NY GIANTS Articles and Video

jerseygiantfan · March 30, 2012

NY Giants' Chris Snee says Tom Coughlin 'doesn't get appreciated'

Guard believes Big Blue fans will be calling for him to be fired again

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By Ralph Vacchiano / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Thursday, March 29, 2012, 10:38 PM

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Robert Sabo/New York Daily News

Tom Coughlin and guard Chris Snee see eye-to-eye on coach's worth to Super Bowl champion Giants.

John Mara hoped the turning point for Tom Coughlin came when the Giants clinched their second trip to the Super Bowl in five seasons. He hopes that win is enough for the fans and media to “start to appreciate him a little more.”

Maybe they will, now that Coughlin earned his second Super Bowl ring and his upcoming, lucrative, long-term contract extension. But his son-in-law, Giants guard Chris Snee, still isn’t so sure.

“It’s just a yearly battle with him,” Snee said on Thursday at the NFL’s new Shop at the Draft store in Manhattan. “I’ve said this over and over again, but I feel bad for him because all he’s done is win football games and make this team a bunch of class guys, who just have a passion for the game of football. But I don’t think he gets appreciated.

“I still think that, even after winning this, if we go through a rough patch this year or the year after, someone will be calling for him (to be fired) again.”

After winning two championships in eight seasons with the Giants, the 65-year-old coach should have more security than that. He’ll certainly have some from his bosses when his contract extension is finished and he becomes one of the highest-paid coaches in the league.

But Snee thought Coughlin had earned that back in 2007, when the Giants made their miraculous run to Super Bowl XLII. The honeymoon from that, though, proved to be shorter than anyone expected.

“When we won in ’07 there were people calling for him (to be fired) in ’09,” Snee said. “Absolutely. I’ve had so many people say ‘Repeat next year. Do it again. Do it again.’ It’s just constant, the desire to win — in particular in this area. New York, they want winners.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/ny-chris-giants-tom-coughlin-earned-espect-rewards-article-1.1053211#ixzz1qbYximVm

jerseygiantfan · April 3, 2012

Eli Manning Life After Super Bowl Is a Beach!

With all the news about his big brother Peyton's trade to the Broncos and that other New York NFL team QB, Eli Manning continued to adjust to life after winning the Super Bowl by basking in the sun with his wife and daughter on Miami Beach this weekend.

The 31-year-old has it made in the shade too.

gmenroc · April 3, 2012

Soaking in the sun...looks like Eli might need it...pasty-ass white boy.

jerseygiantfan · April 30, 2012

NY Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora rips GM Jerry Reese, saying GM is making him look like 'greedy pig'

War with Big Blue over contract is back on

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By Ralph Vacchiano / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Sunday, April 29, 2012, 10:05 PM

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Ron Antonelli/New York Daily News

In battle for new contract, Osi Umenyiora says Giants GM Jerry Reese is trying to make him look like a ‘greedy pig.’

The war between Osi Umenyiora and Jerry Reese is heating up again.

One day after the Giants’ GM insisted the team has offered Umenyiora a contract extension in each of the last two seasons, the unhappy defensive end fired back, saying Reese was distorting the truth to make him look like “a greedy pig.” In an email to the Daily News on Sunday, Umenyiora said the Giants’ offer last summer wasn’t actually an extension, and their offer this year wasn’t much of an offer at all. Umenyiora didn’t go as far as he did last spring, when he accused Reese of being a liar in a court affidavit, but his anger was still clear.

“Last year I was offered incentives. This year they offered me in guaranteed money, HALF of what they just gave Kiwi guaranteed. HALF,” Umenyiora wrote. “I’m not making that up. Then Jerry tells the world they offered me an extension and I turned it down. And I look like a greedy pig for turning it down. Hilarious.”

Mathias Kiwanuka recently got a three-year contract extension worth a total of $21.75 million that included an $8.5 million signing bonus and $10.95 million in guaranteed money. If Umenyiora really was offered “half” of that guaranteed money, it means the Giants were only willing to guarantee about $5.5 million for him.

Clearly they knew that wouldn’t get it done. Umenyiora, who is scheduled to make $3.975 million this year in the final year of a seven-year, $41.5 million extension he signed in 2005, is seeking a deal worth an average of $10 million per year and $15 million-$17 million in guaranteed money. For proof, in an interview on WFAN last week, he pointed to recent contracts signed by Eagles defensive end Trent Cole (four years, $48 million, $15 million guaranteed) and Colts defensive end Robert Mathis (four years, $36 million, $17 million guaranteed) as comparable deals.

Last summer, after Umenyiora staged a one-day training camp holdout to protest his contract, the 30-year-old did turn down the offer of incentives tied to his sack numbers. He apparently got an offer of an actual extension recently, following the 12 ½ sacks in 13 games he had in the 2011 season.

But the offer clearly wasn’t good enough to rebuild the bridge between Umenyiora and the team that was nearly torched last spring when, in a deposition as part of the NFL players’ antitrust suit against the league during the lockout, the defensive end accused Reese of lying to him. He claimed Reese reneged on a 2008 promise to “either renegotiate my current contract so that it would be equal to that of the top five defensive ends playing or (trade him) to a team that would do that.”

According to a source close to the eight-year veteran, Umenyiora’s anger bubbled over again on Sunday when he heard Reese say, “Osi has been offered an extension two years in a row now.” Reese also said, “All options are open” with Umenyiora, including a trade.

Whether Umenyiora now wants or will demand a trade is not clear, because he has decided to stop talking about this dispute in public. In his email to The News, he said “I will be going completely silent after I send you this because it’s obvious talking does nothing!” As for his specific plans, Umenyiora would only say “things will be very interesting, that’s for sure.”

