2009 NY GIANTS Articles and Video

jerseygiantfan · November 1, 2009

Beast exclusive: A visit with Barry Cofield

October 31, 2009 11:53 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Defensive ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora get a lot of attention, but the mainstay of the Giants' defensive line since '06 has been defensive tackle Barry Cofield. He was taken in the fourth round out of Northwestern in '06 and he immediately became a starter. In his four years with the club, he's started all but one game. On Friday, the Beast had an opportunity to spend about 15 minutes on the phone with Cofield.

Barry, you guys aren't used to two-game losing streaks. What's this feel like?

Cofield: There are certain expectations around here and we don't handle losing too well. It's not a normal thing to be dealing with, and on top of that, we're going to Philly. I know you've written about last season's phone incident [with Donovan McNabb] and it's not like that's the most respectable thing a guy can do. But it's not like we need that for motivation. We're always going to want to kill Donovan McNabb -- even if he's the nicest guy in the world.

Because of your close proximity to the Eagles, does this rivalry mean even more to you?

Cofield: I think [the defensive line] puts the Cowboys and the Eagles in the same category. I've played against the Eagles eight times in three years, so I'm pretty familiar with them. We know each other's schemes really well so you can just go out and play.

The Eagles have added some weapons to their offense. Do you see Andy Reid doing anything different than in the past?

Cofield: Andy Reid's still the braintrust. We'll see a lot of different formations and it's a team that has a lot of gadgets. But you're right, they have some new faces. They're exceptionally fast and they've also made a lot of changes up front. Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas were nasty guys. They were the cornerstones of that offense. Runyan was a mauler and some people thought he was dirty. Now they have a smaller guy in [Winston] Justice and converted tight end in Jason Peters on the left side.

How important will it be to get Chris Canty and Michael Boley back on the field?

Cofield: We look really forward to getting those guys back, but I really don't know when it will happen. [Tom] Coughlin doesn't tell us because he probably doesn't want me to leak it to guys like you.

Have you spent a lot of time preparing for the Eagles' Wildcat formation?

Cofield: They ran it with [brian] Westbrook last year, so we've seen some of it before. We've gone back and studies some of the plays they ran in the preseason. If they don't use [the Wildcat] this week, they're not saving it for anyone else. This is the game you'd want to do it all.

What's the most important thing in mind when facing a quarterback like Donovan McNabb?

Cofield: With McNabb, you have to get him to the ground. You pretty much have to treat him like a running back and it's important to wrap up his legs and drag him to the ground. If you don't, he's strong enough to shake tackles.

Have you guys gone back and looked at that '07 game where Winston Justice had so much trouble against Umenyiora?

Cofield: Definitely. Our position coach Mike Waufle had breakdowns that go all the way back to '04. They have a new wrinkle here and there, but they still have their bread and butter. We don't focus so much on entire games. We look back at a lot of plays. But to get back to Justice, he's definitely come into his own since that '07 game.

What do you make of the Eagles' fans?

Cofield: They are some of the rudest fans that you'll meet. But they're almost some of the most passionate. We've had our team bus egged, we've been flipped off and we've seen some bare [rears]. It's a different kind of atmosphere, that's for sure.

Mosley: I know you think the Beast spends too much time praising Tuck, so I'm glad you were able to join us for a few minutes.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/5846/beast-exclusive-a-visit-with-barry-cofield

jerseygiantfan · November 2, 2009

New York Giants defense lays egg against Philadelphia Eagles as Big Blue spirals to 5-3

Filip Bondy

Monday, November 2nd 2009, 4:00 AM

PHILADELPHIA - The Giants have lost their way. It happens to good NFL teams sometimes during the course of a long season, and it isn't necessarily fatal when the record still says five wins and three losses at the midway point. But this peculiar form of amnesia usually doesn't afflict the Giants, who have an institutional memory for conventional power football on both sides of the ball.

Unlike the Jets, the Giants always are supposed to know who they are. But now Tom Coughlin's team has dropped three straight against strong opponents in very disturbing fashion, doing things that Giants just don't do.

They are missing tackles, giving the football away, flubbing assignments. Five different Eagles either caught passes or rushed in plays that gained 20 or more yards from scrimmage.

"We're a complete embarrassment," Antonio Pierce said, after the 40-17 loss to the Eagles. "We're just a bad defense right now. We went from a team that was very disciplined to a team not doing the right things. ... It's mind-boggling. Twenty-one days. ... Three weeks."

Pierce was talking about the good old days, when the Giants were undefeated, feasting on terrible opponents and convincing themselves they were Super Bowl material. Since then they've been picked apart by the Saints, toppled by the Cardinals and systematically destroyed by the Eagles.

At the end Sunday, Coughlin kept calling timeouts, kept his first team on the field, as if to make his players suffer long enough so that this experience would be etched forever in their minds. Eli Manning was still busy getting sacked, down 23 points with a few ticks left on the clock.

"We're gonna fight to the very end, and that's all there is to it," Coughlin said.

The loss dropped the Giants into third place in the NFC East, but that wasn't the worst of it. They were down by 13 points at the end of the first quarter, by 23 points after two quarters. Then after Coughlin's halftime speech, Domenik Hixon came out and fumbled the kickoff.

It is impossible to know where to start with the problems.

Manning is missing his receivers by kilometers, forcing passes. He threw 19 incompletions and two interceptions, for a 55.7 quarterback rating. He was most frustrated with himself over an interception at the end of the first half by Quintin Demps. The Eagles just laid back in a cover zone, their backs jumping routes opportunistically.

Manning gave them plenty of reason to jump. If he is favoring his sore foot, throwing too much with his arm, the quarterback won't admit it.

"It feels great, I'm not taping it," he said of the plantar fasciitis. "That's not the problem. It's not an excuse I can fall on."

The Giants can't establish a rushing game, or a short passing game. The defensive line is getting pushed around on running plays, overcommitting and too desperate on screens. The defensive backs are lost in zone coverage, and missing tackles all over the field.

The last time the Eagles scored 40 points against the Giants was during the Ray Handley era, a dark age best forgotten by all. About the best thing you can say for the Giants right now is that the Yankees are in the World Series, which means nobody in New York has really focused yet on the football team's current identity crisis.

You always figure any Eagles-Giants game will be an unpredictable, competitive game decided at some key moment by a single act of genius or stupidity. But the game Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field did not turn on such a moment. It was determined by an accumulation of errors by the Giants and, to be fair, effective play-calling and execution by the Eagles.

"It's fundamentals," Coughlin said. "It's tackling. We didn't tackle well. We didn't cover kicks well. We again threw interceptions. That's not the kind of football we teach, but there it was again."

Who are these guys? Not your older brother's Giants.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/11/02/2009-11-02_laying_egg_vs_eagles.html#ixzz0Vhi6FtIL

jerseygiantfan · November 3, 2009

Burden of righting New York Giants falls on quarterback Eli Manning's shoulders

Gary Myers

Tuesday, November 3rd 2009, 4:00 AM

*

In the last three weeks, even the Rams have won more games than the Giants. So have the Raiders and Titans.

It's about as bad around the Giants right now as at any time since Tom Coughlin nearly was fired following the tumultuous 2006 season. After a 5-0 start, the Giants have lost their way and dropped behind the Eagles and Cowboys in the NFC East.

"We've got to get back on track before this thing gets out of hand," Eli Manning said Monday.

It's time for the $106.9 million quarterback to step up and save the season instead of being one of the main reasons for the three-game losing streak. There are many culprits during this disappearing act during which the Giants have been outscored 112-61 by the Saints, Cardinals and Eagles - can this secondary cover anyone? - but Manning is the highest-paid player in the league because he's supposed to lift his team and make everyone around him better.

This is all part of the responsibility and job description of a veteran quarterback who has been a Super Bowl MVP, but even more than that, it's an obligation after the organization made such a huge financial commitment this summer, including $35 million guaranteed.

Just a few weeks ago, Manning was a leading candidate, along with his big brother Peyton, Drew Brees and Brett Favre, in the early-season MVP race. But in the last three games, he has six interceptions and a lost fumble, and has returned to the days of making every pass an adventure.

He had two huge first-half interceptions against the Eagles on Sunday in a loss that Coughlin said yesterday looked no better on the tape review than watching it live. Coughlin had Manning in for a little chat yesterday.

"We did miss some throws," Coughlin said. "We had some inaccurate throws; we did have a couple of interceptions. We have been in this type of situation before and we fought our way out of it and that is what we have to do now."

The Giants have the Chargers this week before the bye. San Diego is 4-3 after beating the Chiefs and Raiders back-to-back, wins - as the Giants know - that can give a team a false sense of security. Manning's decision not to play for the Chargers after they drafted him in 2004 becomes a secondary story as he tries to snap out of his own slump as well as get the Giants a must-win.

Could it be that beating the Cowboys in the grand opening of Jerry Jones' billion-dollar place in Arlington the second week of the season turns out to be the highlight of the Giants' season?

"We're not in a panic mode right now, but we do need to get better, we do need to play better than what we are right now," Manning said.

We have to take him at his word that the plantar fasciitis in his right foot is not causing him trouble planting and throwing. So, what's the problem? He is transitioning to a new set of receivers after Plaxico Burress shot himself and landed in jail and Amani Toomer was cut. But it's more than that. His throws are taking off on him, and the Giants' defense is not good enough to overcome his mistakes.

In the 5-0 start, Manning had 10 TDs and two INTs. In the 0-3 slump, he has three TDs and six INTs. Breaking it down one step further, pre-fasciitis, Manning had eight TDs and two INTs, and with the fasciitis he has five TDs and six INTs.

Manning seemed to agree that the Giants, because of their success the last few years, have come to expect one bad week to automatically be followed by a strong game.

"Especially how well we played the first five weeks, it almost seemed easy. And it's not," Manning said. "Winning football games in the NFL is not an easy thing. It's not easy at all. Sometimes, you can make it look easy and you can win big, but there's a few plays that can change the game and make it where it was a win or a loss."

That was not how it was against the Saints and Eagles. The Giants lost by 21 to New Orleans and 23 to Philadelphia. "We've got too many good players, we've played too well this season to all of a sudden get in a situation we can't fix," Manning said. "I know we will bounce back and get where we are playing better football."

