2009 NY GIANTS Articles and Video

[jerseygiantfan]

Despite vanishing act after Big Blue's 5-0 start, playoffs haven't disappeared for New York Giants

 

Gary Myers

 

Thursday, December 24th 2009, 4:00 AM

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The Giants put themselves in the uncomfortable position of having to watch the scoreboard the last two weeks of the season to see if help is on the way so they can try to recreate the magical playoff run of 2007.

 

Every team wants to control its own destiny, but the Giants lost that margin for error by disappearing for the better part of two months right in the middle of the season.

 

Eight games, six losses, 8-6 record, out of the playoffs if the season ended today.

 

They went from 5-0, the best team in the NFC, to now desperately trying to make up one game on the Cowboys or Packers before the the sand runs out of the hourglass. All they can get is a wild-card spot, but that's the most they deserve anyway.

 

Here's what I take out of the Giants' dominating 45-12 victory over the Redskins on Monday night: Where have these guys been?

 

Where was that team as it gave up 85 points in the two games against the Eagles? Who was wearing the Giants jerseys on Thanksgiving night in Denver as they let a free-falling Broncos team push them around? Who put the defense in the witness protection program in New Orleans and inserted a bunch of imposters when they gave up 48 points to the Saints, the game that started all the problems?

 

Even the Giants were wondering Wednesday how they disappeared for such a long stretch of the season. "But it's encouraging that we showed up and finally played the football we are capable of playing," Justin Tuck said. "Hopefully, we can continue to play that type of ball."

 

Where has this team been? "I don't know how to answer that question," Tuck said.

 

The Giants were so impressive against the Redskins, a team that has been out of the playoffs since September, that it's easy to explain it away by saying Washington went into the game with its bags packed. But that wasn't the case - at least until the second quarter.

 

The Redskins had been playing hard the last month. They lost on the road by one to the Cowboys and three to the Eagles, lost by three at home to the Saints and then went out to Oakland and handled the Raiders. Then they got blown out by the Giants.

 

"It gives you hope," Tuck said. "I just hope we didn't put ourselves in a situation where it really doesn't matter. Obviously, we need help from other situations. You never want to have to rely on other people. You want to handle your own business by yourself. It's the NFL. There's a lot of great teams out there. Hopefully, things will work out for us and we get the opportunity to play in the postseason."

 

The Giants have gone almost the entire season without establishing an identity. Eli Manning is having his best season, but it's 14 games deep, and Brandon Jacobs does not have one 100-yard rushing game. Until the other night, it seemed the Giants were counting to five-Mississippi before they tried to get to the quarterback.

 

The issue now is whether they can finish strong and call in some favors and get some assistance. Their most realistic path to the postseason comes if they defeat the Panthers in their last-ever game after 34 seasons at Giants Stadium and then go to Minnesota and beat the Vikings, who have been slumping and are now distracted by the Brett Favre vs. Brad Childress showdown.

 

And the Giants, if they win those two, also need the Cowboys to lose to either the Redskins or Eagles or the Packers to lose to either the Seahawks or Cardinals. The Vikings might need the game against the Giants to hold off the Eagles for the No. 2 seed, which will be crucial to give Favre a week off to mend his body and his relationship with Childress. If the Giants, Cowboys and Packers win this weekend, then the Giants will need to beat the Vikings and then root for the Eagles to beat the Cowboys or the Cards to beat the Packers.

 

It was not supposed to be this way. The Giants are used to being in control of their own destiny. "Our focus is we got to take care of our business," Manning said. "We can't get caught up in everything else. We got to win these games or else we don't have a chance."

 

If the Giants win these next two games but fail to make the playoffs, this will be one of the most disappointing seasons they've had in a long time.

 

"I don't even think about that," Tom Coughlin said. "What I think about is winning one game at a time. We will do the very best we can and hopefully that is enough. But I am not spending any time thinking about the other circumstances."

 

The Giants came into the season with such great expectations, fully anticipating this could be a Super Bowl year. But disappearing for two months during the season is never a good idea.

