraq, and now Coughlin was finally over there, getting ready to spend his Fourth of July in a way that he said made him feel as American as he ever had in his life.

 

“We come to these kids, and so many look like kids I could be coaching, from a world where guys in sports are called heroes,” Coughlin said from Baghdad on Friday. “Only now we’re the ones in the presence of real heroes. Wherever we’ve gone this week, I’ve reminded the guys in uniform that when we were winning the Super Bowl, they called us ‘road warriors,’ because we won all those games on the road. But then I tell them we weren’t the real warriors, they are.”

 

Coughlin is a good man and tough football coach for a long time. When his Giants did win that Super Bowl from the Patriots, the greatest Super Bowl of them all, he talked afterwards and for a long time about teamwork and toughness and character, most of all how the Giants believed in each other. But on a day when Coughlin talked about some of the young men and women he has met in Baghdad and Mosul and Kirkuk, at the bases and camps he has visited and even in the former palace of Saddam Hussein, Coughlin was the one who sounded like a kid, talking with great excitement about what he had seen this week and what he had heard.

 

“It gives you the deepest possible feelings of patriotism,” Coughlin said. “But it gives you great humility as well. This isn’t about what people might think of the war. This is about the people who have fought it, the people who want to be here, the leadership they show, and the virtue. Coaches talk about discipline and organization all the time. Then you come to a place like this, see the level of discipline and organization here, the coordinated events of a multi-national force trying to end this conflict, and you’re just blown away.”

 

Tom Coughlin said, “People in our country are always going to be divided on politics, that’s part of the greatness of our country. But I don’t believe anyone is divided on the support for our troops, our admiration for real warriors. And if there’s one message we’ve tried to convey while we’ve been over here, it’s that. Just that. They keep thanking us for being here and I keep saying, ‘Are you kidding? We’re here to thank you. We’re honored to be in your presence.’”

 

 

 

Coughlin was asked what the most frequently asked question has been from Giants fans he has met on the other side of the world. The coach of the Giants laughed.

 

“They’re just like the fans back home,” he said. “They want to know about our young receivers.”

 

Then he told about how as the coaches have moved from place to place, sometimes in jeeps, sometimes in helicopters and C-35 jets, they have spoken to the troops, answered questions, signed autographs, posed for pictures. Coughlin, the organized coach, talked about how orderly it all has been, how patient the soldiers have been, no matter how long they have had to wait in line. He laughed again and said that sometimes the ones who have waited the longest in the lines can’t wait to tell him how they’re Steelers fans from Pennsylvania, or Redskins fans from Virginia, or Eagles fans from Philly.

 

“Or Cowboys fans,” he said. “They love to tell you they’re Cowboys fans. I told one kid the other day, ‘Most people wait until after I’ve signed or posed with them to tell me they root for the Cowboys.’”

 

And Tom Coughlin also told about how he has met soldiers in Iraq who know Lt. Col. Greg Gadson, who once played football for the Army football team, No. 98, and who ended up with the Second Battalion and 32nd Field Artillery in Iraq. Giants fans know all about Greg Gadson by now, how he became a part of the team on their Super Bowl run even from his sideline wheelchair, having lost both his legs to a roadside bomb on May 7, 2007.

 

Gadson played at Army with Mike Sullivan, who became one of Coughlin’s assistants with the Giants. It was Sullivan who arranged for Gadson to address the team before a Redskins game that year, and before long Lt. Col. Gadson was an honorary co-captain of the team, was on the sideline in the incredible cold of Lambeau Field for that Packers championship game, was on the sideline in Glendale, Ariz., when the Giants beat the Patriots. The Giants fans in Iraq wanted to talk to Coughlin about Lt. Col. Gadson, too.

 

“I’ve run into at least five or six teammates of Greg and Mike Sullivan,” Coughlin said. “And it’s the same with that as with everything else. They want to tell me how proud they are that someone like Greg Gadson became part of our Giants team. And I have to tell them that we were the ones who were honored by his presence.”

 

On Friday, Coughlin talked about the day they were grounded by a sandstorm. He talked about how desolate the land looks from the air, and about flying “military” from Kuwait, understanding where they were when the lights of the plane were shut off about 15 minutes outside of Baghdad. He talked about visiting one compound called “Dagger” and driving the roads that our soldiers drive every day, talked about the Iraq he and the other coaches saw once they got outside one of Saddam Hussein’s old palaces.

 

 

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VIDEO: Danny Clark talks about the upcoming season

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VIDEO (Danny Clark) & ARTICLE with BRANDON JACOBS

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FOX SPORTS POSITIONAL POWER RANKINGS

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On the ball

By Michael Eisen, Giants.com

 

Take this story to go! - RSS | Podcast | Mobile

 

JULY 14, 2009

 

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - Justin Tuck was on the ball for charity Monday night. But it was not a football, a basketball or a golf ball. Tuck’s sphere of choice was a billiard ball and with it he raised approximately $140,000 for his R.U.S.H. for Literary initiative.

 

“We wanted to do something fun,” Tuck said at Slate, the billiards club on 21st Street in Manhattan where the event was held. “My billiards game is a whole lot better than my golf game. Everybody does golf, so I wanted to do something different and get everybody involved. Sometimes in golf tournaments one guy can be on the 18th hole, one guy can be on the fourth hole and you never really get to see everybody. But here it is an intimate setting, and it is wide open. You have the opportunity to see everybody. It is a fun event.”

 

And one that provided a big financial boost to Tuck’s program. Last season, he raised $100,000 with his “Sacks Challenge,” in which supporters donated $1,000 for each sack. He doubled that output this week with help from teammates David Diehl, Shaun O’Hara, Chase Blackburn, Sinorice Moss and Hakeem Nicks, as well as NBA players Chris Duhon and Speedy Claxton and director Spike Lee.

 

The setup was similar to the NCAA basketball tournament. Thirty-two teams competed in a single-elimination tournament. The championship round was best two out of three.

 

“We’re heavily involved in charity circles in the New York area,” said Lauran Tuck, Justin’s wife. “We do a lot of auctions, a lot of benefit dinners and a lot of golf outings. They’re all for great causes, but we wanted to do something a little different.”

 

The Tucks have worked tirelessly to promote literacy among underprivileged youth both in the metropolitan area and in rural Central Alabama, where he grew up and frequently visits. In 2008, Tuck’s R.U.S.H. for Literacy delivered more than 17,500 books to approximately 1,500 children in the two regions. R.U.S.H. stands for Read, Understand, Succeed and Hope.

 

“My wife and I are very passionate about education, number one, and secondly about children,” Tuck said. “We wanted to do something that was really going to fill both of those up. We felt that literacy was the number one stepping block as far as building a great educational background. That is basically the short version of why we did it. It is something that we are really passionate about and I can be on the ground doing some work, and not just have my face on a charity.”

 

“One of the most important factors affecting literacy is access to books, and that’s what we try to address through our foundation,” Lauran said. “We’re raising the money to donate the books to underserved areas, so it’s absolutely a passion.”

 

As the tournament got under way Monday night, a line of perhaps 100 people hoping to enter Slate stretched up the street, proving even a young man from a small southern town can draw crowd in the big city.

 

“I am incredibly proud – I’m almost at a loss for words,” Lauran said. “He’s been an excellent role model. It’s great to see that we have so many friends and see the celebrities that have come out to support him and to support our foundation.”

 

Diehl is vacationing with his family in his hometown, Chicago, but made a quick trip back to the metropolitan area for the billiards tournament.