The $106.9 million quarterback may be the only one who can fix it.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/11/03/2009-11-03_myers_manning.html?page=1#ixzz0VnMssHRO

jerseygiantfan · November 3, 2009

How I See It: NFC East Stock Watch

November 3, 2009 11:00 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Falling

Manning

1. Eli Manning, Giants quarterback: The most important player on the team is going through his worst stretch since the '07 season. He's been awful with his decision-making, and I don't think you can blame it on his young receivers. Against Philadelphia on Sunday, Manning's backside throw to rookie tight end Travis Beckum was intercepted by cornerback Asante Samuel. It was an indiscriminate throw that effectively took the Giants out of the game. And the interception late in the first half was almost as bad. It's amazing to see such an accomplished quarterback suddenly regress overnight.

Coughlin

2. Tom Coughlin, Giants head coach: I started to single out defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan, but Coughlin's the guy who has to be accountable for this three-game losing streak. The Giants have been a good bounce-back team under Coughlin, but they are reeling. There's no way in the world a Giants defense should be dominated at the line of scrimmage. It's not like Eagles coach Andy Reid particularly enjoys running the football. But he did it with ease against the Giants. Something must change before Sunday's home game against the Chargers.

Webster

3. Corey Webster, Giants cornerback: He's not as bad as others in the secondary, but Webster's the highest-paid player back there. You would expect him to make plays to turn this thing around. Instead, he whiffed on a tackle attempt of Jason Avant and lets him sprint 28 yards up the field. Webster must do better. The Giants need their most talented player in the secondary to try to take over games. He must have a strong performance against the Chargers.

Rising

Weaver

1. Leonard Weaver, Eagles fullback: In the Andy Reid era, the fullback has rarely received any touches. But on Sunday, the Eagles unleashed the 250-pound Weaver as a ball carrier -- and he responded with 75 yards on eight carries. The Giants didn't have any answers for Weaver, who had a 41-yard touchdown on the game's third play from scrimmage. Weaver set the tone for the Eagles. Now, Reid and Mornhinweg need to keep him in the rotation. We knew the Eagles had a lot of weapons. But I didn't know Weaver was one of them.

Cole

2. Trent Cole, Eagles defensive end: He didn't have a sack, but he dominated the line of scrimmage. Cole's one of the most underrated defenders in the division. He's a relentless pass-rusher but he also does a really nice job against the run. It was Cole who kept forcing Brandon Jacobs to stutter-step at the line of scrimmage. You don't want a back like Jacobs taking a false step. Cole was racing to the airport Monday night to go hunting in Ohio. On Sunday night, he'll be hunting Tony Romo.

Romo

3. Tony Romo, Cowboys quarterback: After poor performances in the Cowboys' two losses, Romo has been on a roll. He's gone three consecutive games without an interception and he's still making big plays. He doesn't like to talk about it, but Romo's found sort of a happy medium between his free-wheelin' ways and an overly conservative approach. It's no coincidence that his strong play has occurred during the rise of wide receiver Miles Austin, who has put together the best three-game stretch in club history. If Romo ever gets on the same page with "No. 1" wide receiver Roy Williams, watch out.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/5970/page/stock-watch/the-way-i-see-it-nfc-east-stock-watch

jerseygiantfan · November 4, 2009

New York Giants Midseason Report Card: Eli Manning must curb turnovers

BY Ralph Vacchiano

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Wednesday, November 4th 2009, 4:00 AM

Justin Tuck said the Giants might have lost their confidence. Corey Webster said they’re "a real angry team right now." Antonio Pierce called the defense "a complete embarrassment."

Just imagine how they’d feel if they weren’t 5-3 and only a half-game back in the NFC East.

The problem, of course, is what’s behind those numbers. They ran off to a 5-0 start against a pathetically soft schedule before collapsing in the face of the first real tests they faced. They have lost three in a row for the first time since 2006, and the defense has given up more points in the last three games (112) than in any three-game stretch since 1973.

"This team, just three weeks ago, was not playing like this," Pierce said. "We’re talking about 21 days."Twenty-one days ago this report card would have been much better, too.

RUNNING BACKS: B

Brandon Jacobs got off to a slow start, sending him into a weird, public self-evaluation period. It worked, however, because he has run better lately. And Ahmad Bradshaw has been excellent running with a broken foot. Together they’re nearly on pace to duplicate the twin 1,000-yard seasons Giants running backs had last year. Makes you wonder why they’re not used more.

WIDE RECEIVERS: A-

They far exceeded expectations in the first five games (not hard, considering how low those expectations were). Steve Smith (53 catches, 662 yards, 4 TDs) has played like a true No.1 receiver, and rookie Hakeem Nicks (20-368-4) looks like a future star. Even Mario Manningham (48-439-4) has had great moments to go with his few drops and some bad routes.

TIGHT ENDS: B

A good blocker and excellent receiver, Kevin Boss (17-266-1) is taking an absolute beating this season. It’s a wonder he can get up in the morning, let alone play football, after some of the hits he has absorbed. Darcy Johnson and rookie Travis Beckum haven’t offered much help in either receiving or blocking, although Beckum’s receiving skills could be a key down the stretch.

OFFENSIVE LINE: B-

The linemen have given up 10 sacks, but Manning has bailed them out of a few with throwaways or quick throws. There seems to be way too much pressure on the quarterback this year. And while Jacobs gets the heat for short-yardage failures, it’s startling how many times he has been hit before even getting back to the line of scrimmage.

DEFENSIVE LINE: C

Tuck (3½), Osi Umenyiora (4) and Mathias Kiwanuka (3) have combined for 10½ sacks, but they also had three games during which they combined for zero. And "zero" is a good way to describe the push the Giants have gotten from the defensive tackles, who are consistently and disturbingly being blown off the ball.

LINEBACKERS

They looked much different as a unit in the one game that Michael Boley joined them, but his absence has robbed them of a pass rush. Worse, in the last three games they have been beaten on far too many passes over the middle or runs up the middle. And the confusion on defense doesn’t speak well of its leader, Antonio Pierce.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: C

It’s a shame to throw CB Corey Webster into this group, because before the Philly game he was off to a Pro Bowl-caliber start. CB Terrell Thomas has had good moments, too, in place of Aaron Ross. The safeties, though ... ugh, the safeties. Get well soon, Kenny Phillips. C.C. Brown has been terrible the last three games, and the confusion on deep passes is just hard to believe.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C

Lawrence Tynes missed a few early, easy kicks. The return game has been basically nonexistent. Punter Jeff Feagles had one bad game, but his uncharacteristic shanks were a big reason why the Giants lost to the Cards. And on Sunday, the coverage teams (or lack thereof) killed the Giants. The kicking game is relatively stable. The rest is a mess.

COACHES: C

Tom Coughlin has been a master at button-pushing with this team, but he hasn’t found the right answer to this slump yet. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride sometimes chooses odd times (third-and-2) to call deep passes. And until he proves otherwise, defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan looks like he is in over his head.

FRONT OFFICE: Inc.

GM Jerry Reese spent $68 million on rebuilding the defense in the offseason, but he hasn’t had a chance to see his plan in action. DT Chris Canty (hamstring/calf) Boley (hip/knee) came in with no injury history, but each has played one game. However, Reese’s decision to pay $1million to Brown likely isn’t going on his resume.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/11/04/2009-11-04_grading_the_new_york_giants_midseason_report_card.html?page=1#ixzz0VtQ3Wc90

jerseygiantfan · November 10, 2009

Looking ahead: New York Giants won't be able to overcome tough schedule

Gary Myers

Tuesday, November 10th 2009, 4:00 AM

*

Jim Mora's lasting contribution to the NFL came in his hilarious playoff rant in 2001 when his Colts were sinking in the standings.

After a loss to the 49ers, Mora was asked about the playoff chances for the Colts, who were 4-6. "Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs. You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game. Another game."

The Colts finished 6-10 and Mora was fired. Well, that's a speech Tom Coughlin might want to dust off and borrow. Of course, Coughlin would never ridicule his team like Mora did.

But he's not going to make the playoffs, either - even as a wild card in a weak field. The Giants' streak of four consecutive playoff years, the second-longest current run in the NFL behind the Colts' seven straight, is about to end.

After the bye, Big Blue goes 3-4 down the stretch and finishes 8-8.

The Giants have given back just about all of their season-opening five-game winning streak with four straight losses. One loss is an aberration, two is a trend, three is a slump, four is a free fall. The Giants also face a brutal schedule with five of their last seven opponents at least two games over .500.

It's clear the 5-0 start was the product of playing lousy teams, with four of the wins coming against the Redskins, Bucs, Chiefs and Raiders. That fearsome foursome is a combined 6-26. If you rewind to the 13th game last season and include the playoff loss to the Eagles, the Giants are 6-8 in their last 14 games.

It's going to be a rough ride the next two months, so sit tight as we accompany the Giants on the road to nowhere:

Nov. 22 vs. FALCONS

Where has the defense been the last month? Drew Brees did more than torch them for 48 points, he stole their heart. But look for the Giants to come out fired up following their bye and temporarily salvage their season.

Matt Ryan isn't having a great year after his phenomenal rookie season. He already has 10 INTs after just 11 in 2008. Ryan to Roddy White and future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez and the running of Michael Turner won't be easy to stop. Bill Sheridan better figure out something during the bye or this could be an offensive explosion.

This is the last call for a little Giants pride and I see this as their last memorable moment of the season.

Prediction: Giants 24, Falcons 20

Giants record: 6-4

Nov. 26 at BRONCOS

This has the ingredients for an embarrassment. Short week. Long travel. Who wants to be in Denver on Thanksgiving night?

The Broncos had 4-12 written all over them after they traded Jay Cutler, their franchise quarterback. But now Josh McDaniels probably wouldn't trade Kyle Orton straight up for Cutler, never mind all the Bears draft picks he picked up.

The nightmare for the Giants in this game comes in a very athletic 6-foot-4, 230-pound package: Brandon Marshall. Just exactly who is going to cover him?