TaylorBanksCarsonVanPelt · May 4, 2012

Jesus...what a live wire Osi is...its a business man...stop taking negotiating strategies so personally...

jerseygiantfan · June 1, 2012

Rex Ryan wants Jets to be Giants

With bravado on mute, Gang Green coach talking, and acting, like a changed man

Updated: May 31, 2012, 10:41 PM ETBy Rich Cimini | ESPNNewYork.com

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Let the record show that, on Thursday, May 31, Rex Ryan received his first "Do-you-feel-pressure?" question. Tough town, New York. A coach slips up after two almost-championship seasons, and suddenly people are wondering if he's feeling the heat.

"Pressure? It's not a security thing for me," said the New York Jets coach, who has three years remaining on his contract. "I want to win, I want to be special. Just like the Giants were last year, I want to be special. So that's what's driving me."

Imagine that, Ryan wants the Jets to be like the New York Giants. How weird does that sound? This is a man who trash-talked the Giants for an entire chapter in his 2010 book, proclaiming the Jets the new "Big Brother" in town.

Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesGiants coach Tom Coughlin has achieved everything Rex Ryan covets.

Clearly, Ryan is a humbled man. That's what happens to a coach who presides over a mutinous locker room and watches two rivals -- the Giants and New England Patriots -- play for the Super Bowl.

Ryan has issued a thousand mea culpas since the end of last season, taking all the blame for an 8-8 campaign that had the feel of 6-10. Good for him; after all, the buck stops with him.

Now the question is, what's he going to do about it? Ryan might not be concerned about his job security, but he's coaching like someone who feels a sense of urgency. Good for him. Take a look at what he has done since January, and you see a man determined to get it right.

In a few months, Ryan has changed the culture around the team. Consider:

• He hired a Law & Order coach, Tony Sparano, to take over the offense. The easy and popular choice would've been Bill Callahan, the well-respected line coach, but Ryan went outside the organization to bring in a no-nonsense coach who will instill discipline and accountability on a unit that flew over the cuckoo's nest last season.

• Ryan has backed up his promise to get more involved in the day-to-day coaching. Players say he's spending more time in meetings than he did last season. He has gone back to his roots, back to being a hands-on coach. He was so out of touch last season that he admittedly lost the pulse of the team, probably one of the reasons why the locker-room discord got out of control.

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• He has placed an emphasis on speed and conditioning. Let's face it, the Jets got fat and complacent last season. At the end of the season, Ryan dropped the hammer. The new mantra is, "One step faster." They drafted for speed, and several players, mainly on defense, have dropped weight. The poster boy for the movement is Ryan himself; the coach has lost 90 pounds.

• Ryan has toned down the bravado, which is having a trickle-down effect in the locker room. The sense of entitlement -- dare we say "arrogance"? -- isn't as noticeable as it used to be. These days, players walk around the locker room wearing T-shirts that bear one-word messages: Sacrifice. Responsibility. Perseverance

No Super Bowl guarantees, not from the coach.

"I admit it, I made a mistake by saying all that stuff before," said Ryan, delivering mea culpa No. 1,001.

Look, there's no guarantee the humbled and hard-working Jets will be any better than last season's distracted group -- the whole thing could get blown up by a quarterback controversy -- but at least Ryan recognized the cracks in the foundation.

Some coaches are so stubborn they refuse to change. Others realize that change is necessary, but do it by overhauling the roster. Ryan couldn't do that; his roster is filled with guaranteed contracts, limiting his flexibility. So, basically, he's had to rewire an entire team without changing many parts -- a daunting challenge.

Their goal is to overtake the New England Patriots in the AFC East, but that won't be easy. The gap in the standings was the size of the Grand Canyon -- five games. Insurmountable?

"I think that's the perception out there," Ryan said. "I don't necessarily believe that. In fact, I know I don't believe it."

The old swagger isn't completely gone, but talk is cheap. Ryan knows that now.

jerseygiantfan · August 1, 2012

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ big mouth will wake sleeping NY Giants

Jones makes the payments on his $1.2 billion Jerry World with the world’s largest and coolest video board, but it’s the Giants who own the place with a 3-0 record.

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Published: Wednesday, August 1, 2012, 12:25 AM

Updated: Wednesday, August 1, 2012, 2:22 AM

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Al Bello/Getty Images

Patriots QB Tom Brady could have told Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones not to give Giants Super motivation.

Jerry Jones opened his Texas-sized big mouth again, and the Cowboys will be the ones paying for it.

Jones, the Cowboys owner, and the rest of the NFL never learn: The Giants become a great team only when they feel disrespected and dumped on. Rex Ryan fired them up for last year’s Christmas Eve showdown with all the big brother/better team talk. Tom Brady ticked off the Giants before each of his Super Bowl losses to Big Blue, and Jones distributed two tickets to each of his players for the NFC title game before playing the Giants in the divisional round.

Oops. Giants 21, Cowboys 17.

Now Jones has written a check his team won’t be able to cash. Preaching to Cowboys fans at the opening of training camp in Oxnard, Calif., Jones proclaimed, “We want you to come to (Cowboys Stadium) and watch us beat the New York Giants’ ass, OK?”

Big mistake.

The Giants thrive on being told they aren’t any good. They were an underachieving 9-7 team last season that got hot in January, the same formula their underachieving 10-6 team followed in 2007. In each case, they won the Super Bowl and then were not considered favorites to win the NFC East. They parlayed the disrespect angle in 2008 into a 10-1 start before Plaxico Burress used his leg for target practice in a midtown nightclub and shot up the Giant season.

It’s almost sophomoric, but the Giants are able to convert the anger they build up from being slighted, perceived or realistic, into supernatural motivation. That’s what they will try to do this season.

If it’s not Jones trash-talking them, it’s Michael Vick starting the dynasty talk nonsense in Philly even though the Eagles didn’t even make the playoffs last season and Vick hasn’t won a playoff game since 2004 when he was playing for the Falcons.

How long will it be before RG3 in Washington declares the Redskins are going to win the NFC East, just as Rex Grossman did last year? Clearly, the Giants couldn’t stop laughing long enough to take the Redskins seriously because Grossman beat them twice in 2010.