 

“Justin told me about this back when we started OTA’s and I flew in just to be here for the event,” Diehl said. “When I have done stuff with Project Sunshine and other things, Justin has always been a guy who has helped me out and been there for me. I have done whatever I can to give back and Justin has done the same and I want to be here to help him. As you can tell by the amount of people that are here, Justin has a tremendous event. It is going to be a fun night and more importantly it is for a great cause. If we can use our so-called celebrity status to help things out and help get more people here and help raise more money for the cause, that’s what we are here for.”

 

“Obviously we are here supporting Justin, he is a great teammate and he also does a great job of giving back in the community,” O’Hara said. “He is always lending his name, his time and his energy and efforts. The second aspect is his foundation R.U.S.H. for Literacy, it is something that as a teammate, you don’t have any issues with helping out with something of that nature. Trying to assist with the education of our youth, that is always a great cause.

 

“We have a very close team, a lot of the guys on the team care about each other. Whenever a guy has an event like this and teammates come out to help, I think that really shows the commitment to each other, on and off the field.”

 

In the single-elimination portion of the tournament, Moss and Nicks defeated O’Hara and Diehl in the second round. The wide receivers then lost to Vivica Fox and former NBA player Charles Smith in the semifinals. But the celebrity team fell to a father/son duo, Cliff Finkle, Sr. and Jr., in the championship round. Finkle, Jr. purchased their entry as a surprise Father’s Day gift.

 

Tuck couldn’t have been happier with his first billiards tournament.

 

“I am very thankful for the people that came out and made it exactly what it is,” Tuck said. “I definitely couldn’t do this by myself, and we had a lot of people helping. I am ecstatic about it right now.”

 

*With training camp opening in less than three weeks, Tuck couldn’t chalk his cue stick without answering a few football questions. Someone said that this year’s camp at the University at Albany is particularly important, because it is the first for the defense with Bill Sheridan as the coordinator.

 

“Every camp is important,” Tuck said. “Every year is different parts. Every year we have new faces. This year it seems like we have more new faces, but football is football. Once we get in there for two weeks, three weeks, it might not even be that long, we will have that chemistry down as far as what this team is going to be like. As far as our defensive coordinator, he has been for just as long as I have been here. We know what to expect from him, we know what kind of coach he is, and that kind of cuts the adjustment time in half.”

[jerseygiantfan]

Pre-Camp Previews for EVERY Team

 

 

Giants Team Report

Updated: July 17, 2009, 2:20 AM EDT

 

Inside Slant

It is almost certain that making the Giants' final 53-man roster this season will be the toughest assignment hopefuls have had in 20 years.

 

The Giants are "full up" at most positions, and in some areas of the team they are overloaded with Pro Bowl or near-Pro Bowl quality performers.

 

The D-line, for instance, shows ends Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck (both Pro Bowl veterans) along with Mathias Kiwanuka, Dave Tollefson and free agent rookie Maurice Evans, who looked surprisingly effective in minicamp. The tackles are Chris Canty (from Dallas), Rocky Bernard (Seattle), Jay Alford, Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins. The latter two are the incumbent starters although Robbins had some injury woes and might be questionable to start camp.

 

The O-line returns with the same five starters for the third straight year, and the Giants made sure to bolster the right tackle spot currently held by Kareem McKenzie (back spasms) with a second-round pick of Will Beatty. Guard Chris Snee and center Shaun O'Hara made the Pro Bowl, while left tackle David Diehl and left guard Rich Seubert continue to improve.

 

Even at quarterback, there appears to be more than sufficient manpower. The starter is Eli Manning, who in four full years as a starter has a Super Bowl MVP award and a ring and has not yet missed the playoffs. Behind him is former first overall draft pick (2002) David Carr, who escaped from Houston and has shown poise and talent in occasional backup stints.

 

Then the Giants drafted the intriguing Rhett Bomar (fifth round), who started out at Oklahoma, ran into an NCAA violation and transferred to Sam Houston State. He is more than likely to beat out second-year backup Andre Woodson for the third spot.

CAMP CALENDAR: The Giants open training camp on the campus at Albany in upstate New York on Aug. 2. They'll remain there until Aug. 25, a time frame that will include seven two-a-day sessions. There is no intrasquad game scheduled, nor will another team be involved in a full-scale intersquad practice.

 

 

Notes and Quotes

--RB Brandon Jacobs, never one to keep his thoughts to himself, recently went off against Dallas QB Tony Romo. Clearly believing he was speaking only the truth as he sees it, he said (on a sports radio interview): "The best thing to do is keep Romo in the pocket. He can't beat you from there. I don't think he is that effective when you do that. And I just don't think he's that great of a passer, either."

 

--QB Eli Manning appears to have come to terms with the absence of his two starting WRs from last season, Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress. "We have good receivers here and some of them are going to be great," he said. "I don't think a team should fall on its face because of the loss of one or two guys."

 

--New D-coordinator Bill Sheridan said he informed the Giants' defensive ends that there will be more pass rushing and less pass coverage in their game plans, and when someone asked if any of the ends, notably Justin Tuck, reacted negatively, he said: "I didn't ask for comment."

 

--OT Will Beatty (6-6, 310), the Giants' second round draft pick targeted as the backup and sometime replacement for RT Kareem McKenzie, spent his college years at LT and played there during the Senior Bowl as well. "I'll play anywhere I'm told to play," he said, "but being on the left doesn't scare me. I'm used to it."

 

QUOTE TO NOTE: "If that stuff never happened, I would have been the starting quarterback at Oklahoma for four years. Who knows? Maybe nobody would have ever heard of (Heisman Trophy winner) Sam Bradford." -- Giants' fifth round draft pick QB Rhett Bomar, who started at Oklahoma and after accepting a "no-show" job from a zealous alum, had to transfer to Sam Houston State.

 

 

Strategy and Personnel

From head coach Tom Coughlin down through his staff of assistants, there seems to be no source of concern over the loss of starting WRs Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress.

 

Coughlin feels certain that from his stable of pass catchers he'll come up with sufficient firepower to keep the offense balanced, and he is quick to note that the running game will be (and should be) at least of equal importance considering the presence of a crack O-line and the 6-4, 265-pound RB Brandon Jacobs.

 

Whether this is whistling past a graveyard remains to be seen.

UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS

 

QUARTERBACKS: Starter -- Eli Manning. Backups -- David Carr, Andre Woodson, Rhett Bomar.

 

Manning is the unchallenged team leader and starter, and in his four full years as a starter has not missed the playoffs and was the winning QB (and MVP) of Super Bowl 42. Carr, like Manning a first overall selection (in 2002), has shown promise once having escaped from the rag-tag Houston Texans and is angling for another chance as a starter with a new team after this season. Practice squad passer Woodson, a rookie last year, will have trouble holding off 2009 fifth-round pick Bomar.

RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- RB Brandon Jacobs, FB Madison Hedgecock. Backups -- RB Ahmad Bradshaw, RB Andre Ware, RB Andre Brown, RB Allen Patrick, RB Dwayne Wright.

 

Jacobs is a certified superstar who gained 1,089 yards last year, his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. But he runs so hard and with such power that he sometimes gets hurt. He has yet to play a full season. His backup was Derrick Ward (1,025 yards last season) who signed with Tampa Bay during the UFA period. Attempting to back him up now will be Bradshaw, a smaller but lightning-quick third-year player; Ware, whose talent is unmistakable but needs to gain game experience; and rookie (fourth round) Andre Brown, thought to be a mid-round sleeper via North Carolina State. Patrick and Wright appear to be camp and possible practice squad material. Hedgecock, a fearsome blocker, is the only fullback on the squad.