Prediction: Broncos 30, Giants 17

Giants record: 6-5

Dec. 6 vs. COWBOYS

Ten days between games for the Giants should give them an edge. But the NFL matched them up with Dallas, which also plays on Thanksgiving and gets the same 10-day break.

The Giants beat the 'Boys 33-31 in the grand opening of Jerry's Palace the second week of the season on Lawrence Tynes' 37-yard field goal on the final play of the game. But that was before the emergence of Monmouth College's very own Miles Austin as one of the best wideouts in the league.

Dallas rushed for 251 yards and lost because Tony Romo was picked off three times. He has thrown only two other interceptions this season. Dallas has won four in a row to take over first place in the NFC East at 6-2.

Their victory at Philly on Sunday night, one week after the Giants were dumped on 40-17 by the Eagles, legitimizes the Cowboys as contenders to go deep into January. The Cowboys get revenge with a last-second victory of their own on Nick Folk's 37-yard field goal on the final play of the game.

Prediction: Cowboys 23, Giants 21

Giants record: 6-6

Dec. 13 vs. EAGLES

Back-to-back NFC East home losses. Ouch. One day short of one year to the day when the Giants hit the post-Plax blues with a 20-14 loss to the Eagles, the Birds do it again, making it four straight over the Giants. Last time, the Giants gave up 40 points and the Eagles didn't even have Brian Westbrook. And by now, the wind has kicked up at Giants Stadium and we know what that means for Eli Manning. With his new contract, he should have paid for a retractable roof for the new place that opens next year, which is where the Giants can turn their attention after losing this game.

Prediction: Eagles 30, Giants 20

Giants record: 6-7

Dec. 21 at. REDSKINS

Thank goodness for the Skins. Finally a game that lets the Giants breath a little bit. By the time this Monday night game arrives, all the Redskins fans will care about is who Daniel Snyder will hire to coach next year.

The Giants take out all their frustrations and pummel the Skins.

Prediction: Giants 35, Redskins 13

Giants record: 7-7

Dec. 27 vs. PANTHERS

When they met in the 15th game last year, the NFC's No. 1 seed was at stake and the Giants won in overtime. This time, each team has its bags packed. The Giants are playing meaningless games for the first time since 2004. They can still make the playoffs if they win out and about 100 other things happen.

Prediction: Giants 24, Panthers 10

Giants record: 8-7

Jan. 3 at VIKINGS

The Giants finish it up by wishing Brett Favre a Happy New Year. If the Vikings are fighting it out for the No. 1 seed with the Saints, they will be extremely motivated to win this game. They want to play the NFC title game in the Metrodome, not the Superdome. Under the circumstances, holding Adrian Peterson under 150 yards will be a nice consolation prize.

Prediction: Vikings 35, Giants 24

Giants record: 8-8

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/11/10/2009-11-10_giants_wont_be_able_to_overcome_tough_schedule.html?page=1#ixzz0WSwF1EKF

jerseygiantfan · November 10, 2009

How I See It: NFC East Stock Watch

November 10, 2009 11:00 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Falling

McNabb

1. Donovan McNabb, Eagles quarterback: He was under heavy pressure for much of the game, but he still needed to make more plays. McNabb was only 16-of-30 and it looked like he was frustrated by the Cowboys taking away the deep ball. When he had time to step into throws, he was bouncing them at times. And when you saw him with all of that open field in the fourth quarter, you just knew he would run for the first down. Instead, Cowboys rookie linebacker Victor Butler chased him down from behind for a sack. Tony Romo was the best quarterback on the field in Sunday's game. Not sure how anyone can argue against that.

Webster

2. Corey Webster, Giants cornerback: I thought this guy was an elite cornerback, but he's regressed in recent weeks. I didn't think he played well against the Chargers. In fact, second-year corner Terrell Thomas had a much better game, in my opinion. Webster had a horrible missed tackle against the Eagles. On Sunday against the Chargers, he wasn't reacting as quickly as he needed to.

3. Redskins' offensive line: How can you single out one player after that dreadful performance in the first half? Quarterback Jason Campbell never had a chance while being sacked five times. There's a reason that Mike Williams was out of the league for so long. Kudos to offensive line coach Joe Bugel for lighting a fire under his unit in the second half. The offensive line gave Campbell a little time -- and he responded by leading a spirited comeback. This may be the worst offensive line in the league right now. And that's where you have to start rebuilding this team.

Rising

Williams

1. Roy Williams, Cowboys wide receiver: After making more comments about not being on the same page with Romo, Williams came out and had a nice game. In fact, Romo looked to Williams more than he did Miles Austin for much of the game. I think you have to credit Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett for creating some good situations for Williams on slants. The Eagles had trouble covering him -- and that's a great sign for the Cowboys.

Jenkins

2. Mike Jenkins, Cowboys cornerback: He's becoming a pretty dependable player for the Cowboys. When McNabb tried to go up top to Jeremy Maclin, Jenkins undercut the route and made a nice play on the ball for the interception. The Cowboys didn't feel like they had to follow DeSean Jackson around with Terence Newman, in part, because they have so much faith in Jenkins right now.

3. Eli Manning, Giants quarterback: He was very efficient and he cut down on his mistakes.

Manning

The Chargers did a nice job of taking away the deep ball, so Manning just managed the offense down the field. He was under a lot of pressure and I was impressed with how he escaped trouble. It was a crushing loss, but you can't blame this one on Manning. It will give him something to build on as the Giants head into their bye week. The week off should be really good for Manning's injured foot.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/6357/page/stock-watch/nfc-east-stock-watch-the-way-i-see-it

jerseygiantfan · November 11, 2009

As highest-paid quarterback, Eli Manning is tasked with saving sinking New York Giants

BY Ralph Vacchiano

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Wednesday, November 11th 2009, 4:00 AM

When the Giants made Eli Manning the highest-paid player in the NFL they weren't expecting a 4,000-yard season in return. They gave him a $106.9 million contract for this one big reason:

He knows how to win.

That's why, with the Giants' season hanging by a thread, there's really no way around this anymore. Manning has to earn his money down the stretch.

Blame the defense, special teams or play-calling, but Manning's struggles have been an enormous part of the Giants' four-game losing streak. His six interceptions in the first three losses put the Giants' undermanned defense in terrible field position. And Manning gets plenty of blame, too, for the Giants becoming one of the worst red-zone teams in the league - a fact that haunted them in their 21-20 loss to San Diego on Sunday.

Even though Manning was better on Sunday, for most of the last month he's been in "Bad Eli" mode - his alter ego that has surfaced far too frequently in his career. When he was "Good Eli" during the first five games he was great, and that includes the week after he hurt his right heel.

But when he's not ...

"He's always had brilliant games in him," one NFC scout said yesterday. "But it's always three great games followed by two bad ones. Sometimes the bad stretches last a month. Sometimes they come at the worst time, right at the end of the season. Obviously the Giants can't afford that now. They need the 'Good Eli' to show up in every game."

The good news is that scout - and others - saw "Good Eli" emerging on Sunday when he completed 75.8% of his passes (25 for 33) for 215 yards and two interceptions. He would have even gotten credit for the 15th fourth-quarter comeback of his career if the Giants' defense hadn't crumbled down the stretch.

One big reason for that is either he or offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride (or both) stopped looking for what the scout called "the three-run homer...constant shots at the end zone, no matter the situation or where you are on the field." With Manning coming off three bad games, they chose a shorter, more controlled passing attack.

It worked, to a point.

"Sometimes when you are not in sync, not playing as well as you want to, it's important just to get into a rhythm," Manning said. "The easiest way of doing that is just finding some completions, moving the ball and staying out of third-and-longs."

And that's fine. The Giants don't always need him to throw for 300 yards. What they need him to do is find a way - any way - to win, to be like an ace pitcher and put a stop to the losing. Tom Brady hasn't had a four-game losing streak since 2002, his second season as a starter. Peyton Manning hasn't lost that many in a row since his fourth NFL season, 2001. In the last seven seasons, neither of them has suffered more than a two-game losing streak. And they haven't even had many of those.

Sure, they are two of the NFL's best quarterbacks. But the Giants believe Eli Manning belongs in that group. They promised to pay him $106.9 million over the next seven years because their belief in him, their faith, is really that strong.

Now would be a great time for him to pay them back.

Boss may be headache

While the NFL was busy defending its policy on concussions to Congress, TE Kevin Boss was presenting a case study on the topic. Twice in the last three games, he has taken helmet-to-helmet hits. He said he didn't suffer a concussion either time. Or did he?

The lines are sometimes blurred (no pun intended). When he took the hit from Cardinals S Antrel Rolle on Oct. 25, Boss said he "came to" after the hit and admitted "definitely the lights turn off for a second." And on Sunday, when he took a similar hit from Chargers S Eric Weddle, Boss said, "My bell was ringing for a while."

Aren't ringing bells and lights going out symptoms of concussions? Some doctors argue yes. But Boss and the Giants said no and he stayed in both games.

"Because he is a big target he does take some physical blows, no doubt," Tom Coughlin said. "But he is a tough guy and he plays his way through those things."

Barden not yet targeted

The Giants are ranked 28th in red zone efficiency, having scored only 15 touchdowns on 36 trips inside their opponents' 20 (41.7%). Maybe a tall, Plaxico Burress-like receiver could help? Perhaps somebody like 6-6 rookie Ramses Barden, the Giants' third-round pick who has become a fixture on the inactive list?

"We do have some options," Tom Coughlin said. "And I think in the future, Ramses Barden is going to end up being a guy we will call upon as he develops and goes forward. But I really don't think we are at any lack of targets."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/11/11/2009-11-11_eli_go_for_broke.html?page=1#ixzz0WYfywINR

jerseygiantfan · November 11, 2009

Best & Worst

Offensive MVP

WR Steve Smith

Defensive MVP

CB Corey Webster

Special Teams MVP

LB Bryan Kehl

Most Improved

CB Terrell Thomas

Least Improved

DTs Fred Robbins/Barry Cofield

Biggest Surprise

WR Mario Manningham

Biggest Disappointment

S C.C. Brown

Best Rookie

WR Hakeem Nicks

Best free-agent signing

LB Michael Boley

Worst free-agent signing

S C.C. Brown

Best-kept secret

TE Kevin Boss

Best coaching move

Moving Mario Manningham ahead of Domenik Hixon on the depth chart.