 

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/12/24/2009-12-24_myers_giants.html?page=1#ixzz0abviWTUH

[jerseygiantfan]

New York Giants aim to up pass rush against Carolina Panthers

 

BY Ralph Vacchiano

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Saturday, December 26th 2009, 4:00 AM

 

*

 

The pressure, when they needed it most, just happened to finally be there.

 

"That's the crazy thing," said defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka. "It was the same style, the same game plan. It was just a matter of 11 guys at one time deciding that enough was enough."

 

The result was a five-sack performance in the Giants' 45-12 win over the Washington Redskins in which they hit quarterback Jason Campbell six other times and forced him into two interceptions. And they're obviously hoping they can somehow continue that surge against quarterback Matt Moore and the Carolina Panthers tomorrow afternoon.

 

In theory, that should be easy against a Panthers team that has lost both its starting tackles, Jordan Gross and Jeff Otah. But Carolina only gave up two sacks last Sunday to a Minnesota team that leads the NFL with 43.

 

Besides, nothing has come easy for the Giants' pass rush this season. They have just 31 sacks, 15th in the NFL. And 19 of those came in four games against the Chiefs, Raiders and Redskins - three of the worst pass-protecting teams in the league. The Giants haven't had more than two sacks in any of their other 10 games.

 

"I think sometimes it is hard to be on top of your game all the time," said Panthers coach John Fox. "They've got talent. Sometimes it's how you match up and the opponent you are playing against. Sometimes things go against you. Last week they had a lot go their way."

 

"Coach always says, 'Continue to pound that rock. One day it's going to break,'" added defensive end Justin Tuck. "One thing we had the last couple of years is we've always had a game that kind of signifies the start of something good (for the pass rush). In the Super Bowl year, it was the Philly game when we had 12 sacks. Last year in the first eight games we had over 30 sacks.

 

"Hopefully this is the game that kind of gets that ball rolling for us."

 

If it does, it could go a long way toward helping the Giants into the playoffs, especially since they could be one loss from elimination (if both the Packers and Cowboys win tomorrow). The Giants' offense has been clicking and is averaging 27.6 points per game. But until Monday night in Washington, the defense hasn't been able to keep up.

 

Maybe that has changed, thanks to the pass rush revival that seemed to come from all over their line. Tuck had a sack and two quarterback hits. Kiwanuka hit Campbell three times. And even Osi Umenyiora, who has responded well to being demoted from the starting lineup two weeks ago, had three hits and a sack.

 

What does it all mean for a 1-2-3 punch that has a disappointing total of 15-1/2 sacks this season (including a team-high seven by Umenyiora)? Not much, if they can't do it again against Carolina.

 

"If we go out there and lay an egg, everybody's going to be like, 'Oh, they're back down again,'" Kiwanuka said. "So we're not thinking about that as anything other than a great game. We have to duplicate that now. Hopefully it's the beginning of a roll, but we won't know until the end."

 

"Obviously the longer you go without the big play, the more pressure you put on yourself," added defensive tackle Barry Cofield. "Maybe you find a way to turn up the intensity in a game that's as important as these last three.

 

"But there was definitely no brand-new technique. We didn't rewrite the book. We just did what we've been doing and it happened to work for us. And once you get the first one, a lot of times they come in bunches."

 

TROUBLE ON THE LINE: The Giants again probably will be thin along the offensive line and in their secondary against the Panthers after RT Kareem McKenzie (knee), LG Rich Seubert (knee), CB Aaron Ross (hamstring) and CB Corey Webster (knee) all missed practice and were listed as doubtful. Rookie William Beatty likely will start at RT, Kevin Boothe should start at LB, and Terrell Thomas and Kevin Dockery are expected to start at the corners. ... For the Panthers, RB DeAngelo Williams (ankle) is doubtful. Moore (shoulder) and RB Jonathan Stewart (Achilles) are questionable.

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/12/26/2009-12-26_sack_attack_is_back.html#ixzz0anr3vsDU

[jerseygiantfan]

Pitiful loss to Carolina Panthers shows New York Giants' Super Bowl run in 2007 was a fluke

 

Tim Smith

 

Monday, December 28th 2009, 4:00 AM

 

*

 

Lawrence Taylor was part of the halftime ceremonies for the Giants' last game at Giants Stadium Sunday, and then he left, so at least his last memory of the place was a good one.