TIGHT ENDS: Starter -- Kevin Boss. Backups -- Michael Matthews, Darcy Johnson, Lee Vickers, Travis Beckum.

 

Boss was the rookie replacement for Jeremy Shockey two years ago as a fifth-round draft pick and stunned the team and the NFL with his speed, size and overall ability. He'll start this year, no matter what. Matthews and Johnson are primarily blockers and will have some competition from the towering (6-6, 275) Vickers, a free agent out of North Alabama. Beckum (third round) will win a spot; he offers good speed, hands and is a fair blocker. He is more in the H-back mold.

 

WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Steve Smith, Domenik Hixon. Backups -- Mario Manningham, Sinorice Moss, David Tyree, Taye Biddle, Shaun Bodiford, Derek Hagan, Micah Rucker, Hakeem Nicks, Ramses Barden.

 

This might be the most troublesome part of the team, considering the loss of both starting WRs from last season, Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress. At the moment, Smith and Hixon are penciled in as the starters, but Manningham and Moss flashed during minicamp and the two rookies -- Nicks in the first round, Barden in the third -- should make for an interesting competition. In fact, many scouts are predicting a starting -- and starring -- role for Nicks (6-1, 215) and the same for Barden (6-6, 230) after a year of seasoning. Tyree, one of the heroes of Super Bowl 42, might be on the edge of losing his job. The others are camp presences who might not have much chance.

 

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LT David Diehl, LG Rich Seubert, C Shaun O'Hara, RG Chris Snee, RT Kareem McKenzie. Backups -- T Guy Whimper, T/C Adam Koets, T Andrew Carnahan, G/T Kevin Boothe, T Cliff Louis, G/T Terrance Pennington, G Tutan Reyes, G/T Orrin Thompson, T Will Beatty.

 

The starting unit returns for the third consecutive season and last year several observers called it the best O-line in the league. The drafting of Beatty (in the second round) solidifies the tackle position. He'll start off as the backup to McKenzie but is a natural LT, which could result in 2010 of a return of Diehl to LG and Seubert to the bench. Whimper will be pressed by Beatty, a blue-chip prospect. O'Hara is a veteran who, along with Snee, went to the Pro Bowl. He has at least one more effective season remaining. Reyes was signed as a veteran backup with experience. He's 6-3, 305 and has 10 seasons in the league. Carnahan has some ability, Boothe has filled in at guard and tackle and the rest will simply spend a hard-working summer vacation before moving on.

 

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LE Justin Tuck, LT Barry Cofield, RT Fred Robbins, RE Osi Umenyiora. Backups -- DE Mathias Kiwanuka, DE/DT Chris Canty, DT Rocky Bernard, DT Jay Alford, DE Dave Tollefson, DE Maurice Evans, DT Anthony Bryant, DT Jeremy Clark, DT Leger Douzable, DE Robert Henderson, DE Tommie Hill.

 

The collection of ends and tackles may well represent the best and deepest D-line in the NFL this season, and what new D-coordinator Bill Sheridan must do now is establish a rotation and cull some of the players, many of whom will find homes elsewhere, to get down to the eight or nine he'll keep. Tuck was a Pro Bowl selection and Umenyiora was the year before (he missed all of 2008 due to knee surgery). Robbins is somewhat injured and could be replaced, while Cofield appears solid. Free agent products Canty (from Dallas) and Bernard (from Seattle) will vie for playing time. Alford starts his third season and has shown great progress. Tollefson has performed when asked while Evans, a free agent rookie, impressed in minicamp. The rest have almost no chance unless injury strikes.

 

LINEBACKERS: Starters -- SLB Danny Clark, MLB Antonio Pierce, WLB Bryan Kehl. Backups -- MLB Chase Blackburn, MLB Jonathan Goff, WLB Michael Boley, WLB Gerris Wilkinson, SLB Zak DeOssie, SLB Kenny Ingram, SLB Clint Sintim, MLB Kelvin Smith.

 

When the Giants signed Boley the weak-side LB position was solidified. Then he needed hip surgery (out eight to 10 weeks) and he might prove to be Wally Pipp if second-year Bryan Kehl takes advantage of his opportunity. He seems to be miles ahead of the oft-injured Gerris Wilkinson and should start. In addition, Boley drew a one-game (opening game) suspension from the NFL for violation of the Personal Conduct Code when he was in Atlanta, which is moot at the moment -- he would've missed the opener after hip surgery anyway. Pierce is the veteran in the middle and says he has worked hard to regain his conditioning. Clark was one of the team's free-agent products last year and played well as the 16-game starter, but rookie Sintim (6-2, 256, second round) should make a strong push for the job if minicamp was a true indicator of his potential. Blackburn can fill in at all three spots but doesn't seem to have the stamina for starting. Similarly, DeOssie is a valued special teams performer and long-snapper. Smith and Ingram are there, but not for long.

 

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters -- LCB Aaron Ross, RCB Corey Webster, FS Michael Johnson, SS Kenny Phillips. Backups -- CB Vince Anderson, SS C.C. Brown, SS/FS Steve Cargile, CB Kevin Dockery, CB Bruce Johnson, CB Travonti Johnson, FS Sha'reff Rashad, CB Terrell Thomas, CB Stoney Woodson, CB DeAndre Wright.

 

The Giants have a surplus of quality CBs and almost nothing in the way of depth at the safety spots. This could lead to problems, or at least to the juggling of a few CBs to the deeper areas. Ross and Webster have Pro Bowl quality. Phillips was the first-round pick last year and played like it, reason enough for the team not to offer a large contract to UFA James Butler (who signed in St. Louis). Johnson was a seventh-round pick two years ago and has played with frequent brilliance. Dockery is a reliable reserve cornerback and is often the nickel back. Brown came over during the UFA period from Houston. Thomas was the second pick a year ago and could be moved to a safety spot permanently. The last two draft picks this year were Woodson and Wright, who may have some value as special team contributors. The rest don't have much of a chance.

 

SPECIAL TEAMS: P Jeff Feagles, K Lawrence Tynes, KS Jay Alford, PS Zak DeOssie, KR Ahmad Bradshaw, PR Domenik Hixon.

 

There are only two kickers, Feagles and Tynes. Last year the Giants had a pair of placekickers, Tynes and John Carney, since Tynes injured his knee the final week prior to the start of the season. But now he's fine and Carney is gone despite making 35 of 38 field-goal attempts and all 38 PATs. R.W. McQuarters, who served as a backup defensive back as well as return specialist, was not offered a new contract. His job will go to Hixon, if he doesn't earn a starting WR job, or to someone else among the rookie crop if he does start at receiver. WRs Mario Manningham and Sinorice Moss have tried their hand at returns and may well do so again.

 

 

 

 

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Antonio Peirce testifies VIDEO

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Giants' Jacobs playing underdog card

 

August 2, 2009 4:31 PM

 

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

 

New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs reported for duty Sunday, and he said he's enjoyed listening to all the doubters. I'm not really one of those doubters, but I guess those folks are out there. Here's what he had to say about the Giants' mindset heading into this camp, which could be the last one in Albany.

 

"I like that people are counting us out again this year -- because we don't have Plaxico [burress]. They're saying that the young receivers can't pan out and our veteran receivers can't get it done. Plax was a special talent and it's hard to find someone like him, but we have a lot of guys here that can play and do well enough to get the job done."

 

Unless you're counting David Tyree or Steve Smith, the Giants don't really have any veteran receivers of consequence. Domenik Hixon's been in the league for a little bit, but he's still pretty raw. But anyway, it looks like the Giants will have a chip on their shoulder in '09 -- and that's a good thing for them. Here's what Jacobs said about the disappointment from last season.