Jones, whose team hasn’t been to the Super Bowl since 1996 and has just two playoff wins since then, makes the payments on his $1.2 billion Jerry World with the world’s largest and coolest video board, but it’s the Giants who own the place with a 3-0 record. They were the invited guests for the grand opening in 2009 and won, 33-31, on Lawrence Tynes’ 37-yard field goal with no time remaining. To commemorate the event, Eli Manning signed the wall in the visitor’s locker room.

Two seasons ago, the Giants won, 41-35, and last year they saved their season with a 37-34 victory in the 13th game by scoring two touchdowns in the final 3:14 to wipe out a 34-22 deficit. Jason Pierre-Paul prevented the game from going into overtime when he blocked Dan Bailey’s 47-yard field goal with one second left.

In the three games at Cowboys Stadium, Manning has thrown for 1,036 yards with eight touchdowns and four INTs. The Giants clinched the NFC East last year by defeating Dallas, 31-14, in the last game of the season on New Year’s night, their second victory over Dallas in the final four weeks. In the two games against Dallas, Manning lit up the ’Boys for 746 yards with five touchdowns.

The Cowboys were the NFC’s No. 1 seed with a 13-3 record in 2007. Two days before the game, Jones distributed the tickets. Tom Coughlin made sure his players knew about it before kickoff and after the win told his players, “Jerry just sent the tickets over. So, we’re all set.”

A couple of weeks later, Burress predicted the Giants would beat the Patriots, 23-17, in the Super Bowl. A couple of days before the game, Brady said, “We’re only going to score 17 points? Ha. Ha. Ha.”

Final score: Giants 17, Patriots 14. Burress caught the winning touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining to end the Patriots’ undefeated season.

At a pep rally at Gillette Stadium before the Patriots boarded their plane for Indianapolis for this year’s Super Bowl, Brady told 25,000 fans, “We’re going to give it our best and hopefully we have a lot more people at our party next weekend.”

Final score: Giants 21, Patriots 17, People at Brady’s party 0.

Just a few weeks ago, Jones said the Cowboys’ championship window was closing with this group. At the opening of camp, he took it back. “I want to officially close the window to closing the window,” he said.

He should take back his comment about beating the Giants ass because they are going to make him look like one.

Read more:

http://www.nydailyne...1#ixzz22HmYlvgM

DanishGiant · August 5, 2012

just found 2 old vidios on the tube, i thought you guys migth enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY-tbJtbs48&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnB07UUgl0A&feature=relmfu

jerseygiantfan · August 9, 2012

NY Giants Justin Tuck says Packers' Clay Matthews in 'Fantasy Land,' thanks him for handing NFC playoff game over

While Green Bay linebacker still thinks Pack were better team, Big Blue says the proof is in the Super Bowl XLVII hardware.

Comments (47)

By Ralph Vacchiano / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Published: Wednesday, August 8, 2012, 11:23 AM

Updated: Thursday, August 9, 2012, 12:43 AM

Al Bello/Getty Images

Giants DE Justin Tuck shows off last year's hardware and has a message for Packers' Clay Matthews: 'Thanks!'

ALBANY – The scoreboard at Lambeau Field in January showed that the Giants beat the Green Bay Packers good, but that’s not how Clay Matthews remembers that divisional playoff game.

He still refuses to give the Giants credit for the 37-20 win that knocked the then-defending champions out of the playoffs.

In response, the current defending champions just looked at their shiny Super Bowl rings and laughed.

“Obviously you’d believe that success would breed reality, right?” Justin Tuck told the Daily News before practice on Wednesday. “I guess people love living in Fantasy Land and want to make excuses for the situation.”

Or as he said earlier, “Thank you for giving us the game, Clay. I appreciate it a lot.”

“If that’s what Clay thinks, so be it,” guard Chris Snee added. “I have a brand new ring and we earned every bit of it. We went in there and beat them. He was a non-factor. Maybe that’s what he means.”

Maybe that was what Matthews meant when he told Yahoo! Sports, “We picked the most inopportune time to play our worst ball. The fact is, (the Giants) didn’t beat us, we beat ourselves.”

He wasn’t the first Packer to offer that opinion either. Back in June, Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy told NFL.com, “I feel like we beat ourselves in this playoff game. Or better yet, we didn’t give ourselves a chance to win the game.”

Jeffrey Phelps/AP

Packers linebacker Clay Matthews (r.) can’t catch Ahmad Bradshaw and Green Bay can’t stop the Giants in the NFC Divisional round in January.

On Nov. 25, at the Meadowlands, the Giants will be glad to give them another chance.

“We’ll see them again,” Snee said. “I remember the last time we played them they had guys talking as well. Maybe that’s what they do.”

Actually, that’s what everyone seems to do when it comes to the defending Super Bowl champs. Whether it’s Jerry Jones promising to “beat the New York Giants’ ass” or oddsmakers and experts picking them to finish second or third in the NFC East, few seem to believe the Giants are – or were – for real.

It’s all similar to what the Giants went through back in 2008, coming off their Super Bowl XLII championship. So what is it about this team that makes so many people think their titles are a fluke?

“I don’t know and I don’t care,” Snee said. “I’ve been a part of two championship teams and I’m proud of that. We earned every bit of it. We went on the road, played No. 1 seeds, beat a team that was unbeatable, and we won. It’s not like it’s one game and that was it. We had to win six in a row. I don’t see how you can say six in a row is a fluke. I’m not quite sure you can.”

“We walked away with a ring on our finger,” Tuck added. “That’s the end goal and that’s all we care about. I don’t know. It don’t bother me at all.”

Maybe not, but Tuck admitted “We hear it” every time someone says something about the champs.

Tuck said he saw the story about Matthews when he woke up on Wednesday morning then retweeted it to his 131,000 followers.

“Did they play their best ball?” he said. “I don’t know. But we won the football game.