 

And with the Giants already down by 24, a lot of the Giants' fans followed the Hall of Famer out. Those who stayed bore witness to one of the worst defeats Big Blue ever suffered at the stadium, a 41-9 pounding by the Panthers that slammed the door shut on the Giants' playoff hopes.

 

Harry Carson, LT's former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer, stuck it out with the diehards. And the man who, along with Jim Burt, helped pioneer the Gatorade bath, wasn't about to shower the current Giants with praise after their collapse from a 5-0 start to this season.

 

"I'm not saying that they don't have pride, but I don't see where the pride is coming from," Carson said. "Wellington Mara always said, 'Once a Giant, always a Giant.' And guys who have played here have a certain sense of pride that we have to adhere to. I don't necessarily see that same pride amongst the guys who are here now."

 

Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart looked like the second coming of Jim Brown as he ripped through the Giants' defense for 206 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. It was the first time the Giants had allowed a 200-yard rusher at Giants Stadium, and the first time they had given up 200 to any running back since the Bills' Terry Miller ran for 208 and two scores in a 41-17 rout in 1978. Panthers quarterback Matt Moore, in for the injured Jake Delhomme, completed 15 of 20 passes for 171 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

 

"I'm not sure if it was tackling or just the attitude," said Carolina linebacker Na'il Diggs. "Maybe they got a little complacent with the win last week in Washington. Who knows? But it comes down to tackling and getting turnovers on the defense. Fundamental football is what games come down to."

 

When you get down to it, football is basically blocking and tackling. The Giants could do neither yesterday.

 

"We have one more game to go and we have to regain some kind of respect for the way the game is to be played," Tom Coughlin said. "We have a week to get that accomplished."

 

As they were packing up to leave Giants Stadium for the last time, the Big Blue players were like the zombies in "Night of the Living Dead" as far as their playoff hopes were concerned. Still walking around, at least before the Cowboys shut out the Redskins last night, but without any real signs of life.

 

You can pick your adjective for how awful the Giants were, particularly considering what was at stake and the fact that they were closing out Giants Stadium. Pathetic, sickening, disgusting, dreadful were a few that came to mind. But as they were flopping around on the field trying to score and trying to stop Carolina from scoring, mainly it showed a lack of heart by a team that just two years ago went on a fantastic late-season run to win the Super Bowl.

 

You can now officially declare that a fluke. It also is the clearest indication yet in this roller-coaster season that the players aren't listening to Coughlin and aren't playing hard for him anymore.

 

Because of the up and down nature of the team this year, Coughlin was asked whether he has trouble reading it.

 

"I'm not going to answer that one," Coughlin said.

 

Coughlin said he showed his players a graph on Saturday pointing out a tendency to play poorly after a good performance.

 

They were coming off a brilliant game against the Redskins on Monday night where they put all three phases together and pounded Washington, sparking so much enthusiasm and renewed vigor as they embarked on what they hoped was a push toward the playoffs. So they were actually playing to form against the Panthers yesterday.

 

It was closer to the team that visited Denver on Thanksgiving night and played with such a lack of fire that you could have sworn they were sleepwalking during the 26-6 loss.

 

On that night they had a chance to move into the NFC East lead. The players had the same zombie-like response that night, too. You wanted to chalk it up to too much Thanksgiving turkey. Now we know it's a lack of pride and heart.

 

"I think we're all saddened by that performance," said center Shaun O'Hara. "To have it happen on a day like today, which really was more than about one game, it was about history and respect, about the entire organization. ... As players we really let everyone down."

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/12/28/2009-12-28_smith_giants.html#ixzz0azfPjTGv

[jerseygiantfan]

New York Giants crushed by Carolina Panthers in Stadium finale, eliminated as Cowboys beat Redskins

 

BY Ralph Vacchiano

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Originally Published:Sunday, December 27th 2009, 3:58 PM

Updated: Sunday, December 27th 2009, 4:58 PM

 

Kostroun/AP

 

 

The Giants saved their worst for last.