 

"We come in here this year a team that should have been Super Bowl champions that didn't get it done and we are a bit angrier than we were last year. We've got a tough job ahead of us and a tough 16 games that we've got to get through. Hopefully things pan out for us."

[jerseygiantfan]

Eli, Giants on verge of 6-year, $97.5M extension

by Jay Glazer

 

 

 

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Updated: August 5, 2009, 11:34 AM EDT

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Originally reported at 7:53 a.m. ET:

 

 

The Manning family fortune is about to grow again.

 

The Giants and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning are on the verge of completing a blockbuster six-year contract extension, FOXSports.com has learned.

 

The two sides are still tweaking some details of the deal, but the team is hoping to have the deal done Wednesday, barring any major setbacks, a team source says.

 

Manning, who was drafted first overall in 2004, is entering the last year of his rookie deal. The new agreement will tack on six additional years and $97.5 million, with $35 million guaranteed.

 

The deal will make the 28-year-old the highest-paid player in the history of the Giants organization as well as the highest-paid quarterback (per year) in NFL history, a figure Giants fans would probably not argue with.

 

Last season, Manning played in his first Pro Bowl after throwing 21 touchdowns passes and only 10 interceptions in leading the Giants to a 12-4 record. It was his best season in terms of passer rating (86.4), completion percentage (60.3) and fewest interceptions.

 

He became a legend in New York by winning the Super Bowl in the 2007 season, knocking off the then-unbeaten New England Patriots.

 

Manning was named Super Bowl XLII's Most Valuable Player. With the Giants trailing late in the game, Manning not even remotely known as a scrambler somehow eluded a fierce Patriots pash rush and completed the now-famous third-down pass to David Tyree, who made a miraculous catch, trapping the ball on top of his helmet.

 

Later on that drive, Manning threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress that won it for New York.

 

For his career, Manning has completed 56 percent of his passes and has thrown 98 touchdown passes vs. 74 interceptions.

[jerseygiantfan]

JAY GLASER...VIDEO ON ELI

[jerseygiantfan]

For Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora, it's not about the money

 

 

 

Updated Friday, August 7th 2009, 11:21 AM

Theodorakis/News

 

 

ALBANY - Osi Umenyiora admits he probably once would've been bothered seeing yet another teammate get a big-money contract. And he'd be wondering when the Giants were going to take care of him, too.

 

That was before a knee injury robbed him of a precious year of his NFL career. Now, even as he hears the news of Eli Manning's blockbuster, $106.9 million contract, money is no longer the most important thing on Umenyiora's mind.

 

"I don't even really think about that anymore," the 27-year-old defensive end said Thursday. "Prior to the injury maybe I was. But at this point in time I'm just happy to be playing football. I'm making a lot. Could I be making more? Of course. But I'm doing all right.

 

"And I believe that the more I focus on that, the worse a player I become."

 

That's a big change from where his mind was in the months following Super Bowl XLII. The team's lone Pro Bowl player in 2007, he felt vastly underpaid and wasn't thrilled to see the Giants lavish new deals on defensive end Justin Tuck (five years, $30 million), guard Chris Snee (six years, $43.5 million) and tackle David Diehl (six years, $31 million).

 

Though he was only one year into a six-year, $41 million contract extension that was the largest ever given to a player in the midst of his third season when he signed it in December 2005, he was still contemplating a holdout from last year's camp. He decided against it because it wasn't "the right time" and hinted it might come this summer instead.

 

But that was before he tore the meniscus in his left knee last August and missed the entire 2008 season. All of a sudden the four years and $12.76 million left on his deal didn't look so bad.

 

"You can lose everything quickly and the league will move on without you," Umenyiora said. "The only thing I know is if you constantly think about (getting more money) it'll never happen. So I tried to take my mind off it. I tried to focus on playing football. Even though you can't compare it to the contracts that are being handed out now, it's still a lot of money that I was given. I have enough money saved up where I don't really have to be pushing for a new contract."

 

Instead, he's able to be happy to see Manning get a six-year, $97.5 million extension. "He deserves it," Umenyiora said. "He's a good man." And he can be genuinely pleased the Giants "have taken care of the people they need to take care of." He even seemed excited to see the team spend $84 million to bolster the defense this offseason, including two new rich members of the defensive line - Chris Canty (six years, $42 million) and Rocky Bernard (four years, $16 million).

 

Umenyiora is looking forward to playing with his high-priced teammates. He said his knee is doing great and he feels stronger than ever. In fact, he thinks he could be a better player, which is impressive considering in 2007 he led the Giants with 13 sacks.

 

And if all that leads to a better contract, so be it. But he won't be thinking about that payday as much as he did before.

 

"There were times when I thought about it," Umenyiora said. "Whenever you're a prideful player and you see somebody else who you don't think is as good as you and they're making twice what you're making, of course you're going to be like, 'What the hell is going on?' But you can never let that affect your psyche and the way you go out and perform. So I'm not too concerned about that anymore. When the time is right something will be done."

 

 

 

 

Ralph Vacchiano VIDEO

[jerseygiantfan]

Training Camp Roundup: Aug. 9

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ESPN.com news services

 

ROOKIE WR NICKS MISSES PRACTICE (10:26 a.m. ET)

 

Rookie receiver Hakeem Nicks sat out practice Saturday with a strained right hamstring, though the injury isn't expected to sideline him for long.

 

"I don't feel like it's serious enough to have me missing too many days," said Nicks, the Giants' first-round pick out of North Carolina. "It just tightened up on me, before anything bad happened I just want to be cautious of it."

 

Nicks also tweaked his right hamstring during the NFL Scouting Combine.

 

"Right now I want to find my role," Nicks said. "When my name's called I'm going to make plays."

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants' WR Smith isn't feeling pressure

 

August 12, 2009 6:00 PM

 

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

 

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Giants wide receiver Steve Smith isn't the kind of person who feels a lot of stress. In fact, he doesn't seem fazed by the fact that he'll likely begin the '09 season as the Giants' de facto No. 1 receiver.

 

 

Smith's already emerged as a clutch player on third downs. When the Giants had a third-and-6, Eli Manning often went to Smith. Now, the former USC star wants to show that he can be more of a downfield threat. But first, he needs to get back on the practice field. He's missed the last couple of days with a knee injury, but there's a chance he returns for tonight's 6 p.m. ET practice.

 

Smith had a quick answer when I asked him if things felt different without Plaxico Burress in camp.

 

"No, because he never really practiced anyway," Smith said. "But he did sit in meetings with us, and he could really help me out in that regard."

 

Smith said he hasn't spoken to Burress since he was released by the Giants. And by the way, Smith's younger brother, Malcolm, will be a weakside linebacker for USC this season. So how does he think the Trojans will do this season?

 

"No. 1 for sure," Smith said. "We have the early game against Ohio State, but after that, it should be fine."

 

Smith and fellow Pac-10 receiver DeSean Jackson (Cal) have a friendly rivalry dating back to their high school days. Smith, who was a year ahead of Jackson in school, said he always checks out Jackson's stats to see how he's doing. And he'd read reports that Jackson is tearing up Eagles camp right now.

 

I also talked to Justin Tuck and Hakeem Nicks. You'll be reading more about them Thursday. Now I have to head out to the afternoon practice.

 

Update: Smith (knee) wasn't able to practice in Wednesday's second session. He did catch balls out of the JUGS machine for about 20 minutes after practice.

