Kevin Boss 'Extremely Pleased' He Opted For Ankle Surgery

[Mr. P]

 

Kevin Boss was trying to fight through the pain in his ankle. Not to prove his toughness, not because he was worried about surgery, but because he didn’t want to miss any time this spring.

 

Nearly month later, he’s glad he opted for surgery.

 

The Giants’ tight end said the other day he hasn’t experienced any discomfort since last month’s procedure to remove bone spurs and clean up other damage in his ankle. With six weeks to go before training camp, Boss says he’s ahead of schedule in his goal to be ready for the team’s first practices in Albany.

 

“It’s one of those things where I was kind of second-guessing doing the surgery until now when I feel the way it does now and I’m like, ‘I’m really glad I went ahead and did it,’” said Boss, whose ankle issues dated back to a sprain he suffered in Week 4 last season. “As a competitor you don’t want to miss practice. I didn’t want to miss just the time working out. But you know, looking back at it, I’m extremely pleased that I went ahead with it.”

 

The original timetable for Boss’ return was four to six weeks. Three weeks in, he believes he’s right on track to start doing more on- and off-field work next week.

 

“I’d be surprised if it was any longer than four weeks,” Boss said, adding: “It really hasn’t bothered me at all. I had a little bit of pain right after the surgery. But after the first week I felt like I could walk on it. I was trying to be patient and the trainers were telling me to stay off it for a couple of weeks to let the wounds heal up and stuff. But it doesn’t bother me at all.”

 

* * * *

 

K Lawrence Tynes said he will try to get into the New Meadowlands Stadium two or three times a week over the next month to get used to how the ball flies in there. Tynes said the way the winds affect the ball won’t be clear until September and October. On a warm day Tuesday, there wasn’t much of a breeze blowing through the building.

 

Tynes also wants to get used to the new turf, which he said was nice but a little “mushy” the other day. Tynes said many players had sore feet after practicing on the surface. (And of course, Domenik Hixon had much more than a sore knee, though there’s been plenty of debate about how much the turf has factored into that injury. The Giants’ brass says no; the players are hinting yes.)

 

Another key for Tynes will be the presence of punters Matt Dodge and Jy Bond over the next month. Those two have never held before but are working hard on it. The Giants prefer their punter hold instead of their backup quarterback so the holder and kicker can work together during practice while the offense and defense work elsewhere.

 

Things were rusty at first with Dodge, whom Tynes has dubbed “The Hulk” because of his muscular, un-punter-like physique. Tynes said Dodge tended to be “robotic … like that arm where you get the dolls,” meaning the arcade claw game. But both punters have apparently made very good progress with their holds and will continue to do so with Tynes and long snapper Zak DeOssie, as well as retired punter and recently hired advisor Jeff Feagles.

 

“We’ve gotten better every week, but we’re not anywhere near where we need to be,” Tynes said. “You have to take reps, whether it’s at home, someone throwing (them) the ball. Like Jeff said, you have to do a thousand reps to get it. It’s a very, very difficult position to do. But they’re grasping it. They’re good enough athletes, so…”

 

* * * *

 

Recently, secondary coach Peter Giunta talked about the new coverage schemes under defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. Thursday, Fewell was asked if Giunta’s description of more “zone principles” and matching up with receivers “later in the down” is accurate.

 

“That is accurate,” Fewell replied.

 

One of the concerns that might raise would be the effect on a player such as Corey Webster, who has enjoyed a career resurgence since Steve Spagnuolo arrived in 2007 with a more aggressive man-coverage scheme. Playing more “off coverage” would seem to be counterproductive for Webster.

 

But Fewell seems to have a grasp for Webster’s strengths and said he will have plenty of opportunities to play tight to the receivers.

 

“What I tried to do with our scheme is give them a structure, a basic foundation, they could hold on to it. And then their individual talents, they can accomplish what we need to accomplish within the bounds,” Fewell said. “So, yes, he will have that freedom to do that.”

 

Said Webster, “This year, we’re doing it a little bit different to play off the quarterback, see where he’s looking and read him downfield so hopefully we can make more plays on the ball. … You get a little more vision on the ball. You’re helping (yourself) to get an earlier break or jump on what the receiver is trying to run. Ultimately, you have to read the receiver’s route downfield, but knowing what side the quarterback is going to can help out a lot, too.”

 

Webster, who was credited with only 12 passes defensed last season after recording double that amount in 2008, also thinks mixing up the coverages will be a chess game that could confuse opponents.

 

“It’s a different changeup,” he said. “You don’t want anybody to know what you’re going to know just what you’re going to do every play if you press every play. So I think we’re doing a good job of mixing it up, showing press, doing some bails and some different off techniques. I think all the cornerbacks feed off that as well. … Kind of like a pitcher trying not to tip your pitch. We’re doing the same thing.”

 

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2010/06/kevin_boss_extremely_pleased_h.html

[TaylorBanksCarsonVanPelt]

Oh boy here we go again with another spate of turf related injuries that upper management will say has nothing to do with the turf as of course upper management is constantly running at break neck speeds; cutting routes; and being tackled on the aforementioned turf....

[Lubeck]

recently hired advisor Jeff Feagles.