“Talk is cheap. Play the game. We’ll see Green Bay again this year so we will see who lays down that week.”

Read more: http://www.nydailyne...5#ixzz232S6Jqhz

TaylorBanksCarsonVanPelt · August 9, 2012

Damn...still crying...suck it up shirt tucker boy... :cwy: :cwy: :cwy:

jerseygiantfan · August 14, 2012

Giants dealing with back issues

Updated: August 14, 2012, 4:24 PM ETBy Ohm Youngmisuk | ESPNNewYork.com

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants apparently haven't been sleeping very well.

And it has nothing to do with facing the New York Jets, Tim Tebow or the Wildcat on Saturday.

At least five Giants -- offensive tackles Will Beatty and James Brewer, defensive tackles Marvin Austin and Martin Parker and cornerback Terrell Thomas -- have had back issues during training camp.

“

We are big humans. Every bed is small. You can't put a damn dinosaur in a twin-sized bed ... all the beds, unless you got a California king, the beds are going to be small to these guys.” -- Giants tight end Martellus Bennett

Multiple players believe the small mattresses at the University of Albany, most of which were provided by the Giants, may have played a role in the back injuries. Some players even purchased their own mattresses to bring to camp.

"Yes, I really do," defensive tackle Linval Joseph said when asked if the beds really have something to do with players suffering back injuries. "I really do. Beds.

"I mean, everybody has been complaining about their back because the beds in the dorm are fairly hard. My back be hurting, too. I think it is just the bed."

Tight end Martellus Bennett said his back is fine but admitted the beds on campus are a bit tiny.

"We are big humans," Bennett said. "Every bed is small. You can't put a damn dinosaur in a twin-sized bed ... all the beds, unless you got a California king, the beds are going to be small to these guys. If a normal-sized human jumps into a regular-sized bed, it fits perfectly. A large big human jumps into a regular-sized bed, the bed is too small."

The Giants maintain that no players have complained to them about the mattresses.

While most of their injuries are football-related, the Giants have had some back issues pop up. Beatty had a sciatic nerve condition with his back dating to the offseason and was held out of OTA's and most of minicamp.

But after practicing at the start of training camp, his back issue flared up while here in Albany. Beatty returned to practice on Sunday. His backup, Brewer, also has battled some back issues during camp.

"Those beds are not the best," Brewer said Monday. "I'm not going to knock Albany because hey, it could always be worse, but I definitely do miss my own bed."

"Will's complaining, but at least he has a regular-sized bed," Brewer added. "I have like a little kid's cot, like I'm in college all over again."

A few days before Thomas re-injured his right knee on a slip on the field in coverage, the cornerback was unable to finish a practice due to his back, which locked up on him during practice.

The dorm room beds may not have anything to do with some of these injuries. But one thing is certain, several of these players were sleeping in beds meant for college students.

The Giants have been hit by several injuries in camp, and beds might not have anything to do with most of them. The Giants have been hit by several injuries in camp, and beds might not have anything to do with most of them.

The biggest injury is to defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, who likely will miss the entire season due to a blood clot in his leg.

Joseph said the plane ride back from Jacksonville might have worsened Rogers' condition.

"To have a blood clot or having a risk happen of a blood clot, that is serious," Joseph said. "They can cut your leg off, a lot of things can happen with that. Thank God it is not a (more serious) blood clot, and hopefully everything will work out with it."

The Giants also said Austin was in Manhattan at the Hospital for Special Surgery to have his back examined. Rogers and Austin were expected to be significant contributors to the defensive line, which already is without starting defensive tackle Chris Canty.

Canty remains on the PUP list while recovering from offseason knee surgery.

"I'm definitely getting better, just the level of activity, what we're able to do, my general feelings about it, not dealing with pain or anything like that," Canty said. "We knew this was gonna be a long process, obviously I didn't think it would be this long but I think we're being smart about it, we're taking the right approach."

The Giants have been hit hard by injuries at defensive tackle. Parker will need surgery for a herniated disk in his back that he may have suffered during the preseason loss to Jacksonville. Joseph, Rocky Bernard, Dwayne Hendricks and Markus Kuhn are the healthy defensive tackles on the roster at the moment, pending Austin's back examination.

The Giants will also be without backup defensive end Justin Trattou for several more weeks due to a heel injury that has kept him sidelined for most of camp.

The Giants' final day in Albany is Tuesday, and the team will spend the rest of camp at their own facility as scheduled. Co-owner John Mara said on Monday that the team would make a decision later this year on whether it will return to Albany for camp in the future.

"I'm ready to go home, lay in my own bed -- California King size with the great comfortable blankets and the feather pillows -- I miss that," Bennett said.

Fortunately, the 6-foot-6 tight end did not hurt his back.

"My back doesn't hurt," Bennett said. "My back feels great. I got great back."

jerseygiantfan · August 14, 2012

Shaun Rogers likely to miss season

Updated: August 14, 2012, 4:45 PM ETBy Ohm Youngmisuk | ESPNNewYork.com

ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York Giants defensive tackle Shaun Rogers will miss the season with a blood clot.

Head coach Tom Coughlin confirmed the season-ending injury on Tuesday.

"It's very sad because do you know the real story? He lost 50 pounds!" Coughlin said. "He went from high 380's to 334 (pounds) to check in at. He was really excited about being a part of this team. He actually asked to play some more snaps the other night. It is just a shame."

"Obviously it is your health first," Coughlin added. "And the only way I guess they can control these things are with these blood-thinning drugs and once you do that, you are done. You can't take a chance."

The Giants' depth at defensive tackle has taken a big hit this week. Besides losing Rogers, the Giants await word on promising defensive tackle Marvin Austin, who went to Manhattan's Hospital for Special Surgery to have his back examined.

Coughlin said the team had no update on Austin as of when he met with reporters late in the afternoon.

"I'm praying that the phone call comes in and it is a good one and that it can be controlled," Coughlin said.