Worst coaching move

Not taking a knee with 55 seconds left in first half in New Orleans, trailing 27-17.

Best moment

Lawrence Tynes' game-winning, 37-yard field goal with no time left in Dallas.

Worst moment

The final 1:46 of the first half in Philadelphia, when a nine-point game became a 30-7 Eagles lead en route to a 40-17 rout.

Three Reasons to Hope

1. Help is coming: DT Chris Canty and LB Michael Boley should practice this week. CB Aaron Ross is a few weeks away. Those are three key defensive pieces.

2. Offense is dangerous: Once Eli Manning stops turning the ball over, they'll start scoring points. The WRs have been excellent.

3. The ends are justified: Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka are still a terrific 1-2-3 punch.

Three Reasons to Worry

1. No safety haven: What you see (or C.C.) is what you get. With Kenny Phillips out, there's no replacement for the struggling duo of C.C.Brown and Aaron Rouse.

2. The line is struggling: That's been the Giants' strength, but there's been too much pressure on the quarterback and not enough push on short-yardage or inside runs.

3. No experience: Teams have to learn how to lose, just like they have to learn how to win. Right now, the Giants aren't handling it well. Too much head-scratching.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/11/04/2009-11-04_grading_the_new_york_giants_midseason_report_card.html?page=1#ixzz0WYgegvGG

jerseygiantfan · November 14, 2009

Giant dilemma

QUESTION — George Rogge from Bronx, New York, on Giants defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan: "Cmon now Jay. You have to admit that Giants defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan is terrible. I know there are injuries, but where is the pressure? It's too conventional. I get the feeling the players aren't too happy with his system either. I doubt he lasts past this year unless he can turn it around. Your thoughts?"

QUESTION — Joby Joy from Berkeley Heights, N.J., on the Giants: "Jay, I need to know what the hell is going on in my New York Giants locker room? Who is not with the program? Something is not right and it's more than Eli's foot! I don't want to shoot ourselves in the foot again!"

Jay Glazer: Here's the problem with the Giants — they don't have that one guy like a Brian Dawkins-Ray Lewis type or a Michael Strahan to kick them in the ass in the locker room. They need that one guy, that warrior personality, to get in there, buckle up the chinstrap and kick guys in the ass when they need it. They've got too much talent to struggle this much.

Once again, I think it goes back to mental toughness. I'm not saying this because Michael Strahan is my "brutha from anutha mutha," trust me. But I will say that he was that type of guy when he was in there. He'd grab them by the throats and stop the bleeding.

They need that guy. They have a few who are almost ready and trying to be that guy, but they are not quite there

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/10362140/Glazer-Mailbag:-What%27s-eating-the-Giants-and-Packers?

jerseygiantfan · November 16, 2009

General Manager Jerry Reese tells Daily News he feels Giants have all the parts to still be Super

By Ralph Vacchiano

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Saturday, November 14th 2009, 6:10 PM

Two months ago, Jerry Reese said he thought this Giants team had a chance to be better than the 2007 champions. Four straight losses haven't changed his mind.

Saying that "the outlook is definitely positive" around his struggling 5-4 team, the Giants' general manager told the Daily News this week that he still thinks he has the making of a championship contender despite a difficult month that has sunk the Giants to third place in the NFC East. He expects a quick turnaround when the Giants come off their much-needed bye week.

And, Reese added, "I believe this is a playoff team."

"We have a great opportunity to right the ship and I fully expect us to do that. I really do," he told The News. "Our coach has been in hard spots before. He always comes out with a good plan and great leadership. I'm not betting against him, I can tell you that."

In fact, Reese said, he's already seen signs that Tom Coughlin has begun to pull the Giants out of their slumber. He pointed to the fact that the Giants "played much better" last Sunday in their 21-20 loss to the San Diego Chargers. He also pointed out that with the return of linebacker Michael Boley and defensive tackle Chris Canty, and with the expected return of cornerback Aaron Ross next Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, the beleaguered defense is starting to get most of its missing pieces back.

That could be enough to jump-start the Giants. And as they learned in 2007, all it takes is one win to get a team on a roll.

"We still have a great opportunity to qualify for the tournament," Reese said. "That's what's important to us. If you qualify and you get some momentum going through the playoffs, things can happen.

"But our No. 1 goal is to just win one game. That's what's most important for us right now. The players have a few days off to clear our heads, come back with a good attitude and some great fortitude to be determined to go out and get things thing turned around. I believe we'll do that."

He also says he believes the right pieces are in place and no drastic midseason changes are needed. In a wide-ranging interview, he expressed his support for embattled defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan and the entire coaching staff, and he said up-and-down quarterback Eli Manning "absolutely" is a leader capable of pulling the Giants out of their current mess.

And he also stressed something that Coughlin stressed to his team in its final meeting before the players left for a long weekend off - that the situation isn't as dire as the outside world is making it out to be. Last year at this time, the Philadelphia Eagles had just lost to the Giants to fall to 5-4, on their way to 5-5-1. A debate had begun about whether it was the beginning of the end of the Andy Reid/Donovan McNabb era.

Two months later the Eagles were knocking the once 11-1 Giants out of the playoffs on their way to the NFC Championship Game.

"We're still in the race," Reese said. "Last year at this point the Eagles were 5-4 (and) they played in the NFC Championship Game. The other team in the Super Bowl, Arizona, was 6-3. Then they lost four of their last six games and ended up 9-7. I'm not saying we want to go that route. But those are things that happen.

"We've got seven games to go. We still have a great opportunity. And we're going to take full advantage of that."

And that doesn't mean just making a run at the playoffs, either. Reese said he has faith the Giants are still an elite team capable of making a serious run at Super Bowl XLIV, too.

"Absolutely," he said. "I always believe that about a team. Like I told you at the beginning of the season, you asked me ‘Can this team be better than the (teams of the) last couple of years?' I said ‘It has a chance.' But those two teams are history. This team hasn't done anything yet. The key is we have to do it. We still have seven games to prove that.

"I still like this team."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/11/14/2009-11-14_general_manager_jerry_reese.html#ixzz0X1f8pjLw

jerseygiantfan · November 20, 2009

Giants CB Ross ready to make 2009 debut

Associated Press

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Updated: November 19, 2009, 5:35 PM EST

6 comments

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - After missing the first nine games of the season with a severe hamstring strain, New York Giants cornerback Aaron Ross is poised to make his 2009 debut Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

Ross continued to practice at full speed Thursday, his third practice since returning to action. While the coaching staff has not made any determination about Ross' playing status or whether he will be in the starting lineup, Ross just wants to be playing again.

"I'm happy to be out there and I feel real good," said Ross, the third-year defensive back out of Texas. "I'm very excited. Whatever the coaches want me to do, I'm ready. I have about three months saved up in me, so I'm ready.

"The plan is that if I'm healthy all the way to Sunday, then I'll be out there and playing," Ross said.

Coach Tom Coughlin said he's being a little cautious with Ross.

"We are just going to go and watch him practice, let him put a few practices together," Coughlin said, adding that Ross did "about less than half" of the regular practice regimen.

Ross made his return to the practice field for one day during the bye week, then began practicing regularly and at full speed in preparation for facing the Falcons.

"Last Wednesday, I felt really rusty," Ross said. "Monday, I felt pretty good and now I feel really good. I have no idea where and when I'm going to play and how they're going to work me in. But if they call No. 31 (Ross' jersey number), then I'm going to be ready."

Ross said the training staff worked hard to get him back into playing shape.

"The trainers did a great job of holding me back," Ross said. "Before I could go out there again, I had to strengthen my legs."

He also went to see a trainer from Switzerland who has helped his fiancee, world-class sprinter Sanya Richards, in the past. Richards is currently the No. 1-ranked runner in the world in the 400-meter dash.

"I dont know his name or how to spell it, but it's probably the reason why I'm doing better now," Ross said. "It's really helped."

More than likely, the Giants will stay with Terrell Thomas and Corey Webster starting at cornerback, with Ross perhaps getting chances in nickel and dime formations. But after missing so much time with what was first diagnosed as a hamstring strain that was day to day since training camp, Ross is chomping to be back out there playing.

"I'm rested and my legs are strengthened," said Ross, who was jumping up and down in the locker room to prove he was healthy. "It's really been an emotional roller coaster. I worked hard in the offseason to get ready for training camp and then I get hurt to start off. I never would have thought it would hold me out for three months. It's been extremely frustrating.

"But now, I know I'm back. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to think I have any limitations. I just want to play."

TaylorBanksCarsonVanPelt · November 22, 2009

Giants management should be keel hauled...pushing the guy out there to play in scrimmages and meaningless pre season games prior to healing. :ranting2:

jerseygiantfan · November 22, 2009

Giants' Pierce out indefinitely with neck injury

Associated Press

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Updated: November 20, 2009, 9:40 PM EST

14 comments

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - New York Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce is out indefinitely after an MRI exam on Friday surprisingly revealed a bulging disk in his neck.

The Giants said their defensive captain underwent the test in New York and was examined by team physician Dr. Russell Warren and Dr. Frank Camissa, chief of the spinal surgical services at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

The 31-year-old Pierce originally sustained a burner when the Giants played Arizona on Oct. 25. He had very little discomfort until practice this week, when the club's medical staff scheduled the MRI exam.

"I'm shocked with what I heard from the doctors this afternoon," Pierce said in a statement released by the Giants. "I had no idea that what happened a few weeks ago could keep me off the field. I didn't think it was that serious.

"I'm going to do everything the doctors tell me to do so I can get back out on the field as soon as possible."

The Giants (5-4) will host Atlanta on Sunday. New York, coming off its bye week, has lost four straight games.

Pierce, in his ninth NFL year and fifth with the Giants, has 55 tackles one sack, and one forced fumble in nine games this season. He was looking forward to trying to help New York snap its losing streak on Sunday against the Falcons (5-4).

"This game means a lot to us," Pierce said earlier Friday. "For one, we need a win to get out of this four-game slump and, two, it will help us in the playoff hunt. We are tied for one of the wild card spots and you always want to win the head-to-head battles."