[jerseygiantfan]

One-on-one Giants coverage: GM Jerry Reese

August 12, 2009 4:34 PM

 

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

 

ALBANY, N.Y. -- One of my favorite things to do in training camp is watch practice through a scout's eyes. I've watched college football with Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland before, and he's always noticing things that go way beyond whether a guy catches the ball or misses a block.

 

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to stand next to Giants general manager Jerry Reese for about 30 minutes during the team's morning session. He watched intently to see how this year's rookies reacted to certain situations -- and he attempted to temper my enthusiasm for third-round pick Ramses Barden, who's on the verge of being named camp MVP -- by me.

 

Anyway, here are the highlights from my epic interview with Reese:

 

 

 

MM: Is it just me or is Ramses Barden taking over this camp right now?

 

Reese: He's big and he catches everything. He's a quick learner and he's gigantic. He's got a huge strike zone. He had the stigma of the small school, but so did [Kevin] Boss. If a guy doesn't jump off the screen at a small school, he can't play at this level. Barden jumped off the screen. And he didn't look out of place at the combine. And if you talk to him, he's very bright. We expect him to play right from the start.

 

MM: Do first-round guys like Hakeem Nicks not know how to pace themselves in practice? Is that why so many receivers get hurt in training camp? I remember it happened to Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas for the Redskins last season.

 

Reese: Yeah, especially your No. 1s. They think they have to be better than anyone else and they get overcooked. All he can do is take mental reps. But it's tough having guys like that out because quarterbacks have to get used to their body language. [A tremendous catch by Derek Hagan interrupts Reese's train of thought.]

 

MM: How's Steve Smith responding to becoming one of the "veterans" of the receiving corps?

 

Reese: He's very confident. He was almost NFL-ready when he came out of USC. He's not afraid of competition. People keep talking about how Smith and Domenik [Hixon] only combined for 50 catches or something, but they were only part-time players. You may end up doubling some of those numbers this season. And (Mario) Manningham and Sinorice Moss had good springs. We threw the ball to Moss 12 times last season and he had 12 catches. There were no drops, no missed assignments.

 

MM: How has David Tyree looked after the long layoff?

 

Reese: He's still coming off the injury, but he's back in a good position. He's a true gamer. You have to remember that he went to a Pro Bowl as a special teamer.

 

MM: Who's your No. 2 running back right now?

 

Reese: (Ahmad) Bradshaw's definitely our No. 2 right now. But the other two guys are nipping at his heels. We want to make guys earn their jobs. That's a heated position battle right there. Andre Brown is everything we thought he would be. He reminded us of Derrick Ward and we were giddy when he was there in the fourth.

 

MM: Is picking up the blitz one of the toughest things for rookie running backs?

 

Reese: Yeah, you can just look at a guy like Brandon Jacobs and know that. When he first got up here, he just wanted to run the ball. But one of my favorite things from the throw to Plaxico (Burress) to win the Super Bowl was when Jacobs slid over and blocked No. 37 (Rodney Harrison). No. 37 was getting ready to hit Eli in the earhole. That play never happens if Jacobs doesn't pick him up.

 

MM: Looking back, what was the biggest factor in you guys faltering down the stretch last season?

 

Reese: We were fine for three-quarters of the season and then we got banged up on the line and didn't have the firepower to get after the quarterback. (Fred) Robbins was playing with two broken hands, Tuck's foot and knee were banged up and (Mathias) Kiwanuka was fighting through things. We couldn't get Donovan McNabb on third-and-20 [in the Divisional playoff game]. There were a lot of turning points in that game, but that was a big one.

 

MM: Why do you think Chris Canty's a good fit here?

 

Reese: We liked his versatility. And we played against him twice a year and he gave us headaches. He and Tuck can go inside or outside.

 

MM: What's going on with Eli Manning's contract?

 

Reese: I told our guys here that the contract wasn't done. I didn't care what they wrote, but it's not done. No contract is easy to do, and nothing surprises me when it comes to personnel. Until you have a name on the dotted line, it's not done.

 

MM: Will you get it done before the start of the season?

 

Reese: I'm hopeful that will happen, yeah.

 

MM: I keep hearing people say that Kenny Phillips will have a breakout season. What sets him apart from other safeties in the league?

 

Reese: First of all, he's having a great camp. He's got some star qualities. There's just a calmness about him. It never looks like he's straining hard. Everything comes easy for him.

 

MM: Are you still hopeful that Michael Boley can be a productive player this season?

 

Reese: Yeah, he's outstanding in coverage. We think he can help us cover the running back in Philadelphia (Brian Westbrook), the tight end in Dallas (Jason Witten) and the tight end for the Redskins (Chris Cooley).

 

MM: Did it give the team a lift when Antonio (Pierce) wasn't indicted in the Burress case?

 

Reese: It gave us a little lift. It was a weight off his shoulders. We're happy he's here. It feels like he has something to prove.

 

MM: Why'd you finally decide to cut your losses with Plaxico?

 

Reese: You don't want to get rid of a good player. But you have to see the big picture. You've got these other 52 guys. We tried to make it work, but teams have to change sometimes.

 

MM: What did you learn from last season?

 

Reese: Well, I learned a lot of things. We got hit right out of the gate last year with a Hall of Famer retiring (Michael Strahan) and a Pro Bowler (Umenyiora) going down. We made it through three quarters of the season, but then we got worn down. I'll try not to let that happen again. We have to sustain the madness up front.

 

MM: What's the competition like between Rhett Bomar and Andre Woodson for the third quarterback spot?

 

Reese: Bomar looks like a rookie playing quarterback. But he's got good velocity on the ball. That will be a heated battle in the preseason. Bomar's just trying to figure everything out. Woodson's ahead of the curve because he's been around here. Both of them have good skill sets.

[jerseygiantfan]

Beast Special Report: The Coughlin interview

 

August 12, 2009 2:59 PM

 

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

 

 

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Giants coach Tom Coughlin is irritated that too many players are missing practices with bumps and strains. He thought he might see Steve Smith or Hakeem Nicks return to practice Wednesday, but it didn't work out that way.

 

As he wrapped up his daily news conference, Coughlin made a beeline for the locker room. I was told by Giants public relations chief Pat Hanlon to "put on my walking shoes" in order to stay up with the notoriously impatient Coughlin. What follows is the rapid-fire interview that took place during our post-practice power walk.

 

Obviously you're frustrated with some of the injuries. Is there anything you can do to guard against those things during training camp?

 

Tom Coughlin: The thing we tell them is not to be out of control. If one of the players is losing his balance, they have to recognize that and not take him down. It's not easy, though. There's a lot of physical work to do.

 

You guys added some firepower along the defensive line. How much of a difference do you think that will make this season?

 

TC: Well, [Chris] Canty's hurt right now. And the same thing goes for Fred Robbins. But you have a guy like Osi [umenyiora] coming back and I think he realized how much he loved the game. Having him back just gives us more flexibility.

 

Ramses Barden appears to be having a strong camp. What have you seen from him and Hakeem Nicks?

 

TC: [barden's] caught the ball and that's the one thing you can say about Nicks and Barden. They know how to catch the ball. Now they're not always in the right positions ...

 

How far does a guy like Nicks fall behind when he misses two or three days?

 

TC: You've got to be out there. You've got to be out there. No matter what they say, we have to see it on the field. I think sometimes [rookies] are overwhelmed by the learning. But they have to have that stay-power. We need to see them go through the entire preseason. These guys need the reps and it's so critical for them to have time with Eli [Manning]. You have to be able to move to the areas of reliability. [Manning] has to trust that [the receiver's] going to execute the play. Right now, some of those guys are fighting through heavy legs.