 

They said goodbye to Giants Stadium and to their playoff dreams in embarrassing and humiliating fashion Sunday, with a pathetic 41-9 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Giants' no-show performance was their worst loss at home in 11 years and one of the worst home losses period in their 34 years at the Meadowlands.

 

In a must-win game and with a chance to save their disappointing season, they barely showed a pulse.

 

"Something like this isn't supposed to happen when you're playing for so much," said running back Brandon Jacobs. "That is a terrible way to go out."

 

"We had everything at stake and that team was only playing for pride," defensive end Justin Tuck added. "I guess pride won today. We should've been playing for a little pride ourselves."

 

There was little evidence of pride in the Giants' 283rd and final game at their stadium - especially after a touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Steve Smith on the Giants' game-opening drive was called back because of a holding penalty on fullback Madison Hedgecock. Three plays later, Mario Manningham fumbled deep in Panthers territory and it was as if the Giants' life signs were suddenly gone.

 

"The flag came out," Jacobs said, "and it just stuck a pin in us."

 

A few hours later, the fork was stuck in the Giants (8-7). When the Dallas Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins, 17-0, the Giants were officially eliminated from the playoff hunt. That makes their season finale in Minnesota on Sunday meaningless for them as the Giants will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

 

Not that they looked anything like a playoff-worthy team.

 

"It's shocking and it's disappointing," Manning said. "We did about everything we could just to try to lose that game."

 

That's definitely true. The defense, which has been abysmal all season, gave up 206 yards on 28 carries to Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart. That's the most ever by an opponent at Giants Stadium, and it included a 29-yard touchdown run in the second quarter on which he was barely touched. Panthers quarterback Matt Moore completed 15 of his 20 passes, was sacked just once and threw three touchdown passes.

 

And while Manning threw for 296 yards, he was also sacked four times and was picked off twice. He also got no help from his running game. Jacobs, the Giants' No. 1 back, carried just six times for one yard.

 

The Panthers (7-8) scored the first 31 points of the game. It was 24-0 at halftime.

 

"There really was no excuse," center Shaun O'Hara said. "We really had everything to play for. That's the way we've been all year. When we're hot, we're really hot. When we're cold, we're ice."

 

That's what Tom Coughlin tried to warn the players about Saturday night, that they had been way too erratic this season. The Giants haven't won back-to-back games since early October, so Coughlin offered up a graphic that showed them how "our pinnacle games have been followed up by poor performances. That's not how good football teams operate," Coughlin said.

 

At the beginning it seemed like Coughlin's message got through. The Giants opened the game with what looked like an impressive touchdown drive - 11 plays, 80 yards, ending with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Smith. But things started to unravel when the play was nullified by the Hedgecock hold.

 

"That was not a good omen, obviously," Coughlin said.

 

Three plays later, Manningham fumbled at the Panthers' 14, Carolina linebacker Jon Beason recovered and the Giants never did.

 

"You think you have a touchdown and start off right where we were last week," Manning said, "and then everything from there just trickled down."

 

Really, it was more of a waterfall. The Panthers scored three touchdowns in the second quarter, then opened the second half with a four-play touchdown drive that ended with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Moore to Smith. That made it 31-0 and was more than enough to send most of the fans - some of whom were seeing their last Giants game in person - toward the exits.

 

"I'm sorry this game ended up the way it did (at) a very inopportune time," Coughlin said. "I wasn't prepared for it, let's put it that way. I'm at a loss for words."

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/12/27/2009-12-27_giants_gamer.html?page=1#ixzz0azg3NyQd

[jerseygiantfan]

The five-point plan that will fix the New York Giants for 2010

 

Gary Myers

 

Tuesday, December 29th 2009, 4:00 AM

 

*

 

Just two years ago, Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning were celebrating the Super Bowl championship in a Canyon of Heroes parade and City Hall ceremony. But Monday, they were apologizing for the team's pathetic performance against the Panthers. That's how far this franchise has fallen.

 

The Giants need a makeover in attitude, leadership, pride and personnel. Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese must prevent what happened this year from happening next year. It's a good thing all but 2,000 of their PSLs are sold.