The Giants are actively looking for another defensive tackle since three of their top five defensive tackles (Chris Canty, Rogers and Austin) are out at the moment. Also, backup defensive tackle Martin Parker will need surgery for a herniated disk in his back and backup defensive end Justin Trattou will be out for several more weeks with a heel injury that has already kept him out for most of camp.

Canty, who starts with Linval Joseph at defensive tackle, is on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from offseason knee surgery and his status for the season opener remains in question.

"I'm definitely getting better, just the level of activity, what we're able to do, my general feelings about it, not dealing with pain or anything like that," Canty said. "We knew this was gonna be a long process, obviously I didn't think it would be this long but I think we're being smart about it, we're taking the right approach."

The Giants signed Rogers as insurance in case Canty would not be ready. Joseph, who was roommates with Rogers in camp, said the veteran likely suffered the blood clot by getting leg whipped in practice last week before Saturday's preseason loss to the Jaguars.

Rogers played in that game and Joseph said the plane ride back from Jacksonville might have worsened Rogers' condition.

"To have a blood clot or having a risk happen of a blood clot, that is serious," Joseph said. "They can cut your leg off, a lot of things can happen with that. Thank God it is not a (more serious) blood clot, and hopefully everything will work out with it."

Joseph, Rocky Bernard, Dwayne Hendricks and Markus Kuhn are the healthy defensive tackles on the roster at the moment, pending Austin's back examination.

"I thought we were as deep (at defensive tackle) as we were at any position on the team," Coughlin said. "And it is not that way now."

The Giants were hoping the 6-foot-4 Rogers could make an impact in a certain amount of snaps this season as a space eater who might add a different dimension and open things for their pass rush. Rogers, 33, was entering his 12th season in the NFL.

"I just think he is going to be one of those guys to push the pocket," defensive end Justin Tuck said earlier in camp. "A lot of our rushes have always been predicated on the success of our defensive ends, and a lot of our D-tackle play kind of gets overshadowed."

"I think he is going to be a guy that can definitely push the pocket where the quarterback can't step up," Tuck added. "And not only in the passing game, but that big body that won't be moved on double-teams is going to help us solidify our run-stopping defense."

jerseygiantfan · September 3, 2012

Giants

Forget the NY Jets, Dallas Cowboys are NY Giants’ real ‘little brother’

'If we can just extend our play from last year the way we played against them -- we got a pretty good beat on what they like to do. We just want to continue to play well, play the same way we've been playing and take it from there,' said Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz.

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Published: Sunday, September 2, 2012, 4:35 PM

Updated: Monday, September 3, 2012, 3:00 AM

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LARRY W. SMITH/EPA

Consistently beating the Cowboys is all the motivation Eli Manning needs.

The birth certificate may say the Giants’ little brother are the Jets, but really, it’s the Cowboys Big Blue likes to boss around.

That’s the way this relationship has gone the last few years with the Giants winning seven of the last nine meetings — matching their most dominant nine-game stretch against Dallas since the Boys came into the NFL in 1960.

Quite simply, the Giants own the Cowboys and that has to be in the Cowboys’ heads as they prepare for Wednesday’s season opener at MetLife Stadium.

As a matter of fact, it’s not going to change Tony Romo proves he can stand in there against Eli Manning with the game on the line in the fourth quarter and beat the two-time Super Bowl MVP.

“A little bit,” Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz said when asked if the Giants own Dallas. “If we can just extend our play from last year the way we played against them — we got a pretty good beat on what they like to do. We just want to continue to play well, play the same way we’ve been playing and take it from there.”

The momentum switched in this bitter rivalry in the 2007 divisional round of the playoffs, when the Giants, a wild-card team, went into Texas Stadium and eliminated the NFC’s No. 1 seed on the way to the Super Bowl.

Romo felt so confident about that game that he took a mini-vacation during Dallas’ bye weekend and went to Cabo with girlfriend Jessica Simpson. Manning showed up in Cabo three months later to get married. A wedding ring wasn’t the only one on his finger.

That playoff game set the tone for dominance as the Giants have won seven of the last nine showdowns. The only other time Big Blue has had such prolonged success against America’s Team came during the darkest period in Cowboys history.

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

What rivalry? Eli Manning (r.) has two Super Bowl rings versus none for Dallas QB Tony Romo.

They beat Dallas twice in Tom Landry’s final season in 1988 when the Cowboys were 3-13. They beat them twice in 1989, Jimmy Johnson’s first year, when the Cowboys were 1-15. They beat them twice in 1990, when Dallas was 7-9. The Cowboys broke the six-game losing streak in the first game in 1991, the Giants won the rematch, but then the Cowboys won five in a row as Johnson turned them into Super Bowl champs.

Almost all of the trash-talking from the Dallas side in recent years has come from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Before the 2007 playoff game, he gave his players two tickets to the NFC Championship Game to be played at Texas Stadium if after the Cowboys beat the Giants. Tom Coughlin found out about it and turned Jones’ attempt to fire up the Cowboys as motivation for his guys. He then mocked Jones in the post-game locker room as he addressed his players “I don't want anybody talking about this in the media,” Coughlin said in a real serious tone, then with his right arm extended like he's holding something in his hand, he tells them, “Jerry just sent the tickets over. So, we're all set.”

Coughlin broke into a huge grin and his players shouted their approval.

Now Jones has done it again.

At a pep rally at Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, Calif., Jones told the fans: “I know we're standing here today. But we want you to come to (Cowboys Stadium) and watch us beat the New York Giants’ ass OK?”

This week, Jones told USA Today that desire to beat the Giants comes from admiration of Big Blue’s success.

“The Giants are an inspiration…We have that kind of respect for them,” Jones said. “I don't shy away or back off from saying, ‘Hey guys, you’ve got what I would have liked to have had.’”

The Boys will always be relevant, but Jones wants more. And he seems to be using Big Blue as a way to get a message to his team: The Giants are where we want to be.