 

Is this the strongest you've seen the NFC East in a long time?

 

TC: No, it's always that way. With the addition of these players. Everyone in this division does a great job of trying to improve in the offseason. There's just so much at stake in all our division games, so much tradition. As Joe Gibbs used to say heading into division games, "I just hope we have enough players left for next week's game." That's sort of how it feels with these games.

[jerseygiantfan]

Former Christ the King star Maurice Evans making impression with Giants

 

BY Ralph Vacchiano

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Thursday, August 13th 2009, 4:00 AM

Boehm/Getty

 

 

 

ALBANY - There was a break in practice last week, and defensive line coach Mike Waufle likes to use those moments to test his rookies. So he fired a question about the Giants defense at Maurice Evans, who answered it correctly with no hesitation.

 

Then he did it again...and again...and again. Eight questions in all. Eight correct answers.

 

"I just kept firing and firing and firing," Waufle recalled. "He was right on them. He answered every one of them perfect. The D-line gave him a standing ovation."

 

Not bad for a 20-year-old kid Waufle called "shy" and who played only three years of college ball at Penn State. The 6-2, 264-pound Evans, a former Christ the King star, may be a long shot to make the team, but as defensive end Justin Tuck said, "We pretty much told him what he needs to do to stick around here. He's taken that to heart."

 

For Evans, that has meant learning the defense, paying attention and taking advantage of every opportunity he is given. By everyone's account, he has done all three of those things so far. The Brooklyn product has flashed speed on defense and even deflected two passes at the line of scrimmage yesterday morning.

 

He has looked comfortable on the field because he knows what he's supposed to do in Bill Sheridan's defensive scheme, even though he's been learning it for only 31/2 months.

 

"It's just more about paying attention in your meetings," Evans said. "That's where the majority of the information comes from. Your playbook is just pictures and words. They key things come from the defensive meetings and D-line meetings. And it's nothing new. It's all football. Just different terminology. That's the only hard part, learning that terminology."

 

The fact that it's just football is both easy and fun for Evans after a difficult year on and off the field. Coming off a big, 12-1/2-sack sophomore season for the Nittany Lions, he saw his football career derailed before the 2008 campaign when he and a teammate were charged with minor possession of marijuana.

 

He was suspended for the first three games of last season and replaced by Aaron Maybin, who quickly buried Evans on the depth chart and turned himself into a first-round draft pick.

 

Evans, against advice, passed on his senior year and entered the draft, where he went unclaimed. Then he signed with the Giants, who are overflowing with defensive linemen in camp. At best he figures to stick on the practice squad.

 

But he hasn't let the numbers worry him this summer.

 

"I just come in and work hard every day, do what I've got to do on special teams, do what I've got to do as a defensive end and it'll fall into place," Evans said.

 

COMING TO PASS: Brandon Jacobs wasn't exactly a reliable target out of the backfield for Eli Manning last season - he had only six catches and at least as many drops. The Giants have been trying to force-feed him the ball during practices, and it's worth noting that he said he hasn't dropped a single pass all summer long. "No," Jacobs said. "And I want to keep it that way." ... K Lawrence Tynes suffered a strained groin before Monday night's practice and hasn't kicked the last two days. He said it's "not anything to worry about," but he is the only kicker in camp and the preseason opener is four days away....CB DeAndre Wright left the morning practice and was sent for X-rays on his knee. ... WR David Tyree returned to practice after an awful Monday that featured three drops in the morning and a missed practice at night. He caught all five passes thrown to him in the morning session.

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/08/13/2009-08-13_maurice_evans.html#ixzz0O3thF6IV

[jerseygiantfan]

Spotlight's on Giants' wide receivers in preseason opener vs. Panthers

 

BY Ralph Vacchiano

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Monday, August 17th 2009, 4:00 AM

Ferris/Albany Times Union

 

 

 

The Giants have had nearly nine months to figure out how to run their passing game without Plaxico Burress, and they think they have a pretty good idea how they're going to do it.

 

Monday night they put their theory to the test.

 

Even though the starters won't see much action in the Giants' preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, it still figures to be a significant night at Giants Stadium for the team's unheralded receiver corps. With both starters, including Amani Toomer, gone from last year's team, Eli Manning has talked about using a "committee" of receivers. This is the team's first chance to see what that committee can do.

 

"They're hitting a lot of big plays," Manning said. "There are some mistakes we've got to fix, but that's why you go to training camp and that's why we've had all these practices, to work out all the kinks. We're throwing a lot of things at them right now and once you get into a game situation and you'll have a smaller playbook, fewer plays and you can concentrate more on those things. For the most part they're doing well."

 

Some, like 6-6 rookie Ramses Barden, are doing better than others. But so far the biggest issue has been health. Steve Smith has missed nine straight practices with a swollen knee. Sinorice Moss (hamstring), first-round pick Hakeem Nicks (hamstring), Mario Manningham (leg) and David Tyree (groin, knee) have all spent time in the injury area, too.

 

Smith is out tonight, but the others should see some relatively significant action. Manning only figures to work the first quarter.

 

Smith and Domenik Hixon may be penciled in as the starters, but every game is a chance for those behind them to move up.

 

"We're very pleased with the group as a whole, their focus and their determination," said receivers coach Mike Sullivan. "They want to do things the right way, they're working very hard, and they know it's a very competitive situation."

 

INJURY LIST: Along with Smith, the Giants will also be without DT Chris Canty (hamstring), CB Corey Webster (hip), CB Aaron Ross (leg) and DT Fred Robbins (knee) tonight. They'll also obviously be missing RB Andre Brown (torn Achilles) and DT Rocky Bernard (hamstring, non-football injury list) and LB Michael Boley (hip, physically unable to perform list).

[jerseygiantfan]

FOX SPORTS *VIDEO* PREVIEW OF THE GIANTS

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants stun Panthers on last-play return TD

Associated Press

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Updated: August 18, 2009, 2:08 AM EDT

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Tom Coughlin and John Fox met at midfield and shared a laugh.

 

What else could the two coaches do after seeing the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers preseason game end on a bizarre play as the clock ran out.

 

Defensive end Tommie Hill scored on a stunning 18-yard fumble return on the final play from scrimmage and the Giants scored a 24-17 victory over the Panthers on Monday night.

 

"Kind of an interesting ending," said Fox, who was still smiling even though his team lost.

 

Stunning. Shocking. Unexpected. Pick a word. They all would fit.

 

Fourth-string quarterback Hunter Cantwell had tied the game with 57 seconds to play, taking Carolina on an 88-yard drive. He ran for 21 yards and passed for 67 on the five-play drive that ended with a 31-yard scoring pass to Jason Chery and a 2-point conversion pass to Andrew Davie.

 

The Giants had a three-and-out series and Jeff Feagles punted 56 yards to the Carolina 18 with 10 seconds to play.

 

Instead of taking a knee, Cantwell went back to pass on the next play and his arm was hit by Leger Douzable. The ball went in the air and Hill grabbed it and scurried into the left corner of the end zone for a shocking ending.

 

"I've never seen a game end like that, not that way," Hill said.

 

It was the first touchdown for free agent rookie from Colorado State since high school and he kept the ball.

 

"I'm just a rookie trying to make the team," Hill added. "Anything like that that helps the team win in turn helps me. It was just a fortunate situation and I made the most of it."

 

The same holds true for Douzable, a second-year pro trying to earn a spot on a very talented line.

 

"Everybody figured on defense they would take a knee," Douzable said. "When they snapped it, I put a move on the guard. I saw the quarterback with the ball in his hand and I got it."