 

Here is the Daily News' Five-Point Big Blue Blueprint For Success in 2010:

 

 

1. Coughlin is Part of the Problem

 

He's not getting fired and doesn't deserve to get fired (he had made the playoffs four years in a row) so soon after putting the Giants' third Vince Lombardi Trophy in the lobby. But losing is bad for business and he does not have a lifetime appointment. Not many coaches could survive a loss like the Giants had to Carolina, but Coughlin still has a lot of good will built up with management.

 

Coughlin lost his touch with this team. His message did not get through. He was unable to snap the players out of their funk last season after Plaxico Burress shot himself and he was helpless trying to fix this season's problems.

 

He needs to reinvent himself again.

 

Of course, there's no need to revert to the pre-2007 Coughlin days, when he was a tyrant and lost the locker room. But just as he connected with the players during the Super Bowl year by being more player-friendly, he needs to reevaluate his entire approach. Coughlin had no feel for this team.

 

2. Goodbye, Sheridan. Hello, Dick Jauron?

 

The Giants have given up at least 40 points in four different games and that hasn't happened since 1966, when they did it five times, were 1-12-1 and even gave up 72 points to the Redskins. They've allowed 383 points, fifth-most in the league, after giving up 294 last year, fifth-fewest in the NFL. The difference is one touchdown per game.

 

Somebody has to pay and it should be Bill Sheridan, the first-year defensive coordinator who never found answers taking over for the immensely popular Steve Spagnuolo.

 

The most obvious candidate is former Bears and Bills coach Dick Jauron, who was Coughlin's first defensive coordinator in Jacksonville from 1995-98.

 

3. This Team Needs Derek Jeter

 

Not literally, of course, unless he can play safety. They need a leader, a conscience of the team. Michael Strahan used to be that guy. He was the one to get in his teammates' faces. Antonio Pierce, who may not be back in 2010, was never that type of commanding presence.

 

Eli Manning is a better player than Phil Simms, but he doesn't have Simms' passion or personality. Jeter is not a fiery guy either, but it's easier to lead by example in baseball than football. Justin Tuck plays in Strahan's spot, now he has to take over the leadership void.

 

Coughlin told a story that unintentionally condemned the Giants' leaders. He convened his 13-player leadership council yesterday looking for input on what went wrong.

 

"There were a couple of references perhaps to confidence and playing from behind and that kind of thing," Coughlin said. "But really nothing that you could say was a great benefit that I could use, for example, in a planning way going forward."

 

The Giants just blew a 5-0 start, lost 41-9 in their final game at Giants Stadium to get themselves eliminated from the playoff race, and the 13 players Coughlin hand-picked to lead this team had no idea what happened. That's absurd.

 

"If there was a legitimate thought there, I was looking for that, obviously," Coughlin said. "I wanted to listen. I wanted to hear."

 

 

4. Fix Brandon Jacobs

 

What happened to the big fella? No 100-yard games. Six carries for one yard against Carolina. Is he hurt? Is he content after signing his big contract? Does the offensive line, together since 2006, need to be broken up? Jacobs' game is punishing defenders up the middle, but too often he was sent outside the tackles. In each of his first two years after Tiki Barber retired, he averaged 5.0 yards per carry. This year, 3.7.

 

 

5. Write Some Checks

 

It's unlikely there will be a new collective bargaining agreement before next March, meaning there will not be a salary cap. That will allow teams to spend whatever they want. The Giants will not transition into Daniel Snyder's Redskins, but could make a run at some quick fixes on defense and perhaps do better than their big three this year of Chris Canty, Michael Boley and Rocky Bernard.

 

The problem with no cap is that the unrestricted free agency requirement jumps from four years to six, meaning Chargers LB Shawne Merriman, Broncos LB Elvis Dumervil and Texans LB DeMeco Ryans will be allowed to test the market, but their clubs retain right of first refusal with compensation.

 

One player scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent the Giants should pursue: Darren Sharper of the Saints. He's a leader and the best playmaking safety in the NFL.

 

Coughlin and Manning don't want to be standing in the same spot next year apologizing again.

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/12/29/2009-12-29_untitled__myers29s.html?page=1#ixzz0b4yAphOJ

[Lughead]

here's your precious thread

[jerseygiantfan]

here's your precious thread

 

 

Don't be a dick. It's been mine for 3 years