“You can’t pay any attention to that,” Cruz said. “He’s going to say whatever he wants to say. At the same time, he’s not the one out there playing. You have to go out there and line up our 11 against his and see what happens. But it definitely adds a little incentive.”

Spoken like a real big brother.

Read more: http://www.nydailyne...3#ixzz25PGqLg4p

jerseygiantfan · September 5, 2012

NFL power rankings: Defending champion NY Giants start out on top; Peyton Manning makes Broncos Super Bowl contenders

NY Jets open at No. 25 as offense led by Mark Sanchez will struggle to put points on the board

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By Hank Gola / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Tuesday, September 4, 2012, 10:17 AM

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Eli Manning and the NY Giants look to be NFL's top team, but will get competition from Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, brother Peyton and Tom Brady's Patriots. Mark Sanchez's Jets? Not so much.

If there is one thing the NFL has taught us lately is that things change abruptly from one season to the next. That makes the preseason Daily News power rankings a bit of a guessing game until the teams can settle in to their parity positions for 2012.

Were the Giants really the best team last season? Leaning on Eli Manning and their pass rush, they were the hottest at the end and that's what counts. But there is a perfect example. In today's NFL, you don't have to be great across the board. Just a few areas – the right areas – will do. They open up No. 1.

Then there are the Jets, who looked like Super Bowl contenders for parts of last year and now seem lucky to score a touchdown. They open at No. 25. Of course, Things do, change.

Here are the opening rankings. Last year's final regular season rankings are in parenthesis.

1. (Last year - 10) Giants (9-7)

Defending champs get top spot for now. History against them.

2. (1) Packers (15-1)

Can score at will but can they stop people when it counts?

3. (4) Patriots (13-3)

Defense improved and they still have Tom Brady.

4. (3) 49ers (13-3)

Best all-around defense in the NFL.

5. (5) Ravens (12-4)

Came within a drop of the Super Bowl. They're due.

6. (6) Steelers (12-4)

With age creeping in on defense, the window is closing.

7. (16) Broncos (8-8)

Peyton Manning makes them Super Bowl contenders.

8. (11) Eagles (8-8)

As long as Michael Vick stays healthy.

9. (8) Lions (10-6)

Can Jim Schwartz keep them disciplined?

10. (9) Texans (10-6)

Matt Schaub is back to lead the most balanced offense in football.

11. (7) Falcons (10-6)

Time for Matt Ryan to step up in the playoffs.

12. (2) Saints (13-3)

If they can survive the start of the season, watch out.

13. (22) Bears (8-8)

Derailed only by injuries last year.

14. (13) Bengals (9-7)

Lots of talent but they've got to start beating the Ravens and Steelers.

15. (12) Titans (9-7)

Jake Locker takes over. Might be some growing pains.

16. (17) Cowboys (8-8)

Who ever knows with them? O-line still the big question mark.

17. (14) Chargers (8-8)

It's Norv Turner's last stand.

18. (20) Chiefs (7-9)

Being healthier makes them better. A true sleeper.

19. (26) Bills (6-10)

Their pass rush is scary good now.

20. (24) Panthers (6-10)

It all depends on how much the defense improves.

21. (15) Cardinals (8-8)

They need a quarterback desperately.

22. (23) Raiders (8-8)

Carson Palmer gets to start season from scratch.

23. (21) Dolphins (7-9)

Defense will keep them in games, offense will lose them.

24. (25) Redskins (5-11)

RG3 will make them exciting. Could surprise.

25. (19) JETS (8-8)

How the mighty mouths have fallen.

26. (32) Bucs (4-12)

Team quit on Raheem Morris. Greg Schiano has their attention.

27. (31) Rams (2-14)

Jeff Fisher will turn them around but will need more than one year.

28. (18) Seahawks (7-9)

Matt Flynn couldn't win the job. Makes you worry.

29. (30) Colts (2-14)

This year all about developing Andrew Luck for future years.

30. (27) Jaguars (5-11)

MJD's holdout sets everybody back.

31. (29) Vikings (3-13)

Getting Adrian Peterson back helps, but the division is brutal

32. (28) Browns (4-12)

Only offense worse than Jets

Read more: http://www.nydailyne...2#ixzz25aqZijK3

jerseygiantfan · September 6, 2012

Defending Super Bowl champions NY Giants look lost in loss to Dallas Cowboys

Coughlin’s message was pretty clear: It’s time for his players to stop listening to everybody telling them how great they are. The book writing is over.

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Thursday, September 6, 2012, 2:30 AM

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Tom Coughlin looks at the ground for answers to the Giants' loss to the Cowboys Wednesday.

Tom Coughlin introduced his battle cry of “Build The Bridge,” during training camp, to build from the Super Bowl and carry the Giants right over into this season.

It was evident Wednesday night in the Giants’ season-opening loss to the Cowboys that, like most construction projects in New York, this one is way behind schedule. The lack of intensity the Giants showed against Dallas proved that this team needs an immediate attitude adjustment.

The Giants won the Super Bowl by getting their hands dirty; the way they played in the 24-17 loss to the Cowboys made it seem as if they still had their glitzy Super Bowl rings on their fingers.

If there was ever a case of a team playing with a Super Bowl hangover, this was it. By the time they decided to play and close to within seven points with 2:36 left, it turned out to be too late. The defense allowed Tony Romo to convert a crucial third-and-10 to Kevin Ogletree — he also scored two touchdowns — on the last play before the two-minute warning. Eli Manning never got the ball back in his hands to perform any last-minute magic.

Coughlin didn’t hold back when addressing his players in the locker room after the game.

“Take a bite out of humble pie,” he said.

In the postgame news conference, he expanded on his message.

“It brings you right back down to earth. There won’t be any more blowing smoke up their rear ends as far as last year is last year, this year is this year,” Coughlin said. “Every team is a new team, every year is a new year. We got our work cut out for us.”