Pierce played in 15 games last season after appearing in all 16 contests each of the previous two seasons. He has led the Giants in tackles for the last three seasons and missed only four regular-season games since leaving the Washington Redskins to join the Giants.

He spent much of the past year in the spotlight after helping former teammate Plaxico Burress when the wide receiver accidentally shot himself in the thigh in a New York nightclub.

Pierce drove Burress to the hospital and then took the gun that Burress used back to his home in New Jersey, later arranging to get it back to the wounded receiver's home. Pierce testified before a grand jury, which declined to indict him for his role in the incident.

jerseygiantfan · November 23, 2009

Eli Manning keeps New York Giants' season alive with OT win over Atlanta Falcons

Tim Smith

Monday, November 23rd 2009, 4:00 AM

Someone told Eli Manning it had been 42 days since the Giants had won a game.

"It has felt like it, too," he said.

Six weeks is an eternity in the NFL. It is just long enough for one's confidence to erode. Just long enough to get the feeling that the season is sinking away.

Manning and the Giants took the field against the Falcons at the Meadowlands Sunday needing to do something they hadn't done in 42 days - win a game. They needed to win for their own mental health. They needed to win to have any hope of making the playoffs. They needed to win to salvage the season.

The Giants had to work overtime, but they got the job done, beating the Falcons, 34-31, in OT. They did it on the strength of Manning throwing for 384 yards and three TDs (with one interception). It was the first time in his career that Manning threw for over 300 yards at Giants Stadium.

"I hope to get a few more," Manning said. "It's definitely a game that I'll remember for a while. Hopefully this will keep us going, get us going on a little rally."

Manning couldn't have picked a more appropriate time to have such a superb game. The Giants had hit a four-game slide and it looked like their season was heading over a cliff.

It is not overstating matters to say that a loss to the Falcons would have doomed the Giants' playoff hopes. After suffering a crisis of confidence during their losing streak, they needed Manning to step up and be the man, to be the kind of leader that could push the team forward.

He did that against the Falcons yesterday. Now the Giants will need him to light it up for the next six games, beginning against Denver on Thanksgiving evening after a short week of work.

The Giants hadn't seen this version of Manning in six weeks. This is the Manning who led the Giants past the Patriots in the Super Bowl two years ago - the quarterback who is poised under pressure, who always seems to be smart with the ball, who always seems to make the right decisions about what to do.

The last few weeks it seemed Manning was running for his life half the time he took the snap from center, making you wonder whether the offensive line had slipped. Part of his problems may have been physical. He injured his foot during a game against Kansas City in Week 4 and that may have hampered him, altered his throwing motion, affected his timing. Who knows? The guy was operating on a bad wheel.

The week after he hurt his foot the Giants beat the Raiders (Oct. 11). After that they didn't win again until yesterday.

The Giants had a bye week to step back from everything and reflect. Tom Coughlin said everyone had been doing a lot of soul-searching the last two weeks, but even more so during the bye week.

A lot of players said they had the best week of practice they have had this year heading into the game. Manning said he pulled all the receivers together on Friday and they viewed 20 cutups of film on the Falcons' defense. He said it isn't something that they customarily do, but he did it because Atlanta is not a team the Giants are too familiar with.

It worked because Manning and his receivers sliced up the Atlanta defense. On the Giants' last touchdown drive, in the fourth quarter, Manning completed big third-down passes to receiver Mario Manningham (23 yards on third-and-1 at the Atlanta 46) and tight end Kevin Boss (18 yards on a third-and-4 at the 21) before hitting Madison Hedgecock on a 3-yard pass for the score.

"When he is playing with that kind of confidence, the whole team really rides right along with that confidence," Coughlin said.

Manning was locked in so much that there was no doubt that he would be able to lead the team down the field for the game-winner in overtime. It was just a matter of whether the Giants would win the coin toss. They did when Atlanta called tails and it came up heads. His 29-yard pass to Manningham put the Giants in range for Lawrence Tynes to kick the winner.

Tackle David Diehl called Manning's performance "awesome.

"He did a tremendous job today of identifying blitzes, switching plays, making alerts," Diehl said. "The best thing is that he's not satisfied. He's going to do whatever it takes to do this week to get even better, to make sure he's ready to go against Denver because it's going to take an even better fight from us and better football. It's going to take that all season."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/11/23/2009-11-23_smith_eli_manning.html?page=1#ixzz0XgldD7PS

jerseygiantfan · November 23, 2009

After bye week, TE Kevin Boss catches two score for New York Giants

BY Kristie Ackert

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Monday, November 23rd 2009, 4:00 AM

Kevin Boss knew the BALL would be coming his way

With the Giants spending their bye week working on their struggles inside the 35-yard line, especially the red zone, the Giants' tight end expected quarterback Eli Manning to find him Sunday.

And sure enough, Boss had his first multi-touchdown touchdown game to help put life back into the Giants' season. He caught a season-high five passes for a career-high 76 yards and two scores as the Giants beat the Falcons, 34-31, in overtime at the Meadowlands. It was the Giants' first win in over a month, thanks in large part to a player who has struggled with an ankle injury this season.

The Giants knew they had to figure out a way to improve their dismal performances deep in enemy territory. Heading into the bye week, they had scored just 16 touchdowns in 36 trips inside their opponents' 20-yard line.

Boss helped in that area as the Giants scored four TDs yesterday.

"We had an idea that this would be one way to help ourselves in the (red) zone," Coughlin said of getting Boss more involved in the offense. "It proved true today. Kevin made some big plays."

Boss scored the Giants' first touchdown on a 28-yard pass play midway through the second quarter. It was his longest touchdown reception of his career. His second touchdown was a 4-yarder on a hook pass with 14 seconds to play in the first half. That gave the Giants a 17-7 lead and momentum.

"The one right before halftime was a big one to Kevin Boss. It was good to get a touchdown in that situation," Eli Manning said. "We definitely did better, did some good things."

The Giants hope the day was just the beginning of a big stretch run for Boss. He injured his ankle early in the season after getting speared twice in three weeks. He also took a blow to the head that left him feeling woozy.

Boss led the Giants in touchdowns catches last season with six, but he did not score his first touchdown this year until Week 8. But he has caught four TD passes in the last three games.

"He is playing well. He got off to a slow start, he was playing well, but he has just been banged up and taking a lot of hits," Manning said. "He's tough as nails with some of the things he has been dealing with."

Manning said Boss had benefited greatly from the Giants' bye week.

"I know the two weeks really helped him in getting back healthy," the QB said. "He showed he was running well in practice and played really well today."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/11/23/2009-11-23_boss_takes_charge.html#ixzz0Xgm1TQBf

jerseygiantfan · November 24, 2009

How I See It: NFC East Stock Watch

November, 24, 2009

Nov 24

11:00

AM ET

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By Matt Mosley

Falling

1. Cowboys' offense: I almost singled out offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, but it's hard to pin Sunday's seven-point showing on him. His receivers weren't getting any separation until about seven minutes were left in the game. The Cowboys escaped with a win because their defense kept them in the game, but they won't win games in December by scoring one touchdown. The Giants, Chargers and Saints loom on the schedule. Here's an idea: Throw more than one pass to the explosive Felix Jones when a team such as the Redskins is in a Tampa 2 defense.

2. Shaun Suisham, Redskins kicker: The guy connected on his first 13 attempts of the season. He'd been rock solid after a shaky '08, but he missed from 39 and 50 yards against the Cowboys. If the Skins could've gotten to nine points, they would've won Sunday's game. Suisham's a mentally tough kicker, so I think he'll get it figured out.

3. Bill Sheridan, Giants defensive coordinator: The Giants won the game, but the defense allowed the Falcons two late drives to force overtime. The once-vaunted pass rush looks pretty meek at this point. Defensive end Justin Tuck appears to be turning the corner after a shoulder injury, but Sheridan has to do a better job in generating pressure up front. And how about mixing up some coverages late in the game? This is not the Giants defense we've become accustomed to over the past couple seasons.

Rising

1. LeSean McCoy, Eagles running back: Loved the way he played against the Bears. He had a huge fourth-quarter fumble, but he came right back and helped lead the Eagles down the field on the game-winning drive. McCoy got the majority reps in practice last week and it showed in his overall approach. He just played with more confidence than we've seen this season. He finished with 20 carries for 99 yards and the game-winning 10-yard run. This guy simply needs more carries. The Eagles may actually have a running game. Now, we'll see if Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg recognize that.

2. Kevin Boss, Giants tight end: No other division in the league has a better group of tight ends and Boss is on quite a roll. He's a fearless receiver and he's really improved his blocking. He's given Eli Manning a big target in the red zone. He had two touchdowns against the Falcons. I like the way he's catching the ball away from his body. There's no cradling going on.

3. Donovan McNabb/DeSean Jackson, Eagles quarterback and wide receiver: When these guys are on the same page, they're unstoppable. Jackson can turn a simple post pattern into the most exciting play of the week. I saw a poor Bears safety trying to get enough depth and knew he'd never succeed. When the Eagles are at midfield, teams should almost put a safety near the goal line. That's how dangerous Jackson is in only his second year. And let's credit McNabb for staying calm throughout the game and then coming alive in the fourth quarter. McNabb was brilliant in the play-action game.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/7123/page/stock-watch/how-i-see-it-nfc-east-stock-watch-8

jerseygiantfan · November 29, 2009

New York Giants strengths go missing in action in disaster of a year for Big Blue

BY Ralph Vacchiano

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Saturday, November 28th 2009, 5:13 PM

*

In the aftermath of the Giants' Thanksgiving night disaster in Denver there were the usual array of empty answers and familiar deer-in-the-headlights looks. The players, as they have for the last two months, sounded dazed and confused.

So maybe the answer offered by defensive end Osi Umenyiora after the Giants' 26-6 loss to the Broncos was the most honest assessment of what's happened to Big Blue since their troubles began in mid-October.

"Well, to be honest with you," Umenyiora said, "I don't even know what is going on."

Judging by the Giants' performance on the field, no one does.

So how did they get here, to the brink of their season, just 49 days after a 5-0 start left them looking like one of the NFL's powerhouse teams? How have they gone from NFC favorites to a game against the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday that, if they lose, they'll have little hope of winning the NFC East?