 

And the Giants and Panthers ended up avoiding overtime.

 

"Both sides have a lot of work, but we have time. We have three weeks to do it," Fox said.

 

The Giants had led almost the entire game, scoring on a 19-yard run by Ahmad Bradshaw, a 36-yard screen pass from David Carr to halfback Danny Ware and a 46-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes.

 

New York also forced five turnovers, with the last one deciding the game.

 

Linebacker James Anderson's punt block led to a Carolina safety in the first half and halfback Mike Goodson scored on a 14-yard run in the third quarter for Carolina's other scores.

 

Eli Manning, who signed a $97 million contract extension last week, played only two series for New York in trying to find a deep threat to replace the troubled Plaxico Burress, who was released in April in the wake of his self-inflicted gunshot wound.

 

While none of the receivers stood out, Manning had to be happy with his offensive line and running game. Brandon Jacobs had a 13-yard catch and run and rambled 22 yards on a 77-yard scoring drive that featured an 18-yard Manning pass to Domenik Hixon and the touchdown run by Bradshaw, who is replacing Derrick Ward, the 1,000 rusher who signed with Tampa Bay.

 

"We ran the ball really well, hit a couple passes and we got a touchdown," said Manning, who was 2 of 3 for 31 yards playing behind an offense line that was without starting guards Chris Snee and Rich Seubert. "That is always the goal. We did a nice job with it, so I thought we were effective as the first group."

 

James Anderson came clean on his punt block and got Carolina on the scoreboard with a safety midway through the second quarter. Feagles had to bat the ball out of the end zone to prevent a Panthers' touchdown.

 

The defense and Carr combined for New York's second touchdown late in the second quarter. Maurice Evans sacked Josh McCown and rookie DeAndre Wright recovered at the Panthers 36.

 

On third-and-10, New York had a perfect call against a Panthers' blitz and Ware was almost untouched scoring on a 36-yard screen pass.

 

Panthers safety Quinton Teal intercepted an Andre Woodson pass early in the third quarter and returned the ball 21 yards to the Giants 30. Goodson ran 16 yards with a pitch on the first down and then cut back left on the second play for the touchdown, although he was flagged for a taunting penalty for making a throat slash gesture after the run.

 

Tynes, who missed a 43-yard field goal earlier in the game that matched two teams that disappointed in the playoffs last season, seemed to give New York breathing room with his 46-yarder in the fourth quarter.

 

However, Cantwell tied the game with less than a minute to play and then coughed up the ball to go from hero to goat.

 

The game marked the return of two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora to the Giants' lineup after missing last season with a knee injury. He delighted the crowd with a first-quarter sack.

 

Jake Delhomme, who threw five interceptions in the playoff loss to Arizona, was 5 for 9 for 38 yards in an average performance over three series

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants beat Carolina Panthers 24-17 on last play of preseason opener

 

BY Ralph Vacchiano

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Monday, August 17th 2009, 11:33 PM

Antonelli/News

 

 

One game into the post-Plaxico Burress era, the Giants' receivers are still an unknown quantity. But it appears that without Derrick Ward, the running backs will be just fine.

 

At least that's the way it looked when, in the first preseason game, the Giants' 1-2 punch of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw picked up where Jacobs-Ward left off last season. Jacobs rushed four times for 31 yards and Bradshaw rushed five times for 35 yards.

 

That included a 19-yard touchdown by Bradshaw that got the Giants started on what eventually turned into a 24-17 win Monday night in the Meadowlands. The game was not decided until the final play, when defensive tackle Leger Douzable forced a fumble that defensive end Tommie Hill recovered and ran back 18 yards for a touchdown.

 

By then, the regulars were long removed from a game in which Tom Coughlin said, "We rushed the ball OK." Bradshaw was better than that, showing speed, moves and even a little power during his quarter-and-a-half on the field.

 

"He did," Coughlin said. "He ran with power. He ran with speed. He was able to make people miss. Danny Ware did the same thing."

 

Ware rushed 12 times for just 21 yards, but he dazzled on a short screen pass that he turned into a 36-yard touchdown that helped the Giants to a 14-2 halftime lead. It was only slightly less impressive than Bradshaw's earlier touchdown run, where he eluded safety Charles Godfrey and bowled over cornerback Chris Gamble to reach the end zone.

 

Bradshaw seemed more excited about his two catches for 17 yards, which included a screen he turned up the sidelines into a 13-yard gain. "Oh yeah," he said. "It felt great to be able to leak out of the backfield and catch the ball."

 

In all, the three running backs caught five passes for 73 yards on a night when just one wide receiver caught more than two passes (Domenik Hixon, 2 for 23 yards). Coughlin said that given the Giants' issues at receiver, that's something they'll need to address in future preseason games.

 

But the quarterbacks - Eli Manning (2-for-3, 31 yards in two series) and David Carr (6-for-10, 74 yards, 1 touchdown) - didn't spend a lot of time throwing to receivers, choosing to check down to the backs on most plays. And when third-stringer Andre' Woodson came on in the second half, he was an ineffective 5-of-11 for 45 yards.

 

The defense made up for any deficiencies in the passing game, holding the Panthers to 91 total yards in the first half. Carolina's lone first-half points came on a blocked punt by James Anderson that Jeff Feagles batted out of the end zone for a safety.

 

The Giants sacked Panthers quarterbacks four times - including one by Osi Umenyiora, back from a knee injury, in his first game since last August and another by Brooklyn-born defensive end Maurice Evans. They forced five turnovers, including the one in the final seconds that won the game.

 

Said Umenyiora of his sack and forced fumble: "It's great to be back out there. This is a good start."

 

"We had good pressure on the quarterback," Coughlin said. "The quarterback had to throw the football and we were in the right spot at the right time on a lot of occasions. We worked hard on that."

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants rookie linebacker Clint Sintim off to good start for Big Blue

 

BY Ralph Vacchiano

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Thursday, August 20th 2009, 4:00 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

ALBANY - The cameras seemed to follow rookie Clint Sintim all over the field Monday night, so it was hard not to notice him. Given how well he played, it probably would have been hard not to notice him anyway.

 

The rookie linebacker the Giants took in the second round out of Virginia turned in a dazzling debut in the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. He had four tackles and a sack and was credited with four quarterback hits.

 

And here's the best part: As far as Sintim was concerned, the performance wasn't that special.

 

"Solid," he said when asked how well he played. "I had more mental errors than a lot of people would know, just because you wouldn't know unless I told you. I had some good plays. I had some plays I'd like to have back. It was kind of a steppingstone."

 

Considering that it was his first game, and that he's making a transition from strong side linebacker in the 3-4 defense he played in college to the Giants' 4-3 scheme, it was a heck of a steppingstone. If nothing else, the speed he showed in getting around the Panthers' tackles displayed why the Giants think he can help immediately on obvious pass-rushing downs.

 

But he did more than that. He played the run well, too, making a strong early tackle on Carolina running back Mike Goodson and assisting on a stop on another run up the middle in the second half.

 

"He's got some things (from) the other night that weren't perfect," Tom Coughlin said. "But we think he is going to be a powerful guy against the run. We think he's got good leverage. I think it's just a matter of him lining up there next time."

 

In other words, what Sintim needs is experience. He knows that will reduce some of the mistakes he made against the Panthers. None, he said, was big, or something he didn't know before. But like most rookies, something simply happened to his old habits when he first stepped onto an NFL field.

 

"I just really have to minimize (mental errors). I had a lot of them," Sintim said. "Just from a technique standpoint, some things that I knew well enough before the snap, but for whatever reason I just didn't do it."