PHOTOS: GIANTS FALL IN FIRST DEFENSE OF SUPER BOWL TITLE

Coughlin’s message was pretty clear: It’s time for his players to stop listening to everybody telling them how great they are. The book writing is over. The banquet circuit is over. It’s time to play football. There is a reason only eight teams have repeated as Super Bowl champs. There is a reason the Giants are 0-3 trying to repeat. It’s hard.

“Hopefully, the competitive nature of our guys will come out swinging,” Coughlin said.

Victor Cruz is too good a receiver and too grounded as a person to be a one-year wonder. But he dropped an easy third-down pass on the first series of the game, and that set a tone for the lack of intensity the Giants played with most of the night. Cruz had three drops, which was an issue at times during his breakout and record-setting 2011 season.

“They were just drops,” Cruz said. “Just a lack of concentration, a couple of them were me leaving too early before I caught the ball. It is what it is.”

The players disputed the notion of a Super Bowl hangover.

“No, no,” Manning said. “We fought at the end. We had a chance. They made a good third and long conversion to seal the victory. We gave ourselves a chance. I like the way we fought at the end.”

Safety Antrel Rolle said, “We weren’t worried about the Super Bowl. That was last year. It’s got nothing to do with this year.”

But the intensity the Giants had all through their Super Bowl run was missing. The fans were waiting to explode, but the Giants never gave them the chance. Rookie running back David Wilson ended a first-quarter drive with a fumble and never carried the ball again.

New tight end Martellus Bennett had a third-down drop. The Giants couldn’t get in the end zone after Michael Boley’s 51-yard interception return and a horse-collar tackle set them up with a first and goal at the 1 in the second period.

They could not control Romo, who threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns. Corey Webster, the Giants’ best corner, had an awful time with Dez Bryant and Ogletree, who beat him on a 40-yard touchdown.

Coughlin’s only public complaint about the replacement officials came on that missed opportunity at the goal line in the second quarter. After Ahmad Bradshaw lost two yards on first down and one yard on second down, Manning threw to Cruz at the goal line. Dallas cornerback Orlando Scandrick all but put Cruz in handcuffs. But there was no flag.

Coughlin said “for sure,” Cruz was held. “You have people in position where they are trying to do the very best they can,” he said. “We can yell and scream all we want from the sidelines, but that is the nature of what we have in front of us right now. They try as hard as they can.”

On a night when Coughlin was trying to build a bridge, it turns out the bridge led to nowhere

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/defending-super-bowl-champions-ny-giants-lost-loss-dallas-cowboys-article-1.1153063#ixzz25gtPYPKz

jerseygiantfan · September 7, 2012

Dallas pizzeria raises price for NFC rival fans

A slice of pizza and a fountain drink costs $3.50 for Cowboys fans. But the same combo costs $863.49 for Giants and Redskins fans. (Jon Machota)

By Jon Machota

FOXSportsSouthwest.com Special Contributor

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September 6, 2012

Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Check out the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. VIEW GALLERY »If New York Giants or Washington Redskins fans are in Dallas on a Sunday during the NFL season and have a taste for pizza, they should avoid this place.

Extreme Pizza in North Dallas frequently offers specials on Cowboys gamedays. Wednesday night's season opener against the Giants was no different. Well, unless you're a Giants fan.

The pizzeria posted two signs in front of their location on Luther Lane, one that offered Cowboys fans a jumbo slice of pizza and a fountain drink for $3.50 and the other advertising the same combo for Giants and Redskins fans at the price of $863.49.

Assistant manager Chris Donnell confirmed that no customers said they were Giants fans Wednesday night. One patron jokingly said he was a Redskins fan when the sign had been posted in the past.

"He wasn't really a Redskins fan," Donnell said. "You kind of got to be crazy to be a Redskins fan in Dallas, or very brave."

Or very wealthy if you plan on eating pizza.

Extreme Pizza general manager Bill Shaw came up with the idea and the company is already planning something for the Cowboys' game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 16.

jerseygiantfan · September 17, 2012

Report Card: Giants win in Week 2

September, 16, 2012

Sep 16

10:28

PM ET

By Ohm Youngmisuk | ESPNNewYork.com

Here are my grades for the Giants' Week 2 win over the Buccaneers:

PASSING OFFENSE

Yes, Eli Manning threw three picks that led to three Tampa TDs in the first half. But as only Eli can do, he orchestrated yet another stirring comeback with three Giants' fourth-quarter touchdowns (two passing and one rushing). He threw for a career-best 510 yards and Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks were sensational with a combined 21 receptions for 378 yards and two touchdowns. Martellus Bennett also had five catches and a touchdown. And kudos to the O-line as Manning wasn't sacked once on 51 passing attempts. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Giants are the first team to have two players with at least 10 catches and at least 175 yards receiving each in the same game.

RUSHING OFFENSE

Ahmad Bradshaw was knocked out of the game with a neck injury after just five carries but Andre Brown gave the Giants a spark with 71 yards on 13 carries. The Giants rushed for 94 yards total but Brown scored the game-winning touchdown after purposely going down at Tampa Bay's 2-yard line to kill more clock at the end of the game. And he also converted a critical two-point conversion. David Wilson only had three carries for six yards.

PASSING DEFENSE

The Giants sacked Josh Freeman twice and picked him off twice, including a game-sealing interception at the end. But the defense allowed 34 points and let Freeman tie the game near the end way too easily. Charged with protecting a 34-27 lead with 3:59 remaining, Freeman only needed five plays to go 80 yards and tie the game with a 41-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams. The Giants' corners continue to struggle.

RUSHING DEFENSE

The Giants did a good job of containing Doug Martin for the most part. The rookie rushed for 66 yards but did score on an 8-yard touchdown run. The Giants also stuffed Martin on a third-and-1 at the 50 midway through the third quarter that helped start their comeback from down 27-13.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Lawrence Tynes nailed four field goals on a busy day and the Giants needed all of those points. Steve Weatherford only had to punt twice but did land one inside the 20. Rueben Randle returned punts for the first time and had an impressive 45-yard return called back due to penalty. David Wilson continues to look good as kick returner, averaging 28.7 yards per return on Sunday.