The answers are hard to pinpoint because too many things have unraveled, from the Giants' once-powerful rushing attack to their once-sack-happy defense. They've stopped playing physical defense. Their offense has become run-and-shoot seemingly overnight. The play-calling has been suspect. The special teams, at times have been bad.

In a season where the lack of a No. 1 receiver was supposed to be their only weakness, that position has become one of their few strengths. And with just five games left, it might already be too late to fix all the things that have gone wrong:

WHAT'S THE RUSH?

Running backs coach Jerald Ingram says the problem with the Giants' rushing game is that they've been using Brandon Jacobs all wrong. He said the 6-4, 264-pounder should be used like a battering ram, not like a finesse back told to dance to the outside.

So what's happened since? Jacobs has rushed 23 times in two games, mostly to the outside and often in stretch plays he's ill-suited for running. Like in the third quarter Thursday night, after a big catch by Mario Manningham got the Giants to the Denver 24. On first down, Jacobs took the handoff, immediately turned left toward the sideline, never turned up field and lost three yards. The Giants ended up settling for a field goal.

No wonder Jacobs, who's still looking for his first 100-yard game of the season, has just 66 yards on 2.9 yards per carry the last two weeks.

Plus there's no commitment to the run. The Giants ran just 15 times in 59 plays (25.4 percent) against the Broncos. They played like they were down by four touchdowns, despite being in the game until the fourth quarter. Since the bye, they've only run on 42 of 125 plays - or 33.6 percent.

I don't think they did anything special to us in the running game," Jacobs said. "We didn't have that many attempts. We've got to go out and do what we've got to do and what coach calls."

Of course, it would help if the offensive line blocked better, too. Their struggles have been particularly evident in short-yardage, where Jacobs has often been hit before even getting to the line of scrimmage. They get some blame, too, for the fact that the Giants are averaging just 4.3 yards per carry, down from 5.0 last year, and their lowest since 2003.

"The only way, in my eyes, to get back on track is to keep doing it and do it more," said center Shaun O'Hara. "I'm not going to be happy until we have 35-40 carries in a game."

FEELING THE PRESSURE

Earlier this season, the Giants' defensive linemen were patting themselves on the back for getting close to or getting hits on opposing quarterbacks. The sacks, they insisted, would eventually come.

They haven't, yet.

The Giants sacked Kyle Orton once on Thursday night, when linebacker Danny Clark stopped him on the first play of the game. That was the Giants' 23rd sack of the season, tying them with the Packers at 15th in the league - a number that would be bad enough if 11 of those hadn't come against the Raiders and the Chiefs.

And the blame goes everywhere. The Giants spent $58 million on defensive tackles Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard, who have combined for one sack so far, which is as many as Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins have amassed, too. Justin Tuck, their best pass rusher even with his left shoulder in a harness, and Mathias Kiwanuka each have one sack in the last six weeks. Osi Umenyiora has two.

With a suspect secondary, the pass rush is supposed to be the strength of this defense. And while rookie defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan is taking most of the heat, it's not as if his best players are consistently winning one-on-one battles. Sheridan apparently told the NFL Network broadcast crew last week that he didn't think his defense was very physical.

Especially in the pass rush, it shows.

A CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE

Something Tuck said about this team in early November has resonated throughout the month. He said that when the Philadelphia Eagles scored two quick touchdowns to take a 30-7 lead at halftime on Nov. 1, he wasn't sure if the rest of his teammates believed they could come back.

That's a startling admission for a Giants team that had mastered the art of playing with a chip on its shoulder and responding to adverse situations. But look at the way the defense especially melted late against San Diego and Atlanta and the way the entire team looked lifeless in Denver and the lack of confidence is palpable.

The win over Atlanta was supposed to restore all that, but it wasn't there in Denver. Once D.J. Ware fumbled and the Broncos converted that turnover into a touchdown and a 13-0 lead, it was as if all the blood had been sucked from the Giants' face.

That led to Umenyiora ripping into Jacobs and the offense on the sidelines, then having a heated exchange with linebacker Chase Blackburn.

"I was frustrated," Umenyiora said. "Given the magnitude of the game, I thought we would play better. Unfortunately we didn't, and it showed out there."

It would be easy to pin that on the loss of Antonio Pierce, their injured emotional leader. But the Giants' inability to rise to the occasion this season was evident long before the bulging disc in Pierce's neck was discovered.

"It doesn't seem like emotion is lacking in the locker room," said defensive tackle Barry Cofield. "There's a lot of shouting and that kind of stuff going on pregame, postgame and at halftime. But sometimes on the field it just seems like the other team has more."

MAYBE IT WAS ALL A MIRAGE

With a straight face, moments after the Denver fiasco, Umenyiora said "We're not a bad team. We're a good football team. We just played bad today." And he wasn't alone in those thoughts.

Maybe everyone was fooled, though, because the 5-0 start against a remarkably weak schedule masked some major problems. The lack of a pass rush, the communication problems in the secondary, the odd play-calling, the problems with the running game … it was all there, but the Giants got away with it against bad teams.

Against better teams, they've been exposed. And the truth is, dating back to late last season, most of those problems have remained constant. The Giants, one year from looking like a dynasty, have become an aging and mediocre team.

Yet they still believe. They rightly point out that a win over the Cowboys next Sunday would thrust them right back into the NFC East race, and that with three division games coming up in succession there's an opportunity to turn everything around. The problem is they're counting on the fact that they still have the ability to play better, to recapture whatever magic they had for the first 12 games last year.

Even though there's no evidence to support that possibility, the Giants still believe they're good enough to get it done.

"Well I can't speak for everybody else, but I know I do," Tuck said. "I think everybody else does. And if they don't I don't want them on my team."

"We can deal with being 6-5," added quarterback Eli Manning. "We've got to play better football. That's our concern. That's what we got to worry about. We've got five games left. Let's see what we can do with those five games."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/11/28/2009-11-28_giants_strengths_go_missing_in_action.html?page=2#ixzz0YFZgGbM6

jerseygiantfan · December 1, 2009

With Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles in back-to-back games, New York Giants done in NFC East

Gary Myers

Tuesday, December 1st 2009, 4:00 AM

The Giants have turned this into a forgettable season. They've lacked their trademark resilience, don't fight through adversity, no longer impose their will. They don't look anything like the team that won the Super Bowl two years ago.

Now they face a two-week battle for playoff survival against the hated Cowboys and Eagles.

There's no indication they have it in them to reach down deep, show some of the old Giants pride and put this season back together. That means by the time they absorb the one-two punch from the Cowboys and Eagles in back-to-back home games, they will be knocked out of the NFC East race and hanging on the ropes in the wild-card fight.

The Giants have made the playoffs four straight years, the second longest current streak in league behind the Colts, who have made it seven straight. The Giants were due for one of these down years.

The unknown: Just how hurt is Eli Manning? He predictably downplayed the latest development with his right foot. It started out as plantar fasciitis in October, but two weeks ago an MRI revealed it had progressed to a stress reaction. Any further damage could lead to a stress fracture. "I'm going about my business," Manning said Monday. "It hasn't affected my practicing and my playing. Hopefully, it doesn't get worse. I feel like it's getting better."

It just doesn't sound good that the $106.9 million quarterback has a messed-up foot as the Giants try to show some heart and make a playoff run.

Manning says he's not worried about his foot. How can he not be worried about his team?

The annoying part for Manning is having to show up early and stay late for treatment sessions. But there is nothing in the trainer's room that can fix this broken season.

The surgery will come in the offseason when Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin decide who stays and who goes. One of the first casualties could be linebacker Antonio Pierce, who missed the last two games and Monday was put on season-ending injured reserve with a neck injury. Pierce wasn't having an impact season, but his leadership will be missed.

The Giants (6-5) trail the Cowboys by two games in the East. They are one game behind the Eagles and Packers in the wild-card race. One year ago after 11 games, the Eagles were 5-5-1 and wound up in the NFC title game. The Cardinals were 7-4 and wound up in the Super Bowl. Neither the Cardinals nor Eagles won 10 regular-season games. Mathematically and historically, there is hope for the Giants. Realistically is another matter.

The Giants were clearly uninterested in Denver. They played as if they already had their bags packed for the offseason. After losing four straight, the overtime victory against the Falcons should have energized them, even with the disadvantage of having to travel to Denver in the short week. Instead, the Giants put on one of their more humiliating performances in years. Already, they have lost three times by at least 20 points for the first time since Coughlin's first season in 2004.

"There's got to be a sense of urgency," Manning said. "We don't have time to kind of figure out and slowly become a better team and take strides. We've got to make a jump. Jump back to playing good football."

They've already had the last-ditch players-only meeting in the last couple of weeks. That did not work, obviously. Sometimes teams just have seasons like this. Players get hurt. Nobody steps up. The running back takes a step backward. The defensive ends don't get sacks. The quarterback has a bum foot. The head coach can't come up with a plan. The new defensive coordinator looks like a bad fit.

The Giants play three straight NFC East games. That should appeal to their competitive instincts. And when the calendar flips away from November, that is when the Cowboys tend to play their worst. Since Tony Romo took over as quarterback early in the 2006 season, the Cowboys are 5-10 after Dec. 1, including 0-2 in the playoffs.

When Justin Tuck was asked Monday about his level of optimism going into the most important part of the season, he said it was "11" on a scale of one through 10. How is that possible? "Call me ignorant or foolish, but that is the only way I know how to approach things," he said.

The Giants' only quality victory came in the second week in Dallas when they ruined the opening of Jerry Jones' new playground. Even with three interceptions thrown by Romo, the Giants needed Lawrence Tynes' 37-yard field goal on the final play to win 33-31. Dallas ran for 251 yards. The Giants can expect to see an awful lot of Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice on Sunday.

The 5-0 start created false illusions about this team. And they have never recovered from the 48-27 spanking they took in New Orleans on Oct. 18. Now the Giants are a desperate team. The next two weeks will say a lot about their pride.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/12/01/2009-12-01_myers_giants_eagles_cowboys.html?page=1#ixzz0YRMW4iHi

jerseygiantfan · December 3, 2009

Giants RBs hurt, could miss game vs. Cowboys

Associated Press

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Updated: December 2, 2009, 4:24 PM EST

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Injuries at running back could leave the New York Giants short-handed for Sunday's key NFC East matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.