 

What he knows best, of course, is what he did mostly Monday night - lining up at the line of scrimmage like a defensive end. He won't be playing that position full-time. There is no doubt he is a linebacker. In fact, he is rarely coached by defensive line coach Mike Waufle, except to get a few pointers on technique.

 

But as a pass-rushing specialist, he will often be on the line of scrimmage with his hand on the ground. That's the best way for the Giants to take advantage of his top asset - his speed around the ends. It's also the best way for them to help him make a transition to the 4-3.

 

Despite having to play off the line at times, Sintim said, "I think I'm adjusting to that pretty decently." Clearly, the coaches agree since last week they gave him some reps at strong side linebacker with the first team in veteran Danny Clark's place.

 

But in the end, if all he is this season is a pass-rushing specialist, that's just fine with him.

 

"I want to play as much as I possibly can," Sintim said. "Whatever they want me to be is what I'll be."

[jerseygiantfan]

Giants' display tiny air attack in preseason loss to Chicago

 

BY Ralph Vacchiano

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Sunday, August 23rd 2009, 4:00 AM

Arbogast/AP

 

 

 

CHICAGO - The Giants hoped to learn at least a little something about their wide receivers Saturday night, but once again they weren't able to do it.

 

The truth is they weren't able to learn anything good about their team at all.

 

Consider their second preseason game a failure on all fronts as they were "embarrassed," in the words of an angry Tom Coughlin, by the way they lost, 17-3, to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. It wasn't just the receivers either, it was the defense, the protection and the special teams, too.

 

Nobody was safe from Coughlin's wrath after the game.

 

"We got beat," he said. "We have no excuses. There isn't one phase of the game where I thought we played well. We weren't physical at all. We came in with some objectives and we really didn't accomplish any of them."

 

Nowhere was that failure more glaring than on offense, where the Giants totaled 259 yards, but only 139 through the first three quarters. For the second straight game, no wide receiver caught more than two passes. And the first two quarterbacks - Eli Manning and David Carr - combined for 70 passing yards.

 

Manning was 7-of-10 for 62 of those yards, but most of it came on his only big pass - a 25-yarder to Steve Smith (two catches, 30 yards). Carr was 2-of-6 passing for eight yards, but only one - an 11-yarder to tight end Darcy Johnson - even went the right way.

 

Some of that was due to more protection breakdowns that resulted in five sacks and many more hurried throws. As a result, the receivers were basically a no-show for the second straight week, at least until first-round pick Hakeem Nicks broke through with a 55-yard catch from Andre' Woodson with 50 seconds left in the game.

 

"(Getting the receivers involved) was an intended objective in the game," Coughlin said. "But when you don't make any first downs, you don't protect as well, and it's as if it's the first time you've seen some of these dogs and blitzes ... without any continuity all you see are a bunch of darts being thrown at a wall."

 

In fairness to the players, the Giants were without two starting guards - Chris Snee (knee) and Rich Seubert (shoulder) - but even center Shaun O'Hara insisted, "Those are excuses and nobody is looking for those."

 

The players who were on the field were so inept at times that Coughlin even said, "I question their focus."

 

And that includes those on defense, where the Giants were missing five starters against a suddenly healthy Bears team looking for a good show in the home debut of new quarterback Jay Cutler. They got it early on a 32-yard touchdown run by Matt Forte (nine carries, 58 yards) who ran untouched through the heart of the Giants' defense. And later, Cutler (8-for-13, 121 yards) connected on a 38-yard pass down the sidelines to receiver Devin Aromashodu that set up a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Desmond Clark that put the Bears up 17-0.

 

That was more than enough against a Giants offense that until the final drive of the game couldn't push past the Bears' 24-yard line. And heading into that final drive, Manning, Carr and Woodson (7-of-16, 95 yards) had combined for just 104 passing yards.

 

Manning, showing confidence and optimism, insisted the Giants offense "did do some good things out there. We had some big plays and moved the ball."

 

But even he had to admit there wasn't much.

 

"We've got a lot of work to do," Manning said. "There will be some good things to come out of this, but we've got a lot to work on."

[jerseygiantfan]

Canty (hamstring) has yet to play

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ESPN.com news services

 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty, who has yet to play in the preseason, has a little tear in his injured hamstring, coach Tom Coughlin revealed Sunday.

 

In Saturday's 17-3 preseason loss to the Chicago Bears, New York was without all three of the big defensive free agents it signed in the offseason -- linebacker Michael Boley (hip surgery), tackle Rocky Bernard (hamstring) and Canty. None has played in the preseason.

 

Boley is on the physically-unable-to-perform list, while Bernard just got off the non-football injury list and is expected to play this weekend against the New York Jets.

 

Middle linebacker Antonio Pierce (sore foot), safety Kenny Phillips (sore knee) and cornerback Aaron Ross (hamstring) also were out, while starting guards Chris Snee (leg) and Rich Seubert (shoulder) sat out on offense.

 

 

Despite missing such important pieces Saturday, Coughlin was fed up with how the defensive unit that he was able to field performed.

 

"We heard for so long that we have so much depth, but I don't know what you are watching," Coughlin said in a conference call. "The guys who are supposed to be the depth have hardly practiced and some haven't played. I think you are talking about something that looks good but it hasn't really materialized. Until we get this thing straightened out and get everybody on the field, this rotation we're talking about is a nonfactor. We need people practicing."

 

Phillips and Ross are expected back at practice on a limited basis at the University at Albany on Monday and Pierce is being listed as day to day. Snee and Seubert also are expected to return this week and play in the annual preseason game against the Jets.

 

Backup defensive tackle Jay Alford, who also serves as the snapper for placekicker Lawrence Tynes, torn the medial collateral ligament and sustained a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the game, the Giants said.

 

Alford will strengthen and rehabilitate the knee for approximately two weeks and then Dr. Russell Warren will make a determination on severity of ACL damage.

 

Strongside linebacker Danny Clark needed stitches in his chin and second-year receiver Mario Manningham had a hip pointer and is day to day.

[jerseygiantfan]

Osi Umenyiora & Justin Tuck tight-lipped after Tom Coughlin's edict

 

BY Ralph Vacchiano

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

ALBANY - The defense got the message.

 

One day after Tom Coughlin criticized his players and the media for over-hyping his supposedly deep team, several players decided to stop talking entirely. Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora declined to speak, saying, "Not today. Talk is cheap. Play the game."

 

That, of course, was the Giants' motto during their 2007 championship season.

 

Meanwhile, linebacker Antonio Pierce did talk for the second time this summer and echoed Coughlin's remarks.

 

"Potential ain't nothing but a 'but' and a 'what if'," Pierce said. "You've got to go out there and play. ...It doesn't matter who's out there, how much money they've got, where they came from. None of that matters. At the end of the day you've got to have 11guys lined up and they got to whup somebody's (butt)."

 

ANOTHER LOOK: DT Chris Canty was sent to Manhattan Monday to have his torn hamstring re-evaluated by Giants doctors. ...After saying he'd "probably" practice, Pierce (foot) was out again. ...S Kenny Phillips (knee) left practice early. "We need to work through that," Coughlin said. "We need him." ...CB Aaron Ross (hamstring), G Chris Snee (knee) and G Rich Seubert (shoulder), all returned to practice.

 

LOOK AHEAD: The Giants' contract with the University at Albany expires when camp breaks today, and co-owner John Mara said no decision has been made yet on where the 2010 training camp will be held.

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/08/25/2009-08-25_osi__tuck_tightlipped.html#ixzz0PC72RKE9