COACHING

The Giants struggled early again, falling behind 27-13 with 13:14 remaining in the third. The defense gave up too many big plays again. And the offense looked flat early on. The Giants did lose three key players in the first half (Ahmad Bradshaw, David Diehl and Domenik Hixon) to injury but adjusted. And in the end, the Giants called the right plays to come back and win with Eli's brilliance. There's still a ton of work to be done but Tom Coughlin never stopped fighting, even letting Greg Schiano hear it at the end for Tampa charging the line on a kneeldown.

jerseygiantfan · October 3, 2012

New York Giants’ Victor Cruz Tells Teammate Rueben Randle: “Act Like You Want to Be Here”

October 3rd, 2012 at 9:10 AM

By Dan Benton

With one catch totaling four yards over his first four games as a member of the New York Giants, the "NFL-ready" Rueben Randle hasn't done much to dazzle. On Sunday night, during a 19-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Randle had an opportunity to step up and make his presence felt in the absence of Hakeem Nicks, but like the one pass that went his way, he fell short. And during the NBC broadcast, analyst Cris Collinsworth made mention that the Giants have begun to question his work ethic.

“Randle’s work ethic has been questioned a bit with the Giants," Collinsworth said. “They’re hoping that he grows up as he goes along and starts becoming a bit more of a pro.”

Initially dismissed as more nonsensical rambling courtesy of Collinsworth, it now appears his remarks have some merit. In a recent interview with the New York Post, fellow wide receiver Victor Cruz not only engaged in questions about Randle's work ethic, but more or less agreed with exactly what Collinsworth had said.

“Rueben has to understand that this is a business now, it’s not just come out here, lollygag, because you may not be getting as much reps as somebody else, that you shouldn’t be giving as much effort,"

Victor Cruz

told The Post. “He has to understand that each and every day he walks in here he’s a professional and he has to perform no matter what’s being asked of him."

Asked whether or not Randle needs to step up and adjust his attitude, Cruz said "I guess. I guess."

These comments are far from the glowing praise that was initially heaped on the rookie from General Manager Jerry Reese and Director of College Scouting Marc Ross. Each raved about how talented Randle was and how successful he'd ultimately be in this league. But, of course, you have to have the right mentality to achieve success in the NFL and, at least for now, the former LSU standout doesn't appear to have it.

“I tell him little things here and there,” Cruz said, “like, ‘Hey man, you got to just show some energy out there. Act like you want to be here. Act like you want to go out there and continue to play and run routes, because sooner or later your number is going to be called and we’re gonna need you to play.”

On a team full of "we" and "us" guys, Randle is out of place. He's going to need to shape up or he'll find himself not only in the cold tub, but in Tom Coughlin's dog house. And once you're in there, it's very difficult to get out.

Photo Credit: Mike Gannon

jerseygiantfan · October 3, 2012

New York Giants’ Osi Umenyiora Says Defense is in a “Precarious Situation”

October 3rd, 2012 at 6:30 AM

By Paul Tierney

The New York Giants have allowed an average of 372.2 yards per game, which ranks 22nd in the NFL. The secondary is in shambles and their vaunted defensive line has a combined 3.5 sacks through four games . Poor defensive play has been a major contributing factor in both of the Giants' divisional losses this season. In particular, defensive ends Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck have been nearly invisible through the first four games of 2012.

It's possible that Umenyiora and Tuck are no longer what they used to be. Both have experienced a great deal of wear and tear throughout their lengthy careers, including several injuries to both players.

However, last January and into February we saw the same two guys wreaking havoc on the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. In an ESPN radio interview on Tuesday, Osi Umenyiora said teams have began to counter the Giants pass rush by getting the ball out of the quarterback's hands quickly, and that there's not a lot Big Blue can do to stop it.

"There's really no counter for it, honestly." Umenyiora said. "Because if you blitz, obviously, we have some injuries in our secondary so you can't really commit too many people to a rush. If you don't do that then you're going to allow the teams to have more time because they're keeping more people in to protect. So it's a very difficult situation that we're in. It's a precarious situation, but at the end of the day it's on us, the defensive linemen, to find a way to make more plays."

Against the Dallas Cowboys, quarterback Tony Romo massacred the Giants with a steady dose of quick slant routes over the middle of the field. The Giants corner backs played with their backs to the sideline and the pass rush was unable to get to Romo with consistency. These short, quick passes cost Big Blue the game.

The same scenario played out in Philadelphia this past Sunday. The Giants front four rarely got to Michael Vick in time to hit him, and if they did break through they were seldom able to contain Vick in the pocket. When the Giants blitzed, they got pressure on Vick, but he was able to make big plays through the air to DeSean Jackson as the game progressed.

"Obviously teams have gone to their quick passes, they've gone to their double teams and their chips to negate the pass rush," Umenyiora said. "That's just what it is. That's respect. And that's what we've come to expect and it's just something that we're going to have to deal with. Nobody really wants to hear any excuses. Nobody cares that we're getting double-teamed, triple-teamed, all this stuff. They still expect us to get to the quarterback so eventually that's exactly what we're going to have to do."

The Giants don't have any proven talent at cornerback, Kenny Phillips is hurt and Chase Blackburn can not cover anybody over the middle of the field. In short, there are not enough healthy, talented players in the secondary to consistently compete with the NFL's elite right now. If Corey Webster gets back on track, Amukamara and Jayron Hosley gain more experience, and Kenny Phillips gets healthy, there's a chance that can change in the near future.

However, for now, it's up to the defensive line to carry the defense. Despite the lack of production so far, this is still one of the most talented groups in the NFL. If the secondary ever gets healthy enough to cover anybody, we will see JPP, Osi, and Tuck break out like we have in the past. Until then, the defense is going to be suspect.

jerseygiantfan · October 3, 2012