Backups Ahmad Bradshaw and Danny Ware missed practice Wednesday and coach Tom Coughlin is uncertain about their status for the game.

Bradshaw missed the loss at Denver on Thanksgiving night with left ankle and foot problems. Ware suffered a concussion against the Broncos. He also was sidelined for five weeks after dislocating his elbow on the opening kickoff in the season opener.

Coughlin said "we are keeping our fingers crossed" about Bradshaw playing Sunday.

Starter Brandon Jacobs has struggled this season, not reaching 100 yards rushing in a game. At least he's healthy, as is fullback Madison Hedgecock.

The only other running back on the roster is rookie Gartrell Johnson, who has 11 carries for 39 yards. Johnson was picked up on waivers after he was cut by San Diego and has mostly played on special teams in the six games for which he was active.

"The most important thing is being more familiarized with the offense," Johnson said. "I've been here for eight or nine weeks now and everything is smooth and going well. I'm ready to get out there. It depends on how much the coaches want me out there.

"It's part of being a professional athlete every week, to be prepared."

After placing middle linebacker Antonio Pierce on injured reserve with a disk problem in his neck, the Giants also are shuffling their linebackers. Second-year man Jonathan Goff, who also has played almost exclusively on special teams, took some snaps with the starters Wednesday.

"I've been working hard all season, learning as much as the other guys," Goff said. "I want to be ready for the opportunity when it presents itself. Whatever happens this weekend, I'll be ready to step in."

New York's linebackers will especially be challenged Sunday by Dallas' strong and deep running backs corps, and by star tight end Jason Witten.

"He's one of the guys who can hurt you a lot of different ways," said weakside linebacker Michael Boley, who returned from a knee injury three weeks ago. "For us, it's all about who's next to step up. We look at it as whoever is going to step in will fill that role."

jerseygiantfan · December 3, 2009

Test against first-place Dallas Cowboys will show if New York Giants have heart

Tim Smith

Thursday, December 3rd 2009, 4:00 AM

The last time the Giants played was Thanksgiving night at Denver. They played as if they had just pushed back from the table and were stuffed with turkey and the trimmings.

After the game, most of the players simply shrugged at how poorly they had played in the 26-6 loss. It was a strangely cavalier attitude considering they were playing for their playoff lives. No one was asking them to smash water coolers or turn over lockers to show their displeasure, but a little passion would have been a nice to see, an indication that they weren't just going to roll over down the stretch.

Now the Giants (6-5) are in an even more critical situation as they prepare to take on Dallas (8-3), which holds a two-game lead in the NFC East, at Giants Stadium on Sunday.

This is an EKG game - a game that will determine just how much heart the Giants have, something they did not display in their last game. The Broncos, not noted as a forceful team, manhandled the Giants on both sides of the ball. The Giants barely put up a fight.

If Big Blue can't register a pulse for Dallas, then the Giants are more dead than we thought. Facing a traditional division nemesis such as the Cowboys with so much on the line should have the Giants' hearts racing. They should be salivating at the idea of pulling closer to Dallas and making them sweat in the stretch, pinning a loss on Jerry Jones' team, just like they did at the grand opening of the opulent temple to football excess - the new Cowboys Stadium - in Week 2.

"It's exciting," said Tom Coughlin.

Yeah, it is coach. But you don't suit up.

Coughlin was saying the same things about good practices and good meetings this week in preparation for Dallas that he was saying the week before the Broncos game.

Based on that, does he know what to expect from this group of players against Dallas?

"I'm not going to go backwards," Coughlin said. "I think the players will respond this week. I think we'll meet well, practice well and we'll play well."

Guard Chris Snee realizes the magnitude of the game.

"This is a huge game," Snee said. "Everything I've been reading coming out of Dallas is they've been saying they want to deliver the knockout punch on us. We'll see who delivers the knockout punch. In this one the more physical team wins."

It is an attitude that the Giants need to carry over to the field on Sunday.

Deep down Coughlin has to be wondering what is inside some of his players, especially the ones who shrugged off the loss to Denver.

One thing missing in the heart-and-soul equation is vocal, veteran leadership in the locker room and on the sidelines. Regardless of what the outside perception was of Michael Strahan, he was a fiery, dependable leader in the Giants locker room. When he left, the job fell to linebacker Antonio Pierce. Again, love him or hate him, blame him for his role in the Plaxico Burress incident, Pierce was the man who could rally the troops.

Pierce was not on the sidelines for the Thanksgiving night debacle at Denver, having gone for a second opinion on the bulging disk in his neck. Osi Umenyiora was seen having an animated and heated discussion with some of the Giants during the game, but apparently it didn't take.

Coughlin admitted that the Giants could use more veteran leadership from the locker room. But even he knows that results are the only thing that makes players sit up and listen to guys who talk. Right now no Giant is backing up anything he says with big-time results.

You can't just designate someone a leader and expect players to follow. That respect has to be earned.

The Giants have a number of other problems - an anemic running game that is crippled by injury and a hit or miss pass rush that leaves the secondary vulnerable late in games. There is a simple cure that has eluded the Giants since they opened the season 5-0 - winning. Beat Dallas. Then win another one, and another one.

"I think we have the players in the locker room," Coughlin said. "We have to play better."

That's where the EKGs will come in this week. With Dallas looking to bury the Giants on Sunday, Big Blue will certainly find out what is beating inside each guy who suits up. Come out and play like they did against Denver and they will flatline.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/12/03/2009-12-03_smith_time_to_see_if_giants_have_pulse.html#ixzz0YdGx1MIp

jerseygiantfan · December 11, 2009

New York Giants will need more than pep talk to stop potent Philadelphia Eagles offense

BY Ohm Youngmisuk

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Friday, December 11th 2009, 4:00 AM

Giants will try to avoid giving up big plays to Donovan McNabb and Eagles when Philly visits Meadowlands on Sunday.

Antonelli/News

The day before the Giants played some of their most inspired defense of the season against the Cowboys last Sunday, defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan fired up his unit by reading his players excerpts from King Leonidas' speech to the Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae.

It remains to be seen what Sheridan has in store Saturday when he meets with his players before the Giants' huge game against the Eagles. The defensive coordinator will have to come up with something, as the Eagles can throw as many waves of attacks at the Giants as Xerxes did to Leonidas' Spartans.

"(Donovan McNabb) has weapons everywhere," defensive end Justin Tuck said. "They can hurt you in a lot of ways, but for us, what we have to realize is it is not about what they do, it is about what we do. If we go out and play well as a defense, we can hang with anybody. But obviously it is tough if you have to defend the whole field, and against Philadelphia you have to do that."

If the Giants are going to win their pivotal NFC East showdown on Sunday night, they must contain McNabb and his arsenal of weapons that includes DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek and Michael Vick.

The Giants would like to start by shutting down the run. During Philly's 40-17 rout on Nov. 1, the Eagles gashed the Giants' defense on the ground and through the air, but it was a couple of big runs that really stuck out.

Little-used fullback Leonard Weaver scored the game's first touchdown on a 41-yard run. And McCoy iced the game with a 66-yard touchdown sprint that ended a demoralizing day for the Giants, who are more accustomed to seeing such a performance from Brian Westbrook.

During last week's stirring victory over the Cowboys, the Giants recommitted themselves and held Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice to a total of 45yards rushing.

Even though the Eagles are a pass-oriented offense, the Giants would like to make them one-dimensional by shutting down the running game. That means the Giants' gap integrity must be sound and they have to be prepared for Vick and the Wildcat since the quarterback is coming off his most successful game since returning to football as he ran and threw for touchdowns against the Falcons last week.

"We prepare for it every week," linebacker Danny Clark said. "Just like we stretch for practice, we practice against the Wildcat. Since they signed Vick in the offseason, it has been a priority of ours to make sure we can defend that."

While the Eagles have thrown in different looks with Vick and others each week, the Giants introduced a new wrinkle defensively last week when they had pass rushers stand up at the line of scrimmage to confuse Tony Romo.

The Giants understand that getting pressure on McNabb is critical to limit his time to find the dangerous Maclin or Jackson, who torched the Giants for a 54-yard touchdown reception last time the two teams met.

And all of this must start with stopping the run and maybe another inspirational speech from Sheridan to his players Saturday.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/12/11/2009-12-11_its_a_giant_task.html#ixzz0ZNtjVwLg

jerseygiantfan · December 14, 2009

New York Giants fizzle against Philadelphia Eagles, lose chance at first place

Gary Myers

Monday, December 14th 2009, 4:00 AM

*

Justin Tuck stood in front of his locker late Sunday night and made no attempt to hide his disgust after the Giants wasted an opportunity to take over first place in the NFC East in a season that once again has gone horribly wrong.

"We can recover from anything. We won't stop fighting," he said. "We don't have things right. This ship is rocky right now."

After the Giants saved their season last week by beating the Cowboys, they put their playoff chances in supreme jeopardy by letting the Eagles beat them for the fourth time in 53 weeks, three of the games at Giants Stadium. It's no longer up for debate: Philly has their number.

In the two losses to the Eagles this year, the Giants gave up 85 points. In last night's wild 45-38 loss, they held the lead for a grand total of 15 seconds. Fifteen seconds.

On the first play after Eli Manning hit Domenik Hixon with a 61-yard TD pass to take a 31-30 lead in the third quarter, Donovan McNabb came right back to connect with DeSean Jackson on a 60-yard TD pass.

"It hurts and it is greatly disappointing how we played defense with everything at stake in this game," Tuck said. "That is not supposed to happen. The opportunity was there and we didn't do anything to seize the moment. We came out and --- it away. To give up a touchdown on the first play after we took the lead took the wind out of our sails. Our backs are against the wall and we all have to continue to fight."

Where was the Giants' pride? They took the field a little over one hour after the Cowboys lost to the Chargers, knowing if they beat the Eagles they would have vaulted into a three-way tie in the NFC East at 8-5 and owned the division-record tiebreaker.

That should have provided incredible motivation. Somehow, it had the opposite effect.

At Saturday night's team meeting, Tom Coughlin discussed with his players that first place would be theirs if Dallas lost and they won. "We had talked that there was a very real possibility that might take place," he said. "We didn't complete our end. It was our opportunity. We didn't finish the deal."

The Eagles scored on their first drive on McNabb's eight-yard pass to Brent Celek. They scored on the Giants' first possession, too, when Brandon Jacobs' fumble bounced off the back of Kevin Boss' leg right to Sheldon Brown, who took it 60 yards for a touchdown. Just 5:20 into their biggest regular-season game in years, the Giants were down 14-0. So much for the emotion of the moment working to the Giants' advantage. The Eagles jumped all over them.

Now the Giants can forget about winning the division. There are three games remaining and Philadelphia, now 9-4, has a two-game lead on the Giants and owns the head-to-head tiebreaker. That is an impossible deficit to overcome. Philly has a one-game lead on the Cowboys, who don't win once the calendar reaches December. That's really bad news for Dallas, which now plays in New Orleans on Saturday night.

The Packers, also 9-4, appear headed for the No. 1 wild-card. That presumably would leave the Giants and Cowboys to battle for the No. 2 wild-card spot. The Giants trail Dallas by one game, but they would win a tiebreaker because they swept the two games from the Cowboys.

The most important thing the Giants have going for them is the Cowboys' schedule. Dallas has back-to-back road games at New Orleans and Washington before finishing up at home against the Eagles. The Giants play at Washington next Monday night, then have their final regular-season game ever at Giants Stadium against the Panthers before finishing Jan. 3 in Minnesota.

If the Vikings have the No. 2 seed locked up, there is a chance Brad Childress could sit Brett Favre and maybe Adrian Peterson and rest them up for the playoffs, which would be a huge break for the Giants if they are still in the playoff race.

"We still have a lot to play for and that's the way it's going to be," Coughlin said. "Obviously, each game is extremely important."

Last week, the Giants beat the Cowboys on big plays by Jacobs and Hixon despite Dallas holding the ball for over 40 minutes and Tony Romo throwing for 392 yards. It was the other way around last night. The Giants had 512 yards of offense and Manning threw for a career-high 391 yards. But the Eagles were making big plays all night. Brown's 60-yard fumble return. Jackson's 72-yard punt return and Jackson's 60-yard touchdown catch.

The Giants made lots of big plays, too. But when the defense had to make a stop after the Giants took their only lead, it could not.

"The mindset is we have three games left and we have to win all three," Manning said. "It still matters how you end the season and we got to handle our business."

If Sunday night was an indication, they are not handling it very well.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/12/14/2009-12-14_myers_giants_lose.html?page=1#ixzz0ZfsdgvT8

jerseygiantfan · December 18, 2009

How mighty Giants D has fallen

Adam Schein

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Updated Dec 16, 2009 1:22 PM EDT

1. Foaming at the mouth

Remember the glory days when the Giants used to dominate on defense?

Oh, I am not talking LT, Parcells, Carson, Banks and Belichick. I'm making reference to the glory days of Steve Spagnuolo, the good times all the way back in 2007 and 2008.

What a difference a year makes, with overmatched defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan the face of failure in New York, the glory days replaced by the gory days of a defense that looks ill-prepared and lifeless. The Giants have allowed 20 points or more in eight straight games. And they rank 28th in points allowed. These are the New York football Giants we are talking about here.

It seems like a lifetime ago that the Giants were 5-0 and fans and media alike were thinking about a sustained run in the playoffs.

It's somewhere between sad and remarkable to think about how much this Giants defense has fallen. The Giants had everything to play for Sunday night after Dallas did its usual disappearing act in December. A win and the Giants were tied for first. A loss and the Giants remained on the outside looking in for the playoffs. And the defense didn't even bother to show up and make a play (other than Jonathan Goff's pick) to aid the cause. Eli Manning and the offense rolled up 512 yards of offense and never had a shot with the spotty defense.

In two games against the rival Eagles this year, the Giants gave up 85 points. That's unheard of for a team that prides itself on toughness and having an elite defense. That's an embarrassing nugget, but at the same time, the epitome of what has happened to New York this season.

Remember when the Giants defense could seize a moment and take a stranglehold of a ballgame? There were four specific sequences that hit home the embarrassment of the Giants on Sunday night. The Giants were down by a touchdown just minutes into the game, as Donovan McNabb drove the Eagles down the field in three minutes, hitting Brent Celek on a touchdown to cap it. When was the last time the Giants actually bottled up a tight end?

When the Giants offense rallied and took the lead at 31-30 after Domenik Hixon's catch and run for a touchdown, Sheridan's "defense" promptly gave it away, somehow leaving DeSean Jackson wide open to waltz into the end zone for a 60-yard touchdown to put Philly back up top.

And how about the final touchdown drive for Philly, a methodical, clock-killing march of 91 yards leading to Leonard Weaver's score? Do you remember a time under Spagnuolo that the Giants got shoved around like this on a consistent basis? And how come no Giants player went after the ball on the "forward fumble" at the end of the first half?

Sheridan takes the heat, and he will rightly lose his job at the end of the year. I think Tom Coughlin will hire Dick Jauron, his old friend from Jacksonville. It's very obvious, since Osi Umenyiora walked out of a meeting before the season started, that the players and Sheridan aren't on the same page.

But the players need to take some blame, too. Giants general manager Jerry Reese paid Chris Canty on potential, and he hasn't lived up. Reese also signed Rocky Bernard. Paging Rocky Bernard. Paging Mr. Rocky Bernard. Has he done anything? Free-agent linebacker Michael Boley got hurt for the first half of the year, and though he has made some tackles in recent weeks, Boley has contributed to the failures of covering the tight end. Osi got benched after horrible play. Justin Tuck is all banged up and not even close to the guy I voted for last year for first team All-Pro. Philly's offensive line manhandled the Giants on Sunday. Some people thought the Giants would have the best defensive line in pro football this year. Think about that. And the Kenny Phillips injury, as we predicted, took a young playmaking thumper out of the lineup at safety.

Yet somehow with Dallas living up to its choking reputation, the Giants still have a chance to make the playoffs.

But who feels good about anything right now? This isn't Giants football. They can't run consistently with Brandon Jacobs, who has disappointed after getting his contract. The offensive line hasn't lived up. And Sheridan has been a total bust, leading to a collapse of epic proportions.

Whatever happened to Spagnuolo anyway?

jerseygiantfan · December 22, 2009

New York Giants' romp of Washington Redskins shows playoff possibilities

Tim Smith

Tuesday, December 22nd 2009, 4:00 AM

LANDOVER, Md. - If the Giants had played the style of dominating football that they did against the Redskins Monday night all season long, they would have locked up the division three weeks ago and would be in the conversation with New Orleans as the cream of the NFC.

Better late than never, especially when Big Blue is trying to claw its way into that final wild-card spot. The Giants beat the Redskins, 45-12, Monday night in the first of three must-win games, and looked oh-so-impressive doing it.

Tom Coughlin seemed extremely relieved that he finally got the Giants' defense to match the efficiency of the offense and on a night when they needed that to happen.

"We played with a greater purpose and we were the team with more at stake and we played that way," he said.

The Giants (8-6) wake up this morning a game behind the Packers and Cowboys thanks to the largesse of the hapless Redskins, a defense that rediscovered how to pressure the quarterback and an offense that ran with the precision of a Swiss watch. If only they could play the Redskins (4-10) for the final two games of the season.

They will need to carry this forward for two more weeks and hope Dallas or Green Bay stumbles down the stretch in order to reach the playoffs for a fifth straight season.

If the Giants beat Carolina (6-8) and Minnesota (11-3), they'll only need one win from either Seattle (5-9) or Arizona (9-5) over Green Bay, or from either Washington or Philadelphia (10-4) over Dallas.

If the Giants lose one of the next two, they need the Packers or Cowboys to lose out. That's why Monday night was so important - Big Blue can't afford to bank on either of its rivals falling twice.

"We got must-wins for the rest of the way out," said defensive tackle Barry Cofield. "It was nice to come here and put on a show. But we know if we don't refocus for Carolina our season will be over."

You can temper this victory by saying that the Redskins were playing for a lame-duck coach - emphasis on lame following Jim Zorn's weird call for a fake field goal at the end of the first half - and were relying on the fumes of pride and a traditional rivalry to get them through the night. Or you could point to the fact that the Giants have owned the Redskins, winning seven of their last eight meetings.

Whatever the case, it was as if the Giants woke up from a seven-week slumber and finally decided that they should play up to their ability. And the Redskins were the perfect patsies.

The Giants were giddy as they left the field following the game. Running back Brandon Jacobs, who got into a nasty skirmish with Redskins defensive end Albert Haynesworth (complete with punches thrown and a twisted facemask) in the fourth quarter, stopped on the field on the way up the tunnel, jumped in the air, landed hard and let out a primal scream.

But defensive end Osi Umenyiora was trying to put a lid on the excitement in the locker room.

"I'm not going to act like we just won the Super Bowl because we have to win two more games," said Umenyiora, who had a sack and looked like the ferocious pass-rushing defensive end that everyone expected from the outset of the season.

Umenyiora said he is more concerned that the Giants play good football than he is with making the playoffs. Presumably, one will lead to the other.

In the first quarter the Giants held the ball for 13:34. The Redskins used the remaining 1:26 to run three plays for minus-3 yards. It seems Big Blue finally discovered the key to fixing its weakened defense - keep it off the field.

By the time the Giants went up 14-0 early in the second quarter on Ahmad Bradshaw's second touchdown run, there was no doubt that the Redskins were finished for the night.

"We've been talking about getting off to a fast start for the last few weeks," said Eli Manning, whose three TD passes gave him a career-high 26 for a season. "It helps out your defense and puts pressure on the opposing offense. It's a little bit of a buzzkill for the opposing offense."

For one night they played like they ought to have played the whole season. They only have to do it two more times, and hope.

"That's the only way we can go into it," Manning said. "We have to take care of our business and something is going to work out for us."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/12/22/2009-12-22_wild_thought_play_like_this.html#ixzz0aQLsv6Kt

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